JOB FAIR AT WESTERN

CoHs students visit Western University’s

job fair to gain experience

DRESS DRIVE

Memories Bridal gives away free prom

dresses to students in need

STAFF EDITORIAL

Is the new backpack policy necessary

and/or fair?

PRO-CON

Should stuedents get second chances for

drug possession?

FEATURE

How good of a job are we doing at CoHS

of “Just Saying No” to drugs?

OPINION

What role does the media play in shaping

our moral values?

ENTERTAINMENT

After a whole year’s worth of waiting,

Bloodborne is � nally here.

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3FROM THE STAFF

For those of you who are wondering

(or who do not look closely enough

to know that is obviously not

marijuana in the baggie....ir that you

don’t really buy weed with $6), we

did not sell drugs in the newsroom

in order to shoot the front cover.

We combined all of our cash (which

was, at first, only one dollar bills,

which just would not work) and I

stole a small bag from my mom and

stuffed it full of her Italian seasoning

to pull off the shot. You should have

seen her face when she walked in

the kitchen and saw me carefully

measuring a green, leafy substance

into a bag. It was priceless (well,

once I explained myself and didn’t

get beaten within an inch of my life

or grounded for life).

In all seriousness though, drugs are

something that we as a staff want to

talk about because it is a topic that

we as a school are talking about.

We are supposed to be your voice,

so we tried to incorporate lots of

student quotes as well as the results

of our confidential and anonymous

student drug survey.

We often discuss how we are better

off here at CoHS -in many ways-

than we are at other schools, and

even though it’s looking through a

smaller lens, it really is true when it

comes to the drug issue too. Drugs

are everywhere, but I’m still glad I’m

here. Enjoy the issue.

STAFF2014-2015

Tristen Gunnett, Editor in Chief

Andrew Wolf, Photographer

Brian Lang

Ella Rootes

Dominic Jacobs

Nicole Anderson

Jalen Hooper

Matt Ballard

Kali Hazell

Jasmine Muhammad

Chris Noel

Brandon Parsons

Jasmine VanOstran

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 to 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 ANDREW WOLF

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

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4NEWS IN BRIEF

DETROIT, MICHIGAN MOM WITH 2 KIDS FOUND IN FREEZER STANDS TRIAL FOR MURDER

Dusseldorf, Germany (CNN)

Leading up to the crash of Ger-

manwings Flight 9525, co-pilot

Andreas Lubitz was shopping

doctors, seeing at least five, per-

haps as many as six, a law en-

forcement source with detailed

knowledge of the investigation

told CNN on Thursday.

It is becoming increasingly clear

to investigators that Lubitz was

“very afraid” he would lose his

license to fly because of his

medical issues, the source said.

Everyone from Apple

CEO Tim Cook to the

head of the NCAA

slammed religious

freedom laws being

considered in several

states this week,

warning that they

would open the door

to discrimination

against gay and lesbian

customers.

But it was the opposition

from Walmart, the

ubiquitous retailer

that dots the American

landscape, that perhaps

resonated most deeply,

providing the latest

evidence of growing

support for gay rights in

the heartland.

BY ANDREW WOLF, EDITOR IN CHIEF

A Connecticut teen who has

been forced to have chemo-

therapy to treat Hodgkin

lymphoma will remain in

temporary custody of the

state for the time being, ac-

cording to her attorney, Josh

Michtom.

A Connecticut juvenile court

judge issued a written deci-

sion Wednesday denying a

motion to let the teen, identi-

fied in court documents as

“Cassandra C.,” go home. The

judge also denied a motion

for visitation.

The 17-year-old is in remis-

sion after nearly six months

of forced chemo treatments.

A swarm of gunmen-

stormed a Kenya

university before dawn

Thursday, opening fire

and taking hostages.

At least 15 people were

killed at Garissa Univer-

sity College, the Kenyan

Interior Ministry said. As

many as 550 others are

unaccounted for at the

campus that had about

815 students, according

to CNN affiliate Citizen

TV.

The Somalia-based Al-

Shabaab militant group

claimed responsibility

for the assault.

On March 26th, five students attended a small job

fair held at Western Michigan University.

The students in attendance that day were Andrew

Wolf, Jalen Hooper, Alisha Tackett, Deoneis Riddle

and Matthew Ballard. These students went as part

of Ms. Ha’s “Getting Hired” class. Throughout the

term, the class prepared students for job interviews

by teaching them how to create resumes and cover

letters. They also watched a few guest speakers and

made professional portfolios.

The job fair was seen by the students as a great op-

portunity to expand their skills at what for many

students is the hardest part of getting the job: the

interview.

Students attended a pre-fair seminar and then got

to interact with several companies each. “I got to

talk to about seven or eight companies,” said Alisha

Tackett. “My favorite was probably Burger King be-

cause they asked a lot of questions.”

Ms. Swank, who took the students on the trip due to

Ms. Ha’s medical leave, said that the job fair was set

up in such a way that it made the hiring process easy

for students to understand. “They did a good job of

setting up a relaxing atmosphere and giving you a

good idea of what a larger job fair would look like,”

she explained.

Not all students found the job fair equally beneficial.

“I felt like the job fair was a productive experience,

but it could have been better. I would have rather

driven around portage going into actual establish-

ments for jobs, because that is more realistic,” shared

Andrew Wolf.

PAG

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5NEWS

CoHS students attend job fair at WMUBY MATTHEW BALLARD

PAG

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6NEWS

When Julia Bushnell graduated from CoHS

last year, she was planning on attending

KVCC to pursue her longtime dream of

becoming a police officer. After trying it out for

a year, she has decided to alter her path slightly:

she will still go into law enforcement, but for the

military.

Bushnell stopped up to CoHS on Friday,

March 20 to say one last hello to the staff

of CoHS before she leaves. “I just enlisted

yesterday,” she said. “I leave in a little less

than a month.” Once she leaves Michigan,

she will be headed for basic training at Ft.

Leonardwood, Missouri. After that, she will

begin specific training to be a military po-

lice officer.

