WSH Occidentalist March 2018

Occidentalist

Marching Out S Holly Yoder ‘19 yoderhol87@tcapsstudent.net

tudents have taken it upon themselves to spark a change by stepping into the adult role of making safety their top priority. After another fatal shooting took the lives of 17 students in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, teens across the nation were motivated to be the leaders in fighting for gun control. Their actions sparked a national movement, and students in the TCAPS schools chose to be a part of it.

Superintendent Paul Soma acknowledged that students are taking the reins in the fight against guns in schools.

“They are doing something about it instead of not doing something and regretting it later,” he said.

Just like all school shootings that came before the one in Florida, people started looking for someone or something to blame, rather than looking for a solution to the problem with guns in schools. Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, said at a gun control rally just days after the shooting, “This will be the last mass shooting!” Her statement resounded with students around the nation, and walk-outs, protests, and legislation were finally being planned.

Since the infamous Columbine shooting in 1998 that took 13 lives, the debate over gun control has remained somewhat stagnant. Since that shooting, there have been more than 200 incidents where guns were found on school grounds, and while not all resulted in deaths, more than 140 innocent lives have been taken on campuses since then. Perhaps the most tragic school massacre to date was the Sandy Hook shooting, where 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children between six and seven years old, as well as murdered six staff members at the school.

Soma recognizes why people are fighting over the gun issue.

“With the polarized nature of our society, adults are not setting a good example,” Soma said. “We are not finding a way to meet in the middle. At the end of the day, all people want schools to be safe.”

The opposition among the nation, which is politically driven, impedes legislators from finding a path to a solution. This apathy has forced the youth to take action. As Emma Gonzalez stated in her now famous speech, “We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks. Not because we’re going to be another statistic about mass shootings in America, but because...we are going to be the last mass shooting. Just like Tinker v. Des Moines, we are going to change the law.” The 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines case was a landmark Supreme Court ruling that stated that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

Another school shooting sparks student action

to discuss their concerns with school safety. Later in the week, Soma sent an e-mail to all parents recognizing the students’ efforts to raise awareness about their concerns. In the letter, he stated, “Student voices have played a large part in these efforts and we know that our young men and women have much to contribute when they become actively engaged citizens who are knowledgeable about multiple viewpoints surrounding current events. We expect student voices to continue to be elevated as we navigate these difficult times.” In a second letter, Soma recognized the students’ rights to peacefully protest by writing, “We recognize that our students want to exercise their First Amendment rights to expression and assembly. When students advocate for an issue they feel passionate about, it can be a powerful learning experience. We encourage our students to be actively engaged citizens who are knowledgeable about multiple viewpoints surrounding current events.”

Principal Joe Esper is also acknowledging the students’ effort to be the game changers in the fight for safer schools.

“There’s no perfect scenario unless your school is like a big prison where people never leave,” Esper said. “There have been a number of changes to the security or our school already this year. The school has recently installed a new buzz-in system for the doors; which will be in use during school hours most likely by the end of the year. It is addressed quite often to not let people into the side doors of the school, whether you know them or not.” Esper sent an e-mail to all students and parents reminding them of a site where student can leave anonymous tips regarding violence, weapons, bullying, etc., so the staff can do their best to solve that issue.

Within weeks of the Florida shooting, there were at least two incidences that were reported where threats were made at West. The school jumped into action, investigated, and resolved the issue both times. The school was transparent about both incidences and sent emails to parents and students to keep them aware of the situations.

Moving forward for change...

Students who walked out received an unveri-

fied absence. While TCAPS students were given the consequences for their civil disobedience, some schools, such as Needville Independent School District in Texas, threatened students with a three day suspension for participating in the walkout. Another school protest is being planned on April 20, the anniversary of one of the countries biggest school shootings in Columbine, Colorado, and a national march will take place in Washington D.C., where more than 500,000 people, mostly schoolaged students, will protest at the March for Our Lives event on March 24. Other marches are being planned around the nation on that same day in bigger cities.

While adults have fallen short on making common sense gun control policies since the Colombine shooting in 1998, now it is the students’ turn to make the change they have envisioned. Florida shooting survivor Cameron Kasky is living proof that the youth can make this change. His GoFund Me site has raised more than $3,331,120 to help defray the costs of the Washington march, and all money left over will be going to the victims’ funds.

West steps up to walk out...

West students took their first steps to being a part of this change on March 14. Like thousands of students across the country, their steps led them through the front doors, outside to the lawns, and for 17 minutes, they let our community know that they demand change and safer schools.

“Everyone needs to stand up for safer schools,” Marly Berry ’21 said. Berry helped plan the student walkout, a national protest led by students demanding action against gun violence. The walkout started at 10 a.m., and lasted for 17 minutes, one minute for every lost life at the Florida shooting. The protest, initially suggested by Women’s March Youth EMPOWER, was an attempt to get the attention of lawmakers and reach out for safety. Students hoped that by sheer magnitude in the number of schools participating, the walkouts across the country would make an impact and raise awareness.

District responds to students’ fears with support...

The TCAPS School Board has made school safety its priority. Superintendent Soma and Board Member Scott Hardy met with students at Horizon Books

When food is the enemy

Students struggle with body image, resulting in eating disorders

the

Hope Thompson ‘20 thompsonhop04@tcapsstudent.net

Traverse City West High School VOLUME XXI, EDITION 3 March 2018

Contact Us

Twitter: wshnewspaper Instagram: tcwoccidentalist Website: tinyurl.com/occi-online17-18

Hundreds of students walked out of their second hour classes as part of a massive ­national protest on gun violence spurred by a Florida high school shooting that left 17 dead one month ago. Photo: L. Guiney

“M

y first day I was given a milkshake and a waffle for breakfast… it took me five hours to eat it,” Audrey Parker said about her time in an eating disorder treatment program. Part of her daily routine included structured eating times and therapy.

“You’re put in a room for every meal with all the other anorexic or eating disorder kids,” Parker said.

“We’d all sit at separate tables with a parent or a friend. You had thirty five minutes to eat your meal, and you had to stay until you finished your meal.

That was a really hard thing for me.”

Eating disorders, though not often discussed, are a problem for many young people. Eating disorders are recognized during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, from Feb. 26 to March 4, in

The Opioid Epidemic Traverse City had three deaths due to opioids in the span of one week, including West alumni Rachel Ovalle, and Traverse City is part of the national statistic.

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Photo: C. Rennie

The Model United Nations team attended the Mid-American Model United Nations conference, winning Second Best Prepared School, losing its twelve year winning streak.

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which speakers across the country address this issue in order to spread awareness and reach out to those in need of help. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, Inc. at least 30 million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder.

Awareness is needed, especially in schools, since anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents, as reported by Mirasol Eating Disorder Recovery Center. Part of educating the public about eating disorders is clarifying the misconceptions about the difference between anorexia, which is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to eat in an effort to lose weight, and bulimia, which involves binging and eating extreme amounts of food usually followed by feelings of shame and self-induced vomiting.

As many of these anorexic or bulimic students work hard to conceal their disorder, their friends

The Trashion Fashion show, featuring the work of multiple students, runs April 14 from six to eight p.m. Tickets will be sold at the main entrance for $5.

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Photo: K. Rundio Spring Break takes place from March 23 through April 2. As it approaches, students prepare to spend their vacations in a variety of different ways, including staycations, family trips, and college tours.

This year’s annual spring musical, Legally Blonde, presented students with an opportunity to incorperatepop-culture as they worked to pull off the musical version of a beloved film.

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and peers don’t even know that they may be having issues with body image. Students with eating disorders become experts in hiding their illness from others so they can continue their behavior.

“I think teachers know about it, but I don’t think students know about it,” Parker, who has been dealing with anorexia for two years, said. “I feel like some students know that it’s a thing, but a lot of people just don’t. It goes right over their heads.”

There are many factors which can cause an eating disorder to surface in a teenager’s life. Sometimes these factors are not what one would expect, like in Parker’s case.

“It was actually Weights and Conditioning [class], which is ironic, because it’s a school thing,” Parker said. “The way that I was pushed in there, I took it a little bit too seriously.”

See page four for complete story. ***Some names were changed to protect students.

Student musicians prepare for their Solo and Ensemble performances.

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Juniors prepare for the SAT, which will be hosted on April 10, and SAT Work Keys, on April 11, while sophomores will take the PSAT on April 10.

Testing will take place in the gym wing, and teachers and staff will oversee it.

Photo: T. Crowley Photo: A. Hansen A look back on the alumni of West High School and all of the places they’ve gone.

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TAKING Sides

What’s Your

Opinions

After the mass shooting in Florida, gun control was back on the table, but this time the debate took a twist. Grace Clark and Parker King debate the issue of arming teachers in schools.

