COMMUNITY DIALOG

Designing for the future meeting debates

outcomes for CoHS among other schools.

VOLLEYBALL HIGHLIGHTS

The volleyball team is starting the season

o� undefeated.

STAFF EDITORIAL: Ferguson

Race riots are sweeping the nation, but is

this the best solution?

iPHONE EMOJI

We got 99 emoji and can understand none.

PRO-CON

Employers use social media to determine

hiring and � ring. Should they?

SELFIE NATION

What’s on your social media, and how can it

impact your life and your future?

MOCKINGJAY REVIEW

How does the newest installment of the

Hunger Games franchise stack up?

7

12

15

16

18

19

22

Page 12 Page 8

Page 7

PAGE 02

Page 15

This editon marks the conti-

nation of something really spe-

cial: the Spitfire in print. After

a nearly two-year period of on-

line-exclusive content, we are

proud to present the new and

improved Spitfire, which will

publish monthly.

The move to print was not

random or accidental and we

would like to thank the individ-

uals that made it happen. First

and foremost, we would like to

thank our principal, Mr. Wag-

ner, for purchasing the software

that we need to publish the pa-

per. We would also like to thank

our building tech helper, Diane

Gottschalk, for installing the

software and helping us with

multiple computer and electrici-

ty issues. Last but not least, we

want to thank Mr. Neal and the

staff of the Portage Northern

Light for helping us learn the

basics of inDesign and willingly

answering any questions that

we might have.

As we move forward with this

process, we hope that you enjoy

both our print production and

our online component. Different

students work on both publica-

tions, so the content is original

and fresh in each. If you have any

suggestions for improvement,

please don’t hesitate to come

out to Portable 3 and talk to us!

Enjoy!

PAG

E 0

3FROM THE STAFF

STAFF2014-2015

Tristen Gunnett, Editor in Chief

Andy Wolf, Photography

Brian Lang

Ella Rootes

Dominic Jacobs

Nicole Anderson

Jalen Hooper

Josh VanOstran

Matt Ballard

Kali Hazell

Jasmine Muhammad

Mike Carlton

Chris Noel

Malachi Jones

Editorial policy and

additional infoThe Spit# re is the student news publication of

Portage Community High School, an alternative

high school in Portage Public Schools serving

students from Kalamazoo County.

The news sta$ welcomes student submissions,

responses to articles, and letters to the editor.

All submissions should be school appropriate.

Students can bring their material to portable 3 or

email it toto portagecommunityspit# re@gmail.com.

The Spit# re maintains high standards of ethics

and integrity and adheres to the MIPA Code of

Ethics and Plagiarism Policy.

From your editor TRISTEN GUNNETT

Social MediaConnect with us on social media today!

Want more?Check out our website at www.portagecommunityspitfire.com for expanded articles, links to further resources, and online-only exclusives!

Join the conversation online

in social media!

Twitter and Instagram:

@CoHSspit# re

On Facebook:

Portage Community Spit# re

BreakingNEWS

&EVENTS

when you need them

PAG

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4NEWS IN BRIEF

PORTAGE CENTRAL RE-ADDMITED THE

STUDENT WHO WAS FEATURED ON THE

NEWS WHO WROTE A “HIT LIST” AFTER A

THOROUGH PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION

TO ENSURE STUDENT SAFETY

Highlight

Terrorists threaten sony

pictures and force

showing of new movie ‘the

interview.’ Starring Seth Rogan

and James Franco this movie

is based on two men who are

tasked with the assasination

of North Korea leader Kim

Jong-Un. The hacker statement

reads: “how bitter fate those

who seek fun in terror should

be doomed to.... the world will

be full of fear. Remember the

11th of September 2001.” This

threat has put police officers

throughout the nation on alert.

“God is great,” the Taliban

militants shouted as

they roared through the

hallways of a school in

Peshawar, Pakistan. “ A

lot of the children are

under the benches,’“ a

Pakistani Taliban said,

according to Ahmed. “

Kill them.’ “ Just one of

the many terrifying things

children and staff at Army

Public School after it was

bombed tuesday morning.

President Obama

plans to ‘normalize’

relations between

communist Cuba and

U.S.A.

An important meeting

is being held in Lansing

for a decition regarding

Michigan road funding.

Six people killed in

deadly shooting in

Phillidelphia, Manhunt

for Marine Bradley

Stone followed

President Obama signs

massive spending

bill to fund U.S

government through

2015.

The FBI has joined local

and state authorities to

investigate the death

and burning of Jessica

Chambers.

Lansing officials

declaired that a

Satanic Christmas

display will be allowed

for 3 days a week until

christmas.

Better Business

Bureau warns of

Consumer Energy

Scam in midwest

region.

Jakell Mitchell,

freshman at Auburn

college, was shot

dead in an off campus

appartment.

BY TRISTEN GUNNETT, EDITOR IN CHIEF

ony

Brookelyn Skillman is a wonderful example of PBIS in

our school. She is here every day with a smile upon

her face and an enthusiastic “Good morning” for

everyone. She is on time to her classes and consistently

maintains A’s and B’s. She is also a member of our school

volleyball team and student leadership. “Brookelyn is an

excellent example of being positive and productive every

day,” shared Jen Swank and Clint Wagner.

Jaylan Whitley is a senior, and is a leader around school. “

In all my years of teaching, there is nobody who

has shown the persistence that Jaylan does in

the classroom. Jaylan is awesome,” said Court-

ney Jasiak.

Duane Underwood brings quality to society

and contributes his e� orts, skills and knowl-

edge to improve his life and the lives of other

people. “I am privileged to have such delight-

ful student in my class. I am sure he will con-

tinue to serve as positive example to his peers,”

shared Jose Vigil.

Tristen Gunnett consistently is a leader in class

by answering questions, participating in dis-

cussions, asking thoughtful questions, and

helping other students when they have ques-

tions. Tristen cares deeply about his grades and

aims for all As. He turns in all of his assignments

and is just overall a fantastic student. Tristen also has a lot of

school pride that he shows through his love of journalism

and the activities that he has helped the journalism class do

such, as the posters for open house. “Tristen has high ambi-

tions in life and with his attitude I think he will accomplish

them,” shared Jen Treharne.

Sierra Stevens is the perfect example of PBIS by always be-

ing here, on time, positive and productive. She is also always

helpful to other students, whether it is letting them borrow

notes or helping answer questions. She is a complete joy to

have in class. “Sierra is one of the hardest working students

I had this last term,” explained Mr. Shanafelt.

Kyra Donald was new this year and the � rst day I met her she

was scared. I will never forget the look on her face and our

conversation on her � rst day!” Andrea Ramsdell laughed.

She started to turns things around quickly, however. Now

she smiles all the time and she wants to help out in class

all the time, from organizing the room to popcorn making.

She is an amazing student and glad she joined our family at

Community High.

Sierra Stevens is one of the hardest working students I had

this last term,” said Michelle Rowlson. She is the perfect

example of PBIS by always being here, on time, positive

and productive. Sierra is always helpful to other students,

whether it is letting them borrow notes or helping answer

questions.

