AAfter the Sandy Hook Elemen-tary shooting, schools across the country took a closer look at their own safety procedures. Within our district, TCAPS assessed each school’s security vulnerability and will be instituting changes in the coming months. “Central was named as the most challenging building in the district to keep safe,” Cody Inglis, Central’s Assistant Principal and Security Coordinator, said. “Because of the open campus, the layout of the school, the amount of security, the movement of students and staff and how we use the camera system.” Inglis believes that keeping the school open and friendly to the public is important, but safety should come first. “We can’t let the public relations standpoint overwhelm the safety of our students,” he said. Central was built before Colum-bine, a mass shooting in 1999 at a high school in Colorado. After that event, the construction of new schools changed to a much more closed, almost prison-like design. Compared to other schools such as West Senior High, Central has a much more open layout, many more doors and ease of access. Our school was designed to welcome the com-munity; thus, Central’s campus presents a challenge for the entire school staff to keep everyone safe. “My biggest charge is to create a safe and orderly environment for learning,” Head Principal at Central Dr. Rick Vandermolen said. “And with Central’s layout, it’s a tough job.” Central Liaison Officer Joe Sof-fredine began full time at Central on Dec. 17. His job is to work in correlation with the T.C. Police Department to provide safety for Central staff and students, as well

as conduct investigations. “It’s extremely important to make sure the school is safe and that the students feel safe,” Sof-fredine said. Sustainability, capability, and practicality are the most important issues when considering safety protocol. There are many possible solutions being explored to create a more safe environment, includ-ing improving the site’s signage. “We always end up having par-ents wandering around not know-ing where to go and a lot of that could be eliminated,” Soffredine said. “Signage has always been a big issue.” To reduce the access points where unknown visitors could en-ter campus, administrators are also considering locking doors during class periods. “Just last week, I had two par-ents wandering the school look-ing for the ninth grade office,” Vandermolen said. “They hadn’t been checked in, they weren’t ap-proached by anyone, and no one knew who they were. That needs to stop.” If administration decides to lock the doors between classes, they may be set on a timer where

doors would only be open during passing times and a minute or two after. But that change could pres-ent problems, namely, students being locked out if they’re late, or possible safety concerns if multiple visitors or students are trapped outside the building. To avoid some of these problems, the district is also looking at possibly giving students the ability to open locked doors with their school IDs. “The ID thing isn’t an instant fix,” Vandermolen said. “We would have to install scanners into the doors in the summer, as well as issue new IDs with chips in them to read the scanners.” The buzz-in system is also being explored. If implemented, all of Central’s doors would be locked after school begins. The main of-fice would use the camera installed by the front door to see visitors before they enter. If they are legitimate visitors, the main office will “buzz” them in by unlocking the doors. Although nearly all schools in the district already have the capa-bility to use this system, it’s not done often. “The buzz-in system has a few

profiles

West shoowdowna&e

For highlights of the Camera Club photo contest, the National Writers Series and visiting author Chip Johannessen, and re-views and recommendations on the latest movies, music and TV, turn to page 3.

sports

Trojan winter sports come to a successful end. For round-up coverage of downhill skiing, nordic skiing, basketball, bowling, hockey and wrestling, with words from the players and coaches, turn to page 5.

Anti-bullying program

An anti-bullying program, called the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, will be imple-mented at TCAPS for grades K-12 starting next school year. Elizabeth Pine, an Olweus trainer, is confident in the program. “The main long term benefit is that students are going to feel safer and happier in school,” Pine said.

Talent show winnersAleksa Szunko and Hayley Padden, both ‘14, performed Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” with friends, winning this year’s “Central’s Got Talent” show on Feb. 13. “It was fun because people were reacting really well to it,” Padden said.

Security changes proposed TCAPS evaluates district security policies; Central’s spread-out campus and many entrances prompt proposed security changes, including locking doors

ArtPrize takes over Central

Members of Central’s Art Club are celebrating their ArtPrize ac-complishments. A first-time ever event, the student-led art show displays every art form that can be viewed: jewelry, photography, paintings, drawings and sculptures, in and around Central’s library. Art Club secretary Tori Fisher ‘13 says ArtPrize is an opportunity for all students, not just those involved in the art program. “A lot of kids are intimidated or they can’t take art classes,” Fisher said. “But we have so many artists here, and we want everyone to be recognized and have their artwork displayed.” While ArtPrize Central is a new event at our school, it’s not a new concept in the art world. Central’s Art Club was inspired by the the original ArtPrize held in Grand Rapids, MI, a worldwide competi-tion. “The ArtPrize down in Grand Rapids was pretty cool,” McK-enzie Sanders ‘13, co-leader of Art Club, said. “You get to see so many different types of artwork scattered all around the city. My favorite part was when I got to see the top 10 pieces of art.” At ArtPrize Central, students will have the chance to vote on their favorite piece of art, and a cash prize will be awarded to the first place winner. Graham BeVier ‘14 had his work displayed at the opening night event. His piece depicts a book with a speech bubble con-taining a large picture. “I was reading a really good novel, and it struck me how vivid the image was that the words put in my head,” BeVier said. “I tried to capture that on paper. It represents how the book placed such a unique picture inside my mind’s eye.” Kimmy Zeeryp ‘14 submitted three pieces to this year’s ArtPrize: a clay gnome, a color painting and the mural across from the art room. But her clay gnome, inspired by the movie Gnomeo and Juliet, is the piece that Zeeryp’s most excited to show. “I put so much work into the gnome and he looks so real,” Zeeryp said. “I’m really excited to see the reaction it gets at the ArtPrize.” Christina Karakos ‘13 submitted three photographs: a fast-motion piece, a photo of a pocket watch on a clock face and a portrait of one of her friends. “I want to get my art seen,” Karakos said. “The more people who see your art, the more it is appreciated. Professional photog-raphers will go out looking for a meaning or message behind their

Newsline

For the scoop on head janitor Scott Markle’s art passion and a profile of chess ex-traordinaire David Meyer ’16, turn to page 4.

&2012 MIPA Spartan Award WinnerGold

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

Volume 92 Issue 5March 1, 2013

theBlack

Senate can drive

Student Senate will hold their nonperishable food drive through Mar. 8. It’s a competition between fifth hours, and the top three hours will get a pizza party. Connor Becker ‘13, a student orga-nizer, is excited for the new format. “With the teachers leading it, the students will know about it more and get involved,” Becker said.

The Tro-jan Varsity basketball team faced cross-town rival West Feb. 22. The game ended 54-66, with a Central loss. Tan-ner Kenney ‘14 wasn’t nervous to attempt his jump shot. “I felt confi-dent I was gonna knock it down,” Kenney said. “I’ve been playing for my whole life.” The team will compete Mar. 4 at the first district game, held at West. The losing team will be elimi-nated from post-season play, while the winner will play in the second round of districts. “I’m definitely nervous,” Kenney said, “but I’m pumped for it because we have the opportu-nity to knock them off after losing to them twice in the regular season.”

A first-time event, Art-Prize features top Cen-tral artists. Students will vote for their favorite

Co-leaders Jayme Madison and McKenzie Sanders, both ‘13, hang artwork for ArtPrize. “I think the best part of ArtPrize will be that I get to see other people’s work,” Sanders said.

Photo: A. Hilden

Photo: K. Raymond

Central Liaison Officer Joe Soffredine talks with a student. “I’m con-stantly out looking for any issues,” Soffredine said. “The most impor-tant thing about what I do is keeping the school safe and secure.”

Photo: J. Myers

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: K. Raymond

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o: S

. Hut

chiso

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Photo: S. Hardin

Photo: K. Raymond

Hayley RozemaStaff Reporter

John MinsterStaff Reporter

Photo: K. RaymondPhoto: K. Raymond

DDuring the year 1917, 218 women were arrested for picketing outside the White House, and 97 of those women were sentenced to time in jail; they had to endure squalid conditions, force-feeding, and intense humiliation. But they earned the right to vote. Eighty-three years later, women have again triumphed, now gaining the right to fight. Last January, 230,000 potential Army and Marine infantry positions opened for women, of these, 14,500 are combat roles. In agreement with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the ban preventing women from serving in ground combat. Each branch of the military has until Jan. 2016 to implement this change, but if a certain branch deems that women should be exempt from a particular job, then the branch could appeal to the Secretary of Defense for an exception. Women have been serving in the U.S. military since 1948 as hospital staff, communicators, pilots and in other capacities, yet direct combat was always off limits: infantry, artillery, armor, combat engineers and special opera-tions units. We at the Black and Gold support Panetta’s decision to allow women in combat roles, yet we ex-pect challenges to arise. For women to become completely equal in the military, and specifically in combat roles, there can be no exclu-sions based upon gender pretenses. Not only do individuals entering combat situ-ations risk their own lives, they risk the lives of fellow soldiers. Therefore, requirements for men and women volunteering for combat should be equal and stringent, so there are no weak links, female or male. Currently, requirements for many mili-tary positions are different for men and women; male Marines have a minimum number of pull-ups to complete, while female Marines must perform a “flexed-arm hang” for at least 15 seconds. Because of such differences in physique, it is unclear if women will ever serve in all areas of the military, such as the special forces.

