VoiceVolume 53, Issue 2

November 14, 2012

your school. your voice.

‘Priority School’ status means people are watching as EV undergoes transformation plan

TheGraduation Comes Home

Childhood Stars Today

Football: Heartbreak at Districts

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Photo illustration Cameron Brewer

Photo o illustration Cameron Brew

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Janelle LewisSophia Williams

Reporters

It’s been over 20 years since graduation has been at Everett High School. This year, it will be back at home. The Lansing School District has decided all high schools will grad-uate on their own campuses.

Graduation had been held at the Breslin Center for about 18 years until two years ago, when the district moved to the Lansing Center. During the last board meeting, members con-firmed another change of venue, even closer to home. The change is partly a response to parent comments, but in the end it is a change that will save the district money.

Having graduation at the Lansing Center cost the district over $35,000. There will be costs involved with graduation at the schools, so the exact amount the district will save is yet to be seen.

“We don’t know exactly how much we will be saving because we haven’t done this in years,” said director of high schools and acad-emies Worsie Gregory.

Graduation has been set for Saturday June 1, 2013 at 6 pm at the stadium. Rehearsal is tentatively planned for May 30 or 31 at 3 pm.

“We are happy to have it back home and we want to make it as special as possible for the students,” said head secretary Nita Ken-nedy, who has coordinated Everett graduation for many years.

Seniors are anxious for graduation this year as they hear bits and pieces about the “new graduation plan” everyone is talking

about. Many students and even teachers have mixed feelings about this change. The biggest area of concern is the weather. Staff will be watching the weather four days in advance to determine where it will be held. If it does rain the day of graduation, it will be transferred into the gym.

“Since the gym’s total capacity is 2,250 people, each graduate will be limited to six guests for the gym, but graduation at the sta-dium will have unlimited seating,” said Ken-nedy. The gym ceremony is only a backup plan.

At this point, logistics are still being worked out, Kennedy said that nothing is 100percent, except for the fact that the cer-emony is to be held at the stadium.

The reaction among parents and students is mixed.

“I actually wouldn’t mind having gradu-ation at the stadium because it’s something new,” said senior Xavier Brown.

Memories of older friends and siblings

who walked across the stage on MSU’s cam-pus, or even downtown, make a home-turf celebration tough to imagine.

“Who graduates at their high school? It’s not a memory I want to remember if that’s the case,” said senior Javon Moore.

For some, graduating at Archie Ross sta-dium makes the day more special.

“I don’t think graduation has to be fancy at all. It’s a lot more open and laid back being at the football field because it’s like a second home for us,” said senior Madelyn MacCre-ery.

Senior class president Huong Nguyen said she wished graduation would be held off-campus, because it gives the event a more serious feel.

“It wouldn’t be as classy if parents had to sit in the stands,” said Nguyen.

Staff members are still working on de-tails such as whether a stage will be built on the field, and how seating will work. The budget for the event has not yet been set. As

details are confirmed, seniors will be involved in the process.

“I would like to have a senior commit-

tee to help with set-up for graduation and meetings beginning of second semester,” said Kennedy.

NEWSGraduation comes home, reaction mixed

Kayla Smith Opinion Editor

Last year when Everett students went through the lunch line, they could simply take a slice of pizza and milk, and be done...but those days are over. When Everett students go through the lunch line now, they have to take a fruit or vegetable, milk and whatever else is being handed out in the lunch line.

This year the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs have to follow the new strict requirements of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). The new requirements make schools increase the avail-ability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and introduce fat free and low-fat milk in school meals. Schools also have to reduce levels of sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, as well as preparing meals that fall within their calorie requirements suggested by the government. This results in smaller portion sizes for stu-dents.

For some students, the portion sizes have shrunk dramatically. Students are only allowed 750-850 calories per lunch period. Now that the district has to meet the new guidelines

they do not have as much leeway as they would like.

“The Lansing School District’s Food & Nutritional Services Department makes the decision (of what to offer in meals) based on food items provided by vendors chosen by ARAMARK,” said ARAMARK’s Lansing Manager Kirk Valkner.

While some students don’t notice the portion size changes, others have and think the change is beneficial.

“It’s good that they’re smaller. Our serv-ing sizes are finally like that of the rest of the world,” said senior Sharaya Lundy.

Students have varying opinions about the new choices. Some students said the food is unappealing.

“I think the food is very unappetizing; most of the food looks like it was just reheat-ed from the day before,” said senior Rebecca Walzak.

Other students said that while the food isn’t restaurant-quality, it is fine.

“It’s decent, but most of the vegetables [are] nasty. The only good veggies they serve are the tater tots, beans, and cooked carrots,” said Lundy.

While students said they leave the caf-eteria hungry because they did not eat lunch or the food did not look appetizing to them, according to Valkner, more people are eating lunch now than before.

“We are serving 1,100 more meals a day (in the district) than we were the same time last year,” said Valkner.

That doesn’t mean that students still don’t leave the cafeteria hungry. Valkner said that the school district is working with the Food Service Department to come up with creative ways to address the situation.

Students who want to voice their opin-ion on school lunches and the new federal guidelines have ways to do so. In the build-ing, Principal Norman Gear has said he has an open-door policy, and is willing to hear what students have to say. In the district, school board members can be emailed or called. Contact information is on the school district’s website (lansingschools.net).

At the federal level, writing a letter to Representative Mike Rogers (mikerogers.house.gov ) or Senator Carl Levin (levin.sen-ate.gov) is a way to make your voice heard in Washington.

New lunch nutrition guidelines frustrate students

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the class of ‘63 lines up at the everett front doors, ready to walk across the stage at graduation. This year, for the first time in over 20 years, students will be at Everett for graduation ceremonies.

Federal nutrition guidelines require that lunch, including beverages, has 750-850 calories. Many students said they feel that the nutrition at lunch could be better, and the district is working to improve its offerings.