“It was something I had always thought

about. I even spoke to a recruiter in high

school, but I wasn’t ready then,” she shared.

Bushnell went to KVCC and studied crimi-

nal justice and law enforcement for a year

before she made her decision. “This was

a great way to do what I want to do and

to see the world,” she explained. “It wasn’t

an easy decision though. I went back and

forth a lot.”

One of the reasons she had a hard time

making up her mind is her parents. “They

are on the fence about me leaving,” she

said. “They wanted me to finish school here

first, but that would have been a year or a

year and a half more and I didn’t want to

wait that long.”

Bushnell has always had a law enforcement ca-

reer in mind, and her former CoHS teachers think

it is a good fit. “law enforcement has been my

career goal since I was 7! I think it’s a good way

for me to help others,” Bushnell smiled.

“I think it’s great that she’s going into the mili-

tary! We used to tease each other because when

she first came to my class she really wanted to

be President. She was so sad when she found out

she couldn’t be!” shared one of Bushnell’s former

teachers, Michelle Rowlson, with a laugh. “I told

her that she could still be a Supreme Court jus-

tice or a governor or a lot of other things, be-

cause I didn’t want her to think that she couldn’t

participate in government. We called her “Gov-

ernor” for the rest of the term. She was amazing

and I think this is a great opportunity for her.”

“She always talked about it. That’s what she real-

ly wanted to do. I knew she was always going to

be a police officer and wasn’t going to let any-

thing stop her” said another of Bushnell’s former

teachers, LuAnn Relken.

Bushnell will have three years of active duty and

five years of reserve duty. She can choose to

reenlist at any time if she wants to make a career

out of being an MP, but if she chooses not to en-

list she will have the option to become a civilian

police officer.

CoHS grad aims to be an MP officer BY THE STAFF

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PAG

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7NEWS

Four students from Loy Norrix were charged yester-

day with felony weapons charges and all face ex-

pulsion following the shooting of a gun in the boys

bathroom on Tuesday, March 19.

According to KPS and KDPS press releases, a student

was bet $100 to bring a gun to school and discharge it.

Presumably to do so but avoid detection, the suspect, a

10th grader, chose to � re the gun at the bathroom � oor.

The student was not apprehended right away because

the gun was passed o� to at least three other students

before it was found. After extensive interviews, the gun

was found ina student’s backpack and no students were

injured.

According to MLive, the gun was a .25 caliber handgun.

School o� cials report that the suspect, a male Kalama-

zoo resident, had no intended target and had no in-

clination to harm anyone. The four students who had

possession of the gun were arrested and lodged at the

Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home. Their names are not

being released at this time, but they have been formally

charged with felony weapons charges and face manda-

tory expulsion.

My friend goes to Loy Norrix and was in a classroom near

the bathroom and said you could hear it,” Chris Noel said.

“I also had another friend who goes there and got to

school late and was ushered right in and locked down in

a classroom,” he shared.

KPS is taking heat from parents in the community about

the timeline of events as they unfolded that day. The dis-

trict issued a statement to MLive today that the student

� red the gun just before 9am but the lockdown didn’t

happen until later when a suspect had been identi� ed

and a search for the weapon was underway.

Local students bring gun to school

Human remains wash ashore after Florida

Last night a Blackhawk heli-

copter carrying 7 marines and

4 army air crew was reported

missing off the coast of Florida on

a night time training mission. By

midmorning today, human remains

starting washing ashore.

Local authorities, the Florida Fish

and Wildlife Conservation Com-

mission, and the Coast Guard

were involved in the search efforts

for the downed helicopter.

Local authorities, the Florida Fish

and Wildlife Conservation Com-

mission, and the Coast Guard

were involved in the search efforts

for the downed helicopter.

The narrative was confi rmed in a

series of press conferences by a

Department of Defense represen-

tative as well as Eglin Air Force

Base spokeswoman Jasmine Por-

terfi eld. “At this time, we cannot

specify what was found. A search-

and-rescue mission remains un-

derway,” she commented.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chair-

man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is

not holding out hope for survivors.

He took to the internet today to ex-

press his “condolences at the loss

of the folks on that helicopter.”

Eglin Air Force Base reports that

the Black Hawk was fi rst reported

missing during foggy conditions at

about 8:30 p.m. and debris started

washing up on shore around 2 am.

BY THE STAFF

BY THE STAFF

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PAG

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2HEADLINE

PAG

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8NEWS

Dress drive gives students free prom gowns BY NICOLE ANDERSON

Memories Bridal Shop hosted a dress

drive for high school girls at the Girl

Scout building on Saturday, March 21.

Called the Cinderella Project, this is the 9th year

that Memories has donated dresses to those

in need. They have

been collecting pre-

loved evening gowns

from donations at their

downtown store since

Fenruary to make sure

that there was a large

stock for the girls to

choose from. According

to WWMT, donations in

size 22 and 36 were es-

pecially in demand this

year.

Many students from

CoHS attended and

Mrs. Ramsdell and Mrs.

Higgason even pro-

vided rides for those

who wanted to go but

couldn’t get there on

their own.

Each girl received her own personal shopper

that would help them ! nd their speci! c size

and style of dress and there were over 2,000

dresses to choose from! “It was a super great

morning! I’m so happy the girls got their early

and got ! rst choice,” said Higgason. The event

took place from 10 am to 2 pm, so there was

plenty of time to get what every girl needed.

Normally the dress

drive comes on-site to

CoHS, but going to the

Girl Scout building gave

the girls many more op-

tions. “It was really cool,

I wish we had some-

thing like that when we

were in high school,”

said Mrs. Ramsdell. “We

would like to thank

Memories greatly for

wanting to make sure

everyone’s prom night

is just like how they

have always dreamed it

being.”

