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TABLE OFCONTENTS

NEWS A1-A2OPINION A3

FYE A4

SECTION BSPORTS B1-B2

FEATURE B3-B4

SECTION A

IN SECTION A

PAGEANTA2LATE STARTS

STREET ART

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IN SECTION B

CHEER HISTORYB1STATE CHAMP

SENIORITIS

B2B3B4 E-CIGS

Find out if senioritis is a myth or if it is a real issue.

Read more about Noah Gonser, our award winning wrestler!

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G B H S S T U D E N T P R E S SMarch 27, 2015vol . 50 issue 6

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A4

Check out what is hot to read with GB’s book worm.

Third time’s the charm?

Will the talent show ever see the stage...

Many people want to be recognized for their own talents and creativity. But be-ing in high school, there isn’t always the best opportu-nities to do so outside of their academic abilities. Even though there’s choir, band, drama, etc, sometimes it’s hard to put your own individual talents in the spotlight. Until the annual talent show. UNITE club puts on a talent show to give students a chance to express their abili-ties. But the show, which was originally scheduled to take place in February, has been postponed twice since then, leaving students in confusion. “The talent show was post-poned the first time because of the cold day. UNITE and I decided that it would be best since there would most

CorrinFrancherNEWS WRITER

likely be a low turnout due to the cancellation of school that day,” UNITE advisor Dana Shaver said. “The second time it was cancelled was due to the water main break at HS East. They had to turn off all of the water to the building

and we couldn't have people in the building under those circumstances.” Besides trying to establish a concrete date for the talent show, a lot of hard work goes into making it a success. “We set up auditions, have different acts sign up, judge the auditions, have a dress rehearsal, and then put on the

show. Luckily, Mrs. Powers has a lot of experience and we have a wonderful group of students who work really hard.” Shaver said. But despite such a series of obstacles, UNITE says the show is still a go.

“We are hoping that we can have it the second Friday in May,” Shaver said. “We have to wait until the musical is over now that they have begun building the set.” Shaver says she looks forward to putting this on because the creativ-

ity here at GBHS exceeds all expectations. “I rarely get to see the artistic side of students in my day, and it fills my heart with joy to see kids shine outside of academics,” Shaver said. “It blows my mind to see how brave they are to get up on stage and do what they do!”

it fills my heart with joy to see kids shine

outside of acedemics.-- Dana Shaver

“

“

AndreaNorthrupBUSINESS MANAGER

Do you have an idea of what career you want to go into? The students that attend the Skills U.S.A. competition have an idea, and are also get-ting experience in their field. Students go to competitions that encompass a variety of different technical areas from

welding to automotive tech-nology. This helps teenagers really experience what that career would be like. “I signed up for the auto program my sophomore year and kinda picked it up and be-came one of the top students in my class,” senior Kyle Preston said. Preston plans to go into the automotive field. He also said that if he wins at the state

level competition, then they will give him a scholarship to continue his education. “I’m looking towards au-tomotive career possibilities,” junior Matt MacDonald said. “College wise, I’m think-ing maybe the University of Northwestern Ohio or maybe Delta college in Saginaw.” Both Preston and Mc-Donald said that they spend hours after school in the auto

classroom in school prepping. This is in addition to other activities they are involved in like sports. They will both be going to the state level competition because they placed in the top three in their events. Preston placed second in Automotive “Brake Systems,” while Mac-Donald placed first in Auto-motive “Electrical Systems.”Career and technical training

has proven to benefit these young men. Their dedication is obvious in the time and ef-fort they put in. Preston shows his dedica-tion to learning and improving his skills daily. “I’ve torn apart my whole truck to work on it (to prac-tice),” Preston said. “I also get paid to do other people’s breaks too.”

The auto shop students are very proud of themselves as they hold up their event awards at the University of Northwestern Ohio.

Auto shop students proud of what they do

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PhotoCredit: Mikaya Gilbert

Filling out scholarship applications can be a serious hassle that takes a long time. Girls 16-18 that live in Grand Blanc will be presented a new opportunity for earning schol-arship money. Tiffany Dewley, a member of the Grand Blanc com-munity, decided to organize a local pageant after they had such an impact on her as a teen. “I have been a part of the Miss Davison scholarship pageant for many years,” Dewley said. “I ran in 1985 when I was in school and it helped me build my self confi-dence and gain friendships.” Contestantss will partici-pate in three events: formal, interview, and shorts for a small skit. The queen will receive a $500 scholarship, while two runner-ups will receive $250 scholarships. The winners will also get to be a part of local and state events to promote the Grand Blanc community.

The point of the pageant is not to pick the most beautiful girl, but the most well-round-ed one. “The biggest thing I want girls to know is that this is not a beauty pageant,” Dewley said. “There is no talent or swimsuit competition either.”

Not only is there the title of Miss Grand Blanc, there are three court mem-bers that are

chosen to travel around mid- Michigan attending queen re-ceptions and parades promot-ing Grand Blanc community. If local girls are looking for an opportunity to earn col-lege money and dress up, this may be for them. “I have been involved in the Miss Davison pageant for awhile now and the fun and friendships that are made during the pageant is once in a lifetime,” Dewley said. “This is a fun easy way to represent Grand Blanc and earn scholar-ship money.”

