H e s e e s y o u w h e n y o u r s l e e p i n g ; h e k n o w s w h e n y o u r a w a k e ; h e’s M r. M o r a n , a n d h e’s g o t v i d e o c a m e r a s

[ t h e s q u a l l ]Dexter High School2200 N. Parker Road

Dexter, MI 48130

January 29, 2010Volume XV

Issue 5

Has Big Brother returned?

Spend 180 days a year in Dexter High School and you may take it for granted, but the building is designed to be pleasing to the eye. The modern architecture may improve the aesthetics of the school, but also increases opportunities for entry by robbers, vandals, and other people of ill intent.

Principal Kit Moran said that this fact has been first and foremost in his mind since he assumed his position at DHS in 2006.

“There was a feeling that access (to the interior of the building) was too easy,” Moran said. “There are too many exterior doors and access to the interior of the school is hard to limit.”

This caused significant concern to administrators, because, according to Moran, once the alarms are off, all areas of the building are basically open.

According to Dean of Students Ken Koenig, this policy of openness has been abused over the years.

“One Saturday when I was coming in for football, there was a guy here sitting on the bench by the library with a computer, using the school for free Wi-Fi,” Koenig said. “Certain fire codes prevent us from blocking off sections of the building, but this allows us to monitor the school and keep track of where people are.”

The new security cameras are

provided by the technology company Commtech, and are significantly better than previous cameras according to Koenig. The resolution of the cameras is good enough to read license plates on cars from Al Ritt Field, Koenig said, and the low-light capabilities of the cameras can make out faces in almost perfect dark.

According to Moran, Commtech has been able to provide the cameras relatively inexpensively in large quantities.

“We have cameras on every exterior entrance now,” Moran said. “It gives us a better overall picture of who is going in and out of the school.”

The urgency of knowing who is entering and exiting the school reached a new level last year, when intruders broke into the school and vandalized the interior of the building with paintball guns.

“That one really brought to light the inefficiencies of the system we had,” Koenig said. “When the school was built in 2002, the motion detectors were state of the art.”

Now, as technology advances year-to-year, according to Koenig, so increases the ability to implement the technology to improve the safety and security of the building and those inside it.

Roughly 130 cameras have been installed around the building in the upgrade. In addition, the school’s monitoring system is changing over from an analog system to a digital server.

“The switch on the server hasn’t been turned on yet,” Koenig said. But when it is, the combined monitoring capacity of the camera system will provide a near-complete layout of the school’s hallways (there are no cameras in classrooms or restrooms) and the location of students and others in the building.

Koenig said that while there won’t be any personnel hired to watch the cameras at all times, the system will provide the ability to take a look back at previously recorded footage to determine when a violation of school policy occurred and who committed it.

Each piece of footage is time-stamped and the placement and number of cameras allow administrators to follow any student camera-to-camera throughout the school, tracing their whereabouts and actions.

The new security plan has enjoyed broad support from the community and administration, according to Moran.

“We had a meeting as part of the bond,” Moran said. During the meeting, according to Moran, a portion of the money from the bond was tagged for use in improving the school’s security.

“In the community, people want their kids to be safe,” Koenig said. “People have complained that the system wasn’t good enough. In the past when incidents happen, we have one side of the story, and we have the other side of the story, but now we have the ability to go back, take a look at what happened and find out the truth.”

Max Berrynews editor

New security cameras provides administrators with nearly complete view of happenings inside and outside

The transition from middle school to high school is a lot like the transition from college to the pros. Everything’s bigger, and it can be intimidating. The Foundation House is a 2010-2011 pilot program set up by administrators to guide the freshmen through their first year at the high school level.

The Foundation House is a program that will allow freshmen to sit with teachers whom they can become more familiar with. It will be a three-hour block, where all of the major core classes (English, math, science, social studies and special ed.) will be covered on a more in-depth level.

“The thing about this program is that it will almost be a three-hour block, but four classes in 50-minute intervals,” Dean of Students Ken Koenig

said. “However, the time will be flexible between the teachers, so if an English teacher only needs 15 minutes to teach a lesson, but the science teacher needs an hour and 15 minutes because they’re doing a lab or whatever, they can split that time so that it accommodates the time that each teacher needs.”

Next year will be a pilot year for the program, according to Principal Kit Moran. A max of 190 students will be involved in the pilot program, which is split into two teams of five teachers, one from each major core field.

“The goal is to eventually get all of the freshmen involved in this program,” Koenig said. “Then we will work our way up to a sophomore Foundation House when we have enough teachers. After that, we will try to have Focus Houses for juniors and seniors. These will allow upperclassmen to almost sit in a college setting, where they will take their core classes, but it will be geared towards what

interests them.”Having gone through four years of high school,

seniors generally have more of an idea of what they want to do in their lives than freshmen.

For this reason, this program may reward them, for having gone through more school than the freshmen.

“The idea of the Foundation House is that seniors are more mature than freshmen, so they deserve more liberties,” Moran said. “This will be a way to give the seniors that liberty, while eliminating the intimidating atmosphere of high school for freshmen.”

Arguably the biggest debate about the Foundation House is how it can affect the other programs within the high school.

“There is some unrest from other programs, because the foreign language and band programs like things how they are,” Koenig said. “People

think the high school program is good as it is because we send so many students to college, but based on Dexter’s ACT scores, only about 34 percent of our students finish at a 4-year college. These numbers are higher than the state average, but we believe we can do much better. We want to improve that number and send students to better, more successful lives. For this reason, compromise from these programs may be necessary, and we hope to hammer out those issues at meetings in the coming months.”

The pilot program right now is still a work in progress, and is obviously not perfect.

Moran said, “The Foundation House right now is kind of a rough draft of what we want to do, but we know that it can be very successful if it is handled the right way. Right now it’s about leading students to more successful lives and not just sending them through high school.”

Foundation House introduced in 2010-2011Kevin Skiver

staff writer

Photo illustratoin by Candice Wiesner

Security camera facts

• The building was built in 2002, and existing security cameras are from this time.

• Mr. Moran began working on new security measures when he started working here in 2006.

• Cameratech is the name of the company providing the cameras.

• The current cameras are ana-log, but the new cameras will be on a digital server.

• The cameras will provide a nearly complete view of the schools’ halls.

• Cameras will not be in class-rooms or restrooms.

• There will not be someone hired to watch the cameras at all times.

• The cost of the security cam-eras cost is covered by a $55 million bond.

Sanitizer verses soap: find out how to stay healthy during this flu season.

Page 6 Health

Can’t get enough of Mr. Mo-ran? Check out what his daily plans are and how he became principal at DHS.

Page 4Feature

Students aren’t the only people in the school staying active in the winter. Find out what the teachers do to stay active.

Page 8Sports

INSIDE

Brian Zhou competes in Germany Apparently, Red Bull really does “give you wings”, as its slogan

boasts. The energy drink hosted its annual Red Bull Crashed Ice downhill skating event in Germany this year, and senior Brian Zhou was flown to Munich as an American qualifier.

Zhou said the downhill skating event is competitive and full of contact, as its name suggests. Skaters are given full padding, much like the equipment worn by hockey players, to protect them. Zhou, a four-year member of the varsity hockey team, said he felt in his element during the qualifying round hosted at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube a month before the competition on Jan. 16.

“Playing hockey for so long definitely helped me with the quick turns and sharp movements you have to make while racing,” Zhou said. “You can’t just know how to skate and expect to qualify, you have to be able to go as fast as you can and still maintain control.”

Although he wishes he could have placed higher in the race, fin-ishing roughly 64th out of 100 and failing to advance to the final round, Zhou said he was content with the experience.

Zhou also said he looks to qualify for the next Crashed Ice event in Quebec, Ontario on March 20.

Spanish teacher Kristi Shaffer has been using her new Eno interactive board almost every day in her classes. She said it makes her lessons more interactive and saves her hands from Expo Marker grunge.

She thinks the Eno boards are smart, “But sometimes it makes me look dumb. Like when I have to tap those nine plus signs every day.”

So while the real name for the smart boards in our school is Polyvision “Eno” Boards, the questions behind them is, do they really work?

With all the fuss about training and preparation over the boards, some teachers say they are confused about how to use theirs for teaching. And some teachers aren’t able to use theirs at all.

Shaffer however, said she likes to use her board because it can help her make more activities that are interesting and interactive for her classes. And there are a lot of cool things that the Eno boards can do to advance the students learning she said.

Sophomore Kayla Schumacher has mixed feelings on the boards’ effectiveness in class. She said, “We haven’t really used the boards much in my classes, but in the classes that we have used them in, they help in some ways, but also in some ways it’s a distraction when they aren’t working

News 2Friday, January 29, 2010

NewsBriefs

Eno boards create mixed reactions for students, teachers

Annual U of M All-Star Game on March 6 The ninth annual teachers vs. University of Michigan all-stars basketball game will take place March 6 at 7 p.m. at the high school gym. Head football coach Tom Barbieri helps find participants throughout the district, and on the all-star team various former UM athletes volunteer their time and skills for the fundraising event. While typically raising between $500-$1200, proceeds from admissions and raffle sales this year will go toward buying new cameras for the football program. “It’s a lot of fun,” Barbieri said. “In the past we’ve had NFL receiver Braylon Edwards and the likes of Jason Avant. I’m not going to give any name, but we’re hoping for a big year.”

Leo’s Club looks for eye wear donationsStaff members have joined with the Dexter Lion’s Club

to bring a charity event to students and the community. An eye glass drive is currently underway, sponsored by math and history teacher Al Snider and functioning with support of several students.

The drive aims to collect gently-used eye wear to donate to those unable to afford proper eye glasses or examina-tions.

The drive is supervised through Leo’s Club, a sub-orga-nization of the local Lion’s Club focused on expanding lo-cal charity efforts. According to Snider, Leo’s Club got its roots when he was approached by a friend and encouraged

to start a Leo’s Club at the high school level. And, Snider says, the Dexter Lion’s Organization will be

used to transport and distribute the glasses collected by the drive.

“When we are finished collecting the eye glasses, the local Lion’s Club will take them and send them to other Lion’s Organizations throughout the world,” Snider said.

