1. education
2. school

Stampede
C E N T R A L
March 20, 2015
Vol. 21, Issue 5
centralstampede.com
Senior Jed Forster
earns academic
honors
Page 13
@CentralStampede
Portage Central H.S. l 8135 S. Westnedge Ave. l Portage, MI 49002
Bake sales may return
What’s
Inside...
Oct. 4, 2013
Legislation at state level would allow old fundraising methods
Students may
Skype with ‘World
War Z’ author
page
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Brian drops bars
in the Brianstorm
6
page
How well do you know your
teachers?
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BY M ADI SO N JAQ UA
Editor-in-Chief
Fundraising in a high school setting
always seemed fairly simple: food. Students can never seem to eat enough,
especially the sweet stuff. Forensics sold
suckers and clubs like Moose Project
hosted bake sales.
But this year, with the passing of the
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, these fundraising events became obsolete, leaving
many clubs without fundraising options.
However, there are two new bills, one in
the state Senate and another in the state
House of Representatives, that would allow at maximum three fundraising events
a week to sell food or drinks that do not
have to meet the nutritional standards.
Many see this as a promising option to
strigent federal guidelines.
According to Activities Director Kent
White, under the Healthy, Hunger-Free
Kids Act, every item in a bake sale has to
be pre-approved by the district. As well,
the district has to have, on file, the nutritional values of all the items available for
purchase.
“It would have been so cumbersome
and so impossible that we basically just
made bake sales not an option [as a fundraiser],” White said.
Many clubs took a huge hit because
of the no-bake sale rule. White said that
bake sales were the number one way of
fundraising for a lot of the groups. Groups
have had to find new ways of funding, but
they just aren’t as effective.
“A lot of groups have tried, what I
thought were really smart ways of fundraising, but they just don’t have the same
result,” White said.
For example, the forensics team this
year is selling Butter Braids which is a
type of bread. They are taking orders for
the bread, instead of actually selling the
product. Although the Butter Braids are
helping to raise money, nothing can compare to the suckers, according to forensics
leader Theresa Mills.
“The suckers pretty much sold themselves,” Mills said. “And it was easy, everyone has a dollar to fork out for something
sweet.”
Other clubs, such as Moose Project,
have had to get creative with their fundraising. This year, instead of bake sales,
they’re running an event called Kiss the
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
Selling Out: Last week, senior Carly Pratt sells popcorn to senior Taylor Hunter. Popcorn is sold in the lobby, where bake
sales were held. This space is so effective for fundraising because many students pass through this area during the day.
Alpaca, according to senior Savannah
Lamphier. Every teacher will have a jar in
his or her room and students put money
into the jars of the teachers that they
want to kiss an alpaca.
“It’s going to be really interesting,”
Lamphier said. “That’s what we have
coming up.”
Although Lamphier admits that bake
sales were easier, she says that if they
were allowed to do them again, they
would probably still include the Kiss the
Alpaca fundraiser because “it would be
fun to see a teacher kiss an alpaca.”
The idea for this new bill came from RCanton, Sen. Patrick Colbeck, a colleague
of R-Kalamazoo Sen. Margaret O’Brien
who said that Colbeck felt the federal
government and the Michigan Department of Education had overstepped their
boundaries.
“While we understand that obesity
is our nation’s number one epidemic, it
is important that we teach moderation
when eating, “ O’Brien said. “Banning the
sale of sweets or other delicious treats
as part of fundraisers on school property
does not really benefit anyone.”
This new law would mean that not
only would clubs be allowed to use bake
sales as a way of funding again, but the forensics team could again sell suckers. Not
only would this increase the funding, but
it would also be easier.
“It would be nice to think that we
could have 70 kids running around with
suckers being able to fundraise,” Mills said.
White remains hopeful that at least
one of the new bills will pass.
“The bill has quite a few co-sponsors
in both houses, and so it looks like it actually has a pretty good chance of passing,”
White said.
O’Brien stresses that the banning of
bake sales wasn’t effective toward accomplishing the goal of healthy children. She
points out that while bake sales and cake
walks are popular ways to fundraise, community walks and runs have also become
more prevalent.
“We should look at health more globally and embrace active lifestyles, “ O’Brien
said. “The more active one’s lifestyle, the
healthier one tends to eat.”
news
2
MEAP test retired after 44 years
Instead, juniors will take the new online M-Step test in April
BY N I CO SCHU EN
Focus Editor
Instead of taking the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test this year, juniors
across the state will be taking the new Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-Step) tests in
April. The MEAP tests have been retired by the state,
with the M-Step tests taking their place in the Michigan Merit Exams (MME).
After serving 44 years as an assessment program
across the state for third, fourth, seventh, eighth and
ninth grade, the state has finally decided an overhaul
of the MEAP test was necessary. Late in 2014, the
Michigan Department of Education (MDE) created
a team to develop a new test due to the retirement
of the previous program. With that, the M-Step was
created.
The M-Step still has the four main subjects: English, Math, Science and Social Studies. It will test students on how well they are learning Michigan’s curriculum taught by Michigan teachers. However, one
new feature the M-Step will bring is that the test can
either be done through paper and pencil, similar to
the old MEAP test, or online through the computer.
Juniors here will be taking the test online through a
combination of desktops and chromebooks.
According to test coordinator Trish King, one of
the biggest problems could potentially be technical
issues.
“Every junior in Michigan is taking these tests so
you have to think about thousands of kids and hundreds of high schools trying to log on and jump on
a website,” King said. “That’s why the MDE gives you
several weeks to give the test, but we’re just hoping
there’s not a lot of technical problems.”
However, the introduction of online testing may
also improve the efficiency of test taking. Due to not
requiring pencils, paper or answer documents, stu-
Staff and students are excited for the release of
“Go Set a Watchman.” This book, the sequel to “To Kill
a Mockingbird,” is the first book released by Harper
Lee since her original best-seller released in 1960.
The book will be released after a lost manuscript
was found earlier this year. The manuscript, which
was originally written in the 1950’s, will be released
by the publishing company HaperCollins this summer.
Lee’s lawyer and the company came to an agreement, which allowed the book to be published.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” used to be taught in the
freshman curriculum, and next year will be moved
into the junior year curriculum.
Senior Travis Wilkinson heard of the news while
watching CBS one night, and is extremely excited.
Wilkinson stresses how important of a piece of literature “To Kill a Mockingbird” is, and he hopes for the
best from “Go Set a Watchman.”
“Her classic has been translated into over 40 languages,” Wilkinson said. “Hopefully this novel lives up
to this success.”
English teacher Tyler Baas echoes Wilkinson's
thoughts on the new piece of literature.
“I’m really excited, quite pumped and also ner-
in brief
Global Youth Volunteer
Day approaching soon
Volunteer Kalamazoo’s Youth Service Council
and organizations around are celebrating Global
Youth Service Day on April 18th. Many project sites
will be set up around Kalamazoo County. Youth can
sign-up as an individual, or with a group. Each site
will accept a designated number of volunteers so
don’t wait too long to register, or your site may fill
up. Some sites may be held at Portage Central. For
more details and/or to register for a GYSD volunteer
opportunity, please visit Volunteer Kalamazoo’s website at www. Go.volunteerkalamazoo.org and click
on the Global Youth Service Day banner. The banner
and registration page will be live around April 1st.
Spring break starts in
two weeks on April 2
Spring break begins on Thursday April 2 which
will be a half-day for students. Students will have the
next week off school until Sunday, April 12. School
resumes Monday, April 13.
Claire Abdo /STAMPEDE
Going Online: Juniors will take the MEAP replacement test, the M-Step, online because it can be more
efficent and waste less materials. All students will still attend school, after the juniors complete the test.
dents and teachers will not have to deal with several
different sheets to take the M-Step. Instead, all of it
will be done through the computer, creating a more
efficient way of test taking.
According to Principal Eric Alburtus, the juniors
should solely focus on doing their best on the M-Step.
“Together, teachers and our juniors have done
their best over the years so that they would have the
tools to be successful on whatever they face. The MStep is no different,” Alburtus said.
Since this is the M-Step’s first year of testing, there
are only estimates on how long the M-Step will take.
The English portion along with the Math portion are
estimated to take two hours each, while the Science
and Social Studies portions will take 50 minutes. The
testing will be spaced out over several days.
Juniors will continue to have school after the testing but the times and the process of the testing have
yet to be finalized. Yet, all students will have to come
in during the day of M-Step testing for school.
Mustangs eager for Lee’s new sequel
BY S COTT S OLO M O N
Editor-in-Chief
March 20, 2015
vous,” Baas said. “When you have this many years in
between, you wonder what’s going to be similar and
what’s not going to be similar.”
Baas said he was more hesitant towards “Go Set a
Watchman”
than
some of his colleagues. He appreciates the mysterious
nature of Lee as an
author and looks
forward to learning
more about how her
writing has developed and changed.
“Why did she
kind of become recluse to the world?”
Baas said. “It’ll be
cool to see what she
thinks of the world.”
While
Baas
currently
teaches
sophomore English
(which does not cover “To Kill a Mockingbird”) he hopes to
use both the original and the sequel while teaching his
creative writing class and coaching his forensics team
members.
Baas also looks forward to seeing the themes that
are addressed throughout the new novel and whether
these themes are still relevant to today’s world, like the
themes in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Senior
Griffin
Gooch is also very
excited about the
release of Lee’s second book. Initially
he was skeptical of
the new work, but
upon further research he warmed
up to the idea.
“I was hesitant on how I felt
about it because
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ seemed like
a beautiful work
of stand alone literature,” Gooch said.
“But when I heard
that Lee wrote this
around the same
time as the original,
I became completely all for it.”
Staff and students alike seem to agree that this
book’s intrigue will make it hard not to pick up.
Gardening day springs
into action on April 18
The Portage Central Botanical Society (Gardening Club) is holding Gardening Day on Saturday,
April 18th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This four hour long
event will start off the new gardening season. Service hours will be given to volunteers who help out
at the event. An additional service hour will be given
to those who bring a store-bought snack to share
and an additional two service hours will be given
to those who bring a homemade snack. On Friday,
May 15 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. is Portage Planting
day where the Gardening Club sends their members
to help Kalamazoo in Bloom to plant. See Janet
LaVasseur for more details. Major speakers, such as
Mark Miller who is speaking on behalf of the Climate
Reality Team, will be coming in to speak for Gardening Club throughout March and April. See a flyer for
more information.
Senior art showcase
coming on March 26
On Thursday March 26, students from the IB art
class as well as other senior artists will be displaying their artwork at the First Reformed Church. The
church is located across from the Portage City Hall
and next to the Library on South Westnedge. Here,
the Portage Central High School art department
will exhibit the work of senior artists. Doors open at
3 p.m., right after school, and close at 8 p.m. Please
come to support your fellow Mustangs and their
hard work
Mustang talks program
returns this spring
The Mustang Talks series will have its next gathering on Earth Day, April 21, and will feature speakers Jill Waskowsky and Chris Lane. Waskowsky plans
on talking about art and the influence of nature in
art. Lane will talk about enviremental science and
current trends in ecology. The talk will take place in
the Community Room at 7 p.m.
news
March 20, 2015
3
Changes in gas prices affect students Snow days
Recent drop in gas prices allows students to spend elsewhere
BY ZA CH F RA NKS
Staff Writer
One of the many expenses of driving a car is filling up the gas tank. This can be especially costly for
students who pay for their own gas with a limited
income. Gas prices have dropped from about 4 dollars in June 2014 to just above 2 dollars in the past
6 months, giving students the opportunity to spend
their money elsewhere.