Many male soldiers are reluctant to support assimilating women into combat roles because of physical discrepancies, but also because of the drastic changes in group dynamics. A handful of women amidst a sea of men raises questions: showering, sleeping, changing? Con-ditions in many combat circumstances are less than sanitary, and some worry about pri- vacy issues.

Men who have developed a bond of brother-hood may also feel threatened or disconcerted by females in combat, but the military is no place for gynophobia. The inherent proximity in these close-knit military units alters current norms, and may increase troop-on-troop rape—men reigning in positions of power and prestige, women serving in more menial positions as they gain the experi-ence necessary to succeed. Obscene behavior and male-oriented traditions have created an elevated rape culture in the military, which might be skewed by the influx of more women into this power dynamic. However, the growing pains this change causes will develop the U.S. military into a healthier and more successful in-stitution. This new policy will create hardships, but the female soldiers who persevere will pave the way for generations to come. Improving the avenue of support for female soldiers who have been raped by fellow military personnel is crucial to successfully implement-ing these changes. The military will need to cre-ate stronger support systems for soldiers who have undergone sexual harassment and assault.

The male warrior ethos dominates our mili-tary culture, but as females are promoted to officers and their commission requirements are as rigorous as men, this asymmetry will

soften. The U.S. military is the most tech-nologically advanced institution in the

world. While we know transitional friction is inevitable,

we feel the

military is capable of this mission.

As they have in the U.S. military, women have unofficially and ac-cidentally fought in combat situations all over the world. Until now they have not been given

the credit they deserve. The battle women have fought since the beginning of time isn’t over, but we are one victory closer to equal treatment.

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Feb. 26, 20132 Opinion

Our star spangled culture regards our heroes as demi-gods. We wor-ship them. We are blinded by our expectations of what constitutes a perfect hero. And perfect they must be, no matter the cost, no matter how flawed said hero may actually be. The competitiveness of today’s sports presents an overwhelming pressure to be elite; not just to win, but to always win. In the sports world, our champions can do no wrong. We overlook the horrible things they do off the court and field. When their flaws are exposed, we shun them; he who was a saint, is a sinner. Take golf prodigy Tiger Woods. Nobody could touch his talent. Stories abound of his legendary mental toughness. Off the course he had it all too: the hottest wife, the cutest kids, the fastest of the toys men covet. But Woods wasn’t satisfied. He liked to have sex with lots and lots of women. When exposed, corporate sponsors evapo-rated-all but Nike. We were all so surprised that this icon, the perfect talent with the perfect life could do something so. . . flawed, so human, so, well, lowbrow. Lance Armstrong is only the lat-

est in the pantheon of sports heroes to Fall. Arm-strong, the most decorated cyclist of all time, won seven straight Tour De France titles, beat testicular cancer and founded the Livestrong Cancer Foundation. He was un-touchable. However, Armstrong’s superhu-man physical abilities stretched beyond a natural tenacity to win. He cheated. Despite over a decade of rumors that Lance doped, no one could actually prove it, until the United States Anti Doping Agency released sworn testimony for all to bear witness to Armstrong’s lies. As more evidence came forward, the whole world knew what Arm-strong finally admitted: his long time use of illegal performance enhancing drugs, including blood transfusions. He and members of his team took the drug known as EPO, which increased the red blood cell count in his body, allow-ing oxygen to be distributed easier and improving his endurance.

But his obvious cheating wasn’t what knocked this hero from his pedestal—it was that he ruined people’s

lives. He sued any-one who tried to expose

him. In a twist of irony, Armstrong even required that his team spon-sored by the U.S. Postal Service all undergo doping. That’s Americana for you. Every member of the team “agreed” to dope. Cyclist, Christian Vande Velde was kicked off the team when he refused to continue doping. Armstrong destroyed Velde’s career all because the athlete was not willing to cheat any longer. In 2004, Armstrong sued a British newspaper for calling his cycling performances “posed and answered.” He also demanded that the paper issue a formal apology, which the paper agreed to. Fast for-ward to last Dec. when Armstrong was outed. The paper countersued Armstrong for $1.6 million, more than triple the amount of the origi-nal lawsuit. Some of his former staff and team members are also suing him. What was once gold for Lance, is now lawsuits and shame. Arm-strong has been disgraced, stripped from all of his Tour De France

titles and is being sued to return all his tour prize money, over $12 million. He has also been dropped of all sponsorships. Perhaps the saddest indictment is that Arm-strong’s own cancer foundation severed ties, renaming itself from the Lance Armstrong Foundation to the Livestrong Foundation. The hero is now a pariah. Today, Armstrong is making somewhat of an effort to make amends. He gave a formal apology on national television that was so insincere that even saint-like Oprah called him out on it. Banned from cycling, he is trying to compete as a triathlete. He has already stumbled when the U.S. Anti Doping Agency offered to remove Armstrong’s ban from Olympic sports in exchange for the officials and doctors names who assisted Armstrong with his ugly past. Although this is the per-fect opportunity to redeem himself, he has refused. Armstrong is an incredibly flawed hero, but we must look at him in total. He served as an inspiration for athletes all over the world and should also be remembered for what he did for cancer patients. Armstrong’s ego got him here but his only way out is humility. He may have fallen, but the respect I have for his heroic actions remains.

Armstrong: Cheater and championGarrett KoschStaff Reporter

On the front linesDefense Secretary Panetta’s decision to repeal the ban on female soldiers in combat is a vital step for gender equality. Despite inevitable challenges in army dy-namics, women deserve the right to fight

SAM GORDON It is not too often do you see a girl geared up to play under the Friday night lights, and it is even rarer to see her playing any position except kicker. But last football season, nine year old Sam Gordon shocked the sports world with her outstanding performance as a starting quarterback in her Pop-Warner tackle league. Gordon notched 1,911 yards with 8.2 yards per carry, scored 35 touchdowns. On the other side of the line, she had 65 tackles. And this isn’t just a case of speed and agil-ity—Gordon also takes and gives hits. Notwithstanding her skills, Gordon has done what few women have the courage to do: put themselves in the athletic spotlight. Let’s face it, athletics just isn’t a very girly thing to do—you sweat, you bleed, and you risk chipping a perfectly manicured nail or be-ing unable to wear those perfect stiletto heels. It’s girls like Gordon who made Title XI hap-pen, opening doors to women in sports. Girls who most days would rather be covered in mud than in makeup and who want to explore different interests than their grandmothers. But the perks of a football helmet? No one recognizes Gordon out of uniform or can even tell she’s a girl on the field. Gordon says her football is like living two lives: “It’s like I’m Hannah Montana. When I wear this jersey, people know who I am. But if I take it off, nobody knows who I am. It’s like a magic trick.” Gordon is living the life every little girl dreams of. She is simultaneously beating up on the boys and playing with her Barbies. If that’s not having it all, I don’t know what is. For her fortitude under the bright lights, liv-ing her “double life,” and handing out hits to the boys, take heed of Miss Sam Gordon.