Isaiah Erskine has 100% in both Seminar and English C. He

works very hard to maintain the grades he has in my class-

es. This is his � rst term at Community High and has already

become a leader. He has a positive in� uence on others in

English C and keeps them on task. “I am impressed with his

politeness. Whenever he receives anything, candy, donut

list nomination, or Panther Bucks, he always says thank you

and is very appreciative,” said LuAnn Relken.

Kali Hazell is an exceptional role model. She al-

ways goes above and beyond in class and leads

by example. She reads out loud for her classmates

daily and participates actively in discussion. She

also never hesitates to help others. “On top of all

that, she is always here, on time, super positive,

and productive!” shared Amanda Thorpe.

Shane Huver was only here for one term, but he

had straight A’s. “I’ve had a chance to talk to him

in volleyball, including when he attended the

Central/Northern game with his teammates. Be-

sides being an outstanding athlete, he also has

clear goals for himself, including attending KVCC

and then WMU to study social work. When dis-

cussing his college, his words really moved me

- “this is an opportunity I don’t intend to waste,”

shared Kathy Ha.

Zach Valenzuela demonstrates the qualities set forth by

PBIS. He is here, always on time, makes good use of his time

in class, and with the exception of public speaking always

gets his work done on time. He has been helpful to other

students and stays every day until 2:50 without complaint.

Even when he’s not having the greatest day, he strives to be

positive. “I couldn’t ask for more,” said Terri Adriance.

PAG

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5NEWS

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE ALL OF THE

PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT

Students of the Month BY KALI HAZELL, STAFF WRITER

VI

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PAG

E 0

6NEWS

Self-harm is a serious problem among today’s teens.

In fact, as many as 1 in 5 teens admits to having

resorted to self-harm in the last six months. Self-

harm can take many forms, but the most common are

cutting, burning, or interfering with normal wound heal-

ing (picking scabs).

CoHS student Devon Holroyd has experienced � rst

hand the devastation of self-harm. “I used to self-harm

because I was very, very depressed,” he shared. “I have

learned other ways to get by, but a lot of my friends still

have problems,” he said. As more and more of Holroyd’s

friends came to him for help, he saw the need to create

a resource that could help individuals struggling with

self-harm.

And so the Facebook page “CHEO,” or “Cutters Hurt Every-

one” was born. The group provides support and resourc-

es for people who have have participated in self-harm

and especially for those who are still participating. “Lots

of cutters feel hopeless or alone, so the group shows

them that they are never alone and that other people

have been in their shoes. Most importantly, it shows that

people notice them and care about them.”

When making the site, Devon worked with school psy-

chologist Larry Stankus to provide the most helpful in-

formation. “Self harm is a major issue with teenagers,” he

said. “It’s usually caused by stress between family and

other relationships as well as bullying in school. It’s best

to go to someone who may help, even if its just talking

to someone who shows concern.” To see Devon’s page,

just search “CHEO” on Facebook.

Student creates support group for peers

“Lines” movement hits CoHS

During the week of December 15-20, students at

CoHS showed support for those who live the

reality of self-harm by participating in the na-

tion-wide “Lines Project.”

  Awareness of the initiative was spread by Devin Holy-

royd, who also created the Facebook group “CHEO”, or

“Cutters Hurt Every One.” The Lines Project encourages

those who have committed self harm to draw lines on

their left wrist, while supporters of people who self harm

draw the lines on their right arm. The lines are supposed

to be multi-colored and in permanent marker.

“I wanted to bring awareness to this topic because the

more people I talk to here the more people I discover

have a past of self-harm,” Holroyd shared.

Many students joined Holroyd in this awareness cam-

paign. “Having your scars is one thing, you can’t make

those go away. But the lines are empowering because

you can put them on and take them o� ,” said Ella Rootes.”

“I liked the day because it showed that you aren’t alone

if you’ve gone through this before,” shared Charissa Ro-

man. “Sometimes you feel like a freak, but I saw that lots

of other people had been through it too.”

BY ELLA ROOTES, STAFF WRITER

BY BRANDON PARSONS, STAFF WRITER

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PAG

E 0

7NEWS

The Portage Community met November 20,

2014 for part 2 of 2 of the Portage School

Community Dialogue. Similar to the previ-

ous dialogue, the meeting took place at nighttime

within a two hour span and from the start showed

the enthusiasm of the community.

Taking place in Portage Central High School, the

cafeteria was � lled with diverse members of the

community such as teachers, parents, adminis-

trators, and even a few students who showed

up for the meeting. This group included people

who had atetnded the meeting in October as well

as people participating for the � rst time. In addi-

tion, over 1,000 people had voiced their opinion

through an online survey.

Similar to the last meeting, the room was sur-

rounded by poster boards with categories for

questions, comments, and concerns. The local

news stations, such as Fox 17 news, also made

an appearance The purpose of the � rst meeting

was to for the community leaders and parents/

students to make an attempt at designing a plan

for the future of Portage Public Schools, and the

purpose of the second meeting was to take all of

the data from the � rst meeting and re� ne it.

Much like the � rst meeting, particpants � lled out

an individual and a group survey.

The meeting started out with head speaker Bill

DeYoung, who showed information pertaining to

the � nancial needs and desires pertaining to dif-

ferent situations.

Next, Randy Van Antwerp, President of the Por-

tage Public Schools Board of Education spoke

saying, “This needs to be something we want, but

more importantly it needs to be something we

can a� ord.”

One heated disagreement was about whether or

not there should be one or two pools, and one or

two stadiums. These discussions were both split

pretty equally with half saying they wanted two

of both and the other half saying one is just � ne.

On the other hand one thing was decided and

agreed upon by almost everyone. People want en-

ergy e� cient, safe & secure, and technology rich

schools. Di� erent scenarios were also introduced

as to what should be done with the several out-

dated buldings left in Portage.

CoHs is one of the many schools in the district

that is over 50 years old and has had very few

renovations done within that time span. The fu-

ture of the building was mentioned, but not gone

into in detail as that particular project will be set

aside until decisions about the middle schools are

complete.

The Steering Committee made its formal recom-

mendations to the school board after the meet-

ing. They recommended eliminating one of the

aging elementary schools and building, instead, 4

new ones. They also recommended to repurpose

West Middle School and have just two middle

schools, North and Central. This would allow for

a more convenient sharing of services, facilities,

and sta� s between the middle and high schools.

Both middle schools will receive either a serious

renovation or, most likely, new construction.

The committee also recommended that each

campus (Northern and Central) receive its own,

brand new football stadium and aquatic facility.

West Middle School will be the new home of Curi-

ous Kids and Community Education.

The future of Community HS is uncertain, but

the most likely scenario is that a building will be

erected on Northern’s campus to accomodate

our growing program and also to provide a useful

facility for the community to use after hours.

There is growing controversy over all of the facili-

ties plans as the West Middle School community

is displeased over the possibility of losing a school

and is being very vocal about it. Follow the discus-

sions live on MLive and the Spit� re website.

Community Dialogue #2 provides guidanceBY TRISTEN GUNNETT, EDITOR IN CHIEF

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PAG

E 0

8NEWS

On Monday, October 27, 2014 over 200

teachers, students, and parents of the

Portage Public School district took to the

streets in an energetic and spirited protest for

the lack of contracts for the teachers.

Almost 500 teachers have been working without

a contract since the month of June, and with no

ending in sight the community took to the streets

to voice their opposition.

