March 27, 2009 VOLUME II ISSUE 6 DEXTER HIGH SCHOOL 2200 N. PARKER ROAD DEXTER, MI 48130

RThe Rostrum

Tired of hearing of the same usual

winter sports? Check out the spread

to read about curling, cross country

skiing and sledding.

Page 4-5

As the clock ticks toward 9 o’clock, math teacher

Dewey Scott rushes to his chair, fumbling the remote

in excitement. Tonight is not just any Sunday night. To-

night is the season premiere of the popular FOX net-

work show “24,” which normally airs Monday nights.

Scott fl ips the channel to FOX, as social studies

teacher Cory Bergen and math teacher Randy Swover-

land eagerly await the start of the season.

“Mr. Bergen, (Mr.) Swoverland) and I get really into

it,” Scott said. “We usually get together for the season

premieres and fi nales, and in some of the more exciting

episodes I sometimes call Bergen at the commercials to

discuss what’s going on.”

“24” is one of the more popular shows on TV, and

its unique storytelling style helps capture the attention

of fans.

“I fi rst watched it because the premise looked in-

teresting,” Scott said. “I have always been a fan of cop

shows like ‘The Shield,’ so when I watched ‘24,’ I was

hooked from episode one.”

The premise of the show is basic: A national crisis

arises, and counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer (played

by Kiefer Sutherland) fi nds a way to save the world. He

accomplishes his mission within 24 hours after the sto-

ry starts; the season consists of exactly 24 1-hour long

episodes in which events occur in real-time. The plot

is often complicated by plot twists which keep viewers

coming back.

“The writers always keep you guessing what is going

to happen next,” Bergen said. “But you gotta watch it

Monday.”

Perhaps the favorite pastime of “24” fans is talking

really loud about it on Tuesday with other fans so that

everyone else hears but doesn’t know what is being dis-

cussed.

“Jack Bauer is really the best part,” Bergen said. “He

is one of the greatest TV heroes of all time. We all think

he is a great character.”

In the days following the latest Squall release, junior

Ross Chamberlain has a lot of free time. Like many

other staff members, Chamberlain uses this down time

to enjoy the classic game of Tetris.

“I like Tetris because it’s a game with a simple con-

cept, but it’s still very challenging,” Chamberlain said

during a recent game. “I started playing when I joined

the Squall and have been hooked ever since.”

Few video games have with stood the test of time.

Almost everything that was fi rst released on a Ninten-

do cartridge has been replaced over the years by a new

game.

Temco Bowl was later replaced by the Madden se-

ries. Paper Boy evolved into a plethora of racing/driv-

ing games, fi rst Driver and then Grand Theft Auto.

However, even though Tetris was released over 25

years ago, it is more popular than ever.

According to atarihq.com, Tetris was developed in

1985 by Alexey Pazhitnov in Moscow and was in the

US before 1990.

The idea of arranging falling shapes consisting of

four blocks into a solid formation on the bottom of the

screen is something that seems to appeal to people of

all ages. Due to it’s distinct challenge, the game has

gathered a loyal following.

“I enjoy the thrill that Tetris gives me,” junior Alex

Dobbs said. “It’s a way for me to compete with my

friends for who can get the high score. The only per-

son to beat my high score of 193 lines is (junior) Kyle

Oberle. That was a pretty gut-wrenching moment for

me.”

There are multiple outlets for playing Tetris, how-

ever Freetetris.org is the site of choice for many ad-

vanced players. On days when Squall staff members

have down time, there are often more than 10 players

on Freetetris.

While many students enjoy Tetris skills, some aren’t

as fortunate.

“I’m always trying to get better at Tetris,” junior

Aaron Gilman said. “But it’s hard to do sometimes be-

cause many of the better players tease me while I’m

playing. It seems like when ever the blocks are fall-

ing, Jim Carey’s ‘Most annoying sound in the world’ is

screeching through my head.”

For most Tetris players there’s no end is sight. “I

am going to continue training,” Dobbs said. “Nothing

is going to stop my quest for greatness.”

22 The RostrumFriday, February 27, 2009 trends

Mike Szymusiak

staff writer

Max Berry

staff writer

“Sweetness”

by Jimmy Eat

World

“One of this band’s

best songs.The

chorus is

awesome.”

Jake Larosa

U-page editor

“Watching the

Wheels”

by Matisyahu

“This reggae

sound makes for

a great cover of

a classic.”

Max Berry

Staff writer

“Lucid Dreams”

by Franz

Ferdinand

“This band is

awesome and

always kicking out

cool jams.”

