CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

SeniorsIssue 14 Volume 16 May 22, 2009

THETalon

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THE TALON Freeland High School

8250 Webster Rd. (989) 695-5899

Volumber 16

The Talon opinions are from the views and news reported from the views

of the reporters and not necessarily those of the school.

Features

B7-8

J.V. Sports

Michigan Scholar students are those students who pledge to go above and beyond what other high school students do. Students who chose to participate in the Michigan Scholars program dedicate themselves to a curriculum course that is much more rigorous than the curriculum of other students. “I chose to become a Michigan Scholar even though the curriculum is more difficult because it looks good on col-lege applications,” said Senior Michigan Scholar Member Tricia Clements. Students who are Michigan Scholars must take four years of Math, four years of English, four years of Science, three years of Social Studies, and two years of a foreign lan-guage. This past Thursday, May 14, Michigan Scholar seniors were honored for all of their hard work with a breakfast at Apple Mountain. Both students and their parents were invited to attend this celebratory event which included several speakers and an award ceremony. The main speak-er for this event, the keynote speaker, Richard Beeckman, gave students an inspirational look on life with his speech.

“I thought the keynote speaker was pretty inspirational although he was really hard to hear,” said Senior Michigan Scholar Member Crystal Chinevere. Other speakers included different influential members of the community including Patty Bayne, past president of the Chamber of Commerce, several members of the Lions Club, and other business owners from the community. “It was nice to see that so many local business owners and community members were interested in the students here at Freeland,” said Tricia. Following the keynote speaker was the award ceremony. Each Michigan Scholar Member was called up to the front of the room individually so they could tell everyone where they were planning on attending college and what they planned on majoring in. Then they received their Michigan Scholar medal and certificate. “I was a little nervous when I found out that I had to say something in front of everyone, but it ended up not being that big of a deal,” said Crystal. After four years of hard work, Michigan Scholar Students definitely deserved to be recognized, and this breakfast did just that for them.

Celebrating Michigan ScholarsBritteny Dee ‘09

Work Coming to an End for Some

Justin Foley 09 The Co Op program, which allows students to leave school and continue their education at a work site, is coming to an end with the seniors all leaving early for summer. With the year almost over, students are now deciding whether to stay and continue to work or to move on and enjoy their summer before they go away to college. Some students are going to continue their job and work at their current job location. “I plan to continue to work at my job because it was a really good learning experience. Everything I have learned can better prepare me for the Veterinarian School. Overall it was a great experience,” said Lindsey Kappen who Co Ops at Riverside Animal Clinic. With the Co-Op program ending Heather Essex and John Good thought it would be a nice to give the employers of the Co-Op students a free lunch to thank them for the support they have given the students and the program itself. This lunch was held in the Media Center with help from the cafeteria which made the food for the special occasion. They provided the students and the employers with chicken wraps, roast-beef sandwiches, soup, and salad. “I was surprised at how nice the lunch was. I was thinking that it would be plain but it was decorated nicely and the food was good,” said Ashlee Brousseau. During the lunch the students had to give a small speech about who they are, where they worked at, and also what they have learned or found out during their work experience. They had to stand in front of everyone and present a certification to their employer and thank them for what they did throughout the year. “I learned a lot about business and accounting. It is not really something I was interested in before I started to work but after experiencing it, I realized how much a large company does and every department plays an important role on how a company works,” said Anna Millar who Co Ops at Dow. Some of the students enjoyed where they worked at and others did not like it so much. They learned if they wanted to work in that field or if that is not exactly what they wanted to do any-more. “I liked everything about my Co-Op. I worked with good people and my supervisor is awesome. Work can be slow and boring sometimes but I find ways to keep busy by asking co-workers if they need help with something and they usually find something interesting for me to do. Our department also has a lot of parties with food so it passes the time much faster,” said Anna. The Co-Op students learned more than what is in a text book. They learned valuable work experience that you cannot get unless you go and get a job. Most kids in today’s society get everything they want and when they go out in the working field they get a rude awakening. These students now have an edge above most kids and it will help them in their future jobs.

Meagan Finney ‘09

The seniors have finally reached the end of their high school careers and the beginning of their new lives. For the past week they have been wrapping up all the loose ends of their high school careers, preparing for the long awaited graduation day to arrive. In the last week, about one half of the senior class has experienced more stress than they have experienced in the entire year combined. Back to the CIC room, judges wait while the students show up to give the second semester senior presentations, and receive the final passing grade of their high school career. The judges include Lisa Short and Janene Chisek, the electronic research teachers, along with Mr. Weldon, Vice Principal, and others who are experts of each student’s career choice. With each presentation comes a product having to do with the students’ research, also a portfolio that each student has put together over the course of the semester. Most students create a power point to help them with their presentations as well. “For those who have to take this class next year, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! I am the biggest procrastinator and I put ev-erything off, so I felt rushed and nervous in the end, especially with senioritis and graduation just around the corner,” Senior Crystal Chinever said. Presentations for senior projects began Wednesday of last week and continued on throughout the seniors’ final week of school. Many seniors have waited all year to finally accomplish the senior projects and complete the most difficult part of their senior year. “It was too much stress for me personally, I was freaking out,” said Crystal, “I think I would have been a lot more re-laxed if I would have taken electronic research first semester.” Many students will agree with Crystal, the last few months of ones senior year can be the most difficult when it comes to trying to find motivation. Also, this project is one that holds a great deal of importance in when it comes to being able to graduate with the rest of the class. Electronic research is, in fact, a required class that must be passed before graduation and that is what makes it so stressful and risky for those who are placed in the second semester classes. “I think the class is overrated,” Senior Andrew Aulds said, “I love speaking in front of people and I got all of my work done in class, so my presentation was a piece of cake!” While many students were nervous and would have rather taken first semester, some students felt confident taking the risk. If the class time was taken seriously and used in an orga-nized manner, in the end, all that is left is to talk about the topic chosen. “I felt so relieved after I gave my presentation. Walking away, I felt like I did really well,” Senior Jason McInnis said. The seniors have finally finished all it takes to become gradu-ates, and now with their senior projects behind them they will soon take on the next hardest step, college. Good luck to each and every one of them, may college treat you well.

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With the year coming to an end, seniors are going to get awarded for their accomplishments and efforts for their four years at high school. Every student who walks through the front doors leaves an imprint on the school and many were awarded for all of their hard work they have put into this school. On Sunday, May 17 seniors were honored for playing a sport for four years and also they recognized for scholarships, and academic awards. There were over 30 awards and scholarships that were awarded in the Auditorium. Senior Awards Night went well with most of the seniors attending. The awards ceremony started with an introduction from Principal John Good, welcoming all the seniors and their parents. Spencer Toth was the first on stage to present his canoe he made for the woodshop. He raffled it off and made around $3,900 to donate back to the woodshop. The winner of the canoe was Harry White and he generously gave the canoe back to the school. Then Guidance Counselor,

Marlene Latocki, welcomed presenters of vari-ous scholarships and awards that were given out throughout the evening. “I received the Presidents Scholarship from Sag-inaw Valley State University. This meant a lot for me because I get to go to college for free and now I can live in the dorms on campus,” said senior Kaitlyn Koroleski. Many presenters handed out scholarships that had to do with community service and how the student helped out with the community. Most of them dealt with financial need for college. “I was appointed to the United States Naval Academy. It’s a great honor to receive an ap-pointment, and to represent Freeland and also Michigan at the academy,” said senior Kevin Roth.

