Teachers starting to drop 14-point grade scale

NORTH
Online at myGPN.org
POINTE
Friday, Feb. 18, 2011-
GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
Teachers starting to drop 14-point grade scale
By Kristin Carlson
DEPUTY EDITOR
KARA BAKOWSKI
SPORTS
Read about some of the
injured athletes during
this winter season.
Page 4
Several teachers decided to drop
the 14-point scale for second semester and return to a traditional
percentage system. Others say they
will drop it at the beginning of next
year.
“It was a little unfair (for) highachieving students because there
was no difference between a 96 and
a 98,” science teacher Elizabeth
Ternes said.
Teachers like Ternes also argue
that the scale works in favor for
those conscientious students who
only miss one or two assignments,
however it also allows a student to
miss five or six assignments and
still pass the class.
“(The percentage scale is) fairer for all students,” social studies
teacher Patrick Hicks said. “The
14-point scale has less of an impact when students take zeros or
don’t do assignments, so I think it
gives an unfair advantage to the
students that may miss significant
assignments.”
A 14-point scale is designed to
lesson the impact of low grades
and was encouraged by the administration last fall.
English teacher Diane Montgomery said she has a problem that
students can choose not to complete an important assignment and
still work their way up to an A- by
the end of the quarter.
“If I make an assignment three
weights, it’s because I want my students to actually do it,” she said.
English teacher Jonathan Byrne
argues that the effect of the scale is
going to vary from teacher to teacher. Byrne says his grades are set up
so more emphasis is placed on assessments than on homework, but
for those teachers who check in
homework more frequently, their
philosophy is going to differ.
“My grades are mostly based
upon assessments because it’s my
job to make sure students have acquired certain skills,” Byrne said.
“My job is not to decide if they
know how to turn in homework.”
Assistant Principal Tom Beach
said, “I do see the teacher’s points,
but I have mixed feelings on it because I think it’s very difficult for
a student that gets an occasional
zero because it becomes very difficult to bring up their grade.
“If students don’t turn in a
homework assignment or two it
hurts them disproportionately if
they’re normally a good student,”
Beach said.
Curtains up: Musical
murder mystery ready
to be solved
By Michael Maas
AMELIA FLYNN
DEPUTY EDITOR
LIFE
Three hour practices. Approximately 15 hours
weekly. The occasional Saturday rehearsal. For
four months.
Sounds a lot like the schedule of a varsity
athlete. But, it’s actually the schedule for the
53 student cast members of Curtains, this
year’s spring musical.
The murder-mystery musical will
be performed for audiences beginning on March 3 at 7:30 p.m. Two
more shows will be performed on
March 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m.
“(The musical is about)
the opening weekend for a
show that is off-Broadway,
and in the first night of
its performance, the
leading lady, who is
very
untalented,
is killed,” choir
director
Ben
Henri said.
“The theater
is
t h e n
A theatric mystery is in
the making for this year’s
spring musical and is
scheduled to debut on
March 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Page 10 & 11
JACOB CENTALA
closed for the homicide investigation to be conducted. On
the way, there’s lots of false leads, lots of silliness.”
Drama director Marty Bufalini said that the whole process began back in November, with more than 60 students
at auditions. The process was time-consuming, but important to get right.
“I was reading plays all summer long and then meeting
with (Henri and choreographer Don Bischoff), and the
goals were to come up with something new and fresh and
different. This play first came out in 1996, (so) it’s relatively new,” Bufalini said.
“After holiday break was when we really, really started
to hit the stage and started doing some work. Then, November, December we were doing some character work.
I’m a really big believer in doing table work where you sit
and explore the characters before you even really start
hitting the stage, I do that with every play,” he said.
Challenges haven’t overwhelmed the production, but a
decreased budget for the tech crew and a cast full of underclassmen presented slight obstacles.
“We have a lot of underclassmen and so it’s taking maybe a little bit longer to bring some of them along. But, it’s
going well,” Bufalini said.
The musical’s success is not only dependent on the success of its cast, but also the people hidden during performances.
Vocal director Ben Henri said, “(Band director David)
Cleveland and I communicate a lot about how the songs
go – here’s a stop here, here’s where the tempo picks up,
here’s where this changes. You know, the more you practice it, the more the students get used to one another, the
pit and the cast.”
Although it’s fun, Henri realizes the musical takes up a
good portion of its performers’ time.
“You’re stretched so thin with all your commitments
between sports and academics and church groups and all
that stuff. The musical’s a big commitment,” Henri said.
MARKTWAINMUSEUM.ORG
ON THIS DAY
Michelangelo Buonarotti,
Italian painter, sculptor, and
architect, died in 1564.
On this day in 1885, author
Mark Twain published his
famous and controversial
book The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn.
On Feb. 18, 1930, the first
photographic evidence of
Pluto was made by Clyde W.
Tombaugh.
Director John Hughes was
born in 1950 in the city of
Lansing, Michigan. He dirrected classic films, such as
The Breakfast Club, Pretty in
Pink, and Sixteen Candles.
UNIVERSALPICTURES.COM
Bwana Devil, the first 3-D
movie, opened in 1953 in
New York.
John Travolta, actor known
best for his works in Grease
and Pulp Fiction, was born
in Englewood, New Jersey
in 1954.
In 1965, rapper Dr. Dre was
born in Los Angeles when
his parents were 16 and 17
years old.
© 2010 North Pointe
Volume 43, Issue 10
The Norsemen Nation puts the ‘fan’ in ‘fanatic’ for girls hockey
By Sammy Scoggin
MANAGING EDITOR
H
ave you ever seen a
T-shirt cannon at a
high school hockey
game? The Norsemen Nation have.
On Wednesday, Feb.
9, about 20 students sat
in their usual spot on the
bleachers of Grosse Pointe
City Rink cheering for the
girls varsity hockey team
as they took on South High
School. It was obvious that
this was the first trial of the
T-shirt gun because the
shirts didn’t quite make
it to the bleachers, but instead fell short onto the ice.
There’s a T-shirt on the
ice, pick it up *clap* *clap*
There’s a T-shirt on the
ice, pick it up *clap* *clap*
A ref retrieved the
shirt and threw it into the
stands, and was applauded
by the fan group who call
themselves “The Norsemen Nation.” Then the girls
skated onto the ice and the
arena was filled with noise;
noise coming mostly from
one concentrated section of
cheering students.
The original founders of
the Norsemen Nation are
seniors Mike Wynne, Andrew Poletis, Mike Bowles,
Steve Demers, Anthony
Shaheen and sophomore
Grant Shaheen.
“We decided it’d be fun
(to go to a game), and then
we realized we were the
only ones there and we
got to scream whatever we
wanted,” Poletis said. “Only
the die-hard fans come to
girls varsity hockey games
with their chests painted.”
And thus they began
a tradition, encouraging
many more supporters,
of whom a good amount
showed up to the South
game last Wednesday.
While most fans were clad
in their fleece jackets,
topped with their winter
hat, some of the Norsemen
Nation guys bared their
painted chests to the icy
chills of the rink.
Poletis had a big “N”
painted on him over a green
and yellow background,
while senior Will Rochte’s
chest bore a blue “S” with
horns (representing South)
crossed out in red.
What do you like about
Norsemen Nation?
“We get rowdy in, on and
above the ice,” Demers said.
“I love sitting next to a
big ice cube half-naked,”
Rochte said.
“I get to see Emma play,
because she saves the puck
and makes the other team
lose,” senior Kirk Dettloff
said of his girlfriend, junior
goalie Emma Huellmantel.
“WOOOOO!” senior An-
“Give me
an ‘A’!”
“A” “Give
me an
‘H’!” “H”
“Give me
another
‘H’!” “H”
“What’s
that
spell?”
“AHHH!”
chanted
the Norsemen Nation.
AMELIA FLYNN
thony Shaheen said.
Towards the end of the
second period, left wing junior Jenn Cusmano scored
a goal, and while the girls
celebrated by patting each
other’s helmets and shoulders out on the ice, the
Norsemen Nation piled on
top of each other fist pumping and high-fiving until
they located sophomore
Jacob Surzyn to lift him
into the air, hoisting him as
many times as there were
goals.
“What do we want?”
“GOALS!”
“When do we want
them?”
“NOW!”
The arena echoed with
the voices of the Norsemen
Nation, screaming the nicknames they came up with
for the each of the players,
such as Megan “Megatron”
Bergeron, Taylor “Prime
Time” Moody and Jacci
“The Executioner” Sherry.
It was the beginning of
the third period when a
teenage boy ventured away
from the South side of the
bleachers and approached
the mob of chanting fans.
Trying to bring the North
fans down, he revealed the
shirt that he had retrieved
from the cannon. It was
now torn into pieces. In response, the Norsemen Nation thanked the boy and
used the shredded fabric as
towels that they twirled in
the air and as bandannas
that they tied around their
heads.
“We don’t care what they
think about us,” Poletis
said. “Even if they win or
lose, it doesn’t change us.
We still love the team.”
Continued on Page 2
2 – Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 – North Pointe
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Spanish teacher Jennifer Spears
By Steffi Shenouda
STAFF REPORTER
“Plain white vanilla.”
That’s how Spanish teacher
Jennifer Spears described her culture growing up. But it’s that lack
of variety in her lineage that she
says got her started on adapting
from Mrs. to Senora Spears.
“Growing up, I always felt envious of my friends that were
strongly connected to their cultural backgrounds and studying
Spanish was a way for me to emulate that.”
Spears said that this second
chance at a cultural identity
“opened a lot of doors” in her personal and professional life.
“Knowing Spanish has given
me some really great experiences
in travel and education as well
as friendships. I have friends all
around the world,” Spears said.
