West Senior High Occidentalist May 2019

OCCIDENTALIST Senior Edition

VOLUME XXI,

3

Traverse City West Senior High

EDITION 5

Chasten Buttigieg

May 2019

Killing the Painkillers Traverse City suffers from the same epidemic of opioid drug abuse and death from overdose that has plagued the country for years.

Joseph Lyons lyonsjos13@tcapsstudent.net

Former student Chasten Buttigieg is now on the campaign trail with his husband, Pete Buttigieg, discusses the impact of West teachers on his life.

Beautification

4

Photo: Q. Wolff

Students and teachers alike come together to transform the campus for the spring and summer months ahead.

College Choices Sr

NMC

1

As senior year comes to a close, the class of 2019 is headed far and near for the next step in their life.

Sr Senior Summaries 2

P

roblems with painkillers have been plaguing the nation for almost three decades, and students are not exempt.

In October 2017, President Donald J. Trump declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency. While the causes of opioid misuse are determined by multiple factors, opioid use among youth often starts when students suffer a sports injury and require pain medication.

West Senior High is no exception, and in the last two years, two former students died due to opioid overdoses.

On Feb. 11, 2018, Rachel Ovalle died from opioid overdose related to fentanyl. On Oct. 14, 2017, former West hockey player, Alex Grizzle, died from addiction complications.

Traverse City has a comparable per capita death rate to both Detroit and Grand Rapids. Michigan was ranked by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the 10th highest US state in prescriptions given for opioids in the nation. As reported by Michigan Live, there was 11 million prescriptions for opiates in Michigan during the year 2016 . There is only nine million residents in the Michigan according to the United states census Bureau.

According to the National Capital Poison Center (NCPC) the opioid crisis came in three waves. The first was in 1991 when pharmaceutical companies marketed opiates to prescribers as a low risk of addiction painkiller. At first they were used primarily by cancer patients then by 1999, 86% of those with prescriptions were using them for non-cancer related pain (NCPC). The second wave came in 2010 when the laws around prescribing opioids became stricter in an effort to slow the rising overdose rate. Unfortunately, with prescription opiates now harder to readily access, the masses turned to Heroin, an illegal opioid. From 2002 to 2013 deaths due to heroin overdoses increased by 286% (NCPC). The third wave began in 2013 when synthetic opioids hit the illegal market by force. Illegally produced fentanyl— a far stronger opiate than prescription drugs— was one of the leading causes of the sharpest spike in drug overdose rates to date. In 2017, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) opiate connected deaths came to 47,600 deaths and total drug deaths for that year came to 70,239. To contrast that single year of drug deaths, the entire almost two decade war in Vietnam killed 58,220 American soldiers.

The

According to NIDA Michigan saw a little over 2,000 deaths in 2017 related to opioids. A rate of 21.2 deaths per 100,000. Statistically, that is a significant number, it is also larger than the National rate of 14.6 deaths per 100,000 persons.

The U.S. Department of Education is working to combat the opioid crisis through prevention and recovery and recognizes that schools play an important role in raising awareness about the epidemic that has taken too many young lives.

Recent changes on both national and state levels have attempted to curtail the prescriptions of these highly addictive drugs.

Under new guidelines and laws providers are no longer allowed to prescribe opiates without first checking the full patients records. In addition Munson Medical Center has ceased providing multiple opiates at once. Tommi Sheehan, a nurse who has been working at Munson for 20 years, has been a witness to this.

“One new change is that patients can’t be given multiple opiates at one time, before sometimes patients would get a couple different painkillers at one time.” She said.

On of the most significant changes to opioid prescription policy has been the new regulations to how many pills can be given out.

“Patients are evaluated when they come in, we ask them to rate their pain, one being fine and ten being the worst pain they’ve ever felt.” She said. “We can’t withhold pain medication, if they say they’re a ten than we have to treat them for a ten.”

During the height of the crisis prescriptions provided 30 days worth of pills. Wisdom teeth were one of the leading causes for teens becoming addicted to prescription opioids.

Now, the maximum amount of opioids that can be given out for a single prescription is only seven days. Chronic pain can still be provided a larger supply but small sports injuries and dental work no longer pose such a large risk to school aged teenagers.

censored student

In the midst of a drug crisis, an art student is censored for his portrayal of addiction.

Tess Crowley crowleytes33@tcapsstudent.net

T Photo: M. Clone

This year’s graduating class is full of diverse students destined for unique and exciting experiences.

Sr Memories 4

For Maia Walters and Tom Morgenstern, Prom Queen and King, as well as for the rest of the graduating class, the past year was full of memorable moments.

Contact Us

Twitter: wshnewspaper Instagram: tcwoccidentalist Website: tinyurl.com/Occi-Online

he artwork was nowhere to be seen.

Junior Alden Wack entered the Boardman office on April 10 expecting to find his three photos proudly displayed at the K-12 TCAPS art show, but instead he realized that after a year full of brainstorming, planning, and photographing in his AP photography class, his photographs would not be featured at the art show for the community to see.

Wack’s photos were sent to the Boardman office the previous night to be hung on the walls in time for the show. According to Assistant Superintendent Jamie McCall, whose office happens to be where the art show occured, Wack’s photos were hung up for a short period of time until an administrator and instructor alerted McCall of the photos.

Concerned, McCall took down the photographs before the show started.

After the initial confusion of arriving to the show and not seeing his work displayed, Wack received word from AP photography teacher Melissa Clone that his “photos were censored.”

“I couldn’t do much,” Wack said. “Obviously I was a little pissed off. We didn’t know where they were. We didn’t know who took

them down.”

Later in the evening of the art show, Clone discovered that McCall had removed Wack’s photographs. In McCall’s opinion, there was good reason for this.

“The content was surrounding addiction,” McCall said. “When you have a kindergarten child who walks through, or parents or community members and they don’t have the context of the art and why it is being displayed it’s a distraction to the show and so that’s the reason it was pulled down.”

McCall claims that following the censorship of the photos, she “worked through [the] school administration to contact both the teacher and the student.”

According to Clone, she and Wack were never told that the work would be definitively taken down before the show. The images were darkly lit and depicted the complexities of addiction, including alcoholism, heroin addiction, and smoking. Not included in the photos Wack planned to present were portrayals of addiction to caffeine, cocaine, and gambling.

“I was never approached, neither was Alden.

It was all through [Principal] Esper,” Clone said. “I was informed by Principal Esper that the images were of concern, and they were looking at removing them from the show.

That was the morning of the show.”

For both Wack and Clone, the censorship came as a shock, especially for Clone who had never seen her student’s work taken down before this. Wack wanted answers, and reached out via email to McCall for an explanation for his work being removed from the show.

After exchanging emails with Wack, McCall came to the high school the day following the art show to talk about why she chose to take down his photos. After the meeting, Wack understood her reasoning, but the initial sting remained.

“She talked to Mrs. Clone and said the same things she said [to Clone] to me. I think it was total bull****,” Wack said. “Personally I don’t believe they should have been taken down because there were no guidelines for the show.” He remained frustrated that the project he worked so hard on since the first semester of his AP photography class wouldn’t be acknowledged in the art show.

Comments, critiques, and validation are important factors in helping an artist grow.

The art show could have been a good place for Wack to receive feedback on his work before submitting his AP portfolio to the College Board on May 5. Affirmation from his peers was actually a great motivator in the early stages of brainstorming for Wack.

See Censorship, page 5 Photos: A. Wack

Opinion

The Occidentalist

Michael Carley and Grace Clark have debated hot issues in their “Take Sides” column for the entire school year. Through their writing they have brought an awareness to the student body, and whether debating Kavanaugh or the crisis at the border, they addressed each debate with civil discourse and respect. Michael Carley’s Farewell Speech, from the NHS Induction Ceremony

2

Where will you be?

Seniors think about where they will be in 10 years “In 10 years I will be 27 and I plan on being out of college and having a job.”

- Gabe Stevens

Michael Carley

carleymic87@tcapsstudent.net

G

ood evening, my name is Michael Carley and

NHS, every single student here has the power to work

I am the outgoing NHS president. Tonight,

towards the common goal of working to make our

I have the pleasure to speak to you all and

own community stronger. Whether you volunteer at

reflect on my time as NHS president and all the things

Safe Harbor, Father Fred, or the Women’s Resource

NHS has taught me and what I hope it teaches you.

Center, the simple act of giving back in turn helps to

When you turn on the nightly news, chances are what

make our community a better place. For me, NHS has

you see isn’t anything positive. We bare witness to

helped me become more conscience of the needs of

violence plaguing every corner of the globe, political

different people in our community. This year, I had

polarization separating our

the opportunity to work at Safe

communities, and so many

Harbor. Here I was able to see the

FINAL FAREWELL

people’s actions being guided by their own selfish desires.

“I hope to find a job in music that I love so much that it doesn’t feel like work” - Maddie Hodges “Working and doing things that I love to do with no regrets” - Jackson Steele

tangible evidence of what giving

“By then I will probably be out of college and have a job

back truly means to people. As I

We as a society have become

spoke with many of the people

victim to the false narrative of

there, they were all so grateful

individualism. The idea that

for what we were doing and they

to be successful and live a full

were so encouraged to see young

life, we only need to care about

people standing up to lend a help-

ourselves and should only be concerned with fulfill-

ing hand. I hope that NHS can show you all the im-

ing our own needs. This level of backwards thinking

portance of giving back, and I hope it encourages you

has in turn destroyed the fabric that once held our

all to be lifelong volunteers. Being a lifelong volunteer

communities together. The influence that a strong

and encouraging those around you to do the same has

community has on growing future leaders for the world

the power to build better communities and in turn, a

is paramount, and they are vital to a health of a nation.

better world. Strong communities are the fabric that

Strong communities were vital in winning the second

holds our society together and as the next generation

World War, strong communities are ones that have

of Americans, we all have the sacred responsibility

the ability to fight back against bigotry and hate, and

to improve the places in which we live. I wish you all

most importantly, strong communities are essential to

luck in your future endeavors and congratulations on

creating a world in which we all want to live. Through

your admission to NHS.

Long live ROCK

- Samantha Schermerhorn

“I plan on staying in town and probably have a job.”

- Dante Mucaria

“I will be out of college with a special education degree and I will have a husband and have kids.”

- Sierra Perkette

CCI Outlook

The Occi staff has something to say about the Rock...again This was the first year the Rock rested in its new, and hopefully final, location. Last year, after the original Rock disappeared from the front entrance, a controversy ensued as the district tried to uncover the missing tradition.

It took a short time to uncover the truth; the rock was moved by principals Joe Esper and Charles Kolbusz, before the school year started, and presumably was buried somewhere where it would never be found. Their reason for removing it was clear--too many students had misused its purpose. The Rock was meant for leaving messages, announcements, and celebrating successes at the school. In years past, however, students abused the privilege, and messages of hate and racist symbols appeared after students crept in during the night hours to paint it.

The new location of the Rock, placed at the beginning of the driveway outside of B wing, has made it less impactful and maybe it is less accessible for students to express themselves, whether with positive or negative messages.