BEYONCÉ GISELLE KNOWLES“Excellence must be pursued, it must be wooed with all of one’s might,” the late, legendary Green Bay Packer Coach Vince Lombardi boomed through the cavernous Su-perdome at the beginning of the Super Bowl halftime performance. With that, Beyoncé sang the chilling opening notes of “Love On Top,” kicking off a performance that exemplified Lombardi’s quote and proved that she belonged at the Superbowl as America’s preeminent pop icon. Beyoncé, or Beyoncé Giselle Knowles, has been hailed as one of the all-time best performers. She dominates the stage with the help of her all-female ensemble. Beyoncé’s tunes like “Run the World (Girls)” shout about the dynamism of women, but no such overt exclamation was needed at her Super Bowl performance—the purely powerful dancing, singing, walking, posing and hair-flipping evidenced her strength. Beyoncé’s performance perfection has fans referring to her as “the Queen.” Her incred-ible work ethic has reached royal proportion, having won 17 Grammys and 184 total music awards. Her success has been gradual; strut-ting into the Superdome took years of sweat and discipline. And she has continued her up-ward climb with a swift post-pregnancy return to the stage while parenting new daughter Blue Ivy Carter. Juggling dance rehearsals, vocal practice, and show production while raising a new daughter takes a special kind of talent, but Beyonce executes flawlessly. While some may deride Beyoncé as just a glory-seeker, she knows what she wants and how to get it, something that women are constantly criticized for. Since she was just eight, she’s honed her incredible talent. For her powerful stage persona, legendary danc-ing, and unfaltering confidence, take heed of Queen Beyoncé.

Miranda WinowieckiEditor-in-Chief and Sports Editor

Katie StantonEditor-in-Chief and News Editor

We look up to the brave, intel-ligent and independent think-ers of the fairer sex. We high-light those special ladies here

Graphic: A. Korson

“It’s good that they lifted the ban. We have fought so long for this and it shows that we finally have the equality we need.”

-Maddie Sanderson ‘15

“Women have every right that a man does. They shouldn’t be judged any differently. I think every-body has the same rights.”

-Alex Sholten ‘14

“I think women should have the right to be in combat. How we’ve advanced as a culture, it’s good to have the change.”

-Hannah Randall ‘13

“If women want to serve in the military, they should have every right to. Women soldiers can do every-thing a man can do.”

-Drew Mayo ‘13

Graphic: A

. Korson

Photo: K. Raymond Photo: K. Raymond Photo: K. Raymond Photo: K. Raymond

Graphic: A. Korson

Graphic: A. Korson

Graphic: I. Baillie

Editors-in-ChiefKatie StantonMiranda Winowiecki

News EditorKatie Stanton

Opinion EditorIvy Baillie

Feature EditorLia Williams

A&E EditorsDavid ReinkeBryton Lutes

Sports EditorMiranda Winowiecki

Leek EditorsScott HardinJake Myers

Business ManagerBryton Lutes

Packaging EditorsSophie HutchisonFiona Muha

Photo EditorsAutumn HildenKatie Raymond

Graphics EditorNick Mulvaine

Illustration EditorAlex Korson

Staff ReportersMady BaschTyger BellEmma CaldwellKory ColeJeff Comerford

Hunter KellyGarrett KoschErin LippMaddi MillerJohn MinsterAlec ReznichPatrizia RietmannHayley RozemaIsabel SchulerAllison TaphouseJulian VandenbergMarc Weber

the B

lack &

Gold Some corrections

-We misspelled Derek Schrank’s ‘14 name on the Sports page-We did not identify Haley Stoops ‘15 on the Photography page-We accidentally removed a portion of a sentence in the Our View

Shoot us an email at theblackandgold.opinion@gmail.com or drop off a letter to the editor in room F-158

TA&E 3Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 1, 2013

Music: “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)” by Fall Out Boy

As a teaser for their new album Save Rock and Roll, Fall Out Boy has revoked their hiatus with their edgiest single, “My Song Knows What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘Em Up).” The emo/pop-punk quartet’s new sound presents the question of how lead singer Pat-rick Stump’s vocal range has climbed so many octaves since their alleged hiatus. Fall Out Boy’s first single since 2009 may have an angsty title with matching lyr-ics, but Stump’s vocals in the chorus sound like a Kiss concert set on fire. B

ReviewsMovie: Side Effects Side Effects is a convincing psychological thriller telling the story of a woman pre-

scribed antidepressant drugs that may (or may not?) have lethal consequences. Powerful performances from Jude Law and Rooney Mara present a solid piece of moviemaking that indulges on the intellectual facets of the subject matter. While the audience may become overwhelmed by the intertwined angles, the time-ticking Side Effects presents numerous jaw drop-ping thrills. With respect to the grounded characters, it delivers a deeper psychological punch with twists and scandalous plotlines stronger than the trailers depict. A-

TV: The Walking DeadTribalism is a central theme in Walking Dead’s revolutionary third season with some ghostly

undertones. No longer a survival-based storyline, season three clashes two testosterone fueled groups against each other, battling in a post-apocalyptic world of zombies, which therein lies the stalemate. What Walking Dead continually does well is find the key balance of character-focused drama and zombie slaying violence that engages us into a world where one man’s survival is dependent on another man’s resources. The ghost apparent in the second half of the season, however, alters the genre of AMC’s groundbreaking TV show from zombie horror to supernatural. A-

We give you our expertise on the latest in entertainment. Starting with reviews (the good and the bad) and finishing with rec-ommendations

RecommendationsMovie: Warm BodiesThe love story of “R” who falls in love with a post-apocalyptic survivalist named Julie is

subtly hilarious. There’s just something crazy-funny about giving context to a “R’s” life as a zombie. It may be the absurdity of this creature--why do you walk so slow, Mr. Zombie? Or it might even be the quite literal aspect of “life-after-death”--what are you gonna do today, Mr. Zombie? Either way, Warm Bodies executes the scenario like a zombie executes a human: with brains. The film spews the message that love cures all ailments. . . even death. Cheesy? Yes, but poetic nonetheless. However, the film is just as much a satire of zombie films as it is a dizzying romance. Theater-goers chortle at the off-putting sight of “R” eating brains for a midnight snack. It should really gross the audience out, but in its context, there’s nothing left to do but giggle with the rest of them.

TV: PortlandiaSaturday Night Live’s resident hipster, Fred Armisen, brings a lot to the table on this

sketch comedy show. Having the qualities of a young hippie means he can connect to a larger crowd of young people. But there’s more to Armisen then Roy Orbison-esk shades, retail shop pants and a degree in hipster know-how. His comedic abilities are both physically and mentally mind-boggling to witness--he deadpans with the solidity of a cat and writes sketches like a male Tina Fey. The show itself feels like a cross between a series of city-funded commercials for the Portland locale (albeit with better production quality) and those privately entertaining videos we’ve all spent an afternoon at our friend’s house making. Just splen-did TV. Ultimately, coupling Armisen and a savvy-er version of sketch comedy was one of the greatest formulas ever. It created Portlandia for gosh sake.

Music: We Are the 21st Century Ambassa-dors of Peace & Magic by FoxygenThis psychedelic schizoid freak-out of an

album is best described as lightning in a bottle, but only because it sounds like vocalist Sam France took a swig from said bottle, and, while posing like one of those angel-baby fountains, spat the thunder into the record. He then tossed the still crackling bottle to instrumentalist Jonathan Rado who whipped up some funky, fresh diddie with it. That’s the sort of picture painted in the wonderful absurdity that is Ambassadors. Otherwise, the hackneyed term “lightning in a bottle” just doesn’t apply-- the duo is anything but trite on their funky acid throwback to the late 60’s/early 70’s rock era. Everything on it is worth a listen. “On Blue Mountain” is the most successful song of 2013, thus far, to elicit such an intense case of head bob-and-sway. And “San Francisco,” a slip-and-slide through West-coast Candyland, softly coos a melodious mes-sage of lost love. It’s a gas.

All Graphics: N. Mulvaine

Bryton LutesA&E and Business Editor

David ReinkeA&E Editor

Central’s snapshotsStudents have submitted their own array of artistic photographs for the annual TC photo contest. Four of those students talk about their photos

The rain falls steadily. For Nina Karakos ‘13, this is an opportune moment. Soon a single water droplet is frozen in time. Her hand steady, she snaps the shutter, capturing the serene scene. “It took a lot of patience and a lot of experimenting to get this picture,” Karakos said. Finding the perfect picture is not always an easy process. But before the official judges see anything, the artists have to do some judging. “I went through around two hundred pictures,” Olsen said, “and it took me a couple days to pick out the three to submit.” Photography teacher Jamie Sandy has done more than advise student com-petitors on their submissions; she also facilitates the contest at Central. “Ms. Sandy helped a lot,” Olsen said. “She really has a good eye. I’m confident in her.” All the contestants submitted photos for their own reasons. Sometimes it’s the way the photo makes that photographer feel; other time it’s the story behind the photograph. For Melissa Lance ‘16, it was the location. “I took a trip to Costa Rica,” Lance said. “I wanted to capture the country’s beauty and I wanted people to see what I saw.” Others simply capture a photo without an underlying meaning. “I don’t really look for the meaning when I take pictures,” Karakos, last year’s first place winner, said. “I just look for what I think people will like the most.” The photos are submitted digitally to the judges, who then proceed to score them among four categories: macro, ac-tion, landscape/waterscape/architecture and photographer’s choice. The photos go through six judges in all. Two “yes” votes allow a photo to move on. The judges then use a point scale to rank photos and pick the winning piece. “When I submitted, I wasn’t expect-ing to win,” Lance said. “I submitted my photos for the experience.” When compared to four hundred other photos, the selection process can seem daunting. To some, the competi-tion is about publicity. To others, it’s just for the fun of the competition. “I’ve never been in an art competition before,” Olsen said. “I figured it would be a good way to get my work out there and maybe win a cool prize. This way I can also judge how well I can do in future competitions.”