Jasmine Muhammad

found a classic ball

gown in a perfect lime

green color. “It was real-

ly nice,” she said of the event. Michaela Smith

found a romantic laced-back dress in a royal

blue color, Diamond Williams will look perfect

at prom in in a long and corseted dress in a

pretty peach color, and Mossiya Sterling chose

an open back dress and that looks gorgeous

with all the di# erent colors integrated togeth-

er with brown, blue and light green. Each dress

retailed for over $100 each, but the girls didn’t

pay a penny. “That was the best part, that it was

free,” shared Williams.

Prom will be held at the Radisson on Friday,

May 1.

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PAG

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9IN THEIR WORDS

BY ANDY WOLF, PHOTOGRAPHER

DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE

DIFFERENT PUNISHMENTS FOR

BRINGING DIFFERENT KINDS

OF DRUGS

TO SCHOOL?

BRI LORE:

“Yes, because weed is half-legal, you just have

to get a card to get it, whereas other drugs

aren’t.”

ALISHA TACKETT:

“Yes. Some drugs are more serious than other

drugs.”

RASHEEN JACKSON:“Yes, because some drugs

can be more dangerous than others!”

DQ BROWN:“No! They should all be the same punishment. If you have to have it, like a prescription, keep it in the o" ce, otherwise you

shouldn’t have it.”

JAKE VERMILLION:

“Prescription shouldn’t

matter as long as you’re

prescribed it, but all other

drugs should be treated the

same. They’re illegal!”

ALYSSIA PEREZ:“Prescription drugs aren’t a big deal, but all other drugs should be treated the same.”

PAG

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0THREE BY THREE three three

by

Javon Grice,

10th Grade

Emmanuel Perry

Taylor Schmidt,

12th Grade

Yes, someone in my family. She is addicted

to almost every drug I can think of.”

Do you know anyone who is addicted to any type of drug?

Have you ever been in a negative situation involving drugs?

Are you comfortable being around someone who does drugs?

Yes. I stayed with a family member one

night and all they did was cook meth and

use it in the basement.

I am comfortable around people who do

drugs or are addicted to drugs because I

have been around it before so it’s nothing

new to me.

Yes, people who go to other schools in the

district. I see it a lot.

No, peer pressure doesn’t a! ect me. I will

not become another crackhead.

No because I don’t want what they do to

“rub o! on me”. I don’t want to be around a

bunch of crackheads.

Yes, someone in my family.

Yes - my grandmas house was raided be-

cause my uncle had drugs there.

No because they make me uncomfortable,

especially when they do things like make

noises and can’t stop twitching. It’s creepy.

BY KALI HAZELL, STAFF WRITER

PAG

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1FOCUS

1Where did you come here from?

Most recently PNHS, but I was

born in Indiana.

2Where did you like living better?

Neither! Just kidding. I prefer

Indiana because we lived in a

sweet house in the middle of

the woods, with a barn and

horses, which I rode everyday, a

gun range, AND we lived close

to a pond where I would kayak

sometimes.

8What are some of your favorite

subjects in school?

Math or history because I am

very good at both of them.

9Do you have a favorite teacher

at this school?

Jasiak, because he is the only

one I have had since I have been

here.

10If you had the opportunity to

go back to Portage Northern,

would you?

No. I don’t feel like the teachers

and sta� there treat all students

fairly or like they in� uence me

in a good way.keep my country

free and safe.

5Do you like CoHS better than

PNHS?

Yes, I like it way better. The

teachers are trustworthy and

they don’t disrespect students.

6 What are some

of your favorite things?

I like to snowboard. I go

to Colorado every year to

snowboard in the mountains.

I also like to skateboard. When

I’m not doing either of those, I

watch a lot of crime shows and

horror movies. Oh, and I have

a lot of shoes. I am de� nitely a

shoe kind of guy.

4What brought you to CoHS?

Long story short? One of my

friend’s dared me to throw an

apple at a girl’s face, so I did. It

didn’t go well with the principal

after that.

3You live with your dad.

Why not your mom? My

mother is a drug addict.

She overdosed when I was

in 7th grade, but lived.

After that, she stopped

being in my life. I haven’t

even spoken to her in over

2 years.

Focus on Marc Dolph

of

I like

to

snow

I al

I’m

wa

ho

a lo

shoe

mom? My

ug addict.

d when I was

but lived.

stopped

fe. I haven’t

to her in over

PAG

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2FOCUS

Keoshi Robinson is probably best-known for her

loud personality and skills on the volleyball

court. In fact, many would never expect her to

have a professional side that is deeply devoted to

helping her community.

KKeoshi’s first real leadership role was coaching the

rocket football cheerleading squad that she was a

part of for 8 years when she aged out. “I was an as-

sistant coach, and I really loved it,” she said. After

that, she became involved in a variety of communi-

ty service organizations and has taken part in sev-

eral major events.

On March 6, 2015, she was invited to speak at an

event at WMU for the Open Roads Bike Program, a

local nonprofit that works with youth to teach them

social skills and bike mechanic skills to better pre-

pare them for their future. She serves on their Youth

Advisory Board. “It’s been so great to have Keoshi

working with us!” shared program director Erin De-

nay. “Due to her increasing leadership skills, she was

invited to present and lead a workshop at the 3rd

Annual System of Care Conference at Western Mich-

igan University.”

Robinson explained what Open Roads is: “They are

really active in the community and this Spring they

are going to go to all of the area schools, even this

one, to teach kids how to build a bike, fix a flat tire,

fix a chain, and other things like that. They will have

the chance to build a bike, and if they do, they get

to keep it.”

The program will last approximately 8 weeks and

teaches young people life skills as well as mechan-

ics skills, which can be very valuable if a student’s

only method of transportation is a bike. “We also do

some big summer programs, like Fixapalooza and

Bikeapalooza, where kids can bring in their own

bikes, fix them, and take the home,” Robinson elab-

orated.

Robinson has been involved in the program since

January, as her mom the founder of Open Roads

and had taken her younger sisters to one of their

events. “I was helping my siblings with what they

were doing, and before I knew it I had a clipboard

in my hands and I was organizing,” Robinson ex-

plained. for more information, visit

openroadsbike.org.