According to Business Insider, the dramatic drop
in prices is due to several reasons. The price of crude
oil has decreased from over 100 dollars a barrel in
March of 2014 to around 50 dollars a barrel now. This
is due to the United States fracking in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as discovering a surplus of untapped oil.
Towards the end of 2014, the United States shale production surged and the OPEC oil cartel of 12 members continued to maintain its output. This caused
prices to drop and a temporary period of some economic relief for drivers everywhere.
In a survey of 54 sophomores, juniors and seniors,
63 percent of students have a drivers license. 47 percent of those students said that they pay for their
own gas. Most students who have to pay are seniors
with jobs.
Whether it’s after school sports and clubs or
hanging out with friends, many students find it convenient to be able to drive themselves places and not
have to rely on rides from others.
Plans for
BY CA I TLI N MATTHEWS
News Editor
Media Center coordinator Sara Brown is kickstarting a community reading program in which both students and the community can bond through books
and special reading events. Currently, she is planning
a skype interview with Max Brooks, the author of
the graphic novel “Harlem Hellfighters” and of
the novel “World War Z”, which is now a major
motion picture. This Skype call will take place in
the Media Center for students and members of
the community to join and ask Brooks questions
about his novels.
“I saw him (Brooks) speak at the Kalamazoo Public Library. It has been a couple years, but it was
on ‘World War Z’ and the zombie theme
and he was just a really cool, interesting, fun guy,” Brown said. “I was intrigued by him.”
The Skype interview is currently in the planning stages. Brooks
is interested in Skyping with PC
and both he and Brown are planning tentative dates. As of now,
the Skype call will take place
sometime in April in the Media
Center. All students are welcome to this free event. Brown
believes that talking to Brooks will spark interest in
his books, especially his new graphic novel, “Harlem
Hellfighters”.
“One of my goals has been to get non fiction
graphic novels into students’ hands,” Brown said.
“I haven’t been overly successful yet. I have built a
decent collection, but I am hoping this will kickstart
Sophomore Ben Alvarez enjoys the freedom of being able
to go out when he wants to.
“I drive because I need to get
places,” Alvarez said.
Despite gas prices being
significantly lower, students feel
that they have not increased
their amount of driving. Instead
of driving more, students feel
they have more money to spend
elsewhere or on other, more desired items.
Junior Amanda Boelman
says that she has been able to go
out to eat more with her friends
since the recent decrease in gas
prices.
“It’s been nice having more
money to spend on food when
I go out to lunch,” Boelman said.
With gas prices slowly creeping back up, no one can be sure
how much longer it will be before gas is back to its original,
less affordable, price. Students
said they will still drive just as
much despite gas prices, but extra spending money never hurt
anyone, even if the only place we
have to eat is the Chicken Coop.
impact
summer
break
BY ISA BELLA P EDR A ZA
Staff Writer
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
Filling Up: With the lowered gas prices, students are finding they
can fill up their gas tanks and still have extra spending money.
call with Max Brooks
that.”
Non fiction graphic novels, such as “Harlem Hellfighters”, are not popular, but can be incredibly helpful since they provide an image and story to history
and science. Brown also has graphic novels on other
topics, such as calculus.
History teacher Kent Baker proposed the
idea of interviewing Brooks and studying
his book “Harlem Hellfighters”. Baker finds
the story and the author’s use of a graphic
novel fasinating.
Baker is considering trying to add this
book into the curriculum next year. It is
an almost unheard of story that truly highlights the struggle of the African American 369th infantry regiment during World War I. This insight
would be beneifical and
entertaining for Baker’s
history classes.
Like many others,
Baker was a little skeptical about reading a
graphic novel, since
it reminded him too
much of a comic book.
But after reading and
digging deeper into
the topic, Baker finds
it is an incredible source of information over an unfamiliar story. Unlike most comics, this story should
be taken seriously.
“If you look at the story, it is a great story and a
very serious topic,” Baker said. “The author really did
his homework on it and is obviously really passionate
about it. He wants to get this story out to people of all
ages, and this is a great medium to do it.”
Baker plans to give students in his International
Baccalaureate (I.B) History class, Contemporary Internatioal Studies (C.I.S) class and his Junior World History class the option to read this book if they choose.
It will not be required, just an extra historical source
of information.
However, diving into Brook’s “Harlem Hellfighters“ is just the tip of the iceberg. Next year, Brown
hopes to actually bring authors to the school to meet
in classrooms and/or speak publicly. She has contacted many authors about the idea, including Maggie
Stiefvater, Kristin Levine, Holly Goldberg Sloan and
Markus Zusak. To have the authors come to Portage,
however, will cost a lot of money as the school must
pay for flights and accommodations for the author.
Eventually, Brown wants to make this a city-wide
event. In her eyes, there could be events at the Portage District Library or even a movie night at Celebration Cinema with the film of one of the authors
books. For example, if Max Brook’s “Harlem hellfighters” was the community read, there could be sessions
on how to draw comic book and graphic illustrations
as well as watching ‘World War Z’.
Of course, these are all ideas, and none are set in
stone. Brown mainly wants to contact authors who
write for young adults. Not only would this provide
more reading material for students, but it would allow families to read together.
For more updates on this event, please check
www.centralstampede.com or talk to Brown in the
Media Center. If any students would be interested in
donating, starting fundraisers, or even helping out
with the Skype call, Brown would appreciate the help.
If any students are interested in reading “Harlem Hellfighters“ there are copies in the Media Center.
Pajamas on inside out and back to front. Potatoes under pillows. Ice cubes down the toilet. This
ritual could only mean one thing; there’s a chance for
a snow day. But when the snow day limit has been
reached, the hope for blizzards goes down and the
fear of having to spend extra days in the summer
rises.
Michigan schools are required to provide at least
175 days and at least 1,098 hours of instruction. According to the Michigan Department of Education,
the 2015-2016 school year will have an increased
amount of instructional days from 175 to 180. However, Representative Phil Potvin introduced House Bill
4157 on Feb. 4 to increase the allowable snow days
from six to nine days a year.
If Michigan schools don’t reach the required
amount of instructional days, $60,000 for each day
missed is taken out of the state aid allocation given to
schools. An additional six days (or equivalent hours)
of forgiven time may be requested to the State Superintendent if days are cancelled after April 1.
This year Portage Public Schools has had seven
snow days on Nov. 18, Jan. 7, 8, 9, 29 and Feb. 2 and
20. The additional snow day on Feb. 20 has resulted
in the extension the school year into summer, which
may disappoint students and staff hoping to get out
on Friday June 5.
“I’d still want a snow day now, because we need
one now,” sophomore Chris Redlon said. “ We’ve gone
so long without having a break and it doesn’t matter
if we have one extra day in the summer.”
According to Community Relations manager
Sarah Baker, the PPS administration makes the decision whether or not to have a snow day by considering the conditions of the roads, as well as the temperature outside, for those students who must wait
for busses or walk to school. The PPS administration
does not state a set temperature in which schools
have to close. The police department also plays a role
in their decision, and they may advise them to keep
students off the road.
Besides the fact that school will be extended into
summer, students continue to hope for the roads to
get icy and snow to fall. The joy of waking up to a
snow day is still exciting to students.
“Snow days are amazing because you get this huge
joy of “yeah no school!” and then you realize you get
to sleep in which is even better,” freshman Meghana
Odapally said.
Snow Days:
Nov. 18
Jan. 7,8,9,29
Feb. 2, 20
view
Bake sales should be brought back for needed funding
4
March 20, 2015
We heavily support two bills in
both houses of the state legislature
that would facilitate bake sales
to return. Since the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free
Kids Act, public schools have been
limited in bake sale fundraising
events to the extent in which they
are nearly impossible to organize.
Under the new bill, schools would
be able to have three bake sale
fundraising events per week.
We believe that the health of
the student is his or her decision,
Stampede
C E N T R A L
Scott Solomon Madison Jaqua
Editors-in-Chief
Caitlin Matthews, Lucy Forster............News Editors
Brian Taggett...............................................View Editor
Nico Schuen..............................................Focus Editor
Devon Wilson..............................................Vibe Editor
Jared Lutz..................................................Sports Editor
Alex Block......................................... Website Manager
Claire Abdo................................................Photo Editor
Staff Writers: Jori Gelbaugh, Malak Ghazal,
Shawna Huang, Dayton Juday, Dakotah Lilly,
Nolan Caranci, Zach Franks, Kelsee Ha, Brianna
Martinez, Olivia Oles, Bella Pedraza, Sharwari
Salvi, Kate Spears
Business Manager: Ethan Dunlop
Adviser: Cheryl Braford
The Central Stampede publishes approximately one
publication a month, primarily by the Journalism
II class at Portage Central High School, 8135 S.
Westnedge, Portage, MI 49002. It also uses work
from Journalism I students.
The Central Stampede is a member of the Michigan
Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA). The
purpose of the Central Stampede is to act as an open
forum for students of Portage Central. The staff
will achieve a balance between informing and
entertaining our readers.
Editorials
Staff editorials are unsigned and represent consensus of the staff. The opinion of the staff is represented in the “Our View” column. The opinions
of the editors, staff writers and guest writers will
have bylines and will carry their own views.
Letters
As an open forum, the Stampede welcomes all
members of the Portage community. However,
the staff reserves the right to edit letters based on
length and content.
and he or
she should
be fully
capable of
deciding whether or not to eat unhealthy food. Students are already
limited with their food options
when they consume the majority
of their food: at lunch. The school
enforces tight restrictions on the
portion sizes and nutritional content of the food.
Additionally, bake sales help
fundraise for organizations that
staf f editorial
five
Nevin Schuring, 9th
The Central Stampede
on
Alicia Abdo, 10th
action forces us to dedicate more
of our pages to advertisements
in order to have enough funds to
publish and maintain a website.
As a staff, we unanimously agree
that bake sales should return, but
we believe an additional point
must be acknowledged.
Bake sales, which have recently
restricted fundraising activities,
would not be necessary if the
government provided sufficient
funding to co-curriculars like the
Stampede.
five
Jawad Aqueel, 11th
Annie Marshall, 12th
Mr. Schafer
1. If you were an author, what would your pen name be? (p. 2)
Notorious Knevin.
Monalisha.
Fudge.
Bic, like the pen. Get
it? LOL.
I. M. Thinking.
2. What should be done to improve school spirit? (p. 5)
Be more involved in
sports.
More pep rallys.
Everyone should make
mixtape.
Student Council needs
to choose better dress
up days. Who chose
Mardi Gras?
Different dress up
days.
3. If you had the choice, which school would you go to for a day? (p. 9)
Torry Pines High School in
San Diego because my
cousin goes there and
he gets to surf for his 1st
hour class.
Sky High.
La Jolla High School.
East High.
A school in a 3rd
world country.
4. What’s your favorite show to binge watch? (p. 12)
“Supernatural.”
Phone: (269) 323-5218
Fax: (269) 323-5290
Room: 2116
Portage Central High School
8135 South Westnedge Ave.
Portage, MI 49002
often do
not receive
recognition. No
matter how underrepresented
a club may be, baked goods will
draw in a wide variety of students
who would not normally contribute financially to the club.
As a self-sufficient organization,
The Stampede’s funding is entirely
self-raised. Before the legislation
, we made upwards of $300 per
bake sale. Implementation of this
“Little Women L.A.”
because that show is hilarious and I reccomend
everyone to watch it.
“Degrassi” #OvOSeason.
“Parks and Recreation.”
I want to watch “Breaking Bad.”
5. What do you think high school would have been like in 1932? (p. 14)
There would be no
electricity and it would
be cold.
Boring and black and
white.