Christina Karakos ‘13

Chip Johannessen of HomelandAn inside look at the Homeland writer/producer’s lifeHow important is cooperation between the writers of Homeland? “We do all the story stuff together as a group and there are five of us. We pitch out all the scenes together. There are certain things that people either prefer to do or maybe are a little better at. Henry Bromell has done a lot of inter-rogation type stuff. I, for some reason, have become like the action guy. I’m not sure why, I just do a lot of that stuff.”What are your views on writing for TV? Do you recommend it as a career choice? “At one point my position was just not really

writing, so if you’d asked me five years ago I would have said ‘don’t do it. It’s dying. It’s a dinosaur thing,’ and I feel totally different about it now. ‘Writing’ is trying to figure out what it is going to be right now, it’s a really vibrant thing right now. If it’s writing for TV, I would move to L.A because you kind of have to do that. It’s sort of... the town. Just go out there and start doing stuff.”Did you know Homeland was going to turn into this successful show? “We were by no means convinced it would have this kind of zeitgeisty quality that turned out. Homeland is a very mixed bag it seems.”

Emily Cain ‘13 Anders Olsen ‘14

Melissa Lance ‘16

Photo: A. Hilden

Jeff Comerford,Julian VandenbergStaff Reporters

“The category was close up and the photo shows close detail of the sparklers which you usually can’t see. People were playing with them and I thought it was pretty so I started taking photos. I thought it would be good in that cat-egory.”

“This photo is titled with a Costa Rican saying which means ‘to live a pure life.’ It’s of waves crashing off the shores of Dominical, with a local fishing boat in the

background. I had to adjust the lighting and shutter speed so it could take in the colors and natural light.”

“I was down by the Boardman River, down by the bank, and it was the middle of winter and there were still some ducks. The ducks started following me. They got really close, to the point I could touch them. I thought it would make a really good photo.”

“It’s got a raw expres-sion on my cousin’s face. His face is really intense which makes it an intense picture. You see the deep blue water around him and

combining that with his expression is really powerful. He’s younger so it’s like boyhood, in the prime of childhood.”

Photo: A. Hilden

Photo: A. Hilden

Photo: A. Hilden

Photo: A. Hilden

Most writers dream of becoming a celebrated author; they aspire to have their works read by a wide audience and to be hailed by literary critics. They want their novels to reach the top of the best seller list, and they want their articles reprinted in scholarly journals and literary publications. They want success. However, National Writers Series (NWS) guest author Chip Johannessen, writer and producer of TV’s Homeland, advised the students to forsake their venture for glory. Jo-hannessen’s writing career arose from a simple, honest need for money. “After my rock band broke up I needed something to do,” Johannessen said, “so I started writing specks for TV shows in the hopes that a network would buy them.” His career as a writer blossomed after he started writing specks, which are pilots for TV series. Although he says he didn’t seek it, Johannessen found his way to the top anyway: Homeland is an Emmy Award winning series. Johannessen came to the Opera House as a

guest to speak about his success as an author and producer. “My favorite part of writing is the first draft,” Johannessen said. “Writing a script takes about 10 days, but I spend too much time rewriting and revising.” NWS Founder Doug Stanton said writing is a foundation of a good education. “Students should see that Chip and his team are engaged with the world and at the same time, are mak-ing a television show,” Stanton said. NWS hosts internationally acclaimed au-thors to the community for a very low cost to anyone hoping to hear them speak about their stories, the process of writing, and publish-ing. In addition to Johannessen, NWS has hosted many successful authors such as Lee Childs, Maggie Stiefvater, Elmore Leonard and Michael Delp, some of whom have spoken to students of Front Street Writers (FSW). Most NWS events are at the Opera House. FSW student Susan Roskelley ‘13 was in-spired by Lee Childs. “I learned that I should be confident in my own writing. You have to write for yourself, and not let others get you down.” Meg Caldwell ‘14 has attended multiple NWS

events since she joined FSW, and as a result, has heard from many interesting authors. “I’ve learned a lot of techniques from the authors,” Caldwell said. “Michael Delp kept telling us ‘write for yourself, don’t write for anyone else.’” Maggie Stiefvater remains the favorite guest author for most FSW students. Stiefvater shared her new book The Raven Boys and explained her writing techniques. FSW student Clara Trippe ‘14 saw her last Sept. and was inspired. “Every writer has a complex where they absolutely hate their draft, or want to delete it, pronto,” Trippe said. “Hearing that success-ful writers also have that makes me feel a lot better. I have learned that there is no right way to write, which is really freeing and encourages me to take more risks.” FSW students have gained skills from NWS authors. “It’s really important that students write,” Stanton said. “It’s a number one skill that will serve them in their work life and cre-ative life. The liberal arts are building blocks for a creative life, hearing someone say they could make a living off of writing fiction is inspiring to students.”

NWS brings writing to Traverse CityThe National Writers Series introduces celebrated authors to crowds-upon-crowds of literature-hungry Traverse natives. Students are able to apply these words of wisdom to their own writing

Isabel SchulerStaff Reporter

A

After three grueling hours of play, to keep his adrenaline in check, David Meyer ‘16 takes a deep breath and scans the board for a winning move. Then he spots a fatal error in his opponent’s strategy... Bishop to f4. “Checkmate.” “I feel smart when I beat someone. I feel like I’ve outthought them,” Mey-er said. “There’s an immense amount of satisfaction when I win.” At only 14, Meyer has won numer-ous awards and is one of the few youth chess players representing Traverse City in tournaments. His more prestigious awards include first place at the Michigan Bottom-Half Class tournament in his section. He dominated at the UP Open, where

he won his division, was highest scoring junior player and tied for third overall. He’s now ranked seventh in western MI, and may be competing nationally at the U.S. Open later this year. Meyer not only excels at competitions, but is also the top chess player within his family, where the game has been passed down from his grandfather. “When my dad learned, it took him thirty years of practice every night before he was able to beat my grandpa,” Meyer said, “but I beat my grandpa for the first time when I was nine.” The Meyers call their chess talent “seeing the board.” They envision possible moves before they play them, which gives them a strategic advantage. “It’s either you see the board or you don’t,” Meyer said, “and we’ve always been able to see the board really well. It’s made chess enjoyable, and it’s turned it into a family tradition. At reunions, we all get together and play chess.” Meyer spends much of his time playing in tournaments. Chess players who take part in official tournaments are ranked by a point

system that scales to 3000. Competitors gain more points when they play someone with a higher score and win than when they beat someone with a lower score. One of Meyer’s favorite chess games was when he managed to “draw” (tie) his opponent, who had a nearly 1000 point advantage. “That’s a game I was winning all throughout,” he said. “It’s not like he just screwed up at the last minute. I just outplayed him.” Even though Meyer didn’t win, he still remembers the game as one of his most successful moments. “Sometimes I’ll play a really strong player, and I’ll lose,” he said. “If I gave him a good game, it feels better than beating a player who I know I can beat anyhow.” Meyer consumes strategic chess knowledge like fire burning gasoline. For fun he’ll even play multiple people at once. The top three winners of Central’s chess tournament will have the oppor-tunity to play Meyer in the “finals.” Meyer has continued to push his sublime chess playing. “I probably put more pressure on myself then I should, espe-cially when I’m playing a tournament,” he said. “I feel like I have something to prove.” It’s taken Meyer 10 years to reach his current skill level. As part of his training, he practices an hour a day. He also works with two different chess coaches every week and participates in a tourna-ment once a month. On top of all this, Meyer is now the leader of Central’s own Chess Club that he began earlier this year, which he spends an additional three hours a week running. “It’s a chance to be with peers. It’s fun and I learn from teach-ing,” Meyer said. “Anything involving chess, whether it’s teaching or playing, is going to help me.” Club meetings aren’t just a time for fun or an opportunity for Meyer to pass on his skills to clubmates, though. Most state level players live downstate, making it difficult for northerners to com-pete, so Meyer hopes to create a stronger local chess community. “I want to prove that we can play chess too,” Meyer said. “It’s not just for big cities. They (southern MI cities) say ‘Oh yeah, northern chess is kind of a joke,’ but it’s always fun to play them and beat them. Then they sort of change their minds.”