Miss Grand Blanc

Pageant AndreaNorthrupBUSINESS MANAGER

Thousands of school districts from Midwestern and Eastern regions of the United States braced themselves for the inevitable snow days on account of glacial tempera-tures, unsafe roads, and steep inches of snow. Educators across the country crammed more assignments due to mul-tiple days of weather cancel-lations. Although a lot of elated students surely tossed their homework aside in favor of sleeping or parked in front of the television, these random days off could be a nuisance to a school’s schedule. Superintendent Dr. Abdella shared his perspective towards school closings and the misconceptions that many students anticipate. “Please know that snow days are not ‘entitle-ments’ because it happens to be winter,” Dr. Norm Abdella said. “Often students will say to me ‘Gosh, we get six free snow days from the state, why don’t you use them?’ School is impor-

tant, education is our mis-sion, and therefore, whenever we can come to school, we should.” With the “polar vortex,” came frigid temperatures around the region; going outside was extremely treach-erous. The Genesee County Health Department provided Grand Blanc with informa-tion regarding hypothermia and frostbite. At a temperature of -19/-20 degrees, frostbite could occur at just 30 minutes of exposure. Hypothermia could occur at any tempera-ture lower than average body temperature. “I think it’s important to

know that I make my deci-sions, right or wrong, based on what I know at the time and how weather and road

conditions are within the Grand Blanc School District,” Dr. Abdella said. “I don’t subscribe to the practice of ‘If such and such a district closes, then we will close too.’” Having students go to school on a cold day has spurred many angry parents as well. “Honestly, it doesn’t bother me,” Dr. Abdella said. “There are some well-meaning people in our community that think that cold days should never be a reason to close school. Other equally well-meaning people believe that it is an important reason to close. The same is true about snow days. And as is their right, many individu-als feel compelled to share their opinions with the school district.” Social media has also given people a public opportu-nity to express their opinions on these decisions. “I’ve never been on Facebook or Twitter or any of the other social media outlets,” Dr. Abdella said. “I don’t know whether people are praising my decisions or criticizing them anyway.” In addition, Grand Blanc School guidelines are rela-tively the same compared to other schools. However, conditions are often different throughout school districts. “Goodrich, for instance, has lots of dirt roads,” Dr. Abdella said. “We do not. A

very small percentage of our students live on dirt roads. So, if the dirt roads are hard to negotiate for buses, we might have school, whereas Go-odrich would be closed.” With snow or ice, Director of Transportation Jeff Wilson and Dr. Abdella drive the streets around 4:30 a.m. to see if the vast majority of roads are school bus drivable. If not, school will close. “On a day like Feb. 13, the main roads were clear but many of the subdivision roads were like ice rinks,” Dr. Abdella said. “The day before, three of our buses slid off the road at dismissal time. Since those conditions had not changed the following morn-ing, I closed school. Yet those driving along Saginaw Street and on our main roads must have thought I was either crazy or just wanted the day off even though I actually worked all day!” After four years as super-intendent, Abdella says he still makes each decision thor-oughly and delicately. “Student and staff safety is my number one priority,” Dr. Abdella said. “It is the number one priority of every super-intendent in our state. There-fore, snow days are called when we believe that the roads or weather conditions make it impossible or unsafe to attend school.”

SabrinaJarrahNEWS WRITER

Abdella’s Logic A look into Dr. Abdella’s view on snowdays and how he makes the call

CorrinFrancherNEWS WRITER

The price of tuition is no question one of the most stressful factors in determin-ing your college education. And the heavy costs can follow you for years prior to your graduation. In order to take some of the weight off, a large variety of scholarships are available, based on your GPA, extracurricular activi-ties, ACT scores, etc.. Five of GBHS students, Melissa George, Benjamin Kent-Bryant, Hunter Stiff, Jordyn Tipsword, and Shankar Kaushal are out for possibly one of the most prestigious scholarships out there, the National Merit scholarship. “It feels pretty neat (to be considered) because a lot of scholarships are available for people who are finalists,” senior Melissa George said. “I plan on going to the Univer-sity of Michigan, and I think I want to study Biology.”

Initially there are some hefty odds against you with over a million entrants for this scholarship nationwide. Later that year, the entrants are narrowed down to the 50,000 with the highest scores on the PSAT. In September the candidates are even further condensed to about 16,000 semifinalists on a state-repre-sentational basis. And finally in Febru-ary, 15,000 high schoolers throughout the U.S. become finalists, and could be poten-tially considered for the schol-arship. Every year approxi-mately 7,600 are eventually awarded $2,500 to go towards the costs and fees of college. It goes without saying, many long hours went into the preparation to be even quali-fied as a finalist. “It was a lot of hard work getting there and it paid off,” senior Jordyn Tipsword said, “I did vocabulary and prac-

tice tests...it was just a lot of practice.” If chosen, Tipsword plans on using the scholarship money at the University of Kentucky to study psychol-ogy. “I never studied specifical-ly for the PSAT but I prepared pretty much every day by studying and doing home-work. It has certainly been challenging to stay focused at times,” George said. “I’ve worked hard throughout high school, and I’ve had great teachers who have taught me a lot, but I know a lot of people for whom that is true and in the end it was only one test that decided who would be recognized.” The countless days of preparation and dedication these students have put into their entire high school career have now been paid off with the honor of being considered for this scholarship.

Five merit scholar finalists

Culture and language inter-twine, with language demon-strating the delicate essence of culture. Humans commu-nicate with each other using a exquisite array of languages, each differing from the next in perpetual ways. No culture can emerge without language and no language can emerge without culture. Learning about the culture of deaf people is also learning about the way they communicate. American Sign Language (ASL) is the primary sign language used by deaf and hear-ing impaired individuals in The United States in which the shape, move-ment of the hands, facial expressions and body movements all play sig-nificant parts in under-standing information. GBHS had its first Deaf Culture Club meet-ing on March 2 with the purpose of exposing stu-dents to the language and the cultural norms of people who are hearing impaired. The club meets every other Monday, after school until 3:30 p.m. in room 421 to learn about deaf culture. “It is something different and unique and it will give me the chance to experience a real conversation with one of the members,” senior Sabrina Hargraves said. “We are all the same, the only difference is the way we communicate with others. Learning ASL would help share our ideas,

thoughts, interest and dreams and if you were to study ASL you’re not only learning a new language but you would have the gift of helping people understand one another.” American Sign Language is said to be the fourth most used language in the United States. There are 70 million deaf people who use sign lan-guage as their first language however there are many deaf people who prefer to ver-bally communicate with other people instead.