Grace Clark ‘19 clarkgra92@tcapsstudent.net

I

Grace Clark

The Occidentalist

for her argument on keeping DACA.

Now--VOTE AGAIN

?

Who has the best argument for arming teahcers

After reading both sides of the issue, tell us who made the best argument at the link below. We’ll post the winner in our next edition. https://tinyurl.com/taking-sides-4

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trained police officers miss shots, how can we expect teachers with very little experience to be able to protect us?”

I

n the wake of the Parkland school shooting, the gun debate, in predictable fashion, has kicked up once again. This time, it seems the media has finally accepted that the issue is not simply a black and white, ban or no-ban discussion. They’ve accepted (to a degree) deliberation on a new subtopic. This new subtopic is one that non-liberals have suggested for a long time; allowing teachers to defend themselves and, by extension, or if by selfless act, by design, their students and fellow faculty.

Obviously, the right of self-preservation should not be hindered for teachers simply because they are teachers. Teachers, as adults, hold this right in its full capacity.

And yet, in many places, they are forced to sacrifice it for some reason, and to no effect.

It is therefore reassuring to hear in the news that many states and localities are taking steps toward allowing teachers to carry firearms. At last, there are signs that legislators in the United States recognize that the issue of public mass shootings can’t be solved by passing ineffectual restrictions which curb freedom but which stop no crime. Finally, progress is being prioritized over self-praise of virtuousness.

Some are concerned that not all teachers are qualified to be armed. That’s why we have CPL classes. Others worry about the cost. I say it will cost nothing; teachers are people just like anyone else, and if they wish defend themselves, they will arm themselves, at their own cost, just like any other gun owner. Some worry about accidnts with guns, but this can only happen if a firearm is being mishandled, and, presumably, CPL holders will be safe with their weapon.

Besides, holstered firearms don’t just go off, especially in modern holsters which are designed to prevent misfires. Some are concerned that students will steal guns from teachers. But for this to be true, the student will need to know which teacher has a gun, where the gun is holstered, and then make an open attempt to acquire the firearm— which means assaulting the carrier. But preventing assault is the point of carrying, isn’t it? Who is going to attack a person they know to be armed with a lethal weapon, using only his fists? Who is going to plan and execute a school shooting when they know that as soon as they walk in the door, they’ll be staring down barrels themselves?

Last edition, students read Parker King and Grace Clark’s opinions on immigration reform and DACA. Our readers read both sides, and most supported:

Hannah Ashbury Annaka Hansen Katherine Rundio

“I think it’s a terrible idea. If even

Parker King ‘18 kingpar63@tcapsstudent.net

n today’s society, it seems as though every day we wake up to a new headline telling the gruesome details of yet another mass shooting. To address the era of school shootings, Trump, along with many of his supporters, have responded to these common tragedies by suggesting that in order to reduce this relentless violence, teachers should undergo weapons training through local police departments, and then carry guns on school grounds to protect students in the event of school shootings or other acts of violence.

While I do agree that the government must take action against these increasingly frequent occurrences, arming teachers is definitely not the answer. There are numerous solutions that work to avoid hazardous situations in schools, increasing danger through the encouragement of teachers carrying guns in school is not the answer. Rather than arming educators, expanding the presence of police officers on campuses, hiring a set amount of security guards per school, enforcing metal detectors at all entrances, and implementing door buzzers and security cameras are protective measures our government should be focused on. In addition to this, by increasing the number of school counselors, nurses, and mental health programs, not all, but a considerable amount of bullying-induced, violent issues will see a decline.

If teachers were to carry guns, they would most likely be carrying handguns, nothing compared to the assault weapons that are often the choice of destruction by the typical school shooter.

The safest solution is to ban assault weapons entirely. While some argue that this violates their right to bear arms, protected by the 2nd Amendment, this would not be a ban on all guns, only on assault weapons. Assault weapons do not have a place in the public’s hands.

It is commendable to watch President Trump at least acknowledge a change to the current legislation, but unfortunately, arming teachers is not the solution. The future of American children is more important than one’s desire to own a military firearm.

Editors:

OPINION? Should teachers be armed?

Section Designers: Hannah Ashbury Spencer Elhart Annaka Hansen Billy Jo Kyser Kendall Marshall Alyssa Roland Katie Rundio Hope Thompson

Staff Writers: Hannah Ashbury Autumn Bockhol Constance Burnam Leona Eckert Spencer Elhart Blase Gapinski Annaka Hansen Wolfgang Harris

-Leah Racine ‘19

“Absolutely not. Having more guns in schools is not the solution to ending school shootings. They happen when guns are in the hands of the wrong people and having more in the school just increases the risk.”

-Liam Clone ‘20

“The topic shouldn’t just be about arming teachers, it should be about heightening security all together in schools, but I think, depending on how school and district higher administrators choose which teachers should be armed, it could be a good thing.”

-Jeremy Gauden ‘19

“I think teachers shouldn’t have guns because what if they accidentally hurt a kid? Theachers should be able to teach students how to protect themselves.”

-Jacob Varner ‘21

The

ugl y TRUTH The Board of Education needs to slow down

W

hat started as the disappearance of the spirit rock, rolled into something much bigger. After Superintendant Paul Soma disciplined Head Principal Joe Esper and Sparta Wing Principal Charles Kolbusz for removing the rock from the front entrance of the school, administrators from around the district joined together to make a formal complaint through the Traverse City Administrations Association. A costly investigation ensued, which was cut short due to funding. By January the outside legal counsel David Revore of Bauckham, Sparks, Thall, Seeber & Kaufman P.C. cleared Soma of any wrong doing in three incidents, although there were still almost 20 other complaints that warrented investigation.

On March 12, it was time to vote on Soma’s contract and the Board held an open meeting to discuss Soma’s future standing in the TCAPS district. The meeting room at Boardman was packed, with teachers, community members, and administrators eager to put in their two cents to help sway the vote one way or another. Most could agree that Soma has done much for the district, especially when it comes to finances. Of course, the elephant in that crowded room

From the Editorial

The Occidentalist is the official student produced newspaper of news and information published/ produced by WSH newspaper students. The Occidentalist newspaper has been established as a designated public forum for student editors and reporters to inform and educate their readers. As well, it will not be prior-reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distriAddison Haworth Alexis Hepler Madeline Hodges Billy Jo Kyser Evelyn Majszak Logan Maloney Kendall Marshall Sol Medwed-Cohen Parker Neu

was a letter submitted by the TCAA accusing Soma leading through bullying and intimidation against principals, female pirnicipals in particular, and claimed Soma acted unprofessionally in his duties. After more than an hour of public comments, the Board members voted to have an open session to be transparent when making their decision on Soma’s contract. The meeting carried on for over six hours before members voted 7-0 to renew his contract for three years, and Soma would receive a three year contract starting at $158,000, with pay increases to $168,000 by 2020.

At almost midnight, math teacher Tammy Rosenburg addressed the Board members with a stern message.

“What I have heard this evening [is that] if I exhibit poor behavior and have had six months to make restitution, I can benefit and be awarded a three-year contract with pretty good perks and a pretty good raise,” Rosenberg said. “That is a slap in the face to all these people who have real allegations against the superintendent.”

As a staff, we support Mrs. Rosenburg’s message. A three year contract with pay increases seems too generous while an investigation is on-going. We recognize the good Soma has done in his position, but accusations that he has infringed on some employee’s civil rights warrants a closer look from BOE members before he should be rewarded such an extensive contract.

The recent contract renewal sends a message to the TCAPS employees with formal complaints against Soma that their concerns don’t matter. How does the district grow stronger knowing that?

bution. Advisors may and should coach and discuss content during the writing process. Because school officials do not engage in prior-review, and the content of the Occidentalist media is determined and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

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Advisor: Catherine Hansen

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Columnists Grace Clark Parker King Paul Young

Opioid Epidemic

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Three deaths in one week stun the community

Leona Echert ‘19 eckertleo58@tcapsstudent.net

T

Drugs, anxiety, and fear...

Alexander relives the day that drugs got the best of her daughter and considers who things could have gone differently.

