No Longer Skin Deep

HALLOWEEN FUN
Try some of our suggested
halloween activities and party
tips
DETROIT TIGERS
PAG
E6
Explore popular conspiracy
theories surrounding various
events in history, such as Lincoln’s assassination and Pearl Harbor
&7
Read about the Detroit Tigers
as they prepare for and play in
the World Seriers
PAGE 12 CONSPIRACY THEORIES
?
how well do
you know...
MR. GRUBER
October 30, 2006
PAGE 9
Volume 61
isuue 1
News
No Longer Skin Deep
BRIEFS
Cur tain
Rises on
Fall Play
MEDIA REACTS TO WOMEN’S RESTRICTIVE BODY IMAGE
JANINE SEMPERGER
JACKIE kITTEL
STAFF REPORTER
STAFF REPORTER
F
rom “A-list” celebrities to
fashion models, waistlines
have been disappearing
dramatically over the past decade.
The incredible shrinking woman
figure in the media is a sight all
too familiar to American society.
Senior
Lauren
Anderson
currently
models
for
Ikon
Models New York and has been
in numerous magazine spreads
and runway shows. She has
been exposed to the stereotypical
views of models as anorexic/
bulimic, arrogant, and having to
be “beautiful” all the time.
“I’m under pressure, yes,
because it’s my job and how I get
paid,” Anderson said. “But I’m
not at a point where I have to push
myself to meet requirements.”
Junior Leah Gambino can
understand the stress of trying
to achieve the media’s standard
of “beautiful” as well, for she is
trying to get into a modeling
agency named Elite and
has visited New York City
twice.
“I constantly feel the
pressure. But I have felt it
all my life,” she said.
These pressures may
include the danger of
eating disorders as
well as the need to
constantly
appear
perfect.
Is it just American
women who feel the
pressure to fit a certain
stereotype
to
be
beautiful?
Absolutely not,
according
to
the 2005 Dove
Global Study.
O v e r
3 , 3 0 0
surveys
from girls
Favorite ice
cream flavor:
Amaretto Cherry
Worst job:
He worked in a factory making
light fixtures. It was dark and
had no windows. It was very
dreary.
Favorite Book:
Absalom, Absalom
Favorite type of
music/band:
Classical, jazz, rock; The Beatles,
R.E.M., Counting Crows
First Car:
Chevrolet Corvair
Most
memorable day
of his life:
His wedding day or day his
daughter was born.
Attended
college:
University of Detroit. He did
his grad work at Duke
Favorite college
football team:
Boston College (where his
daughter attends)
Play any sports in
high school:
Ran track, cross country, played
football for a short while
Hobbies:
and women aged 15-64 years old
from all over the world revealed
shocking facts. About 90 percent
of the women surveyed wanted
to change something about
their appearance. Many women
also refrained from going out
with their friends and stayed
home instead because they felt
uncomfortable
with
their
bodies.
In
another
disturbing
study conducted by the
University of California,
it was noted that 80
percent of fourth grade
girls are currently on a
diet.
Where do females
get the idea that they
are not beautiful? The
media is a major
influence
in the
lives of Americans, and is
probably the major reason
why many women are dissatisfied with their natural bodies.
Advertisements
are
everywhere—people view thousands of ads a day.
Many of them
feature the
s a m e
stereotypic a l
woma n :
Shannon
Moore
E
PLEASE SEE
MODEL p.2
This picture
of Lauren was
featured in
BC the
magazine.
Running, playing the recorder,
reading, golf, attending music
events and concerts, attending
plays
How long has he
been teaching:
Over 30 years, it’s his 30th year
at Mercy
First teaching
job:
He first taught at the
University of Detroit. Then
he taught religion at Bishop
Borgess where he taught a sex
Ed/relationships (the equivalent
of Mercy’s relationship) class.
If he wasn’t a
teacher:
He would be a lawyer. Or he
would be a pediatric nurse
because he was so impressed
with the nurses that delivered
his daughter. At one point she
stopped breathing and they
saved her life.
Favorite movie:
The Godfather: Parts 1 and 2
Favorite Food:
“Anything that is edible.”
www.bcthemag.com
STAFF
REPORTER
ver
wondered what
the life of an
aspiring actress trying to fight her way
to the top is like?
Well, this year’s fall
play, Stage Door,
takes us through
the lives of a few
women trying to
make their dreams
come to life. The
main character, Terry Randall, played
by Kaley Ronayne,
withstands
many
hardships throughout the play and
watches many of
her other friends
give up on their
dreams of acting.
Ronayne said she
is excited for this
year’s play because “there are
a lot more roles
than usual, which
gives more people
the opportunity to
showcase their talent.” Indeed, the
cast is much larger
this year, sporting 25 female roles
and eight male
roles. Between the
play and upcoming musical, it was
a combined effort
in choosing the
shows, as Mrs.. Sill
explained:
“Both
are about young
girls, young actresses trying to
make it on Broadway in the 1930s.”
Make sure to check
out the play November 11th and
12th at 8pm and October 13th at 2pm, to
see if Terry makes
it the top! Tickets
go on sale the first
week of Nov. in Mr.
and Mrs.. Sill’s office and will also be
available at the box
office on the performance days.
The Power of Pink
BREAST CANCER SUPPORTERS DON PINK IN QUEST FOR A CURE
aMANDA RAHIE
STAFF REPORTER
P
ink is the most popular color
this month but for a reason
far more important than the
latest fashions.
It symbolizes a
nationwide goal to find a cure
and put a stop to breast cancer.
October is National Breast
Cancer
Awareness
Month.
Started in 1985, this annual
campaign urges the importance
of awareness about the disease,
since millions of women have
been affected by it. According
to the Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer
Foundation,
211,200
women will be diagnosed with
breast cancer in 2006 alone.
It is never too early to selfexamine for signs of cancer. Girls
should do a self-examination to
check for abnormalities around
the same time every month,
usually after their period.
By age 20, women should begin
to receive clinical breast exams
every three years. Women over 40
should undergo a mammogram
every year.
Diane Budzyn, a breast cancer
survivor, was diagnosed with the
disease at 54. Now, three years
later, Budzyn still recalls the need
to educate young women about
breast cancer.
“Self-examination
is
very
important,” Budzyn said. “Breast
cancer is treatable and the earlier
it is caught, the better.”
“Teenage girls should know
that
breast
cancer
doesn’t
discriminate,” Budzyn said.
Although Budzyn has never
personally participated in any
walks or fundraisers for breast
cancer, she has sponsored those
who have. The Susan G. Komen
Foundation’s “Passionately Pink
for the Cure” program inspires
participants to donate money
for research and wear all pink
for one day in October. Another
institution, the Avon Foundation,
has been fundraising for breast
cancer research for 50 years.
PLEASE SEE PINK p.3
2
OCTOBER 30, 2006
MODEL
FROM PAGE 1
counterparts surrounding her. She
is skinny, wears the latest fashions,
and is ultimately carefree.
This type of woman is an
exaggeration. Although she may
be a real person, she is enhanced
artificially, with the help of makeup,
lighting, computer generation, and
airbrushing. This female does not
represent the average American
woman who is about 5’4” and a size
12. She is a man-made creation that
makes many women feel that they
have to live up to this impossible
standard because she is constantly
shoved in their faces.
Trouble arises when women
try to make themselves more like
the ideal female. Most women
are doomed to failure: they
won’t be able to meet this level of
“perfection,” and will undoubtedly
feel guilty. Sometimes, young girls
even develop eating disorders and
die from trying to achieve “ideal
beauty.”
Fortunately, people have started
to speak out against this epidemic.
Enter Values in Media, a
religion class here at Mercy taught
by Mrs. Ewald, in which students
explore and analyze the media.
A unit is studied in class that
includes women and how they are
portrayed in advertisements.
In Values and Media, Mrs.
Ewald teaches students how to
evaluate the media and understand
how it affects American society.
Girls recognize the ways that
advertisers try to reel in and appeal
to consumers by using women of
said perfection. Also, at the end of
the semester, students send letters
to various corporations. This is an
opportunity for girls to criticize or
compliment a company’s product,
whether it is a magazine, TV show,
etc.
Dove Beauty also realizes that
the media does not usually portray
women accurately. That is why it
has started the Dove Campaign
For Real Beauty. In advertisements
for its cosmetic products, Dove
features women with real curves,
of all ages, and with different
personal styles. They are dedicated
to spreading the message of
real beauty: it is not necessarily
something physical and is more
important to be beautiful mentally
and morally.
Even the fashion world has
caught on to this new “fad.” In
Madrid, five models were kicked
out of a show on September 16th
because doctors deemed their
Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) too
low, at an unhealthy level. Spanish
fashion officials decided that they
wanted to feature fit and lifelike
models. Fashion show directors in
Milan and Edinburgh are planning
on following suit.
Is this just a temporary gimmick
in the fashion world? No one
knows for sure. “I can understand
why they changed the policy
because it’s unhealthy, but I don’t
think designers will follow that
lead,” said Anderson.
Mrs. Ewald is not sure that these
changes will become permanent
either. “This is a wonderful thing
that they made qualifications for
models, but I can’t see it spreading
unless there is continued pressure
put on by major associations,” Mrs.
Ewald said. “This is a step in the
right direction, but they still have
a long way to go.”
Hopefully, these recent events
are just the beginning of a society
where the media actually reflects
the real beauty that every woman
has to offer. Could this be the
beginning of a female mindset
revolution?
EVENTS
Mercy Students Around the World
NEW EXCHANGE STUDENTS DIVERSIFY STUDENT BODY
Helen MarIe berg
STAFF REPORTER
E
very student feels the stress
of adjusting to a new school
year, but for some students
at Mercy this means not only
adjusting to new teachers but to
an entirely new country.
This Fall Mercy welcomes four
new students, whose homes are
far enough from Michigan to
make a typical Mercy commute
seem miniscule. Paule Labaune
of Bouffémont, France; Jungeun
Lee of Busan, South Korea; Khahn
Nguyen Phi Manh of Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam , and Tessa
Hess of Berlin, Germany, all join
the Mercy family this year.
Paule and Tessa, both juniors,
are staying for this school year.
Jungeun, also a junior, and
Khanh, a senior, have both been
in the U.S. for a year already and
plan to graduate from Mercy.
Khanh even plans to stay here for
college.
“I know it is a long time, I don’t
have to be reminded! But there
are so many opportunities here,”
said Khanh. All four girls agree
that missing their families and
friends is the hardest thing about
being away. But Paule admitted,
“I also miss French food. The
bread is just not the same here.”
Jungeun heard about going
abroad for school and thought it
would be an exciting experience.
“I like Mercy a lot,” said Junguen.
“The days are much shorter,
although the schoolwork is still
hard.” She explains that the most
challenging thing about living
here is the language. “That is the
main difference between U.S. and
Korea: English” said Junguen.
Although she says English is her
biggest challenge, Jungeun has
progressed enough that she now
can also take Spanish class.
