Issue 6, the Black & Gold, Volume 91

Sports

the

Photo : A. H

ilden

For insights from the golf team, a feature on Thunder Squirrels lacrosse and highlights from Central‘s track meet against hometown rivals, sprint to page 6.

Newsline

Feature

&

April 24, 2012

Volume 91

Black Gold

Issue 6

Photo: A. Hilden

Trojan acts of kindness Members of Dave Hendrix’s new club will perform simple acts of kindness. “We’re trying to make the school community a better place by setting goals for ourselves,” member Abbey Kaufman ‘13 said. The group meets Friday mornings at 7:40 in C-218.

2012 MIPA Spartan Award Winner

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

Prom fashion sneak peek 2.

1.

Photo: K. Raymond

3.

Photo: K. Raymond

The 2012 Trashion Fashion Show brought crazy creations and unique styles to the runway. Also, go behind the scenes of a Central entrepreneur’s business, page 5.

Hair

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: K. Raymond

Donning colorful dresses and sharp tuxes, Student Senators strut their stuff at the annual Traverse City Central Prom fashion show. 1. Sporting a black tux and green bow tie, Trevor Osburn ‘12 dips Makenna Beers ‘14. “My favorite part was getting ready with all the girls beforehand,” Beers said. “We all met down in the small gym locker room and had music playing and did our hair and makeup together.” 2. Blowing a kiss, Delaney Miller ‘14 strikes a pose on the catwalk. 3. Austin Bluemel ‘14 twirls Estefany Paniagua ‘14 at the end of the runway.

Youth Union’s TCYF: down but not out After two venue changes, Youth Union’s Archnemesis concert finds a home at the Good Work Collective. The B&G explores the future of YU

Lia Williams & Hayley Rozema

Photo: K. Raymond

Students shed their locks for a good cause during Hair for Hope. Also, investigate the wacky and wild hair colors and styles of our peers. See page 4 for the hairy details.

Chatter and coffee

Photo: A. Hilden

During Friday Morning Chatter (FMC), students, parents and staff chat with Principal Rick Vandermolen over coffee. “When you want to have relationships, you have to spend the time to sit down and talk to each other.” FMC is every Friday, 7:15 - 8:15 A.M., in Conference Room A/B, across from the main office.

Frozen Planet webinar

L Staff Reporters

Last Friday’s Archnemesis concert was a hard-earned show to remember; it featured four hours of fist pumping, blasting bass, pulsing lights and students’ energy bouncing off the walls.

The concert was hosted

by Youth Union (YU), a new off campus club that gives students event planning and arts industry experience.

“The students wanted more than anything to put on a concert like one that’s never happened,” Youth Union advisor Sam Porter said.

The concert was held at Porter’s Good Work Collective, an arts gallery space downtown. Originally, YU planned the concert at Lars Hockstad as part of a larger festival weekend featuring Disney’s Ralph’s World, a student expo, and a talent show. But after countless meetings, phone calls and emails with TCAPS, YU’s original blueprint disintegrated, reducing the event to the Archnemesis concert.

“We didn’t want to cancel it, but felt we had to,” Porter said.

Co-leader of YU public

relations Madeline Vander Velde ‘12 agreed. “We had to change our view of the festival and make it more realistic. It was sad because we had so many huge things that we wanted to do.”

YU leader Emma Beauchamp ‘12 said that students were relieved that at least the concert-the Youth Festival’s main event--wasn’t cancelled.

Since the group had been planning since October, the outright cancellation of the larger weekend was disappointing.

“The constant changes to the event were really frustrating,” Beauchamp said.

“We tried our hardest to meet TCAPS’ wishes, but there just wasn’t enough time to do everything necessary.”

Vander Velde said the cancellation was “a shock to all of us.” Library Media Specialist Kerrey Woughter agreed.

“We were baffled, really.

We were pretty blind-sided when the event was first cancelled,” Woughter said.

“The students felt like it was a big waste of time, but they handled it very maturely.”

Principal Rick Vander-

Photo: S. Hutchison

National touring band Archnemesis rocks out the Good Work Collective. “Archnemesis’ music combined a lot of cool elements like dubstep, jazz, and techno,” YU member Alicia Minore ‘13 said. “I liked using the silent disco headphones because they block out noise, but then you could take the headphones off and have a conversation.”

molen, who met multiple times with YU members, believes the festival’s required level of sophistication and “intense communication” in a short time frame were the main factors that contributed to its collapse. TCAPS Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Paul Soma agreed that the festival’s pitfall was the lack of communication between YU and TCAPS. “It would’ve been helpful for it to be clear to all parties what was being planned,” Soma said. “The

long series of questions and challenges were not worked out in a timely fashion.” Soma added another piece of the communication breakdown was the question of how YU and TCAPS were officially connected.

“I’d never heard the term YU until the middle of March, when I got involved,” Soma said.

“There are internal TCAPS groups, and there are groups who aren’t TCAPS sponsored groups. It took a while to figure out, but at the end of the day YU is

an organization outside of TCAPS’ umbrella.”

Another source of confusion for Soma’s department was their understanding that YU was only planning to use Lars Hockstad for a talent show; however, Porter expected to use Lars for the Archnemesis concert as well and needed the larger venue to make the event profitable.

Porter said the small scale concert held at the Good Work Collective “was a blast, but a financial

continued, page 4

Student Led Conferences: TCAPS’ controversial change Brianna Worthington Staff Reporter

Photo: K. Raymond

Kelli Spencer’s AT/H Biology class participated in a live webinar with the producers of Discovery Ed’s Frozen Planet series. Experts on the Arctic poles taught students about ecosystem adaptation. “In the old days, you’d have to travel to a conference to see experts,” Spencer said.

“Now, they can come into our classrooms.”

As TCAPS transitions to a strategy that will better prepare students for an increasingly competitive world, Student Led Conferences (SLCs) is the newest initiative approved by the Board of Education. SLCs are intended to replace parent-teacher conferences. In a teacher-facilitated, forum-like atmosphere, students at Central originally were to present to their parents three pieces that best exemplify the body of their school work. Key to the conference is an essay that speaks to various grade-level prompts, all predicated on what students want from their school experience, including three of the seven elements of the “We are CENTRAL” acronym.

SLCs are also a graduation requirement.

“The fundamental purpose behind Student Led Conferences is that we want students to take greater ownership of their learning at school,” Principal Rick Vandermolen said.

“Student Led Conferences require students to use the habit of reflection, which is a really important skill to have as you transition from a high school setting, to a college or workforce setting.”

However, despite the good intentions for the SLCs, TCAPS encountered several problems during implementation for grades 10-12.

Because of these logistical setbacks, rather than requiring parents to attend their student’s conference after school hours, the conferences will now be held during advisory among peers.

Vandermolen explained that some of the issues Graphic: M. Kachadurian

were due to the difficulty of executing widespread change.

“We are altering the format for this year only, looking at the logistics of what we were trying to accomplish and saying, ‘what is it that we can do to still reach the objectives but in a method that is more achievable?’” Vandermolen said.

“The goal is that every student has a Student Led Conference before the end of the school year.”

Kelly M. Hall President of TCAPS’ Board of Education said students have expressed dismay about SLCs, but parents have expressed gratitude. “Parents have been dissatisfied with the past structure at parent-teacher conferences because they don’t feel that there is adequate time to discuss students’ progress continued, page 5

2 Opinion Joe Murray

Our View

Kony 2012: By the numbers

Graphic: J. Murray

Editor-in-Chief

School – Prom is upon us:

Forgive me for tackling an entirely-too cliché topic this issue, but how could I resist? I’m a senior, Prom is a little over a week away and I, along with more upperclassmen than would care to admit, am counting down the days until that night that has the school talking.

It’s important to me because the evening is our second to the last big moment together. It is interesting that both prom and graduation are formal, which shows how unique, how special these are. Prom is more than an expensive black-tie Homecoming masqueraded in tuxedos and floor-length gowns; we’ve come a long way since our freshmen dances, those awkward adolescent gatherings. It’s fitting that we go out with a punch, all polished.

But as seniors at Prom, we’re just past the point of caring who’s watching us. That, more than anything, is what Prom is about: celebrating the transient moment when, for a just a second, all eyes are on us and the ecstasy of being with friends, celebrating our impending launch and dancing away any lingering shackles from the last four years make us too happy to care.

