November 16, 2012. VOL. 18. Issue 2.

Dexter High School2200 N. Parker Road

Dexter, MI 48130www.thesquall.com

Sorrow Faced By Many

Photo Credit: Katie Vontom

Students feel the effects of depression and the struggles of coping with their situation pages 8 and 9

Editors-in-ChiefCameron La FontaineLevi Kipke

Head DesignerAbby Mesaros

Photo EditorMiranda Mors

Assistant Photo Katie Vontom

Web EditorTeddy Grammatico

Business ManagerErin Lashbrook

lllustrator & DesignDrew Daugherty

GraphicsJordan Romanowski

Center Spread EditorLauren KimmelNews EditorMorgan Van HoofFeature EditorAman-Vir MandairOpinion EditorErin Lashbrook

Entertainment EditorDan EdwardsSports EditorNate NuttleGet Involved EditorCarolin SchadeYOU page EditorAndrea SchefflerDesign TeamBen GroverSydney SwigartJagger DavisBrandon OttoGuy Burke

Staff WritersAman-Vir Mandair

Dan Edwards Kaitlyn EekoffLuke HannahMitch KimballLauren KimmelTracy KoennKenzie MaderBryce PedersonJacob RichCarolin SchadeAndrea SchefflerZac SharpParmeda SokansajMorgan Van HoofZeke BreuningerColin MeldrumScott Rogers

Noah MellifontBen Breutsch

PhotographersJack DonevanCasey HansenKathryn PisanoHaley QuinnOlivia StaggAndrew MilkeyKyle VandusenNate NuttleAubree WhitleyLinday Henderson

Adviser Rodney Satterthwaite

IndexThe Squall Page 2www.thesquall.comNov. 16, 2012

5 FeatureNew academic program at DHS.6 EntertainmentMusical artist on the rise.7 SportsFall sports review.8 Center SpreadDepression awareness.10 Interactive SpreadCan you recognize these babies?Q&A: Are you smarter than a freshman?14 Get InvolvedFaith in Action16 PhotostoryDexter’s Cider Mill

Memberships:

The Squall encourages letters to the editors. They can be emailed to dextersquall@gmail.com, dropped off in room 407 or given to staff member of The Squall. Letters may be edited for length and unprotected speech. Requests to withhold a writer’s name will be considered by the editorial board.

Letters to the Editor Policy:

Contact us at: 2200 N. Parker Road Dexter MI, 48130. (734) 426-4240 ext: 7407. dextersquall@gmail.com

Staff Editorials:Editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. Editorials are unsigned. Columns represented the opinions of the individual staff members who wrote them.

Staff Policy:The Squall is a student publication distributed to students, faculty and staff of Dexter High School. The Squall is also distributed by subscription to the Dexter community. The Squall has a press run of 1700 copies and is printed by The Argus-Press in Owosso, MI The paper serves as a public forum with student editors making all content decisions. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily those of Dexter Community Schools.

THESquall

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On the webAll news stories written by the squall stafff can be viewed on

www.thesquall.com

Clarification from NHS brief in last issue:• NHS is an elected national society, rather than a club.• Students who are invited to join the society will receive an in-

formation form in the mail, and only students who receive this form are allowed to be in the society.

• Every member is required to participate in a project, rather than be the chair of one.

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The Squall Page 3www.thesquall.com

Nov. 16, 2012NewsNew law requires students to say

A law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on Oct. 5 requires public schools to set aside time for students to say the Pledge of Al-legiance every day.

The law takes effect for the 2013-2014 school year.

Every public school in Michigan will be required to fly a flag in front of the school as well as hang a flag in each classroom. Each school day, students must be given the opportunity to recite The Pledge. However, the law does not require students to recite the pledge.

There are mixed opinions about the law. For example, Principal Kit Moran is con-cerned about the provision that requires each classroom to have a flag.

The state is not providing money to purchase the flags, and Dexter High School does not yet have a flag for each classroom. But administrators say they are in the pro-cess of buying them, an added expense in an already-tight budget.

“We are going to purchase the flags as a district, which will be the main thing over the summer,” Moran said.

Some students objections to spending this extra money go even further, though.

“I wouldn’t say no to the pledge,” senior Matt Kasten said. “I appreciate patriotism, but it’s money the school has to spend that

could be used elsewhere,” Government and history teacher Angela

Chea agrees and also sees another flaw with this law.

“I think this is a waste of resources for the school,” she said. “I don’t like the idea that students feel the pressure either way and feel out of place. This law seems like a political act since it is election year, and it shows that the state government supports patriotism.”

Legislators seem to have anticipated the second concern of Chea’s as there is a para-graph in the law devoted to protecting stu-dents who do not wish to participate in say-ing the pledge, like junior Tyrus Caldwell. Caldwell said his lack of religious beliefs will prevent him from saying the Pledge.

While he said he appreciates the patri-otism the law is designed to build, he dis-agrees with being forced to say the Pledge.

“It was a good idea to pass it because I’m all for supporting America,” Caldwell said. “But I don’t know if saying the pledge is a good idea because not all people believe in God, especially in public schools. I would not say it because my beliefs don’t support it.”

And even though 43 other states have laws similar to this one, Moran is still con-cerned about how the school will give an opportunity to say the pledge while pro-tecting the rights of students and staff who won’t say it.

“The law says we have to protect kids who don’t say the pledge, which means the state has already set it up as causing fric-tion,” Moran said. “Schools already have enough when it comes to bullying.”

Even with such concerns, Kasten said the promotion of patriotism is ultimately good.

He said, “I hope everyone has a good at-titude and embraces the patriotism of the law. We should be happy about America.”

Andrea Scheffler, Tracy KoennYouPage editor, Staff Writer

Photo Credit: Jack Donovan

Students stand for the pledge in Deb Eber’s class in Cornerstone Elementary. Next year every public school student in Michigan must have the opportunity to say the Pledge next year based on a law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in October.

The Squall Page 4 www.thesquall.comNov. 16, 2012 FeatureCommon Core brings changes for 2014

Morgan Van Hoof, Cameron LaFontaineNews editor, editor-in-chief

Sample CCS Test QuestionBeginning with the 2014-2015 school year, schools fully

implement the Common Core Curriculum. The CCSS is a nationwide curriculum movement in 45

states and three American territories. Smarter Balanced, a state-led assessment association, is leading the movement of Common Core curriculum into schools across 25 of these states including Michigan.

According to Principal Kit Moran, the Common Core State Standards, in general, will represent less breadth of curriculum and more in-depth learning. This means students will not have to be responsible for learning as many unique concepts, but they will need to understand certain concepts in more detail.

Moran also said the content required under the Common Core is fairly rigorous. Students will need to not only know information but be able to explain it, apply it and solve problems in new ways using the knowledge and skills they learn and develop.

“There will basically be seismic shifts in education of when things are taught,” Moran said. “Some things may be taught earlier or some later. The depth of the way things are taught will be changing, as there will be much more depth and less breadth.”

The transfer of responsibility for learning and thinking about the content will also fall largely on the shoulders of the students, Moran said.

And the need for students to think about what they know, what they don’t know and how they can use the information they have learned will be critical in the CCSS according to Superintendent Mary Marshall.

“Some teachers will need to make adjustments to their instructional and assessment practices to represent the deeper thinking required in the Common Core and to assure the students are using formative assessments to set goals for their learning,” Marshall said.

In 2006 the only required high school course was American Government. In 2006, driven by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, state businesses and departments of commerce, the Michigan Merit Curriculum was established.

This more rigorous, statewide curriculum was established because, according to Moran, there were too many unbalanced curriculums around Michigan.

