&2015 MIPA Spartan Award Winner

GoldTraverse City Central High School 1150 Milliken Drive, Traverse City, Michigan 49686

Volume 96 Issue 7April 27th, 2016

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YearbookTraverse City Central’s Yearbook staff recently submitted the yet-to-be published 2016 Pines to the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) annual Spring Awards competition. The yearbook staff won many individual awards, including Liz Wiitanen placing 1st for Best Academic Photo, Miki Macek plac-ing first for Best Academic Spread, Emma Simon placing first for Best Sports Feature Photo, and the staff placing first place for Best End Sheets, Index, and Opening and Closing. Pines advisor, Katelyn Stark, has worked with the yearbook staff to help achieve their goals for this year and do as well as they can when submit-ting to MIPA. “Submitting our work to MIPA takes hours,” Stark said. “We have to consider a few things. We want to submit what we deem our best work, which is challenging when you create a yearbook that’s meant to be a cohesive piece of history. Yanking a page here or a mod there doesn’t always give the judges a full picture, so we try to see the big picture and be selective. Also, we try to submit entries for every student, so everyone has a chance at winning or gaining recognition, which does wonders for college resumes and scholarship applications.” Winning an award at MIPA means the world to yearbook students. Not only do they feel as though their work has paid off, but they also feel inspired to keep doing well even after they have won. Knowing that their yearbook is one of the best out there is a feeling that will never be forgotten by all staff members. “MIPA means a lot to me because it is a competition between publications,” Alex Schweitzer ‘17 said. “Winning a large award means that you are better than other schools’ publications, which is a really awesome thing to know. It also works to motivate the staff to do better next year.” While receiving awards and getting recognized for all their hard work is quite satisfying, MIPA does more than just ranking Cen-tral’s yearbook, it also unites the class. By striving to earn as many awards as possible, the yearbook team bonds and strengthens by sharing a common goal. “I’ve made so many friends because of yearbook throughout the years,” Sydney McCardel ‘18 said. “The number of memories I have due to the class is unreal and I know I will continue to make more everyday. By working on the same book all year and sharing the same objectives with other students, it really connects you with other people and endless friendships are made.”BroadcastingTraverse City Central’s student news program, Front and Central, also participated in the MIPA awards this year, and was honored with MIPA’s highest award, the Spartan. The show is run by Cen-tral’s broadcasting class and is quite popular among the staff and students. Front and Central has always been known for their charm and wit while keeping the school updated on current events.

“Our teams come up with funny bits by staying up to date on what’s trending,” Tyler Moreno ‘17 said. “We like to incorporate content that viewers of all ages could find entertaining. We also research into activities that students do around the school and how it affects everyone else.” Front and Central has aired countless episodes packed with enter-tainment varying from simple banter to planned bits and cutaways that leave their audience captivated every time. Not only do the students enjoy the creative ways of getting informed on the latest events and news, but the cast itself also enjoys the process of making their ideas come to life through scripts and cameras. “My favorite bit of the show this year was back in November with my ‘Black Friday Survival Guide’,” Moreno said. “It was my favorite because not only was it informative, but it was also hilari-ous. It was a lot of fun and it was also cool because we got to include businesses in Traverse City into it as well as extending our audience to the community.” Along with the show’s quirky humor and lighthearted tone, Front and Central never fails to inform the school on important events and is a reliable source of information for everyone in Central’s community. This year, Front and Central submitted several of clips from their show to the MIPA, taking home an abundance of awards, with Tyler Moreno placing first for Field Reporter, Greg Haggerty ‘16 placing 1st for Newscast Anchor, Makala O’Donnell ‘17 placing first for best environmental, health or science story, and Alex Pierce ‘16 placing third for Field Reporter and Sports Feature. NewspaperAlong with Front and Central and the Yearbook team, our very own Black and Gold Newspaper submitted to the 2016 Spring MIPA Awards, for this year’s competition. MIPA has helped the staff stay focused throughout every issue that they have worked on, and motivates us to produce the best work we can when writing, editing

Approaching the end of the 2014-2015 school year, my Co-EIC, Julia Vannatter, and I learned that our newspaper advisor, Timothy Mcdon-ald, was being transferred to West High School. Learning who our new advisor would be left us with mixed feelings. We took our concerns down to the main office, where Dr. Vander-molen was wrapping up an extremely busy school year. Despite that, he took hours out of his schedule of never-ending phone calls and meetings to address each of our worries. On the first day of summer, Dr. Vandermolen met us again, and had us write out our expectations for our new advisor. He never made us feel like our wants for our class were not worthy or were going unheard and he assured us that he would stand behind us, a pair of 16 year olds, and help us achieve our goals. Throughout my time on the Black & Gold, the support and encouragement my staff has consistently received from Dr. Vandermolen has enabled us to utilize our creativity and cover sto-ries worthy of coverage, stories that inspire us. After four years on this staff, I have had the op-portunity to learn many people’s stories. These stories are art, they matter and because of Dr. Vandermolen’s support, we have been able to tell many. From one of our school janitors who is a closet artist, a disabled girl running cross country, a student chef who spent a summer working under a world-renowned chef in Cali-fornia and a history teacher with the title Iron-man to his name; these individuals have had the opportunity to pursue their passions through Dr. Vandermolen’s leniency and encouragement. Dr. Vandermolen has a story too, and his story here at Central is one of a principal worthy of accolade and recognition. I have seen Dr. Vandermolen take the time to involve himself in every department here at Central. When the mileage failed to pass for a second time and it looked as though the music kids would be burdened with an auditorium unfit for any functioning high school, he found a way to balance the schools budget and get them a new, beautiful auditorium to take pride in. Standing in the cold rain with rowdy students

dressed in amusing costumes chanting in the background, Dr. Vandermolen attended almost every football game this fall. He stood at the fence with a smile on his face, joining in with the nonsense chants. Every other month he makes the walk down to the furthermost part of F building, where the worshipped pub resides, to give up an hour out of his day, sitting and allow-ing us pub kids to fire questions at him. There is no end to this list. Next year, Dr. Vandermolen will no longer be here at Central, giving his full attention to each and every department and student. We will not have him to help lift school spirit or to help build an understanding, encouraging and accept-ing atmosphere in which students are able to feel seen and heard, allowing them to excel. I don’t claim to understand the situation that occurred with the girls basketball team, nor have I sat down and asked Dr. Vandermolen for a list of reasons as to why he is leaving. I am simply recognizing that he will be missed. I hope and encourage staff, administration and the student body to remember the way he took time to attend to every student and department with en-couragement and allow it leave a lasting example and effect by following in his footsteps. And so, it is from where I am standing and in thanks for the support I, along with my staff, have consistently been given that I ask you all, Central staff and students, TCAPS school board and the Grand Traverse community at large, to give recognition to the outstanding job Dr. Vandermolen has done here at Central High School and to wish him luck and happiness in his new position at Courtade Elementary school as their new principal. Thank you, Dr. Vandermolen, for the unfalter-ing support. It has been a gift to have you as our principal and I know you will continue to impact those around you positively in your next step as principal at Courtade. Best of luck,

Maddi MillerEditor-in-Chief of the Black & Gold

Abby HarnishStaff Reporter

Three of Central’s publication classes compete in the annual MIPA awards

Fare-thee-well Dr. V, we tip our hats to you

At the start of the 2016-2017 school year, Central High School will have a new head principal. Dr. Rick Vander-molen, Central’s principal of nine years, is leaving to become the head principal of Courtade Elementary School. The news about Vandermo-len’s departure was not widely known until the students and staff returned from spring break. The current student body has known no other head principal. Perhaps, ev-eryone just assumed that Dr. V would be principal forever. It is no surprise that both stu-dents and staff were shocked at the news of his impending departure. “The thing I will miss the most about Dr. Vandermolen is that when he first came here he had a twinkle in his eye in regards to being inno-vative and trying new things,” Language Arts teacher David Hendrix said. “I appreciated that very much early on in my teaching because it gave me some freedom to meet the needs of my students.” Although the change is in-timidating, elementary school is not a completely new territory for Vandermolen. Before he came to Central, he was the principal of another elementary school. However, the change from high school back to elementary school leaves a wide gap open for new difficulties just as much as new opportunities. “It’s just a different way of educating students,” Vandermolen said. “I will see different instruction there than I would probably see at

the high school level because high school students are more independent learners. I’m also going to see a significant reduction when it comes to size. To manage 12 staff members from 80 teach-ers, your strategies are much different. Not just managing people, but working with people, developing school im-provement plans, all of that is very different. It’s much more intimate at the elementary school level because there’s less teachers.” Even though change can bring upon uncertain feelings, some students and staff view this as an exciting change for Central. Instead of focusing on the negative, they choose to look on the brighter side. “I am going to miss Dr. Vandermolen,” Bailea Rice ‘17 said. “But I think having a new principal will be a good experience for Central.” Central’s new head princi-pal will be Ms. Jesse Hough-ton. The students no doubt have high expectations for Houghton. “I hope the new principal will help the students grow and help the student body be more united,” Rice said. “Also I hope they will be open to views from others.” Like the student body, teachers are also forming expectations and hopes that they would like the new prin-cipal to be able to fulfill. “I hope the new principal will be able to see through all of the other things we have to do and all of the hoops we have to jump through, and be able to establish a foundation and the expecta-

New CHS principal Central will transition into the 2016-17 school year with a new head principal

2016 annual MIPA Awards

Feature Page Turn to Feature Page for an inside look at the Thunder Squirrels

Flip over to the Sports Page for a series of profiles on all the team sports captains