Local – Joe’s got the barkkkkkk:

Traverse City is going to the dogs. At least the area near Division Street and Grandview Parkway is. The site, currently called Veteran’s Memorial Park, will be the home of Traverse City’s new dog park, and the city is currently accepting names for the new pooch play area.

What better way to cover the new park than to suggest a couple of names of my own?: “Gimme Back That Ball!” Park: Why not name the place after what is sure to be one of the most common phrases uttered there? The dog park is adjacent to a tennis court. Whose bright idea was it to invite the city’s dog population to an area where people will be tossing and hitting tennis balls, Fido’s favorite. Sure, there’s a fence between the areas, but since when have a few feet of criss-crossed steel stopped a determined dog from getting its jaws around its fluorescent, spherical prize?

“Throw Me a Bone” Park: Traverse City residents raised nearly all of the $15,000 required to fund the new park in about three months. I guess there’s nothing like a puppy-dog face to get people to whip out their wallets. The feat is a testament to how dedicated area dog-lovers are to finalize plans for the park after years of discussion, but I can’t help but think that there a lot of organizations that aim to help humans that might have a harder time raising this much money so quickly.

Traverse City is a perfect place for a park like this, and we’re long overdue for an area where dogs can socialize and run off-leash. Organizers hope to have the park opened by May.

National – Divorce rings:

Will you . . . . divorce me?

Wedding rings are exchanged to symbolize a couple’s commitment to each other. If said couple divorces, the rings get tossed. But now we have a trend that signifies the failure of marriage: divorce rings.

While buying some flashy new bling may dilute the sting of heartbreak, the recently divorced should think twice before buying a ring that will advertise their failed marriage to anyone who happens to glance at their hand.

These pieces would be hard to miss. Designs include hearts severed with diamond wedges, flower bouquets stuffed in skulls and rings with gaps in the metal – a break in the eternity of a circle that is supposed to represent everlasting love.

Aside from advertising one’s newly-single status, divorcees who treat themselves with a new, expensive piece of jewelry give the impression that they’re making light of a serious problem. A staggering percentage of marriages in America end in divorce–more than half--so it’s just weird to dignify a tragedy with a shiny band of gold to cover up what is so painful for so many people, especially children.

See something that got your goat? Drop off a letter to the editor in F-158!

the Black & Gold

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 24, 2012

N No one thinks that the plight of a child warrior is good, so what teen wouldn’t jump at the chance to save children forced to be soldiers in some civil war? War is bad.

Child abuse is bad. Easy call. A few weeks back many teens, with the mere click of their mouse from across the world, were deluded into thinking they were fixing a problem as complex as war, and as deep a tragedy of forcing African children to wield guns.

“KONY 2012” is a 30 minute documentary and campaign that features the genocidal acts of warlord Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), who has terrorized Northern Ugandans for more than 25 years.

The LRA is a militia which abducts children to fight in its various civil wars. At the peak of Kony’s power, he often forced children to murder their own parents and, if they refused, he tortured the child in front of their parents, prior to murdering them. Kony is a pedophile, a sadist who maims and disfigures children. Another tragedy is that he teaches them to become adults just like him, thus perpetuating the brutality.

“KONY 2012” was produced by American filmmaker Jason Russell, who has spent the past nine years working with his organization, Invisible Children, to assist former LRA child soldiers in

David Reinke Staff Reporter

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has issued yet another unjustified rating. This time it was March’s controversial box office resident Bully, a documentary about five kids and their life-altering accounts of abuse and harassment in school. The MPAA initially slapped the film with an R-rating for some brief F-bomb droppings. One wonders if the realities of such terrible topics as bullying, abuse and harassment can be accurately portrayed in sanitized niceties.

Besides profanity, the MPAA has taken a stance against graphic sex in films but has noticeably let violent and horror films slip by with a nicer rating. In the instance of the R-rated Bully, we have a film chronicling real harassment and abuse, a national concern, but in the same release cycle, we have PG-13-rated The Hunger Games, a fantasy film about kids killing each other.

Does this mean the MPAA would rather have children see a bunch of kids killing each other before hearing a bully spew the F-word?

Ratings should be universal, without bias. The MPAA tends to favor potential blockbuster bets--the bang-bang shoot ‘em ups and fantasy epics, yet it penalizes films targeted to a smaller audience that dares to address more provocative,

Arts & Entertainment Editors

Joe Murray

Opinion Editor

Katie Stanton

its days as a British colony?

Really? How naive.

From the safe sanctuary of suburbia, we American teens responded to the clarion and went online in droves, armed with our parents’

Congress to sanction our storming into the outback of Africa in search of a warlord who has evaded capture for almost three decades, because a well endowed filmmaker claims “we can all agree.”

Although the New York Times reported Kony’s atrocities decades ago, this wasn’t packaged in the snazzy, 30 minute documentary of “KONY 2012.”

While supporting KONY 2012 may appear to be a selfless act, the whole campaign is centered around how the viewer will FEEL after supporting the cause. KONY 2012 is about how much YOU will change the world, son Kor how euphoric YOU : A. c i h Grap will FEEL when you join.

While the campaign is credit cards, thinking that predicated upon empathy $30 for an action kit would for the children, its appeal stop this incredibly compli- is centered on the viewer. cated issue.

It is embarrassingly narcisResearch Ugandan polisistic. tics? Pah. After finishing Russell certainly knows our chemistry, we are busy how to animate a genera“changing the world” by tion; he aims his message watching “KONY 2012,” at young adults, encourall while keeping our high aging us “to change the school relationship afloat. world,” praising us as War is bad. Child abuse is revolutionaries, but this bad. Click. isn’t necessarily a good This is the danger thing. He gave us a glimpse of oversimplifying the into the reality of our complex. Nothing is ever culture - that no one seems as straightforward as to care until we can buy a committing our American cool T-shirt.

3.6

MILLION

Number of pledges for KONY 2012

30,000 Estimated number of children Joseph Kony has abducted

29:59

Length, in minutes, of the KONY 2012 video

104

MILLION

Times the KONY 2012 film has been viewed

Sources: kony2012.com, bbc.co.uk

Following the recent release of the documentary Bully, there have been avid debates surrounding the MPAA’s prudish ratings of films. While some may consider sparse swearing reason enough to give an R rating, there is cinematic value that cannot be missed by people under seventeen

Managing Editor News Editor

dan politics. This transformation will somehow manifest in our posting his video on our Facebook and Twitter, buying “KONY 2012” merchandise, and writing to our state representatives.

One has to appreciate Russell’s optimism, his good intentions, but this is absurd. We at the Black and Gold wonder when the world was ever that simple.

T-shirts will equal no more war and no more child abuse in Uganda, which has been documented since

Cause to stop Joseph Kony more complicated than it appears

Amount, in dollars, for the KONY 2012 Action Kit

Bully shackled down by the MPAA: controversy ensues

Feature Editor

Emma Beauchamp

Uganda. This is a noble cause.

Russell invokes the refrain: “one thing we can all agree on”- and that thing is Kony and his overwhelming evil. Russell calls on both U.S. political parties to unite against Kony under the slogan, and he also wants us to pressure our congress to keep our current troops in Uganda.

As to Russell’s appeal to teens: he encourages us to do nothing less than “change our culture” by reversing Ugan-

30.00

Graphics: A. Korson

Editor-in-Chief Joe Murray

KONY 2012: Morals vs. Merchandise

Emma Beauchamp

Jeannie Longton Kaitlyn McLintock

Sports Editor

Ashley Reed

real-life themes. Those that dare to display reality for what it is.

The MPAA holds particular animus toward sex scenes. It’s outrageous that films with sex get a higher rating than films with obscene amounts of violence and gore. Based on their previous controversies, the MPAA would have a kid see sick, violent, twisted murder before they see something as natural as sex.

Case in point: the Blue Valentine incident, whose NC-17-rating also sparked controversy. The MPAA elected to give it this explicit rating based on an oral sex scene. Although graphic, sixteen and maybe some fifteen yearolds could have handled this with maturity.

Pornography receives the same NC-17-rating as Blue Valentine did. Yet, they are hardly the same thing. The system should not criminalise sex where it approves violence.

