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N E W SStudent Council - Then and Nowby Damiana SorrellStudent Council Past Years v. Student CommissionTodayA large number of people in the Liggett community,including myself until recently, are unaware ofthe fact that there are a number of documents thattell us about the student government in our school.These documents include charters, minutes frompast meetings and pictures from the year 1915 untilthe 1990s. When Student Council, now the StudentCommission, got together last year to create a charter,everyone thought that therewas no existing charter thathad been written out, but weall were wrong. It was thoughtthat we had created the firstwritten charter and minutesfor the University LiggettSchool. When I went to theDevelopment office to see formyself if there was any writtendocuments from past studentgovernment, and was shockedwhen I found out that thesethings did exist. To start off,of course as everyone knowsthere were no computers backin 1915 so the first constitutionthat was made was handwrittenand over 15 pages long.The document was titled Constitutionof the Junior Self-GovernmentLeague of The LiggettSchool. The handwriting of theteacher or student that wrotethe constitution was immaculatealong with the vocabulary.I’m not trying to say that our vocabulary today is notup to par, but as I was shifting through each page thewords that were being used were very beautiful andseemed to capture me and made me want to keepreading. As I was reading through this constitution Iwas amazed at how structured everything was andhow they made sure that they wrote in full detail theresponsibilities of each person and how they had tocarry out her (because Liggett was an all girl schoolthen) job to remain a person in the government.The differences in the way things were ran withStudent government years ago and today are many,although that isn’t to say that we don’t have many similaritiesbecause we do. In fact the similarities we havetell us that someone had to know of the past charterssomewhere in our history because we reuse a lot of theirprocedures and also a lot of what the past student councildid for our school is still being put into effect today. Theminutes for the year of 1915 and some years after, allstarted with the same 3 sentences and were taken verydifferently than the minutes today. Back then, they meetingswere called for one very specific purpose and whateverit was, it was something serious and that was goingto be tackled at that meeting.There were not any prolongingsituations that the governmentdidn’t take care of and they werevery serious about what they did.In 1949 Liggett was called theGrosse Pointe Country Day Schooland this was the next year that wehave dated that the student governmentmade another Constitution.This was the first year thateverything was typed out insteadof handwritten and the vocabularyalso had changed dramaticallysince then as you probablyhave guessed. This year and allthe years before, not only was the9th-12th graders together, butalso the 7th and 8th graders. Theywere part of Student Council alsowhich is a big difference becausewe now have separate campuses.During 1949 and the years beforethat, there was no where in thedocuments where it listed whatthe Grade Pointe Average hadto be for the officers or what would get them kicked outof the Council. This was the first year that they identifiedthemselves as the Student Council, although we havejust changed the name to the Student Commission. Therewas not a President or Vice-President like there is now orlike it was in 1915. The two heads were both called theCo-Presidents and one example of how we still use theirmethods today is how these Co-Presidents were chosen.They would make a speech the May before the next academicyear and the whole student body would vote. Theother officers on the board were picked by their individualclassmates in their grade. The Co-Presidents switchedroles which is a very big difference. Whoever they pick to

e first, would get to be the main president from September until February, while the other person is mainly in chargeof finances. And then from February to June, it would switch. Some other things that we have taken from them arehaving meetings once a week and the president running assembly, although we call it Community Time. During thegirls assembly (since it was still an all girl school) the president would give out an award to the class with the leasttardies and for their reward the grade with the greatest number of tardies would have to clean their tables at the endof lunch for two weeks until the next assembly. Student Council was also over how Study Halls were run. They werestricter than we are now with Study Hall, even though back then these rules were made by students. For example:1) Students are to sit in their assigned seats 2) Students are not to ask for academic help from the supervisor or fromany student. If these or any other of the 8 rules were broken then their names were given to Student Council and theywould have to have a supervised Study Hall.A major difference that the Student Council had back then was how active they were. In the documents that Ifound, there were copies of surveys and proposals made to the students and the staff. One of the surveys taken in1984 was for the students to see how they felt about the cafeteria in terms of how the lunch hour was and how theyliked the meals. Later in 1991 a proposal called the Student Council Junior Lunch Proposal was made. It was very wellorganized and in full detail so that the teachers knew exactly what they were asking for. They included quotes fromthe Detroit Country Day principle, who had already enacted this program and he said that it was going very well.The juniors stated in their proposal that they would only go out on Fridays in Second Semester, they would sign inand out, if you’re on probation you’re not allowed to go, and being late to a class after lunch will have the standardconsequences. We still use these rules today which shows how effective Student Council is when they map out everythingand have all their facts together and are very detailed about what they want to do. After this proposal therewas another questionnaire that was made note of in the documents that I found where Student Council asked thestudents opinions on many different issues. This questionnaire like the last one mentioned was not, yes or no, but afree response which better helps the council because it helps the students give more details and really tell how theyfeel without giving their name. One of the questions included ideas for something they used to have called Winterfest. One of the ideas that they asked about was having a talent show and big wheel race. Although we don’t have bigwheel races, we do have a talent show which takes place in the later part of the year.Moving on to the Student Council of 1999-2000, the difference that they have with the Student Commission nowand Student Council years ago is that their meetings were during class instead of lunch time or different free time thatthe community shared as a whole. The teachers could make the student stay in class only if there was a test or quizand whatever else work was missed, the student had to make up. As the years went on, the role that student governmentplayed became less and less. We still have a role now, but what that role is a lot of people aren’t aware of anddon’t care to find out. Student Commission needs to get back in the game and really tend to the needs and wants ofthe students while working cooperatively with the staff. We have more opportunities now and a very good networkthat we can use to our advantage and make things change in the Liggett Community like our past councils have.This Page: Student Council 1995-96. Previous Page: Liggett Student Council 1917-1918

Page Rage!by Jake Osborn“Jake, you know D.C. is not very safe; last week a manwas stopped at a red light then he was shot and carjacked,”my mother was doting as usual. Safety was theleast of my worries. I would be meeting new people,and living on my own away from my family for fivemonths, so it is easy to see why I tuned her out as shesaid this on the flight to Washington D.C. (besides Iwouldn’t have my car anyway).Believe it or not becoming a Senate Page isno easy task. There are only 30 Senate Pages in totalchosen from around the country to serve in WashingtonD.C. The chances are significantly against you. That isnot to say that you can not do it, but rather to shed perspectiveon how daunting a task it is to achieve. Applicationsconsist of two essayson why you are interestedin political science, short answerson why you feel youare right for the program,and five teacher recommendationsmust be submittedto the Program coordinator’saddress in D.C. Needless tosay applying is not short orsimple. I was told on November17th, 2009 that myapplication was accepted bySenator Debbie Stabenow’sSenate office located in theHart Senate office building.It was set in stone that I wasto serve as a Page in Washington D.C. representing thestate of Michigan under appointment by Senator DebbieStabenow. My semester would begin in late Januaryso I had two months to prepare. That means finishingmy semester here, and saying goodbye to friends andfamily.The dormitory was located on the corner of 4thand C in the Northeast quadrant of the city (WashingtonD.C. is broken up into four quadrants. The center isat the Capitol building and my dorm house is northeastof the Capitol building). It was an old funeral home; thecasket shaped elevator was the giveaway. As we wentup one floor I was introduced to my three roommatesStephan (Democrat from Washington State), Dallen(Republican from Utah) and Hank (closet conservativefrom Maine). Since I was running late, I got stuck with apain-in-the-ass top bunk.I do, however, have a very funny story that pertains toa particular roommate. His name was Stephan and hewas from Washington State. During room inspectionwhen the POD (proctor on duty) came by each individual’sroom to make sure no one’s smoking, Stephan was doinghis homework. I was on my bunk with my iPod, when sheanswered the door. My bed was out of view of the doorwayso, unbeknownst to the proctor and Stephan, I spranginto action. I Moved perceptively; with such acuity that atsome point I became my surroundings. I snuck up behindhim (the proctor just turned her back to go to the nextroom) and pantsed him. It was so bad that I not only gothis pants but the underwear, too. This was not just a victoryfor the State of Michigan but a victory for every State thathas no affiliation with Washington. But in all seriousness Ireceived 10 demerits and life amongst my roommates wasnow really, really, awkward.We had four proctors: Mr. Hample, Mr. Kim, Mr. Cherry, andMrs. Soeur. We had chores according to room number (ourroom was #23), we had to do our own laundry, we had toshine our shoes, dry cleanour uniforms, make ourbeds, and between all ofthat we worked and wentto school from 6:15 A.M. towhenever the Senate camein session (anywhere from9:00 in the morning to 2:00in the afternoon). Schooleither lasted two hours or afull eight hours dependingon the Senate schedule. Ifthat was not enough, youhad mailboxes where youwere handed assignmentsor given demerits. Yes, that’sright, demerits. You getdemerits for doing something as lame as not making yourbed in the morning. If you get enough of these bad boysyou get room restrictions where you have to be in yourrooms at a certain time (this really sucked if it was a weekend).Gaining merits was not easy. You had to wait oneweek and work hours just to gain a couple of merits. It waspure exploitation. My new home was neither welcomingnor appealing. I guess I should’ve known that when I firstsaw the casket shaped elevator.Now I can’t stand school. Why? Maybe it is because I amnot a morning person. Or maybe it is because listening to amonosyllabic voice trolling on and on for what seems likeyears telling me stuff that I either already know or don’tneed to know. Having to wake up at 5:00 in the morningshower, and dress in Page attire (our uniform was a cheapblue jacket, slacks, and tie) and come downstairs to theschool located in the basement of the dormitory “brighteyed and bushy tailed” was no cake walk. Our teachers’names were Mr. Bowers (Social Studies), Mrs. Owens(English), Mr. Cwalina (Math), and Mr. Malick (Science). In

addition, I had a foreign language tutor who helpedme keep up on my French studies while I was away.The teachers were great people, don’t get me wrong,but can you stay awake at 6:00 in the morning with fivehours of sleep listening to monotone presentations ofcrap? I can’t. A lot of my friends can’t either. It was coolthough because a lot of the teachers understood howsleep deprived we were so we were allowed to sleep inclass (except Mrs. Owens; she would threaten to shovetoothpicks in your eyelids to keep them open). However,it was in your best interest to stay awake because,come test time, you were in trouble if you missed notesor didn’t pay attention to a lecture.So a bootleg school located in the basement of aformer funeral home is going to easy, right? Quitethe contrary, if you failed a test or a couple of quizzesit was hard to bounce back. Here’s why. The gradingscale there was abnormal; 100-94 was an A, 93-84 wasa B, 83-74 was a C, 73-64 was a D, and if you got belowa 64 then you failed. What kind of a grading scale isthat? Why can’t they just keep it the standard every tenpoints a letter grade? Seemed pretty simple to me, butone can’t delve too far into the small stuff. This was justone of the many changes I had to live with throughoutmy daily course of events in Washington D.C. Mrs.Weeden (the principal) scared us the first day. She sat usdown in the basement and told us how this is a schoolof “intellectual acuity.” She said cheating would resultin immediate dismissal and she would “put her size9’s in our rear ends” if that happened. What was worsewas that they would notify our Senator’s office that weflunked the program and we would receive an F for asemester grade. This meant you would have to take theyear over or take up a vigorous summer school session.Nobody wanted that; everyone was in it to pass andhave something that looks really good on a collegeapplication. Mrs. Weeden was from Saginaw Michiganand therefore expected a lot out of me. She said it wasalmost impossible to achieve all A’s in all classes andthat mandatory study would be implemented when aclass grade has reached below a C average. If you didnot maintain at least a C average in every class then youwere dismissed. The Senate Page school curriculum wasvigorous to say the least.The last part of every bit of my day was work. The Capitolbuilding is divided into two chambers: the SenateChamber and the House Chamber. The Senate Chamber(where I worked) is located on the North side of theCapitol building closest to where our dorm is located(the House of Representative Pages live in the southeastquadrant and work in the house Chamber on the Southside of the Capitol). Our boss/supervisor was namedGalvin Esteban or Mr. Esteban to us. There are always 15Democratic Pages and 15 Republican Pages. Because Iwas appointed by a Democrat (Sen. Debbie Stabenow) Iworked on the Democratic side of the aisle. The Chamberby the way was carpeted with blue and red patterns anddesks shined in the lights surrounding the utmost structuresof the ceiling. The gallery, where people watchedthe daily proceedings of the Senate was located on thefloor above the Chamber surrounding the Senate Floor.There were sculptures of famous former Senators tothe U.S. around the walls of the gallery. Cameras on theNorth, West, and South wall were visible (that is how theyrecord the Senate in its daily affairs for the general publicon CSPAN). A clock hung above the large, marble centerpiece desk. That clock would become our worst enemywhen we would make an amendment run, or deliveringthe dailys to our respective cloakrooms. Our job wasmeant to be simple. It was soon understood to be anythingbut that.Aside from just performing our duties of receiving Senator’slecterns and water, we had to be polite. Not justpolite as “please” and “thank you,” but we had to observeour place on “the food chain.” That is, we were at thebottom; no one was required to respect us yet we had torespect everyone and everything. That is alright becausejust being in the same room with people that live toimpact millions is staggering. We were just juniors inhigh school and knew little about our nation’s legislativesystem. I learned a lot in just a few months. Senator Mc-Cain’s favorite candy from the candy drawer was AlmondJoy? Senator Arlen Specter does not speak on the SenateFloor after lunch because the Senate cafeteria gives himbad gas (he farted on the Senate floor during a roll callvote towards a pending amendment). We got to see firsthandsome of the most powerful people in America. Andthen there was the State of the union address. We got towatch President Barak Obama give his State of the Unionaddress in the House Chamber. Seeing and hearing thePresident of the United States of America was most certainlythe coolest thing I have ever witnessed firsthand. Ifelt important; somewhere I belonged.A Page’s duties consisted of making amendment runswhenever a Senator proposes an amendment to a pieceof legislation, keeping a tally of the roll call on a certainvote either on amendment adoption or final bill passage.If a Senator is missing it is our job to notify our cloakroomand they try to get a hold of the Senator’s whereabouts.The Republican Pages keep track of their Senators whilethe Democrats keep track of theirs. We also did smallthings like set up Senators’ desks with water, a lectern,and (if they needed one) an easel. On top of all that, wemust remain obedient, efficient, and punctual. We haveto cross our arms at waist level in front of our bodieswhen the prayer and the pledge of allegiance is read aspart of the Senate’s morning tradition. The photo copiersin the back lobby behind the Senate floor became our