Among the scholarships that were given out many athletic scholarships given out from various scholarships. “I received the Freeland Ath-letic Association Scholarship. I was a little surprised by re-ceiving it but I knew I was in the running for it because my mom is very active in the Ath-letic Association, which was a part of the scholarship,” said senior Kurt Liening. After the scholarships were handed out, teachers Stephen

Guentert, Katie Townsend, Tamara Klida, Dennis Andrews, and Matthew Forsberg presented awards to seniors for involvement in various groups, clubs and other organizations such as Student Council, National Honor Society, Yearbook, Positive Peers, and also the Talon. The night came to an end with Mr. Good and Mr. Weldon presented silver and gold cords for academic achievement. They also acknowledged the Valedictorian, Megan Crowfoot, and also the Salutatorian, Kale Schafer, with separate awards. “I enjoyed the ceremony and it was cool to see all my classmates getting awards and scholarships to help them in college,” said senior Anna Millar. The night gave student’s parents an opportunity to come and support their students.

Seniors Honored for Their Efforts

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

SeniorsTHE

Talon

May 22, 2009

Section A Page 2

Issue 14 Volume 16Meagan Finney ‘09

Anna Millar ‘09

Six months ago, senior Gideon Paetz made the big decision about where he wants to be ten years from now. When several seniors make this decision, they tend to change their mind sev-eral times. This is not the case with Gideon. Gideon has made up his mind and wants to become a state trooper. “I made my decision to become a State Trooper when I got into a car accident. The State Trooper came to the scene and when I was watching him do his job, it interested me and I realized that I would love to have a job like that,” senior Gideon Paetz said. Gideon decided to do his senior project on the State Trooper Academy. His mentor for the project, Tom Forsberg, mentioned a camp for all high school students in Michigan that are inter-ested in Law Enforcement. The camp Forsberg mentioned is held at the Michigan State Police Training Academy in East Lansing and lasts one week. Gideon was one of sixty students in Michigan that was chosen to attend the camp. “I thought it was a long shot of me being accepted into the camp with the amount of students that applied to the camp, but I received the acceptance letter and was thrilled to be chosen,”

Gideon said. In order to get into the training camp Gideon had to write a lengthy essay about why he wanted to go to the camp, get sponsored by the Midland Kiwanis Club, receive three letters of recommendation, and had to turn in all of his personal informa-tion so they could do a back ground check. Not only did Gideon get accepted into the camp, he also received a scholar ship from the Saginaw Township Police in memory of a fallen of-ficer. He was the first student to ever receive the scholarship. “The steps in the application process for the camp were time consuming, but it was well worth the time and effort because the camp will be a once in a life time opportunity,” Gideon said. The agenda of the Academy is very brutal. Each morning, students must wake up at 4:30 a.m. and be ready for a daily inspection to make sure students are presentable and the rooms are spotless. Next, there will be two hours of physical training that includes a lot of running and strengthening. The rest of the day will include classroom sessions that will teach the basics of police work and other hands on activities such as weapons train-ing; hand-to-hand combat, and driving. Students will receive a

little free time every night, but lights must be out at 10:00 p.m. “The camps agenda is very strict and intimidating; however, if I get accepted as a recruit later on, I will have to do this for a full year on a more strict basis,” Gideon said. The last day of the camp there will be a graduation held for students that completed the six day program. After Gideon makes it through the camp, starting this fall he will be attending college at Delta to continue his training. Gideon will receive his Bachelors Degree from Ferris State University and will go on to the State Police Academy. The process to becom-ing a State Trooper takes a lot of hard physical and mental work and dedication. Gideon is very commit-ted and thrilled with his decision to become a State Trooper.

Gideon Takes on The ChallenGeFor his senior project, Gideon chose to be maced to prepare him for his future career as a state trooper

Talon Seniors Get Ready to Spread their WingsJacob Mojica ‘11 Having only a week before they walk across the platform as they graduate on May 28, the Class of 2009 has attended their final day of high school today. Graduation will allow them to fin-ish their high school career in a formal fashion with celebration and success. For the ten 2009 seniors that were a part of the Talon, they will be even more greatly missed as they “get ready to spread their wings.” “Losing seniors is always a big loss,” said Talon advisor Katie Townsend. “This year, we have less section editors to replace so it won’t be as bad as it was in the years past. It is always hard to replace students who have been with you for more awhile. They know the ropes and know how things work.” Heading the pack as the Talon’s number one loss is veteran senior Meagan Finney, who has been in paper for two years. For her first year, Meagan was a reporter that grew to love writing as her favorite thing to do. In her second year, she was honored with serving as the co-Editor-in-Chief of the Talon. She is a “very talented writer” on the paper and “very creative when it comes to words.” Flying out as the second major loss would be senior Kevin Roth, who has made his mark on the paper for the two years he’s been on it. Kevin was a reporter for his first year, but was promoted to be the J.V. Sports editor the next year. His favorite part of the class was “hanging out with Mrs. Townsend.” “Kevin…oh Kevin,” said Townsend of her sports writer. “He drives me crazy, but of course I will miss yelling at him every day to get his work done! He is actually a very good sports writer and he has come a long way with his sections. He makes me laugh and you always need someone who will do that.” Counting as the third heavy loss would be longtime senior Ashlee Brousseau, who had been on t

he Talon since Townsend took over as the advisor three years ago. Ashlee has taken on almost ev-ery role the class offers from a reporter to a section editor—just short of Editor-in-Chief. If asked to “bend over backwards,” she would. Her favorite part was “getting to know Mrs. Townsend and everyone.” Coming in as the fourth epic hit to the Talon is veteran senior Taylor Dupuis, who has been in the newspaper for two and a half years. She was a reporter for her first year, the Features editor for the second, and a reporter again for the last semester of her senior year. Taylor advises her underclassmen to “do whatever you want when you want—no matter what the consequences.” “Lastly, Taylor…I am so happy that she came back to my class this year,” Townsend said. “Taylor has been with me for a few years now and is just a wonderful kid. She is an amazing journalism writer, has super creative ideas, and works really hard. She is just a unique kid to be around.” Four more seniors that the paper is losing are Andrew Aulds, Dylan Hellus, Anna Millar, and Justin Foley. Each person has been on the Talon for one year and was a reporter. Seniors Jordan Raver and Britteny Dee also were in the paper for one year. Jordan was a reporter and Photos Editor awhile Britteny was the Classes editor for this semester. One senior summed up his time in high school. “Just live it up,” said senior Andrew Aulds. “You only go through high school once, so don’t get caught up in all the drama.” Even with ten seniors leaving, Townsend has a returning talented staff and some new addi-tions to look forward to. She loves getting to know new kids on a personal level. However, those leaving will be missed greatly. Outgoing Talon seniors can always look back on their time in high school as being part of a team as they get ready to spread their wings to embark on a new journey—their future.

Ashlee Brousseau—Specials EditorHow many years have you been in the Talon?

3 years What was your role for the time you spent on the staff?

Features,Classes, and Specials Editor Section Editor and Reporter

What was your favorite part about being on the Talon?

“Getting to know everyone in the class especially in after-school work and getting to know the wonderful

Mrs. Townsend.”

Megan Finney—Editor-in-ChiefHow many years have you been in the Talon? 2 yearsWhat was your role for the time you spent on the staff?Reporter—1st YearEditor-in-Chief—2nd Year What was your favorite part of being on the

Talon? “Writing, it’s my favorite thing to do. Also I really love editing week, even though it was always stressful.”

