February 12, 2016 - Plymouth
Transcription
February 12, 2016 - Plymouth
Index A1-A3: News A4-A5: Opinion Inside: Anniversary Special Edition B1-B3: Sports B4-B5, A6: Features Top athletes sign with colleges by Michael Adzima, Jordan Anheuser and Sports Editor, Staff Writer and News Editor Top senior Park athletes signed their national letters of intent on National Signing Day, Feb. 3, as they decided on their futures. The athletes were surrounded by family, friends, teammates and coaches as they joined the limited group of high school athletes who go on to play college sports. Hannah Saad A big topic of the day was Canton senior linebacker Jalen Cochran, who received more than 13 offers, including one from Michigan State. At noon, Cochran announced that he would be signing with the University of Arizona. Cochran said, “The decision was very stressful, and I am happy it’s over.” Cochran is looking forward to “the college experience, playing on the big stage, and getting my degree in sports medicine.” Athletes committed to schools both big and small. Darwin Filey, senior defensive back for the Wildcats football team, committed to play at the University of Mount Union in Ohio, which has 12 NCAA Division III national championships. His football teammate ,Victor Abraham, made his commitment to Division I-AA Southern Illinois. Plymouth track and field star Jewel Davis decided to go larger as she signed with Central Michigan. As far as the recruitment and signing process goes, many factors played into where athletes decided to commit. Daniella Barile, Plymouth senior, committed to University of Michigan Dearborn for volleyball. She said, “It was a fun process. This is a good fit for me because it’s close to home and I like the coaches and the other girls.” Olivia Janke, Plymouth senior, said she chose Valparaiso University for soccer: “I really like the campus and I love the coaches there. The size of it really fit what I was looking for in a university.” Josh Sulak, a Plymouth senior who committed to Northwood University for baseball, said, “I’m looking forward to playing good competition and facing the very good Division II schools in the area.” For some, playing college sports is a reward for the work they’ve put in. “I always work the extra mile. I feel like you have to keep working at your skills each and every day, and it helped me out in the long run,” said Salem senior Hunter Gibbons, who committed to Spring Arbor for soccer. For others, playing in college is a perk. Kaya Knake committed to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County for cross country and track and has fought through multiple injuries throughout her career. She didn’t run cross country her sophomore year. “It’s so surprising. It still feels weird to say that I’ll be running in college,” she said. The future collegiate athletes gave some advice for students who are considering playing in college. “Work hard and follow your dreams,” said James Walkinshaw, Canton senior who committed to Ohio Northern University for soccer. “Keep working as hard as you can because opportunities will arise that you didn’t even think were a possibility,” Cochran said. “Do your homework; grades are important in the process.” Salem senior Logan Marshall, who committed to Calvin College for baseball, said, “Never give up. Set it as one of your goals and you’ll achieve it.” Salem senior Griffin Skaff, who committed to Ohio Northern University for cross country and track, added, “Dedication is the biggest thing. Make sure that you’re dedicated, and there’s a college for you anywhere.” Photo by Lauren Flynn Anna DeBiasi, Plymouth senior, signs with Cleveland State to play soccer. P-CEP student athletes committed to play sports at colleges on National Signing Day. For more photos and information about signing day, check out The Perspective online at the-perspective.tk Above: The Asian Pacific American Club performs a traditional Chinese fan dance. Right: Indian American Student Association dresses in colorful, traditional clothing, and performs Bhangra. Photos courtesy of Diversity Council Board Diversity show celebrates a variety of cultures by Benjamin Opinion Editor Henderson The annual Celebration of Diversity brings together student performers from a variety of ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, showcasing dances, music, poetry and other talents and customs. The evening of Friday, Jan. 16 marked the third year in a row that the P-CEP Diversity Council has put on the show in the Gloria Logan Auditorium with Salem teacher Paul Fisher as the club’s host. The crowd grew silent as Khadeja Mohammed, Salem junior, and Sameed Khan, Salem junior, took the stage to deliver a poem on behalf of the Muslim Student Association to decry Islamophobic depictions of Muslims in the American media. Mohammed later said that she felt the show was a “phenomenal platform for students to share their religion and culture with each other.” A variety of other clubs performed. The Breakdancing Club lined up into two groups and proceeded try to out-do their club mates across the stage. P-CEP’s Step Team and K-Pop Club also made appearances. Aria, the Park’s all-female vocal ensemble, performed an a cappella mix of popular songs. Members of the P-CEP Gender Sexuality Alliance took the stage to deliver spoken word poems describing their experiences as people who fall outside of culture’s gender or sexual norm, to which the crowd reacted favorably. The Middle Eastern Student Association performed a variety of cultural dances in appropriate costume, and the Asian Pacific American Club delivered a modern dance routine followed by a display of prowess with Chinese yo-yos, and finished with a fan dance. The Park’s Indian American Student Association delivered routines of dances in Raas and Bhangra style. As the IASA performers finished, all of the performers from the night crowded onto the stage to present a finale. As the show wrapped up and customary congratulations were given, Diversity Council Co-President Sreyas Narayanan, Canton senior, delivered a final speech thanking the performers and audience. The event had been many months in the making, and for the members of the Diversity Council board the night was the culmination of hours of work put into organizing the event. News The Perspective - February 12, 2016 A2 News Park Players preview: ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’ by Natasha Art Director Pietruschka Photo courtesy of Paul Bird Students rehearse choreography weekly for the upcoming musical “Nice Work If You Can Get It.” Under the direction of Paul Bird, students from around the Park are preparing their voices and dancing feet for the Park’s upcoming musical comedy, “Nice Work If You Can Get It.” The musical is set to run March 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. in the Gloria Logan Auditorium at Salem High School. “Nice Work” takes place in a time where bootleggers roamed the streets and big bands blared their horns: the late 1920s. The plot follows the adventures of playboy Jimmy Winter, played by Plymouth senior Ryan Wagner, and his desire for independent-minded bootlegger, Billie Bendix, played by Salem sophomore Haley Martin. Wagner has played the male lead for “West Side Story” and “Oklahoma!” making “Nice Work” his third major production. Wagner has participated in many other works, starting his career in acting with Forever After Productions in 2010. Wagner said, “I’m glad I got to spend my years in high school in a community like Park Players that really builds friendships that are going to last me my whole life. I’m excited to do my senior show with some of my best friends!” Martin, the co-lead, understudied many Park Player productions, including “The Fantasticks” and “The Game’s Afoot.” In the past two years, she has participated in 15 shows around the Plym- outh-Canton area. Starting in early December, vocal and dance workshops were held for students interested in roles for “Nice Work.” These workshops were typically held after school, with Salem choir teacher, Jennifer Neumann, as vocal coach, and Victoria Gilbert, a ballet teacher in Ann Arbor, as choreographer. These instructors played a key part in preparation for the show. Two days worth of auditions soon followed after, where students performed individually with Bird. After receiving a call-back, a few students were given a third audition. “Since I am a sophomore, it was a very calmed down audition for me. I wasn’t expecting much to come from it. I just wanted to be part of the show in some way,” said Martin. “It’s funny looking back at it.” After the cast list was posted on Salem’s upper auditorium door, students got straight to work. Many hours of thorough vocal and dance rehearsals have been spent for the debut in March. In the early weeks of show production, actors met every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. As opening night approaches, there are increased rehearsals. The week leading up to the premiere is called Tech Week. This week has an abundance of stress- ful moments, yet entails exciting glimpses of what the final product will look like. All in preparation to help the week go smoothly, Sat. March 5, is marked as Tech Day. On this day, cast and crew members prepare the works: lights, microphones, costumes, music are all pulled together. During Tech Week “the rehearsals take a pretty long time, and we all get pretty tired. In the end though, doing the show is such an adrenaline rush for everybody that we really don’t even notice,” said Wagner. Along with the actors themselves, there are many other jobs required for running such a large production. Jobs include light coordination, sound balance, stage management, general tech, costume design, and makeup and hair design. The students behind these jobs are either actors or volunteers. “Being a stage manager entails a lot of joy, though is also quite the emotional struggle at times,” said Dalton Barthold, Canton freshman. “The joy comes from seeing a project you worked so hard on for months becoming true. My favorite experiences come from molding the participants into actors. There are no small roles, and I completely choose to embrace that.” Hidden in a lowered area in front of the stage, called an orchestra pit, are some of the Park’s most talented musicians. Under the direction of Cathy DePentu, Canton orchestra teacher, the pit orchestra has been working on 30 songs, although some are split up. Songs vary in length; some are used for transitions and scene changes, others are longer and used for dance scenes. “It’s pretty much all jazz, definitely not like the music we play in concert band,” said Annika Topelian, Canton senior. “This is my third year doing pit. I absolutely love it. It can be a little stressful, especially the first couple weeks since you’re still sight-reading some of the music, but it’s amazing to watch the production come together and to work with such a hardworking and talented group of people.” The pit helps create the mood for many of “Nice Work’s” big scenes. Though many weeks are left until “Nice Work If You Can Get It” opens, the crew will be busy preparing. “The cast and myself are having an incredibly good time and lots of fun working on this show,” said Bird. Venisha Combs: April 1972 - January 2016 by Genevieve News Editor St. Jean Photo courtesy of P-CEP yearbook Venisha Combs, a valued staff member of Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, died on Jan. 15. Combs served for five years in the district as the principal of Miller Elementary School, and the assistant principal at Plymouth High School, Workman Elementary School and West Middle School. Combs touched a large number of lives, from kindergartners to principals, as she was a leader and someone to look up to in several schools. Jim Burt, Workman Elementary principal and former co-worker of Combs, said, “Everybody who worked with her at Workman, West, the Park, and Miller thought she was an excellent leader and an excellent person. There were many times I saw her be helpful to children who were upset or work with kids to find good solutions to their problems. There were many times I saw her interacting with teachers and parents in a helpful and positive way.” Allie Suffety, Salem assistant principal, said, “Ms. Combs was not only a role model for young African American women on our campus, but all women. She was intelligent, confident and understood what was right.” Nick Brandon, Director of Communications, said regarding the loss, “Venisha will always be remembered for her generous and patient spirit, and for having a positive impact on all students, staff, and families who had the privilege to work with her. Her presence and leadership will be greatly missed.” Combs was to replace Suffety as Salem assistant principal at the end of the semester after he retired. According to Suffety, Jerry Sullivan will substitute as the assistant principal for the rest of the year. Suffety said, “I was honored that Ms. Combs was replacing me; she thought as I did, understanding that relationships with students and teachers were the priority for school administrators. We had to model the behaviors we wanted all to emulate for a successful learning environment.” According to Brandon, Marsha Hoff, a former East Middle School principal, is serving as the interim principal at Miller. Combs went to Michigan State University for a bachelor of arts and got her master’s degree from University of Detroit Mercy for curriculum and instruction. She started as a math teacher in Detroit Public Schools and then joined the district in administrative positions. A memorial service was held on Jan. 23. Hannah Jarrett August 2000 - January 2016 Park staff and students are mourning the loss of Hannah Jarrett, Salem freshman, who passed away on Jan. 26 after battling numerous health problems. She contributed to the community through youth group, service projects and domestic mission trips. She had planned on volunteering at the Royal Family KIDS camp this year, and, on her behalf, the camp is taking donations so more scholarships can be given to children in need. She is survived by her sister, Amanda, a Salem senior, friends and family. Venisha Combs, a valued staff member serving five years in the district, passed away in January. Check out www.the-perspective.tk for a story on Trivia Night hosted by NHS. The Perspective - February 12, 2016 A3 News Thompson Vs. Rogers: Students debate prevalent issues by Allison Pascalo Features Editor Salem senior Dorian Thompson and Plymouth senior Natalie Rogers participated in a debate focused entirely on their passionate, and different, political views. The event took place in the Dubois Little Theatre on Wednesday Jan. 20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Students, parents and faculty filed into Canton High School to witness the two students express their beliefs in regards to topics related to illegal immigrants, gun rights, health care reform and new tax rates. The event began with moderators firing questions to each individual and letting the two state their opinions on the answers given. Cameron Stella, Plymouth senior rooting for Thompson, said, “The debate ended up being just how I anticipated. Seeing how passionate Dorian and Natalie were was probably my favorite part.” When asked which topics the students seemed the most interested in, Stella replied, “Dorian seemed the most involved about illegal immigrants while Natalie leaned more towards new tax rates.” Rogers was more focused on tax rates than Thompson; however, Thompson suggested a 10 percent flat tax rate. Also, while Dorian was more focused on immigration and deporting illegal immigrants, Rogers brought up multiple points refuting Dorian’s arguments. Also discussed in the debate were key social issues leading into the election, including multiple religiousheavy issues, such as LGBT rights, abortion and religion. Rogers said, “We need to reform our current system so that people have a chance in our society.” Later on she added, “We need to keep stability in American politics,” while discussing the current political system. Thompson had responses to Rogers on many of the issues though, saying “If you come to the United States illegally, deportation.” Thompson also added, “You can’t always go by what the Supreme Court says. The president will appoint whoever he wants.” The two students on stage weren’t the only ones intrigued with the questions and answers that were provided. Many other students attending the debate voiced their opinions on statements they didn’t particularly agree with and helping Rogers and Thompson elaborate on the topics. Thompson and Rogers ended on a positive note, saying that they agree to disagree, and that unity on some issues is always good, but it is always nice to hear a different point of view. What’s going on @ the Park? Mid-Winter Break When: Feb. 15-19 88.1 the Park Record Show When: Feb. 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. What: The show has thousands of vinyl records, CD’s, t-shirts, posters and more available for purchase. Where: Salem High School Cost: $3 admission. Plymouth, Canton and Salem students get in free with their student ID. Photo by Emmanuel Jones Dorian Thompson and Natalie Rogers presented opposing viewpoints during a debate on current issues. Snowcoming When: Feb. 27 Salem Assistant Principal Suffety retires after 38 years in district by Hamoudy Turfe Circulation Manager Left: Allie Suffety pictured from 20142015, the year before he retired from Salem High School. Bottom: Suffety in a flash back to 1990 when he worked in the district as a health teacher. Allie Suffety, assistant principal at Salem High School, retired at the end of first semester. He has been in the Plymouth-Canton Community School district for just over 38 years. The assistant principal feels that it is the appropriate time for him to retire after being in the district for such a long period of time. Suffety said he has enjoyed his time in the district due to all of the great, dedicated workers. Suffety said, “I take a lot of pride in the fact that I have been able to work with such great people.” The principal of Salem, Kim Villarosa, had nothing but kind words when talking about Suffety. She said, “Allie Suffety is one of the greatest advocates for students I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He has an amazing ability to build fantastic relationships with students, parents and staff.” Before becoming the assistant principal at Salem, Suffety taught in the district for 32 years. He started out teaching health education, physical education, and he also helped teach in the alternative education department. Once becoming a part of the administration, Suffety always strove to help students and teachers in any way possible. “His ability to form relationships and help those he works with is an example for every administrator to follow,” said Salem Assistant Principal Jay Blaylock. Suffety grew up in Dearborn. After graduating from Fordson, Suffety went on to complete his undergraduate degree in education at Central Cost: Tickets on sale at lunch from Feb. 22-26, and at the door at the dance for $10 Robotics: Robot Reveal Ceremony Michigan University. He then attended Eastern Michigan University, where he earned his master’s degree in family and child development. In his early years in the district, Suffety watched other staff members teach. This prepared him for a long, enjoyable and knowledgeable tenure as an educator. As Suffety said, “Once you have been somewhere for a long period of time, you don’t only develop professional growth, but you develop a lot of personal growth as well.” Gregory Anglin, an assistant principal at Salem, said, “Mr. Suffety was without question committed to improving the lives of young people. His compassion for students and his colleagues will be remembered by all who had the opportunity to know him. He is truly an inspirational educator and person. Mr. Suffety will be sincerely missed at the Park.” Even though Suffety is retiring, he still plans on playing an active role in the community. He looks to advocate for students and teachers. With all the change that has occurred in the district over the years, Suffety believes there has been one major consistency: “There is a lot of great learning that is occurring in the classroom.” Suffety said, “I look forward to continuing to be active because I do a lot of things that have to do with race and equity.” Suffety also looks forward to spending time with his three granddaughters. In the summer, Suffety cannot wait to get on his boat. He enjoys relaxing on the water, reading, spending time with friends and family, and eating good food. Where: Canton Little Theater When: Feb. 22 Cost: Free Interact Club hosts Peace Summit When: Feb. 27 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Canton Cafeteria What; A service event to make blankets and collect canned goods and winter clothes. Park Players presents “Nice Work If You Can Get It” When: March 11, 12, 18 and 19 starting at 7 p.m. Where: Salem Photos courtesy of P-CEP yearbook SALON Bella Vi cation strategies jamesandrewgroup location strategies • info@jamesandrewgroup.com Mention this ad and get 20% off your service 734.667.5701 635 S Main Plymouth, MI 48170 SalonBellaVi@gmail. com www.SalonBellaVi.com News The Perspective - February 12, 2016 A4 Editorial Application fees box out low-income students by Lena Bobo Features Editor It is around that time of year where most seniors at the Park are either finishing up the last of their college applications or hearing back from the colleges that they have already applied to; with that being said, I want to discuss a topic that I have always been a bit wary about, college application fees. To me, college application fees are just a way for colleges to gain more revenue and it is unfair to the students that are applying. You are paying just to be considered for admissions; if you are not accepted, that is just money down the drain. Some students cannot by Maddy Staff Writer Hanton afford the $50+ application fees and sometimes the process of getting your fees waived can be a long and drawn out one. Along with this, some schools may not accept your request for a fee waiver if they do not think your family’s income is low enough. Last fall, students paid an average of $41 per application; I think that number is completely outrageous. You are already going to have to pay thousands of dollars for tuition, books, room and board when you attend the school, so why are application fees required for most colleges and universities? Although $41 is the average, some schools like Stanford University have outrageous application fees like $90, the highest recorded fee in 2015. Columbia University and Duke University are just behind with fees of $85. These fees are harmful and can be standing in the way of a student’s education. It is important now more than ever to get an education, and things like large application fees can be stopping a less fortunate student from getting the chance to better the lives of them and their families. Syrian refugees must be welcomed Since March 2011, the beginning of the Syrian civil war, it is estimated by the BBC that over 11 million Syrian civilians have fled their homes. While around 7.6 million of these people were displaced internally, greater than four million are refugees. More than half of those four million refugees are children. According to Amnesty International, only 2.5 percent of these Syrian refugees have been offered places to resettle since the beginning of the crisis. Unfortunately, refugees fleeing their war-torn country and seeking asylum often find even more suffering during their search for a better life. As reported by CNN, many countries have stepped up to help these refugees; Turkey has taken in almost two million people already. Germany has welcomed over 100,000 Syrians since the beginning of the unrest, and is estimated to take in 800,000 more. Other countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Sweden and even Greece, despite its financial troubles, have taken in substantial numbers of refugees. The United States, however, has not been so eager to help. Since 2011, the U.S. has taken in fewer than 2,000 refugees. Following the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, 31 states’ governors, including Michigan’s, announced they want to suspend the admission of refugees entering their states. Their main concern is that terrorists will enter the U.S. posing as refugees. They believe that preventing all Syrians from entering the country is a valid way to prevent future terrorist attacks. This logic is extremely flawed; over the past five years Germany has welcomed thousands of refugees and no terrorist incidents have occurred as a result. A terrorist can be born in any country, including the United States. Preventing all refugees from finding safety in America will not solve the problem of terrorism; it could actually escalate the issue. ISIS fuels itself on the idea that Islam is at war with the West. Denying refugees who pose no legitimate security concern furthers that ideology. This, combined with poor conditions at refugee camps, where hundreds of thousands of refugees are trapped in crowded, unclean environments with nowhere to go, could encourage feelings of anger and hostility toward the U.S. because they may feel their suffering is being ignored. These feelings aid terrorist organizations in recruiting new members. The real solution to combating these organizations can be found not in ostracizing their victims, but in combating the ideals they use to gain support. The idea that we must look after our own people’s safety before those of other countries, is somewhat perplexing. This “us over them” outlook infers that there is an inherent difference between people living here in the U.S. and people living in Syria, or anywhere else for that matter. The only thing separating us from them is man-made MAILING ADDRESS 8400 North Beck Road Canton, MI 48187 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Emmanuel Jones, Miriam Sponsler, Ashley Hegener (Online) MANAGING EDITOR NEWS Genevieve St. Jean and Hannah Saad MANAGING EDITOR OPINION Benjamin Henderson MANAGING EDITORS FEATURES Lena Bobo, Allison Pascalo MANAGING EDITORS SPORTS Michael Adzima, Liz Perry, Chris Robbins COPY EDITORS Michael Adzima, Jordan Anheuser, Kylie Cardenas, Jonathan DeClaire, Hannah Saad REPORTERS Michael Adzima, Jordan Anheuser, Lena Bobo, Kylie Cardenas, Jonathan DeClaire, Lauren Flynn, Victoria Hall, Claire Heise, Adam Hastings, Ashley Hegener, Benjamin Henderson, Amanda Hoehn, Emmanuel Jones, Alec Middleton, Janet Nava, Amy O’Brien, Allison Pascalo, Liz Perry, Natasha Pietruschka, Chris Robbins, Hannah Saad, Ally Schwinke, Miriam Sponsler, Genevieve St. Jean, Hamoudy Turfe BUSINESS MANAGER Victoria Hall ART DIRECTOR Natasha Pietruschka DESIGN TEAM Jordan Anheuser, Victoria Hall, Allison Pascalo, Liz Perry GRAPHIC DESIGN David Wang PHOTO EDITOR Lauren Flynn PHOTOGRAPHERS Maddy Hanton, Alec Middleton, Ally Schwinke CIRCULATION MANAGERS Amanda Hoehn, Hamoudy Turfe ADVISER Leola Floren Gee Mission Statement: The goal of the P-CEP Perspective is to inform readers regarding issues and events that affect them. The Perspective is a limited purpose public forum, allowing students to express their ideas and opinions in accordance with Plymouth-Canton Community Schools’ board policy. Student journalists may address matters of concern and/or interest to their readers, and they have the right to determine content. We encourage readers to voice opinions by writing letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit letters for grammar, style, length and content as deemed necessary. Corrections: We will make every attempt to publish corrections in the issue following publication of erroneous materials. Corrections will include but are not limited to misidentified individuals in photographs and errors of fact. Please report errors to pcepperspective@pccsk12.com and write “correction” in the subject line. boundaries; we are all human. By refraining from accepting refugees because we fear terrorists may enter as well, we prioritize a hypothetical situation where many people’s safety is threatened, over a real one. If America was experiencing the violence, oppression, poverty and overall suffering taking place in Syria, we would expect our fellow nations to aid us in escaping and recovering; why shouldn’t we do the same for Syria? Considering all refugees to be potential terrorists has created dangerous and blatant Islamophobia in our country. There are Americans who do bad things. There are Syrians who do bad things. Where a person is from will not affect how good of a person they are; blocking displaced civilians, who are fleeing the very organizations that Americans fear, will not prevent terrorist attacks. Many who are opposed to admitting refugees argue that their presence will not benefit the American economy. While others fear that the price of housing Syrian refugees will come out of their wallets; this is not the case. Allowing individual Americans and charities to sponsor refugees without any quota would allow for them to enter the country without costing taxpayers money. Refugees aren’t looking to receive “handouts” from the government; they are looking for safety and security. Refugees are not terrorists; they are people. By refusing to accept refugees into our country, we are not taking a neutral stance. By creating policies that prevent civilians from escaping dangerous and violent conditions, we are just as bad as their oppressors. Blocking people escaping war-torn countries from finding refuge in the U.S. makes our government just as responsible for their oftentragic fates as the governments they are fleeing. A5 The Perspective - February 12, 2016 Opinion Star Point Counterpoint Wars The good, the bad and the ugly: what Park students think of the new movie by Alec Middleton Staff Writer by Jonathan Copy Editor A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away, “Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens” was released on a planet known as Earth. My love for the series continues as the release of this new movie has stormed its way into my heart. Everything from the special effects, acting and story arc, to the villains, original three characters and heroes are well done and give fans a sigh of relief as the series returns to its original form after the poorly received prequels. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are cast as the two new heroes in the trilogy. Ridley plays Rey, an orphaned scavenger living on the desert planet Jakku, while Boyega plays a storm trooper named Finn who leaves The First Order after he witnesses the slaughtering of innocent people. Virtually unknown before the film, Ridley and Boyega provide a fresh atmosphere to the expanded universe because they give raw emotion and have on-air chemistry like Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford had back in the original trilogy. The prequels were panned by critics for many reasons including the poor acting and choppy dialogue, most notably directed towards Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” took the criticism and made a complete 180. All the new actors rose to the occasion knowing they would have to impress the loyal Star Wars fan base. Additionally, the special effects are extraordinary compared to the CGI mess that plagued the prequels. The director, J.J Abrams, expressed the idea of “returning to form” meaning that The Force Awakens would be nostalgic to original fans. Also, Abrams wanted to dwindle down on any unnecessary CGI and make the film more like it would be if it were released in the 1970s. With that in mind, J.J Abrams did just that as most of the alien creatures had handmade costumes rather than being computer animated. It’s no secret that nearly every movie today has CGI incorporated in it, so seeing a movie released in 2015 with less CGI is extraordinary. It’s hard to imagine a villain more diabolical than Darth Vader. Back in the original trilogy, Darth Vader became the staple for many movie villains to follow because of how evil he was. Despite this, in The Force Awakens, the new villain, Kylo Ren, is equally as evil and maybe even more so. Ren has trouble dealing with his emotions as seen throughout the entire movie with him flinging his light saber around destroying random things, raging to Supreme Leader Snoke about Rey and Finn, and killing Han Solo. Back in the day, Darth Vader did some very crazy stuff like telling Luke he was his father, cutting off Luke’s hand and throwing the emperor down an endless pit, but in my opinion Kylo Ren killing his father, Han Solo, tops everything. Not only was it shocking to see arguably the most beloved hero die, but Darth Vader never really did anything that could match what Ren did in this movie. Finally, having the original trio of heroes back together on one screen was a marvelous treat for the fans. Hamill, Fisher and Ford pick up right where they left off back in 1983 with their respective roles. Although Hamill’s role as Luke was minimal, his five minutes of glory were amazing. I can’t forget about Han and Leia either because they were electric throughout the movie. First, let’s recap what the couple has been up to in the last 30 years. Han and Leia have been separate for many years because of what happened with their son, Kylo Ren. The second they locked eyes and the classic love music played everyone knew how sentimental this was. What I liked the most in this movie was that their chemistry together was impeccable. They still showed passion, but with the classic wittiness that was present in the originals. With a 93 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, record breaking box office sales and hype from fans everywhere, it’s no secret that Star Wars: Episode VII may be the greatest movie in the entire franchise and maybe the greatest movie of all time, too. Declaire I’ve been a fan of the Star Wars franchise since I was four. I have watched every movie, even the Christmas special with its horrifying acting and plot which included Carrie Fisher singing while being high on drugs. I’ve also delved into a lot of the expanded universe concerning the franchise. In my opinion the newest movie was great; not as good as the original trilogy but definitely better than the prequels. However the movie wasn’t without its problems. In the first 30 minutes of the film one of Finn’s friends was killed by a blaster bolt in the attack on the village. Finn holds his comrade’s dying body in his arms before the soldier wiped some blood on Finn’s helmet. The problem with this moment is that Star Wars blasters don’t cause people to bleed. A blaster shoots ionized particles that punch through people and cauterizes the wound, preventing bleeding, and yet his friend managed to wipe blood from his hand that was on the wound on Finn’s helmet. Another problem I had was with the escape from the First Orders battleship. When Finn and Poe Dameron escape in a stolen starfighter, they crash land and Finn ejects; but where did Poe go? He knew that his droid companion was on the planet and had information that was vital to the Resistance and yet he left to find a way back to the Resistance without searching for the droid and left his jacket at the crash. He didn’t care about the Resistance, his droid, his jacket, or even the guy who had helped him escape. This shows he is a jerk of a friend or is a big plot hole in the story. Towards the end of the movie Kylo Ren had revealed to Rey that she is able to use The Force. Rey had no prior experience with The Force and didn’t know she had it and yet she was able to force mind trick a storm trooper only a few hours later and was already doing some pretty advanced stuff with it. Luke in the original trilogy had learned of his ability to use The Force in the first movie, but he also wasn’t able to manipulate it to the level that Rey was doing even during the second movie which was set three years after the first movie. The lightsaber duel at the end of the movie was really annoying to a lot of fans - especially me. Rey has never had any training with a lightsaber and yet after Finn is wounded by Kylo’s lightsaber she summons the lightsaber Finn is wielding and proceeds to beat Kylo. Kylo, who had supposedly been trained, is beaten by someone who you could barely call a novice. I know that some will say, “But The Force was with her.” If that’s the case then why in “Empire Strikes Back” did Darth Vader beat Luke so easily? Or how about the duel between the Sidious and Yoda in “Revenge of the Sith” - how did Yoda lose? Was The Force not with Luke when he fought his father or when Yoda attempted to defeat Darth Sidious? It doesn’t make sense. The worst thing about the movie, but is still good in a nostalgic way, is the entire plot line. J.J. Abrams said he wanted to bring back the Star Wars we all knew and loved. He definitely delivered but not the way most of us had thought. If you take away all the details, character names and locations, what you’re left with is the bare plot line. Do the same thing with the first movie and it’s the same plot line. The amount of ingenuity put in is not very impressive when you have seen the same plot line used once before. I’m not intentionally bashing the movie out of spite. I loved the movie and was ecstatic that the Star Wars universe has returned. I only do this in hope that the movies don’t turn into massive flops or even just a rehash of the original trilogy. Remembering the Holocaust: 2016 by Ben Henderson Opinion Editor If you look back far enough into your family history, chances are you will find an ancestor of yours who did something amazing. In my case, I don’t have to look very far. My 89-year-old greatgrandfather Gary Lenzner managed to survive the holocaust while living as a Jew in Germany. He spent the first few years on the streets of Berlin, and when the SS finally caught up to him, he was sent by cattle car to the infamous Auschwitz. Over the next few years he was sorted from work camp to work camp, eventually moving to Buchenwald, until eventually, with the allies growing ever near, the occupants of his camp were taken on a death march from which he escaped. This is, of course, fantastically abbreviated. I will spare the gory details, as here I do not wish to discuss either the tremendous cruelty the Germans showed themselves capable of or the amazing resilience of my great-grandfather and his fellow survivors. What I do wish to discuss is how the memory of the holocaust should be treated today. International Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on Jan. 27 of every year, to commemorate the same date that, in 1945, the Soviet Army liberated Auschwitz. In the United States it is an event that remains largely overlooked. While the slogan “Never again” decorates our murals, our memorials and our rosy, unburdened and forgetful consciences, all the while our society continues to perpetuate the same mistakes that led to those unspeakable years in Europe. And as the actual memory of the events of the holocaust is buried, Americans distort the memory to fit their twisted narratives, spurring on massacre after massacre in the name of American freedom. Whether in Iraq or Israel, the memory is perverted over and over as our imperialist nation seeks justification for acts that should be unjustifiable. My message is this: leave the memory alone. What happened in those camps, on those streets and in those fields did not happen to you or your people, it happened to the Jews. The memory is not yours to use in your endless analogies or your interventionist rhetoric. Not yours to criticize our president or protest minor taxes. Six million bodies lay strewn across Europe, they are not the bodies of martyrs. They are the bodies of those who were murdered in the same spirit of reckless militarism that you seek to use their memory to propagate today. Using the holocaust to score cheap political points is disrespectful to its victims and the families of its survivors. Private school teams should compete in different state playoffs by Hannah News Editor Saad During state playoffs, no public school looks forward to playing private schools. Whenever schools like Catholic Central or Mercy come up on the Park teams’ schedules, the teams get intimidated. While they try and play hard against these teams, it’s often to no avail. This is because private school teams are very talented. Private schools can, theoretically, get any athlete from any area to come to their school, yet they still compete in the same state playoffs as public schools. If private schools have a different system for creating sports teams then they should also compete in different state playoffs. Public schools can only get students from inside of the school district. At the Park, students can only play sports at the school they are assigned to; an athlete can’t decide that one school has the best team and choose to play there. Private schools, on the other hand, can take whoever will pay the tuition to go there. Athletes can decide that private schools have good teams and they can choose to attend whatever private school they desire. Sometimes, alumni from the school can try and convince students that they would be a good fit on a sports team and would be better there than at a public school. This gives the private schools a wider range of athletes to choose from, and, therefore, a wider talent pool. Coaching is also handled differently. At public schools, the coaches are often teachers who work in the district or in a nearby district. Teachers who coach earn an extra bonus to their salaries. However, at private schools, they are more likely than public schools to get coaches who aren’t teachers and who have a good record of coaching the sport. Normally state playoffs are meant to pit equal level teams against each other and let each team be eliminated until the best team is left standing. But if the teams have different calibers of talent, then it is not fair for the public schools to have to play teams that have more control of which talented players come into their programs. A team that can almost completely design their perfect team is bound to win more than the kids who end up going to the same school because they live in the same city. For example, in boys hockey, Detroit Catholic Central has won nine state championships in Division I since 2000 and has been runner-up twice. In contrast, public schools have won five of those state championships in the past 15 years. Public schools are already divided by the population of the school, so it wouldn’t be a big hindrance to take out the private schools and have them form their own state playoffs. Separating state playoffs won’t completely eliminate games and matches between public and private schools; however, it would give public schools a fair chance to prove that they have talented athletes too. The Perspective - February 12, 2016 A6 Features February Fashion Accessories can spice up an outfit by Miriam Sponsler Editor-in-Chief If you still want to look nice and stylish without breaking the bank, there are little things you can do to spice up your look. Nail polish: You don’t have to go to the salon and get a French manicure to do this. Painting your nails can brighten your outfit and even your mood. There are hundreds of colors to choose from, whether you want a subtle cream or neon green, there’s something out there for you. “Even if I’m just wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, I feel better if my nails are painted to match my outfit,” said Lauren Keyes, Canton senior. Scarves: Scarves are the perfect thing to add to your look, especially during the cold months of winter. They go great with dresses, sweaters, and even t-shirts. A solid colored scarf works well with patterned clothing, and patterned scarves for solid colored shirts. Alexis Berent, a senior at Salem, said, “Scarves are fun! I can wear them with almost anything.” For more February fashion check out the Perspective website at the-perspective.tk We make math make sense. Does your child struggle with Math? Or is she bored because the work is too easy? At Mathnasium, we believe that every child has the ability to be successful in math-it’s a matter of teaching in a way that makes sense to them. When math makes sense, kids excel-whether they’re far behind or eager to get ahead. Our experienced math instructors utilize our proprietary teaching materials and techniques, The Mathnasium Method™, to deliver a customized learning plan designed to address each student’s needs. Our instructional approach goes beyond traditional math tutoring to develop understanding and build a love for math. We also help with homework and test preparation. 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THE PERSPECTIVE - Friday, February 12, 2016 SPORTS B1 Log on to www.the-perspective.tk for more sports stories Quick Hits: Boys Varsity Basketball: Canton: Tonight 7:30 p.m. @Plymouth High School Salem: Tonight 7 p.m. @Livonia Stevenson High School Girls Varsity Basketball: Canton: Tonight 6 p.m. @Plymouth High School Salem: Tonight 7 p.m. vs. Livonia Stevenson High School Boys Varsity Hockey: Canton:Tonight 6:30 p.m. vs. Lakeland High School Plymouth: Tonight 6 p.m. @Flint Powers High school Salem: 12/24 7:30 p.m. @Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Girls Varsity Hockey: PCS Penguins: Tonight 8:30 p.m. vs. Northville High School Illustration by David Wang Editor’s note: Perspective Picks represents what the newspaper staff considers to be the ideal Park team. If all three schools could combine forces - the best of the best - what would that team look like? The goal is to pick an “All Star” winter sports team from the Park that would have the best chance to win, with positions and events in mind. See online edition for complete rosters. Buy One Open Skate Pass & Get One... FREE open skate pass* Present this coupon to the front desk to redeem your *No photo copies accepted PUBLIC SKATE Friday: Saturday: Saturday (Nov-Mar): Sunday: Arctic Edge Canton 7-9pm 1-3 pm 8-10pm 4-6pm www.arcticarenas.com 46615 Michigan Avenue Canton, MI 48188 734-487-7777 Times subject to change PCS Skate Rentals Available Learn to Skate Learn to Play Hockey Youth, House, Travel Hockey Figure Skating RSPI Adult Leagues Great Lakes Baseball Academy OrthoSport Physical Therapy Public Open Skates Special Events Birthday Parties Fundraising Opportunities Barwis Methods Training Declan’s Concessions Skatez Pro Shop Home of the 2010 Olympic Ice Dancers Gold Medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir Silver Medalists @arctic_edge Meryl Davis and Charlie White 46615 Michigan Avenue · Canton, MI 48188 · Ph: (734) 487-777 /arcticedgecanton The Perspective - February 12, 2016 B2 Sports Player Profiles: A closer look at P-CEP’s athletes Zoe Talley: Cole Malhoit: How long have you been playing this sport? How long have you been playing this sport? Salem senior baller Canton senior swim captain I’ve been hooping since I was about six years old, but I was born a baller. I’ve been swimming competitively since the seventh grade. I joined a club swim team after freshman year in high school. How did you become interested in your sport? How did you become interested in your sport? In the early 2000’s, Detroit basketball was at a peakboth the Pistons and the Shock won national championships. I fell in love with basketball watching those two teams, and how the players moved with such agility and finesse. On top of that, being one of the few girls out of all of the cousins on my dad’s side, my guy-cousins were eager to make me and my sister basketball players. I would say that they were pretty successful. I started swimming in middle school. I had always been decent at swimming due to swimming at my lake up north. I had a lot of friends who were joining the team and they convinced me to join as well. It was an amazing first season and I just never stopped swimming. Novi High School. When was your best performance? What school is your biggest rival? What school is your biggest rival? Plymouth High School. When was your best performance? Last year I helped our team qualify for states in the 400 Freestyle Relay. I was super pumped for the race because I had just PR’d in the 100 backstroke. We were the underdogs at Conferences and it was amazing that I was able to swim fast enough for our relay to be that competitive. My best performance was probably my sophomore year, in a double OT win against Divine Child on their court. After a mostly low-energy game, something happened to us mentally and we went off. I remember having 20 points, and hitting some crucial free throws to keep us in the game. Yet the reason I remember that game most is because it marked the beginning of an iconic alliance between (fellow seniors) Marisa Martin, Leah Moss, and myself-- aka The Trinity. How does playing this sport make you feel? Swimming makes me feel satisfied. This satisfaction comes from enduring a hard practice or dropping time in an event at meets. Swim also makes me feel calm. I am able to be with my friends and receive an intense workout. How does playing this sport make you feel? Playing basketball makes me feel free. Whether it’s getting a fast break play from a steal, or blocking someone down low. Every time I step on the court, I have the ability to release myself from life’s many stresses. When I play, I am exempt from responsibility and all of my focus can be on the plays ahead of me. Do you like being a member of your team? How does it make you feel? Photo courtesy of Zoe Talley As a team, even though we have our disagreements on the court as soon as we step off we are Do you like being a member of your back laughing together. We really are a family. Being a part of the Salem Girls Basketball proteam? How does it make you feel? gram feels like we are a part of a larger legacy. I transferred to the Park as a sophomore, and it was the team that became my first group of good friends. Looking up at all of those titles, and even being I love being a Rock, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be able to put up some of our own last year. placed at any other school. My view on sports by Emmanuel Editor-in-Chief Jones Cheerleading is a sport Over the summer I made a vow to myself. Since it is my senior year and my last chance to attend a bunch of high school sports games until I’m a parent, I, Emmanuel Jones, made a commitment to go to every high school in the KLAA and decided to go to at least one Plymouth game or event in every sport. This has, to my surprise, been a very fun experience and I have often found myself enjoying sports I have never watched before. For example, I sat in the stands of a Plymouth volleyball game versus Canton and said to myself, “Wow, this is one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen in sports.” It was because of that game that I decided to give every sport a chance, including cheer. It was January when I went to my first competitive cheer meet and at the end of that event, I understood. I fully understood the anger I see when someone tells a cheerleader that their talent isn’t a sport. I have had arguments in the past with several Plymouth competitive cheerleaders about how their “hobby” isn’t a legit sport, but I have to give cheer credit. All of the movements and flips they do are actually very dangerous and take hours and hours to practice. Since I have a newfound respect for cheer, I need to take the time to apologize to a particular cheerleader. I made a statement about how “a cheerleader breaks her ankles every year” in my last My View on Sports but I can’t even talk because I would really break my ankles if I did what she did every day at practice. Sorry, Melissa. Why is the sport that we consider not a sport actually one of the harder things to do? The accuracy of every spot, the coordination of every move that day was spot on and every girl involved (the flyers, bases and even the spotters) trusted, focused, and were brave and strong. All of this perfection takes the utmost technique. Cheer is actually a combination of two other sports; the motions and music portions of a cheerleading routine originate from dance and the flexibility and tumbling originate from gymnastics. Both gymnastics and dance are considered sports, so why shouldn’t cheer be? Cheerleaders have incredible strength. Hitting motions, tumbling across that huge mat, and lifting girls into the air looks easy but I assure you it isn’t. It takes a lot of strength and endurance. In fact, both sideline and competitive cheerleaders need to go through conditioning before every season. Cheer is totally different than football and basketball, we all know that, but according to The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, cheerleading is not a sport but is in a new, developing category called “athletic activity”. This group can include dance, drill teams, and marching bands, all of which share the special balance between school spirit functions and athletic competitions. I believe that they are wrong; I believe that cheer should be considered a sport. Most states agree with me. States are now officially recognizing cheerleaders as “student athletes,” which provides opportunities for academic honor and the respect that football and basketball players get. State activities and athletic associations are working together with state cheerleading coaches associations to provide training facilities that ensure safety. With cheer going unrecognized as a sport in our school, the cheer team is forced to pay for things out of pocket. Cheerleading has evolved from being an activity where members were selected just based on their popularity to one that now that has some of the more talented athletes and performers at P-CEP. Cheerleading involves skills that require the strength of a contact sport, the grace and timing of dance, the agility and endurance of gymnastics and the hand-eye coordination of hockey. All of this evidence and we are still iffy about the validity of this sport? Sounds like a sport to me, but that’s just my view. All of the people I have met through Canton Photo courtesy of Cole Malhoit Swim have positively influenced my Everyone has individual goals coming into the season and we all assist each other in accomplishing those goals. We It has been a honor to be part of the Canton Men’s push each other hard every single day in practice, Swim and Dive Team. life. We are a very large fambringing the intensity at all times. It’s amazing to ily. see every guy develop as swimmers and people throughout the season. I know some of these guys will be my friends for the rest of my life. Chiefs dominate Cats in basketball double-header by Chris Robbins Sports-Editor The Canton Chiefs and Plymouth Wildcats met in a conference rivalry game on Friday night where the Chiefs would come out on top in both games at home. Canton took early leads in both games, in large part due to Brianna Finn on the girl’s team and Logan Ryan on the guys’ squad. Plymouth tried to come back, with strong efforts coming from leading point scorers Brent Davis and Hannah Badger, however Canton got strong play from other key players including Madison Wolfbauer and B. Artis White to secure the victory in both games. Canton defeated Plymouth in the girl’s game, the first game of the night, by a score of 31-19. Canton was lead by Finn, Wolfbauer, Erin Hult and Natalie Winters, while Plymouth was lead mostly by Badger as well as Cassidy Lewis. Canton improved to a 9-2 record, putting them at the top of the division, while Plymouth fell to 3-8 as a result, dropping them down to fourth in the division. “I think Plymouth is a good team, but we will be prepared for them next game.” Winters, a senior on Canton said. “Our whole team came in and ran them down the court. We all contributed in different ways to help our team win,” she would add. “There’s nothing like playing in Canton. It’s definitely a great place to play, and both sides’ fans were very passionate. We were lacking in rebounding and transition defense, but we are going to pick it up in practice and hopefully give them another close game.” She also said that her matchup against Erin Hult went well for her, despite getting caught in transition. Hult, a Canton senior, said, “I’m definitely looking forward to playing in Plymouth. It should be another great game.” She also commented on the matchup with Lewis saying “I think it was intentional but the rest of the team stepped up even though I wasn’t scoring a lot.” In the boy’s game, Canton once again came out on top by a score of 61-45 over the Wildcats at home. Canton had clutch performances from se- niors Ryan, Obi Okoli, Hamoudy Turfe and freshman White. Plymouth was lead by senior Davis, who put up a game high of 20 against the Chiefs. Canton continued an impressive season-long win streak, getting up to 11-0 on the year, while Plymouth dropped to 5-6 on the season overall. Ryan said, “There was a lot of passion. Playing an inter-park game is always tough.” He added, “I don’t think we stopped Davis tonight. He got as money as far as we are concerned.” Stopping Davis is definitely something Canton will have to do better in the conference finale to beat Plymouth once again. Davis himself said, “The key to Canton winning tonight was that we weren’t prepared on defense. We are hoping to repeat last year when we lost to them the first two, but beat them the next two times we played them.” He also added that players were getting rushed on defense, and emphasized that defensive lapses is ultimately what caused the loss. Mike Soukoup, Plymouth’s head coach said, “You either win or you learn, and today was a learn for us. We just have to try and beat the people we beat before the second time around.” He also mentioned strong play by senior Julian Ledoux and sophomore Tariq Woody as positives from the game for Plymouth. Canton coach Jimmy Reddy said, “We tried to speed the game up early so we could create some early offense, and we did. We had a lot of first half points. We shot it well, we were sharing it well, and it led to a really good first half.” He also said that Plymouth fought hard, but his competitive group “answered the bell multiple times.” Canton took early leads in both games, in large part due to Finn on the girl’s team and Ryan on the guys’ squad. Plymouth tried to come back, with strong efforts coming from leading point scorers Davis and Badger, however Canton got strong play from other key players including Wolfbauer and White to secure the victory in both games. Check us out online at www.the-perspective.tk The Perspective - February 12, 2016 B3 Sports Plymouth Wildcats crush Salem Rocks by Janet Nava Staff Writer Photos by Hannah Saad Hearing the cheers of the crowd, the smack of the puck and feeling the chill in the air; Plymouth’s hockey season is in full swing after a big win against Park rival Salem. Plymouth won 6-2 in the Saturday night game, leading them to a second consecutive Lash Cup title. “The win was huge for us. We had been in a slump for the past few games and it’s going to be the turning point for our season. Our focus now falls on making a run for states,” said sophomore center Josh Weber. With the Lash Cup in the balance and Plymouth’s second chance of winning it, the opportunity was not passed up. The Lash Cup is the Park Championship for hockey; it goes to the team with the best record against other P-CEP schools. “I think that’s what motivated us to win this game specifically; we couldn’t miss the chance to lose the Lash Cup,” Weber said. “So winning by such a big gap felt good and gave us more confidence as a team; but all that matters is that we came out on top.” Another motivation, as told by junior right wing Alex Chartrand, was the previous loss the night before against Churchill. Chartrand scored the fourth goal of the night against Salem, helping lead the Wildcats to their win. “With the loss on Friday, we needed this to be our best game and not lose the Lash Cup. It was nice to win by a comfortable margin, but it was still a tough game overall,” Chartrand said. “It was an amazing feeling to score in such a big game with such a loud crowd; the goal was a full line effort thanks to the perfect pass by senior center Ryan Radwan.” All the good news for Plymouth came with Salem suffering a loss. Having players still injured caused the team to not be as focused while playing against Plymouth. “We didn’t play very good; we started off pretty strong but then by the end things just did not go in our favor. We knew we could’ve played a lot better, it didn’t seem that our team had it that day,” said senior forward Evan Newel. “We still have a few key players out which affected us during the game and when we get those guys back we’ll definitely have a better and stronger team,” Newel said. Looking forward to the next games for Salem, the team hopes to catch up and win more games. “We now know that we have to come prepared to every game and can’t take every game lightly; by losing 6-2 to Plymouth, we now know that next time we’ll be more prepared,” said Newel. “This game won’t affect us if we end up playing Plymouth in the playoffs; it just kind of shows that we have to really play our best against Plymouth in order to beat them. But first we have to go through Canton, so let’s see how it goes,” said Newel. Above Story: Plymouth forward Colton Borke carries the puck up the ice, with Salem forward Colin Goleniak in pursuit. Top left: Salem forward Shawn Weldon takes a faceoff against a Plymouth center. Top right: Salem forward Nathan Homrich attempts to take the puck from Plymouth defender Zach Gallaher. Middle left: Plymouth forward Josh Weber prepares to hit Salem forward Jake Saunders. Middle Right: Plymouth forward Jake Silvester skates past Salem defender Marty Mills. Bottom: Salem forward Matt Schaumburger skates the puck up the ice, with Kyle Kozler (2) and James Baldwin WANTED: ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, SCIENTISTS, AND VISIONARIES. Lawrence Technological University isn’t for just anyone. We want the future designers, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs who will create the innovations of tomorrow. If you believe that everything is possible, and that possible is everything, we want you at LTU. Check out our Students’ View of LTU video at www.ltu.edu/svv. Ready to apply now? Visit ltu.edu/applyfree. POSSIBLE IS EVERYTHING. Architecture and Design | Arts and Sciences | Engineering | Management Lawrence Technological University | Office of Admissions 21000 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075-1058 | 800.225.5588 | admissions@ltu.edu | www.ltu.edu The Perspective - February 12, 2016 B4 Features Love Your Health: by Kylie Cardenas Staff Writer Benefits of weight training Something that works wonders for almost every type of person is the power of weight training. Yes, I said weight training, as in lifting and squatting actual weight and all those things you normally hear football and wrestling guys talk about. But it has great benefits for people of all shapes, sizes, sports preferences and genders. It has some amazing benefits that go far beyond simply gaining strength. Weight training, even just two or three times a week, can help you to lose or gain weight depending on what your goals are. More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat, so lifting weights can boost your metabolism up to 15 percent. But if you are someone who is naturally very thin and wants to gain weight, building muscle will help you to do that. Girls shouldn’t worry about looking like bodybuilders, though, because building huge muscles is intentional. It takes a lot of hard work and a whole lot more food than an average person consumes. Lifting weights and eating a healthy diet will simply keep you toned and lean. Lifting weights makes you mentally stronger. With any type of exercise, whether it is running, biking, cross fit or a simple abdominal workout, change and improvement come from working hard and pushing yourself. The same applies to weightlifting. Staying in your comfort zone won’t do too much, but upping the weight to challenge yourself and continuing to push through even when your mind is telling you to quit is what makes both physical and mental change. If you are able to keep in mind why you started and can make that decision that the end point is worth the temporary struggle, you will likely be able to use this same mindset when challenging times fall before you. Weight training can help you to be better at your sport. Even if the movements you do in your sport are nothing like what you do in the gym, having a good base of strength will help you to increase endur- ance, speed and power. Lifting can also fix muscular imbalances caused by sports, therefore helping to avoid injury. The use of your stabilizer muscles while lifting can also help to improve your balance. Sometimes starting can be the hardest part. For girls especially, it can be intimidating to walk into the free weights section for the first time, but nobody will judge you. Guys shouldn’t worry about starting with low weights either because it can take months to years to build up strength. Everyone starts somewhere. Just be sure to watch YouTube videos on weightlifting or ask a friend or parent to show you proper form. A few other key things to remember if you ever decide to take up weight training are to take plenty of rest between sets and exercises, don’t rush through the movements, and try to find a breathing pattern that is in sync with your movements. Scholar-tips to help juniors and seniors at P-CEP by Genevieve St. Jean News Editor As spring nears, one thing dominates the mind of seniors and some juniors; college. For juniors, the excitement is just beginning as they think of the prospects of new schools and the many college tours. For seniors, most have heard back from colleges and are dreaming of themselves dressed in their favorite school’s garb. However, one thing puts damper on all the excitement: money. Katja Nuler, Canton senior, said, “Even with scholarships, [college] is still very expensive, especially since I am looking at private schools. It will decide which school I go to.” College comes at a hefty price; the price to go to Michigan State comes in at a grand total after tuition, room and board and other fees at a whopping average of $23,136 for in-state students. For those who want to travel out of state, many have experienced the sticker shock of trying to get a good education. According to CollegeBoard.com, the average out-of-state tuition, room and board cost is $34,031. As this price on education continues to skyrocket, the question is how to combat the price in order not to pay a small fortune. To students like Amelia Beson, Plymouth senior, the scholarship search and cost of college seems “a little stressful,” but there are resources everywhere to assist students in their quest for financial aid. First, make sure that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA is complete. This opens doors for grants, work studies, student loans and other opportunities to help afford college. Leslie Anderson, Plymouth counselor, said, “Fill out the FAFSA!! No matter how much money your family brings in, fill it out!” Next, search for scholarships. Make sure to find and apply for scholarships within specific colleges and universities. The counselors can help out a ton. The website under the counselor tab on the school website has a page full of scholarships which are also available in the counseling office. Some of the eligibility guidelines are very specific, but others are very broad, so everyone can find something to apply for. On top of the counselors being a resource for getting scholarships, they can give great advice about college and money. Barbara Lehmann, Canton counselor, gave a tip: “The local scholarships are the most popular and a senior at the Park has the best odds of winning but never assume that a national scholarship isn’t good due to competition. We have had kids win big scholarships because of their success and efforts over the last three years.” Anderson suggests, “Keep an open mind to all scholarships, even the small ones. $250 here and then a $250 there can add up quickly.” A number of tools exist to aid the search. There is a website called CollegeBoard, and while it is good for AP tests and SAT preparation, it helps to find scholarships and give tips on everything college. Just make an account; it’s free. Another resource, Scholly: Scholarship Search costs $3 but pays itself back in a couple of days. Michelle Brunsch, Salem counselor, recommends creating a free profile on fastweb.com, a website dedicated to providing scholarships. If applying to all these individual scholarships seems daunting, only apply to the ones that make sense and do not be afraid to reuse or reconfigure essays. It is usually simple to tweak an essay to fit the prompt. Or just spend some time coming up with a great essay because 500 words and four hours could pay out $5,000. Lehmann said, “Seniors need to consider scholarship searches like a 7th class. There is always homework to be done and the more time may provide more cash in your pocket. Don’t pay someone to find scholarships; the goal is to get money.” When colleges come back with their financial offers, ask for more money if their offer is not adequate. Asking for money shows a school that the student is serious about going there and the colleges may not want to lose a good applicant. It never hurts to ask; like dating, the worst they can say is no. To all the juniors, do not let money impact where to apply. Also, apply out of state even if the cost is terrifying because if the colleges want an applicant, then they will present scholarship awards. Remember to keep up those grades and test scores as those will open many doors. Brunsch said, “We, as counselors, would suggest seniors stay diligent in their investigations well through the spring.” Photo by Allison Pascalo Students gather at Plymouth’s counseling office seeking assistance from staff. Dr. Martens: the shoe that works for anyone, anywhere by Natasha Art Director Pietruschka Photo by Ashlyn McCann No other shoe brand has declared its place in underground fashion as much as Dr. Martens. The boots were first worn by Britain’s hard working class in the 1960s, since then, they have leaked into the crevices of punk culture. The Dr. Marten has taken on a versatile role, providing comfort and style for millions around the world who wear them. Known for their rich history and quality, Dr. Martens can be worn anywhere, by anyone. “Dr. Martens are classic boots. They give an effortless punk look to anybody, and you can’t go wrong with a pair of black Dr. Martens. Men and women can wear them easily,” said Albi Taipi, Canton senior. Men’s and women’s boots share many of the same styles, including the 1460 boot, the classic that rolled off production lines in the 1960s and defined Dr. Marten’s name. It is undoubtedly the most popular. As for differentiated styles, men’s shoes range from sandals to comfortable dress shoes. Women’s shoes vary from numerous styles of heels to the 1461, which is known for its comfort, durability, as well as being an old-timer. Dr. Marten offers a wide variety of colors and sizes for any fit, but the shoe brand has come a long way from what we see now in department stores. Their journey is one of history and repertoire. According to the Dr. Marten website, in the 1950s, British-born Bill Griggs, the third generation company heir to Griggs footwear, discovered an ad placed by a German duo, looking for partners to sell their new air-cushioned boots. Dr. Klaus Maerten and his university friend, Dr. Herbert Funk, created a unique air-cushioned sole, instead of the regular hard leather soles his generation was used to. The idea was born from an injury: Dr. Maerten had broken his foot on a skiing trip and used the air-cushioned sole to aid his recovery. The duo had begun formal production in 1947, selling mostly to older women, and then later beginning overseas advertisements in 1959. That’s when Griggs met Dr. Maerten and Dr. Funk. From then on, the partnership made history. April 1, 1960 marked the official arrival of the first Dr. Marten boot: eight-holed, “Airwair” yellow tagged, 1460, iconic boot. The shoe was first introduced to the working class. Its air-cushioned sole was a favorite among many of Britain’s blue-collar workers, but after the boot’s debut as a symbol of counterculture by Pete Townsend of The Who, their popularity skyrocketed. Since then, customers have enjoyed the quality and durability that comes with purchasing a Dr. Marten. You get what you pay for; and when you pay for a Dr. Marten you get a high quality shoe. “I love them! They are pricey, but definitely worth it because they last a long time and wear really well,” said Sofia Sytniak, Plymouth senior. The 1460 typically sells for $130, while other styles can be found at $70. Retail stores such as Journey’s sell them at a slightly higher price than online. However, some students find the price unappealing. “I don’t know why anyone would pay that much for a pair of boots,” said Heather Zeigler, Canton junior. Prices depend on the style, size and color. As for the material, the 1460 is made out vegan-friendly synthetic leather. Soles are weather resistant, which creates good traction and protection from outside factors. “I really enjoy my Dr. Martens. They’re very dependable and I always wear them in the winter. I like knowing that I’m able to walk into puddles and not have my feet soaked. They’re a great investment if you’re looking for a reliable boot,” said Ashlyn McCann, Plymouth senior. As for any complaints, McCann said, “the inside sole has fallen out after four years, but I expected that.” Through every splash in a puddle, step in footdeep snow, or skip across sizzling-hot cement, a legacy of history and quality is embodied in every Dr. Marten’s air-cushioned sole. The Perspective - January 22, 2016 B5 Features Humans of P-CEP: Sam McGrath by Miriam Sponsler Editor-in-chief Sam McGrath, Canton senior, is captain of three different sports teams, head of Public Relations for National Honor Society and Canton Congress, a premier soccer referee at the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association, and a participant in multiple other clubs and groups such as Link Crew, Key Club, Girl Scouts and DECA. It seems impossible that any human being would be able to balance all of these activities and still receive straight A’s, but McGrath knows what she has to do to make it possible. “I have a color-coded planner, which I update daily, and an amazing family. I would not be able to participate in all of the activities I do without those two key things along with an abundant supply of extra dark chocolate.” Even as a young child, McGrath always loved getting involved in sports. She’s the captain of the Plymouth Reign Soccer Club, and cocaptain of the Canton track and cross country teams. She also runs for her club track team year round. McGrath has run in the Detroit Free Press Marathon, and went to the Junior Olympics twice, medaling in Iowa her first time and Virginia the second. Though McGrath participates in so many different activities, she says that sports take up most of her time. McGrath has always been a big participant in her community. “I love positively impacting the lives of other people. I believe participating in activities is the perfect opportunity to do just that.” Along with her various sports and clubs, McGrath has also been a part of different groups that have allowed her to help others and grow as a person. She is a part of the Student Leadership Council, which has helped the homeless and housed families in the local community. She also participated in “Borderless,” a stewardship program that taught teenagers about diversity and leadership. Recently, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., the Cherry Hill Village Theater held an art show for students to show work dedicated to him. McGrath entered the art contest and won first place for her art piece, “Hand-in-Hand”. Regardless of the minimal amount of time she has free in her schedule, McGrath always makes time for projects and programs that will make a positive impact on her community. The current service project McGrath is working on is for the “Pas- sion to Action” program. Each participant was required to find something he or she was passionate about, find a way to take action, and get support. McGrath jumped at the opportunity to help the children in Flint after finding out about the Flint water crisis. “I started thinking of ways we could help them. I attached a sign and a water bottle to my backpack and started to collect coins,” she said. McGrath also mentioned the other steps she has taken to help these kids. “So far, we have done a coin collection, water drive, and the next big thing is t-shirts!” McGrath has already begun planning for her life after Canton High School. “I hope to major in business. Currently, I really enjoy marketing.” McGrath has worked in the school store, Chief Connection, for the past two years, and is currently the manager. “Ever since we have gotten the Otis cookies back our sales have really picked up,” she said. Looking to the near future, McGrath has committed to Western Michigan University. “As soon as I stepped foot on Western’s campus, I could picture myself living there for the next four years.” She was accepted into the Haworth College of Business, and is currently a semi-finalist for the Multicultural Leader Diversity Scholarship. McGrath is a prime example of what it takes to be a leader. She is very involved in her school, sports and community. Most importantly, she recognizes the importance of kindness and respect. She shows others that anything is possible if you want it bad enough, and is not afraid to be the first to stand up and help the people that need it the most. “I love bringing people together. I did a survey of what it takes to be a great leader, and the most common response was to inspire others,” she said. “I strive to inspire others because the smile it brings to their face when you share encouragement, advice, or a smile is so heart warming.” Photo Courtesy of Sam McGrath Sam McGrath is ready to take on any challenge that comes her way. Adjusting to a new lifestyle: muscular dystrophy by Allison Pascalo Feature Editor Big sisters play the role of guiding us younger sisters; aiding us in making some serious and some not so serious decisions. Big sisters inspire, motivate, and empower younger siblings to want to be just like them in the future. For myself, no disease is too big to change how I view my older sister. “I always knew something was wrong as you got stronger and I got weaker. It didn’t seem right as I got older, I got weaker.” Sara Pascalo, 19, explains her initial confusions when the symptoms first began to surface. Sara is an older sister, as well as an admiring daughter encasing a loving and accepting attitude towards everyone and everything she comes in contact with. As a child, being picked last for games such as “capture the flag” and “ghost in the graveyard” was not something out of the ordinary. Not excelling with physical fitness wasn’t something her friends and family thought worthy of concern, since not every individual is meant to spend their time in the gym. As Sara grew older, symptoms of weakness were almost too present, but your first action isn’t to immediately assume this girl has Muscular Dystrophy. Most often we assume this girl is just weak, especially due to the fact that she peaked at a height of five feet. These symptoms of weakness were packed away and stored in someone’s back pocket as Sara achieved great things while participating in P-CEP’s marching band, gracefully playing the flute. She found comfort in expressing herself not vocally, but musically while meeting supportive friends along the way. Having a speech impediment often restricted her abilities to fully put herself out there and play the game of life, so being gifted at playing such a harmonizing instrument opened other doors for the student. Once again, hearing the term “speech impediment” doesn’t trigger an alert button that screams Muscular Dystrophy. After successfully graduating from The Park, Sara was more than excited to start a new journey at Eastern Michigan University. The thought of meeting new peers, taking classes targeted more towards her interests, and actually growing up excited her to no end. At this point, friends and family remained unaware of the severity of her condition and chose to handle each situation as it came, instead of putting the pieces together. It wasn’t until a neurologist recognized her actions as Muscular Dystrophy and concluded that she did indeed have a disease, causing the speech impediment, the weakness, and all of the other symptoms that were ignored. A disease like Muscular Dystrophy weakens the muscles in your body as you age. Some children are born with severe symptoms that are easily diagnosed, while others are unaware they have the disease until the symptoms become too complex to ignore. Unfortunately, this disease does not solely target one specific area of the body. It affects the muscles, nervous system, the heart, the gastrointestinal tract, and the eyes, making these systems weaker and more likely to shut down. People with Muscular Dystrophy often need help with simple tasks such as opening water bottles, speaking clearly, eating certain foods, and even sleeping. Many victims find it challenging to perform these everyday routines due to the fact that their muscles are just not strong enough. Finding out that Sara was born with this genetic disease begged another question: which parent passed down the gene? Neither of her parents showed any symptoms close to Muscular Dystrophy, so as you can imagine, her family became very confused. After speaking with physical therapists who aim to strengthen the weakening muscles, her family learned that children, before they are born, have a 50% chance of contracting the disease if one of the parents is either carrying it or actually has it. Now their mission was to figure out which parent was unaware that they had this gene mutation. Finally after months of testing and appointments, Sara’s family produced somewhat of a conclusion. The father, who has two boys from a previous marriage exhibiting symptoms of MD, was the carrier. Finding this information out answered many questions and provided some reassuring answers. “When I found out the reason, instead of feeling distressed or sad, I felt relieved and happy to know what was going on and how to fight it the best I can.” Says Sara after getting the results. Learning that your older sister has Muscular Dystrophy and you don’t was truly a heartbreaking experience. Sara’s whole life would have to be adjusted, adapting and learning her physical limits and what to expect in the future. Of course this requires strength on both ends: herself and her family. There is not enough therapy in the world that can erase not only the physical toll this disease takes on an individual and their loved ones, but the mental toll as well. Her family will stop at nothing to remain living in a positive environment and provide everything Sara needs to reach her full potential as she grows into the beautiful woman she was always meant to be. Photo Courtesy of Denise Pascalo Sara Pascalo (right) sports her band uniform with her younger sister, Allison Pascalo. Listen up: Rihanna and Panic! at the Disco by Ally Schwinke Staff Writer One would think that after releasing eight albums since 2005 that the artist would start sounding the same or that the more albums released the worse they get, but nope, not in Rihanna’s case. That is right, Rihanna has just released her eighth album, ANTI, and to no surprise it has been topping the charts. Rihanna always changes up her sound, but she still maintains the same, great “Rihanna vibe” in all her songs. Her sound has transformed but in a good way. She went from a carefree, go with the flow sound, to an album all about being independent and strong. This album still has a great variety of different sounds to it. From strong, emotional ballads with amazing vocals, to powerful electronic vibe. ANTI has it all, you just have to give it a try. The songs “Love on the Brain” and “Higher” have a strong contemporary-like ballad, with also the presence of a hypnotic sound too. What dominates these songs is Rihanna’s amazing, chilling vocals that take you through a musical journey. “Kiss it Better” and “Needed Me” are the slow, cool, but electronic sounding songs of the album. Both songs are very emotional when you start to really listen. These songs have raw and true lyrics mixed with a dark synth. “Work” is the Rihanna sound that we all know and love. The song has Drake featured in it too and they always collaborate perfectly together. Another album released this past month is Death of a Bachelor by Panic! At the Disco. This is the band’s fifth album release and once again another successful one. This album was made right before lead singer Brandon Urie’s wedding (hence the title of the album). It is about his journey through the end of, obviously, being a bachelor. Most of these songs are very powerful, with an anthem-like vibe. With Urie’s strong vocals, each song on the album is a song to remember. “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time” is my personal favorite on this album. It has a powerful, energetic tune and is really just a great song to jam to for fun. “Victorious” and “Hallelujah” are the anthems of this album. They are a perfect description of what Panic! At The Disco sound is like. With their mixture of rock and alternative, these songs are bound to make you get pumped up. “Impossible Year” is the ending of this album. Brandon Urie’s vocals and the piano take over this song. The song is about the changes that Urie has gone through this year, the biggest one being that the last original band member left the band. The song has very strong lyrics to it and is very personal to Urie’s life. These two albums, ANTI and Death of a Bachelor, are both from respected and well-known musicians, who seem to never disappoint. With both new sounds and throwback sounds, these two are definitely two to check out. B6 The Perspective - February 12, 2016