“In many districts, like Dexter, we already had a rigorous curriculum,” Moran said. “We already did have high expectations for our students. But other districts did not have as rigorous curriculums, which resulted in diplomas in some districts not being worth as much as diplomas in other districts. So we worked our way through, raising the bar for students and adding rigor. We made it uniform around the state of Michigan. But across the country, governors were talking about diplomas in Michigan being different from

diplomas in Illinois and different from Iowa. The states didn’t necessarily require the same courses.”

In light of this situation, two big national groups formed: PARC and Smarter Balanced. Michigan and 24 other states are in a consortium with Smarter Balanced.

Smarter Balanced created the Common Core State Standards, and when Michigan adopts them in the 2014-2015 school year, the curriculum will be recognized as the statewide law for education in Michigan.

While the CCSS will bring many changes to the curriculum, Moran said it will be for the better.

“There will be much more focused teaching for kids,” he said. “For most teachers, we like that. Most teachers would rather not move full speed and spend more time studying a subject or topic to make sure that we know kids know the subject before they leave.”

Also according to Moran, many classes will have to cut sections out of their normal teaching, a term he calls “selective abandonment.” He said the problem with the current curriculum is that many students aren’t able to grasp the concepts.

“We need to get better at seeing where all students are so we know where they are at what time, so we can modify our instruction accordingly,” he said.

And there are other challenges with the Common Core that can create stress among teachers according to Curriculum Coordinator Jeff Dagg.

“Aligned resources, such as text books, instructional tools and assessments are lagging behind the standards,” Dagg said. “This makes educators uncomfortable. The standards define what a college and career ready student should be able to

do but do not offer guidance to teachers as to how to get students to that point.”

While the curriculum affects many classes, Moran says IB and AP classes will not fundamentally change as much as other classes. In fact, the curriculum will actually resemble IB classes in many ways he said.

“In my opinion CCSS is very IB-like,” Moran said. “When kids see the Common Core, they’ll say that it looks like an IB class. There’s much more emphasis on application and in depth learning.”

According to Dagg, CCSS was created for all ages to prepare students for later opportunities including future education and career options.

“The standards are designed as a K-12 progression,” he said. “Teachers throughout the district are collaborating in new ways so that students will have an ever-deepening base of knowledge and skills to prepare them for college and careers.

But for Moran the biggest change the CCSS brings is the way it challenges students’ learning and induces more concentration as it enforces not just knowledge but

1. Increase depth of learning for students2. Allow more time for teachers to make sure their students

really know what they are learning before moving on3. Testing will allow for modifications to be made according to

students’ understanding 4. More Application of knowledge rather than just “having

knowledge” 5. New standards for: English/Language, Arts, Math, Literacy

in History, Social Studies, Science, Technical Subjects6. Includes more non-fiction reading. Combine traditional

science subjects together. Math classes will include more writing. Students can explain answers so their teacher will be able to understand why they may have gotten it wrong.

7. Changes in Testing: Change from Summative Assessments to Formative Assessments. This means that there will be more testing throughout a chapter to periodically check on student’s understanding which allows teachers to either reteach subject or speed up. Electronic testing will be more common

Common Core Goals from ccs.org

Sample Common Core question about gas bills, heating degree days and energy

efficiency Here is a typical story about an Ohio family concerned with saving

money and energy by better insulating their house.

Kevin and Shana Johnson’s mother was surprised by some very high gas heating bills during the winter months of 2007. To improve the ener-gy efficiency of her house, Ms. Johnson found a contractor who installed new insulation and sealed some of her windows.

He charged her $600 for this work and told her he was pretty sure that her gas bills would go down by “at least 10 percent each year.” Since she had spent nearly $1,500 to keep her house warm the previous win-ter, she expected her investment would conserve enough energy to save at least $150 each winter (10% of $1,500) on her gas bills.

Ms. Johnson’s gas bill in January 2007 was $240. When she go the bill for January 2008, she was stunned that the new bill was $235. If the new insulation was going to save only $5 each month, it was going to take a very long time to earn back the $600 she had spent.

So she called the insulation contractor to see if he had an explana-tion for what might have gone wrong. The contractor pointed out that the month of January had been very cold this year and that the rates had gone up from last year. He said her bill was probably at least 10% less than it would have been without the new insulation and window sealing.

Ms. Johnson compared her January bill from 2008 with her January bill from 2007. She found out that she had used 200 units of heat in January of 2007 and was charged $1.20 per unit (total = $240). In 2008, she had used 188 units of heat but was charged $1.25 per unit (total = $235) because gas prices were higher in 2008.

She found out that the average temperature in Ohio in January 2007 had been 32.9 degrees, and in January of 2008, the average tempera-ture was more than 4 degrees colder, 28.7 degrees. Ms. Johnson realized she was doing well to have used less energy (188 units versus 200 units) especially in a month when it had been colder than the previous year.

Since she used gas for heating only, Ms. Johnson wanted a better estimate of the savings due to the additional insulation and window sealing. She asked Kevin and Shana to look into whether the “heating degree days” listed on the bill might provide some insight.

application.“We don’t want kids to just comprehend,” Moran said.

“We want them to get to the level of being able to evaluate and analyze. We want kids to not just have knowledge to be able to use the knowledge and apply it.”

Feature The Squall Page 5 www.thesquall.com

Nov. 16, 2012

Each day the first parking spots in the student lot are occupied by the same cars, the cars of zero hour students who participate in IB. These students, including junior Mary So, wake up before dawn and arrive to school an hour early in order to fit all of their required classes. And So said she doesn’t understand why some students and community members express such negative attitudes towards the IB Programme.

“It’s really frustrating that people think IB and AP are so different, So said.

IB, which stands for International Baccalaureate, was found-ed in 1968. The program is in effect in 3,474 schools in 144 different countries. There are 1,056,000 students in the IB pro-gram ranging anywhere from 3 to 19 years of age.

The approval process for the Dexter IB Programme began in 2008. In August 2011 the program was approved by the Board of Education. It was also decided by the board that there will be an evaluation of the program in 2014 prior to reauthoriza-tion. Currently there are 26 students working towards becom-ing an IB diploma candidate, plus 49 students taking at least one IB class. The International Baccalaureate Organization ap-proved DHS as an IB World School on March 15, 2011.

Dexter High School offers 10 IB classes to students, and there will be a vote on whether to add another six classes at the Board of Education meeting on Dec. 3.

According to Dexter’s IB Diploma Programme Coordinator, Kim Lund, “We added IB to the course options to give students more options, similar to consortium, AP or Honors classes.”

This option has been good for So who said the main differ-ence between IB and AP is in the way teachers approach the topics.

“It’s more analytical than other classes,” So said. “It goes more in depth. It helps you practice what you learn and apply it to real-life situations. It makes us think independently.”

For example, a common assignment in an IB class is to read a text and then analyze it in an essay format. IB students have learned to follow the essay structure “PEA” which stands for “Point, Evidence, Analysis.”

Emphasizing critical thinking and applying what you learn is a key component of IB classes, according to Lund. She said a main component of IB is, “What can you do with the knowl-edge that you have?”

In fact, Amy Olmstead, the IB French/French 5 teacher and one of So’s teachers, said the information learned in the IB pro-gram will be able to be applied to everyday life.

“The type of learning is something that will last longer,” she said. “They’re good learning skills and life skills.”

Because of this, Olmstead said she would recommend a stu-dent taking IB classes, but the student needs to be one who loves learning and is willing to work hard and to accept that struggle and failure is a part of improving.

So agrees. She said that a student looking to take an IB class

needs to come ready to work. “You will struggle if you’re not responsible and manage your

time” she said.“My homework schedule is packed. We usually spend 30

minutes for each class.” Ultimately, So said she is glad she took IB because of her

learning style. “I’m the type of person that likes to explore dif-ferent things and question the facts,” she said. “I like the people, and I like our teachers. They’re fun, funny, laid-back and un-derstanding. But at the same time it’s challenging.”