Taylor Dupis—Reporter How many years have you been in the Talon?

2½ years What was your role for the time you spent on the stafF?

Reporter Features Editor

What was your favorite part about being on the Talon?

“Mrs. Townsend, the class, and writing.”

Kevin Roth—J.V. Sports EditorHow many years have you been in the Talon? 2 yearsWhat was your role for the time you spent on the staff? Reporter—1st Year J.V. Sports Editor—2nd YearWhat was your favorite part about being on the Talon? “Having class with Mrs. Townsend.”

As the seniors’ year is coming to its end, it’s time for seniors to throw their graduation parties. Grad parties are a chance to celebrate all that a senior has ac-complished in the last four years, and a chance for the seniors to score a little bit of cash and prizes before they get to college. Here are some of the things they are looking for to make shopping a bit easier. The main thing all grads are going to need going in to college is a laptop. That is a big investment, which most will get from their parents. So, that can be checked off the list, besides, one person isn’t going to buy a laptop for a classmate. Other than a laptop, what else is there to get? “If one of my friends bought me a laptop, I’d be really surprised, and probably wouldn’t take it from them. Besides, I already have my Macbook,” said senior Kale Schafer. Most grads are going to just want cash. That is prob-ably the best gift to get. They can do whatever they want with it, whether it is putting towards tuition or spending money for the summer. Some grads make quite a bit of money off their parties. “While it isn’t as sentimental as other gifts, which I really value, it is still nice to get money. I need to pay for college somehow,” said senior Ryan Johnson. Speaking of sentimentality, those really can be the best gifts of all. A picture from prom, with best friends, has memories that are worth more than the five dollars they would get. Put it in a nice frame, maybe crop it up really well, and they would certainly appreciate it. “The memories I made in high school are so good that I want to remember them forever. Pictures are the best way to remember,” said senior Devon Mussel-man. Finally, the last gift ex-seniors will need is things for their dorm. Sheets, pillows, towels, dishes are all necessities of living on your own. While some of this will be covered by the families, some of it might not. Although, in all actuality, money is a smarter choice, leave the decision up to them

GRADU AT I O N G I F T

IDEAS

Steven Graebner #1 car of the year 2006 Z71 Chevy Pick-up.

How do you feel about winning Vehicle of the year?

“It feels really good to have accomplished having the sweetest truck in the park-ing lot. My truck means a lot to me because I’m paying every month for it. So I love to take care of and always keep it clean. My truck is a Z71 Chevy pick-up, Also is would like to say Alix Fisher has a very nice truck Anyway it is really sweet and feels great thank you so much for voting for me. Oh yeah and rock on class of 2009 love you guys.”

Steven Graebner #56 A.K.A Little Bear

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Survival Tips for College Life

SeniorsTHE

Talon

May 22, 2009Issue 14 Volume 16

Section A Page 3

June 5Jeromy ZolinskiJustin Foley

June 12Steven GraebnerTyler BehmlanderJessica EvensKate Gricar

June 18Dylan Hellus

June 19Kaniel Revis

May 23Julie Kuzdzal

May 29Emily KingChris MarkerNick MarkerJonathan RobinsonEric SkorniaKevin Sawicki

May 30Erik DubayJennifer HainesZachary HainesJordan RaverHillary SatkowiakKaitlin SchmidtAllie Seager

May 31Jackie HassoKaren WhiteKevin CraggNelson Worner

June 4Elliott Clunie

June 6Becca AndrewsShane JurekAlisa LaFramboiseAndrew MoultonMike RodgersSpencer SchultzSarah SchulzAriel WachnerMegan WenzelLindsey Kappen

June 7Preston BrahmerCrystal ChinevereMegan CrofootMelanie HilbrandAmy MillerEmily VanKirkTyler Seaver

June 13Ashlee BrousseauNick ConradMeagan FinneyAlexis JensenRyan JohnsonJason McInnisNick MetivaKevin PegleyTiffany SchalkJosh SchnopleBen Dans

June 14Brandon ClarkLori NicholsGideon PaetzAndrea ThelenSara Forrest

June 20Thomas Grantham IIAnna MillarAdam HousnerBen KittsAshley KonsdorfNathan LockeKevin RothAshley WalkerSamantha WatsonAndrew AuldsDani Breault

June 21Tricia Clements

June 22Jordan Banaszak

June 26Nick DangeloMarah Deming

June 27Ryan BurdoJustin KrenzkeKale SchaferSpencer TothCarly GrossHollie GeitmanAnthony MartinAnthony ChampagneJamison Ferrito

July 11Devon MusselmanBreanna GrombikCharolotte NorfleetKandace Short

July 12Guy Strong

July 13Pat Wirtz

July 15Anthony Miller

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Taylor Dupuis ‘09 College: to some this word is feared and to others it is something to look forward to. As seniors get closer and closer to graduation day, the word college is most likely lingering in the back of their minds. The pressure is on to succeed in college and some seniors continue to stress about the fact that they don’t know how. In order to survive college life it is important to get off to a good start. Seniors should try their best to attend as many orientations as possible. The more familiar you are with the school, the more comfortable you will feel .Being in a new surrounding with new people is scary and the last thing you want to do is lose your way. Having a new roommate can also be scary. Living in a room with a total stranger can be uncom-fortable at first so you should try your best to create a relationship with that person. Since you’re stuck with that person you want to be able to get along. Your roommate or roommates will most likely be going through the same things as you which might make the move somewhat easier on you. To some students, high school may seem hard and frustrating. After you’re first few weeks in col-lege you will realize that high school was a breeze and how lenient teachers were. While high school teachers are constantly reminding you of tests and assignments, college professors will most likely says something once and expect you to remember what is due and when. The easiest way to get your assignment in on time is to be organized. Buy an organizer, a PDA, or even a calendar to help keep you organized throughout college. Attending class is essential. Some days you are bound to feel exhausted and lazy but attending class is a must. You never know if the professor will be talking about an important assignment or due date. Meeting with your professor can also work to your advantage. Getting help outside of class will help you to understand things better and stay on track. Along with getting to know your professors, you should also take time to get to know your academic advisor. This is the person that will help you with your courses and scheduling issues. Although it is important to study and get good grades, it is just as important to have a social life at college. Get involved with clubs and organizations. Be careful not to get yourself into too many things, but by including yourself in different groups, you can make new friends and learn new

things. It is important to remember to set goals. Getting good grades is a crucial part of college. If you get good grades in college, the rest of your life will be smooth sailing. Going to study groups and us-ing the recourses your school provides will make the studying process a lot easier. The last thing you want to be in college is a procrastinator. Don’t get too caught up in your studies. Be sure to make “you time.” Take a moment to set aside time to do activities that relax you. Many people worry that they are going into college choosing the wrong career, but the fact is, col-lege is the perfect time to realize what you really want to do in life. Take the time to explore your options and don’t feel rushed or pressured to choose a career. Just about everyone who goes away to college experiences moments of homesickness. Even if you were the one that couldn’t wait to get out of this town, most likely you will miss your family and friends and have the urge to go home. Although you may want to visit home as much as pos-sible, you should fight the urge and stay on campus as much as possible. Get to know your surround-ings and the people around you before you visit home. Visiting home will only make the feeling of homesickness worse. Another way to fight homesickness is to keep busy. Make new friends, go out, and study. Keeping busy in college won’t be difficult and it will keep your mind off of other things. If none of these tactics work, don’t give in and go home. Seek professional help. Most colleges have counselors available for students with the feeling of homesickness. Trust me; you won’t be the only students wanting to go home. Keep track of your money! You’re probably used to having your parents deal with all the money issues at home. In college you are responsible for your money and the things you spend it on, so be sure to spend it wisely. College can be a scary place. It is important to be prepared to be unprepared. College will be overwhelming at times, but it is also a place to grow and learn. As long as you keep a good head on your shoulders and push yourself to succeed no matter what the situation, college will be a breeze. (quintcareers.com)

July18Jacob BeckwithMatt Hensler

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Alisa LaFramboise

What will you miss most about Freeland?Football Games. Seeing my friends everyday.