Blue Valentine’s NC-17 was eventually appealed after the general public applied pressure and the film finally received an appropriate R-rating.

Sports Collaborators

Miranda Winowiecki Shannon Weaver Erin Lipp Garrett Kosch

Leek Editors

Rico Bastian Patrick Goodney

Photo Editors

Autumn Hilden Katie Raymond

Meanwhile, back at the box office, we had Saw 3D, what’s known as “torture porn,” scaring people witless. When one looks at the NC-17 of Blue Valentine, Saw 3D’s R-rating just doesn’t pass muster. Are we to believe that something as natural as sex is more harmful to our youth than a film about creative ways of killing people?

Besides permanently damaging culture and artistic visage freedom, the MPAA’s thoughtless decin sions also put a huge dent rso o .K into the film industry. This c: A phi Gra is a huge deadweight for income in the industry, particularly for the independent films, and the MPAA is only squeezing the lemon juice deeper into these wounds.

Oh, how the lemon juice burns. With the change of times came the change of moral standards over what ages could watch what subjects. Our new system needs to blend into modern culture and take up the idea that sex just isn’t the big “no-no” it once was. It seems like every time there’s an F-word or a “slip,” the MPAA reacts like a class of fifth graders after a student is called to the office--with a long, “oooh.” It’s time to grow up, MPAA.

Business Manager Bryton Lutes

Graphics Editor

Maddy Kachadurian

Production Assistant Kennedy Cullen

Staff

Ivy Baillie Jeff Comerford Connor Hansen Sophie Hutchison

Hunter Kelly Alex Korson Garrett Kosch Erin Lipp Fiona Muha Nick Mulvaine Jake Myers David Reinke Elena Rothney Hayley Rozema Allison Taphouse Gretchen Twietmeyer Lia Williams Brianna Worthington

A&E

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 24, 2012

Whether it’s a book made into a movie, or a classic film remake, find out whether or not we think the newest film to hit the big screen is a future blockbuster, or should have been left alone.

This issue, we critique the new film, The Hunger Games

Kaitlyn McLintock & Jeannie Longton

Arts & Entertainment Editors Yet another teen phenomenon was unleashed this spring, only it wasn’t a boy wizard brandishing a wand and yelling “Expecto Patronum,” or a group of glittering vampires fighting with a pack of werewolves. Instead, it was a young girl who is forced to fight to the death against twenty-three other children.

The Hunger Games’ futuristic dystopian world features a dynamic plot and compelling characters that captivated millions of readers and moviegoers. The trilogy by Suzanne Collins dominated the New York Times Bestseller List for a whopping 100 consecutive weeks and the movie grossed $155 million in its opening weekend alone.

North America has dissolved into twelve distinct districts which are governed by “the Capitol.” The main character, sixteen year-old Katniss Everdeen, lives in District Twelve and spends her days hunting illegally in the forest to keep her mother and little sister Primrose alive. Many people of District 12 are starving since they lack the knowledge of how to provide for themselves The government is a dictatorship, the infrastructure is compromised, resources are scarce.

The Capitol forces all districts to place their children, ages 12-18, in a drawing in which one boy and one girl will be randomly selected for a gladiatorial arena-style kill on national television.

The annual games are entertainment for the Capitol, whose occupants are exempt. The games are designed to strike terror into the public’s hearts so any possibility of an uprising is quelled.

Katniss is selected along with a boy Peeta, who succeed in winning the games. In a subplot among all of the gore and fighting, Katniss, Peeta and friend Gale become engaged in a complicated love triangle.

In the book the characters’ background and personalities were extensive, which made each one come alive. The movie also included all of the necessary details to capture the characters. Considering film format was limited to 142 minutes, it was an accurate representation of the books.

However, much of the intimacy of Katniss and Gale’s relationship was omitted. The books made it evident that they focused all of their energy on keeping each other’s families alive. They often met in the woods to hunt together and share their profit. The movie allowed for only two scenes of conversation between Katniss and Gale, a bit light, which made it impossible for the audience to feel the complexity of the complicated love triangle.

Despite the lack of interaction between Katniss and Gale, the movie’s costumes and sets were amazingly close to the way they were depicted in the book. Citizens of the Capitol donned

The Hunger Games’ futuristic dystopian world features a dynamic plot and compelling characters that captivated millions eccentric outfits, varied colors of hair and dramatic makeup, which illustrated their lavish lifestyles. The buildings were tall and shiny, and inside dining tables were stacked with food. This compared to District Twelve’s desolate town square, ramshackle houses and people in tattered, soiled clothing. The sets and costumes accurately depicted some of the book’s important themes: starvation and oppression.

The Hunger Games, books’ and movie, received the fanfare they deserved. All were beautifully written and captivating. The extensive detail and well-written plot line in both pieces were enough to keep audiences interested for hours. We give kudos to director Gary Ross for transforming this bestseller into a smashing success.

A few of Central’s finest vocalists have received the honor of competing in the Verdi Opera competition, taking place on May 3. Here, they describe this incredible opportunity

I

Jeannie Longton

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Instead of shattering crystal glasses with their belted notes, a few of Central’s gifted opera singers are shattering a stereotype; The word ‘opera’ conjures images of fat ladies wearing togas and Viking hats, but Kimberly DeBusschere ‘13, Megan Mayfield ‘12 and Chelsey Brown ‘12 are enlightening us.

On May 3, the girls will compete in the classical vocal Verdi Opera competition for high school students throughout Michigan. These talented vocalists qualified for the competition because they are ranked among top ten finalists in the state.

“The Verdi Opera competition is something that I offer to my students every year,” Choir Director Tamara Grove said. “I think that these girls will do well because they are all very well classically trained and have a lot of performance experience that will help them.”

Each competitor has previously auditioned for the Verdi Opera, so the delayed gratification made this year’s honor even sweeter.

“I had to read the list of the names three times before I saw mine,” Mayfield said. “When I saw my name after seeing Chelsey and Kimberly’s, I was like, ‘is that me? Does that really say Megan Mayfield?’”

The prizes for the competition make it even more appealing. All top ten finalists take home $50 and first prize is $1000 but DeBusschere has a different reward in mind.

“The biggest prize that I’d like to get out of this is getting recognized by a college,” DeBusschere said. “Doing well in the competition would make a huge first impression.”

DeBusschere, Mayfield and Brown have prepared extensively for the prestigious competition. Each Verdi candidate spends approximately an hour each week with her private vocal coach, and rehearses for several more; whenever they can, they also work with an accompanist in choir to perfect their piece.

“Preparing for this competition isn’t just practicing the music,” DeBusschere said. “A lot of it is just working with my voice coach so that she can really put the sound where it should be in my voice.”

To avoid vocal alterations, it is important that the competitors make a conscious effort to stay

Photo: A. Hilden

Perfecting her competition piece during a weekly voice lesson with vocal coach Jayne Sleder is competitor Chelsey Brown ‘12. For Brown, an admirable performance is not just about hitting all the right notes. The quality of each voice also plays an important role. “I have a powerful voice and a really wide range so that should help me in the competition,” Brown said.

healthy. Aside from keeping up on the VitaminC to avoid losing their voices, they also keep a close eye on what goes into their bodies. Opera requires volume, which means one’s instrument must have the breath to resonate and project.

“The hardest part of getting ready for the Verdi Opera is staying healthy,” DeBusschere said. “We’re not supposed to drink caffeine or eat any dairy products or it could make our voices sound mucky.”

Singing opera has been a part of each girl’s life for at least a year.

“People had always told me that my voice sounded really classical, so I thought it’d be perfect for opera music,” Brown said.

All three competitors agreed that the most thrilling part of the competition is putting their skills to the elite test and sharing the unique experience with two close friends. But naturally, an event this significant means some nerves.

“The biggest thing that I’m both nervous and excited for is just seeing how that judges are

going to react,” Mayfield said. “They’ve heard my voice but they haven’t actually seen me.”

Each girl is going down to the Verdi Opera with one thing in mind: to get recognized and to win the $1,000 first prize. But considering they will be each other’s competition, they all have specific goals to keep in mind to improve their performances.

“What I find most difficult and need to work on is when I’m performing just trying to interpret what I’m singing to the audience,” Brown said.

Goals intact, Brown, Mayfield, and DeBusschere will head downstate to show-off all of the hard work and dedication that has gone into preparing for this prestigious competition.