Members of Leo’s Club have already accomplished sev-eral charitable goals. Students helped feed elderly the morning after Thanksgiving and participated in a 5K run for charity through Dexter on Dec. 6.

Leo’s Club has also placed collection boxes in two class-rooms. Glasses can be donated in Snider’s room as well as science teacher Richard Grannis’ room.

BriefsContinued

Suspended students still on track to graduate with class

Jake Aliapouliousstaff writter

During his sophomore year senior Ryan Moore was given an extended suspension which lasted him 40 days including the remainder of his sophomore year and the beginning of his junior year.

But he didn’t miss much education during his suspension because when Dexter students are removed from Dexter High School for an extended period of time, the school gives these students help by paying for their online classes.

“Online courses cost around $100 - $200 a course,” Principal Kit Moran said. “This is a good way to make the best out of a bad situation for students who are suspended from Dexter. The school can suspend a student for up to 10 days pretty easily, but anything longer would require permission from the school board. When there is a more serious infraction, students can be suspended for up to 180 days, but this doesn’t mean they’re done being Dexter students and can never come back. We pay for the suspended students courses so they can keep being Dexter student and stay on track to graduating while they’re suspended.”

When Moore was suspended the school also paid for a tutor. “The school payed for a tutor I saw twice a week,” Moore said. “She would help me on work that I would take home

over the week. So I half-ass attempted to do everything and then the tutor would teach me everything before the tests. This was really nice because I got to make up all my sophomore credits I missed while I was gone. I would say I learned better at school but it was easier at home. Being suspended didn’t motivate me that much to do my work. I put it off and I had to do a lot of it in the last week.”

According to Moran, extended suspensions give the students a punishment and can still keep them on the track to graduating. But

Moore said his long suspension gave him a lot of free time to reflect.

“I learned don’t get suspended for 40 days. It sucks. I also watched a lot of TV and memorized a lot of TV shows. I also would call my buddy and go fishing sometimes, but a lot of the time it was too windy, and we only got good fishing in sometimes. Because

of the suspension, I didn’t get my license for six months. In the end I did miss doing what I wanted all day and sleeping in all day, but I was glad when I got to come back to school.”

According to Moran however, “This way we give the students a way to continue being students at Dexter without attending school, this way they can still get credits and we like that.”

Julie Lindermanstaff writter

properly.” There seem to be pros and cons to the

interactions with the Eno boards and Shaffer said there are quite a few of each.

A pro is that teachers, like herself can create activities using clipart or Internet images and write on Power Points.

However, a con is that she no longer can use her laptop to quickly grade a few papers or answer an e-mail if the Eno board is in use. Also not all the boards are working properly, and some teachers have a difficult time adjusting to the new technology.

District technology director Matt Maciag said he would like to see the interactivity with the Eno boards become more popular, because everyone has some interaction with technology.

Schumacher, however, said she just can’t seem to make up her mind about how she feels about the new boards. “It’s the new thing,” she said. “Everyone wants to play with it, and some teachers just don’t know how to use it.”

Maciag said, though, for better or worse, the boards are here to stay. He said, “I wouldn’t really say the boards are a craze, but it was like 10 years ago when we got white boards. The chalk boards didn’t break. It was just a upgrade in technology.” Science teacher Cheryl Wells uses her eno interactive white board during one of her Advanced Chemistry classes. Technology

director Matt Maciag said the boards allow teachers to make lessons more interactive with their students, but some teachers say they are frustrated with the lack of training they have received on how to use the boards and the fact that some of their boards don’t work.

Photo by Nick Byma

““Online courses cost around $100 - $200 a course. This is a good way to make the best out of a bad situation for students who are sus-

pended from Dexter.Kit Moran

principal

National Honor Society stays active Don’t just give flowers and chocolate, give paper products!.This is what NHS would like students to do from February 1-28. The group will be collecting paper products to donate to the Dexter Faith in Action Pantry. Collection boxes will be located on the catwalk and various classrooms. Got old trophies? NHS will also be collecting old athletic tro-phies to refurbish for the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament in April and also for the Fun Run at Hudson Mills in May. Drop off old trophies at the main office or in adviser Cheryl Wells’ room. In addtion, NHS will sponsor the final blood drive of the year on Monday, March 1 from 8-1:30 in the band room. Donors must be at least 17. Parent walk-ins are also welcome. For more information contact wellsc@dexterschools.org

Students know Kit Moran as the principal for the past four years, but what is it that he does for the school? How did he get into education and become a principal?

And considering he’s always at the school, what does he do outside of school?

To begin with, Moran said he works anywhere from 10 to 15 hours a day.

Every day, Monday through Friday, Moran said he gets to school early and prints off a daily schedule for himself and his secretary, Frances Bastion.

“I try to keep her in the loop as much as I can, so that I can keep on schedule,” Moran said. “She’s always there to say, ‘Mr. Moran, it’s time to go to that meeting.’ She does everything. She’s the world’s greatest secretary. She handles all the pay roll and does stuff on Powerschool that I don’t know how to do.”

After he gets to school, Moran said he tries to greet each student who walks through the main entrance with a smile and a warm welcome.

“I try to get out there and talk to Dean of Students Ken Keonig or Assistant Principal Tim Authier about current issues and greet as many kids as I can,” Moran said. “I also try to get out in the afternoon to say, ‘Have a nice day’ or, ‘Drive safely’, stuff like that. And I try to get into the cafeteria if I don’t have a meeting during the lunches. I pick up trash and visit with kids. It’s really important for me to get to know all 1200 kids.”

Although Moran’s office is at the front of the building, he said he makes his way around the whole school to make sure everything is operating smoothly.

“I struggle to get into the academic pods, but I do my best to get around once in a while,” Moran said.

Throughout the day Moran goes through what he calls daily operations. His daily operations include receiving phone calls from concerned parents, managing e-mails that may or may not be important, going through his filing system, making sure all the important documents get into their correct folder and making sure everyone in school knows he cares. He said he determines what’s important by which issues affect more students and would be in effect sooner.

Moran said his number one job at the high school is to be a cheerleader and that students are the top priority for him. “A school should feel safe and welcoming,” he said. “It’s my responsibility to set the tone and make sure the staff is helping to make kids feel welcome as well. Kids shouldn’t feel like a number.”

Along with making sure students enjoy coming to school, Moran said he has to deal with a lot of the school’s financial issues. “My financial responsibilities are not as fun, especially now because of budget cuts, but it’s one of those things I have to do,” he said. “There’s always things I order for teachers. Because of budget cuts, decisions get harder.”

In fact, Moran said he doesn’t like dealing with financial issues or his day-to-day problems; he would much rather be socializing with students.

“I don’t want to waste time with drama that doesn’t need to be drama, but days can be unpredictable,” he said. “I sometimes have to deal with underclassmen drama of he-looked-at-me-funny, which doesn’t need to be drama. Every day I get ready to be criticized and deal with complaints. I have the complaint

office. I can keep things calm or drive people crazy.” Moran said he also often deals with the state requirements,

and it is important to him to get students to graduate. “School is for kids. It’s not a business,” he said. “Dexter students are extraordinary. I wouldn’t want to be a principal anywhere else. I love my job.”

Although almost everyone in school gets the summer off, Moran is one of the few people in the district who has to work all year. During the summer he said he cleans out files of graduating students and brings in a shredder to make sure they are disposed of properly. “During the summer I also works on making changes in the teacher handbook and will sometimes help the counselors with scheduling,” Moran said. “At first it was hard to have to come in to work, but it’s nice to have days when no one is calling expecting to talk to me about some sort of problem.”

And Moran has made a career out of trying to make an effect on the students he has encountered over his 31 years of being an educator.

He graduated from Central Michigan University in December of 1977, majoring in history, and went to Eastern Michigan University to receive his Masters Degree in 1985.

“I was not a great student in high school,” he said. “I went to Central on probation and did really well in the first semester at Central. I had to work really hard as a student. I always had to go to class, take notes, never skip class and study for tests.”

Moran said he decided he wanted to become a history major and go into education because of some of his favorite English and history teachers in high school. “I loved my history and English teachers in high school,”he said. “They made a big impact on me.”

He said he wanted to teach at a high school level because of how much he enjoyed it himself. He was his class president for

three years and loved it. “I’ve been in high school since 1970 and haven’t left since,” Moran said.

Moran also said he got into teaching be because he didn’t want to be stuck working in a cubicle and didn’t want to have to go into business.

Moran started his teaching career as an English teacher at Lincoln High School in 1979. After teaching there for a year, he was laid off in August of 1980 and wasn’t teaching for two months. He subbed a lot during that time. Then he got a job at a middle school and taught there for three years. “I didn’t like teaching middle school. I couldn’t handle the kids,” Moran said.

Moran then went back to Lincoln High School in 1982 and taught there for 25 years. While teaching at Lincoln, he created an at risk program, called Lincoln Academic Development Center, for struggling students. He taught

study skills to failing general education students and said the program really stretched his learning and challenged him. “I helped about 100 kids a day, but I wanted to have an effect on more kids, and I realized if I became an administrator I could do that,” Moran said.

Moran became an assistant principal at Lincoln in 2004 where he dealt with a lot of discipline, but he said he didn’t think he wanted to be an just an assistant principal for the rest of his life because he felt it just wasn’t for him.

At Lincoln, coaching was a big part of Moran’s life too. “I coached girls cross country, girls basketball, girls volleyball and girls track. I coached on and off. It was a big part of my life,” Moran said.

In 2005 he said he found out about the principal job opening at Dexter and decided to apply. “I did the first interview, and it did really well, or at least I thought it did, and I really liked it,” Moran said.

After having multiple interviews in front of students, parents and teachers, Moran took the job as principal starting in the 2006-2007 school year. Following six principals in six years,

Moran has held on to job for the past four. He said he is constantly working to improve the school,

even on his time off. “I love to read,” he said. “I read about history, education, and learn about kids and principaling. I

listen to books on discs, and once I discovered podcasts, all I listen to when I run are podcasts.”