Robinson was at it again on March 21 at the Elea-

nor House in Downtown Kalamazoo for the Kalama-

zoo Housing Resources Incorporation Walk for the

Homeless. “My mom is on the board of HRI, so it’s

something we do every year,” she explained “Last

year I didn’t finish because I wore sandals, but this

year I planned ahead and wore tennis shoes and

walked the whole thing.”

The walk raised money for HRI, which helps the

homeless get back on their feet. “They can stay at

the Eleanor House for free, basically they just have

to keep their rooms clean and help cook dinner,”

Robinson elaborated. “After that, HRI helps them

find a job and get an apartment.”

Keoshi Robinson shines in the communityBY THE STAFF

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BY ANDREW WOLF, EDITOR IN CHIEF

Softball becomes an after-school event

MSU makes surprising Final Four run

Michigan State is doing it big in the NCAA

Tournament. In their 13th Elite Eight ap-

pearance under the reign of Tom Izzo, the

Spartans took down Louisville 76-70 on Sunday, the

29th of March.

Michigan State, a team ranked 23 on the top 25 list,

was fairly quiet until virtually just now. Seeded 7th

in the East bracket, MSU moved swiftly through

their opponents, Georgia, Virginia, and Oklahoma,

beating them with relative ease.

Moving past Georgia, 70-63, Michigan State was

looking grim when they were to play against the

University of Virginia, a number 2 seed. An upset-

ting victory pushed them forward to Oklahoma, a

number 3 seed. With the confidence from their pre-

vious win, they stormed passed the Sooners with a

62-58 victory.

Louisville gave them a run for their money, that is for

sure. Down by 8 points at the half, Michigan State’s

chances were looking low. They tightened up their

defense and held the Cardinals to only 25 points in

the second half while scoring 33 themselves. At the

end of the game, Tthey were all tied up and were

heading into overtime.

In an 11-5 run in overtime, Michigan State sealed

the deal and their place in the Final Four. The only

unfortunate thing about all of it is the fact that they

are playing Duke, a number 1 seed, in their Final

Four matchup. My hopes aren’t high, but you never

know what could happen. What I do know is that I

will be rooting for them on the 4th of April at 6:09

PM ET!

CHECK OUT WWW.PORTAGECOMMUNITYSPITFIRE.

COM FOR YOUR OWN INTERACTIVE BRACKET.

BY BRIAN LANG, STAFF WRITER

It’s spring time, and at CoHS that means one thing:

it’s softball time! This year the season will look a

little different than it has in the past.

To aid in credit recovery and make sure that the most

student-athletes are able to particiapte, softball has

traidtionally been o" ered during the last block of the

day as an elective credit. To make room for more aca-

demic classes, it is now being o" ered after school.

On the positive side, this makes it much more tradition-

al, as at practically every other school sports are held af-

ter school. The downside is that CoHS is not like other

schools, and moving the practice time limits the number

of students who are able to participate. More students in

our school have to work outside of school or have to ride

the bus home right at the end of the day, which makes

some potential softballers’ dreams # y right out the win-

dow.

“I wanted to play, but I can’t after school,” said Andy Pena.

Games will still be held during the school day and there

are more on the schedule this year than in year’s past.

“I am excited for the season,” said Kali Hazell. “I have no

problem staying after to play.” Brianne Lemmer agreed.

“I have been playing softball for years, I’m not about to

stop now!” she said.

PAG

E1

3SPORTS

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PAG

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6HEADLINE

PAG

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4STAFF EDITORIAL

The question seems simple enough: is

the new backpack policy good or bad?

The answer isn’t so simple, however. For

CoHS students, it’s good and bad, needed

but intolerable, and everything in between,

depending on who you ask and on what day.

Most of the students basically understand

why the rule was put in place. The day before,

a student brought –and shot- a gun in Loy

Norrix High School, just a few blocks down

the road. For the ! rst time in a long time,

students have stopped asking why the bath-

rooms have no doors because it is fairly obvi-

ous what would be going on behind them if

they were there. A lot of other students have

had their personal property stolen, especial-

ly out of their bags in gym class. Backpacks

make it harder to hide things, whether it’s a

weapon, drugs, or stolen property. Students

understand that.

What students don’t understand is why it was

enforced all of a sudden. There was a gun at

Loy Norrix, but not here. Drugs are no worse

now, or at least not that students would no-

tice, than they were at the beginning of this

year. When the administration makes deci-

sions without sharing with students the rea-

sons why, it feels unfair and prison-like. We

already have a chain link fence. What’s next,

razor wire on the top? If there are facts and

statistics, like an increase in drug busts or

stolen property, show the students the num-

bers. Make a presentation. If the school wants

students to act like adults, they should talk to

them as though they are.

What students don’t like about the policy is

how inconvenient it is. For many of them,

having a backpack was one of the last feel-

ings of “normal” that they had about school

here. It is something they have had since they

were little and is a security blanket of sorts.

What about students who actually bring their

own school supplies, including notebooks

and folders? With only 3 minutes of passing

time, that’s not enough to stop at a locker

in between class. If a student really wants to

get something they shouldn’t have in to the

building, they still will. Weapons can easily

be concealed in clothes, and the same is true

for drugs and stolen electronics. In fact, the

students who were doing these things are

probably not even the ones with backpacks

in the ! rst place. A better solution would be

that students with past problems involving

drugs or deadly weapons or who are suspect-

ed of illegal behavior should not be able to

bring backpacks into the classroom, but until

a student has an o" ense they should be able

to take their backpacks wherever they want.

Some students have way too much stu" to

carry around with just using their arms. This

would help answer the lingering question in

many students’ minds: why am I being pun-

ished for other people actions? It’s unfair and

unnecessary.

is the new back-

pack policy good

or bad?

PAG

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7HEADLINE

PAG

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5OPINION

Sports increase student achievementBY KALI HAZELL, STAFF WRITER

Especially in a school like ours that has

limited resources, people wonder if

sports are more of a distraction than

a help. In my opinion, the evidence is ob-

vious: students who play sports are more

likely to pass their classes because they

need to be passing all of their classes in

order to play in the games or even prac-

tice.