est friends (if they were not jammed and were working). We used these machines more often than any other pieceof equipment in the entire Capitol building. We used these up until 1:30 A.M. when the Senate was working on theUnited States’ budget. There were a total of 127 amendments proposed that night (some were over 500 pages) andsince each amendment must be run to 27 different places throughout the Senate Chamber grounds this was a lot ofpaper. It least they gave us school off the next morning as a result of getting home at 2:00 A.M. That night was one ofthe coolest things, yet most hectic things to be a part of. Seeing bitter, potentially violent arguments about who toblame for our nation’s deficit right before your eyes is inspirational to say the least.But probably the most inspirational thing I got while in Washington D.C. was motivation. Life means nothing if you arenot motivated. The day Vice President Biden came and lectured us Pages about his love for the Senate and the FederalInstitution as a unit was amazing. He told us that it is important to keep an open mind at all times and that eventhough at times it seems like the Senators are fighting with one another it is just overflowing passion and motivation(even though a lot of the stuff they “write” comes from their hired staffers). Through my whole experience in WashingtonD.C. I saw a new side to the world; a brighter side. I realized that the only thing that matters is passion and motivationto succeed. The mentality that no goal is too abstract or unattainable goes a long way. With qualities of state ofmind such as this people get far; the world goes places. If you don’t have motivation; you have no passion. Know thatthe people that rule your life, mine, and every other American’s do it out of passion. To harness the vastness of WashingtonD.C. remains a mystery to me but being a part of it will remain a passion of mine, forever.Foreign Exchange Studentby Sarah AltimoreThis year they’re many new faces in the highschool, but not all of them are freshmen. The 11thgrade has a new foreign exchange student. His nameis Alvaro Martinez. He has come over from Spain ona program called AFS. This program works towardproviding international and intercultural learningexperience to individuals, families, schools, and communities.Alvaro will be staying the entire year atLiggett, and will be getting involved with sports andother activities. To learn more about him, here are afew questions we asked:1. Who are you staying with while you are in theUnited States?“Katarina and her family, they are very nice”2. What is your favorite home cooked meal?“Jamon Iberico”3. Do you like it here at Liggett?“Yes, the people here are very nice.”4. What was your old school like?“It was a private school. Smaller then Liggett, I onlyhad 30 kids in my grade and it was an all boys school.We have a school uniform just like Liggett.”5. In Spain what did you do for fun?“Well soccer is very popular, so [we] play soccer. Hangout with each other, and go to movies.”6. What are the popular sports and music artistsin Spain?“Soccer and “el canto del loco” “pignoise””7. What is your favorite soccer team and whatteam do you dislike the most?“Barcelona and I really dislike Madrid”8. What was your town in Spain like?“Very small town “best city in the world”” “It’s called SanSebastian”9. What does your house look like? And yourroom?“I live in an apartment, and my room has soccer postersin it and some music ones.”10. Do you have any brothers or sisters?“Yes, I have 3 brothers. 2 of them are twins and they areolder and then I have a younger brother.”11. What is your favorite class? And who is yourfavorite teacher here?“English and Mr. Mock”7

Right or Privilege?by David McIntyreArguably the biggest controversy in the nationalspotlight is the debate over a government run healthcaresystem. As a conservative myself, I’ll be the first to admitthat the system as it stands is flawed. Anybody that believesotherwise must be living in a fairytale. But what isthe right course of action?I’m not here to telling you what the answer is tothis problem, but I am goingto break this down without bias to the best of my ability.The Democrats strongly believe in a governmentrun healthcare system and have been working diligentlyto come up with a solution to the many flaws. The twomain problems that Democrats, with respect to a privatehealthcare system, are trying to solve are the rising costs ofhealthcare and the disparity of healthcare across economicclasses. In laymen’s terms, people today can’t afford healthcarebecause it’s too expensive and the quality of healthcarebetween the rich and poor are absurd. For example,the United States spends more money per capita than anyother developed nation that is under a public healthcaresystem. Not only that, the rising cost of healthcare in theUnited States has risen, as a percentage, greater than anyother nation in the world. Many left-wingers that promotepublic healthcare believe that preventative medicine is theanswer to decrease the costs. Democrats also believe thattoo many people are uninsured (at one point reaching justover 15%), and therefore strive to insure that all peopleshould be covered under a government run healthcare system.Democrats believe that the insurance companies are,in a word, evil. Since insurance companies are businesses,the only thing they are worried about is how much moneythey can make and not necessarily the overall well being ofthe patient.On the contrary, Republicans believe that healthcareis a responsibility of the people and the governmentshould have little business in the matter. In our AP Governmentclass, we’ve learned that Americans “believe in equalityof opportunity, but not necessarily equality of results.”Americans, as a whole, believe in the “American Dream”where hard work and a little bit of elbow grease will be rewarded.A public healthcare system would violate the moralsof this dream because somebody who hasn’t performedand may be classified as lazy will be given healthcare, whilea person that has made the right decisions in their life andhas worked hard to earn healthcare will essentially not berewarded. The truth of the matter is that people will beless motivated to succeed. This is because they knowthe government will bail them out. Republicans believethat the ideology of public healthcare is socialistic tosay the least, and some will go even further and say thisis the first, major step of changing from capitalism tosocialism. One of the biggest questions of Republicansis who’s going to pay for public healthcare? There is onlyone viable answer: the rich. So now Obama plans topenalize the rich by taxing them, but for what reason?The only things you can pin on the rich is that they hadthe determination, work ethic, and have made the rightdecisions to accomplish everything they’ve done. Onlyabout five million (out of almost 305 million) people inAmerica don’t have access to healthcare once you eliminatethe illegal immigrants and people who have accessto healthcare, but don’t take the necessary actions toreceive healthcare. In the Republicans’ eyes, they seeObama overhauling the system as we know it for lessthan 1.7% of our nation and they see him leaving thetab for the rich. Republicans also believe that, like manyother government ran programs, this will eventuallyend up in disaster. If this were to happen, as history hasshown with Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae (along withsocial security and Medicare on the verge of failing), ournation as a whole would collapse. All this considered,many Republicans believe that public healthcare ran bythe government is fiscally, morally, and ideologically thewrong decision.Although I don’t believe in a nationalized publichealthcare system, I do believe that the governmentshould provide to a certain group of individuals, such aschildren under the age of eighteen and the elderly onfixed incomes. Having said that, I don’t believe that anyworking-able body should be entitled to healthcare. It istheir responsibility, not the government’s. Many peoplesay we have the best healthcare system in the world,while others argue that this is in no way true. It is truethat every year many people travel to America to getthe health care our insurance companies provide. Butone can also argue that our healthcare costs too muchand doesn’t provide for everybody.The late, democratic president John F. Kennedyonce stated, “ask not whatyour country can do for you - ask what you can do foryour country.”The ideals behind public healthcare blatantlydefy his words. And one could argue that our nation,a nation that has been on the decline in various categoriesfor decades now, may have another reason tobecome even lazier.

There are so many variables to consider in thisdebate, but in the end it comes to one question:Is healthcare a right or a privilege?Liggett Hockey Previewby Tripp DammanOn November 2nd 2009, the University LiggettVarsity Hockey team will begin practicing for a long andhopefully successful season. With a previous record of10 wins and 14 loses, the hockey team hopes to have amuch more successful season. The varsity hockey teamwill need to work together to improve the overall consistency,therefore, resulting in a possible state title.The hockey team lost four seniors last yearincluding Drew Amato, Erik Litch, Clarke Dirksen, andKyle Keith. Although losing these seniors hurt, the teamwas able to obtain some new experienced players.From the freshmen class we now have Mark Auk, JacobSoyka, Manny Counsman, and a goalie, Nate Gaggin. Anaddition from the sophomore class, Connor Wiggins, isa vital member of the hockey team (although he is ineligibleto play as of this semester). From the senior class,Jacob Goldberg will be the most important additionto our team. Jake is coming from years of playing AAAhockey with various teams including Honeybaked andLittle Caesars (with whom he was able to achieve a nationaltitle). These additions to the Knight’s roster haveincreased the skill level of the overall team significantly.In addition, Dave McIntyre, the team’s startinggoalie, is now able to play the whole course of theteam’s season (rather than just the second semester).Now that Dave is able to play the entire season, theKnights’ goaltending will improve dramatically. Also,Dan Zukas, a three year varsity letter winner, will makean attempt at breaking the record for most points in ahigh school career set by Bob Wood. Dan, currently having147 points, needs to obtain 63 more points to breakthis record.Robb McIntyre (no relation to Dave) will behead coach for his second year, and has proved himselfcapable of turning a decent team into a great one. RobbMcIntyre has experience playing junior A, college, andprofessional hockey for the Toronto Maple Leafs. JohnBartoy will not be returning as assistant coach due to hisdecision of taking another job. Kevin Breen will still havea presence on the team as an assistant coach. In searchof an additional assistant coach, Robb has had his handsfull, trying to find the right coach for the job. He has comeacross Mike Linber, who will be helping out mostly withthe defensive players and strategies. The addition of MikeLinber will help out the team a great amount and hopefullyincrease the overall success of the Liggett Knights.The varsity hockey team expects to have a completelydifferent year with all the changes. These changeshave quickly turned Liggett around to have one of themost skilled teams in our division. Playing almost thesame schedule as last year, we are expecting a significantincrease in wins. Hopefully we can use our talent to makegames more exciting and increase our fan base.9

Athlete of the Monthby Katie SheehyMark Ghafari, a senior at ULS, was elected to bethe first Athlete of the month. He is a three sport athlete,playing soccer, basketball and baseball. He dominatesboth the court and the field. This dark and handsomeLebanese man is 5’10’’ and weighs in at a lean 170pounds. He has been the varsity soccer goalie since hissophomore year. He has only managed to let in 8 goalsin 9 games with 5 shut-outs. He has been the startingpoint guard on the varsity basketball team for the lastthree years. He has started at both second, third, andshortstop for two years on varsity baseball. Mark has ledall three teams as captain since his junior year.have great foot skills that would be my best fit.”Was if difficult to pick up playing goalie again afterthree years off?“It was not that difficult to pick up playing goalie again becauseI had a lot of people helping me out. Coach Backhustand Coach Knote trained with me everyday during the seasonto help me be the best goalie in our conference, and inthe offseason I worked with Dan Ferrin, alumnus of Liggett’99, to help me become an all-state goalie.”How is the basketball team looking for the 2009-2010 season?“We are going to be very good basketball team this year.We have a lot of experience coming back to the team, aswe only lost two seniors, and we have great freshman talentcompeting to get varsity spots. Also are coaches aregreat guys and will be working hard to make are seasonsuccessful, hopefully ending up with a state championshipat the end.”What position do you think you are going to play in baseball?“Well I like to play second base the most and turndouble plays with my Lebanese partner, Joseph Simon.However when Joseph is pitching, I’ll be playing shortstopfor him, and when Skip is pitching I can take over for him atthird.”As a captain, in all three sports, how do you motivateyour teammates?“Motivating a team to play their best in every game isprobably the hardest job as a captain. However I like tothink of every game as your last, and to tell everyone toplay their best every second the clock is ticking. My favoritemotto to fire people up is, “Give 150%: because 100 isnot good enough.”Why did you want to be the soccer goalie?“I was a goalie all of my life, up until 7th grade, whenI stopped playing soccer, and played football for twoyears. Then the summer before my sophomore year,Curtis Fisher was supposed to be the starting goalie, buthe broke his wrist, playing baseball. After that coachBackhurst came up to me and asked if I wanted to playgoalie that year, I said yes, and that season I ended uphaving 10 shutouts.”What position would you play, if you were notthe goalie?“I would probably play stopper because all you have todo is head the ball back to the offense, and since I don’tTo what to you attribute your athletic success?“Sports have always been important to me. My successthough, has to be, when I unleash the wild Lebanese stallion,I am certainly unstoppable.”Tiger’s Season Wrap Upby Dominic JamettIf you went around and asked people walkingthe streets of Detroit what they think of the year that theDetroit Tigers’ had, most of them would say disappointing.Although losing in a one game playoff to the MinnesotaTwins is certainly disappointing considering the sizablelead that the team held going into the month of September,the season should not be defined by that one game.

The 2009 Detroit Tigers were not supposed to contend for the American League Central Title. In fact, manyanalysts predicted the Tigers to finish either in fourth place or last in the AL Central. Many people in Detroit found thisto be an unfair prediction taking into account the strong line up that manager Jim Leyland could write on his line upcard. Perennial All Stars Miguel Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, Brandon Inge, and Placido Polanco were the main reasonthat the Tigers had one of the most feared offenses in baseball. But, as many experts will tell you, pitching wins championships.Justin Verlander had a phenomenal rookie year but had 17 losses during the 2008 campaign. Many peopledoubted whether he would be able to rebound from that horrible year and be the pitcher that the Tigers needed himto be for the team to be successful. Verlander was not the only liability; the whole team was at fault. There were questionsabout the closer role. Would it be newcomer from the Arizona Diamondbacks Brandon Lyon, or the often injuredJoel Zumaya? Or perhaps the closer who always seems to let the other team back into the game, Fernando Rodney.The starting rotation was also in trouble. Unproven pitchers such as Rick Porcello, Edwin Jackson, and Armando Gallaragawere expected to have trouble with the dangerous line ups of the American League. Although the offense wasexpected to put a lot of runs, the pitching staff was not expected to prevent the opposition from scoring and this wasthe main reason why the Tigers were expected to finish in the lower half of the division.To many peoples surprise, the Tigers played solid and consistent baseball throughout the season. The pitchingstaff pitched well, and the position players hit. The Tigers played consistent baseball. They never did anything spectacularand they never had a stretch when they couldn’t be stopped. They were very fortunate to be playing in thedivision that they were. If the Tigers had been in any other division in the American League, they probably would’venever been in the discussion for making the post season. The Tigers had a seemingly commanding lead on the divisiongoing into September, they were 7 games ahead of the Twins and the Twins had to put their power hitter, JustinMorneau, on the disabled list for the rest of the season. How couldn’t the tigers win?To put it in simple terms, the Tigers choked and the Twins played phenomenal baseball. The Twins had theluxury of playing the Kansas City Royals at the end of the season who are a horrible baseball team and the Tigers hadto play the Chicago White Sox, who many people thought were the team to beat in the Central. All the Tigers had todo was beat the White Sox and they couldn’t. The Twins didn’t really have a lot to contend with because they wereplaying the Royals. The Twins won, the Tigers lost and a one game tie breaker had to be played.The one game tie breaker is the worst nightmare for a manager. He has to decide whether to put in a veteranpitcher or a rookie who has never pitched in a bigger game. When faced with this problem he chose the 21 year oldRick Porcello. Porcello preformed beautifully, giving the Tigers 5 solid innings. In a situation like that one, that’s all amanager can hope for, especially from a rookie. Another tough decision is to go with a player who plays better defenseor who can hit better. This isn’t usually a decision made at the beginning of the game but rather in the middleof it. Gerald Laird is an exceptional defensive catcher but can’t hit to save his life. There were multiple opportunitieswhere Leyland could’ve pinch hit youngster Alex Avila who has been very successful hitting at the major league level.Leyland chose to go with defense and it turned out to be a crucial mistake. Laird left multiple runners on base was unableto produce in the clutch situations. Avila might not be as strong as Laird defensively but in order to win you needto score and Leyland should have realized that. These are the decisions that can make or break a season and in thiscase they weren’t the deciding factor but they were certainly a part of the reason why the Tigers did not make the postseason.All the blame can not be put on Leyland, some needs to be put on General Manager Dave Dombrowski. Hismidseason trade acquisitions of designated hitter Aubrey Huff and starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn did not help theteam; on the contrary it actually hurt them. By inserting a new pitcher into the rotation it disrupts the rhythm of theteam. The same holds true for Huff, putting in a new player in the line up who doesn’t produce only hurts the ball club.There were many other players that Dombrowski could’ve acquired that could have helped the team but he decidedagainst it. To add insult to injury these two players made a combined 17.85 million dollars this past year. Anothertransaction that shouldn’t be forgotten is the trading of Gold Glove catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Although this took placeduring the 2008 campaign, it affected this years season as well. Rodriguez was thought to have been past his primeand although this maybe true, he is still the best defensive catcher in the history of the game and hit 30 points higherthan Laird with regard to batting average. If one is looking for a scape goat for the collapse of the Tigers, do not look atLeyland but rather at Dave Dombrowski.Although it is upsetting and disappointing that the Detroit Tigers gave up such a big lead in so little time, itwas a remarkable feat that they were even in the position to give up that lead. There were many doubts surroundingthe team and many of them were put to rest with the way the team preformed throughout the season. The DetroitTigers have a very good chance to be a force in the Central Division for many years to come.11