“I think it is an amazing protest and I don’t know

why it’s taking so much time to get them what they

need and deserve as teachers,” Stated Nicole An-

derson, former Central High School student and

current CoHS enrollee. Molly Brown, a Portage

Central student who helped organize the protest

after coming up with the idea, commented: “Our

teachers have always been supportive of us. We

hope the administration sees just how much we

value our teachers and see that they should value

them too.”

According to the president of the Portage Edu-

cation Association Eric VerHey, “teachers are fed

up; they haven’t been given a raise in four years.”

In contrast, administration was given an across

the board raise of 1.2 percent in 2014.

Teachers are also protesting the added time onto

the school day (as well as three whole additional

days) without an adjustment in compensation.

The teacher’s union initially threatened to sue the

district for violating their rights, and the district

then threatened to counter-sue for bad faith bar-

gaining. The district is currently in negotiations

with the union to try and reach a solution. Portage

Superintendent Mark Bielang recently comment-

ed, “Portage Public Schools administration and

the teachers’ union have already agreed to many

items [through negotiations].” Information on the

current status of negotiations can be found here.

Some people nationally frown upon teacher’s

unions in general because they view the job al-

ready as having an abundance of bene� ts, such

as 7:00-3:00 workdays and summers o� . Many

teachers, however, go far above and beyond their

contractual obligations.

For example, CoHS teachers are expected to

be here –and are paid to be here- from 7:20-

3:00 daily. It is not uncommon, however, to see

teachers here hours beyond their 3:00 dismiss-

al time. They use that time, which they are not

compensated for, to help students who want to

stay after as well as to plan for classes and grade

work. CoHS teachers do not have a planning pe-

riod like the teachers at the other high schools

in the district because they give up that hour so

the students can have classes during that time to

recover more credits.

Unbeknownst to many, CoHS teachers are also

on a di� erent pay scale than other teachers in

the district, which results in a majority of them

making less money, essentially for more contact

time with students, than the sta� at the other

high schools.

CoHS teachers are not a part of the teacher’s

union, but it is assumed –and hoped- that they will

see any salary

increases that the other teachers in the district

receive.

The day after the protest, the teacher’s union and

the district entered negotiations and were able to

come to an agreement regarding fair compensa-

tion.

In March, they will receive a step increase, a lane

change, and an overall percentage pay increase.

The elementary school day is also getting short-

ened by two minutes.

CoHS teachers, however, did not get the bene� ts

of this negiation. They have since entered formal

talks with the district about the possibility of being

placed on the same pay scale as other district

teachers in the future.

Students and teachers protest unfair pay BY TRISTEN GUNNETT, EDITOR IN CHIEF

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PAG

E 0

9IN THEIR WORDS

“I AM DETERMINED TO BE CHEERFUL AND HAPPY IN WHAT-

EVER SITUATION I MAY FIND MYSELF. FOR I HAVE LEARNED

THAT THE GREATER PART OF OUR MISERY OR UNHAPPINESS

IS DETERMINED NOT BY OUR CIRCUMSTANCE BUT BY OUR

DISPOSITION.” - MARTHA WASHINGTON

“IT IS NOT HOW MUCH WE HAVE, BUT HOW MUCH WE EN-

JOY, THAT MAKES HAPPINESS.” -CHARLES SPURGEON

“HAPPINESS IS NOT

SOMETHING READY

MADE. IT COMES FROM

YOUR OWN ACTIONS.”

-DALAI LAMA

“HAPPINESS IS WHEN

WHAT YOU THINK, WHAT

YOU SAY, AND WHAT YOU

DO ARE IN HARMONY.” -

MAHATMA GHANDI

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

BY ANDY WOLF, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

EMANUEL PERRY:

“Football makes me

happy.”

HANNAH EATON:

“French fries make

me happy.”

MALUMBOCHISOWE:

“Hanging out with

friends makes me

happy.”

SYDNEY WILLI:

“Writing is what

makes me happy. I

write a lot.”

BRI DELORENZO:

“Shopping makes me

happy.”

MAXWELL BEAN:

“Making other people

happy is what makes

me happy.”

PAG

E 1

0 THREE BY THREE

three three

by

BY TRISTEN GUNNETT, EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alyson Buchino

12th

Zac Knapp

11th

Isaiah Erskine

9th

Facebook

1. What is your favorite social media app/website?

2. What is your favorite song right now?

3. Who is your favorite sports player/team?

“Believe Me” by Lil WaynePeyton Manning as a player, but the

Lionsn as a team

Twitter

Twitter

“Trust Issues” by Drake 3. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins

“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift University of Michigan anything!

BY JASMINE VANOSTRAN, STAFF WRITER

PAG

E 1

1FOCUS

1What was life like after

that?

It was really hard. I was still

bleeding from having her

when I went back to work to

get money to support us. I

had a seasonal job packing

watermelon and it was real-

ly demanding. I was also go-

ing to school at Loy Norrix,

so I would go to school all

day, go to work right after,

come home late at night,

get Esmer from her dad’s

house, basically be with her

while she slept, and then

get up early and do it all

over again. She cried a lot

because she needed me

and missed me.

2How old is your daughter,

Esmeralda?

Two and a half

8What were you feeling at

the time?

I was terri� ed to tell my

mom, so much that I

couldn’t sleep. When I

did tell her, she was really

great. She was very sup-

portive and never got mad.

9Did your feelings change

when your daughter was

born?

Absolutely. It was the hap-

piest day of my life. It was

also very scary though, I

mean here I was at just 15

holding this brand new baby.

10Did being a mom in� uence

your decision to come to

CoHS?

De� nitely. Daycare was

di� erent at Loy Norrix,

you could have a spot one

week but not the next, and

navigating DHS was di� cult.

The daycare situation here

is a lot easier and it helps

me be at school.

5Do you want more chil-

dren eventually?

Someday when I have my

education and a career I

would like to get married

and have more kids. I think

it would be nice for Esmer

to have brothers and sis-

ters but I am de� nitely not

ready for that yet!

6How is being a young

mom di� erent now that

she’s older?

It’s a lot easier and so much

better. She can tell me when

something’s wrong instead of

just crying, and day care is

easier to come by because

more people will watch a

toddler than a newborn.

7How long did you stay

with Esmer’s father?

A year after she was born,

but we had also been to-

gether for 3 years before

that. We are still friends and

are on good terms. He gets

Esmer every other weekend.

4How old were you when

you had her?

I was 14 when I got preg-

nant and 15 when I had

her. Instead of a quinceane-

ra, I had a baby shower.3What goals do

you have for

your future?

Graduating high

school of

course,

and

then

going

to Ross

Medical.

My sister

went

there to be

a Medical

Assistant and

she is my

role model.

She went

from barely

getting her GED

at 20 to having

her own apart-

ment and car

and a great life

all around. She

inspires me.

Focus on Lily and Esmer Villanueva

With the Clark Brothers

At left, Matt joins his brother Dan on

a controlled burn to celebrate his birth-

day. Alright, Josh pitches for Portage

Central. Photos from the Clark Family.

Teachers will tell you that it’s not uncommon to see

families of students come through community high

school, but CoHS has actually seen all of the Clark chil-

dren at one time or another.

