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The Emery The Student Publication of Huron High School
Volume 3 Issue 4 February 2018
News Briefs: Huron alumni dance towards Olympic podium Huron students “TIDE” up in questionable survey
Julie Heng | Staff Editor As is the case every school year, Huron students have taken part in many surveys to evaluate both staff performance and school environment quality. One particular survey stood out to students: it was a long, personal questionnaire that asked for insight into close friends and advertised a pizza party upon form completion. The Teen Identity Development and Education Study (TIDES) explores the effect of ethnic-racial identities on academic and psychological functioning over a period of three years. It is conducted by the CASA (Contexts of Academic and Social Adjustment) Lab headed by Dr. Deborah Rivas-Drake and Dr. Adam Hoffman at the University of Michigan. Many students have complained about strangely invasive questions that cover topics such as family history and friend behavior. “It asked my nationality and all of my family’s nationalities, it asked who my friends were and asked their names. That is too personal,” said sophomore Emily Lindquist. According to the CASA Lab website, the survey questions are used to examine the identity, socialization, and discrimination of youth, specifically minorities. Questions incorporate ideas about how friends, families, and schools affect positive or negative values about students’ own ethnicities and races. Last year, the CASA Lab research team contacted the Huron yearbook staff with the intention of purchasing yearbooks. When they were turned down, the team was able to get ahold of Huron yearbooks at the Ann Arbor District Library. The study has access to parts of PowerSchool (with signed guardian permission). Of course, many students have abstained from participation, or have often taken this survey with a clear lack of seriousness (by giving fake answers or drawing patterns in the multiple choice bubbles), which may skew the final research conclusions obtained purely through student questionnaires. Despite requests, The Emery was not able to obtain an interview to inquire about the benefits of this survey for Huron’s students or the financial and historical factors involved in the process. Huron is still expected to continue the TIDES survey process this spring, and updates will be available as more information is learned about the process. As of this issue of the newspaper, Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Rivas-Drake have declined to comment.
Julie Heng | Staff Editor Two pairs of skates, one black and one white, two pairs of blades, sharp and in sync. Music sends echoes around the arena, metal carves art into the ice. A couple minutes of absolutely transfixing, utterly captivating sport. The final pose, held for a beautiful, heart wrenching, waited-for-a-lifetime moment, and then the applause. A standing ovation, if all goes well. A sigh of happy relief. A fist pump, maybe. A hug. Every four years, athletes dream of the opportunity to represent their countries at the Olympics. This year, keep your eyes peeled for three acclaimed Huron alumni who have made their way onto the ice dancing world stage. Maia and Alex Shibutani, who graduated from Huron in 2012 and 2009 respectively, have a terrific track record. They are the 2011 world bronze medalists, 2016 world silver medalists, and 2017 world bronze medalists. At the senior domestic level, they are two-time national champs, four-time U.S. silver medalists, and twotime U.S. bronze medalists. Most recently, the Shibutanis won a bronze medal at the prestigious Grand Prix Final last December in Japan. They will be looking to medal at this year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. At the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the Shibutanis finished in ninth place despite being one of the youngest teams competing. The brother-sister duo cite Sochi as a turning point in their careers. “The Olympics opened us up to new experiences and has encouraged us to be-
lieve in ourselves and proceed with a new level of confidence,” the Shibutanis told The Emery. “That first Olympic experience also inspired us to push ourselves further than ever before.” Since then, Maia and Alex have emerged as one of the world’s top ice dance teams, renowned for their synchronicity and style. “At our first Olympics, we were still kids,” they said. “Now, we are both adults and we are really the ones that are in control of our careers.” Of course, the journey to this world stage was a long process that combined hard work and constant perseverance.