Liggett School Footballby Dominic JamettThe University Liggett football team is back andhas the whole school excited. After 3 years, there was afootball game played at the school’s football field. Thiswould not have been possible without the determinedwork of Headmaster Joe Healy. Dr. Healy came to theschool and was immediately invested in the vision thatCoach Dan Cimini had. That vision was to put a footballteam on the field that would compete and to create a winningatmosphere.Although the team struggled at first, they are improvingevery day and are going to be competitive in thefuture. If anyone was going to bring a program back, theperson to do it would be Coach Cimini.Coach Cimini went through a similar process with thebaseballprogramabout7 yearsago. Thebaseballprogramwas consistentlyone of theworst inthe conference.Within 3years timehowever,the teamwas competingfordistrict titles and is now considered one of the best in thestate. Hopefully, the team will be at that level in a few yearswhere they are consistently mentioned as one of the topteams in the state.At the beginning, there were doubts about whetherthere would be enough players to field a competitiveteam. The team now has 30 players that come from allgrades. This compares to the 15 that they had in the lastyear of the school’s football team.Although many players on the team have neverplayed football before, they are learning quickly from thecoaches. Super sophomore, Eddie Thomas, had this to sayabout playing for Coach Cimini, “Even if nobody had experiencein football, he’s the right man to teach us; he has allthe fundamentals and mental ways.”There is strong senior leadership provided by Jake Goldberg,Mac Decker, and Chris Ralstrom to go along withthe underclassman group of Eddie Thomas, Nate Gaggin,and Eric Ewing. The players are eager to learn fromCoach Cimini and he feels that there is a lot of hope forthe future. He has a very good reason to feel that waywith a huge amount of underclassman. Although theteam lost their first three games, they recently got theirfirst win in over 3 years. The team beat Auburn Hills OaklandChristian, a conference rival, 20-7. This was a hugewin and a step in the right direction for the program.The Liggett football team has become a widespread social phenomena. The team has received a lotof attention from local media; the team was featured onthe front page of the Detroit News’ High School FootballPreview section. In addition, they are featured in theGrosse Pointe News’ Fall Sports Preview section and alsothe Grosse Pointe Times’ Fall Preview section. The localpublicity will help the school get the word out about thefootball team, ultimately strengthening the enrollmenteven more.The footballteambroughtsome respectto theschool. Locally,whensomeonementionsthe name ofthe schoolone of thefirst thingssomeonemight ask isif the schoolhas football.In the past,a member of the Liggett community would have to explainthat there were not enough people to field a team.Now, with the efforts of the Coach Cimini, Mr. Alpert, andMr. Breen, there are a lot more students in the school,enough so as to have a football team that can compete.The football team has created a lot of positive news forthe school and the school looks for big things in thefuture from the team.

Dress Code!by Grace EdmondsThere have been many changes made to everyday day life atLiggett this year but they have affected the girls who go tothis school more than anyone else. The dress code sectionhas been revised this year and some students are happywith the changes while others are upset. The changes arefew and small but have had a large affect on back to schoolshopping for girls. Last year patch pockets and rivets wereforbidden but this year they are both allowed. Anotherchange made to the dress code is skirt and short length.The rule used to be that skirts and shorts had to fall at midthigh but now they must go down to the knees. For thosewho often wear skirts to school like, Medea Shanidze, saysshopping was “much more difficult” this year. When askedwhy she said, “It’s hard to find long shorts and skirts that arebe upset about the new rules about the dress codebecause it isn’t what they are used to but incomingfreshman, Ashley Rahi, says “I expected it to be a lotstricter. People get away with more than I expected.” Ather middle school just like the Liggett Middle SchoolAshley had to wear a uniform and is happy to finallyhave some freedom about what se wears to school.One of the more insignificant changes made is the newrule about sports shirts at school. We are no longerallowed to wear out team t-shirts on the days we havehome games. It is strictly jerseys now so teams thatordered team t-shirts have to find a different time towear them. The rule about jackets still stays the same.No sports jackets in school at anytime. The changes tothe dress code have set a more conservative look forthe girls in our school and though some say they thinkit looks better back to school shopping was much moredifficult for most.New Teachersby Nate WeissThe beginning of the school year brings awesomethings such as homework and waking up before12pm. However, it also brings back old faces andwelcomes new ones, students and teachers alike.This fall there are five new teachers, Mrs. Able, Mr.Denyer, Miss Dickinson, Mr. Glenn, and Mr. Kaiser.Unfortunately we lost Mrs. Painer and Mrs. Barbash,but we will have many new kind replacements.I got the chance to interview these teachers individuallyand get to know them a little better.flattering. I understand that school isn’t a fashion show buthigh school girls still want to look their best.” Others havealso complained one girl said that the new rule is “slightlyunreasonable”. Kati Wahl has a different opinion. She says,“I like it. I think it looks better plus we can wear patchpockets now.” The dress code may be more conservativebut some think the rules have made people look better atschool. There are other rules that were made about pantsthis year. Hardtails or other yoga pants are no longer allowed.That complicates things for the girls who ownedfive pairs of hardtails and alternated every day. Those whowore leggings with a long shirt are also out of luck becauseleggings must be worn under a skirt or dress is the appropriatelength. Most think that that the new path pocket rulemakes up for all of the change but other say, “hardtails are80% of what I wore every day.” Some returning girls mayMrs. AbelTeaches: Chinese (Referenceroom)What college did yougraduate from?I went to college in Taiwan,and then I went toUniversity of Massachusettsfor my masters.What did you do, and where, before coming toLiggett?

I taught at a boarding school in Massachusetts.What made you want to become a teacher?I have been teaching since in college. I had a good opportunityto teach at a Chinese teaching center.I like to read philosophical and spiritual books and I ridemy motorcycle.What might people be surprised to learn about you?I brew my own beer and won the 1974 Detroit Newsspelling bee.Why do you like the subject you teach?I like to teach people the different cultures of Chineseand American, and Chinese is a fun thing to teach.What advice would you give to students perusing thesame career path as you?Know your subject very well. Learn that students learn indifferent ways?What do you like to do during your spare time?I listen to music, read,I do a lot of stuff withmy son.Mr. DenyerTeaches: Geometryand Algebra II/ Trig(room 209)What college did you go to?Wayne State.What did you do, and where, before coming to Liggett?I taught at an alternative school in Detroit with onlineclasses for students who have been in trouble with thelaw.What made you want to become a teacher?I enjoy working with young enthusiastic people. I enjoymath and creative thinkers.Why do you like the subject you teach?I love problem solving because you can relate it to reallife situations.What do you like to do during your spare time?Miss DickinsonTeaches: Biology, Algebra9, and Research andDiscovery (What college did you go to?I went to Kalamazoo College and University of Michigan.What did you do, and where, before coming to Liggett?I taught at John Glenn Westland.What made you want to become a teacher?I worked in a lab and I did not like it, there was no interactionwith people. So I thought of becoming a teacherbecause I like interacting with kids.Why do you like the subject you teach?I am good at math and science and I like knowing howwe work.What do you do during your spare time?I like running, reading mysteries and fiction books, cooking,and watching basketball.What might people be surprised to learn about you?I lived in Spain for 6 months studying Spanish, and I playthe piano.Mr. GlennTeaches: Freshmen Biology,and Senior EnvironmentalScienceWhat college did you goto?

I went to William and Mary in Virginia.What did you do, and where, before coming to Liggett?I taught outdoor science at a school in Connecticut.What made you want to become a teacher?Senior year at high school I had a marine biology classthat I enjoyed. I really liked the teacher and would sayhe made me want to become a teacher.What do you like to do during your spare time?I like to play guitar, spending time with my kids, anddoing lots of things outdoors.What might people be surprised to learn about you?I grew up in Southern California and I never learnedhow to surf.Mr. KaiserTeaches: Economics,World History 9, andGlobal IssuesWhat college did yougo to?I went to Rollins College and University of Delaware formy masters.Minoru Yamasakiby Sarah AlitmoreDo you know who he is? I’m assuming that you don’t, butthis very man is the one who designed our Liggett LowerSchool. He is best known for his design of the world tradecenters, but he also designed many other world widebuildings. He was born in Seattle, Washington and was asecond-generation Japanese American. He enrolled in theUniversity of Washington program in architecture in 1929,and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1934. Afterfinishing his first years of college, he went to New YorkUniversity for his master’s degree in architecture. In 1945Yamasaki moved to Detroit, Michigan where he startedhis own partnership. In 1964 he attended Bates Collegeand received a D.F.A (doctors of fine art). Minoru won theAmerican Institute of Architects’ First Honor Award threetimes. Minoru is very educated and it is a great honor tosay that he was the designer of University Liggett’s LowerSchool. In 1954 Yamasaki was commissioned to design alower and middle school and other facilities, including anew gymnasium, auditorium, library and fine arts rooms tocomplement the older, two-story brick building erected in1928.Fun Fact about Minoru Yamasaki:Many of Minoru’s buildings make use of extremely narrowvertical windows…mainly because of his acrophobia, orfear of heights.What did you do, and where, before you came toLiggett?I taught 5 years at Willmington high school in Delaware,and taught at Sanford school in Delaware.What made you want to become a teacher?I wanted to coach high school baseball. In my fourthyear of college I had a teacher that inspired me to becomeone.What do you like to do during your spare time?I like baseball, coaching baseball, watching Philadelphiasports, and doing stuff with my kids.What might people be surprised to learn about you?I like cutting my grass.15

Know Your RightsBy: Grace EdmondsEverybody from a young age is taught toalways obey police officers. If we do exactly what theyask then everything will be much easier but it is importantto know what the law does and does not requireof us. Cooperation is important but sometimes we dothings or say things that we don’t have to just becausethey tell us too. When police talk to teenagers theysometimes rely on the fear factor to get the informationthey need to get them in trouble or to get otherinformation that was not necessary for the person togive. For example when you are driving, if a policemanpulls you over you do not have to answer any questionsabout anything other than your name and youraddress. If the officer asks where you are going, whereyou were, or whom you were with you do not have toanswer him. Never talk back or touch a police officerand always keep both of your hands where he can seethem. If you don’t want to answer the question simplyask, “Am I free to go?” The officer may say somethinglike, “If you have nothing to hide then why won’t youanswer me.” You do not have to answer this questioneither. You have every right not to speak with the policeofficer. When an officer pulls you over and asks you toroll down your window you only have to roll it downenough to show him your license and registrationor proof of insurance. If a policeman asks permissionto search your car you can say no. If they didn’t needpermission they wouldn’t ask. If a police officer doessearch you then do not resist. A police officer maysearch your car without a warrant if he has a probablecause. Being stopped for a traffic violation should notautomatically give him the right to search your car. Ifthe officer searches you and you did not give him permissionsay, “I do not consent to this search” to protectyourself. If you feel like your rights are being abused,you can ask to officer to call his supervisor to the scene.If a police officer tells you to get out of the car lock thedoor behind you. Keeping your mouth shut is the bestthing you can do. Once an officer has given you a ticketor a warning it is a perfect time to ask “Am I free to go?”before more questions are asked.A police officer has every right to pat you downto check for weapons. If the officer feels what could bea weapon he can go in your pocket and take out whathe believes is a weapon. If he does not feel a weapon,he can not tell you to empty your pockets. If you areunder arrest he then has the right to search you. If apolice officer stops you on the sidewalk and asks tospeak with you, it is completely within your right to tellthe officer you do not want to speak with him. Againyou do not have to answer any questions about whatyou have been doing or whom you have been with.A question people always ask is; if a police officerknocks on my door do I have to answer? The answer isno you do not unless the officer has a warrant signedby a judge. You can tell the police officer that you havenothing to say to him. If he shows you a warrant makesure it is signed, and it has the correct address. Openingthe door even just a little can give them to okay to shovetheir way in. A policeman can enter your hour housewithout a warrant if there is an emergency situation, or ifthere is something in plain views that he can seize.It is extremely important for everybody to knowtheir right, especially children, teenagers, and youngadults so that they don’t get taken advantage of. Manyofficers can scare people in to getting information theywant but if you know your rights then you can avoidthese circumstances. It is extremely important to alwaysbe polite to police officers and never touch them becausethat will immediately get you in trouble no matterwhat your intensions are. Remember to always bepolite and respectful, but also make sure that your rightsare not being taken advantage of. Even though youhave the right not to answer questions it is important toremember who has the power in these situations. Thepolice do. Cooperating with the police man is your bestbet. If you cooperate the police man is much more likelyto let you off with a warning. Cooperation is very importantto police officers but if your rights are being violatedthen you should know.Tiger StadiumBy: Nathaniel WeissTiger Stadium sadly closed on the cold day ofSeptember 27, 1999 after 87 years of amazing memories.The Corner, as it was known to Tigers fans, has beenunder demolition since July 2008 and was finished onSeptember 22, 2009. Tiger Stadium will never be forgottenbecause of the great memories it has made over thelast 8 decades.In the year 1881on May 2 the Detroit Wolverinesplayed their first baseball game. At that time the Wolverineswere playing at the Recreation Park on Brandy St.and Willis Ave. The Detroit Wolverines franchise lasteduntil 1888 and was replaced by the Detroit Tigers in1895. New owner Arthur Van Der Beck built the team astadium in 1896 that was between Michigan and Trumbelland called it Bennett Park, named after their catcherCharlie Bennett. The team succeeded very well and in1901 the Tigers were admitted into the American Leagueand their ballpark expanded from 6,000 seats to 8,500.