218 Years that graduation was held

at the Breslin Center

Years that graduation was held at the Lansing Center

Guests allowed per graduate, if ceremonies are held in the gym

2,250 Capacity seating for Magic Johnson gymnasium

635,000 Dollars it’s estimated that

graduation at the Lansing Center cost the district

Students graduating this year243

THE NUMBERS

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NEWS

Morgan McIntyreReporter

For seniors, now is the time to begin looking at colleg-es and making decisions, and many students say they have not decided where they’re headed next fall.

“I’ve always wanted to attend U of M, but it depends on scholarship money I get from them,” said senior Aneysa Rogers.

Two of the main concerns for students are the cost and their grades. According to college adviser Kri Berkander, there is still time for students to apply for scholarships and loans, and see if they’re eligible for financial aid.

“I want to go to Western Michigan University and study human resources,” said senior Cha’Quan Love. “I like to work with people.”

Students may not have the money to go to college but there are ways they can still go.

“For me, it all depends on if I get a scholarship for softball, if I don’t I’ll go to LCC or a community college in Tennessee,” said senior Chelsea Ingram.

Students are encouraged to continue to ask questions of their counselor. It’s better for them to have asked than to wish they had. College adviser Frank Cousin is available most days, and Berkander is available Tuesday-Thursday. Both can be found in the counseling center, or often in the cafeteria at lunchtime.

It isn’t too late to figure out your plan for next year, but some big deadlines are looming. According to scholar-ships.com, students should start to apply for scholarships between September and December, because most scholar-ships are due February through April.

Students should also be seeing what they need to do about FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form is required in order to receive financial aid for college. Everett’s counselors Cousin and Berkander are available to help with FAFSA questions, and individual col-

leges can help, as well. Calling LCC’s financial Aid office (483-1200) is one way to get a quick answer to a question. FAFSA is due based on the deadline of the school they want to attend.

“FAFSA is due early spring, deadlines for applications are in the fall,” said Berkander.

As college deadlines approach, some seniors still undecided

Michigan College Application DeadlinesCentral Michigan UniversityPriority Deadline: October 1, 2012. Regular Deadline:July 1, 2013.

Eastern Michigan UniversityPriority Deadline: October 1, 2012. Regular Deadline:February 15, 2013.

Grand Valley State UniversityPriority Deadline: May 1, 2013.

Michigan State UniversityPriority Deadline: November 1, 2012.

University of Michigan- Ann ArborPriority Deadline: November 1, 2012. Regular Deadline: February 1, 2013.

Wayne State UniversityPriority Deadline: August 1, 2013.

Western Michigan UniversityPriority Deadline: July 1, 2013.

Lansing Community CollegeAdmissions Deadline: August 8, 2013

2013Election of class officersPresident, huong nyguen; vice President, Amber Love; Treasurer, Kristin Nelson; Secretary, Damira Begic.

Important Datesgraduation supply ordering: January 17-18

2014Election of class officersPresident, Freduh Davis; vice President, Almer Dzananovic; treasurer, Dalia Carpenter; secretary, sunshine wheatley.

Fundraiser UpdatesFour Fundraisers have been planned, including: • Penny Wars • Movie Night • Keychain Sales • Valentine DanceFor more information on fundraisers, see Freduh Davis.Next class meeting will be at the start of second semester.Do you have info for Class Corner? email myvikingvoice@gmail.com.

Hailey Cleveland Guest Reporter

Imagine leaving behind your junior and senior year at your high school and starting college early. You walk in on the first day with all new people around you, getting a taste of the college experience two full years ahead of your peers. Some students in the room are ex-cited about the new opportunity, others angry at their parents for making them leave their high school days behind. For some Lansing students, this experience is their reality, and their reaction to the new Early College pro-gram at LCC has been mixed.

The Early College (TEC) program, a partnership between LCC and the Ingham Intermediate School District, is designed to prepare students for college. These students complete their junior and senior year of high school at LCC, and graduate with between one and two and a half years of college completed, which can be a substantial cost savings. The jump to college was a big change for some stu-dents, who had to learn how to keep up or be left behind.

“At first it was really hard then it got pret-ty easygoing, you just have to acquire better time management,” said former Everett stu-dent Cierra Grimes, who is a “Cohort 2,” the second generation of students participating in The Early College program.

Grimes says she likes that the teachers focus not only on grades, but on readiness, de-termining when students are ready to move up to real college classes.

While some students are ready to move to college-level classes, others still have a lot of work before they’re ready on the academic level, as well as being mature enough to move on.

“They focus on who you are as a person and they won’t move you on to real college classes until you have the right mindset,” said Grimes.

Even though Grimes said she likes The Early College program, she still misses a lot of things about being in high school.

“Honestly I really missed spirit week,” said Grimes. “I also miss the open relationship with the teachers; they always took the time to get to know me as a person. I miss my friends

every day.”Grimes said the LCC teachers are really

helping her to get ready for college classes. She says the teachers help her realize her weak-nesses and then help her tackle them.

“They give you the best criticism, every teacher pulls out things you could improve on,” said Grimes. “One of my teachers said it’s like when you’re building muscle, they’re rip-ping us in half in order to build us back up.”

Teachers of TEC can see that the stu-dents are benefiting from this program.

“This program is proving to be success-ful. Students who did not feel challenged have found challenges at TEC,” said English in-structor Anthony M. Greenburg.

Greenburg said the program has helped students to find who they want to be.

“For many students, leaving a familiar en-vironment provides them the chance to start over and become the sort of student they had hoped to become, but had not for some rea-son,” said Greenburg.

While some students like The Early Col-lege program, others left the program because it wasn’t right for them.

“At first I thought it was the best oppor-tunity that could be offered, but after I went I changed my mind,” said junior Haley Bus-kulic.

Buskulic isn’t the only student to leave the program. For some, what they get out of the program isn’t worth the sacrifice.

“I would not recommend the program to anyone unless they’re willing to give up their whole life,” said Buskulic.

For many students, giving up a traditional high school experience isn’t even a consider-ation. For some, though, the Early College program may be a good fit.