Nothing was the same.
Maybe they learned practical real life things like how
to balance a checkbook
or create a budget. Can I
get an amen?
Hard working, would have
needed a part-time job.
With fewer students going
to college, high school
friendships would be more
permanent.
March 20, 2015
view
Which academic program is better?
B Y B R I A N TA G G E TT
View Editor
My older brother completed the International
Baccalaureate Diploma two years ago when I was
a sophomore. While I had held my own in honors courses my freshman and sophomore years, I
was engaged in a competitive sibling rivalry and
decided to sign up as a candidate for the IB Diploma. This surpasses eating four slices of Sam’s
Club Pizza once at lunch as my best decision in
high school.
While alternate schooling options like the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center do an effective job of offering extensive teaching in math,
science and technology, IB separates itself by offering a complete, well-rounded package. From
history to physics, environmental systems to psychology and nearly every major core subject in between, IB offers a more expansive curriculum than
the math and science dominated KAMSC.
The Extended Essay, a research paper up to
4,000 words that offers students the opportunity
to conduct independent research or investigation
on a topic that interests them, effectively prepares
students for college level assignments. Through
the completion of the Extended Essay, candidates
develop close relationships with advisors who offer insight in the writing of the assignment. For
me, I was fortunate enough to work closely with
Mr. Alburtus over the summer to complete my essay.
International
Baccalaureate Diploma
creates well-rounded
students
Through the IB Diploma, candidates not only
develop skills within the classroom, but participate in extracurricular activities, ultimately creating well-rounded students. In order to receive
the diploma, candidates are required to complete
a total of 150 hours of activities that emphasize
creativity, action and service. While this may be
perceived as a daunting task, countless activities
quantify to fulfill this requirement that ensures
that students are not only focused upon their
studies.
The dinner plate sized medal a candidate receives upon
graduation may incentivize the
hard work, but the long-term
benefits of the diploma program go far beyond the trinket.
Not only is it internationally
recognized, but the completion
of the diploma often brings college credit. For a
school I am considering, those who complete the
IB Diploma enter the university with sophomore
status, saving tens of thousands of dollars. With
college credit comes free money to buy even more
Sam’s Club pizza.
While KAMSC does an excellent job of specializing in math and science, the versatility and recognition of the IB Diploma program sets it apart
from the half-day program at the old Kalamazoo
Central High School building.
B Y J O R I G E L B AU G H
Staff Writer
When I first signed up to enroll in the Kalamazoo
Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC) as a freshman, I did not realize how rigorous and demanding
the program would be. It challenged me far beyond
academic capabilities, as the emphasis on perfection
motivated me to expand beyond the academic potential I had previously believed possible.
Throughout the program, my teachers insisted
upon my growth as a student,
challenging me to expand my
academic interest beyond the
classroom. They offered extra
credit and enrichment opportunities that I never would have
received had I not been a part of
KAMSC. For students interested in careers in the fields
of math, science and computing, these opportunities
provide valuable opportunities to further their success in that career.
Additionally, the classes offered are not typically
offered at schools around the area. One of the key advantages to KAMSC is that it offers computing classes
that teach the basics of coding and programming.
Through programming field trips and coding competitions, I learned how to develop software and code
programs, knowledge that I still use even though I’m
not currently at KAMSC. Many of the topics taught in
V S.
5
Kalamazoo Area
Math & Science
Center builds
knowledge and
friendships
these classes are applicable to life, making much of
the material that is taught extremely beneficial.
The staff at KAMSC encourages students to
exceed expectations in every assignment, which
caused me to produce work that I would not have
thought possible without their challenging expectations. I am much better at managing my time and I
feel far more prepared for college classes as a result
of those rigorous courses.
Furthermore, I developed strong friendships with
students from around the area. The hardest part
about leaving KAMSC was the prospect of not being
able to spend every day with some of the most driven
students I’ve met.
KAMSC offers several events throughout the year,
such as the Spring Formal (the best KAMSC dance by
far), Film Fest (I made some of my favorite high school
memories during this lock in), Cricket Team (the best
and only in the state), and the recently added Soccer
Team.
Of all of the positive things that I took away from
KAMSC, the friendships were by far the most invaluable and made the stressful work worth it. Regardless
of the friendships, the challenges that have prepared
me for college as well as the classes offered make
KAMSC better than the International Baccalaureate
Program.
Our school needs spirit and engagement
B Y S H A R WA R I SA LV I
Staff Writer
Viewing a pep assembly or basketball game with
bleachers packed full of students dressed to the
finest in blue and gold, or walking through the hallways during 80’s workout day, seeing nearly every
student strutting in their legwarmers and florescent
colored attire. This is what I envision as a ‘traditional
engaged high school’. However our school engagement has dissipated to a faded blue and gold.
Our school spirit and engagement has gone
down Mustang Way and out of the common doors.
In the recent Gallup Poll, which surveyed the school
in the fall of 2014, only 49% of the students felt
engaged with the school. Seeing that only half of the
student body felt engaged in areas like involvement
with the school and teachers makes our amount of
school pride disappointing, to say the least.
The actions of our peers is like a domino effect; if
one person participates in the homecoming games
and dress up days, other will be encouraged to join
in. A major influence in this are the
seniors. If the senior class is involved
and spirited, it will make the underclassmen be more comfortable to
participate. Alternatively, if a hallway
of students are not involved in the
dress up day, then being one of the
few dressed for the occasion makes a
student feel like an outcast.
This year for winter homecoming, only 7 percent of the student
body dressed up for Mardi Gras day,
while less than 20 percent of the
student body dressed for 80’s work
out day. The fact that only one out of
five people dress for a once popular
dress up day, this is proof that our
school needs to be more spirited and
involved. Being involved in minimal
activities such as home-coming dress
up days, bonds the school together,
Little Spirit: Juniors Ryan Patout and Robert Miller and senior Lewis Kordupel spent halftime on their phone at
regardless of social groups or age.
the Sept. 26 football game against Gull Lake.
With some of the absurd dress up
days, and scheduling conflicts, it’s not
dance per football game is approximately more
their comfort zone. For some, high school may be a
possible for every student to be enthan 650 people. Attendance for school games and
despicable period in their life. Being engaged and
gaged. But it is foolish not even attempting to show
events seems to have fallen over these past years.
involved can change that, and open up opportunipride and make the most of a high school career
Our game attendance has fallen within just a few
ties to create an unforgettable four years.
with the historic traditions that our school allows us
years. In the 2011 football season our school had a
I’m not asking students to put on the smelly
the privilege to have.
ticket revenue of 52,966 dollars.
mascot suit and parade around a football game. I’m
Only 36,005 dollars were spent on tickets for all
Any action that one may do becomes more
simply asking that the students of Portage Central
home freshman, junior varsity, and varsity football
enjoyable when one takes risks and steps out of
should express their Mustang pride.
games by the general public. The average atten-
view
6
March 20, 2015
Classical music is Bach in style
Why I really love classical music –­ and why most people don’t
BY BR IA N TAGGETT
View Editor
My brief, nuanced and
legendary career as an
educational rapper
B Y S H AW N A H UA N G
Staff Writer
Whenever I tell someone that I like classical music,
most people just give me a look that says, “You’re a
huge freaking dork.” And, yeah, I’ll agree that classical
music isn’t the world’s most common passion. I myself was forced into the world of classical music at the
age of 5 when my parents sat me down at the piano
and told me to play. But more than a decade later, I’m
still here. I’ve fallen in love with the classical music
that most of my peers can’t stand. I’ve been caught
several times humming classical tunes in math or tapping out piano pieces on my desk in history. (I apologize to any teacher I may have annoyed for these very
reasons.)
People always ask me why I like classical music
in the first place. Classical music gives me an outlet
to express my emotions in a way that can’t be done
with words. Composers pour their hearts and souls
into their music, and I find that I can feel every bit of
sorrow, passion or joy that the composers are trying to convey. It is, in essence, a language of unto
itself, helping to communicate ideas and emotions
across linguistic and cultural barriers. Every musician
– including myself – can interpret these in her own
way, relate them to her own emotions and develop
a personal connection to every piece. Modern artists
just can’t provide that when they’re too busy singing
about butts and heartbreak.
It takes a lot of concentration to comprehend
classical music. Not only do you have to pick out and
follow the melody amongst a myriad of parts, but you
have to work to understand the context and emotion
behind the music. Many people just aren’t willing to
put in that kind of effort when they listen to music.
Those who do are rewarded with extraordinary stories and vivid scenes told solely through sound. What
I truly love about classical music is that it allows me to
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
Classi-cool: Playing classical music on my viola (it’s not a violin) allows me to express myself and has
changed my life for the better in so many ways.
experience and share those stories with others, both
as a listener and as a musician.
And sometimes, of course, I just love the music.
Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” is one of my
favorites; I once found myself dancing to it backstage
during a concert along with several friends and the
mayor of Kalamazoo. Nielsen’s “Aladdin Suite” and
Dello Joio’s “Finale” from “Variations, Chaconne, and
Finale” for orchestra are also great fun to listen to and
tons of fun to play. (By the way, I play the viola, not
the violin. There is a difference.)
In another of my favorites, “The Planets”, Gustav
Holst wrote a movement for every planet of the solar
system except for Earth and Pluto, mostly because
Pluto hadn’t been discovered yet. Modern astronomy
worked out in his favor. I get to perform John Williams’
“Star Wars Suite” with my youth orchestra in April. Being the nerd that I am, I couldn’t help but freak out
when I saw that my music says to play “with great
force.” And then there’s Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”,
which, in telling the story of the French invasion of
Russia, calls for actual cannon fire. Sixteen times.
Classical music has opened up countless opportunities for me. I’ve made many friends through the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra and the school
chamber orchestra. I’m helping students at Woods
Lake Elementary learn how to play in an orchestra for
the first time. I’ve performed a solo piano concerto
with a professional orchestra for 1,500 people in one
of the best concert halls in Kalamazoo. I’ve even gone
on tour with my youth orchestra and played for thousands of people in four cities across China.
The world of classical music has enriched my life
in so many ways, and not just because of the music. It
has helped me to express my emotions, develop relationships, and experience things I never would have
dreamed of doing. It has introduced me to a world
where we don’t take what we listen to for granted. It
has made me who I am.
Can’t say I’m a dork for loving that.
Spring break has become a status symbol
B Y B R I A N N A M A RT I N E Z
Staff Writer
Spring break: the one week a year that all high
schoolers look forward to after months and months
of tackling homework, preparing for speeches and
taking exams. It’s our pre-summer, and we all want to
make the most out of it to tide us over for the remainder of our school year. But with the huge presence
of social media in our lives, what we do during our
spring break has been transformed into yet another
status symbol. Our spring break activities should be
things we enjoy for ourselves with the intent of these
memories belonging to us, not to every single person
who follows us on Instagram and Twitter.
What do I mean by that? Well
with the
introduction of
social media into
the lives
of high
schoolers,
it’s become very
easy
to
brag.
Popularity was
already
something that teenagers cared
about, but with this need to impress every single person on the internet, our adventures don’t belong to
us anymore. Now don’t get me wrong, I love posting
things on social media as much as the next person,
but is it really necessary to flood everyone’s feed with
ten pictures a day of your fun in the Bahamas? Constantly updating followers on spring break isn’t only
annoying, but it detracts from one’s ability to fully enjoy their vacation.
The fact that informing others of what you’re up
to takes precedent over spending time with who
you’re actually with only emphasizes the fact that
some high schoolers subconsciously see the way
they spend their spring break as a status symbol on
display for all to see. It offers the ability for others to
see your popularity or wealth in relation to where
your break was spent and with who it was spent.