IB is also a challenge for the IB teachers, but in a different way. According to Olmstead, perhaps the hardest part about teaching an IB class is not being able to assist her students as much as she’d like.

“It’s hard to see my students struggling and not be able to stop and help them,” she said. “I encourage students to get past what we’re doing. I’m helping them the best I can within the IB model.”

In her language class, the IB model requires Olmstead only talk in French for the entire class period. There aren’t any grammar lessons. Instead students read articles and try to find the grammar patterns themselves.

“I’m saying the same things I would in English, but it’s not as effective,” Olmstead said. “Students are much more respon-sible for their own learning.”

Another difficulty of teaching an IB class, is that it requires more preparation time outside of class, according to Olm-stead. It evens out though, she said, because during the class period, the learning is more in the hands of the students.

An example of students taking classes into their own hands, is their “Interactive Oral” assignments. Students will read a book and get questions from the teacher.

From there on, So said, “It’s up to us to come up with all the research.”

The students will then present their findings to the rest of the class, but it’s not the usual presentation.

“While you’re presenting, other people can put in their opin-ions and comments,” So said. “The teacher can give us com-ments to guide us, but overall we’re conducting the discussion.”

But this difficulty is a reason why she would recommend others to take IB.

She said, “I chose to take IB because I want to seize every opportunity that I am given. It’s a great opportunity to show your potential to colleges and to yourself.”

And according to Lund this was a goal of adding IB to the curriculum. She said the IB program is college-preparatory learning and a highly-respected program.

Olmstead acknowledges that the IB program is different than anything that Dexter has had in the past and that this may be a part of the reason some people criticize the program.

“It’s change, and change is hard to get used to,” she said. “It’s change for teachers, for students and for the people not in IB.”

IB challenges student learning

Superintendent takes new job

Superintendent Mary Marshall has resigned her position in the district and taking the job of superin-tendent and principal of Pentwater Public Schools. She announced on Oct. 25 that she had entered into contract negotiations with Pentwater.

But the search for a new Dexter superintendent has only just started, accord-ing to Board of Education President Larry Cobler.

“At last night’s board meeting, the board voted to bring on a consultant from Michigan Leadership Institute to help us with the process,” he said. “(He) will lead us through a process that encourages input from all stake-holders to help us determine the criteria that everyone in the district and community believes is important for the next superintendent.”

Cobler said he is confident about the district’s ability to cope with the difficulties that will arise due to Marshall’s leaving Dexter.

“Change is always hard, especially when it is new lead-ership at the top of the organization,” he said. “However, we’ve been through this before, and it has always amazed me how resilient our district is during these times.”

Marshall has been working for the Dexter school dis-trict for over 15 years, and in that time has worked as a principal and superintendent.

“I have enjoyed watching students go through the years and then launch into successful careers,” she said. “I am proud to have taken a role in the team who has created a structure that focuses so much on student achievement and the social-emotional growth of students.”

And during her time spent here, she has had a signifi-cant impact on the district, according to Cobler.

“It’s easy to think about the last year and recount how (her) leadership in the district and the community during the tornado in March was remarkable and how that leader-ship demonstrated the caring the district has for all of the community,” he said. “But I believe the greatest influence would be demonstrated by the lives of children that were influenced by her direct teaching and her leadership.”

But soon Marshall will be leaving Dexter. She said be-fore there is a definite time frame for her departure, Cobler and the president of the Pentwater Board of Education will discuss a transition plan that will work best for both dis-tricts. The transition will most likely take months, accord-ing to Marshall.

She is moving to Pentwater, which has 285 student in the entire district, located on the shore of Lake Michigan, with one building that houses Kindergarten through grade 12. Marshall said she is looking forward to her new job, especially her role as a principal there.

“The position will allow me the opportunity to work directly with students again, something that I miss very much in my current position,” she said.

Working at Pentwater especially appeals to her because of its proximity to Lake Michigan. Marshall said she and her husband had already decided that they wanted to move to Pentwater some time because they wanted to live on the lake.

“To be on the white sands in the summer and to watch the seasonal changes of Lake Michigan has great appeal to us,” she said. “My husband likes to sail, so Pentwater Lake is an ideal location as well.”

However, Marshall said she will miss her time at Dex-ter.

“I think Dexter is a phenomenal town and an even more special school district,” she said. “We have great kids, great facilities, great staff and an unbelievable community.”

Levi KipkeStaff Writer

Photo Credit: Kim Lund

Mary MarshallLauren KimmelStaff Writer

IB students including juniors Free Prevost, Mary So and Elise Dombkowski and IB teachers including Beau Kimmey, Al Snider and Maria Vasquez partici-pate in an IB team-building challenge at the beginning of the school year at YMCA Storer Camp.

The rap scene in the Pacific Northwest is a No Nosense business with a lot of Swollen Members who are making it big.

If you didn’t get the two references that were just made, it’s time to check out another rapper from the Pacific Northwest; Macklemore.

Macklemore, or Ben Haggerty, comes from Seattle, a city that seems to be producing a lot of new bands and artists over the recent years sprawling over many different genres

He released his first EP, titled “Open Your Eyes,” in 2000 under the name Professor Macklemore.

Five years later, after experiencing a Gob Bluth moment of “I’ve made a huge mistake” he dropped the “Professor” from his title, and released his debut album, “The Language of My World,” in January of 2005.

After this album, Macklemore he gained a loyal following in the Seattle area and with critics.

Macklemore constantly addresses topics that are uncomfortable or taboo

in an attempt to cleanse himself of his own personal demons and to help change people’s minds about social issues.

In one of his more popular songs, Same Love, he sings about gay rights and how he is a firm believer in marriage equality: “America the brave still fears what we don’t know ... we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago.”

Macklemore strives to change of the stereotype that rap is just a cacophony of cackling creative cadences of misogyny and drugs. He tries to add depth and meaning to every song to connect with the listener.

His social consciousness keeps his fans such as senior Ava Obrecht pleased.

“The way he presents his ideas and emotions are far superior to many artists today. It’s why I like him so much”.

In 2010, he teamed up with producer Ryan Lewis and released an EP called the “Vs. Redux EP,” featuring a song with a beat from The Red Hot Chili Peppers called the “Otherside.”

This song put Macklemore at

“Internet famous” status.But it wasn’t until 2012 that

Macklemore gained national popularity when he released the song “Thrift Shop” off his new album, “The Heist,” inspires people to live a Rob Goulet lifestyle on a Kevin Federline income.

His new album released on Oct. 9, peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 top albums list.

The song “Can’t Hold Us” was used in a Miller beer ad in UK and Ireland in June 2012, which really boosted his popularity in Europe. And the track “Jimmy Lovine” featured respected California rapper Ab-Soul opened Macklemore up to a tougher crowd.

On Sept. 19 he started a 63-stop world tour, and on Nov. 24, Macklemore makes his return to Michigan where he plays at a sold-out St. Andrews Hall in Detroit.

Obrecht, who is planning to go with her friends is excited because she hears that he puts on amazing live performances.

“I’m beyond excited,” she said. “It’s sold out and is going to be a huge crowd with a lot of energy.”

EntertainmentThe Squall Page 6www.thesquall.comNov. 16 , 2012

Macklemore on the riseDan EdwardsEntertainment Editor

Parmeda SokansanjStaff Writer

1. HowIMetYourMother

2. BreakingBad

3. TheOffice

4. Workaholics

5. TheWalkingDead

6. Psych

7. Key&Peele

8. ModernFamily

9. BigBangTheory

10. 30Rock

THESQUALL’STOPTEN

PopularfallTVshows

“PrettyLittleLiars”- This show is about four friends who come to-gether to try and solve the mystery behind the murder of their best friend. Along the way the girls are forced into dangerous and twisted situations that trap them in a web of their own lies. The

“TheWalking Dead”- This television series is about a sheriff’s deputy who awakes from a coma to find the world has been overtaken by “walkers,” who greatly resemble zombies. The show follows his journey to find his family. Along the way he meets other survivors, and together they learn how to defend themselves against the walkers and they continue the fight to stay alive. Oct. 15 was the season 3 premiere.