After Esper accepted responsibility for removing

Contact Us: Send us an e-mail with questions, story ideas, concerns, or requests to: wshnewspaper@tcapsstudent.net or drop your letter to the editor in the main office.

Letters to the Editor must be 250 words or less. Please contact Mrs. Hansen with requests to purchase ad space in the Occidentalist newspaper at the e-mail listed above.

Editors:

Hannah Ashbury Annaka Hansen Alyssa Roland Hope Thompson

Graphic Designer:

Sol Medwed-Cohen

Section Designers: Taylor Smith Allison Anglin Riley Ashbury Remy Germaine Emma Irvine Ella Rintala

From the Editorial Board

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 distribution. Advisers may and should

Staff Writers: Taylor Smith Allison Anglin Riley Ashbury Aleah Dobb Remy Germaine Savanna Yuncker Ella Rintala Ben Minor

Emma Irvine Shea Kyser David Fischer Blase Gapinski Saraisa Guzman Alexis Hepler Nakia Kage Joseph Lyons

Nathaniel Myers Eric Pugh Izaya Rokos Taylor Smith-Wagner Brandon Whipple Quinn Wolf Holly Yoder

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.

Business Manager: Joseph Lyons

Photo Editor: Tess Crowley

the original Rock, he wanted to make amends by allowing a new one back, but this time with limitations. He passed the handling of the messages over to Student Senate, and asked that they insure the messages stay in a positive light. The new Rock is also smaller than the original.

For the most part, students have stayed true to the mission to earn their right to keep the Rock. Announcements of games, acknowledgements of musicians, tributes to the senior class, and even a message for Heather Mathie, the school security officer appeared on the school emblem. But it seems that the Student Senate and the student body aren’t always keeping up their end of the deal. Messages like “F**k West” and inappropriate images disguised as innocent drawings occasionally made appearances on the Rock, quickly to be covered up by the next painting.

As a newspaper staff, we fully support students’ First Amendment rights, which guarantee freedom of expression. However, given the school standards, and the past abuse of the Rock to spread messages of hate and division, it is clear that students still aren’t ready or mature enough to handle the responsibility of maintaining an announcement rock. Students have shown that as a whole, they cannot respect the tradition of the Rock and use it for its intended purpose: to spread meaningful messages and school spirit.

Cartoonist: Chloe Moser

Social Media Editor: Annaka Hansen

Columnists: Grace Clark Michael Carley

Adviser:

Catherine Hansen

In-Depth

The Occidentalist

3

From West to White House Remy Germaine germainerem52@tcapsstudent.net

Alumnus Chasten Buttigieg is now potential First Gentleman of the United States

West alumnus Chasten Glezman, now Buttigieg , poses for his senior photo, 2007.

Today, Buttigieg is helping to run his husband’s campaign for the 2020 presidential race.

W

hen Chasten Buttigieg graduated from West in 2007, he never imagined he would be thrust into the national spotlight 12 years later. He never considered he may change history by becoming the First Gentleman who would serve alongside his husband, Pete, who is rising in the polls as a candidate for the 2020 Presidency.

While he didn’t expect he might become a household name, when he climbed the stage on April 14 at his husband’s official announcement as a hopeful Democratic candidate in the upcoming election, he did what any political spouse might do; he gave his husband a congratulatory kiss, one that thrust the first openly-gay candidate of a presidential primary into the arena, facing both criticism and praise. That kiss would reflect the change occuring every day in our country.

Teachers inspire a future Chasten was a typical student when he attended West, in the way that he, like all students, had a hard time trying to find himself. He experienced some troubles at school, and he struggled to come to terms with his sexual identity.

“High school was a challenging time for me. I was definitely trying to figure out where I fit in the world,” Chasten said.

While Chasten was involved in many student groups, such as 4-H, bowling team and theater, and had a close, small group of friends, he said that his school experience led to his desire to study abroad and go somewhere else in the world.

“I didn’t necessarily feel like I had a community at all times.

I think for me it was a mixture of experiences that pushed me into studying abroad. I felt like I was trying to escape and sort of hide.”

When Chasten decided to study abroad, as a kind of escape, he chose Germany, inspired in part by his German language teachers, Dan Rice and Kerry Labonte.

The experience in Germany “forced me to want more for my-

self,” Chasten said. “It challenged me to pursue college.”

Chasten said that studying abroad also gave him a new sense of self.

“Studying abroad was the pivotal experience of my high school career that helped me prove to myself that I was worth more, and I could tackle real challenges.”

Three teachers in particular had a great impact on Chasten’s experience of high school, in addition to his decision to study in Germany.

Chasten called Rice, then a German teacher, “phenomenal, very funny, very laid back, … and I felt like it was OK to be my goofy self there.”

His other German teacher was Kerry Labonte, who Chasten said was “very approachable, down to earth, very kind, and very welcoming.”

In addition to Rice and Labonte, Chasten made special note of his theater teacher, Kristie Bach.

“Especially for a student like me, who felt like he didn’t belong all the time, and kind of felt mixed up in the fray, [Labonte, Rice, and Bach] were like a calming in the high school storm for me,” Chasten said.

Chasten said that Bach helped him feel safe and accepted.

“She was just so good at opening up her classroom and making every kid feel like they belonged and that they were important and mattered. I loved spending time with her in the theater because I felt so weird and different and she just made me feel like I was amazing and -Chasten important. She was such a good teacher at making a space for everybody to feel like they belonged.”

Bach’s influence went far beyond just teaching the content.

“Theater education is literally the thing that saved me,” he said.

I

t is important

for students’ safety to know the drill when it comes to emergencies at school, but when fire, wind, and lockdown drills cannot be practiced, students are sometimes caught off guard.

On April 15, the fire alarms were sounded on two separate occasions, and neither of them were planned practice drills. In the morning, students were driven from the hallways before school even started when smoke from the kitchen set off the fire alarm. Students stood in the cold, some even in wet towels and nothing more, wondering if it was a practice drill or the real thing. The alarm came on the first day of M-STEP testing, so many had wondered if it was real or not. Sophmore Tyler Bristol thought it was a drill but he still had his doubts.

“I thought it was a drill but I remembered about testing and thought they wouldn’t do that to the students who were trying to just get them over with,” Bristol said.

It is not too common for drills to be run during state testing periods, but as the district tries to prepare students for less predictable drills, students weren’t sure what to believe when they were asked to clear the building before the first morning bell rang.

For those students who had just finished their workout in the weight room, the alarm

In the national spotlight Chasten and Pete first met in 2015 on a dating app called Hinge and began chatting. Weeks later Chasten went to meet Pete in person while visiting a friend and they immediately hit it off.

Last year, they got married and he said they couldn’t be happier.

Then came the kiss.

Last month, Pete announced his run for the presidential campaign. After his speech Chasten gave his husband a kiss and a warm embrace.

While this is a regular occurrence among straight political couples, this kiss made history. The first openly gay presidential canButtigieg didate kissed his husband on stage, on live TV. Millions of people voiced their support for the couple’s show of intimacy and Pete’s campaign.

“Theater education is literally the thing that saved me.”

Transformation and discovery During summer 2007, after graduation, Chasten came out to his friends and family.

His family’s lack of acceptance drove him to feel he had to leave, so he packed his bags and left. He bounced around on friends’ couches and even had to sleep in his car in the parking lot of the community college he was attending.

Months later he returned to speak with his family, which this time around had a much better outcome, being embraced by his mother and father. Chasten later graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire with a degree in Global Studies and Theater.

Afterwards, he began teaching at a youth theater academy in Milwaukee. He wanted to impact students’ lives the way that Kristie Bach had impacted his.

“Throughout my experiences in school I had some teachers that were less than inspiring, which made me want to be a teacher so that kids didn’t have to feel the way I felt.”

As a teacher, Chasten noted that he’s used to “being the adult in the room.” While participating in his husband’s campaign, one of the challenges has been “relinquishing control.”

When Alarms Sound Blase Gapinski gapinskibla42@tcapsstudent.net

“It’s not as if they’re telling me to be quiet, but sometimes being a supportive spouse sometimes means going with the flow, trusting other people, trusting their opinions, taking their advice,” Chasten said.

While working with teenagers, he said that it can be easier to offer corrections and to identify how their choices have been “less than ideal” than having those conversations with other adults.

“There’s a lot of self-preservation with adults. They don’t want to be wrong. They don’t want to be perceived as being in the wrong, or hurtful or unkind. So it’s a little bit harder to have those conversations with adults, actually, which is why I love working with kids more.”

was not welcome. Junior Dylan Teeples was caught off guard in the showers when he was told he had to leave the building.

“I was taking my shower after Zero hour,” he said. “It’s normally a pretty relaxing time in there for me. I had just started to wash my hair and I heard Coach Rusty yelling. I rinsed off my head and peeked around to see what was going on. Coach Rusty and Coach Brown were in the locker room telling us that we needed to get dressed and go outside. I hadn’t even noticed the fire alarm going off until then. I thought that it was just a drill, but I also thought would this really happen this early in the morning? I started to worry and sprinted to my towel and ran outside.”

As it turned out, it was 40 degrees outside, and several students had to wait almost 15 minutes in their wet towels, not coats or clothes, as they waited to find out if the drill was a real one.

Principal Joe Esper knows that having practice drills gives students and staff the ability to be more ready of emergencies should the real thing happen.

“We hold these drills for two reasons,” Esper said. “They are usually required by state law or the county requires them, but, more importantly, the point of them is so in the rare instance that one of these events happen, people have some thinking in their head to fall back to, as far as what they should do next. The drill is also an opportunity a few times a year to have students practice what they do and think about what they would do if this happened or that happened and if something did happen they would have a plan.”

According to Esper, holding drills at unpredictable times is key to keeping students on their toes. These less expected drills cause students to question if they are real or not, which is also helping them prepare in case something real happens.

A chance to make change Many Americans also support their vision for America’s future, which includes Medicare for All, a benefit that prevented Chasten’s own family from declaring bankruptcy and allowed his mother to receive “life-saving chemotherapy,” Chasten said.

“We have about a 50-50 chance right now—you and I—of being better off than our parents, economically,” Chasten said.

College affordability and arts education are other important issues in Pete’s vision.

However, some Americans do not embrace the LGBTQ community, and actively work to limit both their rights and their ability to express affection in public.

But that’s something Pete and Chasten are ready to face together.

“If someone is hung up on our sexual identity, we’re not going to be able to sway them, so we’ll focus on our energy on winning others who are willing to be persuaded,” Chasten said.

Chasten is currently traveling around the country with Pete as he helps his husband’s campaign, while he balances the life and work he has teaching school.

