The Scrivener - University Liggett School

Sports CornerPlayer of the MonthBy Alex BollInterview with Jack Fisher, ‘09soccer, and eventually found an interest playing more competitivelyon travel teams.Q: What position do you play?A: I play forward and my responsibility is to generate offensiveproduction.Q: Who is your favorite soccer player?A: I would have to say my favorite player is Fernando Torres.The intensity level he displays in every game is unmatchedand his work ethic is implausible. Just recently hehelped lead Spain to a Euro Cup Title.Q: What inspires you to play soccer?A: Naturally I have an extremely competitive nature andsoccer is a sport only for the strong, and I so happen to beripped.Q: What sports do you play?A: I play soccer in the fall and lacrosse in the spring. I usedto play JV hockey, but unfortunately this year we don’t haveenough kids for a team.Q: What is your favorite sport?A: I would have to say my favorite sport is easily soccer.Q: How long have you been playing soccer?A: I have been playing soccer since I was 5 years old. I startedoff playing in the hard knocks league of Neighborhood ClubFall Sports RecapBy Whitney BaubieBefore 2007, many high schools across the nation changedthe arrangement of their sports seasons, and it was only amatter of time for Michigan schools to follow this trend.After complaints from numerous volleyball parents, MHSAA(Michigan High School Athletics Association) decided on thefollowing changes: tennis and volleyball would be moved tothe fall, girls’ basketball to the winter, and boys’ golf to thespring. This created new scheduling conflicts for studentsthat played multiple sports, and many have had to maketough decisions. While teams could have used the shake-upof their rosters as an excuse for poor play, they instead boredown and worked diligently for continued success. Soccerand Volleyball both won district championships, the tennisteam qualified for states, and the field hockey team wonregionals. Thank you to Mr. Cassidy for promoting the sportsteams with spirit days, and also thank you to the fans forsupporting these teams. Congratulations to all athletes andcoaches for a very successful season!Q: Are you happy with the result of the Boys 2008 ULSsoccer season?A: Overall I would have to describe our season as disappointing.I feel we had the talent to go a lot deeper into thestate tournament yet we could not pull it together in thecrucial moments. Also, a fair amount of our regular seasonlosses were by a margin of one goal.Q: Will you continue to play soccer competitively in college?A: At this point I am considering the possibility of walkingon to a team in college, but as of now I am not sure.Q: What is your favorite David Backhurst quote?A: “Knock off the horse crap butt grabbing.”Q: Can you score on Mark Ghafari?A: No, no one can score on Mark, he is too cool.Highlights of the Tennis Season:• Tying the previous state champions, Grosse Ile• Winning the Dearborn Invitational• Only lost to one Division 4 team throughout the season• Qualified for states and finished in the top ten• After making a big switch in the lineup involving threesingles, four singles and one doubles the team did notlose another match in Division 4 until statesRecord: 5-5-1Highlights of the Soccer Season:• Beating Hamtramck in a shoot out in the first round ofthe Metro Conference after losing to them during theregular season• Defeated Royal Oak Shrine in the last few minutes of thegame to win districts• The team played well against Harbor Beach High Schoolin the Regional Semi-Finals, lost 2-1.Record: 11-7

With the hockey season quickly approaching, I feel theneed to stress how important it is to support the team. Not havinga football team hurts the school’s pride a bit, but that can berestored through the hockey team, especially here in Michigan.There is a great deal to look forward to this season and especiallyin theseasons tocome. Manychanges arebeing madethroughoutthe program,and they allappear to bebeneficial.2008-09 Hockey PreviewBy Clarke DirksenHis comprehension of the gamealong with his superb coachingstyle is really giving the team agreat advantage physically andmentally.-On Coach McIntyre-The most drastic change is the hiring of new head coach RobbMcIntyre. Also, we have gained some high caliber players whowe could not have acquired in the past. There are many returningplayers and a fair amount of freshmen who have stepped up tothe challenge. All of these things arejust a few reasons to come out andsupport the team in the impending08-09 season.This season is special because itis the first season with new headcoach, Robb McIntyre. That maysound extremely trivial, but that isbecause you simply do not understandwho he is. McIntyre hasbeen coaching all over southeasternMichigan for ten years, and if youask anyone in the hockey worldabout him, their response will notleave you pondering how good ofa coach he truly is. Playing at avery high level himself, he bringsknowledge and passion to the rinkeveryday. His coaching style is alsodifferent to those the team has seen in recentyears. His comprehension of the game alongwith his superb coaching style is really giving the team a greatadvantage physically and mentally. McIntyre is the coach whois going to get this program back to competing with CranbrookKingswood and Detroit Catholic Central.Along with Robb, there are new players coming in who are reallygoing to help the team prosper this season. Although he cannot play until after Christmas break because of student-athletetransfer rules he may prove to be the most prominent player onthe team. David McIntyre is a junior in his first year at Liggettand he is a goaltender who has an impressive résumé, playing atthe AAA level. He is going to be a tremendous advantage to theteam, and I’m sure he will be the difference in big games. Anothernew player to look forward to watching this year, and in theyears to come, is Jake Hodges. He is a freshmen defender whobrings size and skill to the table. He has plenty of time to mature,Players say last year’s season had it’sup and downs.and in the future, he will most likely be the core of the program.These two players are really going to help the team perseverethis year, but their real impact will be on their long term benefitto the program.We also have a plethora of returning players. Three keyreturnees on the offensive side are seniors Drew Amato, KyleKeith, and Erik Litch. On the defensive side are juniors RoryDeane, Macgregor Decker, and Jimmy Palmer. Finally, juniorDan Zukas will be returning from his 2nd team all-state sophomoreyear performance. If you come to games he will mostcertainly have you holding onto your socks whether it is with abig hit or a dazzling dangle. In addition to the returning players,other big draws are the numerous freshmen suiting up, and thedelectable hot dogs at the concession stand. With all of theseplayers on the ice, it is your job to come and support them.With all of these changes, it would be a bonus to havea winning season. You may not believe it, but you can be a bigpart of helping the team accomplish that. Fan support is a veryimportant part of the game, playing in a rowdy atmospherecan really boost the team’s morale and performance. Also, thisyears schedule does not includepower house teams like FlintPowers and Saint Mary’s CatholicCentral that were state runnerupand third place in the statetournament respectively. Thismeans every game is going to becompetitive, so come out to Mc-Cann, conveniently placed on ourcampus, give our team the edge,and support the Knights.With the hockey season quicklyapproaching, I feel the needto stress how important it is tosupport the team. Not having afootball team hurts the school’spride a bit, but that can be restoredthrough the hockey team,especially here in Michigan. Thereis a great deal to look forward to this season andespecially in the seasons to come. Many changesare being made throughout the program, and they all appear tobe beneficial. The most drastic change is the hiring of new headcoach Robb McIntyre. Also, we have gained some high caliberplayers, that in the past, we could not have acquired. There areample returning players, and a fair amount of freshmen whohave stepped up to the challenge. All of these things are just afew reasons to come out and support the team in the impending08-09 season.This season is special because it is the first season with newhead coach, Robb McIntyre. That may sound extremely trivial,but that is because you simply do not understand who he is.McIntyre has been coaching all over southeastern Michigan forten years, and if you ask anyone in the hockey world about him,continued on page 22

8Detroit PistonsBy Cat VatsisAfter finishing this past season with a disappointing loss in theEastern Conference Finals to the No.1 seed, Boston Celtics, the2008-2009 Detroit Pistons have high hopes for the upcoming season.Joe Dumars, the Detroit Pistons General Manager, has made it clearthat he wants a winning team. He does not want his team to be satisfiedby just having a winning record or by simply making it to theplayoffs. He demands excellence, and this means nothing less thana championship. For the last several years, the Pistons haven’t beenable to accomplish their ultimate goal: winning an NBA championship.For this reason, Dumars has made a change in the headcoaching position. The three-year head coach, Flip Saunders, hasbeen let go and replaced by Michael Curry,the former Pistons assistant coach. Curryhas spent 14 years in the National BasketballAssociation as a player, assistant coach, andNBA administrator. Although some criticsare skeptical about his lack of coachingskills, the Pistons organization is confidentthat Curry will get the job done and get thePistons back to the NBA Finals.Although the Pistons are one of the bestoutside-shooting teams, Curry brings a newphilosophy to the organization. He has stated that the key to a successfuloffense this year involves scoring more points in the paint bydribble penetration, getting second chance shots, and passing the ballto a player in the post. This approach was not pursued vigorously bythe prior coach Flip Saunders. The veteran Rasheed Wallace can undoubtedlyfulfill this role by being more aggressive down low. He isa very capable basketball player and can surely contribute by scoringand having many assistsThis season, the Pistons will once again have a deep bench,including Jason Maxiell, Kwame Brown, Aaron Afflalo, RodneyStuckey, Walter Herrmann and many other young and talented players.In particular, Brown can certainly make significant contributionsto this basketball organization. Drafted No. 1 in 2001, Brown hasfaced much criticism for not living up to his potential on the court.This year he has a great opportunity to redeem himself and silencehis critics....Iverson, one of the bestplayers in the league, is nowa Detroit Piston. Althoughit is disappointing to seeBillups leave, Iverson willsurely fill Billup’s role...Picture Credits:The Pistons do have many positive attributes to buildupon this season. They have been a consistently strongfree-throw shooting team. In nearly every game at homeand away, the Detroit Pistons had an 80% free-throw average.This season the team needs to continue to find waysto get to the free-throw line and make shots. These extrapoints can make the difference between a win and a loss.The Pistons also have to be more cautious in givingup fouls to their opponents. Many players, particularlyRasheed Wallace, have received too many early fouls andhave proceeded to foul out of the game in the fourth quarter.This foul trouble is devastatingbecause the players who receiveexcessive fouls are usually thebackbone of the team. When theyare charged with too many earlyfouls, the coaches have no other optionbut to send these players to thebench and bring in second-stringplayers.The most recent, and probablythe most significant change to thisorganization, is the trade of Chauncey Billups, AntonioMcDyess, and Cheik Samb for Denver’s Allen Iverson.Iverson, one of the best players in the league, is now aDetroit Piston. Although it is disappointing to see Billupsleave, Iverson will surely fill Billup’s role. Iverson’s careerscoring average is 27.7 points per game, third most alltimebehind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Notonly will Iverson offer more defensive help to this veteranteam, but he will also provide great scoring and assistingopportunities on offense.As this new season is in its early stages, only time willtell if the new tactics and strategies will ultimately be successfuland result in another championship for the DetroitPistons. Hopefully, when June 2009 arrives, the Pistonswill be in the Finals playing for another trophy.Page 2: The Detroit Institute of ArtsPage 2: Renato JamettPage 2: http://www.barwonhealth.org.au/app_cmslib/media/umlib/stethoscope.jpegPage 7: Renato JamettPage 10: OpenEducation.netPage 17: Tupac Publicity PhotoPage 19: Publicity Photos from Respective ArtistsPage 20: Publicity Photos from Respective ArtistsPage 21: The Detroit Institute of Art via the Cleavalnd Museum of ArtPage 26: Drew Amato via Photoshop