See MIPA pg. 6

See Principal pg. 6Photo: courtesy of G. Haggerty

Sports Page

Photo: A. Stiebel

Photo: A. Stiebel

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Autumn RobertsStaff Reporter

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 20162 Opinionthe

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Editors-in-ChiefMaddi MillerJulia Vannatter

News EditorKristin McLintock

Opinion EditorCarly Hernden

Feature EditorKirsten Berkey

Baille Zipser

A&E EditorAndrea Bavikatty

Sports EditorNoah Aulicino

Focus Page EditorBethany Pataky

Introspec EditorsAbbie CrickTaylor Weckstein

Business ManagersKirsten BerkeyHayley Scollard

Photo EditorAidan Stiebel

Illustration EditorHenry Lancashire

Staff ReportersAndrea BavikattyBen BrownJackson ConlonAbby HarnishJack MyersAutumn RobertsNicole RogersAlex SternAbigail VannatterBaille Zipser

Send us an email at tc-cblackand-gold@gmail.com or drop off a letter to the editor in room F-158

We asked the Central High School teaching staff to remi-nisce about the moment they became politically aware

Members of the Black & Gold staff attend three different political rallies and share their thoughts and experiences

Different rally, different story

Teachers reflect on their first political moment

Due to my political nature, I was thrilled to hear that the Donald Trump was visiting Cadillac, Michigan for a rally. My previous opinion piece, Is “The Donald” Presidential Material?, I emphasized why Trump does not posses presidential qualities. This being my first political event, I did not know what to expect. From the mo-ment I arrived, I felt many different emotions and nothing was how I expected it to be. The doors opened at 10:00am and the actual event started at 1:30pm. Along with all the diehard Trump fans, I arrived early at 8:00am. My first thought was that the people around me were there for the same reason, to laugh at everything Trump would say. My next thought revolved around the fact that it was freezing cold, and I really did not understand why so many people were willing to stand outside. Then again, I was one of those people. My first thought quickly vanished when I heard the chant, “BUILD THE WALL! BUILD THE WALL!” I was scared. I come from the small town of Traverse City. I had no idea that there were people out there who genuinely, fervently, and even rabidly supported his vitriolistic ideas. That may sound completely narrow-minded, but I could not understand that his ideas were logical in the minds of some. Something similar about his supporters continuously popped into my head; They were all very unaccepting. I’m not saying that this is an accurate portrayal for every one of his supporters, but every single person I had an encounter with shared an uninviting vibe. People did not seem to be open to other ideas. Their ideas seemed to be the only valid ideas. I constantly felt “in the wrong.” Not only in the wrong as far as the surrounding people, but it was almost as if their actions were contagious. They viewed me as I viewed them; disrespectful and uninviting. Just like anyone would at a political event for a candidate that they oppose, I was quietly making counter arguments throughout the rally. Every single time I would make a comment, someone would snarkily turn around and aggressively give it back to me. This was funny to me, so it eventually got to the point where I would say something just to get others heated. It was surprising to me how some people can be so serious and unaware at the same time, meaning they were blabbing inaccurate information to stick up for their beloved candidate. I looked at it all as a big joke. Is this difference between fans and enemies? It occurs to me now, that, perhaps I am no different than them. Am I so busy trying to debunk Mr. Trump that I have lost any political perspective I might have had? Have we, as a nation, all lost our perspective throughout this election?

March 4th, 2016, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders came to the Streeters Center in Traverse City. Even though Sanders’ rally was the same day Republican candidate Donald Trump hosted a rally in Cadillac, a line zig-zagged back and forth through the Streeters parking lot and along the fence of the Cherry Capital Airport where a Trump plane had landed. The Bernie crowd all wondered why it was there. Regardless, it was a sight very few of us have seen. People climbed a massive snowbank attempting to snap a picture over the fence. Planes zipped by and cars drove past, but we all remained fixed in line waiting for the presidential candidate we all agreed would ben-efit the United States the most, and I have never experienced anything like that before. During President Barack Obama’s second term election, I grew to really enjoy politics. I started watching both the Republican and Democratic debates, taking internet quizzes to see which candidate I aligned with the most, and took it upon myself to learn the terms and ideas that revolve around politics. Along with that, I took the required civics class, but I also dual enrolled at NMC and took a political science class to get a deeper understanding of what I learned in civics. After all of that research, I discovered Senator Bernie Sanders. I was instantly amazed with his viewpoints and how he wants to provide for America. My whole life has been bickering between my extremely conservative grandfather and my moderate dad, and here I am being the extremely liberal family member, adding fuel to the political fire at all family events. I can handle an argument with them because I am well educated and can keep an open mind when listening to different viewpoints. To be in a room where I didn’t have to justify every opinion I hold was an amazing feeling. At the rally I felt free to speak my mind because I knew nobody would judge me or criticize my views. Walking into the venue, I instantly had a bond with everyone around me. Smiles stretched across everyone’s faces as we all collectively thought ‘we are about to hear our possible future president speak.’ It was truly incredible to be on the same wavelength as everyone in the room. The main room where Sanders spoke was filled to capacity, so half of my group of friends were sent to the overflow room, which Sanders made an appearance in as well. I squeezed my way through people similar to the way I find a good standing spot at a concert. Except at a concert I have to deal with underdressed girls and band snobs, whereas at a political rally, nobody

Saturday, March 12 was a day of great intrigue. At 10 a.m., Repub-lican Presidential candidate John Kasich came to speak downtown at the Park Place Hotel. I was beyond excited I would be able to see a presidential candidate in person for first time. On that Satur-day morning, I had to wake up quite early in order to get a good spot inside the venue. When I walked inside to where Kasich was going to speak, it was already crowded. Reporters for local televi-sion news stations and other outlets surrounded the perimeter near the back. Before he spoke, I decided to fit in with the crowd. A boy who appeared no older than fourteen was walking around passing out Kasich bumper stickers for attendees to take. I took a sign and a bumper sticker. When Kasich came up on stage, some people were ecstatic to say the least. People were clapping for a whole minute or two. He brought up drugs, economic polices, told the crowd that he wants us to forget the politics, and cracked a few jokes. The candidate would begin to speak, stop, and resume. The pattern of how he spoke kept me at attention, there was suspense. I wondered what is he going to say next? Kasich spoke of his time in Congress and his success with economic legislation which was passed. This was news to me and it was quite interesting to hear. When he told the crowd that we should forget the politics, I became quite curious. I could not recall a candidate ever saying that before. During his time at the Park Place, Kasich did make a few jokes. He said he must have been doing a good job because so few people were us-ing their phones or taking pictures. When the event finally ended and he left the stage, people cheered furiously. It seems more and more this election comes down to choosing lesser of several evils. I want to base my own political views on facts and reasons, and how I feel our nation should be governed. I did not want to go the Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders rallies because the extremist viewpoints they hold seem to be inappropri-ate for proper governance of our country, though fair points can be made from both sides. Kasich seemed like the most moderate of all the candidates running, which was appealing to me. I believe a more moderate president is a necessary part for an efficient and effective govern-ment to bring democrats and republicans together in Congress. Though I do not agree with him on many things, he may be the best candidate by default. Regardless of my disagreements, Kasich shows that he is not extremely conservative, nor extremely liberal. I think people have strayed away from Kasich because he has not presented himself as

boldly as the others. Trump, Clinton,

Jack MyersStaff Reporter

Music was the catalyst to me taking an interest in politics. I had always loved music, but once I entered high school, I started actually listening to music rather than simply listening to what was popular. I took an interest in song lyrics and the purpose of the artist’s message. I was drawn towards artists who wrote songs about politics and global issues, and I started to for-mulate my opinions and ideas about politics through those songs. -Andy Melius

I clearly remember being aware when Kennedy was assassinated. That was probably my first political memory. Years later I shook Jimmy Carter’s hand at the Livonia Mall and I also spoke with Sam Donald-son at the same time. -Barb Buckingham

When I was a junior in high school I decided that I wanted to go to the Naval Academy. One of the requirements was that I needed an appointment from a congressman or a senator. I hate to admit it, but I really didn’t know who they were or how to contact them. It turned out that my congressman was Guy Vander Jagt from Cadillac, Michigan. I never met him in person but he gave me an appointment to the academy. While I was in the navy he helped my parents get a small business loan for their hardware store (They always felt they would have lost the business without the loan). Finally, when I got out of the ser-vice I went back to school to get my teaching certificate and a masters degree. I couldn’t get the Veterans Administration to release the benefit money I had earned in the service. After contacting Congressman Vander Jagt’s office, a check was on its way within 48 hours. I never realized in high school how helpful your representative can be in certain situations. And they don’t even ask you if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. -Joel Dorgan

My personal political awareness began with the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979. I was a fresh-man in high school and remember watching the nightly news with my parents and seeing the US Embassy being overrun and American citizens taken hostage. That was unheard of to me! I did not know anything about Iran and words such as Shah and Ayatollah were new to me. I remember not understanding the culture and the religion of Iran. I distinctly recall how American patriotism surged with American flags waving everywhere and people tying yellow ribbons out in public to remember the hostages. President Carter’s administration tried to free the hostages without success and it was during President Ronald Reagan’s actual inau-guration on January 20, 1981 that the hostages were released. To me, that was very symbolic and a precursor to what other world-altering events would occur during Reagan’s presidency. I watched the news every single night after that. Not only did I become a more informed citizen during that time, but I also became a history major at Michigan State University in 1982 as a result of my profound interest in world events, brought about, in part from the Iran Hostage Crisis. -Lisa Dohm