Students wait in towels when the smoke alarms blare

“I made the decision to hold one of the lockthe building. downs during a passing period because we read Esper says the school will always call 911 and researched a lot about school safety and when the alarms sound as a way to protect stuwhat we have noticed is that lockdown drills dents and staff. In the past, smoke alarms have are traditionally done in a classroom setting,” been triggered, but not always for legitimate Esper said. “So you are sitting in a classroom reasons. and someone says ‘lockdown’ and you just lockSpanish and Journalism teacher Kate Handown in the room you are already in. In the rare sen remembers when her son Owen, at age two, instance where there are active shooters in the pulled the fire alarm when working late on a building, people who are in the classrooms are deadline with her Yearbook class. not the victims, typically. Chances of survival in “I was talking with the publisher on the phone the classroom are almost 100 percent, but its all line, and I saw Owen walking towards the red those other situations, like being in a hallway or fire alarm on the wall in the hall,” she said. “It common space [that students and staff should was like it happened in slow motion when I prepare for].” saw him reach for it, and I couldn’t get to him A recent active shooter fast enough to stop him from drill took place that pulling it.” caught staff and students Hansen remembers her off guard. It happened son seemed terrified by during passing time bethe blaring lights and high tween second and third pitched alarm sounding in periods, so students were the hallways. forced to hide in the clos“Owen was upset by the est room they could find. sound, and I was worried “We chose to do it this the fire department would time because everyone is come, which I thought already used to them and would cost a lot of money.

I’m really worried that I was raised to think that students aren’t taking pulling an alarm without them serious anymore,” a just cause could result in --Teacher Kate Hansen Esper said. “If a drill being arrested. I panicked happens during a passing when he pulled it.” Hansen period, you need to seek the nearest classroom picked up her son and ran to the office and saw or room you can find.” three custodians standing around the alarm After the early morning alarm on April 15, a control. second alarm caught students off guard again.

“I held up my son to the window of the ofThe first in the morning was caused by a smoke fice and started yelling, ‘It was my son’. I was build up in the hoods of the cafeteria, but the relieved that I didn’t get into trouble with my one in the afternoon was thought to be caused bosses and happy that the fire department by a rogue ball being thrown in the gym at didn’t come.” a softball practice. As this was after school, Whether for practice or for real, practice students in driver’s education classes, clubs, drills at schools ensure that students are prerehearsals, and sport practices had to evacuate pared in the event of an emergency.

“It was like it happened in slow motion when I saw him reach for it, and I couldn’t get to him fast enough to stop him from pulling it.”

News

The Occidentalist

Nerf or nothin’ Students are eager to participate in the long running and very poopular high school tradition of Assassins

Quinn Wolff wolffqui25@tcapsstudent.net

T

he spring weather brings out one of West’s most long standing tradition, Assassins, and this year it is coming back stronger, with more players than ever before.

Assassins is played by the junior and senior classes. This year the game has grown in popularity as more members of the student body are hearing about it. The game is played by teams of five people or less that fight each other with Nerf guns. The goal is to knock out as many players as possible in a week. Once a student is hit with a Nerf gun, they are eliminated for a week. Whichever team has more knockouts by the end of the week moves on to compete against other teams.

The game is set up by a bracket, leading two teams to meet in the finals.

There are pages upon pages of rules to ensure that the game if played fairly and safely, and of course, the winning team will walk away with a monetary award, which is intended to be donated to a local charity.

Of course, any game that promotes “Assassinations” or violence will be surround with some controversy. The game has been played for many years, causing the school to put out formal statement to parents and students that it is strictly prohibited on school grounds. The issue of gambling is another reason for it not being allowed at the school, as the game entry fee is used to pay the winners.

Junior Adam Barkley is a first year player who is very excited to start playing. He joined a team of his close friends, that he hopes can help him win.

“I really want to donate my winnings to charity, three hundred dollars could do a lot of good,” he said. Students take the game very seriously, some even spend time training before the game starts.

“I used to play Nerf guns with my brother, so I’ve been preparing for this my whole life.” Barkley said. Each team has a captain that is assigned before the game starts, the captain gets choose his teammates. Barkley was chosen to be his team’s captain this year. He picked his team not only for their skills, but also for the resources they were willing to put of to guarantee a win.

“They are big spenders and they were planning to spend a lot of money on nerf guns,” Barkley said.

A typical day for an assassin might include being followed home or being trapped after a sports practice. An assassin waiting to “make the kill” may be lurking in a nearby local hangout or neighborhood, looking for the right opportunity to point the Nerf gun at their opponent. Those involved in the game are always on guard to make sure they are not being followed. Students are suddenly aware of their surroundings, checking for unusual cars near their homes, and are trying to think one step ahead of their opponents.

Senior James Rhineland is a second time payer, who is excited to try and win the game this year, despite some new rules that popped up since he competed last year.

“This year players have to have at least one foot on the ground for a knockout to count,” he said. “Last year there were too many problems with players driving and shooting.” James was very surprised to see how much the games popularity has risen in the past year. “There are 20 plus teams participating this year, normally it’s only 15.” With just over 100 students competing, it has taken more than five weeks to whittle away the weakest players, and the finalists will be heading into semi-finals in mid-May. Due to the recent growth of player count and popularity, it is safe to assume that the game assassin’s is not going anywhere anytime soon. *Names have been changed to protect the identity of players.

Clean Campus Students come together and dedicate a day to make sure our campus is clean Taylor Smith-Wagner smithtay56@tcapssudent.net

don’t get involved in any other way but they love the manual labor so sometimes I’ve had students volunteer their trucks to take the mulch and drive it around,” Serby said. “So I like the fact that this day gets a lot eautification Day leaves a heavy impact on the lives of everyof our students that are not involved in sports or any other clubs, and one involved, whether they are planning, supervising, lending it gets them outside doing something, and there’s smiles on their faces, tools, or doing physical work. Teachers love watching the and they ask me if they can do it year to year.” students get happy about cleaning up the school property, almost as Serby’s passion for science and protecting the environment is what much as the students love participating. has pushed her to organize this event each year.

Keeping the school grounds clean and green is a lot of work. Get“I have always loved the outdoors and have always been environmenting the students involved in sprucing things tally conscious,” she said. “My background up really isn’t. This annual clean up tradition is in marine biology, I taught on Catalina is one that most look forward to, even if for Island in California on all-island ecolsome, it is only as a means skipping out on a ogy, marine biology, and ecology, and also leture in class. environmental mindfulness for about six “Not everyone enjoys going out and digging years before becoming a teacher. This gave in the ground, but even if not they’re out me an opportunity to bring back outdoor of the classroom and they’re out in nature, education, which is something I’m pretty which I think is a great way to learn and passionate about, to West Senior High and experience life instead of bound to the four to do something that I love.” walls of the classroom,” Special Education While the labor is free with so many teacher Christina Serby said. She has been students helping, beautifying the school has supervising the event for years, and this year its costs. passed on some of the responsibilty to Nick “We have about a 1,000 dollar budget evJeffrey, who rose to the occassion. ery year to buy and do what we need to do,” Students take a class period off to help clean us around the Even if students are not into planting Serby said. “Usually I will go to different things in the garden, they can also pick up trash school. Photo: Q. Wolff nurseries and see if they’re willing to give a discount. We’ve had some or offer to drive their trucks to help haul materials. great support.” Last year Principal Joe Esper also purchased shirts for The goal of Beautification Day is essentially to have a day spent some of the volunteers. making the school landscape look nicer while getting students An important part of this tradition is updating the Memorial garden, involved in their school environment. located just outside of the music wing. “[This event] creates a school community outing where students “A couple years ago the basketball team purchased the weeping cherry can get invested in beautifying the campus and acknowledging and out back in memory of Coach Wildy,” Serby said. A ceremony to honor honoring those who have passed in our memorial garden, and having Coach Wildy and IT specialist Betty Korson Send, both who passed in a day outside just to give back.” the previous school year.

While for some students the tradition of cleaning up the school is “There are lots of ways to get involved and I would just love to see lots a way to get out of doing classwork, for most it is meaningful. of students and lots of teachers out there participating,” Serby said. “I “I have a lot of students that volunteer their time that day, they hope that it provides a day where students can feel connected to the ask me if they can come out and typically they are students that community here at West.”

B

Cultivating Cultures

Students express their cultures and traditions in different ways Shea Kyser kysershe91@tcapssudent.net

O

n April 17, the school hosted its first Multicultural Symposium. The day was filled with presentations on diverse issues, and students and staff fill the auditorium to view and reflect upon presentations from multicultural perspectives.

English teacher Heidi Gregory has had experiences in many cultures that has given her an open-minded perception on the world. She wanted to host the event to bring awareness about marginalized groups and teach students about acceptance and understanding of those who may seem “different”.

“There are many differences out there in the world but we need to learn from these differences,” Gregory said.

Gregory is the expert in the area of embracing other cultures. She has lived in Brazil, Thailand, Mexico, and Honduras, and also teaches the English as a Second Language student population. She has strapped on a backpack to travel through India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Turks and Caicos, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain. She is also the advisor for the Gay Straight Alliance club and the Multicultural Club. This year she will chaperone the Global

Service trip to Mexico where students will particpate in an exchange while doing volunteer work at an orphanage and dog refuge.

During first, second, third, fifth and sixth hours, students filled the auditorium to watch presentations from students who speak another language at home and who have studied abroad. There were presentations on the local Native American communities that included student dancers. Students in the LGBTQ+ community talked about their experiences of not being accepted.

“I hope that the student speakers and dancers gain a sense of empowerment and an understanding that their voices are important.

I hope that the students who attend the symposium gain deeper understanding, respect, compassion, and empathy all humans as a result of attending,” Gregory said.

At the symposium students described their study abroad experiences, and a highlight was when students danced with Native American students and elders. Many spoke of the personal and academic benefits they encountered on their trips and of how their travelling influenced their world view, and members of the LGBTQ community talked about the

struggles they face when coming out in the school community.

Gregory started each presentation at the symposium by talking about equality, empathy, and acceptance. Multicultural Club President, Junior Natalia González Cortés agreed that this should be the focus of the event, which the school hopes to continue annually.

“If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity,” Cortes said.

Gregory was overwhelmed by the turnout at the event.

“I am so proud of all of the speakers and performers for their courage and willingness to share integral elements of who they are with the school,” she said. “I am thankful for the students and staff members who were open-minded and willing listeners and supporters. I hope we can all move forward learning to appreciate and respect everyone around us. We are all a part of the human race.”

With the tremendous success of the event, there are plans to make it a yearly event. Students interested in joining the Multicultural club or helping with next year’s symposium, can contact Heidi Gregory.

4

Study Scramble Exams are right around the corner so where is everyone studying?

Nakiah Kage kagenak32@tcapsstudent.net

Mundos is chic and modern, newly opened cafe located on Boon St. With limited hours it is open seven days a week. According to their website, Mundos is a “special, rare, technical, high, art, and delicious”. The cafe is the perfect hangout and study spot for those on the east side of town, and it is just up the road the from the Traverse Area District Library.

Mundos roasts its own coffee beans, and serves incredible, homemade pastries. The seating area is open, with long tables for study groups to spread out, and smaller tables for more intimate socializing.

BLK MKT Although it is smaller and has a limited food menu, this newly opened cafe located in the Warehouse District creates specialty coffees. With hours from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Monday- Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Sunday. Students have plenty of time to stop by and grab some homemade coffee before or after school, or to hang out for study time. They roast beans from all around the world, including Kenya, Colombia, and Brazil.

Horizon books is one of the most well known study spots in Traverse City. Large groups of students come to the lower level cafe at the bookstore to study for their AP Testing and exams as tables can easily be moved to accommodate large groups. With long hours, 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Horizon also has outlets for computer or phone chargers and because it is a book store, it offers a quiet place for friends to gather when studying is priority.