Yawps!English UsageBy Kyle KeithI’m sure you’ve heard that English is the most complicatedlanguage in the world. I have, and for as long asI can remember people have only been reiterating thatsentiment to me in the form of atrocious grammar. I’mnot talking about informal speech. I have no problem withcolloquialisms. I use them all the time. I’m talking aboutpatent ignorance and disregard for our own language’srules. Do I expect everyone to leave every sentence’s endfree of prepositions and every infinitive un-split? No.Would it make my life that much better if that were thecase? Absolutely. This is where I come in. I’m going togive you a few pointers that I guarantee will make yourgrammar better.I’ll begin with something of which I’m guilty moreoften than not: was vs. were. It’s often difficult to distinguishbetween these two pesky little verbs so I willdisambiguate them for you right now. If you’re taking aforeign language, I’m sure that you’re familiar with thesubjunctive tense. Well, English has the exact same thing,and that’s where we usually slip up with our was vs. were.For example:I was taller than Jim. – This is perfectly acceptableI wish I was taller than Jim. – Wrong. If you’re wishingfor something, you need to use the subjunctive.If you’re naming something contrary to what is actuallytrue, you must use were. So:I wish I were taller than he is.I wish he weren’t so loud.If only Mr. Dwaihy weren’t so much coolerthan I am.Those three sentences bring me to my next point. In thefirst and third sentences you’ll notice how I ended them:“he is” and “I am.” If you’re comparing things with theword “than”, you must use the subjective pronoun as opposedto the objective. So:I am faster than him. – WrongI am faster than he is. – CorrectWe’re on to my next point. Contrary to popular belief,the past participle of a verb is not made simply by usingthe past tense of the verb. In some cases, yes, that’s howit’s done, but there are cases where doing that can makeyou sound downright stupid. There is one verb in particularthat makes me want to cut my ears off every singletime I hear somebody’s wretched attempt at making its pastparticiple: Drink.I have dranken.I have drunken.I have drank.I have drinken.I have heard each of these pathetic excuses for a sentence, andnot one of them is correct. I want you to remember this forever:I HAVE DRUNK.Please, please, please, please remember this: drink, drank,drunk.Other confusing participles: slay, slew, slain; lie, lay, lain;seek, sought, sought; swim, swam, swum; go, went, gone (thatone should not be in this list, but I hear it butchered more oftenthan not).One of those verbs brings me to me final point: lay vs. lie.It is really a very simple concept. Lay is transitive, whereas lieis intransitive. Nothing? Lay takes a direct object, and lie doesnot. You lay something and you lie, period. Let me put it in plainEnglish:I lay the book on the table.I lie on the couch.NOT: I lie the book on the table.I lay down.I know that last two are wrong because there is a green squigglyline underneath the verbs. If you can take away just one thingfrom this lesson, let it be this. This is undoubtedly the error thatirks me the most.Finally I want to give you a few quick pointers that will haveyou speaking English like you just finished your grammar levelsin middle school:- It is I; the linking verb means you have to rename thesubject.- Hanged vs. Hung: Hanged is used when referring toexecution, otherwise it’s hung.- Should HAVE not should OF.- Get your adverbs in order: I played badly; the food wasbad.- Different FROM not different THAN.- Less vs. Fewer: Use fewer for a smaller number of specific things, use less for a smaller quantity of something.- A Lot not Alot.- Each Other vs. One another: use each other for twopeople, and use one another for three or more.- RECURRING not REOCURRING.- Irregardless is NOT a word.- Double superlatives make you sound like an idiot:FASTER not MORE Faster.- He hates MY smoking not he hates ME smoking.I can’t make you use flawless grammar, but this is my besteffort. I can only hope that if you are guilty, you will take thisadvice to heart and stop abusing such an exquisite language.

Video Games: AModern AddictionBy Drew AmatoFallBy Jessica LancasterQuiet skieswhisper words of wisdom.Finally, Summer’s sins washed away.Now, monotone weather, followed by soberthoughts.Waiting, wishingfor loud winter nights, and habitual meetings.Families tied together with ribbon and bowbut this is Fall,where leaves run agaisnt the wind,we just sit there,waiting, wishingfor the present to pass,as we paint the past with hues of nostalgia.Madden, Halo, NHL, Grand Theft Auto; all video games, allsources of diversion from schoolwork and extracurricular activities.Why do we play them? The answer is simple: once westart we cannot stop. By these standards, video games can beconsidered a modern form of addiction. Although addiction tovideo games is safer than addiction to drugs or alcohol, they canstill ruin childhoods and lives.Take my brother for example: a 9-year old who couldpotentially be corrupted forever by these games. He used tosit in front of the computer for at least 4 hours a day, playingmind-numbing computer games. He would play games not forthe usual purpose of enjoyment; instead he would abuse thesegames by cheating and hacking into other users’ accounts. Hedidn’t even care about beating the games, he just played thembecause he was addicted. It got to the point where he had totake sleeping pills because he was stimulated by these videogames and he couldn’t get to sleep without aid. When he finallydid sleep, he would wake up early so he could play gamesbefore he went to school. At first my parents let him do this,because they didn’t realize it had any effect on him and theydidn’t think he had anything else to do. However, they realizedthe changes in his behavior and sleeping patterns. They decidedto limit him to 45 minutes per day on the computer. At first hewas reluctant to do this, but when he overcame his tempertantrums the changes were clear. His attitude has becomemuch better, and he has been able to take up other activities,like soccer, tennis, legos, etc. He has been getting to sleep byhimself, thus it is evident that the core of his problems had todo with video games. It is safe to play them once or twice aday, but it is easy to go overboard and it can ruin childhoods,as they can be spent inside the house all day staring at a computerscreen.You could also consider my neighbor for an example of theeffects that video games can have on older kids (I will leavehim unnamed). He, like my brother, was addicted to videogames, except instead of using the computer, he used Xbox.He would go home and put aside homework and play Haloall night. It got to the point where he didn’t even care abouthis grades or completing assignments. All he cared about wasgetting to a higher level in “slayer.” His grades saw a hugedrop, and oddly enough, he stopped during summer. Thisyear when he goes home and doesn’t play Halo, all he has todo is his homework, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Hisgrades have improved drastically, but it may be too late; it ishis senior year and colleges don’t look at these grades as seriously.My neighbor’s addiction to video games could affectthe college he attends, and furthermore his life.Be it homework, sports, dinner, sleep, or friends, the pointlesshours of video game playing cuts into valuable timethat could be spent on useful activities. Like crystal methand heroin, video games can force a person to not partake innormal activities. We’re dealing with serious stuff here, but itcan be avoided. My advice would be to limit yourself if youfind that you are playing more than usual; 1 hour a day shouldbe sufficient. Also, join more extracurricular activities. Thisway you have better things to do than to play Guitar Hero.Video game addiction is truly serious and can ruin lives.