Playing sports can keep students focused

on what they need to do in order to be

able to play in their games and participate

in any sort of sport activity. Eligibility re-

quirements can be set as high or as low

as a school needs them to be, but here

at CoHS they are higher than most other

schools. This makes all team members rise

to higher standards than they normally

would.

It is statistically proven that students who

play sports or stay continuously active

throughout the school year end up hav-

ing higher graduation rates AND high-

er test scores than those who decide to

not be active. Howell Wechsler, director

of the Division of Adolescent and School

Health for the Centers for Disease Control,

looked over 50 studies that examined the

effect of school-based physical activity on

academic performance and discovered

that half of the studies showed positive

improvements and virtually none of the

research demonstrated any negative im-

pact. Multiple studies demonstrated that

even relatively short amounts of physical

activity helped increase the duration and

intensity of concentration following such

activities, including those in which the

students never left the classroom.

This chart shows a clear connection be-

tween sports and academic achievement.

By Spitfire News.

This chart shows a clear connection be-

tween sports and academic achievement.

By Spitfire News.

Some students are not naturally good

at keeping their grades up and staying

focused in the classroom. However, the

grade requirements in order to stay eli-

gible to play the sport they love drives

them to overcome obstacles in the class-

room and improve their overall academic

performance. They are also more likely to

seek extra opportunities they might not

have otherwise, like tutoring or staying

after school.

Being an athlete myself, I can easily say

that my grades went up at least a whole

letter grade after I started playing sports.

Playing sports motivates me to do my best

in the classroom so I can perform better

on the field. I am not alone. My volleyball

teammate Jalen Hooper agrees. “I knew

that if I didn’t keep up excellent grades,

then Ms. Ha would get on my case,” he

shared.

Being out on the court makes me happy

and inspires me to do the best that I can

in school in order to be able to play. It also

relieves my stress and calms me down, es-

pecially during exam week and stressful

midterms. I have been playing sports for

most of my life, and I have also had all A’s

and B’s in every grade I have been in, even

after moving from Georgia to Michigan in

2007. The question of which comes first,

sports or good grades, isn’t as easy to an-

swer as you might think.

For example, according to Dr. Mercola

for Peak Fitness, there are several hy-

pothesized mechanisms for why exercise

is beneficial for cognition, including in-

creased blood and oxygen flow to the

brain, increased levels of norepinephrine

and endorphins resulting in a reduction of

stress and an improvement of mood, and

increased growth factors that help to cre-

ate new nerve cells and support synaptic

plasticity.

University of Kansas’s Angela Lumpkin

and Rebecca Achen published a study in

The Atlantic Monthly that looked over

high-school testing, graduation, and at-

tendance information and found that Kan-

sas’s student athletes go to school more

often than non-athletes. They also have

higher graduation rates. In fact, 98 per-

cent of athletes in Kansas’s class of 2012

graduated, compared with 90 percent of

non-athletes.

Playing sports in middle and high school

can help you become a better student

physically and academically. Sports pro-

grams should be supported at all levels of

school, and especially at a school like ours,

where students stand to benefit the most.

This chart shows a clear connection between sports and academic achievement. By Spit! re

News.

PAG

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8HEADLINE

PAG

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6OPINION

Don’t stay in school: a video that will make you thinkBY CLARISSA ROMAN, STAFF WRITER

“Don’t stay in school” is not

a message that many teach-

ers or principals would sup-

port, but when I showed

this particular video to

CoHS staff, even Mr. Wagner

agreed with the ideas in it!

The video on YouTube called

“Don’t Stay In School” and

posted by a YouTuber named

boyinaband. This video was

posted on Feb. 2, 2015 and

he states in the video de-

scription, “I can’t remember

feeling so passionate whilst

writing something in ages.

I absolutely love a lot of the

subjects I mention in this -

astronomy, particle physics,

pure maths.. but I hate that

everyone is forced to learn

them. It should be a choice.

There are a million other

things wrong with education

but this one stood out as the

most obvious and most in-

sane. the point of this song

is to get people talking - if

you share it, use #DontStay-

InSchool so we can all get in-

volved in the conversation.”

The first group of lyrics is

something that I person-

ally agree with 100%. The

first thing it says is, “I wasn’t

taught how to get a job.” I was

also never taught how to get

a job and I’m still not being

taught on this subject and

now I am old enough to ac-

tually work. I f you skip to the

third line, the author says,

“I wasn’t taught how to pay

tax.” This is something else

that I agree with because in

the future, how am I expect-

ed to pay for tax when I have

no clue about how to pay it

or even what it is and how it

is used by my government?

There is another line that

says, “I was never taught what

laws there are” and this is

something that we all should

know, but are not taught

about for some reason when

they are important for every-

one to know. For example,

did you know that there is 30

human rights that we all get

just by being human? I had

no clue until I watched this.

Schools find these skills that

we need for life unimportant

and teach us about things

we will never use or need

again, which leads the au-

thor to give us the sugges-

tion, “don’t stay in school.”

“Don’t stay in school” might

not be the exact message

that everyone should get out

of the video, because even if

you do drop out you aren’t

guaranteed to learn those

skills anywhere else. Instead,

schools should take the vid-

eo seriously and ask students

what they want to learn and

make sure to teach us the

important life skills that we

need to succeed as adults.

Visit the Spitfire’s website to

view a link to this video so

you can watch it for your-

self and see if you agree!

PAG

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7OPINION

Society is an enormous beast of ever growing,

changing, and evolving ideals, beliefs, and social

constructs. Society represents all people in an area

or countries. Society

often dictates what to

wear, how to act, and

what is considered

“normal.” Yet for all it

tries to do, it fails at

nearly every turn.

Hypocrisy, hate, judg-

ment, violence, and

anger are but some

of the plights that in-

fect society. So why is

this? Why does socie-

ty tell you to do mul-

tiple things yet shun

you for doing those

same things? For example, why is it okay to listen to

rap songs about sex all day and yet judge people,

more specifically girls, for having sex? It seems like

you can never win in this crazy world.