In 1984, I was in San Francisco at advanced firefighting school and the Democratic Convention was in town. Geraldine Ferraro was the Vice Presidential candidate with Walter Mondale. I would have never guessed so much time would pass and we would still not have a female Vice President or President. -Harold Lalonde

See Kasich, pg. 10

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Abigail VannatterStaff Reporter

Carly HerndenOpinion Editor

See Sanders, pg. 10

Feature 3Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 2016

Hobbies and clubs ExpressionCHS students participate in many extracurric-ulars that challenge their endurance, beliefs and passion within their lives

Students explain the mean-ing and importance behind their bumper sticker choices

“I have a monogram and it personalizes my car while adding a preppy touch to my style. I don’t think it captures me as a person because it’s just my initials, but I love monograms and think they’re cute, trendy and stylish. When people see my monogram they can assume it’s me because it’s my initials. It also shows what I’m into and other people can probably tell that I’m preppy.” -Claire Selby ‘18

“I’m a strong Sanders supporter and it’s something I’m passion-ate about. By putting this sticker on my car, it allows hundreds of people to see it everyday and I get to express myself. Some people probably think I’m arrogant, or people who disagree with my opin-ions might say I’m downright stupid, but it’s something I feel very strongly about so I’ll continue to express myself and not care what others think.” -Alex Wright ‘17

“I think it shows how much I love the sport and I think that everyone should know it. The stickers represent my passion for the sport and it also helps to represent my team. I think it also shows that I am devoted to soccer and I have an extreme love for the game. It captures my personality very well because I like to put myself out there and show who I am—a lover of soccer and the team spirit.” -Emma Kosch ‘17

“My Runner Girl sticker captures something that is a big part of my life and it defines me as a whole. I run cross country and track. Other people can identify my car because of this sticker because it sticks out and shows my commitment to my team and as a runner. Running is more than a sport to me, it’s a lifestyle. It allows me to express myself in ways I didn’t think was possible.” -Mady Basch ‘16

“I’ve lived in TC all my life, my family has always gone to Lake Michigan on the weekends in the summer. M22 captures Traverse City as a whole and it something I am going to miss when I move away. It represents my hometown, which is something I am very proud of. No matter where I go, I will always be carrying a piece of my home with me by having my M22 sticker on the back of my car.” -Sarah Gibson ‘17

Spending countless hours with his lacrosse friends working on every part of the game, Jake Harrison ‘18 prepares for another upcoming Thunder Squirrels Lacrosse season. “There isn’t anything to dislike about lacrosse unless you are impatient,” Harri-son said. “I think that is what drives a lot of people away. This club has definitely changed me. In previous sports I would always do what was asked but never do more. Being a part of the Thunder Squirrels, I can’t stop the grind.” Practicing five to seven days a week, being a Thunder Squirrel takes a lot of hardwork and dedication. The Thunder Squirrels are more than a team, they have become a family. “My favorite part about the club is probably the atmosphere of the sport,” Harrison said. “It has become clear to me that the hype of a lacrosse game is nothing close to any other sport I have played. I love how dedicated everyone is and I’m glad to be a part of this Thunder Squirrel family where everyone is friendly to each other. I can say I love them easily as much as I do my real family.” Some of the team members’ closest friends have come from being a Thun-der Squirrel and they have shared many memories, laughs and even sadness throughout their time together. “My favorite memory from this club is a game last year against Cadillac,” Bren-dan Wells ‘16 said. “We had an open net, and I stepped in from defense to make a

save on a Cadillac fast break.” The Squirrels are a self-funded lacrosse team and they are not under the Trojan name. The Thunder Squirrels Lacrosse team consists of schools from all over the area, although many of the players are Trojans. “Because of the fact that we all love the sport,” Wells said, “we come together as a close knit family. I feel that our team has the most heart, and that our coaches provide an extensive lacrosse experience that keeps us together year round.” Being a Thunder Squirrell takes a strong work ethic, re-spect and the promise to always be there for your team. “For me, being in this club is not chal-lenging,” Wells said. “You must be very dedicated to the sport and the team, and being both of those, going to practice and all the games is a fun experience and not a hassle.” Wells, a senior and captain of the team, plans on finishing his last high school season strong and continuing to be a part of the Thunder Squirrel family for many more years to come by helping out the team as an alumni. “Be-ing a part of this team has made me a better person,”

Wells said. “I’ve developed skills that will benefit me throughout life. Our coaches stress teamwork, leadership, and hard work, and that is seen in each and every one of our players.”

They stand hand and hand with their bodies swaying to the rhythm. Belting out the lyrics passion-ately with a smile plastered to her face, Jessica Budz ‘16 spends her Monday nights singing at Young Life, a Christian youth group. She strengthens her faith at these meetings while participating in fun games and singing along to good music. “Being part of Young Life has made me more comfortable in my own skin,” Budz said. “It has im-pacted my life in a really good way because I know that Young Life has allowed me to gain self confidence in my beliefs.” This youth group meets twice per week in the mornings on Thursday for breakfast, and on Monday nights. At the meetings, the attendees can share about their week and anything that is on their minds. Young Life serves as a haven for numerous students while also allowing them to see a new side to their faith. “Being part of Young Life has helped me realize that believing in Jesus and wanting to follow him is much easier to do than I thought,” Caroline Komrska ‘18 said. “It isn’t as broad of a topic as it seems. Young life has taught me that being spiritual has a fun side to it. The leaders help me open up and I feel

like I can talk to them about any-thing that happens in my life.” At the meetings, singing, dancing and competitive games with prizes, raffles and a scripture lesson are common. Some of the games can be very competitive because a free lunch is often at stake. Food is also a must at the meetings and attend-ees can count on cookies, ice cream and pretzels. “I think singing popular songs with the group is always really fun,” Cam Wuerfel ‘17 said. “We all get so into it and it gives us all an amaz-ing rush. I also really like the full group games such as pillow fights, blind-folded cupcake making and spoons.” In addition to the fun games and scrumptious food, Young Life has left positive impacts on it’s attendees when the group goes on retreats for the weekend. “Young Life Winter Weekend December 2015 forever changed my life,” Wuerfel said. “That was the weekend I became truly close with the Young Life Leaders. I was able to connect with them really well and treasure them in my life forever. I also really connected with some amazing kids that I am still friends with now. It was the laughs, tears and love of Christ we all shared that weekend at Timber Wolf Lake.”

Young Life Bible Study

Grazing the open water, the wind in her hair and the feeling of freedom running through her, Brooke Corso ‘17 and her partner Maddy Zimmerman ‘17 work to-gether to finish their sailing race. “I find it very relaxing,” Corso said. “Even if it’s really windy and a high intensity day, I still find it very calming.” In the spring, the sailing team spends almost every weekend together racing and three days a week they practice through any conditions including snow, rain or high winds. “One of my least fa-vorite parts about sailing is drysuits,” Corso said. “We are required to wear them in cold weather and they are horrible and very unflattering.” Those dedicated to the sport, recognize that Lake Michi-gan remains cold during the season. “I’ve been a part of the sail-ing club since freshman year,” Corso said. “Sailing is something I look forward to and I truly enjoy doing.” Sailing requires special equipment and talented coaches to conquer the basics of sailing. “Being a part of the sailing team has definitely changed me,” Zimmerman said. “It has taught me how to work with

others better and helped me be a lot more social. I gained many great friends from sailing along with some very helpful skills.” The sailing team is a multi-school team that allows the members to meet new people and create last-ing friendships while doing something they all love. “My favorite part

about being on the team is being

with my friends

sailing on a sunny day on the water,” Amelia Burke ‘18 said. “I have defi-nitely gained many friendships and more knowledge about sailing. Being a part of the sailing team has changed me because sailing takes courage and so I became stronger mentally and physically.”

A highlight of the season for many of the team members is their hard work paying off and winning races against oth-er teams. “Last spring season, my partner and I came in first for every race except one,” Corso said. “That felt awesome. It was extremely rewarding to do well.”

Traverse City Central Sailing

Thunder Squirrels Boys Lacrosse

All graphics: H. Lancashire

All Photos: K. Berkey

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 20164Sports

The captains Despite his love for baseball, team captain David Klug’s ‘16 first memories of the game weren’t very positive. Klug’s earliest memories include being afraid of the baseball, trying not to hit the tee, and having trouble comprehending the yelling coaches constantly telling him where to run next. Since then, Klug has outgrown his fear and has come to love the team aspect of baseball the most. Being relied on is an important part of his role as a captain. “Just being on the team is my favorite part, it’s a fun group of guys. Our team is pretty laid back, but we can also get down to business,” Klug said. “You can just trust your teammates.” Klug is one of those teammates that is trusted. As a senior, Klug has been given the responsibil-ity of captain alongside the other seniors on the team. It’s expected for the older play-ers to be good role models for the younger players, and to find a good balance of hav-ing fun and working hard. “It can be a big responsibility. There is a time to have fun, but you can’t always goof around together,” Klug said. “You need to get to work during practice.” Besides getting down to business, as a captain, Klug recognizes his responsibility to make sure all the players feel comfortable. He especially focuses on the underclassmen, who are typically “shunned.” “There’s quite a few underclassmen. Having them on varsity is a big deal. Making them feel comfort-able with the team is important to me, because I was a sophomore on varsity, so I know what it’s like,” Klug said. “Everyone on the team is really going to help us this year. If we play the best we

can, as a team, I think we’ll be able to do pretty well this year.” Klug wants the absolute best for his team so they can accomplish the team’s goal to win districts and hopefully regionals. To better his skills, during offsea-

son he lifts weights and practices hitting which he admits is his weak point.