Ten years later the ballparks capacity expanded to 18,000 seats with new expansions on the third base side and themain grandstand was extended 40 feet onto the field. The Detroit Tigers team and ballpark seemed to be thriving untilthe end of the 1911 season when the ballpark caught on fire destroying the entire ballpark. The ballpark was completelydestroyed because it was built out of nothing but wood and is the reason they built a new ballpark out of steeland concrete and named it Navin Field. The new ballpark sat 23,000 people and was the first field to have a hittersbackdrop in centerfield. The next year they added a second level of seats behind home plate and then another levelon top of that which was the press box. Many famous players played on this field like Ty Cobb who played outfield forthe Tigers from 1905-1926 was mostly know for his amazing batting ability, played in Navin Field. Harry Heilman alsoplayed with the tigers at Navin Field from 1914-1929, he was an infielder and an outfielder and his lifetime batting averageis an outstanding .342. Charlie Gehringer was the second baseman for the Tigers at Navin Field from 1924-1942and won the MVP award in 1937. Throughout the 1920’s season the Tigers were a mediocre team their best season wasin 1922 when they compiled 79 wins and 75 losses.In 1935 Navin Field was renamed Briggs Stadium after the new owner Walter O. Briggs. In 1936 there was someexpansion construction on the ballpark. They wanted to expand the pavilion in right field but couldn’t expand out becauseTrumbell Avenue was there so they just shortened the right field wall to 325 feet. That why later when they builtthe second deck in right field it hung over passed the wall. By 1937 Briggs could hold 36,000 people. During the 1930’sthe Tigers played amazing baseball. In 1934 they won the American League Championship but lost in the World Seriesto the St. Louis Cardinals. Then the next year they won the World Series against the Chicago Cubs.On June 15, 1948 Briggs Stadium hosted its first night game in which the Tigers beat the Philadelphia A’s. The40’s was another good era for the Tigers. They won the American League Championship again in 1940 and then theywon the World Series in 1945. The Tigers great success was due to players like Hank Greenberg, who played first baseand outfield for the club from 1930-1947 and who won his second MVP award in 1940. Hal Newhouser who pitchedfor the Tigers from 1939-1953 and is the only pitcher to win consecutive MVP awards winning in 1944 and 1945.In 1961 Briggs Stadium was renamed Tiger Stadium by the new owner John Fetzer. People were furious at Fetzerbecause he wanted to build a new all purpose stadium that would be used for other athletic events beside baseball.But he didn’t because it would anger the people. The Detroit Lions played there, boxing matches were held there, andother athletics took place there too. In 1977 however a fire destroyed the press boxes and the city of Detroit boughtthe Stadium to fix it up. The city replaced the green wooden seats with plastic blue and orange seats, new digitalscoreboard, new suites, and a new press box. Throughout the 1960’s the Tigers kept posting up winning seasons andin 1968 they won the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Some of the most famous players during the 60’swere Al Kaline, outfielder and an excellent hitter, Denny Mclain, a pitcher who was a big contribution to the 68’ WorldSeries. Mickey Lolich a pitcher who is considered to be the best left handed the Tigers ever had. Norm Cash a firstbaseman who won the batting title in 1961. Will Horton an outfielder and Bill Freehan a catcher both contributed tothe 1968 World Series win. During the seventies the Tigers won the 1972 American League East Championship butthen after that they remained in the lower ranks in the AL East the rest of the decade. Mark Fidrych a pitcher in the 70’swho won the Rookie of the Year award and got second place in the Cy Young award in 1972.In the 1980 Tiger Stadium did not change much, the Tiger played great baseball picking up there 4th World Serieswin in 1984 against the San Diego Padres. And won the AL East Championship in 1987. Alan Trammell was one ofthe players that contributed to the success of the Tigers World Series win in 1984 when he hit two homeruns in Game4 of the series. But unfortunately after the 1987 season the Tiger seemed to fall in the rankings.During the 1990’s the Tigers were one of the worst ranked teams in the American League. The team was not winningdue to a lack of pitching and hitting. To add on to the horribly season bad news came on September 27, 1999 TigerStadium closed at the end of the season. The last game was against the Kansas City Royals in which the Tigers won 8-2.After Tiger Stadium was closed as you all know Comerica Park became the new home of the Tigers in 2000.Even though Tiger Stadium is torn down the ballpark will never be forgotten because of the great memories.Staying at a September night game freezing your butt of hoping the Tigers would pull off a late inning win. WatchingAl Kaline warm up in right field, or seeing your first baseball game at Tiger Stadium. All of these memories will keepTiger Stadium alive and will be remembered forever.17

Fall PlayBy: Damiana SorrellEach year at Liggett we have a fall play that many of our students take part in, rather it’s actual acting, singing,or behind the scenes. This year the Players have chosen to do a play called Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig. It is a comedythat takes place in the year 1934 in Cleveland and an Italian opera singer (Tito Morelli played by Andrew Milenius)is trying to make it to perform Otello. Through a series of comical mishaps the General Manager of Tito ends up thinkingthat he has overdosed and died but he had just passed out. The assistant (Max played by Ian Fitzgerald) ends upsinging instead. All of this leads to more hilarious accidents that is bound to have our audience in tears.This play is a very hard piece to learn because it’s a comedy so its very fast pace and something or someoneis always moving. Doors to the set are always opening and closing at the same time so there is no stopping. But, thisis what the students who participate in the production wanted because they enjoy doing it. When choosing the playthey had a list that they went through and they came to a consensus, not so much a vote. It was very easily pickedbecause everyone wanted a fast pace comedy that kept everyone going. Other plays that they chose between wereMoon Over Buffalo, which had an equal amount of cast members as Lend Me A Tenor, (4 boys and 4 girls). Anotherchoice was Steel Magnolias, which was an all female production, having 6 girls as the main parts. Lend Me A Tenorstuck out to everybody and they’re really excited to do it and are already planning on taking it to state festival.Dr. Moss says that the production is moving along nicely and rehersal is going more than well. He is excited tohave people new to production. Andrew Milenius plays Tito Morelli, who is one of the main characters, and he is totallynew to production but is moving at a past just as fast as everyone else. This is a senior dominated show, but theydo have understudies that will switch in during the matinee, which will be Saturday night. The understudies are AlexHolmes, Suzie Steffani, and Genine Pulio. All three of these Sophomores will be playing leading roles during this certainshow and have been at practice everyday, and working just as hard as everyone else to get everything perfectedfor their show.The play is going to be debuted in November and is already exciting a lot of people around the school to gosee.Casino StrategybyKatie SheehySimply a machine, waking up at 3:00 to work, then a mountain bike, a teaching job at a high school, a secondteaching job as a middle school teacher, then a third teaching job as a college professor, ending his responsibilities at9:00, Mr. James Schmidt must be a machine. Some of you may have heard the hype about Mr. Schmidt’s alter ego asthe “card shark”, where does he find the time? After sitting down with him to find out the real story, I discovered that heonly works on clean strategy, and there is nothing sneaky about it. If anybody knows about casinos, it is Mr. Schmidt.To my surprise, Mr. Schmidt is actually well liked by the casinos! Not to be mistaken, Mr. Schmidt is a well liked guy,but who really likes a man who drops by several times a week, to out smart you out of large amounts of cash? Whiletalking one on one with the legend, I was able to get the inside information about the strategies, that Mr. Schmidt usesat all his casino conquests. The first tip I received was timing is everything! I was informed that it is not hard to figureout the work schedules of the hard working card dealers, so when that dealer is tired and on their last shift, it is time tostrike. The logic is there dealer is working an eight hour shift from 2:00 am to 10:00 pm they are most likely going to bedrowsy and more prone to making a mistake. The second tip I received was have a set amount when you walk in, anddo not dip into your wallet anymore! The biggest problem with gambling addicts is the lack of control. Mr. Schmidthas a tremendous amount of control in the casino. I was very surprised to find out that there is an option to get creditevery time you enter a casino. Due to this casino credit, Mr. Schmidt has the luxury of going on expensive trips andgetting awarded with expensive gifts all complementary of the casinos where he already is a winner. For example, Mr.Schmidt can fly down to Vegas for the weekend and have free meals and stay in a hotel, complementary of the credithe earns. Mr. Schmidt has figured out the casino system to its entirety, the casino is always paying him. Unfortunatelyyou have to be eighteen to enter casinos. The biggest lesson I learned from Mr. Schmidt, is that he is never gambling,he is just working through a fool proof system.

O P I N I O NIf Students Hiredby Jasmine PolicherlaWhat do you look for in a good teacher? Isit how they grade, how much homework they giveout, or is it just someone you can relate to? I decidedto ask the students and after taking a poll of fiftydifferent students from all four grades, this is theconclusion I came to. Based on the information I got,the three most common qualities in teachers thatstudents admired here at Liggett were teachers thatwere funny, relatable and covered all the materialwithout question. When I asked the students whothey thought were the funnier teachers the majorityof the students said Mr. Thompson, Mr. Dwaihy,and Mr. Mock. The common quality in all these fineeducators is that they can all make students laugh.They can make a student smile in class, whether it bePre-Calculus or even American Literature, and thatis definitely something that students would want ifthey got to have their own “ideal” teacher.Another thing that the majority of the students saidwas that they would like a teacher that they canrelate to. Students feel that teachers with this qualityare more approachable and will understand theirquestions better. Students tend to like teachers thatare relatable because not only are these types ofteachers aware of what is happening or what studentsmay be discussing, but they also understandwhere the students are coming from or what theymean. When I asked the students who they thoughtthe most relatable teachers are Liggett were theysaid Mr. Dwaihy, Mr. Mock, and Mr. Hellebuyck. Allthree of these gentlemen are relatable to studentsand not to mention they are superior educators.Finally the third most admired quality in a teacher thatthe students look for is the ability to cover the materialwell without question. This quality is probably one of themost important because most students don’t like to askquestions. So when teachers go through the material ina way where they leave no room for any questions, thennot only do the students not have to worry about the material,but both the students and the teachers don’t haveto waste their time explaining concepts over and overagain. The first time the educators teach it, would be theironly time. When I asked the students who they thoughtcovered material the best they said, Mr. Dwaihy, Mr. Hellebuyckand Mr. Beck.Whether it be making a student laugh or understandingwhere they are coming from, these three qualitiesare the ones that students here at Liggett find themost appealing for various reasons. What students lookfor in a teacher is someone with all these qualities andopens new ideas without making every single conceptseem difficult. They want a teacher that can teach theconcept given without tedious things like notes, projects,and essays. The students want a teacher that can makethem understand what they’re learning, open their mindsto new ideas and just make them laugh. These are the exactqualities that they would like to see in their very own“ideal” teacher.

Starbucks vs. Caribouby Tess BandosSchool PollsSome people have a distinct preference between Starbucksand Caribou Coffee. Their reasons usually varyfrom prices of each to their tastes. I went around theschool and asked people if they liked Starbucks or Cariboubetter. The majority of the people said that theypreferred Starbucks over Caribou and the most commondrink that people like is the Carmel Macchiato,from Starbucks, and Hot Chocolate, from Caribou.ResearchAfter the polls, I did some research on each of the businessesusing the companies’ web sites. I found out thatStarbucks started brewing their coffee in 1971, whereasCaribou started in 1992. Each of the companies usesquality beans. The beans from both of the companiesare grown in different parts of the world depending onthe taste they are going for. Starbucks’ and Caribou’sbeans generally come from three regions of the world;Asia, Africa, and the Latin America region. The companiesare continuously trying to make themselves asenvironmentally friendly as they can. Starbucks is recyclingand reusing many of its products. They have evenmade a green store with the help of the LEED greenbuilding program. When building this green store theyhave reused the floor of the previous establishment ontheir location instead of throwing it away, they haveused trees that already fell down due to natural causesfor the counters, and donated tables. They also allowyou to bring your own cup when purchasing coffee soyou can reduce paper usage and they knock ten centsoff of your drink. Caribou Coffee has made many attemptsto be environmentally friendly as well. They arepart of the Rainforest Alliance; this guarantees that theenvironment and any wildlife will be protected, workersget paid enough and have good working conditions,the worker and their family both have access to schools,medical care and clean drinking water, and that thecoffee is harvested responsibly. Caribou also recyclesmaterials like Starbucks does. For example both of theircoffee sleeves are made from recycled content. Theyboth also support various causes. Caribou supportsSusan G. Komen to fight against breast cancer, children’sliteracy, and the environment. Starbuck supports(PRODUCT) RED to fight against AIDS, youth education,and the environment as well.QuestionsAfter I did all of the research, I went to each of thestores and bought a small hot chocolate and a smallchai tea. After I ordered, I asked the employees four of thesame questions. At Starbucks and Caribou there were twovery friendly workers there. I asked them what was themost commonly ordered drink and they both said the CarmelMacchiato at Starbucks and the Obsidian blend coffeeat Caribou. Then I asked how many people came into thestore on an average day and they both said around 300. Iasked if there was a certain time of the year when they getthe most customers. At Starbucks I was told that on electionday if you voted then you got a free coffee, 5 times theusual amount of people came in that day. At Caribou theysaid Christmas. Unlike Starbucks, Caribou is open on Christmasday and they get twice the business that they wouldon a normal day. Then I closed with what they thought wasthe main difference between Starbucks and Caribou andStarbucks said that the investment of beans is what setsthem apart, Caribou talked about how they take pride andcare in their bean choice. Right after I purchased my drinks,the first difference I noticed was the price. Both of thedrinks were about ten cents cheaper at Starbucks; the hotchocolate $2.65 at Caribou and $2.54 at Starbucks, the chaitea was $3.18 at Caribou and $3.02 at Starbucks.Taste TestsThen I compared the tastes with the help of a Starbuckslover, a Caribou lover, and someone without a preference.I used the Starbucks hot chocolate, the Caribou hot chocolate,and some Swiss Miss hot chocolate powder I got fromKroger. I poured each of the drinks into three unmarkedcups and had the tasters taste them. The results were thesame for each drinker. They all agree that cup number 1(Starbucks) was “just okay” and “has no flavor.” Cup number2 (Caribou) was unanimously “richer, smoother, and creamier.”Cup number 3’s (Swiss Miss) ratings were surprisinglyhigher than the Starbuck’s and in 2 cases tied with Caribou’s.Everyone ranked the hot chocolate as Caribou, theSwiss Miss, then Starbucks. So in this case everyone said ifchoosing between Starbucks and Caribou they all wouldchoose to spend the extra 10 cents and go to Caribou.U.S. vs. Foreign Carsby Tripp DammanI am 17. Consequently, I have been driving for alittle over a year. My parents and brothers all drive Americanmanufactured cars such as the Chevy Suburban,Envoy Denali, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cadillac SRX, and aBuick. My parents have not always been this way, but dueto the depression and my dad’s business (which does alot of steel processing for American cars) they feel obligatedto go and purchase American cars to aid Americanautomotive manufacturers.