The oldest brother, Dan, graduated from CoHS in 2013.

He currently works at Uncle Ed’s while he takes a leave

of absences from the South Kalamazoo County Fire

Authority, where he has worked as a ! re! ghter since

graduation. During his time o" , he is attending KVCC

in hopes of becoming an electrician.

The middle brother, Matt, is a senior at CoHS this year.

“I didn’t take school seriously Freshman year, so I came

here for credit recovery,” he explained. He plans to grad-

uate from here as he is very close and doesn’t want to

switch schools again. “What I like the most about CoHS

is that all of the teachers and sta" are here to help you

and really want to help; you can tell it’s not just their

job.” Matt’s ! rst choice of post-high school options is

to South Carolina UTI to be a Nascar technician. If that

doesn’t happen, he would like to be a truck driver.

The youngest, Josh, is a sophomore and is only here

for two terms. He came here after a leave of absence

at CHS left him de! cient in credits. “I had my appen-

dix removed and missed about a month of school,” he

explained. “My counselor at Central suggested that I

could come here for credit recovery, and both of my

brothers had already been here and had good things

to say about it, so I jumped on the opportunity.”

Josh has really enjoyed his time at CoHS. “It is a lot

more easy going here, but I still feel like I am learning

all of the same things,” he commented. Even though he

likes it here, he won’t be staying. After the conclusion

of term 2, Josh will return to Portage Central. His main

motivation for returning is athletics. “I have been play-

ing baseball since I was 4, and I really want to be a part

of the team again this year,” he explained. He plans on

graduating with his class in 2017 and is determined to

become a KDPS police o# cer after high school.

He recently got accepted into the KDPS Explorers pro-

gram, which prepares high school students for ac areer

with the police force. He was selected from many can-

didates to get the opportunity to participate in a wide

variety of hands-on training exercised. “It’s a great op-

portunity that will prepare me for the future,” he said.

BY TRISTEN GUNNETT, EDITOR IN CHIEF

CHECK THE SPITFIRE WEBSITE’S L&S

PAGE FOR WEB EXCLUSIVE UPDATES ON

JOSH’S BASEBALL SEASON AT CHSPA

GE

12

FOCUS

The

P a n -

thers have

played in three

away games so far this

year, the � rst being in Jones-

ville, where the team played and de-

feated the teams from Phoenix Alternative

High School and Jonesville.

For the ladies teams, the Panthers

won two of the three matches played

and therefore won the respective game for

ladies with exceptional serves by Alyson Buchino

, Sierra Stevens, and, Kali Hazell. The Panthers lost

one game 14-25; the other two games were won

with scores of 25-22 and 15-12. For the men’s team,

there were three games and all were dominated

by the Panthers with excellence in setting by both

Jalen Hooper and Isaiah Erskine. The men’s team got

straight scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 15-11, winning

all three matches in their division and thus winning

the entire game for the Panthers. The Panthers fol-

lowed up this strong performance with tournament

victories in Owosso. The girls were victorious with

scores of 25-15, 25-11, and 25-15. The Open team

won with scores of 25-5, 25-11, and 25-16. The boys

played just one game and won by a score of 25-14.

Standout players for these games were Kali Hazell,

Jalen Hooper, and Keoshi Robinson. “They have

amazing talents and they understand the game, but

they all stand out in their own way,” coach Ha said

of her team. “If they can get past their mental game,

then they can beat their physical game.” The Pan-

thers are in action next in January.

Volleyball team starts the season undefeatedDue to superior serving, setting, and teamwork, the Panthers have yet to record an “L” in the season scorebook

BY ANDY WOLF, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

PAGE FOR WEB EXCLUSIVE UPDATES ON

PAG

E 1

3OUR SPORTS

HEADLINE

Ms. Ha, the coach of the

CoHS volleyball team,

chooses a person as

“Volleyball Player of The Week”

every week. She prints out an

award signed by herself and a

t-shirt with a di! erent quote on

it every week. There have been

several volleyball players of the

week so far this year, but why

were they chosen?

Coach Ha explained the selec-

tion pricess. She answered, “I

have chosen the people I did

because I saw them stand out.

They showed leadership and

acceptance. They put in all the

e! ort they could, and tried their

hardest to improve on whatever

they could. These students mo-

tivated each other and the rest

of the team. They overcame per-

sonal problems and put in 110%

of their e! ort for the team and

that is worth something.”

“It is my job as coach to recog-

nize a team player and let them

know that they are good at what

they do and that someone had

seen their improvments and

their e! ort towards being a

team player” She added.

Here are the players of the week

so far as well as why they were

chosen:

Jalen Hooper: “He was motivat-

ing teammates to do better in

class, and encouraging them to

push to become the best that

they could be.”

Isaiah Erskine: “He learned the

game quickly. Isaiah always

pushed himself to become a

better player on the court and a

better person in general.”

Darius Jennings: “He really en-

joys motivating others to give

their physical and mental best.”

Sierra Stevens: “Her team spirit

is some of the best team spirit I

have ever seen!”

Brookelyn Skillman: “Honest-

ly, she is Skillman. There is not

much else I can say!”

LaShay WIlliams: “She turned

down a trip to Florida to play

volleyball. If that is not a student

who is dedicated, I don’t know

what would be!”

Kali Hazell: “I have seen a huge

change in her passion for the

game. Her focus has improved

greatly and her aggressiveness

has really made her a great per-

son to have on the team.”

Allyson Buchino: “When game

day comes, she is a soldier. Div-

ing for the ball and saving the

game is de# nitely her specialty.”

“Acknowledging these students

really improves the way they

think about the game and how

they think about themselves. It

de# nitely improves their self es-

teem while they are playing the

game, it makes them work hard-

er to become who they really

want to be on the court.” Coach

Ha said.

PLAYER OF THE WEEKKALI HAZELL, STAFF WRITER

Keep up with scores, highlights,

and videos of the volleyball team

on the newspaper’s website

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PAG

E 1

4OUR SPORTS

LIONS VS. CARDINALS

In week 11 in the National Football League the

Detroit Lions and the Arizona Cardinals went into

a heavyweight title match on Sunday evening.

Despite the fact that the Cardinals are widely con-

sidered the best team in pro-football right now,

the score was pretty close. In the end, it was

14-6 in favor of the Cardinals.

In the ! rst two possessions that the Cardinals

got, they scored with two Drew Stanton passes

to Michael Floyd. Stanton is a Michigan native,

having grown up in Okemos, playing his college

ball at Michigan State, and even playing 4 years

with the Lions before joining the Jets and Colts

enroute to the Cardinals.

Defensively, the Lions came up with 2 huge inter-

ceptions but failed to convert either into a touch-

down. On o" ense, Calvin “Megatron” Johnson

had ! ve catches on the day for 59 yards.Usually

Megatron has a dominant e" ect on the ! eld, but

Patrick Peterson held him to just 4 yards in the

! rst quarter! The standout for Detroit in this game

was actually Joique Bell, who had 14 carries for

85 yards. The Lions’ only points came from two

! eld goals o" the foot of new kicker Matt Prater,

who is the third kicker the Lions have used this

season.