After studying at University of
Illinois-Chicago and Wayne State
University, Spears had the opportunity to put her skills to the test
by teaching abroad in Peru.
“I taught English to Spanish
speakers at a language institute,
which was a really cool experience,” she said. “It was odd because I was younger and all my
students were businessmen who
were a lot older.”
Spears said she enjoys teaching younger students because
they are generally more excited
and fun to teach. After 13 years of
teaching here, Spears said she’s
sure her choice was the right one.
She’s now focusing on a different
aspect of teaching by attempting
to instill in her son Bryson an interest in the language that came
so easily to her.
“He likes it now, but he used to
hate it!” Spears said. “He would
get angry if I tried to speak to him
in Spanish!”
Spears is relieved that her son,
a first grader, is finally embracing
the language she loves and plans
to further his exposure with a trip
to Mexico during break.
Grosse Pointe North High School
EDITORS
JENN CUSMANO
NATASHA ERTZBISCHOFF
AMELIA FLYNN
MANAGING EDITOR
SAMMY SCOGGIN
DEPUTY EDITORS: Kara Bakowski,
Kristin Carlson, Emma Huellmantel, Andy
Klingensmith & Michael Maas
ASSISTANT EDITORS: Francsesca
Ciaramitaro, Chris Janson, Rachel Premack,
Danny Schrage, Caronline Schulte & Alex
Sumnik
STAFF REPORTERS: Brian Abud, Jacob
Barry, Connor Holm, Jamie Jankiewicz,
Kylie Johnston, Drew Konczal, Maria
Liddane, Micaela Liddane, Kelly Mason, Kit
Maher, Lauren Semack, Sarah Sherer, Steffi
Shenouda, Natalie Skorupski, Tia Tsakos,
Mike Wynne, Trevor Duncan, Julia Guest,
Emma Mathews & Blake Moncur
FACULTY ADVISER: Andrew Taylor
Grosse Pointe
Athletic Club
KARA BAKOWSKI
Left to right Kristina Kamm, Hannah Kadrich, Jeremy Harr, Robert Cobau, Claire Schreiber
and Katie Murray represented North at the all-state honors choir performance.
Students qualify for all-state honors choir
KYLIE JOHNSTON
Jennifer Spears explains the different time conceptions in Hispanic countries. “If they say they’re coming
over at five, they usually mean six or seven.”
What’s your favorite movie?
If I’m looking for a laugh, anything Adam Sandler. My
favorite family movie would be Finding Nemo. We
watch that a lot at my house.
What’s your favorite Spanish dish?
My favorite Spanish dish would be arroz con pollo, or
chicken with rice. It’s from Peru, so I had it a lot when I
worked there and I just love it.
What are some of the places that you’ve traveled
to?
Over time, I’ve been to Belgium, Spain, Mexico five
times, Guatemala, Peru, obviously, Puerto Rico and all
over the United States.
Do you have any hobbies outside of school?
I like to cook and watch food shows on T.V. My favorite
dish to make is a Cuban recipe called ropa vieja, or old
clothes. If you saw it you would understand. It’s very
sloppy looking, kinda a jumble of meats and things.
What’s something that you and your son like to do
together?
(Playing) Superheroes. It’s always changing, what he
likes. Right now it’s Ultraman, from a Japanese cartoon.
The North Pointe is edited and produced
by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse
Pointe North High School. The views
expressed are solely those of the authors
or the student editorial board and do not
reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe
school system or its employees.
Editorials represent the view of the Editorial
Board. Other viewpoints express the
author’s perspective. Comments regarding
the news or viewpoints expressed in the
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Letters to the editor are encouraged.
The editor can be reached by e-mail at:
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Across from Staples, on the Detroit side
882-1000
On Jan. 1 and 2, students
from North’s choir program participated in the
state honors choir competition.
This competition was
used to determine who
would be a part of the allstate honors choir. All together eight students took
part in the honors choir
system.
Six
choir
students
emerged among top vocalists at the state honors
choir in Grand Rapids.
Originally auditioning in
October for the regional
honors choir, the six made
it through multiple regional competitions and auditions to make it to the state
honors choir.
“We auditioned in October for regional honors
choir and then we went
to our regional C honors
choir if we made it,” Claire
Schreiber said. “There we
had an audition for the
state honors choir.”
The
vocalists
went
through the choirs at regionals as if on an elimination staircase. After each
audition and separate
choir, singers were eliminated and choirs were
compressed.
From the four choirs at
the regionals, to the one at
the all-state competition,
the vocalists are under a
lot of pressure to do their
best.
“It takes a lot of practicing,” sophomore Jeremy
Harr said. “The biggest
thing is auditioning for
regional honors choir because you have to know all
of your songs and you have
a month or two to learn
them all. You don’t know
what part they’re gonna
have you audition for so
you basically have to have
all five songs memorized.”
Judges take a more indepth look at performances and vocalists need to
take into account everything from voice tone to
continued fromPage 1
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Where Your Skin Care is What We Care About
General Fitness Training
Sport-Specific Performance
Programs
Individual & Group Training
STAFF REPORTER
Norsemen Nation
Grosse Pointe Dermatology Associates, P.C.
Get Fit, Stay Fit!
By Trevor Duncan
The Norsemen Nation even gets the
parents into it. Last year Cheryl Cusmano,
Jenn’s mom, painted her face for playoffs.
Cusmano says that she would gladly do it
again, she’s just waiting for the Norsemen
Nation to bring her paint.
“The Norsemen Nation are the most
phenomenal high school cheering section
I’ve ever known. They’re positive, encouraging and a whole lot of fun,” Cheryl said.
“Sometimes they make our ears ring, but
they always make us smile.”
Another hockey parent is also a big
memorization in order to
influence their scoring.
They separated participants into groups based
on their individual scores
at states, Schreiber said.
After the audition, participants were separated
into all women’s choir, all
men’s choir or the mixed
choir.
“We don’t have auditions (for All-state) so it’s
not how you’re going to do,
it’s how the choirs going to
do,” junior Katie Murray
said.
Participating in the allstate shoir will be a bittersweet performance, of the
six who competed in the
state honors choir, only
five made it to the all-state
honors choir.
“I was really excited
because I had a lot of my
friends there that I knew,”
junior Schreiber said. “It
would be a lot different
without them because you
wouldn’t have anyone to
hangout with, or go out to
dinner with afterwards.”
Norsemen Nation fan, Emma’s dad Mike
Huellmantel.
“I love the way they sang the National
Anthem when the PA system broke down,
and they always keep it clean and in the
right spirit,” he said.
Towards the end of the game the guys
even begin to chant to the coach, Scott
Dockett, repeating his name and flailing
their arms expectantly hoping that he will
wave back.
“Dockett! Dockett! Dockett!”
“It’s great that they come out and support us,” Dockett said. “They are very
brave to come in here and take their shirts
off in the cold arena. I like them, personally.”
North Pointe – Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 – 3
ON CAMPUS
North disappoints in rivalry game
By Mike Wynne
STAFF REPORTER
COURTESY OF RUSS CHAVEY
Local doctor Russ Chavey took the North Pointe
to new heights during his climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in December. His effort was dedicated
as a fundraiser for the district.
Doctor’s climb raises more than $20,000
to support district technology use
After a comeback-win
against defending state
champions
Cranbrook
High School, the first
place Norsemen were
ready last week for their
Wednesday night matchup against rival South
High School.
The Norsemen hoped
to pick up where they
left off earlier this season
when they handed South
a 2-0 shutout victory.
The Blue Devils would
not be denied, however,
jumping out to a quick
2-0 lead in the first period
to take the momentum
from the home crowd.
League scoring leader
Jenn Cusmano, a junior
forward, tried to spark a
comeback with a second
period goal.
However, that would
be the first and last goal
for the Norsemen as the
Blue Devils would extend
their lead by two, win-
ning 4-1.
“It was a wake-up call
for us,” forward Sara Villani said, adding that the
team is working on improving their on-ice communication.
“We wanted to win
that game but we didn’t
have the momentum,”
she said.
The Norsemen still
hold first place with a
15-2 record. They finish
their season this weekend with two road games.
Area doctor Russ Chavey’s climb of Mount
Kilimanjaro brought in donations tipping the
scales at more than $20,000.
The 19,341 foot-tall mountain is the highest
in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Chavey challenged Grosse
Pointe residents to donate $1 per foot, which
was given a 200 percent match by the Boll
Foundation, a local charity.
Chavey kept in touch with Grosse Pointe
students during his climb through Twitter
and by blogging. The venture took four and a
half days to go up the mountain and another
one and a half down.
The climb is one piece in a technology
fundraising effort coordinated by the Grosse
Pointe Foundation for Education, which is
currently in the midst of the largest initiative
in their history: “a matching campaign to accelerate and enhance the district’s technology
plan,” according to the foundation’s Web site.
Upper left: Sophomore
Sara Villani chases a
loose puck.
Upper right: Sophomore
Natalie Skorupski rushes
to keep the puck in the
offensive zone for the
Norsemen.
Senior John Balle has recently become
this year’s recipient of the Pointer of Distinction award in the youth category. This award
recognizes a youth in Grosse Pointe who has
over-achieved in service as well as accomplishments.
Balle was nominated for the award by Jill
Davenport, one of the advisers of Impact Club.
In applying for the award, Balle was asked
various questions about leadership, pride and
community.
Balle says that the majority of his answers
focused on his role as the president of Impact
Club and the activities the club participates
in, pointing out the various ways in which Impact Club volunteers around Grosse Pointe.
“(The award) really shows the great work
the people of Impact Club do, and I am happy
to accept the award on behalf of the people
who put a lot of time in volunteering and making the community a better place,” Balle said.
Middle: Junior Jenn
Cusmano fights a South
player for the puck.
Below: Senior forward
Kailey Sickmiller battles
along the boards.