Paule, who lived in Detroit
and Houston when she was three
years old, has always wanted
to come to study in the U.S. “I
love the atmosphere here at
Mercy. Everyone always waves
in the hallways,” said Paule. She
finds Mercy very different from
her school in France where the
days are longer and only focus
on academics. “I would never
imagine going to school in a
costume like I can here,” said
Paule, who has been enjoying
the many non-homework related
activities such as Spirit week and
school dances.
Tessa spent 7 weeks with a host
family in a small farming town in
California before coming to Detroit,
a city she found to be more like her
home, Berlin. She believes Mercy is
a perfect match for her. She loves
how outgoing everyone is here and
how much school spirit everyone
has. “I also love the relationship
between students and teachers, it is
very open,” said Tessa.
lauren myrand
Khahn decided to come to
the U.S. to take advantage of
the
educational
opportunities
and diversity here. One main
difference she finds between
her home in Vietnam and in
Michigan is the size of the cities.
“Ho Chi Minh City is similar to
New York City. Bloomfield Hills
is much quieter,” said Khanh. As
for school, “I like Mercy a lot,”
said Khahn. “We get to choose
our classes which I did not do in
Vietnam.” Khanh hopes to obtain
Clcokwise from left: Paule Labaune, Khahn Nguyen Phi Manh,
Tessa Hess and Jungeun Lee.
the education and skills, as well
as experience, in the U.S. that
she will eventually take back to
Vietnam for a career.
“I hope to spend the year
making many new friends,” said
Tessa which seems to be the hope
of all the girls. “However, my true
goal,” joked Paule, “is to dream
in English; I came very close to it
last night!”
What’s With the Laptops?
TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE FOR STUDENT IMPROVEMENT
Gina Rotondo
STAFF REPORTER
W
hen asked about the
new student computing
program
that
is
now requiring all freshmen to
purchase a tablet computer, many
upperclassmen were skeptical.
“Pencil and paper worked fine for
years,” said senior Kelsey Goffin.
True:
Why change our
conventional
methods?
Students who don’t own a
tablet computer are having a
difficult time understanding the
administration’s rationale. After
all, they survived freshmen
year without typing notes and
charging batteries every day. “I
think there’s going to be more
problems with them than just
paper,” said sophomore Jillian
Lemke.
That’s
a
chance
the
administration is willing to
take. In fact, based on strategic
planning and careful research,
they believe the odds are largely
in their favor for the one-toone tablet PC program to be a
success.
After only a few months of
school, freshmen are already
seeing the benefits of the tablets.
It makes taking notes simple
and keeps everything together
in one portable place. It’s a onestop shop for school supplies,
complete with an endless supply
of notebook paper and stationary,
folders, pens, highlighters, index
cards and more.
Freshman Danielle Monette
summed up her assessment of
the program so far, “It’s got some
pros, it’s got some cons, mostly
pros, though. It depends on the
person you are and how you
handle it.”
explained that when teachers
instruct students to use their
computers for note taking or
other purposes it’s easy to focus.
Idleness, however, can cause
the student mind and mouse to
wander.
Of course few claim that the
Gina rotondo
Sophomore Laura Lavender uses her tablet in the Media Center.
Which brings up another
question: Can freshmen handle
all this newfound freedom and
responsibility?
“The majority use them for
focusing on what they are told,”
said Social Studies teacher, Ms.
Gina Rotondo
Robinet.
“Several, however, have
a tendency not to stay on task.”
Alexandra Miller, freshman,
program will be initially flawless.
“This freshmen class will help us
determine what changes need to
be made,” remarked Sr. Adele
Stommel, director of technology.
She explained several goals of the
program: “We hope the students
pick up the technology to improve
their
organization,
research
skills, and comprehension of
new material.” In addition, she
hopes to see an impact on the
“social dimension” as students
learn to speak intelligently about
computers, which is essential in
future careers.
The tech team at Mercy
has actually been working on
bringing the school up to speed
for over a decade. The personal
student tablet program is just
one step in a continuing process
towards reaching those goals.
After first addressing other
areas of the school in the past
two years the focus has centered
on students. Last year, over
30 students piloted the tablet
program. Many have had great
success in using their computers.
Senior Kathleen Howard said that
it has helped keep her organized.
“No more searching for pens
and highlighters or forgetting
homework,” she said.
The technology program has
also enticed many prospective
students. Freshman Kim Groneck
said, “It made me want to come
here even more.”
“It’s really rounding out the
academic program,” said Sr.
Stommel. Mercy is known for
its solid curriculum and vast
opportunities for students to
excel. The new technology is
truly keeping Mercy “college
prep.” “We hope that when our
students leave Mercy they are
not only prepared for college but
are leaders in the field,” said Sr.
Stommel.
THE NEW FACES OF MERCY
Mr. Bank
TECHNOLOGY
Ms. Dennis
PASTORAL MINISTRY
ms. waldsmith
mr. german
Ms. earle
ENGLISH/JOURNALISM
ENGLISH/YEARBOOK
DEVELOPMENT
t'BWPSJUFNPWJFGrease
t(SBEVBUFEGSPN
Ladywood in 1992
t'BWPSJUFUIJOHBCPVU
Mercy: Staff and students
are very polite
t'BWPSJUFNPWJFT
Shakespeare in Love and
While You Were Sleeping
t'BWPSJUFUIJOHBCPVU
Mercy: Students have such
positive attitudes
t8BTBWBSTJUZSPXFSBOE
a disc jockey on his college
radio station
t'BWPSJUFCPPLJurassic
Park
tShe has read The Lord of the
Rings once a year since age 12
t'BWPSJUF.PWJFThe
Graduate
t'BWPSJUFNPWJFFerris
Bueller’s Day Off
compiled by:
helen marie berg
COMMUNITY
OCTOBER 30, 2006
The Election: Should You Care?
3
MICHIGAN’S ELECTION FOR GOVERNOR COULD GREATLY AFFECT THE LIVES OF TEENAGERS
SARAH CHOSS
P
STAFF REPORTER
oll booths will be packed
in just a couple weeks as
Michiganders vote for their
governor. Most students could
care less about the election; if
they can’t vote, then why bother? But with Michigan’s declining economy, this election could
mean major changes for teenagers throughout the state.
Candidates Dick DeVos and
Jennifer Granholm both have
specific plans they wish to enact
as governor. In a recent debate,
Granholm
addressed
specific
plans for education and increasing a business tax to earn $2 billion. Devos plans to cut this tax
and mostly addressed the terrible
economic conditions.
However, both candidates say
changing the economy and creating new job are the first priorities
on their list. On DeVos’ website,
he explains his first mission is to
“create a jobs climate second to
none.” Granholm’s website states
“creating jobs today” and “diversifying Michigan’s economy to
create jobs tomorrow” are important goals.
The unemployment rate in
Michigan is at an all time high.
According to DeVos, over 104,300
jobs in the state have been lost in
the past four years, which is about
one job loss every 20 minutes.
The automotive industry, which
employs thousands of Michiganders, has been the main source for
these layoffs. Ford Motor Company recently announced cutting
up to 30,000 jobs, mostly in the
state of Michigan.
Jobs are suffering in America
because the cost of labor is too
high.
Automotive
companies
have relocated much of their
business to foreign countries for
several reasons, mainly because
the cost of labor in other nations
is much cheaper than it is in the
United States. The American automakers must manufacture vehicles at a lower cost in order to
be competitive in the global market.
LIBBY HAGEMEYER
Senior Bridget LeFevre continues to fill her tank despite the high prices
Teenagers are especially affected by this decrease in jobs. Since
2003, the competition for summer
jobs has intensified. Older workers are settling for jobs that usually go to college students, and
college students are taking the
jobs that are typically reserved
for high school students. This
leaves the majority of high school
students unemployed and broke.
Many students at Mercy have
been experiencing the difficulty
of finding a job. Lauren Preininger, junior, is one of these victims. “I applied to five jobs and
JENNIFER GRANHOLM
DICK DEVOS
Party: Republican
Party: Democratic
Age: 47
Age: 51
Occupation: A businessman
and former executive of
Alticor (Amway) Corporation
Occupation: Currently Governor
of Michigan. Before, she was
Michigan’s Attorney General.
Family: Has two sons and two
daughters with wife, Betsy
Prince
Family: She and her husband,
Daniel Mulhern, have two
daughters and one son.
Website:
www.devosforgovernor.com www.devosforgovernor.com
Plan to save the economy: The Michigan TurnAround
Plan designed to create a good job climate, overhaul state
government, diversify the economy, and conquer the
globalize marketplace.
www.granholmforgov.com
Website:
www.granholmforgov.com
Plans to save the economy: An economic plan called
Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow that will diversify the
economy, protect jobs, create jobs, and invest in the
education and health of the people.
HPV
Quick Facts
Genital HPV
is only transmitted when
infected skin
of one-person
rubs
against
the skin of the
other
person
and transfers the
virus.
WWW.DENVERNEWS.COM
HPV Vaccine Introduced
VACCINE FOR CANCER-CAUSING VIRUS AVAILABLE
CouRTNEY WILLIAMS
I
only heard back from one,” said
Preininger. “I was told they’d call
for an interview, but they never
did. I started looking for a summer job in April, but never found
one.”
The decline in jobs is not the
only effect the poor economy has
brought upon us. Gas prices have
clearly risen in the past few years,
which have driven up the prices
of other products. Many Mercy
students own cars and have to
pay for their own gas, which can
be financially difficult. It’s estimated that an average person
spends nearly $50 a week on gas.
November 7th is a very important
day in our state, as it could ultimately decide the fate of Michigan. The governor plays a huge
part in improving our economy,
mainly by creating new jobs.
Although most students cannot
vote, the result of this vote could
greatly affect our lives. The price
of gas, the availability of jobs for
teens, and employment of their
parents could all be affected by
the next governor.
ASSOCIATE EDITORIN-CHIEF
t can cause a deadly disese
with no cure. It spreads with
no signs. It infects 6.2 million
people every year in the United
States. The name of this invisible monster is HPV (human
papillomavirus) but now there
is hope with the development of
a new vaccine.
According to The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
“Genital HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
Human papillomavirus is the
name of a group of viruses that
includes more than 100 different
strains or types.”
HPV can be passed from one
person to another without either
one ever realizing it. Because
symptoms are limited, if they
occur at all, HPV itself is not life
threatening, but what the virus
causes can be.
Cervical, vaginal, and anal
cancer and genital warts are all
directly related to HPV infection.
Until now, the only way
to prevent HPV was through
abstinence, but on June 8
scientists announced the debut
of the HPV vaccine which can
prevent the virus as well.
The FDA has licensed the
HPV vaccine as safe and effective.
So far 11,000 people world wide
have been treated with the
vaccine and the only notable side
effects have been soreness at the
injection site.
This vaccine is targeted for
young girls around the ages
of 11-12 in order to prevent
future
generations’
exposure
to the virus. However it is
recommended to women from
ages 9 to 26.