This particular off-season, he been extremely deter-mined to play after dislo-cating both his shoulders

from football. He went to physical therapy two to three times per week, for a few months. As a pitcher, this was a big

concern for him and his team. Fortunately both shoul-

ders are completely healed and pain free. Klug feels he couldn’t have done it without his coaches encouraging him to “get it done.” As well as his dedication to his team.

“I was just thinking I have to play this year,” Klug

said. “I have to be ready, I have to be

there for the team.”

Waking up on the day of his first meet, sprinter Devante Walker’s ‘17 adrenaline is pumping as if he’s in the block at the starting line, even though the race is still hours away. Calming nerves on meet day is

not an easy task. Nonetheless, Walker is thankful to have the opportunity to experience the highs and the lows of running track. During his freshman year, Walker strained his groin and was unable to run for the last half of season. He was not physically able to do anything until mid July. His sophomore year, he suffered a knee injury during basketball from repeated jumping and only ran in every other meet during track season. Only time and physical therapy healed Walker’s injuries. To help fight through the injuries, Walker always reminded himself that his injuries weren’t permanent setbacks in his high school athletic career. “They were injuries that took a few months to recover from so I always told myself that they were short term and that I was young and had more important years ahead of me like my junior year,” Walker said. “It definitely helped as motivation when I did start training again because I didn’t take it for granted as much.” In the past few years Walker has primarily been running relays such as the 4x100 meter relay, the 4x200 meter relay, and the 4x400 meter relay. This season offers more opportunity to run in open events such as the 400 meter dash, which he has a love-hate relationship with, but certainly will not take it for granted. “I enjoy it because it’s a whole lap and then everyone’s done. But at the same time I hate it because the last 100 meters I honestly think I’m going to die. It’s the worst running feeling in whole entire world because everything’s on fire, but you just have to keep running,” Walker said. “It’s more of a mental toughness than even being able to physically push through it. Its tough, but it’s definitely my favorite event and it’s the most exciting to watch.” Speaking of favorites, Walker’s favorite aspect of track and field is the fact that there is a greater amount of independence than in other sports. Inde-pendence is emphasized because hard work in practice directly translates to how well performance will be on meet day, even though points are added up to determine which team wins the meet. Therefore it’s a team sport that depends on individual, the runner. This season Walker has to push himself both as a runner as well as a positive

influence on the team because of his important leadership role as captain. He hopes to always

encourage his team, especially the many new run-ners, whose determined attitudes he has a tremendous

amount of faith in. “I think we’re actually going to be really good because

at the practices a lot of people are pushing themselves really hard and really giving it their all, and I think that’s go-ing to show up at our track meets,” Walker said. “We have the hardest working people. That’s what our strong suit is.”

Hoping to make friends and become more involved, Sa-vannah Champion ‘16 began running track and field in seventh grade when she had just moved from northern Florida. In joining, Champion found a newly awak-ened talent for running and stuck with it. Many meets and track practices later, Champion has developed several relationships with friends, just like she had hoped for in seventh grade. “It’s so nice being a part of something and it’s so fun with girls,” Champion said. “You get to meet so many more people through sports.” Champion’s favorite events include the hurdles, 100 meter dash, and 200 meter dash. Champion keeps her cardio up and improves her speed in the offseason by training during her free first hour; her typical routine includes doing rockets, running with parachutes, and sprint workouts. Along with fitness, Champion tries to eat healthy, which she admits is easier said than done. Working out and eating healthy prepares her for Michigan State University and regional meets. She is least excited for states because of her nerves. “I’m always just terrified of [meets] and there’s some crazy [fast] girls so that’s when you just really push it and you’re just exhausted by the end of the day,” Champion said. “And you just think, ‘wow that happened’.” Despite Champion’s nerves she consistently per-

forms at a high level and last year she was one of the top seven sprinters overall in the region for the 100 meter dash. To overcome her nerves, Cham-pion tries to surround herself with people who have similar goals; to motivate each other and try to limit distractions, that takes her attention away from her goals. Her coaches encourage her just as much as her motivated teammates do. “I overcome distractions by talking to coaches, hearing them motivate me and going to prac-tice. Seeing everyone else working really hard, it motivates me,” Champion said. “I try to surround myself with people who are also trying to motivate themselves and push themselves. It helps me do the same because you don’t wanna be the odd ball out.” Nominated as team captain this season, along-side teammates Mady Basch ‘16 and Shannon Fie-gel ‘16, Champions expectations are even higher this year. Being captain means reaching out to the whole team, whom she represents. Her desire to be a captain and reach out to a group of motivated runners started when she was a freshmen. “I remember I always looked up to my captains especially freshmen year,” Champion said. “Cap-tains have always meant a lot to me. They’re nor-mally always the people that represent the team the most and that was a big deal to me that I was doing something right.”

David Klug

Baseball

Number: 16Position/Event: PitcherPlaying since: Age 6 Years on varsity: 3

Boys’ Track

DevanteWalker

Girls’ TrackSavannahChampion

Position/Event: 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100, 4x200, 4x400Running since: Grade 4Years on varsity: 3

Position/Event: 100m, 200m, 110m Hurdles, 4x100, 4x200Running since: Grade 7Years on varsity: 2

Player Information

Player Information

Player Information

All photos: A. Stiebel All graphics: H. Lancashire

of spring

5Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 2016 Sports

With a steady grip, Trojan golf team captain Jordan Bultsma ‘16 takes his final practice swing. Content with his form, Bultsma steps forward to drive. With one swift, fluid motion, he sends the ball a down the fairway. Although Bultsma may seem like a seasoned vet-eran of the sport, he began golfing just five years ago when his older brother got him involved. In the course of his high school career, Bultsma found a fondness for the sport that has driven his progress on the team, landing him a spot on varsity three out of his four seasons. “My favorite part about golf is the chance to meet new people,” Bultsma said. “I love to have a chance to meet people and golf with them, that’s the best part of high school too.” In order to continue developing his skills, Bultsma must practice regularly. When working to improve his long game, he spends hours at the driving range. Since golf is a sport where form is key, metic-ulous practice is necessary to build muscle memory. Thanks in part to his dedication, the team has been successful in his previous years on the team. “My favorite memory of golf is making it to re-gionals last year,” Bultsma said. “Up north, we are sometimes at a disadvantage. We play schools from downstate who can start earlier because they don’t get as much snow. It was the proudest mo-ment for the team.”

lead the Finishing her senior year as the tennis captain for the Trojans, Isabel Lutz 16’ plans to lead her team into a success-ful season and aims to finish as one of the top five teams in the state. Practicing to achieve her goal of win-ning in states, Lutz plays in a high-perfor-mance class at the Resort, also condi-tioning every day. Beginning her tennis career at the young age of three, Lutz started competitively playing at the age of 11. “I started playing tennis when I was really little because my whole family played, but then I got more competi-tive and stuck with it,” Lutz said. “My family put me in classes and paid for everything. We also played a lot together as a family.” As Lutz became more competitive, her desire to bring the team closer together grew. This will be Lutz’ third sea-son on varsity. This season, she is ready to become a strong leader by carrying on traditions and making sure every player is included in activi-ties held both inside and out of practices. Some new traditions will be introduced by Lutz later in the season as a surprise, along with ‘Secret Sisters,’ which is similar to Secret Santa. “We have a lot of long car rides and overnights in hotels, so getting to know each other makes those a lot more enjoyable,” Lutz said. “Also want-ing your friends to do well makes everything more fun. Everyone on the team becomes your best friends.” Losing multiple seniors after last season, the team started this season with a younger team than previous years. As the team continues to strengthen their bond, they are also improving their skills.

“Most of our talent comes from work during the off-season,” Lutz said. “It’s hard to improve during the season, but staying positive and keeping a good mindset will help to make us stronger.” As a testament to her hard work and dedica-tion to the sport, Lutz is planning to attend Miami University in Ohio to play club tennis where she will learn to accept new challenges and concentrate on the task at hand. “High school tennis has prepared me by com-peting for long periods of time and keeping my head level,” Lutz said. “Tennis is very mental, so it has helped me remain calm both on and off the court.”

Beginning her softball career at only four years old, Trojan team captain Jessica Budz ‘16 has been playing for as long as she can remember. “I love everything about softball. The noise of the cleats, the sound of fans cheering, even the bubble gum,” Budz said. “There are certain things about it that just made me fall in love. I also just look forward to spending time with the people.” Budz time on the team has not always been easy. Between club softball in Flint and high school, she has encountered her fair share of slumps. Budz understands the mental toll a slump can take on an athlete, and has developed some skills to avoid negative thoughts. To stay mentally strong, she tries to remain as calm and relaxed as possible, taking each play at a time. Her ability to handle the mental stress is an impor-tant quality for a team captain. “To me, being a captain means being a role model. It means being some-body that the girls can talk to if they have any concerns,” Budz said. “A captain also is someone who can create fun activities, and a positive envi-ronment.”

With such

a deep affection

toward the sport, it is no

surprise Budz plans to continue

her softball career in college next year.

She will be attend-ing Wellesley College, where she will have an opportunity to bring her training to a new level. “I just couldn’t imagine being done

after this season. I think it’s really cool to play with girls that are older, and get to

work up the ranks again,” Budz

said. “I can’t wait to get to

travel around the East Coast playing softball. It’s going to be

great.”