Sophomore Emma Ockerman has always had a love for
music and all things artsy.
“I owe my love for music
to my dad because he introduced me to music at an early
age and helps me appreciate
it more,” she said.
She looks up to her dad as
an inspiration to be creative
and express herself and help cope with life’s
obstacles.
“Music really helps me relax and appreciate
the simple things in life,” she said. “I’m always
nervous because people expect too much and
listening to music helps me release any nervousness or uncertainty.”
She plays guitar and listens to a variety of
genres and also likes to exercise her artistic
abilities by making collages, drawings and
paintings.
“You can find a collage in my room of magazine clippings that covers my wall. I like to
decorate my room with my personality,” she
said. “I can be described as artistic, musical,
and thoughtful, because I’m very creative and
spontaneous and I love music and arts.”
Freshman Josh Champney
was on the ice when he was
three years old. Ever since,
he’s had a passion for hockey.
“What I like about it is that
something is always happening. It’s very fast-paced and
intense,” Champney said.
He plays on the Michigan
Ice Hawks, a travel team,
where the season is much longer than North’s
team. They have up to three practices and
games a week. He travels all over for games, to
places like Ontario, Ohio and Indiana.
“I’ve played at all different kinds of places.
I meet all different kinds of people,” he said.
All throughout these trips, his dad is usually his companion and their relationship has
blossomed traveling together.
“Hockey helps my dad and I get way closer
than we would at home,” Champney said.
Gabby Burchett
Strong girls and boys visit
elementary schools
By Connor Holm & Kelly Mason
Emma Ockerman
Josh Champney
Senior wins volunteer award
On Friday Feb. 11, girls from WILLOW and
boys from Brotherhood worked together to
do the Strong Girls and Strong Boys Program.
The participants traveled to Mason, Poupard
and Maire Elementary Schools to speak to the
fifth grade students about bullying and selfesteem.
There were 15 girls from WILLOW and nine
boys from Brotherhood who participated.
“We hope that the fifth graders can recognize that the older girls and boys have gone
through a lot of the same struggles they may
be facing now, and gotten through them,”
WILLOW adviser Jessica Roman said. “Issues
with friendships and relationships can be
overwhelming, especially at their age.”
The Strong Girls program was started in
2005 by former social worker Erin Williams.
This is the first year that Brotherhood has
joined the program.
“We hope to help them have the inner
strength to get through some difficult situations,” Roman said.
FACES IN THE CROWD
PHOTOS BY AMELIA FLYNN & CAROLINE SCHULTE
BY THE NUMBERS
Generally speaking, do you consider yourself a fan of MSU or U-M?
Last month, a poll of 600 Michigan residents was reported on by the Detroit Free Press
33
9
percent of those
surveyed are
Spartan fans.
percent of are
fans of both
universities.
21
percent of didn’t
favor either
university.
34
percent of those
surveyed are
Wolverine fans.
SOURCE: DETROIT FREE PRESS
GRAPHIC BY JULIA GUEST
Most kids don’t know what
they want to be when they
grow up, but it’s just the opposite for freshman Gabby
Burchett, a future forensic
anthropologist.
“I’m very interested in ancient cultures and I feel like
studying the past will help us
understand why we live the
way we do today,” Burchett said.
A forensic anthropologist is similar to being an archaeologist. They find bones and artifacts to study so that they can relate them to
things that are used today.
Burchett’s older sister, Raquel, is part of
the reason Burchett wants to be a forensic anthropologist.
Burchett said, “She has helped guide me in
my future and my choices because she is older
and has experienced more. My sister wants to
be a cultural anthropologist.”
“I really like watching the show Bones because it is about a forensic anthropologist
who is very passionate about her job and gets
a lot accomplished.”
Burchett plans to travel to Mexico and
South America to visit the remains of the Mayan, Aztec and Incan cultures.
“The Mayans, Aztecs and Incans were
more advanced than other civilizations but
don’t get as much credit as Europeans,” Burchett said.
By Kyleigh Mathewson, Gabrielle
Shimko & Caroline Schulte
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4 – Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 – North Pointe
:
SPORTS
Injured winter
sports athletes
Will Ritchie
varsity basketball
torn shoulder ligaments
“The most disappointing thing
about missing the rest of the
year would have to be sitting
on the sidelines during close
games and not being able to put
forth my effort to help my team
win. My team is going to do
fine without me, I will be on the
sideline every game cheering
them on, making sure they don’t
get down.”
Jacci Sherry
varsity hockey
severe asthma
“On days where I don’t use my
inhaler or breathing machine, I
have severe trouble breathing.
It’s a pain to deal with and many
people ask why I keep playing,
but no matter what pain I go
through, I’m always going to
play hockey. I can’t ever stop.”
Brenden Keelan
varsity hockey
broken wrist
Q & A with Kari
the trainer:
Most common injury in
general?
The most common
injury that I see is an
ankle sprain.
“I’m not sure how long I am
going to be out, but hopefully
I will be back before playoffs.
My doctor said I am going to
need a cast for two months
and I have already had one on
for a month and a half.”
Most common injury
for girls?
For girls, ACL injuries
through soccer or basketball.
Most common injury
for boys?
Patellar tendantitis.
Weirdest injury you’ve
ever seen?
The weirdest injury
I’ve ever seen was a
hamstring
contracture.
Most severe injury?
The most severe injury
I’ve seen is a football
player with an ankle
fracture. His ankle was
turned backwards and
EMS was called.
Anna Giordano
varsity basketball
tibia stress fracture
Injury with the worst
consequences?
One girl had hip dysplasia. It took nine
months to recover and
she had to hope that
she was able to run
again.
“All I want to do is go back to
playing with my team. I hate being hurt, I hate not being able to
contribute, I hate not being able
to practice, and I hate sitting on
the bench and watching.”
Alex Thomas
varsity cheer
sprained ankle
“I (was the) back spot and we
had our flyer in the hold but she
cradled herself too soon and
when she came down, my ankle
rolled. On a scale of one to 10 it
hurt like a 12. I can’t cheer for the
rest of the season.”
BY EMMA HUELLMANTEL, CONTRIBUTING: CONNOR HOLM, DANNY SCHRAGE, FRANCESCA
CIARAMITARO, KARA BAKOWSKI, MARIA LIDDANE, MICAELA LIDDANE & NATALIE SKORUPSKI
MY TURN
Life on the edge
I
have a toe pick shaped scar on my right
knee courtesy of a double twizzle and
my teammate Victoria.
There’s a matching one on the back of
my other leg and further down my shin.
My ankles have scar tissue from the coarse
leather boots and I get mysterious bruises
everywhere.
Such is the life of a synchro skater.
But behind these battle wounds and
the mentally and physically taxing practices where you’re sure
you can’t push any harder, twizzle any faster, or
smile any bigger, is the
reason we all keep skating: for the chance to
compete.
We went into Saturday’s sectional competition hoping to regain
Steffi Shenouda
something we’d lost a
year ago after a shaky skate, something
that was rightfully ours: the title.
We line up on the ice, an army of 16
identical robots, clad in gorgeous airbrushed dresses, perfectly gelled buns
and copious amounts of glitter. I feel the
familiar rush of nervousness and excitement as we await our chance. My mind is
racing, my reflexes unsure if we’re about
to outrun a pack of bears or skate our program we know like the back of our hands,
but I’m seriously hoping for the latter.
“The Crystallettes!” the announcer
calls.
We do the warm up block, our first
chance to prove ourselves to the judges,
and progress to our starting spots. The
wait for the music seems like an eternity.
Gulp. Okay, now on second thought, I’ll
take the bears. I take a deep breath as the
music sounds, knowing it’ll be one of the
few I get for the next four minutes, as trivial tasks such as breathing tend to escape
me while on the ice.
But oddly, I’ve never felt so calm in my
life.
We’re ready. We can do this. We will. We
are. We believe.
The roar of the crowd is magnified a
million times by the compact rink, and
that intensifies the energy of the atmosphere. Our cheering section is roughly a
third of the filled bleachers. It’s as if the
entire audience is on its feet, willing us to
dazzle them.
The next four minutes are a blur of intersections, wheels, line and circle formations with fancy footwork all executed
with the near flawless precision of a team
that wants it. Before I know it, we’re heading off to the kiss and cry for our scores.
What the announcer would say in a few
painstaking moments would change our
season.
But I realized that’s not what’s important. We were united as a team. A team
who believed, gave it their all, and went
the distance. We brought pride to our
team, our club and ourselves. And that
was enough.
You work hard every day for that one
moment. You work for yourself, your
coach, your teammates, and your mom
waving in the stands. You work for that
feeling when you curtsy and your heart
still pounds after a perfect skate. And it
doesn’t matter if you fall seven times, as
long as you get up eight.
By the time the announcer’s voice rang
through the air, it didn’t matter what he
said anymore. We already knew we had
won.
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S
North Pointe – Friday, Feb. 18 2011– 5
PHOTO ESSAY
H LAST CS
By Amelia Flynn,
Brian Abud & Kit Maher
STAFF REPORTERS
9
10
11
Scholastic Art Awards on display at
the College for Creative Studies
By Kelly Mason
T
1
2
STAFF REPORTER
he 2011 Scholastic Art Awards
Ceremony was held on Saturday, Feb. 12, at 1 p.m. at the
College for Creative Studies campus
in Detroit. The artwork will be on
display from Sunday Feb. 13 to Friday
March 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The art show produced 100 awards
district-wide including 13 certificates
and Silver Keys at the middle school
level, 12 Gold Key Senior Portfolios,
and 75 Gold Keys, Silver Keys, and
certificates at the high school level
Senior George Mattingly received
a Gold Key on his senior art portfolio.