The HPV vaccine is given to the
patient in the form of a shot, and
is injected into the muscle. There
is mild pain. There are 3 doses
of treatment, total. The doses
cost $120 without insurance.
Despite the efficiency and safety
of the vaccine, it is not required
for those entering junior high.
The vaccine may be an effective
weapon
against
the
virus,
however has proven controversial
in respect to whether or not to
require its administration to
junior high girls.
No treatment is
recommended
for most HPV
infections.
It
is only needed
if
there
are
visible
warts
of pap smear
abnormalities.
A Pap smear
can
determine whether a woman
has the precancerous
changes in her
body caused
by HPV.
A U.S. study
among female
college
students
found
that an average
of 14 percent
became infected with genital
HPV each year.
FAS
FROM PAGE 1
The Avon Walk for Breast
Cancer is a weekend event
that takes place in designated
cities and offers those who have
contributed $1800 to participate
in either a marathon or a
marathon- and-a-half walk. The
Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, a
program of the Avon Foundation,
has raised more than $400 million
worldwide since 1992 to benefit
breast cancer research.
National Breast Care Awareness
Month is not, however, restricted
to just the United States. In 2005,
40 countries participated in the
Avon Walk Around the World for
Breast Cancer, an achievement
for many countries who had not
been previously involved. Breast
cancer survivors from all over
the world shared The Global
Collection Ribbon. The ribbon
says “thank you” in 12 different
languages.
The Karmanos Cancer Institute
of
Michigan
offers
annual
breast cancer fundraisers for
the state and local communities
to become more involved.
Its
official website stresses that
participation in breast cancer
events, “regardless of what form
it takes, is priceless.”
Although the cure for breast
cancer has yet to be found, there is
hope that someday a cure will be a
reality. Diane Budzyn recognizes
this hope and the meaning of
living life to the fullest.“I have a
greater appreciation for life now,”
Budzyn said.
Involvement in fundraising
activities to benefit breast cancer
research will help expand this
appreciation for life to all people.
For
more
information
on
breast
cancer,
visit
www.
thebreastcancersite.com.
4
OPINIONS
OCTOBER 30, 2006
Staff Editorial
Newsprint2006-2007
Lauren Myrand
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Courtney Willliams
ASSOCIATE EDITOR-INCHIEF
Rebecca Zhou
DESIGN EDITOR
Julie Mulloy
MANAGING EDITOR
Caitlin FitzSimons
COPY EDITOR
Mo Gruley
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Brigid Kilcoin
OPINIONS EDITOR
Jenn Linton
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Kirsten Meyer
SPORTS EDITOR
Sarah Rogers
COMMUNITY EDITOR
Helen Marie Berg
Sarah Choss
Jacki Fiscus
Liz Grden
Libby Hagermeyer
Alyssa Harding
Jackie Kittel
Michele Krasnesky
Shannon Moore
Katie O’Donnell
Amanda Rahie
Gina Rotondo
Janine Semperger
Florianne Silvestri
STAFF REPORTERS
Through the Looking Glass
Since the rise of the modern modeling industry in the 1950s, emaciated and
childlike portrayals of women have dominated the media and affected
the self-worth of millions. Common attitudes towards the female figure
may be beginning to change, however; healthier-looking bodies may be
enjoying a renaissance. The Newsprint staff is pleased with this development:
we feel print and media advertisements showcasing the woman of average
s i ze
more accurately represent our culture, allowing the wide variety of body
types and shapes to be treated without prejudice for the first time in recent
memory. We also applaud Mercy High School’s commitment to combating
the negative self-image that many teenagers hold through classes such as
Values in Media and Relationships. These classes teach an idea of happiness
based on internal peace rather than superficial beauty. This change of focus from
the unhealthy standards of perfection that are constantly reinforced allows girls to
lead a more fulfilling life. However, these positive ideals mean nothing if a change
does not come from within. Opportunities to change peoples’ preconceived notions
are wonderful, but a self-concept not dependent on the approval of others is necessary
for high self-esteem. Beauty is a personal opinion rather than an absolute and concrete
standard, and we hope that a less rigid ideal of attractiveness becomes popular, allowing
all women to appreciate themselves for the human beings that they are.
The Redhead Rant
Jenn Linton
WEBSITE MANAGER
Ms. Lynn Waldsmith
ADVISOR
Hope Floats
Lauren Myrand
INFORMATION
Newsprint is published monthly
as the official student publication
of Mercy High School, 29300
Eleven Mile Road, Farmington
Hills, MI, 48336-1409. Published
by the Advanced Journalism
class, Newsprint is a member
of the Columbia Scholastic
Press Association and the
Michigan Interscholastic Press
Association.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
WEBSITE
Newsprint’s website is located
at mhsmi.org. Click on Life at
Mercy and follow the Newsprint
link.
EDITORIALS
Newsprint editorials represent the
majority opinion of the editorial
board. They do not necessarily
represent the opinion of Mercy
High School administrators,
staff, or students.
LETTERS
Letters to the Editor must be
signed, submitted on deadline
to the S12 Journalism office,
and are subject to review for
l i b e l, p ro f a n i t y, a n d o t h e r
inappropriate content as deemed
by Newsprint editors.
I
sat next to a friend of mine,
a boy, at rehearsal, both of us
reading along in the script,
waiting for our approaching
scene.
His arm was casually
around my shoulders, his fingers
tracing an invisible circle on my
arm. He leaned in slightly to rest
his head against mine. Several
weeks ago, a situation such as
this, involving a boy I was not
dating, would have made me
nervous.
But then again, several weeks
ago, I had not been single.
Shortly before the beginning
of my senior year, my boyfriend
and I ended our two-year
relationship. He was a year older
and leaving for Milwaukee, and I
was unwilling to hold him back
from experiencing college at
its fullest potential—including
dating others. Saying goodbye
was one of the most difficult
things I have ever done; I choked
back tears while we hugged and
was drowning in my uncertainty
as he drove away.
Nevertheless, life continued,
and before I could be completely
submerged in self-pity, school
began and quickly demanded
every fragment of focus and
energy I could muster. But I know
the right decision was made. This
year, I have no obligations to one
specific person, nor must I always
be concerned about someone
I barely have time to speak to
any more. I had no desire to be
an anchor, scraping along the
bottom of the Sea of Lost Causes
until eventually snapping and
ending the relationship bitterly,
only a short distance into the
school year. In fact, Thanksgiving
breakups
between
couples
at different schools are such
common occurrences that many
universities use the term “turkey
drop” to refer to them—like I
truly needed the added stress of
being labeled after poultry.
I can now focus on other
aspects of my life, such as
developing stronger relationships
with my friends; something I
have regrettably ignored the past
three years. I have absolutely no
qualms about the relationship
I took part in for so long—I
developed enormously as a
person and gained a confidence
in myself I never had before—
and I am truly thankful. But life
has posed a new challenge and
all I can do is dive in and hope
for the best.
I still miss him, it’s impossible
not to. It’s also inevitable that
many
more
disappointments
will
accompany
my
future
relationships. However, if I have
learned anything in the past two
years, it is that love is a mistake
worth making because we take
away something from every
connection. I am stronger, bolder,
and more willing to take chances
now.
I have currently put aside
the
whole
this-will-be-aneverlasting-love
attitude
and
will save it for a time when I
am actually ready to have a ring
permanently located on my left
hand. In the meantime, watching
chick flicks and listening to songs
that affirm the ain’t no other man
approach to romantic success
will suffice.
Often times, the relationships
we
enter—whether
it’s
a
friendship or something more—
do not unfold the way we
planned. The results might not
always be to our liking, but every
outcome helps to twist and mold
who we one day become. Each
day is an adventure, and to quote
from the movie Hope Floats, all
journeys are similar:
“Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it
is the middle that counts the
most...when you find yourself
at the beginning, just give
hope a chance to float up.”
I will not allow one setback to
be my downfall.
Life involves
risks at every corner but they are
all worth taking. If someday in
the future I am crushed, denied,
or a boy breaks my heart, all I ask
is that he leaves the pieces behind.
That way, I can glue them back
together and simply start over,
perhaps by sitting next to someone
with his arm around me…
Guest Column
Columbus Day Controversy
MICHELE KRASKNESKY
STAFF REPORTER
E
very October when I
was in grade school,
teachers would discuss
Christopher Columbus and his
amazing discovery of the New
World. They spoke of him as
a great leader and a kind man
who simply tried to learn more
the natives and their land after
discovering the New World.
This painted a wonderful
picture of Columbus in my
mind, but I have since found
there were several details
missing. During one of Mr.
Schusterbauer’s lessons in AP
American History, he filled
in these missing facts and the
whole story came together.
Columbus left Spain in search
of a faster route to Asia; he did
not, however, find this shortcut
but instead discovered the
island Haiti in the Caribbean.
The first natives Columbus
encountered
and
later
massacred were the Arawaks.
These natives, much like the
other tribes in America, lived
communally
and
treated
Columbus with respect and
reverence.
Columbus took advantage of
their hospitality, stole their land,
subdued them into slavery and
forced them to search for gold.
According to Howard Zinn,
the author of A People’s History of
the United States: “In two years,
through murder, mutilation, or
suicide, half of the two hundred
fifty thousand Indians on Haiti
were dead.”
But the killing did not stop
there for many more natives
suffered the same terrible fate,
all in the name of God.
The Spaniards and Columbus
believed that part of their
mission in these new lands
was to convert the pagan
beliefs of the native people
into the Catholic beliefs of the
Spaniards.
This is why with each newlydiscovered territory Columbus
would place a cross in the
ground and later, enslave and
kill the inhabitants of the land.
Because of this gruesome
truth, I have concluded that
Christopher
Columbus
was
a terrible and vicious human
being. He obviously lacked a
conscience and the ability to
decipher between what was
the will of God and the will of
man.
I realize that explorers,
for the most part, were cold
hearted, which may have been
necessary in order to achieve
their goals, but how many of
these ruthless men have a day
to be remembered by?
I can no longer celebrate
Christopher
Columbus
Day
with the same enthusiasm that
I did as a child, now that I
know all the facts. I know that
everything can’t be blamed on
Columbus but because he is the
one with all the glory, he should
also hold responsibility for the
Indian genocide.
Today many know the truth
and are aware of all the pain
and suffering that this “great”
man inflicted upon the natives
of this country, yet we still set
aside a day to honor him.
Instead
of
celebrating
Christopher
Columbus
Day,
we should spend October 9th
5
OCTOBER 30 2006
OPINION
Should the HPV Vaccine
Become Mandatory?
mo gruley
brigid kilcoin
OPINIONS EDITOR
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
PRO
MRS. CORTE
NADA
METTI
A
lthough many may
view the idea of
making it mandatory for 11 and 12-year-old
girls to receive a vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV )
as a fine proposal, there are a variety of reasons
as to why this
might not be the
“answer
we’ve
all been looking
for”.