“I like the fact that it gives students an-other option, this setting isn’t for everyone,” said counselor Jennifer West.

When deciding to participate in the pro-gram, there are more factors to think about than just money, said West. There are many factors to think about, and other options to check out.

“Consider it for the experience, not just for the cost savings,” said West. “There are a lot of other ways to make college affordable, like taking AP classes.”

Tradeoff for early graduation program too much for some, worthwhile for others

CLASS CORNER

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NEWS

Meeshon RogersEditor-in-Chief

This year, Everett and Sexton joined Lansing Eastern on the pri-ority school list, which means that now every high school (and non-academy middle school) in the Lansing School District is in survival mode, enacting policies and programs in order to get them off the list and avoid a takeover by the state.

Becoming a “Priority School” means that the school is among the bottom 5 percent of schools in the state ranking known as the “Top-to-Bottom” ranking. The score is a combination of results on all five tested content areas, and graduation rates.

Eight Lansing schools are in the bottom 5 percent. Many students at those schools said they don’t feel like they are at-tending a failing school.

“I feel we are learning just as much as anyone else, it’s weird to me knowing that we are below every other school,” said senior Cheyene Houghton.

For the past two years Eastern has been on the list, making major changes to their school such as an advisory class, extensive profes-sional development for teachers, extra support for students after class, and focus in content areas such as literacy and math.

“The new changes are helping a lot because I have noticed a dif-ference in school,” said Eastern senior Kristyn Lynch. “I believe our new superintendent has approached the whole restructuring of the schools in a very open-minded way and has thought of the best plan to help make Lansing look like a great place to go to school.”

Two years into restructuring, Eastern is still on the Priority List. Now, Everett and Sexton are trying to learn from Eastern’s process

and see what they can do to restructure and find their ways off the list. School Improvement Team co-chair Aaron Bales is quick to point out that being at the bottom of the list does not mean good things aren’t happening at Everett, or that students aren’t learning.

“Not all students are as successful as they could be,” said Bales. “While we have a lot of students who are performing very well aca-demically, the transition plan gives us the opportunity to implement strategies to help all students achieve at a higher level.”

There are many different ideas and opinions on what needs to be done: some say there should be a focus on increasing parent involve-ment in the school, while others are looking at in-school suspension as a first step to increasing student achievement.

Just like Eastern, Everett is taking steps to try to prevent a takeover by the state. According to Principal Norman Gear, Everett is focusing on two ma-jor things, implement-ing writing and reading throughout the school, and rebuilding the cli-

mate and culture. How those two goals are being approached has been the topic of recent professional development days for staff.

Large-scale changes will be seen next year, when the transforma-tion plan can be in effect from the first day of school. But students will see some changes occurring next semester. What those changes will look like next year, and what changes students can expect into the future, will be the topic of future installments of this series.

Brittany HarrisReporter

For some people, Thanksgiving break is for being with family, sharing sweet potato pie, stuffing, and turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. But for some people, it’s time to shop!

“I’m really excited to go shopping on Black Friday,” said senior Brooke Harris.

This year’s Black Friday falls on Novem-ber 23, so get ready for it. Here are some tips on how to rock black Friday.

Get MoneyMake sure you have money! You can get

more hours at work or ask your parents for money. Chances are, you’ll come across some deals you hadn’t planned on, and some extra cash may be necessary.

“I’m going to ask for more hours at my job,” said Senior Amoni Brown, who said she plans to hit Wal-Mart this year.

Find Sales PapersGet the sales paper as soon as it comes

out and check out your favorite websites to see if they have the Black Friday sales paper on their site.

“I’m going to go online and look for sales,” said senior Deja Ellis, “I won’t have to wait for the newspaper to come out.” Right now, excited shoppers can go to theblackfri-day.com to see some Black Friday sales that are already posted.

Have A PlanWhen looking in your sales paper, pick

out your top three things you want the most and where to get it, and when you need to get there. Stores are opening earlier than ever

before. Wal-Mart announced this year’s Black Friday will begin Thanksgiving Day at 8:00 pm.

“I already know what I want and which store to get it at,” said sophomore Damaria Morton. Morton has her eyes on a new lap-top.

Wake Up Early (Or Don’t Go To Bed)

Some die-hard shoppers line up hours before the store they’ve chosen opens.

“I’m going to stay up all night and be at Macy’s two hours early,” said senior Jalen Robinson.

Or Sleep In and Go Out Later (Or Online)

Many stores run bargains all weekend. Many great deals are available online, as well. Also, the Monday after Black Friday has come to be known as “Cyber Monday,” when many websites offer big bargains. For many people, saving ten bucks isn’t worth the hassle of the crowds and the lines. For others, it’s all a part of the fun.

“I don’t want to deal with all those crazy people,” said senior Kamina Maxi. “I’ll just shop online.”

Some Bargains To Be Had

www.myblackfridaylaptopdeals.comwww.bfshop.net www.blackfriday.bradsdeals.comwww.blackfriday.gottadeal.com

4 ways to rock Black Friday

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Landing at the bottom of state list means a rehaul of Everett

Mikaela JonesReporter

Everett students haven’t known what it’s like to have an undefeated football team since 1954. This year, they know.

“Being a part of a winning school feels great,” said junior Mikay-la Rogers, who added that even if the team were not undefeated, she would still have school spirit.

Some students have attended every game to show their school spirit and support the football team.

“I’ve been to all nine games even before I knew they were going to be undefeated,” said junior Deja Can-non. “I made a promise to be at ev-ery game and sup-port, whether they win or lose, you have to have faith in your school.”

Players say that when they

have people supporting them they play better.“It makes us feel like we have something to prove and we have

people counting on us,” said senior strong safety Marquan Howard.With the students having so much school spirit it motivates the

team to get out there and play hard every Friday night.“It’s nice to know that we have a good fan base and large crowds,”

said senior defensive back/wide receiver Jaleel Canty. “The student sec-tion really amps us up.”