Brew Brew is located in the heart of downtown Traverse City with hours ranging from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Brew provides free Wi-Fi and comfortable furniture to make its customers feel relaxed and at home which makes this coffeehouse a unique spot for studying alone or with friends. The coffee shop also sells food and has couches for relaxing with friends when a study break is needed. Because it is centrally located, Brew is an easy spot to meet up with friends for study sessions.

Biggby’s According to Biggby’s, coffee exists to love people. Biggby’s has cheap, but good coffee every Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. They have tabletop and barstool areas as well as a couch-like area around the fireplace where groups can gather to study. Students find the Little Caesar’s next door a cheap and fast place to load up on food before hitting the books.

Bud’s For students living in the Interlochen area, Bud’s is a great place for studying. Whether it’s coffee, food, or ice cream, Bud’s has it all. All of Bud’s food is homemade which make the local hangout a great choice for those who need a quiet study spot. Because it also serves food, Bud’s has later hours, from 7 to 10, or to 11 on Fri. and Sat. nights. Students can order at the counter, and service is quick, with gourmet coffees to keep the brain awake for late study sessions. Bud’s also has live music some nights, so students should check the schedule if they want a quiet place to study.

School News

The Occidentalist

Chasing Cheaters

Censorship, Cont....

“What really sparked [my concentration] was after I took my first photo of the alcoholism and got feedback on that from a lot of people. A lot of people were telling me that they really liked it. The validation in that was part of the reason why I kept going with the addiction idea.”

In AP photography, students work year long to submit 24 digital photos to the College Board. 12 are considered a part of their concentration portfolio, where they focus on a specific subject. The three photos which Wack assumed would be at the show fell under the concentration section of his portfolio.

Besides his work raising awareness of a relevant topic, the photos also relate to Wack’s personal life.

“Those three have a personal meaning to me throughout my family and close family friends,” Wack said. “My grandpa was an alcoholic. He would drink every day and every night. It’s my grandpa in [that] picture. With my smoking one, it’s my dad smoking because he smokes,” Wack said. “My third picture is personal because a close family friend of mine adopted someone who overdosed on heroin four times and died the fourth time. It’s not directly personal but it’s a really close family friend, so we’re somewhat like family.”

Wack had no intention of glorifying addiction through his work. In fact, his goal was more so the opposite.

“I was trying to push more of ‘this isn’t good, this is dark’ with the high contrast and dark light. I was trying to make it look like ‘[addiction] is bad,’” Wack said.

McCall agrees that Wack’s photos didn’t display addictive substances in a positive light, but still stands by her view that the photos were a distraction to the show.

“It really doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of his work. His work was exceptional. It really was content,” McCall said. Additionally, McCall feels that Wack’s artwork would’ve detracted from the other artwork displayed at the show, and while it is important for artists to showcase their work, this particular K-12 art show was not the best venue for his addiction series.

“We want to celebrate art,” she said. “We want everyone to look at [the] work. We don’t want our community to go ‘Wow! Look at this one piece.’ You know, it’s a distraction.”

Clone, however, doesn’t believe in removing a piece of artwork because it is viewed as inappropriate. Instead, she believes that the impactful and distracting elements of a photograph are necessary elements of a great piece of artwork, especially when it informs the public on relevant issues that should not be ignored, like drug addiction.

“I think [this issue] is really important, especially here in Traverse City,” she said. “We know that it’s a difficult issue and an issue that our community is struggling with so to take a piece of work that is extremely relevant right now and remove it just because it may cause questions kind of defeats the entire purpose of trying to educate our teenagers about drug abuse, families that struggle, and the consequences the greater impact. If we don’t talk about these issues and we hide them because we’re concerned then what are we doing as educators?”

Regardless of the artist and teacher’s disappointment in the work being removed, McCall was well within her legal rights to take it down, and even took steps to make sure that she wasn’t making the wrong decision.

“I sent copies of the art that was pulled down to our school attorneys just to make sure that I’m not violating the First Amendment or anything like that,” McCall said. “A school district is different when it comes to First Amendment rights. If a school district determines that it is a distraction or disruption, we have every right to take it down. Even if it were not on school property but was categorized as a TCAPS art exhibit we have a right to take a look at it and see if it was what we wanted it to represent.”

McCall’s reasoning was valid. In 1988 Supreme Court case, Kuhlmeier vs. Hazelwood, the court ruled that schools had the right to censor if the object of censorship violated the school’s educational mission, and in McCall’s opinion, Wack’s artwork did just that.

At the end of the day, school districts have to use their discretion to determine whether certain artwork, or other displays made by students, are appropriate for the setting. McCall believes that upholding TCAPS’ education mission is of the utmost importance. According to McCall, student work created for the TCAPS curriculum, whether in class or outside of the classroom, is subject to evaluation by administers.

“The question is: Should we be looking at when an AP art student determines what their theme is going to be for the year? Should we, at that point, look at the theme and say it does not align with TCAPS’ mission? I don’t know the answer to that,” McCall said. McCall intends to begin that conversation with art teachers before the school year is over. “What we don’t want to do is limit students expression; however, we are an educational institution. We aren’t an artist institution.” To some extent, Clone agrees.

“I don’t think that art should be freely displayed,” she said. “There has to be boundaries. Public school hallways and walls are not open for anything goes but I don’t believe these pieces were controversial. I don’t think this should’ve been deemed inappropriate even for the given venue.”

Despite not having the opportunity to display his artwork in the second annual TCAPS art show, Wack’s same three photos received the recognition both Clone and Wack feel they deserve when the photos received first place awards at the Dennos Museum art show. While the district made a legal call on displaying the work, McCall does recognize the quality of Wack’s work.

“Please don’t hear me say that his work was not exceptional,” McCall said. “It was exceptional work, and art is meant to evoke an emotional response. His work evokes a response. He met his mission, it’s just unfortunate the response that it evoked overshadowed what the district goal is in our display.”

5

Students are stressed about their school work and turn to Eric Pugh cheating instead of doing the work for themselves pugheri10@tcapsstudent.net

A

s the end of the school year comes around, students are focused on the warm weather to come, and often struggle to keep up with classes, assignments, and extracurricular activities. Occasionally, students succumb to the pressure of getting good grades, and make the wrong decision by taking the easy way out.

Geometry teacher Harold Lalonde has seen the methods of cheating in his own classroom just recently in March when a group of students made a Google Document with test answers on it.

“Cheating is anything that gives you an unfair advantage,” Lalonde said, “we’re not going to be able to figure out what students need help with if they lie about their own ability.”

The pressure to succeed in school is heavy on students. Grades, GPA, and SAT scores are all determining factors for one’s future.

They determine which college one can attend, may be considered at job interviews, and can factor into scholarship amounts.

Additionally, parents add to the stress by pushing their kids to achieve more by building up their transcripts with more advanced classes, sports, and extracurricular.

According to plagiarism.com, in a survey of 24,000 students at 70 high schools, found that “64 percent of students admitted to cheating on a test, 58 percent admitted to plagiarism and 95 percent said they participated in some form of cheating, whether it was on a test, plagiarism, or copying homework”.

Teachers work to ensure student understanding of new material, but some students try to find easier routes by copying homework from friends, plagiarizing, and creating cheat sheets for tests. Teachers are well aware of the pressure that students have, but prefer students work to learn rather than cheat the system.

“Students like to cheat because they are taking the easy way out, they lack confidence in their own ability,” Lalonde said. On a student’s perspective, cheating can be done for a number of reasons.

“I feel like people cheat because it takes a lot of stress off school by having good grades by not learning and having to understand everything,” Sophomore Jacob Patanella said, “for me, it is hard to understand everything.”

There are plenty of methods that students can create when it comes to cheating, and with technology, the old fashioned ‘write-theanswers-on-your-hand method’ is outdated.

“I cheated on a test by using a Google Doc that was shared with more than 60 people,” Sophomore Armando Moreno said. “It was easy to cheat because the teacher was on the other side of the room as me and I could just copy and paste the answers.” He chose to cheat because it made the tests and assignments “less stressful” for him. “We would all just switch tabs then copy and paste the answers.” Of course, there were consequences for this.

“I got caught cheating online, and now I have to do paper tests so I can’t switch tabs or use the internet to my advantage,” Armando said.

Pantanella also faces stricter testing guidelines after being caught for cheating, and his grade may have suffered a bit from not doing his own work.

“When I got caught I got a zero percent, an email home and I am no longer trusted to do online tests,” Patanella said. “I feel like I deserved the consequences, maybe even more.

I felt bad for cheating the system and not listening to the teacher.”

Teachers are not the only people that help track down cheating. The Technology department is sometimes called in to track student behavior when using the school computers and Netbooks.

Remodeling the Library

Schoool librarian has big plans for the library in the near future that will help contribute to making more effective use of the space

David Fischer fischerdav52@tcapsstudent.net

T

he library is a popular hangout spot for students to socialize and study before, during, and after school, and some renovations will help make the space more user-friendly.

“I would like to have a more flexible space for different events,” Head Librarian Genevieve Minor said.

Adding things like a makerspace will allow students to interact with each other and share interests like working on projects and other activities. Also, new hardware will make the library more usable.

“The projector we have now limits the seating are in the library, so since they replaced the projector in the auditorium and we want to get the old projector that was in the auditorium and put it in the library,” Minor said. “Then we can have big events in the library. We would also like to get dry erase boards and chalkboards so that we can always have makerspace activities, we want a space were the students can make and create in the library,” In addition, making the library open and spacious will make efficient use of the space.

“We have a lot of groups that come in after school and a fixed circulation desk makes it hard because we cant move it around,”

Minor said. “We’re also going to change the can’t see that the carpet is ripped and they desk so that it is in pieces and so we can might end up tripping on the carpet when move it around whenever we need to.” going to grab their papers from the printer.”

Since Minor was hired into the library Funding to make structural updates takes staff, she’s had big goals for the library, time, and usually comes from bond money. which she has been making updates to “By the time the school goes for a bond since she first started. they already have a list of things that they “The planning process began when I first want to have done, you need to plan ahead interviewed for the job nine years ago,” Miand get on a list, and then that takes about nor said. “One of the questions they asked four to five years to get approved,” Minor me during my interview was, ‘What do you said. envision in designing a new space?’ and that Minor and the library staff did a signifireally planted the seed when I got hired. cant amount of research to ensure the new We have changed and improved changes to the the library since I’ve library would have the most interviewed but just effective impact on student small changes like new learning. furniture and tables.”

“There is a lot of research The need for out there that says the improvements goes environment in which we are beyond convenience, it in has a big impact on our is also time to replace psyche,” Minor said. “We did Head Librarian Genevieve Minor outdated hardware a lot of research and found out and technology. that the color green is a very calming color.

“There have been some struggles such as So when we were thinking about creatbroken materials,” Minor said. “The printer ing a mediation center, [in the library] we in the back corner of the library had wheels thought about having those color schemes. that was tearing the seams of the carpet, we The environment in which you sit in really have duct tape holding the carpets together can impact you. When the students come now. This is major hazard because we have back in the fall we hope they will really see had visually impaired kids on canes, so they a better environment.”