Spirit Week Insightfrom the PeloponnesusBy Claire PeracchioWisdomFor Underclassmen11Let me offer an historical analogy. Before you stop reading,give me a chance to explain myself. To do this, I must delveinto the murky depths of my knowledge of Greek historyacquired during freshman year in Mr. Alpert’s FoundationsClass. In Foundations, we studied the epic duel for Greeksupremacy, the Peloponnesian War. This was the junior vs.senior clash of fifth-century B.C, and the two titans involvedwere Sparta and Athens, city-states that had been itching towipe each other off the map since things got heated in theannual baklava baking competition. The war represented theculmination of latent tensions between bitter rivals, and in asad twist of fate, Athens lost. For all intents and purposes,let’s just say that Athens represents the senior class andSparta, the juniors.Now, seniors, I know what you’re thinking. Sparta was notonly our Spirit Week theme, but it has greater pop culture relevance,with the catchy battle cries and rock-hard bodies immortalizedin the cinematic masterpiece that is 300. Though Iunderstand our selection of Sparta (it would be a sin to forgoan opportunity to reenact 300), Athens is just more apt.After all, Athens was a democracy, and as all seniors know,democracy can get messy sometimes. Socrates, who madea name for himself by cheating conventional thought, knewthe perils of the Athenian mob. Of course, if victory in SpiritWeek were determined by which class makes the best mob,we all know who would have won. Besides being home toa terrifying mob, Athens was a place of intellectual ferment,where people could get together to produce works of creativegenius like sculptures (read floats) shaped like giant horses.In Athens, people were free to exercise their fundamentalrights to speak and to act in the manner of their choosing, andthey, like the senior class, would not have let scruples overgrade point averages cramp their classical styles.Sparta, on the other hand, was a different story. Sparta wasan oligarchy ruled by two kings, or perhaps a warrior queen,and things were a lot less democratic. Spartan boys weretaught from infancy that it was just to steal a piece of cheeseto survive, while the juniors were taught to snatch footballsfrom the hands of innocent freshmen. Spartans valuedtradition and victory by any means necessary, and they hada tradition of victory. Individual thought was secondary toobedience, and thus Athenians could always defeat Spartansin Quiz Bowl.As for the Peloponnesian War, things didn’t go so wellfor Athens. They suffered naval defeats, fought amongthemselves, and contracted a plague (something like Namethat Tune, Faculty Squares, and Flag Football in a bundle ofpestilence). In the end, Athens suffered a dispiriting defeat.Yet, Athens would win the P.R. victory. Athens gave usdemocracy, philosophy, marble columns, and some stunningsculptures (floats). Athens teaches us that winning isn’teverything, but legacy is. For my fellow seniors, I invoke thewords of King Leonidas (an Athenian at heart), “Rememberthis day, men, for it will be yours for all time.”High school is full of twists, turns, and embarrassingunanswered questions. So here are some FAQ’sthat I have answered to alleviate the pressure of askingthose awkward questions and erase those scary unknownqueries.Q: If there is a real fire, am I expected to be quiet and lineup in alphabetical order?A: Technically, yes. In the case of a real fire our outlooks maybe a little less apathetic than in an ordinary fire drill. Thoughit seems drab and unnecessary now, think of how awful itwould be if there was a real fire and the person with the lastname that starts with a ‘P’ wasn’t there….Q: If I’m in the bathroom at the same time as a teacher,should I feel awkward?A: Well, everyone goes to the bathroom, and we should beable to accept this by now, but it probably isn’t a good idea tomake small talk.Q: I have a crush on this boy and I think he likes me back,but I’m not sure. What should I do?Q: Is it possible to be as tight as Mark Ghafari?A: Absolutely not.Q: How can you avoid getting snowed?A: $20Q: I think my girlfriend is stronger than me. Should I beupset?A: This depends. If you are trying to physically fight eachother this may be a problem, but if you happen to get in afight with another guy, think about how great it would be tohave her there to lay down the law.Q: I’m very skinny and I like to hide my body. Should I beashamed of my pitiful frame?A: Yes, pick up some dumbbells and eat some peanut butter.

Spirit Week RecapBy Jack FisherBefore I begin to discuss one rowdy Spirit Week I would like toannounce that due to the unfulfilled claims of my previous article, Ihave begun negotiations with Cranbrook regarding a transfer as soonas possible. Although this may be my fate and I did make a fool ofmyself with my declarations of a Spirit Week victory, the senior classshowed more spirit and fight than any class I have ever encountered.I am not ashamed for what I had said, for with a few breaks it wouldhave been the actual Truth. Even with an unfulfilled destiny, thesenior class of 2009 is the most creative, resilient, and refined class toever grace the halls of the lovely University Liggett School.In calculating the results of the spirit week tournament, I do believethe seniors had been shocked in upset by a margin of two scantypoints. My friends of the senior class, we all know of the multipleoccasions in which we had choked, practically handing away ourprecious victory to the juniors. Mistakes such as not knowing the universaltruths that a man sleeps more than a woman, and that womenhave larger lips, are not tolerable if victory was to be achieved. AlsoI have never seen a more devastating swing in pin knockdown in myfour years of Spirit week compitition. Going from leading two pins toone, to losing all in one swift flick of a feeble freshman wrist....I do believe the seniors had beenshocked in upset by a margin of twoscanty points.Breaking down the less than satisfactory performances in footballand futsol are not even worth my precious time. Besides re-imaginingthose losses, my pathetic breakfast of Margaret Mary’s birthdaybrownies might end up regurgitated on this supposedly Mr. MacKethan-ownedschool computer. If only we could have pulled through inthese numerous clutch situations, the tone of this article would be alittle bit different.Despiteour shortcomingsin spiritweek events,the seniorsshowed a sideof cooperationand camaraderiethat had not yetbeen displayedto such a level.The costumeseach seniorwore werecreative andwell-made, accompanying the theme of Spartans (not to mention thecoordination it took to organize and build a Trojan horse, along withorganizing a routine for the football game). The cook-out was a success,even though I was too lazy to wake up for it, due to a late nightSpirit Week football game. If the trophy was to be handed out basedon Spirit, there is no question who the rightful owner would be.Choosing the theme of Spartans and relating much of our campaignto the movie 300, it was almost like we were destinedto fail. No matter how tenaciously the Spartans fought, theywere up against an unbeatable Persian force. Yet the glory isfound in what they stood for and what they fought so valiantlyto protect in the face of defeat. We rose to the challenge onFriday against a junior class that was voted the clear favoritefor the title; however we came up just short. I am honored tobe apart of the class of 2009. Defiant to the end and bondedas one we met our fate with open arms, not ashamed of losing,but proud to be united in our final year together at theUniversity.Computer LabCrackdownBy Steven Morris...The ability to go onto Facebook, orYouTube, should be allowed ..Our school has gone through some major changes: new teachers,more students, and new rules. The library policy, and in particularthe computer lab, has been among the most controversial,but with new leadership comes new rules. The new changes arefor the best, academically. The changes create a nice work environment,where it is actually quiet and a person can get somethingdone in there. But how often do we need the library like this?The school should try to loosen up the computer lab a little bit.In previous years, we had a librarian by the name of Dr. France.Dr. France was a cool guy - just that. He was not strict, and hewould allow noise, but work was still done even while talking tofriends. When he was around, the computer lab was part of whatone kid called, “the golden age of the library,” where anyonecould walk in, talk to friends, chill out, do some work, or just lookon YouTube or Facebook. Now, this does not sound good fromthe teachers’ perspective at all, but why would it? At times it didget hectic, and they had reason to tighten the rules in the computerlab.Although the school has reason to make the computer labstricter, how it is now may not be a good compromise betweenstudents and faculty. The new changes have led to the computerlab being a good work environment, and that’s great. Still, thecomputer lab has become one of the most talked about issuesamong school. The use of computers now is only for academicpurposes (i.e. no YouTube or Facebook). Also, in the computerlab, there is basically no hanging around or socializing. Recentlya student stated that, “the computer lab is dead,” and it is true.There is not as much activity and the rules need to be manageddifferently.What students want for rules, to a certain extent, should bea factor with some serious magnitude. Though it may soundjuvenille, let us be independent. The ability to go onto Facebook,

or YouTube, should be allowed. What the students do during lunch orfree period should be up to them because they are old enough to managetheir time. If they want to spend their time looking up new videosor seeing who wrote on their wall, let them do it. If computers are tooloud, then we could possibly bring in headphones so that the volumein the computer lab is not crazy. Also, let students talk in the computerlab at least a bit more. During any sort of free time, it seems like thereis a ton of people congesting the halls. This is really annoying. I maybe saying it because I am a senior, but I have also heard faculty sayHaiku By DrewBy Drew AmatoChristmas is coming,But there isn’t any snow.It will be so cold.things along the lines of “move it.” So let some students hang out inthe computer lab. If it gets too loud, just tell us to “Shush,” and if thatdoes not work, just kick out the kids making unnecessary noise for alittle bit. The golden age of the computer lab is gone, and a trace of itmust return.Senioritis MDBy Alex BollMD Internal Highschoolacis DiseaseicusAuthors Note: Diagnosed with a severe case of senioritismyself, I considered not typing this article due to my illness, butafter Mr. Mock bugged me for a week, I turned it in…late.What is Senioritis?Senioritis is a point in a senior’s life when they no longer feelthe urge to care or get their work done and have the mindset of“I am done with high school and into college and all I want to dois hibernate.”What is the cause of senioritis?The negative result of anticipation for graduation and the freedomof college and witnessing how much fun the past seniorclass had their second semester senior year.When do you get senioritis?As for some of us slackers, senioritis kicked in on September6th, 2005, the first day of our freshmen year. For most seniorsit appears during the 2nd semester upon completion of collegeapplications.What are the symptoms?Excessive sleeping in classMany zeros on assignmentsFailing quizzes and testsConstantly staring at the clock anticipating the end of classSkipping classesExtreme partyingApathy when it comes to educationProcrastination and exhaustion due to lack of sleepHow do you cure it?The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation.Do I have senioritis?1. Do you skip class?2. Do you party on weeknights?3. Did you give up on studying?4. Do you leave your backpack in your car between 8am-3-pm?5. Are you lazy in general?6. Do you come up with any excuse to leave the ULS campus?If you answered yes to more than one of these questions it islikely that you have contracted senioritis.