Moran also said he loves to learn about technology and how its changes affect students and the learning environment. “If I had endless wealth, I would buy every little gadget,” he said. “I spend a lot of time on the computer. I look for fun stuff and school stuff. I used to shoot a lot of people on the computer. I played a lot of Call of Duty.”

In his time outside of school, Moran said he likes to live an active life style. “I work out a lot,” he said.

“I am a runner, I swim, bike, snow shoe, downhill ski.”Being a dad and a grandpa is also a big part of Moran’s life.

“I was married in 1986, and my wife already had three kids, so I started off with three kids right away,” he said. “We then had a daughter, so then I had three daughters and one son.”

Moran currently lives in Milan with his wife. “It’s mostly just me and my wife, but I love when all of my kids and grandkids visit. I have nine grandkids, so we had to buy a bigger house to fit everyone when they all visit. It keeps me busy when they visit,” he said.

Moran may be busy managing all of his grandchildren, but he also views himself as the dad at school. “I’m the dad when I help kids at school. I’m the dad when I pay the bills. I get bored easily, but I don’t get bored often.”

Feature3Friday, January 29, 2010

Marne Littlemanaging editor

TRUELIFE

I’m Kit Moran

Principal Kit Moran works at his computer, one of his many duties as the school principal. Moran began his teaching career at Lin-coln High School in 1979.

Photo by Taylor Kraft

“I’ve been in high school since 1970 and haven’t left since. Kit Moran

Principal

“It’s my responsibility to set the tone and

make sure the staff is helping to make kids

feel welcome as well.

Kit MoranPrincipal

Squall blind date: Does true love exist in the D?

Daters at a glance

Birthday: Reynolds: March 26, 1992 Van’t Land: Oct. 5, 1991

Favorite pick up line: Reynolds: “I lost my number, can I have yours?” Van’t Land: “I brought my library card, because I’m checkin’ you out.”

Turn ons: Reynolds: Athletic, good sense of humor Van’t Land: Good smile, pretty eyes

Turn offs: Reynolds: Sloppy, not hygenic Van’t Land: Corny, annoying

Ideal celebrity date: Reynolds: “Taylor Laughtner, hands down.” Van’t Land: “Hayden Panettiere, she can be my hero.”

Feature 4Friday, January 29, 2010

Photos by Kaitlyn Shepard

Senior Brandon Van’t Land’s stomach filled with nervous butterflies as the smell of warm bread and cookies greeted his nose. His mind raced with questions: Will she be pretty? Is she in any of my classes? Is she tall or short? Have I ever talked to her before? And why in the world did I ever agree to this?

The Squall set Van’t Land and senior Elizabeth Reynolds up on a blind date to test the theory that it is impossible to find a good relationship with someone else in Dexter.

Van’t Land has gone to Dexter schools his entire life. This has made finding a relationship within Dexter to be difficult, he said.

“People always say there are new fish in the sea, but it seems like you only see the same fish,” Van’t Land said. “Dexter is a small pond.”

As Van’t Land sat in Panera Bread off Jackson Avenue flipping through a children’s book by the fire, he continued to wait for his blind date, the anticipation building.

Across the parking lot Reynolds took one last look in the mirror before making her way in. All she knew is that her blind date was sitting by the fire in Panera at 12:30 on Jan. 9. She took one last deep breath before opening the door and heading inside, her heart racing.

“I was really nervous,” Reynolds said. “I didn’t want it to be someone who it would be really

awkward to go on a date with.”Van’t Land watched the door, anxiously waiting

for the girl wearing a pink scarf. He finally saw her, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“I was really happy when I found out it was Elizabeth,” Van’t Land said. “I’ve been really worried that it would be someone I didn’t have anything in common with.”

The two were all smiles as they greeted each other happily.

While waiting to place their order, they swapped stories about being selected for the blind date and their curiosity in who their date could be.

“I looked through my yearbook last night trying to figure out who it could be,” Reynolds confesses. “I actually thought it might be (Van’t Land), based on what I had been told about (Van’t Land).”

After selecting a table in the back of the restaurant, the two enjoyed their lunch, while talking about everything from school to “The Office.”

“We had a lot of similar interests,” Reynolds said. “We talked about playing instruments and some of the music groups we both like, and, of course, we talked about how we both love ‘The Office’.”

After finishing their lunch, Van’t Land and Reynolds got into Van’t Land’s silver Ford Explorer and headed over to the Ann Arbor Ice Cube to skate.

Weaving in and out of the many skaters who filled the chilly ice rink, Van’t Land and Reynolds

continued to talk while skating.“I thought skating was really fun,” Van’t Land

said. “It was a fun activity to do on a date.”Dropping Reynolds back off at her car,

Van’t Land and she exchanged good-byes, both proclaiming what a good time they had.

“I think the date went well,” Reynolds said. “It seemed like we both had a really good time, so I would say the date was a success.”

Although both Van’t Land and Reynolds agreed about having a good time, neither is sure if a second date is in their future.

“I’m not completely ruling out a second date,” Van’t Land said. “If it is where I am supposed to be, I will end up there. I just think it is more likely we will just be close friends.”

Van’t Land said he would prefer being friends with Reynolds because he isn’t looking for a serious relationship at this point in his life.

Even though there may not be a second date, Reynolds said she was able to take something positive from this experience.

“I learned that blind dates aren’t that bad,” she said. “Hopefully if I end up in a similar situation in the future this will allow me to not be so nervous.”

Although Van’t Land was worried before the blind date, after having such a good time with Reynolds, he said he was happy with his decision to go on the date.

“It was really cool getting to know to know someone that I didn’t really know before,” Van’t Land said. “I would definitely do it again.”

Vant’land meets his mystery date, Elizabeth Reynolds, and the two clicked immedi-ately. However Vant’land did not pay for Reynolds’ meal.

Vant’land and Reynolds laugh over sandwiches

and soup.

Reynolds admires her blind date.

Kaitlyn Shepardfeatures editor

Senior Brandon Vant’land waits at Panera for his mystery date. Vant’land has never been on a blind date.

Vant’Land and Reynolds awkwardly enjoy a skate around the ice rink.

Vant’Land and Reynolds prepare for an iceskating escapade.

Feature5Friday, January 29, 2010

Changescomingtotransportationdepartment

In an e f for t to make an argument that obey ing soc ie ty ’ s norms i s a bad th ing , debate team members senior David Paole l la and junior Brandon Canni f f danced around to music dur ing a round o f a debate a t the s ta te tournament Dec . 4-5 .

“We used our danc ing as l ike an interpretat ion o f absurdi ty , ” Pao le l la sa id . “ I t was a convinc ing argument that not many teams know how to respond to . ”

According to Engl i sh teacher and debate team adviser Debora Marsh , absurdi ty i s a technique that the Dexter debate team has used before and has been success fu l wi th . “Our team does some k ind o f c razy th ings somet imes , ” she sa id .

However , in th is case , when she watched Paole l la and Canni f f ’ s dance , she admits that she was a l i t t l e worr ied .

“ I was worr ied about how the judges would take i t , ” Marsh sa id . “ (But) genera l ly I knew they were go ing to win . They were rea l ly rea l ly good.”

Pao le l la and Canni f f won the s ta te championship for nov ice , or f i r s t -year debaters , in d iv i s ion A , and Dexter High School ’ s debate team won the Kent W. Leach Award for the top nov ice team in the s ta te , “We worked rea l ly we l l together and i t was

rea l ly exc i t ing to win ,” Pao le l la sa id . A long wi th the Kent W. Leach award ,

the debate team a lso won the George Z ieg le lmuel ler Award for Exce l lence in Interscholas t i c debate .

This honor- -which Dexter ’ s debate team has only won once be fore in 2003 whi le in d iv i s ion B-- i s g iven to the bes t overa l l t eam in d iv i s ion A .

Marsh has been debate team adviser s ince 1994.

In her years o f adv is ing , she sa id she has never had as much success wi th the novice debaters as she has had th is year . “ I expected vars i ty and junior vars i ty to do wel l (a t s ta tes) , ” Marsh sa id . “ I was rea l ly surpr ised a t how amazing ly we l l the nov ice l eve l d id . “We have never had th is much success in nov ice . ”

According to Marsh , the age o f the nov ice debaters th is year p layed a ro le in the i r success . “They are a b i t o lder than most nov ices (usua l ly 9 or 10 graders) so hav ing 11 and 12 graders as nov ices i s a rea l advantage , ” Marsh sa id . “They jus t know a whole lo t more than younger k ids- - jus t about the way the wor ld works . So the fac t that they ’ re o lder and more wor ld ly i s what made the d i f ference . ”

Capta in o f the debate team, senior Matt Kaas , has had three years o f exper ience , and he sa id he has not iced an incredib le amount

o f dedicat ion f rom the nov ices th is year . “They s tar ted in the summer t ime,” he sa id . “We were work ing wi th the top nov ice nov ices rea l ly ear ly on . We were more dedicated as a team to do wel l . ”

For Kaas , debate i s something he i s p lanning on cont inuing in co l lege . He sa id he has been o f fered a scholarsh ip to Michigan State Univers i ty to be a par t o f the i r debate team. “ I rea l ly en joy debate , ” he sa id . “ I t bu i lds a c i rc le o f f r iends that you ’ re rea l ly c lose wi th and wouldn ’ t be i f i t wasn ’ t for the ac t iv i ty . ”

Along wi th hav ing a c lose group o f f r iends and making f r iends f rom a l l over the country , debate has g iven Kass a greater fee l ing o f be ing soc ia l ly aware . “ I know a lo t more about th ings that are go ing on in the wor ld , ” he sa id .

Marsh agrees wi th Kaas about what can be ga ined f rom debate . “Anybody can debate , ” she sa id . “You don ’ t have to be br i l l iant , but you ’ l l ge t smarter in debate . I t jus t make you so much more aware o f th ings go ing on around you in the wor ld . ”

According to Paole l la , even though he and Canni f f won the t i t l e o f s ta te champions , the win was more o f a team win . “Most o f the arguments that we used were created by o ther members o f the team,” Paole l la sa id . “We were a l l happy and proud that a l l o f our hard work pa id o f f . ”

Rachel Butlerstaff writer

Starting Feb. 1, the transportation department will undergo many changes.