“My mother spent time with me every day teaching me new sounds and words,” junior Morgan Otero said. Otero has been dealing with hearing impairment her whole life and although it has been a struggle for her, she has gotten better at dealing with it throughout the years and doesn’t let it hold her back. “My mom wanted me to speak instead of learning sign language,” Otero said. “It is easy for me to ‘hear’ others

by reading their lips and it is a skill I have developed over time, but most of it goes to my parents because they worked every day to teach me how to listen and communicate.” Deaf culture consists of anyone who is deaf, hard of hearing, or who considers themselves to have any type of hearing loss. This also in-cludes beliefs, history, values, art and behavior shared by deaf people. The aim of the Death Cul-ture Club is to recognize the

significance of deafness and gain perspective of the lifestyles of hearing impaired individuals. They will interact and go to events, learn sign language, living skills, and share experience and the problems that deaf people are facing in their lives. “Just treat them like normal people.” Otero said, “Also, be more pa-tient with them because it can get frustrating sometimes. It’s easier

for us when we know some-one cares enough to repeat conversations without getting annoyed.” Those interested in signing up to the Deaf Culture Club can join anytime between now until May 11. For more information about joining, contact Katelyn Anderson at kanderso@grand-blancschools.org.

SabrinaJarrahNEWS WRITER

It is something differ-ent and unique and it will give me a chance to experience a real

conversation with one of my members.

--Sabrina Hargraves “

“

Deaf Culture Club begins

Dr. Abdella speaks more about how he decides on wheather or not there will be a snowday.

PhotoCredit: Hunter Bostley

(right to left) Melissa George, Jordyn Tipsword, Hunter Stiff, Shankar Kaushal, and Benjamin Kent-Bryant are all merit scholar finalists out of over a million entrants,

A3·opinion·bobcatbanner.com·@BobcatBanner

Editor-in-Chief:Rylie Daniels

Managing Editor:Ty GarzaBusiness Manager:Andrea Northrup

News Editor:Hunter Bostley

Feature Editor:Kelly GrantFeature Writers:Lauren CarrMolly RobertsOlivia Wyzgoski

Opinion Editor:Luc SavoieOpinion Writers:Chase ChismShelby MorrishErica Davis

Sports Editor:Jake RogersSports Writers:Aliiah EsquivelJensen Hansen

STAFF LISTINGFYE Editor:Angela KiesterFYE Writers:Cyerra HaywoodAli Kone

Adviser:Nick Popadich

Illustrator:Naomi Sauvola

News Writers:Corrin FancherSabrina JarrahPhoto Editor:Mikayla Gilbert

Staff Editorial How many school clubs are you in? How many meet-ings have you went to? With the start of Grand Blanc’s newest club, the Deaf Culture Club, it’s refreshing to see some more representation for the student body through clubs. Regradless of how helpful they are, some of them may be in danger of not hav-ing enough members. It wouldn’t be a first if a club disappeared for not hav-ing enough people interested. In a school with around 2,800 people, how can these num-bers be so low? Why do you think that more students aren’t involved

when we have so many pos-sibilities? At the moment, clubs do almost everything they can to promote. They advertise through the 3rd hour an-nouncements and hang posters in the hallways. The members can often be seen spreading the information on the clubs they love through word of mouth at every opportunity. Is there more they can do? It may be helpful for Mr. Nicholson to run creative mini commercials for these smaller clubs and teams to help get the word out. Another issue is that the majority of our clubs run on

Wednesdays after school. It’s hard for students to go to more than one club if the meetings overlap. Another problem a lot of students face is lack of trans-portation to the clubs, which will most certainly affect the attendance rates. What is being done to get more students involved? With new clubs appearing in the school, the importance of advertising cannot be stressed enough. New and innovative ways to spread the word will be necessary to keep many clubs alive.

New clubs in our high schoolIncrease in representation

REAL LIFE LAUGHS

Would starting later be worth it?Later Start Times

OPINION WRITER

EricaDavis

Imagine waking up re-freshed in the morning instead of having to drag yourself out of bed. Imagine being focused and full of energy in first hour. Later start times are being considered for the year after

next and would definitely give teens a valuable energy boost, but at what cost? Sure, many people are aware of the positive effects of starting later in the day. Later start times have been linked to increased grades, test scores, and attendance. They have also been linked to lower depression, substance abuse, and car accidents in those areas with implemented lower start times. However, most people don’t stop to consider the negative effects of a later start time. If school starts later, it must end later as well. Start-ing an hour later would

ultimately not make a big difference. Most teenagers’ brains do not start working efficiently until 10 or 11 am, so it would need to be a big change to have any effect. Imagine if the start time was pushed from 7:20 to 10:20. This means school would end at 5:16 instead of 2:16. There would be less time for sports, after school activities, jobs, and babysitting siblings, which are necessary activities for many teenagers. Nobody likes getting up early in the morning. How-ever, I think it is a necessary sacrifice so we can have more time later in the day for the things we enjoy.

Photo Credit: LucSavoieBobcat Banner editors and staff writers collaborate to complete this issue.They work all month to design the layout and write articles for the sections.

Self-funded high school bands

Pursuing an art degreeShedding the light on a myth

OPINION WRITER

NaomiSauvola

For all the artistic people out there who want to pursue art, they can come face-to-face witha lot of negativity. I want to encourage you and tell you to go for it. There should be nobody to hold you back from living your dream. As an artist myself, it is easy to relate to the people

who want to study for an art degree, but are discouraged because of the pressure and ridicule that they go through. Parents believe that art degrees will not help their son or daughter in the real world, because they believe that they will not be able to find a job, but in reality, there are several jobs out there involving art that go unnoticed. There are over 200 career options that require an art degree, such as an architect, an art teacher, a medical il-lustrator, a textbook illustra-tor, and many more. In all of these, substantial careers can be pursued. With information from U.S. News and World Re-

port, an architect can make up to almost $75,000 annu-ally. As you can see, that is a significant amount of money for a career that centers a lot of its trade off an art degree, incorporating the use of it into mathematical schematics and highly detailed sketches. Careers like this aren’t often associated with the arts, but you’ll find that art is in-volved in almost everything. Art degrees should be encouraged, not something to be discriminated upon. And remember, at the end of the day, you career is about being happy in life. Don’t sacrifice joy for a higher paying career. Do what you know you’ll enjoy; you only get one life.