By far the largest issue in today’s society is the me-

dia. The media tells us what is “in” or “cool,” but it

also tells us how to act, how to behave, what to

eat, what to wear, and even who we should want to

sleep with. It tells us what is deemed attractive. We

are not supposed to think for ourselves. The system

wants the media to think for us and for us to follow

blindly. Gender roles, bigotry, and homophobia are

but a few ideals we are taught. Free thought or ide-

as that go against the norm are often put down. We

face a major problem, and if something isn’t done

soon there may be no

turning back.

Largely due to media in-

fluence, people tend to

place others in the blame

rather than see the truth.

A prime example is the

major terrorist scare of

9/11/01. Many people in-

stantly blamed all Islamic

people for the actions of

a few radical members.

Almost instantly, Islam

became the face of ter-

rorism. Even broader,

there was the targeting

and persecution of anyone who looked Middle East-

ern. Nearly everyone failed to realize that terrorism

can come from any gender, race, or religion, as can

violence of any kind.

For example, when most people think of gangs,

they probably instantly think about African Amer-

icans. They might be surprised to know that some

of the most notorious gangs in the country are ac-

tually white gangs. MS-13, Crips, Bloods, and Latin

Kings are but a few of the major and extremely dan-

gerous street gangs in the US. These gangs could

also be called terrorists because their goal is to

terrorize the streets to gain respect. When the me-

dia shows that terrorists are only one type of per-

son, they close the minds of all the viewers. Over

the years, the Aryan Brotherhood has killed more

Americans than the number that died in 9/11, and

all the while wearing crosses and getting tattoos of

Christian symbols and verses. How are they any dif-

ferent than the religious extremists that caused so

much death on 9/11? They aren’t, but you’ll never

see American media making any connections be-

tween the two.

Closed-mindedness only causes further division in

this country. We must understand that every group,

organization, religion, or social movement has radi-

cal, hateful members. It is a sad fact of life, yet there

is nothing we can do to stop it. Instead of giving

those groups attention, why don’t we focus on the

good people? This is also a product of the media,

they teach us to focus on the negative much more

than the positive. Turn on any TV news broadcast

and you will easily see what I mean.

The reasoning for this dark side of human nature

in the media is the multitude of differing thoughts,

beliefs, and ideas. Every person has their own opin-

ions...about everything. You cannot change them

nor can you stop them, and trying to control these

people will only cause more division in an already

fractured society. The only solution is creating an

open minded society where no one is judged for

their own thoughts and beliefs. This is the only

way society can change and the change can’t come

quick enough.

The media’s negative influence hasmagnified the darker side of humanityBY DOMINIC JACOBS, STAFF WRITER

PAG

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9HEADLINE

“The best gift in life is a second

chance.” –Unknown

Isn’t that what Community High School

is all about, second chances? Isn’t that

what we are taught to give others when

they make us mad? If we are expected to

live by this model, why should schools

hand out harsh punishments for drug

infractions? Even drug users and sellers

appreciate and could benefit from hav-

ing a second chance.

Now that’s not to say that there shouldn’t

be consequences. There should be. There

should just be a clear system of say, tiers,

that determines a student’s punishment

based on the infraction. As marijuana is

the most common drug found in schools,

let’s use that as our example:

First time offenders should get suspend-

ed for a short length of time, like two or

three days. Having drugs on campus IS

illegal, so there should be consequences.

However, a first time could be an error

in judgment or a one-time bad decision,

so provided a student doesn’t have a gal-

lon-size bag of bud in their locker, some

leniency should be allowed. The legal

system should also not be involved at

this point.

Second time offenders should face more

serious consequences, such as 5-10 days

of suspension, but should also be made

to attend some kind of rehab. Basically,

at this point it is obvious that the person

either has a problem with the substance

or with the lifestyle of selling it. Manda-

tory substance abuse rehab would ben-

efit the student who is addicted, and

mandatory job counseling or helping a

student find legal ways to earn money

could deter dealers. This offers not just a

punishment, but a means to establish a

changed outcome. The legal system may

be involved at this point if it needs to be

in order to make sure a student complies.

Third time offenders should be expelled.

At that point, it’s obvious that a student’s

illegal behavior means more to them

than their education. Drugs in school

don’t benefit anyone, and a student has

expended all of their chances, they de-

serve the strictest punishment possible

as well as a one-on-one rendezvous with

the police because they are

probably headed down a

pretty bad path.

So, in conclusion, pun-

ishment? Yes. Second

chances? Also yes.

Students should

be given the

chance to learn

from their mis-

takes until they

have proven through

repeat violations that

they no longer deserve

those opportunities.

Drugs are bad,

mmmmkay? That

line brings laugh-

ter for some, but that

doesn’t change the ba-

sic fact that it’s a true

statement. Students

who bring drugs to

school should get

cracked down on.

Hard.

The sale or even pos-

session of drugs on

school property is pun-

ishable both by law as

well as by the school’s ad-

ministration. Depending on

who the student is, their prior track

record, and what the particular situa-

tion is, they can receive a wide range

of punishments from ISS to OSS to ex-

pulsion.

To the offending student, these pun-

ishments, especially the stricter ones,

can seem unfair, harsh, or even cruel,

especially when these punishments

delay the student from moving for-

ward in their education and their life.

It appears, in their perspective, to be

extreme, especially if it’s a first offense.

Now let’s take a look from a parent’s

perspective. Your child comes home

from school acting funny. It doesn’t

faze you because they’ve been acting

distant for a while now. You go up-

stairs to gather laundry and BAM, the

marijuana’s just lying there on the bed.

That explains a lot.

You talk to your kid about it, but noth-

ing really comes out of it. Time passes

and it keeps occurring; you don’t know

what to do. You can’t punish them an-

ymore and life spirals out of control.

You’re losing them, and before you

know it, the legal system has them.

There is quite literally nothing a parent

can do once it gets past a certain point.