What wont you miss most about Freeland?

The need for everyone to know everyone else’s business.

Crystal Chinevere

What will you miss most about Freeland?My friends that are moving away, football games, school dances, the easy classes, and Michael of course : )

What wont you miss most about Freeland? Most of the people, DRAMA, and waking up at 6 a.m. every morning.

Matt Hensler

What will you miss most about Freeland?Being able to go places Friday and Saturday night and have a ripper of a fire and burn couches and stuff, and football and baseball games.

What wont you miss most about Freeland? I like Freeland but I wont miss most I guess is having to drive to Saginaw or Midland to go to Taco Bell.

Kevin Sawicki

What will you miss most about Freeland?I will miss my friends and sporting events

What wont you miss most about Freeland? I won’t miss the drama.

Josh Schnople

What will you miss most about Freeland?I will miss football and how easy high school is. I will also miss my underclassman friends.

What wont you miss most about Freeland?

I wont miss having to get Up early in the morning.

Jason McInnis

What will you miss most about Freeland?I will miss the dances and easy school work

What wont you miss most about Freeland? I won’t miss the drama and the strict rules.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

PollsIssue 14 Volume 16

THETalon

May 22, 2009

Section A Page 4

Ashlee Brousseau ‘09

Taylor Dupuis Cutest Couple Brendan Ellis Hillary Satkowiak Should be a couple Kevin Pegley Taylor Dupuis First to be married Brendan Ellis Julie Kuzdzal Most musical Johnathan Robinson Ashley Konsdorf Most artistic Kyle Ewing Devon Mussleman Most creative Erik Dubay Anna Millar Most fun to be around Spencer Toth Lori Nichols Most spoiled Chris & Nick Marker Tricia Clements Most trustworthy Spencer Toth Sarah Forest Most unique Joseph Stanulis Becca Andrews Most gullible Jamie Ferritto Allyson Sumption Computer whiz Joseph Stanulis Crystal Chinevere Best body Gideon Paetz Nicest arms Alix Fisher Abby William Nicest legs Tricia Clements “TRASH” Best Nicknames Chris Marker “WEEGE” Keighlee Pettenger Always late Preston Brahmer Kelsey Hathaway Always early Nathan Locke Andrea Thelen Best dancer Kaniel Revis Karen White Next politician Spencer Toth Lindsey Kappen Best laugh Steven Graebner Courtney Vasold Will laugh at anything Nick Metiva Abby Williams Best sense of humor Anthony Miller Tricia Clements Loudest Nick Metiva Emily Vankirk Quietest Nick Tucker Kate Gricar Most athletic Gideon Paetz Amy Miller Nicest smile Nick Marker Lindsey Kappen Always smiling Tyler Seaver Meagan Crofoot Most likely to succeed Spencer Toth Alisa LaFramboise Most school spirited Matt Hensler Allie Seager Prettiest eyes Nick Conrad Tricia Clements Most outgoing Steven Graebner Crystal Chinevere Best dressed Kaniel Revis Kate Gricar Class clown Nick Metiva Courtney Vasold Clumsiest Nelson Worner Hillary Satkowiak Biggest flirt Nick Metiva Devon Mussleman Nicest car Erik Dubay Becca Andrews Best clunker Kale Schafer Sam Watson Most talkative Johnathon Keeling Lori Nichols Fastest talker Eric Skornia Alisa LaFramboise Always arguing Dylan Hellus Hillary Satokwiak Biggest brown-noser Brandon Clark Kandance Short Most polite Nate Locke Hillary Satkowiak Class leader Spencer Toth Abby Williams Biggest procrastinator Jamie Ferritto Meagan Wenzle Forgets the most Jamie Ferritto Meagan Crofoot Most ambitious Spencer Toth Allie Seager Most optimistic Ryan Burdo Sarah Schultz Most dependable Justin Foley Meagan Wenzle Most predictable Alix Fisher Sarah Schultz Health Nut Gideon Paetz Jenny Frier Most thoughtful Ben Kitts Devon Mussleman Always keeps a secret Dominique Pought Courtney Vasold Biggest whiner Steven Graebner Ashley Rabie Needs to know everything Josh Schnople Sara Forrest Biggest rebel Jordan Hoff Amy Miller Best future parent Justin Foley Ashley Rabie Center of attention Nick Metiva Meagan Finney Best vocalist Nick Metiva Keighlee Pettenger Always skipping Jamie Ferritto Brittney Dee Always sleeping Brian Papst Ashley Rabie Person who gets away with everything Tom Grantham Taylor Dupuis Most likely to be famous Kaniel Revis Sara Forrest Most likely to be a rock star/rapper Kaniel Revis Emily King Most likely to write a book Zachary Hanies Jackie Hasso Most unpredictable Ruo Fan Shen Mrs. Short Favorite teacher Mr. K Natalie Hunne Most likely NOT to return to Freeland Ruo Fan Shen Ashley Sweetman Biggest moocher Steven Grohman Alllyson Sumption Pickest eater Erik Dubay Melanie Hidabrant Always texting Shane Jurek

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Good-byesIssue 14 Volume 16

THETalon

May 22, 2009

Section A Page 5

Ashley Beyer ‘10

To: Eric SkorniaFrom: Caitlyn SkorniaMessage: Eric wow! The years have gone by so fast. I never thought this time of year would come. I don’t want you to leave high school. We finally got really close this year. I hate for it to end. I’m going to be lost without my big brother by my side. You’ve done really well these years and I know you’ll make a great ‘manly’ nurse. Hahh I love you so much. Your little sis.

To: Ashlee BrousseauFrom: Stephanie MarrMessage: Ash, I just wanna thank you so much for giving me and my brother a ride to school every morning. We really appreciate it! And I want to wish you the best of luck in the future.

To: AnnaFrom: AdamMessage: It was great getting to know you this year in speech. We will definitely need to make some Taco Bell runs this summer. Good luck with everything.

To: SpencerFrom: AdamMessage: It was great having you here to always around, whether it was hanging out or be enter-tained… Good luck at GV and everything in your future.

To: Sara ForrestFrom: Alysa StreckerMessage: I’m going to miss you man! We need to hang out this summer. Come pick me up!

To: Pat WirtzFrom: Alysa StreckerMessage: Good luck and keep your love for chucks.

To: Johnny RobFrom: KT JessopMessage: Thanks for teaching me all about jazz. I’ll miss you next year.

To: AnnaFrom: KT JessopMessage: The first chord of Crazy Train: F & A Peace me! Good times. I’ll miss ya!

To: Jessica EvansFrom: KT JessopMessage: The snare line just won’t be the same without you.