To begin, the
first thought that
comes to mind is
the targeted age group. Although most girls by this
age have had a pretty decent introduction to sexual
education, many do not
fully comprehend the consequences of engaging in
sexual intercourse. Usually,
girls this young have had
their
textbook-designated
course, their mentrual cycle and sexual educational
video, and a test to reassure
the fact that they were actually paying attention in class.
They
haven’t
necessarirly,
however, been exposed to
the moral complications that
comes with such an intimate
action, the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Speaking
from experience, I was completely unaware of HPV until my junior year when a chastity speaker came to Mercy
and explained in detail what HPV was, so it is unlikely that most sixth grade girls have
much, if any, understanding about the virus.
In addition, this vaccination could potentially decrease women’s health
awareness. True, the HPV vaccination is used to protect women from developing cervical cancer; however, according to the National Cancer Institute of
Health, these women still have a 30 percent chance of developing the cancer by
other means. Because these women may no longer aware, they might underestimate the disease if they have been vaccinated and not consider the other possibilities of contracting cancer, which may cause them to think that they do not
need to get a yearly pap smear, even though they still do.
In summary, there is only one question left to ask ourselves: what does this
say about our generation? Are we a country that is so sexually inclined that we
feel it is necessary to protect our children from STDs at the tender age of 11?
What kind of image would we be portraying about our children? These are the
types of things we must ask ourselves when considering making the HPV vaccination for young girls a law:”.
CON
W
ould
you
be
interested
in
p r e v e n t i n g
yourself from cancer with a
trio of shots? With the advent
of the Human papillomavirus
(HPV)
vaccine,
cervical cancer,
the second most
common cancer
found in women
worldwide, can
be
essentially
eliminated with
a visit to the
doctor’s office.
However,
the
vaccine does not
work retroactively. Because
of this, the HPV vaccine
should be mandatory for all
6th grade girls in Michigan.
Over 250,000 women die of
cervical cancer each year; the
disease was once the leading
cause of death in women and
still kills 10 American women
a day. Statistics estimate that
75% of women will become
infected with one of the four
sexually-transmitted types of
the HPV virus during their
lifetime. Although statistics
show that the number of new
cases reported each year is
slowly dropping, it is still
an extremely real threat. In
many ways, the drug seems
like a miracle cure: it is
reported to eradicate 100% of
the cancer-causing strands of the HPV virus without any serious side effects.
A common argument against mandatory HPV vaccination is that the vaccine Gardasil
is too expensive, retailing for $120 a dose. The high price may make it difficult for
financially struggling families to pay for the vaccine if their insurance companies do
not cover the cost. However, a few hundred dollars for a preventive measure seems
reasonable when compared to the more than $2 billion dollars a year spent in the United
States on treating those with the disease.
Some religious groups feel that inoculation against HPV encourages premarital sex
and irresponsible behavior in preteen girls. They believe that because of this, Gardasil
should not be required. However, the 1905 Supreme Court case Jacobson v. Commonwealth
of Massachusetts ruled that vaccinations could be made mandatory for the common good.
Requiring the HPV vaccine will prevent the spread of disease, reducing the number of
infections and lowering the death toll.
The issue of cancer prevention is not one that involves religious affiliation or
political party lines, but rather the preservation of health. The relatively simple cure of
the disease is not one that should be bogged down by behind-the-scenes bickering or
cost. It is literally a matter of life or death for millions of women worldwide.
LAUREN
KAZMIERSKI
CARLY
ROUKE
MS. ROBINET
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE SCHOOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
5x5 FIVE BY FIVE
I definitely say lockers in
more prominent places for the
students to access.
I think the lockers should
not be downstairs.
Cheaper food in the
cafeteria.
I would change back the
library doors.
Students would have to be
in uniform the very first day
and I would keep them in
uniform until the last day in
April.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW COLORS?
I appreciate the colors,
but I do not like the
green against the
periwinkle.
They are okay but they are
different. Some are too dark
and it makes the school look
dark.
I don’t really care for the
colors. I prefer the old
colors.
They’re cool, I guess, but I
would have left them
the way they were.
I would have painted some
of the walls sunshine
yellow, lavender. . . and
tangerine.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE MANDATORY LAPTOPS FOR THE FRESHMAN AFFECT THE SCHOOL?
They shouldn’t make
them mandatory because
not everyone has enough
money to buy a laptop. It’s
good technology though.
I think it is an absolutely
wonderful resource and
skill to learn, not just for
work in classes but for
real life too.
It is making our school
more technologically
advanced than other
schools. There are a lot of
problems though. They
have to get the bugs out.
People are more
organized.
It allows the students to
be in communication with
their teachers more than
they used to be.
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU PUT ON THE NEW OUTDOOR SIGN?
Something catchy like
‘Women who make a
difference, give it a try’
or ‘stop by’ or ‘We have
mercy spirit’ or ‘Spend a
day with us’.
A good quote like ‘Don’t
count down the days,
make the days count’.
Give information about
major school events,
like if it were a 1:40
dismissal.
The school song.
‘Ms. Robinet, the great,
teaches here.’
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU TRIED TO GET IN THE SOUTH LIBRARY DOORS?
I understand it takes some
getting used to. A few years
ago we had both doors open
but it was noisy and chaotic
with everyone passing
through.
I don’t try anymore, but
both sides should be
open
About three times. Both
doors should be open
because it is inconvenient
to travel from one side of
the school to another.
Every single day. I
try to get in there all
the time.
None. I really like the fact
the doors are closed
since I never have people
outside my class talking
at the top of their vocal
chords.
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today.
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code, American analysts had already maste
6, 1941 at dinner.
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O
n Sunday, August 31st, 1997, a beloved princess was killed.
Immediately upon hearing about the death of Princess Diana,
the entire world went into shock. As tears were shed, viewers
frantically searched the news to find solace in the French Authority’s
Findings.
At the time of her death, Diana had been seriously dating Dodi Al
Fayed. Conspiracy theorists even suggested the couple was planning
to marry. As Al Fayed was a rich, Muslim man, it is said the royal
family was not willing to accept him. Some believe Princess Diana
either was killed or faked her death because of her possible
marriage to Al Fayed.
s
u
Other conspiracy theorists argue Princess Diana hinted at her
c
i fisPORTER
accident
by her claims shortly before the crash to disappear from
k
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her public role. Allegedly, Diana had telephoned Richard Kay, a
T
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Daily Mail columnist, saying she would be giving up her public role and
instead, be opening various hospices.
On the night of her death, the couple had several run-ins with the paparazzi. After
much agitation, the couple decided to return to the Ritz for dinner and go to Al Fayed’s
apartment at the Rue Arsene-Houssaye.
Upon their departure, they attempted to create a diversion. Hoping to distract the paparazzi,
the couple decided to use two of their cars as decoys and a third for their own use. The couple
left out the back entrance to avoid recognition.
The Times of London reported the driver, Henri Paul, was taunting the photographers.
According to conspiracy theorists, this is impossible because the paparazzi were in the front
of the building. Furthermore, his alleged drunkeness also is held in to question because no
witnesses saw Paul drinking at any point during the night.
Most of the conspiracy theorists agree on the fact Princess Diana died due to a car crash.
The facts begin to blur, however, as to why the car went flying out of control in the tunnel.
Many question the driver’s route choice the night of the accident. According to theorists, his
differentiation from his usual route could have been a way for the car to avoid photographers
at red lights.
Another theory is based off a witness’ claim. According to this witness, Princess Diana’s car
was blocked by another vehicle on the Avenue de Champ Elysees and was therefore forced to
follow a certain route.
The last theory is based off an ex-M16 spy’s assumptions. This spy, Richard Tomlinson,
suggests Paul was being paid by M16 to drive Princess Diana a certain route.
Conveniently, none of these theories can be actually proven nor can the truth be seen because
the 17 traffic cameras located inside the Point d’Alma tunnel and ten cameras along the car’s
route all stopped working at midnight. These malfunctions were said to be due to a power
outage, but conspiracy theories use this to prove foul play instead.
Initial reports on the scene suggest Paul was speeding at about 120 mph due to his drunken
state and his efforts to shake paparazzi. According to a taxi driver who saw the car before it
entered the infamous tunnel, the car was driving about 70 mph.
According to witnesses, Princess Diana’s car was being chased by two vehicles and a motor
bike. Witnesses claim one of these vehicles was a white Fiat Uno that supposedly cut off
Princess Diana’s car. There was white paint residue left on the wrecked car, which suggested
the Fiat Uno did crash into the car before going through the tunnel.
Numerous other witnesses claim to have scene a bright flash in the tunnel just before the
crash. This also may have caused the car to spin out of control. Brenda Wells, the key witness
who claimed to have been blocked out of the tunnel by a car just as the flash and crash occurred,
has never been seen again after her statement to the police.
All of these discrepancies were used by conspiracy theorists to formulate hypotheses for
what really happened to Princess Diana.
M
any believe Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew America would not want to
get involved in World War II unless Americans were attacked. Therefore,
conspiracy theorists argue FDR either planned Pearl Harbor’s attack or
allowed it to happen to ensure the United States’ involvement in the war.
This is a heavy accusation to place on FDR, however, because the bombing of
Pearl Harbor is one of the most deadly and horrific attacks in American history. On
December 7, 1941 at 7:55 Hawaiian time, 2,400 of the Navy’s men were killed by
Japanese bombings.
the attack, rumors began regarding Roosevelt’s involvement. During a cabinet meeting,
ly lied, claiming America had no idea where the Japanese were headed even though there
their whereabouts.
against Roosevelt was a weather report that was recorded in Japan. Throughout World War
s used to inform their country about the government’s declaration of war against the United
the government received a tape of such a code announcement in a Japanese weather report.
erase the message and claim it knew nothing of it. There are records of this announcement
encrypted message which stated, “This means war.” Though this message was supposedly
ered the code. The message was said to have been relayed to the president on December
essage in any way by notifying the Navy or calling for any precautionary measures.
allegedly waited for the attack. Therefore, conspiracy theorists argue FDR knew the
Harbor.
arl Harbor was one of the most likely places for the Japanese to attack the Americans,
ere not enough training facilities, dry-docking areas, lack of ammunition, and not many
d this purposefully in order to give the Japanese a target for attack.
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hen the President’s Commission
on
the
Assassination
of
President
John
Kennedy, commonly called the Warren Commission, w a s
published in 1964, it claimed Lee Harvey Oswald had killed JFK with no
assistance and Jack Ruby’s murder of Oswald occurred in police custody with
no traces of conspiracy. After its release, however, critics questioned it, claiming
there was more to the murder than that.
The conspiracy theorists blame Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, the CIA,
the Mafia, Castro, and the Corsican Mafia for the assassination instead. In 1979,
the House Select Committee on Assassinations did not side with any of these
conspiracies in particular, but did announce a conspiracy was highly probable.