When I look at a car, I look at overall quality,speed, acceleration, and how long it will last me. This iscontrary to what most people look at when they buy acar. Most people look at how many miles per gallon itgets, and the capacity. But there is one thing that both,speedenthusiasts and the average family have in commonwhen searching for a new car. They want quality.Ever since I began to read, I’ve had an interestin cars. When I began to truly understand cars and howtheyworked,myinterestpeaked.I do notfocus allmy timeandenergyintolookingat thetop tenfastestcars, or the most expensive cars you can buy. I look atevery car, every single review, and every fact about eachcar anyone can imagine ranging from the Honda Civic tothe Bugatti Veyron. I find myself consumed in car magazinesand websites like Edmonds.com and Motor Trend;just researching new cars and the pro’s and con’s of eachis stimulating in itself. Therefore, my opinions are basedsolely on my conceptual knowledge of cars and nothingelse.In my own opinion, American cars can only competewith foreign cars in certain aspects. American cars haveaccomplished building the large SUV and the verypopular pick-up truck. These two cars are very populardue to the large amount of uses they have. Foreign carshave beaten American cars in ways most Americans finduseless. For example, foreign cars make up nearly all ofthe top 10 most expensive cars. They have taken over theentire top 10 fastest production cars list, and they havegrabbed the reigns of the “supercar” industry. Needlessto say foreign cars do have the best cars in the world.But why are foreign cars stomping out their Americancounterparts? This is because American built cars havenot always been great in quality and reliability. Do notget me wrong, there are a number of very strong Americancars that have sold millions based on their excellentreviews and their overall great quality. Although thedifference between the amounts of quality cars foreigncar companies produce compared to American car companiesis significantly different. For example, the HondaAccord and Honda Civic have been two of the top sellingcars in the United States for a number of years. They bothhave great reviews, and they are both foreign.When you think of a very popular American car,you may think of the Dodge Ram. If you know what this caris then you know there are millions upon millions drivingaround. I see two every single time I drive for more than 5minutes. You may think that this must be a nice and goodquality car if so many people to buy it, right? You would bewrong. The Dodge Ram has one of the worst suspensionsever put on a car in over 10 years. They testedthis car about a year ago on a machine thatpushes each wheel up simulating how manymiles the truck can take before the suspensionneeds to be replaced. They claim the cars suspensioncan only withstand 15 minutes, whichis roughly 15,000 miles. Most cars can withstandanywhere from 70,000-80,000 miles. That is a55,000 mile difference. You may ask yourselfwhy people still buy this car. The truth is thesales of this car have significantly dropped.You might say that’s because all car sales havedropped. I disagree. Decreasing sales of theDodge Ram can be attributed to the poor qualityof its suspension.Another problem I have actually experienced withAmerican cars is the lack of quality on the interior. Take my2009 Chevy Suburban for instance. All four door locks haveat one point broken. Either they do not lock, or they do notunlock. In my dad’s 2008 GMC Envoy Denali, the tire pressuremonitors have broken several times and he has hadproblems with the traction as well as the stability control(on more than one occasion). When you spend a largeamount of money for a car, you expect every thing aboutthat car to work correctly. The door locks broke less than ayear after buying the car. I believe this is the kind of thingthat is forcing these American automotive companies intoeven further debt. To create more income, you need a qualityproduct; something that people are dying to buy. Whencars have these simple problems, people lose interest.People trust their cars, the average American drives 12,000miles per year. If you take the example I used earlier, youwould get a little over a year out of that car. Nobody wantsto have to spend another $4,000 dollars after you buy a$24,000 automobile to get an entirely new suspension.When you look around at the cars your friendsand friends’ parents are driving, you may notice that a lotof them drive foreign cars. These may include Mercedes,Maserati, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Honda, BMW, Toyota,Acura, Lexus, Volvo, Jaguar, and Mitsubishi. They may drivethese cars because they have driven them all their life.When someone buys a car, and they love it, why not buyanother? That’s exactly what some people do. They buy aMercedes, and continuously purchase a new Mercedes.

every 2-3 years. People do this because they believe intheir car manufacturers. People want consistency in theirautomobile manufacturers. For example, my mom usedto drive a Volvo XC90 (and she liked it). It was quiet, nice,fast, and very well constructed. We took it to the dealer 3times in three years for a regular service checkup; the carheld relatively low maintenance.There are also a large amount of people who love Americancars; they have driven American cars all their life.However, American cars have superseded features thatleave virtually no impact on foreign car companies.For American car companies to get back on theirfeet and rise up from the huge economic decline, theyare going to need to give their cars a new life. The firstcompany to do this was Ford. Ford has taken all their carsand made every single model from the Ford Fusion tothe Ford F-150 better. GM and the other major car companieshave been slowly doing what they can to followsuit. Ford now has the most potential out of any other carcompany within the U.S. The only way this will change isfor the other companies to create products people wantto buy. The entire point of this article was to explain thebad reputation American cars have had, and how Ihave myself witnessed the poor quality. If only AmericanCar companies could restart, rebuild and restoretheir automobiles to higher quality then they may beable to earn their place in the automotive network.Good things for American automobile manufacturersmean good things for the city of Detroit. I mean afterall, this is the Motor City.Capital Punishmentby Jacob OsbornThe amount of death row exonerates by stateis astonishing. Since 1973, there has been 138 peoplein 26 states released from death row with evidence oftheir innocence. This is an alarming figure. If in fact thesenumbers are true, than there is a good chance that manymore innocent people are currently stranded on deathrow. With advanced forensic technology, can we reallyafford to maintain this current gauge?After 1973, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, and Floridaall have more than 10 people exonerated from statepenitentiaries. However, in 2004, a man named CameronWillingham was not among these numbers. The case ofMr. Willingham has been in the news recently. He wasconvicted of murdering his three children by arson in a1991 house fire. He was then executed in 2004. A newreport from a national arson expert, prepared for theTexas Forensic Science Commission, has concluded thatthe original investigation of Willingham’s case was seri-ously flawed and could not support a finding of arson.Unfortunately, defense attorneys generally move onafter the accused is dead, and courts never entertainclaims of innocence after the defendant has beenkilled; they move on to more cases.People believe that courts are to blame. Theyattribute false testimony and biased jurors to poorjudicial rigidity. One Oklahoma resident said thatcourts were “a promise of justice on an un-weightedscale.” Although courts in Oklahoma (Texas, Illinois,and Florida) do have the aforementioned problems,they do yield to claims of innocence after the accusedis sentenced. The fault is not made clear between thecourts and investigative officials. The only thing that’sclear is that innocents are dying as a result. Needlessto say something must be done.In my opinion, capital punishment is irresponsible.The fault lies not only within the state courts but lieswithin the hands of those carrying out the investigations(i.e. forensic commissions). If in fact these thingsceased to exist than I am certain the amount of innocentson death row would decrease rapidly. That is notto say that there will be flawless investigations timeand time again.However, why institute capital punishment in thefirst place? It marks irresponsibility in our nation’shistory. We assume that “equality” brings equal punishmentto such exact extents that we find ourselvesback in the realms of Hammurabi’s Code. The truthis, capital punishment does not bring back one life.So what am I proposing? Am I suggesting that weharbor all these dangerous criminals at the taxpayer’sexpense? Well, yes. I would pay to keep these men offthe streets and I would never look to escape spendingmoney at the expense of another’s life. Regardless ofcost, prison is no cakewalk. Rotting in a prison cell is ahell of a lot worse than getting put down by “the manin the black hood.”In conclusion, our nation must strive to brushaway from their ideas about capital punishment.Most people you meet now ask “why should we haveto pay money for the crimes they have committed?”Current beliefs about capital pun(if you’ve gotten thisfar, you’ve exceeded espectations)ishment are (for themost part) faltered towards the general populationand prison inmates. Low court rigidity and poor investigationslead to many falsely accused persons. If oneis to instate capital punishment, these things must bereformed. Perhaps those in Congress (after this wholeeconomic crisis thing has been figured out) could providethe public with prison policy reform. Maybe thenwe could allow our prison system to work the way itwas meant to.

Horoscopesby Federica JonasAries: You will find yourself losing everything. Thismay or may not include earrings, your backpack, thelast piece of gum, and pants.Taurus: You’re in the month of Sarah Holloway, so ifyou’re a tennis player, try not to break your ankle.Gemini: Your parents ‘forgot’ to mention that youhave a twin sister named Ethel who lives with youraunt and uncle in Tennessee. This month, while on atrip down to visit the old coots, you’ll get to meet herand her 23 pet opossum.Cancer: Hmm… this is ironic, you’re the crab yetyou’re deathly allergic to them. So, you might wantto relinquish that 12th crabcake and head over to theER.Leo: This month is not a zoo going month for you,lions are fiercely attracted to you. But not in a ‘oh let’sbe friends’ kind of way but in an ‘I’m a wild animal andyou look like easy prey and the zoo food sucks’ kindof way.Virgo: Happy birthday! It’s your birthday month andyou get the best present of all: school. Enjoy that essayand those conjugations.Libra: Lucky you, you’re going to be on a boat! Toobad you didn’t see that rogue iceberg…Scorpio: You’re having a good month! Sucks thatall your friends are going to be ‘out of town’ for themonth. Or year.Sagittarius: Don’t text and drive, the stars tell methat a squirrel will make its way into your car andyou’re going to need every ounce of concentration toget him out before he chews up your seats and givesyou rabies.Capricorn: It’s time for a change in your life. Perhapslearning how to square dance will put some spiceinto your life.Aquarius: Your i-pod will fall into the sink whilebrushing your teeth, but it serves you right for tryingto be cool and listening to your i-pod while dealingwith water.Pisces: Ducks are not your friends. I know it’s fun to throwthings at them, but seriously, don’t. they’ve been plottingyour demise and will execute their plan if provoked.Long Live Roe(Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life)BySarah HollowayIt is one of the most heated topics facing theSupreme Court to date. From the early 1900’s until the1960’s, law prohibited this procedure. In 1973, Roe vs.Wade, written by US Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackman,gave women the right to make decisions abouttheir bodies. Before that time, about 260 recordeddeaths occurred in the United States because the procedurewas not yet legal. Approximately 1.2 million ofthese now-legal procedures are performed each year.The procedure that has everyone “buzzing” is abortion.Abortion can be defined as pregnancy termination,an accident, as in a miscarriage, or by choice. In1973, when the landmark Roe vs. Wade Supreme Courtcase was decided, which made abortions legal, hundredsof federal as well as state laws had been proposed orpassed. Abortion has become one of the most visibly andlegally active areas in the field of medicine. Some controversiesthat address these laws are the issue of parentalnotification, the progression of the pregnancy and atwhat point termination is considered to be taking a life,the mandatory waiting period before an abortion canoccur, the regulations applied to abortion providers, thepublic fund use for abortions and the different rules andcases involving sexual assault and rape. Although theethics of abortion is a widely debated topic, I believe thata woman’s right to choose is part of her own personalfreedom. The ruling of “Roe vs. Wade” should be upheld.Some people do not agree with the ruling of “Roevs. Wade.” These people are often called anti-abortionistsor “pro-lifers,” believing that, immediately upon conception,a new life is beginning. Their main argument is thatno matter when it occurs, abortion is killing a human lifebefore it has a voice and the “pro-lifers” believe that noone has the right to take the life of another. Jane Roe,the woman behind the “Roe vs. Wade” case, has comeout against abortion, blaming herself for thousands ofdeaths following the landmark decision in her own case.She speaks now about the guilt faced by her as well asother mothers who made the decision to have an abor

tion. In addition to the guilt that mothers face overabortions, fathers face similar guilt. Many times thefather does not support the abortion, but since itis the woman’s choice, he has no say. The abovementionedarguments are strong in the anti-abortionmovement.I believe inpro-choice,meaningthat it is everyindividualwoman’sright tochoose andcontrol herown body.Allowingthe governmenttomake decisions about a woman’s right to an abortionopens the door to further governmental controls. Bygiving the government the right to control a woman’sbody, society opens the door to taking away personalfreedoms, guaranteed by our Constitution. Whoknows what other controls the government maylegislate in the future? Could it force sterilization,mandatory motherhood or even other birth controlmethods such as the pill?Just becauseabortionsaremade illegaldoesn’tmean thatthey willcease toexist; itjust meansthat theywill haveto be doneillegally. Ifthis happens, back-alley abortions would increase,severely endangering the lives of women. When thishappens, sometimes not just one life is taken, buttwo. If we criminalize abortion, many women willsimply look for other ways to get rid of the children,at the risk of endangering themselves. A brief mistakecan take away a woman’s childhood and trapher for life. Pressure to have sex at an early age cancreate mistakes, mistakes that have life-long punishment.These mistakes can shatter the life dreams of ayoung individual. When these mistakes happen, thewoman’s right to terminate that pregnancy should beavailable as a choice.Abortion is one of the most debated topics inour government today. Pro-life advocates cite the moralwrongdoings of abortion, taking a viable life and the emotionaltraumas that accompany an abortion. Pro-choiceadvocates,on theother hand,strongly believethat itis a woman’sright to havecontrol overher ownbody andthat governmentshouldhave no say.I believe inpro-choice,in givingwomen everywhere the right to make choices when itcomes to their personal body.

