GET INVOLVED! NOIZ Staff

The
NOIZ
March 16, 2012
Table of Contents
Volume 1, Issue 3
GET INVOLVED!
Student Life ………...…...pg. 2
By Travis Toth
Feature ……………..……pg. 3
Basketball………..….....pg. 4-5
Religion…….………..…..pg. 6
Entertainment….....……...pg. 7
Crowd Noiz…....………...pg. 8
Don’t skip! This is not a Ron Paul
advertisement. And no, this is also not a
forum to bash or praise any of the other
candidates. This is a plea for students to
get more involved in the political
spectrum.
Many of you are probably already
aware that I have been involved with
the Ron Paul Campaign for some time
now — setting up shop, canvassing,
rallying, etc. What you don’t know is
why I have chosen to get involved in
something that a lot of people might
write off as weird. The actions of
politicians are affecting the world that
today’s youth step into.
It is becoming increasingly
apparent that a massive changeup has to
occur in Washington; it’s up to our
generation to make it happen. Who
elected President Obama into office?
Independents and young, active voters.
This is why it’s important that more
youth get involved in today’s political
environment. We do make a difference
— when we try.
The next president is going to
make a big difference in the future and
direction of America. We could elect
somebody who carelessly spends
money we don’t have on big
government programs like Obamacare,
supports massive debt, and fails to unite
America. Or, we could elect somebody
who wants to eliminate the big
government programs, spending, debt,
and prevent America from venturing
into a welfare state. It’s partly up to
you.
Getting involved is not tough. All
it takes is a little determination and
some extra free time. The election is not
over. The Michigan primary has come
and gone, but in a few months, two
political campaigns will seek your
support to achieve their goal of winning
the Michigan vote in the general
election.
Volunteering for a political
campaign also doesn’t have to be
limited to a presidential election. One
could even argue that a local or state
political campaign will have more
impact on an individual than a
presidential election. Presidents rarely
focus on particular parts of a nation.
Local elections offer you the ability to
form connections that could very well
help you and your future.
Volunteering for a political
campaign looks great on a resume or
even a college application, because it
helps build an image of who you are
individually. It could also make for an
interesting essay on your college
application.
So, get out and make a difference!
You don’t have to be 18 to start!
NOIZ Staff
Journalists: Olivia Baker, Rachel Postma,
Andrew Deppe, Travis Toth,
Jeremy Edouard, Ethan Tuinstra,
Abby Klett
Editor-in-Chief: Mrs. G. Edouard
Managing Editor: Madison Drew
Student Life
Youth in Government – The Place to Be
By Caryn Baker
Matt Moorman, Lynnae Doll,
Cayte Baker, and I participated in
a program called Michigan Youth
in Government (MYIG) a couple
weeks ago. MYIG is a conference
that takes place at the Capitol
where students learn firsthand how
our government works. You can
sign up for many different
programs within MYIG.
Matt, Lynnae, Cayte and I
participated in the Senate. We
encountered both strange and
practical bills. We were given the
opportunity to argue from a
Biblical standpoint in a place
where secular ideas were
prevalent. It was tough. But, it is
one of the greatest ways to learn
how to defend your faith outside of
the classroom. Lynnae said, “It’s
always an eye opener and a great
opportunity to get out of our
reformed comfort zone. We fight
against issues which aren’t even
considered in our communities –
brothels, gambling on a state level,
[and] lowering the age of consent.
I pray we were able to be a bright
witness for Christ.”
Matt sums it up perfectly,
“YIG is like having two classes in
one. It not only provides an insight
into our governmental system, but
also an opportunity to witness.”
MYIG is also a bit of a party.
When we are not discussing
legislature in the Capitol, we are at
the hotel hanging out and having a
blast. This year we spent our free
time line dancing in the hallways,
watching funny YouTube videos,
and more. Even if you’re not into
government, it’s still fun.
Contest Winner
By Abby Klett
Nick Kuyers won first place
for Zion Christian in the America
& Me Essay Contest. All
Michigan 8th graders were able to
write an essay for the contest on
the topic “My Personal Hero.”
Over 400 schools participated.
Nick’s essay will advance to
the state level competition where
the top ten essays will be selected.