“The main thing that I would tell anyone who wanted to enter this competition is just to do it,” Mayfield said. “You have nothing to lose.”

Coast Guard creations

Opera house showcase

The work of Central’s artists decorate our hallways and showcases. They now have the opportunity to show-off their work on a more official level to represent our nation’s heros

On April 5, the masterpieces of Central’s talented artists were displayed beyond Central’s halls. Our artists displayed their work to the public eye

Jeff Comerford

Bryton Lutes

Business Manager

Staff Reporter

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a .L :D

Traverse City’s Coast Guard Station hosted an art design competition for local students to design its Photo: J. Longton new logo.

Two Central students entered the competition so they could potentially see their designs on the uniforms of local members of the military.

“It’s a very rare opportunity to have civilians design a patch,” Coast Guard Chief Rich Dessin said. “If their design is picked, it becomes the patch.

It goes on a coin we make. It becomes symbolic.”

Chief Dessin and other Coast Guard officials had the idea to let high school students in Traverse City design the patch slated to be selected May 3. They wanted the students to have the opportunity to showcase their skills and to get involved in the community.

Central competitors Zach Endres ’13 and Reyann Jensen ’14 jumped at the chance to compete but were faced with the challenge of finding just the right design to represent the importance of the Coast Guard, who rank tio

tra

s Illu

Zach Endres’13

Photo courtesy: Scholastic.com Graphic: M. Kachadurian

Our modern day Anton Raaffs

Reyann Jensen’14

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

3

Illustration: D. Lathrop

among elite servicemen.

“I really like what the Coast Guard does and I just thought it was such an honor Photo: J. Longton to get to do something to show my appreciation,” Endres said.

Jensen said that designing the patch was challenging, not only because of the importance of the Coast Guard, but because, there were strict guidelines that she had to incorporate into her art, among them “Coast Guard City.”

“My design started with the requirements but my main inspiration came from the fact that the Coast Guard is the guardian of the Great Lakes, so I wanted to portray that by adding wings to the design,” Jensen said. “On top of that, I added the cherry symbol to represent Traverse City.”

Designs aside, the real reason the Coast Guard decided to offer this rare opportunity to students was evident to Jensen, who is proud of her patch.

“It was so cool for us as high schoolers to be able to do this for something so huge,” Jensen said. “Whether I win or not, I’m just genuinely happy and really honored that I got to do this.”

AP Studio Art students submitted their best pieces for display to the Traverse City Opera House where the public can lounge and indulge in snacks, while enjoying the student’s craftsmanship. Though Central’s students share a similar passion for art, the inspiration for each of their pieces varies greatly.

Inspired by the state of alienation, Arianna Wasserman ‘13 packaged her creative ability into a blue and purple canvas, portraying a fictitious girl without a face.

“The feeling of being alone in a room full of people was my inspiration,” Wasserman said. “The dark colors help it to look sad and desperate.”

Lauren Cutler ‘12 hearkened to her childhood by recalling her memory of a doll and tea set; she transformed these into a still life drawing in which accuracy and composition are key.

“My grandmother would often take me to this little shop where we would dress up and have a tea party,” Cutler said. “I loved it so much.”

Painting has become an art of expression for Tatiana Crespo ‘12. She submitted a series of four watercolor paintings. One is an ironic piece featuring a blue lion on top of a rock in the dark with the headline, ‘I’m afraid of the dark.’

“What I became to realize while I was painting them was that each one said something very personal and almost secretive,” Crespo said.

Crespo’s artistic forte is revealing the underlying truths and the messages she can create through illustration.

“What draws me to art isn’t the art itself, but really the concepts you can create from it and being able to create messages out of drawings and paintings.”

Photo Courtesy: A. Harper

After finishing four consecutive water color paintings, Tatiana Crespo ‘12 stands next to her art pictured on the top at the Opera house display. “When I was a little girl I loved to finger-paint,” Crespo said. “My mom is an artist so she’s been very encouraging with my art being an artist herself.”

4 Hair

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 24, 2012

Fair trade: Hair for Hope

Dying to be different

One student goes to great lengths in order to fulfill her dream of honoring her late aunt by heading a hair donation event

T

Central students share the stories behind their colorful hair

Fiona Muha

Allison Taphouse

Staff Reporter

Graphic: M. Kachadurian

The first snip is always the hardest; it’s the greatest relinquishment. Nikki Schweitzer ‘12 has undergone the challenge of letting go twice this year – her aunt Lori passed away from breast cancer in June, and to honor her, Schweitzer said goodbye to 11 inches of her locks.

“My aunt Lori was beautiful inside and out,” Schweitzer said. “When the cancer came, she became less beautiful on the outside, but the wigs helped the world accept her for the true beauty she was. I wanted to be able to give that true beauty to someone so sick they couldn’t do it for themselves.”

Schweitzer found out about planning a hair-cutting event on Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths website. Despite possible setbacks, she was determined to take a chance. On April 12, Central students banded together to make a difference in the lives of women and girls with cancer, alopecia areata and other causes of longterm medical hair loss.

“I really wanted to try it at Central, but I expected a mixed reaction,” Schweitzer said. “A lot of girls take pride in their hair and they wouldn’t want to cut it.

There are also a lot of girls at our school who have been affected by breast cancer and did decide to do it, or were getting a haircut for summer anyway.”

About thirty students were signed up prior to the event, but sixty-one girls and three boys ended up donating their hair, and

Staff Reporter

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: K. Raymond

fourteen boys shaved their heads in support. One of the three boys with hair long enough to donate was Trevor Osburn ‘12, whose family was proud of him for donating his hair because his sister had donated her hair before also.

“I thought it was a better thing to do than just getting a haircut,” he said. “I was actually planning to cut my hair before Hair for Hope, but my hair was already long and I decided to grow it out for two more months.”

There was a broad diversity of donors, from first-timers like Osburn, to regulars like Special Education teacher Renee Gardner, who donates her hair every other year.

“My hair grows so fast that it’s easy,” Gardner said. “This was my fourth time, but usually I

Above: Being one of three boys participating in Hair for Hope is Derek Schrank ‘14. “Cutting my hair was weird,” Schrank said. “I have never had my haircut like that before with all the ponytails, then getting them chopped off one by one.”

Left: Excited, but nervous, Anna Krueger and her friend Sara Laisure ‘12 await the big haircut. “It was for a good cause and I wanted to get it chopped off because it was getting too long,” she said.

Krueger donated eight inches.

do it with Locks of Love. I like that it goes toward kids who have cancer.”

Also a veteran hair donor, Jill Holstad ‘14 wanted to get her hair cut publicly to educate other people about the opportunity.

“I had donated my hair twice before, but never this short,” she said. “My mom knew how short it was going to be. She didn’t discourage me from it, but she did warn me that I might be disappointed with the length, which I’m not.”

Holstad’s brother Ben, however, was unaware and slightly critical of her decision.

“When I got home, my brother told me about this girl who cut her hair and sold it for four hundred and fifty dollars,” she said. “He told me I should have

done that.”

Although more people donated hair and money than expected, Schweitzer was pleasantly surprised.

“I was super excited,” Schweitzer said. “I had just gotten a two hundred and fifty dollar donation from a youth program where my uncle lives. It was very heartwarming.”

Despite involving a lot of hard work and organization, Schweitzer was dedicated to the success of Hair for Hope, and would like to make it an annual event.

She loved seeing her aspirations sprout into reality.

“Something that I dreamed about and talked to my mom in my kitchen about is actually coming true,” she said. “It’s just cool to make a change.”

Nikki Schweitzer ‘12

Bleach-blonde hockey buffs shave their heads for the playoffs

Jake Myers

Staff Reporter The continuation of a hockey playoff tradition landed Zach Nagelvoort’s ‘12 hair at the mercy of fellow North Star teammate Kyle Froese ‘12. Nagelvoort was powerless, as Froese began transforming his tresses--shaving and sculpting it into a mohawk-mullet, straight out of a barber’s worst nightmare. To finish the style, bleach was added to get that ultra-desirable masculine bleach blonde look.

“My first reaction to it all was, ‘Oh my God, what did I just do?’”

Nagelvoort said. “But after a few days, I just had to get used to it.”