Chess is more than a mission, though; he’s cultivated skills he will use the rest of his life: stamina and concentration. Meyer is capable of holding his focus for extended periods--five hours is his personal record of consecutive play. “It’s really hard to just sit all that time,” Meyer said. “You’re so pumped up and excited that sometimes you just have to take a breath, get up, maybe look at some other games, and try to calm yourself down. Because it’s just really intense.” Presently, Meyer is making plans to tutor kids in chess over the summer, and he may be assisting in an NMC “College for Kids” course. Despite Meyer’s significant investment in chess, he doesn’t plan to make a career out of it. But he knows he’ll be playing the rest of his life. Meyer’s main motivation is quite simple--he loves it. “I just enjoy it, every part of it,” Meyer said, “I enjoy the competition. I enjoy it for the sake of the game. I love it, and it’s my passion.”

After a long week of scrubbing makeup off bathroom walls and vacuuming pencil shav-ings Scott Markle, Central’s lead janitor, dips his paintbrush in a pallet of acrylic paints to create a masterpiece of emotion and color. “Art interests me because it is so powerful,” Markle said. “One person is able to communi-cate emotions and feelings to another person through their paintings.” Markle’s workday starts at 6:00 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m., or later. His art remains his passion, but has become more of a hobby for weekends. Markle’s paintings are created in a spare bed-room in his basement, dedicated half to his art, and half to his musical background. “I like having my music and art in the same room,” Markle said. “That way, if I get upset with either my art or music, I can just switch over to the other.” Markle practiced music professionally in a band a few years after high school, until he broke his wrist. “I played mostly guitars and bass,” Markle said. “I also play keyboards, drums, and I used to play a little trumpet and clarinet. I have an electric and acoustic guitar, and a keyboard in my room downstairs. It’s a mess down there.” After discovering his interest in music, Markle got hooked on art. Since then, his art has evolved in its coloring techniques and emotions. “Color is just so unbelievably expressive,” Markle said. “When you put colors side-by-side, they react in a certain way that can bring out a certain emotional feel. The shades you use have the ability to completely change the emotions of your painting.” Most of Markle’s paintings are landscapes and portraits, but he models some from photo-graphs, magazines, and even his imagination. “I don’t do portraits very often because they are extremely challenging and take a lot of time,” Markle said. “However, I like coming to the fin-ished product and seeing all of my work on the canvas. The end result is worth it, it’s just very hard to get there.” The hardest painting Markle has ever done is a painting of a river. “It’s a painting of movement within a still pic-ture,” Markle said. “It was mostly midtones, and finding a good contrast between those colors that still makes the painting have the right emo-tions, without the colors just turning to mud, was very difficult.” The two paintings Markle is most proud of is a lighthouse at St. Joseph Harbor in the winter, and a black and white portrait of a girl. “They just came out exactly as I wanted, and have a lot of emotion in them,” Markle said. The emotion that Markle evokes in his paintings is a transcendent process. “It depends on the painting, and it depends on the mood I’m in,” Markle said. “I don’t go out and try to find something to match my mood, I just try to bring out the emotion that I feel towards the landscape or painting.” Eliciting what Markle refers to as “emotional feel” in his paintings is not easy, though. The most frustrating part of creation is when he is not able to achieve his desired outcome. “I have the exact idea in my head, I know the emotion and the feel I want, but I just can’t get there,” Markle said. “When I absolutely know that I won’t be able to get there, I start a little fire in my backyard and toss it in there, as a sort of emotional release. Occasionally, I’ll try the same thing again a year later, and see if I can get it then.”

Markle takes anywhere from two weeks to a year, between 24-40 hours to complete a painting. He also does small woodwork such as mini-tables, game boards, wooden clocks and plant stands. However, in past years he has strayed away from woodworking because preparing and carving the wood is very time consuming. “I’ve always been involved in woodwork to some degree,” Markle said. “I started taking woodshop classes in school, worked in construc-tion for a while, and when I moved into my

house I got really into rustic furniture because I had no furniture. One day after I’d moved in, a storm knocked down a big tree across my driveway, so I thought ‘okay, let’s see what I can do with this.’” Markle’s paintings are showcased in three gal-leries and various craft shows. Prices range from $350-$950. He’s sold paintings to friends for around $50-$90. He sells roughly a third of his work, keeps a third, and gives away a third. Despite the long hours at work and the chal-lenge of conveying the right emotions, Markle

will pursue his passion as long as he has some spare brushes and some inspiration. “I’d like to say I sell my art in order to spread it, which I do, but really it’s just to keep being able to buy paint and keep making art,” Markle said. “If I were to stop selling my art, I’d just have to find a cheaper medium. I’d probably go to chalk drawings. You can buy a box of Crayola chalk for two dollars.”

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 1, 20134ProfilesAn original ‘Markle’ masterpiece

Central has found its own Bobby FischerEmma CaldwellStaff Reporter

Head janitor Scott Markle reveals his hidden passion for the arts

Markle’s painting shows a logging road on the upper peninsula. “I was dating some-one when I painted it. She and I used to go up there together in the summer, and the painting reminds me of her,” Markle said. “I still go up there at least once a year during summer. I get in the truck with some sandwiches and start following old roads.”

Markle made a phone stand he keeps in his kitchen. “I needed a place to keep my old fashioned landline phone,” Markle said. “I keep my phone book and answering machine on the bot-tom.”

Left: One of Markle’s most unique woodworks is the carved wood clock in his bedroom. The left clock is constructed of walnut wood and tells the hour, while the right side, con-structed of catalpa wood, tells the minutes. “I tried to do a clock because I had two small pieces of wood left, and they were too cool to throw away,” Markle said. “Also, a circular clock is no fun. I wanted a different clock than what everybody else has.”

Markle created this painting by putting two different scenes of the same mountain together. “I enjoy painting landscapes because there is an infinite variety of landscapes out there,” Markle said. “You could paint the same thing every season and it would look like a completely different painting each time. There’s always something different.”

In 2007 Meyer participated in the Ludington Elementary chess tour-nament—his first chess tournament ever. “I was pretty ner-vous,” he said, “but I played well and won first place.”

Photo: courtesy of David Meyer

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: A. Hilden

Left: The river painting is the hardest paint-ing Markle has ever done, due to color contrast. “I did that same painting three times on the same canvas until I got it just right,” Markle said. After his second time revising the paint-ing he entered it in an art contest at NMC.

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: S. Hutchison

Maddi MillerStaff Reporter

Chess savant David Meyer ‘16 has started a Central chess community

Photo: K. Raymond

BNC Rank: Boys: 2nd place; Girls: 2nd placeRecord: Boys: 9-3; Girls: 7-5Coach: Jim OrrCaptains: Brad Wozniak ‘14, Samantha Mosley ‘13

“We had a very young team this year. We’re doing bet-ter this year than I thought, considering we have a lot of young bowlers.” -Head Coach Jim Orr

“Being the fact that I’m the oldest member on the team, I’ve kind of been designated as the captain and have been trying to lead the younger bowlers and keep the motivation alive while we’re sitting at the table waiting for our next shot.” -Brad Wozniak ‘14

Winter Sports 5Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 1, 2013

Girls Basketball

Wrestling

Girls Downhill Skiing

Girls Cross Country Skiing

Boys Downhill Skiing

Boys Cross Country Skiing

Bowling

Shannon Weaver ‘13 looks ahead to position herself up for the next gate at the Traverse City West Invitational at Crystal Mountain. Weaver finished sec-ond in both giant slalom and slalom at the invitational. “I got a little late on the turn that went over the knoll,” Weaver said. “Overall I still made it through the course pretty fast though.”

Weaving through other racers at the State Championship sprint races is Kyle Dotterrer ‘14, who finished eighth overall in the event. “I was feeling pretty good at States,” Dotterrer said. “I was actually questioning whether I was go-ing to ski at the beginning of the year, I could hardly stand up on skis.”