He also won a Silver Key in Drawing,
and two Certificates for Digital Art
and Painting.
“(The art) was due Jan. 14, but I
submitted my portfolio online a few
weeks before then. It was exciting because the panel of judges’ tastes are
subject to the uncertainty of the artist,” Mattingly said.
For Sophomore Nadine Nahra, this
was the first year that she participated in the Scholastic Art Awards. She
won a Silver Key in Photography.
“I was really surprised because I
have never really won any awards so
far in my life. Knowing that I had won
an award for something that I absolutely love doing is an amazing feeling,” Nahra said.
Art teacher Susan Forrest said
there can be about 7,000 pieces of
artwork submitted in Oakland and
Wayne County, but only 1,000 will be
at the awards ceremony.
“It’s very competitive and there are
a lot of good schools so it’s very hard
to secure a spot in this art show,” Forrest said.
Gold Key winners will have the opportunity to attend the National Level Scholastic Art Show in New York.
3
6
12
4
1: Senior Alexis Cobau – Element of the Artist Part 1 – Gold Key
2: Senior Christina Wyrick – Self Portrait – Gold Key
3: Junior James McNelis – Emphysema – Gold Key
4: Senior Angela Daher – A sad day in Paris – Silver Key
5: Junior Jazmin Raymond – Never Ever Land
6: Sophomore Nadine Nahra – Keepin it Green –Silver Key
8
5
7
7: Sophomore Nina Browniee – Robot Jones
8: Senior Katherine Daskas – Gold Key portfolio
9: Junior Eric Michelson volunteers at the College for Creative Studies (CCS)
10: Senior Alexis Cobau helps set up the art show at CCS.
11: Art teacher Susan Forrest, sophomore Nadine Nahra and junior Elizabeth Champney register their artwork before the show.
12: Senior Joey Kulka – Gold Key portfolio
North Pointe – Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 – 6
IDEAS
Editorial Board: Kara Bakowski, Kristin Carlson, Jenn Cusmano,
Natasha Ertzbischoff, Amelia Flynn, Connor Holm, Emma Huellmantel,
Andy Klingensmith, Maria Liddane, Michael Maas & Sammy Scoggin
EDITORIAL
COURTESY OF CHRIS BOWERS
Putting a smile on
someone else’s face
Students have the power to make their school a positive place instead of a negative place everyday. At least
that’s what motivational speaker Chris Bowers thinks.
On Friday, Feb. 4, Bowers came to our school to talk to
us about several messages, one of which being participation at your school. He told the students sitting in the
gymnasium an anecdote about school vim and vigor, a
story about a spirit group he called the “bleacher creatures.” These “creatures” went to every school event, every basketball game, every band performance. He and
his comrades made a difference.
But is he right, can one student make a difference in
the atmosphere at North?
Yes, yes you can. One spirited, zealous Norseman can
make all the difference.
Take for example “Norsemen Nation” – a group of
rowdy boys that paint their chests, hoot and holler and
blow viking horns, all in support of the girls hockey
team. They made a lackluster group of spectators into a
band of screaming banshees. They excite others and let
the girls know that they are there for them.
But Bowers message wasn’t just to support a lesserknown sport, but to support everything that your fellow
Norseman might participate in, like Quiz Bowl or the
spring musical. If you support them, they will reciprocate the patronage.
That’s really what it’s all about, giving someone else
a pat on the back for something they put their heart and
soul in.
This school is only as great as you want it to be. The
pep assemblies as cheer-tastic as you make them, Clash
Day as tacky as you make it and the hockey games as
boisterous as you can scream.
“I just like to go out and scream and yell for one of our
teams, and it’s fun to paint yourself,” senior and Norsemen Nation member Sean Seaman said. “I’m sure the
hockey girls love (our cheering). I mean who wouldn’t
love Will Rochte and I screaming shirtless for them.”
But how do I get involved? Here’s an answer for you: in
any way that you possibly can.
In case you didn’t take our hint, take an evening to
enjoy the spring musical, Curtains, which opens March
3.
Hoot and holler for your fellow Norsemen, figuratively or even literally, if you feel so compelled.
MY TURN
EDITOR’S DESK
Challenge Day encourages
permanent change
Violence
on and off
the field
“So does this mean she
can wear anything she
wants from your closet tomorrow?”
That was my dad’s response.
I
had
ex pla ined
to him, my
mom, and
my younger
sister
Lexi how
I now understa nd
how fortunate we are, Francesca
and
how Ciaramitaro
much we take for granted.
I had told Lexi that I loved
her. I gave her a hug for the
first time since I can remember. I told her we need
to appreciate each other
more. And that’s all he had
to say to me?
I wanted to punch him in
the face.
That was the only thing
my father had to say after
the speech I had just given.
A speech where I told him
and my mom and Lexi everything I witnessed, everything I experienced and
everything I had learned at
Challenge Day.
Did he not hear what
I was saying? Did he not
comprehend the what I had
just said? Did he honestly
not get it?
I was baffled. I had to ask
my dad why he thought it
was perfectly acceptable
to joke around after telling
him about the most eyeopening experience of my
entire life.
It’s been called a “Challenge Day high.” And I was
on it.
After being so enthralled
in the events that occurred
that day, I had this fresh
perspective on people and
on life. All I wanted to do
was tell anyone who would
listen about this new-found
knowledge I had. They say
knowledge is power. The
amount of knowledge I
gained made me feel like I
had the power to do anything. Who wouldn’t want
to talk about that?
But there was something
that kept bringing me down
from my high.
It was reality.
Okay, sure. I can say that
I’m going to amend the way
I live now because of what
I experienced at Challenge
Day. But would I really be
able to maintain this new
way of living once it wore
off?
That’s why my was dad
kidding around. Yeah, he
knew I was serious, and he
knew that what I was talking about was serious. But,
he was one of the many
people who thought my
kind streak would sputter
out. To be honest, he might
be right, along with everyone else.
But it’s called Challenge
Day for a reason, right?
From what I recall, anything labeled as a challenge
isn’t suppose to be easy.
But just three hours after
I was given this challenge,
I was already being told I
wouldn’t succeed.
Some people wouldn’t
take offense to that. Some
would simply brush it off.
Not me.
I was offended. The
doubt of my peers and my
parents has only made me
more determined. I’m determined to be the change,
to live by the lessons that
Challenge Day sewed into
the seams of my brain.
It’ll be a challenge.
Sometimes I’ll slip up, nobody’s perfect.
But I’ll always remember
that Monday on Feb. 7 and
how it changed me.
And that’s enough to
keep me on a “Challenge
Day high” for the rest of my
life.
300 WORDS: A SERIES
Step dancing through life
By Rachel Premack
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Nerves
have
been
clutching freshman Colleen Maher’s stomach all
morning. They were there
since 6 a.m., when she
got up, through breakfast,
where she feasted on milk,
chocolate Zone bars, eggs,
bagels, protein shakes and
Yoplait raspberry yogurt
and during the three-hour
car ride to Cleveland, Ohio.
But now the wig and tiara is placed on Maher’s
head, the sequin- and
crystal-bedazzled dress is
zipped up. Her shoes are
laced. Her dancing mindset sets in.
Maher stretches and
practices her routine,
seeking feedback from her
dance mates.
Then she stands in line,
already on stage. Perfect posture keeps her
arms down and her back
straight, but the anticipation builds up in her limbs,
the nerves make a comeback in her gut.
Until, finally, it is her
turn.
Faces stare at her. She
will never have this audience before her again; she
will have only have this
day to impress. She scans
the crowd for her mother’s
warm expression.
And the music starts.
COURTESY OF COLLEEN MAHER
Freshman Colleen Maher holds two medals she earned at
her last competition. She is wearing her full dance uniform, which consists of a wig costing between $60-$100
and a dress costing between $1,000-$1,500.
That first move is powerful. The chaos which lay
in her muscles all day is
released. Her legs leap and
kick, her feet stomp and
scuff and shuffle, yet her
arms are rigid by her side.
Her moment in the
limelight is winding up.
Maher’s asthma grips her
lungs; the asthma she
never would have gotten
had she not entered such a
physically-aggressive pastime.
She bows to the judges, to the musicians. She
walks off, gasping for air
and grasping for her inhaler.
Three more performances later, Maher peeks
at the scoreboard. Second
place. One step too low,
but the disappointment
wears off. She’ll improve.
This is Irish step dancing, the way she shows
her ethnicity. It’s a challenge that makes her push
herself beyond her limits,
a challenge that has become the center of her life.
Editor’s note: 300 Words
presents glimpses of
everyday life that often
go unnoticed. This series
is about real people in the
North community.
YOUR TURN: What are your thoughts on teachers dropping the 14-point scale? By Jamie Jankiewicz
“Getting rid of the 14-point
scale is smart. The percentage scale discourages laziness.”
Harry Sellars
SENIOR
“I feel that the scale should
be more realistic. The 14point scale inflates grades.”
Ryan Waggoner
JUNIOR
“Everyone should have the
percent scales because then
you know what you’re getting.”
Myles Harlan
SOPHOMORE
“The 14-point grading scale
is good because it helps
you and makes you not look
stupid.”
Andres Hensley
FRESHMAN
“We’ve never had a uniform
grading system. Now that
we have individual choice,
it’s no change.”
Patrick Hicks
SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER
I
don’t know about you,
but my favorite part of
the Super Bowl is the
commercials. Don’t get me
wrong, I like the football
too, but any company that’s
willing to pay $3 million for
30 seconds of our time is
either going to really entertain us, or give us a perfect
opportunity to mock their
stupidity. Both of which I
find amusing.
The commercials this
year turned out to be especially
i nt e r e s ting.