Starting her career at the age of four years-old, Megan Puckett ‘16 was inspired to begin play-ing soccer by her father. He played his entire life, both in New Mexico and at the University of Michigan. Following in her father’s footsteps, Puckett will play soccer on a recreational team at University of Michigan. “He loved soccer so much and passed that passion onto me,” Puckett said. “He’s always willing to help me train or just knock the ball around.” As one of the captains for the girl’s varsity soc-cer team this year, Puckett makes the team her

number-one priority leading by example both on and off the field. Puckett sets an example by working hard and by showing respect to her team, opponents, and the officials. “Respect in soccer is very important,” Puckett said. “People need to have a good attitude and re-spect for each other to create a good team environment.” Though the outlook for varsity may be promising, the lack of girls trying out for both teams could be an issue. Varsity, which has a full team, will have to occasionally rotate members through shifts playing for junior varsity due to the shortage of players. Not only does this reduce the number of substitutions for varsity, but it also scrambles the chemistry for both teams. “The JV team is much smaller this year,” Puckett said. “The varsity team is still appropriately sized, but at first we were a little concerned that there would be players who would need to float between teams.” Beginning her high school soccer season strong, Puckett plans to apply the skills she has learned in soccer to the life ahead of her. “My high school experience has been very positive,” Puckett said. “I feel like I have grown as a player, a teammate, and a person. I have enjoyed getting to know my team and my coaches.Playing high school soccer has taught me the importance of dedication and training,” Puckett said. “I think it has prepared me well for my future both involving and not involving soccer.”

GolfCaptain: Jordan Bultsma

Tennis

Softball

SoccerCaptain: Megan Puckett

Captain: Jessica Budz

Captain:Isabel Lutz

Number: N/APosition: N/APlaying since: Age 14 Years on varsity: 3

Event: 1 doublesPartner: Yana BeekerPlaying since: Age 3 Years on varsity: 3

Number: 22Position: CatcherPlaying since: Age 4 Years on varsity: 4

Number: 17Position: CDM, Wing Playing since: Age 4 Years on varsity: 2

Player Information

Player Information

Player Information

Player Information

All photos: A. Stiebel All graphics: H. Lancashire

way

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 20166 HOTC

In our spin off of Humans of New York, the Black & Gold went out into the Grand Traverse Community searching for inspiration and originiality. Our mission - to share stories, to inspire and to encourage self-expression. From Chay, a one man band to one of our own students who runs Raptors Robotics from behind the scenes, we were able to find one main comminal1ity—passion. Stories like their’s are what make us believe in journalism and the positive impacts that comes from sharing each other’s stories. People are art and when combined with their stories and the right colors and pictures, we feel we are doing those stories justice. In a single quote, members of the community have conveyed their own self-definitions and made us all feel inspired. This is what journalism is to us - finding stories that matter and sharing them.

Q: What motivated you to start The Pod Drop?

A: “Well really it was a niche that was unfilled when we opened the store, I was kind of fixing phones for friends and family here and there and so it was defi-nitely something [that] I was aware [of] that needed to happen. It all kind of hap-pened pretty quickly as far as finding the original owners of the Pod Drop itself, and they were actually pursuing open-ing a store in the Traverse area because they had vacationed up here and they just loved the area and also knew it was kind of an unserved sort of area. We really kind of met him just by chance and I had already been doing the work and it really kind of happened pretty quickly, and I was already working at a store downtown and I thought, ‘Wow, this is such a perfect opportunity. Let’s do it.’ [The store] is def-initely fulfilling and it’s nice to know that people aren’t just throwing their device away and buying a new one. We’re saving people money and saving the landfills and we aren’t just throwing trash out there when stuff can actually be fixed.”

Q: When did you join the Robotics Team?

A: “I started freshman year and I really like the community in which everyone is competitive yet cooperative. There is a really strong element of teamwork … like the inner-team, but all of the teams together working together in a giant happy foundation. If anyone needs help in the pits another team will be glad to give them a part or lend a hand. Even if two teams are pitted against each other, they will still help one another out.”

Q: What do you like about the team?

A: “One really special thing about robotics is that [in] one round you can be against one team, but in the next round you could be with them. So it is really important to be friends with every-one. One thing that I get out of it, is that I get to talk to a lot of other people from different teams. Like when I went to Worlds, there were teams from across the entire world and they were really cool and it was fun to talk with them, and hang out with them.”

Q: What is your job on the team?

A: “I am the media lead, I make the team look good. However, I don’t really want to pursue anything related to robotics, or even media related. It’s really more of a hobby for me. One inter-esting thing is that it is really unpredictable, the game always changes, so even the most veteran teams can struggle with it.”

Q: What’s your greatest story?

A: “Alright, so my wife and I have owned this store for over 20 years now. We met in the Air Force, and had three young babies. We were flying over the Atlantic ocean, wondering what we should do with our lives, and we had lived in Tampa, which we call the ‘metropolis’, but we are both from this area. My wife is from Traverse City, and we call this ‘paradise’. So, where do we raise our three boys? In ‘metropolis’ or in ‘paradise’? ‘Metropolis’ has tons of positions, paradise has a bunch of jobs, but not too many positions, as you’ll see as you grow up and see what’s going on around you because this is such a small area. We chose to come to ‘paradise’ because it’s a great place to raise a family, versus ‘metropolis’, which family tends to get lost in. These are our beliefs. So on that awesome note, our three boys honed their own entrepreneurial skills right here on this front step. Magic tricks, musical instruments, Boy Scout popcorn. They’re now 25, 27, and 29, being more successful than the Kilwins of Traverse City. Ba-dum-dum! My name’s Brian.”

Q: What’s your most interesting story?

A: “Last Halloween—I had a show in Canada. I have a band, or whatever, in Windsor, and I was wearing my Halloween costume. It was the guy from Game of Thrones, and I made it myself. I just glued tiles to myself and I was clinking and clanging around and it was the first time I crossed the border into Canada. Anyways, I go there and I’m all clanked out and I pull up to a stop sign, but this dude walks out with a huge gun and he’s like ‘Hey, back up!’ and so I’m like ‘Okay, Okay. I don’t know what I’m doin’!’ And so I had to back up or whatever. Then it was my turn to go, and I went and [the guy] is like ‘Is there a reason why you were farther than you shoulda been’ and I was like ‘I don’t know what I’m doin dude!’ They made me pull over to the side and they searched my car for a bunch of sh*t, and I was like standin’ there in my Halloween costume gettin’ a background check. It was not good. They ended up not finding anything, so I went into Canada for the show, and it was at this weird, Canadian art people’s house. Anyways, I did the show, it didn’t go well.”

Q: What kind of band are you in? What do you play?

A: “Well I’m in a one man band, I play guitar, drums, bass. I actually have a new EP co-min’ out, out of a Chicago record label, and I’ve been doin’ that for 3 or 4 years.”

Q: If you could redo something in your life what would you redo?

A: “I probably would have changed my major in college. I majored in instrumental music and geological science. I wanted to be a geologist, but I ended up being a band director. If I could’ve changed my major I probably would have added to the geological sciences and had a minor probably in the biological sciences, maybe even a double minor with parks and recreation. I would have liked to be a National Park Ranger. I am interested in the beauty of nature whether it be the rock structures out West [or] the amazing variety in the biological world and how it all works together and fits together. I believe there is a natural design to Earth and there’s always things that you regret: about 70% not doing things, and about 30% of actually doing things I shouldn’t have. I probably shouldn’t have agreed with my wife that we should only have two children. I think we should have had three. My wife did the childbearing and I was just on the sideline so I was just sup-porting her decision. I wish I would’ve stood up and said ‘Let’s think about this again.’”

Q: What is something that you are proud of?

A: “Well, I am pretty happy with both the separation of my career and how it meets my personal time. I spend nine months on Mackinac Island and three months in Telluride, Colorado. On Mackinac Island I run the local yacht club, the Mackinac Island Yacht club. I am the general manager. Then in Telluride I ski, daily. I have been skiing since I was four years old, and now I’m 47, so that’s 43 years that I’ve been skiing.”

Q: Why do you think that skiing has stuck with you for so long?

A: “The thrill, and the ability of the mountain to throw any obstacle in your way and being able to overcome it. You have to be somewhat cat-like and efficient in your downward mo-tion as well as being in control and skiing safely. I did try snowboarding once when I was 13. I tried it for one year and went right back to skiing.”

All Graphics: H. LancashireAll photos: J. Conlon & A. Stiebel

A&E 7Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 2016

Name of Piece: Conglomeration of HistoryMaterials used: Hole punch, glueTechniques: Shaping, staggering, patchworkInspiration behind piece: “Andrew Palchak made

the shape and he really liked it, and I also thought it was cool because it reminded me of a wave. I also used pictures from books because it is a very historical piece, and it was fun to patchwork the photos in a weird texture.”

Why did you choose this piece for the hallway? “The wall is a great canvas, and it has already been made for you. We could tell that the piece was go-ing to be very big, so why wouldn’t we use a wall for it?”

Focus:Murals

Name of Piece: Summer DunesMaterials used: Saw, spray paint, glueTechniques: Sizing the sticks, properly gluingInspiration of Piece: “This piece was inspired by

dunegrass because it’s green and has different lengths and sizes. Most of my pieces are inspired by nature because I really enjoy being surrounded by nature. I was at the beach and saw some dune-grass, so I decided to do a sculpture on it.”