Kurt Frick ‘14 at-tacks a gate in giant slalom at the Traverse City West Invitational at Crystal Moun-tain. “Round-ing a gate is really hard to do. Skiing is the most techni-cal sport in the world,” Frick said. “People underestimate how complex it is. The margin between finish-ing places can be hundredths of a second.”

The Trojan bowling team had its dynamics change this year with many new faces on the lanes. “We had an exchange student on the team, Patrizia Rietmann, so that was new for all of us. We got a lot of other new kids as well this year, and we just had a lot of energy this year,” Lexie Penney ‘14 said. Both the boys and girls team finished second in the Big North Conference (boys team pictured).

Miranda Winowiecki, Jake Myers, Mady Basch, Jeff Comerford, Erin LippEditor-in-Chief and Sports Editor, Leek Editor, Staff Reporters

Hockey

Cooper Marshall ‘15 defends the puck against a West player in their first match up. “I thought that we really came through when we needed to just by making the smart and safe plays not just throwing it in the middle and letting their team get it,” Marshall said. The Trojans have taken the Big North Championship the past two years.

Record*: 23-3BNC Rank: 1st placeCoach: Chris GivensCaptains: Cooper Macdonell, Billy Vermentten, Michell Ward, all ‘13

“We’ve improved a lot throughout the season. We have some new guys and some young players that have gotten up to speed and made some good contributions. We have a lot of depth so we try to spread out the scoring and get a lot of good shifts from those guys.” -Head Coach Chris Givens

“My favorite game was against Saginaw Heritage during the Holi-day Tournament. I made my first varsity goal to make the score one to zero. It was a really fun, exciting, and action-packed game. Our communication on the court was good with the leadership from our captains. We’re always working together.” - Buddy Rose ‘14

Record*: 5-14BNC Rank: 5th placeCoach: Ryan KnudsenCaptains: Madi Bankey ‘13, Taylor Cobb ‘14

“There was one game this season where everything just clicked and they were unstoppable. When I say clicked, I mean the timing of pass-es was correct, they set good screens that the opponents couldn’t get through which gave them the opportunity to shoot, and they just took care of the ball and didn’t turn it over.” - Assistant Coach Pat Rutt

“We conquered most of our goals throughout the season as a team. Our goals were to get our free throw percentage up, not have as many turnovers, and to communicate better on the floor, all of which we did.” - Jesse Hiemstra ‘16

State Rank: 3rd placeCoach: John KostrzewaCaptain: Lauren Pflughoeft ‘13

“We see all of the fastest racers in Michigan at States, so there’s no room for error. It makes the whole weekend exciting. Two hundredths of a second can make the difference between whether you qualify for finals in the sprints or not. Everything we do is to prepare for states, the wax has to be perfect, the course is like a World Cup course, and the organiza-tion is like the World Cup, there are no flaws.” - Head Coach John Kostrzewa

“The season went pretty well. We all struggled with some weird weather and tough conditions in the be-ginning, but I felt stronger as the season went on, and everyone kept improving.”- Lauren Pflughoeft ‘13

BNC Rank: 1st placeState Rank: 1st placeCoach: Jerry Stanek Captain: Paige Pfannenstiel ‘13

“It comes down to the con-ditions that are on the hill. Whether it be soft or hard snow, our strategy is making sure our team knows what to do to finish races. All the kids race and we have to have good results from them and if we do as a team we are going to do well.” - Head Coach Jerry Stanek

“This year our team re-ally worked more as a team instead of working more individually like we did last year. Getting four good runs down helped and not trying to win it with just one person.” -Devon Dotterrer ‘14

BNC Rank: 6th placeRecord: 3-12Coach: Dave Haughn Captains: Josiah Lopez-Wild, Sean Monnier both ‘14, Justice Korson ‘15

“Last year when I took over the team, I had a bunch of first-years. This year, I only had a couple of guys who had never wrestled before, and the tables really changed. The guys really picked up wrestling faster this year than they did last year. It was a nice going season this year. I really feel that while we made great strength this year, it will be even better next year.” -Head Coach Dave Haughn

“The event of the season was our individual home tournament because a lot of schools came and we put up a good fight. We showed them it was our territory and our turf.” -Tyler Westenbarger ‘16

BNC Rank: 4th placeState Rank: 3rd placeCoach: Jerry StanekCaptain: Kalvis Hornburg ‘13

“Even though the guys came in third this year, their greatest race had to be States. They brought their all. There wasn’t any-thing they were looking back on.” - Assistant Coach Nick Stanek

“I helped our team this year and a lot of our varsity team went out to a fall camp at Copper Mountain. We also practiced on more courses with hard turns, rather than straight runs. It challenged us tech-nically, so we had the ability to do those kind of turns in races.” -Tyler Sepanik ‘15

State Rank: 3rd placeCoach: John KostrzewaCaptain: Andrew Bruning ‘13“I was really happy about our overall progress this year. We worked a lot more on technique this season and it really showed at States. There were a lot of great performances, and some people’s best race. I’m hoping a lot of skiers come back next year, I don’t think a lot of them know how good of skiers they could be.” -Assistant Coach Eric Okerstrom

“I have been skiing most of my life in Norway, but I stopped racing three years ago. I was really happy racing in America because it was easier so my rank got better. The skiers here are good, but they are not Norwegians.” -Eivind Kragebakk ‘13

Boys BasketballRecord*: 5-14BNC Rank: 5th placeCoach: Jeff TurnerCaptains: Taylor Cook, Colin Lesoski, Ethan Pilarski all ’13

“A highlight of the season so far is beating Petoskey. At the time they were first in the league, only had one loss and they have been the dominant team in the league for the past four years. We won in a dramatic fashion when Ethan Pilar-ski made a shot at the buzzer.” -Head Coach Jeff Turner

“We went to Bay City Western on their senior night, so they were all pumped and ready to win, but then we won. Their student section was so annoying also, so that made me want to win even more.” -Charlie Long ‘14

Ethan Pilarski ‘13 battles in the second Central vs. West matchup. Although it ended in a loss, the team worked well together on the court. “It’s really loud in there so you have to rely on hand signals,” Pilarski said. “That’s a big part of a good defense is to have good hand signals. We started out well with that, but near the end of the game communica-tion wasn’t so good.”

Abigail Underwood ‘14 runs with the ball as number 23 of West chases. “This was a very emotional game. We all wanted to win since it was one of our team-mates last games because she needed surgery,” Underwood said. “We gave it our all, but I still think we could’ve won if we had more time.”

Hannah Davis ‘14 leads her heat in the skate sprints in Ishpeming, MI. After the final heat, Davis finished eighth overall, the second skier for Central. “I did well on the uphills with technique and catching people,” Davis said, “but I could have improved upon racing and pushing myself when there was no one around me.”

David Matteson ‘16 battles West opponent during the Central vs. West dual meet. Matteson is a first-year wrestler who de-cided to try wrestling for a new sport this year. “It was fun because it’s a different sport that I haven’t done before,” Mat-teson said. “I made a lot of new friends on the team.”

Photo: S. Hardin

Photo: S. Hutchison

Photo: J. Myers

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: courtesy of J. Cockfield

Photo: M. Caldwell

Photo: S. Hutchison

Photo: J. Myers

Photo: courtesy of J. Cockfield

*Indicates record as of 2/27/13 Graphics: N. Mulvaine

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 1, 20136Relationships

High school relationships fade almost as fast as they started. For some though, it’s more than that. They’re in-separable best friendsMadison Bankey & Colin Lesoski ‘13

CLASSY VS. TRASHY Highschoolsweethearts

Jalyna Cisneros & Brady Versluis ‘14

The horror of a bad date

There’s a fine line between looking classy and looking straight up trashy. Central students explain the very important differences be-tween class and trash

Katie Wheeler & Jordan Lutz ‘13

First dates are almost predictably bad. But for some are much worse than others. Some of the teachers at Central have had their fair share of bad dates and lucky enough we’ve uncovered a few of their chilling tales

Ben Berger“I was a junior in high school and it was towards the end of the year. The girl I was after was a smokin’ hot senior and I pined after her. I went to her senior open house. So she gets a Moped for a gift and everyone’s riding it. She started pressuring me to ride it, it catches wind and everyone is like, ‘Ben, yeah! You gotta ride it.’ I hopped on the back when she was riding, so I decided to give it a go after. I start go-ing faster down the peninsula and I’m like, oh this is easy. I gotta impress her. I gotta impress someone. So, there’s cars double parked on the road. I started honking the annoying little horn on the Moped and wave. When I put my arm back down I reved the clutch and the thing flies out from underneath me, hits the back of a Jeep, dents the Jeep and it just keeps running under the Jeep, gas leaking everywhere. Mean-while, I superman, slide across the road. It’s one of those moments where it’s dead silent because, like, no one knows if I’m hurt or not. The only thing you could hear were the wheels still spinning. She never did talk to me again after that.”