To Pants or not toPants?by Federica JonasI I am being forced to buy pants. Before this schoolyear started, I had worn pants approximately three timesto school, and now, I have been coerced into wearingthem at least once a week. Why must I wear pants? Andmore importantly, who is forcing me to wear them? Well,in reality I don’t HAVE to wear pants. But really, how manydresses and different skirt and shirt combinations canI wear before the cold winter air finallypenetrates my will? Not very many. Afew weekends ago, I did the thing I saidI would never, ever do: buy pants thatare in dress code. I now own two pairs ofpants, corduroys to be exact. And I despisethem. I am not proud for having renegedon my sophomore proclamation to neverwear pants as long as I studied at Liggett.You may be wondering why I would eversay such a thing, and the answer is quitesimple: pants do not meet my standardsto battle the Nordic hell that falls overMichigan October through May. They haveseams and a zipper, which let the cold inand make life oh so uncomfortable fora tropical person such as myself. WhereI come from, not even our industrialfreezers reach the temperatures that arereached here. Last year, my leggings andyoga pants kept me from becoming just another iciclethat hung from the eaves of Liggett. This year, they haveno such opportunity. They are destined to live out theirlives only on the weekends and under my field hockeyskirt after school. This is unfair. Leggings haven’t doneanything to anyone; they are simply an essential part ofthe average foreigner’s winter wardrobe. They keep thefreakish winds at bay and make me a feel warmer thanany sort of pant ever would.I do understand where the administration iscoming from. They are trying to keep us looking snazzyand nice and apparently leggings do not fit the criteriabecause they are ‘body hugging’ and ‘tight’. They showoff women’s bodies and are much too revealing. In a way,aren’t pants the exact same thing, just made of differentmaterial and with rivets and ‘patch pockets’? I believethey are. Do people think that just because they’re pantsthey’re not form-fitting? They are. Pants show off the humanfigure as much as any garment, leggings and yogapants included. So to those of you who do not understandmy dislike of pants know that it is not so much adislike, but it is a sign of the misery to come. The greatsnows shall come down from Canada or the North Poleor wherever it is they come from, and they will turn meinto a hollow shell of my former self. Okay, not really, butthey will make me cranky because of random gusts ofwind that will wind their way into the nooks and cranniesof my pants. I shall have to forge on without my leggings,my ‘security blanket’ if you will. I must learn to finally becomeAmerican and leave behind the leggings and customsof the old country in favor of the new customs andpants of the United States. In a way, by wearing pants, itis as though I have given up my foreign background andhave become an American. But the only things that keepme from becoming a legitimate American now are thosepesky immigration laws, but those arequite another story. However, you shouldall know this: I shall not try to be sneakyand fool the powers that be into thinkingthat my leggings are tights without feet orsomething equally ridiculous. I shall wearmy pants with dignity, I shall shake off theice that will inevitably form around mynostrils and eyes, and I shall sit close to theradiators that are probably highly unstablein a vain effort to warm up. But if one dayI do not show up to class, know that it isbecause the frigid Arctic winds have finallygotten to me and that I have turned intoan ice statue and am being shipped downto the tropical places to be defrosted. Eitherthat or I caught the Swine Flu or someother weird disease that is constantlysending the United States into pandemonium,mass hysteria, and chaos.BOTTOM LINE: In the end, pants, leggings, Hardtails, yogapants, they’re all the same. They’re cozy and warm andthey are ALL body hugging. If you don’t want us to bewearing clothes that show our shapes, then buy everyonea potato sack and call it a day.25

Where are they now?by Tess BandosUniversity Liggett School was founded in 1878 bythe Liggett family. At the time it was a small independentschool for only girls, where they would learn how to behaveproperly and preparing them for college. The schoolwas named first as The Detroit Home and Day School. Theschool then moved from a small modest building to itsown three story building in 1883 due to lack of space inthe old building. In 1899 the school was renamed as theDetroit University School by Charles Bliss and Henry GraySherrard. They both wanted to break away from the publicschools and help with the correct upbringing of youngmen, so in this new school they now allowed boys to joinin 1901. In 1916 a fire destroyed the school, so it was againmoved to Parkview Drive in Grosse Pointe. Then with thehelp of Henry and Edsel Ford, two of the very successfulalumni from the school, the school was moved again toCook Road in 1915 still named as the Detroit UniversitySchool and joins together with Country Day School in 1941under the Grosse Pointe Country Day School charter andchange the name to the Grosse Pointe University Schoolin 1954. The in 1968 the Liggett School, a different privateschool at the time, and Grosse Pointe University Schoolmerged together under the name of University LiggettSchool. Since then, ULS has seen some very successfulstudents over the years who have led interesting lives.cast of the NBC hit, SaturdayNight Live, which she wonan Emmy Award for. Shealso got a star on the Hollywoodwalk of fame and wasinducted into the MichiganWomen’s Hall of Fame.When: graduated fromULS in 1964 and her actingcareer was from the 1970’sto her death in 1989 fromovarian cancer.Who: Aaron KricksteinWhat: A ULS alumni, who is now 40 years old, that wasa world class tennis player, while he was attending ULS,at the age of 16. He was the youngest player ever to winan ATP singles title in 1983. He has also won the AmericanNational under 16 championships in 1982. When hewas still only 16, he was the US National Junior TennisAssociation Champion, Clay Champion, and USTA NationalChampion in 1983.When: attendedULS in the early1980sWho: Gilda RadnerWhat: A comedian andan actress. After graduatingULS in 1964, shewent to study at theUniversity of Michigan,she first started actingby becoming a weathergirl for her collegeradio station WCBN,when she droppedout she then startedperforming when shestarred in a productionof Godspell. After that,her career took off. Shewas part of the original

Solar Power!By Jasmine PolicherlaEverywhere you look nowadays, you can seealmost everybody and every institutiontrying to do something to helpthe environment. Whether it is Starbucksrecycling some of their papercups or people buying hybrid cars,the people are aware that helpingthe environment is something weall have to do together. The easiestand perhaps most convenient waythat people don’t seem to be usingas often is an alternative, source ofenergy, solar energy. Solar energyis a renewable source that doesn’tcost anything to use and can saveso much power. Recently, therehave been new ways to incorporatesolar energy into our everyday livessuch as, solar cells or solar poweredheating systems. Not only do theyreduce how much energy we consume but greatly diminishthe amount of greenhouse gases emitted today.Solar cells are one way people can utilize theenergy from the sun. Solar cells are small groups ofcells grouped together to form a panel that can providepower to most electrical equipment. They can powereveryday things like microwaves, blenders, toastersand even a computer. How the solar cells work is thatthe cells must be set in a certain direction and angle tomaximize the amount of sunlight you get to them eachday. Solar cells usually cost between four dollars to sixdollars per watt of the power output. What most peoplebelieve is that the cost of solar cells is too high but that’sbecause they don’t take into consideration about howmuch money they save on their electricity and utilitybills when they use solar energy instead. The amountof money people save in bills outweighs the amount ofmoney it costs to buy and install solar cells. Solar cellscan usually be either bought online or you can findthem locally at Geocycle in Detroit, Michigan.Solar powered heating systems are just anotherway you can utilize solar energy. Solar powered heatingsystems are self explanatory in the sense that they canheat water for a home using mostly solar power. Howthey work is that they harvest energy from the sunand even though they can only be active during daylighthours, they can provide hot water even on cloudydays. An active solar heating system is one where aphotovoltaic pump is used to drive water throughthe heat collecting panels. The panels collect the heatfrom the sun and harvest it in the storage tank whereall the water is kept tokeep it warm. The pumpthen circulates thecolder water in the tankto the top where it ismost likely to be warmer.The benefits of this environmentallyfriendly applianceis that not onlywill it reduce the amountof greenhouse gasesaffecting the earth todaybut it will also benefityou in the fact that itwill greatly decrease theamount of money youspend on your heatingbill.Everyone everywhereis trying to do their part in helping the environment.And utilizing solar energy is just one of the waysto both help the earth and save your own money.Instead of emitting greenhouse gases, harvest thesun’s energy whether it is through solar cells that canpower the majority of your own appliances or a solarpowered heating system that can provide hot waterfor your home. Both of these are efficient and cleanways to make the most of the free energy not enoughpeople take advantage of today.I often like to draw thesun with lunar spectaclesbecause it must beblinding to him to haveto live with himself.- Jake Osborn27

ACT or SAT?That is the QuestionBy: Sarah HollowayThe ACT and SAT are standardized tests forhigh school achievement and college admissions inthe United States. The ACT was first administeredin 1959 as a competitor to the SAT. It consists offour sections, English, math, reading and scienceand, in 2005, an optional writing test was added.The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a multiplechoice exam, consisting of math and other verbalsections. It was invented in 1926 by Carl Brigham,and administered experimentallyto high school studentsuntil 1934 when it was usedby Harvard University as ameans of selecting studentsfor scholarship. FollowingWorld War II, the SAT expanded,becoming part of theadmissions process at universitiesthroughout the country.Despite criticisms that it wasbiased against women, studentsof color, and studentsfrom low-income backgrounds,the SAT continuedto thrive in the twenty-firstcentury and was administeredto more than two million studentseach year. The testingcompanies claim that both the ACT and SAT candetermine whether or not a person is ready for college.Controversy exists over the use of both testsand what weight they should carry in determiningcollege admissions for high school students.Advocates for using the ACT and/or SATtests to determine college admissions say thatthese tests are tools for leveling the playing fieldbetween the many high schools. Different schoolsgrade differently. An “A” in the wealthy part oftown may not be the same “A” in a poorer schooldistrict. Standardized tests are a way to comparestudents across different school districts and states.The test could give colleges an indication of howstudents might perform in classrooms at the collegelevel. Peter Rothstein, a senior at West BloomfieldHigh School, concurs with the above statement. Hesays, that “although standardized test are a pain to takeand study for, they are important because they helpcolleges equalize the level of high schools. I think theyare fairly weighted in the college admissions process.”Mr. Alpert also thinks that standardized tests are importantequalizers for college admissions. “We use themas one data point of an applicant’s file, they are oneobjective measure, that’s why we need them.“ MichaelLeahy said, “Although the SAT is flawed in that it testspeople on the ability to take test, it is necessary in judgingthe progress made by each student throughout highschool. GPA cannot solely be used to judge this progressbecause there is a disparity in the grading betweenschools. It’s another thing that collegeshave to do to judge the studentsperformances. Either come up with abetter system or stop complaining.”Some people are against using theACT and/or SAT to determine collegeadmissions. They believe thatthe SAT scores are a useful way tocompare apples to apples, the differentschool systems, but the problemlies in the fact that our national educationsystem is anything but standardized.Even though the Supreme Courtdeclared the idea “separate but equal,”unconstitutional, we certainly have asegregated education system in whichthe poor and the rich do not enjoythe same educational opportunities.Wake Forest, Smith, Bowdoin, andConnecticut are all colleges, alongwith hundreds of others that have made the decisionto allow applicants to not submit ACT or SAT scores.So my question is if these colleges have found a wayto compare apples to apples, without the use of a standardizedtest, why should this method not be shared orfurther evaluated. If more of the colleges followed inthis direction, maybe students in the poorer schools andcommunities, who wouldn’t otherwise have the chancebut were determined students, could also receive acceptanceto the top, competitive colleges. Ben Gellmanstated, “I think the ACT/SAT are outdated methods forevaluating a person's intellectual merit or their potentialas college students. These tests have become so competitivethat students hire tutors and buy thick booksjust to land that 800 or that 36. I'd like to think there's

more to a college applicant than the bubbles they fillin (and the money they spend to fill them in right).”Kinaya Smith said, “The SAT is a sh***y test. It's atest that evaluates you on how well you take tests. Ithink it is a very stupid for colleges to base your entryon how well you take a test. A person could easilyscore low on the SAT, though they have the highestgrade point average in the class; based off of the SATscored that kid submits, how the hell would that collegebe able to tell. Colleges should solely base the acceptanceof a student into the college on their grades,academic excellence, and participation in activities;not on if you can take a test.”Even though standardized tests are not goingaway, some colleges have made their admissionsprocess test-optional, giving more talented students,in the poorer school districts, greater hope that theirapplication will be given a fair shake. The tests are animperfect measure of aptitude of intelligence, thoughuseful in comparing apples to apples. Standardizedtesting, may give some limited and imperfect informationabout how students will perform in the collegeclassrooms. On the other hand, I would argue that weneed more tools, not fewer, as we try to decipher themystery of talent and potential. Especially since a person’shistory, is a reliable foresight to ones future.(I guess Garrett Redding couldn’t make up his mind,these are his two views. “I think the SAT is a wonderfultest. It shows colleges your test taking abilities andas long as you study hard you’ll do well. Even if youcompletely bomb it, you can always retake in hopesto improve your score. Even if you still don’t do thatwell, hopefully the college you applied to will take alook at your high school transcripts & participation inextracurricular activities.” Take two, after he took thetest he said, “I hate the SAT because it is very stupid. Ithink colleges should strictly look at high school transcripts.Many people suffer from a very serious diseasecalled post-test anxiety disease. Many teenagers havealready been diagnosed, but I think it’s time we try tocure this disease & get rid of the SAT!”)Immigration NationFederica JonasThe United States is one of the countrieswith the highest influx of immigrants. Why? Whatmakes the United States so appealing to peoplethat they would risk life and limb to get here? Itis said that the United States is the land of opportunity,but how much opportunity is there really?For illegal immigrants, the answer is none. Theycome here thinking that all their problems willbe solved, but they find that everything is muchmore difficult than they imagined. The jobs thatthey keep are often low paying, hard and thehouses where they live are run down and hazardous.The sad reality is that the United Statesdepends on these illegal immigrants to keep theeconomy going. In the current crisis, it is verydifficult to make a profit when dealing with healthcare, bonuses, overtime, minimum wage, and allother stresses that come with running a business.It is much easier to hire an illegal immigrant whois desperate for a job at under minimum wagewithout health care benefits than to hire a regularworker at or above minimum wage plus all of thetrimmings that workers require. The work is hardand requires long hours and sometimes mightinclude mistreatment but they have no way ofgoing to the authorities or putting in a complaintto anyone because if they police realizes that theyare illegal, they will be deported immediately.So what is the solution to this problem? Thereisn’t one solution that would work for everyoneand everything. The government cannot simplydeclare the borders open because then the influxof immigrants would be far too great for thegovernment to handle and the infrastructure ofthe INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service)would completely collapse. But they also cannotcompletely close off the borders or internationalrelations between the United States and virtuallyevery country that they are not fighting withwould suffer. There is no immediate solution thatwould solve every aspect of this multi-faceted is-...continued on page 4329

T H ED A T I N G G A M Eby David McIntyreEvery year people find love at the University Liggett School. The ULS Dating Game has innovated a way toredefine the dating world within the walls of Liggett. The Dating Game allows many single men and single women tomeet, flirt, and fall in love. We are determined to prove that there is such a thing as true love and you can be in a lastingrelationship. The Dating Game finds people who are serious about finding love and gives them control of discoveringthat special someone. No matter what you are interested in, we will find you the person you are most compatiblewith. Our in depth questionnaire unravels your heart’s true meaning of love and we will match you with your Liggettsoul mate.Male Match: Dan ZukasFemale Match: Nikki Homfield1. What is your sign? Do you care?Yes?2. Would you be offended if someone touched your ear?No.3. Does a platypus freak you out?Yes.4. Are you morally or biologically opposed to datingsomebody at Liggett?Depends on their sign.5. Do you dream about submarines?Yellow.6. How do you tackle someone?At the waist.7. When serving in ping pong, do you throw or bounce?Who bounces?8. Favorite Mexican food?Cheesy gordita crunch.9. Dane Cook:Funny and stupid.10. Would you date somebody without a license?Over 4’10”?11. Would you wear pink and green on a first date?Of course.12. How would you break up with somebody?Like Joseph Shannon.1. What is your sign? Do you care?I prefer Ped-X-ing..2. Would you be offended if someone touched your ear?I like corn.3. Does a platypus freak you out?Why would it?4. Are you morally or biologically opposed to dating somebodyat Liggett?No.5. Do you dream about submarines?Only Joey Shannon.6. How do you tackle someone?At the waist.7. When serving in ping pong, do you throw or bounce?Throw8. Favorite Mexican food?Nunan burrito.9. Dane Cook:Hi…larious.10. Would you date somebody without a license?No, because they’re im-a-toor.11. Would you wear pink and green on a first date?Maybe a lil bit.12. How would you break up with somebody?I leave them a note taped to a number that gives them thenumber to the rejection hotline, then I give them 12 deadroses, then Facebook message them and say later skater.