Why did you choose this piece for the hallway? “As opposed to a painting, it pops out more. We had to make sure the sticks weren’t too big or else they wouldn’t stick to the wall, and the wall puts more life into the sculpture.”

Andrew Palchak ‘18

Name of Piece: FacesMaterials used: Saw, glue, and tapeTechniques: Shaping, staggering, patchworkInspiration behind piece: “I had a dream about it,

and I thought it was a good idea. I had to use my math skills to figure out the placement and how far away everything had to be in order to look like a circle from any angle. From the side it definitely looks like a basketball-shape, which is pretty inter-esting.”

Why did you choose this piece for the hallway? “It worked to have a big place to put it because I feel

like if it was any smaller, it wouldn’t really fit with my other pieces.”

Kaylee Mullens ‘16

Victoria Isac-Huggins ‘16

Art: courtesy of A. Palchak and V. Isac-Huggins

Art: courtesy of K. Mullens

CHS choir explores EuropeShown below are the highlights from Eurochorale’s spring break trip across Germany, Austria, and Czechia

Central’s Eurochorale kicked off their trip around Europe by touring the city of Munich, Germany. “I loved performing in amazing places with my closest friends and having the opportunity to see places completely different from anywhere you could find here,” Ellie McPherson ‘16 said.

While staying in the German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Eu-rochorale visited Zugspitze, the highest point in Germany. “Being up there, over the clouds, surrounded by mountains, snow, and the sun was such a beautiful moment,” Cassidy Merten ‘16 said.

Students traveled from Garmisch to Salzburg, Austria, and stopped on the way to perform at an Easter Mass service. “I enjoyed spending time with my classmates and getting to know them better,” Victoria Korro ‘17 said. “I also liked getting to see so many historic and beautiful places.”

Sean Lennox ‘17 pursues unique art formThis year, Lennox chose to focus on basket weaving for AP Studio Art

On their fourth day in Eu-rope, Eurochorale toured the city of Salzburg, vis-ited Mozart’s birthplace. They also performed in a church in Mondsee, a town near Salzburg.

Eurochorale toured St. Flo-rian Monastery, home to a library with 140,000 works. “St. Florian was beauti-ful, and ceilings were very high, which was cool,” Natalie Wagner ‘17 said.

During their time in Vien-na, Eurochorale members had the opportunity to perform in the renowned Haydn Hall, an auditori-um scientifically proven to have perfect acoustics.

In Prague, Czechia, the students toured the Basili-ca of St. George, St. Vitus Cathedral (pictured above), and ended the night with a performance at the Holy Saviour Church.

Students spent their last day in Europe exploring and performing with a Czech choir in Prague. “Having the opportunity to travel across the world with my friends and making memories we will remember forever was absolutely amazing,” Karlee Korwin ‘16 said.

On the return journey, Eurochorale members reflected on their experi-ences. “The best part of the trip was the memories I made,” Kyle Pul-len ‘18 said. “I knew I’d have a blast on the trip, but it never occurred to me how much closer I’d become with the friends that went with me.”

Searching through a box of different kinds of barks, Sean Lennox ‘17 sifts through the materials, concentrating on selecting the perfect supplies from which to weave his next basket. After finding the right color and texture of bark for the project, Lennox prepares the materials by soaking them, and then begins the basket, using different methods of weaving to add an artistic touch to it. Lennox was introduced to basket weaving through AP Studio Art. It had originally started out as a joke, but after trying it, it became an enjoyable hobby that Lennox poured a great deal of time and effort into. After asking AP Studio Art instructor Jamie Sandy for help, she emailed the Basket Weaving Guild of Northern Michigan to find some-one to teach Lennox. Nancy Doughty, an 86-year old woman, enthusiastically

responded. “Nancy has a lot of knowledge about basket weaving, and she’s done it for a long time, so it’s nice to have guidance,” Lennox said. “Basket weaving is really relaxing, and I find it funny to be able to say that I weave baskets with an 86-year-old every Tuesday. I started doing it just for AP Studio art, but it actually turned out to a pretty fun activity.” Even though Lennox also enjoys other mediums of art, the practicality and use of both natural and artificial materials gives basket weaving a unique factor for him. “It has a lot more application than a lot of other arts,” Lennox said. “You can make a sculptural basket, but it will also be functional and serve a purpose.” Although Lennox started weaving bas-kets just to fulfill his submission require-ments for AP Studio Art, he has ended up enjoying the activity and wants to con-tinue despite the odd looks he gets when he tells someone he weaves baskets as a

hobby. Lennox even laughs at himself. “When people hear that I weave bas-kets, they probably think that it’s a really weird way to spend my time,” Lennox said. “At this point, I’m in so deep that I can’t quit now, and I really do enjoy weav-ing baskets. It’s a great skill to have.”

Andrea BavikattyStaff Reporter

Sean Lennox ‘17 works on completing his newest basket. “Throughout the process of making the basket, I might switch materials or colors, or make it more artistic and sculp-tural,” Lennox said.

Day 1: Munich

Day 2: Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Day 3: Salzburg

Students were impressed by the traditional food in Europe. “I ate a lot of schnitzel, pretzels, and bratwurst, and the food was delicious and very fill-ing,” Abe Stone ‘18 said.

Day 7: Prague Day 8: Prague

Day 3: Salzburg

Day 5: Vienna

Art: courtesy of A. Palchak and V. Isac-Huggins

Day 9: Prague Day 10: Departure

Day 5: Vienna

Photo: A. Stiebel

Photos: courtesy of A. Brown, L. Burden, A. McPherson, C. Merten and A. Stone

Art: courtesy of K. Mullens

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 20168 Focus

Grand Traverse Pie Company

Grand Traverse Pie Company has a great atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to stop in for a quick lunch or bring the family for an informal meal. GT Pie Co. offers a laid back and cozy feel that is very appealing if you’re looking for a nice casual place to stop in for a bite. However, there is definitely a dif-ference between the two locations. A big part of that atmo-sphere change is the location difference, one location being downtown and the other a littler farther from the heart of downtown. Personally, I like the downtown location because it allows for more options pre and post meal, activity wise. The employees at both locations always greet customers with a smile and a genuine charisma, and the food is quick and delicious every time. It’s also an inexpensive stop, with most meals costing just around $10. Their menu has a large variety that easily appeals to anyone. Also, they have an amazing des-sert selection. Not once have I had a bad experience.

Harvest

Traverse City has become a foodie mecca. What’s also the “cherry capital of the world” is now home to restaurants using fresh and local ingredients. One of my favorite res-taurants is Harvest, which started as a summer-time food truck and is now located in a comfortable, vintage, industrial atmosphere located in the alley behind Brew. Year-round visitors can still choose from the “Street Favorites,” “Maybe Just a Snack” and the ever-changing “Here Today Gone Tomorrow” menus. My top picks are the Sweet Potato Fries and Flash Fried Street Beets. You can still get your street fa-vorite tacos, their wonderful signature dish, if that’s just what you’re craving. A couple of interesting choices include a Red Chicken Curry Basmati Rice with homemade naan and the Harvest Ramen Tonkotsu Style, among other tasty choices. This unique eatery is a crowd pleaser, offering inexpensive meals for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.

Slab Town BurgersWhen asked to choose my favorite restaurant in Traverse City, Slabtown Burgers is the first location that comes to mind. This is not only because of the delectable food, but also for the unique atmosphere associated with Slabtown. The restaurant is located in a house, in one of the most historic parts of Traverse City. Lumber mill workers would bring home copious amounts of scrap wood, known as slab. Because of this, “Slabtown” described the collection of houses made from slab. The historical aspect of this restaurant is a huge appeal to many customers. The menu is absolutely delicious, and they have options for most food restrictions, such as vegan. I have started a search for the best sweet potato fries in Traverse City, and Slabtown, currently, is in the lead. Slabtown Burgers is a wonderful place, and I would highly recommend it! And remember, regardless of where you eat, eat local!

BREW

The Brew’s atmosphere is very comfortable, and ideal to just stop by for a bit and chill. There’s almost always a dozen other people relaxing and chatting while enjoying coffee. It’s nice to just get a warm drink, sit down, and relax for a while, or to meet up with friends to work on school projects or talk about life. Their service is reasonable, taking around 15 minutes from order to receiving, usually only about five to six minutes if it’s a drink. I’ve never had a bad experience with one of the baristas, they’re very patient and willing to wait while you decide. Prices aren’t too bad and the taste is great. I always order hot chocolate with a nutella banana bagel when I stop by, and I must say, their hot chocolate is some of the best hot chocolate around town, and as of yet, I have not been able to make a Nutella banana bagel that is as good as they make them at the Brew.

Red Ginger

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Whenever I am asked if I want to eat at Red Ginger, I never hesitate to say, “Yes.” There is never a disappointing meal there. The service is exceptional, some of the best anywhere. The staff is so professional, and know the menu backwards and forwards. They offer a wide variety of drinks, and of course the food is amazing. They use very fresh and high quality ingredients. They always have creative nightly features. If a bar setting is not for you, they have a spacious dining room that is very comfortable. My favorite item on the menu is the Korean Ribs. This is a dish that makes your mouth water with an explosion of flavor. This dish tastes like a tra-ditional Korean meal. The ribs do have a thick sauce, but the waiters give you a warm towel to clean your hands. The sushi is great, but I recommend ordering from the regular menu or nightly features to really experience what this chef has to offer. Great place overall, one of the best in Traverse City!