Why these musicians matter

OPINION EDITOR

LucSavoie

In high school, there’s a lot of opportunities for organized creative outlets. There are several art and craft elective classes to take, not to men-tion extracurricular clubs and teams, such as Art Club, Snow-sculpting Team, and World Cultures Club, which often creates and replicates art from specific cultures. Of course, for the musi-cally talented, there’s also a

numerous amount of different bands and orchestras. And yet, there’s a lot of musical artists who are completely indepen-dent of organized high school events. What drives them? One of the local bands based out of Grand Blanc High School is called Orlando Syrup, and is comprised of two seniors, Levi Pettus and Jonathan Nas. When inter-viewed about the band, Pettus allowed us some insight on the thoughts from a young band member. “None of the school sanctioned bands ever really appealed to me,” Pettus said. “None of the types of instru-ments or music they played interested me. So me and Jon broke off and did our own thing.” A lot of high schoolers join bands like these as a creative outlet and a chance to relax

with friends and make some-thing for people to enjoy. Several small music venues, such as The Flint Local 432, give younger bands a chance to play on a stage and start somewhere if they want to seriously pursue music. Being independent means a lot of dedication. The band members are required to prac-tice on their own time and or-ganize everything themselves. This includes purchasing and maintaining equipment, advertising, transportation, and organizing and obtaining shows to play. Most of all, I’d say bands are a conduit of maturity. A lot of the things that would be taken care of by the school or band director in a formal set-ting are now on the shoulders of any independent musicians, and that’s a good step in the way of adulthood.

OPINION WRITER

ShelbyMorrish

High school sounds like such an intimidating place when you are first introduced to it. The easiest way to be comfortable within an uncom-fortable position is to know somebody that you can go to. At school, teachers are a huge contribution on whether you are comfortable or not. There are typically two types of teachers, a group that is willing to adapt to the students and then there are others that haven’t changed

their lesson plans since they first started teaching. Everybody has had that teacher that advocates for the students and would do anything to get the students involved. There is a flip side to everything though. This is where the conservative, close minded teachers come into play. Teachers are always a hit or miss situation. There are many teachers that are extremely appreciated for their ability to break students out of their shells and give them new ideas to work with. Those teachers are often recognized for being able to make school more enjoyable. However, there are teach-ers that make school a little more less bearable. Baby talking to students, and treat-ing them like children is not going to motivate them to do better. If anything, it is going to be the initial sign that the

class is going to be horrible. Especially when it comes to senior-level classes, most of the seniors are 17 and 18 years old. There is no need to talk down to the students. Quite frankly, it’s annoy-ing and really doesn’t give students any motivation to try in that class. The students are almost adults, if not already, so that’s how they should be treated. It makes school difficult to cope with when there are complete opposite kinds of teachers. Students get used to having the more laid back teachers, so when they get around the more strict and condescending teachers, learning is a lot more dread-ful. Thankfully, there are more liberal and open minded teachers at GBHS, mak-ing education easier on the students.

Strict teachers

liberal teachersvs.

Photo Credit: JenniferRensel

By: LucSavoie&ChaseChism

A4·FYE·bobcatbanner.com·@BobcatBanner

Banner’s BookwormMindy Kaling: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?(And Other Concerns)

Photo Credit: AngelaKiester

Imagine living in New York City, working small jobs, and trying to make it big; all while dealing with friends and boys. That was Mindy Kaling’s life. Her book “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), Ka-ling talks about these things and everything else. She tells stories about her childhood and her up-bringing so that people can understand why she is the way that she is. Kaling’s life in the big city was much different than when she was at home. The story she tells is just like a movie, with success and failure and then more success. She gives advice on how to make friends and then how to distinguish the good

ones from the bad. She tells about her first boyfriend and even her most recent one. She even gives suggestions for

RylieDanielsEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

criteria on what makes a good boyfriend. Kaling also offers advice for the professional world from her own experience. Since she auditioned for, acted in, and wrote for NBC’s “The Office,” she has plenty of insight in that category.

S t r e e t A r t o r S o c i a l A c t i v i s m ?

Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Trai Byers, Jussie Smollet, and Bryshere Gray. What do all of these people have in common besides their unique names? They’re the cast of the Fox’s latest hit show, “Empire,” the show that has been dominating televi-sion since it premiered in January. No one truly under-stands what makes this show so appeal-ing to its audi-ences, and how it has gained the suc-cess that it has in such a short time. It might have something to do with one of the executive producers, Lee Daniels, who has also directed or written popular and successful mov-ies like “Precious” and “Lee Daniel’s The Butler.” Most of Daniel’s projects have been a hit or miss, but Empire is definitely a home run. The plot of the show is not

what anyone really would ex-pect it to be. There’s always a certain air of mystery in each episode, as if there’s some-thing that the audience doesn’t know but desperately wants to find out. The cast tells the story and conveys their characters and in such a convincing way that it’s hard to remember that Taraji P. Henson isn’t actually

Cookie Lyon, one of the main characters of the show who served 17 years in prison for drug dealing; or that Terrence Howard isn’t actually Lus-cious Lyon, the CEO of Em-pire Enterprises, a successful record label that has changed the music industry in ways that can’t even be described; the Beyonce of record labels if you will.

For an hour on every Wednesday night at 9 p.m, millions of people are sucked into this enticing world, watching the struggles of Cookie as she tries to bring her family back together, watching her three sons: Jamal, Hakeem, and Andre struggle through things like being unaccepted by his father for being gay, mama issues,

and bipolar disorder. For an hour people forget about the world that they are living and enter the enticing world of “Empire.” “Empire” is breaking down barriers. It joins the rank of great shows, like “Scandal” and “How to

Get Away with Murder,” that showcase black

people who hold positions of power and aren’t just maids who serve people all day. It showcases a successful black family battling through issues that are considered to be taboo in today’s society, and that is why it is excelling on televi-sion and will continue to excel until the very last episode.

Empire Excels

CyerraHaywoodFYE EDITOR

Artist Banksy uses his artistic tal-ent and popularity to express his political views. Graffiti is classified as vandalism which is a possible felony. The legality of the act puts more pressure on artists to make a stronger impact on the viewers.