Spring break is for us to enjoy without the intrusion of people miles away. So when you fly to Costa
Rica or get on that cruise ship and head to Jamaica,
remember to power down your devices and just have
fun with your fellow spring breakers. Why? Because
all of the kids you left home shouldn’t and really don’t
care all that much.
With crisp autumn leaves and a fear that the
world was going to end that winter, the fall of my
sophomore year stands out in my memory not as a
time of subpar performances on the junior varsity
cross country team, but as a time when an alter-ego
was launched.
For the Oct. 23 “Mole Day celebration” that year
in Mr. Taylor’s Honors Chemistry 2 course, I paired
up with then-senior Vivek Krishnan to complete the
open-ended Mole Day-related assignment. Instead of
baking a cake or some other vaguely related project,
Krishnan and I laid down absolute bars about chemistry over A$AP Rocky’s beat, “Celebration.”
Lyrics like “Call me Mr. Exothermic ‘cuz you know
I’m hot” quickly captured the attention of my fellow
students. With a music video to accompany the fire
track, I soon realized I had a future ahead of me in
educational rapping. And thus, the career of “Educational Brian Taggett” was launched.
Rather than rapping about misogynistic topics
like several mainstream rappers, Educational Brian
Taggett rhymed words that related with the curriculum.
My career was furthered in Mr. Carrow’s Honors
Biology course in which I not only released a hit single that raps over a Gucci Mane beat under the new
title, “Bio Lemonade,” but I dropped a mixtape complete with eight biology-related songs.
The mixtape entailed months of production and
rhymed the nucleic acids “Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine” on far too many occasions. “Bio
City,” which covered Tyga’s “Rack City,” was a listener
favorite as classmate Jed Forster made his rap debut
as a feature artist under his extremely creative rapper
name, “Jed.”
Throughout the remainder of that year-long class,
Mr. Carrow and I often engaged in rap battles. Believe
it or not, my brief experience as an educational rapper did not stand a chance against the extraordinary
freestyling Mr. Carrow. Since I left that class, I have returned on multiple occasions to regain my dignity. To
this day, I am yet to defeat him.
My junior year, my repertoire expanded to IB 20th
Century History, in which I rapped a capella about
the Russian Revolution. Educational Brian Taggett
then rose to the top of the ranks of Portage Central
rappers with complete knowledge of rhyming molecules, nucleic acids and the Bolsheviks.
To this day, both Mr. Carrow and Mr. Taylor show
my music videos in class to enrich the knowledge of
their students through my remarkable biology and
chemistry verses. Mrs. Salisbury even requested me
to perform my Russian Revolution rap to this year’s IB
20th Century History class.
The rap industry has suffered from a widespread
negative perception, claiming that the lyrics are
solely misogynistic and lack any value whatsoever.
However, naysayers who claim that one cannot rap
and pursue an education simultaneously have never
searched “Educational Brian Taggett” on Soundcloud.
March 20, 2015
SAID videos are new news
focus
Med school: Do you
have what it takes?
BY B E L LA P E DR A ZA
Staff Writer
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
Camera Rolling: Senior Alexander Block records Jori Gelbaugh and Nico Schuen for the next SAID
broadcast.
BY KELS EE HA
Staff Writer
Jori Gelbaugh, Alexander Block and Dakotah Lilly
are now streaming the Sports and Activities Informational Department (SAID) videos. SAID videos are
broadcasts with features such as school news, on-air
interviews, hard news and human interest stories.
Kent White, the activities director, runs the program
SAID will be uploading weekly broadcasts onto
the school website, and they will be archived on the
Portage Central YouTube channel. Each broadcast
will be approximately three to six minutes.
SAID videos cover a wide range of topics. They
plan on streaming on-air interviews, sporting events
and more school news. They will also be covering
hard news stories outside of the school.
The three crew members collaborate after school
to plan for upcoming videos. The hardest part of
making the videos, according to senior producer
Alexander Block, is meeting deadlines and working
different hours.
Although the three students assisting with the
SAID videos are all upperclassmen, they are hoping
the series continues after their graduations.
“I hope the videos continue because it’s a really
good way to spread information out to students and
parents,” Block said.
SAID videos are currently unfunded, but the crew
plans on looking for ads to fund their traveling and
recording expenses. To get the word out about their
videos, they plan on being mentioned on the morning announcements.
“To promote the SAID videos, Jori, Dakota and
myself will be advertising on social media,” Block said.
Block will post updates on his Twitter account, @AlexBlock1.
The crew for the videos is Gelbaugh, the reporter;
Lilly, the cameraman; Block, the producer; and White.
They are working with a one-week production time.
They only have a short seven-day period to decide
their coverage, record the footage, edit the videos
and post the broadcast.
Because of the limited staffing and time, it can
sometimes be challenging to think of weekly subjects of interest. Block expressed that if anyone has
suggestions or questions, to please contact one of
the crew members assisting with the SAID videos.
Accomplished skater takes the ice
BY OLI V I A OLES
Staff Writer
She closes her eyes and jogs in place,
imagining the next few minutes with a
perfect skate.
Junior Sophie Cucci has qualified for
the Solo Ice Dance Nationals for the past
four years. Three out of the four years
she has excelled to the championship
round earning her seventh, sixth and
fifth placements.
To qualify for nationals the individual
competition scores for the entire season
have to be nearly perfect. The 18 best
skaters in the nation are allowed to compete in Colorado Springs, Colo. at the
Broadmoor Skating Arena.
Skating takes up most of her time
with an hour and a half before school,
two hours after school each day and four
Courtesy of Nikki Czuhajewski
hours each weekend. She also takes balOn Ice: Sophie Cucci executes her split jump during her
let classes and strength conditioning classes Copacabana long ice dance program in competition
to consistently improve her skating ability.
“I’ve had to make so many sacrifices to make this
Now she is looking forward to this years competihappen including my sleep schedule and not being
tion season and is competing on the Senior Western
able to attend school events or hang out with my
University Synchronized Skating Team where she
friends as much,” Cucci said, “But it’s really all worth
competed in Rhode Island at the Synchronized Skatit in the end.”
ing Nationals placing tenth in late February.
7
A patient is rolled in by a team of doctors, barely
breathing. She is suffering from cardiac arrest and
quick decisions are made that could mean life or
death for her. “Start CPR, give one mg of epinephrine
IV!” a doctor said, barking orders to nurses and residents trying to save this patient’s life.
They are given no more than a few minutes to
perform procedures and give medicines needed
to stop this woman from dying. In only a matter of
minutes she is stable. A wave of relief overcomes the
doctors and nurses. This is the average day of a critical
care doctor, and if it sounds exciting to you or saving
people’s lives interests you, you might want to consider a future job in medicine.
Not all doctors experience this much excitement
or face such emergencies. In fact, there are many different types of physicians with a large range of expertise. Primary care physicians are the doctors you
see most regularly and serve to prevent a wide range
of illnesses. Surgeons perform operations to treat diseases and repair injuries. Specialists have expertise
related to specific diseases as well as specific organs
and systems.
Some high school students aspire to become one
of these types of doctors someday, including sophomore Aliya Patel, who aims to practice dermatology.
“I really like science and I really like math and I really like helping people, so I thought that would be
a great mixture of everything I’m involved in,” Patel
said.
Patel is already preparing for medical school by
pushing herself in subjects like math and science.
She is currently enrolled in KAMSC which helps her
learn how to organize her time and handle a more
challenging curriculum. Like many other students,
Patel is worried about what is in store for her future
of becoming a doctor.
“The thing that worries me most is trying to put
yourself as the most unique and most-well rounded
person because everyone is unique, but you need to
make yourself the most unique person out of everyone,” Patel said.
Patel recognizes that there are many students vying for a spot in a medical school and are trying to
outshine each other in the extremely competitive environment. According to the Association of American
Medical Colleges (AAMC) only 20,055 out of 690,281
applicants actually made it to medical school in 2013,
in the U.S.
The AAMC states the many things are required
to apply to medical school. This includes one year of
biology, one year of physics, one year of English, two
years of chemistry, which can be completed in high
school and to take the MCAT, a standardized test.
The path to becoming a doctor is long and arduous with many years of education and sacrifice. To begin you must complete four years of undergraduate
studies, then four years of medical school and three
to eight years of training in a specific specialty area,
better known as residency.
There are several ways to improve your chances
of getting into medical school even as a highschooler. Shadowing a doctor gives you insight into the
everyday life of a doctor. You have the opportunity
to watch and see if this is the career you would like
to pursue. Volunteer work is another option which is
open to high schoolers and is offered at nearby hospitals like Bronson.
Strong foundations of math and science will also
help your chances. With the competitiveness of stu-
Med school
enrollment
Between 2010 and 2014,
enrollment in the
nation’s medical schools
has increased...
78,748
2010
80,215
81,948
83,391
85,260
2011
2012
2013
2014
Source: Association of American Medical Colleges
dents trying to be accepted into medical school, the
AAMC recommends taking challenging classes to
prepare you for what’s ahead.
The challenge that does not require grades, tests
or school is the cost of medical school. The average
annual tuition of medical school for in-state residents
is $31,783. For non-state residents it is $55,294. Loans,
scholarships and grants are available to students who
seek a future in medical school.
Garland Yu, a first-year student at the Western
Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine, faced many challenges when preparing for
medical school.
“For me it was learning to have the endurance to
keep pursuing it,” Yu said.
Yu advises students to volunteer and explore the
medical community. He warns not to go outside required classes just to improve your chances of being
accepted, but to do it because you enjoy it.
“I feel like the other people I applied with were sitting in positions where they were doing extra things
to put it on their resume, not because they enjoy it,”
Yu said. “I think a lot of the people who actually get
into schools are passionate about something, so they
can talk about it in interviews with enthusiasm, not
just list off what they studied.”
Dr. John Fleming, an Internal Medicine resident at
Bronson Methodist Hospital, chose to be a doctor after originally studying biology.He is currently enjoying applying his knowledge and skills from medical
school into actual patients and situations.
After residency, Fleming is excited to become
independent and take what he’s learning to helping
people.
“Being a physician would satisfy my scientific interests and my desire to help people.”Fleming said.
“It’s really satisfying when you feel that you’ve
done something worthwhile for somebody.”
focus
8
Hosts travel to Denmark
March 20, 2015
What type of nerd are you?
BY JORI GELBAU G H
Staff Writer
Many students will be traveling this spring break,
but few will get the opportunity to travel across
the world to Denmark. Seniors Colin Campbell, Ian
Epkey, Jed Forster, Baylee Kinkade, Carly Pratt and
Tim Walsh will travel with Chuck Schira to Denmark
to visit the exchange students they hosted in the fall
and to learn about Danish culture.
“The Denmark trip has been my favorite travel
opportunity thus far, and I am amazed that my high
school is what made it possible for me to go,” alumni
Rachel Weber said, who took the trip last year. “At
MSU, I have talked to many students about it and I
think they are also surprised that I took that trip during high school since studying abroad is something
most do not do until college.”
The seniors will leave Thursday March 26 and
return two weeks later. They will travel first to
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark where they
will stay at hotels for several days to learn about the
city’s history.
These seniors, along with others, hosted 14
exchange students from Denmark in the fall.
Most of the seniors talk to their foreign friends
at least once or twice a month through Facebook,
but will get the opportunity to stay with them in
Denmark.
“It’ll be a good cultural experience. I’ll learn a
lot and I get to see the people that were over here,”
said Forester. “I’m very excited about experiencing
a foreign culture and learning about how they live.
The only thing I’m worried about is getting lost in a
How do you face
challenges?