Three drivers will be laid off, a special needs monitor will be laid off, routes 12,14 and 50 will be eliminated and drivers who have known their riders for a long time will say goodbye to them.

Budget cuts have forced the board of education to look at what changes can be made in many departments, transportation included. “In order to reduce our transportation costs for the 09-10 school year, we have had to eliminate some bus routes, and that has resulted in some transportation layoffs,” Superintendent Rob Glass said.

These cuts have already affected many drivers. “We are all very upset about this situation,” driver Mitchell Lambertson* said. “Some drivers have already been notified of changes in their routes, some routes may still change by the end of the month. Drivers get attached to the kids. We watch them grow up from Kindergarten through high school. We take our responsibilities very seriously and to have people laid off and routes eliminated effects all of us.”

On Jan. 26 drivers will be taking their mid-year bids on routes. This process involves all the routes that do not currently have a driver, and the drivers select what routes they would like. The drivers with highest seniority select their routes first and the process continues until there are no more routes. “They do the mid-year bids every year,” Assistant Superintendent Mary Marshall said.

This year, however, is different because routes have changed. The eliminated routes have been integrated into other routes, changing some routes completely.

“We carefully evaluated all the routes and were able to determine which routes we could consolidate while maintaining our commitment to safety and limiting changes to ridership times,” Director of Transportation Sean Burton said.

The board is also, for the district, looking at creating a one tier system to save transportation money. According to the July 2009 transportation study, conducted by Midwestern Consulting, a one-tier system will also save money.

This system would have K-12 students riding on the same bus, creating one route instead of two.

But Lambertson is not a fan of a one-tier system. “(The July 2009 transportation study) does not take into consideration the effects of mixed ages on a bus, the increased traffic in Dexter when more parents driver their kids to school because of this, or how this will effect working parents who will have to adjust their schedules to meet the bus home,” Lambertson said.

According to Marshall, however, “It will be important for us to hear how a single tier would positively and negatively impact parent and student schedules.”

Along with changing routes to save money, the transportation facility may be moving to an on-campus location behind Wylie. According to the July 2009 transportation study, moving the transportation facility to campus will save more money than leaving the transportation facility at its current location. “(Relocation of the transportation facility) is probably going to happen,” Principal Kit Moran said.

According to Glass, during a question and answer session held at Foggy Bottom Coffee House on Friday Jan. 16, there are two significant developments underway right now relative to transportation, one at the local level and one at the county level, both being looked at for ways to reduce expenses in every department.

“Locally, as part of the bond, Midwestern Consulting conducted a transportation study to determine the feasibility and savings of operating transportation from the current site vs. relocating it to the

central campus, avoiding a lot of deadhead miles. The study also projected savings possible through optimization of current routes, which impacts the kind/number of busses to be purchased under the bond, and the feasibility of a one-tier system, including the kind of loop that we might construct as part of the bond,” Glass said.

“Countywide, The Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) has contracted with a firm to construct a model for countywide transportation operated by WISD. The goal is to have this operational by September of 2010. Each Washtenaw school district will have input into designing this system, and then each school Board will decide whether to participate,” he said.

Countywide transportation would mean Washtenaw County would have a linked transportation system. “The countywide transportation plan should be taking shape within a few months, and we will be able to evaluate the results of the countywide plan against the results of our district study once we have concluded the public meetings (held in February). Thus we should be well-positioned to decide the best way to proceed based on a great deal of current and detailed information,” Glass said.

Although privatizing transportation has been discussed, Glass said, during the Foggy Bottom meeting, there is no plan to privatize transportation at the county level or in Dexter.

“By running a tight ship with our own departments, we should be able to match private firms on efficiency and wages, and our extra cost for retirement should be off set by profit margin the private firm takes our of the district,” Glass said. “In other words, we should be able to complete favorably with private firms by maintaining out own departments, and I much prefer keeping our outstanding and loyal employees within departments owned and operated by Dexter Schools.”

*Source agreed to talk to The Squall only if their name was changed.

Ashley BurlesonHealth Editor

#1

1st

Captain Matt Kaas

Adviser Deborah Marsh

FactMidwestern Consulting will pres-ent their findings at the following

public meeting dates:

Feb. 9: Optimizing current routing; filling busses, expanding no-trans-

port zones, etc.

Feb. 11: One-Tier System K-12, students riding together with

schools starting and dismissing at about the same times.

Feb. 18: Relocating the transporta-tion facility to the main campus.

Feb. 23: Summary meeting and opportunity to provide input to ad-

ministration

Box

Debateteamsuccessfulatstatetournament

State champion David Paolella

Photo by Taylor Kraft, photo illustration by Nick Byma

Health 6Friday, January 29, 2010

Sanitizer vs. Soap Is hand sanitizer as effective as everyone thinks it is?

Does soap kill all germ? Find out the truths about sanitizer and soap and what experts recommend.

Senior Caitlyn Smith can’t help but pump her hands full of hand sanitizer whenever she gets the chance.

She said she buys a lot of it, expecially, “the small ones from Bath And Body Works because they have different scents, and they smell really good. I also use it after labs in Anatomy. I’ll wash my hands then use hand sanitizer after.”

And Smith’s obsession may be for good reason.

Hand sanitizer kills 99.9 percent of germs and lasts up to six hours. But what about the other .1 percent?

Hand sanitizer are sold to the public as an effective way to wash one’s hands when soap and water are unavailable.

And these waterless products are especially popular with parents of young kids. But The Food and Drug Administration recommends that hand sanitizer should not be used instead of soap and water but as an

addition to soap and water.Also, hand sanitizer, which started out as

a classroom experiment at East Tennessee State University has been found to be not as effective as advertised, based on research from this same university.

So while hand sanitizer stations are everywhere, how many people actually use them?

John Trinkaus, a professor at Baruch College of the City University of New York decided to take a look.

In the summer of 2009, he found that hand sanitizer stations placed at the entrance of a hospital with a sign telling people to cleanse their hands proceeding into the building helped reduce the incidents of colds in the area.

Either way, freshman Lindsey Lloyd said she will continue to use hand sanitizer “whenever I see it. I use it a lot more than I used to. I used to keep some in my backpack when I was little, but now that it is in a lot of classes, I don’t anymore.”

Dexter senior Monika Borkowski was involved in a spin out on a dirty road in January . “I didn’t really panic because I wasn’t going very fast, but when my car started to slide I did oversteer a bit.”

And dirt roads can play a large role in a lot of hazardous weather accidents.

Driving instructor Dee Braden said, “You see more single car accidents on dirt roads because your tires don’t typically get as much traction on dirt, as opposed to pavement.”

But Borkowski isn’t the first Dexter student to spin out in the winter, nor will she be the last. Borkowski said, “Joy Road is usually pretty slippery in the winter. I always hear about at least one person sliding into a ditch on the dirt part.”

Borkowski is just one of a many students experiencing the hazards of winter driving conditions. Senior Jordan Jack slid into a ditch recently on Joy Road as well.

“I was just driving down the road and hit some ice, and I tried to turn the wheel, but there was no steering response, so I just gassed it right before I slid in so I wouldn’t damage the front end,” Jack said.

Braden said these types of accidents are common with young drivers, mainly because of inexperience. “Young drivers often spin out or get in crashes as a result of at least one of these things; poor judgement, lack of experience and/or lack of confidence,” she said.

Both Borkowski and Jack agreed

that they did a pretty good job of handling their particular situations, though.

“Sometimes there’s not a lot you can do when the roads are bad, you just have to try and slow down keep more distance between you and the car in front of you,” Braden said.

Neither driver had damage to their vehicles and no physical damage to themselves. “I’m glad that my car wasn’t messed up, and I’ll make sure to be carefull,” Borkowski said.

But Braden said, “It’s not only the young drivers that are risky in bad road and weather conditions.”

Before Braden became a driving instructor she experienced some of these hazards first hand. “I was driving on North Territorial Road, and I hit an icy patch where the road wasn’t plowed well, and I oversteered just a litte and ended up damaging my car,” she said.

With the knowledge Braden has about driver safety now, she wishes she would have been able to put that to use when she had this incident. Braden said, “You just can’t panic. “If you panic, that’s when you really do yourself in during a spin. If you just slightly turn the wheel in the direction you want to go, that usually works pretty well. Also you have to let off the gas and make sure not to panic, and if you feel that you have lost control, try to hit something soft.”

Braden also suggests teens do three things when driving in all situations and road conditions.

She said, “Teens need to slow down on the road, always keep their eyes moving and watch for those unexpected hazards.”

WARNING:Drive safely through the icy wintery

emma kortestaff writer

john broschstaff writer

Photo by Lauren Daughtery, illustration by Jojo Parin

Photo Illustration by JoJo Parin

Inexperienced drivers need to be especially careful during bad weather

Connecticut

Community7Friday, January 29, 2010

Downtown features new skate spot

Connor ThompsonStaff Writer

Sarah MolnarStaff Writer

Senior Natalie Sobolewski is excited about the new ice rink in town. The rink located near Monument Park, officially opened Saturday, Jan. 2 and will be opened to the public for skating for a portion of December and throughout January and February.

“I like the idea of having one in town,” Sobolewski said. “It shows Dexter’s friendly atmosphere.”

The ice rink was purchased by the Village Park Commission in November. The ice rink is 72 feet by 48 feet and would be open eight to 10 weeks.

“I am interested in skating there,” Sobolweski said. “I may bring a friend from Ypsilanti to skate on it with me.”

And Assistant Village Manager Courtney Nicholls encourages folks to come skate but be safe and respect the new rink.

“Skate at your own risk,” Nicholls

said.There is no charge to skate, but

Nicholls encourages people who do skate to wear safety gear as there is no skate attendant on duty.

In addition, skaters are not allowed to use sticks and pucks. In addition, “You are not allowed to walk on the Gazebo with skates,” Nicholls said.

The ice rink is being paid for by donations from the Dexter Village Council, Dexter Area Chamber, Dexter Rotary Club, Dexter Daze committee, Dexter Parks and Recreation, Dexter Lions Club and Think Dexter First.