Becky Rankens“This guy I dated once had me drive six hours to his house in the UP. As I pull into his driveway, he is pulling out and he rolls down his window and says ‘I have to go take a shower at the park, my pony is down the road if you’d like to go find him.’ So, I was like ‘yeah, okay.’ How do you get a pony to follow you? It’s not a joke, you can’t. At this point I’m already thinking I wanna go home and it’s been about 10 minutes. So he shows me the living room. Normal. Kitchen, normal. Then he won’t let me see the rest of the house because, although he has known for weeks that I’m coming, he has not cleaned, and is embar-rassed to show me the house. I ask can I use the bathroom? and I’m sitting on the toilet and I’m like, do I see toys in this man’s bathtub? I stand up and pull back the curtain and see that is bathtub is full, to the top, of dirty dishes soaking in water. I left early.”

“For girls, it’s defi-nitely their walk. It’s most attractive when their head is held up with a dis-

tant look on their face, like a su-permodel kind of thing, with a little attitude. When girls try really hard to be slutty it’s unattractive. This consists of low shirts and bending over.”-Jackson Sch-

rameyer ‘16

“We met in seventh grade and were kind of friends and then in ninth grade we started talking more and got to really know each other,” Jordan Lutz ‘13 said. “When we started to hangout out of school more, I realized that she was really cool and wanted to get to know her better. I’m so glad I did because now we’ve been together for three years and one month. When I’m with her I act the same way I act when I’m with my close friends, which is a great feeling ‘cuz it’s not everyday that you can find a girl that you can have that feeling with. She’s a nice and friendly person and very outgoing. It just feels so good to be with her.”

“I feel like Brady and I are mature and we understand each other, and we clicked right from the start,” Jalyna Cisneros ‘14 said. “We started hanging out more in eighth grade, and that’s when we started dating. We’ve been growing up with each other, and experienced a lot of firsts together. He is very polite, and really caring. He’s so patient with me, which is key. He is so sweet overall. It has been four years recently, actually, Valen-tines Day.”

“There are too many things that I like about her. She is a strong, resilient person and is a hard worker all the time,” Colin Lesoski ‘13 said. “We’ve always just gotten closer and closer instead of further and further apart, like some people. Everyday, it just keeps on growing. We just see eye-to-eye on so many different levels. We really get along and don’t get in many fights. A lot of our opinions are the same and we just always have a good time when we are together.”

“Overconfidence is super unat-tractive. Confi-dence is good but

when you get to the point where you’re

too deep for some-one and conde-scending, I can’t deal with

that.”

-Anna Russell ‘15

“I’m more quiet and shy when girls are more out-going than me. So, I like when girls keep to them-selves more and aren’t always talking. When girls dye their hair and wear a lot of makeup it’s just not attractive.” -Owen Stratton ‘15

“Being a gentlemen, having a good style and being a deep thinker are what I look for in a guy. I like when guys think deeply about a lot of things and they’re kind of more old fashioned. They should treat their girl like a princess.” -Elena Morcote ‘14

“If you can sing or play an in-strument it makes you a hundred times more attractive. It’s hard not to fall in love with a guy who can sing.”-Cheleana Chaney ‘13

“Being truthful is the most important qual-ity that a girl should have. I want a girl who knows what she wants.”

-Nick Bonaccini ‘13

“It’s attractive when guys have a good personality and good style-- like khakis and a collared shirt, but nothing too fancy. Someone who doesn’t talk about themselves all the time and someone I can be myself with are what I definitely look for.” - Haley Klein

Photo: A. Hilden

“A girl with a sense of humor is important. But, if they’re Intel-ligent it’s a huge bonus. Smart girls that act dumb are annoying and not fun to be around. Looks are a factor, but, in the end, I’d rather date a girl that I could feel comfort-able being myself around, than one that was just really attractive.”-Chris Hall ‘14

Graphic: A

. Korson

Photo: A. Hilden

Photo: A. Hilden

Photo: K. Raymond

Photo: A. Hilden

Graphic: N. Mulvaine

problems,” TCAPS Superin-tendent Steve Cousins said. “If you take into account things like recess for the elementary schools, and the amount of people who may be stuck outside, it can be unsafe for the

visitors as well as students try-ing to enter the building.” TCAPS recognizes that schools are some of the safest buildings in the country, but no matter how many changes are made or how much security

they may have, there’s always a risk. “Schools are forty times safer than students’ own homes,” Cousins said. “We’re very fortunate to live in a safe com-munity and that’s reflected in our schools, but there’s always a vulnerability.”

pictures but for right now, I’m just looking for what looks best in a photograph and what people would want to see.” Organizing ArtPrize took a lot of time and work, but this year’s Art Club is very dedicated. They have a bigger group than previous years, and students are willing to do a lot more. “They have accomplished more than any other Art Club that I’ve had,” Amy Harper, Central art teacher, said. “They’ve had bake sales, completed the mural next to the cafeteria, and completely conceptualized, organized and followed through with the ArtPrize, which is a lot of work. No other Art Club has done that before.” Central’s Art Club is part of the The Na-tional Arts Honors Society (NAHS), a national organization that recognizes the students who are deeply involved in art. Harper believes that NAHS membership has taught students a lot about art and real-world experiences. “The benefit of being in NAHS is that the students get to try out leadership positions, and practicing organisational skills, and working to-gether,” Harper said. “Those are great skills for anyone to have.”

Through ArtPrize, Jayme Madison ‘13, co-leader of the Art Club, hopes to generate more student involvement with students outside the art community. “I hope it will get kids excited about art and hopefully the public will recognize Central’s art more,” Madison said. Students submitted artwork for the event at a $3 per piece entry fee. The ArtPrize gallery will be displayed from Feb. 28, and will be shown for about a month. Fifty percent of the entry fees will fund the first place cash prize, while the other half will fund new supplies for the art department. “Through ArtPrize, we’re hoping to increase the art culture in Central, but as of now we only have displays in the library,” Fisher said. “We’re hoping to make that a bigger part of Central for kids to recognize.” Harper says that the quality of the ArtPrize work is high because some students have been participating in competitions and having their work displayed for a wider audience. “The students have been doing quite well in shows,” Harper said, “but the Central commu-nity doesn’t know what we’re up to. We’re trying to generate more excitement and energy, and the ArtPrize is going to give us a lot more exposure.”

Ads 7Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 1, 2013

School security continued from front page

ArtPrizecontinued from front page

AAfter paying the final installation of a civil servant freedom clause, Zimbabwean Finance Minister Tendai Biti announced to world of-ficials last Tues. that the country has a paltry $217.00 left in the bank. “Our prosperous country has faltered in a time of economic hardship,” Biti stated. “And I was really looking forward to Tahiti in March.” Last year, hyperinflation peaked at a whop-ping 6.5 sextillion percent. President Robert Mugabe met with U.S. Treasury officials to inquire if they would consider borrowing more money from China for an emergency stimulus package to fund Zimbabwe’s $104 million upcoming elections. While Mugabe has worked diligently with allies on creating large-scale trade, the U.S. is hesitant to fork over funds because Mugabe’s only loan collateral is a pair of dingy Reeboks from the late ‘90s, a copy of Funkadelic’s “Cosmic Slop” on vinyl, and a gorilla hand ashtray. “A hundred million isn’t too much to ask for,” Mugabe exclaimed. “The U.S. should be happy with that bargain. Those items are worth billions here!” But Zimbabwe’s economy is no stranger to hardship. The country’s economic woesbegan nearly 40 years ago, when Mugabe foolishly invested 95 percent of its wealthin a multinational discotheque franchise. “My buddy Shiek Ali Babba Azur Al-Assa-dramanajad assured me that the oil and gas industry was ripe for investment,” Mugabe said. “But I thought that a Sudanese Oasis Timeshare was a prime location for a disco.” However, the club Starship Mugabe bot-tomed out just months later. The people ofZimbabwe have lived in a state of barbarism since. Recently, while faced with a financial crisis unparalleled to any in Zimbabwe’s storied history, Mugabe assembled a team of the country’s tribal leaders and famed shot-block-er Dikembe Mutombo to sacrifice a ceremo-nial goat to appease Heitsi-Eibib, the African god of sorcery. They hoped the magic would alleviate financial woes by turning the humble people of Botswana, known enemies of Zimbabwe, into solid gold. “Ling ling tik sss ndonk cktckt zing tiss nik,” Mutombo warned. “Biksi ob nhor talikkis.” This strategy, however, was considered ineffective at best, and World Bank experts suggested the goat could be used as collateral