Valentino Argiero

Designer

“Blame It (On the

Alcohol)”

by Jamie Foxx

Feat. T-Pain

“I’m embarassed

to say I almost

love it. It’s just

catchy.”

Morgan Quist

Advertising

manager

“Caress me

Down” by Sublime

“Real chill song

for when I get in

my mood. And

it helps out with

Español.”

Dan Flowers

Staff writer

Fox Network/MCT Campus

333333333The Rostrum Friday, February 27, 2009get involved

Sarah Moirstaff writer

Kurt Millerstaff writer

The fund raiser that has reached over 5 million

students is coming to Dexter.

iFlurtz, a match making fund raiser, is a ques-

tionnaire that matches students based on their

compatibility with others in the school.

The questions on the survey range from favor-

ite genre in music to what celebrity students would

want to room with.

Students’ answers to the 36-question survey de-

termine who their best match is in the school. Once

the surveys are sent in to the company, they are put

through machines to determine matches.

The week following Valentine’s Day, students

with $2 in hand could purchase their compatibility

results in the school store at lunch.

The results showed best matches percentage-

wise and includes a category for matches in stu-

dents’ grade and another category for those who

may be younger or older.

The other categories include: Ridiculously Op-

posite, Best Friend, Astro Matches, Mystery Match-

es, Celebrity Matches, Vitals, Humorscope, Jibba

Jabba and Fortune.

Student council adviser Deborah Marsh and the

council decided to use the iFlurtz fund raiser as a

way to raise money for the school.

“I was sent an e-mail about fund raisers, and this

seemed the most interesting in terms of match mak-

ing,” Marsh said.

According to the Academy Awards, iFlurtz has

the Best Printout in a Match making Fund raiser.

The company is also named one of the best fund

raisers for schools in North America.

“I brought the idea to the student council and we

got a packet of information on it,” Marsh said.

Marsh said she thinks around 1,000 students

fi lled out the surveys that were passed out to fi fth

hour teachers.

“I’ve heard most students say it’s a cool idea,

but, of course, they’ll be some that make fun of it,”

Marsh said.

Dexter sophomore Tessa Biallas thinks the fund

raiser is a good idea.

“I’m excited to see who my best match is going to

be, especially if it’s somebody really random that I

don’t talk to that much,” she said.

Biallas, like many other students, was eager to

get the survey.

“I thought our class wasn’t going to get the sur-

veys because I heard a lot of the classes already fi lled

theirs out,” Biallas said.

Biallas says she doesn’t think she’s going to fol-

low through with her compatibility results, but fi nds

the survey fun any ways.

The surveys that reached Dexter on Feb. 17 were

quickly sold during lunch.

“I thought the results were really interesting, but

not that accurate because my brother was my num-

ber one match. I was creeped out, but I still thought

it was kind of funny,” Biallas said.

Biallas, like many other students, would like

to participate next year to see how their matches

change over a year.

She wishes that everyone fi lled out the survey

honestly but fi gures not everyone did. Since many

students didn’t fi ll their answers out seriously, Bial-

las thinks that her results aren’t as accurate as they

should be.

The iFlurtz fund raiser has seemingly made an

impact on the school and its students.

Hoping the fund raiser does return next year,

Biallas says that the response has been mostly posi-

tive.

She said, “It feels good knowing my friends and

I helped raise money for the school, but still got

something in return.”

Equestrian:This program has a strong tradition of success. A sport for horse

lovers. The team’s season is during the fall.

Mens water polo: The mens water polo team made the state tournament for the fi rst

time this year. Their season is during the fall. “We’re always looking

for new people to join the program,” junior Jesse Clafl in said. This

is an up and coming program to get involved with.

Womens water polo: The womens water polo team lost many key players due to gradu-

ation last year. They are looking for many people to step up and fi ll

empty roles. Currently they are doing preseason conditioning. Their

season is in the spring.

Dance team:The dance team currently has a temporary coach, former student

Ashley Clark. They have separate teams during the football season

and basketball seasons. The winter season is coming to an end but

practices for next season start in the summer. Boys and girls are

both encouraged to join the team.

Lacrosse: This is a program looking to become a varsity sport. Their season is

in the spring. They practice on the fi eld next to the teachers’ parking

lot. The team is coached by Bill Kahn, and they are always looking

for more people to join.