Maia and Alex began competing outside of North America at age 14 and 17 respectively, while they were still students enrolled at Huron High School. A typical high school weekday went like this: wake up and pack at 4 a.m. Get to the rink by 5:30 a.m. Intense practice until 10 a.m. The daily schedule was comprised of four to 11 hours of training on the ice, not including office workouts. The numbers only increased if a major competition was nearing. And on top of that, a full day of school, albeit with some normal courses replaced with online counterparts. “Not being in school didn’t mean that our homework, assignments, and tests magically disappeared,” the Shibutanis said. “ I t meant that from a young age, we had to be very orga-
nized a n d r e sponsible.” I n figure skating, competition season goes from September to March. This meant Maia and Alex would lose at least five weeks of school while traveling. It took a lot of energy to manage quizzes and tests with international events. “When we
think back to our high school life and experience, the word that really encapsulates it is ‘busy,’” they said. “It was challenging to have to balance and succeed both academically and competitively. We are lucky that the Ann Arbor community has been very supportive of our skating.” Now, in preparation for their second Winter Olympics, the Shibutanis have even more responsibilities. In addition to daily on- and off-ice training, they work with media commitments and sponsors, acting as sports ambassadors for Team USA. “Our preparation for the Olympics has taken over our lives,” they said. “Every moment and experience has been preparing us to compete on the biggest world stage.” The Shibutanis will be joined in Pyeongchang by Evan Bates, another Huron alumnus and Team USA ice dancer. Bates has also won an array of medals with his partner Madison Chock. Together, they are national champions, four-time national silver medalists, and this year’s national bronze medalists. They were eighth in Sochi and will be looking to climb onto the podium. The Shibutanis and Chock/ Bates are the two most decorated currently-competing U.S. ice dance teams. However, neither team won the national championships in San Jose, California this past January. There, the top three U.S. dance teams, led by Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, were only separated by a mere half point difference. “When pursuing anything, accomplishing your goals takes work,” the Shibutanis said. “Natural talent only gets you so far. We know that we can argue that we work harder than any of our competitors in the world… we hope we reach our highest goals together.” The Olympic ice dance competition will be even fiercer with competition from world-record-holding international contenders Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir from Canada and Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron from France. Current predictions have the top three U.S. teams fighting it out for the bronze medal position. The Olympic Team Event takes place on Feb. 11-12, and the short and free dances will be held on Feb. 19 and 20.
Maia and Alex Shibutani, Huron alumni and internationally competitive ice dancers, pose as ambassadors for Team USA. “With technology and social media, it is possible for anyone to have a voice and make a difference,” the Shibutanis say to students who want to make a statement or difference in the world. “Keep in mind that making a difference in the world isn’t always a massive global effort at first. Be okay with starting smaller as you gain knowledge and experience.” Photo credit: Maia Shibutani
What is ice dancing? Ice dancing is one of four figure skating disciplines (the other three are men’s singles, ladies’ singles, and pairs). It originates from ballroom dancing, and it requires that skaters move to the beat (rather than the melody, like in the other disciplines) using specific blade edgework. There are two segments to an ice dance competition: the short and the free dance. Every year, the required short dance beat pattern changes - this year, the pattern elements are Latin rhythms including Cha Cha, Rhumba, Samba, Mambo, Meringue, Salsa, and Bachata. How to watch the Olympics NBC website or NBC Sports App, YouTube TV, other various online streams (recommended website for figure skating streams and resources: “So, You Want to Watch Figure Skating?”)
The TIDES logo from the University of Michigan CASA Lab’s website.
Sweetwaters - is it re-opening or closing for good? Jack Harrison | Staff Editor For several months now, the Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea located at the intersection of Plymouth and Green Rd has been closed. At first, this was due to the construction on Plymouth Rd that could potentially lower the amount of customers, and interfere with their plumbing. Sweetwaters is a popular place for Huron students to mingle and to study. “Sweetwaters on Plymouth Rd was one of my favorite spots to grab a coffee and study, as it was conveniently located near my home,” said junior Yu Jin Hyun. “I’ve been waiting for it to return since early December, and I am disappointed that it still has not opened.” According to mLive, the location was planning to open in late December. After speaking with the building manager of Plymouth and Green Crossings, the current franchisee is stepping down from her role. By this time, the company was hopeful they would find a new franchisee for the location, but this is yet to happen. Nevertheless, the company is still confident that it will open again in the coming months.