Jackson Hall ‘19Overall:

Mary Pupel ‘19Overall:

Molly Tank‘19Overall:

Isabelle McGuire ‘18Overall:

Dana Pflughoeft ‘17Overall:

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All graphics: H. Lancashire

Photo: A. Stiebel

Photo: A. Stiebel

Photo: A. Stiebel

Photo: A. Stiebel

Photo: A. Stiebel

Blueberry and

Orange Scones

1 lb. 12 oz. bread flour

3 oz. granulated sugar

1 oz. baking powder

1 Tsp. salt26 fl oz. heavy cream

4 oz. honey

2 Tbsp. orange zest

6 oz. dried blueberries

Combine all dry ingredients. Add the cream,

honey, and orange zest. Mix until ingredients

just come together. Turn contents out onto

clean table and form dough into rounds about

two lbs. each. Slightly flatten and cut into eight

equal pieces. Brush with additional cream and

sprinkle with coarse sugar, put on parchment

lined sheet pan, spread out. Bake at 350 °F

for about 10-12 minutes.

Aiden Voss ‘16

Focus9Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 2016

“Start small, like what I do with my garden. I’ve got this

thing called an earth box, which looks like a flower bed but the dirt sits above water. It’s real easy to main-tain and the deer aren’t going to bother it and if you keep a garden hose there, all you have to do is fill that thing with water. It’s even covered with this

barrier to keep the weeds from growing.”

-Joel Dorgan

Silently stepping through the woods, Devon Ehlers ‘16 stealthy tracks a deer. He follows the tracks until he sees it and squeezes the trigger. Ehlers has just taken another deer during the hunting season. “The reason I hunt and trap is not only for my own enjoyment, but for food,” Ehlers said. “It is a renewable resource. Every spring God makes more critters.” Ehlers hunts and traps for different animals all year around. He starts his year hunting turkey and trapping beaver in the spring, followed by aquatic animals in the summer. In the fall Ehlers hunts for mostly fur-bearing animals like deer and bobcats. By the time winter rolls around, Ehlers hunts coyotes by snowmobiles. Hunting and trapping not only provides a food source, but also a way to support other aspects of his life. “When I trap, it is a source of income for me,” Ehlers said. “At auctions, the beaver pelts can sell for $85 and coyote pelts for $100.” Ehlers travels all over Michigan and even as far as Arkansas and Louisiana in search of animals to hunt. Much of the time Ehlers spends hunting, he lays in wait and has to be incredibly patient. He must take the time to blend in with his surroundings as they play a huge role in staying concealed and out of sight from the animals. Elhers hunts both in urban areas and in rural areas depending on the prey he is after.

“Surroundings have a big thing to do with where I hunt. People think urban settings are bad, but sometimes when I am trapping, an urban area is the best. If you can get onto state forest with suburbs by it, that is also good. For beavers, otters, and bobcats, they are a little more skittish.” Ehlers also helps other people and businesses out when they have animal problems. “One time I had to catch a few beavers that were causing problems at Ranch Rudolph. But mostly I hunt beavers about sixty miles out and I have a long canoe ride in to get to where I am going.” Depending on his location, he hunts different animals. Out of all the animals Ehlers hunts, ducks are by far his favorite as they are the most challenging.They live far off shore and and are dif-ficult to get to. “We do not hunt mallard ducks, but instead we go out on big waters like northern Lake Superior, about 5-6 miles offshore,” Ehlers said. “We hunt out of a layout boat, which is a little boat that sits about six inches above the water level, so sometimes on big open water, you will have waves breaking over the top, and it is just a blast.” Elhers uses the meat from his kills to cook some of his favorite recipes. “There is nothing better than free-range, organic meat that has

The Kosch family farm is among the many farms that dot the Old Mission Peninsula. U.S. History teacher Erin Kosch grows herbs, flowers, and vegetables on their two acre farm. The family’s garden also provides veg-etables for the Boathouse Restaurant, which they also own. “In our vegetable garden, we grow every-thing. Pumpkins, gourds, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, every imaginable pepper and every imaginable tomato are all grown,” Kosch said. “We have over one thousand tomato plants in our garden.” Like the larger vegetable garden, the flower garden offers a wide variety. Like the herbs, some of the flowers are used at the Boat-house Restaurant, while others are used only by the family. Special events are cheaper for the Boathouse because the garden provides the flowers for decoration. “In my flower garden I have both perennials and annuals,” Kosch said. “I have everything from hydrangeas and cone flowers to zinnias. I could go on and on, but anything that will provide a lot of color, I like.” The Kosch Farm also includes the fam-ily’s greenhouse which will begin to focus on specialty lettuces such as arugula and mache this year. Last year too much eggplant was

grown, but other plants were lacking in volume. The controlled environ-ment of the greenhouse will let the family grow sensitive plants in a safer environment. “We are going to switch things up a little bit this year, last year we had too much of some stuff and not enough of others,” Kosch said. “We haven’t dialed that in yet, but definitely more lettuces and basil this year. We are going to try to cut back on what we didn’t use enough of.” Starting off with a large garden is a lot of work, and the Kosch’s need help to properly run their garden. Eventually as a person gains more experience about gardening, the size can grow. “For those that are just starting out with gardening, start with one tomato plant, one pepper plant, and then see how it goes from there,” Kosch said. “The last thing you want to do is to have food go to waste. We started out with a teeny-tiny garden and now it has grown to over two acres.”

Two acre gardenErin Kosch utilzes her space at home to grow

Central student provides for himself all yearDevon Ehlers ‘16 kills his own food, as well as sells pelts for profit

Devon Ehlers ‘16 hunts with many different weapons, including various firearms and bows, depending on the what species he is hunting. “Mostly, shotgun is my preferred method of choice, but for deer I will use an AR-15 or a 308 rifle, for trapping mostly a 22 long rifle and that is pretty much it,” Ehlers said. “I use just about anything, like bows and arrows.”

The food from the Kosch’s farm goes to the Boathouse Restaurant, and anything that does not get used there is used to supply other restaurants.

“We have to clean out the inside

of our chicken coop a few times a year otherwise it smells like am-monia and it’s not a healthy environ-ment. We free range our chickens so we have to let them out everyday and put them in at night so the

coyotes don’t get them.”-Josie Robbins ‘17

“I really like to bake a rhubard

custard pie. I find it most chal-lengng to not burn the custard. I

enjoy baking because I can share it with other people, especially my family. I use baked goods as gifts on holidays a lot too.”

-Sage Ringsmuth ‘17

Swedish Rye Bread

2 pkg. dry yeast1/ c. warm water1/2 c. brown sugar1/3 c. molasses

1 Tbsp. salt1 tsp. caraway seed1 tsp. anise or fennel seed

2 to 3 Tbsp. shortening1 c. floud2 c. rye flour3 to 3 1/2 c. flour

Miguel Ferraro ‘18

Soften yeast in warm water and let stand for ten minutes. In a large bowl, mix in the next six ingre-dients. Pour two cups hot water over ingredients in bowl. Add one cup flour; mix and let stand until lukewarm. Add yeast and rye flour and beat until smooth. Mix in white flour (3 to 3 1/2 cups) to make a soft dough. Let stand in bowl in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch down and divide dough into two loaves. Bake for 30 minutes at 325 °F.

Photo: courtesy of D. Ehlers

Photo: courtesy of E. Kosch

Photo: courtesy of D. Ehlers

All graphics: H. Lancashire

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 201610Ads

Cruz, and Sanders have all been attracting at-tention towards themselves. However, I believe people should take into consideration his mod-eration and unique views in the presidential race. All in all, the political rally was a great experi-

ence. It was interesting to hear what Kasich had to say and why he should be president. But the real takeaway from this event is that America is diverse and that moderation may be our best option.

Kasich

is going to try to impress the candidate. As soon as Sanders entered the room, a roar of cheering and clapping filled the venue. This excitement continued for a solid minute. With each stance the crowd went wild, some cheered and clapped while others did a silent nod to themselves. The nod seemed to signify the passion behind Sena-tor Sander’s words and the connection those supporters had with that topic.

Political rallies are an amazing way to expose yourself to different ideas and viewpoints or even make a stronger connection with members of your community that believe in the same things as you. The experience and thrill of seeing a presidential candidate in person is unforgetta-ble. The only way to fully understand this feeling is to expose yourself to it directly and be active in the upcoming elections.

Sanders

formatting articles. “MIPA is important to newspaper because it gives us increased motivation to work as hard as we can,” Andrea Bavikatty ‘18 said. “It helps push us to our limits when writing and working on the layout of each page. Without MIPA, there would be less of a drive to produce the high-est quality work that we can.” Each news cycle is completed within the span of ap-proximately a month and has to be approved by every staff member before being published. Making a newspa-per truly requires every member of the team to be fully aware and updated on everything put into an issue. One reason our class remains focused and prepared for what-ever issue may come our way, is our advisor, Mr. Filkins. Filkins always has a solution to any problems that occur, and he is able to tame our rambunctious group. “I enjoy being down in the trenches with the class and being able to listen to students’ ideas before having it be

transformed into an article,” Filkins said. “I enjoy banter-ing ideas back and forth during the brainstorming process and stirring up new thoughts with the class.” This year, the Black and Gold won a Silver award from MIPA. We are very pleased to know that our content is interesting and was recognized by an organization such as MIPA. All members of our staff work hard to try and constantly improve our newspaper. One popular element that captivates our readers is our graphics. Graphics are drawn and made by Henry Lancshire ‘16, who recently placed second at MIPA for Best Graphics and Comic Strips, third for Illustration, and received honorable men-tions for Editorial Cartoons and Advertising Layouts. “I’m really happy I was recognized by MIPA, especially in my senior year.” Lancshire said. “It’s a great thing to receive, and it makes me even more glad that I’m going to art school next year.”

able to establish a foundation and the expectation that we all share: learning is truly why we are at Central High School,” Hendrix said. A new principal is seen as a fresh start and a clean slate by many, but Vandermolen was a great principal who the student body and faculty will miss deeply. Vandermolen has left his mark on Central. His ideas and accomplish-ments will continue to influence the school in the many years to come. “During my time here as an assistant principal and a

principal over the last nine years has probably been some of the best years of my life,” Vandermolen said. “I was fortunate to be a head principal of one of the best high schools in the state. We’ve been ranked as one of the most challenging schools in the country, and I attribute that to the students and teachers. You don’t just walk away from that. It’s hard for me to look forward to leaving next year right now because I’m grieving the idea I won’t be here next year. It’s a part of me now, and this is what I do.”