Rugby:The Dexter Devils are going into season number fi ve this year. If

you are up for a new and exciting sport, the team would be happy

to have you join. They practice at Mill Creek and Creekside; games

are played at Wylie, but the team is trying to play a game on the

football fi eld this year. “Talk to me if you want to join (the team),”

senior Steve Merz said.

5555555555The Rostrum Friday, February 27, 2009the spread444 The RostrumFriday, February 27, 2009 the spread

W ho sa id y o u c a n’ t e njo yWinter?

It’s the middle of the winter, and the forecast predicts snow storms. For some this means

they’re going to have to be careful driving home, but for English teacher Zach Lindke

and freshman Owen Eisenlord, this means fresh snow for snowboarding.

“I started when I was about 18 years old,” Lindke said. “I use to work for an outdoor

store, and I would get free passes to the mountain and gear so I use to go pretty much

every day.”

Although Lindke and Eisenlord have a big difference in age, they both say they fi nd

many of the same things enjoyable in the sport. “My favorite memories of snowboarding

are when I take trips with my friends and family. I have fun riding with my friends, and it’s

always fun to go up with my dad and brother,” Eisenlord said.” They’re also fun because

when you take trips, it’s all about snowboarding. You don’t worry about anything else, and

you get a lot of snowboarding in.”

Eisenlord and Lindke say taking trips to different mountains can be a fun part of snow-

boarding. “ One of my best memories snowboarding was in my sophomore year of col-

lege,” Lindke said. “Me and a couple of my friends went to Lake Tahoe. There was a huge

winter storm, and it was the fi rst time I had ever gone snow boarding in real powder. We

had a lot of fun.”

But Eisenlord and Lindke do take snowboarding differently in some ways. Eisenlord

enters competitions and has even made it to nationals. “ I like competing because when I

compete against the others it shows me what they can do that I can’t and what I need to

work on and get better at, and because it’s fun to try and win,” he said.

Regardless, Eisenlord and Lindke have found different ways to enjoy snowboarding,

but they both have similar reasons for enjoying it. “ Snow boarding is my favorite thing to

do,” Eisenlord said. “ I am going to do it for as long as I can.”

Jake Aliapouliosstaff writer

Snow hits the face of Junior Kelsey Hart as

she sleds down hill with one goal in mind:

to have as much fun as possible.

Hart said she goes sledding with her

friends a lot, normally at Vet’s Hill.

Hart also said she goes sledding at Loch Alpine’s

Cardiac Hill, but Vet’s Hill is the most popular of the

two, especially for those who go during the night.

“Sledding always gives me a good laugh,” Hart

said. “It’s the thing to do when you’re bored and you

wanna go out with your friends, so you gather up

some sleds and hit up Vets Hill.”

For others, it’s just being outside that makes them

like sledding so much.

When walking through the hall on a slow Monday

morning, many students tell stories about their crazy

weekend sledding.

“In eighth grade, I was sledding down Cardiac Hill

and didn’t jump off in time, and I went into the river,”

Hart said.

According to Hart some sleds are better than others

for speed or to stop before a river.

“The best sleds are by far toboggan,” she said.

“They are way faster when you’re on a good tobog-

gan run.”

For students whose goal is to gain top speed, there

is a simple way to fl y according to learnalittle.com.

“Before you go sledding, wax the areas of your

sled that come in contact with snow,” The web site

suggests. “Waxing will make your sled ultra smooth

so that you and your sled will fl y over the snow.”

Some students’ goals, however, are to just reach

the bottom of the hill alive.

“My friends went down Vet’s Hill on a picnic table

once,” Hart said. “I was scared for their lives, but they

were OK after.”

Students such as Hart also sled in their own back

yards.

“Last Christmas my friends and I made a sledding

hill in my back yard. It was a huge jump,” she said.

“We hosed it down and went down it for days.”

Hart said she enjoys going sledding with her

friends because they help each other go downhill as

fast as possible.

“While going downhill at a breakneck speed is lots

of fun, it is important that you do it safely,” learnal-

ittle.com states. “Most of the (safety) tips are com-

mon sense, but sometimes common sense is not so

common.”

Like many students Hart said she can never get

tired of sledding. “I usually have a huge smile on my

face when I sled even with the snow blowing against

it,” Hart said. “The thrill drives me to keep doing it

not give up even if the run sucks.”

Asley Burlesonstaff writer

Every year the hockey team makes a trip to

Gaylord to start its hockey season. However,

hockey is not always what the team looks forward to

most. They play a traditional Canadian sport: curl-

ing.