In
one commercial, a
couple sat
on a park
bench as
a blonde
runner in a
sports bra Sammy Scoggin
jogged by
and sat on the bench next
to them. The man, being a
typical guy, turns to check
out the jogger, to which his
wife responded by throwing a full can of Pepsi Max
at his head. He dodged it.
But blondie did not. And as
she laid unconscious on the
ground, the couple tip-toed
away from the crime scene.
End commercial.
This ad was just one of
many that could be described as unnecessarily
violent. There was a small
pug crushing a glass door
on his owner, a musketeerlooking guy who got hit in
the head with a bottle of
Bud Light, a man getting
smacked in the face with a
Wendy’s burger, Roseanne
Barr getting taken out by a
giant swinging log, a medieval servant getting poisoned, a cowboy taking
three arrows to the chest,
and lastly, a bickering family that sent their young
baby flying through the
air and smashing against a
glass wall.
I’ll be honest, during
most of these commercials
I laughed. But the funny
thing was how insignificant
the violence seemed to us
teenagers, while my mom
was almost in shock that
they would air such things
on TV. Now what I find interesting is that if my mom
took a few minutes to go in
the basement and watch
my 10-year-old brother play
Call of Duty, she would never again find a commercial
violent in comparison to
the Christmas present she
bought her son.
Society today promotes
so much violence through
media in video games,
movies and even music
videos. And when it comes
around to seeing someone
get knocked out by a can of
pop, we find it humorous
because it seems so minor
in comparison to the violence we see every day.
My personal favorite
commercial was one where
a hungry man resorted
to licking a co-workers
cheese-covered fingers to
get his fill of Doritos. No
violence, right? This shows
how it’s more than possible
to have commercials that
omit the violence but don’t
lose any of the comedy.
During the game I
thought my mom was overreacting and had no sense
of humor, but if you really
think about it, you may find
that my mom has a point.
Although we may not see
it because of our teenage
culture, if someone threw
a can of Pepsi Max at your
head, I’m pretty sure you
would not be laughing.
North Pointe – Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 – 7
IDEAS
sun-kissed vs. sun-less skin
Tanning debate: Should there be unlimited tanning time or is regulation a better plan?
Leave the tanning to the cast of
Jersey Shore
began to shut. In 12 long minutes, it was
done.
Those 12 minutes had increased my
Twenty-eight states regulate access to chances of premature aging, age spots,
tanning facilities for minors. Michigan is wrinkles and most significantly, skin canone of them and to put it
cer. There is no such thing as a safe tan so
simply, it’s for the best.
why did I lay in a bed of concentrated UV
I’ve been to a tanning
rays?
salon before. I waltzed
I justified my actions by telling myself
in with baggy sweats on
I’d be able to go to Gulf Shores, Alabama
over my favorite white
without getting burnt that year. Neverthebikini. I breathed in an
less, I fried.
aroma that smelled like
The backs of my legs turned lobster
spring break or maybe
red and that was with SPF 45 on. Heat
even summer; but defi- Alex Sumnik
was radiating from my body. Whenever
nitely nothing like cancer.
someone was cold, I acted as their blanket.
I paid my $18, grabbed a pair of goggles
$18 wasted.
and continued into the first room on the
$18 wasted on a pre-tan that did absoright.
lutely nothing besides increase my risk of
The supposed “bed” was not at all like a skin cancer. The worst part is that no one
bed. It was awkwardly shaped and while I takes it seriously. No one truly knows what
lay there waiting for it to start, I had an ee- they are doing to their body. Like smoking,
rie feeling. It roared to life as the side wall people understand it is bad, but they con-
What we don’t know can hurt
us, but leave the choice to us
What would you do if you couldn’t look
golden brown for your
spring break adventure
in Florida?
According to a recent
study, those who used
tanning beds before age
35 have a 75 percent higher risk of melanoma. Because of this, among oth- Kara Bakowski
er risks, the World Health
Organization wants to prohibit anyone
under the age of 18 from indoor tanning
salons. If this were to become a law, you
may be going to the beach looking paler
than a marshmallow.
However, simply creating new laws
does not solve all of our problems. Laws
coupled with education would be a more
effective way to keep the population
healthier. We begin sexual education in fourth grade in an
effort to educate kids about
the physical and emotional
consequences of engaging
in sexual activity too early.
Why shouldn’t the material learned in mandatory
high school health classes
regarding
self-preservation be taught to younger
students as well? If children are made
aware of the dangers of tanning, they may
make the decision to steer clear of the UV
rays on their own. This may also prevent
them from tanning later in life, which is
less dangerous than exposure at a young
age, but still damaging nonetheless.
Laws alone are ineffective because culture cannot be changed overnight. The
best way to implement any kind of change
is to start at the beginning, so that eventually all generations will at least be aware
WANTED
tinue to do so anyways thinking, “Oh, it
won’t happen to me.”
A recent study proved to the world that
using a tanning bed under age 35 leads to
a 75 percent higher risk of melanoma—the
most deadly form of skin cancer.
For me, I take this very seriously. I have a
vicious family history of cancer and hearing that really puts things into perspective.
We have laws set to protect us from engaging in these unhealthy, habit-forming
behaviors such as alcohol, tanning and tobacco, so don’t fight it.
One time could be the wrong time, so
why risk everything for it?
If you are really into the phrase GTL
(gym, tan, laundry) or even just the “T,”
wait until summer and soak up the sun
naturally. Avoid the fake “Oompa Loompa”
tan and all the negative effects that come
with it.
Just stay away from the beds.
DREAMSTIME.C
OM
of the dangers of exposure to UV rays. It
is ultimately the decision of the individual
to put themselves at risk, but the government will find that no amount of laws will
change the beliefs of the people.
There are already rules preventing
minors from getting tattoos or piercings
without a parent present, yet many teens
still find ways to brand and pierce themselves either entirely without consent or
with a form signed off-site. These restrictions are in place for the same reason your
wintertime tan may be in jeopardy: they
are known to have harmful effects on the
body. Teens will inevitably find ways into
tanning salons because their desire to
conform to society’s idea of attractiveness
outweighs the little knowledge they have.
Though these laws exist with our well-being in mind, they aren’t effective.
Create all the legal restrictions you
want, but they will be ineffective unless
additional action is taken: most people
will do whatever it takes to stay golden.
Fridays:
November 5, 2010 – General AQDay
November 12, 2010 – Science/Nursing/Math AQDay
November 19, 2010 – General AQDay
March 18, 2011 – Leadership AQDay
March 25, 2011 – Business, Accounting,
Technology AQDay
April 15, 2011 – General AQDay
Saturday:
January 22, 2011 – Athletic AQDay
Join us for AQDays and learn what life is really like at
Aquinas College. If these dates don’t work, we also offer
individual visits during the academic year. To learn more or
register, visit www.aquinas.edu/undergraduate/visit or call
(800) 678-9593.
1607 Robinson Road, SE | Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799
616 632-2900 or 800 678-9593 | www.aquinas.edu
ILLUSTRATORS FOR THE NORTH POINTE
IF YOU CAN DRAW, WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU
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ILLUSTRATIONS BY JACOB CENTALA, CHRISTINA WYRICK AND PAIGE KOZAK
8 – Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 – North Pointe
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THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE PORTRAIT PLACE
ON HOW STUDENTS AND FAMILIES CAN END UP WITH AWESOME PORTRAITS!
Class of 2012 & 2013:
SpokesModels Being
Interviewed Now!
Another Mr. Pata?
Is there another Mr. Pata in
North’s future? There could be!
Marshall Pata, the son of Physics
teacher Don Pata and former North
Science (and now Parcells) teacher
Amanda Pata joined the world mid
last year, and he is growing like a
weed!
We don’t think Marshall’s future
career has been charted out yet; only
time will tell. We can all be sure
that with both parents being Science
teachers, Marshall will be the
youngest student to memorize the
Periodic Table in the history of the
school system!
The whole community will be able
to see and comment on Marshall’s
growth by visiting The Portrait
Place’s new Facebook pages dedicated to images of the families of the
staff of The Grosse Pointe Public
School System.
“My wife Mary Ann and I wanted
to do something special for the
Holidays to say ‘thank you’ to the
entire staff of the school system for
the wonderful education our sons
Jonathan, Scott and Alex received,”
says Ahmed Ismail of The Portrait
Place, “so we decided to send everyone employed by the school system
a gift certificate for a free creative
portrait session and an 8” X 10”
enlargement of their favorite image.
We also thought it would be fun
with the staff member’s permission
to share the images with the entire
community on Facebook.”
The Ismails didn't know how to get
the gift certificates to everyone so
they e-mailed an electronic gift certificate to the senior administrator
in each of the buildings requesting
that they pass them onto their staffs.
Be sure to check out The Portrait
Place Facebook pages and their
www.portraitplacegpw.com web site
often to get a glimpse of the staff
and their families as well as many
awesome portraits of GPN seniors!
Note to all staff members:
Don’t forget to call The Portrait
Place at 313-343-9060 prior to
April 1st to schedule your
complimentary creative portrait
session. Pets and grandparents
are always welcome!
Personal,
Professional
Service
Makes the
Difference
for the
Cara Family
When it comes to senior portraits, most parents and students don’t know
that you do have a choice. In the case of the Cara family, they chose the
portrait studio where they felt like family.
“I wanted to have my senior portraits taken at The Portrait Place. I have
been going there for years and felt like I would be much more comfortable
working with them than with someone else,” said Liz Cara ‘11. “My experience was nothing short of welcoming, friendly and professional. Mary Ann
has a good eye, and she captured my happiness in my portraits. I wasn’t
forced to pose in ways that made me feel uncomfortable. I was just me!
She has worked with me most of my life and really knows how to capture
the best of me,” said Liz.