MIPA

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Ads11Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 2016

We chose Iceland and Israel to show global variations in the significance at-tatched to labeling

Hans Voss is the executive director of the Groundwork Cen-ter for Resilient Communities. Here he explains how he’s navi-gated the community with the label associated with his work

Traverse City Central High School Black & Gold Apr. 27, 201612IntroSpecHow labels and the negative connotations associated with them have the potential to oversimplify, misinform, and polarize society

The power labels can have

I was 19 years old when I became an environ-mentalist. I was in college and I wanted an ad-venture, so I found a summer job in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. I fell in love with the stunning landscape of the west. It didn’t take me long to see how this majestic ecosystem that had taken millions of years to evolve was under a real threat from industrialization and the chemicals, extraction, and development that come with it. When I returned to school I changed my degree to environmental policy and set a course that made protecting the environment a central part of my life and my career. Now, almost 30 years later, I still proudly embrace the “envi-ronmentalist” label, but I’ve learned a bit about

how that term is perceived by others and how to break down the stereotypes. Various images come to mind. Angry pro-tester. Naive idealist. Self-righteous finger-wag-ger. Like any stereotype, I’m sure they play out in reality from time to time. But when I sense people getting hung up on the environmentalist term, I’ve learned to lean into it. By that I mean, I talk openly and honestly about my passion for the environment, why it’s important to me, and why I think it should matter to everyone. It’s key to talk about what the environment means in people’s lives. So, rather than talk about how a changing climate affects polar bears in the Arctic, I’ve learned that people are more likely to connect with how warming oceans lead to hor-

rendous storms like Hurricane Sandy. Here’s another thing: people don’t want to hear too much bad news. They want to know environmental solutions make sense and that they will benefit them in some way. So, there’s a terrific opportunity to talk about how, for example, choosing to walk or ride a bike (as opposed to driving a car) is healthy and creates community and is just fun. Or how eating local fruits and veggies just tastes better and is good for the local economy. I believe at some level all of us are environ-mentalists. Perhaps if we just talked about it a bit more, people would become comfortable with that term and we’d have a healthier planet.

Comspec

The idea behind Introspec is to combine current events and opinion. Every issue, we pick a topic and Taylor and Abbie write about it from an inner perspec-tive as students - Introspec. Hans Voss writes to represent the com-munity - Comspec. And finally, we choose two countires and cover how they view and deal with the issue - Globespec.

Micro-study This issue we decided to test firsthand, through our very own study, the power labels have over how we percieve others.

MethodThe purpose of this study was to determine if the label given to someone influences the way in which others perceive that person. To test this concept, Taylor and Abbie selected 28 underclassman in the cafeteria who had no previous interactions with Abbie. Taylor randomly assigned these 28 participants to either “group one” or “group two.” In both groups participants were introduced to Abbie and given five standardized questions to ask Abbie (who in turn provided five standardized responses). After the conversation was over, Ab-bie left the area and participants were told to rate the enjoyableness of their interaction with Abbie on a 1-10 scale (10 being very enjoyable, 1 being terrible). The only difference between the groups was the way in which Abbie was introduced. For “group one” Taylor told the participants, “This is my friend Abbie, after asking her a few questions and getting to know her, please rate how much you enjoyed this brief interaction.” For “group two” Taylor told the participants, “This is the president of NHS, after asking her a few questions and bet-ter getting to know her, please rate how much you enjoyed this brief interaction.”

Results

Globespec

Iceland

Israel

Gender is one of society’s most powerful labels. According to the World Economic Forum, Iceland ranks 1st of 136 polled countries regarding gender equality, reducing many of the negative connota-tions associated with gender roles. According to the a 2014 article in the Guardian, some of this progress can be attributed to a lack of clearly de-fined gender roles in Iceland. Iceland tries to pro-vide equal opportunity on both sides; for example, Iceland offers paternity leave for new fathers and insures women are well represented in politics.

Israel is a country where labels can be the differ-ence between life and death. According to the Middle East Eye’s early April article on Israel, race, cultural and religious labels have caused mas-sive death tolls in Israel in the last decades alone. Israel is a hot spot of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and ewish and Arabic religions. Racial profiling is becoming a norm. The labels by which people are simplified to are deadly in Israel.

Abbie Crick & Taylor WecksteinIntroSpec Editors

All graphics: H. Lancashire

Abbie Crick & Taylor WecksteinIntroSpec Editors

Hans VossGuest Writer

We decided to write this article after discussing the negative connota-tions associated with feminism. In our minds, a feminist is someone who supports gender equality in all aspects of life, from equal pay to both genders being included in the military draft. For many others, however, feminism is a movement that works for the superiority, not equality of women. That’s when we realized that even the most noble of causes are attached to labels with stereotypes and negative general-izations. Human rights activists deal with the stigmatization of labels as much as terrorists do. Regardless of how subjectively “good” or “bad” a group is, that group’s label in and of itself has the potential to pull soci-ety apart. Not only are labels overtly simplified, but they can also be totally ineffective when different labels mean different things to different people. Labels exemplify the classic “which came first, the chicken or the egg” dilemma; our personalities dictate our labels, and perhaps more interestingly, our labels dictate our personalities. In 1971 a man by the name of Philip Zimbardo conducted a study in which he randomly as-signed college students attending Stanford a role: either as a prisoner or as a guard. Prisoners were placed into mock jails where they remained for the duration of the experiment with the guards watch-ing over them. After six days Zimbardo had to cut the simulation short because the volunteers started forgetting who they really were and behaved accord-ing to their assigned positions. Some guards administered brutal punishments, and many prisoners became meek and hopeless. The takeaway from this experi-ment was that humans often act in ways that conform to their labels. If this idea reigns true in everyday life, it shows the tremendous power of peers, teachers, and society to shape the actions of individuals. The problems that come with labeling are much bigger than just the new labels that are being attached to us as we begin our transition out of high school. Which begs the question, what can we do to alleviate the pressure of labels? Obviously our labeling habits are not going anywhere. Labels can be useful and necessary in several scenarios. That said, as we all walk

through the halls of Central High School, we should think twice about how labels affect our perception of our peers and how those peers feel about themselves. The person we walk next to is so much more than an athlete, or an honors student or an orch dork. Before we form opinions about our fellow students we should get to know the person under the label. They are so much more than what we can summarize in a simple, one or two word tag line. As high schoolers, we are commonly reduced to a small, neat set of labels to fit on a resume, artist, stoner, AP student. Now, at the end of our senior year, those labels seem to be magnified. We are overwhelmed

by the labels that are suddenly being attached to us. Our worth and personality are suddenly attached to labels

like what type of college we’re attending, if at all, whether or not we’ll be graduating with

honor cords, if we are summa or magna cumlaude. It becomes really easy to slip into the habit of simplifying our fellow students based on arbitrary measures

of their worth. Suddenly, we are trying to summarize people in just a few words to

organize them into neat categories. It’s human nature to categorize. From an evolutionary perspective, as a spe-cies whose sole purpose was survival, ancient humans banded together based on common traits into cohesive groups to reap the benefits of collaboration. Labeling has been happening since the beginning of humanity. Perhaps more relevantly, labeling is

convenient in modern society. So much can be conveyed about a person in such

few words, it’s mind boggling. Without labels doctors would struggle immensely

communicating between one another, without labels applying for a job or a college would be

infeasible, without labels it would be impossible to organize any large group of people effectively. But three

dimensional people cannot be summarized completely with two dimensional labels. One word cannot envelop the essence of a multidi-mensional person and sometimes we forget that, since we are living in a world obsessed with commuting a large amount of information in a small number of words.

Common labels that Central students believe define them

ConclusionAfter collecting the result, the mean rating of the conversation of those who knew Abbie as the “NHS president” rated the enjoyableness of their interaction at a mean of 6.14 out of 10. For those who knew Abbie as “my friend,” the mean enjoyableness rating was 7.85 out of 10. There was almost a two point improvement in interac-tion rating based solely on the label assigned to Abbie. These results suggest that labels do indeed influence one’s perception on another person. However, this study should be taken with a grain of salt. Given our time constraints and limited resources there may have been confounding variables skewing the results. We were unable to obtain a random sample of participant, and the study would’ve been more valid if we had a larger sample size. Further research should be conduct-ed, but there appears to be evidence suggesting labels influence perception. The ramifications of this concept explain much of the way our modern society functions.

Graphic: www.wordle.net