“Workaholics”- This television sitcom first premiered on April 6 2011 on Comedy Central. The show follows three college drop-outs who work at a telemarketing company and have continued to live together. The three main characters are portrayed by Blake Anderson, Adam Devine and Anders Holm. The boys keep up with their college habits and behaviors while giving the audience

“How I Met Your Mother”- Is a television sit-com that premiered in 2005. The show is set in Manhattan and follows the lives of the main character Ted Mosby and his friends’ lives. The show is based on the future Ted telling his chil-dren the story of how he met their mother, all the while recounting the events that happened along the way, and the many possibilities of who she could’ve been.

“TheBigBang Theory”- This television series keeps up with the lives of four socially awkward friends and their friend Penny who has all of the social skills they lack. The humor comes from the boys’ geekiness and above average intellect.

Photo Credit: thecomeupshow.com

Macklemore performs on his current tour which comes to Detroit on Nov. 24

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Save the date- HIP HOP MASTER CLASS with KJ!

Michigan Academy of Dance & Music is pleased to announce a very special Master Class with our longtime friend and creative colleague,

Kenny Jimenez - aka KJ. Now the Entertainment and Dance Director for the Detroit Pistons Dancers and all of the Palace Entertainment

Crews, KJ is coming to Michigan Academy of Dance & Music, for his ONLY 2012 master class in Michigan! Two workshops on Sunday December 2nd— (all levels welcome)

Ages 7-12 1:30-2:30pm $25 Ages 13-17/Adults 18+ 2:30-4:15pm $30 Open to the public, but limited spaces are available - Register Today! Call 734.426.8636 to reserve your spot! Michigan Academy of Dance & Music || 7035 Dexter-Ann Arbor Rd || Dexter www.academydanceandmusic.com || 734.426.8636 ||info@dexterdance.com

 

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*These five shows above based on student surveyBased on a survey of 45 students

Sports The Squall Page 7www.thesquall.com

Nov. 16, 2012

Macklemore on the rise Fall sports seasons on the recapNoah Mellifont & Zac SharpStaff Writers

Record last year:3-6Record this year:1-8

Football

Senior Andy McWilliams: “We did not start the way we wanted to, but the team worked very hard and we finished on a high note.”

Second in SECs, second in Regionals and 12th in States

Senior Courtney Stewart:“We achieved our goal of making it to states as a team, and we are now a family.”

WomensGolfPlaced 8th in States

Senior Joe Wendorf:

“We had a pretty good season and an anticlimactic ending.”

MensCrossCountry

WomensCrossCountryPlaced 23rd in State

Sophomore Paige O’Piela: “The season was really positive with our new coach, because she had great energy and new ideas for the team. We became a family through team bonding.”

Regular season: 9-0 SEC champions

MensTennisRegular season: 11-1Lost to Skyline in district semifinal

Junior Josie Dusack: “It was a struggle coming into the season with a new coach, but we got the work done and won the conference.”

WomensVolleyball

Senior Anthony Quail: “It was the best season we’ve had as a team and we were one point away from making states. Our team worked hard and did well as a whole.”

Sophomore Cory Poirer: “We made it a lot further than people thought we would and proved a lot of people wrong”

Record last year:10-7-3Record this year:19-5-3Made it to the state semifi-nals this year

MensSoccerSEC champs. 15 years in a row

WomensSwimming

Senior Callie Swan: “The season went well, there is a lot of young talent coming up. We have more girls on our state team this year, so we hope to have a big impact on states.”

Regular season: 5-2Finished Sixth in the State

Senior Max Merriman:

“We had a young team, but we still exceeded our goals as a team.”

MensWaterPolo

Placed 12th in State

Senior Megan Flocken: “Great season, everyone put in a lot of hard work, we did really well even though our team was made up of new players.”

WomensFieldHockey

Photo Credit: Alex Elliott, Andrew Milkey, Casey Hanson, Katie Vontom, Miranda Mors, Nate Nuttle, Nikki Katcher, Rachel Spencer, Aubrey Whitley

EquestrianSophomore Kate Rodgers: “This season our team grew and our new members learned how to have fun and be part of the equastrian team.”

Alison McLean

Dani Schlaff Alexey Vermeulen

Nils Valdmanis Claire Stetten Michael Garcia

Megan McCarthy and Neena Pio Emma Miller

Eden Krull

Described by her parents Todd and Nancy as self-motivated, self-disciplined, thought-ful and caring, Faith Hillaker was considered a model child growing up.

However, in the fall of 2009 she began to develop anorexia as a coping method to deal with the a series of deaths in her family.

What was thought by her counselors to be a phase, turned into years of struggling with depression, ending with her suicide on Aug. 20, 2012.

Faith had been receiving treatment for anorexia since the fall of 2009 through both counseling and medication. However, both proved ineffective according to her mother, likely because she was so good at hiding how she was feeling.

“I think one of the keys with her struggles was that she hid them very well. She didn’t want people to know,” Nancy said.

And Nancy said Faith was able to with-hold her signs of depression from medical professionals too.

Nancy said she was told by a doctor, “‘I do not think (Faith) is depressed.’”

But despite her greatest efforts, Faith’s parents said they did notice the shifts in her attitude and became concerned she was deal-ing with more than just anorexia.

“It became apparent while she was well-nourished, that she was struggling with other things,” Nancy said.

Faith’s parents both said they understood the seriousness of Faith’s situation, since they had read research that says one in five cases of anorexia result in death.

“We took it serious from the start,” Nan-cy said.

They tried medication for Faith, but she didn’t like that. Nancy said, “She didn’t want help. She wanted to do things on her own.”

In addition, Nancy said she and her hus-band were very careful as to how they han-dled the situation. They were certain it was not a good idea to leave her alone.

“She was not left alone. She was consid-ered very high risk.”

But being careful could only go so far. On Aug. 20, a day Nancy said “seemed like any other day,” a miscommunication resulted in Faith getting home earlier than her parents had expected. She was alone at home when she made the choice to take her own life.

Looking back, Faith’s parents don’t blame anyone for her death, saying there was only so much anyone could do.

“Faith had her mind set on how she was gonna do things,” Nancy said. “Our prayer is that Faith’s life will touch other people’s lives. Our only request: keep praying for us.”

SpreadThe Squall Page 8www.thesquall.comNov. 16, 2012

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Nov. 16, 2012

While depression may seem misunderstood, ignoring it won’t make it go away

Overwhelming DespairShe isn’t thinking about the pain it may cause. She isn’t think-

ing about the months she may have to spend in the hospital. She isn’t thinking about spending her school days working alone to make up for lost time.

After coming so close to death three times already, there is only one thought going through her head: she can’t take it any-more.

A sophomore girl at DHS agreed to be interviewed under the condition that The Squall does not use her name. On the outside, this sophomore appears a normal teenage girl, going through high school just like everyone else. Few would guessed she has tried to commit suicide four times, and been hospitalized on three of these occasions.

“I realized I had depression when it got to the point I’d tried killing myself and ended up in the hospital,” she said about her first suicide attempt, where she tried to overdose on her mother’s sleeping pills.

This student isn’t alone, either.Many high school students struggle with depression on a day-

to-day basis and depression is often much more serious than most would assume, according to counselor Gerry Holmes.