“Rachel had anxiety trigNo one is safe... gers, and when she had an Susan Alexander lost her daughter, Rachel Ovalle, a West anxiety trigger...she talked about it alumni, to opiate overdose involving fentanyl on Feb. 11. openly and she knew she had an anxiety “She was a straight-A student, editor-in-chief of her yeartrigger. So that Sunday morning she had an anxiety book in junior high school, she had lots of friends, she was trigger, and because of that, she got high,” Alexander really popular, said. “There were people that knew, and ““Most of the people that are they did not call 9-1-1, and as a result, beautiful, and strong. Things ended up dying. It was very tragic. taking it, aren’t taking it to feel she were good,” She was found within 15 minutes of her high, they’re taking it just to Alexander said. overdose, and could have been saved, Rachel was the but the phone call was obstructed. There maintain normalcy.” typical teen, one were people involved that knew what - Jennilyn Oster with a bright was happening, but didn’t call 9-1-1.” future, and a supportive family. She didn’t seem to fit the Alexander knows that people who struggle with adstatistic that most would assume suffered with addiction. diction become two separate people. When the mind is It was an introduction to the wrong person that sealed taken over and 13 under the influence, drug users are Ovalle’s fate. not capable of making sound decisions. Also, teens ad“Her boyfriend was feeding her Xanax like it was candy, dicted to drugs are often afraid to seek help out of fear so I’m told,” Alexander said. “She was 14, maybe 15, when or embarrassment. she met him. He was giving it away for free to anyone, so “They need to know they’re not alone,” Alexander he could get them hooked on drugs, so that he could then said. “They need to know that people care about them, sell them drugs.” and that we want to help them. We are not embarrassed. We are not ashamed. We want to help them. I Addiction is not always obvious... think Rachel would say, ‘Tell your parents the truth.’

People who struggle with drugs find ways hide their I think she would say, ‘Communicate with your mom addiction. They don’t want interference from others when and dad. Go to them for help.’ She didn’t want it to end their drug addicted minds are taking over the real person up like this. She didn’t want to die. She was struggling they are. Alexander discovered her daughter’s addiction by and I didn’t know. I think she would say, ‘Go to your happenstance. parents, and ask them for help.’ I think that’s what she “I had taken her baby out to the car while she was in would want. I’d like to think, if she could do it over checkout, and she had left her purse out in the car,” Alexagain, she would come to me a ask for help.”

Graphic by Q. Ross

Traverse City, part of the crisis...

In the same week that Alexander lost her daughter, two other tragic deaths from heroin overdose hit the community. That same week, the hockey players from rival teams West and Central competed at the Centre Ice Arena to raise funds for the Addiction Treatment Services of Traverse City and as means of celebrating the life of West alumni Alex Grizzel, who died of addiction complications on Oct. 14, 2017.

The key to ending the opioid crisis is education. According to the HHS, opiate use increased in the 1990s when “pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to opioid pain relievers and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates.” This increased prescription use of opioid medications which led to widespread misuse of both prescription and non-prescription opioids before it became clear that these medications could indeed be highly addictive, and worse, lead to more dangerous drug use.

“Heroin feeds off of your dopamine receptors, so you need a certain amount of dopamine just to wake up in the morning and to function as a person, and it replicates that, but to a stronger extent,” Jennilyn Oster, the School Resource Officer for the TBAISD schools said. She has worked on drug-related cases for eleven years, three of those being specialized on the narcotics team. “It also destroys your ability to produce your own dopamine. It’s not just something that makes you high, but it’s something that you need to basically function, so when you get off of it or you’re no longer using it, you get extremely sick, you leak out of every orifice of your body, and you don’t feel normal.”

News

he opioid epidemic has spread throughout the United States, and Traverse City is definitely not exempt from the effects of this crisis. In mid-February, three deaths due to opiate overdoses in one week shook community.

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services , in 2016 alone, around 42,249 people died from overdosing on opioids, with 116 deaths every day throughout the nation, and 15,469 of those deaths caused by heroin. The epidemic has cost the United States over 504 billion dollars in economic losses.

It’s not uncommon for teenagers to get addicted to opiates through legal opioids, such as hydrocodone or vicodin; two medications used to ease pain after injuries.

Teens who suffer from broken bones from sports injuries, car accidents, surgeries, or teeth extractions, are often prescribed painkillers to help them manage their pain. These medications, however, are extremely addicting.

ander said. “I noticed a pack of cigarettes in her purse, and so I pulled it out of her purse, and when she got back to the car, I told her, ‘I got rid of your cigarettes, Rachel. You don’t need to be smoking cigarettes.’ And she panicked, wanting to know where I threw them out.” Alexander said. “She went back into Walmart and went through every trash can looking for the pack of cigarettes, meanwhile I had them. I pulled them out and dug through them and at the bottom of the cigarette pack, I found Xanax in a plastic baggie. She had been using drugs for years, and I didn’t know it, even though she was living with me.”

Change is on the horizon...

Politicians, representatives from healthcare, law enforcement, and private stakeholders from around the nation are recognizing the opioid crisis and are making research a key component to ending it. Recovery programs are essential, but unfortunately, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the relapse rate for heroine is at an extreme 80%, and for all other drugs, it is between 40-60%. While it may be a long process to end this crisis, awareness and regulations may shed some light on the horizon, and hopefully, as society and medical professionals become more aware of the dangers that come with opiates, more loss can be avoided.

Going GREEN This year the recycling program has earned the school a green ribbon.

Constance Burnam ‘18 burnamcon95@tcapsstudent.net Band students prepare to play at the MSBOA Festival where judges give them feedback on their performance. Photos: A. Hansen.

Much ado about Music

The music wing prepares for many festivals Kendall Marshall ‘20 marshallken71@tcapsstudent.net

M

usic is in the air this spring as students perform at local and state competitions to prove their strengths as seasoned, talented musicians.

For the District Solo and Ensemble Festival event on Feb. 10, band and orchestra students were evaluated by judges and rated on a scale of one to five for their individual and small group performances. Single and group musicians that earned a ranking of one, the highest rating, qualified for the State Solo and Ensemble Festival in March. The State Solo and Ensemble Festival is the same as the District Festival, but the students are held to a higher standard, requiring that they play proficiency scales and sight read a short piece of music. With each performance, students practiced harder, got important feedback to grow from prominent judges, and gained confidence to compete at the next level.

Band teacher, Pat Brumbaugh, recognizes the importance of practicing for music events and how they leave a positive impact on students.

“Solo and Ensemble is an opportunity for students, both individual students and small groups of students, to get together and perform at the highest level of the State,” Brumbaugh said.

In early March, student musicians also participated in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association festival in Elk Rapids. Students were judged on their musicianship skills as an ensemble, performing three pieces and sight reading an entire piece. While the scores came in high for all groups, students and teachers are taking what they learned to compete at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. The Philharmonic Orchestra, for example, received an overall rating of one, including in the sightreading portion of the festival, and the group plans to continue practicing, keeping the judges’ notes in mind.

“Every student the orchestra program sent to festival earned a first or second ranking medal. It takes a lot of courage and conviction, as well as some serious practice time to do so well,” Orchestra teacher, Ingrid Pylvainen said.

Even with the stress that comes with participating, students grow from the competitive structure that comes with performing at festivals. With feedback from judges and their teachers, students push themselves to do their best, and for many, the experience defines their futures as musicians.

“I liked the final product.” Lexi heart ’19 said. “I think it’s a good way to be independent, especially if your doing a solo.”

The Occidentalist

I

t’s not easy being green, but the school has been committed to achieving environmental goals through common sense ecological practices for many years.

According to Environmental Science teacher Darren Frechette, the school has earned the Green School recognition by working within our school to do things more eco-friendly. New recycling bins, lessons on alternative energy, and shutting off lights to conserve energy are making an impact.

Earning the title for being a Green School takes work from the students and staff, but also careful documentation to provide evidence of the school’s commitment.

“We work with our local ISD for the application process,” Frechette said. “We document things that we do at our school and submit them to ISD which in turn works with Michigan Green Schools.”

In the past the Green Club took on the role of cleaning up the school, but now because of low participation, the work is done through an Environmental Science class taught by Frechette.

“The biggest change is that we now have commingled recycling which means we don’t have to have separate bins for recyclable material,” Frechette said. “The amount of items we can recycle has increased and we also made recycling available in the cafeteria for the first time in our school’s history.”

Students are getting in on making the school greener, and are learning about the ways students and staff might be being wasteful.

“We waste a lot of food, a lot of us don’t use the recycle cans, and we waste a lot of paper.

We use a lot of power when we leave the lights on everywhere,” Alisha Gresock ‘18 said.

The goal of becoming a green school is to reduce the school’s footprint by taking steps to lessen environmental impact. Last year the school set up new recycle bins around the school that made it easier for staff and students to toss waste. The new bins mean students and staff can throw their plastics and papers in one bin, and it will get sorted later by a waste management company, so there is less confusion about where to put waste.

Frechette’s efforts don’t stop at the recycle bin.

“We recycle a number of items, use recycled products, teach units on alternative energy, water, state issues, and endangered ecosystems, find ways to conserve energy, and observe Earth Day,” he said.