Nagelvoort and the rest of the Traverse City North Stars hockey teams’ craniums all braved the razor and endured bleach as a symbol of the team’s reaching the NAHL playoffs.

“We just wanted to change stuff up from the regular season,” Nagelvoort said. “It pumped us up. Something dumb like that brought us together.”

Seth Adams ‘12 enlisted the help of his host mother and Froese to style his crazy new “do.”

“I was just hoping it would turn out good and not worse than my haircut already was,” Adams said. “It definitely was not as bad as some of the other guys, their bleach got down to the roots.”

The first time Adams hit the ice after the make-overs, he couldn’t help but laugh at everyone’s appearance.

“We teased the kids who got the bad haircuts,” Adams said. “One of our goalies, Kyle Laslo, had a Chuck Liddell mohawk going. He looked like a wrestler.”

However, the North Stars postseason run came to an end with an

TCYF continued from front page disaster. We had to change the weekend festival and ran out of time to market the new event correctly.”

Moving Forward:

Although YU’s attempt to interface with the business community through the festival met many logistical barriers, Vandermolen said Academies will strive to provide similar “real world” experiences in the future. He added that YU is planning to collaborate with Central’s Media and Communications Academy in the future, and could be TCAPS-sponsored if YU improves its communication and organizes earlier.

“There’s plenty of room for us to learn and

overtime loss on April 14, to division rival Kalamazoo. With the loss came the hairdos’ demise. Once again the North Stars refashioned their hair, this time by buzzing off the mullet-hawks.

“I hated to see them go because it meant we lost,” Adams said. “But, we didn’t want to keep them any longer.”

Froese made the decision to retain his look despite the loss. “I only shaved off the mullet part of mine. I decided it wasn’t that bad and I will just deal with it.”

While it’s sad to see the North Stars lose in the playoffs, there is one thing we will not miss seeing: bleach blonde.

“It was a sign that the season was over,” Nagelvoort said. “But I definitely liked the change.”

Photo: A. Hilden

Kyle Froese, Kyle Loridon, Chris Leisinger, Seth Adams, Kyle Schempp, Zach Nagelvoort, and Zach Dorer all ‘12 sport their bleached mullet creations. “Every team does something different for the playoffs,” Loridon said. “K-Zoo does mullets and mohawks.”

make it happen,” Vandermolen said. “Sometimes the idea behind academies is that it has to be totally related to the school--not always.”

Vander Velde felt she achieved this outreach through the YU Archnemesis concert.

“It’s been really neat to work with the Record Eagle, different news stations, magazines and radio stations because right there is real world experience,” Vander Velde said. “I know that will be part of my career path, so it was really cool to get to know the business better.”

Although one of the goals of YU is to collaborate with the Partners In Education (PIE) program, Porter said YU hopes to branch out further into the community with student-led initiatives and “real world concerts, festivals and events.”

“I’m creating opportunities to teach young people about this work,” Porter said. “We want to create experiences for the youth cul-

ture to learn and have fun.”

YU is planning more silent disco events to continue providing DJ-ing opportunities for youth, and hopes to extend Youth Union productions into the summer. Porter wants to see the creation of a space in Traverse City where youth are free to dance and enjoy music.

“My goal is to regroup with TCAPS and find the right venue for youth, and ultimately use Lars for a teen-led concert,” Porter said.

Despite immense stress, TCAPS and YU members concur a lot was learned.

“I’m sure students are disappointed, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed too,” Vandermolen said. “In any organization, even if you don’t succeed the first time, that doesn’t mean you drop it and walk away. If it’s really worth doing, we have to do something differently the next time to make sure we succeed.”

llen

North Star players’ theme: ‘viva the 80s’

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Photo: M. Kachadurian

to: K

Photo: M. Kachadurian

As the rest of us are grabbing our nearest clean shirt and maybe running a comb through our hair before school, Sarah Riker ‘13 and Prussia Bowen ‘14 are deciding: natural hair or wig?

Wigs save time as you can choose to “do” your hair the night before, without the morning rush; truthfully, the nice thing about wigs is you do not even have to be there to get your hair done. No curling, straightening, teasing or even washing your natural locks. No singed ears or forehead; no hairspray in the eyes.

“If you’re having a bad hair day you can just put on a wig to cover it up,” Riker said.

For Riker and Bowen, wigs are not just a timesaver or a fashion statement, both emulate their favorite Anime characters and dress in full costume for Anime “cons.”

“You usually have to wear a lot of wigs since characters don’t have normal colored hair,” Riker said. Anime conventions give Bowen the opportunity to get in character and to hang with her favorite characters.

“Even when I was little, I dressed up and now I can with people who also like it,” Bowen said.

From Anime, Riker and Bowen started collecting many different wigs. Specific style, color, length, and composition are just a few key things they look for when purchasing new wigs on Amazon, 5 Wits or eBay. “When buying, I look to see if the picture shown is anywhere else on the Internet, because if it is, it might be fake,” Bowen said.

Wigs are a rare sight at Central since only Riker, Bowen and a few of their friends wear them as fashion. “It’s just our little tight-knit group. It would be cool if other people did it too,” Bowen said.

When Riker wears her more interesting wigs, she tends to get interesting reactions at school, both positive and negative.

“Some people think it’s really cool. Other people, of course, are negative, but we don’t care,” Bowen said.

Both Bowen and Riker see themselves rocking out their wigs throughout their high school careers.

“I’ll continue going to conventions until they become too expensive,” Riker said, “but I will definitely continue to wear wigs.”

Pho

Photo: courtesy of Nikki Schweitzer

Before: “A lot of my family was in town, and their trip was longer than the time they stayed. My uncle was there to cut my hair.”

During: “It was a new start, a way to reinvent yourself. Me doing things in the memory of Aunt Lori.”

After: “I didn’t see myself in a mirror for an hour or two. I didn’t know what to think. There were camera crews and kids waiting to get their hair styled. I wasn’t really focused on myself looking good. I was making sure everybody else was taken care of.”

Wig wearers

Colorful creatures Hunter Kelly Staff Reporter

Patiently anticipating the wide spectrum of colors to process on her hair, Haley Gilland ‘15 sits in front of her bathroom mirror, anticipating the outcome. She likes experimenting with lots of different and daring color combinations. This color cycle, she settled on half black and half lavender locks.

“The most unnatural hair color I have ever had was rainbow, which was green, blue, yellow, orange, red, pink and purple,” Gilland said. “I had never seen someone with rainbow hair before.”

Gilland’s current purple hair color is inspired by her love of blueberries. She has dyed her hair almost every other color. On a whim, Gilland will dye her hair; it is one of her favorite pastimes. Gilland said that she can match anything with black but to her, matching does not matter.

“I don’t care what people think of me, because I’m not trying to impress anybody,” Gilland said.

She gets support for her hair color forays through numerous compliments from friends. “They say nice things about my hair and how good it looks.”

The next time Gilland dyes her hair, she will most likely choose a more subdued combination of black and blonde for a more natural look, because she has already tried so many unique color combinations.

Instead of self-styling at home, Tyler Clark ‘12 took a more conventional route to his turquoise hair by having it styled at Epiphany Salon.

“Blue is my favorite color, and you don’t normally see a lot of people with blue in their hair,” Clark said.

His friend Brooke Wessel ‘13 and her mother helped Clark style his hair to its crazy color.

“I just let them do whatever they wanted to my hair,” Clark said.

Even though he is nearing the end of his high school career, Clark plans to continue to dye his hair. He is unsure of what color he will choose next.

“Maybe I’ll do something crazy at the end of my senior year,” Clark said.

“I might do a fohawk with a bunch of different colors.”

Photos: A. Hilden

Feature

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 24, 2012

Emma Beauchamp, Sophie Hutchison & Gretchen Twietmeyer Feature Editor, Staff Reporters

5

From garbage to garb, students create art

Graphic: C. Hansen

Photo: K. Raymond

“Most Wearable” Joy Fowler ‘14

Photo: T. Knowles

Photo: K. Raymond

Whitney Fulton ‘12 Sara Laisure ‘12

Starting out with only the name “Coffee, Tea, or Me,” Joy Fowler ‘14 created a dress made of tea bags, coffee filters and drip cloth. Fowler completed her dress in two weeks as a part of an AP Studio Art project. To her surprise, Fowler won the “Most Wearable” award at the fashion show. “I didn’t even know they were giving out awards,” Fowler said. Though, she doesn’t plan to pursue this as a career, Fowler enjoys the stylish competition. “It forces you to be creative with the resources around you.”