The street art to the right is one of Banksy’s pieces representing censorship and the government’s control.

“Keep your coins, I want change.” This graffiti paints a political picture show-ing that change is needed and opens the eyes of many to the problem with our society and homelessness.

“I would rather have someone read my diary than look at my iPod playlists.”

--Mindy Kaling

“

ENTERTAINMNT EDITOR

AngelaKiester

“

She attended New York University and had to work her way up to the top and play hardball a couple of times to get what she wanted. Mindy Kaling invites readers into all aspects of her life with the intention of help-ing others with their own. “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other concerns) is not just an auto-biography or another self-help book; it’s a funny and engaging journal-like writing that the reader won’t want to put down.

African American TV Show Challenges PopularStereotypes

Empire cast members gather to break barriers and add a cryptic aspect to television history.

Photo Credit: FOX.com

B1·sports·bobcatbanner.com·@BobcatBan-

LaurenCarrSPORTS WRITER

Every coach in the district is put on a ballot and then all of the coaches vote. The coach with the most votes wins the title. Although they are awaiting a three way tie-breaking ballot for Regionals Coach of the Year, there has been a request for a revote between the three coaches. Coach Swansey has been coaching since she was 14. Swansey started coaching a youth pom team in Waterford. After cheering for Waterford Mott, she went on to coach for the team. In 2002, her team

There are 168 hours in one week. Thirty-five of those hours are consumed by school. Of the 133 hours left, 20 are spent at cheer, not counting the all day Saturday competitions. Divvying up the remaining time between friends, family and work, how does one set aside enough time to strive for decent grades -- let alone ex-cel? For several cheerleaders, the effort put in on and off the mat is finally paying off. High marks are a prior-ity for many of the girls even with the pressures of being state-level competitors. Senior Emily McCoon was determined to give her all in school and sports when she made the varsity team her freshman year. “The biggest challenge was having so much work and not enough time,” McCoon said. “Last year, for example, I had four AP classes. I would go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 4 a.m. just to do homework.” Although, advancing in both areas of her life proved

to be a challenge, it was one McCoon was willing to take. “The biggest reward I received was scholarships for having good grades,” McCoon said. “I also got plenty of awards for Academic All-State.” Senior Samantha Denicolo

cheered all four years of high school as well, and has main-tained her grades throughout and dedication throughout. “There has definitely been hard times,” Denicolo said. “After a long three to four hour practice, the last thing I wanted to do was come home and do homework.”

Despite difficulties, one of Denicolo’s proudest moments was being awarded for her work. “At the KLAA Association Competition, they give awards for a certain number of girls from each team based on their GPA,” Denicolo said. “I’ve

gotten it three years now. It means a lot to me that my hard work was recognized.” Advancing through the season, juggling school work and staying committed to the team could have proved a challenge for some, but for senior Madison Drye, learning to find balance came as the

season advanced. “At times, it was difficult to find time in the day to fin-ish my homework with hours of practice taking up my free time,” Drye said. “The further we progressed into the sea-son, however, it was easier to prioritize my time.”

After cheering from an early age up through her senior school year, as well as excelling in school, Drye was achieved her biggest goal. “I was accepted to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor,” Drye said. “I was indescribable. Undoubtedly one of the most gratifying, reward-ing events of my life.” Currently enrolled at UM-Flint, alumni Shan-non Frederick fondly

remembered her time spent on the team, even with the stress of school, work, and practice. “I used to think it was impossible,” Frederick said. “I thought I couldn’t handle doing all of it at the same time. Looking back, I’d do anything to relive it, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

In previous years the Grand Blanc varsity cheer team has attended the state finals competition to see what the teams there are like. Not this year. The girls got to take the mats for the first time ever, at the biggest competition in the state. “Going to the state finals has been a goal of mine since freshmen year,” senior Emily McCoon said.

While picking out long term goals for the team, the senior girls have had “Qualify for the state finals” as a goal since freshmen year. Each girl had to write down a personal goal and a team goal, they then assess at the end of the season if that goal was met. Well the day has come for them to finally say that they reached their goal, and they were excited. The girls competed Del-taplex for a spot to be among

the states best teams. Cheer teams across the state compete for a chance to get on the Delta Plex mats. To make it this far is an amazing accomplishment for the entire team. “Even though we didn’t get top five like we we’re aim-ing to, we still felt proud of ourselves because it was out first time ever going to states,” sophomore Elizabeth Evans said. Although the girls didn't

meet their goal of making top five, they did meet their goal of going to states as a team.To continue the tradition of excellence, they hope to con-tinue qualifying for states for years to come. “I’m just glad me and my team have come this far,” senior Alison Rousseau said. “We were ready to leave it all on the mat, no matter what happened.”

Coach of the Year

Cheer makes historyMikaylaGilbertPHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

MikaylaGilbertPHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Academic allstarsHard work paying off in a big way

The team’s first time at states

won the Class A MCCA State Champion. After taking time off to start a family, she began to coach at Grand Blanc and has been with here ever since. “My reaction was shock,” Christina Swansey said. “There were many fantastic coaches that were on the bal-lot and it didn’t even cross my mind that I would be honored in that way. I was looking at the coach that I thought was going to win and when they said my name it took a mo-ment for it to register.” The team had a reaction of shock, but also one of pride because their coach has re-ceived such a great honor.

AchievementsCCCAM Scholarship for $3500Requirements:GPA Above 3.8 (first semester, on an un-weighted scale) Recipients:Madison DryeAllison Rousseau

CCCAM Scholarship Champions

Bobcat Classic Champions

KLAA West Division Champions

KLAA Lakes Conference Champions

KLAA Association Champions Regional Qualifiers State Finalists

8th Place in the state

Academic All-State team

District Coach of the Year: Christina Swansey

After a long three to four hour practice, the last thing I wanted to do was come home and do homework.

-- Samantha Denicolo

Photo Credit: CourtneyEvans

The varsity cheer team poses for a picture before the state competition in Grand Rapids. The ladies placed eighth among dozens of school.