His name will be engraved on a
permanently displayed plaque at
the school. Anna Carbone came
in second and Isaac Postma came
in third. All the winners received
a certificate for their
accomplishment.
If the school were given a large sum of money, how would you want it to be used?
Poll Results: Computers: 21%, Football Fields: 23%, Other: 56%
Results for the January mystery person: Olivia Carbone
March Mystery Person
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
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I like steak
I love the Hunger Games
My favorite animated movie is Despicable Me
I really want to travel the world
My favorite flower is lilac
Feature
Gina Bina
By Rachel Postma
Before Zion
got acquainted with Gina
Oosterhouse, she attended Heritage Christian School.
When Gina finally did come to Zion she was
introduced to a bunch of new people. She “liked
Zion better because everyone got along, everybody
knew everybody, and the people were very nice.”
Gina dreams of becoming an actress in comedy
movies. I think Gina would do an excellent job. But
even closer to her heart is the dream of being a mom
and working part-time. She can’t wait to tell her kids
“Get to bed!” (I’m sure you can relate). Of course, in
order to have kids you’re supposed to be married.
Gina agreed she would definitely rather marry a
superhero than a villain. Not the Hulk because “he’s
too green,” so she figured it would have to be “either
Superman, Batman, or Ironman.” But she was not
quite sure and would “have to research it.”
Some people have a list of things to do before
turning 18 or in other cases before they die. On top
of Gina’s to-do list is to “graduate from high
school.” Eventually she would like to visit Italy and
Australia. Gina has already been out of the states a
few times. She has gone on fishing trips with her
family to Rice Lake and other lakes in Canada.
All of us obviously resemble our parents,
usually one more than the other. If you have met
Gina’s parents, you would know that she definitely
takes after her dad. They both have a good sense of
humor and are hilarious. They are both competitive
when it comes to sports. They are also excellent
motivators for their team mates, especially right
before a game.
One question Gina particularly struggled with
was “what do you value more, food or sleep?” And
rightfully so. Choosing one over the other is
understandably difficult. If you think about it, food
and sleep are a couple of the most essential elements
in a human’s life. You need both of them to survive.
So the question
really is...what do
you value a greater
quantity of: food or
sleep?
She
eventually conceded
that food has a
higher value because
“it’s delicious, and
well, sleep….you
can take naps.”
On weekends,
Gina likes hanging
out with friends,
watching sports, going to a friend’s house, watching
movies, etc. Her first choice of color is pink. Her
preferred genre of music is country. She enjoys
listening to Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney.
She favors the season of summer which she thinks
“should be longer.” She says the best sport is
softball, and if you’ve seen her play, you would
know why. We’re talking fast-pitch all star!!
3
Baske
Boys Varsity
Disappointing End to a Disappointing Year
By Andrew Deppe
The final buzzer sounded, and the tears began to
flow. The end of the varsity basketball season meant
the end of some students’ basketball careers at least
at Zion Christian School. The team had a
disappointing year according to most people. No one
plays to lose or likes to lose, but the boys on this
team accomplished more than just winning and
losing. They played together as a team. Playing as a
team develops character and prepares one in
everyday life long after the season, or even after high
school. They definitely didn’t win all their games,
but they applied themselves in all of them. A 5-16
record doesn’t tell everything about this team.
With their last loss coming in the first round of
districts, the four seniors ended their basketball days
at Zion. Austin Petter, Jordan Baker, Daniel Stanley,
and Malachi Pasma always wanted to win, but they
showed me more than that. They showed me how to
have a good attitude whether you win or lose, and
they showed great leadership as the seniors on the
team. They leave Zion having set an example we,
underclassmen, can learn a lot from. I would like to
thank them for their leadership and for helping me
become a better teammate and a better person.
Although the next years look bright for this
varsity team, we can’t forget about these four seniors
who paved the way for us to succeed in the coming
years. We will never forget you, seniors. Thank you.
Girls Varsity
What They Did and Didn’t Do
By Jeremy Edouard
This year the Zion varsity girls had a lot going
for them. All the starters from last year returned, and
senior Olivia Carbone joined the team to help anchor
the low post. The season was off to a very exciting
start, including the first win against Freedom
Christian in Zion history, and a triple overtime
thriller against the Potter’s House Pumas. The Lady
Mountaineers continued to have a strong season.