And players such as junior Matt Stirling, now a

team veteran who has attended Gaylord for his sec-

ond year, this trip to go curling is taken seriously by

the team.

“ Well, the place we go to play is about an hour

away from our hotel in the middle of nowhere,” he

said. “We decided teams before we left. With the

people we had we fi gured out that there were four

teams of eight, mainly teams of kids and a couple of

parents and coaches It’s a pretty cool set up. They

have two courts. There are scoreboards. We didn’t

play full games. We played what they call legs once

down and back.”

Curling is a game that is based on how close a

player gets his/her stones to the target at the other

end. Each person has two sweepers who brush the ice

to determine the speed of the stone. If one person has

the closest two, then they get two points. The scores

vary on how many more stones a player can get closer

than their best.

When the team goes to curl, it’s a chance for the

guys to hang out outside of hockey. “I thought it was

fun. It’s funny to watch the rookies try it because it’s

funny to watch them wipe out,” Stirling said.

Goaltender Tony Ceccolini summed up the curl-

ing experience. He said, “ I really like when we go

curling up in Gaylord. It’s a fun thing to do when

we’re up at the tournament. It’s a good thing to do

to relax.”

Ian McCarthystaff writer

Illustrations by Gabe Altomare

Nic Millerstaff writer

On below zero days, don’t be surprised to catch

a glimpse of a blurry shadow trekking his way

along Hudson Mills or any other local trials. Chances

are its senior Jason Bishop cross country skiing.

“Some of the coldest days are what makes the sport

fun. Besides, once you get going it really isn’t all that

bad,” Bishop who has cross country skied on days when

it is negative eight degrees, said.

Bishop said he enjoys the sport because it offers him

an additional way to exercise as if running, mountain

biking and rock climbing were not enough.

“Cross country skiers are in world class shape and

are some of the fi ttest athletes in the world,” Bishop

said. “The few that (cross country ski professionally)

are in such incredible shape.”

First introduced to the sport by his parents at around

age six, Bishop has come to enjoy the sport, going out

to a few of the various trials one or two times a week.

Some trails he is particularly fond of include Peach

Mountain, Potawatomi Trails and Hudson Mills.

Bishop said cross country skiing ranks among his fa-

vorites because,

“Sometimes it is just nice to be alone and enjoy na-

ture,” he said. “Also, a lot of the stuff that is diffi cult

to run on, you are able to ski on, in the winter, with the

snow covering it.”

Also, Bishop said cross country skiing helped him

stay active during the nine months he was out with a

stress-induced knee alignment injury from intensive

cross country training last year.

Bishop said, “Cross country skiing helped a lot last

year; It helped to keep me fi t when I was injured be-

cause there was no impact, minimizing the stress on my

knee.”

Cross country skiing ranks among his favorites be-

cause, “Sometimes it is just nice to be alone and enjoy

nature,” he said. “Also, a lot of the stuff that is diffi cult

to run on, you are able to ski on, in the winter, with the

snow covering it.”

66Friday, February 27, 2009 puzzles The Rostrum

The Rostrum Friday, February 27, 2009uPage

staff writer

&QA

Q. Do you hear cat noises in your classroom?

A. No, but I see dead people.

Q. What is your favorite brand of dip?

A. Tostidos salsa

Q. Do you have ring worm?

A. No, but I’ve known a few people who have had it.

Q. Are you really qualifi ed to teach history?

A. Yes, I’m highly qualifi ed.

Q. What do you have against Disney movies?

A. They manipulate and indoctrinate the minds of youth every day. Not everyone is a princess.

Q. Do you tell your daughter this?

A. No, she is a princess.

Q. Did you at least cry during “Bambi”?

A. Who’s Bambi?

Q. What would you do with your life if you weren’t a teacher?

A. Protest Disney.

Q. Would you rather be stuck in a lion’s cage or be at Dexter High School for the rest of you life?

A. Lion’s cage. I like big cats.

Q. Have your ever had to break up any fi ghts in your room?

A. Yeah, several. One resulted in my desk being chipped.

In the wake of the recent iFlurtz quiz we all took, many students thought the questions didn’t address some key personality traits. Fret not, for the uPage is at the rescue with our revised questions to help you fi nd that special someone:

1. You’re trapped in a closet with the cast of “Friends”. Your fi rst instinct is to:O Take a cyanide capsuleO Hit on Jennifer AnistonO Drop a live grenade in Matthew Perry’s handsO Create a spin off series with Joey