Another way that the school is going greener is by preparing foods using locally sourced produce. Cherry Capital Foods of Traverse city supplies locally grown honey, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, watermelon, broccoli, onions, blueberries, strawberries, green peppers, zucchini, squash, and frozen cherries to different TCAPS schools when supplies are available.

Making West greener is good for the environment, but Frechette knows the importance of teaching his students about preserving the planet, so they can make an environmental impact outside of the school, too.

“It’s a part of being a community,” Frechette said. “It’s important to help educate students how to preserve our earth and its resources for future generations.”

Breaking into Spring

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e r a

i o g

e w

? g n

Alyssa Roland ‘20 rolandaly60@tcapsstudent.net

30% 38%

**Statistics taken from students who took an online survey Photos: K. Rundio

are staying home

Local News

are traveling within the United States

W

h

“I am going to Miami, Florida with my family”

e r e

-Olivia Ockert ‘20

15%

“I am going to Cleveland in Ohio to visit my uncle”

are traveling outside the United States

T

he stretch between winter break and spring break is a long one, and if you ask any teacher, they will tell you that students are a little “squirelly” as the first evidence of spring and sunshine appear through the classroom windows.

March 23 through April 2 is the first chance that many students get to spend a significant amount of time outside of school since their winter break in December. Having 10 days off leaves students with a wide variety of ways to occupy their time. Many juniors will travel to universities for college visits, and for those lukcy students with plane or cruise ship tickets, the world awaits.

Emma Marriott ‘20, is going on a cruise to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados.

“I’m just excited for the warm weather in general,” she

12%

-Maxwell Swan ‘20

said.

As warm weather

certainly draws many people to the beaches, seniors like Amanda Breithaupt ‘18, will be traveling to sunny coastal locations such as Punta Cana. She plans to meet up with other friends when there.

“There are other senior groups that are also going to the same place and we are excited to meet up with them and hang out,” Breithaupt said, “I’m really excited to be in warm weather and do things like scuba diving and cave swimming.”

Other students plan to use their week and a half to get ahead on their academics and start thinking about where life will be heading after high school.

are traveling within Michigan

Jessica Litchfield ‘19 plans to tour colleges like the University of Michigan and Michigan State University over her spring break.

“It is the most convenient time since I always have AP homework and I can’t afford to miss any school,” Litchfield said.

With so much to see and do around the world, Marriott says, “It’s difficult to decide on a place where everyone wants to go that’s also within budget.”

As spring break approaches quickly, there are high hopes of getting a little taste of what the summer will soon bring.

**When the enemy is food continued from page one Physical Education teacher, Deborah Prichard points out that though eating disorders are not covered in depth in Physical Education, they are briefly referenced in the food, nutrition, and body composition curriculum.

The Occidentalist

Surrounded by distorted body images...

For many who deal with eating disorders, social media drives an unhealthy self body image.

“You see all these idolized people that you want to look like and be like, because then maybe people will like you more,” Nicole Lewis, who has anorexia and bulimia, said. “So you blame all your problems on your weight and your image.”

What many people don’t realize is that the causes of eating disorders are largely psychological.

Anorexia and bulimia are mental illnesses, and that makes them virulent.

“It sucks, because anorexia is all about body image,” Parker said. “I compare myself to people all the time. Everyday you look at yourself in the mirror and anorexia is a circus mirror, so you look either fat or super skinny or twisted.”

Psychological problem...

Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, including severe depression. The deaths caused by anorexia include deaths not only by malnutrition and starvation, but suicide as well.

When Parker attempted suicide last year, she was admitted to CS Mott’s Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor and began a treatment program for her eating disorder.

“At first I really didn’t want to go to a program, because it meant that I was crazy or something like that,” Parker said. “I was really against it, but now I’m glad that I got help because I realized how beneficial it is to live life.”

Like Parker, many of those with eating disorders are resistant to treatment, despite the potential benefits.

“Honestly I just don’t want people to bring attention to it, because that makes it a lot worse,” Lewis said. “I don’t want people telling me to eat and stuff.”

Liisa Szarapski, Health Coordinator for TCAPS, has met with students who resist treatment because they don’t believe that what they’re dealing with is in fact a disorder.

“Sometimes students with eating disorders don’t recognize it as being a disorder or concern,” Szarapski said. For Szarapski, it’s apparent that an eating disorder is a concern whether the student chooses to believe that or not, especially considering the negative health effects that can occur.

“It can lead to serious illness, death, loss of function of organs, loss of their periods, and they can have bone loss,” Szarapski said.

Road to recovery...

Even if someone seeks treatment for their eating disorder, the recovery process is extensive. Treatment, in order to be successful, must include mental health care in addition to medical care and nutritional education, seeing as eating disorders are mental disorders. When TCAPS is

*Mirasol Eating Disorder Recovery Center

The mortality rate associated with anorexia is

12

times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15-24 years old.

for in identifying someone with an eating disorder.

“They’re always full, for specifically anorexia,” Parker said. “They look either super overweight or super underweight. Normally loneliness or isolation are signs of an eating disorder. I learned all of this in program.” Many of these signs come to light in the school cafeteria, while students are eating with their peers.

“When you’re anorexic at least, you section off your food into different things,” Parker said.

“Some people are really good with calories where they can be like, ‘This is 95, this is 92.’”

It’s easy for someone with an eating disorder to pass off their behavior as inconsequential.

“Usually when people get food, I don’t get it.

And they’ll ask why and I’ll just say I’m not hungry,” Lewis said.

20% of people with serious eating disorders who don’t receive treatment die.

made aware of a student with an eating disorder, they try to get these students as much help as possible.

“We try to do referrals to either a doctor, or to get them further counseling,” Szarapski said. “Eating disorders can be due to psychological or emotional reasons, so we try to make sure they’re connected with support.”

Parker sees a therapist, psychologist, dietician, pediatrician, and has health checkups at Mott every three months.

The goal of the multifaceted treatment is to prevent accidents like the ones Parker has had in the past.

“I’m a lifeguard. I was really underweight and I was on stand,” Parker said. “I passed out and almost drowned in the water.”

Passing out is only one of many dangers that come with an eating disorder and extreme weight loss, and for Parker, it was a common occurrence.

“I would blackout once a week, because I didn’t have enough energy to keep me going,” Parker said. “I’d try to do things that I couldn’t do at that body weight.”

Even with eating disorder symptoms, like exceedingly low body weight and blackouts, friends and family of people with eating disorders may not realize what is going on. There are many signs of eating disorders that can easily be missed as those with them are careful to hide their behaviors and symptoms. Parker has learned what to look

Helping friends....

If someone does notice their friend or classmate having a hard time in the cafeteria or showing the signs of an eating disorder, Parker recommends that they don’t treat that person any differently.

“Act normal,” Parker said. “Don’t be like, ‘I’m sorry,’ because I didn’t lose a loved one or

anything--it’s life.”

There are options for those who struggle with an eating disorder, and Parker recommends starting with the people who are closest to them.

“If you have supportive parents, go to your parents,” Parker said. “I know a lot of the teachers at school are really good with that type of stuff. You should be going to the doctor once a year, just say it to your doctor. Just tell somebody.”

Szarapski knows that the TCAPS staff are willing to support students with an eating disorder.

“We’re here to support them,” she said. “We want them to be healthy. We want them to be safe. We will do everything that we can to make sure that happens.”

Need Help?

Students struggling with eating disorders can call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at:

(800) 931-2237

Scholastic Spring Break

05

French students head out to France for Spring break, and bring back a new French friend on an official exchange.

Alexis Hepler ‘20 heplerale12@tcapsstudent.net

French students try on costumes at a photo booth at a fundraising event for their trip to France. Photo: A. Hansen.

It’s easier to become fluent in the language when learning in a country where one can hear the people speak the language. Study abroad trips are also beneficial because colleges seek candidates that are global citizens, and students will earn credit on their transcripts for learning trips.

“I’m excited about seeing the old buildings and architecture and meeting my host family and making friends,” Rinehart said. “Being immersed in the language is a really good way to understand everything.”

Traveling abroad exposes students to foreign politics, history, and art about other countries. Most importantly, the French trip will expose students to new people, and offer them lifetime connections with friends from afar.

“I want my students to be able to use the language in the country with their families and as they are touring around.”

Geroux said. “More than that I want them to make a connection with a students in France and actually see what it is like to live as a teenager there.”

The students coming from Lycee Colbert Lorient will stay in Traverse City for one week. They will also travel to New York, and will compete in a robotics competition in Southfield, Michigan. All of the students in the program study English and are on robotics teams in France.

Because the school in France has more students arriving than West has traveling, Geroux needs to find families willing to host French students who are interested in robotics.