Immediately after the assassination, many blamed the Vice President for
JFK’s death.
LBJ could have used the assassination as a way to obtain the presidency. As
rumors circulated that he may be dropped from the 1964 ticket due to political
scandals, the pressure could have been too much for him. No evidence was
able to tie Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson to the assassination.
Many Americans believe Cuba was somehow responsible for the
assassination. During his presidency, JFK encouraged an attack of Cuba. This
attack, the Bay of Pigs, did not succeed. Instead, Kennedy was made to look
like a fool and Fidel Castro, Cuba’s dictator, had hard feelings toward JFK.
The CIA also tried to assassinate Castro during Kennedy’s presidency.
Many believe the combination of the Bay of Pigs, the CIA’s assassination
attempts, and the tension between the two countries may have lead to Castro’s
involvement in the murder.
In 2006, a documentary illustrated these fears. Rendezvous with Death, claimed
Henry Lee Oswald, JFK’s alleged murderer, visited Mexico City. There, he was
said to receive $6,500 from the Cuban government as an incentive to assassinate
Kennedy.
Supposedly, Lyndon B. Johnson did not want to investigate these problems
because he did not want to heighten tensions with Cuba. The country was
already going through turmoil and Cuban involvement in America’s beloved
president’s death could have resulted in war.
This possible war would have caused many problems for America. After the
Cuban Missile Crisis, America made a treaty with the Soviets, promising they
would never invade Cuba. In which case, America could have also begun a war
with the Soviets.
In order to prevent the invasion of Cuba and elimination of Castro, LBJ was
said to ignore the clues of possible conspiracy to ensure the safety of America
from both Cuba and the Soviet Union.
At home, one of the most likely culprits was the Mafia. Because JFK allegedly
used the Mafia to obtain votes in worker’s union industry and allegedly later
double crossed them, there was reason for tension between the two groups.
Mobsters Carlos Marcello, Johnny Roselli, Santo Trafficante Jr., Charles
Nicoletti, and Sam Giancana all were on the top of the list for involvement in
a conspiracy along with president of the Teamsters Union president, Jimmy
Hoffa.
This theory may have some truth because in 2003, James Files of the Mafia
confessed his involvement and was sentenced to prison for 30 years. Files
claimed he was merely following Giancana’s orders and Roselli and Nicoletti
helped him do it.
Though Oswald was originally blamed for Kennedy’s assassination in
the Warren Commission’s findings, numerous other organizations and
individuals were used as scapegoats as blame for the murder shifted from one
to the next.
I
t was “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969. Millions
of viewers sat in their living rooms, watching as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
became the first men to ever walk the surface of the moon. Or did they?
On February 15, 2001, Fox television aired a program entitled Conspiracy Theory: Did
we Land on the Moon?. Guests on the show suggested that American technology was
not advanced enough to land on the moon in 1969, and that the “moon’s surface” that
viewers were watching at home was in reality, a stage.
Still being involved in the Cold War in 1969, the tensions between the United States
and the Soviet Union were high. The USSR had already successfully put the first man
into space in April of 1961. Many believe that America was desperate to keep up in “the
space race” with the USSR, and were willing to fake landing on the moon to do so.
The television show pointed out that in video images of the astronauts, that there
are no visible stars or constellations in the sky. Photographers argue, however, that a
camera would not be able to capture the bright white astronauts on the moon’s surface
with the stars shining in the dark background. Another piece of evidence that is used in
the conspiracy is that the American Flag that was placed on the moon’s surface is seen
blowing and rippling. But how can that be if there is no breeze on the moon? Yet again,
others argue that the astronauts had to twist the flag pole back and forth to dig it firmly
in the ground; therefore the flag could have rippled by itself with no breeze.
Perhaps the strongest argument against this conspiracy is witness and
souvenir evidence. Nine of the 12 men who walked on the moon are still
alive and can testify of their experiences. They also have brought 841
pounds of Moon rock back to Earth. Dr. David McKay, Chief
Scientist for Planetary Science and Exploration at
NASA’s Johnson Space Center, states
that moon rocks are definitely “’unique’”
and unlike any Earth rocks. It would be
extremely difficult to “fake” a moon rock.
Therein lies another conspiracy: Did
NASA retrieve moon rocks to prove their
fake landing? McKay stated, “Researchers
in thousands of labs have examined
Apollo Moon samples-not a single paper
challenges their origin. And these aren’t all
N A S A
employees. We’ve loaned
samples to scientists in
dozen of countries.’” Did
we land on the moon?
While
some
people
may choose to believe
that we didn’t, there is
obvious evidence that
humans did walk on
the moon.
T
he story is infamous. The date is April 14th, 1865.
President Lincoln sits alongside his wife enjoying a
theatrical show in Ford Theatre and is suddenly shot
in the head by John Wilkes Booth. But was Booth solely
responsible for Lincoln’s death? There are several theories
that suggest he wasn’t.
Vice President Andrew Johnson had been residing in
the Washington Hotel at the time. Records show that Booth
stopped there just 7 hours before Lincoln was shot, and wrote
a message to Johnson that stated, “Don’t wish to disturb you.
Are you at home? J. Wilkes Booth.” This suggests that Booth
and Johnson knew each other quite well and ,in addition,
were often rumored to be in each other’s company. Mary
Todd Lincoln also felt Johnson had been involved in her
husband’s death. “That, that miserable inebriate Johnson,
had cognizance of my husband’s death,” she said.
Another popular conspiracy is the idea that Lincoln
was killed as a result of a Confederate plot. Several books
including Retribution: The Confederate Secret Service and the
Assassination of Lincoln, the Confederate Convert Action in the
American Civil War, and Wilkes Booth Came to Washington all
support the fact that Lincoln had been a Confederate wartime
target. Originally, Booth was seen as a secret agent in a group
of men, planning to kidnap the President. After Richmond
fell during the Civil War, however, the plans of kidnapping
turned into assassination. A man named Thomas F. Harney
was allegedly captured on April 10th, 1865 with explosives
that were going to be used to bomb the White House. Booth
became angry upon hearing such news and decided to
take matters into his own hands.
These are just two of several conspiracies that explain
whom are supposedly responsible for Abraham
Lincoln’s death. Other theories include that Lincoln’s
assassination was the result of a plot devised by a
group of powerful and corrupt bankers, the Roman
Catholic Church, and the Secretary of War (Edwin
Stanton). Of course, no theory can fully be proven.
Lincoln’s death will always remain mysterious.
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8
OCTOBER 30, 2006
WORLD VIEW
Peace Within Reach
MERCY STUDENTS SEEKS TO AID UGANDAN CHILDREN
LIZ GRDEN
W
STAFF REPORTER
hen a child is kidnapped
in the United States,
such
as
Elizabeth
Smart, an Amber Alert is sent out.
Family, friends, and authorities
work tirelessly together to bring
the child safely home.
In
Northern
Uganda,
thousands of children have been
taken from their homes, some as
young as 8 years old. Some have
no parents. There is no Amber
Alert for them.
The 20 year old war in Uganda
between the government and the
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a
faction of rebels operating out of
Sudan, has left over 1.6 million
people homeless, many living on
the streets, suffering from severe
malnutrition.
The LRA, led by Joseph Kony,
began around 1986 as a band of
insurgents determined to oppose
the Ugandan government. In the
18 years he has led the LRA, the
group has yet to be defeated.
Part of the reason for Kony’s
success could be his cruel method
of recruitment. The LRA abducts
children from their homes in
villages and raises them to
fight in the bush--using guerilla
warfare against their own family
and friends, scared for their lives
and forced to attack and kill.
According to recent surveys
taken by the United Nations and
youth in Uganda, somewhere
between 30,000 and 66,000
children have been taken since
the war began. Others claim
that is a severe understatement.
About 80% of the LRA’s soldiers
are captured children.
When three young Californians
went to Sudan to document the
genocide there, they became
stranded in Northern Uganda.
They witnessed firsthand children
fleeing into larger towns to sleep
at night, because of the threat of
being snatched by the LRA.
There are thousands of such
children. They walk up to 20
miles each night, usually barefoot
because their families cannot
afford shoes. They seek the safety
that larger, more populated
towns provide from the LRA.
They sleep where they can find
shelter, or, if they find none, on
the streets.
“They sleep like sardines-- in
bus stations, on storefronts, or in
crowded hallways” said Emily
Lockhart, a Mercy senior and
avid supporter of the Invisible
Children cause.
The mission of Invisible
Children,
stemming
from
a
documentary
called
“Rough Cut” made by the
Californians, is simple: to bring
aid to the poor and hopeless in
Uganda, and to educate people
about their situation.
According to the Invisible
Children
website
(www.
invisiblechildren.com), “The
darkest thing about Africa is
the world’s ignorance about
it.” These children do not
make the evening news or
the front page of the major
newspapers.
To combat the LRA, the
Ugandan government has set up
camps for Internally Displaced
People. They are guarded by the
Ugandan People’s Defense Force,
but in many ways the camps are
just as bad as living in fear of the
LRA.
These camps are grossly
overpopulated and appallingly
unsanitary. The camps, despite
efforts to protect the people there,
are still raided by the LRA almost
nightly.
To raise money, the Invisible
Children foundation sponsors
a bracelet campaign. Unlike
most non-profit organizations,
Invisible Children does more
than just send the money from
the bracelets to Uganda:
For example, Lockhart explains
how the $20 she paid for her
bracelet benefits the children of
Uganda, as well as their families.
“These bracelets are made in
being raped and forced to fight in
the bush alongside the LRA. She
fought, and she saw friends die.
When, at age 14, she found the
courage to escape, she was shot in
the foot by the LRA. She survived
to tell her story, but many others
are not that lucky.
These mere children are taken,
made to fight, repeatedly raped,
and used as sex slaves. They have
no rights and no hope. They are
constantly in shame, and if they
even can return to their families,
they come back in disgrace.
Like the founders of Invisible
Children, Emily Lockhart
is trying to end the
global indifference here
at Mercy. She plans to
show the documentary,
organize a group to
raise awareness, and arrange a
letter writing campaign to state
senators.
“Not only are we women for
others here at Mercy, we are women
for women,” Lockhart said.
Here at Mercy, it is important to
make things right. End the apathy
and lack of concern. Its time to
see the Invisible Children.
Lockhart has created a group
to raise awareness and discuss
the tragedies that occur every day
in Uganda. There are showings of
Invisible Children: Rough Cut every
week after school in the chapel,
followed by discussions. The goal
is to have every student view the
documentary. The showings with
continue every other week next
semester.
If enough students show
interest in the child soldiers,
there is the possibility of a guest
speaker next semester as well. For
more information, please visit the
Invisible Children website, www.
invisiblechildren.org and listen
to the morning announcements.
“The darkest thing
about Africa is the world’s
ignorance about it.”
Uganda, by the women there.”
Lockhart said. “Not only do
the funds from the bracelets go
directly there, but the women are
also paid for making them.”