However, towards the end of the season, they
struggled with losses to Fruitport, West Michigan
Lutheran, and Holland Calvary. In the district
tournament, the Lady Mountaineers lost against the
Defenders of Tri-Unity Christian, ending the season.
When asked about her favorite part of the
season, senior Olivia Carbone said, “My favorite part
of this season was getting to know my teammates,
along with their strengths and weaknesses, and
learning how to play as a team.” Despite the
disappointing end to the year, the future for the
Mountaineers still looks promising. They will have a
dominance of the post with Gina Oosterhouse, great
ball handling skills with Katie Suwyn, and a
presence on the perimeter with the shooting skills of
Olivia Baker and Stephanie Kuiper. The
Mountaineers will still be in the race for an Alliance
League championship.
Team
3 pt.
Pts.
Boys Varsity
Andrew Deppe, Nick Vos (tie 19)
Roy Pettit (173)
Girls Varsity
Stephanie Kuiper (18)
Stephanie Kuiper (230)
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etball
March Madness!
20-0!!
This year the Noiz is having a March Madness
bracket contest! Sheets were handed out on
Wednesday and needed to be turned by morning
break Thursday. There will be prizes for the top
five brackets. Whether you are a Wolverine,
Spartan, or even one of those Buckeyes, we hope
you chose carefully, for you never know what
Madness will occur in March!!
By Jeremy Edouard
Coming into this season, expectations
were low for Zion’s boys junior varsity
basketball team. Their record from the
previous year was 2-11, and the Alliance
League was going to be tough again this
year.
The team started the season with
convincing wins against Algoma, Black
River, and the Potter’s House. As the wins
escalated, more people reconsidered the
potential this team had and expected more
wins. They defeated Holland Calvary, only
giving up four points in the entire second
half. The Mountaineer’s first real challenge
was the Wolves of Wellsprings Prep, but
they managed to emerge victorious from that
game. Two weeks later, the Mountaineers
battled against a formidable West Michigan
Lutheran team in overtime, and thanks to a
missed jump shot at the buzzer, they
remained undefeated. After that, it was
smooth sailing. They cruised by every team
they faced and finished a perfect season
against Holland Calvary at home, becoming
the first team in Zion history to go
undefeated.
Sophomore Jake Vander Wall said, “I
think that it was our hard work and good
coaching. Without these things, I don’t think
we could have gone undefeated.” Surely this
season will be remembered by players and
coaches alike for a very long time.
1.
1. Jordan Baker takes a
corner shot against
Holland Calvary
2. Joe Vos makes one
of his great fast
break lay-ups
3. One of the key
factors to the JV’s
success is teamwork
3.
2.
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Religion
God-Glorifying Priorities
By Olivia Baker
Have you ever found yourself sitting in class with
absolutely no motivation or drive to do any work? I have.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are lacking sleep
as you might think. It is possible that you are simply tired.
However, you may also have a problem with your
priorities. Misprioritizing could lead to distraction which
could lead to complacency. You might be putting
someone or something as your first priority when that
place belongs to God.
This isn’t the first time you’ve heard that you have to
love God above all else. However, maybe this will be the
first time you actually think about it and apply it.
One of the most well known verses in the Bible
comes from Matthew 22. In it, God says to “love your
neighbor as yourself.” As teenagers, we hear this a lot
from our teachers, parents, and pastors because we live in
a Christian community. Usually we are reminded of this
verse in reference to bullying and treating other kids
kindly at school. Our human nature likes to put our self
before others. But what about the first part of this verse?
Do we simply read it without dissecting it and applying it
to our personal circumstances? God says first and
foremost to “love the Lord your God with all your heart,
soul, mind, and strength,” and then He says to love your
neighbor.
Okay, so maybe you’ve heard this part of the verse a
lot as well and maybe you’ve even thought about it
before. But looking at your life, have you honestly been
loving God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and
strength? Or have you been sharing your heart with
someone or something else? When you have a problem or
you go through a hard time, who is the first person you
want to talk to? When you accomplish something great,
who’s the first person you want to tell? When you’re
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bored, what is the first thing you pick up to read? Do you
see what I mean? You can tell yourself that you love God
with your whole heart, but unless He is the One that you
go to in the good times or the bad, you don’t love Him
completely. I’m not saying that you can never talk to any
other person about things that happen to you. But
ultimately, He is the only one who can help you in times
of trouble; and He is the only one to thank in good times
because He is sovereign over everything.