“The numbers are higher than people might think,” Holmes said regarding the escalating number of Dexter teens with de-pression.

According to Holmes, depression among teens may fall into three categories: mild, moderate or se-vere.

Students who suffer from mild depression are able to get through the school day, but will often feel irritable, agitated and down.

Moderate depression includes eating or sleeping disorders along with a feeling of despair. Kids who suffer from moderate depression find it difficult to become excited.

Severe depression becomes debilitating, making students unable to take care of themselves. It is of-ten the gateway to suicide.

So why the uptick in depressed teens at DHS? Holmes said the bad economic situation of the past few years may have some effect.

It has put many families in poor financial positions and Hol-mes said this can result in less money spent for fun and also lead to a major stress among teens: their parents’ divorce.

While this sophomore said the cause of her depression isn’t rooted in one area, years of bullying have certainly contribut-ed. Even today, she said she is made fun of because of her weight, height and looks.

Most of the time it is teasing and name calling, but she said people sometimes throw things at her.

She has, since her first attempt at suicide, nearly hung herself but stepped away and severely cut herself instead, resulting in further hospitalization.

Most recently, she attempted to overdose again. She had to have her stomach pumped. Again.

After dealing with depression every day, she said it takes only

the slightest event to push her over the edge. “The littlest things, like anything can trigger it,” she

said. “People being rude, people bullying, even if someone just says one little thing.”

There are many treatments available to address depression like this sophomore faces, according to Dr. Patricia Deldin, a University of Michigan psychology professor. But Deldin add-ed that 30 percent of people with depression do not receive any treatment at all.

“People shouldn’t be embarrassed or ashamed to find help, and if they get treatment, we can help them a lot,” Deldin said. “Treating it early can have really positive effects.”

Holmes, though, said it is the depressed person’s belief that others will judge them that prevents them from seeking help.

She said, “Kids are afraid of being judged if they took medica-tion; they think they’d be called psycho.”

This isn’t the case with the sophomore girl, though. Since her first suicide attempt, she has sought help through counseling and medication. She takes the drug Lexapro every day, but the draw-back to this drug is skipping doses.

“I didn’t take it for two days and I went nuts,” she said. “I had a mental breakdown.”

She has participated in countless hours of counseling, and she has reached out to friends and family as well; however, she says at times it is difficult to find someone to talk to.

“There’s some people that I wouldn’t mind knowing, but some people won’t keep their mouth shut,” she said. “You just

don’t think anyone cares, even if they tell you they do.”

She also said some people can be more judg-mental than helpful. She is bothered and con-fused when people will ask her what type of depression she has or why her suicide attempts didn’t work.

Although she eventually made full recoveries after each attempt, she would often spend months at a time in the hospital after having her stomach pumped.

Spending so much time in the hospital caused her to fall behind on her class work.

She is currently catching up using online classes, separated from the rest of the school for the entire day, except for lunch.

Because of her unique predicament, she is considering switch-ing to Pinckney schools next semester.

Pinckney offers a special program where students have four hour days with no school on Friday and take all of their classes online.

Despite these attempts at positive change, Deldin said it’s im-portant to be aware that depression is a serious condition, and that it can affect someone for their whole life if it is not treated.

“Depression affects every aspect of a person’s life,” she said. Also, according to Deldin, 50 percent of teens with depres-

sion will also have to deal with it as adults. Going through depression is no walk in the park. Even with

the treatment and counseling this sophomore girl still finds it difficult to get up and face the day, every day.

She said, “The hardest thing is trying to make it through the day without freaking out.”

Scott Rogers & Carolin SchadeStaff Writers

You just don’t think anyone cares, even if they tell you they do.

“”

What to do if you’re depressed:

Talk to a friend OR TRUSTED ADULTIf you believe that you are suffering from depression or have suicidal thoughts, confide in a close friend or responsible adult that who help get you the help and support you need.

Here are the steps to take if you are approached by a friend who is depressed or suicidal:

• Look for symptoms in your friend’s behavior• Take them seriously• Chances are this issue is too complex for you to fix-

therefore you must seek out professional help• Talk to adults- many trustworthy teachers and

counselors are available to you

Use your resourcesThese hotlines can be used for seeking help:

• National Helpline Network - 1-800-784-2433• National Suicide Prevention Life Line - 1-800-273-TALK• Youth American Hotline- Counseling for teens by teens - 1-877-468-8454

These websites can also be used:• • Online emotional support - www.crisischat.org• www.depressionsymptoms101.com/depression-

statistics• www.suicide hotlines.com/michigan.html

Alarming statistics

steps towards progress

Who tends to be most depressed• Persons45-64yearsofage• Women• Minorities• Personswithlessthanahighschool

education• Personswhohavebeenpreviously

married• Individualsunabletoworkorwhoare

unemployed

Manycasesofdepressioninteenscanbeassociatedwithbullyinginschool.Tocombatthisproblem,GovernorRickSny-dersignedananti-bullyinglawonDec.6,2011.Herearesomeofbasicsofthelaw:

• Allpublic,intermediate,andcharterschoolsmustimplementananti-bully-ingpolicy

• Bullyingofclassmatesisprohibited• Retaliationagainstavictimorwitness

ofbullyingisprohibited• Allbullyingisequallyprohibited• Abasicproceduremustbeoutlined

astowhostudentsshouldtalktoandhowthebullyingproblemwillbesolved

• Itencouragesprogramsthatwillformanti-bullyinggroups,requirestafftrain-ingforsolvingproblemsandeduca-tionalprogramsforfamilies

• Doesnotincludeanexceptionforreligion-basedbullying

Hillaker’s death a result of depression

source:CentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionandTeenDepression.org

source:Michigansuicideandandcrisishotlines

19% ofteenswillexperiencesymptomsofdepressionbythetimetheyreachadulthood

1 in 10adultsaredepressed

New Michigan Anti-Bullying Law

Photo Credit: Nancy Hillaker

Caroline Schade, Scott RogersStaff Writer

Interactive SpreadThe Squall Page 10 www.thesquall.comNov. 16, 2012

THE FIVE BY FIVEBen Bruetsch, Luke Hannah, & Mitch Kimball Staff Writers

5.) How hard do you try to look Swagalicious?

4.) When you wake up in the morning what is the first

3.) You can walk the walk, but can you talk the talk?

2.) Do you have any advice for the readers on how to look so good?

Match the baby picture

Eleven, because I have lots of swag. It’s overflowing so it’s more than 10.

(laughing) I don’t know. Wear moc-casins every day. Be a ginger.

Thomas “#GingerSwag” McWilliamsFreshman

Yes. I’ve got swag.

I don’t know. Go to the bath-room?

Not hard at all. It comes naturally.

Jon “J-Dog Black” LeblancSophomore

One, because I just have nothing.

Don’t look or do anything like me.

No, I don’t have the skills to do that.

Turn my swag off

I try really hard, yet I always fail.

Brandon “#NoSwag”BellottieSenior

I don’t know if I have swag. I just dress extremely fashionable. Swag is so last year.

Study up. Take notes.

No, I can’t. I’m not creative.

Shower, brush my teeth, turn my swag on!

It’s something I deal with every day.

Sam “Big Baby G” Gravel Junior

One-thousand, because, well, look at me. I’m flippin’ sexy.

You could never look as good as me.

F--- yeah!

S--- shower, shave!

Rhetorical question, take a lap!

“Swag” is a made-up concept, as such it cannot be measured with a number. Don’t waste my time with pointless questions.

Shower in beet juice.

Well I am proficient in both Eng-lish and Dothraki. So I guess that answer depends on which race of people you are talking about.

Check to make sure Moze didn’t run off again.

Didn’t I tell you not to waste my time?

1.) Rate your swag level from 1 to 10 and say why.