To: JulieFrom: KT JessopMessage: You were the coolest drum major ever! I will miss you a lot.

To: Johnny RobFrom: Cody MMessage: Dude, gonna miss you. Hopefully we hang out soon. Peace!

To: Jason McInnisFrom: Emily BakerMessage: I’m gonna miss walking with you to class everyday and spending my mornings with you. The past 6 months have been the best ever. Thanks for being the best boyfriend ever. You won’t find a girl who loves you as much as I do. I’ll miss you soo much. Love you.

To: MichaelFrom: NatalieMessage: You’re my big bro and you’re moving out of the house will be nice…I will miss you tons though. I hope you know that I am visiting you as much as possible at college. I love you bro!

To: Dom PoughtFrom: Jackie SousMessage: You’re my best friend! And you will always be… Love you!

To: Court and AshFrom: KaylaMessage: I’m going to miss my best friends, go-ing and laying in courts bed after school drink-ing soda and eating oreos and going on drives with the top down in the winter. You know you will be seeing me at your dorms all the time. Love you both!!

To: Zack HainesFrom: Tyler ClarkMessage: I will miss beating you at practice. Lol

To: Sara ForrestFrom: Shelby FoxMessage: Hey Sara! I love you! You are seriously the coolest senior ever! I’m going to seriously cry when you’re gone. You are a BIG part of my life! Good luck with all you do. Love you!

To: Weege & Nicky MarkerFrom: Sis <3Message: I love you like double because you’re twins! Good luck and make it big at SVSU!

To: Ben DansFrom: Cat DansMessage: You’re the best brother I’ve ever had. I’m going to miss you so much. Don’t forget to come home. Love you big brother!

To: KanielFrom: JamieMessage: I’m gonna miss hide and seek in gym. It’ll be different next year when some other junior trips and falls over a chair like an idiot. And our math group won’t be the same! It looks like no more racists jokes… oh well, we still got summer. Next year is gonna be different and I’m gonna miss ya!

To: Alisa LafromboiseFrom: Michelle ChrcekMessage: I will miss you so much lisy. You’re the best ever. And poms will be so different without you. I love you!

To: Crystal ChinevereFrom: Debra Chinevere (A.K.A. little Debbie Snacks)Message: You’re the best big sister anyone could ask for. You are always there for me and I love you no matter what. I hope you know you mean the world to me, good luck in college.

To: Abby Williams & Allie SeagerFrom: Lauren SchaferMessage: I’m going to miss you guys so much! You were like the two sisters I never had. I’m so happy I got so close to you two this year and I’m definitely coming to visit you next year! I Love you.

To: Ashlee BFrom: PookieMessage: Oh Double D, I would say I’m gonna miss you, but I’m still going to see you all the time. But good luck in college and you know I’ll be coming to see you. Love ya sista, we got the rest of our live together. Just like our moms, or maybe not.

To: Johnny RobinsonFrom: Tessa PoagMessage: Thanks for chatting and a really dumb/entertaining “hang-shake.”

To: KrenFrom: David and TomMessage: You will always be our liege!

To: Jessica EvansFrom: Rachel GreskowiakMessage: I can’t wait for all the time ill spend in Alma with you, but I’m going to miss you like crazy next year!

To: Alix, Nicky DFrom: GratMessage: Keep it real, keep it touch, keep it Gangsta!!

To: Spencer, Ash B, Nick MFrom: Michael GraebnerMessage: Love you all have fun at college. You’re lucky to be graduating.

To: StevenFrom: MichaelMessage: I’m going to miss not being the young-est Graebner in the school, see ya at secord.

To: AbbyFrom: Britnie BellMessage: Abs! I miss you already! K-A?! haha. Good luck at Michigan and have fun. Love You!

To: AndreaFrom: Britnie BellMessage: Andrea! I’m going to miss you so much. I’m going to come visit you and Darcy at State next year. Enjoy your last summer. Love you!

To: Spencer From: BrandiMessage: School will simply not be the same without you next year. I love you and can’t wait to spend summer with you.

To: SpencerFrom: ConnerMessage: Thanks for everything you have done for me. You have been a good brother to look up to. Good luck with life. Love you bro.

To: Fish & SchultzFrom: Juice & MikeMessage: Art is gonna suck without you 2.

To: Jenna HainesFrom: Kendra AvenMessage: Jenna! I’m going to miss you so much!!

To: Nick MetivaFrom: Justin ChristensenMessage: I Love you! I will miss ya at hockey. It will never be the same.

To: Brendan GrossFrom: JohnMessage: Have fun at college, and you better invite me to the college parties boss.

To: Courtney VasoldFrom: Justin ChristensenMessage: I will miss not seeing you after every class ar our locker and you are the best, best friend!

To: Melanie HillbrandtFrom: Denee MorrisMessage: Fun times in Criminalistics, and our friends lovely hair, haha. Gonna miss you.

To: DerekFrom: DillanMessage: Later brother. Good luck out there. I will miss you.

To: Pegley, Steven, AlixFrom: Dave GriffinMessage: I’m going to miss you guys. Lets get a box sometime.

To: Football teamFrom: Dave GriffinMessage: “Clark in the Park” will never be the same without you guys.

To: BenFrom: BrittneyMessage: I am going to miss seeing you everyday by my locker and at school in general. You mean so much to me. I love you with all my heart.

To: KateFrom: BPMessage: I am going to miss you so much! The basketball team is not going to be the same without you! You are my other crazy half! So you better come back to visit me! OJEWA WILL LIVE ON! To: Mike RodgersFrom: Manard TaylorMessage: You’re better than Pitts lol. Come to practice even when you’re still in college.

To: Ariel WachnerFrom: Lizzie SoudenMessage: I love you! I’ll miss seeing you in band. You are awesome! Good luck after high school.

To: Ben KittsFrom: Amber KittsMessage: Good luck, I’m going to miss your cra-ziness everyday. Love ya!

To: Julie KuzdzalFrom: Amanda DePelsmaekerMessage: I will miss you! You and your pep al-ways brightens up my day. May the quartet live on forever! Good luck at SVSU! Love ya.

To: Hillary From: ErinMessage: I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: I Hate You. I hate you for being one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and then leaving me here. And even though I am coming to visit you every weekend at MSU, I will still miss you! I love you Bee.

To: Hillary S. & Crystal C.From: Amber K.Message: I love you guys. I’m going to miss our talks and crazy volleyball times. Good luck at everything you do.

To: Jordan RaverFrom: Amanda DePelsMaekerMessage: I’m going to cry when you leave for Nebraska. I will miss you and all of our inside jokes… scissors, mall walkers, etc. Keep in touch and good luck at the University or Ne-braska!

To: Sarah SchulzFrom: Jessica ChernichMessage: Track and cross country were so much fun with you these past two years. Keep on run-ning and good luck at college!

To: Julie KuzdzalFrom: Jessica ChernichMessage: It was fun getting to know you this past year in symphony band. I’m so happy our quartet made it to states. Good luck at SVSU!

To: Mary BinnsFrom: Ariel WachnerMessage: We have become great friends throughout this year. I’m really going to miss you. But the ‘Super Bird’ memories will last forever! Haha. Love ya.

To: Jason McInnisFrom: Ryan McInnisMessage: Gonna miss you next year! Have fun in college.

To: Tommy GFrom: RuskMessage: Hockey is going to suck without you here making people laugh. MEESTA GET ME OUT OF HERE!