for the loan instead. Some civilians are quick to place the blame on Mugabe, who has been criticized for his opulent personal residence, one of Zimba-bwe’s finest thatch-roof mansions, located in a private gated community perched atop Af-rica’s fabled Victoria Falls. Mugabe maintains that he lives within his financial means as president of Zimbabwe, citing that he’s only forgotten to pay his taxes twice. But Biti now insists that it is too late for Zimbabwe to recover. Instead of working towards saving the economy, he pledged to work with government officials on deciding what to do with the remaining $217. “I’d like to see Zimbabwe go out in style,” Biti stated. “You know, with Peruvian scarves and foie gras.” Reports surfaced last Sat. that Mugabe and Biti were seen perusing the isles of Dollar Tree for party supplies. The two were spotted shoving handfuls of plastic cutlery into their blazers. “Forks and spoons were obviously out of our price range,” Mugabe moaned. “Too bad we had to settle for sporks.” Biti’s Backyard Bash is scheduled to begin March 1 at 6:00 p.m. “I have room for like three people to crash

on the couch, but I told my mom I would have everybody out by eleven,” Biti said. “We’ve got some big names showing up.” Among celebrity appearances expected are stars Bono and Madonna, who are reportedly attending to scope out several hundred of Zimbabwe’s finest children to adopt. “They’d be a wonderful addition to my col-lection,” Madonna said. “But I’m still looking for one with blue eyes.” Honoring Mugabe’s invitation to attend Biti’s Backyard Bash, C-list celebrity Carrot Top pledged his RSVP on the official Face-book page. “I’m not gonna lie, I have no idea what to expect,” Top said. “I was just told that this was a cash-themed party, and we all know The Carrot could use some moolah.” When The Leek’s investigative reporters arrived in-country last week, they confronted two of Zimbabwe’s migrant farmers, who wish to remain anonymous, concerning ru-mors of the extravagant party. “What you talking about?” one farmer responded. “No party here. If it was a party there would be food.” At press time, Mugabe had just relieved Biti of his position as financial minister, citing party mismanagement.

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Mar. 1, 20138 The Leek

Global PerspectivesHasbro officially announced on Feb. 6 the newest member of the Monopoly game piece family: the cat. Monopoly enthusiasts from 120 countries voted via Facebook poll and decided to welcome the cat and to ax the iron piece. What do you think?

“Cat? I ruv the cat most, sprecially when he barbequed in stir fry. HUOOOOOOW-WW!!!”

Tokyo MitsubishiAmatuer Chef

“Can ya teach kitty to fire an AK?”

Cletus WarbuckMichigan Militia member

Walt RedmondCEO of Hasbro Inc.

“Wait, we have 10 mil-lion Facebook likes?”

“As the cat, chase returns before the crash to ensure opening bell success; you have to buy and hold on a bullish market, but try to shim the banker.”

Terry MolsonGoldman Sachs broker Photos: Courtesy of Reuters

Ask The Leek

Dear The Leek,I turned 16 a few months ago, and I have failed my road test 17 times. My mom said I will have to ride my brother’s electric scooter for the rest of my life if I fail again. Help!!

Sincerely wisherwiedeRecieved via Aboriginal smoke signals

Dear wisherwiede,The road test is a right of passage for teenagers across America. The key to passing is preparedness. To take off the edge, be sure to take some sort of medication beforehand. You aren’t old enough to buy these kind of drugs at the neighborhood pharmacy yet, so just go raid your parents medicine cabinet. Snag anything you can get your dirty little hands on. We live in the twenty-first century, and no one cares about safety anymore; driving is all about swag. Drive with one hand, always. Your other hand is for music, as most road tests these days require you to cruise through CPL and blast Gold Dust like it’s 2010.

XOXO S+J+A+T

On scene at Biti’s Backyard Bash, President Robert Mugabe and world renowned child entertainer Toddles the Clown anticipate the arrival of party-goers. “It’s pretty cool to work this gig,” Toddles said. “I mean, I’ve been out of the children’s entertainment biz for a while, but I’m really looking forward to entertaining some ladies tonight at the after party.”

Friend or drone?

Stemming from recent criticisms of his drone use, Pres-ident Obama held a press conference last Tues. to clear the air over concerns such as fatal drone strikes on U.S. citizens and a proposed use for drones domestically. “I don’t understand why everyone’s getting their feathers all ruffled over this,” Obama said. “You guys can’t complain about me abusing my executive power if it looks cool! And c’mon, what is cooler than flying robots?” Obama also announced a tentative plan for 2015 that would include drones policing American skies. “Our goal is to maximize safety and security for Americans,” Obama said. “I mean, I wouldn’t use it to blow up one of Boehner’s mansions or anything.” At the conference’s conclusion, the President seemed to have an epiphany and aired a question to the press. “I was thinking, maybe there is something cooler than flying robots,” Obama chimed. “What about flying sharks with laser eyes? Wouldn’t that be the coolest thing ever?”

Robo-Cops coming

TCAPS announced last Mon. that the school district plans to implement new security to improve safety. Aided by State grants, Central is set to integrate two top-of-the-line robotic security guards into campus se-curity. Originally manufactured as North Korean prison guards, these Robo-Guards monitor students with 3-D viewing cameras. Liason Officer Jojo Toffredini hesitated to comment. “But what I can tell you is paint ball turrets and tear gas ejectors come standard,” he said. Toffredini assured that the Robo-Guards are safe, “as long you present valid student ID. Do not touch the Robo-Guards. They will use force once contact has been breached.” Robo-Guards can be found roaming campus on a 24 hour surveillance route that includes the Little Caesar’s parking lot. “Present Identification, please,” Robo-Guard 5000 said. “ERROR! Identification is invalid. Intruder Alert! Initiate termination sequence!”

Death Star on hold

As many Americans are coping with the Obama ad-ministration’s disappointing response to the Death Star petition, President Obama inspires ‘A New Hope’ for the moon-sized superlaser. The Death Star petition calls for the space station to be built by 2016 in order to create jobs, further knowl-edge in space exploration and increase national defense. “The good folks in my cabinet say they don’t sup-port blowing up planets,” Obama said. “But I most cer-tainly do. I’d start by blowing Pluto to bits. Ya’ll know it’s not even a real planet.” According to The Leek’s White House sources, the petition was denied last Jan. based on a fundamental design flaw in the Death Star—a meter wide exhaust vent that could potentially be exploited by a one-man starship. Construction totals are an estimated $852 quadrillion. “Maybe we could bargain them down to Corellian Corvette,” Obama said. “Or possibly a Millenium Falcon.”

Crisis in ZimbabweThe Leek investigates Zimbabwe’s financial meltdown and the efforts to stabilize the turbulent nation

News in brief

Disclaimer: In spite of multiple Pulitzers, The Leek is fiction.

real stories, real people

Scott Hardin & Alec ReznichLeek Editor, Staff Reporter

Grinding: A guide for future referenceSince grinding has been banned at Central, The Leek offers a four-point plan lest anyone forget this sacred dance

STAGE ONE: Embrace recipi-ent in a dominant, egocentric manner. Claim what is right-fully yours. Establish the notion that things are about to get very, very dirty.

STAGE TWO: Locate victim’s hips and latch hold. Your victim should be facing away from you (however, some variance with this rule is allowed, as some freaky-time calls for the face-to-face stance).

STAGE THREE: Swing pelvic area in a funky, back-and-forth mo-tion, making sure to initiate and maintain contact with posterior of partner. Trust your instincts and grind at an appropriate velocity.

STAGE FOUR: Let loose the last of your inhibitions. Allow the pulse of the music to flow through yourself and your recipient’s body. Remem-ber, the chaperones want to see your wildest work. Make them proud.

Graphics: S. Hardin and A. Korson

Graphic: N. Mulvaine

Graphic: A. Korson

Jake Myers, Tyger BellLeek Editor, Staff Reporter

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Graphic: A. Korson

Graphic: N. Mulvaine