A controversial punt-return call swung in the Car-

dinal’s favor to start the 4th quarter and the Li-

ons were unable to close the gap. The loss put

an end to a 4-game Lions win streak as the Car-

dinals showed why they have the best record in

the league with a solid overall performance. Their

special teams showed discipline with no calls or

penalties and the o" ense was de! nitely showing

the best of the playbook. As has been the case all

season, their secondary proved to be the heart of

their team and key to their success.

The Cardinals with this win are 9-1 which shows their

dominance in the league. In the 2009-2010 season, the

Cardinals went to the Super Bowl; time will tell if their

record will hold up and get them back to the Super Bowl.

LIONS VS. BEARS

The Lions and Bears had a GREAT Thanksgiving

game. Most expected the Bears to beat the Li-

ons. Johnson caught 11 passes for 146 yards

with a pair of ! rst-half touchdowns, and the Lions

boosted their postseason hopes with a 34-17 vic-

tory over the Chicago Bears.

The Lions (8-4) spotted Chicago a 14-3 ! rst-quar-

ter lead before rallying with relative ease in the

second. Detroit ! nished with a season-high 474

yards in its highest-scoring game since a 35-14

victory over the New York Giants. Lions Quarter-

back Matthew Sta" ord now has 12 career dou-

ble-digit comebacks, 2nd most in the NFL since

he entered the league in 2009.

Unlike the previous week, Calvin Johnson made a giant

impact on the game. With 11 receptions for 146 yards, he

made it look easy. He has over 700 receiving yards and

49 receptions on the season. With only 5 touchdowns

this year, 2 of them came from the Thanksgiving thriller.

With one of the division rivalry games against the Bears

behind them, they’re looking to defeat the Tampa Bay

Buccaneers this Sunday.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Michigan sports are everywhere this year. The

Wolverines did horrible in football; their record

was 5-7 which, wasn’t even enough to qualify for

a bowl game.

The Spartans are doing a whole lot better in football;

they are going 10-2 and are in the Cotton Bowl against

#4 Baylor. This will take place on January 1, 2015.

Our local WMU Broncos have had the biggest turn

around in school history, and led by MAC Coach of the

Year Nominee PJ Fleck they are getting ready to take on

Air Force in the Idaho Potato Bowl on December 23. The

Broncos have never won a bowl game, but this could be

the year that all changes.

With the exception of the Wolverines, Michigan’s college football teams had standout seasons. The same is true also for the Lions, who are trying to secure a divisional win and a playo" berth.

BY JALEN HOOPER, STAFF WRITER

PAG

E 1

5NATIONAL SPORTS

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HEADLINE

Ferguson:

a verdict

decided,

a city in riots

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to gather with family and

friends in gratitude for our blessings and good fortune.

The family of Michael Brown is one of many with an

empty seat at the table this year, and that fact alone is dev-

astatingly sad. His family, looking for closure, did not receive

that either, or at least not on their terms. Despite these tragic

facts and the emotions that are rocking our nation, the case

is getting blown way out of proportion and has created a na-

tional race crisis that does not need to exist.

Our police should feel free to protect themselves and other

civilians in the best way possible because only then will they

do the best job they can possibly do. The world is rarely ever

black and white, and sometimes police o! cers have to make

tough, split-second decisions. Darren Wilson was just a police

o! cer doing his job to the best of his ability who found him-

self in a tough spot and forced to make a decision that none

of us would want to make. At the end of the day, he is the

one who has to live with the death of Michael Brown on his

conscience, not us. Several news outlets have reported that

Brown was overly aggressive toward the o! cer and that he

fought until his hands were bloody. Wilson reported that the

boy was so angry that he “looked like a demon.” Also, the size

di" erential between the two men was so great that Wilson

taking on Brown in a # ght would have been like a kid trying

to take down Hulk Hogan. Even though Brown didn’t have a

weapon like a gun or a knife, he still chose to come at Wilson

and he should have known the potential consequences of as-

saulting a police o! cer when he had the chance to walk away

and deescalate the situation.

Nobody except the grand jury has seen the evidence, and if

we believe in the rule of law in America, we have to believe

that after they saw it, their decision was justi# ed. They did not

indict the o! cer because he wasn’t in the wrong. He only did

what saved himself and served justice despite the controver-

sy. Clearly there was no racial prejudice in shooting of Brown

and there should really be no reason to think so.

The people of Ferguson might feel wounded and insulted,

but they still have no right to react the way they did. Pure an-

archy and personal drive, these rage-# lled riots are only insti-

gated due to race. If a white teen had been shot, would the

exact same citizens who are rioting now still be rioting then?

That is a question that is too scary to answer. Not to mention

other towns in America have handled themselves with much

greater control in the face of perceived injustice. For example,

When Zimmerman shot Martin and got o" practically free, no

one rioted. Ransacking a town and creating a state of emer-

gency is no way to protest the jury’s decision.

Some people are even calling this a renewed Civil Rights

movement, which is just insulting to history. This isn’t even

close to the civil rights movement. Nobody is getting hosed,

attacked by dogs, or lynched. Michael Brown had the right to

be in the convenience store he robbed with white people. The

crime as not racially motivated; the boy wouldn’t stop # ght-

ing so the o! cer felt that he had to resort to violence. If Fergu-

son citizens want to liken this to the civil rights movement, it

would do them well to take a page from Martin Luther King’s

book and stand up through non-violent, civilized protest.

Many media outlets are making a big deal out of the fact that

most of the citizens of Ferguson are black, but the govern-

ment and police force are white. If the community wanted a

change and if racial pro# ling was truly a problem there, why

aren’t there more African Americans # ghting positively for

power and political in$ uence in Ferguson? We have tons of

wonderful African American leaders all over the Kalamazoo

community; why aren’t there black leaders in places of prom-

inence in Ferguson, especially if they are the majority race?

This would be one sure-# re way to ensure equality for all.

Is there a better option? Probably. Is it sad that a life was lost?

Always. But what will be more sad is if, as a nation, we con-

tinue to run in circles around this issue, or worse, move back-

wards, instead of moving forward with unity and purpose and

addressing the bigger issue of a culture of violence among

young people today.

PAG

E 1

6STAFF EDITORIAL

The debate over gun rights sizzles at CoHS

How do CoHS students feel about the right to keep and bear arms?

Dustin McCoy:

“Guns are important for hobies and

self-defense. Guns don’t kill people,

other people do.”

Nick Rance

“States with open carry laws actually

have lower crime rates, so obviously its

a good thing if people are responsible.”

Sydney Willi

“It’s important for people to have the

right to protect themselves in whatever

way they want to.”

Demetrious Xayphanna:

“Having a gun is faster than calling the

cops and depending on them to come

quickly and save you.”

With violence -especially gun vioelnce-

escalating every year in america,

many people are beginning to

renew the debate about gun rights.

Michigan recently got involved in the

argument when it passed its open carry

law, which makes it legal for anyone

with a licensed firearm to carry it in

public. michigan is also a “shall issue,”

state for concealed carry permits,

meaning that anyone 21 or older may

obtain a license to carry a concealed

pistol, so long as the person is not

prohibited from owning a firearm, has

not been found guilty of any felonies

or certain misdemeanors within a time

period of either 3 or 8 years dependent

upon the charge, and has completed

state-approved firearms training.