A B C D E

1 2 3 4 5KEY: A-4, B-1, C-5, D-3, E-2

Can you recognize these tykes from their early days? We even threw a teacher in for good measure.

Dwight “Beet-Master” Schrute

Interactive Spread The Squall Page 11 www.thesquall.com

Nov. 16, 2012Interactive Spread

Q&A WithForeignExchangeStudentAlexisBarberio

Shower in beet juice.

Q: What do you think about the bicameral composition of the Legislative branch of the Federal GovernmentA: What, seriously? That’s tennis? It’s good, yah.

Q: What do you think about IB/AP classesA: I don’t know who is best, but people in this school prefer AP. I enjoy the war between AP/IB.

Q: Are you pleased with the Tiger’s performance in the ALCS? A: For the ALCS yes, but for the World Series no. I bought a Tigers sweatshirt.

Q: Do you feel unstimulated with the lack of student diversity at Dexter High SchoolA: What? What is this? No. There is a lot of diversity in this school.

Q: What is your favorite genre of contemporary music?A: Every time in every question there is one word I don’t understand. What is genre? I like old school U.S. rap.

A: What is the best part of America?A: Girls.

We all remember that kid who says, “This lesson is pointless.” Was he right? We decided to investigate his claims. We chose four core topics from freshman year: math, history, science and English. Selecting four seniors to see if they retained the information they were taught, we obtained interesting results.

1. Time for a little math. What is the formula for the volume of a cone?

Answer: 1/3π * r^2 * h

Are You Smarter Than A Freshman?

2. Now onto history, what is the date the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor?

Answer: Dec. 7, 1941

3. Earth Science: Define an igneous rock

Answer: Rock formed by the solidification of molten magma.

4. What is the underlying theme in “To Kill a Mocking-bird?”

Answer: The existence of social inequality, the coexistence of good and evil and the importance of moral education.

Drew Richardson

1. I have no idea. Wait, actually. No, I’m not gonna say that. (laughs)

2. Dec. 9, 19. uh.

3. What is with these questions. Like what is this for?

4. Um. I’m trying to remember what that book was about.

1. I know this. πr^2. Let me think about this. Multiply it by h, so just πr^2h.

2. Oh this is easy. Dec. 7. Right?

3. It’s formed from magma.

4. Uh, racism in the south. What else was it? I love that book. There was something bigger than just racism. Boo Radley.

Hannah Ruble

1. Um. The volume of a cone. Is that like, this is embarrassing. Do freshman even know this?

2. Dec. 4, 1970.

3. This is BS! Isn’t that like blue? No that’s indigo.

Olivia Vollmers

1. 1/3πr^2

2. No idea. I’m not a history person at all. 1940s or ‘50s.

3. A rock cooled from magma or lava.

4. Oh God. Oh it’s. Isn’t it to believe in yourself or some-thing? Or try hard? I don’t know.

Barrett Bryson

4. A little girl named Boo? Isn’t it to not be racist or something?

OpinionThe Squall Page 12 www.thesquall.comNov. 16, 2012

Teachers shouldn’t test on Jewish holy days

Flipped classrooms provide quality educational alternative

With modern technology improving and becoming more integrated into everyday lives, it is no surprise that education is moving in a more computerized and online direction.

Many high schools and colleges have switched to a “flipped classroom” model, where the lessons are taught through online videos, and class time is used as a home-work and study session. But is this method of teaching is as effective as the traditional, in-class method?

Yes and no. Like any other educational tool, the sys-tem has both pros and cons. In this case, these seem to counterbalance each other.

The most important benefit of this system is that it individualizes learning and allows students to learn the material at his or her own pace. Students can rewind and pause videos, and slower students don’t have to worry about holding the rest of the class back.

This also works very well for students who have been absent and have missed lessons in class, as they can just go back to one of the previous videos and learn the concept whenever they want. They don’t have to go to the teacher to learn it.

At Dexter High School math teacher Dewey Scott is one teacher who has switched to a “flipped classroom” system where concepts are taught at home on video sites, such as Youtube, and “homework” is done in class.

Many students in his classes have complemented them for this freedom in pacing, such as senior Bren-dyn Smith, an A.P. Calculus student, who said, “It gives students a little more flexibility to learn the material, and if you are having trouble, you can go back to the videos and relearn things.”

Another benefit is the system allows teachers to use class time to reinforce the material and help students with concepts they are confused about. It also allows teachers to supervise students while they are doing homework and answer homework questions immedi-ately.

This system also potentially reduces behavioral problems in classes caused by slower students who are struggling to keep up with the rest of the class and act out in frustration.

In addition, there are statistics from other schools in Michigan that support the use of flipped classrooms. Clintondale High School, near Detroit, for example, started using this system in 2008 and has had great suc-cess.

Before using the system, 44 percent of its freshmen students failed math and 50 percent of them failed Eng-lish. After the “flip,” however, only 13 percent of fresh-men failed math and 19 percent failed English. In addi-tion, the number of discipline cases decreased from 736 in the first semester when there was no flipped class-room to 249 in the second semester when the system was first used.

Despite these benefits, however, the flipped class-room system also has its drawbacks. For instance, while

students are assigned videos, they may not watch them or may be more distracted by the Internet. Because of this, students may not retain the information and may struggle when a test comes.

To account for this, Scott devised a “video check” system that occasionally quizzes students on a video lesson from the previous night in order to see who has been watching the videos.

Another con is not everyone learns best through a computer screen. While the video system may work for the majority of students, it inevitably leads to a struggle for students who don’t learn well visually.

And what about the students who don’t have a com-puters at home? This creates a dilemma for many stu-dents in flipped classrooms. The system can only work in more well-off school districts where most families have a computer and Internet access.

Finally, the largest drawback is that the video lessons is, in effect, homework. Although a video lesson can be only 20 or 30 minutes long, it can stretch out far longer if the concept is difficult and a student is constantly rewinding or pausing the video to understand it.

For students who have difficult course loads and are heavily involved in extracurriculars, like drum major and senior Anthony Quail, this can be problematic.

“I’m committed in band to the point where I have to practice each day, and my after school band prac-tice can go up to two hours,” Quail said. “These videos just add extra homework time, and on days where I get back home late, have to practice for band, and still have other homework to complete, this presents a serious problem.”

Despite its flaws, the flipped classroom holds prom-ise for improving educational standards, and if refined, could potentially increase U.S. competition against educational powerhouses like South Korea, India and China.

Ultimately, whether students like the system or not, it represents the future of education, which will inevi-tably become more infused with technology every year.

I celebrated Yom Kippur, often considered the most significant Jewish holiday, on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Yom Kippur is known as the day of atonement, a holiday during which Jews are meant to reflect on the way they’ve lived their life over the past year and contemplate self-improvement.

While the holiday technically begins at sundown, my family has traditionally celebrated the morning before, going to the river and saying prayers and reading essays about philosophy and morality.

Unfortunately, this tradition is often marred by academia. Dexter, as well as almost all public schools, has no change

in schedule to accommodate observant Jewish students who cannot attend school on Jewish Holidays.

I’m growing increasingly frustrated with this societal norm. This year, I left school during third hour to observe my

traditional ceremony at the river with my family. Unfortunately, I forgot to let the school know I was leaving. This led to a number of problems including a conflict with my math teacher about my lack of responsibility in reporting my absence on a test day.

While the teacher in question was right-he was speaking about responsibility regardless of religion- it led me to consider whether the very fact that I had to call myself in was even appropriate or necessary.

Christian students don’t have to call themselves in on Christmas or Easter. Why should Jewish students have to call themselves in on their religious holidays?

I’ve spoken to a number of Jewish students, and the general consensus is that the most convenient option for both the students and teachers would be a rule to require teachers to avoid testing on major Jewish Holidays.