The ice rink will be opened Saturday through Thursday from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m.-10 p.m., but it will be closed during the morning for resurfacing of the ice.

“The Dexter Parks and Recreation has been discussing creating a ice rink for several years,” Nicholls said. “They believe it is a creative, cost effective ways to provide a free, family, friendly, physical activity for our community.”

Last winter, over 3,000 children living in poverty were given new winter clothing by Warm the Children, a Connecticut-based charitable organization dedicated to helping America’s needy youth. Volunteers for the program meet families at department stores where they buy, on average, $80 worth of winter clothes with donated money.

The charity began on the east coast in the late 1980s and has since spread to Ann Arbor, which is now the largest provider of donations and volunteers, including DHS students.

Warm the Children was started by Mack Stewart, a New York newspaper publisher. He and his wife, Natalie, worked in a similar program sponsored by a Troy, New York newspaper. This experience inspired them to start their own charity after leaving the newspaper in Troy.

The charity’s expansion to Ann Arbor was due largely to the efforts of Catherine O’Donnell, an Ann Arbor resident who read about Warm the Children in an article published in the Notre Dame alumni magazine by Stewart.

“Cathy worked hard for two or three years to convince The Ann Arbor News that Warm the Children was something they should sponsor,” Stewart said.

The Ann Arbor News did, in fact, take its time before making the final decision, but, said O’Donnell: “The editor of The Ann Arbor News, Ed Petykiewicz, studied Warm the Children for quite a while before saying yes, but once he did he jumped in with both feet and brought the paper with him.”

According to Stewart, The Ann Arbor News’s sponsorship was instrumental

in starting the Ann Arbor branch of the charity. Not only did it provide money, but the paper also was a

ready-made PR office. Several articles about the burgeoning charity appeared in The Ann Arbor News, asking for volunteers and donations.

This approach paid off. Since its start in 1995, the Ann Arbor branch of Warm the Children has now become the largest of 38 branches across the midwest and east coast, last year raising approximately $280,000 for 3,000 children.

That success is in no small part due to the efforts of local people.

“We had so many volunteers,” O’Donnell said. “Churches provided volunteers, banks provided shoppers, schools raised money. A kindergarten class at Eberwhite Elementary had a market sale to raise money. Nursing home residents donated money. Kiwanis pitched in, the list goes on and on.”

The only snag for Warm the Children is due to the recent economic downturn. The Ann Arbor News is no longer running the program since it closed in July. The charity is now run by annarbor.com.

This represents a change in leadership and resources, as well as a decrease in the number of people who hear about the charity, though the site has so far been up to the challenge of maintaining the charity.

Said Stewart, things are still going well under the new administration. “Sometimes I wonder if annarbor.com will be as effective in administering the program as The Ann Arbor News was, but they’re doing well. The outlook is very bright.”

The Ann Arbor branch of Warm the Children can be reached at 734-623-4651 to volunteer or make a donation.

Photos by Luke HattieLocated next to the Gazebo , Dexter’s ice rink is free of charge and open to skaters of all ages

East coast charity finds success in Ann Arbor

[ f a c t - i n - a - b o x ]• The Ann Arbor branch of Warm the Children is the largest of 38 branches in the country

Sports 8Friday, January 29, 2010

Since no students came out this year, there is no longer a dive team. And according to former dive coach Manny Billegas, not having a dive team has been “tough for the team since we are giving up a lot of points in that event. I was definitely hoping we’d have more interest.”

Last year, the team consisted of four senior divers. And going from four senior divers to no divers is certainly a disappointment to the swim team, according to swim coach and physical education teacher Michael McHugh. “I’m disappointed that we have no divers this year,” he said, “It’s a bummer when you can’t field a whole line up for a meet.”

Also since there has been nobody interested in diving this year, practices are a lot more quiet.

“Last year, the divers made practices interesting. I’m going to miss having them around,” junior swimmer Jeff Pituch said. Not only are the swimmers feeling at loss, but it has also affected Coach McHugh. “It’s a lot more lonely without Manny (Billegas) here. Ideally, I would like to have another coach with me to help coach the team,” he said.

Billegas does assist McHugh at swim practices and meets and even though he does not have a dive team to coach, he said he tries to help the team out as much as he can.

But once you take the divers out of the season, McHugh said the team is already a step behind when it comes to meets. He said, “If the other team has any divers at all, we are essentially giving points to the other team.”

From Pituch’s perspective, “The team will suffer from support from divers and also the obvious loss in points.”

According to McHugh, there was one person outside the swim and dive community who expressed interest in diving but decided against it.

However, Billegas said there has not always been this lack of interest in this age group for diving. He said there were a couple talented divers in the junior class who moved out of the district.

Billegas also has noticed that some years the dive team will have an abundance of people, then it will die down in popularity. When Billegas was diving in the ‘90s, he said ‘diving was popular for boys yet unpopular for girls’. In the 20 years Billegas has been involved in diving, he said the interest in diving tends to f luctuate.

During the girls swim and dive season, for example, there were seven members on the dive team. Billegas said, “Diving for girls could be more popular right now because many girls might have gymnastic backgrounds, and boys do not have that kind of experience. That could definitely be a huge factor.”

However, it looks like there is a small group of divers in middle school who McHugh and Billegas hope will join the high school team.

Billegas said, “If we had more kids getting into the sport at lower levels, we would have a bigger pool to pick from in case some decide not to dive in high school.”

Along with the experienced divers, Billegas said he hopes newcomers will show interest in diving. “Kids shouldn’t be intimidated,” he said.

In fact, there have been many boys and girls that have joined diving for the first time in high school. Billegas said 2005 alumni, Mike Eberbach, joined the dive program when he was a freshman and went on to be an All-State diver by the time he became he senior.

Billegas said, “We are looking for new ways to get more kids into the sport on the lower levels. Come out and dive. We would love to have you.”

Lisa Cromptonad manager

Lack of divers puts boys swim and dive team at a disadvantage

• Last year, the team consisted of four senior divers.• At a swim and dive meet, Dexter is automatically down 8 points since there are currently no divers on the team.• This is the first year since the program was estab-lished in 1984 that there has been no one to express interest in diving.• Former dive coach, Manny Billegas, is now assisting swim coach Michael McHugh.

Precision Haircuts • Perms • Styles • Formal/Prom Up-Dos

We’re open 7 days a week for your convenience!Dexter Plaza (next to Busch’s) M-F 9-9; Sat 9-6; Sun 10-5

GO DREADNAUGHTS!...and leave the “clipping” to us!

SC Tattooing

Basketball is teachers' way to let loose

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, some of the teaching staff turn into pre-school ballers.

“My own ‘balling’ is a bit of a joke,” social studies teacher Jamie Dudash said. Still Dudash takes part in a long-held tradition of the teachers of Dexter High School: playing basketball before school. Even a few players from the community play with these teachers, dedicating their time to “school” the teachers.

Maybe not every teacher can be a “professor,” but many say they like the workout. “It’s a fun way to get sweaty, out of breath, stay in shape, not take yourself too seriously, laugh, try to do something that probably doesn’t come easy,” computer teacher Joe Romeo said.

The teachers who come in and play will scrimmage before school, coming into class sweaty and out of breath with a feeling of sweet victory or saddening defeat.

“Mr. Romeo has thrown in some memorable hook shots from just about anywhere” math teacher Dewey Scott said. “I also recall him passing to me for an alley oop tip on a fast break, which considering our coordination and ability was pretty surprising. When he gets hot, he can pretty much throw it in from anywhere.”

Bruce Chaffee, one of the communty members who join the teachers is willing to admit the truth about the famous ally-oop. “We do throw a lot of alley-oops, but the alley is generally an air ball and nobody can jump high enough to oop. Coach

Swov would probably have us running suicides all day long given all the turnovers we have,” Chaffee said.

Some of the players even have a past in the big leagues of high school basketball. For the Lincoln Railsplitters. “I was pretty much a role player in high school, but I love the sport and have also coached,” Scott said. “At my first varsity scrimmage, a player blew past me and dunked. I later recognized this player during a U of M football game as Derrick Alexander who went on to star as a receiver and punt returner and played in the NFL.”

But Chaffee jokes that playing with Scott sometimes scares him. “Actually, the number one goal is to not get injured, which is always a challenge with Mr. Scott around. That’s why we recruited (science teacher Craig) Rafail to play against him and are constantly looking for new blood ... I mean new players,” Chaffee said.

Former math teacher Holly Cabana is one of the few women who play early morning ball. “I taught math at DHS several years ago and played every week with the guys so I try to get in every so often to mix up my normal workout and spend some time with old friends,” she said.

And while these players may not be able to obtain a crowd before each scrimmage, they say they still get to take away the pride of scoring a point or two if they get lucky. Chaffee said, “Occasionally the swim team will cheer if we happen to make a shot as they finish up with their weight room workout. That bit of glory lasts all day - or at least until the next air ball.”

Jack Nixonstaff writer

Photo by Taylor Kraft

If the other team has any divers at all, we are essentially giving

points to the other team.”

Michael McHughmen’s swim and dive coach

“

Dive In

•computer teacher Joe Romeo, social studies teacher Jaime Dudash, science teacher Craig Rafail

Dur ing t he w inter, sk i resor t s become a popu la r at t rac t ion. Sad ly, t he c losest t h ing we have to a sk i resor t a round here i s a ga rbage dump covered in fa ke snow, Mt. Br ig hton Luck i ly, t here a re good sk i resor t s w it h in a rea sonable d r iv ing d ista nce.

Blue Mountain i s ea si ly t he best sk i resor t I have ever been to. A sol id 9 out of 10. It ’s loc ated in Onta r io, Ca nada, so it ’s a l i t t le bit of a t r ip up t here, but fa r wor t h it .

It ha s 36 r uns, t wo ter ra in pa rk s, a nd a super pipe. I recommend ta k ing t he t ra i l s made by ot her sk iers t hroug h t he t rees. Not recommended for beg inners. I f sk i ing i sn’t your t h ing but you wa nt to go a ny way, or i f you get t i red of fa l l ing in t he snow, t here i s a lso a v i l lage f u l l of shops a nd ot her at t rac t ions.