Journalism at the Brink:14By Drew BrophyWhat the American Media Should Learn from this ElectionMembers of the World War II generation always seemto reflect on the integrity of the American press with twowords: Walter Cronkite. They remember an age of relativelyunbiased nightly news anchors (namely “the most trustedman in America”) reporting the day’s events with neutrallanguage and clearly distinguished from editorials. Todaythough, news sources are constantly criticized by politicians,pundits, and people representing almost every perspective.Sure, neutrality is impossible, but whether or not the numbersback it up, sensationalism seemed to be the definingrole of journalism in the 2008 presidential election. Nowthat the election is over, regardless of whether or not thismedia bias is perception or reality, the media must assess itscredibility not just for the sake of the consumer but for thevery survival of the industry.John McCain and Barack Obama show why the medianeeds some introspective meditation. Barack Obama calledout Fox News during one of the presidential debate accusingthe news channel of bias, while Bill Burton, Obama campaignspokesman, attacked Fox News on its own air duringa October 27th interview. John McCain has accused the LosAngeles Times of protecting then-Senator Obama when thenewspaper did not release a tape of Obama attending a partyof a critic of Israel. Public perception reflects the candidates’accusations. A Rasmussen Reports poll of 1,000 likely votersreports that 69% of people think that many reporters tryto help the candidate they want win. In 2009, the spirit of“change,” that President-elect Obama has advocated mustalso include change within our media.What is even more shocking than the numbers is a recentarticle in Politico, which responded to a report from thealmost neutral Pew Research Group that McCain had fourtimes as many negative stories as Obama did. Like WalterCronkite defined a past society, two words from this articlemay define today’s view on media integrity—“So what.” Toparaphrase the article, “readers should not be concerned thatjournalists could not maintain their neutrality.”The article in Politico is wrong, not only from a standpointof ethics, but also from a business perspective. Withfar less people watching traditional media, how does TV,radio, and print news plan to compete with Internet andblogs that offer thousands of perspectives and millionsof facts? With newspapers across the United States andWestern Europe cutting staffs, why are people going to payto read something they can get online for free? Why wouldI watch a commercial-laced program when I can read thesame news online in a tenth of the time? Though this transitionof media may be inevitable, it is not helped by the factthat the average American does not have faith in the averagereporter. With alternatives available, people are going to fleeto new media sources or not watch the news at all leavingmany journalists to find new professions. Journalists can savethemselves if they give people a reason to read or watch theirwork. But being blatantly biased is like scratching your nosewhen you need both hands to save yourself from falling of acliff. Your nose feels good, but you end up dying.There is a general belief that if citizens are informed,democracy will flourish. Our nation cannot lose people to nomedia, and media companies need to realize that bias mayjust be the end of them. Government intervention in such aproblem would ruin one of the best parts of America—a freepress unrivaled in most places in the world. The first actionitem for news companies is to come out in unison to addressthis problem and to let people know that they care about theproblem. News companies need to address the 69% of theAmerican people even if these companies do not intend to doanything about it.In 2009, the spirit of “change,”that President-elect Obama has advocatedmust also include changewithin our media.If media really intend to do something, they should takeafter magazines and the Brits. Like the magazine industry’smodel, traditional media must specialize to survive. To do so,American media may need to be paradoxically more partisan.Editorial boards and upper management need to get togetherand develop principles that their paper believes. Whether itbe “the principles of the Founding Fathers,” or the “flyingspaghetti monster,” this credo should be known to the public.So many editorial boards in this country do not have a writtensystem of beliefs and therefore there is no way for readersto understand the paper’s principles and bias. In all forms oftraditional media, including cable news, companies shouldconsider doing what the Brits do—telling their audience theirpolitical allegiance. The Sunday Times might be right-wing,while The Guardian is centre-left. The newsmagazine TheEconomist has an allegiance to classical liberalism, and asTime and Newsweek have lost readers, The Economist hasdoubled its circulation since 1997. People know what theyare getting and know what their bias. With a political allegiance,The Economist no longer needs to worry about theclarity between fact and opinion. With all of the problems inmedia, maybe American media needs to take the hint.

W i f iBy Charlotte WaldmierHere’s how this works...A certain freshman has been chosen randomly as the “Freshmanof the Month,” also known as the “Wifi,” for the Novemberissue of The Scrivener, (do not ask why we decided to titlethe freshman of the month, “Wifi” – it is completely random).The idea of this feature is to learn about our new schoolmatesin a different and fun way. I am an anonymous senior assignedto choose a certain freshman, learn as much as I can aboutthem and provide the information (in both interview, and riddleform). Here is where the fun comes in: once everyone hasread this feature, they will be given a chance to guess who the“Wifi” might be. In order to guess, there will be a box in room202 (Mr. Mock’s room). There will be a box on the windowsill.The directions will be placed next to the box on how to guesswho the Wifi might be. Whoever is the first to guess and getthe “Wifi’s” name right, will be granted the glory of having anillustrious profile of his or her life’s trials and tribulations innext month’s issue. So go out, take a freshman aside. Learnabout them. Ask them where they might buy their underwear,or what their favorite donut filling is. It’s all in good fun, andan interesting way for the school to get to know the freshmana little bit more.I’ll buy underwear and socks anywhere they are sold.Except when they are cold, old, and contain mold.My name might not be Ben, but I can say I buy Suavefor Men.The ladies find me sophisticated and nice,Due to the fact that I buy Old Spice.My favorite donut filling is raspberry,And please, refrain from calling me Jerry.How do I eat Reese Pieces?With all my might in one bite, in one pieces.I’m a happy person, but my last name is not Dirksen.If my brother disappeared I would care,I would feel so bare without the smell of my onlybrother’s hair.In my opinion, schools okay.It’s not so gray.My favorite teacher is Mr. Hartigan.Did you just fart again?French is my favorite subject in school,Because it is tres cool!I prefer to have hair on my head,And no, my hair is not red.If you asked me if I liked my name,I would tell you I didn’t think it was lame.Were the Mayans right that in 2012 the world will end?I hope not, or we all will be dead.The people I look up to are my parents.And no my name is not Clarence.I would have voted for Obama in the election,But my age prevented me from making a selection.Here is the description of who I might be,Think wisely and you will find the key.ORIGINAL QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY THE WIFI:Where do you buy your socks from?Anywhere they are sold.What kind of shampoo do you use?Suave For MenWhat kind of deodorant do you use?Old SpiceWhat is your favorite donut filling?RaspberryHow do you eat Reeses?One bite.If you had to be a cleaning appliance,(ie. Vacuum, broom, SwifferPicker Upper), what kind of cleaning appliance would you be andwhy?Swiffer Picker Upper because they are liked by everyone.Are you typically a happy or sad person?HappyDo you have any siblings? If so, would you care if they disappeared?One brother. I would care.Do you like school?It’s okay.Who is your favorite teacher?Mr. HartiganWhat is your favorite subject in school?FrenchDo you play a sport? If so, what sport do you play?Football, basketball, lacrosseWould you ever consider shaving your head just for fun?NODo you like your name? If not, what would you like your nameto be?Yes, I like my name.Is the world going to end in 2012?I hope not. (NO)Can you look up a word in the dictionary without either recitingthe alphabet in your head or writing the alphabet down onanother sheet of paper?YesDo you refer to a carbonated drink (ie. Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper)as soda or pop?YesHave you read the first issue of the “Scrivener”? If not, is theresomething clinically wrong with you?Some partsDo you have a certain person that you look up to?ParentsIf you had a monkey, would you feed it bananas regularly, or justevery other week?RegularlyWho do you think is going to win the election?ObamaDo know who this is?Drop off your answer inthe 202.

Rap Ain’t ArtBy Blake ChouinardFrom Afroman to Wu-tang, at least twodecades worth of what some people liketo consider music has been created. Aneven further stretch than calling thesewaves of pure evil “music,” some peopleeven believe that rap is an art form. Yes, Irealize that rap could be considered poetryand ergo art by the transitive property. ButI would like to believe that real poetry ishard to fully accomplish, and that rhyminga few words does not automaticallyconstitute poetry. And evenif a rap could somehow beconsidered poetry by syntaxor other poetical identifications,not all poetry can beconsidered art. It’s as if rapis trying to break down alocked door, marked POET-RY. Even if it somehow getsinside that door, it has a foolproof safe to unlock, markedART.If you sit down and actually take thetime to think about what rap is made up ofit’s really quite sad. Two different drumloops at most, one the verse and one forthe chorus. Next, toss in some synth partsand maybe some guitar. But don’t forgetto add a simple bass part, but make sureit’s so loud and low-pitched that no humancan possibly comprehend the notesbeing played. Finally, add some spokenwords, but not any ordinary words, someof them have to rhyme! Now it’s time toexamine some songs in the rap genre andsee if any could vaguely be confused withart. Although almost all rap was not appropriatefor this forum, I found plenty ofgood reasons why rap is nowhere near art.Speaking of nowhere, I’ll start with this50 Cent song, the name of which is alsonot appropriate, but translates out to “FakeRap BattleStudents Blake Chouinard and Aziz Jan discuss their perspectives on therecurring arguement....Gangster”. 50 Cent raps about how some guythinks that he is a gangster, but in fact is justa fake gangster. Not much potential in the artdepartment but I didn’t throw this song out ofcontention, maybe there would be some deepmeaning with flowing and poetic thoughtsstrung together. Instead, what I found was,“You ain't a friend of mine, you ain't no kinof mine, what makes you think that I won'trun up on you with the nine? We do this allthe time.” This is something I personallywould not consider poetry, with the repetitionof the word “mine”, rhymed with “nine”even though the rhyme scheme is thrown offbecause of too many syllables. Then “time”is thrown in for good measure because itprobably sounded good at the time, no pun...An even further stretch thancalling these waves of pure evil“music,” some people even believethat rap is an art form.intended. But even beyond syntax, poetryhas an immense world of topics of all kinds.However, this line literally translates out tosomething like, “You are not my friend, andyou are not even related to me, what makesyou think that I won’t approach you with my9mm pistol? We do this all the time.” I wouldsay that Mr. Cent is not coming off as a verydeep thinker, but I guess to each his own orsomething along those lines. The icing on thecake for me in the particular song was thissingular line, “Gorilla Unit ‘cause they saywe bugged out, ‘cause we don’t go nowherewithout toast we thugged out.” That is thecorrect line by the way, he does really saytoast. I think I’ll count 50 Cent out of thepoetry and art category.Trying to find a lyric I could find deepermeaning in (or comprehend for that matter) Iturned to the Internet and it all went downhillfrom there. I lost all hope for finding any artwhen I read this line by Trina, “Now youknow that I'm the Queen of Miami. All thatloud talkin’, lyin’, save that stuff for yourmammy. Sounds like "blah, blah blah, blahbla blah-blah," I'm like uh-huh (uh-huh)okay (okay), Whassup (whassup) SHUTUP!” There is no point of even trying tofind poetry in this entire song, it seems likerap is just the story of a persons escapadesof the day either literally translatedword for word as we see here; or that thelanguage is so colloquial that even thoughthere is originality, the meaning is alwaysalmost obscure. Even where poetic licensemay be evident it seems that rappersdrop the ball. For example, in this BustaRhymes song called “Scenario” he attemptsto use similes and metaphors,“Rrrrroaw rrrroaw like adungeon dragon, changeyour little drawers becauseyour pants are saggin'.”Although childish, this is anexample of a poetic device,however, it is still simply notart. Just because I decide Iwant to make a poem andwrite something like, you’rerough like sand paper, followed by a randomline because of the fact it rhymes doesnot in any way mean that it is poetry, letalone anything near art.Rap is neither music nor art. That is myadamant stance and nothing can changethat. As a musician I know that I’ve createdsome songs that are nowhere near art,only to scrap them and try again. Art isnot something that is created at the dropof a hat. It takes time, energy, and a clearthought process. Art is pure, and when youhear it you know that it is art. But in theend, everyone’s definition of something abstractas art is different. So you can go withmy idea of art, or rapper Cam’ron’s ideaof art, who writes things like, “Me who?Please boo, landin' in that G2, same coloras beef stew, favorite letters: GQ. That'sme, true. Peace blue, Hebrew.”