One student, senior Emily Rosenzweig, said she used to miss out on holiday celebrations because she instead decided to attend school for important tests.

“I used to leave school for the holidays in middle school, but it’s been too hard in high school. My freshman year, I failed a test because I didn’t have time to study for it on Yom Kippur,” Rosenzweig said.

Junior Havah Roussel, who does leave school for Jewish holidays, said that it would be “fantastic” if the district adopted a policy forbidding teachers from giving tests on major Jewish holy days.

She said, “I wouldn’t have to worry about missing a test and then trying to study when I get home from services. You’re not supposed to study on Jewish Holidays unless it’s the Torah, so it’s hard.”

Reallly what it comes down to is it’s not enough for the school to allow Jewish students to leave school to be observant.

As evidenced by Rosenzweig and Roussel, it’s inconvenient and unfair for Jewish students to have to make up tests they missed.

Of course, it’s also unfair to not make Jewish students take tests that they would miss. So the best option the district has is to encourage teachers not to test on these important days.

What would be the harm in that?

Features editorAman-Van Mandair Staff Writer

Jacob Rich

Flipped classroom benefits•Teachers can create educationally entertaining videos to capture student attention instead of having students absorb through text books and homework problems.

•Students receive instant feedback in class as they are problem solving.

•Students are not as frustrated because they can ask questions immediate-ly and work through confusion. Teachers can revisit concepts that trip-up students and reform the pace of the lesson plan based on feedback.

•Teachers can offer more one-on-one time.

Source: http://sciencemuse.com/2012/03/15/are-you-flipped-about-the-flipped-class-room/

EditorialThe Squall Page 13

www.thesquall.comNov. 16, 2012

Our view

AP classes have been the traditional choice for Dexter students looking for a rigorous course load, but IB is the new kid on the block. IB offers a multitude of great things to students looking for an alternative way of learning, but at what cost? It’s too soon to tell.

So far, we have spent tens of thousands of dollars on IB. There’s an IB coordinator, training of IB teachers, conferences and IB supplies to pay for, and of course, the stamp of approval from the International Baccalaureate Programme itself. It’s that extra “e” at the end of “Programme” that costs the big bucks. Ten thousand dollars for that extra letter. But what does that extra letter get us?

We don’t know. But what we do know is AP scores in our district are great, kids in AP classes are successful, teachers like AP classes and so do colleges looking at student tran-scripts.

AP may be equivalent to the comfort food of advanced courses at Dexter, but what’s wrong with sticking to a program we know and can guarantee will give us the results we are looking for? Nothing.

But there is something wrong with putting so much emphasis on a program that we don’t know the future effects of.

This year, 49 students are enrolled within the IB Programme, 26 of which are diploma candidates. Those 26 students are undoubtedly intelligent and thinking about their futures. But ultimately IB is not worth it. Not worth the cost, not worth separating students and not worth the possibility of the district not being able to pay for other programs down the road due to the high costs associated with IB, especially when IB and AP are virtually iden-tical when it comes to getting a student accepted to a good university or college. In fact, according to the IB website, the only two universities that value IB courses over AP credits are Brown and Nebraska State.

Also legislators in New Hampshire and Minnesota have written bills to outlaw the IB Programme because of its anti-American qualities and the fact that they say it promotes a United Nations agenda. That may sound extreme, but it’s still true.

It’s almost impossible for a student to receive an IB diploma. There are countless dis-tricts across the nation that have had IB for years, with little to no IB diplomas to show for it including Coure D’Lene, Idaho, Redondo Beach, California, Bow, New Hampshire, Incline Valley, Nevada and Mequon, Wisconsin.

There are, of course, good things about IB. It offers a different kind of learning envi-ronment to students. It’s great if your parents are deciding to pick up and move to France

or China. It’s great if you want to go into film or study broader sub-jects than those offered by regular courses. It allows students to dig deeper into subjects, straight to the core. These are all great qualities, but they’re not a necessity within an already-quality district.

We are spending too much money, too much time and too many of our precious resources to provide a small number of stu-dents with an education already comparable to AP.

In this economy, we cannot af-ford to spend hundreds of thou-sands of dollars on a few students.

We may have been able to af-ford this program when it was first proposed by then-Superintendent Rob Glass. But when he left so did most of our funding and in swept the recession. Times have changed, and it’s time to fall back on core values and systems that we know will deliver.

Ultimately we are fine keeping IB, but we must also not let it affect other programs that were here first. AP, Consortium and Special Education are already well-established programs in the district that deserve just as much time and money as we have given IB over the past few years.

Pay to Participate has skyrocketed while we have continued to pump thousands of dol-lars into IB.

We aren’t getting more teachers. We aren’t getting new books. But don’t worry, we will be spending money to buy supplies and train teachers for the six new IB classes we may have next year.

When we look at other things the district could have spent money on instead, this is just another example of where IB takes time and resources from other programs that could benefit more than just a mere handful of students.

Money spent on IB could be better used elsewhere

Which program do you think provides a better education, AP or IB?

“I think IB provides a better education because people have said it is harder.”

-Nick Winston,freshman

“IB classes are a more connected learning experience than the AP classes.”

Sophia Bryson,sophomore

“IB classes are better because it is a different learning style and prepares you for college classes and real world experiences.”

-Ben Spuller,junior

“I like the AP program better because one, I haven’t done IB, and I think that AP offers a lot of prep for colleges.”

-Libby Guise,senior

Editors’ VoteIllustration Credit: Drew Daugherty

IB......................................0

AP................................... 12

Not Present...............0

Get InvolvedThe Squall Page 14www.thesquall.comNov. 16, 2012

Faith in Action goes the extra mile during the holidays

She is a widowed woman in her 60s living in the Washtenaw County area. She lost her husband to cancer. She quit her job to support him. She now supports her grandchildren with her social security check.

Shirley, who agreed to be interviewed only if we didn’t use her real name, would not have survived without the help that Faith In Action provides.

FIA is a community-supported, faith-based center that lends a helping hand to those in need of assistance and resources. It was founded in 1980 and is now a very broad organization according to Nancy Paul who has been FIA’s Executive Director for nine years. It is the largest emergency service provider in western Washtenaw County.

Housed in a small building on Grand Street in Dexter, FIA helps struggling families whether it is a holiday or not.

And while for many the holiday season brings feelings of love, warmth and food, for Shirley’s family, Thanksgiving was just another day where there may or may not have been a meal on the table. But FIA changed that.

“To be able to have a Thanksgiving meal, and to have the warmth I feel when I come in and see how much FIA helps people is the biggest thing,” Shirley said.

FIA has not only changed her life, but also the lives of her two grandchildren. These grandchildren live with her since their father, who is also a single parent, travels for work. While the children are a great sense of comfort to ease the loneliness, according to Shirley, the situation is also an expensive one, and she cannot find a job that pays well.

“I’m getting older, and my options to get better are limit-ed,” she said. “If I’m getting back on track, I’m for sure the caboose. You never know someone’s circumstances so don’t judge them.”

Even though her situation seems hopeless, she said FIA provides her and her family with more than just food and clothing; they give her the peace of mind that comes with know-ing that someone else cares.

“My size is hard to fit, and I got what I needed,” she said. “When I don’t have enough food, I know I have someplace I can go. When my bills get overboard, FIA has helped me out. I’ve been saved multiple times to help keep my electricity on.”

Shirley may not have a lot of op-tions for improving her lifestyle, but FIA has helped to sustain her during

the hard times. “They’ve been a tremendous help, and they’ve always been

there for me,” she said. “It’s been scary, and they’ve given me the faith that I’ll get by. They probably have one of the biggest hearts for giving. Some people who have everything don’t have a heart for others, but those with a big heart give their money and their leftover clothes, etc. They have the humanity to think of others.”