Snow mobi l ing, snowshoeing, back count r y c av ing, cross count r y sk i ing, tobog ga n tours, ice f i sh ing, moon-it snow t rek s a nd horseback r id ing a re just some of t he t h ings you c a n do besides sk i ing.

I f you don’t w ish to be out side at a l l , t here a re t wo spa s loc ated nea r t he resor t . Kolola Bout ique a nd Spa a nd L e Sc a nd inave Spa.

The accommodat ions at Blue Mounta in a re phenomena l. Guest have t he choice of s tay ing in The Vi l lage Suites, t he

ma in hotel at t he resor t , or t hey have t he choice of s tay ing in slope s ide condos. The Vi l lage Suites a re loc ated at t he center of t he resor t . The rooms ra nge f rom st ud ios to t hree bed room rooms.

I f you f ind t ime bet ween t he slopes a nd spa s, you c a n a lso v is it t he f it ness rooms, pools a nd sauna s loc ated at The Vi l lage Suites. The ot her choice for lodg ing i s to rent a resor t or s lope s ide condo. Blue Mounta in ha s 40 resor t condos, a l l t hree bed rooms. The 23 slope s ide condos a re nest led in t he ba se of t he mounta in a nd ra nge f rom one to t hree bed rooms. E it her way , you c a nt go w rong.

I f you st i l l wa nt to have a good vac at ion, Boy ne Mountain i s a lso a n excel lent choice. Not quite a s good a s Blue Mounta in, but it ’s a n 8/10 . There a re plent y of r uns for whatever your sk i l l level i s .

They have ever y t hing f rom Ea sy Does It , to Nosed ive. The na mes a re sel f- ex pla nator y. One t h ing unique to Boy ne Mounta in i s t hat it ha s it s ver y ow n water pa rk , Ava la nche Bay.

Ava la nche Bay ha s water s l ides, a la z y r iver, a rac ing sl ide, a sur f ing s imu lator a nd even a n a rc ade. The water pa rk i s a lmost a s f un a s t he sk i ing it sel f . A not her benef it of s tay ing at Boy ne Mounta in i s t hat it i s c lose to ot her sk i resor t s i f you wa nt to go resor t hopping. K nubs K nob a nd Boy ne Mounta in’s s i s ter resor t , Boy ne Hig h la nd s a re less t ha n a mi le away.

Sports9Friday, January 29, 2010

Photos by Chris Reicker

Skiing review: go north for the best

Basketball start times cause controversy

Coaches' attendance policies inconsistent

It was time for pre-season basketball, and Athletic Director John Robinson, had a choice to make. He had people in his ear complaining about start times. The mens team has traditionally started after the women.

“We had the men play last, last year, and now we are flipping that so the girls get a chance to play second this year,” Robinson said.

In an attempt to change this, coaches and Robinson have decided to flip the times of some of the games. This change also applies to the J.V and freshmen teams. “We have two teams playing at 5 :30, in two different places, and that seems to save us money, so whatever works,” Robinson said.

Though this change is being made, the men will still have the majority of the late games, according to Robinson.

The change will affect both the women and mens teams, and some are concerned the men have a chance at losing fans, because students prefer coming later to watch games.

Fan attraction is not the only reason for this change, though. Other schools that are on the schedule for the Dreads agreed that this was a good idea.

The time change fit their schedule just the way the Dreadnaught organization had hoped.

For now, this is just an experiment, but will be a permanent change, assuming everything goes according to plan, Robinson said.

Some fans such as sophomore Bryce Walls oppose the change. “I would much rather come to the mens game if it was a late game. They are just more fun then,” Walls said.

And most people affiliated with the mens teams agree including sophomore varsity starter Jay Lewis who said, “I like playing the night game because you feel like more people are watching”.

Coaches seem to be on the side of the players. Head mens basketball coach Randy Swoverland said, “I hate playing first. We played first in Lincoln last year and it felt like a freshmen game. There was nobody there”.

Those associated with the womens teams, however, like the trading of early and late games.

Sophomore center Olivia Cares. Cares said, “I love playing second. We have a lot more fans than usual. It encourages me and the team to do better, considering we have a bigger audience. Even though some people think that the mens team is more important, the women have just as much importance to the program.”

Tucker Whitleyassistant sports editor

The athletic attendance policy prevents athletes from playing in a game if they have missed any amount of school during the day of a game, except in limited circumstance

Varsity baseball player Andrew Humitz has had to miss a game due to this attendance policy. “I missed the bus in the morning so I had to find a ride to school,” Humitz said. “I got to school about 30 minutes late and checked in at the main office. Mrs. Whitehead told me that if I wanted to play in my game that evening, I needed a doctors note for being late.”

And while many different factors go into eligibility, including grades, attendance, and substance abuse, schools differ on how strict those rules are and how strictly they enforce them.

Lately the attendance policy has brought up some complaints from students and coaches alike. The Dexter Athletic Handbook states that “The athlete must be in

classroom attendance all day in order to participate in an athletic contest and/or practice that day, unless excused by a prearranged special excuse. A special excuse is defined as a doctor, dentist appointment, or a funeral.”

Some coaches are irritated with how strict the policy is and so they don’t enforce it. “Personally I don’t agree with the attendance policy,” said a coach who asked not to be named. “I think that the policy is too strict, and I really don’t follow it.”

Even though the policy is expected to be enforced by all coaches, there is no consequence for a coach who fails to follow the policy.

“There is no specific consequence for a coach if (the attendance policy) is not followed,” Athletic Director John Robinson said. “If I am aware of it, I would certainly meet with the coach to find out what the circumstances were for not following the rule. But I do not believe our coaches would do this intentionally.”

Basketball coach Randy Swoverland, however, doesn’t have any opposition to the policy. “The purpose of the attendance policy in terms of athletics is to not allow players to sleep in

after a game or just stay home because they are not feeling very well and then come to practice and/or a game.” Swoverland said. “I have very few enforcements as my players know that if they are not in school, I will find out, and they cannot play or practice unless it’s extenuating circumstances.”

Varsity basketball player Jay Lewis knows this first hand. “I think that the rule is too strict,” Lewis said, “But our coach, Coach Swoverland, follows the policy word for word. I always try to be on time for all classes on game day, just so I know I will be able to play in the game.”

Varsity football player Justin Gross also dislikes the policy. “I wish that the athletic department would loosen up the policy,” he said, “Our coaches don’t enforce it that strictly, but it would still be nice to know that even if you miss the bus, you’d still be allowed to play in the game.”

While he supports the policy, Swoverland recognizes that there are some f laws in the system. “The only problems are that some coaches cannot get to the attendance very easily or just don’t follow it to the letter,” Swoverland said. “If we are truly student-athletes, then it is not too strict.”

Marshall Kellenbergerassistant u-page editor

Nicole MinzeyEntertainment Editor

Cruising the powder: Senior Jordan Jack also enjoys taking ski trips each winter with his friends. Here, he snowboards down a run at Alpine Valley.

Flying high: Senior Thomas Griffith goes air born while on a ski trip with his friends. “We try to go at least two or three times a year to Alpine Valley in Hartland. It’s pretty close and fun,” he said.

Factbox

• Until 2007, the womens team played basketball in the fall and the mens team played their season during the winter.

• Last year, the programs joined forces for “Varsity Showcase” nights. For these games, the womens team played at 5:30 and the men played at 7:00.

• This season there are four “Varsity Showcase” games. The late game slot is split half and half, with both teams play-ing at 7:00 for two games.

\

That new year smell is slowly fading, and as I embark on the last half of my final year at Dexter High School, the awkwardness is palpable. I’m stuck between “get me the hell out of here” and “wait a second, have I done everything I need to do?” (Rub Mr. Moran’s head, explore Candy Land, steal $20 from David Schimmer: check, check and no comment).

I fantasize about giving everyone I see double middles as I walk down the hallway for the last damned time, yet panic as I ponder whether or not I’ve made the most of the four years I was given.

Now, I could get really philosophical and emotional about how fast time has passed, how I’m so thankful for such a great education, and la-de-freaking-da. But that’s not me. So here it is, my cliché, half-way-through-the-year, senior rear view mirror column. Enjoy. It always goes down smooth.

First and foremost, I’d like to apologize to those brave souls who have born the burden of teaching me math. I can still remember the day I was handed my test with one small comment etched into the upper right hand corner, right next to a percentage that would be more fitting as the chance of snow for that particular day (the month was April).

The comment read: “What happened?” And to be honest, I don’t know what happened. Every time I turned in a math test, I felt as though I had just finished a weeklong peyote trip in the Arizona desert, or what I would imagine such an illegal activity to feel like. My mind was blown, I wasn’t sure where I was and I was sweating. In short, I’m sorry for the estimated 12 red pens I have cost of my math teachers.

Next, I’d like to address all underclassmen: there is a reason your graduation will mark the end of the world in 2012. The thought of any of you moving on to be contributing members in society made God Himself give up hope.

Let that marinate in your skull for awhile. Also, for all of you little punks claiming that I too will die in 2012, just a year into college when the apocalypse occurs, you are obviously

unaware that my death will occur during “Welcome Week” at the university of my choosing, for reasons unrelated to aliens, meteors or earthquakes, several months before the 2012 apocalypse. I came to terms with this a long time ago. (Just kidding, mom).

Speaking of disappointed parents, let me address all of you “hip” young girls, and when I say “hip” I mean “morally compromised”. Be honest, you’ve been pretending to read this while you were actually just staring at my mug shot, haven’t you? Pull yourself together. I see the way you giggle as I walk past, the way you immediately reach for your cell phone to text your BFF, “O-M-G Alex Everard just looked at me!”.

First of all, it was a brief glance. Secondly, I’m not some item created solely for you to swoon over. You can’t just stare me down, and you definitely can’t “accidently” touch my bulging pectorals.

Let’s be honest, you’re like 12. Your room is most likely decorated with Hello Kitty, and you probably think that’s T-Pain’s real voice.