Mrs. Cara agrees with Liz. She told us that she has always enjoyed with
The Portrait Place and told us, “While the portraits I saw from the school
photographer looked nice overall, the students didn’t seem as relaxed as the
ones from The Portrait Place. Mary Ann and Ahmed Ismail are willing to
work with the parents and the students to have the entire process go
smoothly. The end result shows with the creativity and professionalism
you receive.”
In addition to traditional yearbook style portraits and unique, fun outdoor
portraits, The Portrait Place also creates Pop Art portraits like the one of
Liz Cara above and multi-image portraits like the one created for former
North student Ariel Braker ‘10 below.
If you’re an energetic, outgoing
member of the Class of 2012 or
2013 and would like to share fun,
cutting edge portraits of yourself
with your friends on Facebook,
this may be your lucky day!
The Portrait Place in Grosse
Pointe Woods is now interviewing
applicants for their SpokesModel
Program and will be doing so
through March 10th.
“The goal of our SpokesModel
Program is twofold. First, we love
to try new lighting and posing
techniques and explore new locations for our portraits with our
models so that we can create new
images for our displays, website
and Facebook. Second, we want
students to see that senior portraits
don’t have to be boring and stiff
like they are from so many old
time photographers. We’ve learned
that once students have experienced how much fun we make the
senior portrait experience and how
awesome their portraits can be,
they end up being our best form of
advertising.” said Mary Ann Ismail, the owner of The Portrait
Place.
SpokesModels will have in studio
portrait sessions with three or four
outfit changes in April. In addition to classic clothing for the traditional yearbook portrait, casual,
crazy and funky looks that are the
real you are encouraged. Pets, instruments, sports gear and best
friends are also welcome.
As soon as the weather breaks,
SpokesModels will be photographed outside at the location of
their choice. Outfits for these sessions range from a casual jeans and
T shirt look to formal gowns depending on the SpokesModel and
what they are up for.
“Last year, the most unique location we visited for senior portraits
was The Heidelberg Project in
downtown Detroit with Natasa
Kalajian (GPS ’11). We were able
If there is anyone at North who has learned how to balance things
during their years at North it is SpokesModel Mina Song ‘11.
The portrait above capture that, showing Minna balancing her
competitive skating with her AP classes and her love of music.
to capture some unique images of
Natasa in vintage clothing that
really reflected her individualism,”
said Ahmed Ismail of The Portrait
Place.
This year, they are hoping to find
a hardcore water skier who would
like to be photographed wearing a
suit or tuxedo!
In addition to their indoor and
outdoor portrait sessions, SpokesModels also receive an album of
their favorite images to share with
friends and family, their own individual Facebook page with all of
their images and referral cards to
give to friends and family. The referral cards will give their friends
and families access to special discounts and earn the SpokesModels
credits towards their portraits.
Once Class of 2013 students are
accepted into the program, they
get the benefit of being in the program for two years without having
to re-apply as long as they maintain their Facebook pages and
meet other requirements.
Sound interesting? Don’t wait to
apply. For more information, visit
The Portrait Place website at
www.portraitplacegpw.com.
Parent Believes
in Supporting
Grosse Pointe
Businesses who
Support our
Schools
“Curtains”
is Coming!
Mark your calendar for March 3,
4 or 5, and join us in enjoying musical comedy “Curtains” in the
Grosse Pointe North PAC.
Based on the original book and
concept by Peter Stone, the musical is a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston, Massachusetts.
In order to help the GPN Theatre
and Drama Boosters Club raise
money, The Portrait Place is donating $5 for every $10 purchase of
any of their services when you present your ticket stub, so don’t lose
it! The offer is limited to one
ticket stub per purchase and expires April 1, 2011.
If you’re involved in any North girls sports, chances are, you know the
Liddane family. Micaela Liddane ‘11 (above) and Maria Liddane ‘14 are on
the court and their mom, Jeanne Lizza, is in the stands cheering.
Sports at North isn’t the only thing Mrs. Lizza cheers about. She also
cheers about supporting local businesses who support our schools.
“I am a real believer in supporting local businesses who want to help us
make the community a better place for our kids. Businesses who support
our schools deserve our support, especially when they provide a quality
product at an affordable price,” says Mrs. Lizza.
“That’s why when it came to where my daughters would have their senior
portraits created, there was no question in my mind. I wasn’t going to do
business outside of Grosse Pointe. I chose The Portrait Place. They offered
to donate 10% of my purchases to my favorite after school activity or charity, created beautiful portraits in a friendly atmosphere and have always
made all of my children feel like family when they are being photographed.
How could any parent ask for more?”
The Portrait Place fundraising program gives any after school activity or
local non profit group the opportunity to accrue 10% of their supporters’
purchases. It’s simple to start raising money for your group. Just go online
and visit www.portraitplacegpw.com and click on the “Fundraising” tab
for more information.
the ismail family
mary ann, ahmed, jonathan, scott and alex
ThePortraitPlace
20231 MACK AVENUE ~ GROSSE POINTE WOODS ~ 313-343-9060
WWW.PORTRAITPLACEGPW.COM ~ WWW.GP-SENIORS.COM
9 – Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 – North Pointe
LIFE
Profile:
Trumpet virtuoso
Charlie Miller
By Trevor Duncan
STAFF REPORTER
One, two, one two
three four!
The jazz band begins to play and senior
Charlie Miller leads
the trumpet section
with a soaring bravado, reaching high notes
and commanding solos
that awe the crowd.
Miller has been playing in school jazz
bands since seventh grade, being the section leader of North’s jazz band since his
sophomore year. Besides his dynamic role
in North’s program, Miller also plays outside of school, taking part in a jazz group
at Wayne State University as well as sitting
in with professional groups at local clubs.
At Wayne, where his father and other
experienced musicians perform, Miller
takes part in performances with the pros.
But getting away from the raucous of the
band room and into a tuned, ready to play
ensemble is a challenging experience for
Miller.
“It’s very humbling and I hear a lot from
all these other people,” Miller said. “And
it’s a good opportunity to just get out and
practice.”
Miller’s performances are most often
with the Wayne State Jazz Band.
He was originally introduced to the
band after doing Jazz Week at Wayne
State two summers ago.
“Jazz week is five days. It’s four days of
clinics with professionals and practicing
with a big band, then on the fifth day you
perform with the big band,” Miller said.
Miller said that jazz week further developed his abilities to read complex jazz
charts (individual songs) as well as develop his improvising skills. The music he
plays with these bands outside of school is
much more involved than those he experiences in North’s jazz band.
But Miller doesn’t just play with the
Wayne State Jazz Band, he also is involved
in playing with professional bands around
Detroit. It originally started when his dad
got him an opportunity to play with a professional band. Since then Miller has gotten recalled for performances every once
in a while.
Senior Charlie Miller po
TRE VOR
with diligent concentra sed in a typical trumpeter fashion, complet DUNCAN
e
tion, stellar mouth forma
tion and posture.
“I usually perform every couple of weeks, not too often. Though lately with jazz in the future. First studying at
I’ve been getting called more often, about college, and then hopefully turning it in to
every week or every other week,” Miller a career.
said.
“I hope to go major in Jazz studies at
The increased frequency of perfor- Wayne because there are a lot more oppormances allows Miller to learn more, and he tunities there and in Detroit for young muis able to appreciate the abilities of those sicians,” Miller said. “Also I already know
he plays with.
most of the staff up there.”
“It’s actual jazz music, unlike some of
Either way, the trumpet will be a part of
the stuff we play here (at North), and there Charlie’s life far past his studies in college.
are these crazy people from Detroit who For Miller, jazz is more than a course in a
are really good,” Miller said.
school or university, it’s a talent and pasThough Miller is graduating from sion he can carry on with him for the rest
North this year he plans on continuing of his life.
NHS tutoring opportunities go unused and neglected
By Maria Liddane
STAFF REPORTER
It’s 7:10 a.m. on a school
day. “NHS Tutoring” is
scrawled on the white
board in the library and
National Honors Society
members fill the room ...
without a single student to
assist.
“One of the big goals of
the National Honor Society
students is mentoring and
tutoring,” adviser Milissa
Pierce said.
NHS tutors are available
every week, before school
everyday and after school
Tuesday through Thursday. No matter how many
people show up to get help,
NHS tutors are there.
Tutoring also takes place
in the student center and
in the Learning Resource
Center, during tutorials
and summer school.
Pierce said, “For (NHS)
requirements, they can’t
just tutor their little brother
or sister and have it count,
because one of our goals is stay in case somebody does
to make sure students in show up. In the meantime,
the school get the help that the tutors work on their
own homework.
they need.”
“Honestly, I just don’t
Pierce says student attendance to library tutoring think that high school kids
are going
f luctuates,
to
come
but around
in and get
the end of
help from
a
semeshigh school
ter
more
kids,”
justudents
nior Tristan
attend for
Mora.
help with
“They’re
end of the
too embarquarter
rassed.
I
grades and
would nevfinal
reer ask for
views.
NHS
adviser
Milissa
Pierce
help from
“Some
days there
another
could be eight tutors wait- high school student.
“I just think it’d be beting for somebody to tutor
and nobody will show up, ter if there was like an adult
and other days there could tutoring program, where
be three or four people that teachers came in to tutor,”
walk in the door and there Mora said. “People would
is only one or two tutors,” actually do that. They’d feel
like it’s more confidential.”
Pierce said.
At the end of sophomore
Even if nobody comes to
be tutored, Pierce said, the year, any student with a
tutors have an obligation to cumulative GPA of 3.25 or
“One of the big
goals of the
National Honor
Society students
is mentoring
and tutoring.”
higher is invited to apply
to be an NHS member. To
qualify as an NHS member,
a student must contain the
four components of NHS;
scholarship,
leadership,
character and service.
“They have to show
that they’re involved in
the school, are involved in
community service in some
way and that they’re trying
to become a responsible
leader in the community,”
Pierce said.