Thug Life17Musical Poetryby Aziz JanAny expression of self can be considered an art. Rap ismost definitely an art because it is a musical form of poetry.The common argument used against rap being anart is that sometimes the lyrics don’t make sense.This is because most people do not understandwhat the lyrics really represent. Rap artists intertwinethese thoughts creatively and innovativelywithin strong rhythms and entrancing melodiesthat capture the heart and mind of the listener.Gwendolyn Brooks is the first African Americanto win the Pulitzer Prize during the mid1900s. She is best known for the poem “We RealCool”. With quick rhyming, stylized diction andtonal complexity, her short poems display hertalent as a poet. “We real cool.We left school.We lurk late. We strike straight. We sing sin. Wethin gin. We Jazz June. We die soon.” I don’tunderstand how people can criticize and mock thecommon diction of rap when poetry like this hasbeen around for nearly sixty years. Poetry is an artno doubt, as poems like this influencedTupac Shakur, who is regarded as the one of the,if not the greatest rap artist of all time because hislyrics were feverish, inspiring and meaningful.He was able to show why and how rap is an artthrough his lyrics. “I see no changes, all I see isracist faces misplacedhate makesdisgrace to raceswe under, I wonderwhat it takes tomake this one betterplace, lets erase thewasted.” This symbolizesthat eventhough the CivilRights Movementended many yearsago, all races - both black and white - have not learned tomove on from the past. Tupac is able to express his ideas usingpowerful metaphors which display his artistic talent.Rap songs are stereotyped as being racist with vulgar lyrics.However, there are songs which completely contradictthis common misconception, such as the song “Mosh” byEminem. "Just let it gradually build from the front to theback all you can see is a sea of people some white and someblack. Don't matter what color all that matters we’re gatheredtogether." Lets be honest, had I not mentioned that these werethe lyrics from a song, you would have probably assumed that Iquoted this from a poem. Eminem uses the sea as a metaphor todescribe the crowd of people who are moving in waves and havelearned to put their differences aside so they can gather togetherfor something which all of them believe in. Rap is poetry with arhythmic beat and the art of improvisational rhyming - "free styling"- is an art and a talent.Many artists such as KJ,were handed a mic and hewas able to come up withthese lyrics off the top ofhis head. “It's amazing tosee my life that I just gaveya so amazing to me JesusChrist you became thesavior to me and its neverbeen the same the way Iwould be back in the dayit would amaze ya.” Theselyrics are a metaphor ofhow KJ has become moremature over the yearsand has turned his lifearound for the better andhe is thanking God for histurnaround.Using poetic devicesand literary elements,rap artists, such as KJ,Tupac, and Eminem areable to create...Rap artists intertwine these thoughtscreatively and innovatively within strongrhythms and entrancing melodies that capturethe heart and mind of the listener.meaningful andinsightful poetrythat reflects theirpersonal thoughtsthrough vividimagination andnew meanings.People cannotsay that rap is notan art if they donot take the timeto understand the metaphorical meanings and references in thelyrics. These are the most important qualities which define rap asan art form, and while everybody is entitled to their own opinion,it is difficult to say that rap is not art, especially when it requiresmusical and poetic skills.

wherefore ARTS thou?Tasting the Forbidden FruitBy Danni KressLately you can’t go anywhere without seeing it - in bookstores, onthe TV screen, on the lips of most of thefemale population: Twilight, StephanieMeyer’s ever-popular romance serieshas taken the country by storm.Twilight provides an interesting twistfor newcomers and veterans to the onceunknown genre of vampire romance.It is not, however, a “suck on yourneck” blood-and-chocolate book, andis appropriate for both the hopeless andcloset romantic.After a vague prologue, the bookopens with the protagonist, Bella, “exiling”herself to Forks, a small, rainytown in Washington. To Bella, who’sspent her life in sunny, hot Phoenix withher mother, it’s the worst decision she could have made.Bella’s first day consists of her dodging humiliation as the clumsyChief of Police’s daughter. Her wallowing is soon replaced withcuriosity as she spies a strange group of kids sitting by themselvesduring lunch. They are pale and “devastatingly, inhumanely beautiful,”but…everyone avoids them. Bella’s newest friend Jessica eagerlyexplains that they are The Cullens. And Bella, being the dangermagnet that she is, soon finds herself attracting the attention of the“youngest” Cullen, Edward.Twilight is not a grip-the-edge-of-your-seat action book. The onlyreal action comes near the end, when Bella’s life is thrown intoserious jeopardy. In reality, the book is quite compelling as Edwardstruggles with his desire between Bella’s blood and Bella’s love.Many find it frustrating that Edward pushes her away, constantlyreminding her of his danger then later proclaims with Bella’s favoritecrooked smile that “I got tired of trying to stay away from you . . .[I’m] giving up trying to be good. I’m just going to do what I wantnow, and let the chips fall where they may.” To others this makesEdward more intriguing, showing how an otherworldly creature canbe incredibly human.Meyer does not use any clever writing style or cliffhangers to keepher readers snagged, and this may be what throws some people off,seeing as many rave about how Twilight is the best thing ever. It’sbetter than the invention of the wheel, and even tops sliced bread.People pick up the book, expecting to be wowed beyond belief atMeyer’s diction, then put it down about halfway through, lip curledin disgust. The fans tend to give it more hype than necessary, butMeyer paints a realistic portrait of a teenage girl struggling with herdecisions and emotions. Millions of readers have connected withBella on a personal level. The portrayal of the characters is part ofwhat makes the book so intriguing and loveable to the fans; Meyermakes you fall in love with Edward as Bella does.It’s easy to be fooled into thinking that the charactersare flat; the somewhat simple diction can be misleading.Edward seems like the “perfect guy,” nothing more,and Bella is seen as a complete idiot who doesn’t knowwhat she wants. If one looks closer, however, they cansee how the couple has a strong bond that goes beyondthe surface message of “true love conquers barriers”:Edward needs Bella just as much as she needs him.The die-hard Dracula fans will probably dislike thebook. After all, who ever heard of sparkling vampires,let alone ones that eat animals? Those who are open tonew twists, however, will enjoy Meyer’s portrayal of thelong-feared mythical horrors. It’s a deviation from thepoorly written blood-and-chocolate novels found in theromance section, but not a gory, violent scary story thatkeeps the kids up at night. Those who don’t like romanceshould also stay away; it may not be complete sap, butnot everyone wonders what it would be like to kiss avampire.The Forgotten HeroesBy Megan AmicucciAll Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio fans, raise your hands.Cameron Crowe aficionados, please stand up. DiabloCody enthusiasts, take one step forward.All those who don’t recognize any of these names, jointhe crowd.Sadly, like most people, you probably have not heardtheir names. Undoubtedly, however, you’ve seen theirwork. Box office hits like Pirates of the Carribbean,Jerry Maguire and, more recently, the Oscar winningJuno.No, they didn’t direct these films. They wrote them.In Hollywood, and from the general public, accoladesmore often go to the director, the person behind thecamera. But what about the person behind the keyboard?What about the screenwriters? After all, without words,there’s no story. Without story, there’s no movie. I heardonce that a good director can make a good screenplaygreat. But even a great director cannot make a badscreenplay good. It seems like an obvious truth but onethat is usually missed.When we are disappointed with a movie, we should ask