“There is a lot of research out there that says the environment in which we are in has a big impact on our psyche,”

Summers in China TCAPS China trip is starting back up again this summer Ella Rintala rintalaell75@tcapsstudent.net

T

his summer TCAPS is planning to take 10-15 8th, 9th and 10th graders on a cultural exchange trip to China, the revival of a trip available in past years.

Since 2013 TCAPS has had an exchange with Weiming Education Group, and since then the district has hosted dozens of students from all over China for year long educational stays in Traverse City. Last year, the program was cancelled with Weiming, in part because of changes in immigration policy, but the district wants to keep supporting global citizenry by encouraging the exchange with China and is looking for students who are willing to spend 10 days of their summer to experience a new culture.

Students attending will experience the Chinese culture, specifically the Bund in Shanghai, a dormant volcano, and will visit a panda research center, learn Chinese calligraphy, play ping pong, practicing Tai Chi, experience the traditional face changing opera, sail on the beach,. They will eat authentic Chinese food, make new friends, explore ancient buildings and streets, and more.

“The goal is for TCAPS students to explore and learn about a fascinating country. We want TCAPS students to develop connec-

tions abroad so that they have more opportunities in the future,” TCAPS International Program Director, Kristel Rodriguez-Peacock said.

The district’s experience with the past exchange program has helped administrators prepare for this next step.

“China has a lot to offer. Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world. China’s economy is booming. They have a well-preserved culture, great food, and fun activities.

The students that participate in this trip will have lifelong memories, friends, and applicable learning experience,” Rodriguez-Peacock said.

China is an ideal place to build these connections and experience a different culture.

TCAPS is partnering with schools in Haikou, Chengdu, and Shanghai.

“These cities show China’s diverse climate, culture, and bustling economy,” said Rodriguez-Peacock. “Our partners have crafted an awesome trip that has something for everyone.”

The application period for this summers trip closed on May 1, 2019, but the plan is to have this opportunity open to students in upcoming years as well.

Overall, the idea is that students attending this year and in future years “will be able to bring back a lot more than souvenirs.”

Arts & Entertainment

The Occidentalist

Solo & Ensemble

FROM THE STAGE

6

Choir students utilize the event to showcase their hard work and gain accolades for college “Last year I did Solo & Ensemble without a use of a private voice teacher, and I got an alternate slot, and it was rewarding to know I did that on own,” Gratton said. here are several opportunities of note that “But this year I did have private voice lessons and got the are offered for choir students throughout actual MIFA slot.” the year, which include joining Westmen or Students who are considering a performing arts career being offered a scholarship for Blue Lakes after high school know that earning a high ranking at Fine Arts Camp. One of the biggest and most festival is a way to give one a leg up when applying to art exclusive events for singing students, however, is the Solo schools. & Ensemble festival.

“I think this experience enforces my plans after of The Solo & Ensemble Festival is an event that showcases pursuing the arts after high school, not just as a confiensemble groups and individual student performances that dence booster, but as preparation for college,” Gratton are judged by professionals and are said. He plans to pursue vocal ranked on a one to five scale. performance and musical theatre “It’s nice to see, in the “It’s a cool way to improve your at Western Michigan University, state of Michigan, the solo singing, but it’s also a big confisaying that “at college it’s more of arts are so supported, dence booster,” senior Mason Grata one on one solo experience, so ton said. Gratton, who has been the because you can aldoing this type of recital is great ways see the absolutely practice for the college courses”. lead in several musicals, including this year’s performance of Urinetown, amazing talent in evSolo & Ensemble participants and as Romeo in the play R&J, the with high rankings can participate ery kid that gets up on school retelling of Shakespeare’s clasat the MIFA festival or become stage to sing.” sic Romeo and Juliet, gained a MIFA an alternative. The MIFA festival Senior Mason Gratton (Michigan Interscholastic Forensic is a gathering for not only the Association) slot from his solo perbest singers in the state, but also formance at the festival. people of other performing arts programs such as band, “To get up in front of a lot of people, professors and orchestra, theatre, or film-making. Based on their perforeducators who know a lot about what they are doing, mance at Solo & Ensemble, Westmen will be performing and present yourself to them helps you grow as a person, at MIFA, as well as several soloists, including Gratton not just in choir but for whole lot of other things as well,” himself.

Gratton said.

“Whenever you go to one of these events you always The Westmen, Chorale, and Bella Voce choirs, along see so much talent,” Gratton said. “It’s nice to see, in the with several soloists, went to sing in hopes of earning a state of Michigan, the arts are so supported, because you high ranking. Some of the performers used a voice teacher can always see the absolutely amazing talent in every kid to help them prepare for the competitive experience. that gets up on stage to sing.”

Nathaniel Myers myersnat21@tcapsstudent.net

T

Top: Student directors Ella Stewart, Jessica Lichtfield, and Mason Gratton read over the script for Sleepy Hollow. Second: Madison Shaudt sews costumes for the spring play. Third: Ryan Prokos and Sidonia Franco perform in the Secret Garden. Fourth: Flornoy Humphry leads the percussion section in her last performance of her teaching career. She will retire at the end of the school year after 18 years of teaching for TCAPS. This year she was honored at Teacher of the Year for the Northern Michigan region. Bottom: Music teacher Chad Meliens leads the Symphony Band at the end of his first year of teaching for West.

VIE REVIEW O M

ENDGAME Sol Medwed kysershe91@tcapsstudent.net

With plenty of surprises and the right mix between comedy and drama, Avengers: Endgame lives up to its hype. And possibly more than any movie ever made, Avengers Endgame is a must see in theaters. It’s nearly perfect, and has been in the making for twelve years. Though the movie is three hours long, that won’t prevent the audience from sitting on the edge of their seats.

Endgame completes the story arc that began with Iron Man in 2008. The character development is great, which is probably due to its long length. The pace, flow, and transitions in the movie are phenomenal. Endgame also does a great job with showing the after-affects of the previous Avengers movie Infinity War and how the Avengers are coping with the loss of friends in the last movie.

The theme of the movie is definitely about family, friendship, and sacrifice. There is a also a constant theme which is,“Part of the journey is the end…But the end is also a new beginning.”

Fans who were disappointed that some of the original Avengers were either short-changed (or missing entirely) in the previous film will enjoy that those characters got the screen time they deserved. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk/Bruce Banner, and Hawkeye, are front and center, with each of them facing decisions and actions that sometimes relate back to their very first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rotten Tomatoes gave Endgame a rating of 95%, and with this cinematic masterpiece, the high ratings are definitely deserved. Endgame gives fans everything they wanted and everything they didn’t know they wanted.

VR-cade

Sophomore Brent Brisbois wins grant for starting his own business Emma Irvine irvineemm74@tcapsstudent.net

S

tarting a business is not something many high schoolers think about.

Sophomore Brent Brisbois has been working hard with for months on starting his business plans for a VR arcade in Traverse City.

“I was inspired by visiting an arcade in Marquette last summer, I loved the experience and thought Traverse City could benefit from something similar,” Brisbois said.

VR works by using a headset, computer, sensors, and controllers. Inside the headsets OLED screens with 615 pixels per inch running at 90-hertz send light through lenses.

These lenses focus the light into your eyes, without them it would be like holding your phone in front of your face. The computer has to be powerful enough to run the headset, VR is highly GPU dependent. Sensors work kind of like your TV remote, they emit an array of IR beams that the headset uses to determine its position relative to the room. The controllers are also tracked by the sensors and help immerse the player.

All of these things work together to provide a smooth, convincing experience. VR is already affecting the way the world works, realtors use it to give property tours without having to actually be there. Doctors are using it to prepare for operations, and more and more game developers are embracing it as a viable platform.

Brisbois has a vision of making VR a experience accessible to everyone.

“I see VR exploding in popularity,” Bris-

bois said. “Headsets are getting cheaper and easier to use, and more games come out every day.”

Brisbois presented his idea for a VR arcade at TC Newtech and won a $500 grant for having the best idea. The money will be used in starting his business.

“I presented at TC Newtech and I was voted the best presentation,” he said.

“We set up my personal VR headset as a demo, and it was a huge success.”

Starting a business at any age is not easy, but with the help of Samantha Reis from the Small Business Development Center (SBCD), Brent has found the process of creating the his VR business fairly easy.

“This process has been surprisingly easy, everyone we have asked for help has been very supportive,” Brisbois said.

“The hardest part so far has been applying for a loan, being a minor I can’t sign by myself so I have to have a guarantor. There’s a lot involved in getting money, it’s more complicated than

“I see VR exploding in popularity,” Brent Brisbois

you would think.”

After working for months on this, Brisbois is eager to open his business to the public. He is moving forward with making his business dream come true.

“I have sought real estate and we hope to be open by Memorial day weekend if our loan is accepted quick enough.” Brisbois said. With some delays to obtaining the loan, Brisbois won’t make the initial opening day deadline, but he has secured his space for the business in the Warehouse district. His family is helping him prepare by installing computers and painting. Once the VR arcade is open, they plan to run it though the summer, then hope to hire more staff as needed.

The Occidentalist

Against the odds Two young teens make a life long decision

Features

7

Benjamin Miner minerben65@tcapsstudent.net

L

ife after graduation moves fast. For some, it is packing up for college, for others it is hitting the workforce to pay bills. For Sophie Halleck and her fiancé, Nicholas Ellul, a 2018 Central High School graduate who is serving in the Marine Corps in South Carolina, life is about to change very quickly.

Halleck and Ellul have known each other since they were four years old, since their dads worked together. They began dating on Jan. 1, in 2016, and since then have grown closer.

When it came time for her fiancé to join the services, the two considered their lives living separately, and they didn’t like the way their futures seemed without each other.

While many students are considering which college to attend, Halleck and Ellul started making wedding plans, and a summer date for the big event is approaching quickly.

“Around the time he decided to join the Marine Corps, we knew that we could be together for a long time. We never originally planned for it to be right away,” Halleck said.

Ellul joined the Marine Corps as a combat engineer. Halleck decided to attend college for Health Science in South Carolina so she could be near him. It seemed that the next step in their futures was to get married.

Halleck admits that not everyone was accepting of their marriage plans at first, but after some consideration, her family jumped on board with the plan.

“They were like no way, they didn’t really see the point in it,” Halleck said. “But once I told them that was the plan, why wait? Plus we got a lot of benefits with it, which is not the reason we’re getting married.”

While both Halleck and Ellul’s parents are now accepting of their children’s decision to marry right out of high school, their concerns were not unwarranted. According to Psychology Today, younger couples can benefit from waiting a few years before tying the knot as divorce is 50% less likely for someone who is 25 years old, as compared to someone who gets married at age 20. Until now, this dramatic decrease has been seen as the beginning of a downward slope that keeps on decreasing, though at a somewhat slower rate, through one’s 20s, 30s, and beyond.

Halleck knows they are ready, and the challenges they have already faced have helped them prepare for the challenges that face them as a young married couple.

“A lot of couples haven’t had to deal with what we’ve been through,” she said. “We

Finfrock fences

went through boot camp, where we could only communicate with letters. There’s been lots of trust issues. We’re pretty good with arguments now, like ‘Alright is that even worth arguing about’.”