Coach Swansey poses with senior Emily Emerick and her mom Vicky.

Photo Credit: ChristinaSwansey

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Grand Blanc Eyes

1125 S. Saginaw Street Grand Blanc MI

810-694-EYES

Dr. Peter M. AgnoneDr. Ann A. WalkerDr. Stacey A. Alarie

Go Bobcats!

Advertise with the Bobcat Banner!

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Getting to know NoahGrand Blanc wrestler becomes state champJakeRogers

SPORTS EDITOR

Q: How does it feel to be the first state champion wrestler in Grand Blanc in 10 years let alone state champion?

A: “It’s a good way to close out all of my hardwork. It’s actu-ally kind of a relief.”

Q: When did you begin wrestling?

A: “I began wrestling when I was eight.”

Q: Who got you into wrestling?

A: “My dad did.”

Q: How much work did it take to get to this level?

A: “It took a lot of work. I would have to drive hundreds of miles to go to practices every Sunday to find the right part-ners.”

Q: Did you ever have any doubters?

A: “The only doubter I’ve ever really had was myself.”

Q: Have you gotten any offers from colleges to wrestle?

A: “I have. My top three choices are Army, Michigan State University, and Alma College.”

Q: Do you want to take your wrestling career farther?

A: “I’m not sure. The only step farther you can go after col-lege is the olympics which is a whole different style of wres-tling. If that never happens I would like to be a coach.”

Grand Blanc senior Noah Gonser has been named state champion for wrestling. Weighing 119 pounds, Noah defeated his competitor with a final score of nine to two. This was Noah’s 202 win in his high school career. Gon-ser is the first state champion at Grand Blanc since 2005 and only the third state cham-pion in school history. Not only has Gonser got-ten recognition around the school, but he has also gotten recognition from colleges around the country. Gonser has many college offers, but has narrowed it down to three. Let’s see where the future takes him.

Swimming off to states

JensenHansen

SPORTS WRITER

The boys swim and dive team advance to the next round

As the season ended, the Grand Blanc divers headed off for Regionals. The div-ers had a great appearance at Regionals with sophomore Jared Berger placing 13th, sophomore Tai Sims 19th, and sophomore Kay Whitmore, 21st. Only the top 12 finishers make it to States. The Diving Bobcats had a fantastic sea-son, according to coach Emily Overmyer. “Regionals was a success,” Sims said. “It was very easy for us to come together as a team because we’re all really close.” The Bobcats had a “Last Chance” meet at Waterford Mott High School. This meet was the last meet for the boys to make the state cuts. Dur-ing the first run of the meet, the Bobcats fell short of state qualifying times. During the second run of the meet, they picked it up and fought. There were six total events for the second run, and the Bobcats qualified for three of the six events. Overall, the team challenged themselves, and came out fierce. On Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 at East-ern Michigan University, the Swimming Bobcats competed

against teams from all over the state. Grand Blanc had seven quali-fiers. Ju-nior Ryan John-ston, junior Bai-ley Cur-tis, junior Julian Rus-sell , junior Nick Price, junior Matt Wolf-gram, sophomore JD Walker, and senior Kenny Joynt. The swimmers have prac-ticed strong, and have gone through practices focusing mainly on the events that they are swimming at States.“We worked a lot on tech-nique to perfect our events,” Johnston said. “We also worked on starts and finishes so that we can drop time for our relays.” States is the biggest meet for the Bobcats. They have put in the work to get there. All the hard work, time, and excruciating pain is finally paying off. “It feels great,” Joynt said. “Finally reaching a goal that

you have constantly worked for all season to achieve is

one of the best feelings ever.” Preparing for States can be a very hard thing to do. “I’ve made sure to oc-casionally visualize my race and think of the goals that I have for the meet,” Wolfgram said. “I’m also just trying to stay composed and excited.” Staying focused during a thrilling meet is also a very hard thing to do. “I need to think about how to swim my event efficiently and go through the funda-mentals,” Curtis said. “The small stuff really counts in a race, especially at States.” The boys finished out a fantastic season, and hope to break numerous records next year.

Varsity hoops roundupBoys basketball season comes to an endAliiahEsquivelSPORTS WRITER

As the season concluded, the varsity team played Bran-don with a final score of 57-37. Later that week, the team faced off against Holly where close friends went head to head. Holly player Jake Daniels and Bobcat Trevon Avery came head to head in the playoffs for the first time. Be-ing good friends, and also being their last season, the two both wanted to see each other do great. “Trevon and I have been playing basket-ball together for a long time, if anything it’s going to be an honor playing with him again,” Daniels said. Being seniors, a lot of pressure as well as teamwork came into play. The team as a whole wanted to make the best of their final season. “I want to be proud of the way we played as a team in the end,” senior Bryan Pol-lard said. The team showed team-work all throughout the year with the help of head coach Rob McRae. All of the seniors on the team had one goal: to finish great. The seniors will miss a lot though as the season ended

“I am going to miss play-ing on Friday nights and just having those Friday night

high school games,” senior Jake Schroer said.

Photo Credit: MikaylaGilbert

Illustration Credit: jpneok

The future is brightPistons look to make playoffsJacobRogersSPORTS EDITOR

The Detroit Pistons have been on a rollercoaster ride of a season. After starting the season off 5-23, general manager and coach Stan Van Gundy decided to cut big name player Josh Smith.

"We're 5-23," Stan Van Gundy told the Detroit Free Press. "If we were 12-16, we'd be looking at this differ-ently. But when you're 5-23, we had to reassess what we were doing. Nobody saw 5-23 coming. We weren't getting the results we were looking for. It was decided that it was best that we went in another direction." Unfortunately, a few games after the release of Smith, Detroit lost starting point guard Brandon Jennings for the season due to a torn achil-les. Since Jennings’ injury, the Pistons have made two trades which brought in point guard Reggie Jackson to Detroit. These trades have changed the way Detroit looks and makes them a talented squad for the future. The only problem with the future of the Pistons is bring-ing back coveted big man Greg Monroe. Monroe is a big name big man and will draw a

lot of attention this offseason. It would be a huge blow if he left the Motor City. If Monroe does in fact stay with the Pistons, they have to worry about free agency in 2016. Both star big man An-dre Drummond and Brandon Jennings will be free agents. Luckily, Drummond will be a restricted free agent so we could get him back for cheap. But then there is Jennings. Now that we have acquired Reggie Jackson, coach and president Stan Van Gundy has said Jackson is the point guard of the future. Where does Jennings go? Probably on another team. Even though he’s a great talent, there won’t be room for him on the roster. There are going to be some really tough decisions in the coming years for the Pistons. But, with a solid core, De-troit has a bright future and it would be a surprise if they didn’t make a championship run in coming seasons.