Modeling her own creation, Whitney Fulton ‘12 walked the runway with her dress made of garbage bags and wide brimmed hat made of paper. Fulton’s classy black gown was inspired by the 1950s star, Audrey Hepburn. “I just think Audrey Hepburn is awesome and I wanted to create something she would wear to Trashion.” Fulton said. The most challenging part for Fulton was working with such unusual materials, but walking the runway at the fashion show was worth it. “It was overall a super fun night.”

Inspired by last year’s Trashion Fashion Show, Sara Laisure ‘12 started work early on her own creation -- a dress made completely out of Capri Sun juice boxes. “The whole dress was pretty much all Capri Sun boxes, and I used the straws from them to make a necklace and a bracelet,” Laisure said. “The entire dress was sewn together.” The idea of using Capri Sun juice boxes came from Laisure’s cousin, who makes and sells purses made of the recycled juice boxes. “I thought it was a really cool idea,” Laisure said. “So I just thought, ‘why not make a dress?’”

Photo: J. Myers

Third Place Overall Alli Frusti ‘14 Taking third place out of forty-two entries, Alli Frusti’s ‘14 dress was modeled by her sister, Keersten. “When they called my name, I was really surprised,” Frusti said. “It was great because I felt people really appreciated my work.” Her creation was made of woven strips of recycled biology notes from the Center for Learning at NMC that she duct taped together.

“I’m definitely going to do it again next year.”

Porter’s 45th Parallel Lighting LLC takes off

With the Internet changing exponentially, and becoming an omnipresent part of our lives, we are tempted by its tools and toys, so much as to make us websick

It takes two to light up the slopes with their attachable LED kits

Elena Rothney Staff Reporter

Winter athletes dazzle with their intricately designed, neon-colored equipment on the slopes, but the flow of riders becomes an eyesore once the sun goes down and the slopes are cast in flat light.

But wait, what’s that? A flash of bright light speeds past, and all eyes fly to Dakota Porter ‘13 as he boards by.

Porter is co-creator of 45th Parallel Lighting LLC, which specializes in lights for boarders and skiers’ hardware.

“My brother and I were snowboarding and everything looked the same,” Porter said.

“We just wanted to shake things up a bit, so we decided to put LEDs on our snowboards.”

Inspired by the darkness, Porter and his 13-year-old brother Garret started extensive research to find the right lights for their product. The final idea was to make LED light strings that could be attached to sporting equipment like snowboards, longboards or snowmobiles. After teaming up with a supplier, the real work began.

The Porter brothers met

with Mid Michigan Innovation Center to hash out a business plan, packaging, and funding to purchase battery boxes that are used in manufacturing the product.

To ensure the Porter brothers’ invention would not be hijacked, they applied for and recently received a United States patent. This took hours of paperwork and Porter and his family even hired a patent attorney.

“They helped us out with just absolutely everything,” Porter said.

Once the patent was acquired and the equipment ready, Porter and his brother started assembling kits to be sent to customers who would apply the lights to personal equipment using an enclosed adhesive. His parents have also pitched in, as Porter’s mom worked on their business plan and his dad assisted with kit production.

For a new business, especially one started by young teen brothers, they have received local media attention.

“Knowing that people I haven’t directly told about this will get to see my boards and all the hard work I’ve put into them is really encouraging,”

SLCs

continued from front page

with teachers, and the administration and board feel that Student Led Conferences will result in more meaningful discussion about students’ progress. We expect that the students will take more ownership in their performance, class planning and accountability for their work.”

Although the SLCs have received praise

Graphic: M. Kachadurian

Maddy Kachadurian Graphics Editor

Photo courtesy of the Porter Family

Entrepreneurs Dakota Porter ‘13 and little brother Garret started 45th Parallel Lighting to help sports fans light up their equipment. The obvious assumption is that brotherly conflicts would impede, but Porter says it’s quite the opposite. “We get along, actually,” Porter said. “It’s great working together because he’s always right there and we get things done quickly.”

Porter said. “The news and media coverage helps a ton.”

Porter’s long term goals include a storefront in downtown Traverse City and maybe even going national.

“Right now we’re trying to raise money through crowd funding so we can buy more product,” Porter said. “If people wanna help out they can go to the website and

from parents, many students feel that this extra graduation requirement has been thrown at them very suddenly.

“I think at its core, Student Led Conferences are a good idea,” Clare O’Kane ‘12 said. “It should involve more writing, like three specific essays on how we have changed as students. Rather than showing my parents a Calc test, it would make more sense to write something about how I have developed in math because it would help them understand better.”

Next year SLCs will be conducted with

donate to us.”

Confidence in the product is what keeps Porter pushing his new business forward for the future.

“Why wouldn’t it catch on?”

Porter said. “But I guess we don’t know until we know, right?”

Donate to 45th Parallel L.L.C. at http://www.indiegogo.com/actionglow

parents in the forum format as originally planned. Vandermolen feels that the second trimester makes the most sense to roll out SLCs, especially for seniors. Part of the timing problem this year is that seniors had mere months left of school when SLCs were introduced.

“The idea is innovation. We are not going to just continue to do things the way we’ve been doing them because that’s the way they have always been done,” Vandermolen said. “It’s a good initiative and the future will indicate that.”

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the preeminent, most addictive Internet apps for iPods and smartphones. No smartphone?

Here’s what you’re missing.

Pandora- No more Rebecca Black’s Friday assaulting your ears as you attempt to focus. Pandora, gives you the power to select songs you actually enjoy; it is iTunes on the cheap. This may seem like harmless radio, and for most it is. Though, if you’re not tone deaf and music has any effect on you, Pandora may cause uncontrollable dancing and singing. Dance parties are always more enticing than homework.

Drawsomething- This Internet version of Pictionary is the newest craze for iPods; it has the same social aspect of Words With Friends, but doesn’t require any brain power or skill. Drawsomething has promoted a new brand of laziness-- it’s easy to write the word, instead of drawing it, making this a game for those who have no creativity whatsoever.

Dear Blank, Please Blank- DBPB is an outlet for the more imaginative app users. For those who wish to whittle away the hours pondering the complexities of life, such as the endangered species status of unicorns, analysis of Disney films and the history of Harry Potter’s wand, DBPB makes the mundane experiences of everyday life bearable.

Instagram- Unlike Tumblr, Instagram sucks time not only because you’re looking at other people’s photos, but because you’re also taking and sharing your own. Recently, Facebook bought Instagram for a cool $1 billion, which makes sense--if paying that much for anything ever makes sense--because one of Facebook’s most mesmerizing features is posting and viewing pictures. No artistic or photographic talents are needed on Instagram. If your photo sucks, put a filter on it and call it “artsy.”

These are the most artful ways of wasting time, while still looking like you’re busy. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to them, and that is what makes me Websick. Graphic: C. Hansen

6 Sports

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 24, 2012

Trojans tri-meet triumph

Central’s track and field teams take on in-town rivals TC West and St. Francis in a tri-meet at home. Even though the meet was not scored, both Trojan teams are proud of their successful performances n

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Sports Collaborator

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Dust-filled diamonds Ever since Title IX, the debated question of “who’s better?” men or women, has dominated competitive sports.

“Battle of the Sexes” celebrates the innate differences between male and female athletes

Miranda Winowiecki Sports Collaborator

Rounding the corner in the 300 meter hurdles, Cam Gibson ‘13 closes in on the finish, for a final time of 45.5.0 Gibson placed sixth overall and fifth on the team. “The best part of hurdles is the satisfaction,” Gibson said, “they add a more exciting factor to plain sprinting.”

Photo: A. Hilden

Blasting from the blocks in the 4x100 is Kevin Kelm ‘12, who, along with Tyler Clark ‘12, Joey Prokes ‘12, and TJ Schwannecke ‘13, finished the race in 44.1. Their goal is to break the school record of 42.2. “I normally run first,” Kelm said, “and I like running the curves.”

Photo: K. Raymond

Striving for height, George Madison ‘15 launches over a 7’ high bar; his PR is 8’.