Monet to Dali20Review: Modern Mastersfrom the Cleveland Museumof ArtsBy Drew BrophyThe Cultural District of Detroit is an interesting placeon a Sunday afternoon in October. Sitting off ofWoodward, the Detroit Institute of Arts has a strikinglysimilar façade color to the grey sky, but insidethe building, apathy is nowhereto be found. That timea day, the DIA is home to trueart lovers and a few families.As I entered the new wing ofthe DIA to their newest specialexhibit, Monet to Dali, Iwondered whether Cleveland’smasterpieces would live upto the web site and the billboardsaround Metro Detroit.It was, after all, the big namesof modern European paintingwith Van Gogh, Monet,Picasso, and Dali’s works allin attendance. The ClevelandMuseum of Art loaned paintingsfrom its respectable museumto the DIA, but I did notknow the magic number wasseventy-five works. I thought a short line was a badomen, but I was wrong. I was not ready for how goodof an exhibit Monet to Dali was.People can appreciate this exhibit whetherthey have been in Ms. K’s AP Art History Class ornot. The exhibit is split into five distinctive categories:“Nature’s Quiet Inspiration,” “An Age of Anxiety,”“The Spirit of Experimentation,” “The Life ofthe Mind,” and “The Energy of Modern City Life.”Dividing these emotional topics was a wise choicedone by Director Graham Beal, European ModernArts Curator MaryAnn Wilkinson, and the DIA staff.I counted among the works seven Picassos, six Rodinsculptures, two Van Goghs, and works by the majorityof major European painter from around 1870 to a littleafter World War II.Throughout the exhibit, there is one painting oreven perhaps two that are in tune with the visitor’s emotions—evenone if the visitor is feeling museum-inducedboredom. One painting that really captivated me was LaVie, an allegorical painting by Pablo Picasso from hisBlue Period. The story goes that Picasso painted this afterone of his friends committed suicide over unrequitedlove. It was painted in 1905 and features a seeminglypregnant nude holding a naked man (Picasso’s friend)with an older, unhappy woman holding a baby next tothem. Previous Picasso works are featured in the background.This painting is beautiful and Picasso’s work atits most emotional. Not only that, but likemost other paintings, explained clearly inwriting and through headphones.Karl Schmidt-Rottluff’s Self-Portraitwith Hat (see page 2) also defined thediversity of this museum. I had neverheard of this German Expressionist beforehis sharp brushstrokes and bold colorsentered my eyes. Even with these seeminglystrong traits, his use of dull yellowsto simulate streetlight reflection make hispainting a quintessential edition to the sectionon city life. The painting has almosta cyber-punk feel that shows the range ofpaintings within the exhibit.The Detroit Institute of Arts has providedme with a great opportunity to lookat the work of artistic masters, and ClevelandMuseum of Art has impressed mewith its collection. Now, they need to get more peopledown to Detroit’s Cultural District to see the seventy-fivepaintings and sculptures in a brand-new wing. The DIAhas an excellent exhibit in Monet to Dali and is fulfillingits tagline “Great Art. Fresh Start.”Monet to Dali runs Oct. 12, 2008 to Jan. 18, 2009 at theDetroit Institute of Arts. It features selected works from theCleveland Museum of Arts, including Monet, Dali, van Gogh,Renoir, Degas, Matisse, Picasso and Rodin. Sponsored byBank of America with additional support from MichiganCouncil for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the City of Detroit.Photo Courtesy of Cleveland Museum of Art

The Politics of the Four-Letter WordThe Scrivener’s Election 2008 CoverageBy Claire PeracchioAh, the four-letter word. We utter them when westub our toes, drop our cell phones, or are stuck in traffic.But lately, the four-letter word has been making a comeback.With a sputtering economy and a soaring jobless rate, itseems that these words have become the knee-jerk reflexesthat punctuate our daily misfortunes. They’re short, convenient,and make you feel oh-so-rebellious. But, would itbe a stretch to say that the 2008 election was decided by afour-letter word? My answer, sans four-letter word in deferenceto your prim sensitivities, is simply yes. The truth isthat ever since Moses saw it burn in the Old Testament, wehave held a special place in our hearts for one word: Bush.With over three-quarters of the American people disapprovingof the president’s conduct, it seems that blaming Bushhas become the convenient cure-all for our nation’s achesand pains. It is obvious that Bush bludgeoned our economylike a rampaging Viking, starred in that vapid Oliver Stonebiopic, exiled the Dalai Lama, and went back in time toshoot down Amelia Earhart and start the 1871 Chicago fire.And if you were wondering why last month’s chicken pattieswere black and covered in scales: blame Bush. He whippedup each one just for you. Bush has even been immortalizedon the illustrious web pages of the Urban Dictionary as atransitive verb meaning “to struggle or have difficulty witheverything.” I’m sure John McCain is at this very momentmuttering, “I really Bushed that one.”It didn’t help that McCain ran a terrible campaign.Perhaps his worst sin was failing to distance himself fromthe aforementioned president with whom he voted 90% ofthe time. From the lack of a coherent message to folksygaffes, McCain had it all. McCain’s most salient economicmissteps included a senior McCain advisor’s description ofthe electorate as “a nation of whiners” and McCain’s emphaticdeclaration on the eve of the collapse of the Americanfinancial sector that “the fundamentals of our economy arestrong.” Well, it turned out that this statement was tantamountto mistaking your 78 year-old grandmother for HulkHogan, and McCain paid a steep political price. In the midstof the financial crisis that he had previously denied, the bestthat McCain could do was to “suspend his campaign” for72 hours and vouch that his mere presence in Washingtonwould fix things. Well, the Messiah-complex didn’t work,and McCain left our nation’s capital in the same state as ithad existed when he arrived. His economic policies, withtheir emphasis on the tried-and-true tax cuts and endingpork-barrel spending, failed to register with the Americanpeople as a clear divergence from those of Bush. Yet whatreally got to me was the fact that McCain was always referringto me as one of “my friends,” offering an avuncularlittle smile or a double thumbs up that just made me feel likeI was privy to a disturbing conspiracy. This phrase may haveworked if McCain were the kind of guy with whom I wouldwant to be friends, but his friendship with Sarah Palin mademe opt out of that exclusive club. Although Palin initiallyproved an asset to the ticket by energizing the conservativebase, her stunning ignorance was evidenced by a series ofabysmal interview performances and her inability to name anewspaper that she reads, determine the constitutional roleof the vice president, cite a Supreme Court case, and recognizethat Africa is a continent not a country. Though McCainbased his candidacy on the notion that he was “ready to lead,”his vice presidential pick consistently demonstrated that theonly thing she was ready for was another shot at a gradeschooldiploma. And worst of all, Sarah Palin in all of herword-mangling, geography-shirking glory just reminded us ofall that we find so un-adorable about George W. Bush.In this climate of unprecedented Republican disorderand unpopularity, the Democrat fortunate enough tobe seeking the presidency was Barack Obama. This was anopportunity that even Al Gore would have trouble screwingup. Obama may be the most liberal and inexperienced manto attain the presidency in recent times, yet you would neverknow that from his campaign. Obama had the political acumento run on the one mantra that united the vast majorityof the country: change. He fleshed out his proposals to cuttaxes for the middle class and lower health care premiums ata time when these bread-and-butter issues, not his reportedlinks to middle-aged terrorists, were at the forefront of voters’minds. He was the David to slay the Goliath of thosescheming Clintons, and his life story is multicultural enoughto make even the most callous college admissions officerweep for joy. It also helped that he had more money thanGod (or Mitt Romney) and perhaps the best get-out-the-voteoperation that America has ever seen. Obama shattered allprevious records for campaign fund-raising, and he did mostof it through the Internet with impressive numbers like the$150 million raised in the month of September alone. As forfervent supporters, Obama was able to build his campaignfrom the bottom up with legions of impassioned Obamaniacsstaffing campaign offices in every corner of the country. Yetwhat was most remarkable about the Obama campaign wasits imperturbable message discipline. Not only did he dilutethe Bush-weary zeitgeist into the perennially catchy “Yes WeCan” and “Change We Need,” but he knew just what to say toappeal to the average American voter and to send all the folksat MSNBC into apoplectic fits of Obama-worship. His stumplines about “turning the page on the past eight years” were, inthe words of T-Pain, “money in the bank.” The Obama campaigneven had the genius to convince the American peoplethat Bush and the Republicans were the sole purveyors of a

Politics Continuedfinancial crisis for which both parties are equally culpable.On the night he made history, Barack Obama said, “If thereis anyone who still doubts that America is a place where allthings are possible, who still wonders if the dream of ourfounders is alive in our time, who still questions the powerof our democracy, tonight is your answer.” For the sakeof our country, I hope Obama is right. The 2008 electionproved that an impeccable campaign, the vilification of acertain four-letter word, and a horrible economy can trumpboth race and a suggestive middle name. Yet Obama’s victorybroke barriers in more ways than one. Not only did hebecome the first African-American to be elected president,but he did so by earning more votes than any presidentialcandidate in history. Obama won a majority of men, Catholics,Latinos, and even 68% of new voters in a staggeringvictory that left him with 52% of the popular vote. Videoof celebratory Kenyans and hula-dancing revelers in theJapanese town of Obama left Americans with a novel imageof foreigners joyously crying over American flags instead ofburning them. Now that is change I can believe in. Yet withthe country in a state of turmoil, people are expecting evenmore immediate change. When a CNN anchor asked hisviewers what they expect of an Obama presidency, one SanFrancisco resident responded matter-of-factly, “world peaceby 2012.” This is, of course, an unattainable goal. It seemsthat after eight years of rule under a certain four-letter word,Americans spoke up for change and perhaps a miracle. Andas far as miracles go, the only thing we have left is brazen,unadulterated hope ― a four-letter word that never goes outof style.Hockey Preview Cont.With the hockey season quickly approaching, I feel theneed to stress how important it is to support the team. Not havinga football team hurts the school’s pride a bit, but that can berestored through the hockey team, especially here in Michigan.There is a great deal to look forward to this season and especiallyin the seasons to come. Many changes are being made throughoutthe program, and they all appear to be beneficial. The most drasticchange is the hiring of new head coach Robb McIntyre. Also, wehave gained some high caliber players, that in the past, we couldnot have acquired. There are ample returning players, and a fairamount of freshmen who have stepped up to the challenge. Allof these things are just a few reasons to come out and support theteam in the impending 08-09 season.This season is special because it is the first season with newhead coach, Robb McIntyre. That may sound extremely trivial,but that is because you simply do not understand who he is.McIntyre has been coaching all over southeastern Michigan forten years, and if you ask anyone in the hockey world about him,their response will not leave you pondering how good of a coachhe truly is. Playing at a very high level himself, he brings muchknowledge and passion to the rink everyday. His coaching style isalso different to ones the team has seen in recent years. Hiscomprehension of the game along with his superb coachingstyle is really giving the team a great advantage physicallyand mentally. McIntyre is the coach who is going to get thisprogram back to competing with Cranbrook Kingswoodand Detroit Catholic Central.Along with Robb, there are new players coming in whoare really going to help the team prosper this season. Althoughhe can not play until after Christmas break becauseof student-athlete transfer rules he may prove to be themost prominent player on the team. David McIntyre is ajunior in his first year at Liggett and he is a goaltender whohas an impressive résumé, playing at the AAA level. He isgoing to be a tremendous advantage to the team, and I’msure he will be the difference in big games. Another newplayer to look forward to watching this year, and in theyears to come, is Jake Hodges. He is a freshmen defenderwho brings size and skill to the table. He has plenty of timeto mature, and in the future, he will most likely be the coreof the program. These two players are really going to helpthe team persevere this year, but their real impact will be ontheir long term benefit to the program.We also have a plethora of returning players. Three keyreturnees on the offensive side are seniors Drew Amato,Kyle Keith, and Erik Litch. On the defensive side are juniorsRory Deane, Macgregor Decker, and Jimmy Palmer.Finally, junior Dan Zukas will be returning from his 2ndteam all-state sophomore year performance. If you come togames he will most certainly have you holding onto yoursocks whether it is with a big hit or a dazzling dangle. Inaddition to the returning players, other big draws are thenumerous freshmen suiting up, and the delectable hot dogsat the concession stand. With all of these players on the ice,it is your job to come and support them.With all of these changes, it would be a bonus tohave a winning season. You may not believe it, but youcan be a big part of helping the team accomplish that. Fansupport is a very important part of the game, playing in arowdy atmosphere can really boost the team’s morale andperformance. Also, this years schedule does not includepower house teams like Flint Powers and Saint Mary’sCatholic Central that were state runner-up and third placein the state tournament respectively. This means everygame is going to be competitive, so come out to McCann,conveniently placed on our campus, give our team theedge, and support the Knights.With the hockey season quickly approaching, I feel theneed to stress how important it is to support the team. Nothaving a football team hurts the school’s pride a bit, butthat can be restored through the hockey team, especiallyhere in Michigan. There is a great deal to look forward tothis season and especially in the seasons to come. Manychanges are being made throughout the program, and theyall appear to be beneficial. The most drastic change is thehiring of new head coach Robb McIntyre. Also, we havegained some high caliber players, that in the past, we couldnot have acquired. There are ample returning players, and afair amount of freshmen who have stepped up to the challenge.All of these things are just a few reasons to come out