Upcoming GamesJV Baseball:3-24 @ Lapeer3-26 @ Swartz Creek4-1 vs. Walled Lake North-ern

Varsity Baseball:3-24 vs. Lapeer3-26 vs. Swartz Creek4-1 @ Walled Lake North-ern4-7 @ Lanseville, Indiana4-10 @ Lake Orion

JV Softball:3-24 @ Lapeer3-31 vs. Hartland4-1 vs. Walled Lake Northern3-31 @ Hartland4-1 @ Walled Lake Northern

Track and Field:3-26 @ Saline3-31 vs. Howell3-27 @ Brighton3-30 vs. Canton

Boys Varsity Lacrosse:3-27 @ Brighton

Girls JV Lacrosse:3-25 vs. Novi3-30 @ Canton

Girls Varsity Tennis:3-28 @ Holly

Girls Water Polo:3-26 @ Chelsea

Girls Varsity Lacrosse:3-25 vs. Novi3-30 @ Canton

Illustration Credit: KatteKrab

Trevon and I have been playing basket-ball together for a long time, if any-thing it’s going to be an honor playing with him again.

-- Jake Daniels

Even though a lot of the seniors are going in different directions, some still plan to come back to watch next year. “Of course I plan to re-

turn,” Schroer said. “I want to watch all the juniors and sopho-mores and see how the team does,” senior Hayden Fraiser said. Although the season may be over, the team will continue their bond as well as their love for the sport. Returning players are hoping for a great season next year. “I am hoping for an

undefeated team next year and to go to states,” junior Zach Leedom said.

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Photo Credit: JensenHansen

Jonathan Hansen speeds through a 100 freestyle during practice. They then went to states.

Photo Credit:KeithAllison

Andre Drummond shoots a free throw against Washigton.

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Please excuse: SeniorsAre students with senioritis suffering a myth or actual condition?

Photo Credit: KellyGrant

Whether myth or actual condition, the infamous and incapacitating senioritis is as dangerous as it sounds. Students suffer from days to weeks to months of semi-conscious schooling, drooling, and another grueling 3 months of late work and laziness with their only reasoning being, “Eh. I’ve got senioritis.” “It is a real condition,” senior Janelle Owens said. “When I was a sophomore, I took APUSH (AP U.S. Histo-ry), and when I took APUSH, I was convinced that I already had senioritis. I would wait until the day before to study and do all that jazz, but in the end I was still studying, I was just waiting a really long time to study. But this year, I go home and I don’t study at all.” Whether it is waiting until the last minute to do homework, not doing homework at all, or just being so ‘done’ with high school, the defini-tion of senioritis can be a bit elusive. “So I’m doing nothing when I go home,” Owens said. I think that is senioritis; just going home and doing absolutely nothing and hoping it will still be okay in the end.” Although senioritis is only for seniors by trade, its effects are slowly trickling down to the lower grades. Juniors, sophomores, and even the occasional freshmen testify to having senioritis. “It’s definitely an actual condition,” junior Brendan Rogers said. “I’m not as af-fected as much as I would say a real senior, it’s definitely there. There are times where I don’t want to work in class or get stuff done just because I’m looking forward to getting out of school or graduating, stuff like that.” Even sophomores undergo symptoms. “Very real,” sophomore

Christian LaRue said. Al-though only two years into the high school game, LaRue was already affected. “Yes, I already am and I’m a sopho-more. [Senioritis] started the very beginning of freshman year. Day one.” Although this epidemic may affect the general popu-lace, not every senior is buy-ing into it. Regularly, seniori-tis depicts lethargy, lack of motivation, and major pro-crastination. Some not only find it a myth, but an excuse. “It’s stupid, it’s not a real thing,” senior Najelle Gilm-ore said. “[Seniors] are using senioritis as a crutch to get off on an easy senior year so they can have more fun rather than doing work. People say that they have senioritis, but its re-ally just when we get a lot of

homework to do. It’s not real, get over it.” Just as some seniors aren’t falling into the senioritis sub-terfuge, neither are many of Grand Blanc’s teachers. “I mean it really affects people, but it’s a fabricated condition,” math teacher Sarah Johnson said. “You can train your mind to believe whatever you would like it to believe, but it’s a choice. Did I make that same choice? Prob-ably, but it is a choice.” That raises the question, does curriculum slow down as students slow down? “No, that’s the sad part,” Johnson said. “Especially the kids with AP courses, those classes don’t test until mid-May. I always tell my kids in AP Stats that you can have

senioritis all you like on May the 14th, which is the day after our AP exam. These kids can’t afford it. We’re talking three credits on the line, that’s potentially close to $5000 in savings by NOT getting senioritis.” Whether it be Statistics or the hard sciences, educators have seen similar patterns among students. “Over the years I’ve no-ticed a drop in motivation,” physics teacher Craig Trom-bly said. “A decrease in pro-duction, overall attentiveness is down, attendance is down, people start looking for ways to work the attendance policy. It may affect some students, but from year to year, whether it be my first year or my ninth year, there are always students who work all the way to the

end and there are a large portion that just get lethargic.” Senioritis ef-fects all subjects, including English, which has had its share. “I can’t tell you how many students take that last eighth semes-ter off,” English teacher James Stuck said. “Their grades slide, their focus slides, and then they have the summer off. A lot

of the times those kids, and this has shown with research, they start their first year of college basically being cold and untrained and not having put forth any effort for six months or more. Those kinds of students typically flunk out at an incredibly high rate. Most of them, at least half of them, don’t finish the first year of school. A lot of them won’t even last two years of college and then they’re done.” Whether a genuine con-cern or a half-hearted alibi, seniors throughout the school either persevere through their fourth and final year, or find themselves hell-bent on hopelessness, all at the feet of senioritis.