It’s not me. It’s you. Now that children are crying, let me focus my attention on the teachers and administrators, the most vulnerable of targets. Come on, folks. Let’s be honest here. You know I’m essentially going to do what I want, and I know that you don’t really want to extort the effort to try and stop me. We don’t need this facade of cat and mouse in our way. Just let it happen.

If I come to class smelling like Boone’s Farm with a cowboy hat on, pretend it’s Country Western Day during spirit week.

If I want to make calls to Beijing on Mr. Moran’s iPhone, don’t try and stop your hearty laughter to take disciplinary action. (“Ni Hao, this is Kit Moran. I’d like to order 50 PlayStations please. Make sure they are smart board compatible.”)

If hallucinogenic mushrooms somehow end up in next week’s batch of Stromboli, you should ... OK, you should probably do something if that happens. But please record everyone in the lunchroom petting their chairs before you intervene.

Bottom line collective staff: I’m Dick Cheney, you’re George Bush. Or, to be current, I’m Barack Obama, you’re Joe Biden. Either way, I run the show and you just smile and act like you know what’s going on.

On that note, I’ll put this column to bed. If you’re upset that I didn’t make fun of you, don’t worry, keep being yourself and I’m sure you’ll rub me the wrong way. For those of you who may see me in the hallways trying to accomplish a few last minute goals before I graduate, just let me be. If I wanted your opinion, I would be reading your column right now.

*(Find me in the hallway and I’ll autograph a copy of this column for a mere $5).

Smart Boards or stupid boards? Technically they’re neither. Officially, the interactive white boards are Poly Vision Eno 2810 interactive WhiteBoards.

Call them whatever you like, but they are installed in every classroom in the high school and will eventually be in every class- room district wide.

After several hours of observation and some hands-on experience of my own, the failures were glaringly obvious.

The biggest disappointment for me is the interactive stylus. It’s hard to write and even harder to write with neatly.

It was a huge let down when my handwriting turned out on the screen: the ink was pixilated and, despite my best efforts, turned out sloppy no matter what I tried. The stylus is fairly unresponsive and can be quite frustrating with the superabundance of sidebar options.

This is why I do not see the stylus taking over dry erase markers. You would think with digital ink teachers would never have to worry about running out of ink or having to replace their markers. Wrong. Markers are and always will be used by teachers.

A few teachers won’t ever bother picking up the interactive stylus, and many teachers need something they can rely on. The interactive whiteboards are not free of kinks, and the worst thing that could happen would be for them to

go on the fritz in the middle of a lesson. Front-mounted projection screens

are a problem too. With them your teacher will cast a shadow while taking notes.

The interactive boards you see slapped over the standard issue whiteboards are made of industry-leading environmental ceramic-steel, creating a virtually indestructible dry-erase surface which teachers and students can use to draw diagrams, illustrate lessons and presentations by writing directly on the whiteboard with a regular dry-erase marker or using the interactive stylus.

Impressive. However will these functions ever be used?

Gradually they may be incorporated into some teachers’ daily regiments, but it’s hard to believe students or teachers will get their money’s worth.

Some teachers are comfortable with the new technology, yet until properly trained, most teachers are and will be left in the dark.

From my experience, some teachers never will be fully compatible with the technology. Lets face it: many teachers have yet to adapt to the 21st century, so I find it hard to believe they’ll be able to adapt to this new teaching environment.

Soon the intensity and availability of training for the interactive whiteboards will fade and some teachers will never learn the ways to use this new technology effectively.

So how has your education been enhanced and will these interactive white boards change you classroom experience and enhance your educational experience?

If you are a senior, probably not at all. And if you’re not graduating this year, they’ll be obsolete by the time you are.

Just because the district received large sums of money from a bond does not mean we have to spend it on the first toys that come their way.

The money from the bond would have been better off invested in other venues such as portable labs with laptops for each student in every classroom.

Similar to me, Corrine Hoy will be graduating from high school this year and is pretty excited about it. We also both get way too upset when we play video games and shout at the screen when we die.

Another thing we have in common is that we both have jobs, although she works at Great Wolf Lodge’s water park in Niagra Falls, Ontario,

Canada, where she lives. She also likes the smell of permanent markers,

bubble wrap, house parties, Fudgesicles and sleeping in awkward positions in awkward places. But she doesn’t like “low battery”, slow computers and when her favorite song comes on when she is turning into her driveway.

I’ve never seen or talked to Hoy before, and in all likelihood, I never will. I don’t know anybody she knows, and she doesn’t know anybody I know. Yet, Hoy and I are friends.

For those of you wondering how this is possible, let me introduce you to the vast cyber world that is Facebook. And all of the information I just shared can be attributed to the fast growing hobby of “Facebook stalking” or “creepin’”. This is weird.

For those of you who don’t think it is weird that I gathered all of this information with under 10 clicks of my mouse, you are likely going to end up with restrictions about how close you can come to Chucky Cheese’s and elementary schools after spending a good portion of your life in jail.

But even without taking “Facebook stalking” to the extreme, consider what the average high school use of Facebook consists of: scrolling through hundreds of pictures and reading about what all of your friends are doing.

Then consider who you’re friends with. How many of these people do you regularly speak to? How many of these people could you walk next to in the hall and hold a conversation with for more than 30 seconds? Or how about even say, “Hi”?

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that more time is spent “Facebook stalking” friends than time spent actually conversing with them normally.

When scrolling through albums upon albums of pictures of these people who you barely even know, what are you actually doing? You’re judging people. You judge them by who they’re with and what they’re doing.

If you’re really bored, or just feel like procrastinating your homework even more, you may look at people’s wall-to-wall and read

conversations they have with their friends. Imagine if this was real life. You would be watching what they’re doing (status updates and pictures) and eavesdropping on people’s conversations (wall-to-wall).

I’ll admit that there are some practical uses of Facebook such as staying in contact with distant friends, easily transmitting information to friends and Facebook chat. But the amount of time spent on these is far outweighed by “creepin”.

When you’re on Facebook you can literally follow everything a person does. They comment on a picture, you know. They sign off for 30 seconds, you know. They’re listening to a song and put it in their status, you know. We’re talking about levels of creepiness rivaled only by our school’s technology staff, but that’s an entire other column.

Facebook is cool. I use it. But at the same time, it’s weird. So next time you want to cyber-stalk your new crush, just know that it’s creepy, and you most likely are too.

Opinion 10Friday, January 29, 2010

Alex EverardEditor in Chief

Remember that I run the show

I suppose I would have to start you off on your journey by giving you a pair of 3-D glasses and a ticket.

But this ticket would not just be any ticket. This ticket would be a once-in-a-life-time ticket. A Willy Wonka Golden Ticket sort of ticket. A ticket to an eye-opening experience, a ticket to something stupendous, and a ticket to gain you entrance in to the greatest single thing you have ever done in your entire life.

And these glasses would not just be any 3-D glasses. These would be 3-D glasses that would permit you to view images in dimensions you never knew existed, to observe things you never imagined possible and even to catch a glimpse of the future.

Equipped with these two crucial elements, you can begin your journey. But what words can I use to describe something so awe-inspiring? What can I, an insignificant human, possibly write that would do justice to this creation?

How can I explain to you the intensity with which this incredible environment fried my brain, shook my nerves and rocked my inner, mental core?

To be honest, despite my unmatched intelligence, my unparalleled linguistic skill, and my extreme eloquence with the written word, there is nothing even I can do to give it justice.

One word: “Avatar”.

The single. Greatest. Movie. Ever.I am not going to tell you about the movie. I am not going to give

you details of the plot. I am not going to attempt to describe for you the epicness of the computer-generated images or the impossibleness of the visual effects. I am not going to do any of this simply because I would not do for “Avatar” what “Avatar” deserves.

But what I am going to do is to tell you to go see the movie.However, due to the graphic nature of the film, I am going to issue

my very own Alexander Dobbs Surgeon General Warning to you before seeing it.

Observing the movie, which should only be done in IMAX 3-D to get the true experience of the film (the extra $5 you will spend to see it in IMAX is a necessity), is in itself, a drug. “Avatar” has been known to literally blow people’s mind.

Due to this, if you are pregnant, may be pregnant, experience back pains, have any heart issues or are of a weak mental state, do not see this film. Your brain and body will not be able to handle it.

Furthermore, because of the extreme special effects in “Avatar” some people may be tempted to take hallucinogenic drugs before viewing the movie in an attempt to invoke an even more incredible experience. And while in theory this could sound like a trippy, crazy, sweet idea, do not do so.

Experiencing the movie is enough to send you on the wildest trip you have ever gone on, and taking actual drugs in addition to viewing the film may raise body temperature, cause extreme anxiety, create excessive sweating and induce other symptoms consistent with cardiac arrest.

This movie is so awesome that watching it has the potential to literally kill you.

For optimal viewing results, go into “Avatar” relaxed and with a clear mind. Buy an Icee and a bag of popcorn, pop on your 3-D glasses, sit back in your reserved IMAX seat and prepare yourself for the greatest movie ever made.

You will begin your journey by entering the theater holding what you believe to be a simple pair of 3-D glasses and a ticket to a movie.

But what you will soon realize is that what you actually hold are glasses that permit you to look into the future of the film industry as we know it and a ticket that is not a ticket to a movie, but a one-way, no return-passage ticket to the world of Pandora.

Alex DobbsGet Involved Editor

My journey to Pandora was like nothing else

Nic MillerCo-News Editor

Creepin’ is not OK

Smart boards waste money

Kevin YarowsSports Editor

St udent s who a re ex pel led f rom Dex ter Hig h School of ten enrol l in on l ine c la sses t hat t he h ig h school of fers. This i s good for t he st udent but rea l ly ta kes away f rom t he point of t he ex pu lsion: to punish st udent s f rom at tend ing school completely.

We t h in k st udent s shou ld on ly be able to enrol l in on-l ine c la sses in ex t raord ina r y c i rcumsta nces. However, i f someone is ex pel led due to t he possession/ sel l ing of

d r ugs, a v iolent of fense, he or she

shou ld not be a l lowed t he access to enrol l in on-l ine

c la sses bec ause t hey have a l ready r u ined t heir cha nces of

get t ing a qua l it y educ at ion. A f ter a l l t hese st udent s c a n enrol l in ot her schools i f t hey wa nt to at tend school aga in.