There are eight different
bracelets, and each one tells
a story. Her bracelet, called
“Grace”, is the story of a young
girl who was abducted at age 10.
She lived in fear for four years,
WWW.INVISIBLECHILDREN.COM
Competitive Education Challenges Students
UNITED STATES’ HIGHER EDUCATION BECOMES COMPETITIVE
sarah rogers
A
COMMUNITY EDITOR
t one point in time, high
school students only had
to worry about whether
or not the kid in the seat next to
them would take their place in
college. Today, education has
become so competitive that students are preoccupied with not
only about who is sitting next to
them, but also who is in the next
state, and in many cases, the next
country.
When students graduate from
high school, they are no longer
just competing with students
from their county, state or region
of the nation. Instead, they are in
a race with the rest of the world.
As more and more foreign students begin to travel to America
for higher education, U.S. students have to work rigorously to
compete.
Now that more overseas studentsare attending U.S. colleges,
the fact that Americans go to
school for fewer days a year and
start at an older age is becoming
truly apparent. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study stated that for Americans in 12th grade, the “achievement scores of both the overall
student population and the more
advanced students were well below the international average”
throughout the past few years.
Despite this, American stu-
dents are truly stepping up to
the challenge. As high school students look ahead to college and
their prospective careers, they
often begin to become involved
in college prep or even “career
prep” courses.
Students like senior Jaime
Craig have discovered that in order to stand out in this diverse
crowd, college-bound teens have
to do more than just attend school.
Craig has enrolled herself in multiple programs for future engineers such as the Detroit Area Pre
College Engineering Program and
INTEST, a program for young men
and women who are interested in
engineering, in order to become
more fluent her career choice.
“I’m concentrating on engineering in order to give myself the upper hand for college,” said Craig.
She even took summer programs
at a college she will be applying to
this fall. “Now they know who I
am and I have a better chance of
getting in,” Craig said.
Even students as young as
freshmen and sophomores are in
on the act. “I’m taking five years of
science so that I can have a heads
up on what will be expected of me
in college and so that I stand out
when it comes time to apply,” said
sophomore Emily Clark.
This concept of studying harder in order to be admitted to a first
choice college is not new. Both
Mr. Jan Wampuszyc and Ms. Georganne Salvia took courses that
they knew would help prepare
them for college when they were
students. “I took college prep
courses at a time when women
weren’t even encouraged to go to
college,” said Salvia.
Despite this, both Wampuszyc
and Salvia think that education is
much different today. “Students
today don’t necessarily have more
pressure, but they have more
choices as to what they can do
and how they can get there,” said
Wampuszyc.
Not only do students have
more choices than before, but so
do colleges. Ivy League schools
such as Harvard turn down one
out of every five valedictorians
who apply. This kind of competition has been unheard of until
now.
As more students begin to
compete for the same seats in college and the world of education
continues to widen, many students will have to increase their
work load and lives in an attempt
to compete with the everyday realities of today’s global variety of
students.
It is hard to tell if this competition is necessarily good or bad. In
many ways, the vast amount of
options that have developed because of competition will positively affect the lives of students for
years to come. At the same time,
it is easy to wonder if the competition is too much for the average
student to handle.
World Watch: A GLANCE AT THE WORLD AROUND US
An inquiry raised
The average U.S.
The House apThe army is
1 pushing
3
2 concerns that law
4 home price dropped
proved a bill that
to add
30,000 troops to
the already half
million in the
Middle East.
enforcement may
be ignoring privacy
laws to obtain private
records
will grant legal status to Bush’s wiretapping program
with restrictions.
1.7 percent in the past
year, the first annual
decline in more than a
decade.
9
OCTOBER 29, 2006
SPORTS
Swapping the Seasons
NEW PROPOSAL COULD BRING CHANGE IN GIRLS’ SPORTS SEASONS
Florianne Silvestri
STAFF REPORTER
M
any female athletes by
this time next year may
have to face the difficult
decision of choosing between two
of their favorite sports.
One female athlete in particular,
Katelyn McDowell, a varsity
softball and varsity tennis player,
explained: “If the sports’ seasons
change, I will have to decide
between tennis, which is in the
fall, and softball, which is in the
spring. Since I put so much time
and money in both, it will be a
tough decision.”
This
situation
that
female
athletes
might
encounter results from the
Community of Equity filing a
lawsuit against the Michigan
High School Athletic Association
(MHSAA).
The Community of Equity, a
group located out of Grand Rapids
that supports female athletes, felt
that female athletes were being
discriminated against because of
fewer scouting opportunities for
girls and low-grade facilities for
girls’ sports’ tournaments.
The MHSAA disagreed with
the Community of Equity and
thought that it wasn’t necessary
to change sports seasons for
girls and boys. The organization
also stated that many problems
would occur, such as scheduling
conflicts between girls’ and boys’
sports’ facilities, if the sports’
seasons change.
The case has made its way to
the U.S. Supreme Court. It is now
in the court’s hands to decide the
fate of the sports seasons.
The Supreme Court’s decision
will affect many girls at Mercy
who play sports. Many girls
are
very
concerned
about
having to choose between their
extracurricular activities.
When asked what she would
do in this situation, sophomore
Julia Kowalski, who plays soccer
and participates in varsity cross
country, stated: “I wouldn’t want
to choose between varsity cross
country and soccer. Both sports
are my life. It would be hard to
choose.”
Other girls stated that if the
seasons change, the female
scouting opportunities would
become difficult because the times
of girls’ games would collide with
the times of the boys’ games.
Ashli Brennan, a junior and
field hockey player, stated, “It’s
not fair to the students.”
Whether Mercy girls want
the seasons to change or stay the
same, the court’s decision will
dictate what will occur. Either
way, Mercy athletes will continue
to perform to the best of their
ability.
Possible Season Changes for Girls
Golf
Spring to Fall
swimming
fall to winter
Volleyball
winter to Fall
Tennis
fall to spring
basketball
fall to winter
Pounce
Into Action
WILLIAMS AND CIARAVINO
BRING TEAM TO THE TOP
Katie O’Donnell
STAFF REPORTER
ast year, the tennis team
made Mercy history on
their recently constructed
courts.
Now, however, is a
new season, and two standout
freshwomen players, Jasmine
Williams and Justine Ciaravino,
join the team to take part in the
events that will occur on these
courts.
This year the tennis team
consists mainly of upper-class
women.
In fact, only three
freshwomen made the cut. A
couple of the returning top players
include junior Cassidy Cunitz and
senior Megan Schubert, who will
continue to act as leaders for the
team, especially the newcomers.
Despite only just making the
team this year, Ciaravino and
Williams are both very excited
to play tennis for Mercy. “It is
an honor to be on the team,” said
Ciaravino.
True, they are new to Mercy,
but these girls are no strangers
to tennis. Ciaravino has been
playing tennis since the age of
five. They join Mercy this year,
said Ciaravino, because of “all the
great competition on the team.”
Both play singles tennis, which
is when a single player takes on
another solo competitor from a
different team.
Though they are involved in
only one team, these girls are
constantly playing tennis. They
are on the court swinging away
whenever they get a chance,
according to Ciaravino. Typically,
practices run from one to three
hours a day, year round.
So far this season, the tennis
team has done fairly well, placing
high in many large tournaments.
They won Catholic Leagues on
October 7 with Ciaravino and
Williams winning both of their
flights. According to www.
mlive.com, the Mercy tennis
team is ranked third for tennis
in Division 2. They have a great
chance at winning the Regional
competition and possibly even
L
States this fall.
Both Williams and Ciaravino,
despite their passion for their most
prominent sport, are interested
in other after school activities
besides tennis. Ciaravino said,
“I might be trying out for track
later this year.” Amazingly, these
girls find the energy not only to
survive the pressure of living
up to Mercy’s Varsity standards,
but possibly balancing another
extracurricular
activity
as
well, truly demonstrating their
commitment to remaining active.
For
now,
nevertheless,
Williams and Ciaravino have had
a great time at Mercy and on the
team. Said Ciaravino, “everyone
is so helpful and nice to me…
everyday with them is great.”
When it comes to the bottom line,
though, Ciaravino said she is just
“having loads of fun” and added,
“GO MERCY!”
The tickets for
the four World
Series games that
are scheduled
at Comerica
Park sold out
30 minutes after
they were put on
the market.
The $16 Million Home Run
HYSTERIA HITS TIGER FANS AFTER WALK-OF
T
his was it. The moment
Tigers fans had been
looking forward to for
22 years. Images of the 1984
World Series flashed in their
minds. With one out to go in the
bottom of the 9th inning, locked
in a 3-3 tie with the Oakland
Athletics, Magglio Ordoñez hit
the winning home run.
When the Tigers signed
Ordoñez before the 2005 season,
many doubted his abilities. He
was arguably past his prime,
just coming off knee surgery and
slowing down. He became the
highest paid Tiger on the roster,
making $16 million a year.
Was he worth it? Some said no,
but in 2006, Ordoñez bounced
back, more than doubling
his runs batted in (RBI’s) and
tripling his homeruns. He was
also one of three Tigers to make
the all-star team, along with Ivan
“Pudge” Rodriguez and Kenny
Rogers, both recent additions to
Detroit baseball.
The biggest turning point for
the Tigers was the signing of Jim
Leyland as manager. Leyland,
who won the 1997 World Series
with Pudge and the Florida
Marlins, didn’t waste any time
making his presence known.
He led the Marlins to their first
winning season in 13 years.
Every member of the team,
however, contributed to turn
the page from the abysmal 2003
season, where the Tigers suffered
humiliation in the form of 119
losses--just two short of the all
time record.
Brandon Inge, the 3rd baseman,
and Jeremy Bonderman, a starting
pitcher, both were on the team in
2003. Inge hit 27 homeruns this
season and improved dramatically
in the field. Jeremy Bonderman
won 14 games this year
and won the seriesclinching game against
the New York Yankees in
the 1st round.
The Tigers beat the Yankees
in three straight games to
advance to the American League
Championship
Series
(ALCS)
against the A’s. Many people
doubted the Tiger’s ability to beat
the Yankees, who were thought to
have the best offensive line-up in
years. Yet the Tigers proved that
good pitching always beats good
hitting--as the Tigers led the entire
league in Earned Run Average
(ERA), with an astounding 3.85.
Likewise, the Tigers swept the
A’s in the ALCS, shutting down
Oakland’s offensive power and
outscoring the A’s 22-9 in those 4
games. Every player stepped up
and showed that the Tigers can
handle the pressure that the post-
season presents.
In the World Series, the Tigers
have home field advantage,
thanks to a win by the American
League in the All-star game.
Fans of the Tigers eagerly await
the outcome of an event that
hasn’t occurred since 1984--the
last time the Tigers won a World
Series. As the saying went in
1984-- Bless You, Boys!.