Concealed Pistol License (CPL) holders are

not required to obtain a license to purchase

a pistol; however, they must fulfill the

registration requirement (a sales record

of the pistol acquisition). Under Michigan

law, carrying a concealed pistol under

a CPL constitutes implied permission

for chemical testing for illegal drugs or

alcohol; and it is strictly forbidden for

someone with a concealed pistol license

to carry a pistol while on drugs or alcohol.

Individuals licensed to carry a concealed

pistol by Michigan or another state are

prohibited from carrying a concealed

pistol on the following premises: schools

or school property, public or private day

care center, public or private child caring

agency, or public or private child placing

agency, sports arena or stadium, a tavern

where the primary source of income is

the sale of alcoholic liquor by the glass

consumed on the premises, any property

or facility owned or operated by a church,

synagogue, mosque, temple, or other

place of worship, unless the presiding

official allows concealed weapons, an

entertainment facility that the individual

knows or should know has a seating

capacity of 2,500 or more, a hospital, a

dormitory or classroom of a community

college, college, or university, and casinos.

CPL holders can, however, OPEN CARRY

in some of those locations with the new

law, whereas other civilians cannot.

What is the role of guns in our society?

What is their purpose, who should

own them, and is owning them as a

civilian even important? “I think the

right to keep and bear arms is needed,”

said Demetrious Xayphanna. “Not a lot

of people take hand to ahnd combat

training anymore, and a gun can be a way

to defend yourself. By having the training

necessary to use a gun properly, you can

protect your family and your property.”

BY BRANDON PARSONS, STAFF WRITER

PAG

E 1

8OPINION

HEADLINE

Applicants have the right to

freedom of speech, and in

the society we live in today I

think that’s very important to many

people. Needless to say, freedom

of speech only goes so far before it

becomes prejudice, or self-harming

and crude. I personally don’t see

the need to post everything about

yourself online because that’s po-

tentially a bad scenario on anyone’s

part, but I also don’t support the

right of employers to make judg-

ments about applicants based on

social media.

Putting unneeded or inappropriate

things on any sort of social media

site puts you in that category to

be judged upon what you say do

or boast about doing; its fair game.

So why is everyone so concerned

about employers infringing on their

right to free speech when in the ! ne

print it on most social media sites?

For example, Facebook says that if

the information you post send or

view is illegal or could create a stig-

ma they have the right to intervene.

Facebook also works closely with

the FBI, law enforcement, and even

employers to provide them with the

information they need (for a cost).

Social media is in a public forum,

but it’s meant to be private. Keep

your settings that way and that

will prevent many employers from

seeing things about you that you

don’t want anyway. The private life

aspect of social media should make

it o" limits to employers. They don’t

ask for your personal life on your

resume, so why should they go and

look for it on the internet?

There are many risks in using social

media to determine whether or not

to hire someone. One of the risks

is breaking federal, state, and local

laws. Looking over an applicant’s

social media pro! le can uncover

things that can’t be used to make

any employment decision. This in-

formation from www.insidecoun-

sel.com, includes, for example, an

applicant’s age, religion, national

origin, marital status, pregnancy

status, disability, sexual orientation

(some state and local jurisdictions),

or gender expression or identity

(some state and local ju-

risdictions). An employer

who chooses whether the

applicant can become

an employee or not

based on the things

listed up there can

be charged with

some heavy

! nes, and can

be looked down

upon by future

employees and peo-

ple that go to their

business.

The use of social media in the

workplace has increased a

lot since a few years ago. Em-

ployers use apps like Facebook,

Instagram, and Twitter to look

at their possible employees or

current employees and see if

they do or post things that

are looked down upon

by a lot of people. If you

went to go look for a job,

but on your Facebook, you

posted statuses with curse

words in them, posted in-

napropriate pictures, or posted

about something you are doing

that you shouldn’t be, you probably

won’t be hired. I know that if I were an

employer, I wouldn’t want one of my employ-

ees posting nudes and cursing in every other

status because that would ruin my reputation.

Whether or not employers should be using so-

cial media as a way to determine if someone

should be hired or not has become such a con-

troversial subject. Some people think that it is

an invasion of privacy, and what they post on

the internet shouldn’t be looked at when they

are looking for a job. Those people do have a

point. In a way, it is weird to be hired and ! red

based on what you post online, but on the oth-

er hand, if you don’t want to be looked at in

a negative way by an employer or by anyone,

then you shouldn’t be posting things that are

“bad.”

People put their lives on social media, and I

don’t think it is an employer’s place to judge

people’s lives based on what they put online,

but you have to understand that when you

work for a place, you represent them. This is

less true at some jobs and more true at other

jobs. Some employers only hire people who

portray their company in a good light all the

time and wouldn’t hire someone who posts

things online that could damage their com-

pany’s reputation. The employers have a lot

running for them, and if hiring someone can

jeopardize that, they should not take the risk.

Having the right to post whatever you want on

social media should not give you the idea that

it’s okay. If you were on Facebook, for example,

and you saw someone post a picture with a

blunt in one hand, and a bottle of vodka in the

other, what would you think? If you were an

employer, what would you think? You would

not want someone who openly posts pictures

like that on the internet working for you.

I am not saying that every employer looks

over social media to determine whether or not

they are going to hire someone, but the point

is, you never know if that’s what they do until

you go in for an interview and they ask you for

your username(s). You should be careful about

what you post on the internet, because once

it is on there, it will never go away, no many

how many places you delete it from. Once

something is on the internet, it is on the in-

ternet for good. Do not post things that you

might regret in the future, because your suc-

cess should not be determined by something

you posted 3 years ago. (An example is if you

posted something bad, like a picture of you

doing who knows what, and a future employer

saw it, it could de! nitely a" ect your chances of

getting that job.

Should social media impact employers?

BY KALI HAZELL, STAFF WRITER BY MALACHI JONES, STAFF WRITER

PAG

E 1

9PRO-CON

BECOMING A SELFIE NATION93 MILLION SELFIES ARE TAKEN EVERY DAY IN AMERICA. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE, AND WHAT

WILL THE IMPACTS BE?

We live in a sel! sh culture, in fact, young peo-

ple today are being described as the next “me”

generation. We take millions of sel! es a day of

all aspects of ourselves, faces, bodies, booties, clothed,

barely clothed, unclothed. We post these sel! es on a va-

riety of social media outlets from Twitter to Instagram to

Snapchat and everything in between. Do we really have

something to show others with these photos, or do we

just like looking at ourselves? Ten years ago, if you wanted

to show someone a picture of you, you chose one where

you looked good but weren’t trying to look like the center

of attention. In a sel! e, you are usually the ONLY thing in

the picture, which practically screams, “look at me! Look

at me! I MUST be the center of attention!” What changed?

BY THE STAFF

VISIT THE NEWSPAPER’S INSTAGRAM TO SEE

ALL OF THE ENTRIES IN THE SCHOOL WIDE

SELFIE CONTEST

PAG

E 2

0FEATURE

VISIT THE NEWSPAPER’S INSTAGRAM TO SEE

ALL OF THE ENTRIES IN THE SCHOOL WIDE

In a survey of CoHS students and teachers, only ONE

student and TWO teachers did not use social me-

dia. Of those that do, nearly 100% reported taking

sel! es for a wide variety of reasons. Hailey Staley and

Victoria Gonzales both said that they liked looking

at themselves and they try to look good in their self-

ies. Michaela Burlingham has a di" erent motivation.