Every two months, members of NHS are required
to have 10 hours of community service and four
hours of tutoring. However,
members often exceed the
required tutoring hours. A
handful of members tutor
three to four hours each
week.
“A sport, or a club, or
band after hours counts as
what we call a co-curricular,” Pierce said. “So those
can count for their other
hours, but it can’t count as
service and it doesn’t count
Water Sports Camp
*Ê1ÊweekÊcamp
*ÊsessionsÊrunÊallÊsummer
*ÊwaterÊski,Êwakeboard,Ê
Ê barefoot,Êkneeboard
*ÊinÊHubbardÊLake,ÊMI
NHS offering weekly
ACT/MME prep
Every Monday starting at 8
a.m., juniors are encouraged
to come to the library for
ACT and MME preparation.
Both senior and junior NHS
students will be available
during the sessions of
review.
“Our hope is that actually
sitting down with another
student will help a student
feel more confident and
take advantage of a little bit
of focused time before the
as tutoring. They have to be
able to have a combination
of both.”
Pierce often posts community service opportunities on her bulletin board.
Members can use these
volunteer
opportunities
toward their service hours.
However, members are welcome to find their own volunteer projects as well.
ILLUSTRATION BY MARIA LIDDANE
ACT and MME,” NHS adviser
Milissa Pierce said.
There will be simple handouts to practice with, but
partner discussion and support will be beneficial to any
student in search of review.
Junior NHS member
Amy Cooper said she volunteers in her church youth
group with other middle
school teens. She also fills
her required two hours of
tutoring a month by attending two morning sessions in library.
However, she said she
hasn’t actually tutored anybody before.
Go from
no experience
to barefooting
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10 – Friday, Feb. 18, 2010 – North Pointe
North Pointe – Friday, Feb. 18, 2010 – 11
MUSICAL IN-DEPTH
3
BY THE NUMBERS
number of performances of
Curtains
$5
price for a student balcony ticket
at the door on Thursday; $8 on
Friday and Saturday
53
number of student actors
37
number of freshman and sophomore actors
16
number of junior and senior actors
27
number of students in the pit
orchestra
ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA WYRICK
med
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f
r
e
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ca l w i l l
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r
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rch 3, 4
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h
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b
h
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ind
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by the 53- AC. We’ve gone beh
about.
w
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P
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Climbing the ladder: From crew in middle
school to lead role in high school
By Lauren Semack
dad.
“He was actually discovered by
STAFF REPORTER
Mrs. Duffield (the show’s producer).
Freshman Marty He was working the tech and she said,
Brown remembers ‘You’re so cute, we have to get you up
sixth grade audi- on stage.’ So they created a part for
tions for Annie at him,” Marty’s dad, Marty Brown Sr.,
Brownell Middle said. “They got him on stage, to actuSchool. He wasn’t ally having him have a couple lines,
called back, but his to then a couple lines in singing.”
Marty admits that he really didn’t
dedication to the
look
that far ahead to high school and
team
ultimately
he
wasn’t
expecting to get a prime
gained him an actrole
in
this
year’s Curtains.
ing role.
“I
was
just
like, ‘Oh cool, plays. I’m
“I
auditioned
enjoying
this.
I think I’m going to
in sixth grade, but
keep
going,’”
Marty
said. “I am defiwhen I didn’t get
nitely
going
to
do
this
and I might go
my part I decided to
to
college
with
(acting)
too.”
go crew,” Marty said.
Marty’s
Brownell
career
continBut a turn of luck
Fr
ued,
playing
Crow
in
The
Wiz
and
had Marty on the
s a es h
y
reaching
his
big
break
as
a
lead
brothway to a successth s m
e s he an
ful
future, er, Judah, in Joesph and the Amazing
itu w M
at as art
according Technicolor Dreamcoat.
io su y
n rp B r
Auditioning for Curtains he deto his
we ri ow
ll. sed n
scribed
as, “tough and I didn’t think
to pla
I
was
going
to get a very good part.”
ge ys
t s Aa
But
when
cast
in the role of Aaron, he
uc r o
h ni
was
ecstatic.
ab n
ig thi
Marty says a major influence
sp s y
is his sister, Olyvia, who was
ea ea
ki r’s
a mainstay in North prong s
r o p rin
ductions the past four
le g
,b m
years. His family is
ut us
ha ic a
also shocked at
s b l,
C
ee ur AM the fact that
n ta EL
t a in I A F
ki s. LYN
ng H N
to e
he got the role.
“We’re extremely proud of him.
It was so exciting for us because he
tried out for the play, and our expectations weren’t high because he’s a
freshman,” Donna Brown, Marty’s
mom, said. “Then, when he got one
of the leads, we were just like, ‘Oh my
goodness!’”
Director Marty Bufalini said a student’s age is not his top priority.
“I cast not necessarily on class. At
least 90% of your success in a show
is gonna be in the casting, so I cast
on what we see to be ability, some
understanding of the part,” Bufalini
said. “So Marty got the part because
of that, like everybody else got a part,
because they auditioned the best and
we see some possibilities and we go
from there.”
Marty has nothing but great reviews from choir director Ben Henri
who said, “Marty is a freshman in
a big role and that’s a big challenge
for anyone and he’s handling it very
nicely. His voice is quite mature for a
student his age. He’s getting stretched
and I’m pretty sure he’s gonna rise to
the challenge.”
Marty’s dad said, “His future is
right now is wide open. I mean if he
chose acting it wouldn’t surprise me,
but for him the sky’s the limit. Whatever he decides to do in life, he’s going
to be very good at it. He works hard.”
Blush, liner, lipstick: Mother-daughter team do it all
By Michael Maas
DEPUTY EDITOR
During the day, Harriett Jaenisch works with
cancer patients. Coordinating makeup and hair
for the spring musical is how she has fun.
Her daughter, senior Christina Jaenisch, works
a job at Kroger after school. Helping the cast of
this year’s spring musical, as well as her mom, is
one of her favorite after-school activities.
Harriett’s the one that makes sure every
performer on stage doesn’t “look dead.” She
answers the “How’s my makeup look?” question from confused freshman boys and answers director Marty Bufalini’s requests for a
darker complexion on actors who might look
washed out on stage.
Harriett has been the coordinator for all
things makeup and hair for three years.
Christina has worked with her behind the
scenes for two.
“If I didn’t have her during the last
play, I would have lost my mind. Christina’s a very organized person and she’s
very calm under fire.”
Christina last performed two years
ago in the musical Thoroughly Modern
Milly. A new job, coupled with schoolwork, caused her to stop performing
in the musical and become involved
in the more time-sensitive production aspect of the musical.
After dabbling in costuming
and rehearsal note-taking, she
realized joining her mother in
makeup and hair was what felt
right.
“I love makeup,” Christina
said. “I like seeing the before
and after. It’s an immediate result. For lights and sound, you
have to tweak and tweak and
tweak, but for makeup it’s
just like ‘bam,’ their makeup’s done.”
Harriett’s knowledge of
stage makeup goes back
to when she was in high
school, where she volunteered to do makeup for
By Jacob Barry & Jamie Jankiewicz
STAFF REPORTERS
Top left: Members of the cast of Curtains, flanked by seniors Lorraine Tarpley on the left
and Caitlin Siluk on the right, rehearse their choreography. Rehearsals in full makeup and
hair begin up to three weeks before the actual showtimes.
Bottom left: The cast rehearses dance steps under the direction of choreographer Don
Bischoff, right. In addition to Bischoff, drama director Marty Bufalini, vocal director Ben
Henri and pit director David Cleveland all instruct the performers.
Bottom right: Playing Jessica Crenshaw, sophomore Jasmine Scott prepares to fall to her
death. Her murder is then investigated throughout the musical.
some of her school’s productions.
The opportunity to volunteer arose again when her
daughter began participating in the performing arts,
giving her the chance to do something that really interested her. Harriett especially likes seeing the extraordinary things makeup can accomplish.
“I’ve had to turn Caucasian people into black people,
black people into oriental people … all kinds of things
are needed for the play and for that character and so
sometimes it means turning someone into something
that they aren’t,” Harriett said.
Still, Christina loves the fact that she gets to work
with her mom. She plans to be involved in some aspect
of theater in college and possibly return here next year.
“If I don’t know something, she knows something
and if she doesn’t know something, I know something.
Between the two of us, you know, we get it done,”
Christina said. “Sometimes she says things I wish she
wouldn’t say in front of other people, but it’s generally
pretty good.”
If you ask one of them, the mother-daughter duo will
tell you crazy tales of changing a performer’s make-\up
backstage while he was all but naked.
Christina, however, still remembers an experience
she had last year with a freshman.
“My best experience was after the final show of last
year’s performance, a freshman who once didn’t even
know how to put on her own makeup was helping others and she knew so much,” Christina said. “She came
up and she hugged me and said ‘thanks, you not only
did my makeup for the show, but I know how to do
makeup now in real life.’”
Seniors outnumbered but still representing
Three seniors landed lead
roles in this year’s Curtains, as
they prepare for their future
endeavors.
PHOTOS BY BRIAN ABUD & AMELIA FLYNN
AMELIA FLYNN
Senior Christina Jaenisch and her mother, Harriett, team up to provide the volunteer service for the hair and makeup
involved in this year’s musical. Harriett said the night of a performance, “there’s a lot of adrenaline. But by the time the
actual play time comes around, (cast members) know what they’re supposed to look like and what they’re supposed to
wear.”
Seniors Greg Hicks, Katie Maggart
and Caitlin Siluk earned major speaking roles in this year’s Curtains. Outnumbered by underclassmen, these
three seniors are making the
most of their last year in high
school theater.