Families interested in supporting the cultural experience for the students at Lycee Colbert Lorient can contact Jenn Geroux at Gerouxje@tcaps.net for more details.

School News

F

rench teacher Jennifer Geroux is helping her students experience what they are learning in her class in the real world. While there have been study abroad opportunities through the school before, Geroux is working to make the first exchange where her students will stay with host families while learning more about the French culture, before hosting students from France in May. For the first trip, 12 students will be traveling to Lorient France for spring break, and in May, around 35 students from Lycee Colbert Lorient school will come to experience Traverse City and participate in robotics programs in Michigan.

Jessica Rinehart ‘20 is ready to perfect her language skills and be a part of the new program.

“I want to go to France for the experience and culture,” Rinehart said. “Also I want to become more fluent in French. I’m French, so it’s cool learning about my origins.”

This year’s trip will be different from any other.

“This trip is important for our students because it’s offering an opportunity to travel and stay with host families, which is something we haven’t done in the past for our French classes,” Geroux said. “We’ve just done more general tours and sightseeing in France and this has been an important trip that I’ve wanted to do for a long time because when I was in high school I also did a similar trip where I stayed with a host family. I think you gain a lot more when you actually stay with a family there.”

Math Score

Madness

Weighting scale for math makes tests worth 90% of class grade, some struggle to keep up.

Annaka Hansen ‘19 hansenann37@tcapsstudent.net

M

Unlucky #13

After winning highest honors at M.A.M.U.N. for 12 years straight, this year the Model UN team came in second.

Katie Rundio ‘18 rundiokat33@tcapsstudent.net

T

he room was silent as more than 500 students held their breath in anticipation. In the back of the room, 38 students and their advisor, Charles Rennie, watched their school’s name flash onto the screen. And while it should have been a happy occasion, the students let out a small clap, and shared a collective, disappointed exhale.

By winning second place, they had lost their 12 year streak as Best Prepared School in the state at the MidAmerican Model United Nations competition.

As the reality set in, student delegates searched for answers.

“We had lost a few strong delegates from last year, as well as several experienced delegates last minute due to poor planning on behalf of the West administration,” Grace Martin ‘18 said. Martin represented the United Kingdom for Security Counsel. “Scrambling for new members last minute was difficult and drew focus away from preparation for the conference.”

Model U.N. is a semester long class that is only offered during the first semester. During the class period, students research the country they are representing, learn how their country stands on topics that the students will discuss at the M.A.M.U.N. conference, and then write position papers and resolutions based on their country’s position.

“M.A.M.U.N. is our most important competition of the year, and West has a big reputation at the competition because we won for 12 years in the row,” Sasha Schusterbrown ‘18 said. Schusterbrown has been a part of the Model U.N. team for two years and represented the United Kingdom in the Human Rights Committee at M.A.M.U.N. 2018.

Model U.N. students attribute a wide variety of reasons to the loss of the streak.

“As a team, we were only in control of how we performed, we were able to push through and compete at the level and standards that we had set for the past 12 years,” Martin said. “However, we were not in control of the blatant bias against us demonstrated by other schools and the administrators of M.A.M.U.N. In my opinion, because the competition was close this year, the highest honors were given to other schools to encourage their participation.”

Senior Emily Falconer knew that other factors came into play which affected the second place standing.

“One of the top struggles for us was that they

changed the rules on the prep, like the position papers. This year we only had 500 words, not a full page, so that cut our paper length by 50% percent. We used the papers to get background information for our debates, so we weren’t required to prepare as much this year. Also, we used to be able to write and submit our resolutions before going the conference, but this year, we had to write them at the conference, so some kids didn’t have those ready going in.”

For the Model United Nation teacher Charles Rennie, the conference is not about the win, but about what students take home with them.

“I’ve been blessed and am one of the luckiest teachers in the world,” he said. “I have had so many wonderful kids, now some are in their 30s, and I’m extremely happy that there are literally kids working and studying all over the world in international relations related professions. Some students have realized their passion through the program, and it all started through West’s Model U.N.” Rennie has taught the Model U.N. class for 15 years and participated as a student for two years when he attended Central High School. Falconer found her passion for international relations under Rennie’s coaching.

“I joined the team three years ago and the research for some of my topics introduced me to the United Nations sustainable development goals. I was really inspired by it,” Falconer said. Last year Falconer traveled to 12 different countries doing research and blogging about her experiences. “The traveling linked me to the U.N. because it was their campaign, I was an ambassador, using their research and logos. I was able to meet representatives, and it showed me that I want to work in that field.” Falconer is heading to Colorado College to study international political economy. Before taking Model U.N. she considered teaching, becoming an artist, or studying culinary arts, but competing at M.A.M.U.N. helped seal her future.

This year’s loss has not stopped Model U.N. kids from striving for excellence.

“Mr. Rennie’s passion for Model UN is contagious and he has inspired, opened opportunities, and touched the lives of hundreds of students,” Martin said. “With the stress of continuing a legacy gone, the leaders of the team next year will go back with vengeance and take back what we deserve.”

Second place is nothing to scoff at. While missing the first place win by a margin hit the team hard, there were still many other victories to celebrate.

The Occidentalist

ath can be a hard subject for many, and a unique grading system is making things a little harder for some.

Math students were surprised to find that their tests and exams would make up 70 to 90 percent of their final grades.

Some students in their Junior and Senior years especially have issues with the grading system as they were applying to colleges and their GPAs have dropped from poor test scores.

Junior Aylin Sevimli, who is in the process of looking for and applying to colleges, is disappointed with the heavily weighted system.

“I don’t like how you can put in so much work and studying, but get a difficult test and practically fail the class,” Sevimli said. “It just drops your GPA really quickly.”

The unique grading system means student grades in Trigonometry and Pre-Calc, and anything more advanced, are based 90 percent from tests and exam grades. For some students who don’t test well, their GPA is tanking.

Although it may be affecting some students’ grades, math teacher Diana Schumacher worries that the traditional scale hurts students more than it helps. Part of the reason for the change is to ensure students are doing their work.

“Now that we have social media and new ways to communicate, the game has changed,” Schumacher said. “A student could fail their exam and still pass the class by copying their friends homework, and they won’t learn any of the material.”

Even though some students are seeing their GPAs dropping, Schumacher hopes students won’t feel too let down, and that GPAs and grades have become inflated over the years anyway.

“If you can’t consistently get As on a test, you shouldn’t get an A in the class,” Schumacher said. “I believe GPAs are inflated anyway; we need to hurt some GPAs. If everyone in class got an A, and you worked really hard for yours, how would you feel if someone who didn’t put in any effort got an A, too? C is supposed to be the average.”

While the harder grading scale may help students gain a better understanding of the topic, their GPAs don’t always reflect it.

Junior Jessica Litchfield says she stresses over her grades a lot already and that the 90 percent tests make things even worse.

“I don’t want my GPA to go down when colleges focus so much on academic success,” Litchfield said. “Studying for tests just becomes so much more difficult and stressful.”

Although some students may be seeing a drop in their GPA, the grading system should ensure that students know their stuff before taking an exam. The focus on mastery over homework completion means that students have to work hard to earn their grades.

The math grading system means that students cannot inflate their grades by simply completing math practices, rather, they have to demonstrate what they have learned independently on tests.

Michael Carley ‘19 and Aage Grenchk ‘19 give a speech at the opening ceremony of M.A.M.U.N. 2018 as part of their role as delegates.

Photo submitted by: C. Rennie.

“OHMIGOD YOU GUYS”

Arts & Entertainment

06

Left: The cast finishes up the play with a final musical number. Right: Elle, played by Lily Ahlstrom ’18, tries her best to convince the admissions officers to accept her into Harvard Law school. Photos by: H. Thompson

Legally Blonde takes the stage by storm in a pink pant suit Madeline Hodges ‘19 Hodgesmad62@tcapsstudent.net

B

efore Erich Wangeman came to West five years ago, the previous music director, Russ Larimer, was known for tackling major classic Broadway productions like Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. When Wangeman came to the school, he wanted students to experience a wider variety musicals during their four years of high school. Committed to broadening his students’ musical horizons, he turned to popular movies to reach an audience familiar with pop culture.

Wangeman also chooses the musicals with the goal of having more students considered for a part in the production.

“It is such a difficult job because you have to be happy that there would be four or five different students for each role,” Wangeman said. By mixing more traditional Broadway with contemporary productions based on pop culture, Wangeman is keeping things interesting. “I think that I would like all students within their four years here to get some diversity. So if you look back, I like the contemporary shows like Addams Family, Legally Blonde, and Shrek. But if you also look, the Once Upon A Mattress was a Rodgers and Hart, that’s a good old fashioned

Broadway musical. So we’ve done some older ones, we do some contemporary ones, and who knows? Maybe the next one we do will be something completely avantgarde. It’s just a matter of trying to give you kids a bunch of different styles over your four years.”