KellyGrantFEATURE EDITOR

“Know that it’s a decision, and that you can change that deci-sion at any time. Is it okay to kind of relax sometimes? Sure. Senior year is supposed to be fun. But it’s also a time when, especially our AP kids, there’s just too much on the line in those courses, but also there a lot more colleges demanding 8th semester grades. We’ve gotten a couple of letters that students have shared with us over the years where students were un-admitted based on their 8th semester grades. So senioritis has very real implications.”

--Sarah Johnson

“Work hard. If I had the answer to that I could bottle it up and sell it, it happens to virtually all seniors every year. Just try to stay focused and if other people are checking out don’t let that affect you... but it’s easier said than done.”

--Craig Trombly

“Knock it off. Honestly. While you might be tired, get over it, get with it, and then get something accomplished. Graduating high school is not an accomplishment, it is an expectation. You should graduate high school. The accomplishment comes later on. When you actually get a degree, or you get a career. This is not the finish line, this is just a leg in the race and you need to treat it as such.”

--James Stuck

Recommended Treatment:

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I think that is senioritis; just going home

and doing absolutely nothing and

hoping it will still be okay in the end.

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--Janelle Owens

Over the years cigarette smoking has become less of a popular activity and more of something that is frowned upon. Less people smoke compared to the past and programs like the ‘Finish it Campaign’ are showcasing the gradual switch in feelings directed away from cigarette smoking. However, with the rejection of cigarettes, a new product has been brought to the front line known as the electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette delivers the same feeling as if someone was smoking an actual cigarette. This may be because of the similar chemi-cals in the e-cigarette as there are in an actual cigarette. ”Yes,” Health Education teacher Heather Willing said. “Obviously cigarettes have all these chemicals that you’re exposing your body to just like vaping.” While some enjoy the

MollyRobertsFEATURE WRITER

The ending of winter, St. Patrick’s Day, and longer and sunnier days are what most people look forward to during March. What they often forget is a frequently overlooked month-long celebration. That celebration is Women’s His-tory Month. March is dedicated to the recognizing of all the great achievements women have made to America throughout his-tory. It was first recognized na-tionally by Presi-dent Jimmy Cart-er on March 8, 1980 as a week long dedica-tion to women’s achievements. Eventually it expanded to the entire month as each presi-dent since has proclaimed the month as Women’s History Month. In addition to the presiden-tial proclamations, the Nation-al Women’s History Project (which has always been a main driving force behind the recognition of the month) declares annual themes for the month. These date back to March 1987 and include such themes as “Discover a New World,” “Living the Legacy,” and “Our History is Our Strength.” The theme for

2015 is “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives.” The main focus of this year’s theme is “hearing women’s stories, both person-ally and in a larger context,” according to the National Women’s History Project. The goal of the recalling of women’s talents and sacri-fices is to pave the way for more women to be inspired to achieve greater things. The importance of the recognition of women’s im-

pact on American history still holds strong today. “Women make up over 50 percent of the population but yet take secondary roles in the textbook,” history teacher Heather Gryzmkowski said. “You need a women’s month to highlight the fact that women have had to endure things that maybe haven't been documented throughout history.” As a female teacher in a male-dominated subject area

Gryzmkowski knows full well how women are often ignored in history. “What’s sad is that even girls and women don’t realize that (women) are underval-ued,” Gryzmkowski said. “There are still misconcep-tions about the roles women play as leaders.” Overall, women in the workplace still make less than men at the same jobs. The average was a startling differ-ence of 78 cents on the dollar

according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Re-search. Not only do they suf-fer from the gender pay gap but they hold far fewer posi-tions of power throughout our country from the board room to the floor of Congress. Women only make up 20

percent of the Senate and 18.2 percent of the House of Representatives.In total, there are only 99 women of the 535 members in Congress. In a country that has yet to see a woman as our na-tional leader, it is the hope of Women’s History Month that people continue to acknowl-edge the success women have had and to realize the crucial contributions women have made to the nation’s overall success.

TyGarzaFEATURE WRITER

HERstoryCelebrating women this March

Women marching to Versailles, France. Although the March of Versailles occured in October 1789, it is still a prominent example of early women taking a stand against injustice.

feeling of smoking and feel healthier vaping as opposed to smoking, others can see the dangers and the disadvantages of both smoking cigarettes and vaping. ”Vaping is definitely just as dangerous as smoking,” Will-ing said when asked about the differences between the two. “There are four cancer-ous causing substances in it: heavy metals, nicotine, vola-tile organic compounds, and carcinogens.” Some students have also been suspended for using an electronic cigarette on school property. Office records indicate that there have been eight students suspended this year for vap-ing, whereas last year there were none. Those statistics in-dicate a 400 percent increase in vaping from the 2013-2014 school year to this school year alone. While it is against school policy to be using e-cigarettes on school property, some teens at GBHS have still fallen under the spell of advertisements.

“These cigarette compa-nies are marketing vaping to kids, but kids never smoke in the first place,” Willing said. “They’re exposing kids to e-cigarettes at a young age.” Just as peer pressure has its effects on teens, so does com-mercial marketing. Students aren’t necessarily forced to smoke e-cigs, but the market-ing of it certainly does have an impact on them. This vaping trend isn’t just on the rise in GB, but, the entire U.S. Statistics show that e-cigs are a rapidly rising product. According to vapenews-magazine.com, from 2008 to 2013, e-cig sales have risen from 20 million to 1 billion. That’s five times more the number of e-cigs sold than in 2008. Some are more open to the idea than others, but the new product that’s been brought forward due to the lack of analog cigarette purchases is rapidly on the rise across the country, especially in GB.

Cigarettes take a back seat to the e-cigs across the nation and in GB

E-cigarettes are on the rise

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