The couple plans on renting a house, as the Marine Corps gives housing assistance to Nicolas. Halleck will start school in the fall as her husband continues his work in his position as combat engineer, a position he has trained for two years.

Halleck and Ellul are planning their wedding for July 26. Halleck’s life is filling up with bridal showers, wedding planning, meeting with photographers and caterers, and making the plans for their move to South Carolina only three days after their ceremony. To add to this is planning for their future, with college classes, and her planning is done while Ellul works in South Carolina and waits for his future bride. For now, they are dividing and conquering the different tasks that need to be done for their future. Halleck is tackling all pre-wedding activities, and Ellul is handling all the post wedding plans required for starting a life together.

The couple is proof that teamwork makes a committed relationship

Cafeteria staff member Trish Hackett married her high school sweetheart, Randy, at the age of 17. She first met her future husband at the age of 14 when she saw him race motocross.

“Randy gave me a ride on his motorcycle the day I met him,” she said. “He made me wear a helmet to keep me safe. I knew he was thoughtful then.”

Although they didn’t have family support at the beginning, the couple were married and immediately headed to California to start their lives together. Things weren’t always easy back then, and Hackett remembers the first few months keeping food in a cooler because they couldn’t afford a refrigerator.

Over the years Trish and Randy have shared a wonderful life together, growing in love while raising their only daughter, who now lives in Washington.

Art out of this world Lexi Radtke has her artwork accepted for the SSEP patch that will sail into space.

Savanna Yuncker yunckersav12@tcapsstudent.net

A

Cameron Finfrock faces future in fencing at Wayne State Holly Yoder yoderhol87@tcapsstudent.net

S

enior Cameron Finfrock took interest in fencing in spring of his freshman year. Since starting at Three SwordsFencing, his competitive streak has had him fencing around the mid-west.

Fencing has become more than just an athletic avenue for Frinfrock.

“It keeps me active,” he said. “It keeps me doing things and it’s helped me come out of my shell a little bit.” Finfrock said. He participates in tournaments and plans to continue fencing throughout college. He sent in his request to fence with the NCAA, and has been selected to fence at Wayne State in the fall. The application process included submitting his transcripts, his rankings, and his college team.

Finfrock plans to study Audio Visual Technology at Wayne State. Until he gets there, he is participating in tournaments to keep at the top of his fencing game.

There are several pools of fencers, typically consisting of seven athletes or less that dual each other, which is the preliminary bouts.

This determines who gets directly eliminated, and who gets put into what brackets by rank, which is also called seeding. The direct elimination bouts, which last three rounds of three minutes, or a maximum of 15 touches. Each fencer takes their placement by what round they were eliminated in which is why one loss means elimination.

“I’ve been fencing for three years now

and it took me a long time to get my initial rating and now I’ve gone up two ratings,” he said. “I’ve come a long way.”

In late April he competed at the Underground Fencing Organization in Detroit.

Despite not being totally prepared for the competition, he was able to score third place, pushing his National rating to D19, from the previous ranking of E18. By qualifying at the Detroit event he will move on to compete at the national level.

“I hadn’t had a lot of time to prepare for this competition beforehand, but I went anyways.” Finfrock said. “It was suprising because I hadn’t prepared for the competition, but I did really well.”

Finfrock started fencing his freshman year because he was looking for an athletic activity, as he was feeling that he was not good at tennis or football. Fencing gave him an outlet, and the swords seemed appealing to him.

“It’s a one on one combat sport, and there is a lot of strategy behind it,” he said. :Unlike most team sports, you can see and feel mistakes, and fix them. You are your own team, how much you put in to you get out of it, because you are a one man team.”

Finfrock plans to go to summer Nationals in Columbus, Ohio for Division II and Division III. He has hopes of someday competing in The World Cup and the Grand Prix of fencing.

Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. As well as expressing views or showing creativity, art also influences artist emotionally, art can be a way for one to bring out their emotions and transform them into something visual.

The SSEP (Student Spaceflight Experiments Program) greatly appreciated Sophomore, Lexi Radtke’s art work that expressed her pride for her community to admit her work into space.

The SSEP is a competition where students conduct experiments or in Radtke’s case, art to be tested or displayed in space. This school year, Chemistry Teacher Patrick Gillespie had his students take part in the competition and the Applied Visual Arts teacher decided to get her students involved as well.

Radtke had just joined Applied Visual Arts this Winter-Spring 2019 semester as an elective due to a full classes last year and the first semester of the 20182019 school year. As an assignment, all students had to make a drawing that showed their community and met the SSEP admission requirements. The artist explains that SSEP was fond of her drawing and she explains, “They scan the drawing, put it on a badge and send it to outer space.”

As an artist, Radtke was not fond of the drawing she was going to do,.

“I mostly draw portraits,” she said. “I was surprised I could even draw a rocket ship, I don’t usually draw things, I draw people.” And she uses “copic markers and drawing pencils.”

Radtke’s art piece was of the earth, with Traverse City visible and a rocket taking off from the cherry capital.

“I usually draw more realistic, like for my portraits. For this drawing it was more of a cartoon,” said.

Even though its her first time taking art she’s had artistic tendencies for years.

“I guess I have always drawn. You know little kids draw. I have been drawing forever.”

Radtke has had family and friends encourage her in a future in art. Her artwork has been displayed in the hallway among other artist’s work.

Her work resembles extreme detail and creativity.

A portrait of music artist, Billy Eilish is displayed that was created by Radtke that has a beautiful galaxy as the background behind the celebrity.

Her work displays success and love for art.

However, Radtke is unsure about her future in art as a career.

“It would be nice to have a future in art. I just worry about going to art school, that it isn’t always so promising.” Considering that often artists are told that they can’t make a viable career out of their passion. Truth is, while some artists might struggle to make ends meet, others make a good living by selling their work, and supplementing their income. Thinking of her future, “I don’t really see going to art school in the future happening.” With her hesitation as art as a lifetime career choice, she still plans on taking art classes throughout her high school career.

Sports

The Occidentalist Riley Ashbury ashburyril74@tcapssudent.net

Sports SPRINGing into Action

8

Photos: Odyssey Yearbook staff

Softball West student senate voted Brittany Steimel Athlete of the Week. The sophomore had an amazing week for the Traverse City West softball team.

“The season has been going very well for me individually so far and as a team. I think that we’re connecting really well and that we’re going to have a good season.” Steimel said.

In the East Kentwood Invitational, she was 6 for 8 with 2 doubles, 3 runs scored, and 3 runs batted in. She also threw a complete game vs. runner up East Kentwood striking out five and giving up one earned run.

“The Kentwood invitational also went very well we played two pretty good teams that have gave us good games in the past really well,” Steimel said. “The first game was close until the last inning when we started to hit the ball where the fielders weren’t and produced lots of runs. The second game we got out to lead pretty early. They were a good offensive team, but we out hit them.”

Soccer The soccer team started the Big North Conference play off against one of their greatest rivals, Cadillac. West controlled the first half action with several chances but Cadillac scored first off a set piece scramble with 15 minutes to go in the match.

“Playing Cadillac in any sport is always a challenge since they are a talented school,” freshman Ally Jo McKenna said. “While I was playing against Cadillac for soccer though, I felt like we could have won instead of tied. We had a lot of opportunities on goal in the first half and just couldn’t finish.

When we play them again hopefully we can pull off a win.” The Titans continued to press high up the field and were rewarded with an equalizer from McKenna in under two minutes to go in the game.

“I scored the goal to tie the game in the second half, but it was a team effort to make that happen.”

McKenna said. McKenna made Varsity for not only soccer but also this year’s volleyball team.

T

his year’s tennis teams are filled, in part by sisters. Freshman twins Hailey and Caitlin Siles each made the Varsity team, and Ella and Olivia Cerny have been competing for years on the court together.

Ella and Olivia Cerny have been playing tennis since sixth grade and have been supporting each other in the sport ever since.

“I started playing tennis when I was in 6th grade,” Ella said. “I started playing tennis because of my older sister Olivia,” She also plays volleyball and is on the ski team in the winter months to keep in shape for her tennis season.

“I think the best moment so far in the season was when my partner and I placed runner up in an eight-team tournament,” Ella said. “I played in an eight-team tournament and my partner Hailey and I won every match we played which got us to first place. We both knew that we would have some easy teams to play which made us determined to win but we also had some very challenging teams in the end that we wanted to prove ourselves to. It felt very good to win, we felt very

Sports Recap

Sophomore Tony Gallegos won the 200 race at the MHSAA regional May 17 and helped the Titans to a 3rd place finish as a team.

The Titan golf team defeated their cross-town rival, the Central Trojans to win the Gold Range Bucket title. The match combines all scores from JV and Varsity players, and the Titans won by six strokes with a 1094 total. The boys took 3rd place a the BNC portion of the event.

Varsity Baseball and Softball traveled to Gaylord Tuesday afternoon with both teams coming away with two wins. That makes girls 2nd in the BNC and Baseball tied for 3rd.

The lady Titan track & field team finished 2nd out of 15 teams at the Regional meet at Bay City Western. West ended with 95 points, 16 points short of first.

Lady titan tennis finished 4th in Regionals. The #1 doubles team of Alyssa Foley and Emma Kroupa.

The #1 single Paige Fischer, won vs Saginaw 6-0, 6-0. Lost against Dow 6-0, 6-1.

The Jim Teal tournament took place in Midland where the girl’s tennis team placed second.

“Our team got second place out of eight different teams and played very well,” junior Paige Fischer said. “And our season has been going great besides all of the cancellations for weather purposes.” The varsity and JV tennis teams have been doing great especially in placing.

“I got runner-up and had a very close match with a girl from Saginaw Heritage in singles,” Fischer said.

The team has had its ups and downs. The teams won all eight flights at the Conference dual in Alpena, and placed 4th in the MHSSA Regionals at Midland.

The team was off to play the Big North Conference Championship on May 21.

Track

Baseball

The track team traveled to Midland for the Graves tournament where they took second place with 106 points, edging out their biggest rival, the Traverse City Central Trojans who scored 102.

The Titans won the 4×100 relay in 52.22 with a team of Sharlene Stallworth, Izzy Spearing, Erin Wagoner and Sara Schermerhorn.

“The 4x1 is a very fun relay and at the Midland meet we got third which made us happy because we beat some good teams and scored points for our team,” Schermerhorn said.

Taking first were the 300 hurdle team of Audrey Wolff, second in 49.80, Rhys Tirrell, third in 50.26 and Kara Crofoot, fifth in 51.12.

The Titans had second place finishes in eight relays including the 4×1600, 4×800, 4×400, 4×200 Sprint Medley, mid-distance medley, shot put 4×100 and pole vault relay. “The Bay City invitational went very well and we won the meet which was very fun and exciting.” Schermerhorn said.

Both the Varsity and JV baseball teams are having good seasons, but freshman Wyatt Danilowicz hasn’t been playing due to his injury that he’s had for three months.

“It really sucks that I can’t do the thing I love to do the most,” Danilowicz said. “And how I hurt myself was so out of the blue. I was working out when all the sudden I heard a pop but I didn’t think anything of it so I just kept playing until it hurt so much that I had to get it checked out.”