Hicks plays Christopher
Belling - an eccentric, pompous and condescending man,
he says. He’s the director of the
musical within the musical.
Hicks was late in
jumping on the theater
train. He was in the
chorus his sophomore year and that
was just enough to
get him caught on
his newest obsession, theater.
“You have to have
a certain ego to be
interested in theater,”
Hicks said. “You really
have to enjoy putting
yourself in the spotlight
and showing people what
you’ve got, and hopefully
you’ve got some kind of
quality that people enjoy.”
This year’s musical has presented
interesting situations for its actors, as
they play characters within characters.
“I’m always Nikki,” senior Catlin Siluk said. “I have to remember I’m not
Caitlin playing Nancy. I’m Nikki playing Nancy.”
Nancy is her character in “Robin
Hood” which is the musical going on
within Curtains.
Hicks says this aspect means he has
to be much more careful on stage.
“You have to watch your character a
lot more closely, even being in chorus
or a small character,” Hicks said.
You have to pay attention to what
you’re doing because there’s that one
person that will be watching you. Then
when the whole audience is watching
you, you have to be extra, extra careful.”
Maggart plays Carmen Burnstein,
who is the producer of the musical
within the musical.
“She’s really tough and an independent woman. She doesn’t take no for an
answer and she kinda runs the show.
She’s the boss,” Maggart said.
Although the long rehearsal hours
seem tedious, Siluk says they also serve
as a great stress reliever.
“When I’m having a rough day, I sing
a song,” Siluk said. “Theater lets you
escape into being something you’re
not”
While all three agree it’s sad to
think the end is near, Hicks and Siluk
are grateful for everything they’ve
learned here. Maggart plans to continue theater in college.
“I’m gonna miss (director Marty) Bufalini and
(vocal director Ben)
Henri. I’ve learned a lot
from everyone and everyone is doing really
well this year so I’m going to miss it,” Maggart
said. “I’m gonna be
doing this whole play
thing in college so it’s
not like it’s gonna be the last
time I’m doing it. I’m gonna
miss the atmosphere.”
From left to right, seniors Greg
Hicks, Caitlin Siluk and Katie
Maggart rehearse for their last
high school spring musical.
PHOTOS BY AMELIA FLYNN
12 – Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 – North Pointe
LIFE
SONYPICTURES.COM
Seth Rogen, as the Green Hornet, and Kayto, played by Jay Chuo, out-run the antics of Russian crime boss Chudnofsky in this new action-packed movie.
Enter the Hornet: A theater full of disappointment
By Andy Klingensmith
It has been nearly 38 years since martial arts legend and actor Bruce Lee died of
what doctors diagnosed as “death by misadventure.”
Although the cause of his death is widely
speculated, the sane theory proposes that
he underwent an unfortunate reaction to
painkillers. Many even believe that Lee
may have finally submitted to a fighting
technique known simply as the “Touch of
Death,” which was delivered to him several
weeks before.
Nevertheless, I’m sure either party could
agree that the work Bruce left behind was
inspiring for action stars everywhere. That
being said, I doubt that sub-par action
films like The Green Hornet are the kind of
results Bruce would like to look down upon
from his dojo in the sky.
The story of Britt Reid (played by Seth
Rogen, who also co-wrote the script), begins after his newspaper tycoon father
threatens to evict him
from his playboy-esque
garage lounge if he sees
him in the paper for his
excessive partying again.
Soon, his dad is mysteriously killed by an allergic
Genre: Action reaction to a bee-sting.
Alone in the world, Britt
Rated: PG-13
Starring Seth befriends Kato (played
Rogan, Jay Chou by Japanese pop star Jay
& Cameron Diaz Chuo), the leather-jacketdonning mechanic and
Directed by
Michel Gondry cappuccino-expert. The
two begin a friendship
committing rowdy misdemeanors, but after Kato takes on a group of gangsters in
the streets of Los Angeles single-handedly,
they begin to live a childhood fantasy as
crime fighters.
Complete with a list of cliches consisting of a souped-up ride, masks and a bit
of Asian flare, the too-typical crime fighting duo take on L.A.’s baddest. This crime
cleanse pits them against the crime lord
Chudnofsky, played by Oscar-winner
Christoph Waltz, an Austrian actor famous
for his role as Nazi S.S. Colonel Hans Landa
in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film, Inglorious Basterds.
Previously, as the German officer, Waltz
was hypnotic in both delivery and character, and he even earned his first Academy
Award.
Yet this time, Waltz was wasted. His
unsuccessfully humorous presence only
served as an excuse for conflict and as the
movie progressed, he became increasingly
laughable as a stereotypical mobster.
Furthermore, while we’re on the topic
of wasted talent, the film was apparently
directed by Michel Gondry. This was surprising as it seemed his future would be
bright after directing the mind bending
2004 masterpiece Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind, but it looks like that forecast
may be incorrect.
Known for his visually inventive style,
he disappoints with zero style and a lack of
originality.
Instead of creating something unique,
Gondry and Rogen team up to create what
is at first a comedic buddy movie, but begins to turn into a self-mocking parody
of superhero and golden age martial arts
movies that becomes a monument to everything “meh” about movies.
Not even Kato’s black leather jacket will
scare me into changing my mind about
this one.
Mean Girls 2
Lady Gaga
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Mr. Sunshine
DEPUTY EDITOR
D+
The Green
Hornet
C-
A-
B
C
Rated PG-13, Drama
Born This Way
Rated G, Documentary
Wednesday on ABC at 9:30 p.m.
Mean Girls 2 is
a sequel to the
original Mean Girls,
but is a made-forTV movie. The film
stars Jo Mitchell,
(Meaghan Martin),
the Vespa-riding
new girl who
ABCFAMILY.GO.COM
sports blue and
pink streaks in her hair. Despite her hatred
of it, Jo is pulled into drama because of her
outspoken personality. Jo turns down an
invitation to hang out with the “Plastics,” and
the top dog Mandi (Maiara Walsh) decides
to take her down. The ensuing battle with
Mandi results in cruel pranks and Jo starting
her own group, the “anti-Plastics.” This movie
is just a copy of the original Mean Girls, with
different actors. You would expect some
new antics and original abuse, but Instead of
following up with Mean Girls’ story line, Mean
Girls 2 has an identical plot as its predecessor.
Admittedly, the acting is good. However, if
you are comparing this to the original Mean
Girls and were hoping for a follow up, you
will be disappointed with this lamely attempted clone.
By Marie Burke
After much
anticipation, Lady
Gaga’s new single,
Born This Way, is
not a disappointment. The track’s
upbeat instrumentals resemble those
from Madonna’s
LADYGAGA.COM
1989 pop hit Express Yourself, while the vocals are splashed
with a style that is most closely related to
that of musical artist Cher. However, with all
aspects combined, the track is undoubtedly
Gaga, even if it is not as musically unique as
her past singles. After a thrilling 90s-esque
chorus with a pounding bass line, she breaks
into an interlude similar to one that occurs
in Dance in the Dark, a track from her most
recent album, “The Fame Monster.” All of the
lyrics preach self-confidence and beg listeners to believe that “Whether life’s disabilities/
Left you outcast, bullied or teased/Rejoice
and love yourself today/’Cause baby you
were born this way.” This is an overall catchy
tune that will undoubtedly be a hit at parties,
and it has paved the path for a promising
album, which will be released in May.
By Kara Bakowski
“Bieber Fever”
hit Hollywood on
Feb. 11 in Justin
Bieber: Never Say
Never, the highly
anticipated documentary of the
small town boy’s
journey towards
JUSTINBIEBERNEVERSAYNEVER.COM
the top. Viewers
are shown everything from Bieber’s videos
on YouTube to his sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden, plus they’re given a taste
of what it’s like to be on tour and loved by
millions of people. Die-hard fans will not be
disappointed by this first-hand account and
will drool over the exclusive footage.
However, those who have not yet caught
the pandemic will want to keep their barf
bags on hold. If you’re on the fence, save
yourself the nine bucks; watch some YouTube videos, listen to your iPod and call it a
night. This movie is cute and inspirational,
but it’s been done before. No matter how
entertaining, a movie was not necessary to
tell the story of this teenager’s life. So unless you’ve got a bad case of “Bieber Fever,”
check Never Say Never off you’re list.
By Kit Maher
My mother
taught me if I don’t
have anything nice
to say, to not say
anything at all. So I
guess I can’t write
too much about
Mr. Sunshine. Ben
Donovan (MatABC.GO.COM
thew Perry) plays
an egotistical hotshot sports arena manager,
who doesn’t give a care in the world about
anyone but himself. His boss, Crystal (Allison
Janney), is also slightly self-absorbed and a
bit eccentric, which causes for some crazy
mishaps as the show goes on. These characters and the rest in the show seem intended
to be humorous, yet the pointless concept
of the show overshadows any comedy. The
episode seemed disoriented and the different scenes did not fit together perfectly.
The scenes were jumbled and almost too
complex for a comedy. The jokes had to be
thought about to be understood fully and
then lost the comedic value by that time. The
show has potential for future laughs, but the
premiere episode did not do it any justice.
FREE
By Dayle Maas
to sing to report to rock to petition
Thanks to the First Amendment, you can be
whoever and whatever you want to be.
The North Pointe Editorial Board celebrates
Freedom of the Press during national
Scholastic Journalism Week, Feb. 20-26, 2011
Join us online at
1forall.us
Take a stand for the
First Amendment.
North Pointe Editorial Board: (front row) Amelia Flynn, Natasha Ertzbischoff, Jenn Cusmano,
(middle row) Kara Bakowski, Francesca Ciaramitaro, Sammy Scoggin, Emma Huellmantel,
(back row) Michael Maas, Kristin Carlson, Andy Klingensmith, Connor Holm & Maria Liddane