If you love God with your whole heart first and
foremost, all of your other relationships with people or
things will be God-glorifying and successful. We can only
be satisfied in God, not by people or things. So if He is at
the center of our relationships with those temporary
things, we will have a correct perspective on them. We
will realize that they are amazing blessings from God, but
they aren’t meant to be at the center of our lives. They
will satisfy us temporarily, but He will satisfy us forever.
If our priorities are straight, our perspective of life will be
also. We won’t get caught up in the little issues of life.
We will then be able to glorify and enjoy Him better in
whatever He has called us to do.
Entertainment
Like a Good Addict
Ethan Tuinstra Is There
Eventually, I will find myself there again. My head
will tell me “no,” but my body will have already acted. I
will realize that I am already in my car. In order to get my
fix I will have to drive far away to the part of Grand
Rapids few from Hudsonville are willing to go. I will be
terrified, but my addiction will keep me going. Everyone
who shares my problem has their favorite spot. I am no
exception. I will drive to the outskirts of town for mine. I
will pull up to a conspicuous truck that the average Joe
wouldn’t look twice at. I will try not to make eye contact
with the short tattooed men with questionable hand
hygiene who will be surrounding the truck. They will
look at me like the white kid I am. I will hand the man in
the truck a five spot, and he will hand me a small parcel
of tin foil without a word. The smell will float to my
nostrils, and I will shiver a bit in anticipation. I will open
the tin foil, and the undeniable smell will grow ever
stronger. I will suppress every thought in my head telling
me that what I am about to do is wrong; and then I will
devour the taco with the vigor of a drug addict.
Yes, my addiction is the corn tortillas, cilantro,
onions, spicy beef and pork that make up Mexican food.
There is just something enticing about the picant flavor of
it all. There is no better way to experience another culture
than through the taste buds. Mexican food is peculiarly
scrumptious and inviting.
My addiction started when I was invited to work at
Neil Mast Green Houses. From my Hispanic co-workers I
quickly learned my new name, “Gringo,” a derogatory
term for white person. At ten in the morning, the bell rang
and about fifteen Hispanics lined up at the taco truck to
get their fix of beef and chili. Then, rain or shine they
went outside to eat, smoke, and maybe drink a beer. Day
after day I watched the line of workers with trepidation. I
felt like the weird kid in school whom no one liked, but
who wanted to eat with the cool kids.
I eventually got the nerve to buy some; and I was
hooked. The Hispanics are smart. They know how to
make good food. The first thing I ate was a steaming hot
tamale whose equal I have yet to taste. It woke me up
instantly. The next day I got a bit bolder and grabbed
some hot sauce, which I regretted as late as 6-10 hours
later. I washed the tamale down with a Jarritos, a famous
Mexican soda. Chewing on the deep fried corn husk of
the tamale kept me awake all morning.
Last summer, I worked with Maria and Isabel. They
taught me how to eat at a taco truck like a Hispanic. To
start, never eat till you’re full. If you do, you will lose
your lunch. The trick is eat two or three small tacos or
gorditas. Add hot sauce and cilantro. Follow that with the
citrus drink of your choice. End with a Vero, the greatest
thing ever put on a stick. A Vero is a Mexican sucker in
either mango or strawberry flavor. As if my mouth didn’t
hurt enough, they put chili powder around it and in the
center. This spice added a savory touch that is so
addicting I would trade my shirt for one.
I hope I have helped you understand my addiction.
The spices and smells are matchless. Add this to the lively
vibe you get from the Hispanic people, and you have
something to get addicted to.
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CROWD NOIZ
Artwork By Lynnae Doll
The rivalry continues
between Olivia Carbone
and Matt Moorman
What’s Your Pet Peeve?
“Puking anywhere besides the trash can or toilet. Or burned popcorn.”
“When people sing in the halls.”
Mr. Veurink
Serena Baker
“When I’m taking a test and people sniffle.”
“Wedgies.”
Rebekah Dreyer
Will Pettit
“Tall people...especially if they happen to be Italian.”
“When Moorman gets jealous of my height and heritage.”
Matt Moorman
Olivia Carbone
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