To: Nick MetivaFrom: RuskMessage: Only a true captain gets kicked off the team. I’m gonna miss the old times at Rusk’s house after school.

To: Carly GrossFrom: Stephanie MendozaMessage: Babes. I’ve always had fun with our late nights and laughing in class about our times the next day. Good luck next year. Love Ya!

To: Ashlee BrousseauFrom: MichelleMessage: I love you ash! This year was so much fun with you. Especially panama and our spa-ghetti salad. I will miss you!

To: Spencer ShultzFrom: Dayton SpragueMessage: You are a good friend that helps me on everything and advice. Than you bro. P.S. Have a good life.

To: Ashley SweetmenFrom: Samantha PaykMessage: I’m going to miss you and our 1st hour together so much! Good luck with everything.

To: Jordan RaverFrom: Sabrina ShariffMessage: I’m going to miss you! Going to hockey games won’t be the same. I hope you have a great time at college.

To: Spencer TothFrom: Elizabeth KreagerMessage: I;ve gotten to know you so well these past 2 years. You’re like a brother to me and I’m going to miss you so much. Breakfasts, Rous-seau’s, long talks. I’ll never forget you.

To: Kizz8From: AshleyMessage: After all these years of basketball together I am the only one of the crew left. You have no idea how much I am going to miss you next year. We have so many memories on and off the court. Looks like I’m gonna have to hold down the cupid shuffle and thugin’ Thursdays on my own at practice now. Love ya and come visit! Good luck at Spring Arbor!

To: Thom GranthamFrom: Ryan McInnisMessage: I’m gonna miss ya next year Thommy!

To: Jeromy Z.From: Elizabeth Message: I’ve known you my whole life and I really got close to you during high school. You better not leave me at all those boring family parties! Haha. Love ya cuz.

To: Accounting crewFrom: Dave GriffinMessage: The “dumpster drawer” will never be the same.

To: TayFrom: KenziMessage: You suck cuz you’re leaving me. Now I’m gonna be getting ready for school in the bathroom all alone. Dang it. Love you Tay!

To: Joe StanulisFrom: Jackie ChisholmMessage: I’m going to miss you and our match-ing shirt days!

To: Taylor DupuisFrom: Brandi LodgeMessage: I wish you the absolute best luck in Chicago and no amount of words could display how good of a friend you have been. I will miss you. Love you Tay!

To: Spencer TothFrom: Morgan RousseauMessage: Spence, I am going to miss you so much next year. I am going to miss just coming home and looking out my back yard and there’s Spencer, sitting in my hot tub. It is going to be weird without you Spence. I am going to miss ya buddy. You’re a brother to me. Good luck Spence.

To: Sara ForrestFrom: Brittany ThompsonMessage: Sara, you’ve been such a great friend. Though I have just met you this year, it feels like I have known you forever. You are one of the nicest and funniest friends I have ever had. I hope you will visit us again. I’ll miss you and I hope we can stay in touch. Your new BFF.

To: Kale SchaferFrom: Lauren SchaferMessage: I can’t believe you’re actually a senior! Congratulations kale. I cant believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to miss you so much next year. I never realized how much I will miss you. Good Luck, love you.

To: Band SeniorsFrom: AnonymousMessage: It’s going to be really different without you all. We have had a lot of fun together. Love you all!

To: Alix FisherFrom: Ashley BeyerMessage: So I used to be intimidated by you, but now you are one of my best friends. I’ll miss our heart to hearts. I’m glad were both better off now. But good luck in college and I will miss you.

To: Courtney VasoldFrom: Sarah YancerMessage: You are the most amazing big sister. I am so glad that we got to play soccer together. I am going to miss you very much. Good luck in all you do sis. I love you always and forever.

To: Nicholas ConradFrom: Paige & JamieMessage: Here’s to volleyball, 10 min runs, Nick & Jamie talk time, being lazy, Paige & Nick’s ob-serving time, & tennis. Athletic conditioning will never be the same! We’ll miss you next year.

To: Sarah SchulzFrom: Kaleigh TheriaultMessage: have fun in the UP! Thanks for all the rides the past couple of years! Have fun. Thank you!

To: Pat WirtzFrom: Stephen PangbornMessage: Good luck and don’t fall asleep with your boots on.

To: Ashley RabieFrom: Autumn DeGroatMessage: Oh ash, what will I ever do without our Thursday coffer runs? I’m gonna miss you like no other; you’re a sister to me! But ill be seeing you A LOT! Love Auds (you so made it up)

To: Allie SeagerFrom: Autumn DeGroatMessage: My dearest Al, I am going to miss talk-ing British to you in good ol’ band! You’re the best and I wish you well!

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

F.Y.I.Issue 14 Volume 16

THETalon

May 22, 2009

Section A Page 6

Katie Ott ‘10

Freeland is full teachers who all make a difference in the student’s lives here at FHS. All have many qualities that meet the criteria to be awarded and recognized, but one will always stand out from the rest. The teachers who are consid-ered for the title are the cream of the crop, the pick of the litter, the crème de la crème; but only few help make the present students into the future adults. The one who loves helping the students grow and learn is the one who deserves a special honor; the Crystal Apple Award. Every year the Saginaw News sponsors the Crystal Apple Award. Students from schools all over the tri-areas nominate their most beloved teachers who deserve this tribute. Junior Kather-ine Krueger nominated this year’s FHS winner, Mr. David Franz. “Mr. Franz is the bee’s knees, teachers have to encourage students to reach their goals, prepare them for the real world and create a learning en-vironment that best fits all of his or her students. David Franz is one of these teachers; he always puts a smile on his students' faces no matter what the topic. I was always wide awake in his class to see what would happen next. I realized I could not depend on my fellow students to do my work. I had to be responsible and accountable for any and all the work I completed,” said Katherine. Dave Franz has taken this award to heart. No fu-ture teacher will ever be able to replace him here at Freeland. For the past 33 years Franz has been not only teaching, but learning from his students. "They ask more questions and are more curi-ous, that's part of the new technology; they have more information at their fingertips. But they're still kids, they still go through the same trials

and tribulations, and they need the same attention and need to laugh. Too many people lose focus of that,” said Franz. All the time he has spent at FHS he has been a loveable soul. Mr. Franz is a one-of-a-kind character. He brings laughter to the classroom with his unique sense of humor. For the time he has spent at Free-land, and the years to come he has left something with every one of his students. Whether it’s a lesson, knowledge, or just a

simple memory; none of his previous stu-dents or students to come will ever forget

him. “One of my favorite memories of Mr. Franz is when he dragged me down the hall because he said I was a beached whale and I needed to go back to the ocean,” said Senior Eric Skornia. Dave Franz has not only taught here in the class-rooms of Freeland High School, he has coached the Varsity football, Varsity basketball, and Varsity golf teams for many years. The effort he has put into creating our finest athletic teams also makes him a fine candidate of not just a great teacher, but a great coach, friend, and mentor. ”Over the pas five years sharing an office with Mr. Franz, it is clear that he has a strong rela-tionship with his students and they care for and respect him as a teacher,” said coworker, and teacher Matthew Samocki. Franz has taught a variety of social studies class-es throughout the years and is currently teaching sophomore World History and American Govern-ment. Of his years here teaching at Freeland Franz has enjoyed every minute of it. “My time here at Freeland High School has been very rewarding,” said Franz, “We are very fortunate to be living in a great school district and community such as Freeland. We have wonderful community support, great teachers who care, and an excellent administration who leads us.”