The story of this season was one of a team that went winless two years ago that worked together to reach an ultimate goal.

“It’s exciting to watch them work hard for what they want, and go this far and still be humble about it,” said senior Amoni Brown.

While anyone interviewed for this story said that they were with the team through thick and thin, Canty said that their winning ways were responsible for the rise in attendance this year.

“They (didn’t have as much school spirit) last year when we were 4-5... and the year before that [when we were] 0-9 we barely had anyone in the stands,” said Canty. “Now everyone’s a proud supporter of EV Nation.”

Defensive back Cha’Quan Love agreed, saying that he wished fair-weather fans didn’t exist.

“I think it should be the same, whether we win or lose, but that’s how people are, you can’t change that,” said Love.

The school pride that comes from a successful team extends into the community, as well, as alumni and supporters become interested in the team’s story.

“It was a talked-about topic in the community,” said athletic direc-tor Cindy Short, who said that when people saw her around town in Everett gear, they would share their support. “It was a feel-good thing for alumni and the neighborhood.”

Their winning ways should extend the feeling of school pride into next year, said Love.

“I think there will be (a lot of support next season) because of this year, and (students) will want it to continue,” said Love.

Winning team builds school spirit, pride among students and community

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Football fans cheer on the vikings at the District playoff game against East Lansing. A winning team helps boost school spirit.

On the Michigan Department of Education’s “Top-to-Bottom” list of schools, Everett ranks at the bottom, with a zero percent ranking. The rank is based on many things, with improvements in test scores and graduation rates being key factors.

PART TWO: Rebuilding the Climate and CulturePART THREE: Inside the Reading Apprenticeship ProgramPART FOUR: Looking Ahead

INSIDE THE PRIORITY SCHOOLS TRANSFORMATION: First in a four-part series

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3900 Stabler RoadLansing, MI 48910 (517)755-4472myvikingvoice.commyvikingvoice@gmail.com

THE STAFF

EDITORSMeeshon Rogers (Editor-in-Chief, News)Kayla Smith(Opinion)Jaimie Bozack (Features)Melanie Matchette (Photo)Damira Begic (Photo)Brooke Burns (Entertainment)Lucas Barner (Sports)Emily Dake (Online)Dejana Puranovic (Online)Jasmine McCullough (Business) REPORTERSChristopher BucknerHaley BuskulicBrittany HarrisMikaela JonesLindsay JulyJanelle LewisNoelia LopezMorgan McIntyreTori MurineAlexus PattersonTara PhanTecora StarksJames VandergriftSophia WilliamsSarah Yang

AdviserChad SandersMission StatementThe Voice is a monthly publica-tion of Everett High School. It is published the second Wednesday of each month by the fourth hour Newspaper class. The Voice is distributed free of charge to every student and staff member at Everett. The current issue is always available on the counter of the main office. Subscriptions are also available for $15/year. The Voice is an award-winning member of the Michigan Inter-scholastic Press Association. Letters to the editor are accepted at the discretion of the edito-rial board. Forms of speech not protected by the First Amendment will not be published. Letters must be signed by the author, and will be edited for quality. Direct all questions to room 313. We can be contacted via email at myvi-kingvoice@gmail.com

The Lansing School District is committed to a policy of provid-ing equal opportunities to all qualified people regardless of eco-nomic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental ability.

VoiceThe

OPINION

Some students may remember the movie “High School Musical 3.” The characters grad-uated at their football field and it happened to rain during the ceremony, but they all had a great time and made a lot of memories gradu-ating on the field.

That could happen at Everett, because for the first time in over 20 years, all Lansing School District high school graduations will be held at the schools. For Everett, that means no Breslin or Lansing Center... it’s Archie Ross stadium (or, in case of rain, Magic Johnson gymnasium).

Holding graduation in the stadium is a great idea. You spent your last four years of school at Everett. Why would you want to go anywhere else? With a stage and decorations, the stadium will look nice.

Since you went to Everett, it’s only ap-propriate to have your graduation ceremony at Everett. The football field is a great place, there is a lot of room, and it’s at Everett. Es-pecially with a winning football team, students should be proud to graduate on the field.

But, the problem comes if it rains, and graduation moves into the gym. Students would only have a few tickets available to them. Some students with bigger families are upset, because that would mean some fam-ily members might not be able to come. The gym is the last place that students want their graduation ceremony. The gym would not be as comfortable as the field would be. Nobody wants to be crowded on their big day.

That’s why some students want it at a different venue. If it happens to rain that day, it wouldn’t matter because they would be in-doors.

There were a lot of complaints the last few years with the ceremony being held at the Lansing Center. Attendees had issues with seating arrangements and other problems. Now, many are happy that the stadium will al-low people to see.

Graduating in the stadium is better than graduating at the Lansing Center. The field is big enough to fit a lot of people. People will not be packed in the hallway of the Lansing Center as they leave. There will be a home-field atmosphere. It will be fun.

Unless it rains. Yes, this is a concern. Some people may not get to come... we won’t know exactly how things are going to work until we get closer to graduation. Even if it has to happen in the gym, it can be nice.

High school is about making memories. Spending one last moment at the place we’ve spent so much of our lives will be another special memory. If it’s a graduation in a hot, sweaty gym with our grandma waiting in the car, well that will be a memory, too... but may-be not all that special.

Hey, if they could do it in High School Musical 3, we can do. We just have to remem-ber, “We’re all in this together!”

Class of 2013: ‘We’re all in this together’

Tori MurineReporter

Lack of movement in the hallways causes frustration as students are becoming later and later for class which causes them to rack up tardies that will eventually become absences that will affect their grade at the end of the semester . Hall sweeps are only getting mostly non problem students and not getting the stu-dents that are always late to class.

When the hallways get crowded it makes it hard for students to get to class on time. This results in many students being caught in hall sweeps and having tardies who are not usually late or have any reason to be caught in a hall sweep. It wastes administration’s time because they have to focus on students who are not problem students. The threat of hall sweeps doesn’t help with the flow of student traffic.They stand around and wait for the warning bell and then rush to class just to be on time.