It’s also important to consider the school’s budget and other factors when choosing which production to bring to the stage. Wangeman considers the school’s access to certain technology and instruments for the pit orchestra.

“You have to make sure you have the parts from the pit,” Wangeman said. “Then you have to make sure that our auditorium, [with its limitations] has the right personnel for that.”

This year’s musical, Legally Blonde, was no exception to Wangeman’s process. The show, being more technical than previous shows, was bound to impress the audience. And because so many viewers were already so familiar with the movie, the musical was a hit with all ages.

“I think people will be very excited to see how we interpret the movie in our own way,” Kaylee Annis ‘18, who played Whitney and a Delta Nu in the musical, said.

“I think it’ll be really be popular.”

The lead role of Elle Woods was shared by two

Dragon Ball FighterZ Review

The Occidentalist

D

ragon Ball FighterZ is a new fighting game released by Bandai Namco for Xbox One, Playstation 4, and for Windows via Steam. First released on Jan. 26, 2018 in Japan, North America, and Europe, Dragon Ball FighterZ has some aspects that make it feel like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter.

Returning to the Dragon Ball universe, clones of all of the universe’s strongest fighters have started to show up and to make matters worse, the originals have lost their powers. Players must go around and defeat the clones while recruiting people to join their team of warriors. While battling clones, a bigger threat is absorbing them and gaining power, building up a challenge that players won’t be able to shrug off.

Some veterans to the Dragon Ball series show up to fight including, but not limited to: Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, and Frieza. Goku is the main protagonist of the show and Manga, an alien fighting to defeat any challengers and become the strongest fighter in the universe. Vegeta is another fighter who believes it’s his birthright to be

Sol Medwed-Cohen ‘21 medwedsol84@tcapsstudent.net

M

arvel’s newest film, Black Panther, creates wonder with great flair and feeling, not just through its amazing directing and acting, but simply by being different. Most big studios will simply take the audience out for a joy ride, hitting the same exhausted story, with the same franchise-expanding beats.

But not Black Panther.

This movie’s focal point is the fictional African nation of Wakanda, where tropical jungle landscapes meet science fiction.

Wakanda features tribally designed spaceships soaring over majestic waterfalls, a sophisticated dystopian tribe, and technology far more advanced than that of the rest of the world. These details and tremendous cultural twists make this story unique. That being said, the movie is far more than the scenery. As with all Marvel films, the complex and dynamic plot relieves moviegoers of the overdone, same-old superhero busywork. Although there is a predictable flow to the action

Spencer Elhart ‘18 elhartspe12@tcapsstudent.net

the strongest, and will do anything to get power. Time traveler Trunks just wants to help the future by saving the past. Not to be forgotten, Frieza, one of the most powerful villains in the series, also shows up to cause trouble.

New original character Android 21 makes her debut as one of the main characters in Dragon Ball FighterZ. Android 21 is directly responsible for the main plot of the game.

Yet, the most surprising addition to this cast of characters is the player. As the gamer, players are a character in the game, their soul is the reason that the story can keep moving, and there are even multiple times in which they get to interact with the other characters.

Sadly, there are some hitches in the game that does drag it back. For example, the story and all of the different buttons can get confusing at times. There are

Black Panther Review choreography, the film features a nice mix of fighting styles that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

The acting that went into producing this film is some of the best I have ever seen. It is important to recognize that the women in this movie are just as important as the men, if not more so.

From leaders in the council room, to the chosen guard of the king, the Dora Milaje, it was refreshing to see a cast more equally divided between men and women. Lupita Nyong’o’s character Nakia, a spy for Wakanda, is so much more than a love interest for T’Challa. She is a fierce, giving person who does not bow before tyranny. Michael B. Jordan is phenomenal as Erik Killmonger, making fans sympathetic to his character as they

seniors, Madison Hertel and Lily Ahlstrom. Hertel has been involved in musical productions since the age of five, and has done film, radio, and TV. Highlights of the show included very short costume changes for the Elle and two dogs that were brought to the stage with their own role. In one scene a golf cart drove onto a street.

Wangeman may be shaking things up since replacing Larimer, the but music wing is still on top. Larimer had a hand in choosing his replacement when he retired, and he knew Wangeman was the man to keep the music wing thriving.

“Larimer is an institution in this town and he’s an amazing guy,” Wangeman said. “He’s kind of one of my heros. I think that whenever you step into the shoes of somebody who is really amazing, it’s a difficult path to follow. That having been said, Mr. Larimer did such an amazing job of making sure that the students and the community were prepared to accept me, and everybody was so incredible. So this has been a dream, an absolute dream. This is the best place in the world.”

“Legally Blond” ran to sold out shows, and the cast reveled in presenting something new to the audiences.

many character paths and the main plot is sometimes overwhelmed by individual story lines. To use special moves players have to input certain combinations, and remembering all of the different combinations can get overwhelming.

However, for every downside there is an upside. Each character has their own signature moves and combos to create a diverse pool of fighting styles. There are also special cinematics players can unlock by battling certain characters against each other while in specific maps. These scenes are nods to events that happened in the show. Destructive finishes, endings one can get by defeating an enemy with a certain move, feel reminiscent of Mortal Kombat’s fatalities, just much less violent.

The game’s graphics blow most of the other Dragon Ball games out of the water. The game runs smooth as silk, and the cinematics look as though they were made for the show, if the show was on steroids.

I would recommend this game to people that like fighting games and just need a game to sit down and let them hit things without fear of getting in trouble. I’d advise some caution to people that don’t know the Dragon Ball universe though. If you come in without knowledge of the characters or any of the show, or without knowing any moves, it could get really complicated. It can be bought at local video game retailers and on online stores, for around sixty dollars.

A movie that breaks barriers and sets records see such a broken man.

As Shuri, the princess of Wakanda, Letitia Wright makes you connect with the character tremendously through her down-to-earth personality and hilarious interactions with her brother. Of course, stepping back into the role of the Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman keeps his charisma and vulnerability, making it impossible not to love the newly crowned king of Wakanda.

All that being said, I wholeheartedly believe that the best character of the film is Okoye, Danai Gurira’s character.

Okoye has some of the most amazing moments, and it’s especially enjoyable to watch the interactions she has with King T’Challa and her lover, the border tribe leader.

Due to its unique and thought-provoking take on the Marvel universe, Black

Panther managed to shatter the Box Office, becoming the third highest grossing film for a four-day opening weekend according to the Box Office Mojo. In total, from Thursday to Sunday of its opening weekend, Black Panther made roughly $242 million domestically and $427 million worldwide. In addition, it’s made its way into Marvel history by earning $25.2 million during its Thursday night preview, the second-highest preview gross of any Marvel movie.

Black Panther managed to turn Hollywood on its head and show just how successful a diverse movie can be. Out of the fourteen main characters, twelve are black and five are women. Black Panther is a ground-breaking, entertaining film that everyone should see, no matter if they enjoy superhero movies or not.

While the main concept is similar to that of other Marvel films, there is so much more to be taken from this movie.

where are they NOW ?

07

Alumni moves on to do great things, whether they planned on it in high school or not Hannah Ashbury ‘19 ashburyhan41@tcapsstudent.net comes to programs and the future of the organization.

She plays a vital role in fund-raising in order to keep free and affordable music programs to East Harlem children.

“In my senior year of high school, I chose to apply to colleges to study vocal performance (opera), but honestly did not have a super clear idea of what I would do beyond that,” Collins said. “It’s hard to know at 17 what

Rose Soma models her own hand-made clothing. Photo Submitted: R.Soma

you really want from the rest of your life. My mom does like to remind me that I often mentioned working to lobby for music programs in schools, so I feel very lucky that is what I wound up doing today.”

With the help of her high school experiences, she was able to pinpoint what she yearned to do.

“I feel that going to TCW prepared me for my future by offering a really well-rounded education,” Collins said. “I got to try a lot of different things - music, sports, debate team, book club, languages - in addition to the core classes the school provides. The choir program sticks out to me especially; I was able to participate in so many amazing opportunities and make some great friends through singing and I know that this is not typical of a lot of schools throughout the country.”

While Collins is already out of college and working, Rose Soma is attending Western Michigan University to

further her designing career, studying Fashion Merchandising and Design and minoring in Entrepreneurship.

Soma’s capabilities extend to many things, including custom designs, stickers, popsockets and reconstructed clothing.

“The earliest documented garment was when I was six or seven; I made a vest that was really just two holes cut in a square of a tablecloth, and then there was a skirt I made in first grade and wore to school,” Soma said.