So while Shirley is indebted to FIA, Paul said it is Shirley’s story is an inspiration to her and others.

“I feel very blessed every day to be able to both accept donations and to give them away,” Paul said. “I also feel a deep respect for so many poor people who struggle to get by and live with a high level of anxiety and yet so often manage to do such a great job with their children and lives.”

During Thanksgiving, the town of Dexter is holding many different events to help those in need; however, these events will not run without the help of the community, and this includes stu-dents. This is why Shirley encourages them to get involved in giving.

“You’ll learn about empathy and giving, and when you give it makes you a better person,” Shir-ley said.

There are people all around the world in need, but there are people right next door that could

use a little bit of help too. FIA and other organizations help to provide for them, but they can’t do it alone according to Paul. There are a lot of people like Shirley out there who need help, including help from students.

Paul said, “We all need, as friends, as family members, and as community members, to be both givers and receivers. If you can help now, do. Sometime you might be the one needing help.”

Kaitlyn EekhoffStaff Writer

“It’s been scary, and they’ve given me the faith that I’ll get by.

“

”

Other ways to help

There are many ways Dexter students can get involved in helping out those less fortunate. Below are some ways clubs at school are working to make things better for those in and around the community.

Leo’s Club and Student Council: •Stuff the Bus •Nov. 10-18 at Busch’s •Bring non-perishable food

Key Club: •Food Drive•Nov. 19-21 at Dexter High School•Bring non-perishable food

Turkey Trot: •Donations for Children’s Health •Nov. 10 at Dexter’s Hudson Mills at 9 a.m.•$4 of each admission entry will go to UM Project Healthy Schools and CFC Fit Kid Champions Program

Faith in Action: •Thanksgiving Baskets for families in Dexter, Chelsea •Nov. 16 and 19, donate non-perishable foods •Nov. 20 distribution from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Chelsea Hospital campus

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Nov. 16, 2012YOU Pa geHow to pace yourself for the binge of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to prove how barbaric you re-ally are and be awarded for it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving. It’s got some of the best traditions: eating excessive amounts of food, watching football, going into a food induced coma, etc.

It’s also a great time to show off the manliness you’ve been holding inside throughout that interminable car ride to grandma’s house.

If you are anything like me, you can probably scare out beta males just by yelling your name out loud and stating your presence in the room. This will ensure you a great spot on that rocking chair that you’ve been eyeing since you walked in.

However, if you don’t follow my strict set of rules, you may not make it out alive. I’ve seen a lot of good men fall at the dinner table. Nothing is more disgraceful for a man than not being able to finish his plate.

My first guideline to conquering the dinner table is pace. When you are eating, try to not stuff your plate down your throat. Don’t pay attention to your little sister who is only eating a leg of turkey and some noodle salad.

She is going to end up throwing that all away while you are downing your third thigh.

Eat frequently and eat lightly. That way you can keep going without having a bowel movement and being on the disabled list for the rest of the day.

Second, wear an elastic waistband. Don’t get me wrong, you look great in chinos or even some nice slacks, but save

that for another holiday. Thanksgiving is for wearing soft pants which can stretch as far as you’d like.

Once you’ve eaten all you can, I suggest you follow typi-cal American culture and watch some football. If you don’t know much about the game, just lie and say one team is “really playing the spread.” Everyone around you will be impressed at your superior football IQ.

If it’s not snowing outside, go play some football. This is where the gross amount of calories you shoved down your throat an hour ago will come in handy. Stick to simple pass and catch plays, and if you can, go out and tackle your snobby uncle. In your family’s defense, he wasn’t invited anyway.

But ladies, Thanksgiving is not just for men. I mean, the majority of the events that are Thanksgiv-ing traditions are directed towards men, but you can always have fun.

You can reminisce with your extended family and brag to your mom about how much prettier you turned out than your cousin.

Or you can tweet fun pictures of the ugly gourds and pumpkins your family insists on putting on the mantle. (They really should just let you decide everything pertaining to fashion.)

There may be some wildcards out there who think they don’t need to listen to me. I’ll save you some time. You do need to listen. Strap on your bibs and get ready for the gorge of a lifetime.

Colin MeldrumStaff Writer

Tips to gorge well:

• Wear loose clothing.• Eat everything. Including your

ice.• View dinner as a fierce compe-

tition.

Illustration credit: Drew Daugherty

The Squall Page 16 www.thesquall.com

Nov. 16, 2012Photostory

The cider is filtered through pipes. It collects into a large kettle and is pumped into jugs. The Cider Mill sells many other items other than cider, such as popcorn and honey.

Connor Carry mixes pieces of apples. After the apples are crushed they are squeezed to make cider. The liquid rushes through a pipe system and is bottled for sale.

Richard Koziski adds up a customer’s total. Fresh doughnuts are bagged downstairs and brought up to be sold. The brown bag contains sugared doughnuts and the white has plain.

Marty Steinhauer shifts around crushed apples. The crushed apples are compressed until enough cider is cre-ated. It takes 50 apples to make one gallon of cider.

Photo Credits: Katie Vontom

Dexter Cider Mill owner Nancy Steinhauer enjoys the in-teresting conversations she is able to have with a multitude of people while she is working at The Mill.

“I had a fun conversation with a family from Alaska today. The variety (of people who come here) is amazing and fun,” Nancy Steinhauer said. “Next thing I know, we were talking about where they live in Alaska, the fishing there and what kind of boat they fish on. After 26 years of being at The Mill I don’t know if I could just recall one (interesting) conversa-tion (with a customer). There are so many.”

According to Steinhauer, the variety includes Dexter resi-dents, students at the University of Michigan, high school students, families, couples and people who live in other states.

“The draw of The Cider Mill for many people is the his-tory it holds, the knowledge we have of how to make cider and our proximity to the University of Michigan which al-lows us have students who are from around the world,” Stein-hauer said.

The Steinhauers are the third owners of the Dexter Cider Mill, which was established in 1886 by the Vannatter family. Richard Koziski bought the mill in 1986 and passed it on to his daughter, Nancy Steinhauer, who is the current owner of The Mill.

“I feel that (keeping the mill in our family) has allowed us to keep many things the same around the mill,” Steinhauer said, “We love what we do and we hope it shows.”

The Cider Mill is open from roughly Labor Day to

Thanksgiving every year. Apples are brought to the Cider Mill on a flatbed semi,

and the amount of apples they receive varies from week to week.

“Typically we use local growers of apples,” Steinhauer said, “but due to the poor crop this year, we are getting our apples from the Muskegon area.”

According to Steinhauer, the two weeks of warm weather in March pushed the buds on the apple trees, which means they started to open. Right after that, there were about three weeks of very cold weather that killed all the buds.

According to Steinhauer, making apple cider is a com-plex process. First, an oak rack press is used. Four bushels of apples (one bushel is equal to 42 pounds) are washed and ground at a time. Then the apples are put onto a cloth that is on an oak rack. The cloth is folded, and the workers add another rack. The workers do this eight times, for a total of 32 bushels, and then they press the cider.

“The apple remains (mash) stays in the cloths and the ci-der comes out,” Steinhauer said.

According to Steinhauer, The Mill has been featured on The Food Network’s “Will Work For Food” in 2009. This year, the Dexter Cider Mill appeared on television during the Michigan-Illinois home football game.

“ABC sports came into the mill, filmed us making cider, and then aired it during the game,” Steinhauer said. “We were very honored that they chose our mill.”

Steinhauer said, “I think The Cider Mill is a piece of his-tory for the town. There have been many articles written in various publications as well as national television coverage that has made the village of Dexter a destination.”

Kenzie MaderStaff Writer

Cider mill a national destination