and support the team in the impending 08-09 season.This season is special because it is the first season withnew head coach, Robb McIntyre. That may sound extremelytrivial, but that is because you simply do not understandwho he is. McIntyre has been coaching all over southeasternMichigan for ten years, and if you ask anyone in thehockey world about him, their response will not leave youpondering how good of a coach he truly is. Playing at avery high level himself, he brings much knowledge andpassion to the rink everyday. His coaching style is alsodifferent to ones the team has seen in recent years. Hiscomprehension of the game along with his superb coachingstyle is really giving the team a great advantage physicallyand mentally. McIntyre is the coach who is going to get thisprogram back to competing with Cranbrook Kingswoodand Detroit Catholic Central.Along with Robb, there are new players coming in whoare really going to help the team prosper this season. Althoughhe can not play until after Christmas break becauseof student-athlete transfer rules he may prove to be themost prominent player on the team. David McIntyre is ajunior in his first year at Liggett and he is a goaltender whohas an impressive résumé, playing at the AAA level. He isgoing to be a tremendous advantage to the team, and I’msure he will be the difference in big games. Another newplayer to look forward to watching this year, and in theyears to come, is Jake Hodges. He is a freshmen defenderwho brings size and skill to the table. He has plenty of timeto mature, and in the future, he will most likely be the coreof the program. These two players are really going to help 23the team persevere this year, but their real impact will be ontheir long term benefit to the program.We also have a plethora of returning players. Three keyreturnees on the offensive side are seniors Drew Amato,Kyle Keith, and Erik Litch. On the defensive side are juniorsRory Deane, Macgregor Decker, and Jimmy Palmer.Finally, junior Danny Zukas will be returning from his 2ndteam all-state sophomore year performance. If you come togames he will most certainly have you holding onto yoursocks whether it is with a big hit or a dazzling dangle. Inaddition to the returning players, other big draws are thenumerous freshmen suiting up, and the delectable hot dogsat the concession stand. With all of these players on the ice,it is your job to come and support them.With all of these changes, it would be a bonus tohave a winning season. You may not believe it, but youcan be a big part of helping the team accomplish that. Fansupport is a very important part of the game, playing in arowdy atmosphere can really boost the team’s morale andperformance. Also, this years schedule does not includepower house teams like Flint Powers and Saint Mary’sCatholic Central that were state runner-up and third placein the state tournament respectively. This means everygame is going to be competitive, so come out to McCann,conveniently placed on our campus, give our team theedge, and support the Knights.Letters to the Editor:In response to the October 2008 issue“Dr e w Am at o ’s h a i k u c o m p l i m e n t i n g [Oc t o b e r 2008’s] j o u r n a l t h e m e h e l p e d m e to r e e va l u at e m y t h o u g h t sa b o u t f i r e d r i l l s in g e n e r a l. I w o u l d p r e f e r to l i v e in a c o u n t ry w h e r e m o n s o o n s w e r e m o r e f r e q u e n t a n dt h e r e f o r e f i r e d r i l l s w o u l d b e a w a s t e o f t i m e.”--Conrad Wolfe (freshman)“Da n n i Kr e s s’s s t o ry, w h i l e a m a z i n g ly w e l l w r i t t e n, w a s q u i t e r e p e t i t i v e. In fa c t, t h e s e c o n d h a l f is j u s t ar e p e at o f t h e first h a l f—w o r d f o r w o r d . So m e h o w I d o n’t t h i n k s h e is to b l a m e f o r t h i s.”--Virginia Brown (sophomore)“Th e t r u e w o r d s in Mr. Fi s h e r’s ‘Th e Tr u t h’ a rt i c l e n u m b e r a b o u t a s m a n y a s t h o s e in ‘Li g g e t t Fo o t b a l lUp d at e .’ Al l t h e s a m e , t h e s e n i o r s a r e a n a m a z i n g c l a s s, o n e o f i n c r e d i b l e d e c e n c y a n d g r e at n e s s.”--Teddy Anderson (junior)“U GOT INTO LOYOLA U. CONGRATS!”-- acceptance letter sent as a text message to a ULS seniorSend your thoughts to Mr. Mock via e-mail and real letters may actually be submitted.

Michigan State Football Continuedship. Though the 2006 game didn’t have the same implicationsas the “game of the century,” it still proved to be avital game for the Spartans, not just for this particular seasonbut for Smith’s footprint at Michigan State. Strugglescontinued the rest of the season, and the 4-8 record put thenail in the coffin as Smith’s tenure at State came to a haltshortly after the season’s end.Looking to go in a new direction, the Spartans hiredCincinnati ‘s Mark Dantonio. With the organization in needof revival, Dantonio was hired to play the role of resurrectingthe once prominent program. Perhaps unfairly, Dantoniowas going to be critiqued and watched like a hawk.Every move and every step was going to be analyzed to tryto restore the rich tradition of Michigan State football. Noleash has ever been tighter than the one on Dantonio.With new personnel and a new scheme, the Spartanswere ready to take the field for the 2007 season. Onceagain, the Spartans got off to another fast start with a 4-0record. Great beginnings were becoming to be routine forthem. Unfortunately, finishing poorly was also routine.With Brandon Hoyer at the helm, and Ringer in the backfield,the Spartans battled their way to a 7-5 record, earningthemselves their first bowl game bid since the 2003 season.They drew Boston College as their opponent, and thoughthey came up short, they showed they had grit in a verycompetetive game. A bowl game appearance was a goal forthe Spartans, and through determination and trust in theirnew commander, the Spartans prevailed and achieved theirgoal. With improvements from the first year of Dantonio’sreign, spirits and hopes were beginning to lift once againamong Spartan faithfuls. For the first time in years, therewas anxiety flowing through Spartans and their fans for thebirth of a new season.The 2008 season kicked off in Berkley, Californiaagainst the Golden Bears. Uncertainity still surroundedGreen and White. After an opening season loss, the Spartanswent on a tear. For the first time in a very long time,they looked like an unstoppable force - a bullet train withno plans of stopping or slowing down. Unfortunately, thattrain had a stop in East Lansing against Ohio State. TheSpartans entered the game with a 6-1 record. They seemedunprepared to play in the game, and they were severelyoutplayed and out-coached. They looked like the Spartansof the past, choking under the gun in a big game. Thisgame had many fans looking back at Britney Spears’ videoyet again. No one was sure of how the Spartans wouldrebound from such an embarrassing loss but to the surpriseof many, the Spartans throttled in-state rival Michigan ina 35-21 victory. The win over Michigan was followed bytwo more victories over Big Ten opponents.The last game of the season proved to be their biggestobstacle in their path to becoming a national power. A win,and Michigan State football would become revitalized as ateam to be reckoned with in all of college football. Unfortunately,those were no more than aspirations and dreams,as the Spartans failed to prove themselves against an eliteteam - the Penn St. Nittany Lions. In the general publiceye, this game was already over before the opening kickoff,and the Spartans did nothing to alter that perception.This abomination shows that while the 2008 season brokemany bad habits from earlier years, the team still has a lotof room for improvement. This loss did not mean the endof the season, however. The Spartans still have somethingto play for as they gear up for a high-profile bowl gameappearance, potentially against a team from the SEC. Thisgame should serve as a launchpad for future success in theMichigan State football program.FILLER SPACE:Because You Aren’t Writing!If you are interested insubmitting an article forThe Scrivener or write aletter to the editor, pleasecontact Mr Mock by e-mail at smock@uls.org orsee him in room 202.The views and opinions expressed by Scrivenerjournalists are not neccessarily those of UniversityLiggett School, the editors, the English Department,other writers, or the faculty advisor.