There’s no need to fear if you still don’t have a
date for Sadies; girls, you still have time to ask out
that special someone tonight! Girls still looking for
a date have until tomorrow night when the dance
begins.
The Sadie Hawkins dance idea originated from
a comic strip in the 1930s. In this comic, the idea
Preston Boshoven/INSTAGRAM
Sadies?: Junior Preston Boshoven asks senior
Kylee Shuckerow to be his date to the Sadies
dance.
Try.
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
Looking Back: The Denmark exchange students
enjoy a football game last fall.
foreign country.”
They will have to adjust to the time change in
Copenhagen as well as the transportation differences; few people drive cars and the majority of
transportation is done by bike.
“I am always concerned with the health and
safety of the people I travel with,” said Schira. “There
is always a concern that someone will step off a curb
wrong and twist their ankle, get excited looking at
something and fall down some steps.”
The majority of the trip will be spent in Aalborg,
a large city in Denmark. After Copenhagen, the
students will travel by train to Aalborg and stay with
host families while learning about the education in a
cultural immersion in which they will attend school
with their hosts.
As the trip approaches, Schira’s main hope for
the trip is that the students will further their appreciation of international travel while experiencing the
culture of another part of the world.
Sadies sparks theme debate
BY DAYTON JU DAY
Staff Writer
Do not.
Do.
was that on one designated day, unmarried women
could chase after bachelors hoping to catch them
for marriage.
Sadie Hawkins has been around at Portage
Central for an estimated 15 years. Student Council
representatives discuss the dance, along with considering student recommendation, then a decision is
made between them.
Sadies hasn’t been considered an annual dance
just yet but it has been occurring more over the past
few years according to Student Council Adviser Mark
Sutherland.
Student Council asks the students to vote a few
weeks before the dance to decide on what theme
will be assigned to the dance. This allows for the
students to have some voice in the decision.
“Black light” is this year’s theme and has been the
theme for the past few years. Previous themes have
included costumes and semi-formal.
“I think that black light gets votes because it creates such an unusual atmosphere,” Sutherland said.
Some students want to add variations to the
themes of Sadies because the interest in black light
has died down.
“I”d like to see something different than black
light every time, just maybe change it up a little bit,”
Student Council representative Devin Jaqua said.
All money collected from the dance goes
straight towards Student Council. Currently, the
ticket prices are $10. Facepaint will also be available
at the dance for $3.
The dance will be tomorrow from 8 to 11 p.m. in
the Commons. Students must bring an I.D. to get in.
Why were you up
until 3 a.m.?
Playing “Super Reading “Harry
Smash Bros.”
Potter.”
Which game
are you more
excited for?
“Uncharted
4.”
The new
“Call of Duty.”
Automatic fail!
“Do or do not.
There is no try.”
Well, you’re a
pessimist.
Getting back
late from a
concert.
Watching
Netflix.
Doing
homework.
What’s your
biggest pet
peeve?
What show
do you binge
watch?
IB procrastinating? For
shame.
Tumblr being categorized as porn on the
school filter.
“Doctor Who.”
“The Big Bang
Theory.”
Word limits on English
papers.
People calling “pieces” “songs”
when they don’t have
words.
Which
Doctor did
you start
with?
Christopher
Eccleston.
Rule #1:
Don’t Skip
Nine.
You’re a music
nerd.
You’re a video
game nerd.
David
Tennant.
You’re a book
nerd.
You’re a
pop culture
nerd.
You’re a fake nerd.
Tough luck.
created by Shawna Huang and Malak Ghazal
focus
March 20, 2015
9
Brian Taggett experiences a Kalamazoo Christian school day
BY BRI A N TA G G ETT
View Editor
Since the fall of 2002, I have attended Portage
schools. Consistently exposed to the same style
of schooling for 13 years, I never considered the
differences between my educational experience
and that of a religious-affiliated school. On Feb. 28,
I was given the opportunity to attend Kalamazoo
Christian for a day to experience the differences
first-hand.
K-Christian senior Steve Niewoonder, who has
been engaged in religiously-affiliated schooling
since the age of four and a personal friend of mine,
offered to be my guide throughout the day.
Midway through second hour: I met with
Niewoonder and fellow senior Jimmy Dirksen. We
arrived at the school at midway through second
hour. After a five minute tour of the entire school,
Niewoonder, Dirksen and I entered Mr. Dyk’s Environmental Science class. Scanning the classroom,
I noticed that the back portion of the room was
sectioned off. Curiosity took the best of me and I
strode back there. Then boom, a tortoise! I quickly
found out that two tortoises lived in his classroom.
The teacher showed me the countless amount of
animals ranging from painted turtles to week-old
Quail birds that made the classroom home. I then
fantasized an entire ecosystem like the one in Mr.
Dyk’s class existing in one of our science classes,
but realized it would be anything but feasible with
the bureaucratic organization of our state-funded
high school.
Third hour: With an uninformed, pre-existing
assumption that Bible Class would consist of lectures
over New Testament verses, my experience in Mr.
Lubber’s course was quite different. After a brief video
that discussed and defined different types of believers,
the class began a group current event project that
did not necessarily have to be related to the Christian
faith.
Fourth hour: While our school announcements
consistently start with Mr. Frink’s emphatic “Gooooood
Morning Mustangs!” the announcements at KChristian began with a Bible verse. Similarly, the announcements echoed over the speakers during fourth
hour, which I spent with Niewoonder in his study hall.
Besides engaging in a debate over the outcome of a
hypothetical basketball game between the Comets
and the Mustangs, the hour remained expectedly
uneventful.
Fifth hour: For fifth hour, I entered Mr. Jewett’s
AP English class. With a personalized, home-feeling
classroom and only 12 students, the class was the
most ideal setting to learn this subject. With the everenergetic Mr. Jewett facilitating a recreation of Act
V Scene II of “Hamlet” with makeshift props, I found
myself completely enamored by this method of teaching Shakespeare to a small class.
Lunch: The federal guidelines involving in-school
food that Portage Central strictly follows is non-existent at K- Christian and other private schools. Cottage
Inn pizza was served, sugary
pop was consumed and
America’s freedom reigned.
Students are able to set-up
tables to bring awareness
to virtually anything. I sat at
a foldable table with a sign
that read “Psychiatric Help
5 cents; The Doug Is In,” and
received advice on how to
fit-in at K-Christian from
K-Christian Kind of Day:
senior Doug Hollett.
Sixth Hour: Instead of a Niewoonder.
conventional gym class, the
advanced physical education students at K-Christian
commute to the YMCA. After taking attendance near
the check-in desk, students are able to go free through
the facility. I myself participated in an intense game of
racquetball with senior Greg Harris, Tyler Meyer and
Jacob Cramer.
Seventh Hour: After commuting back to the high
school, I was reminded that I was in a religiously- affiliated school when Mr. Potter’s sociology class began
with a prayer. The classroom felt very personalized
with posters and hundreds of books lining the
classroom walls. The relaxed feel of the class felt very
similar to a Mr. Chambers class. Senior Cole VanOsterbaan, who specifically requested to be mentioned in
this story, showed me his 30,000 word novel he wrote
for a past project that received a B- grade.
After School: That night, I returned to K- Christian
Courtesy of Jimmy Dirksen
Left: Boom! A turtle. Right: Brian with senior Steve
to fully experience a day as a Comet and attended
the rivalry basketball game against Hackett Catholic Prep. The student section, known as the “Party
Zone,” was completely filled by the fourth quarter
of the women’s game. The men’s game was
preceded by a prayer led by K-Christian’s principal,
an occurrence far different than anything in public
school. It was very refreshing to see an actively
participating student section for basketball.
My experience at K-Christian exceeded my expectations to say the least. While I anticipated an
overwhelming religious presence, the occasional
prayers and Bible verses were the only subtle
reminders of the school’s affiliation during my day.
While Portage Central’s flat-screen televisions and
extensive resources are significant, Kalamazoo
Christian’s small classroom setting and lack of
bureaucracy made my day a refreshing change.
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10
March 20, 2015
Hard work pays off for Science Olympiad
BY KATE S PEAR S
Staff Writer
Friday nights until 8p.m., when others are busy
playing games or watching movies, there is a glowing light coming from the third-floor physics lab. To
start off the weekend, Science Olympiad students
put tremendous time, work and effort into Science
Olympiad.
Science Olympiad team consists of 15 students
competing in a series of 23 events, usually in three
or four events each. These events include biology,
physics, chemistry, earth science and engineering.
Freshman Frank Zlomek is an active participant
in Science Olympiad.
“I like it because it’s a real world experience of
building and engineering things, and then applying
them into real life as well as the classroom,” Zlomek
said.
As of right now, Science Olympiad is working on
an event called Mission Possible. Zlomek’s current
project is a Rube Goldberg Machine, or a chain reaction device that utilizes golf balls.
“I drop a golf ball in it to start it, it closes,
switches, turns on motors, raises other golf balls, and
sets them on paths,” Zlomek said.
At the end of the machine, the ball sets the
buzzer off. This machine transfers energy from
mechanical to electrical and electrical to thermal to
move the golf balls in the device.
In team competition, the Science Olympiad team
finished in sixth place at West Ottawa on Jan. 24,
with 12 students winning individual medals. On Feb.
7, they finished in fourth place with a similar amount
of medal finishers at Thornapple Kellogg High
School. At the most recent event on Feb. 28, the
team finished sixth overall with 15 medal finishes
at Allendale, including two first-place finishes in
Anatomy and Physiology, and Forensics.
Another project Zlomek and others are working
on is Bungee Drop. This project involves an elastic
cord, a plate, a variable drop height and
variable drop weight.
At competition,
the team is given a
specific drop weight,
and the goal is to
calculate the drop
height to get the
plate as close to the
ground as possible
without touching it.
According to Dale
Freeland, the adviser
of Science Olympiad,
the team participates
in four invitational
contests before the
regional finals on
March 28 at Western
Michigan University.
If they finish in the
top three at that
competition, they
will be given the opportunity to go to the
state finals on May
2 at Michigan State
University.
Hastings, HamShawna Huang/STAMPEDE
ilton and Portage
Going for Gold: The Science Olympiad team sits in the bleachers, waiting to be called up for their medals. Recently, the team
Central are usufinished with 15 medal finishes which include two first-place medals. The team hopes to go to the state finals on May 2.
ally the top three
teams in regionals.
“It’s enjoyable to work with students and see
portion of those hours can be at home on the InterHowever, most years,
where we can go this year, with this group, and see
net, studying for the next competition.
only two teams go to the state competition, so the
how we get different people into different contests,”
“Competitors must be willing to work hard for
tournament is very competitive between those three
Freeland added. “Also [I like] to see the improvement
long periods of time because it takes a lot of prepaschools.
that we make during the year.”
ration and work,” Zlomek said.
“It’s very competitive. We compete against a lot
Freeland suggests that students spend at least
Future competitions will determine if the team’s
of teams that place at nationals, so it’s exciting when
six hours per week practicing in the physics lab. A
long hours spent in the physics lab on Friday nights
we do well,” Zlomek said.
have paid off.
Coding club creates apps
BY OLI V I A OL ES
Staff Writer
grants given to the winning team’s school.
The primary focuses of this club are to invite
students to explore and learn programming through
advanced technological training. This will help provide future skills for possible employment.
“My hope is that students learn something new,
work together, craft new friendships and learn
how to think critically and solve any problem they
encounter with the resources available to them,” club
leader and teacher Dan Meyers said.
With the growth of smartphone technology,
app development is on the rise. The new Computer
Programing and App Development club strives to
create a better understanding of modern technology through collective sharing of ideas between
students.