COMPILED BY:
Liz Grden
Amanda Rahie
10
Malaneys in Politics
Don’t Sweat it
WHY BEING ACTIVE IS CRUCIAL
kIRSTEN mEYER
TWO STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO RUN A CAMPAIGN
cAITLIN FITZsIMONS
COPY EDITOR
O
n November 7, residents
of the Farmington Hills
area will flock to their
local polls to cast their vote for
state representative. For members
of the Mercy
community, one
name on the
ballot may look
familiar: Dennis
Malaney, father
of junior Mary
Malaney
and
sophomore
Patty Malaney,
is
running
for the 37th
District
State
Representative.
A
family’s
support
is
necessary
to
build a career in
politics, and Mr.
Malaney
has
indeed received
encouragement
from
his
daughters over
the past several
months.
The
girls have assisted their father
with his campaign, and, as a
result, have learned much about
local politics.
“I’m
the
best
organizer
because I’ve been helping all
summer,” said Mary. She and her
sisters have attended meetings
and fundraisers, greeted voters
at the polls, and walked through
neighborhoods to
convince
residents of the area to vote.
On days spent calling on
homes, the girls averaged about
80-100 houses per day, battling
the sweltering heat and humidity
of the summer because, as Mary
Helen said, “It’s the people that
LIFESTYLES
OCTOBER 29, 2006
matter.” Overall,
the
family
has found the community to
be receptive. “It has been very
heartwarming to have people
thank you for running,” said Mr.
Malaney.
Patty hopes to apply her
knowledge of politics to her
not agree with the incumbent’s
voting patterns. “I felt that at this
time in my life it was time to give
back, and this was a great avenue
to take,” he said.
If Mr. Malaney is victorious
in the upcoming election against
his opponent Aldo Vagnozzi,
WWW.DENNISMALANEY.COM
studies, especially when she takes
American Government. “I didn’t
realize it took so much work,” she
said about running for a political
office. Both she and Mary have
a deeper understanding of the
political system now that they
have played an active role in it.
Running
for
state
representative has been a learning
process for the whole family.
Mr. Malaney, a Republican, has
been a businessman for the past
23 years and decided to make a
career change because he “was
concerned about the direction of
the state.” He saw the need for
more jobs in Michigan and did
the family will be able to spend
more time together. In the past,
his career has required him to
travel across the Midwest. In
comparison, his commute to
Lansing will be relatively short.
“That’ll be very different for our
family because we’re used to him
being gone so much,” says Mary.
The family has enjoyed being
closer during the campaign. Mr.
Malaney’s message to voters is to
“please register, whatever your
party affiliation is, and if you have,
please vote.” For information
on the Malaney campaign visit
www.dennismalaney.com or call
(248) 473-8820.
I
SPORTS EDITOR
t’s a great activity to enjoy with
friends, it reduces stress, and
keeps you looking great: So
why are so many teens sacrificing
exercise for other activities?
Weeknights
for
high
school
students
generally
consist of homework, various
extracurricular
activities
and
even limited time with friends.
When they finally put down the
books in exchange for an evening
by the computer or TV, one
question often remains: Is dinner
going to be pick up or delivery
tonight? Well neither is the best
bet. Instead, walking to a dinner
destination
would give each
individual both their food and
daily exercise benefits.
Teenagers in our society are
currently exercising less and
relying on stationary activities
such as TV time, the computer,
and even doing homework
more than ever before. In fact,
the National Women Health
Resource Center reports that
only half of teenage girls are
truly getting enough physical
activity each week. Except for
weight loss and sports training,
many teens don’t see the need
to incorporate exercise into their
daily life. But the truth is that
the word ÒexerciseÓ doesn’t
have to mean slaving for hours
a week on the treadmill--rather
there are an endless number of
activities to choose from, each
of which offers multiple health
benefits.
Okay, everybody is probably
aware to some extent that
exercise allows people to build
muscle and control body weight,
but it can also be a useful tool for
stress management--something
most Mercy girls would gladly
welcome! According to Fitness
magazine, exercise is a great tool
for relieving stress and boosting
a person’s overall mood because
the endorphins that are released
by the pituitary gland during
prolonged physical activity will
help increase the body’s energy
levels and improve a person’s
overall mindset.
If that isn’t enough to convince
teens to meet their daily fitness
needs, studies also show that
those who exercise on a regular
basis have a tendency to adopt
a more balanced and diet,
simultaneously reducing their
risk for certain types of cancers
and diabetes.
But daily fitness doesn’t always
mean sacrificing big bucks to
join a gym. Enjoyable activities
that people can easily take part
in can include: walking the dog,
joining a appealing dance class,
biking to errands, roller blading
with a group, and even playing a
round of kickball with friends can
count. Many people have even
used movement video games
such as Dance Dance Revolution
to shed pounds or get in shape!
And although cardio is a great
way to go, yoga has proven to be
a growing trend for both toning
and relaxing the body’s muscles.
On average, both teens and
adults should be getting at
least 30-60 minutes of exercise
a day. How, then, should
teens start incorporating more
physical activity into their daily
lifestyle? It’s best to start out
slow and change up individual
routines on a regular basis to
challenge the body and prevent
boredom. Even in just one session,
moving from cardio to weights
to ab or other muscle work can
keep the heart rate moving and
make the workout less repetitive,
ensuring that each individual will
continue a healthy routine in the
long run.
Life’s Oldest Lesson
THE JOB THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
mo gruley
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
S
o many different factors in
life make us who we are:
The mothers who always
held our hand to cross the street
taught us to be cautious. The
teachers who never accepted late
papers made us more organized.
The times we refused to go
against our morals, even though
it was painfully difficult, taught
us self-respect. Although each
scenario is vastly different, in
the end, we have found that
the ways in which we discover
who we are is through others.
This is the point where I become
honest, brutally honest. There was
once a time in my life when I was
extremely uncomfortable around
old people. I think my unrealistic
visions of their dentures falling
onto their laps while they were
trying to eat squash always
freaked me out to some extent
and gave me, what I thought,
was a reason to avoid them. In
the back of my mind, however, I
knew that the real reason, which
hid behind my hesitation, was my
own fear of someday growing old.
Last year, I started my first
job working as a receptionist at
a hair salon. My initial reaction
was “Wow, my job revolves
around glamour,” but when
I came into work that first
Saturday morning, my eyes gave
me a reality check that stole the
color from my cheeks—everyone
sitting in the waiting area was
old. I had no idea that in a short
period of time those old ladies
who came in every Saturday
morning would change my life.
A couple of months and about a
dozen hot roller set appointments
later, relationships between the
ladies and myself blossomed,
and snippets of life stories were
exchanged. I could feel that my
approach on the way I viewed
life was slowly altering.
Though it sounds crazy, the
day my opinion about my elders
changed was the day that a client
named Loretta and I had a 17minute discussion about the
unlikely success of Brad Pitt and
Angelina Jolie’s relationship and
how both of us strongly believed
that he was much better off with
Jennifer Aniston. Do not get me
wrong, my opinion of Loretta
was by no means determined
by her favorite celebrity and if
it happened to match mine. My
opinion of her was determined
by the realization of how much I
actually had in common with her.
Sure, we certainly did not look
alike, and unlike her I did not
live in a house with nine cats and
a senile husband to take care of,
but that day I realized that if you
really think about it, are we really
that different from one another?
Or are we all just moving along
through life together in hopes
of finding the same things
that everyone else wants: to be
accepted, to be loved.
“How are you Loretta?” I later
asked my favorite 4’10”, 92 yearold client. “I’m just great, it’s a
beautiful day and I’m still kickin’,
sweetie,” she replied as I looked
out the window to find overcast
skies and rain. I removed her
coat from her fragile frame and
she proceeded to grab the latest
celebrity gossip magazine and fill
me in on “who’s with who,” like a
girlfriend would. Each week that
type of routine between us would
take place, and I looked forward
to it. My Saturday morning
shift was no longer something
to dread; rather, my Saturday
morning shift was what seemed
to get me through the week.
To me, Loretta embodied
the saying, “What you see just
might not be what you get.” She
showed me that while bodies
grow old and pretty faces fade,
only the soul truly showcases
the beauty you have to offer.
To this day I continue to utilize
the lessons that these women
unknowingly taught me every
Saturday morning in my own
life. They showed me how to look
out my window and love what I
see. They taught me that pain is a
part of life, but if I am still alive to
realize that, then I am truly lucky.
It is so easy to be close-minded
about people who are different,
but in time I have found that those
are the types of people who ignite the
parts of ourselves that we never even
knew existed, and we cannot help
but wanting to tell the world about
them.
Candy
Cake
Just one serving of chocolate-covered peanuts
contains 235 calories
and 16 grams of fat.
Cakes with cheese
or creams are the
worst
choices.
A
slice
of
cheesecake
with
strawberry topping has
440
calories
and
28 grams of fat
Try:
One
serving of Gummy Bears
which
contains
only
140
calories
and 0 grams of fat,
But remember that
Gummy Bears are
pure sugar, so make
sure to not go too
crazy, and stick with
the serving size .
Cookies
Just two generic peanut butter cookies can
contain up to 200 calories and 11 grams of fat.
Try:
a
serving
of angel food cake,
which
only
has
150 calories and 0
grams of fat and
add
strawberries
for a little zing
Ice Cream
Just half a cup of
Haagen- Dazs can
contain 330 calories
and 22 grams of fat
Try: a couple of Fig Try:
A half cup
Newtons which only of delicious frozen
have about 140 calories yogurt from TCBY
and 2 grams of fat for a which only contains
healthy, yummy snack. a tiny 110 calories
and 0 grams of fat.
REVIEWS
Music
Divas
Redefined
WAVE OF REINVENTION AMONG FEMALE ARTISTS
rebecca zhou
S
DESIGN EDITOR
o baby call on me, whether
day or night, I’ll never leave...
baby just pick up the phone
and call on me.
Tell me I’m crazy, but after
first hearing Janet Jackson’s new
single, “Call On Me,” I imagined
a music video involving phones-telephones, cellular phones, pay
phones, etc. Really, what other
props would be more fitting to
such a song?
When Janet Jackson’s video
premiered in late July, I looked
for phones, only to find Jackson
in traditional African, Asian, and
Indian apparel posing next to
aqua oceans and watercolor skies.
I wondered, why would Jackson
create such an abstract video?
However, the answer was
right in front of my eyes, literally.
I realized Janet Jackson simply
wanted to stand out. In a crowd
of newcomers such as Cassie,
Rihanna, Ciara, Danity Kane
and The Pussycat Dolls, Janet
Jackson had to re-establish her
territory.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am
a huge fan of “Show Stopper”
and “Buttons”, but if you look
at their videos they basically
fall into the same cookie cutter.
There is dancing, some bling-
ing, and even more strutting. It
just seems like these newer artists all produce that safe catchy
single, paired with a hot dance
sequenced video.
Janet Jackson is not the only
established artist to reinvent herself this music season. Christina
Aguilera released her junior album on August 15, Back to Basics.