“The most important part is the plant,” Madison said.

“Everything has to come together–extended arms, knee drive and the trail leg.” His goal for the end of this season is 9’.

Photo: A. Hilden

Courtney Cadotte ‘14 receives the baton from Brianna Podsaid ‘12 during the 4x100 meter relay, with other legs run by Taylor Olson ‘12 and Makenna Beers ‘14. They finished in 51.4. “The best part of a relay team is that the whole team is working together, with speed and handoffs,” Cadotte said.

Photo: K. Raymond

TC Thunder Squirrels storm on

Central’s lacrosse team narrowly loses a heart-breaker against St. Francis in inclement weather on their home field

Allison Taphouse

We have the pieces, but we need to work harder than we had to last year because we’re a young team.

-David Philion ‘12

Tee time Central golfers explain their preferences between long and short game

Ashley Reed

Staff Reporter

The Thunder Squirrels lost to St. Francis for the first time in team history Thursday night, dropping their game 6-7. Both teams played hard through the frigid rain, and the Gladiators scored their winning goal with only two minutes remaining in the last quarter, giving the Thunder Squirrels a season record of 2-3.

“We were really evenly matched, but it was a nail-biter ‘til the end,” midfielder David Philion ‘12 said.

Even after their loss, midfielder Chris Bennett ‘14 thinks that the next time they are matched with St. Francis they should be able to win.

Lacrosse continues to rank among the world’s fastest-grow-

Lauren Murray ‘13 hurls herself into the longjump pit. After scratching on all other jumps this year, Murray nailed a 13’11’’.

“The hardest part is making sure your steps are consistent,” Murray said.

“Your speed, the temperature, and everything can change your steps at each meet, so making them consistent can be hard.”

Sports Editor Photo: A. Hilden

“Long game is fun, but I’d have to say short game because you can make up the most strokes and score the best.”

-Winton Munch ‘13 Photo: A. Hilden

Photo: A. Hilden

Chris Bennett ‘14 forwards the ball up the field. “It was a good game, but the reffing was a bit questionable,” Bennett said. Bennett hopes the Thunder Squirrels will be successful in the remainder of the season.

ing sports, and defenseman Jacob Gerstner ‘14 said this is attributed to the wide array of ath.letes the sport attracts.

“It blends a lot of different sports like hockey and soccer together,” Gerstner said. “Unlike football, where you are constantly stopping, the game doesn’t stop, creating a nice flow.”

After losing seventeen seniors last year, the Thunder Squirrels are rebuilding, risking new strategies and growing skills of their

younger players.

“We’re doing a lot more conditioning rather than stick work this year,” Philion said. “We have the pieces, but we need to work harder than we had to last year because we’re a young team.”

While cooperative play continues to be the team’s goal, players aim to perfect their individual game.

“With a lot of new players, it’s an accomplishment that we can stick to our game plan and see it through,” Gerstner said.

“I like hitting the ball hard, but short game is where the money is made, so I focus most of my time on that.”

-Nikolaj Brøns-Piché ‘12 “I like long game better because it’s fun when you hit it really far and I walk up and I’m in front of everybody else.”

-Trey Pezzetti ‘13 Graphic: M. Kachadurian

Trojans girls tennis serves up victories despite young team With eight of the twelve players being underclassmen, the Varsity girls tennis team exemplifies the glory of this successful program

Garrett Kosch

Sports Collaborator

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team,” Milliken said. “They have to know that every flight is just as important as the last.”

The team is currently ranked fifth in the state and first in the conference after a BNC tournament win last Thursday. At press time, the girls faced off against Forest Hills Northern last Saturday. They hope to keep their victorious momentum throughout the season and possibly bring home a state title.

“The youth in this team is excellent for the future, but we might have to do some maturing in order to beat more experienced teams,” Nykerk said. “We have great potential to grow and improve.”

our oc

With a current record of 6-0 in duals and tournaments, this year’s girls Varsity tennis team looks to continue its winning streak. The players are working hard to maintain their perfect record. Although the team is young, Coach Larry Nykerk has high expectations.

“I would like to take out the defending state champions, Forest Hills Northern in regionals and finish top five in the state,” Nykerk said.

Paige Cooley ‘15 has already secured her place in the Central history books by earning the spot of number one

singles as a freshman. This has only happened once before in the history of Central girls tennis. Cooley, along with the three other freshmen on the team, have been welcomed with open arms.

“The leadership the upperclassmen have shown has really helped me stay positive to be the best that I can be,” Cooley said. “They are supportive whether we win or lose.”

Kelly Milliken ‘13 is this year’s captain and expects the best of her young team.

“As captain, I try to make everyone feel like part of the team. Although their level of abilities are different, every member, including freshmen, should feel equally important to the

ot Ph

Nine positions. Three strikes. One diamond. Two sports?

Baseball and softball are essentially the same sport and have been since softball’s inception, its official entree for women in 1952. For me, it was never a girls or boys sport–it was just ball. There is something about the opposites of the game: the stillness one moment, the explosion the next. The individuality, yet the collective nature of play. The contagion, the synergy of one person’s clutch hit and the rest of the team is hitting ball-after-ball outta the park. A game cannot be won by one single person, yet the sparks from one player are exponential.

We can never predict where exactly the ball will go–only prepare for what play might happen. You must play on your toes, anticipate change.

And one last thing that truly made me fall in love with ball: the mental toughness it demands; your nerves need to be as compressed as the ball’s densely compacted twine, your mind steel. Ball is a game of failure. As with all things on the edge, you will fail more than you succeed.

For those who don’t bleed ball, let me put it to you this way: if you got a test back with a 35%, how you would react? Considering that’s an F, probably not too well. But in ball, 35% is considered a good batting average. If you can go up to the plate and hit the ball three times out of every ten plate appearances, you’re considered a good hitter. How about four out of ten?

You’re a hero with a 60% failure rate.

So you’re still persisting, “what’s the difference between softball and baseball?” In my diamond dust-filled, softball-obsessed mind, nothing could be more ignorant–turn on ESPN–see if you can tell the difference in athleticism. Sans the silhouette of the men’s larger bodies and the women’s longer ponytails, there is no difference. But for those who like trifling matters: baseballs are smaller than softballs. A baseball diamond is a little bigger than a softball diamond. The boys pitch overhand, while the girls pitch underhand. Softball players don’t constantly have our hands down our pants, or have a huge dip in our cheek. We spit less.

As to the game’s soul: skills, emotions and mental toughness that come with the innately different rules are what truly unites boy and girl ball. The salty taste of sunflower seeds as the spring sun warms the numbers on your back and you breathe in the crisp, fresh-cut grass is just as sweet whether you’re on a baseball or softball diamond.

The power you feel as you connect with the ball right on the sweet spot of the bat and send the ball flying over the outfielders’ heads as you burst out of the batter’s box, sends adrenaline surging, whether you’re on a baseball or softball diamond.

The satisfaction of the final out and the bliss of a victorious teammate huddle is magic whether you’re on a baseball or softball diamond. These are ball.

You see my dilemma when people ask, “what’s the difference?” Although the rule books are different, baseball and softball create one ball culture whose players are respected on either side of the fence.

Nine positions. Three strikes. One diamond. One mentality. One game.

“Play ball.”

For the record, there is nothing “soft” about a softball. It is just as hard as a baseball, only it leaves a bigger bruise.

Photo: A. Hilden

Ads

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 24, 2012

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Graphic: N. Mulvaine

Graphic: M. Kachadurian

Graphic: P. Goodney

Graphic: M. Kachadurian

Graphic: N. Mulvaine

8 The Leek

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 24, 2012 Real people, real stories

Disclaimer: Stories on this page are like North Korea’s missle program and not to be taken seriously.

Prom: a how-to guide We here at The Leek understand how complicated and nerve wracking Prom can be. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to investigate every aspect of the dance so you don’t have to. After countless interviews with only the greatest Prom veterans, we have compiled a list of sage advice for those brave enough to attend

Rico Bastian Leek Editor

Getting a date

Attireerious man, so pick

Graphic: P. Goodney

• Ladies love guys who are spontaneous, so be sure to the day before. ask her • Be prepared: ask two gir ls to prom, just in case on e of them is unable to make it.

• When asking a girl to pro m, remember that if they hav already been asked, they are desperate enough to say en’t yes to you.