“I post mine on Instagram, but usually I just make a

funny or silly face,” she said. Coyanna Spaulding had

yet a di" erent take. “I love to do cosplay, so I take pic-

tures of me and my friends in costume for my Tumblr,”

she said, eagerly showing a photo of her in a Dr.Who

themed costume at a cosplay convention.

Some people think that girls take more sel! es than

boys, but at CoHS the genders were evenly matched.

Storman Whitman shared, “I mostly take sel! es for

Snapchat and Facebook.” Josh VanOStran agreed.

“I really only take them for Snapchat,” he said. Tyler

Tramel added another motive common to guys: “I

used to take my own for Facebook, but now I just take

them with my girlfriend because she wants to.” Dave

Anderson was unashamedly vain, proclaiming, “I just

like looking at myself!”

Mrs. Thorpe, one of the teachers without social me-

dia (Mr. Ballentine was the other), even takes sel! es. “I

take them a lot with my daughter, almost every day. I

am always behind the camera, so it’s one of the only

ways that I actually get a picture of her with me in it.”

They do it so frequently, in fact, that her two year old

can hold the camera at the right angle (upward, as

any professional sel! e-taker knows) and say, “take a

sel! e!” while she captures the image.

Not only are we taking sel! es, we’re obsessed with

the sel! es of others. CoHS students follow hundreds

of di" erent celebrities on Instagram, where most of

what they post is sel! es. “I like to look at celebrity

Instagrams because it shows they are regular peo-

ple, too,” said a CoHS female student who wished to

remain anonymous. Except they aren’t “regular peo-

ple”…many celebrities, most famously Beyonce, have

been caught photoshopping their sel! es to make

themselves look better and thinner. Most regular peo-

ple just point and shoot.

Snapchat can be a fun way to share photos with your

friends, but students should be careful what they post

on social media outlets that can be easily accessed by

others, such as Instagram and Facebook. “In addition

to your application and your resume, employers are

now looking at your digital footprint. That means that

they are likely to type your name into Google, Face-

book, or Instagram and see what comes up. If you

have a public pro! le, or even a private one with an in-

appropriate pro! le photo, it can stop you from being

considered for the job,” shared Leah Wendt, a career

adviser who works with Associate’s Degree students

at Cornerstone University.

We discovered that CoHS students have plenty of

cleaning up of their social media to do. After typing

in the names of just 20 random students, we were

able to gain access on their social media sites –some

of which had privacy settings- that would make them

undesirable to a potential employer. Aside from em-

ployment, local law enforcement o$ cials also fre-

quently peruse Facebook and Instagram to see what’s

going on, and students can actually face legal ram-

i! cations for the photos that they post if they are of

them doing something illegal.

Social media is great, but it is just that, social, and not

private. Even if you have a private Facebook, compa-

nies and the government can pay a fee to have access

to your pro! le…not to mention that EVERYTHING

posted on Facebook is stored forever, even if you

delete it. Facebook’s information storage actually ex-

ceeds that of the FBI. The moral of the story? Save the

things that you wouldn’t want your boss, principal,

college admissions person, or mother to see for Snap-

chat or private messages between friends and create

a “digital footprint” with your Facebook and Instagram

that is likely to get you hired, not ! red, and that repre-

sents you –and CoHS- in a positive light.

“After typing in the names of just 20 random students, we were able to gain access on their social me-

dia sites –some of which had privacy settings- that would make them undesirable to a potential employ-

er.”

PAG

E 2

1FEATURE

PAG

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2FEATURE

PAG

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3FEATURE

In the Relken family, there is LuAnn (our teacher),

John (her husband), Aimee (her older aughter),

and Jessi (her younger daughter). Jessi still lives

at home even though she is 25 not because she has

to, but because she wants to: she lives there to help

Mrs. Relken take care of John, who has a serious

health disorder: IBM

HISTORY

LuAnn and John met in high school. In the begin-

ning, she did not like him at all! ¨I thought he was

crazy at " rst,” she said. Over time, he grew on her,

and the two started dating. She knew he was the

one for her when he proposed to her after gradua-

tion. Now, after 41 years of marriage, they are still

happily together.

DIAGNOSIS

“We found out John had Inclusion Body Myositis

after he fell 10 years ago,”Mrs. Relken explained.

They sought a doctor’s evaluation after John com-

plained of muscle and body weakness. It took them

a long and frustrating time to get a diagnosis, and

eventually they ended up with the specialists at the

Cleveland Clinic. There they did a muscle biopsy and

gave John his diagnosis. “As soon as we got back

home, I was all over the internet learning about it,”

Mrs. Relken said. John responded in a di# erent

way. “He had¨all kinds of emotions, upset, angry,

then acceptance after a while. It took him about six

months to get there.” While John’s case was typical

in symptoms with the loss of muscle in the arms and

legs, his having the disease was not typical: when

he was diagnosed, he was just one of 2,000 people

a$ icted with IBM in the whole United States.

IBM

According to the Muscular Dystrophy Association,

who advocates for IBM in America, IBM is an in% am-

matory muscle disease, characterized by slowly pro-

gressive weakness and wasting away of muscles,

leading to decreased physical activity and limited

mobility. Symptoms are most apparent in the mus-

cles of the arm and leg. The causes are unclear, but

what basically happens is that the body’s immune

system turns against its own muscles and damages

muscle tissue in an autoimmune process. There

are two types of IBM, sporadic and hereditary, and

neither are fatal. As John has no family history of

IBM, his case is considered sporadic.

IMPACT

Mrs.Relken’s home life has been impacted greatly

by John’s disease. “Now me and my daughter have

to do everything, from cleaning to cooking plus all

the home repairs,” she shared. Some of the jobs

they have inherited range from plowing and cleaning

the eaves troughs to tying John’s shoes, helping him

dress, and picking him up when he falls, which can

be a challenging task for Mrs. Relken’s petite frame.

To ease the burden, they have a lift that can help

him get o# the ground, but even that still requires

assistance from another person.

John has also had to make some modi" cations in

his life. He has a lift chair in the living room and the

dining table is set at a higher height than normal to

accommodate the higher chairs that he has to sit in.

It is easier for him to stand up from a higher chair,

so at home and in public, like at church, they look for

chairs that are approximately the ideal height of 27-

30 inches tall. As John is a human resource man-

ager at a paper mill, his disease has not had any

signi" cant e# ect on him at work. “They have been

really accommodating,” said Mrs. Relken. John will

continue to work until normal retirement age, when

he and Mrs. Relken will be able to spend even more

time with their children and three grandsons.

PROGNOSIS

People with IBM usually lose muscle tone and

strength over time, usually requiring the use of a

wheelchair. John, on the other hand, is actually re-

versing that trend. “His doctor said he has been

improving slowly,” shared Mrs. Relken. He has been

doing physical therapy and he can now lift his arms

above his head and lift some things. “He still has to

be careful not to fatigue his muscles, so the anti

immune system does not attack them,” added Mrs.