New this semester, meetings
will be held every Thursday after
school until 4 p.m. The club plans
on creating apps and publishing them on the App Store for
purchase. The use of the money
from the apps will be used on
rewards for members.
“[I like] learning new things
and coding is about solving
puzzles,” junior Kalyana Bobba
said.
Students will also have the
benefit of competing in the Verizon Innovative App Challenge
this upcoming fall. Dividing into
Dakotah Lilly/STAMPEDE
teams, the best student app
Coding at work: Club members work on creating codes for the
ideas will result in prizes such
club. These codes will be used for creating apps to fund the club.
as personal Galaxy tablets and
Orchestra makes spring plans
BY ZA C H FR A N K S
Staff Writer
Big things are happening
in orchestra in the next couple
months. The spring concert
is coming up on May 14, and
the musicians are very busy
preparing for it. To help them
prepare professional musicians
came in after school on March
18 and held workshops for any
orchestra students interested
in improving their skills.
The Red Sea Pedestrians,
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
a group of professional musiR
eady
T
o
P
lay
:
Orchestra
players
focus
on the sheet of music in
cians, will run the workshops in
front of them. Orchestra will have a concert in May.
March. This includes musicians
Audrey Lipsey, Lisa Coons and
The concert in May will contain two full orSarah Hedlund. The workshop
chestra classical pieces. Originally, five were to be
will have three different skill areas that a student
played but the number was cut down to focus on
can work on. These include improvisation, composiperfecting the two pieces. Separate string orchestra
tion and fiddle music.
pieces and chamber orchestra pieces will also be
This will be the first workshop ever for all freshperformed along with two solo pieces by seniors
man orchestra members.
Andrew Burch and Ian Chu. They are preparing
“I’m pretty excited, I’ve heard stuff about it but
by working on small chunks of the pieces every
I’ve never actually done one,” freshman Liya Jin said.
day and by having the different sections practice
“I think it will help improve both my skills and the
separately.
orchestra’s.”
March 20, 2015
Reviews Stampede
vibe
from
the
‘Kingsman’ can’t make up its mind
11
One of our features, a
crossword about teachers!
1
“Kingsman” is a movie torn between two halves. On one hand, it tries to be a Bond film and have a serious
plot, while on the other, we have a campy and comedic style. Unfortunately the movie is weighed down by
the serious side in trying too hard with the villain.
A ridiculous wardrobe and an annoying lisp do quite a bit to harm an already psychopathic character.
While the premise of the villain using his money to make his technology ubiquitous and using that to cause
chaos is interesting, it’s also a tired storyline that’s been done plenty of times.
That’s the ultimate problem with this movie, it plays it incredibly safe. It’s funny at times, but when it gets
too serious, or when you see what’ll happen next from a mile away, it’s hard to enjoy. Fans of old spy movies
or the genre as a whole may find something likeable here, but otherwise, don’t see it in theatres.
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-R EV I E W E D BY D A K O T A H L I LLY
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‘Mosquitoland’ glows across the young adult genre
The Young Adult genre has gone bland. Plots follow the typical equation of girl meets boy in a teenageangst-prone situation but love conquers all and they end up happy.
Like a daisy found amongst weeds, “Mosquitoland” glows across
the field of the genre. This is not a lovey dovey story or a dystopian
knock off of the “Hunger Games.” This book is real life, and requires a
lot more emotional war-paint to get through.
After an ugly divorce between her parents, Mary Iris Malone (Mim)
and her father move to Mississippi. But when Mim hears of her mother
being hospitalized, she steals her step-mother’s emergency cash and
ventures off on a 947 mile expedition to visit her in Cleveland.
Compare it to a teenage odyssey, Mim faces death, perverts and
psychopaths. While there’s hope and determination in Mim’s eyes,
there’s also fear. As things take a turn for the worst, she meets a
strange and lovable band of outcasts that help her smooth out the
sharp edges and find what is left of her mom.
As compared to an Augustus Waters, Mim may be the most
human-like character I’ve ever read. She’s real and tangible. She’s not
too wise for her age, she makes mistakes, has extremely embarrassing
moments, and gets frustrated easily, like a teenager should, making
it easy for the audience to connect with her. David Arnold’s writing is
like nothing I’ve ever read before. He’s able to take us to adolescent Image via davidarnoldbooks.com
issues as dark as divorce, substance abuse, depression, rape, and
teenage homelessness, and then grabs our emotional reins right back for some whimsical comedic scene or
outlandish philosophical dialogue. He depicts adolescence as something like “Alice in Wonderland”: Fantastical in ways, dark and terrifying in others, and yet always hopeful and beautiful.
Grab the war-paint, “Mosquitoland” is definitely not something to miss.
-R EV I E W E D BY MA LA K G H A ZA L
If you’re reading this review it’s too late
On the first track off Drake’s surprise mixtape “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” he asserts himself in the
role of one of hip-hop’s most important persons. Calling himself a legend is no exaggeration as the Billboard
charts can attest.
Every song off Drake’s 17 track mixtape managed to make the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and he also managed
to tie The Beatles in the all time record for most songs on the Hot 100 with a whopping 14.
Drake is making history in a mere few weeks after the release of a mixtape that received no extensive
marketing campaign or promotion, and with good reason. “If You’re Reading This” features some of Drizzy’s
most captivating songs to the date. The beats are fresh and provide a high level of intensity with which Drake
flows well with.
The mixtape serves as an opportunity for experimentation with a number of styles. Perhaps the most apparent aspect in this regard is the vocals throughout the mixtape. Moments of bold and aggressive rapping
are followed with lonely introspective singing, all of which fit well in their place on the mixtape.
Drake has announced that his next full length album, “Views From the 6,” will also be coming out this year,
and if the excellent mixtape is any indication of what is to come, 2015 is certain to be an exceptional year for
hip-hop.
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DOWN
1. This coach is often known for winning, especially
when it comes to swimming.
2. When thinking about college, don’t give yourself
anxiety, join this teacher in National Honor Society.
3. If you’re in her class you will be succeeding, she is
also the coach for PC Cheerleading.
4. Need some lumber? He knows where to go, he’s
also the teacher with the sickest flow.
6. He’s great at the game of knowing your name.
7. This one’s a teacher and that job is fitting, most of
the time she is doing some knitting.
8. If you’re talking about English, she’s no newbie,
and when you turn in your paper, don’t leave a
single floobie.
13. During fourth hour you heard the bell rang, then
over the speaker he said, “Good morning, Mustangs!”
16. If you want to learn chemistry, go to his room,
sometimes he goes by Cheminem or ninja bunny of
doom.
18. Although some may think he’s a bit of a slacker,
he guards the school as the hallway linebacker.
ACROSS
5. When it comes to physics, it’s his life that he pledges, and when you do your work make sure to have
sketches.
9. If you’re in her class, you’re bound to succeed, she also assists with the Central Stampede.
10. When it comes to econ, he’s winning the race, and be sure to see him when you need a phone case.
11. This one loves gardening, you may have heard, she has a little friend, Walter the Bird.
12. This one teaches about our state, if you could haul out those packets, that’d be great.
14. About this teacher, you may have heard, he loves “Star Wars” and I guess he’s a nerd.
15. Psychology is all that matters, his best friend is Jason Badders.
17. If you’re looking for him, he’ll be next to a shrub, when he’s helping instruct enviromental club.
19. If he teaches you chemistry, you’re sure to advance, he also does a funny mole day dance.
20. In his class you may use a ruler, and in his younger days he looked like Ferris Bueller.
-R EV IE W E D BY D E V O N W I L S O N
terrible
very bad
average
very good
incredible
1. Schafer 2. Baker 3. Eichstaedt 4. Badders 5. Freeland 6. Alburtus 7. Johnson 8. Mills 9. Braford 10. Rayle
11. LaVasseur 12. Engels 13. Frink 14. Czuk 15. Lancaster 16. Carrow 17. Lane 18. LaRoy 19. Taylor 20. Wytko
Ratings Key
vibe
12
Mar. 20, 2015
Elijah Olson moves forward with his music
BY DEVON WI LSO N
Vibe Editor
Blue O’Dells is the solo project of junior Elijah
Olson. He has been recording under the name for
a number of years and is beginning to release his
finished work online.
His first full length album as Blue O’Dells was
released on March 4th via Olson’s bandcamp page.
The project began in middle school for Olson
and in it’s initial stage it was a two piece band,
consisting of Olson and a close friend.
“We wanted to make the strangest band ever,”
Olson said. “Blue O’Dells was the strangest name
I could come up with for us, but then he moved
away and it became a solo project. Although it was
basically already a solo project since he didn’t play
any instruments.”
Olson has been working with music since the
age of five when his mother signed him up for
piano lessons, despite his longing to learn guitar
instead. However, that Xmas she bought him his
first guitar.
“It was a really crummy guitar with nylon strings
but it started me on my journey to becoming the
musician I am today,” Olson said.
Olson has always found interest with music and
Devon Wilson/STAMPEDE
Portage Central’s Best Secret Songwriter: Junior Elijah Olson writes songs on his acoustic guitar.
says it has always been a part of his life.
“When I was about five, my parents would play
Shows to binge watch
BY LU CY F ORST ER
News Editor
‘Parks and Recreation’
“Parks and Recreation” is a television program
about the inner workings of the parks department in
fictional Pawnee, Indiana. It is filmed in a mockumentary style, similar to “The Office”. Leslie Knope
has a passion for her city, and she lives to help others
by working for the parks department. Along with
her best friend Ann Perkins, Leslie is on a mission to
better Pawnee. The six seasons available on Netflix
introduce the audience to numerous new cast
members and story lines. The interactions between
the staff members of the parks department is what
really makes the show. Between the personality’s of
Tom, Ron and April, the show is sure to appeal to a
wide audience.
‘The Office’
Between Dwight and Jim’s crazy antics, Angela’s
obsession for cats, Andy’s love for Cornell and
Michael’s dysfunctional management skills, “The
Office” will have you constantly laughing. Although
sometimes uncomfortable, the humor portrayed in
“The Office” is out of the ordinary. Michael Scott is
the manager of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, but
he is what you would call an unconventional boss.
The full series, including nine seasons, available on
Netflix takes you through numerous love stories,
crazy pranks and the abnormality of the Scranton
branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.
‘That 70’s Show’
Point Place, Wisconsin. Eric Forman’s basement.
May 17, 1976. “That 70’s Show” is about growing up
in the 70’s, as displayed by a group of six friends.
From watching television, arguing about Jackie, or
ingesting illegal substances, a majority of this group
of friends social gatherings occur in Eric Forman’s
basement. Eric, Kelso, Hyde and Fez are constantly
getting into some sort of trouble with Eric’s dad,
Red. The girls of the group, Donna and Jackie, add
elements of love and drama to the show. However,
overall the show is a traditional sitcom that does not
involve heavy drama. The full series, including eight
seasons, is available on Netflix.
‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’
Currently in it’s 16th season on NBC, “Law and
Order: Special Victims Unit” is a crime and detective
show about special groups of victims, hence the
name. Detective Olivia Benson and her new partner
Nick Amaro along with detective Odafin Tutuola
and his partner Amanda Rollins investigate crimes
involving sexually based offenses, children and
cases out of the ordinary, which is a huge draw for
the audience. The difference in cases that the show
investigates is so different from other crimes shows
which draws an audience in. Seasons 13, 14 and 15
are available for streaming on Netflix.
‘Gossip Girl’
Combining regular high school drama with the
struggles of being a teen on the Upper East Side,
“Gossip Girl” is a show for all genders and ages.