Stepping in at the source –school,

where many drugs are bought and

sold- is a very powerful way to prevent

it.

It may seem unfair and cruel, but there

are actually worse consequences than

being put on probation, suspended,

and even expelled. Students who use

drugs or make a lifestyle out of selling

them need the “cleanse” and reality

check that comes from being removed

from that environment. Keeping a firm

grip on students by doling out consist-

ent and harsh consequences for first

violations is a great way not only to

keep the school environment safe, but

also to look out for individual students,

especially the ones who don’t know

what’s good for them and are partici-

pating in these illegal behaviors in the

first place.

PAG

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8PRO-CON

Should schools impose strict penalties for on-campus drug violations?

BY BRIAN LANG, CHRIS NOEL, ELLA ROOTES, AND MATT BALLARD BY DOMINIC JACOBS, JASMINE MUHAMMAD, JALEN HOOPER, AND MIKE CARLTON

PAG

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0HEADLINE

PAG

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9FEATURE

Drugs. Not everyone’s doing them, but everyone’s talking about them. Started by the new backpack rule

and helped along by Fast 50 rumors, drug discussions can be heard in nearly every class throughout the

day. Our school has a pretty bad reputation, and a lot of people think that we have more problems here

than at other schools. What they might be surprised to know is that this is not true.

BY STAFF WRITERS TRISTEN GUNNETT AND NICOLE ANDERSON AND GUEST CONTRIBUTOR ALISHA TACKETT

PAG

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1HEADLINE

PAG

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0FEATURE

When looking at the whole United States,

teenage drug use is actually at a decline,

not a rise. A 2014 survey by the University

of Michigan showed that about 35% of teenagers

admit to smoking marijuana. That is down from

47% in the same study in 2004. The CoHS rate is

even lower. In our anonymous

survey, only 31% of students reported regularly

smoking marijuana.

“I would have thought it would have been a lot

more, maybe 80%,” said Haley Templeton. “People

talk about it all the time.” The key there is “talk.” Talk-

ing is not doing, and the statistics show that many

more people talk about doing it, maybe to be cool

or to ! t in, than actually do it. This is a common

trend in sexual activity studies too. According to

the US Centers for Disease Control, almost 75% of

high schoolers claim to their peers to not be vir-

gins. When surveyed privately, only 46.8% reported

having sexual intercourse. The pressure to “! t in” en-

courages students to admit to or discuss behaviors

that

they might not actually participate in, or at least as

frequently as they claim.

There is another theory as to why there is a higher

perception of drug use here. “When you hang out

with a large group of people, some people smoke,

and some people don’t,” explained Javon Grice. “It

can look to others like the whole group is smoking,

when really it’s just a couple people. It’s not really

common to have a whole group of friends where

nobody at all smokes, but I would say it’s just as un-

common to have a whole group of friends where

every single person smokes.” Many statistics in the

CoHS survey painted our school in a positive light.

For example, 67% of students said that they believed

that less students here used drugs regularly than

at their previous school. 72% of students reported

that they believed that fewer students sold drugs

on campus here than at their old schools. Almost

90% of students said that measures to control drugs

(such as no backpacks, closely monitored hallways,

etc.) were better here than at their old schools. 86%

of students reported that they felt safe from the in-

" uence on drugs while on school property.

A new study by the National Center on Addiction

and Substance Abuse shows that about 17% of US

high schoolers either possess or use drugs during

the course of the school day (the two most com-

mon kinds were marijuana and prescription med-

ications). The small size of our school and the high

amounts of adult supervision deter many students

from making this terrible choice, but some still will

anyway, just like at any other school. Principal Clint

Wagner has a strong message for these students.

“Don’t do it. Graduation obviously isn’t your priority

because possession of any and all illegal substances

can and will result in expulsion.”

Students who witness a drug exchange are en-

couraged to come forward and are even rewarded

for it. “Anyone can tell a teacher, principal, or ad-

ministrator about any drug or alcohol use within

school premises. The information has to be related

to school, and the information has to be validated,

and if both of those are done, we pay you $50.00,”

stated O# cer Clark, the school liaison o# cer of Por-

tage Community High School.

The ! rst step is to call Silent Observer and report il-

legal activities at 323-2100. Next, give the operator

your information and mention the school where it’s

occurring. The operator will give you an ID number,

but won’t ask for your name unless it’s an emergen-

cy. Your job is to save the ID number and if your

report leads to an arrest you will receive a reward

of $50.00. To see if you’ve won a reward, you can

call Silent Observer on Mondays between 9am and

12pm. Anonymous tips can also be made online at

kalamazoosilentobserver.com.

Students who witness a drug exchange are encouraged to come forward and are even

rewarded for it.

PAG

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1FEATURE

PAG

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2A&E

Finally, after what feels like years of waiting, it’s here: Bloodborne, the game that ranks number two on most antici-pated game of the year list.

It has been nearly a year since the game was officially announced at E3. The project was dubbed “Project Beast” and that’s all that was revealed. Well it’s here now and definitely does not disappoint. Considering how great the entire Souls series was, Fromsoftware had their work cut out for them. They lived up to every expectation I had for the game; it is impressive in every sense of the word, with breathtaking visuals, gameplay, story, and sheer size of the game world. No other game that I have ever played has made me feel such a mix of emotions; while playing, I find myself feeling anger, fear, anxiety, ex-citement, worry, happiness, and stress

all at once! Now that may sound bad, but it really connects with you on a level I’ve never experienced. It’s amaz-ing how a game that you play can also play you.

First off, let’s talk about the game-play. Bloodborne is gritty, intense, fast-paced, and action packed. The gameplay is amazing and gripping; it even leaves you gasping for air at some points. You need fast reflexes and a good sense of timing in order to suc-ceed. Overly aggressive or defensive tactics only lead to death. Death is also a common theme in the game. After death, any blood you’ve collected up to that point is dropped at the area you die or picked up by the enemy that killed you. This adds a sense of risk versus reward. Is it worth risking the blood you’ve amassed? Thats up to

Check out the Spit! re’s website for a link to this video of actual Bloodborne gameplay produced just for our readers!