“Honestly I haven’t really stopped since. I loved thrifting for clothes and changing them up when I was in middle school, and then junior year I got really into dress design, and it just progressed from there.”

As a college student, the work load seems never-ending between classes, running a business, and having a separate job.

“There’s literally always work to be done, especially running a business while in school, and working other jobs, too,” said Soma. “I’ve recently accepted a position as a graphic designer for an upcoming app, aside from running my business, and on top of school and other responsibilities, it’s a lot to handle. I love every single part of it and all the hardships are by far worth the stress and sacrifice; it’s what I thrive off of and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Although her own hard work has propelled her and her business, her education in high school had a major influence on her future.

“I seriously owe so much to Mrs. Keck, AP Studio Art, and the Trashion Fashion Shows,” Soma said. “The first time I competed, I was pretty hard on myself and told myself if I won I’d give the whole fashion thing a chance.

After winning that first year, I decided to give it my all and start working towards a realistic, creative career from that moment on. I started my Freelance Art business sophomore year paved the way for custom designing, and I’m so grateful I’ve been able to transform that into what Rosemarie Soma Designs is now. West definitely helped me pursue this, in many ways. Loading up on AP classes and dual enrolling at NMC allowed me to enter Western as a sophomore, which in turn allowed me to dive right into fashion classes that have helped me immensely to improve my business. Mrs. Cole helped me become a better writer, which helped immensely while writing articles for Dedicated Magazine, and Grand Traverse Women.”

Features

T

hey walked the same halls as students looking up to them now, and crossed the stage on graduation day as many current students dream about doing in only a few short months. West alumni are making an impact on people around the globe. Based out of Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, and New York, Cooper Kirby, Ryan Murray, Hayley Collins, and Rose Soma have chosen different paths of life, but have one thing in common; they each graduated from West, and left a small city in Northern Michigan to continue their career and leave their mark on the world.

Cooper Kirby and Ryan Murray, both of the class of 2016, attend the University of Michigan together. While furthering their education, they decided to try something new. In August of 2017, they launched their apparel line, Lakeshore Drive Clothing.

“Ryan and I first began thinking about this at the end of our senior year during the time we were planning a summer road trip together,” Kirby said. “We were about to be going into college and frankly we were nervous. We both came to the conclusion that an overwhelming amount of our anxieties stemmed from what other people thought about us, whether friends or family.”

As the amount of stress accumulated, they decided to channel their feelings in a way to help themselves while helping others express themselves.

“We felt like other people and society expected us to go to college, expected us to live a certain way,” Kirby said.

“We wanted to combat those feelings and so we felt we had to do something to spread the message and encourage others to be themselves. That’s when Lakeshore Drive came along. It means to embraces your truest passions and to follow your own path. Live the life that only you can. Be yourself. And whenever you wear our clothes, you’ll be reminded of that. That’s what we’re all about.”

They continue to run the clothing company as they study at the prestigious university.

Another graduate continues to grow into her musical career. Hayley Collins is the Director of Programs and Development at Opus 118 Harlem School of Music in East Harlem, New York. Her job ranges from overseeing operations of in-school and after-school programs involving quality music education in violin, viola, cello, guitar, and piano. She also is responsible of hiring, training, payroll, budgeting, and general decision-making when it

Balancing stage and school Junior Eamonn McGonigle prepares for future of educating others, still finds time for dancing in fishnets

Katie Rundio ‘18 rundiokat33@tcapsstudent.net

J

Lo

“It was kinda crazy that everyone knew,” McGonigle said. “I was like ‘Wow, everyone has seen this video of me in six inch heels, fishnets, and a sparkly jacket.’ That was basically all I had on, and that’s probably the wildest I’ve ever gone with it because I was in front of a lot of people.”

Due to his busy schedule, McGonigle does not perform often, he only has time to dress up once a month.

“I’d like to work on doing it more and expand my abilities,” he said. “I think if I continue doing it I’ll always be learning.”

Not one to bow away from challenges, McGonigle also became a peer educator for Planned Parenthood, which he participates in more often.

“About two years back I went through 40-60 hours of comprehensive sexual education training.” McGonigle said. “I am now going to school and teaching sex ed and I also help staff Planned Parenthood events. I love going into classrooms and teaching.”

His involvement in teaching sex education extends

Eamonn McGonigle uses make-up to transform himself for drag performances. Photo submitted: E. McGonigle

further than just his work in Planned Parenthood. “I’m on the TCAPS Sex Ed Advisory Board. It’s just a side interest, helping develop the sex education for TCAPS.” His experiences through Planned Parenthood and TCAPS have guided McGonigle as he looks into the future.

“I am not really sure what my path will be, I want to have a job or situation in which I travel internationally,” McGonigle said. “I’d love to develop sexual health programs in other countries, or even in America.”

e in the world of social media Students using apps to find a connection

Autumn Bockhol ‘19 bockholaut88@tcapsstudent.net

O

h, love. It’s the stuff that makes the world go round. It leaves us swooning, and creates that feeling that makes us feel like we’re walking on clouds with butterflies in our stomachs.

Love can also be the stuff that makes us want to scream at the top of our lungs, or pull our hair out. Even though love has it’s ups and downs, it is something most crave.

Hannah Steffes ‘20 first met her now ex-boyfriend on a social media app Yubo in early June The app offers users a space to make new friends and sometimes these introductions lead to something more serious. The app is a location based social discovery app, one where users who are 13 or older can swipe to make connections with other users, who are often strangers.

“He was constantly there for me when I would be in my room crying, while no one even cared,” Steffes said. Her

boyfriend, also sensed an immediate connection.

“I became interested in her humor, hair, personality, eyes and her lips.” Matt Kohler, a student at St. Mary High School said.

Day by day, as Kohler and Steffes talked, Kohler began to realized he wanted her to be more than friends. He wanted to take things to the next level, and become her boyfriend.

“On July 21, I told her I wanted her as my girlfriend and then asked her out right after,” Kohler said.

Although it was good while it lasted, their relationship did not make it.

“Throughout the relationship we did break up because I did find out he was cheating on me,” Steffes said.

Apps like Tinder, Yubo, and Grindr, are really adult apps where strangers can prey on young users. The

After School app is one where students can police the members of their group to prevent adults from accessing the conversations. The Houseparty app allows up to eight friends to video chat, with a button that allows the users to remove an unwanted guest, but Houseparty promotes having the “stranger” there by making it “party time’.

The Stranger Danger feature states; “When a friends of your friend joins the party, or one of your friends who doesn’t know everyone in the room joins, that’s the time for Stranger Danger. Or, party time!”. There are other apps available with the sole purpose of connecting teens to strangers.

While Steffes and Kohler’s relationship ended on a sour note, it could have been worse. While it is natural to want to make connections, online dating apps allow people to prey on teens because identities can be hidden.

The Occidentalist

unior year has a reputation for being a busy year, and some juniors don’t shy away from the challenges put in front of them.

“It’s been a lot of work this year,” Eamonn McGonigle ‘19 said. “I’ve been taking A.P Lang. and A.P. Gov., Model U.N., Theater Two and Three, Anatomy and Physiology, Spanish 3, Algebra 2, and a little bit of Trig.”

And while McGonigle has been keeping up with his full academic schedule, he also finds other outlets to grow and express himself.

“I just started experimenting with drag,” McGonigle said. “I started trying it a year ago. Being in drag is fun. It’s confidence boosting to some extent...you’re a totally different person, you can say and do what you want.”

During the holiday season, many videos circulated on Snapchat of McGonigle in drag, lip syncing to “Santa Baby” for his Theater III class. His performance was a hit with the student body.

Spring Sports Prep

08

Parker Neu ‘20 neupar39@tcapsstudent.net

Track and Field

Coach Bocian starts work early with the baseball team. “We go about three times a week with open gyms, trying to get our arms ready for the season,” he said. The Titans open on April 4 in Big Rapids in hopes of returning to postseason play.

With events ranging from running and jumping to throwing and vaulting, track athletes prepare in a variety of ways for the spring season. High jumper Mel Frechette ‘21 said he plays football and basketball “to keep in shape.” The runners are already outdoors for training when weather allows, or they are racing in the halls after school to prepare for the season.

Boys Golf The boys golf team made it to the MHSAA Finals last year and in order to prepare for a return trip, Tyler Gillings ‘20 has been practicing on his own and getting expert training by going to the Golf Center.

The first meet for the team is at Ogemaw Heights on April 20.