2. Who is your ideal college roommate?O Gary ColemanO Queen LatifahO Connor JohnstonO The Jackson Five

3. Your childhood dream was to become:O a trophy wifeO a pregnant teenO a meth lab assistantO a child with a dream

4. A passerby would refer to you as:O a slut kittenO offensive to all fi ve sensesO grotesqueO straight up ghetto

5. Your typical day consists of:O listening to emo music and writing dark poetryO smoking cigs in the parking lot before schoolO making out with your girlfriend/boyfriend in the most inconvenient placesO huffi ng glue while playing Mario Kart 64

Nichole Minzy

staff writer

1

Schedule two at once. Let me tell you, this does not go over

well. If you attempt this, the chances of you going to a hospital

on that given night increase 10 fold. An array of injuries could oc-

cur such as: stab wound, soldering iron to the face, decapitation,

internal bleeding due to blunt object brutality, severe burns and

shrapnel injuries. It’s not worth it.

Do not try to move in after you have just had some sort of meal

together. Nobody wants to see a cheesy Doritos mouth that

smells like a mixture of cheese, coffee and garlic. It is possible

that an injury could occur here as well, although less severe.

A slap to the face or a swift knee to the testicles is what I

would expect.

2

3

Singing the French National Anthem. You do not

impress anybody with this. In fact, you are doing

the opposite. You are convincing people that you

have a high rating on the douschometer.

6

Bring your cult along for the ride. There is nothing like

taking the old cult bus on your date. Who doesn’t love a bus full of satanic,

suicidal, orgy lovers, let alone going on a date with one of them. If you are into that kind

of stuff, then that is your choice. I advise against it.

7Be a scientologist. Although the date is not the real problem.

The real problem is that you are a scientologist.

8

Listen to Creed. If at anytime during the date Creed is playing, wheth-er it be in the background or not, it is not going to end well. Creed is

the girliest, corniest, lamest, most inconceivably bad group of musicians to ever grace the face of the earth. They are just plain awful, and they drag

down anybody who listens to them. Basically, they are in the same category as Avril Levigne and Paris Hilton.

9

Strike them.

10

Be Conor Daining. There is nothing worse than being a short, fat, Irish kid with pale white skin, little sense of style, glasses, braces, curly red hair and freckles. It is a fatal disease commonly known as being ginger. It affects millions around the globe. The best way around having a ginger kid is marrying a person of Asian decent; they don’t carry the ginger gene.

Go to a NASCAR event. I mean, I guess you

could if you never want to see this person

again. This is a good alternative to murder. Just

take your date to a race at the Michigan Speed-

way, and they will never bother you again. Best

of all, it is legal. So if you ever need to get rid of

anybody and don’t mind spending

an afternoon with some drunken red

necks and inhaling 14 years worth of

second hand smoke (Marlboro Reds) in

mere hours, this is the place for you.

Wear cowboy boots. If you wear cowboy

boots, you are just setting yourself up for

rejection.

5

4

1088 The RostrumFriday, February 27, 2009 old squall

Robert Kuzon

past staff writer

things not to do on a date

Editor’s Note:

This issue’s “Throwback” page fea-tures the November, 2004 issue of The Squall. This story is exactly as it was printed in the past issue, errors and all. Enjoy.

Scott Crompton, editor-in-chief

Q: What made you want to join the Squall

staff?

A: I joined the Squall because I enjoyed writing

fi rst of all, but also it was a good way to get

involved with the school and to have your

opinion be heard.

Q: Has the Squall helped prepare you for

anything you’re involved in now?

A: Defi nitely. Right now I am a sophomore at

the University of Dayton, and I am actually

a journalism major. I am also semi-involved

working as a part-time journalism intern for a

non-profi t organization called Athgo as well.

Q: Any advice for future or current Squallers?

A: Keep it fun, make sure things don’t get too

serious. Students spend their entire time at

school concentrating on work, but The Squall

is a good way to bring a little fun to the school

and to keep kids involved.

Q: What inspired your many stories?

A: I was mostly a columnist, so the majority

of my stories came from something that I

had either seen or heard. I drew a lot of my

material from my personal life, using funny

situations that happened to myself or close

friends as well.

Q: Have you always liked writing? Have you

always enjoyed writing funny pieces?

A: Yeah, writing has always been one of my

stronger qualities, so writing on The Squall

was more fun for me than work. As for as

the humor, I don’t really know. I wrote some

serious pieces while I was on staff, but it

seemed like everything I would think of,

serious or not, would eventually turn into a

humor piece.

Q and A with Robert Kuzon by Stephanie Wolyniak