People who stop and talk in the hallway do not move even when asked politely. Stu-dents get an attitude when they are asked to move politely and continue to stand there. The oncoming traffic of students from both directions in the hallway and people standing in the middle makes it hard for other students to move around them. The hallway in front of the student center, counseling center, and main office is one of the worst hallways for this. Students stand in the middle of the hall-way while people are coming from both ways crossing the building to get to class and run into the groups of people just standing there.

People stopping in the middle of the hall-ways causes a larger amount of students to be stopped for a longer amount of time. Eventu-ally all the tardies that students have add up to absences and threatens their semester grade if they do not make up the time. An example of this is the middle stairwell by the bathrooms. Students stand around by the bathrooms and

the middle stairwell. This makes it hard for students who have classes at the end of the hallway.

The time between classes is a chance to talk to friends, go to your locker and get things done that they cannot do throughout the day or during class. This makes sense, it’s nice to be able to say hi and catch up. But, just don’t just stand in the middle of the hallway when you talk. Not only are you affecting the people around you, you are also being a block for stu-dents trying to get to class.

In order for this to stop, administration needs to get control of it by having security break up the groups of kids or push them to the sides of the halls so students can continue to move to class and not be late. Have a secu-rity guard stand in each hallway and help break up the traffic. They do not want students to be late, but they are not helping us by not break-ing up the students just standing around.

Crowded hallways makes it hard for students to get to class on time

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Our Voice

Rude students should remember respect

In the few years that I have worked at Everett in the kitchen and now as a Lunch As-sistant I have met so many wonderful young adults. Many of you always say “please and thank you,” which in return I also say the same. The lunch ladies, lunch assistants and the cus-todians work very hard for you to make your meals and clean up the lunch room so that you can enjoy sitting, eating and chatting with your friends. However it makes it very hard for us when there are some young adults, and you know who you are who throw food or leave their mess on the table, or worst of all call us some very nasty things. We all show respect

to you, so please show the lunch ladies, cus-todians and lunch assistants the same respect. Remember “with respect, comes respect”

Nicki Nielsen, Lunch Assistant

Four changes for a better Everett

I have some suggestions for the school (newspaper to cover):

1. Walls in hallwaysI have to talk to other students about

this problem and we agree that this is happen-ing and it is very aggravating. Other students forming a wall of people so the students who don’t want to be late to class can’t get through to get to their locker or to their next class.

2. Elevator aggressivenessPeople leave elevator doors open and

only let their friends in with them I say just let people who are physically impaired and can’t walk the stairs on the elevator.

3. Stealing I have witnessed and experienced stuff

like books, school work, headphones, back-packs and money being stolen from me and other students. My suggestion is to put cam-eras in the classrooms.

4. Writing on bathrooms wallsI am sick of seeing engravings or writings

on the stall walls. I know there cannot be cam-eras in the bathrooms but at least gather some people according to gender (to) monitor the bathrooms or if someone sees someone writ-ing on the bathroom walls to report it.

Hunter Lee Mathes, ‘16

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FEATuRESChild Stars: Where are they now?

Brooke Burns

Entertainment Editor

Drake & Josh. The Amanda Show. Even Stevens. Lizzie McGuire. That’s So Raven. Some may remember as a young kid, going home after school, quickly doing homework, and finding a snack while you flip on that chan-nel to find your favorite show. Now, students have grown into young adults and the actors have grown into older adults. If you were ever wondering what happened to them, look no further, here is what’s going on in their life.

Drake & JoshJ o s h

Peck, one of the two step-

brothers who shared a room

and got into some interesting situations on “Drake & Josh,” has lost a lot of weight. Re-cently, He has been starring in movies. One of his upcoming films is “Red Dawn.” He has a lead role starring alongside Chris Hemsworth

and Josh Hutcherson. You can still see Josh and co-

star Drake Bell on Teen Nick reruns almost every day. Bell is currently the lead voice role for the animated series “Ultimate Spider Man,” and has been making appearances on the Nickelode-on game show “Figure It Out.” He is still singing, but he has not released any new albums recently.

The Amanda Show

Amanda Bynes, star of the sketch show “Amanda,” has had roles in a few TV shows and Movies. Her last movie was “Easy A” in 2010.

“The Amanda Show” ran from 1999-2002, a spin-off from “All That.” Recently, Bynes has been in some legal trouble including, driving under the influence, hit-and-run ac-cidents, and driving with a suspended license.

Even Stevens“Even Stevens,” A show

that focused on sibling rivalry between star Shia LeBeouf and his older sister, ran from 2000-2003. Current-ly, he is a pretty famous guy. He has starred in the very popular Transform-ers trilogy, as well as In-diana Jones and He is

currently filming a couple movies due out in 2013.

Lizzie McGuireHillary Duff played the

shy Lizzie, whose animated alter ego to expressed her true

feelings. Duff has starred in a good amount of movies, mostly aimed towards a younger audi-ence. She has also made guest appearances in a few television shows and has released three studio albums. Lately Duff has been taking a break from

her career. She got married to

hockey play-er, Mike C o m r i e in 2010. She gave birth to t h e i r f i r s t child, Luca Cruz Comrie, earlier this year..

That’s So RavenThat’s So Raven star Raven-Symone stuck

with the Disney channel as a voice in the Tin-kerbell movies. She has recently starred in the Broadway show Sister Act, which ended in August 2012.

Anyone who wants a trip into their past can catch these shows in a variety of ways. “Drake & Josh” still plays on Nickelodeon along with the Amanda Show. It’s also available on Netflix. That’s so raven, Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens might be a littler harder to find. You can look on netflix or check for full episodes online or Youtube.

EV alumni want to help others with HaveH3art clothing line

Melanie MatchettePhoto Editor

HaveH3art Apparel is a Michigan-based clothing line founded and run by Everett alumni DuVonna Bonilla and Katarina Johnson. Bonilla is HaveH3art’s CEO, and Johnson is the clothing line’s president. “I came up with the idea after I began to have frustration with today’s clothing lines,” said Bonilla. “Although I completely respect retailers like Hollister and American Eagle, I still feel like they’re missing something.”