Serena Vanderwoodsen along with best friend Blaire
Waldorff, show you the real struggles of the world,
deciding what designer gown to wear to a gala.
However, drama doesn’t come without boys. Chuck
Bass, Dan Humphries and Nate Archibald teach us
about choosing the right rich, gorgeous, Upper
East Side girl to take to their next charity event.
Although somewhat unrealistic, “Gossip Girl” allows
its audience to escape the real world for a while and
enter the world of an Upper East Sider. The show is
available in its entirety on Netflix.
‘One Tree Hill’
“One Tree Hill” is yet another teen drama, however, it does not disappoint. While the show is about
teens, the main activity of the show is basketball, so
boys may also find it to be interesting. The drama
ranges from love, sports and family. Dan Scott is a
basketball legend in the town of Tree Hill, and he has
two sons to carry on the legacy. However, he only
supports one. “One Tree Hill” explores the tensions
between mixed families while still keeping true
to a teen drama. There are many ups and downs
between the characters which include love and
friendships. The full series is available on Netflix.
endless R.E.M. CD’s and that influenced me to really
love music,” Olson said.
Since then, Olson has learned to play a multitude of instruments ranging from the cello to the
drum set, all of which were self taught aside from
the piano. His diverse skill set leads to a broad
range of influences and styles found in his music.
“Blue O’Dells is slightly more weird and less
pop than other stuff I write. It’s more ambitious
and experimental. It’s sort of a psychedelic art rock
thing,” Olson said.
Those who have managed to hear Olson’s music
first hand can speak on how much talent shows
through his songs. One student who has not only
heard Olson’s music, but also worked with him a
number of times is junior Adam Lutz.
“Working with Elijah is just so easy,” Lutz said.
“His musicianship makes it easy to connect and
have a cohesive sound really quickly. He knows so
much about music in all aspects.”
Olson’s first full length album, “How To Properly
Eat Crayons,” was recorded between July and August of 2014 and Olson described the recording experience as an intense several weeks during which
he would record three to four songs per week.
As for the writing process, Olson explained that
with this album he had a story in mind and wrote
songs that went together to tell a narrative. The
album can be heard at blueodells.bandcamp.com
Old technology comes back
BY S H A R WA R I SALV I
Staff Writer
Walking into a quiet record shop, the first thing
one may notice are the rows upon rows of vinyl
encased in various and unique cover art. Some
of the vinyl is vintage, some modern, some large,
some small. Unlike any music shop in our modern
day, some say that a record shop is like a museum,
full of preserved history from the past decades, and
recreations of the modern world.
According to Digital Music News, a news and
media company that reports information of the
music industry, the purchase of vinyl has increased
by the millions in the last few years. Sean Hartman,
the manager at Satellite Records, said he observed
the purchase of vinyl and record playing equipment
began to revive back in 2006 from the fall in the mid1980s. Satellite Records, one of the biggest record
shops in Kalamazoo, holds over 10,000 vinyl along
with thousands of 45s, as well as cassettes, record
equipment and movies.
The comeback of old technology has grown over
the past several years. People are beginning to buy
vinyl, record players and even instant film cameras
such as the famed Polaroid camera. From taking
photo shoots, using such equipment in a photography class or a die-hard interest, people have started
to use these old technologies for unique reasons.
“It’s become more popular because of social
media, and people use it for stylistic purposes, like
on their blogs,” junior Kryzia Salinas said. Salina is
an owner and active user of the the Fujifilm Instax
Mini 8.
As the crowd of people that purchase this once
outdated technology grows, more people begin to
realize the unique characteristics of this old technology, and what sets it apart from the technologically
advanced world.
“There’s a lot of people that make the argument that vinyl sounds a lot better than CD or other
formats, that keep a lot of people around, and the
other end of it is just having something that’s collectible and also something that’s fragile adds a little
bit of value,” Hartman said. “The fact that you have to
search for something, like an album that you want
that you might not find for years, you kind of just
keep looking, it has that treasure hunt aspect. When
you go into a record store you don’t know exactly
what you’re going to find.”
People purchase instant film cameras for the
same unique characteristics. Junior Kirstin Snook is
among the many to join this revival, as she recently
purchased an instant film camera.
“I thought it was really cool, and I like the way
that the pictures look,” Snook said. “They just have
that old fashioned, antique look.”
The price of vinyl, record players and instant
film cameras can vary, some products cost less than
modern technology. At Satellite Records, the price
of vinyl ranges from 50 cents to around $20 for new
vinyl, and can reach up to a $100 on rare occasions,
according to Hartman. The store’s used record playing equipment ranges from $50-80.
To some people, record shopping is an adventure
by itself. What makes vinyl shopping so enjoyable is
scent and ambiance of the vinyl shops in addition
to the aesthetic cover art. Junior Lyvia Osterstock
owns and actively uses her Crosley turntable and
especially enjoys vinyl shopping.
“I like looking through them and seeing the cool
album art,” Osterstock said. “Even though you’re not
supposed to judge stuff by its cover, if it has cool
album art it makes you want to listen to it.”
The trend of instant film cameras, record players and vinyl consumption has expanded to a
wider range of demographics. Record players and
instant film cameras have reached out to moderninfluenced teenagers and college students. Many
modern artists produce music that is made into and
sold on vinyl. Likewise, as Polaroid cameras have
began reproduction by The Impossible Project since
2008, many companies have been releasing a variety
of different instant film cameras and film. The Impossible Project is a private company that began selling
and reproducing old Polaroid cameras and hardware
in Polaroid’s old factory. Companies with interest
from youths are what’s keeping these artifacts alive.
March 20, 2015
sports
13
Hockey roster rules
cause local debate
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
Champions: The 2008-2009 women’s soccer team after their state championship victory following an undefeated sea son.
Coaches find common tool to success
BY JA RED LU T Z
Sports Editor
According to championship coaches at Portage
Central, there are two common ingredients in the
success of a team: leadership and team unity.
There have been 19 appearances at the state
championship game at Portage Central, nine of
which have resulted in state championships. Two
of those championships and three appearances
belong to the women’s soccer team under coach
Pat Norman, who coached from 1986 to 2014.
“Mustang teams commonly have huge ‘hearts’
and play for their teammates,” Norman said.
In 29 years at Portage Central, Norman only
coached one losing season. Norman was nominated as the national coach of the year in 2000
and inducted into the Michigan Soccer Coaches
Hall of Fame in 2014. Norman coached Olympic
gold medalist Lindsay Tarpley in her sophomore
year in his first state championship and Miss Soccer, awarded to the top player in the state, winner
Paige Wester in her senior year in his second. Both
of his championship teams were the only undefeated teams in the state.
Norman specifically remembers the determination that both of his championship teams had.
“Our teams never gave up as we had tournament experience from the previous year,” Norman
said. “We remembered the sad endings mostly
on the long bus rides home. Overcoming the
unknown concerns was important.”
Peter Militzer, a two time men’s tennis coach
of the year in 2000 and 2004, led the men’s tennis
program to two state championships in 2001 and
2007.
Outside of determination, the one word that
Militzer used to describe both of his championship
teams, Militzer specifically remembers the leadership and focus of both of those teams.
“The captains and leaders kept the team
focused along the way,” Militzer said. “In each case
we knew we had the players that were capable of
leading us to a state championship.”
Current swimming coach Jim Schafer was
nominated as the women’s swimming coach of the
year in 2013 and led the women’s swimming team
to a state runner-up finish in 2013.
“Obviously talent is a big part of a championship caliber team,” Schafer said. “Outside of that,
leadership and chemistry are really important.”
“You have to have the talent to be competitive at that level but its the attitude, what you’re
going to do with that talent everyday,” Schafer
said. “The last couple years on the girl’s team, we
have had a good combination of strong talent and
strong leadership. If you think you have the talent
to be at that level, the missing ingredient is team
chemistry.”
Other state championships include men’s basketball in 1932, men’s cross country in 1956 and
women’s softball in 1977.
Forster defines student-athlete success
BY N OLA N CA R ANC I
Staff Writer
As senior Jed Forster’s Twitter bio reads, he has
made one of the biggest accomplishments that an
athlete can make in their high school career, according
to senior Hunter Simino. Forster has recently been
recognized as a two sport academic all-state recipient
in baseball and football.
Between sports and school, there is not a lot of
time. Forster seems to manage his time very well
between his success in athletics and academics.
“I just manage my time well and get a lot of support from my friends and family,” Forster said.
Each sport has its own requirements for receiving the award. For baseball, a player needs to have a
3.5 GPA or above and be a good, well-rounded team
player based on the coach. Which based on Forster’s
history in baseball and excellence in academics, those
requirements were met easily, making him a great
choice for this award.
However for football, the requirements are much
more complicated. To receive this award in football,
each team can only nominate one player. From there,
only 22 are chosen throughout the state.
Forster works as hard as he can on and off the field,
which has resulted in a plaque recognizing his accomplishments. This award recognizes the athletes who
goes the extra mile in the classroom. This has helped
Forster in ways that will make him very successful in
life, allowing him to go to the college of his choice.
Forster still has not committed to a college yet, but his
top two choices are University of Michigan and Purdue
University.
“Colleges are always looking for well-rounded
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
All Smiles: Senior Jed Forster recieving his academic all-state award from head football coach Mick
Enders during the Feb. 3 home basketball game.
people,” Forster said. “It just shows that you are wellrounded when you do well in sports and keep your
grades up at the same time.”
According to senior Hunter Simino, Forster has
done whatever he could do to help the team out.
Simino, who played football with Forster, says that he
is a great team player who could play any position.
Of course being on the field isn’t the only thing that
matters.
“Jed has easily earned the academic all -state
awards he received,” Simino said. “ He is always one of
the smartest athletes on the field.”
B Y JA R E D L U T Z
Sports Editor
As a two-year captain of the varsity hockey team,
it is my job to build a unified character in my team.
There is one common ingredient that all championship players and coaches talk about: team unity. In
movies like “Miracle” and “Glory Road”, champions
are made through a firmly grounded brotherhood
amongst the ranks. The captains and I worked for
five months in order to build a unified team. The
team that was selected in the fall is the team that we
wanted to move into playoffs with. That is the team
that worked to go 12-0 in conference in the regular
season and to make it to the regional championship
game on Saturday, March 7.
Portage Northern’s coaching staff decided to add
four players from the West Michigan Hounds team to
its playoff roster. According to MHSAA regulations,
this is legal. The roster deadline is in early February
and as long as the travel season is over by the start
of state playoffs, those travel hockey players are
eligible to play in high school hockey state playoffs.
The decision by Portage Northern’s head coach JD
Kalleward to bring AAA players onto their teams
solely for state playoffs not only discredits the team
he selected five months ago at tryouts, but it also
hurt the guiding theme that creates winning teams,
unity.
The day that Northern made the decision to
bring on AAA players, I answered a call from my
head coach, who asked if these actions on this team
were appropriate for the environment for my team.
In agreeance, there was no reason that any players
should be considered to play on our team for state
playoffs. This decision was not only made on a team
level but on a school administration level as well.
All hockey players decide in the fall where they
want to play: high school, AAA or any other hockey
program. Both high school and AAA are respectable
programs to play for, but those players should stick
with their decisions. AAA players had the opportunity to play for high school and decided against it.
Any coach’s decision to bring on AAA kids
discredits those who have worked for five months
to earn a spot on the ice. With a drop of the hat,
coaches are willing to sit his own players who tried
out, for players who decided against playing for that
high school program just months ago.
At the professional level, coaches and players
are paid seven figures to win championships. The
purpose of high school hockey is to build morals, respect, leadership and discipline. Pulling in AAA kids
to play invalidates the morals that have been taught
through hockey since Learn-to-Skate.