From the dugout, Danilowicz supports his team.

“It isn’t very fun, not playing, but I do love watching everybody get so excited when we get a good hit or striking someone out because at the end of the day it makes me kind of forget that I’m injured,” he said. To stay in shape and prepare for next year’s season, he has been taking his time to recover by strengthening his muscles, use proper technique, playing safe, and not playing through pain.

Bonded by the Racquet Tennis sisters inspire each other on the court

Allie Anglin anglinall31@tcapsstudent.net

TITAN UP

Tennis

accomplished in the end with how we played.”

Ella has had many great moments as an athlete, but some of her best memories have been made with her sister on the court.

“Playing with my older sister is nice because I have someone to talk to about tennis who can give me advice,” she said. “I normally practice with her, and sometimes I play against her and her partner in practice, but she is a higher rank than me, so I never play actual games against her.”

For Ella, her sister has pushed her to be better.

“Olivia has always pushed me to do my best in tennis because I see how good she is and strive to be as good as her when I’m older.”

Olivia has many great memories of playing, too. She has been playing tennis for as long as she can remember.

“A bunch of my close friends are on the team and I’ve always enjoyed the physical and mental game of tennis.”

Olivia’s commitment to the sport has paid off for her.

“My biggest accomplishment has got to be making the Varsity team all four years [of high school] and getting the Titan Tennis Award

for being Team Cheerleader.

Her goal is to keep playing after graduating from high school.

“As of now I’m not going to play college tennis but I am planning on either playing club or intramural because I can’t just stop playing tennis,” she said. With her sister ready to pick up the racket to go against her, Olivia always has a willing and capable opponent to push her on the court.

“Since I always wanted someone to play tennis with, Ella was that lucky girl,” Olivia said. “So from that she got more involved in tennis. Just within this season Ella and I have had similar hardships,but because of that, I’ve done my best to help her get through it and she has helped me as well. I would have to say that the best part is that we both have a better understanding of what’s going on in each other’s lives since

we’re with each other even more now. We also share the same frustrations about the team so we can talk about that together.”

Hailey and Caitlin have pushed each other to be their best on the court. As freshman, making the Varsity team was proof of their commitment to the sport.

“I got involved in tennis because my whole family plays,” Haily said. “I like playing with Caitlyn and supporting her even though she is way better. It’s a challenge to constantly be compared to her.”

Rivalry is fierce on the court, but having their sister along to cheer them on has helped the Hailey, Caitlyn, Olivia and Ella stay focused and inspired.

The Titan tennis teams played in the Division I finals at the Midland Tennis Center where they took a 4th place win. Caitlyn won over Holt in a #2 singles, while Olivia, along with her doubles partner, Jessie Chan, won 6-0 win against Lapeer. Ella and Hailey played together at #4 doubles and won 6-1 and 6-0 against Lapeer.

Crosstown Rivals Become Combined Team Rival schools Central and West join together on the lacrosse field

the game.

“It was most memorable moment,” he said. “It was such a rush and I felt like I was on top of the world and nothing could stop me.”

Sophomore Tanner Daray has been playing he rivalry between West and Central has lacrosse since seventh grade. The cross town been fierce since the split that created rivalry doesn’t factor in to his game as he recently cross town rivals happened in 1997. moved from Grand Rapids where he played The two schools have enough players to make lacrosse at Forest Hills High both a JV and Varsity team.

School. He joined the TC Lacrosse just became school “The level of play is United team this spring and sponsored in the last year, so claimed his place on the field it takes two schools to make a very different here in the attack position on the complete team. The rival teams compared to my old team. For Daray being join forces to play at a neutral team, it’s not as intense Varsity apart of lacrosse with players place, Thirlby field, which lies but it’s definitely a lot from both schools has helped between the two schools, for his transition for moving to of fun.” practices and games.

Traverse City.

Freshman Dillon Ockert Tanner Daray “Being involved in lacrosse plays attack. He started playing has made the transition from lacrosse three years ago, and Grand Rapids much easier,” he said. “I have met doesn’t let the rivalry with the Central players get a bunch of new friends and created strong bonds in the way of the game. with people through being involved in lacrosse.”

“I have no problem playing with people from He came to the TC United team with plenty of Central, I actually like most of them,” Ockert experience, and noted some differences between said about playing alongside players who would the Grand Rapids and Traverse City teams. traditionally be his opponents.

“The level of play is very different here comFreshman Kyle McCrumb also plays an attack pared to my old team, it’s not as intense but it’s position, and agrees with Ockert. definitely a lot of fun.” Daray says.

“Everyone on the team is great it doesn’t matter The lacrosse season ended for TC United on what school they go to,” he said. “It only matters May 17 with a 3-16 loss to Rockford High School. how they act.”

Daray had an assist, and the season ended with an McCrumb remembers how it felt when he eight win, eight loss record. scored his first goal, and that feeling keeps him in

Izaya Rokos Rokosiz01@tcapsstudent.net

T

Tanner Daray plays attack for the TC United Lacrosse team. Photo: M. Clone

Senior

The Occidentalist

Ian Beck Nick Beeman Nick Bostwick Cadyn Duford Anika Dy Margaret Farah Katie Gahn Nicholas Gustafson Ryan Johnston Pierson Klein Grace Linenger Eamonn McGonigle Andrew Rickenberg Hannah Schramski Jason Seekamp Madelynn Shepard Cole Simon Hallie Snowday

Skylar Briggs Taylor Haslip Joseph Rawlin Odin Soffredine

Concetta Brehmer Mason Gratton Molly Hull Molly Jass Benjamin Lampman Noah Montcastle Pierson Szczepanski Annabelle Venticinque

Andrew Amato Omar Nadji Robert O’Brien Grayson Wagner Atlas Rosenburg Grace Kolbusz

NMC Owen Alpers Reeghan Alpers Keegan Anderson Elena Arends Samantha Arnold Abigail Augenstein Lauryn Barry Joseph Beatty Rachel Berndt Noemie Berube Caden Bissland Georgia Bolek Katelyn Boyer Hannah Brass Marissa Brief Madelyn Bright Ashley Brown Rachel Bryan Matilde Campazzi Jakob Cannon Kaleb Carlson Megan Case Holden Cavric Magdalena Coates Elizabeth Czubak Zachary Dell-Smoth Hunter Derry Sawyer Dewalt Leona Eckert Tegan Elkins Chance Ellsworth Deziree Elmer Lilah Fiebing Cali Fitch Ava Flores Sarah Flynn Kali Fowler Ethan Friar Samantha Gauthier Ethan Gerds Nolan Giddis Spencer Gordon Skylar Gourlay Zach Guy Hannah Harner Philip Heinlen Lydia Henion Abigail Jaquish

Abigail Jean Jonathan Jurkovich Nakiah Kage Nathan Keech Cain Keenan Kadin LaCross Claire Lambert Michael Larson Parker Latka Jack Lowran Anna Lowran Joseph Lyons Evelyn Majszak Desiree Mallory Zachary Masiewicz Maxim Matskevych Hunter Meade Maddie Medler Maxwell Meyer Grace Miner Jaden Moreno Leah Morris Daunte Mucaria Hunter Nied Zach Niedermaier Robert Parsons Jr. Angela Patanella Robert Payne Paige Phillips Ryan Prokos Noelle Riccobono Quentin Ross Jackson Sirrine Jackson Steele Grahm Strickland Brooke Tester Julian Thammavongsa Calista Trowbridge Lily Vance Daeana Verberkmoes Velencia Verberkmoes Robert Walters Molly Walton Olivia Warner Kalisha Weber George Whiting Maxwell Winkler Shaye Worden

Darion Matthews

Claire Ackerman Kyra Allen Alexa Baughman Lilly Berris Yuxin Chen Camille Czarny Jillian Ellul Alexis Garmhausen Isabella Gaston Annaka Hansen Michael Hirschenberger Daphne Kilbourne Jessica Litchfield Noelle Lowe Everett Lundgren Andrew Palmer Skyler Prechtl Leah Racine Elizabeth Roland Aylin Sevimli Cassidy Wilkening Nathaniel Wilson Lauren Wright Sarah Ernst

Hannah Ashbury Aidan Bishop Caden Buist Kara Crofoot Brendan Fowler Hannah Holfels Billyjo Kyser Tacey Looze Braden Rubinas Bailey Staff Ethan Vandermolen Alexander Wagner Shane Davis Tyler Knorr Sophie Metcalf Tom Morgenstern Jordan Stewart Morgan Walter Sophie Stoops

M’Konz John Chloe Sage Andrew Schaub Hope McGarry-Costello Maia Walters

Grace Clark Peyton Diehl Mikayla Roman Samantha Schermerhorn Andy Schollet Chloe Vomastek

Zoe Ameel Caleb Barsheff Haley Ecker Alexis Hart Alison Heckroth

Madeline Hodges

Anna Joseph Morgan Lyon Jonah Malaski

Miigwaanhs Barrientoz

Emily Atwood Hannah Gozzard Gabriel Rhinelander

Samuel DeKuiper Nick Rapin

Tyler Smith

Elizabeth Jewell

Catherine Okma Pearl Lan Michael Carley

Clare Anderson Cameron Finrock Evelyn Krueger

Zoey Dorman Kathleen Bank

Jasmaun Bullard Samuel Starkey Becca Bohrer Jacob Hickey

Dylan Bertram

Kathryn Gronek

Megan Galla

Kaitlin Hozak Camryn Calderwood

Alexis Grubb Pasha Kantlehner

Henry Heitman Jared Oose

Li Ding Brendan Sonnenberg

Lea Howse Luke Ensign River Moore

Olivia Cerny Kayla Phend Abigail Rickert

Hunter WillowKehoe Jaruzel

Maja Hoey

Gabriel Stevens Tayla WemigwansWilson Sophie Wyatt

Sharlene Stallworth

Gabriel Kucera Sydney Thomas

Emma Burns

Sofia Halleck

Grace Thomas Grace Thompson

Zoe Meyering

Hope Adams

Sadie Murphy Hope Aspenleiter Miranda Green Caleb Wilkins

19

Zoe Moore

Isabella Canfield

Jeremy Gauden

Alexandra Pohlad Ryan Witkop

James Rose

Megan Budnik

Senior

The Occidentalist

19

Athletics Performing Arts Anika Dy Golf, University of Michigan

Anika Dy received a scholarship to play gold for the University of Michigan.

For Dy, golf is everything. “[Golf] is what I love to do, it helped me get into a great school, and it will prepare me well if I go pro after college,” Dy said.

The varsity girls golf team has been a highlight in sports recently. Dy has been in the spotlight as she, according to the TC West athletics, has “cemented herself as one of the most successful golfers in MHSAA history; the senior collected her third consecutive individual State Championship at the State Finals.”

“My greatest athletic moment at West was winning Miss Golf for the third time my senior year,” Dy said.“No female has ever won it three times in a row before.”

The excitement is at an all time high as Dy continues to compete and work toward her future goals in the sport.

“I am excited to be travelling with the team all over the country to play and have the opportunity to play and compete as a Wolverine,” Dy said.