The 2018 Pyeongchang U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team: Men’s: Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou, Adam Rippon; Ladies: Mirai Nagasu, Karen Chen, Bradie Tennell; Pairs: Alexa Scimeca-Knierim/Chris Knierim; Ice Dance: Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani, Madison Chock/Evan Bates, Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue
Vaping: a popular teenage trend with serious implications Caitlin Kaleta | Staff Writer Vaping has become more and more popular amongst teens and young adults. It is estimated by the Huron Health Department that 25 percent of students at Huron are vaping flavored juice, and that under 25 percent are involved with illegal substances. Teens have become immersed in the various flavors of e-juice. Legally, people are only allowed to purchase the e-juice at age 18 not actual drugs. However, one cannot be certain that e-juice users are not getting involved with the illegal substances. “Vaporizers are hard to access, so I don’t think that many people have a vaporizer,” Huron Health teacher Tim. Cain said. “However, if their older siblings are old enough to purchase one, they have access.” W h a t draws teenagers and young adults towards a vaporizer are
the various e-juice flavors. “People assume that because it doesn’t taste like tobacco that it is safer,” Cain said. “That is what is advertised.” However, e-juice still contains nicotine, which is highly addictive and creates a high. One can become addicted to vaping the same way one can become addicted to cigarettes. For young users who are not tobacco smokers, the nicotine concentrations in the e-juice can create a more aggressive addiction than a smoker who is vaping to get rid of his addiction to tobacco cigarettes. “I sneak out to my car sometimes so I can vape,” an anonymous user said. “I like the energy it gives me.” People are supposed to use vaporizers to wean off of cigarettes by gradually purchasing e-juice with smaller and smaller concentrations of nicotine to eventually lessen the addiction their body craves. However, people are simply using vaporizers as a second source of nicotine. Vaping and e-juice are relatively new, and there is limited information about the effects their chemicals can have on the body. “Nicotine is known to increase the chance of getting cancer,” Cain said. “But with the addition of unknown chemicals, it is not known what complications people will have long term.” According to Dr. Taylor Hays, director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, the flavoring in the juice is meant to be digested, not vaporized, which can potentially turn a harmless flavoring into a cardiovascular
carcinogen. Even getting e-juice on your skin can be a safety hazard. People are inhaling these chemicals in gaseous forms, which can be even more toxic and dangerous to the human body. “If you get it on your hand or on your skin, you are told to wash it off immediately,” Cain said. “That’s how dangerous those chemicals are. If they are being inhaled into your lungs, who knows what the consequences are.” Some users are tampering with the device itself and using a technique called “dripping” to get the biggest hit out of each puff. “Dripping” is the technique used by users to drop the e-juice directly onto the hot coils, which produces thicker, more flavorful smoke. However, to get access to these coils, users have to tamper with the device. “These chemicals are put into e-juice to be processed a certain way, mainly for safety,” Cain said. “If they are being used a different way, some of the harmless chemicals can become quite toxic.” In addition, based on the new popularity of vaping, some athletic departments often order a nicotine screening for athlete drug testing. If nicotine shows up in their urine sample, the athlete will be carefully monitored. Second hand smokers may also test positive for nicotine if tested above a certain concentration. The nicotine concentration from vaping even can get high enough to test positive in a drug screening. “I don’t think my health is at risk,” an anonymous user said. “Isn’t it better than smoking a cigarette?”
Fact or fiction? 1. Electronic cigarettes contain less nicotine than regular cigarettes - FICTION 2. If you light an electronic cigarette with a match, it might explode - FACT 3. Electronic cigarettes look nothing like regular cigarettes FICTION 4. The liquid that fills an e-cigarette cartridge is made of the same chemical used in machines that create “fog” for stage shows - FACT 5. Standard regulations are in place to restrict the use of electronic cigarettes - FICTION 6. Electronic cigarettes are banned in Australia, Canada, and Mexico - FACT 7. Consumers must show proof of age when purchasing electronic cigarettes - FICTION 8. The American Medical Association says that electronic cigarettes should be regulated by the FDA as drug delivery devices - FACT 9. The electronic cigarette was invented in the United States FICTION
The Sweetwaters on Plymouth and Green Rd. Photo credit: Jack Harrison
The Huron Administration recently renewed its Advanced Ed Certification. This tells colleges that Huron offers an adequate and rigorous curriculum to its students.
Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused fires and explosions, especially when charging
E-cigarettes do not contain less nicotine than regular cigarettes
E-cigarette juice often contains heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead
A new study in PNAS (Jan. 29) reveals that vaping, like smoking, kills cell DNA