The store offers a variety of clothing including T-shirts, long-sleeve

shirts, sweaters, and jackets. HaveH3art is not merely a fashion state-ment, though. The line comes complete with a message.

“Our mission is to encourage young adults to be inspired and to believe in themselves,” said Johnson. “HaveH3art is about who you are and what you stand for.”

Behind HaveH3art is a strong support system of family and friends. Johnson’s mother has been supportive of the two young entrepreneurs from the start.

“These two young people have had an incredibly difficult life so far and these designs mean a lot to each of them,” said Debbie Johnson, HaveH3art customer and mother of Katarina Johnson. “They hope to inspire everyone who wears the clothing and to keep being inspired themselves.”

Clothing was the first choice for Bonilla and Johnson when deciding on a way to spread their message. “It’s the best form of advertising any-one could do,” said Johnson. “Also, our clothing is a representation of our customers. It shows their personality and helps them be inspired.”

HaveH3art also offers an Incredible People line in support of those dealing with conditions such as autism, fibromyalgia, and physi-cal handicaps. “Once people become more aware of our (Incredible People) line..., we would like to start donating some of our profit to charity,” said Johnson.

Currently, the store is online-only, but social-networking and hav-ing a website have been very rewarding for HaveH3art Apparel. “Face-book has definitely helped us gain most, if not all of our customers. It’s a free and easy way to advertise our company,” said Johnson.

Bonilla and Johnson have big plans for the future. Within the next year, HaveH3art is expected to have a store in the Meridian Mall. In addition, Bonilla and Johnson are preparing for the Magic Showcase in Las Vegas in February. “(The Magic Showcase is) where up-and-coming clothing lines come from all over the world to attract investors and gain manufacturing contracts,” explained Bonilla.

Many people have reached out to the two about how HaveH3art has positively influenced them. “A special reward that we at HaveH3art have is to be able to touch people in a very inspirational way. We’ve received countless emails telling us how inspired they are by our mes-sage,” said Bonilla.

One of the many designs available at facebook.com/HaveH3artApparel

Teen Driving:

Carly Wiles Guest Reporter

More than 3,000 teens die in car crashes every year. Teenagers will crash four times more often than any other age group. There are many concerns with teens driving: drunk driving, texting while driving and just being careless.

The biggest concern for teenagers is tex-ting while driving. It doesn’t take much of a search to find a teenager in a car, talking or texting on his/her phone while driving. It can be hard to resist the urge to text, and bigger, better phones, that are touch screen, makes it seem as if texting isn’t much of a distraction. Teens think they are slick and won’t crash, but there are many instances in which they are wrong.

According to the makers of Life Before Text, an app designed to keep teens from tex-ting while driving, “in 2007, driver distractions, such as using a cell phone or text messaging, contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16 and 17 year old drivers.” On average, they said, texting causes drivers to look away from the road for 4.6 seconds. “At 55 mph, the ve-hicle travels the length of an entire football field while the driver isn’t looking.”

Another danger to teen drivers is drinking and driving. Although the legal drinking age is

21, underage drinking is not unusual. Drunk driving hits close to home for some people in the Lansing area. Just last year, three teenagers in Holt were killed in a car accident involving alcohol. According to the Century Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting rid of drunk driving, 33 percent of the 15-20 year-olds who were killed in car accidents in 2009 had been drinking.

Another concern for teen driving is that some teens just drive carelessly. When teens get their license, the world is now open to them. Having the freedom to go anywhere is what they will think about, not the safety is-sues they should be concerned about.

“37 percent of male drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 were speeding at the time of a fatal crash,” writes Drive Steady, a website for automotive information. Some skills Drive Steady said teen drivers lack are poor ability to detect hazards, poor ability to assess risk, over confidence, developing skills, passengers, driv-ing at night, alcohol or drug use.

According to health teacher Marcelle Carruthers, the best thing a new driver can do to keep themselves safe is to pay attention, and drive as if they personally know the other driv-ers on the road.

“Wear safety belts, and drive for the per-son in front of you,” said Carruthers.

Distractions, drinking lead to fatal accidents

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FIND IT!Where to catch up with the shows from your childhood

Drake & Josh, That’s So Raven, Even Stevens, The Amanda Show, Lizzie McGuire episodes avail-able for streaming, or on DVD.

Drake & Josh, That’s So Raven, The Amanda Show, Even Stevens, and Lizzie mcguire season box sets available for rent.

Drake & Josh, That’s So Raven, Even Stevens, The Amanda Show, and Lizzie McGuire DVD box sets for $10-$20.

Full episodes of Drake & josh and the Amanda Show can be seen on teenick.com, as well in reruns on Nickelodeon.

the disneysshows youtube channel is full of episodes and clips of a variety of Disney shows. Clips of all shows can be found by searching the name.

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Lindsay JulyReporter

The fall play had a different feel this year, and members of the theatre department worked hard getting their acts together.

More specifically, getting their One-Acts together.This year’s show was a collection of eight different one act

plays, performed in collaboration with the Sexton theatre depart-ment. Each one act performance lasted ten to fifteen minutes.

The one-acts covered topics that some might consider edgy, including suicide and gay relationships. Director Jim Allen decided what one-acts Everett will perform and sent ideas to Sexton. To find the ideas for one-acts that would be in-teresting for students to perform, he narrowed down a list he got when he emailed award-winning playwright Ellen Lewis.

“I got to talk to her and got a long list of one-acts; (then, I) narrowed it down to the ones I liked. I then shipped my favorites list to Sexton so they could choose the acts they want,” said Allen.

The students who see the plays often also like the idea of one-acts.

“(I think one-acts are) unique and different in a way,” said senior Brandon Jarvis.

Leading up to the performances, Allen was very positive about the progress his students were making.