BLOODBORNE: WORTH THE ONE YEAR WAIT

you. The game also has a highly unique feature with weapons. Every single pri-mary weapon in the game has the abil-ity to change forms. For example, there is a sword/hammer combo where the standard form of the weapon is a short sword that can combine with a massive hammerhead to make a warhammer. This feature allows highly unique and in-teresting combos that you can perform. Combat is seamless and overall highly enjoyable.

Next we have the visuals. The graphics of Bloodborne are stunning and feature particle effects, high amounts of blood, and highly detailed models that truly add a sense of life to the game world. As you roam the streets, you hear people crying and praying, hoping for a better life. This also has a physiological effect on the player, causing moral drain and

genuine worry for the small amount of sane civilians left. The combination of sound and visuals creates a truly terrifying atmosphere. The incredible design makes the game stand out from other titles.

And finally, we have the story of the game. Little is revealed in the game when it comes to the story, at least in conventional means. Most of the story is revealed through item descriptions. These descriptions give small clues to the true nature of what is actually happening. However, nothing is set in stone; the story is always open to your own opinions and beliefs. This allows the player to form and create their own story, which brings a sense of free-dom to the overall experience. This also builds a sense of community with fellow players as the game becomes open to discussion and new ideas from every single person. Overall, the story becomes completely stand-alone when compared to other titles.

Bloodborne shines in the gaming world. It is breathtaking, involved, and inter-esting. The game takes full advantage of the new generation of consoles. It is in every sense a next generation game. This game in all its glory gets a 10/10, and it is the only video game that I have ever played that I would give this per-fect rating to. It is a masterpiece, truly worth all the praise, and most definitely worth the full year wait.

BY DOM JACOBS, STAFF WRITER

PAG

E 2

3A&E

Insurgent, the second movie in the

Divergent series was simply amaz-

ing. Most trilogies have a “dud” film

in the mix somewhere, and this in-

stallment is far too hot and moving for

it to earn this claim.

Inspirational character Tris Prior kicks

major butt and proves to be a great

feminine hero. She starts off as a doc-

ile and weak girl and transforms into

an edgy fighter that cuts off all of her

hair. She is also filled with a rage to

get her revenge on Jeanine, the Eru-

dite dictator.

Compared to most cliche apocalyptic

movies or books, Insurgent has a very

unique twist to it. The film picks up

where Divergent left off, with a faction

system that has lasted for 200 years...

until Tris Prior is found to be 100% Di-

vergent. The Erudites are still trying to

track down all Divergents, but in this

new movie, they are not out to kill

them, but further investigate them.

Divergence is the key to establishing

humanity as it once was, and the Eru-

dites want to control it –or extinguish

it- at all costs, as it is a threat to the

system. The Erudites and the allegiant

of insurgents fight until the very end

of the film and it leaves you with sus-

pense and energy.

Movie critics rate this movie 2 out of

5, but I disagree and rate it a 4/5. It

proved that the trilogy is making pro-

gress to an epic conclusion (which

hopefully will not be divided into two

parts like its predecessor dystopian

novels-turned-movies)and shows a

broader span on possible apocalyp-

tic situations with characters that are

some of the most inspiring that we’ve

had in a long time.

Insurgent shines as better than Divergent

Jupiter might be ascending, but my approval is still pending

With an A-list cast and an out-there

plot, many wondered how the

Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum

movie would fare. My reviews are mixed.

These are the awe-inspiring gravity boots,

which might be the coolest thing about

the movie. Stock photo from afrolly.com.

Jupiter Ascending is a good movie, howev-

er there are certain aspects of the movie

that I believe could have used a bit more

thought in the making. First off, the fight

scenes are intense and fast paced, so fast

paced in fact that they can be hard to fol-

low at times. I believe that the creators par-

tially realized this and added in some slow

motion moments to help your eyes catch

up a little. Even with these slow motion

moments, it gets difficult to see exactly

what’s happening. Also, the first airborne

fight in the first part of the movie was a bit

dragged out; there was a time when I felt it

wasn’t going to end!

Now there are also some aspects I like

about this movie. One thing that I particu-

larly enjoy is the fight scene potential that

the gravity boots present. Being able to

skate basically on air makes evading en-

emy attacks have a certain level of ease

while providing an aspect of style to the

get away.

Another great addition to the movie was

that there was not just one antagonist in

the movie, but two. Not only that, but there

were also two motives! Each villain went

after Jupiter but also competing against

each other to get what she possesses, each

one employing their own method to get

what they wanted. The first brother used

his cunning mind to try and trick her to

marry him, so when he died she would

have his inheritance. His true plan was to

marry and then have her assassinated so

he could obtain earth. The second broth-

er used more hostile methods, sending

troops to earth to kidnap her family and

hold them for ransom in an effort to force

her hand.

This movie also had some plot holes along

these lines. For example, the third family

member, the sister, seemed to not make

any attempt to acquire earth for herself. In-

stead, she chose to educate Jupiter about

her situation. If earth were really that val-

uable, wouldn’t she want it too? What did

she stand to gain by giving it up?In addi-

tion I’m still not sure what made earth so

much more valuable than other inhabited

planets other than maybe the producer’s

earth-centric view of the universe.

BY NICOLE ANDERSON

BY MATTHEW BALLARD

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Krista told us that since she isnt Irish, she

shouldn’t celebrate an Irish holiday, but

she’d smile for a picture anyway!

Meanwhile, Mr. Vigil celebrated by lifting

some weights at the gym.

PHOTOS BY ANDREW WOLF

HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE ST.PATRICKS DAY?

Brooklyn Skillman, instead of cele-

brating the holiday, had to go to a

doctor’s appointment! She does have

a heck of an Irish jig ready for next

year though.

Taylor Schmidt

spent the

holiday

babysitting

instead of cel-

ebrating, but

later stated that

she didn’t really

mind having a

quiet night at

home.