Male Match: Spencer Klene1. What is your sign? Do you care?Aquarius, no.2. Would you be offended if someone touched yourear?Depends on who it is and what they touch itwith.3. Does a platypus freak you out?No, and they’re endangered.4. Are you morally or biologically opposed to datingsomebody at Liggett?Yes, they are crazy… and especially not mysister.5. Do you dream about submarines?Nope.6. How do you tackle someone?At the waist.7. When serving in ping pong, do you throw or bounce?Throw8. Favorite Mexican food?Chicken Quesadilla9. Dane Cook:Funny and stupid!10. Would you date somebody without a license?Yes, without a license would be preferable.11. Would you wear pink and green on a first date?And all the dates after…Female Match: Liz Smith1. What is your sign? Do you care?Aquarius…yeah.2. Would you be offended if someone touched your ear?Yes.3. Does a platypus freak you out?They are venomous, so maybe?4. Are you morally or biologically opposed to dating somebodyat Liggett?Yes.5. Do you dream about submarines?Not usually.6. How do you tackle someone?At the waist.7.When serving in ping pong, do you throw or bounce?Bounce.8. Favorite Mexican food?Any.9. Dane Cook:Funny.10. Would you date somebody without a license?No.11. Would you wear pink and green on a first date?Never.12. How would you break up with somebody?In person.12. How would you break up with somebody?In person, but sometimes they just won’t goaway.31

Male Match: Mac Decker1. What is your sign? Do you care?Absolutely…not.2. Would you be offended if someone touched your ear?Happens all the time.3. Does a platypus freak you out?Yes.4. Are you morally or biologically opposed to datingsomebody at Liggett?Both.5. Do you dream about submarines?I do enjoy subway.6. How do you tackle someone?At the waist.7. When serving in ping pong, do you throw or bounce?Into what?8. Favorite Mexican food?Quesadilla.9. Dane Cook:Funny.10. Would you date somebody without a license?If she was eligible for one.11. Would you wear pink and green on a first date?Yes, and the second, third, and fourth.12. How would you break up with somebody?Rap song.Female Match: Camille Langston1. What is your sign? Do you care?Libra, sort of.2. Would you be offended if someone touched yourear?No.3. Does a platypus freak you out?Not too much.4. Are you morally or biologically opposed to datingsomebody at Liggett?No, but everybody has known each other toolong…5. Do you dream about submarines?Nope. I’ve had dreams about boats and otherwater devices.6. How do you tackle someone?At the waist.7. When serving in ping pong, do you throw or bounce?Throw fo show.8. Favorite Mexican food?Taco Bell will suffice.9. Dane Cook:Stupid funny.10. Would you date somebody without a license?It depends on how old they are.11. Would you wear pink and green on a first date?NO.12. How would you break up with somebody?In person, any other way is for punks.Overall the Dating Game was a huge success. All three of these matches have great potential for havinga lasting relationship. Dan believes that Nikki’s demeanor resembles her Gelato (which is about the highestcompliment you can get from Dan) and Nikki is more then satisfied with Dan’s hairy legs. They both believethat this relationship has a shot at going all the way. Mac and Camille make an interesting match, that’s for sure.Mac admits he’s a bit scared of her at the moment, but we’re confident he’ll lose that fear after a first their firstdate, which Mac hints could be ice fishing. Spencer and Liz was an obvious match for us. Although Liz is reluctantto pursue at the moment, she “has a boyfriend”, we strongly believe that this match has the most potential.We are thoroughly satisfied with the temperament of these matches. We will continue to provide the studentbody with Liggett love in our next edition.

A R T SSure everyone appreciates an excellent photograph,incredible drawing, or incomparable photograph, butwhat about the urban art form that’s only recognitioncomes in the form of a complaint? Graffiti, a commonsight in many urban areas, is often criticized andthought of as an awful blemish on the foundation of oursociety.Howeverafterundertakingapersonalprojectofcreatingmy ownwork ofgraffiti,I nowposses arespectfor thesesecretiveartiststhan Ipreviously did. These artists design some of the mostcreative and eye-catching works of art one may see ina life time. Although seen as vandalism by most, theunique places these artists create their works of artmake what they do even more astonishing. Think aboutit, painters, for example, take long periods of time tocomplete a piece that they perfect by changing tinyaspects of it time and time again, more often than notFocus on: Graffitiby Carrie Chouinardby Mariah Pasalaquain a comfortable studio with top notch supplies. Graffitiartists have a true talent for designs in less than perfectconditions, commonly creating in a single night, on astructure such as a brick wall or bridge. And althoughtheses designs are unorthodox and posses a kind of norules, outside the lines kind of technique, the artists donot spendweekson endperfectingeachtiny line,they crankout theseurban masterpiecesin a fewsimple motionswitha can ofspray paint.In myexperienceof trying tocreate myown “graffiti”, to make it look somewhat worthy of beingcompared to what these true artists can do took memuch practice and countless do-overs. Next time yousee a work of true artistic genius on the side of a buildingand take it for granted, try it yourself and you’ll seewhat I mean!Graffiti amazes me. It’s that hidden art form that can sometimes be found on the side of box cars, expressway overpassesand abandoned buildings. When I spot well done graffiti, I feel as if I have been privileged to see into the soulof the artist. It is a form of expressive art that calls it’s viewers to look for the deeper meaning. Although graffiti has anegative connotation and is often associated with urban gangs, many artists are breaking new grounds with the artform.Graffiti is done on both public and private property. There are different forms of graffiti such as pictures, words, or anydecorations inscribed on a surface usually outside walls. We have all seen graffiti on the side of buildings, the side oftrains, under bridges, in public bathrooms, and many other places. It looks like the finished work required a lot of skilland time. Stepping out of my artistic comfort zone, I gave some graffiti work a try. It was much harder than it looked.In an attempt to polish my new skill, I researched the steps to take in graffiti work. Here are the steps I took:

Step one: Research and make known the different stylesof graffiti. A few styles include:- Tag style: the most basic and quickest form ofgraffiti writing. It is usually an illustration of the artistsname and is used as a way to achieve acknowledgmentby being seen in a lot of places and as a signature.- Throw up: another quick method of graffiti writing.It isdone bymakinga layerof paintin onecolor anda quickoutline ofthe lettersin another.-Blockbuster:evenlyspacedand easyto read.Essentially,block letters. This style is often done on large areas suchas whole train cars.- Wild style: This style is not easy to do. The lettersare very blended and highly decorated. This type of writingcan also be very difficult to decipher.There are more styles of graffiti, but these are the mostcommon. Also, as you learn how to do graffiti you canprogressively develop your own style.of graffiti, choose one you want to use. It’s helpful if youprint out an example of the style you like as a reference.Step three: Choose a word you would like to write ingraffiti. I think starting with your name is the best way togo. It will be the easiest because you’re so used to seeingand writing your own name. When you write yourname, it’s best you do it in pencil.Step four:Outline yourword youhave written,mimickingthe style youselected asbest as youcan.Step five:After youhave finishedoutliningyour word,and are satisfiedwith theway it looks,you can erasethe letter inside what you outlined and then start addingany details you desire.Step six: Go over your outlined letters with a dark pen ormarker so the letters stand out and add dimension. Thisreally draws attention to your graffiti.Step seven: Finally, you get to add color to your graffitihowever you want and really make it fun to look at. Becreative and make it interesting.Step two: After you’ve checked out all the different stylesMs. Katanick Questionnaireby Hannah Baird1.) What is your favorite medium? Why?All craft; material glass, clay beads- I don’t have one inparticular as a favorite. I am trained as a ceramicist.2.) When did art start to become a true passion ofyours?When I was four years old after having seen an art exhibitof Vincent Van Gogh’s at the DIA I knew I wanted tobe an artist.3.) How would you describe some of what you believeare your best pieces of work?

My best is my students who carry on the tradition Itaught them. I don’t believe I have created my masterpieceyet.4.) What did you always want to be growing up (career)?I would still one day like to be a studio artist.5.) Describe yourself growing up.I won my first art recognition in 1st grade- I received ablue ribbon from the head of student council. When Iwas a young girl my family was very supportive of mycreative activity. They encouraged me, and in the summersof high school I went to art camp. I learned howto blow glass, and I furthered my photography. I wasexposed to a lot of art.6.) What is your educational background after highschool?I started at the University of Arizona. I had alreadylearned how to blow glass, and had been doing ceramicsfor some time. The program was very traditional, soI left after three semesters and went to the College forCreative Studies in Detroit. In 1978, I earned my bachelorof fine arts degree with an emphasis on crafts. The dayafter I graduated, I packed my guitar and a few clothesand drove to Tempe, Arizona. I got a job at Arizona StateUniversity by running a dormitory, and went to school ata ceramics program there. Each class I took was five dollars.In 1983, I received my master of fine arts degree.I like all colors.10.) What is your favorite quote?Kurt Vonnegut’s cats cradle: “God made mud and saidsit up mud and I was some of the lucky mud to sit up.Thank you god, thank you mud.”11.) What is your favorite kind of music?I like all music except rap. My favorite bands are theband, The Grateful Dead and Jackson Brown. I also likeclassical music- any kind of symphony. Of course, I alsolike my shmoo’s band- Mud Puppy, which is a blue’sband. When I make art I like to listen to Bob Marley andThe Rolling Stones.12.) Advice for all of the artists out there who want tomake it a career?Find your passion, plant the seed, cultivate, and nurtureyour growth. The people that you meet along your pathcan help to fertilize your future.7.) Why did you choose to become a part of the UniversityLiggett community?University Liggett chose me, and I have been here eversince. I moved back to Detroit from Arizona in 1986, andstarted in 1987. The job was a really good fit becausethe position required photography and ceramics knowledge.Soon, my boss encouraged me to teach art history,which was great because it lead me to traveling all overthe world to see art. When my department said I couldcreate the design and crafts media class to teach studentsabout glass, I knew it was the right place for me.8.) If you could be an animal what animal would you be?Haiku by Drewby The EditorsWe cannot find Drew.It’s really hard to write Haikus.That’s why this is poo.I would probably be one of my dogs because of theirunconditional love.9.) What is your favorite color?35

Artist of the Month:Luke Ecksteinby Hannah BairdHave you always been interested in art? When didyou start to take in interest in photography?I became interested in photography my junior year.Before then, I didn’t care much for art. I started inphotography I, and then went on to photographyII. In photography II, it was only me and one otherstudent, so Ms. Kay decided that we go a differentroute. This is how I got into photo shop (a computerprogram used to edit photos). I researched AndyWarhol’s work, and soon used him as inspiration formany of my pieces. Gradually, I taught myself howto use photo shop.How does it feel to be the first current student todisplay an art show in the Anderson Exhibition Centerin ULS’s Manoogian Arts Wing?It feels really good to have all of my work displayed.I would feel better if it wasn’t a last minute gig (theartist who was supposed to show case didn’t comethrough). However, I am really happy that it allowsme to get all of my art out to show the community.How long does it normally take you to critique onephotograph?they are more tedious than the others.What gets you into work mode?To gather ideas, I go onto www.allposters.com to lookat fine art and different mediums. To get into the zone Iblast Kid Cudi on my computer.Do you plan on making art a part of your career? If so,how?I somewhat plan on making a career of it. I have beenoffered up a few internships. For example, advertisingcompany, Route 55, which I will probably consider as mysenior project.Do you have a favorite quote that you like to have as amotto?“An artist is somebody who produces things that peopledon’t have to have.” –Andy WarholWhat are your plans for this upcoming year?I am looking at a lot of art schools. At this point, I ammostly interested in Columbia College in Chicago. Theyhave many good programs that I am interested in.What are your long term goals in art?To continue with it and to not just keep it in advertising,but have some gallery openings. Basically, not completelycommercial.It depends. I wentto Ireland this pastsummer and took alot of great pictures,but didn’t have anadapter with me. Thisprocess took a littlebit longer than therest. It takes about anhour to photo shopa photograph. WhenI first started, it tookabout two hours to doonly basic techniques.There are some piecesthat take up to a weekto photo shop because

Handwriting Analysisby Mariah PasalaquaDonald Trump says in his book, How to Get Rich, “Torun a successful company you must hire the mostastounding employees. They must be dedicated andloyal, with an impeccable work ethic.” Mr. Trump hasa rigorous interview and application process thatmust be completed before you can join his company.I know how to save Mr. Trump a lot of valuable timeand expense, but still find him the perfect employee.The secret lies in the hands… handwriting that is.Handwriting analysis produces a personality profileof the writer by examining the characteristics, traitsand strokes of their handwriting. A trained graphologistcan collect a shocking amount of informationabout the writer just from analyzing their handwriting.There are many things that your handwriting canreveal about you, such as health issues, morality, pastexperiences, hidden talents, and mental problems.Your brain guides your hand. Everything you writeon paper is an outcome of a two-way circuit involvingyour brain and the motor reflex muscles of yourhand. Your handwriting becomes a polygraph readoutof yourself. To you, it may just be handwriting,but to a handwriting analyst, it expresses the makeupof the writer.Handwriting analysis is used all over the world bymajor corporations. Banks use it to detect fraud, andpolice departments commonly hire graphologistto analyze writing in criminal cases. Handwritinganalysis is a career that requires years of training tobecome especially competent in the field. There arefour broad categories to do a quick basic analysis ofhandwriting. Let me give you a quick lesson.(1) BaselineThe baseline of the writing is an important factorin judging the writer’s emotional deposition andstability. The baseline is the line in which the lettersare written. Depending on the mood of the writer,the baseline can vary from day to day or moment tomoment. Any interpretation based on judging thewriter’s baseline should be prefaced by the phrase“at this time.”• If the baseline is “normally straight” it meansthe writer is self motivated, reliable, minds controlemotions, steady, unflinching.• When the writer has a “rising” baseline itmeans they are ambitious, hopeful, emphasis thepositive view, and has a can-do attitude.• A “falling” baseline means the writer is notfeeling hopeful, and sees more chances for failurethan success.• People who write with an “erratic” baseline areemotional unsettled, unpredictable, indecisive, and mayhave trouble achieving goals.(2) SizeThe size of the writing tells the writer’s desire to be noticed.A person’s large bold handwriting indicates thatthey want to be noticed. Handwriting that is mediumsized says that the writer just wants to fit in. Small handwritingindicates the writers desire not to be noticed.• Large: Broad perspective, makes an impression,bold, ego driven, active oriented, not given to detail,and can be egocentric• Medium: Practical, realistic, balanced, workswell with others, or with oneself.• Small: Modest, pays attention to detail, goodconcentration, humble, may be self-actualized.• Very small: Introverted, good concentration,precise, low-key, cerebral, can be selective.A person’s signature represents their “public image” andthe way a person writes is how they feel privately.• A person with small writing but large signaturemeans the writer is spending a great amount of energyto rise above their quiet character to be noticed. Thechange in size indicates a big difference of how theperson feels inside.• Small handwriting with a small sized signaturerepresents a person who has good concentration andpays close attention to details.• Medium writing with large signature indicatesputting a little effort out in order to be noticed.(3) Slant• Strong right slant- Impulsive and needs to relateto othersPeople with a strong right slant are spontaneous, impulsive,enthusiastic, future directed, needs to be supportedby others, demonstrative, and emotions rule.• Right slant- Sociable, responsive, and interestedin othersPeople who write with a right slant have good copingskills, outgoing, friendly, and future directed.• Vertical slant- Practical, independent, and headrules over heartThose people with a vertical slant to their writing areself efficient, in control of self, low emotional response,and retrained.• Left slant- Socially cautious, reserved, and observantA writer with a left slant may be a good listener, non-