“The rehearsals are going quick and we’re going through the act two or three times each rehearsal. We are on our fourth rehearsal and we’re already off the scripts,” said Allen.

In a unique move, the plays were performed at each school on separate weekends, allowing both groups to perform on their home stage, and fans to see them in their home venue. Perfor-mances were November 2-3 at Sexton, and November 9-10 at Everett.

ENTERTAINMENT

Brooke BurnsEntertainment Editor

On November 13, there will probably be a ton of excited teenage girls (and maybe some boys) waiting at different stores with money in their hands... ready to run in and grab a copy of One Direction’s brand new CD “Take Me Home.”

One Direction is a very popular British boy band. They came in third place on UK X Factor in 2010, and were signed by Simon Cowell, even though they didn’t win. Their first album was #1 on the Billboard top 200 in America, and topped charts worldwide. They are the first-ever British boy band to have their first album go #1 in the US. Now, they are re-leasing their second album and going on tour.

They quickly sold out the December show at Madison Square Garden and are going on a worldwide tour for most of 2013. Their new single “Live While We’re Young” was released on September 28, and quickly went to number one on iTunes.

Some ‘Directioners’ are really excited for the CD.

“Yeah (I’m going to buy it), I like their music,” said junior Taven Thuma. “I have their

songs on my iPod and I listen to them on the radio.”

Others don’t really have the One Direc-tion infection and don’t really care about it.

‘“Why would I waste my money on gar-bage?” said junior Alan Couthen. “If (my only option was) to listen to One Direction for the rest of my life, I would stab my ear drums.”

One Direction broke records after only being around for two years, and indications are that their new album will be a sales hit, as well. Sadly for Couthen, the band may be around for a while longer.

James Vandergrift Reporter

Many fans are excited for the upcoming release of Rihanna’s new album “Unapolo-getic,” November 19.

“I can't wait for the Rihanna album,” said senior Larry Covington. “I love her music.”

The first single from Rihanna’s album “Diamonds” was released October 2. A mid-tempo ballad, it shows Rihanna’s softer side, a side fans never get to see. The track is a hippy, happy tune, rather than her typical dancey vibe. The single debuted at number one in the UK and France, selling over 105,000 copies. It has hit number 16 on the hot 100 billboard charts.

People say they think that Rihanna’s new album is about former boyfriend and R&B singer Chris Brown. Recently they have been spotted at several nightclubs and she kissed him at the MTV Video Music Awards. Some say that the lyrics from the ballad refers to their relationship. “We’re like diamonds in the sky/I knew that we’d become one right away,” she sings. Later, she says “At first sight I left the energy of sun rays, I saw the life inside your eyes.” Rihanna hasn’t said who she might be talking about in the song, but some Everett fans are pretty sure they have it figured out.

“I have a feeling that the song is about him,” said senior Rebecca Walzak. “It kind of tells a story about their rocky relationship.”

Their relationship was very public. Things turned sour when Rihanna and Chris Brown left a Grammy party in 2009. Chris Brown al-legedly hit Rihanna, causing her a busted lip, several scratches, a swollen face and a broken heart.They haven’t been seen together until re-cently, which is causing fans mixed feelings.

Rihanna recently had an interview with MTV News, announcing the release of her album. About “Diamonds,” she said "It gives me such a great feeling when I listen to it. The lyrics are very hopeful and positive, but it's about love, and the gears are a little different from what people would expect. I'm excited to surprise them sonically."

This is Rihanna’s seventh album.

Tara PhanReporter

Music fans looking for entertainment don’t need to head to Detroit for good music. The Loft, Mac’s Bar or X-Cel offer many options, often bringing national acts right to Lansing.

Look at last weekend for just one example.Rock band Hawthorne Heights came to The Loft November 8.

The all-ages show featured Absinthe Junk, Red Cedar Riot, Black Oxy-gen and more.

Just two days later, platinum-selling reggae/hip-hop artist Matisya-hu and The Constellations played The Loft for another all-ages show. The best part? A $25 ticket, free parking, and a five-minute drive to the show.

At the same place, the next day, Radical Something played with Green Skeem, Jahshua Smith, and P.H.I.L.T.H.Y. Just $12 got fans in to see their mix of electronic, hip hop, and surfer rock. For $30, fans could see the show and attend a meet and greet afterwards.

There are more shows on the way. November 29, Twin Cat, a funky jazz band formed by two identical twins, will be playing at Mac’s Bar. Doors will be open at 9 pm. Admission for that show is $10, but it is an 18+ show. Thatfreakquincy and Fried Egg Nebula will also be playing.

Are you looking for a present for Christmas? Maybe there is some-one you know that is interested in the European metal band Make Me

Famous. They will be at The Loft Friday December 7. It is an all-ages show, and admission is just $10.

Electric Guest band member Asa Taccone plays key-board during a recent concert at the loft.

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Rihanna’s new album “Unapologet-ic” is due out November 19.

One Direction infection takes over stores November 13

The Loft offers variety for concert lovers

‘Unapologetic’ showcases softer side of Rihanna

The popular British boy band’s new CD, “Take Me Home,” comes out November 13.

Everett and Sexton come together to perform one act plays

Teen Driving:

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SPORTS

New baseball coach has big goals for his teamLucas Barner

Sports Editor

The baseball team acquired a new base-ball coach in late September. Close to ten people applied for the job, but Athletic Di-rector Cindy Short decided that Tim Walker was the right guy for the job.

“He has a background in education and seemed like he would relate well with the baseball players,” said Short. “I’m hopeful that we can get him in the building, at the very least as a sub,” said Short.

Walker was hired to take over the team after former coach Steve Horn was let go.

Tim Walker attended Eaton Rapids high school, where he played primarily first base and outfield. He then went to Michigan State University and tried out as a walk-on, but was one of the last players cut.

Walker said he is extremely excited about being hired as the new baseball coach.

“I love baseball and I love teaching, so anytime I can mix the two together, I’m hap-py,” said Walker.