Relken. “We are preparing for the future. We have

a handicap van and are working on building a wheel-

chair accessible house,” she added. Mrs. Relken

does have some advice for others facing serious

medical issues: “get all of the support that you can

from everywhere you can,” she suggested.

The Relken family comes together to battle IBM BY JASMINE VAWNOSTRAN, STAFF WRITER

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Vivid anticipation for November 21st

was the talk of the town the week

leading up to the movie release of

MockingJay Part 1. With big stars such as

Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson

making their 2014 premier of the 3rd in-

stallment of the saga, Celebration Cinema

at Crossroads in Portage was packed. As I

entered the building it seemed as if the

room was a party with hundreds packed

into the theaters and some even dressed

up in show paraphernalia.

Following the devastating events of the

75th annual Quarter Quell, Katniss wakes

up in the supposedly destroyed district

13. Fans were left with unanswered ques-

tions when Catching Fire ended abrupt-

ly. What happened to Johanna? Where is

Eifee? And what will President Snow and

his minions do about the rebellion? Even

the abduction of Peeta was a big turning

point in the show. For many who’ve seen

the prior movies and read all the books it

was all but devastating to fans when Pee-

ta vanished from the screen.

Catching Fire ended with a partially-foiled

plot to rescue Katniss and her allies from

MOCKINGJAY: PART 1 REVIEW

the Quarter Quell. Katniss, unaware of the

plan, was rescued along with Finnick and

Beetee, but Peeta and Johanna were cap-

tured by the capital.

In the movie, E� e Trinket made an ap-

pearance in district 13, yet not in the

book, making it an interesting plot twist

for Katniss. Along with E� e, the famous

Natalie Dormer (The Tudors) graced the

screen with an amazing performance.

She played Cressida, a � lm maker from

the Capitol who defects to take Katniss’

side, complete with her signature half-

shaved head from the book.

The � lm

also fea-

tured the

� rst ap-

p e a r a n c e

of Julianne

Moore as

P r e s i d e n t

Alma Coin

of District

13. Moore was especially well-suited for

this role as she had just wrapped up � lm-

ing portraying vice presidential candi-

date Sarah Palin, an assertive, con� dent

and at times controversial political � gure,

just like President Coin.

The costumes in Mockingjay surprised me

the most though. With previous ground-

breaking work from Cinna, the new ward-

robe of the cast was a change from the

� rst two � lms. And can we talk about the

music? ‘All My Love’ featuring Lazar by Ar-

iana Grande was one of the top songs in

the � lm. Lorde’s ‘Yellow Flicker’ was also

featured in the movie and a favorite of

mine. The music, the wardrobe, and the

new faces all made way for Mockingjay

Part 1 to be one of the most talked about

� lms of the year.

According to thecleveland.com, “Mock-

ingjay - Part 1” earned an estimated $21.6

million. Lionsgate’s penultimate chapter

in the massively successful franchise has

now earned $257.7 million domestically,

according to studio estimates. With an-

other installment due out next Novem-

ber, fans will have to wait an entire year

to see the end of the trilogy played out on

the big screen.

No mat-

ter what

you do,

no one is

safe from

wonder-

ing what

the out-

c o m e

of the two � nal � lms. Whether it be the

Katniss’ family, the Peeta and Gale love

triangle, or even the suspenseful actions

of the Capitol, everyone is desperately

awaiting the next and � nal installment of

the franchise.

This amazing � lm is still in theaters and

with millions already having seen it, it’s

time to buy some popcorn and enjoy the

amazing Part 1 of the conclusion.

BY TRISTEN GUNNETT, EDITOR IN CHIEF

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PAG

E 2

4A&E

Mockingjay part 1

will leave you at the

edge of your seat waiting

for part 2

PAG

E 2

5A&E

The year is 1789, the location is Paris,

France. The poverty rate has sky-

rocketed, people are starving and

dying while the wealthy are feasting and

spending money. The highly entitled king

Louis XVI has ran the country into the

ground. France has reached its breaking

point, people riot and � ght. It’s time for a

change, it’s time for a revolution.

This is the setting for the most breath

taking and innovative Assassin’s Creed

game yet. Assassin’s Creed: Unity is

everything AC should’ve been. With the

new revamped combat and free-running

system, Unity shines against its prede-

cessors.You take the mantle of Arno, a

French-Austrian assassin whose father

was murdered at a young age. Arno grows

and learns of the secret war between as-

sassin’s and templars that has been rag-

ing for hundreds of years. He takes up the

mantle of assassin and � ghts to discover

the secrets of the templar order.

Unity is a Creed game unlike any other.

It’s massive, breath-taking and awe in-

spiring. None of the other Creed games

even come close to this masterpiece.

With a new and improved combat sys-

tem, Unity becomes a major challenge.

Counter kills are a thing of the past, parry-

ing and dodging dominate the battle� eld

as it should with a true assassin. Unity

also o� ers a new and improved free-run-

ning system which allows you to scale the

rooftops of Paris with ease. Unity is only

available on PS4, Xbox One and PC due to

these impressive changes.

Also relevant to mention are all of the ac-

curate historical nods in the game, even

if they are from the heads on the sticks of

protestors outside the Bastille.

All in all Assassin’s Creed: Unity shines in

the game world. It o� ers so much to do

and accomplish that you feel as if you

are truly an assassin. It is a solid 10/10

and should be enjoyed by gamers every-

where.

Assassin’s Creed “Unity” is the best installment yet

Cinderella is even better at the ballet than in the Disney movie

The Chenery Auditorium is a very

old venue, perfect for any show.

Cinderella only ran for two days,

and there were so many people! Yet the

ushers handled everyone perfectly.

Everyone knows Cinderella’s story, but

what I admired was they kept the origi-

nal story by the Grimm Brothers. Cinder-

ella’s mother is dead and her beloved

father’s attention is always stolen by her

very ugly step sisters. A page arrives and

announces a ball for the prince to � nd a

wife. She’s upset by having to be left be-

hind to clean the house, and as she runs

into the forest to be alone , a fairy queen

is summoned by the animals. She intro-

duces the “rest of the year fairies,” and it

takes all of them to teach her a dance and

make her look perfect. She’s o� to the ball

with the Fairy Queen and all her maidens!

This is where they drive o� the stage and

the curtain is pulled for intermission. In-

termission takes about 10-15 minutes

but the children in the audience look like

they’re going to burst from impatience.

A beautiful ballroom sets the scene and

Cinderella appears late but awes the roy-

al court with her dance skills. The prince

does a dance and woos Cinderella, and

then they do a dance together and fall in

love. But her time is up! The fairy queens

perform a grand dance and drag her out

of the castle, leaving a confused prince

behind. He pursues her and is united

with his one true love, and the step sisters

even cut their toes o� to try and fool the

prince like in the story!

I rate the Cinderella Ballet with � ve stars.

They kept a completely original music

score and story, and the dancing was

spectacular. The costumes were excellent

and the play was well over 2 hours long. I

absolutely loved it!

BY DOM JACOBS, STAFF WRITER

BY NICOLE ANDERSON, STAFF WRITER

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Students show a variety of faces when photographed during

seminar class

Many students use seminar efficiently to get caught up on their late

work and ensure that they have the best grades possible.

PHOTOS BY ANDY WOLF

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS...