0607-8

April 27, 2007 - Volume XVII - Issue 8 - Dexter High School - 2200 N. Parker Road - Dexter, Mi 48130

page 4

Going once, going twice: Senior food auction raises over $2000 for muscular dystrophy and cystic fi brosis charities

page 5

The substitute: Nancy Elliott shares her stories as the high school’s favorite substitute teacher

page 14page 10

The new page, the Upage: Check out this new page designed to be all about you

SquallTHE

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Abuse - verb:1. To use wrongly or improperly; misuse: to abuse one’s authority.2. To treat in a harmful, injurious or offensive way: to abuse a horse; to abuse one’s eyesight.3. To speak insultingly, harshly and unjustly to or about; revile; malign.4. To commit sexual assault upon.

April is sexual assault awareness month. For more information go to www.safehouse.org

Abuse - verb:- verb:1. To use wrongly or improperly; misuse: to abuse one’s authority.1. To use wrongly or improperly; misuse: to abuse one’s authority.

World Peace: The search for this year’s Mr. Dreadnaught proved diffi cult, Tom Neil crowned king

A student and a teacher tell their fi rst hand encounters with abuse, how to get help on pages 8,9

22 The SquallFriday, April 27, 2007

news

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2007/2008school year

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Rumor has been circulating for awhile that next year seniors will not be let out early. But according to Principal Kit Moran the truth is that there is going to be some modifi cation to the seniors’ last day, but they will still be released earlier than the rest of the school.

Moran said no other school in the SEC lets seniors out earlier than May 25, but Dexter seniors get out May 18 this year. Chelsea and Saline seniors, for example, will have a half day May 25, and then they are done.

Moran said Dexter seniors are let out early because school personnel, especially counselors, need extra time to check gradu-ation requirement and fi nalize transcripts.

Counselor Kristy Doyle said, “Senior early release give us a chance to get things in order before graduation. It especially helps us making sure graduation require-ments are completed with seniors that may

be in jeopardy from not graduating.”Moran said the decision regarding the

early release is ultimately left up to him. “But my style of leader-ship is to involve lots of people in decision mak-ing,” he said. “Part of the problem is that we may have to be account-able to maintain 75 percent attendance for those days after seniors leave.” According to Moran, once the seniors have left, the remaining three classes at the high school have to keep up their attendance or else the school could lose funding.

Despite this junior Christine Murray said she is upset that her class will not be allowed to leave as early as this year’s grad-uation class.

“I feel like I am getting cheated out of my complete senior experience,” Murray said.

“It has always been a tradition to get let out that early, and now that is jeopardized. It is just not fair.”

Moran acknowledg-es that students might be slightly upset about the situation and said they should come talk to him about it regard-ing any problems.

Moran also said he would be disappointed if students retaliated by having more senior skip days, as many ju-niors said they were already plotting for

next year. With a later release he said the major pressure is not on the students as much as the faculty.

Doyle said, “With a later release next year for the seniors, it is still possible to complete everything but makes everything more stressful and puts us in more of a time crunch.”

Early release will no longer await seniors

es that students might be slightly upset about the situation and said they should come talk to him about it regard-ing any problems.

would be disappointed if students retaliated by having more senior skip days, as many ju-niors said they were already plotting for

“ I feel like I am getting cheated

out of my complete senior experience.”

- Christine Murray,junior

Extra time: Counselor Kristy Doyle says senior early release gives counselors a chance to get things in order before graduation

Factbox

• This year, seniors get out a week earlier than any other seniors in the area

• Even after seniors leave, 75 percent attendance must still be obtained

• Some current juniors plan to take more skip days due to the new policy

Krystyna Taheristaff writer

Last January video teacher Matt Martel-lo auditioned for a position in the summer Huron Playhouse cast against almost 200 other auditioners.

After performing a monologue and sing-ing a song for a committee of judges, Mar-tello was one of the 30 chosen to be a mem-ber of the theatre troupe.

Martello said he is excited a b o u t the coming performances for this summer. “I really like the summer format,” he said, “It’s going to be intense. There will be fi ve shows in eight weeks. I haven’t been in such a fast-paced program in a long time. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun.”

Martello’s casting in the summer Huron Playhouse performances is associated with Bowling Green State University and will add 12 credits to his teaching certifi cate which must be renewed every fi ve years. These graduate hours, he said, were his main mo-tivation for doing the program.

For more than 20 years Martello has been interested in theatre, starting with his freshman year of high school.

Martello discovered the Huron Play-house from friend and former colleague Har-ry Wilcox who had at-tended the same pro-gram about 12 years ago.

The Huron Play-house is Ohio’s oldest continuing summer theatre and offers tal-ent from semi-profes-sional and educational theatre arenas across the nation.

For the 2007 season the Playhouse will put on shows such as “Kiss Me Kate,” “I Remember Mama,” “Nunsense: The Mega-Musical,” “Leading Ladies” and “Annie.”

Most students are familiar with the monthly video “The Dawghouse,” which Martello’s media literature class produces.

However, what students may not know about is Martello’s experience in the the-atre and his accomplishments as an actor. Junior James Bell is a student in Martello’s

Intro to Media Liter-ature class and said he didn’t know about Martello’s plans for the summer.

Bell did, however, commend Martello for his enthusiasm in the classroom. “He’s a good guy who enjoys his job and it shows,” Bell said.

“He expects a lot and pushes us. He’ll

go out of his way and take time out of his free time to help us. He incorporates his acting in his teaching and makes class fun. I had him for Speech. He added energy and animation into the lessons from his acting experience which set an example for stu-dents.”

Martello to perform in summer productions

Bravo!: English and video media teacher Matt Martello speaks to his class. Martello is one of 30 people selected to perform with the Huron Playhouse at Bowling Green State Univer-sity. They will perform such classics as “Kiss Me Kate” and “Annie.”

Photo by Sean Wallace

Heather Sillerstaff writer

Factbox

• Under the old policy a student would fail a class if they accumulated 10 or more absences

• All failures could then be appealed to the attendance committee

• The previous policy was illegal according to Principal Kit Moran

Attendance no longer tied to gradesIn previous years if a student was absent

10 times or more for a class they failed that

class, if their appeal to the attendance com-

mittee was denied.

However, Principal Kit Moran said this

attendance policy breaks state law and can

no longer be enforced.

“After reading about the high school at-

tendance law, I read that a student cannot

fail a class solely on attendance,” Moran

said.

According to Moran this means no mat-

ter how many absences a student has in a

class, they can still pass a class if they com-

plete the curriculum.

And while many students are happy

about the situation some teachers are not.

Senior Sara Burrows said the attendance

rule is much better than what it used to be

before. “I think the new rule makes more

sense because it’s based on how much a stu-

dent knows to pass a class, not how many

times you show up.”

Science teacher Cheryl Wells , howev-

er, said, “I don’t like it all. Kids need to

be here in class. It’s

not a good habit for

students to get into

with not showing up

to classes and expect-

ing to be able to make

up their work to pass

the class.”

Moran said he

knows that some

teachers like Wells

are upset with this

situation, but said he

is working on coming up with a new poli-

cy that will be beneficial to students and

staff.

But if students failed a class last year

because of attendance does this mean they

will now get credit for it?

Moran said he doesn’t know but is look-

ing into it. “I’m not sure how long this new

attendance rule has been in effect, but for

those kids who failed classes last year, I’m

not sure what will hap-

pen.”

One thing Moran is

trying to do is find a pro-

ductive way for students

to make up work they’ve

missed on a non-school

day.

And he said time on a

Saturday may be an op-

tion where a student would

come in from 11-3 and

make up the school work

they’ve missed.

The biggest challenge, Moran said,

though, is finding a fair, legally defendable

policy. He said, “We are working to make

an attendance policy that is going to be le-

gal and effective.”

Here!: Senior Sara Burrows likes the new attendance policy better

pen.”

trying to do is find a pro-

ductive way for students

to make up work they’ve

missed on a non-school

day.

Saturday may be an op-

tion where a student would

come in from 11-3 and

make up the school work

“ We are working to make an

attendance policy that is going to be

legal and eff ective.”

- Kit Moran,principal

Sydney Rossnews editor

For the 2007 season the Playhouse will

ature class and said he didn’t know about Martello’s plans for the summer.

commend Martello for his enthusiasm in the classroom. “He’s a good guy who enjoys his job and it shows,” Bell said.

and pushes us. He’ll go out of his way and take time out of his

“ He’s a good guy who enjoys his job

and it shows.”

- James Bell,junior

There’s been a number of changes this year. New staff and new classes pepper the academic landscape. It should come as no sur-prise, then, that the choir program is now under new leadership. However, running through four different teachers over the course of the past two years was not what the vocalists in room 134 ex-pected.

Junior Joel Snider, a member of the audition-only Jazz Choir, says that he likes to look at the situation positively.

“It’s defi nitely not ordinary,” said Snider. “(However), we get to see different types and styles of teaching. For someone like me, who’s planning on going into teaching, it really allows me to learn what I should be like.”

Choir teacher Elizabeth Patterson left last year after two years at DHS. She is currently teaching in the Ypsilanti School District.

“Mrs. Patterson was a lot like your friendly neighbor,” Snider said. “She tried to be you best friend and didn’t focus on strenuous work. When it came time to perform, then, we weren’t great, but we had camaraderie.”

Patterson said, though, she left Dexter with fond feelings for her choirs.

“Leaving was the best move for me professionally and person-ally,” said Patterson. “I’ll forever be thankful for the time I had with the students and staff at DHS.”

Stepping up to fi ll her musical shoes was Misty Noble.“Mrs. Noble was extremely kind when I student taught in 1999,”

Patterson said. “(She) was always helpful when I was employed with DCS. I wish her nothing but the best.”

Noble focused on younger students for seven years before her short stay at the high school this year.

The circumstances surrounding her departure have been the source of rumor among students.

“I heard that she could not take the stress of a high school choir department,” Snider said. “(She) broke down and was seriously doubting her abilities. She had to question herself, and that’s sad if it’s true.”

Noble could not be reached for comment. She was at the high school for approximately three months.

Julie Bassett was chosen to fi ll the void Noble’s departure left. The program, according to Bassett, was not in good shape when she arrived.

“There were a lot of students in choir who didn’t want to be in choir,” she said. “We’ve improved on that quite a bit. I’ve tried to get the kids excited about singing. I tried baiting them with fun things like a pop concert and tried to motivate them to do well, not just be here.”

Students, however, are still adjusting to the change.“The hardest thing has been trying to reinstate that you have a

good work ethic,” Snider said. “Different teachers expect different things from you. Mrs. Bassett is kind of like Mrs. Patterson, but she concentrates more on getting the job done and having a great time while doing it.”

So the choir program may be in a state of fl ux. And Snider is slightly apprehensive about its future. He says the membership of the middle school group is dwindling.

“Unless some thing changes and quickly, in four years the choir will be defi cient of people willing to work hard,” Snider said. “We need to go to the little schools and show them that there is more to music than just orchestra and band. There is another option.”

Dexter alumnus dies in accident

NEWS

Alexander Kapela, a Dexter High School alumnus, died March 7 in an automobile accident on Island Lake Road be-tween Wylie and Dex-ter-Pickney Roads in the early morning.Kapela graduated in 2005 and was at-tending Washtenaw Community College. Intro to Media Lit-eracy teacher Matt Martello said he is sad about his pass-ing. “He was a very well-behaved, likable guy, and he was always eager to please,” Martello said. “He was just a very good young man, and it is sad.”

Squall receives Silver Crown

Prom still needs more helpAt this year’s prom, students can expect some different and unique things according to stu-dent council adviser Jessica

Kreeger. But in order for all this to happen, Kreeger

says the prom com-mittee needs more help. Kreeger said she has attempted to get parents to help by putting in-formation in district newsletters and pub-lic announcements,

but these attempts have been unsuccessful.

“There is a lot of areas in making the prom surround-

ings that lack help in order to make them,” she said. “We need as much people as we can get as soon as possible.”

Science Olympiad wins regionals

On March 17 the Science Olym-piad team won fi rst place in regionals at Washtenaw Community College, repeating their vic-tory from the previous year. The team edged out Huron by 1 point, 166-165. The team will now advance to states. Accord-ing to captain and senior Scott Sarver all the hard work and long hours paid off for the Science Olympiad team. “I didn’t expect it at all, but all the hard work paid off, and it’s real cool that the team is going to state,” he said. “It should be fun.”

The Squall won the Silver Crown from the Columbia Scholastic

Association at a ceremony in New York on March 16.

Even though The Squall won the Gold Crown last year, Squall ad-viser Rod Satther-waite said he was still happy about this year’s award. “It’s a nice reward for the

whole staff, for all the work, to see that they

are one of the best in the country,” he said.

33The SquallFriday, April 27, 2007

news

BRIEFS

Junior Eric Erdman is one of almost 100 area people to apply for a position at the new Big Boy restaurant on Zeeb Road.

“I really hope I get hired,” Erdman said. “Working at Big Boy would be sweet. I’d get free bacon.”

Although still under con-struction, the new location next to McDonald’s near the I-94 exit ramp is scheduled to open by late May or early June.

According to Big Boy fran-chise development manager Dave Knitter the restaurant has been under development for two years and building started in November.

“It’s going to be state of the art,” said Big Boy man-ager Sam Barry, who also oversees the Pittsfi eld Township location. “It will be very appealing to today’s generation.”

Barry said the Zeeb Road location will be one

of Big Boy’s new prototype restaurants, meaning the refreshed design will refl ect the company’s heritage while still incorporating contemporary elements.

More lighting and glass, brighter colors and new layouts and facades set these new prototypes off from older franchises.

There will also be less, if any, artifi cial foliage in the new models.

Barry also said Big Boy franchises rely heavily on high school students for evening and weekend shifts, and although he has already received a large number of applications, he is still look-ing for more.

“We’re still accepting ap-plications now for the new lo-cation,” he said. “Preferably over 17 years old, though.”

In addition to potential employees, the new lo-cation has already attracted the attention of sev-eral local fans as well.

“I love eating at Big Boy,” senior Laura Merz

said. “I’m defi nitely going to the new one and get-ting a milkshake and fries.”

Science teacher Beau Kimmy is also looking forward to the opening.

“I thought Big Boy was just for old people,” he said. “But I’m probably going to try it.”

So while some are looking forward to dining, others like Erdman are looking forward to work.

“I’m anxious,” Erdman said. “This is gonna be great.”

New Big Boy seeks younger crowd

any, artifi cial foliage in the new models.

franchises rely heavily on high school students for evening and weekend shifts, and although he has already received a large number of applications, he is still look-ing for more.

plications now for the new lo-cation,” he said. “Preferably over 17 years old, though.”

“ I’m defi nitely going to the new

one and getting a milkshake and

fries.”

- Laura Merz,senior

Student wins $20,000Senior Katie Fricke won $20,000 on Jan. 17.

Fricke, who entered the drawing through her senior picture company, Photo Generations, was picked from more than 30,000 students who also entered the drawing throughout the United States.

“At fi rst when my mom told me that I was entered into the drawing, I didn’t think any-thing of it,” Fricke said. “I never even consid-ered that my name would be drawn out of so many people.”

And when Fricke won the smaller drawing in Michigan, she still thought nothing of it. “I kind of forgot about it because I didn’t think it was ever going to happen,” she said. But when Fricke found out she won the national draw-ing, she was in absolute shock.

“At fi rst I didn’t even believe it,” Fricke said. “I guess I just have ballin’ good luck.”

Because Fricke won the drawing, she was given three options. “I got to choose between a Mustang GT, an academic scholarship or $20,000,” Fricke said.

“And I was the fi rst student ever to choose the money over the academic scholarship. The decision was not that hard for me because I al-ready have a car.”

Colleen Fitzgerald, owner of Photo Genera-tions, said she is extremely excited that one of her clients won the drawing. In order to be

entered into the contest, her studio has to be a member of Senior Photographers Inter-national.

“The whole reason I joined the group was to give the seniors the chance to win the money or the Mustang,” Fitzgerald said. “It worked perfectly.”

Fitzgerald said more than 2,000 photo studios are part of the international photo group; however, only a small percent of those studios are actually entered into the drawing, as studios have to pay for their clients to be entered. “Katie was ex-tremely lucky to win,” Fitzgerald said. “We had bad odds.”

Fricke said she is not completely sure what she is doing with all the money, though. “I am defi nitely putting $10,000 in my college sav-ings account,” she said,

“The other $10,000 I can spend. I don’t have one thing that I am going to spend in on though. I am just going to buy what I need.”

Fricke said she has not yet received the money.

“I should receive the money in about three weeks,” she said. “But even though I don’t have the money yet, I have defi nitely been spending more money because I know that it’s coming.”

Fitzgerald said she thinks this waft of good luck may help Photo Generations become more popular.

“We are advertising as the luckiest senior

Celia Kuzonsports editor

Choir teacher changes again

Rawlin Myersstaff writer

Rachel Moirstaff writer

Under Construction: The new Big Boy location on Zeeb Road will be state of the art, with a new, more modern design. It is scheduled to be open by June.


• Kapela

• Sarver

Under new direction: Junior Joel Snider has Jazz Choir with Julie Bassett, the new choir teacher. He has also been under the direction of Elizabeth Patterson and Misty Noble.

Even though The Squall

whole staff, for all the work, to see that they

Student wins $20,000entered into the contest, her studio has to be a member of Senior Photographers Inter-

“The whole reason I joined the group was to give the seniors the chance to win the money or the Mustang,” Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald said more than 2,000 photo studios are part of the international photo group; however, only a small percent of those studios are actually entered into the drawing, as studios have to pay for their clients to be entered. “Katie was ex-tremely lucky to win,” Fitzgerald said. “We

Fricke said she is not completely sure what she is doing with all the money, though. “I am defi nitely putting $10,000 in my college sav-

“The other $10,000 I can spend. I don’t have one thing that I am going to spend in on though. I am just going to buy what I need.”

Fricke said she has not yet received the

“I should receive the money in about three weeks,” she said. “But even though I don’t have the money yet, I have defi nitely been spending more money because I know that it’s

Fitzgerald said she thinks this waft of good luck may help Photo Generations become more

“We are advertising as the luckiest senior

p i c t u r e company in Dexter,” she said. “But I might change it to the lucki-est senior pic-ture company in the the United States, or even the world, for this was an international drawing.”

Ballin’ good luck: Katie Fricke, winner of the $20,000 drawing with Photo Generations plans to save half for college and spend the other half.


feature

(734) 769-3888www.sunrisetees.com

5277 Jackson RdAnn Arbor, MI 48103

Spanish teacher Kristi Shaffer was induced into labor on March 27, ending what she said were several long weeks of hobbling around, sweating and deal-ing with a loss of breath after tottering up and down stairs.

Shaffer said the delivery process was easier because her husband was by her side for nearly the whole experi-ence. “I was a little scared,” she said. “I didn’t expect (to get) a C-section, but my husband was with me through the operation so it was not so bad.”

Part of what made Shaffer’s experi-ence unique is that she had fraternal twins, Haneul (pronounced Hah-nuhl) and Iseul (pronounced Ee-suhl).

Haneul, who was 18 inches tall and weighed in at 6 pounds and 5 ounces, was born three minutes earlier than Is-eul, who was 20 inches tall and weighed in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces.

Shaffer said Haneul was in a neo-natal intensive care unit because of an infection and was expected to return home on April 8.

Shaffer will miss the remainder of the second semester while she is on maternity leave. And students and col-

leagues say they will miss her.“She is real important member in

our department,” world languages de-partment chair Marianne Zubryckyj said. “She is very steady and reliable and a great backup for me. She is also one of the advisers for the World Cul-tures club as well as a department rep-resentative for the SAC (Subject Area Committee for World Cultures) and has planned all the activities thus far.”

“I really miss her,” sophomore Hal-ey Brewster, a student in Shaffer’s class said. “I thought she did a good job of teaching us and letting us know what was going to be on the tests.”

However, Shaffer said she will be visiting the high school and is looking forward to bringing the twins to school and showing them off to her classes.

Brewster also said, “I saw a picture of them, they looked really cute. I’m looking forward to when she brings them in, and I can see them in per-son.”

Shaffer and her husband Seung-ho Park were married in 2004 at Pennfield Presbyterian Church in Battle Creek.

She received her bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Michi-gan and her master’s degree in Spanish at Eastern Michigan University.

• Hanuel and Iseul Shaffer

Shaffer gives birth to fraternal twinsNic Millerstaff writer

The Mr. Dreadnaught pageant attracted many viewers to the Center for Performing Arts on Friday April 20 to see some senior boys “make a complete ass of themselves,” as senior Alex Heidke put it.

English teacher Deborah Marsh put it a little differently. “Think Miss Congeniality or the Miss America Pageant and somewhere in there you get Mr. Dreadnaught,” she said.

In the pageant, senior boys paraded around the stage in their best formal wear and sports wear. In addition, they shared their interests and showed off their talents.

Prior to the competition, senior Sean King, one of the many contestants, leaked some inside knowledge of the talent he was planning to perform in front of the audience. “I will probably try to stick a whole banana in my mouth,” he said.

Outrageous yet awkwardly hilarious seems to be the theme for all of the Mr. Dreadnaughts.

“Last year, Casey Daczka won it by do-ing an interpretative dance with streamers to a Queen song,” Marsh said. “It was very funny.”

However, winning is not always some-thing the contestants have in mind when en-tering the Mr. Dreadnaught pageant.

King said he entered the competition “to leave this high school with a bang. It would be a lot of fun because it is a good chance to see a bunch of people I know make asses out of themselves. I just thought it would be a good chance to do something fun.”

The pageant mostly benefi tted the se-nior class. Hiedke said, “(The seniors) really need the income for our retreats and other class events.”

Scott Cromptonstaff writer

Singin’ the blues: Senior Aaron Owen plays an original song for the talent portion of the pageant. Owen also read a poem as part of his performance.

Shake it: Seniors Johnny Benjamin and CJ Burhop perform a dance to *NSYNC’s “Bye bye bye.” This song was performed by all of the contestants in the pageant.

Lords of the dance: Seniors James Nati, Robert Kuzon and Jon Lamb perform a dance to “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe. Nati dressed up as Napoleon Dynomite for effect.

Poppin’ wheelies: Senior Nick Hiser does wheelies on the stage. Hiser performed most of the show on crutches.

Tom Neil crowned Mr. Dreadnaught

Photos by Maria Brundage

“You’re a terrible bus driver,” a group of students yell from the back of bus 21.

But even though students in the back yell these kinds of things on a regular basis, bus driver Lisa Cook says she ignores their insignificant remarks due to the regularity of their occurrence.

“The kids who sit near me see me different than the kids who sit in the back of the bus,” Cook said. “They see me as someone continually telling them to follow the rules and don’t understand that it’s for their own safety.”

The students who sit in the back of Cook’s bus vary from 13 to 18 years old and many people might say they are disrespectful.

Cook, however, has said she has a different expectations of them. “Most of my career I worked with horses and taught riding lessons

in Nevada,” Cook said. “I always had gotten along well with children, and they would come to me with their problems. I supposed it would be like that as a bus driver, though it hasn’t always worked out that way.”

Keeping one eye on the road and the other on the kids in the back of the bus, Cook said keeping track of things on the bus can be a lot to handle.

“It is definitely a challenge to drive safely,” Cook said. “I have to get kids home quickly and safely and keep order so I’m not distracted.”

A bus driver for 26 years, Robert Poor, Director of Transportation says he can relate to Cook’s expe-riences.

“Generally the further back and away from the driver students are makes it more difficult to control student behavior,” Poor said.

What many of these students in the back of her bus may not know is that Cook has been a widow for two years.

But she said she is able to separate her work life from her personal life.

“When you’re on the bus, all you think about is the bus and safety of

the kids,” she said. “When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, I began working part time. Driving the bus was a good way to get my mind off of it.”

Despite her experiences with the older kids on the bus, Cook said the interactions are different with the younger kids.

“I enjoy the little kids immensely,” Cook said. “They are cute and funny and tell me all sorts of little stories.

“Those relationships are different than the ones with the kids in the back.”

Cook was married for 15 years. During those 15 years, she adopted two children, CJ and Sydney.

“They have to be very tolerant of my job since my husband passed away,” she said. “They get up with me at five every morning, get on the bus and ride through two hours until it’s time to get off. I think it would help if the kids got to know me as a

person instead of an authoritative figure. “They would definitely have a bigger better respect for me and what I do.”

At the start of fourth hour Newspaper class, students approach her with hall passes and bath-room requests, seeing her only as another substi-tute teacher.

Although there is much more to her than sub-bing, Nancy Elliot says she is used to the teaching routine, and she is used to Dexter High School.

“I’ve been a classroom teacher for nine years and a substitute for 23,” Elliot said.

Before beginning her substitute career at Dex-ter 10 years ago, she taught at middle schools in Florida, Dearborn Heights and Saline.

During her teaching career, Elliot taught histo-ry. “I always like to sub for history or American Studies, because it’s the area I know about most,” she said.

But regardless of the class she is assigned to, Dexter holds a special place in her heart. Born and raised in Grayling, Elliot said Dexter’s atmosphere reminds her of home.

“It’s a small town and a small community,” she said. “To me, that makes things friendlier.”

Elliot isn’t the only one who likes to see herself working at Dexter, either.

“She’s really not mean, and she shared her ‘People’ magazine with me once,” senior Laura Merz said. “She does what she needs to do. I think she’s a superb sub.”

Hearing such positive reactions makes Elliot enjoy Dexter even more.

“There are so many clichés about subs. Some-times you just wonder if you’re a laughing stock,” she said. “I’ve got an old fashioned streak in me. I do come from a stricter background, so I think that’s reflected in my teaching style.”

Elliot said she substitute teaches at least two times per week and likes that the part-time condi-tions of her job allow her to walk her dog daily and spend time with her husband, Michael, and their

25-year-old son, Michael Ryan. “In my spare time, I play bridge at a senior cen-

ter in Ann Arbor, because no one else my age plays bridge,” she said.

Elliot also said she enjoys reading, golfing and occasionally downhill skiing.

Despite all of her interesting hobbies, most stu-dents know her for her unique fashion sense, espe-cially her shoes and shawls.

But Elliot said the shawls are a matter of style and practicality. “I was in a style show a couple years ago at the Ann Arbor Women’s City Club,” she said. “I modeled little shawls, and I liked them so much so I bought one. When I started subbing here, I bought more because it’s so cold here.”

As for the shoes, they’re just a passion of hers. “All my life I’ve been a shoe person,” she said,

showing off her new, red pumps. “Everyone has their thing. That’s just mine.”

And Elliot said that her funky style reflects who she really is.

“I really do like to have a good time,” she said. “I laugh a lot when I’m outside of the classroom. (Subbing) is just something I take very seriously.”

Between family, fashion and bridge, Elliot knows she belongs in a school.

She said, “The main thing is, I like being in school, and I like working with young people. That’s something I’m passionate about. And bridge, which is always there.”


feature

8135 Main St

Dexter, MI 48130

734-426-4957

Subway

Nancy Elliot a likable substituteKnown for her scarfs, shawls and a unique personality, Miss Elliot enjoys subbing

Surveying the classroom: Substitute Nancy Elliot takes roll in journalism teacher Rod Satterthwaite’s class. When she is not substituting, she enjoys playing bridge at the senior center in Ann Arbor. She also likes reading and golf.


Michelle Chirbystaff writer

The ride home: Bus driver Lisa Cook waits for students to board her bus. “I enjoy the little kids immensely,” she said. “They are cute and funny and tell me all sorts of little stories.”

Photo by Maria Brundage

Bus driver faces audacious students

“ Generally the further back and away from

the driver students are makes it harder to

control.”

- Robert Poor, director of transportation

Lisa Ritchiestaff writer

Q: How do you feel about Heath Ledger playing the Joker in the upcoming “Batman Begins” sequel?

A: I think itʼs a terrible idea. If I may say so, I think an actor such as Denzel Washington would be a better choice.

Q: Howʼs tennis going for you?

A: Itʼs been better. There are a lot of peaks and valleys.

Q: You have $40 in your pocket. I donʼt care what you do with it. What do you not do with it?

A: I donʼt give it to the KKK.

Q: Your thoughts on this yearʼs symphonic band trumpets versus next yearʼs?

A: This year the seniors have carried us. Next year it will be hard to step up with so much youth, but we have the leadership to make it happen.

Q: If liquid nitrogen were readily available, what would you freeze and shatter first?

A: I would freeze Florida during December so they know what itʼs like. Theyʼd have a white Christmas.

Q: Whatʼs your theory on why some people drink with their pinkies out?

A: I think itʼs an evolutionary thing. Over time, people developed a sensi-tivity to hot and cold with their pinky, so it branched off the rest of the hand while the other fingers manned up and stayed on the cup.

Q: So you disagree with Patrickʼs theory of “When in doubt, pinky out” on “Spongebob”?

A: I do disagree. I disagree with most things that come out of Patrickʼs mouth.

Q: Any final statements now that youʼve got the world listening intent-ly?

A: The midwest is young and restless. Support Obama ʻ08.

&QA

By: Scott CampbellJunior Andrew Monson

The

Fact

s • Miss Elliot has subbed for the fourth hour newspaper class 10 times this school year

• She has a vast collection of shawls she enjoys wearing

• She often reads “People” magazine in her free time

• She has a strong passion for shoes

• She has a passion for the card game of bridge

• Miss Elliot has developed the nickname of “Missy” Elliot after the well-known rapper

Lisa Cook deals with disrespectful students, additional problems on a daily basis

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Aqua Teen Hunger Force is [adult swim’s] fl agship pro-

gram and essentially the reason the block of programming has become so successful. ATHF follows Meatwad, a wad of meat, Frylock, a fl oating box of french-fries with mysti-cal powers, Master Shake, a human-sized cup of the delicious beverage, Carl, their 80’s hair metal-loving, sweat-pant wearing neighbor and the occasional villain including a talking, diaper-wearing spider and an 8-bit creatures from the moon.

Early in the show’s run, the fast food products would solve mysteries, but now they mostly sit around, an-noy Carl, and try to not get involved with any evil creature who happens to pass by.

Absurdist humor, illogical plot lines, violence and guest stars such as the one and only Danzig are things to expect from such a show.

Recently, the show got its own major release fi lm “Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters” which opened to modest success.

MetalocalypseMetalocalypse is the defi nition of “brutal.” Following the

biggest fi ctional band in the world, Dethklok, a metal band with members from America and Scandinavia, the show is about their adventures of recording albums, being brutal

and killing hundreds of their fans. From writing jingles for coffee (and later spraying said

coffee into the crowds, melting a large number of fans), to recording albums underwater and music videos featur-ing the slaughter of every other band member by the lead singer riding a Thunderhorse, this show rarely fails to dis-appoint.

Perhaps the best part of this show is that the people who actually make the music for it are excel-lent musicians and are releasing a “De-thAlbum” when the fi rst season of this show hits DVD.

If violence and awesome metal are your things, you will love this program.

Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is one of the fi rst live-action shows made for [adult swim] and has drawn a surprising amount of critical acclaim. Tim and Eric are the same people who brought us “Tom Goes to the Mayor,”

and they manage to pull off being 10 times more ridiculous than what they did on that show.

The show features no plot, and most of the 2-3 minute sketches involve Tim and Eric acting like fools in ridiculous costumes, sometimes against green-screen, often dressed as women.

Music videos, fake commercials and faux news reports from “The Married News Team” are often featured and may just be the most insane things ever aired on television.

This show is one of the most absurd things you will ever see anywhere and is not to be missed.


entertainmentTHE

TRICKLE

Call “American Idol” an over-glorifi ed karaoke contest if you want to, FOX doesn’t mind. With fi ve seasons un-der its belt and a sixth underway, the show has proved itself to be one of the entertainment industry’s biggest success stories.

The show has produced multiple Grammy winners, an Academy Award-winner and many other artists whose combined album sales total over 28 million units. In ad-dition to this monopoly over the music industry, Idol also boasts the best ratings of any show currently on network television.

Many critics predicted the show’s success would waiv-er as time progressed, but Idol received its highest audi-ence ever during the January 2007 premiere of its current sixth installment.

The lure of the show is quite simple. It takes a relative no one from obscurity to superstardom over the course of a few months, allowing the viewing audience to dictate what happens each step of the way.

The most essential ingredient in Idol’s recipe for suc-cess is the fact that America gets to decide who stays and who goes each week. Think of Idol as a singing soap op-era where a major character is killed off each week. Often times America makes the right decisions while selecting their next Idol, but the real ratings gold comes when they make a catastrophic mistake and send a judge-favorite to the guillotine before the likes of a audible disaster such as Sanjaya Malakar.

During season one, early front-runner Tamyra Gray was shockingly voted off two weeks before the fi nale while the clearly less talented Nikki McGibbin was allowed to stay. This was the fi rst in a series of controversial events the Idol stage would come to see.

Season two was laden with talented crooners, but many were shocked when Ruben Studdard beat the ef-feminately geeky Clay (g)A(y)iken.

Season three brought us the infamous “three-divas” who, with the exception of eventual winner Fantasia, were voted off far before their prime. Three years later, sev-enth-place contestant Jennifer Hudson won an Academy Award for her role in “Dreamgirls.” She isn’t the fi rst (nor will she be the last) contestant to prove America wrong.

Aside from eventual winner Carrie Underwood, sea-son four of American Idol was mainly devoid of any tal-ent; consequently, it was devoid of any true controversy. Many thought the elimination of would-be rocker Con-stantine Maroulis was shocking news, but they obviously didn’t hear his offensive rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Season fi ve brought things back to basics with a tal-ented cast of performers and controversy to match. The early competition frontrunner, Chris Daughtry, was sent packing paving the way for Idol’s least successful winner, Taylor Hicks, to run away with the crown. Daughtry has gone on to record a number one, multi-platinum-selling album while Hicks has swiftly fallen from the charts.

The current season of American Idol offers a good mix of talented singers and talentless hacks to entertain America every week. Much of the show’s success comes from the fact that each of the contestants has the potential to appeal to a specifi c demographic of people, culminat-ing in a combination of many adoring fans watching the show to root on their favorite.

Season six has proved to be one of the series’ most unpredictable seasons as there is no clear frontrunner. Many people think the no-neck musical stylings of Me-linda Doolittle could carry her through to the fi nale. Justin Timberlake version 1.5, Blake Lewis, has garnered a lot of buzz for his “innovative” performances and song choices. If his streak of successfully mimicking 311, who the judges shamefully (or thankfully) have never heard of, continues, he too could be a contender in the May fi nale.

Look for obese crooner Lakisha Jones to be this sea-son’s “shocking” elimination, and keep an eye on high school senior Jordin Sparks. Her big voice and campy personality could play very well to her advantage and give her the leverage she needs to pull an upset victory.

However, one must not discount the power of the hot mess that is Sanjaya Malakar. The young “singer” mer-cilessly butchers classic music each week while rocking the most broke down hairstyles a male has ever had on network television. Even Donald Trump doesn’t want to claim this wreck.

As long as teenage fan girls, pedophiles and deaf peo-ple have access to telephones, Malakar stands a real shot at winning it all.

The fun of the show is that no one can ever truly predict what will happen. Sit back, relax, keep the mute button handy and enjoy the superfi cial fun of America’s guiltiest pleasure: American Idol.

American Idol has taken over the worldFrank Dufekopinions editor

The best of [adult swim]Ryan Winchesterstaff writer

People who should stopLately the music industry has disappointed me with the artists that

have been produced. Here’s a list of people who should never record again for their own dignity and our sanity.

Lindsay Lohan: Although Lohan has proven her singing talent in various movies such

as “Prairie Home Companion,” she has yet to do it on a record. The lyr-ics of Lohan’s songs sound like passages from her diary that are then

recorded over synthesized beats and a few guitar chords. The end result is truly hor-rifying.

Hillary Duff:I miss the fond old days when Duff was Lizzie McGuire and wore ex-

tremely tacky clothes with whacked out hair. However, Duff is now grown up and wants to be respected as an artist. I mean MTV wouldn’t have any theme songs for their hit TV shows if it weren’t for this pop princess. I have to wonder, though, is her voice completely digitally enhanced or just partially?

Paris Hilton:Do I really need to explain this? Hilton’s voice is by far the most

irritating high pitched squeek I have ever heard (assuming that she actually sings her songs). She should stick to what she is good at, which is being rich, slutty and dumb.

Kevin Federline:Former backup dancer turned rapper straight out of the

hood. Federline is another one of those guys who is ruining what hip-hop used to be. I bet he still doesn’t realize that that Super Bowl commercial was making fun of him. He looked right at home with that headset and spatula in hand.

Good Charlotte:I have always wondered this. What the hell is with the band name? Just

stop. Black eye make up and tears do not make you hardcore. You are de-stroying rock n roll when you call your music rock.

Simple Plan: Aren’t they a replica of Good Charlotte? Only the lead vocalist has an even

whinier voice. If I ever hear another one of their songs, I might pull a Van Gogh and cut my ears off.

Avril Lavigne:Lavigne used to pride herself on being a bad girl and fl icking the paparazzi

off. Then she settled down and got married. Now she is trying to make a come back with that same “I’m a rebel” styled music. Sorry Avril, you’re not a

badass so just stay at home and bake a pie.

Disney Channel Stars:This includes Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgins, Corbin Bleu, etc.

They star in shows on the Disney Channel. They shouldn’t try to make albums too. They have no credibility, and the only fans they’ll ever have will be in elementary school.

Aaron Carter:Remember this kid? He’s the one who beat Shaq and then had Lo-

han and Duff fi ghting over him. I’ll never understand why Carter de-cided to rap instead of sing on his albums, but it was quite possibly the worst decision of his life.

Brooke Hogan: She wore a grill in her music video. Enough said.

Kelsey Schultzentertainment editor

lent musicians and are releasing a “De-thAlbum” when the fi rst season of this show hits DVD.

your things, you will love this program.

Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Job! is one of the fi rst live-action shows made for [adult swim] and has drawn a surprising amount of critical acclaim. Tim and Eric are the same people who brought us “Tom Goes to the Mayor,”

“ If violence and awesome metal are

your things, you will love Metalocalypse.”

Lately the music industry has disappointed me with the artists that have been produced. Here’s a list of people who should never record again for their own dignity and our sanity.

Lindsay Lohan: Although Lohan has proven her singing talent in various movies such

as “Prairie Home Companion,” she has yet to do it on a record. The lyr-ics of Lohan’s songs sound like passages from her diary that are then

recorded over synthesized beats and a few

Hillary Duff:I miss the fond old days when Duff was Lizzie McGuire and wore ex-

tremely tacky clothes with whacked out hair. However, Duff is now grown up and wants to be respected as an artist. I mean MTV wouldn’t have any theme songs for their hit TV shows if it weren’t for this pop princess. I have to wonder, though, is her voice completely digitally enhanced or just partially?

Paris Hilton:Do I really need to explain this? Hilton’s voice is by far the most

irritating high pitched squeek I have ever heard (assuming that she actually sings her songs). She should stick to what she is good at, which is being rich, slutty and dumb.

Kevin Federline:Former backup dancer turned rapper straight out of the

hood. Federline is another one of those guys who is ruining what hip-hop used to be. I bet he still doesn’t realize that that Super Bowl commercial was making fun of him. He looked right at home with that headset and spatula in hand.

Good Charlotte:I have always wondered this. What the hell is with the band name? Just

stop. Black eye make up and tears do not make you hardcore. You are de-stroying rock n roll when you call your music rock.

This month’s Trickle is dedicated to The Squall’s uncanny ability to eat mass quantities of food.

This month’s layout night, we decided that we wanted McDonald’s for dinner, so we called them up.

They didn’t believe our order was real when we fi rst explained to them our mass need for double cheeseburgers and snack wraps.

It was not until we offered a credit card number for verifi cation that they started to make the order.

Unsurprisingly The Squall made history yet again, placing the largest single order in the Baker Rd. McDonald’s history, ringing a grand total of $106.52.

The order required a box to carry, and here it is:

60 Double Cheeseburgers30 Crispy Ranch Snack Wraps1 Fruit and Walnut Salad

Throughout the meal we got to wondering, how much are we actually eating?

Turns out that in this order alone we have accounted for:

36,300 calories

1860 grams of fat

That is enough food to feed a single person for up to 18 days, assuming they are on a normal 2000 calorie per day diet.

Although most would vomit at such numbers, we Squallers took it as a challenge.

Needless to say, the outcome of the night was a group of very full adolescents and a brand new issue of The Squall.

If you’ve been waiting for that next Gorillaz album, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. But in the meantime, why not listen to their front man Damon Albarn’s new CD,

“The Good, The Bad, and The Queen.” This is not the band name. In fact, there is no band name. Al-

barn intends to keep it that way, just as he kept hidden behind his cartoon persona in the Gorillaz.

The CD also has Clash bassist Paul Simonon, the Verve’s Si-mon Tong and is produced by Danger Mouse who also produced the Gorillaz’s “Demon Days.”

While there are some big names in the band, they try to let their music shine through, not their fame.

This album has the making of a Gorillaz copycat, but Albran tries to steer clear of that problem. His vocals are distinct and eas-ily recognizable, but as a whole it sounds like a different band.

The CD kicks off with a pure acoustic, bass and vocals track. “History Song” is repetitive but engaging.

The mood feels like Albarn is singing at home on a rainy day and just playing around on his guitar, like the song “Green Fields.” “I wrote this song/ Years ago/ Late at night/ Somewhere on the Goldhawk Road/ I was never sure/ How or why.”

The next track has immediate contrast with a perky piano but

manages to go back to the gloomy theme. The album continues with rare glimpses of happiness but

seems to pull back to an ethereal sound of solitude. “Nature Springs” speaks of global warming. “Oceanographers

are charting the rise of the seas/ Today’s a submarine/ Setting course to the land under me.”

Perhaps the biggest problem with this CD is that there are very few songs that standout.

There are only three tracks that are really impressive, with the rest just fi lling in.

GBQ is a CD that is only good when you listen through the majority of the tracks during a single sitting.

The unnamed band plans another, funkier CD to be released in autumn according to NME New Musical Express, a magazine in the UK.

Many enjoy background music while they’re studying or hav-ing a small party. This album is perfect for this type of ambient experience. And, if you enjoy Albran’s vocals, it’s worth the buy just to hear more.

Otherwise, it’s just a nice, melancholy-themed CD with unin-spiring songs.


reviews

'The Good, The Bad, and The Queen'

Sean Wallacestaff writer

MUSIC

MOVIE

BOOK

Restaurant

'Blades of Glory'Caitlin Henderson

staff writer

'The Glass Castle'Katie Frickefeatures editor

Buffalo Wild WingsJosh Ballstaff writer

grade:C

grade: B-

grade: A-

grade:A

Lacking the comedy of Will Farrell’s other hit movies, “Blades of Glory,” starring Ferrell and Jon Heder did not measure up to their standards of excellence.

It should have been hilarious. Instead it was a let down, with only few parts that were laughable.

The movie is about two rival Olympic skaters who are stripped of their gold medals after a brawl on the podium. The only way the two could skate again is to skate as a pair team.

It takes time to shoot down their male egos, and much con-vincing, but both realize their major goal is a gold medal.

Ferrell plays the skater Chazz Michael Michaels who is sup-pose to be a very funny man but turns out not to be. In other movies such as “Elf” and “Wedding Crashers”, he is much fun-nier and more enjoyable. Compared to other Ferrell movies, “Blades” ranks in about the middle of the pack.

Heder plays Jim MacElory and is not that satisfying either. In “Napolean Dynamite” Heder worked because the character was part of the actor’s natural personality.

In this movie, though, one that takes actual acting, he makes hilarious Ferrell lines dry and a bit boring.

One scene that was funny was when the two men were try-

ing to pick their song for their fi nal routine. Michaels wanted to skate to “Lady Humps” by The Black

Eyed Pees and argues that it is provocative, while MacElory complains that Michaels doesn’t even know what lady humps are. Michaels insists that it would get the crowd going, and it did, with laughter.

There was also another entertaining part, in the very be-ginning of the movie, when MacElory is doing his routine in a peacock outfi t.

Although there was a couple of scenes that were enter-taining, with the mix of these two hilarious actors this movie should be straight funny.

The preview for the movie contained all the funny parts, which is a let down because with funny previews you expect a funny movie and not just a few funny parts.

There were many dull parts that could have been much more interesting.

Don’t see this movie if you are expecting a Will Ferrell clas-sic. It is not one of his funnier movies and will not thrill you. There may be some spots that get you laughing, but this is not an I-laughed-so-hard-I-peed-my-pants movie.

The Glass Castle” is a remarkable memoir of the strug-

gles, hardships and even the good times of a family

that is dysfunctional and unique.

Life was all but easy for Jeannette Walls, one of the four Walls

children. Her family was very poor, and her mentally ill mother,

Mary Rose, had a teaching degree but refused to work.

Walls’ father, Rex, was an alcoholic who would often leave his

family for days on end.

Most of Jeannette’s childhood was spent in a car, traveling

from the Arizona desert to the Appalachian Mountains and ev-

erywhere in between.

“We were always suppose to pretend our life was one long

and incredibly fun adventure,” Walls recalls in her memoir. Al-

though her family is far from normal, that does not stop Walls

for loving her brother, sisters and parents.

In fact, Walls often focuses on the good things her parents

did instead of all the things they never did. She tells the story of

her childhood without any self-pity.

Walls’ writing style makes her memoir very powerful. She

uses complete detail, not leaving out any important events of

her life. Wall’s is so personal in her memoir, it’s hard not to feel

the emotions she felt while reading her outstanding story.

She recalls many memories from her childhood, all the way

from cooking for herself at age three to her endless adventures

with her younger brother.

Walls also uses many metaphors and similes to make her

book a easy and unique read.

Despite her family struggles, Jeannette still remains mostly

positive in her attitude towards her family.

Walls struggles in her childhood only gave her more determi-

nation to be successful in her future. After learning everything

Walls has been through, I know she is her a truly an amazing

woman.

She has a story to tell and tells it well. This is a story of un-

conditional love in a family, no matter how rocky things may

have been at times.

I encourage all of you to walk in Walls’ shoes, and maybe you

will learn to better appreciate your own life.

When I fi rst heard that I was doing the restaurant review for The Squall, my reaction was, “Awe-some! Free Food!” And Buffalo Wild Wings was

the perfect place to try.Buffalo Wild Wings is a chain restaurant/bar with many loca-

tions, the closest being on State Street in Ann Arbor. “B-Dub” as it’s called by frequent customers is located in the middle of Ann Arbor’s downtown close to plenty of the city’s other attractions.

When fi rst entering Buffalo Wild Wings, a customer could easily be overwhelmed by the noise and the waiters weaving through the traffi c of people. This was only a Thursday night, and the place still seemed packed.

But the staff was able to seat people at a quick rate. The fi rst thing that grabbed my attention were the two large television screens by the bar area and the many more strategically placed throughout, including four just around my table.

The waitress came over to the table to read the specials, in-cluding their new alcoholic beverages which I, of course, de-clined. Buffalo Wild Wings’ menu consists of appetizers, sand-wiches and wraps, and, of course, buffalo wings.

I ordered the Southwest Dippers for a starter and a South-

west Chicken Queso Wrap. The wings had so many choices for sauce that a decision was too diffi cult to come to at the time. The waitress had a little trouble hearing my order at fi rst because of all the yelling that takes place near the bar.

My order took about 15 minutes to make it to the table, which seemed reasonable considering the number of people who were at the restaurant. The Southwest Dippers were kind of like a southwestern pizza pocket, and they were delicious.

The dippers were fi lled with little peppers and chicken and came with a southwest sauce. Each bite into a fresh dipper was an explosion of goodness.

The Southwest Queso wrap came cut in half and was much larger than any wrap I had consumed before. It also came with chips and salsa. The wrap had a lot of lettuce, tomato, chicken strips and southwest sauce. The wrap was fi lling and tasted ex-cellent, and the chips complemented the meal well.

The bill came to under $13. Overall the experience at Buf-falo Wild Wings was very enjoyable. The restaurant has all the right components for a southwest grill. While the atmosphere is a little noisy, it’s what you should expect at a restaurant with a bar and big screen TVs.

Luke Altomare

“

DEX

TER

Dawn’s* father had two faces. Around others, he was the kind of dad whom everyone loves. He was funny, kind and caring. But when he was alone with Dawn, ev-erything changed.

“My dad has always been kind of sexist,” she said. “He favored my brother over me. When we would get into trouble, my dad would always blame it all on me, and he used to hit me.”

Dawn said her father started abusing her when she was 2 and the abuse lasted until she was about 14. “It wasn’t too bad when I was younger,” she said. “When

I was younger it hap-pened all the time, but when I got older, he wouldn’t hit me as much, but he would hit me more and hit me harder.”

And Dawn said her mother never noticed the abuse. It was something her father hid from the world. “My mom works a lot, so we were never really together as a

family,” she said. “I was always afraid to tell her what happened. He knew I was too scared to do it, but it was obvious he would hide it from her.”

And her father didn’t stop at physical abuse. He be-gan to verbally abuse Dawn, but she said she managed to ignore it. “I was too afraid of the physical to pay any attention to the verbal,” she said.

After years of abuse, Dawn fi nally told someone. “When I was eight or nine, I told my brother, and he was kind of the reason my mom found out,” she said. “I grew up and realized my dad shouldn’t be hitting me. When I realized he wasn’t hitting my brother, I knew that it should not be happening. I mean, why would a parent put their kids in that situation?”

Dawn said after her mother found out about the abuse, she and her family had to go to counseling for a year or two and eventually the abuse stopped. “My dad was never home anyway so he just kind of stopped abus-ing me,” she said.

But it was still hard for Dawn to know that her dad favored her brother over her. “It was sad to know that I wasn’t good enough for him as a child,” she said.

Today, Dawn advises anyone in her situation to tell someone as soon as possible. “Telling someone is really important,” she said. “When I told my mom and brother, I got help, and it helped me so much.”

Now that Dawn has been through counseling and knows what to do, she realizes the constant fear she felt as a child. “Most of the time I was scared more than any-thing,” she said. I was afraid he would go farther than physically abusing me. I didn’t know if I would live that day.”

*name changed for privacy


the spread

Katie Johnsonadvertisement manager

Abusive dad had split personality

Photo illustration by Maria Brundage and Kim Wiesner

Battered teacher fi nds courage to leave husband

Her husband got rough with her, pushing her into a chair and ac-cusing her of looking at another guy. Dazed and confused, she started crying, and that only made him more angry. All of this during her honeymoon.

Before that, she couldn’t have felt luckier. In her junior year of college, Dexter High School teacher Amy Simonds* met her future husband Alan* at a party. They started dating casually, eventually go-ing steady. “We both liked dogs, dreamed of traveling the world and having children,” she said. “We really seemed to click.”

After they had both graduated and Alan secured a job, he popped the question, and they were married in October. “All seemed well and good,” Amy said.

But it was only a mask. Alan soon showed her a side she never expected to see. “We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii,” she said. “On about the third night, he had had too much to drink at a tiki bar and began to argue with me over something that seemed unimportant. I tried not to get too upset about it, thinking it was the alcohol talking.

“Well, when we got back to the room, he accused me of looking at some guy. He got rough with me when I said I didn’t know what he was talking about. He grabbed me and pushed me into a chair, wrenching my back.

“I couldn’t believe this was happening to me, on my honeymoon no less,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘Who is this stranger in my

room?’” All the time I had known him, he had never even hinted at being abusive.”

Hurt and confused, she kept it a secret for nearly three years. “I had heard of men abusing women and what you should do for help, but I didn’t think it would ever happen to me,” she said. “I thought, “‘Oh my god, what have I done ... I think I’ve made a mistake in mar-rying him ... what’s next?... I don’t want to live like this the rest of my life!’”

As their marriage progressed, Amy said the abuse escalated and then levelled off. “He became much more controlling and abusive,” she said.

Despite this, she tried desperately to keep it together. “I faced embarrassment that my family and friends would think I was stupid for putting up with it and that I had made a dumb decision in marrying him,” she said. “I kept thinking the situation would get better and the real him would eventually emerge again.”

But it didn’t, and Amy eventually found a mar-riage counselor. When they returned from coun-seling, Alan promised he would change. “And he did - for a while,” Amy said. “But sooner or later, something set him off, and he resumed his abusive behavior.”

Alan refused to meet with the counselor, but Amy learned some-thing valuable. “In working with the counselor, I came to the realiza-tion that the abuse I was suffering was not going to stop, and I needed to protect myself and remove myself from the situation,” she said.

Once she accepted that, she said her life began to turn around. She divorced Alan cleanly. “I just wanted out,” she said. “ I think he backed down when he saw that I had enough backbone to really leave him. I haven’t seen him for a number of years so I have no idea what his life is like now.

“In hindsight, I should have left him long before I did,” she said. “My life is good now. I’m remarried to a man that treats me with

respect and would never even think of trying to manipulate me, hit me or verbally abuse me.”

Amy met her current husband at a friend’s dinner party and admits to being cautious at the beginning of their relationship. “But I had to re-member that this man was a different individual, and I had to be careful not to prejudge him based on my other relationship,” she said. “That would not have been fair to him. As our relationship progressed, I did share with him my experience with abuse, and he responded in the most posi-tive way, offering ongoing support”

Looking back, Amy said she regrets keeping secrets from her family and friends. “There were

so many great people who could have helped me along the way,” she said. “My family and friends couldn’t believe how well I had hid it. They felt bad that I had shouldered the burden alone.”


Maria Brundagephoto editor

pened all the time, but when I got older, he wouldn’t hit me as much, but he would hit me more and hit me harder.”

mother never noticed the abuse. It was something her father hid from the world. “My mom works a lot, so we were never really together as a

“ I was too afraid of the physical to pay

attention to the verbal.”

- Dawn*,victim of abuse

did - for a while,” Amy said. “But sooner or later, something set him

“ All the time I had known him, he had

never hinted at being abusive.”

- Amy Simonds*, teacher

88the spreadthe spread8the spread88the spread88the spread88the spread8the spreadthe spreadthe spread The SquallFriday, April 27, 2007

The SquallDe

fi ne

it... Child Abuse (noun):

Mistreatment of a child by a parent or guardian, including neglect, beating and sexual molestation

Domestic Violence (noun): Acts of violence or abuse against a person living in one’s household, especially a member of one’s immediate family

Amy* and Dawn* were betrayed and broken, abused by the people they trusted the most. Amy’s husband hurt her on their honeymoon. Dawn’s father beat her until she was 14. According to counselor Larry LeBlanc, both were victims of abuse.

“I would defi ne (abuse) as any kind of physical, emotional, verbal abuse that would be classifi ed as inappropriate illegal or immoral,” he said. “It could also be unwanted attention, unwanted touching or unwanted duress. In my judgment, in a personal relationship, it would be the call of the person being affected. You make that call in the relationship. You draw that line.”

Amy was subject to physical and emotional abuse, which ac-cording to the Michigan State Police website, falls under the clas-sifi cation of domestic violence.

According to LeBlanc, Amy’s abusive relationship with her hus-band could have happened for a number of reasons. “Lots of times people can get into an abusive relationship because they don’t have enough practice at identifying the warning signals,” he said, “or they don’t know the person that well.”

Johanna Soet, director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center at the University of Michigan agrees with LeB-lanc and said, “Abusive relationships are very common, unfortu-nately, and often in the beginning it is not clear that it’s an abusive relationship,” she said. “Women may look around and say, ‘How did I let this happen?’ The person usually has a connection and can-not leave.”

Soet also said that there are a number of signals to watch for in an abusive relationship. “What I tell people to pay attention to is if they boyfriend or girlfriend signals a need to control them or if they get jealous,” she said. “Another sign is someone who controls behavior, puts you down or says things that are mean or degrading to you.”

LeBlanc said a case like Amy’s is likely a result of to self-esteem issues. “People (in an abusive relationship) don’t recognize that they deserve better,” he said. “They are afraid things will get worse and don’t have the ability to see that they can leave that relationship.”

And according to school liaison offi cer Paul Mobbs, domestic violence is wide-spread in Washtenaw County. “I would say, on av-erage in this area, we have maybe half a dozen cases (of domestic violence) a week,” he said.

Mobbs said many cases of domestic violence arise from heated arguments where a girl slaps a guy, and he pushes her back. “The problem with domestic violence is, in the heat of the moment, peo-ple are mad but don’t leave because of income,” Mobbs said.

He also said enforcement of domestic violence cases is extreme-ly strict. “I must make an arrest, supply the victim with a victim’s rights which lists the shelters information for medical help and counseling,” he said. “I must also contact the womens shelter by phone, and they will (that night) visit the victim.”

Mobbs said the alleged abuser then goes to jail, and the victim is contacted when he or she gets out of jail.

Although domestic violence victims are thought to be all female, Mobbs said he has had cases where a male is the victim. “I had a guy who was sitting on the couch (in their house). Then the girl stuck a fi ve inch blade in his thigh,” he said. “This guy was literally scared of her.”

LeBlanc has also seen similar cases. “I’ve seen both physically and emotionally abusive relationships where the girl was the perpe-trator and the boy was the victim,” he said. “It’s the minority, but I

have seen it. I can remember one where their parents had to come in to set up some boundaries. They couldn’t be in the same building together.”

In either situation, however, LeBlanc said the abuse may be modeled by the abuser’s parents. “That’s all they’ve ever known,” he said about students who grew up in an abusive home. “They’ve had their parents model an abusive relationship. Anybody that lives in a family with an abusive relationship is at risk of continuing it. They see it as normal in some ways.”

According to Soet, though, there are many ways to receive help. “I would encourage (the victim) to seek support whether it’s telling a friend or counselor,” she said. “They should seek support, fi nd out their options and fi gure out what works for them. We also have a crisis line that anyone can call and get services. It’s 24/7 so any time, if someone had a problem, they can call.”

Although Amy* managed to divorce her abusive husband and remove herself from the situation, Dawn’s* situation was a little dif-ferent. According to LeBlanc, child abuse laws are a lot more strict than domestic violence laws. “If you have a case of domestic abuse, if it’s domestic abuse of a parent to a son or daughter, it’s required to be reported to Child Protective Services,” he said.

Mobbs agrees and said child abuse is a situation where “some-one responsible for the child does any kind of assault, battery or neglect.”

He also said there is a blurred line between discipline and child abuse. “Parents have the right to discipline,” he said. “What you cannot do is leave marks or abuse them. What the line is, I can’t honestly say.”

And according to LeBlanc, there are various reasons that child abuse occurs. “One reason is that adults replay their own childhood scenarios,” he said. “A person that was abused as a child is at risk of becoming someone who abuses children. (Also), it often stems from people abusing alcohol or drugs. Their judgement becomes impaired.”

LeBlanc said personal or socio-economic pressures such as di-vorce or job loss can also contribute to abusive behavior. “When people feel lots of pressure, and they don’t know how to cope, they take it out on others, in this case their children,” he said.

But regardless of the causes, Mobbs said all child abuse must be reported. “If I have any indication or belief of abuse, I must report it,” he said.

Once child abuse is reported, LeBlanc said that there are several consequences. “Once it’s reported, then Child Protective Services will come to school or to the person’s home and conduct an inter-view,” he said. “The parent could be put on notice (or) in extreme circumstances the child could be removed from the home and placed in either police custody or with a relative or in foster care. The parent could be taken into custody.”

The worst consequence, though, according to LeBlanc is the ef-fect on the child. “It affects how they feel about themselves and puts them at risk of being abusive themselves,” he said.

In a case of either domestic abuse or child abuse, LeBlanc said the counseling offi ce can help. “If a friend names the person (in the abusive situation), we’ll interview them. We’ll ask (the friend) if they want us to share their name, and we’ll respect whatever they decide. We’ll also ask the friend if they want to be there when we confront the issue.”

LeBlanc said people who want to get themselves out of an abu-sive situation need to confi de in someone. “You have to let people know,” he said. “It’s not going to happen otherwise. Bring it to a counselor, bring it to a parent, bring it to the police. I strongly be-lieve that not to do that allows the perpetrator to continue.”

*names changed for privacy


the spread

What you can do:If someone you know is being abused you should:

• Listen to them and avoid making judgements

• Encourage them to confi de in a counselor or tell someone else.

• Express your concern.

• Support their decisions.

Get Help

• Call the SafeHouse center 24-hour HelpLine at (734) 995-5444

• Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

•Contact the DHS counseling offi ce

Information from:www.savehouse.orghttp://michigan.gov

Photo illustration by Maria Brundage and Kim Wiesner

Maria Brundagephoto editor

Help available for victims of abuse, violence

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS WAS BEING ABUSED?

Battered teacher fi nds courage to leave husband

Her husband got rough with her, pushing her into a chair and ac-cusing her of looking at another guy. Dazed and confused, she started crying, and that only made him more angry. All of this during her honeymoon.

Before that, she couldn’t have felt luckier. In her junior year of college, Dexter High School teacher Amy Simonds* met her future husband Alan* at a party. They started dating casually, eventually go-ing steady. “We both liked dogs, dreamed of traveling the world and having children,” she said. “We really seemed to click.”

After they had both graduated and Alan secured a job, he popped the question, and they were married in October. “All seemed well and good,” Amy said.

But it was only a mask. Alan soon showed her a side she never expected to see. “We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii,” she said. “On about the third night, he had had too much to drink at a tiki bar and began to argue with me over something that seemed unimportant. I tried not to get too upset about it, thinking it was the alcohol talking.

“Well, when we got back to the room, he accused me of looking at some guy. He got rough with me when I said I didn’t know what he was talking about. He grabbed me and pushed me into a chair, wrenching my back.

“I couldn’t believe this was happening to me, on my honeymoon no less,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘Who is this stranger in my

room?’” All the time I had known him, he had never even hinted at being abusive.”

Hurt and confused, she kept it a secret for nearly three years. “I had heard of men abusing women and what you should do for help, but I didn’t think it would ever happen to me,” she said. “I thought, “‘Oh my god, what have I done ... I think I’ve made a mistake in mar-rying him ... what’s next?... I don’t want to live like this the rest of my life!’”

As their marriage progressed, Amy said the abuse escalated and then levelled off. “He became much more controlling and abusive,” she said.

Despite this, she tried desperately to keep it together. “I faced embarrassment that my family and friends would think I was stupid for putting up with it and that I had made a dumb decision in marrying him,” she said. “I kept thinking the situation would get better and the real him would eventually emerge again.”

But it didn’t, and Amy eventually found a mar-riage counselor. When they returned from coun-seling, Alan promised he would change. “And he did - for a while,” Amy said. “But sooner or later, something set him off, and he resumed his abusive behavior.”

Alan refused to meet with the counselor, but Amy learned some-thing valuable. “In working with the counselor, I came to the realiza-tion that the abuse I was suffering was not going to stop, and I needed to protect myself and remove myself from the situation,” she said.

Once she accepted that, she said her life began to turn around. She divorced Alan cleanly. “I just wanted out,” she said. “ I think he backed down when he saw that I had enough backbone to really leave him. I haven’t seen him for a number of years so I have no idea what his life is like now.

“In hindsight, I should have left him long before I did,” she said. “My life is good now. I’m remarried to a man that treats me with

respect and would never even think of trying to manipulate me, hit me or verbally abuse me.”

Amy met her current husband at a friend’s dinner party and admits to being cautious at the beginning of their relationship. “But I had to re-member that this man was a different individual, and I had to be careful not to prejudge him based on my other relationship,” she said. “That would not have been fair to him. As our relationship progressed, I did share with him my experience with abuse, and he responded in the most posi-tive way, offering ongoing support”

Looking back, Amy said she regrets keeping secrets from her family and friends. “There were

so many great people who could have helped me along the way,” she said. “My family and friends couldn’t believe how well I had hid it. They felt bad that I had shouldered the burden alone.”


Katie Johnsonadvertisement manager

did - for a while,” Amy said. “But sooner or later, something set him

manipulate me, hit me or verbally abuse me.”

dinner party and admits to being cautious at the beginning of their relationship. “But I had to re-member that this man was a different individual, and I had to be careful not to prejudge him based on my other relationship,” she said. “That would not have been fair to him. As our relationship progressed, I did share with him my experience with abuse, and he responded in the most posi-tive way, offering ongoing support”

secrets from her family and friends. “There were so many great people who could have helped me along the way,” she

“ All the time I had known him, he had

never hinted at being abusive.”

- Amy Simonds*, teacher

The SquallThe SquallFriday, April 27, 2007

would be the call of the person being affected. You make that call in the relationship. You draw that line.”

What you can do:

“I would wait to tell someone until I had their OK but try to help them some way.”

- Kristi Hughes, freshman

“I’d probably go to a counselor and tell them about it. I’d also offer support to the abused

person and help them get through the hard times and let them know I’m there for them.”

- Alex Emerick, sophomore

“I’d try and get them help and fi rst ask them if they need help.”

- Kirk Kumbier, senior

“I would make sure that the situation was actually happening, and then I’d tell a responsible adult.”

- Bekah Williamson, junior


Upage

Am I allowed to wear skater shoes even though I don’t skate, and I only played the fi rst Tony Hawk?

Why is your favorite show “Dancing with the Stars?”

What if I had breast implants?

Que’ce que tu al a page neuf?

What would I do if I were you and you were me and you as me told me as you to tell me you were myself?

Yeah, they’re comfortable.

You have to play the second one too.

Sure. I can do a misty fl ip.

Because it has stars, and they dance!

I like Billy Ray Cyrus.I like to watch Joey Fatone trip over him-self.

Because there’s a chick with a fake leg. It’s on after “Dog”.

I don’t know what I would do.

I might be attracted to you.

I’d be OK with that.That would be lovely. Interesting. *Moose mating call*

What language would that be?

OK. Sure. Star Wars? Al Queda.

Can you repeat?I as you, would be confused.

I’d be wearing skater shoes.

Would you dance? ...

To-d

os

Things to do/not to do:AT PROM

Not

-to-

dos

Hunter Lyonsstaff writer

Conor Dainingstaff writer

Want to look smart today? Throw this fact into a conversation.

On this day last year, Keith Richards was admitted to a hospital after he reportedly suffered a head injury when he fell out of a palm tree in Fiji.

Karl the MooseLauren GilbertJaimie BroughamWaleed MansourTucker Biallas

No that’s kinda sad.

Wear a tuxedo T-shirt. I will not be doing this, but if I see someone else wearing one, I’ll laugh, and if I like you enough, give you a high-fi ve.

Take Don Knight. Clearly the most eligible bachelor in the school, Donny will use his wit, charm and good looks to sweep you off your feet. The night will include being whisked away in Don’s chariot of a 2000 Grey Jeep Cherokee (or his mom’s Ford 500 if you’re lucky). Then Don will take you to a candle-lit dinner at his grandpa’s steakhouse, Knight’s. Af-ter that, it’s really up to how you play your cards. If DK is feelin’ you, you might get an after party out of him.

Attend. Don’t think you’re too hardcore to go. Because you’re not. Par-ents and staff members put a lot of hours into prom and staying home and watching the same “I Love New York” episode you’ve seen 1,000 times is somewhat a slap in the face to the people that have put in so much time, nor does it make you hardcore.

Find a date. I don’t care if it’s your signifi cant other or the kid who stares at you weirdly during math. Just have a date. If you’re thinking you’re too good for the guys who ask you, you can always pull the ultra-popular, “I just wanna go with my friends.”

Have fun. And be safe. Guys, be a gentlemen for one night in your high school career and treat your lady right. Girls, have fun and cut the guys slack.

Drink alcoholic beverages. Because I’ve heard that people do

that, and that’s totally not cool. Do you really want to drink at a

place where there are more parents and teachers than at a PTO

meeting? But if you do decide to drink on prom night, don’t

drive. Nearly 25 percent of fatal car accidents involving high

schoolers involve drivers who were under the infl uence.

Fart in the limo/ your car/ your parent’s car. I can’t think of a

more uncomfortable or mood breaking action than farting. I

know it’s natural, and everyone does it, but everyone wants to

think otherwise. So if you feel the need to break wind, don’t.

Think you’re clever, witty or original by wearing a top hat and

holding a cane. What was once funny is now stupid. If you’re

trying to look like a pimp, you don’t. But you do resemble the

Planter’s peanuts guy.

Have two dates. This is pretty self-explanatory. Even if you

did see Will Smith do it on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” It won’t

work.

Take Conor Daining. I can’t stress this enough.

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1. When choosing an outfi t, you tend to lean to-wards:

a) Flowing, elegant robes and jeweled crownsb) More fl owing, elegant robesc) Lightweight leather, perfect for sneaking aroundd) Massive steel chest plates and helmse) Whatever fi ts

2. When choosing a weapon, you prefer:

a) big sticks with gems on the endb) a wand to zap enemies withc) fast moving daggersd) a battle ax or maybe a two-handed sworde) something cheap and effi cient, as inconspicuous as possible

3. Grats! You dinged a new level. It’s time for new spells and talents. You head to:

a) a cathedralb) a huge, spiraling towerc) that shady bar in that dark alleyd) the local barrackse) nowhere. You depend on others in groups to kill enemies and save your life

4. While executing a Baron run in Strat dead, you encounter the standard group of Crypt Crawlers and Fleshfl ayer Ghouls. In this routine fi ght, your role in combat is to:

a) Stand far away from the action, casting healing spellsb) Stand far away from the action, hurling fi re and probably over-aggro in the processc) Jump around unnecessarily, stabbing your foes in the backd) Charge right into the fray, landing the fi rst strike and gaining all the aggro you cane) Do as little damage as possible, but still look like you’re in the fi ght

5. Things take a turn for the worse during the pre-vious battle. The Eye of Naxxramas has spotted you and summoned a host of other high level elites who immediately aggro the nearest player to them. In this moment of panic you:

a) Back up even more and focus your healing efforts only on the tankb) Yell out, “Shield!” and cast unhealthy amounts of AoE spells to maximize damagec) Assume a wipe is on its way and vanish to save a run back and a 10 percent hit to your geard) Turn your attention to protecting the healere) Attempt to solo one the enemies, though you know full well you’ll lose

6. Finally, you make it to the Baron. The fi ght goes smoothly, and the drops are pretty standard, save for

the Deathcharger’s Reins. Giddy at the possibility of riding Baron’s mount through the streets of Storm-wind, you argue your case for it, saying:

a) “If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t even have made it here.”b) “Look at the damage count from the run! I’m at the top, so I deserve it.”c) “I’d look the coolest on that.”d) “I have to spend all my gold on repairs, so I can’t afford a normal epic mount.”e) You say nothing and instead steal the item and hearth out

Time for results. If you answered mostly “a”, you’re a priest, some-times called “squishy” by those with a higher armor rating. You selfl essly heal others at the risk of your own life and are protected ravenously by any-one not wearing cloth. A good healer can make any group run as smoothly as an Orgimmar blimp.

If “b” dominated your responses, you’re a mage or warlock. Trading armor and the ability to survive for huge amounts of damage, you’re typically at the top of the damage counter. This also means you over-aggro constantly, bringing headaches to both the healer and tank as they continually bail you out of deadly

situations. If there a bunch of circles around the letter “c”, you’re one sneaky rogue. Highly valued for your ability to deal massive amounts of damage at once and the talent Improved Sap, no group is truly complete without you. Howev-er, you’re also generally regarded as

a selfi sh jackass, and you’re the type to be seen dancing on mailboxes with no clothes on.

Choosing a lot of option “d” must mean you’re a warrior. You’re the most vital part of any group, second only to the priest. An expensive class to play,

repair bills are steep and armor from the auction house will set you back. It pays off in the end though, as entire servers will know the names of the best warriors off the tops of their heads. Finally, if you’re partial to the letter “e”, congratula-tions! You’re a ninja and/or farmer. You are universally despised by every player on the server.

You rarely talk in groups to avoid drawing attention to yourself, making it that much easier to grab valu-able loot and sell it an overly high price on the auction house.

Your English is spotty, and you wear what you can’t sell. You suck.

What kind of World of Warcraft player are you?

The SquallJaimie Brougham

The Squall

• Priest

• Mage

• Rouge

• Warrior

It’s a hot sunny day in the early months of spring, and a light breeze and a strong scent of burning char-coals and hot dogs is in the air

This smell is the result of a tradition that was started last year by members of the class of 2007, where fans grill out at both the varsity baseball and womens soccer games.

The grillers are both fans of the teams and of grilling out.

Some of the usual people who grill out at the sports games are seniors Colin McAweeney, James Nati, Josh Ball, Rob Kuzon, Matt Brand and Kriss Petrovskis.

“Grilling out is a social event that brings DHS students together, and it is also a good time to eat, relax and cheer on the team,” McAweeney said.

According to McAweeney he didn’t really have a reason or explanation to start grill-ing out at the games, it just came to him one day.

What sounded like a good idea when he fi rst thought about it, started to be a tradition and bring more fans to the games.

“I like grilling out because the smell of the freshly burning charcoal, cheap hot dogs and the great camara-derie,” Brand said.

At each home varsity baseball game and some wo-mens soccer games, the grillers have large quantities of hot dogs, bratwursts, hamburgers and occasionally steaks.

They also bring along a large crowd of people and make it a little louder at the baseball games.

“The grillers make it more fun to play because more people are there, and they yell a lot of things that are

funny and ridiculous but can be inappropriate,” senior var-sity baseball captain Carl Burhop said. “They also hassle the other team and every once in a while we get a burger or a steak out of it.”

Regardless, the seniors who grill say they go to games to grill out and support their friends and classmates by cheering them on and providing food for the fans at the games.

“If you are not a senior, plan on paying a couple of dollars if

you would like to eat,” McAweeney said, adding money goes to the grillers for their work and the food.

According to soccer coach Scott Forester, he would like to give money to a few of the members of the mens soccer team and a few other supporters who go out.

He said, “Having the students come out and grill adds to a nice atmosphere and brings more people out to the games.”


sports

Varsity sports are generally cluttered with se-niors, but this year’s womens soccer team defi es that unwritten rule.

“This year’s team may not be as deep as year’s past,” coach Scott Forester said, “but they play with as much passion and heart as any team I’ve coached.”

The team is not lacking upperclassmen, they have 13 of them.

But there are only two seniors on the squad: Liz Umstead and Sarah Christian. And for Um-stead, being the oldest on a team can surely add some pressure to the individuals.

“We have to be leaders out on the fi eld and help to keep the team together,” she said.

This slight split in age between team members hasn’t posed a huge problem for the team thus far, though.

“We’re all pretty much friends because most of us knew each other before the season even start-ed,” Umstead said.

Amanda Marsh isn’t a senior, but she is the captain, a role she values a lot.

“(Being captain means) I have more say in what goes on with the team, and I have more in-fl uence on how we prepare for games and prac-tices,” the junior said.

“We try to mix the upperclassmen with the un-derclassmen during warm ups, and we’re trying

to have more team dinners and team functions.” Eleven of the upperclassmen on the team are juniors.

Eight have been on the varsity team since their freshman year which means they play an impor-tant part in team leadership accord-ing to junior Katie Marsh.

“We’re the foundation of the team because we’ve been play-ing together for so long, and we all have known each other for a while,” she said.

And for freshman Catelyn Rize these juniors have given her a lot to live up to.

“The (juniors) made a lot of high standards for us (underclass-men),” Rize said. “We have to work extra hard because our mistakes are a lot more noticeable. (At practice) we have been learning a new defense so that is what everyone has been stress-ing on us lately.”

And the departure of fi ve key seniors from last season puts extra weight on the team’s de-fensive shoulders this year.

“We lost a lot of defense from last year, and the young players will have to fi ll their shoes this season which could be diffi cult for them,” junior Shantal Daratony said.

But the disappointment of last year’s defeat in the state semi-fi nal game against Lahser has

brought some new optimism to this year’s sea-son.

“I would like to personally match or beat my record from last year,” Umstead said, “and as a team I’d like to win states.”

Many of the women have set the same high goals for the season which proves that the team is on the same page.

“The SEC looks to be very competitive this year, so conference play will demand our

best,” Forester said.A state championship in womens soc-

cer would be Dexter’s third overall state title this year.

“Winning states is our number one goal for the season,” Katie

said, “but we also want to play our hardest and get as far as we can get.”

Charlie Pettitstaff writer

Students get their grill onBrent Musestaff writer

Going the distance: Freshman Emily VanDusen practices block starts the day before a meet.

Photo by Maria Brundage

Students enjoy track and fi eld

For sophomore Dave Cooper, participating in track and fi eld is more than just another sport. It helps him become a better athlete.

“I like to run,” Cooper said. “It really makes you feel good when you can gradually feel your endurance increasing. You feel athletic and you have more energy.”

Other members of track and fi eld share his view. “I like the feeling of working out and getting in shape and exercis-ing, because it makes me feel good,” junior Julia Burke said.

Sophomore Matt Klein agrees. “I like doing high jump. It’s a good sport to do,” he said. “It’s a little hard but easier once you get conditioned.”

Track and fi eld is made up of several different event groups such as sprinting, long jump, distance running and throwing activities. Each event group has its own coach. The team is divided into men and women’s divisions.

Practices take place every day after school at the Creekside track and can either be group physical training, consisting of stretching and laps, or individual training.

During a typical meet, which can last anywhere between three to three and a half hours, the winners of each event

group gain points for the team.

The fi rst three places of each event group earn their team points.

Besides the physical aspect of track and fi eld, the sport also helps ath-

letes to become more profi cient in other sports, according to Cooper.

“I joined because I’m doing football, and I had to get ready,” he said. “It made me healthier and a better athlete. I’m faster, I’m stronger, and I have faster refl exes.”

Klein agrees. “It’s really good for training if you’re in an-other sport,” he said.

For senior Brianna Krull, track and fi eld is also a good place to meet other people who enjoy sports. “I really like it because you can be as good as you want to be. But at the same time you work with other people. You can make new friends, be healthier and have another high school experience,” she said.

This view is common among the track and fi eld members. Said freshman Louisa Wolcott about track, “(I joined) be-cause I enjoy running and I enjoy the people in it.”

The coach is Chris Hanlon who has been coaching track and fi eld for 17 years and the Dexter team for four.

“I love working with athletes who like track and fi eld be-cause it doesn’t get that much focus,” he said. “It’s kind of a low-glory high-effort activity. The kind of people who come out for that are always good people, and I love to work with them.”

Krull agrees. “You can make yourself as good as you want to be,” she said.

Hanlon cautions though, that track and fi eld isn’t for those who aren’t willing to give effort.

“It’s a work-ethic sport.,” he said. “You don’t get better at track generally unless you are somebody who comes and ded-icates yourself to improving. I like to think of track as a sport with something for everybody. It’s a very open door sport. We work as hard if not harder than anyone else out there.”

Luke Altomarestaff writer

Fire up the grill: Junior Don Knight and sophomore Ryan Lemasters light up their grill before a soccer game. Knight, Le-masters and other grillers make food before each var-sity home baseball game as well.

Photo courtesy of Rob Kuzon

team because we’ve been play-ing together for so long, and we all have known each other for a

And for freshman Catelyn Rize these juniors have given her a lot

“The (juniors) made a lot of high standards for us (underclass-men),” Rize said. “We have to work extra hard because our mistakes are a lot more noticeable. (At practice) we have been learning a new defense so that is what everyone has been stress-

And the departure of fi ve key seniors from last season puts extra weight on the team’s de-

“We lost a lot of defense from last year, and the young players will have to fi ll their shoes this

Many of the women have set the same high goals for the season which proves that the team is on the same page.

“The SEC looks to be very competitive this year, so conference play will demand our

best,” Forester said.A state championship in womens soc-

cer would be Dexter’s third overall state title this year.

“Winning states is our number one goal for the season,” Katie

said, “but we also want to play our hardest and get as far as we can get.”

be inappropriate,” senior var-sity baseball captain Carl Burhop said. “They also hassle the other team and every once in a while we get a burger or a steak out of it.”

grill say they go to games to grill out and support their friends and classmates by cheering them on and providing food for the fans at the games.

on paying a couple of dollars if

“ I like grilling out because the smell of

the freshly burning charcoal, cheap hot dogs and the great

camaraderie.”

- Matt Brand,senior griller

Grilling Factbox

• Boys in the class of 2007 started grilling at the games

• This will be the second year grilling at baseball and soccer games

• Coach Scott Forrester has offered to donate money to grillers for supplies

• The grillers make hamburgers, hotdogs, steak and chicken

Womens soccer off and kickin'

points for the team.

three places of each event group earn their team points.

physical aspect of track and fi eld, the sport also helps ath-

“ It really makes you feel good when you

can gradually feel your endurance

increasing.”

- Julia Burke,junior

Age gap: Junior Erica LeBlanc kicks a ball dur-ing practice. LeBlanc is one of 16 non-seniors on the varsity soccer team.


opinions

Robert Kuzoneditor-in-chief

David Pisanostaff writer

As my junior year enters its fourth quarter, I’ve begun looking to the year ahead. After careful analysis, I’ve realized that there are many things

to look forward to. Here are my top 10:

10. Reduced schedule. I probably won’t be doing this because I really want to take Advanced Team Sports, but the fact is, as seniors, we will have the option, and the rest of the school won’t.

9. Calculus.

8. Facebook. Once I get into a totally cool party school, I can fi nally make a Facebook account and join some awesome groups. Then I’ll be able to post some hot pics with no shirt on.

7. My fi rst kiss. It would be absurd of me to expect this to happen before college, but a guy can dream, right?

6. Expectations. There are none.

5. Getting out early. Rumor has it seniors aren’t getting out early anymore. This might be true in a few years, but as a member of the class of ‘08, I fully look forward to those few precious weeks we still have to make ques-tionable decisions while the underclassmen are still in school.

4. Sports. Anyone who’s been on an athletic team knows that seniors get fi rst choice of everything. And everyone knows that having the coolest number and the newest equipment ultimately makes you better at your sport. Mostly, though, it will be the last time I get the experience of high school sports, and it should be hard-core.

3. Being 18. This will be in January of next year for me, and the many liberties it entails are well known to all.

2. Spring Break. I’m going to Mexico. It will be a cul-tural supplement to the four years I will have spent in Spanish class, and it will expand my knowledge of the world in the hopes that it will open doors for me in the future.

1. Seniority. This had to be my number one reason be-cause it is a part of every aspect of high school life. I will simply be superior to all other beings in the school.

Senior Year:what to look forward to

Bikers, please share the road

Driving down the road, pimpin’ rap music blar-ing, you see something on the road ahead of you. Is it the god of music coming to smite you for

your choice of audio entertainment? No, you’re safe until next year.

It is, in fact, the next worst thing. A biker. Make that three bikers.

These three bikers aren’t any old bikers, though. These are hardcore, 20-mile-warm-up-in-five-minutes “Dexte-rian” bikers, named for the roads they ride, or more ac-curately, dominate.

While the lesser biker is satisfied wearing a helmet and comfortable clothes, these bikers stop at nothing to cut a few seconds off their 20-mile time by wearing aerodynam-ic clothes, more commonly known as tights.

The choice of outerwear is not the problem with this particular species of biker, but their style of riding is.

These bikers go out of their way to show that, in fact, they are the permanent owners of the right-of-way, yield-ing to no man, woman or 10,000 ton truck.

They express their ownership of the road by riding not in the safer, more aerodynamic, and easier-for-drivers-to-avoid, single-file line but three or even four across, pre-venting any other users of the road from getting around without making a complete pass.

When alone, these bikers refuse to cross the white line marking the shoulder and will pretend that you are not there, even though they have a mirror attached to the left handlebar.

They also choose the busiest, curviest and all-around hardest-to-pass-on roads in the area.

It’s as if they are daring drivers to hit them, knowing that they will win the lawsuit and get enough money to buy a new titanium alloy frame that will cut another second off their time.

These “Dexterian” bikers justify themselves with “Share the Road” bumper stickers and propaganda.

While sharing the road isn’t that big of a deal, this isn’t

what these bikers want. These bikers will not be satisfied until a lane devoted only to bikers is opened on every road of any scenic significance.

The “Share the Road” motto is only a ploy, subduing the masses and allowing the bikers to more easily dominate their favorite roads.

Sharing implies that both the drivers and the riders concede something to the other side, but this isn’t what happens.

The bikers get the road and the drivers get fired for be-ing to work late. Clearly, that’s even.

You continue down the road, fast approaching the bik-ers. They seem to take up more space as you draw closer; it could be the change of perspective, but it’s more like-ly that they actually have spread out, making your drive much less pleasant and your hopes of making an easy pass evaporate.

Now the time of choice has come. What do you do? While mowing the imperious cyclers down may, at first, seem like a good idea, further examination of the law shows that this is not an option.

Your only hope is that one of the bikers has the heart and courtesy to yield a few feet of pavement to you so that you can pass.

Sadly, courtesy is not in the vocabulary, much less the actions of these arrogant riders.

The best solution to this dilemma is a simple one. “Dex-terian” bikers need to settle down; every day is not the Tour de France, and Dexter isn’t France.

Biking is supposed to be a sport and sports are sup-posed to be fun, not a physics experiment in collision and momentum.

Bikers need to move over when a car approaches from behind; acting like they don’t notice the car behind them doesn’t fool anyone.

Sure, it may take five minutes longer, but those five minutes are a small price to pay when the other option may involve the hood of a car and a mangled athlete.

Cliques in our generation take pieces from earlier generations

What has happened to our generation? Unlike the generations before us, and surely the generations to come

after us, we have no identity. We have no soul, no heart, no passion. In the

‘60s it was the hippies.The ‘80s had metal, and the ‘90s had the

popularization of rap and the gangster mentality.Not our generation. Our generation has

copped out, merely taking bits and pieces from those who came before us in order to create some sort of multicultural hybrid of a society where youth is herded through the gates by television and music.

What has happened is four major groups have emerged from the masses, none more prominent than the next but all taking on qualities of an era from the past.

First, the “hippies”. These individuals lounge around, dressing in loosely-fi tted, bright colors.

Popular slang among this group includes the

words “trippy”, “rad,” and commonly referring to any person as “brother” or “sister”, whether or not this person happens to be a blood relative.

These people have spiked in population, al-though, are not really a threat to anything due to their laziness and laid-back mentality.

Next the goth/emo/punks, a group that can be traced backed to the ‘80s and the reign of true rock n’ roll.

This is easily the most cliquish of modern groups, often times keeping to themselves.

This is an all-or-nothing type of clique. Either you are in or you are out. This group wears black clothing with many accessories such as armbands or chains.

The “popular” group is sort of like a hybrid of everything, showing qualities from everywhere.

Listening to all kinds of music, including rock, rap, pop and even techno, this group freelances, adapting to whatever happens to be hot at the mo-ment.

Populartarians wear Lacost, Abercrombie or whatever else is high end, but not too high end, clothing.

Lastly, the thugs, obviously come from the rise of rap music. These are the people who, whether they are or not, think they are straight out of the hood.

They wear sagging, baggy jeans that are 74 siz-es too big and huge shirts reaching down to their knees.

They are easily spotted on the road because their rims often cost more than the car in itself, and their bass can usually be heard close to three miles away.

The good news is we are not too late; we can still salvage our reputation. But we better hurry.

We still have the opportunity to become an in-dividual, to stand out amongst the ages. Because as of now, the only thing we have to show for our-selves is the creation of emo music and Carson Daily.

Scott Sarverstaff writer

Finding Karl by Rawlin Myers

Illustration by Rawlin Myers


editorial

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:Rob KuzonMANAGING EDITOR:Austin ShapiroDESIGN:Kim Wiesner

EDITORS

FEATURES: Katie Fricke ENTERTAINMENT:Kelsey SchultzNEWS: Sydney RossOPINIONS: Frank DufekPHOTO: Maria BrundageSPORTS: Celia KuzonCOPY: Scott Campbell

ADVERTISEMENT: Katie Johnson

CARTOONIST: Luke Altomare

STAFF WRITERS

Ryan Aliapoulios, Josh Ball, Kyle Boren, Michelle Chirby, Scott Crompton, Conor Daining, Caitlin Henderson Jake LaRosa, Hunter Lyons, Nic Miller, Rachel Moir, Brent Muse, Rawlin Myers, Charlie Pettit, David Pisano, Lisa Ritchie, Scott Sarver, Heather Siller, Krystyna Taheri, Sean Wallace, Ryan Winchester

ADVISER: Rod Satterthwaite

POLICY:The Squall is distributed monthly to 1,186 students and is estimated to reach 4,744 people with each issue. The Squall is printed by The Argus Press in Owosso, MI and produced by the fourth hour newspaper class.

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

ADVERTISING:Requests for advertisements can be called into the Business Manager at 424-4240 x7407. Ads must be called in at least two weeks prior to the issue’s publication, which is at the end of each month.

[email protected]

WEB SITEwww.thesquall.com

SquallTHE

Q: SHOULD A STUDENT’S GRADE BE TIED TO THEIR ATTENDANCE?

in the hall

New attendance policy is just, agreeableAccording to the student handbook, a student who

has “accumulated 10 unexcused or excessive absences as

determined by administration during a semester” receives

a failing grade.

This means that even if a student makes up all work

missed while absent and receives a passing grade in the

class, he can still fail for being a “habitual truant.” Not

only is this practice wrong, it’s illegal.

State law says a student’s grade can not be affected by

a student’s attendance. In other words, failing a student

because they didn’t attend class is against the law. This

law, which has been in place for a while, but has been

ignored by the district until this year, makes sense.

It’s preposterous to assume that a student hasn’t grasped

the material just because they were sick or went on vacation.

In fact, many students learn better independently. At one

point the district’s attendance policy allowed students to

appeal their failures due to absences, but the whole idea of

tying attendance and grades together was unfair to begin

with.

Some may argue that students who miss a lot of class

are unable to learn the material, but students are already

forced to play catch up when they miss class. To make

them do all the work and then tell them they failed anyway

is both cruel and unjust.

Administrators did the right thing this year by

eliminating any ties between a student’s attendance and

grades. Not only is it fair, it’s the right thing. You can’t

argue with results. If a kid gets the work done, they

deserve to pass. In fact, principal Kit Moran has even

begun looking into ways to help students who have missed

a lot of class to catch up. For his efforts Moran deserves

to be praised.

In comparison, failing a student because they were

absent is like stripping a marathon winner of his title

because he was five minutes late to start the race. It

doesn’t make sense in that scenario, and it doesn’t make

sense in our school.

the all

SQUALLcall:

Kelsey Hart, ‘10

“No, attendance isn’t related to how hard you work in school.”

“No, it should be based on your work in the classroom. If you missed and still got your work done, that just shows how re-sponsible you are.”

“If they miss a certain amount of days, they’ll be behind a lot. But if they keep up with their work, they should pass.”

“No, because attendance has nothing to with a student’s ability to grasp the material.”

“I’m really old fashioned, so I’d say yes. When you get older, it works to your advantage to be in attendance because your employer will want you there. So doing it now will develop good habits for the future.”

by Luke Altomare

DREADS

Kelsey Hart, ‘10

Mike M

achnik, ‘07

Mike Silvasi, ‘08

Joan Whitehead, secretary

Lauren Mclaughlin, ‘09

Mike M

achnik, ‘07

Mike Silvasi, ‘08

Joan Whitehead, secretary

Lauren Mclaughlin, ‘09


photostory

$2107All the seniors gathered in the cafeteria during

third hour on March 23 to pay excessive amounts of their hard-earned money for normal, everyday food items. Happening once a year, the senior food auction, run by the NHS, is a senior-exclusive fundraiser supporting organizations trying to fi nd cures for cystic fi brosis and muscular dystrophy.

Senior Alex Taheri decided to help out this year as an auctioneer at the event and said he didn’t have any regrets about volunteering. “I volun-teered because it looked like it would be a lot of fun,” Taheri said. “We made more than $2100, and everyone had a good time.”

NHS president Mehdi Massoudi said the success of the auction was due to collaboration on the part of the teachers and the students. “We had student committees that were in charge of getting the food, collecting donations, setting up table and all that,” he said. “All the food that we sold was donated by the teachers, and then the seniors bid on them.”

Senior Ryan Neely said he really got into the bidding. “(Senior Andrew Martin and I) brought $480 to the auction,” Neely said. “We aspired to be like Boss Tweed. We wanted to own all the people at the auction, similar to how he owned the politi-cal parties of his day.”

As to the success of Neely and Martin’s strategy, Neely said it was very effective. “We defi nitely out-bid most people at the auction,” he said. “ We even had our own high roller table. We let everyone eat all the food we bought at the end, though.”

Massoudi attributes the amount of money raised mostly to the charisma of the students involved. “All the auctioneers’ enthusiasm really made the auction work,” he said. “They were the ones who brought the money in for our charities.”

Take your pick: Teachers and staff donated food to be sold. The auction boasted over 50 pieces of pie and cake, 15 pizzas, bags of chips with guacamole and two steak dinners that were donated by social studies teacher Ryan Baese.

View from above: Seniors Matt Brand, Alex Taheri, Matt Mabry and Bill Burgett stand on the table as they auction off two pieces of cake and a calzone. According to

NHS president Mehdi Massoudi, these boys’ energy was what brought in the money for the charities.

The SquallThe Squall

$2107$2107Food Auction

Facts• All $2107 raised will be donated to research for cystic fi brosis and muscular dystrophy

• Andrew Martin and Ryan Neely raised $480 in donations to spend at the auction

• This is the most money that any senior class has ever raised at the food auction

Senior food auction raises record amount for charity

Ryan Aliapouliosstaff writer

Can I get $25?: Senior Matt Brand played the role of an auctioneer. “Mrs. Wells asked me to do it,” Brand said. “I always wanted to be an auctioneer.”

The great pizza battle: Dillon Krug and Kate Check were among seniors who raised over $110 for one pizza, a bag of chips and a drink. Krug was the offi cial bidder for Andrew Martin and Ryan Neely.

Photos by Kim Wiesner

Combining forces: Seniors Lauren Wenzel, Stephanie Van’t Land and Jacqueline McNally merge their money together in hopes to buy something delicious. Together they had more than $70.

One dollar: Senior Sara Burrows puts

a bid up during the March 23 food auction. She and her fellow seniors raised over $2000 to be donated for

charity.

0607-8

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