This is Walker’s first coaching job on the varsity level, but he has coached JV at Eaton Rapids and freshmen during summer baseball.

There are three big changes that Walker will be making as the new coach:

1) Academics will be stressed - Everyone in the baseball program will keep their grades up or they won’t play.

2) Attitude is key - Everyone will have a positive attitude on and off the field.

3) Selfless baseball - Everyone will play selfless baseball and the team will win as a result.

Walker has many goals set for the up-coming season, but some include:

- Coming together as a team- Play with solid fundamentals- Beat Eaton Rapids (his old coach is still

there)- Conference and District Champion-

shipWalker believes that his strongest coach-

ing ability is his ability to relate to the play-ers.

“I expect a lot out of them on the base-ball field, but I enjoy getting to know them outside of baseball and having a positive im-pact on their lives,” said Walker.

Walker’s ability to help students in the classroom as well as on the baseball diamond is one of the many factors Short looks for when hiring someone in.

“I look for the ability to relate to a student, experience and knowledge of the sport,” said Short. “Someone who is the right fit.”

Short said that she doesn’t want a coach-ing change to result in a drop in the roster.

“I’m hopeful that they (Walker and JV coach Benton Billings) will continue to keep students involved in the sport and will con-tinue to improve,” said Short.

Conditioning begins in December and tryouts are in March.

While some players from the 2012 sea-son wanted to quit the rest of the season after Horn was fired, others said they would remain, no matter who the coach was.

“I still wanted to play,” said junior out-fielder Nique Wilson. According to Wilson, whoever the coach is doesn’t really affect him, he just wants Walker to bring good coaching skills to the team.

The Vikings play a tough conference with Holt, Okemos and powerhouse Grand Ledge. For the Vikings to be successful, ev-eryone will need to play their hardest each game.

Walker said that he is still looking for motivated players to come out for the team this year.

“I encourage anyone that wants to play to condition this winter and come out for the team in March. Baseball is an extremely rewarding game and you can learn a lot by playing it,” said Walker.

New head baseball coach Tim Walker waits for the pitch in a high school game against Waverly. Walker graduated from Eaton Rapids High School in 2007.

Football team’s historic run ends at DistrictsLucas Barner

Sports EditorJasmine McCullough

Business Manager

“Ref, I’m on the line.”James Mills sits slumped over a bench in

the Vikings mud room. Cha’Quan Love leans forward, staring straight ahead. Other mem-bers of the team just sit in silence.

The room is dead silent, except for the re-peated phrase coming from Jaleel Canty: “Ref, I’m on the line. Ref, I’m on the line.” That’s what Canty said to the ref just before he was ejected from the game. Not a curse word. Not a taunt. Just, “Ref, I’m on the line.”

He can’t believe it. Canty wasn’t the only thing that was on

the line that night for the Vikings. Their sea-son was on the line, their playoff dreams were on the line and the seniors’ last chance for a state championship was on the line.

Throughout the game, many questionable calls were made, including Canty’s ejection. Had he said some things earlier that got the ref upset? Possibly. It was an emotional game for the seniors. They were in the playoffs for the first time in their high school career, some-thing they had always dreamed of.

He’d received a flag already. In that mo-ment, though, Canty knew he didn’t deserve that call.

He deserved to be in the game with his team.

“Ref, I’m on the line.” It echoes now. Nothing can be changed. It’s over. What was on the line is now finished, their run for the

championship ended here, with a 10-6 loss to East Lansing, a team they’d beaten during the regular season.

Even as the team sat in silence in the locker room, though, Facebook and Twitter comments began pouring in:

“Great run. Lansing is still proud of the Everett Vikings football team and Coach Car-ruthers.”

“Way to go EV keep those heads up, you made all us alumni and former players proud!”

“You guys still had a great season! Unde-feated and Conference Champs! We’re proud of you!”

Even though their dreams of playing at Ford Field are gone, the team has many ac-complishments to be proud of:

1) First team in Everett history to go 9-0. (In 1954, they were 8-0).

2) Capital Area Activities Conference Blue Champions.

3) First playoff berth since 2008. 4) Going from 0-9 to 9-0 in just two

years.5) Many players receiving college inter-

est.The loss was a tough one, made worse

by some calls that many disagreed with. Even Carruthers said that he didn’t agree with the calls. Many friends and family thought that the calls against Jaleel made them lose.

“Any time someone’s ejected, it limits our chances, and Mills being hurt didn’t help ei-ther,” said Carruthers.

Even when it was looking rough, Head Coach Marcelle Carruthers tried to keep up his

team’s spirits, encouraging them to leave it all on the field.

“I didn’t want our kids to feel like they didn’t have a chance to win,” said Carruthers.

Even though the season has ended, the players and coaches can look back on their record-breaking run.

“I’m proud of the season they had, but not how it ended,” said Carruthers.

Carruthers said that the team can only learn from the loss, and grow from it.

“These are just life lessons, things aren’t always going to go the way you want them to, but you have to keep moving forward,” said Carruthers. “We never changed, never put pressure on each other. We wanted to go out and be and play the best,” said Carruthers.

During the playoffs the Vikings were very prepared, always confident, and never cocky. If the Vikings would have made it to the state finals, Carruthers said it would have meant ev-erything to them.

“That’s all we ever think about and it’s the coaches’ and also the players’ dreams,” said Carruthers. “I know what it would have meant for (the players) because they worked so hard.”

Even though the season came to an abrupt end, Carruthers said his team has much to be proud of.

“What you put in is what you get out, they put in hard work and their work was an undefeated football season,” Carruthers said.

He also acknowledged that there is a lot of talent young men leaving his team this year.

“I’ll miss them, the young players have big shoes to fill,” said Carruthers.

Graduated wide receiver Tre Blackman comforts senior captain Jaleel Canty after the Vikings suffered a 10-6 District loss to East Lansing Oc-tober 26. The game ended a record-setting year for the Vikings, who went 9-0 during the regular season and finished 9-1 overall.

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