intrusive, and self-reliant.• Varying slant- Ambivalent, moods varyThose with a varying slant are unpredictable, have aself-conflict, and an often change in behavior.(4) PressureThe amount of pressure used by the writer is usuallydetermined by the emotional energy. In order to seehow much pressure is used by the writer you can examinehow dark the writing is. Emotional energy is anarrangement of the physical and mental energy levels.Those who are highly successful are the ones whouse heavy pressure. People who write with an averageamount of pressure are fairly successful and havejust enough energy to last a day. Writers who use lightpressure try to avoid strenuous energy situations.I gathered a few samples of handwriting from the ULSteachers. Based on their style of handwriting, try tomatch the handwriting to their analysis profile.The Heidelberg Projectby Raven Fisherover by drug dealers were painted with colorful dotsand decorated with old shoes, bicycles, toys, and stuffedanimals. It soon started to attract many viewers whichsome think caused the driving away of the drug dealersof Heidelberg Street. Tyree Guyton felt that many peoplehave been scared to come to Detroit and he thoughtthat his project would make them have to put asidetheir fear and come because they would have to seehis project and once they saw it he knew they wouldn’tforget it.In some ways I think that the Heidelberg Project giveshope to Detroit, that there will be a better day and thatevery street in every neighborhood can be just as beautifulas this one. Tyree Guyton wanted to leave an impressionof Detroit to everyone, saying that it will comeback and by creating the Heidelberg Project, he provesthis by showing everyone that they can take back theirneighborhoods and Detroit can be what it was yearsago: a thriving city. The Heidelberg Project has as manyopponents as it does supporters. The City of Detroittried to destroy it once in 1991 and again in 1999. ButTyree along with the kids that live in this neighborhoodrefused to let this beacon of hope for Detroit to be torndown.I remember traveling to the east side of Detroit to visitmy family and on my way I always begged my momto stop down the colorful block with the shoes andstuffed animals on the houses. It was something thatevery kid wanted to see. Until recently did I find outwhat this block meant, why it was created, and whocreated it. This block is called the Heidelberg Projectand the main artist is Tyree Guyton. Tyree Guytongrew up on Heidelberg Street, he endured a roughlife watching his mom struggle to make ends meet,and he also lost three of his brothers to the street.Along with this he witnessed the affect of the DetroitRiots on Detroit and its neighborhoods. Tyree served2 yrs. in the army and worked a variety of jobs beforecoming back to his childhood desire of creating art.His grandfather, Sam Mackey, was a great supporterof Tyree pursuing his love of art and along with hiswife Karen Guyton helped Tyree start the Heidelbergproject in 1986.Tyree, his grandfather, and his wife beganby cleaning up the vacant lots of Heidelberg Streetand with the debris they collected Tyree started hismasterpiece. The vacant lots were soon filled withsculptures including one of my favorites which is asculpture of colorful doors stacked up in differentways. The abandoned houses that were being takenSubmit to The Scrivener!See your articles & artwork here.Speak with the Editorsor Mr. Mock and get recognized...39

Dawn of a new Light...by Caitlin FairclothBefore dawn breaks, a howl whines across the wind. The trees bend and bow to its will, a formal greeting betweentwo friends. It has begun. An ordinary young woman dressed in unordinary garb outraces the light, and embracesthe darkness. She flies past an old stump, exposing her back to her audience. The view of her torn leather jacketis peculiar, to say the least. Fashioned across her broad shoulders is a simple ‘S’, not of thread or ink. This ‘S’ is spawnedfrom some material; a material completely different from what a human might assume. It appears as if it is spun fromthe shadows themselves, and it faintly chants a name into the eardrums; Shard.“Tree branch after twig, snapping under my heel; I feel like Quicksilver. Who else can keep up with the speed oflight; the light now creeping quickly under the forest’s canopy? Only a “superhuman” of sorts could accomplish such afeat,” she thought to herself.“Well, I guess that’s what I am” she mumbles under her light, whispery breath. She clutches at the amuletaround her neck; a seemingly worthless family heirloom. It glows with a fiery intensity, a power unknown to mankind;Lumias. Most would deem it “magic”, but it is far more then that, it is a power essence bound to an elemental stone.In Shard’s case, it’s her parent’s unconditional, sacrificing love bound to a shadow stone. Unaware of these specificdetails, all she knows is that it protects her from the pure; the wretched; the unseen without fail. For those who areunaware of what exactly the “unseen” are, they more or less resemble the traditional, so-called mythological, vampire.Why is Shard concerned with the affairs of vampires? It’s a part of her ancestry; a part of her. Shard’s father is a vampire,whereas her mother was a 3rd generation shape-shifter. Shape-shifters are easily mistaken for humans, the laterthe generation the better they blend; their natural ability to morph develops at earlier and earlier years the later thegeneration.It’s the old Romeo & Juliet story; a tale of forbidden, treacherous love. Her father fell in love with her mother,and vice versa. Later, Shard is born, along with her twin brother, Dominik. However, the others did not take to this atall. They shun Shard’s father, labeling him a trader for “inbreeding” outside the sect, let alone the vampire species. Thatvery night they come to undo her father’s “mistakes”. They are driven to kill her mother, her and Dominik. However,Shard’s father, Ionel, knows they are coming. His friends risk exile or worse by warning him. So, he sends his wife; Natalia.He sends her away with Shard, and tells her to give their daughter to humans. Natalia is reluctant, she wants herdaughter to embrace her gifts, not be abandoned for them.“In a human household she could grow up with a normal life, away from our shame and the terrible consequencesof our actions. Please, take her away from all of this. Keep her from being viciously poisoned by the hate thatpursues us.” Ionel begs his wife.Natalia obeys Ionel faithfully, but leaves an amulet around her daughter’s neck with the family crest engravedupon it. This amulet is originally meant to be a mere clue to Shard’s origin; her family. Natalia prays that one day; Shardwill find where she comes from and perhaps avenge her family. Her father unfortunately does not escape. The clan ofthe Kanshée sect steals Shard’s brother Dominik instead of slaughtering him. The Kanshée discovered a miracle; hewas nearly a pure vampire. They capture Shard’s father to punish and torture him indefinitely for his crimes againstthe sect. Natalia goes to meet Ionel at the agreed place, and instead of being greeted with a kiss from her love, she isimpaled upon a blade. This blade belongs to the Head of the Kanshée sect, Krogg. Shard’s mother utters an incantationwith her last breath, imbuing the aforementioned amulet with the last of her energy, the love for her daughter;her life.Now, Shard is orphaned. Her brother is raised as a Kanshée and used as a tool for their wretched acts. Shegrows up slowly discovering her unique abilities. These abilities entail: morphing into a wolf, her inhuman excessamount of energy, or even the fact that she heals abnormally quick. Challenging her foster parents’ authenticity, shesoon finds the truth behind her powers. She trains from the age of 6 to 16 to develop her abilities enabling her tohunt down the Kanshée. This new found bloodlust fuels her discipline, with this she masters 3 weapons: her throwingknives; she never misses any shot she calls, her stake-like dagger, and her silver sais that she trains with every singlemorning. One dangerous aspect of her powers she is unaware of. When she becomes enraged her eyes turn a cold,dark, blue-black, causing her to become a mere shadow. This is a bit of an upgrade from her simple morphing. Whenthis occurs she is wrapped in darkness, able to blink; teleport between short distances. It is impossible to injure herwhile she has taken on this form. However she cannot injure anyone either, and when her rage fades so does her form.This is the product of her parents so called “inbreeding”.A run down apartment building with a sidewalk littered with beer cans, cigarette cartons, and forgotten PigglyWiggly receipts. These compile the perfect disguise to hide a home; her home. The loft at the top conceals a prim, wellkept, 2 bedroom apartment where she sits, plotting revenge.

Tennesseeby Aaron RobertsonThe sound of nature resonates throughout my head. It sweeps me off my feet and places me in a state of puresedateness. As I hike my way through the noisy night, I stumble upon a single doe. I whisper and its ears perk up. Ibreathe and the deer runs off into the clearing. I cannot help but notice the texture of the earth, its rocks waiting forthe passage of time to devour them, the weeds mingling with the grass. Further into the evergreen forest, I look up.The trees whistle as the shrill wind cries at their leaves. The sight of the stars takes my breath and makes me gasp. Ilook closer, squinting my eyes, and something strikes my shoulder. I smile and wait for the next wonder of nature tofall upon me. In mere seconds, a cascade of droplets begins pouring down my face and down the nape of my neck. Ihear brushing in the forest, animals returning to their homes.I am cold. The night air strikes my body and I stop in my tracks. My arms begin to tremble and myheart’s pace begins to quicken. I dare not move as an immense shadow overcomes my seemingly bantam figure. Amother grizzly and her cubs lumber past me as I hide in the shadows of the night. I wait for an eternity before daringto venture out again. As I approach a long, swift moving river, I notice a crack of amber luminescence on the horizon. Itake out my compass only to discover that the cover has been cracked and muddied. I curse loudly and jump as a flockof Scarlet Tanagers soar out of an oak tree. My mouth drops in awe and I scramble for my camera. As I look through thelens, it was as if the beauty of the bird was magnified. The creature was gorging itself on a tiny insect and I notice thatit was a male. Its bright red feathers and jet-black wings give it the look of a Northern Cardinal. As I was about to take asnapshot, it flies off in an instant and I was left with a grin creeping upon my face.I stare at the fast moving river and laugh. If I dared cross, I would be torn in half, just anothermemory of the forest and its inhabitants. I look for another way to continue and my eyes widen. Lying on the earth likea sly vampire is a timber rattlesnake. I slowly make my way towards the river, not even thinking of what would happenif I jumped, or even breathed too quickly. The snake’s gold and black scales make it seem like royalty. Its tongue flickerslike the tail of a rattlesnake and I could feel its eyes piercing my flesh. I found myself in a heavy perspiration and beforeI knew it, I had been engulfed in soft, loamy dirt. I scream like a wild boar and hop up. I run past the snake and hear itlunge at me. I keep running, not once glancing back. I escaped. As I close my eyes and take a breath of relief, the realitystrikes me again. I am in nature. I am surrounded by beauty. Where there is beauty, there is death.The sun is now in the middle of the wide sky. Clouds float through the air like wispy pillows andthe birds of the world join in song. I feel at home, like I was born in nature. Suddenly, I hear something. Something Ihadn’t heard for some time. It wasn’t an animal, at least, not the kind you find in the forest. I cautiously make my waytowards the noise, careful not to disturb any of the concealed shelters of my friends. Once I approach a large clearing,I knew what I had heard. It was the same noise that drove me into the forest. It was the noise that caused me to realizehow fragile nature really was. Only a few yards away, a tall man stood obviously searching for something. I knew whathe was looking for, but I was going to make sure that he didn’t get it back. He wanted his son back, but I wasn’t goinganywhere.Dusk falls again. I venture into the heart of the forest to once again be surrounded by the familiarsounds of the night. I take an apple and a small, bounded journal out of my knapsack. As I bite the fruit, succulent juicesquirts down my chin and onto my journal. I place down my book and I think of a brilliant idea. Once finished, I takethe seeds and place them in a tiny plastic bag. I tape it on one page of my journal, and on the other I pour my heartout. I write about past experiences, hopes and aspirations. Nature is my refuge, my safe haven. Nature is the origin ofall things wonderful. This is why I write, this is why I dream. As I write, my mind is alert and alive. I am so vulnerable,yet so protected. I am obsessed with beauty and on that night I vowed to contribute to my true love. With that lastthought, I lay my head down…and I dream.The following morning, I woke with a mission in mind. As I look around, I see nothing strangeor out of the ordinary. I grab my journal and set out with haste. I move along the interior of the land with surprisingspeed. On the way, I notice many wonderful sights. From a young buck with his mate, to a lone, gray rock shrew, natureseemed to be getting used to a visitor. When I arrive at the riverbank that I had nearly perished on, I open my journaland take out one of the apple seeds. I knelt and carefully allowed room for the seed. I place it in a secure spot andcover it with the earthy soil. Throughout the rest of the day, I had stopped at different locations throughout the forestand carefully planted a seed. As I walk, I suddenly stop. I begin to dream, to imagine. I think of the people in this world

who are like me. People who don’t care what others say. I think of people who will follow their hearts and achieve theirdreams by any means.My adventure through the forests of Tennessee will never end. My mind and body are fused with my native land. Ihave been exposed to something I can never escape. I have inhaled the stale scent of fresh earth. I have seen the wondersof our world and experienced the truth of nature. When my body dies, my spirit will reign over this land. It willwalk the paths tread by the beasts of the earth. It will soar to great heights, as high as the creatures of the sky. My soulwill swim alongside the amphibians in the cerulean water, soft and gentle as the indigo night. I love nature. I see it. Ifeel it. The sound of nature resonates throughout my head.Shake My Headby Caitlin Faircloth“Wow”,is all I can say.When,you speak each day.Stupid,to the point of laughter.Crazy,what an adorable disaster.Shake my head,it’s all I can dowhenever IThink of you.“Wow”,is the only wordIcan seem to vocalize.Smile,at what I’ve heard.Blush,as I begin to realize…Shake my head,it’s all I can dowhenever Ithink of you.

continued from pg. 29sue.There is also the question of how to treat illegal aliens once they have been caught. Should they be immediatelydeported or should they be allowed to stay because of special circumstances? Some people say thatif they were escaping persecution or torture or captivity then they should be allowed to stay. Other people saythat it is not our problem and we should send them back to their home countries. But if they came escaped theircountry in order to escape persecution, should we really turn them away? Do we have that right? It seems ratherinhumane to send a refugee back to, for example, Darfur where there is mass genocide and horrible insecurity.Some people had to leave because they were being persecuted for their race, their gender or their beliefs, andthey chose to come to the United States in order to escape that, not because they wanted to have a better jobwhere they could make more money.The issue of immigration and how to control it is one that will almost always plague the United States.There are many people who would do almost anything to come to the United States to either start a new life orescape persecution. It is difficult to judge anyone’s situation by merely knowing their nationality or the reasonwhy they came here, and that is why it is difficult to both allow and deny entry into the United States.Ole!!43

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