Hav ing a s t r ic t , no -tolera nce d r ug a nd a lcohol pol ic y i s t he cor rec t t h ing to do. A l low ing st udent s who sel l or possess d r ugs in school to s t i l l enrol l in on-l ine c la sses a nd graduate f rom DHS is not enoug h punishment.

Accord ing to Pr incipa l K it Mora n, n ine DHS st udent s a re enrol led in on-l ine c la sses, but on ly some of t hese a re enrol led bec ause of d isc ipl ina r y rea sons. A nd rew Sinel l i , for insta nce, i s ta k ing on-l ine c la sses to f u l f i l l h is graduat ion requirement s whi le he plays prep hockey out of s tate .

This i s not a problem. The problem is even t houg h on l ine c la sses a l low st udent s to f in ish t heir cred it s ,

s t udent s who v iolate school pol ic y do not deser ve t he pr iv i lege to s tay home a nd ta ke c la sses.

These st udent s wou ld rat her s tay home t ha n at tend school a ny way. Now t hey c a n sleep in a nd at tend c la ss at a t ime t hat f it t heir need s. This i s no punishment at a l l . It ’s more l i ke a rewa rd.

What i s t he point of ex pel l ing st udent s in t he f i rst place? They a re st i l l going to cont inue to behave bad ly. A l low ing st udent s to cont inue t heir educ at ion f rom t he comfor t of t heir home does not s top t he rea l problem: st udent dev ia nce.

I f t he d ist r ic t wa nt s to encourage st udent s to get on t he r ig ht t rack , i t shou ld enforce a rehabi l itat ion pol ic y for s t udent s c aug ht w it h d r ugs or a lcohol . A lso, i f someone is ex pel led for v iolence, t he d ist r ic t shou ld require a n a nger ma nagement c l in ic for t he st udent to help put t hem back on t rack .

Even communit y ser v ice wou ld be a great a lter nat ive , but rewa rd ing st udent s w it h a cushy on-l ine c la ss i sn’t t he a nswer.

Foundation House

Steven Millerstaff writer

Editorial 11Friday, January 29, 2010

EDITORS IN CHIEF:

Alex Everard, Brittany Martini

MANAGING EDITOR:

Marne LIttle

EDITORS

DESIGN: Candice WiesnerFEATURES: Kaitlyn Shepard ENTERTAINMENT: Nicole MinzeyOPINIONS: Kristi HughesPHOTO: Lauren Daugherty, JoJo ParinSPORTS: Kevin YarowsHEALTH: Ashley Burleson, Coleen HillTRENDS: Caitlyn RizeuPAGE: Ian McCarthyGET INVOLVED: Alex DobbsCOPY: Emily Van DusenNEWS: Max Berry, Nic MillerCOMMUNITY: Gabe AltomareBLOGS: Erin McAweeney

DESIGNERS & PHOTOGRAPHERSSarah Breuninger, Nick Byma, Nicole Chalou, Ross Chamberlain, Lauren Daugherty, Luke Hattie, Taylor Kraft, JoJo Parin, Chris Riecker, Alyse Shannon, Kent Sprague, Ariel Star, Austin Sullivan, Connor Thompson

ADVERTISING: Lisa Crompton

TWEETER: Thomas Griffith

STAFF WRITERS

Jake Aliapoulios, John Brosch, Rachel Butler, Sirah Camara, Dan Edwards, Steve Ferguson, Aaron Gilman, Nick Gonet, Caroline Green, Alex Hiner, Emma Korte, Marshall Kellenberger, Dave LaMore, Julie Lindemann, Tyler McCarthy, Alex McMurray, Steve Miller, Sarah Molnar, Kevin Mors, Jack Nixon, Liz O’Keefe, Emily Pap, Megan Podschlne, Morgan Quist, Toliver Rogers, Kayla Samuels, Tucker Whitley

CARTOONISTGabe Altomare

ADVISERRod Satterthwaite

TALK BACK:The Squall is an open forum for student expression. It accepts letters to the editor from any and all concerned parties. The Squall reserves the right to screen and/or edit any and all letters for inappropriate content and length. All letters must be signed. Requests to remain anonymous will be considered by the editorial board.

SquallThe

PRO

The Foundation House, is a program that will go in to effect for the class of 2014. The idea is that “9th grade should not necessarily look like 12th grade,” according to Principal Kit Moran. Instead of dropping the new freshmen in to the high school without any help, they will get eased in with a program similar to the Mill Creek Teaming Concept.

The freshmen will have all of the same great privileges of Mill Creek but without all of the difficulties of scheduling.

The class of 2014 will be the pilot year. However, “The pilot is not an experiment,” Moran said. “We plan to move forward so the year after the whole freshman class will be doing it.” The first year there will approximately one third to two thirds of the freshmen class in the program depending on the teachers who sign up.

This is a great opportunity to help freshmen get used to high school without all the stress and peer pressure. The teachers who will be teaching in the new program seem enthusiastic according to Moran, and there is nothing better than enthusiastic teachers.

The number of teachers involved in the program is supposed to be 10. The selection process for selecting the freshmen have not been decided yet; administrators are still working on some of the fine details. No matter what, this program is a great way to integrate new students in the school while allowing the other grades to continue without disruption.

Not only will this program help incoming freshmen, but it will also be easier on teachers. They will have the same group of kids for three out of the five hours of the day, creating much less confusion for students and teachers. Teachers will only have to teach one group of kids and students will have to go to two or three teachers instead of five. Less confusion equals more success, which is good for everyone.

One of the main complaints from freshmen is that they don’t get to know their teachers well enough. Thanks to the Foundation House, freshmen will get to know their teachers very well. Don’t let the Con article fool you. There is no down side to this new program.

As administrators prepare for the 2010- 2011 freshman class, they hope the incoming freshman will enjoy the new Foundation House program.

The program is designed to help the freshman get to know teachers and classmates better. Freshmen will spend three hours a day with the same group of teachers and students, kind of like American Studies, except one hour longer.

This program brings many negative issues, however. High school is all about the social experience. A lot of students won’t want to be in the same classroom for three hours a day with the same teachers and same kids. Since these students are new to the high school, they’re going to want to be walking around during classes, having new teachers each hour and being with new kids getting to know them better.

The Foundation House program will only have two other hours where students see other teachers or students. Unfortunately, this sounds a lot like what happens at Mill Creek, with the same teachers most hours of the day, then

two hours at the end of the day for electives. Freshman are not mature enough to handle this approach to school.

This Foundation House program is also bad for teachers because of the teacher to student ratio. Right now there are around 284 kids in the 8th grade class. There are 10 teachers and about 190 students who will be a part of Foundation House program.

The teachers will be split into teams of five and each will get about 95 students. Those are huge class sizes. Even if all there students are not in the same classroom at once, this is still an unreasonable number of papers for each teacher to grade.

The Foundation Program is not a good idea. The freshman will not adapt properly to the high school environment. The schedules are too different from what they will face as they go farther on in high school. And the teachers who volunteered will have too much work.

The ideal thing to do would be to try the program at a younger level first, then if it proves successful, bring it into the high school.

CON

THE

Steven Millerstaff writer

Alex Hinerstaff writer

CON

Suspensions need to be harsher form of punishment

Skating on new ice: The new ice rink

in downtown Dex-ter is sponsored

by many local businesses. (See

related story on page 7.)

Photo by Luke Hattie

Photostory12Friday, January 29, 2010

Senior Jessica Tuzinowski was 2-years-old when she decided she wanted to put all her extra time and dedication into figure skating.

This was the age when Tuzinowski first saw figure skating on television, watching Olympic skaters, and knew that was what she wanted to do. “My dad’s the one who took me to my first skating lesson,” she said. “He is the one who really got me started. I was in love with the sport the first time I stepped onto the ice.”

Tuzinowski skates at the Ice Cube in Ann Arbor and is part of the Hockettes synchronized skating team. “In order to be on the Hockettes, I have to skate individually as well as with my team,” she said.

Tuzinowski, however, said she prefers to skate with a team rather than individually. “There’s something about all 20 girls sharing a common love that makes this sport so enjoyable,” she said, “When you’re on your own you have no one to lean on, and with a team you can trust everyone.”

“It was very exciting watching her compete for the first time. We were very proud of her,” her mother, Deb DesRosiers, said. “She always has a huge smile on her face when she is on the ice.”

Tuzinowski said most of her time after school is spent on the ice and she said she skates a total of around 24 hours a week.

During the months from November to March her team competes in one to two competitions. “Our competitions are world wide and the rest of the season is constant training,” she said. “The Hockettes have a very well-known record in the skating world. We have won Nationals numerous times and have been Team USA.”

When it comes to trying to balance her social life with her skating life, Tuzinowski said, “Most of the time my response to, ‘Do you wanna do something tomorrow?’ is, ‘Sorry, I can’t. I have skating.’ I try to balance school, skating and my social life the best I can.”

Skating is a huge commitment for Tuzinowski. “With school, homework, and skating she does not have much free time,” DesRosiers said. “But she is very good about organizing her time, so she does find time to do things outside of school and skating.”

A lot of her time at the Ice Cube, besides her team practices and individual training, involves coaching a class of younger children. “I would love to continue coaching more in the future,” she said.

And skating had a major impact on the colleges she decided to apply to. “Many of the college decisions I made were based on whether they had a synchronized skating team or not,” she said. “I would really love to skate through college. I would like to continue skating as long as I can. It’s my life. I could never cut skating out of my life, no matter how hard I try.”

WintermonthsspentskatingElizabeth O’Keefe

staff writer

On the trails: Senior Sarah Molnar takes

advantage of Dexter’s back roads

for winter snowmobile

riding.

Smiles on sleds: Fresh-man Nat Wilson and Leda Stimac sled down Loch Alpine’s “Cardiac Hill”.

Photo by Chris Reiker

Photo by Austin Sullivan

Photo by Luke Hattie

Hockey hobby: Senior John

Brosch skates in a game

during his last season on the varsity hockey

team.