Kaleigh Theriault ‘11 With awards for teachers flying around the Freeland School District, Mary Kay Heckman is one of the teachers recently recognized with an Outstanding Person in Education Award (OPIE). Just over a month ago, Heckman was nominated for an OPIE Award by Middle School special education teacher, Jeanne Spalding. “Ms. Heckman has been a positive force in education since the day she was hired,” said Spalding. “I have the opportunity to team teach with Ms. Heckman and I have always enjoyed be-ing in her classroom. She is an enthu-siastic and extremely knowledgeable teacher,” said Spalding. “She genuinely cares about her students’ success.” Unknowingly, Heckman was nomi-nated. When she found out she was nominated, she was in a state of shock. “I was speechless when I was told of this honor. This award means the world to me because it comes from my peers,” said Heckman. “It is always special when you get thank you notes and letters from past and present students, but when it comes from your peers it takes on a whole new mean-ing.”

Heckman teaches eighth grade Sci-ence in the Middle School. She has taught in the Middle School for the past six years. According to Spalding, Heck-man is very involved with the Science curriculum, middle school teaming, NCA, and the teachers union. “I am very proud to be able to cele-brate this recognition of Ms. Heckman’s work with the students of Freeland,” said Superintendent Matthew Cairy. “Heckman is an excellent teacher, a dedicated educator, and a true asset to our school district. She is very deserv-ing of this regional educational award.” To accept the prestigious OPIE Award, Heckman attended a dinner and awards presentation on April 29. She was ac-companied by her dad and her step-mom. “I received a statue which I proudly have on my desk,” said Heckman. “I call it my Oscar.” Just about every student in the high school has had Heckman for a teacher. Students should be proud Freeland Community Schools has such a dedicat-ed staff of educators. Next time you see Heckman, be sure to congratulate

her on this prestigious award.

Katie Ott ‘10

High school: a time for new friends, new experiences, new lessons, but mostly new memories to make. Every person must make that move from being the oldest in the middle school, to the bottom of the food chain as freshman. The eighth graders are so curious about high school. They question everything from what is the best part about being a freshman, to whether school and homework gets any easier. “I’m most worried about getting lost in the high school,” said Eighth Graders Jenny Kendall and Nathan Phillips. Although some are nervous to enter into the world of high school, others are eager to gain more freedom and privileges that come with the territory of becoming a freshman. New freedoms come with more responsibility. “Next year, being a freshman I am looking forward to mostly hav-ing more freedom. I don’t really have any fears,” said Eighth Grader, Mitchell Noack. Advice to the freshman? Just make sure to be respectful. That is one of the biggest rules to follow being underclassmen. No one likes a show off. Everyone must go through with it whether they like it or not. Some eighth graders will go into high school with their heads held high, and that is not always the smartest idea; although, upcoming freshman should not be scared of the upperclassmen. Their bark is worse than their bite. “High school is a lot more fun than middle school is, and you have more freedom. Remember your place (as a freshman) and everything will be fine, and you will have a blast,” said Junior Adam Burns. Going into a new school means new people, which mean new friends. In high school the greatest lesson every teen learns is who

their true friends are. The people who stay by each others sides through all the pointless drama all high school students will go through are the ones who really matter. Growing up we find new life lessons everyday, but it’s everyone’s own choice whether they will learn from them. “Try to make genuine friends instead of hanging out with the seniors who resort to freshman out of desperation,” said Senior Kale Schafer. School work will get harder. Although some teachers are more lenient about due dates than they might have been in middle school, that does not mean that slacking off is acceptable. When homework is assigned, it’s a good idea to get it done as soon as possible to get it out of the way. The longer assignments are put off the more it will build up. High school means more tests and quizzes, including exams every semester. Creating simple study habits will help out a lot in high school. “Your grades matter right from the start so don’t let yourself fall be-hind, but overall I enjoyed my freshman year. The classes weren’t too hard and I met a lot of new people,” said Sophomore Courtney Payk. High school is not something to stress about. It’s a time to start fresh coming in as a freshman. It is a new beginning, and another chapter in life. High school is a time for trying new things and meeting new people. “The worst thing is feeling younger and not as important, but every-one is so understanding. High school isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. It’s not bad at all,” said Freshman Caitlyn Skornia. Every teen grows up, hits puberty, and learns about not only about their friends; but themselves. Having fun and making memories that will last forever is the greatest part of high school. These will become some of the best moments of a persons life, so make sure to enjoy every moment of it.

“I don’t really know the new up-comIng freshman, but I’m really excIted to meet new people,” –freshman, caItlyn skornIa

“what have you enjoyed most about hIgh school so far?” -8th grader, nate phIllIps

“when I was a freshman, the school as a whole was more laId back when I was a freshman. the students were more spIrIted too,” –junIor, adam burns

“does hIgh school get easIer after fresh-man year?” -8th grader, jenny kendall

“what teachers are cool? what teachers aren’t cool?” -8th grader, mItchell noack

“my favorIte memory as a fresh-man was when thom got stung In the butt by a bee In gym class,” –senIor, kale schafer

“the worst about beIng a freshman Is havIng to deal wIth a lIttle bIt of upperclassmen se-nIorIty,” –sophomore, courtney payk

photo credIt: mlIve.com

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

F.Y.I. THETalon

May 22, 2009

Section A Page 7

Issue 14 Volume 16Katie Ott ‘10

Breanne Lesnar ‘11 As Angela Burke smoothed tomato red paint onto her sister Erin’s face, she joked that her impec-cable paint job had better bring Erin publicity at the ice rink. This thought was long forgotten by the time Erin left with her family for game two of the series between the Detroit Red Wings and the Anaheim Ducks. Erin never expected her sister’s humor to become reality at the game on May 3. Erin’s dedication to the Detroit team was sparked at a young age. At just five years old, she named her cat Steve after the team's former cap-tain, Steve Yzerman. Over the years, her support has only grown. She suits up in Wings gear for all televised games and can recite every player’s number and a good chunk of their stats. “I’ve always been a hockey fan ever since I was little and the Wings rarely disappoint,” said Erin. “They are the only Detroit team I enjoy; I don’t enjoy basketball, baseball is too slow, and the Lions are just disappointing.” As Erin settled into her seat amongst a sea of red and white, she was excited by the crowd’s amount of energy and volume. She fit right in with her face painted in honor of one of her favorite players, Johan Franzen. A reporter for the Detroit Free Press took note of the qualities she possessed as an avid fan. Just as her sister had jokingly predicted, her painted face and spirit landed her a spot in the Detroit Free Press. Her picture was featured in the May 4 issue, look-ing

cool next to the latest news in sports. “I decided to paint up because it was my first playoff game and I didn’t really think twice about it. I was completely shocked to be photo-graphed,” said Erin. Game two was a tooth-and-nail battle that brought the Wings and the Ducks into triple over-time. All the tough play of the game teetered on one last-minute play. Todd Marchant’s goal brought the Ducks to a 4-3 lead, leaving the Wings to deal with a tough defeat. “Although it was a pretty intense game, I don’t think the Wings controlled the neutral zone well. Their power play killing was weak and a lot of big scorers just didn’t step up that day,” said Erin. The Red Wings have taken the game two loss and turned it around. The decisive seventh game of the series once again came down to a last minute goal. This time, it was the Wings who took the lead, ending the series with a big “W”.