This throwback CD is a stark
contrast to Stripped, her last album. It has a very unique ‘20s,
‘30s and ‘40s, influence, clearly
recognizable in the jazzy, soulful
and bluesy sound materialized
by Aguilera.
Another recent album released by one of the musical divas affirms these observations.
Beyonce Knowles’ solo album,
B-Day, features the hit singles,
“Déjà vu” and “Ring the Alarm”.
The field setting and African
dancing showcased in Déjà vu is
definitely unconventional, along
with song and video of Ring the
Alarm. It sounds like a hybrid of
rap, rock and R&B, and the video
features her being held captive
in an asylum type location.
Even these divas’ images have
transformed, projected in their
clothing choices and grooming. For instance, think back
two years. Christina Aguilera’s
wardrobe in the music video
“Dirty” consisted of a cropped
leather top and
leather
chaps.
Her
grooming consisted of
smoky eye makeup, hair styled
long, messy, and
teased. Her newer
and classier image in the “Ain’t
No Other Man”
video almost unrecognizable
in
comparison.
In
this video Aguilera is dressed
in a diamond
gown, with classic makeup, and
Shirley
templelike hair.
Perhaps now
that these artists
are established,
they feel more
freedom in their
creative realms.
Perhaps they
feel
threatened
by the new coming generation of connection.christina-aguilera.net
artists.
Perhaps
Aguilera’s changing image; promotional
they are just folimage from her Stripped album (top), a recent
lowing in the
2006 photograph from a magazine shoot
footsteps of Madonna, the ultimate music leg- all these changes are simply coend, who has made a career of incidental and I really am just
reinventing herself. Or perhaps plain crazy.
Akeelah and the Bee
julie mulloy
MANAGING EDITOR
have never been fond of spelling bees. Mere
mention of the word sends me back to
kindergarten, where at my first class spelling bee,
I tragically struck out on the word “fan” and spent
the rest of the school day in tears. So it’s no surprise
that I was hesitant to watch Doug Atchison’s film,
Akeelah and the Bee, a movie dedicated to competitive
spelling.
The film follows the struggle of eleven year old
Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) as she struggles
to qualify and eventually win the Scripps National
Spelling Bee. Akeelah’s journey is not easy. Coming
from an inner city Los Angeles neighborhood, she
is put at a disadvantage next to her privileged
peers who have the benefit of a superior education
and a rigorous training schedule. Before Akeelah
can improve her own spelling, however, she has
to believe in herself. That’s where the help of Dr.
Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), Akeelah’s coach
and mentor, makes all the difference. Dr. Larabee
shows Akeelah that she is more than just a talented
speller. Akeelah realizes that she will be competing
in the Bee not only for herself, but for her friends,
her family, and her community. With the training
and confidence of Dr. Larabee and her peers,
Akeelah briskly qualifies for regional and national
championships, making lasting friends along the
way.
Labeling Akeelah and the Bee as an inspirational film
is simply an understatement. Atchison and Palmer
do a wonderful job of drawing the viewer into the
life and mind of Akeelah Anderson. By the end of the
film I found myself holding my breath as Akeelah
approached the microphone to receive her word.
Palmer’s convincing performance is additionally
complimented by the detailed storyline of the film.
Not only does Atchison take the viewer into the mind
of Akeelah Anderson, but the difficulties and family
dynamics
of
Anderson’s peers
are examined as
well.
So why, you
ask, would any
teenager want to
see a movie on
a spelling bee?
Today when it
seems like the only
movies available
at
Blockbuster
involve either gory
torture scenes or
seriously twisted
plots. Akeelah and
the Bee reveals
WWW.KILLERMOVIES.COM
itself as the perfect
family
friendly
alternative,
complete with a
PG rating.
Not
four out of five stars
only
does
it
contain humorous dialogue, an engaging plot, and
convincing acting, but Akeelah and the Bee brings
interest and life to the world of competitive spelling
through this charming family film.
I
I
11
OCTOBER 30, 2006
’ll admit it; my dad is the king
of uncool. I mean, he wears tiedyed shirts and spandex for
pleasure. So when my dad dared
to tell me about The Weepies, I was
shocked by his audacity. To think,
a man who still listens to
his music from the
’70s telling me, a
cultured
music
lover,
about
a
modern
group. Jeff
Buckley,
Landon
Pigg, and
T e d d y
Geiger
streaming
through
my speakers all are
testament to
my
musical
taste, with mellow instru-mentations and soothing
voices. Yet, I was still
shocked by his nerve.
Begrudgingly, I took my father’s
advice and listened to the band, and
I was captivated, to say the least.
When the mellow instrumentation,
acoustic guitar, and vocals met my
ears, I felt like I was floating.
Consisting of two already-accomplished singers/songwriters, Deb
Talan and Steve Tannen, The Weepies have collaborated to produce a
record that is mellow but not depressed, floating but not flying, and
tapping but not banging.
The Boston-based group was
formed one night about four years
ago when the pair met in a bar. Cli-
ché, yes, but the meeting was
completely coincidental. For the
past month they had been listening to each other’s music nonstop, but they had never met. So
when each found out about the
other one being there,
they decid-ed to
collab-orate in
thier efforts
and form a
band.
T h i s
d u o
writes
both insightful
tunes
a n d
upbeat
music
– as evidenced
on their albums. Prime
examples are
Take It From Me
and Vegas Baby
– both from their album
Say I Am You, released March
2006.
The Weepies are a combination of both folk and alternative,
with Tannen’s twanging voice,
Talan’s lilting melodic vocals,
and their acoustic guitar playing.
The Weepies are unique and
unknown, bringing a new flavor
out into the public eye. Maybe
kids aren’t always ahead of their
parents after all.
Jenn Linton
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Staff Picks
TV
HOUSE
”This show follows Dr.
Gregory House and his team of
specialists as they try to solve
a different medical mystery
every week. Even though it
sounds predictable, it sets
itself apart from the plethora
of doctor-themed shows on TV
right now simply because it’s so
funny. House always has great
one-liners.”
-- Brigid Kilcoin
MOVIES
BENNY AND JOON
“Johnny Depp is most recently
well known for his outrageous
role in Pirates of the Caribbean,
but a cute, touching, comical
romance he starred in the
1990s is Benny and Joon. In
this film, Depp plays another
misunderstood character, and a
lovable one at that.”
-- Caitlin Fitzsimons
MUSIC
RADIO DISNEY
“It seems juvenile but Radio
Disney is actually entertaining
and easy to listen to. They play
old Disney classics as well as
some of today’s hits. Everyone
is a Disney fan at heart, so tune
into AM 910, Radio Disney.”
-- Helen Marie Berg
BOOKS
A DANGEROUS
DRESS
BY JULIA HOLDEN
“When Jane Stuart cannot take
living in Indiana anymore, she
grabs an opportunity to live
in Paris. With the help of her
grandmother’s vintage dress,
Jane learns to be adventurous
and make mistakes. This novel
is perfect for spare reading
or to pass the time away on a
Saturday afternoon.”
-- Amanda Rahie
Food
FRANKLIN
CIDER MILL
“A staple for any picturesque
Michigan fall is a visit to a cider
mill, and Franklin Cider Mill,
on the corner of Franklin and 14
Mile, is amazing. While waiting
in line, you can see how the
doughnuts are made, and smell
the delicious aroma of apples
and baking. If there’s a line, it’s
worth it, because it’s the best
cider mill around.”
-- Jenn Linton
Websites
WWW.DETROIT
GASPRICES.COM
“With the expensive cost of gas
nowadays, detroitgasprices.
com is the site to check out. This
website lists the cheapest gas
prices in the Metro Detroit area.
Members, who join for free, log
on daily to submit prices in the
area including the name of the
gas station and its address.”
-- Sarah Choss
12
LAST
LOOK
OCTOBER 30, 2006
Chills & thrills for a hair raising
HALLOWEEN
COMPILED BY
SHANNON MOORE
AND
ALYSSA HARDING
Never be bored on
a cool October night
ever again! Here are 5
great ideas for a great
night out with friends,
family, or that special someone!
Whether you want a big scare
or just to relax at a bonfire or
pick some apples, there is
something for everyone!
Rent-a-Bon fire
Getting sick of staying
inside because of the chilly
weather? Try going to
Sugarbush Farms in Ypsilanti
where you have the chance
to rent out a campfire area
with your friends for a fun
filled night! A minimum of
20 people is required, $12
a person gives you a 4 hr
bonfire. Call Farmer Joe at
(734) 482-4741 for more info
on reservations!
LONG FAMILY
orchard
haunted Winery
Want
to
revisit
your childhood this year with
a trip to pick apples, drink hot
cider, and scarf down gooey
cinnamon donuts? Well you’re
in for a treat! The Long Family
Orchard in Commerce offers
all that, and more! Along
with apple picking, it has
orchard tours, and a petting
farm. Call (248) 360-3774.
The Haunted Winery
on Grand River in
Farmington is one
that almost everyone
will enjoy. It winds
you through the
dark halls of an old
winery with ghosts
and ghouls around
every corner.
$8
for adults, $4 for
children. For dates
and times call (248)
477-8833.
erebus
haunted
HouSE
Terrorfied
forest
Located in downtown
Pontiac,
this
fourstory haunted house
is sure to give you
a thrill you’ll never
forget! For $19, you
and your bravest buds
can attempt to conquer
the daunting halls of
this terrifying place!
Call (248) 332-7884 for
more information.
Interested in something
other than the same old
haunted house? These
spooky woods offer a twist
that you are sure to enjoy!
Along with the outdoor
haunting, this attraction
in Pinckney also offers an
indoor section called the
Terrorfied Manor, for an
additional scare! The forest
cost is $15, the manor $7,
or a combination price of
$20. Group rates are also
available. Call (734) 8780018 or (734) 878-3737 for
details.
COSTUME
CLAD FRIENDS
PART Y
TIME
Here are five
essentials so you can
throw the ultimate
Halloween bash!
Tell all your girl and guy
friends to dress up as
whatever they like.
Offer
cute ideas such as an angel
or bunny to the gals. Guys
could be action heros or
sports players.
4
MONSTER
MUSIC MIX
SPOOKY
SURROUNDINGS
One must have the
ultimate
creepy
decorations
when
throwing a great
Halloween
party.
Dim the lights or
buy fake cobwebs!
Make a
of scary,
themed
“Men
by Will
“Thriller”
Jackson.
mixed CD
Halloween
tunes like
in
Black”
Smith and
by Michael
DELICIOUS
SNACKS
Party-goers all need
something
quick
and easy to eat while
busy mingling.
A
tasty idea would be to
make a large bowl of
Halloween chex mix.
This
only
involves
adding peanuts, candy
corn, and pretzels to
corn chex cereal.
PARTY BAG
Make sure to purchase
something to hand
out to party-goers as
they leave. Pumpkin
bead necklaces are
fun and cheap. Also
a bag of mixed candy
would almost never
be turned down.