Academics Eamonn McGonigle University of Michigan

Eamonn McGonigle plans to attend the University of Michigan, and dreams of becoming a surgeon or an international public health official.

He will be minoring in Spanish while majoring in biology and public health.

McGonigle says that the hardest part about reaching his academic goals is “staying focused and motivated.”

As he continues this journey, McGonigle has clear vision when it comes to the next decade of his life.

However, McGonigle said that much of his life will be similar to what he has been doing now, including working in coffee shops, and performing.

I will still be in school and doing drag shows while working at a coffee shop in order to pay for it” While McGonigle’s career plans come with much excitement and anticipation, he said that what he is most excited about is the opporunity of “getting out of Traverse City and meeting new people.”

Cadyn Duford Vocal Performance

Cadyn Duford has received a full ride scholarship to both University of Michigan and Michigan State University and although he is currently undecided between colleges, he will be pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance.

“I am undecided between Michigan and Michigan state as I have a full ride to both,” Duford said.

Duford says that some of his experiences throughout high school have heavily influences his decision to continue in the arts.

“At my sophomore solo and ensemble

“West has shown me what a true fine arts experience is like”

Visual Arts STEM Jasmaun Bullard

Illustration, Pacific Northwest College of Art Jasmaun Bullard plans to attend Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon.

She will be majoring in illustration while working to build credibility.

“I see myself working at a place like Disney learning my skills until I am credible enough to own my own art company” As art becomes more prevalent with social media, Bullard sees it as inspiration to pursue her love for art as a career.

“I was inspired by seeing artist’s popularity on social media,” Bullard says, “with the age we live in I feel like it is easier and more stable to be in an art career.”

West offers multiple art classes that help students explore their creativity, and for Bullard, they did exactly that.

“The AP art classes helped me to focus more on deadlines and structure in creating art, instead of just using art as a hobby,” Bullard says.

Along with growing in her skills, community and culture are very important to Bullard.

“I am excited to progress my craft and skills, but also to be immersed fully in an art culture and community.” Bullard says.

Zoe Meyering Travelling to Germany

Zoe Meyering plans to travel to Germany after high school to explore more of the culture that she loves.

“I spent time in Germany on an exchange trip over the summer and completely fell in love with the country,” Meyering said. “I have so many close friends there, and I love the language and culture.”

Meyering has some hopes and dreams about how she will spend her time in Germany, but she is focusing on spending some time with familiar faces before pursuing those.

performance I was told I have a very musical voice,” Duford said, “West has shown me what a true fine arts experience is like and it has taught me to work hard and create great music.”

Being a part of such amazing experiences already has pushed Durford to dream big and have big hopes for his future, as he says he hopes to be singing at the Metropolitan Opera one day, and he is excited for the growth that will come along with that.

“I am excited about learning from collegiate vocal professors on how to improve my singing technique and to broaden my knowledge on vocal abilities,” Duford said.

“I hope to spend some time with my friends and host family before beginning University,” Meyering said.

Although she is excited to soak in the culture of a new place, Meyering says that West has helped her discover a love for language and she will miss home.

“I will miss my family and Lake Michigan the most,” Meyering said, “I don’t think that I would have discovered my passion for language and travel if it weren’t for West. I have had so many amazing opportunities and mentors here.”

Nicholas Rapin

Lawrence Technological University

Nicholas Rapin has chosen to pursue a STEM degree at Lawrence Technological University.

“I will be getting my Bachelors of Science in Architecture, and then my masters in Architecture,” Rapin said.

Those with STEM degrees create new things and ideas, an opportunity Rapin said he looks forward to.

“I have always enjoyed creating and imagining new things,” Rapin says, “so while researching careers, a STEM degree was what I found best fit me and allowed me to do just that.”

In order to work toward his dreams of creating his own work, he has taken engineering classes here at West and he says that those classes, and some other experiences, have helped prepare him for what is in store.

“Taking engineering classes my freshman and sophomore years gave me a feel of the field, but taking Architecture and CAD classes my junior year and senior years really gave me the opportunity to truly learn and experience what I am passionate about along with the help of my teacher Mr. Skodack” Rapin has a heart and passion for creativity and people, and he is excited to chase after that passion after high school.

“I am most excited about doing something that I am truly passionate about, and creating things that will continue to be used after my lifetime,” Rapin says, “as well as helping people and the planet with my work.”

Senior

The Occidentalist

Maddie Hicks Photography Maddie Hicks ultimately plans to attend the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, but for now she wants to focus on taking the next year to shoot photography.

Hicks has dreams of making a career out of her passion for photography by working for an artistic magazine or pursuing photojournalism.

“I’m very passionate about photography, and I want to do it as a career” Hicks says.

Looking ahead, Hicks says that she sees herself either self employed by her own photo work, or work-

ing for another brand within ten years.

Being pushed to think of different artistic ideas is something that has prepared Hicks for this next step.

“I was challenged with new ideas in my photo class,” Hicks says.

Although her plans have shifted gears, her passion and career dreams remain the same, and Hicks is excited for what is in store.

“I’m excited to work hard to make my dreams come true and to further my artistic ideas. I am also excited to eventually attend art school in the future.”

Joe Rawlin

Soccer, Alma College

Joe Rawlin has decided to continue his soccer career at Alma college in the fall. Although he did not get an athletic scholarship, he received an academic scholarship that will help him attend the school and continue with soccer.

“Alma gave me the opportunity to play so I couldn’t pass that up,” Rawlin said.

Soccer at West is a full team sport, and according to Rawlin, the importance of this has helped him prepare for his future after high school. “[West] has taught me how important playing as a team is, as well as how to be in a leadership role,” Rawlin said.

As Rawlin works toward being fully involved in a career, he excited for what college will bring for him as well.

“I am excited about playing at the next level and getting to know the other players on the team,”

19

Grace Kolbusz Michigan Technological University Grace Kolbusz has decided to continue exploring the options she may have through a STEM related degree, as she moves out of high school and into the Michigan Technological University.

“I chose to pursue a STEM related degree because of he experience I have gotten through the MTA program at CTC and from Robotics here at West. Both of these experiences have shown me the options of STEM out there and how our world is becoming more and more dependent upon STEM,” Kolbusz said.

Kolbusz dreams of being the behind the scenes hands and feet for theatre performances like broadway, and plans on having the ability to do it all, except the acting parts.

“The specific degree I am going for is Theatre and Entertainment Technologies,” Kolbusz said, “Imagine a broadway show or movie, just remove the actor, leave everything else including the costumes and makeup, and that is what I am going to do. I will hopefully be able to do everything in the show minus the actual acting.”

Although she has no dreams of actually being in the spotlight as an actor, her experience in the school musical and Robotics programs have influenced her decision greatly.

“In the musical that I partook in for two years, I really got to see how important the backstage, lighting, and sound was to the show. It really did get me interested in it,” Kolbusz said, “and then the FRC Robotics program helped me explore engineering options a bit more and see what else was out there. When you meld those two things together you get the degree I am going into.”

According to Kolbusz, she has learned a lot here in Traverse City, but is excited to explore the limitless opportunities that are out there for her.

“Traverse City is a wonderful place to grow up, btu there are other options and opportunities out there and I want to see them all,” Kolbusz said.

M’konz John Central Michigan University M’konz John has been dancing for as long as he can remember. He also plays on the TC United Lacrosse team since 7th grade. He never took dance lessons, but instead learned his dance moves from the generations that came before him.

His family has been teaching him to dance in the Native American traditional style. He appreciates that the dance and regalia he uses when dancing has been passed down from generation to generation, and as he learns, he too will pass on these traditions to his own family.

“My mom and grandma and aunts have helped me the most with my dance” John said.

John says that he mainly dances in the summer and competes in the pow wows, and he plans to continue that this summer.

“I dance from the heart, it is more of an upbeat dance, and I follow the beat,” M’konz said.

After graduating, M’Konz plans to major in pre-med at Central Michigan University.

Noemie Berube Physical Therapy, University in Canada Noemie Berube is currently enrolled in early college through NMC, and is enjoying the benefits that it brings.

“Early college is a program where you take NMC classes and after the 13th year of high school, you graduate with an associates degree that the school paid for,” Berube said, “It was a good opportunity to get free college credit while I am still in high school.”

Although she has taken advantage of the wonderful opportunity of free NMC classes, she has some bigger dreams in mind.

“I plan on transferring to a university in Canada to major in Kinesiology,” Berube said.

According to the Ontario Kinesiology Association, Kinesiology is the science of human movement, applying the latest evidenced-based research to improve function, health and wellness of people in all settings and populations.

After her schooling, Berube has set career goals to become a physical therapist, and plans to get there in the next ten years.

“I see myself living in Montreal as a physical therapist,” Berube said.

Being in college and high school at time same time may seems stressful and overwhelming, but for Berube, it has helped prepare her for future goals.

“This has helped me with my time management and made me realize that I enjoy medical related classes,” Berube said.

Dylan Nagel Workforce Dylan Nagle has already been part of the workforce in his future career.

That is not going to change after graduation.

“I chose to work mainly because I was raised on the mindset of always working hard,” Nagel said.

Nagel is no stranger to hard work He currently works at Hallmark Construction and plans to stay on, while working toward his degree.

“I plan to pursue a degree in construction management from Ferris State University.” Nagel said.

Along with being raised on the principle of hard work, Nagel says that the teachers at West always pushed him to pursue the mindset of doing his best.

“West has prepared me by teaching me to always do my best work,” Nagel said.

The Occidentalist

Senior Moments CLASS SONG

Senior Senior

4

ron nd Came ood tat win w r e Cald Scholle King Andyecomingen Homand Que

Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River Life is old there, older than the trees Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze Country roads, take me home To the place where I belong West Virginia, mountain momma Take me home, country roads

“The Patriot Ga me was my favorite senior memory was an epic da. It y.”

- Kadin Lacross

All my memories gathered ‘round her Miner’s lady stranger to blue water Dark and dusty painted on the sky Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye Country roads, take me home To the place I belong West Virginia, mountain momma Take me home, country roads

Country roads, take me home To the place where I belong West Virginia, mountain momma Take me home, country roads

M ba wa ich ll lk a Hooon s u el C ha m a nd ar lft ec rch er ley im o t e mi at he sh ng th e ow

I hear her voice, in the mornin’ hour she calls me Radio reminds me of my home far away And driving down the road I get a feeling I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Hallie Snowday performs in Urinetown

Odin holds Soffred Mem the Ol ine after orial t son Patrio rophy win a over t gam Cent e ral

“My favorite senior memory was Prom.”

- Noelle Lowe

“ Lea schoding the much ol is so fun m thingy favori.t Its abou e s Its an chool.t high it, its honor t lot of o do Its da finen work lot oe t I hav f pressuly a that i e learnere plea ts hard d and se every to to o everymanagnee Hone thing stly I . love i t . ” -Gov ern Brook e Tesor ter

Cla of s 20 s 19 377 Grad uate

s

de An Ga sig nik m ns a L 20 e shthe ea 18 ir Pa ry ga t fo tri m r th ot e e

d an rn s r lte nste om a W rge Pr on ia M d n o a M m owne uee To cr d Q 11 areg anMay Kin