• Nothing is quite as rom antic as a prom request tied to a brick and thrown through her • If the girl you were hopin living room window. g to take has already been asked, know that challenging her date to Mortal Kombat is always an option.

Graphic: R. Bastian

The p

en are bill 50/50. Wom gesture. e th lit sp to • Make sure preciate the quite so they will ap equal to men, ’m glad you came with me’ ‘I ys sa ng hi ot • N d. eal. like a Happy M ls under $100, you have faile ta to ll bi ur • If yo

Dancing

• If you want to wrong with le have a good time, you can’t aning against the wall while go one else dances every.

• Bust out all of yo ur da nc e moves on th floor, and we e dance mea the monkey, th n all of them. The sprink ler, e hokey-pokey, • This isn’t the yo place for grindi u name it. moustache an ng, so shave yo d le ur organ at home. ave your monkey and stre et • When in doub t, do the Truffl e Shuffle.

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ick-up

Dinner

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nd myst ume. ve a dark a • Ladies lo ur best batman cost in’. y o her up in y in this year... just sa to impress re re a su ts shirt is • Corse ic tuxedo te party.

• Your iron e you the life of th y one. k a b m ress, u and will me fancy d so t n re ’t • Don

• Show how y up at her do o buy flo ur love will or with seed g s • The c wers. Corsag row and ho , to symboli w ze e a s r you fo y a o re so c u pick your d rgot to lich y a face w te a lot abou our date up e. in h Meyer en you pull t you, so jus really tells t imag up to h W ie n e ine • If yo r mobil er hou u se in t her great li ’re a little st e. he Os r car great p ttle booth at apped for ca sh, we ictures the ma k ll wher for jus t $2. e you now this can ge t

Misc.

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a group of to prom with g in o g , d in • Keep in m e polygamy begins. er re to bow friends is wh ur Prom etiquette: be su o so is d yo • Remember ing and queen. Failing to eath. k d y m b ro le P r ab nish to you son and is pu ea tr ed er d si con Graphic: P. Goodney

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This issue: Why can’t we all just get along, guys?

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Patrick Goodney Leek Editor

During these tense political times, everyone is riding on the road to November, while road rage persists, much to my fervent ire. It seems even inter-party politics are stained with arrogant disagreement and aggressive mudslinging these days, and I don’t like one bit of it.

Politics, in its modern violent, argumentative context really gets on my nerves. When I see these Democrats and Republicans get all riled up about national platforms, the question immediately comes up in my mind: “Why can’t we all just get along guys????”, complete with a slew of extraneous, immature question marks.

You see, I do not actively follow our government, and I have only the most basic understanding of how it works. I do not understand politics or political parties, and I don’t take time to develop a specific or calculated stance politically.

Which is absolutely beside the point. So please stop arguing and disagreeing, you politicians, and learn to accept people for who they

are! My teachers always told me to play nice, and I think that’s what all these meanie politicians should do. When no one plays nice, the playground becomes a very evil and emotional place. If everyone got along, we could all agree on everything and no one would ever be wrong! We could eliminate political aggression and all live unfettered in the United States of Happiness. Everyone will be happy, equal and orderly!

Although my ideology ends up sounding extremely communistic at its core, political disagreements are kind of annoying, guys, so maybe you could just tone it down a little bit.

When we unite under the banner of getting along, people are nicer. And if everyone were nice, we could completely eliminate the judicial system since no one would be mean, thus uprooting the foundation of the U.S.Government!

Although that ideology ends up sounding extremely anarchistic, I still think people should get along politically. No matter how sinister or scandalous, promiscuous or cantankerous, every sleazebag in Washington has no excuse for blatant disagreement. Everyone in the DC should just take a chill pill or two, and maybe

Global Perspectives

A scandal erupted in California’s Berkeley High due to students’ hacking. Fifty students are facing suspension because they sold administrative passwords to other students whochanged their attendance records to skip school. What do you think?

“In case any kid tries to skip my class, I’ve been doing the Richard Simmons workout videos for weeks. I’ll chase them for miles.”

“They might as well skip, I mean, it’s not like kids are learning anything useful these days, like milking cows.”

Arnold Filkins Conservative

Mo Vorlenza History Teacher “YOLO.”

Regina Walters Annoying Teenager

“Bueller...Bueller...Bueller...Bueller.”

Ben Stein Professor

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a few laxatives too, just to get all the absolute crap out of their systems. Or maybe kill two birds with one stone by taking a few chillaxatives. Or maybe I should organize a violent, overtly-bloody protest to get the job done for them. And maybe I will.

Although that ideology ends up sounding extremely extremist at its core, it is a valid approach to solving the unhappiness problem in these turbulent political times. You see, violence gives way to happiness in the same way death gives way to new life. So let’s all get together to advocate social change under the wrongfully idealistic banner of extremism. Once we successfully lead happiness and political acceptance to its rightful widespread acceptance, we will have accomplished our goals. Maybe we can even have donut holes and cider afterwards!

Although that ideology ends up sounding quite cute and jestful at its heart, it is for good reason. Someone needs to stop these politicians from slinging insults and emotional bruising at one another. Stat. And it might as well be me.

So, who’s in?

News in brief It was announced last week that students will have to take a mandatory penmanship test in order to graduate.

After many teachers have noted that fewer and fewer assignments are written in traditional cursive, TCAPS has created this new initiative to ensure Graphic: P. Goodney that all seniors have the writing skills required to make it in the “real world.”

“Though only about five percent of the papers I get are written in cursive, I think that all the students know how to read and write it,” English teacher Jim Filkouts said. “After all, we did tell them that they were going to be using this all their lives. Only an idiot would take something like that lightly.”

The assignment requires all seniors to write the entire alphabet in both upper and lowercase, as well as a ten-page essay written in cursive, expounding on the virtues of cursive, and a student-superintendent conference showcasing their cursive.

Last Wednesday, Tom Sultany’s third hour AP Biology class brought something into the world beyond its typical enlightening scientific education for its captivated students. Through a freak accident during a seemingly normal experiment, a monstrosGraphic: P. Goodney ity was brought to life.

“I’m not all that sure what happened, but it was like, one minute we’re adding some water to a test tube and the next, this thing was just there,” Alex Lung ‘13 said. “ It is isn’t too pretty, but hey, I think it’s pretty good for being the first life we’ve ever created.”

After the freak materialized, chaos ensued in Sultany’s laboratory--the guys shrieked, the girls grabbed makeshift weapons, and Sultany slowly approached the beast, with calm, reassuring words.

“I was able to lure that beast into Pam [Tejkl]’s office” Sultany’s said. “She was pretty surprised when she came back from lunch, but not as surprised as I am with my students. Where did I go wrong? They can’t even measure twenty-five milliliters of potassium hydroxide solution without creating some hideous life form. Good grief.”

Last week, a group of teenagers from Ohio started a media firestorm after national newspapers picked up a story from a local affiliate that the group investigates supernatural occurances around their hometown.

Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, a senior from Graphic: P. Goodney Coolsville High School, along with his friends, Fred Jones, Daphne Blake and Velma Dinkley launched the nonprofit startup Mystery, Inc. to solve their small town’s alarmingly high crime rate. The town, which faces criminals moonlighting as ghosts, monsters and all-out freaks on a daily basis, combined with a surprisingly lax law enforcement, needed a solution to their crime problem – and that’s where Mystery, Inc. stepped in.

“We usually solve a case a day, although sometimes they happen in marathons,” Rogers said.

“Zoinks!”

Rogers traditionally brings his Great Dane along with them on the road to solving crime. Although there are plenty of missteps and antics along the way, the gang usually solves its cases without incident within a neat 30-minute timeframe.

ADVERTISEMENT Central High School junior Kenneth Anada is single and ready to mingle!

He will accept any member of the fairer sex that may show any interest in him!

The relationship renegade is looking to rebound after a nasty breakup and is ready to find Photo: P. Goodney love again.

While he does value the ability to really “fill out” a dress, he is not a picky dater. He loves long walks on the beach and lamenting about meaningful relationships.

His mother recently enabled text messaging on his emergencies-only cell phone, so feel free to text him at 616-795-0420, ladies.

Although he’s only looking for a date to prom, long-term relationship opportunities are available!

All prom tickets paid!