Teams on Top

Girls Soccer Last year’s District title is what motivates the Titans to make it a twofer. Most players play off-season for non-school affiliated soccer teams. “I played for North Storm, the local travel soccer team,” Maia Walters ‘19 said. After three days of tryouts, 20 people remained on the roster for both JV and Varsity teams. On Mar. 17, both teams played in a scrimmage and both teams lost in Grand Rapids.

Girls Tennis Finishing third at the BNC finals, the team is putting in work this offseason to try to top last season’s bronze medal finish. “I play at the YMCA two nights a week,” Lily Vance ‘18 said.

She also takes private lessons to help stay at the top of her game.

Wolfgang Harris ‘20 harriswol22@tcapsstudent.net

T

he lacrosse season is right around the corner and two rival teams are joining as one to compete. For Traverse City United, it’s the first year that lacrosse is recognized as a school sport, and rival teams, the West Titans and the Central Trojans will come together to practice, hit, check, and score.

Lacrosse has not been a school sponsored sport in Traverse City before, but as it has grown in popularity in recent years, it was time to approve it at the high school level. Making a combined team of two schools has taken some careful consideration.

“We’re not able to give any money to lacrosse,” Athletic Director Jason Carmien said.

“We were able to bring it on as a MHSAA sport, but the school system is unable to offer any money, so we did a proposed budget of what it would cost to run a lacrosse season and it comes in between $28,000 and about $32,000 dollars. So as the two programs talked about what it would look like, we didn’t think both sides of town could run on that budget. And we didn’t think we could raise over 50 grand to run two lacrosse seasons.

Instead, what we want to do is start small with one team and want to see if we can branch out after a couple years. It’s the safe play.”

Head Coach Liberty Provost is bringing the two teams together as one. He was the head coach of the club lacrosse team, the Thunder Squirrels.

“I feel this is absolutely the right move for both schools,” he said. “By combining we will have a number of advantages we wouldn’t have going solo. We had 48 players at tryouts and 50 uniforms, so we are on good shape there. We will have a good J.V. team as well as Varsity, so newer players can come and get game experience in their first year. This allows us to develop the next wave of talent after our seniors graduate this spring.”

Coach Provost thinks the combined teams will make for a stronger season.

“Our schedule this season has several very tough teams like Midland and Cranbrook on it,” he said. ”Together we have a chance to beat these teams and make a name for Traverse City Lacrosse. I don’t think we could run with those guys as separate teams.”

Attack position player Brenton Walters ‘18 isn’t worried that the new coach, whose previous team was primarily made up of Central students, would show bias for his players with minutes on the field.

“If I grind it out in practice, I’m sure I’ll get some playing time,” he said. “ If I’m lacking then I won’t be playing much.”

Players from both Central and West have high hopes for their first season playing together.

“I think we’re going to be pretty good and keep up with the competition,” Brady Douglas said.

Billyjo Kyser ‘19 kyserbil92@tcapsstudent.net

A

s winter sports are winding down, many teams are still on top, making for long seasons as athletes keep bringing in major wins.

The Hockey team was on a roll as they progressed through the season fighting to win States. The team ended with the BNC title, as well as Division 1 Regional champs. Senior forward Mark Alekseykov became the first Traverse City West hockey player to earn first-team all-state honors in eight years and Senior defenseman Sam Tirrell also received a second-team selection in Division 1. They helped take the team to the Regional Finals with their win over the Bay Reps held at Ferris State University. They lost State Semi-Finals in a tough game against Saginaw Heritage, 3-2.

The Boys Varsity and Junior Varsity Powerlifting team placed first place at a home regionals meet. Erik Labonte ‘18, Jonah Malaski ‘19, Jackson Steele ‘19, Kyle Withers ‘19, Jacob Pawloski ‘18, and Sean Farrell ‘18 all placed in the top three of their weight classes. The powerlifting team attended to States on Mar. 10, where five lifters placed in the top ten.

Wrestler Jacob Ransom ‘18 made school history by beating undefeated Chris Hackney 2-1. He moved onto the State Championship in wrestling, where he took second place in his weight class.

Boys Varsity Basketball played Petoskey at the District Semi-Finals, which they won 50-47. The team won Districts against Gaylord 65-51, obtaining their fifth District title in a row. This win ensured they moved on to Semi-Regionals to play Mt. Pleasant in Gaylord, which they won 70-62. The boys moved onto the Regional Finals where they played against Flint Carmen-Ainsworth, but ended the season with a 61-38 loss.

Girls Alpine Ski team took the Regional Title at Cannonsburg in Grand Rapids. To wrap up their season, the team also placed second at States.

Mary Lyon repeated as State Champion at the State finals in Nordic Skiing held at Williamsburg. She also won her third consecutive high school Nordic skiing State championship on the campus of Michigan Tech University. Her strengths on skis has her geared up to run cross country and glide the ski trails at the university next fall.

The Girls Bowling Team won the Conference title in mid-February, moving onto Regionals where they lost.

New head football coach to lead team

TITAN UP Boys Varsity Basketball took a win against Petoskey in District Semi-Finals game, which ensures them a chance of winning five straight District Titles.

Varsity Hockey won Regionals on Mar. 3, starting off slow, but pulled off the win 6-3.

Boys Varsity Wrestler, Jacob Ransom ‘18, takes State runner-up in the 189 pound division on Mar. 3.

Boys Varsity Basketball beat Forest Hills Northern 67-63. Miigwaanhs Barrientoz ‘19 and Ryan Hayes ‘18 both chipped in about 20 points each.

Learning to control the fists

Girls Downhill ski won Regionals after their strong performance on Feb. 14.

Mike Wilde was honored into the Titan Hall of Fame after he had passed away. Wilde coached at West for 20 years and will always be remembered as a school great.

Boxing teaches coping skills

Addison Haworth ‘21 haworthadd26@tcapsstudent.net

W

hile many high school students participate in school related activities, some find a passion for sports that aren’t offered at the school. The number of students doing things like MMA, Taekwondo, Fencing, Karate, Boxing, and other sports has been on the rise.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association doesn’t provide any programs for these types of sports, mostly because some consider them to be “violent” activities.

Three Fires Boxing is one example of a club that does an alternative type of sport. It was started 20 years ago,

and it was all about getting kids off the streets and keeping them from joining gangs, doing street fighting, and getting in trouble in general. Studio founder Percy Bird wanted young men and women to use fighting in a way that was meaningful, not harmful.

“We decided to start a boxing club so the young people could get a trophy for fighting, instead of getting a mark on their record,” he said.

Bird recently re-opened the studio, and students are already training at home before they start prepping for fight season.

“I decided to rekindle the program late last year, and reconnect with my old Kick boxing Coach, Dino Newville, who was

a Four time Kick boxing world champion.

Before it was just about boxing, but this time we’re adding a [Native American] cultural component to it.”

Through his experience in martial arts, Bird has connected fighting with a bigger cause.

“Because of learning lethal moves they used to sit down and talk at the end of class,” he said. “They would talk about the way to use fighting skills in a good way, it was to make sure that there was guidance and understanding on when to use martial arts. But now, they are going to incorporate Native American morals and teaching into it as well. I would talk about Cultural Identity and the Seven Grandfather teachings.

That is what shapes all of our young men.”

The Occidentalist

Greg Vaughan was named the new head football coach on Mar. 12. He is the third head coach in West’s history, proceeded by Tim Wooer and Matt Prisk.

Prisk coached the football team for the first 10 years that the school was open, and Wooer coached the next 10 with a 56-42 record. Vaughan was chosen for the position just two months after Wooer stepped down to accept a position as head coach in Kingsley. Vaughan was chosen from a field of three qualified finalists, and he immediately named Jason Morrow as the Associate Head Coach. Vaughan played football at St. Francis in his high school years and also played for Hope College. His resume includes working with teams at East Grand Rapids High School and Grand Valley State University. Photo: C. Hansen

Sports Recap

Boys Basketball lose a tough one to Flint CA in Regional finals game, forcing their season to an end.

The Titans face last year’s District foe Alpena on April 24 at home. Chloe Miller ‘20 has been striving to improve her craft this offseason with a busy training schedule. “I have hitting lessons Thursday, catching lessons Wednesday, and travel practice on Sunday.”

The making of a lacrosse team

Winning at winter sports means an extended season

On Feb. 3, the team competed in the Traverse City West Regional Qualifier, with this regional holding a record 255 lifters from 22 schools. Competing was going to be difficult. Despite this, both the Men’s JV and Varsity divisions finished first in the overall rankings, with several individual placings, including Erik Labonte ‘18 finishing first, Jonah Malaski ‘19 finishing second, and Sean Farrell ‘18, Jacob Pawloski ‘18, Kyle Withers ‘19, and Jackson Steele ‘19 all finishing third in their weight classes.

Softball

Sports

Baseball