U of M FootballContinuedally, he was granted the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards.Possibly the greatest Wolverine of all time, Tom Harmon ismost distinguished for his running abilities, but he playedquarterback and kicker as well. In eight games, he played 60minutes. Harmon led Michigan in a 40-0 shutout over OhioState to cap off his college career. Without a doubt, these playerswere naturally gifted, but much of their excellence is due tosuperior Michigan coaching. Two Wolverine coaches stand outas the best; Fielding Yost and Bo Schembechler. Michigan owesits tradition of excellence to Fielding Yost. In his record 25 seasons,he won 165 games and has the highest winning percentage(.833) of anyone to coach at Michigan for over two years.He won ten conference championships and 6 national titles. Ata time when college football’s popularity was rapidly swelling,Yost hoisted the Wolverines to the top of the college footballworld. Bo Schembechler brought a fierce and tenacious attitudeback to Michigan football when it appeared lifeless and beaten.“Those who stay will be champions.” This was Bo’s mantra.Players clung to these words as Bo worked his teams to theirbreaking point and sought a level of excellence that no Michigancoach had previously dared to attain. Games were viewedas a welcome break from Bo’s grueling practice routines. Thismerciless coaching style translated into success. The Wolverines,under Schembechler, developed a smash mouth persona.Playing against Bo’s teams meant you would lose or celebrateyour near victory in a hospital bed. From 1969 on, Bo won 194games and 13 Big Ten titles in 21 seasons. In his first season,Bo’s Wolverines were a heavy underdog to a Buckeye team thathad won 22 straight games. The previous year’s 50-14 loss toOhio State was humiliating as OSU attempted a two-point conversionafter their final touchdown. When asked what prompteda two-point conversion, Ohio State’s coach responded, “BecauseI couldn’t go for three.” It was this arrogance that fueledthe Wolverines’ monumental upset of the Buckeyes, which alsogranted a share of that season’s Big Ten title. These outstandingplayers and coaches are most assuredly the greatest in Wolverinehistory.When thinking of Michigan football, three teams are associatedwith the Wolverines. The Michigan State Spartans,the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the Ohio State Buckeyesare Michigan’s rivals. These games can turn any season around180 degrees. The winner claims bragging rights while the loserwaits in a year of anguish until revenge presents itself. Therivalry with Michigan State is unique. It is Michigan’s onlyintrastate rivalry and frequently generates quarrel among familymembers. Existing over 100 years, the rivalry is prominent, butviewed differently by each school. For the Spartans, Michiganis their greatest rival and the game determines the success ofeach season. Regardless of their other opponents, the Wolverinesare the Spartan’s most significant opponent. Michigan hasa less devoted role however. It is important to beat MichiganState but in many ways, it is just another win. When Michiganbeats the Spartans, they were supposed to. When Michigan Statebeats the Wolverines, the Spartan’s season is a success. The recordof the rivalry is in favor of the Wolverines at 67-29-5. The NotreDame rivalry is Michigan’s newest. Escalating to an annual meetingin 1978, the two “winningest” college football programs faceoff every September. This rivalry began as a friendly relationship.In 1887, Michigan players arrived at Notre Dame to teach football.Notre dame has competed in college football ever since. In the1960’s, Michigan’s attendance was near 67,000 in a stadium ableto support over 90,000. Michigan’s athletic director solved thisattendance issue using a solution offered by Notre Dame’s athleticdirector. He suggested that Michigan and Notre Dame competeannually. This idea has flourished into an intense rivalry betweentwo of the greatest college football programs. Michigan holdsthe upper hand in the series with a record of 20-15-1. The rivalrybetween Michigan and Ohio State is perhaps the greatest rivalry insports. The Wolverines and Buckeyes have collided in their regularseason finales for over 100 years, but this clash of titans wasnot caused by a single spark. No single action ignited the hatredthat fuels this annual battle. It is the intense loathing of defeat andheavy yearning to be the best that kindles this magnificent standoffin Ann Arbor or Columbus. Even the most admirable coaches andplayers are defined by their actions in this rivalry. When theseteams kickoff, all other games are left behind and regardless ofprior performance, 100 percent is given in pursuit of triumph. Thestakes of the rivalry are frequently a Big Ten title and/or a trip toa national championship game. The winning team earns a year’sworth of bragging rights. For the losers and their fans, the wintersare arduous and the wounds of defeat remain painful until themaize and blue take on the scarlet and grey the following November.The Wolverines also lead this rivalry with a record of 57-41-6.Recently, groans can be heard in relation to the Wolverine’sperformance. However, Michigan has not simply vanished fromthe realm of excellence with no return in sight. In truth, Michigandid not excel to its potential in 2007. Beginning that season witha loss to Appalachian State and a blowout loss to Oregon was nothow the Wolverines envisioned starting a season destined for a nationaltitle. Perhaps it was destiny that one of the oldest and moststoried college football programs would be victim to arguablythe greatest upset in college football history. On the other hand,how does a team prepare to play a division 1-AA team? With nouseful game film of Appalachian State, Michigan entered theiropener unaware of the extremely talented quarterback, lightningquick receivers, and tenacious pass defense that was destined todefeat them. However, the 2007 season was not defined by thesedemoralizing defeats. After winning the next eight games, confusionarose. Since Michigan can beat division 1 opponents, whyis Appalachian State not considered a powerful college footballteam and why was the loss to Appalachian State an upset? TheWolverines ended that season in the Capital One Bowl, defeatingthe Florida Gators and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.That season’s final record was 9-4. This was not a usual Michiganrecord, but it was anything but a failure. The current Wolverinesare young but full of potential. Currently, their youth is prominentover their potential and unfortunately, the team lacks the experienceto excel to Michigan’s standard of superiority. The talent ispresent at times, but as a whole, the team is not yet ready to winon a regular basis. Another reason for the Wolverine’s recent performanceis the increased talent of common college football play-

26ers. All divisions of college football have seen an increaseathletic ability. The supernatural college athletes are less of acommodity and talented football players are spread throughoutcollege football making every division more competitive.Undefeated dynasties and hopeless underdogs are beingissued out by an era of universal competitiveness. Even thesupposed weak teams pose a threat to any opponent. DespiteMichigan’s recent performance and the increase in collegefootball’s skill level, the Wolverines will reclaim their throneatop college football.Michigan football is in the midst of many changes. Themost prolific is compensating for the retirement of long timehead coach, Lloyd Carr. As a head coach retires, loose endsare quick to follow. Even for the greatest programs, successis rarely achieved immediately following the loss of adistinct coaching figure. Frequently, the responsibilities of acollege football coach are underestimated. Coaches must developa competitive team between January and August. Theyfight for recruits against every school in the country. Afterrecruiting, they teach the new 18 year old boys to competeagainst juniors and seniors in an immensely physical game.These thorough steps complicate the creation of a strongteam, especially for new coaches. For the Wolverine’s, RichRodriguez and his expertise of the spread offense has replacedLloyd Carr. The traditional smash mouth running andpocket passing of past Michigan teams will change to a highscoring, spread attack. Rodriguez implemented this offenseat West Virginia and restored the Mountaineers to a prominentstatus in college football. Although Michigan doesnot yet have the personnel or talent to perform his offenseproperly, it is a matter of time before the right players cometo play for the Wolverines.Possibly the greatest component of Michigan footballis their stadium. Referred to as the “Big House,” MichiganStadium holds the record for attendance in the United States.At 107,501, Michigan Stadium held the largest capacityuntil 2008. Penn State’s Beaver Stadium currently holds thelargest capacity due to the renovations underway at the BigHouse. Upon completion, Michigan Stadium’s capacity willbe over 108,000 and will once again be the largest in theUnited States. The renovations include two mammoth additionsto the east and west sides of the main bowl. The clubseating within these press boxes will be shielded by largewindows that block the brisk, fall winds and serve as noisebarriers, increasing the roar of the crowd. Costing $950,000,it was constructed in 1927. The stadium includes an extraseat that’s location is unknown reserved for renowned Wolverine,Fritz Crisler. A steam shovel used during constructionis rumored to be buried underneath the field. At its inauguralopening, Michigan Stadium’s capacity was 72,000, but thecrowd has exceeded 100,000 people since October of 1975.The largest crowd in the stadium’s history was against OhioState in 2003 when 112,118 people watched the Wolverinesbeat the Buckeyes 35-21. As described, there is nothing likeMichigan Stadium. Passing under the cement archways,nothing can prevent the overwhelming feeling of beinginvolved in something unfathomable. The Big House is trulyan astonishing feat and will continue to amaze the many thatenter it for years to come.The Michigan Wolverines are not simply a football program.They represent a ritual affair that summons the masses devoted toa single calling; the culture, heritage and tradition surrounding AnnArbor on a fall Saturday. Whereas sporting events generally take upan afternoon or evening, Michigan games require an entire day to beexperienced properly. It’s impossible to truly obtain all that Michiganfootball offers without arriving early and wandering all through campus.Indisputably, the epicenter of the entire occasion is the game,but every part of campus displays something fun and interesting. Iurge everyone to take full advantage given the opportunity to attenda Wolverine game. In closing, this piece could only be concludedappropriately by recalling Bo Schembechler’s famous quotation,“Those who stay will be champions.” Bo’s mantra has grown into adepiction of the entire university. This statement of confidence personifiesMichigan football and should be vindicated now more thanever.Fantasy of a Layout Editor

The University Liggett School Logo Poll Results178 Students and Teachers were polled on 5 questions dealing with the new and old logos...Here are the resultsWhat is your opinion on the new logo?What is your opinion on the old logo?12.4% No Opinion10% No Opinion11.2% Like it8% Didn’t Like it76.4% Don’t Like It 82% Liked It17% Not Sure15% Not Sure13% Yes14% No70% No 71% YesIs the symbolism of the new logo clear?Is the symbolism of the old logo clear?

The ScrivenerUniversity Liggett School1045 Cook RoadGrosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236Drew BrophyWhitman guides The Scrivener in sounding itsbarbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.