The final result of Northern’s attempt to beat
us in the playoffs by creating the Portage Northern Hounds was failure. The AAA players were not
invested in the program or the high school game
like the players who worked for months to be there
were. The AAA players hurt the chemistry and unity
of the team. Between every intermission, we could
hear the players’ berating tones steaming out of
Northern’s locker room from ours just down the hall
during our state playoff matchup on Mar. 3.
I have the utmost respect for Portage Northern.
Before high school, I played with most of the hockey
players on Northern’s team. The cross-town rivalry
is vigorous but respected. Coach JD will feel the
repercussions of this failed attempt at beating our
program for years to come.
sports
14
March 20, 2015
Remembering the first state championship team
BY BRI A N TA GG ETT &
N OLA N CA RA NC I
View Editor and Staff Writer
On March 12, the men’s basketball team concluded their season with a 6-14 record. However, 82
years ago, the story of the men’s basketball team
was a bit different.
Outscoring opponents 922-287 in the course
of the 1931-1932 season, the then named Portage
Agricultural High School men’s basketball team
dominated the Class D division with an undefeated
season.
Notable victories included a 38-1 victory over
Scotts, an 83-6 beating of Delton Kellogg, an 86-14
triumphing of Schoolcraft and a 53-0 shutout
against Richland. The team faced few difficulties on
the course to the Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing,
the host of the state championship game.
While the team from a school just 10 years old
dominated its opponents, the sport of basketball
was far different than it is today. There was a jump
ball after each basket scored, so theoretically, the
opposing team may not even get a chance to have
the ball. According to those rules, the 53-0 win
against Richland makes a bit more sense.
Contrasting from today’s rules, where overtime
is necessary if the game is tied after regulation play,
the officials would analyze the game’s statistics and
look for which team had a better shot percentage.
The team with the higher shot percentage would
then be deemed the victor.
Regardless of these differences in rules, the Portage Agricultural team was led by its captain, Lowell
Matteson, who was awarded the prestigious Mr.
Claire Abdo/STAMPEDE
In Rememberance: The trophies from the 1932 state championship basketball team sit on the basketball court on March 11.
Basketball award for the state of Michigan. In addition to his 231 points in the course of the 1931-1932
season, Matteson led all scorers in the state, Class
A through Class D, in the playoffs, for most points.
Matteson is now enshrined in the Portage Central
Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Portage was a [basketball] dynasty in this time
period,” said Matteson’s nephew Tom Matteson. “In
Lowell’s two years on the varsity team, the Portage
team was 43-1 with their only loss coming against
the eventual state champions in the 1931 state
playoffs.”
According to Matteson’s nephew Bill, life in
Portage was far different.
“It was very rural out here,” Bill Matteson said.
“Kalamazoo was seen as a higher society with
Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan, and we
were seen as just a bunch of celery farmers.”
Regardless, the Kalamazoo area was filled with
basketball talent in this era. Kalamazoo Central won
the Class A title, St. Augustine, now Hackett Catholic
Preparatory, captured the Class C championship in
addition to the Portage Agricultural Class D victory.
This Class D State Championship team remains
the only state champion basketball team in Portage
history and one of nine state title teams in the
school’s 93 year history.
WWMT-3 Athletes Of The Week initiate team success
BY JA RED LU T Z
Sports Editor
For years, WWMT-Newschannel 3 has recognized
athletes of the week across Southwest Michigan for
stand out performances in their specific sport. Since
the fall of 2013, WWMT has featured four Portage
Central athletes as the athlete of the week.
There is no committee for the athlete of the week
selection process, it is just up to the reporters in the
sports department, Sports Anchor Andy Pepper said.
“We now try to find a great athlete who also has
an interesting human interest angle,” Pepper said.
“Maybe someone who is also a standout academically, or has a neat hobby, or had a unique life
experience.”
Pepper and his colleagues find their athletes
through watching the kids play and reading about
them online or in the paper, according to Pepper.
Most athletes highlighted as an Athlete of the Week
move on to play in college.
Since the fall of 2013, seniors Madison Umberger
and Madison Jaqua, and 2014 graduates Dominic
Latorra and Lea Forester have been named athlete of
the week. These athletes have had a big role in the
success of their individual teams.
Umberger helped lead her team to a state runner
up finishes in women’s swimming in 2013 with an
individual state championship in the 200 Individual
Medley. Forester also led her team to the state
championship game, where they lost to Allen Park.
Although the wrestling team did not finish well as a
team for Latorra’s senior year, he placed 2nd in the
individual state competition at the end of the year.
Forester is currently playing softball at Michigan
State University and Latora is wrestling at Lindsay
Wilson College. Umberger has committed to the University of Arkansas to swim next year in the SEC.
“I wanted the chance to fight for something,”
Umberger said. “I wanted a really big challenge.”
Newschannel 3/STAMPEDE
Weekly Announcement: This graphic flashes on Newschannel-3 before the program begins.
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sports
15
Eric Lancaster returns as men’s water polo coach
After a few years
away from the
game, Lancaster is
back as the head
coach
BY KATE S PEA R S
Staff Writer
After taking two years off to be with his kids,
psychology teacher Eric Lancaster will be returning
as the men’s water polo coach next fall.
His last time coaching water polo was in the fall
of 2013. Because this is not his first year coaching,
Lancaster has high expectations for the team and is
excited to reach multiple goals.
“My goals next year are to have fun, to be a disciplined team, to teach fundamentals, and to compete,” Lancaster said. “The problem is we play a lot of
state-ranked tough teams in our district, so wins are
hard to come by. You have to look at how well you
do, how well you play as a team, and improvements
as successes.”
Junior Ben Coll is very expectant for the upcoming season.
“Our goal every year is to make it past districts
and into regionals, it has never happened in our program before,” Coll said. “I think that having Lancaster
back will definitely improve our program. However
Standing Tall: The men’s water polo team poses for team pictures with their coaches in front of Central Middle School
we have the disadvantage of losing so many seniors,
but I think that we can make up for it.”
Lancaster began playing water polo at a young
age. As an eighth grader in middle school, Lancaster
was pulled up to join the Jenison High School water
polo team.
He won many awards throughout his high school
career. His sophomore year he was awarded third
team all-state. Junior and senior year, Lancaster
received first team all-state, as well as a two-year
captain and the regional MVP. Senior year he preceded to win the state tournament MVP, Michigan
High School Water Polo Player of the Year, Academic
All-American and the state championship.
Lancaster then went on to play water polo at the
University of Michigan. Starting as a freshman, he
was First Team All Big Ten, Big Ten MVP, and won the
Club National and Big Ten Championships. Junior
year he won Big Ten MVP and broke Michigan’s
all-time scoring record. As a team, they won the
National Championship and the First Team National
tournament.
“I think I am one of the few people in the area
that knows what they’re doing, that has played the
sport and that has coached the sport,” Lancaster
said. “Because they had young kids in it before, I
Courtesy of Gina Nickell
think they want stability in someone who has done
it before.”
Junior Gabe Pedraza, will be a senior on the team
next fall. Pedraza is the primary 2-meter defender for
the team and a leading scorer.
“Lancaster was our first in the program, and was
always part of the water polo family. It’s been a little
rough having a new coach every year,” Pedraza said.
“With Lan back we should be able to make some
things happen.”
The team’s record last year was 2-8. With Lancaster returning in the fall, the team is expecting more
successes and getting there by setting high goals.
Maddie Jump looks for
Previous success led Jaymie
continued success in diving Voss to Portage Central
BY BELLA PEDR AZ A
Staff Writer
She calmly steps up to the diving board. Her
breathing is steady and controlled from doing her
pre-dive exercises. After a deep breath, she leaps
into the air and gracefully does her routine with a little splash as she enters the water. Sophomore Maddie Jump has done it again, claiming the conference
champion for the second consecutive year. Jump
began diving her freshman year with a background
in gymnastics. From then, she has excelled dramatically according to her coach Dr. Ollie Barns. She has
won the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference (SMAC) in both her freshman and sophomore
year and claimed fourth in the state this year.
“In her first year of diving with me she placed almost completely last place but this year, her second
year, she placed close to first in the state finals,” Barns
said. “She went from worst to first.”
Jump dives for both the school and a club, Rip
Squad Diving. She trains hard during the season and
in the off season. She dives six days a week during
the season and three to four days a week in the off
season.
“Next year I’m looking at state champion,” Jump
said.
This year at regionals, Jump earned a score which
earns her the title of an All- American Diver. Her
dives include a front two and a half, forward, back
and reverse twister. The judges score divers on a
scale of one to ten in half point increments.
Barns dove for Western Michigan University
and earned the title of High School All-American
diver. He trains her both in her club diving team and
school diving team. He works her hard and makes
sure she can execute her dives.
“He pushes me a lot but he always keeps it with
in your own range of your ability,” Jump said. “As
long as you keep moving forward he always wants
you to get the harder dives and never just settle for
something easy.”
Barns and Jump share a close relationship and
he is always supportive of her, she said. He isn’t only
concerned with her ability to dive, he also talks to
her about school, grades and what’s going on in her
life.
“He doesn’t just care about diving,” Jump said.
“He cares about your whole life.”
Barns also appreciates Jump’s coachability. When
he instructs her about test taking skills and things
outside of diving she listens intently.
“She’s extremely coachable, she listens to everything even beyond diving,” Barns said. “She listens
to instructions regarding how to get through life,
like how to take tests in school, she applies the techniques and theories we use in diving to chemistry.
She listens to everything, she learns everything.”
Jump plans to dive through her years of high
school and hopes to win states her junior and senior
year, she said. After high school Jump also sees a
future diving career in college.
“I think she can win the state championships,
and go onto have a very successful college career,”
Barns said
BY DAY TO N J U DAY
Staff Writer
First year special education teacher Jaymie Voss
has had years of success in softball and in education that has lead to her taking a position at Portage
Central.
Voss graduated from Kalamazoo Christian High
School where she played four
years of varsity softball.
During her high school
career, she helped lead her team
to four state championships. Her
senior year state championship
was the most surprising and
most exciting because of how
many upperclassmen they had
lost the season before, according
to Voss.
Voss decided to start her
collegiate softball career at
Oakland University for two years.
For her junior and senior year she played at Western
Michigan University, where she succeeded on the
field and in the classroom.
As a junior at WMU, Voss was named first team
All-Mac as an outfielder. Then, as a senior, she won
first team All-Mac as a utility player.
Voss won awards off the field, as well as on.
During her senior year, Voss won academic all-state
along with National Fastpitch Coaches Association
(NFCA) All-American Scholar Athlete.
After finishing college, Voss continued with
softball at a coaching level. She is currently a softball
trainer at Worden’s Softball Academy, where she has
trained for 11 years.
“Honestly it’s better than playing now,” Voss said.
“I watch them play and see their success and it just
makes everything worth it.”
Before coming to Portage Central, Voss worked at
the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home.
She worked as a special
education teacher. She taught
students primarily ages 11 to
17. Voss worked there for about
seven years before coming to
Portage Central.
During her time there she
taught students who were
actually in the facility as well as
kids who had it as an alternative
school.
“It was a harder job to leave
than most people would think,”
Voss said. “You get really attached to the kids and
they come from a really tough background.”
According to Voss, her favorite thing about
Portage Central is the longevity of seeing students
progress and have success. She may not of had that
at her other job.
Ever since coming to Portage Central, Voss has
loved the school and the staff.
“I get up every morning and I can’t wait to be
here,” Voss said. “It’s amazing.”
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