“I believe the Wings have a real good shot this year. They have a lot of new

guys like Helm and Ericsson, so I think we will be set for

a while,” said Erin. Detroit’s next face-off will be against the Chi-cago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals. As a faithful fan, Erin remains hopeful. Although she would love to experience another playoff game in person, for now she

will have to settle with showing support from a

distance.

Taylor Dupuis ‘09

Its always exciting whenever a new baby is about to arrive. This year Freeland high school is getting quadruple the excite-ment. With one newborn, and two expect-ing mothers, babies always bring a bit of cheer to Freeland staff and students. Mike Ritt was the first teacher to get his surprise. On Easter morning Mike and Stena Ritt welcomed their new baby girl. Kennedi Faith Ritt was born at 4:09 a.m. at six pounds ten ounces and was 19 inches long. Mike Ritt is happy to be a first time father. Another first time mother to be is Span-ish teacher Lynn Hoffmann. Hoffmann is expecting her new arrival on September 20th. “My husband and I always talked about having kids, but decided to wait for awhile after we got married,” said Spanish teacher Lynn Hoffman. Hoffman and her husband decided to find out the gender of the baby. On Thurs-day April 30, Hoffman and her husband were happy to find out that the bun in the oven was going to be a baby girl. The two expecting parents are pretty set on the name Lia for their new baby. “We are very excited to be having a child. My mother and mother-in-law are especially happy to have their first grand-child. This will be the first baby in a long time on my side of the family, so everyone is ready to spoil her,” said Hoffmann. The spoiling has already started with mom and dad starting the nursery for the baby. “So far we have a matching dresser and changing table, but no crib yet. We are going to have bright colors; yellow tan-gerine, bright green with a bit of pink and

brown. Most of it will be done this sum-mer,” said Hoffmann. “We are very excited to welcome a little girl to our family. Someone else is about to get a surprise as well. English teacher Betsy Roberson is pregnant with her second child. Roberson’s first son, Joshua, is almost two years old and she’s ready to take on the second one. Roberson and her husband still haven’t decided on a name for the new comer but they are expecting the baby on the date of October 9. “If it's a girl, she will be Lucy Grace. Luce means light, and Lucy is one of my favorite child characters in the Chronicles of Narnia series. She has the most faith in Aslan, who is an allegory for God in the series. If it's a boy, he will be called Gabriel Caleb which means man of God,” said English teacher Betsy Roberson. The most recent baby that was born came into the world on May 13. One of Freeland’s teachers, Jason Robinson, was happy to have his second child born last week. The gender of the baby was a new baby boy. The name Robinson and his wife chose was Myles Jacob. He weighed in at seven pounds and twelve ounces. Unfortu-nately, there was an unexpected complica-tion to the baby after he was born. He collapsed a lung and was struggling for a bit. The doctors wanted him to repair on his own so they wouldn’t have to perform any surgery on the new baby. Luckily, the baby did end up repairing his lunge on his own and they brought the baby home safe and sound. Whether it is their first child or even second, new babies are always excit-ing. The four new comers are sure to be spoiled and happily welcomed into their families.

Britnie Bell ‘10

With only thirteen and a half days left of school everyone is getting anxious for summer. Howev-er, there is still a lot of school work to get done. First, it is important to make sure that all missing assignments or late assignments are turned in, if it’s possible. Second, exams are just around the corner and students usually don’t prepare themselves early enough. Most students will cram all their studying in the weekend before exams start. Students know that they should study earlier but with the end of the year coming every one is getting lazier or getting “senioritis” even if they aren’t seniors. Exams have become a much bigger part of student’s grades weighing as 20% of the student’s final

grade. Every student should make sure to check out absences with teachers to know if they need to pass the exam to pass the class. The right time to start studying for exams is right now. If there is a night where there is no homework take some old tests home to look over. Studying a little bit at a time will make it easier than trying to cram it all in the Sunday night before. Also, take ad-vantage of study time in class. When a teacher is going over things, actually listen. Every person should do their own study guide because while looking up the answers they are already studying. As much time as it may, take this studying will be beneficial. There are the basic things to study such as looking over notes, old tests and quizzes, and maybe doing some re-reading. So to help the students out a little bit here are some helpful hints from some teachers about what to really focus on in their exams.

“The focus of the exam will be Romeo and Ju-liet. Students can study Act I to Act V quizzes. Students can also look over Act I and Act V Review Guides. Stu-dents will also be asked to connect ninth grade focus questions (which are in their syllabus) to content from the entire year in essay format.” Mrs. Townsend (Fresh-man English)

“For Biology focus on Genetics, Hered-ity, DNA/RNA, Making Proteins, Cell Division (Mitosis & Meiosis), and Environmental Is-sues (Global Warming, Acid Rain, Greening Effect, and Natural Resources(alternatives). Spend 15 minutes each night on each subject so that all you have to do is review, not cram it all in at the last minute. Get your rest and eat right.” Mr. Ritt (Freshman Biology)

“Chapters 1-20 will be on the tests. Using the provided study guide and taking the exam seriously because if students do not pass the government class, they may not graduate on time or thy must re-take the class.” Mr. Samocki

(Junior Government)

“Look over all old quizzes and tests from this semester. If you can do the problems from old Quizzes and Tests, then you should do well on the exam. If a question is impor-tant enough to be on the final exam, then it would have been important enough to be on a chapter test.” Mr. Guentert (Pre-Calc and Calc)

“My old tests serve as study guides for my final. I recom-mend studying old test questions but realize the question usually has a new spin on it. I recommend studying in a pair. Other people challenge you and keep you going.” Mrs. Rob-

“Practice for skills test by brushing up on basic welding and machining skills. Don’t blow it off-exams count 20% in every class.” Mr. Fors-berg (Applied Tech)

“Make flashcards of the vocabulary and quiz your-self or a classmate. Work with a partner and teach each other the grammar concepts you know the best. Teaching is a good way to remember what you’ve learned. Do all the other basics!” Mrs. Hoffman (Spanish I)

“Look at old quizzes and test. Make sure to understand all the formulas. Study what I tell you to study.” Mr. Peterson (Sophomore Physics)

Kaleigh Theriault ‘11 New businesses come to Freeland every so often, and this new business is here to stay. Higher Image Design has been a home-based business for about four years. In order to expand and grow their business, Higher Image Design has relocated in the Freeland Village Centre at 115 S. Main Street in Freeland. “We’ve switched locations because we’ve been outgrow-ing our existing space for some time,” said owners Shad and Tif-fany Sprague. “We’ve upgraded our equipment and expanded our services a lot. So, naturally, we needed a larger space.” The location is prime, due to the central location in town and the exposure from traffic on M-47. Its location is convenient for new and existing customers, which spread throughout Saginaw, Mid-land, and Bay City. “Our main goal at this new location is to continue growing and to be able to offer our services to more people,” said the Spragues. “We hope that our new location will bring us new customers as well as serve as a central location to meet with our customers.” Higher Image Design offers many services to a variety of customers. Specifically, Higher Image Design is a sign and screen printing company.

“We do signs from small to large, simple flat signs, to dimen-sional lighted signs, magnetic signs, channel letters, ban-ners, yard signs, and any other signs you can think of,” said the Spragues. “We also create ve-hicle graphics and decals, screen printing, web design, and graphic design. We are constantly work-ing on new projects in all shapes and sizes.” The vehicle graphics can be anything from a phrase to a total vehicle wrap. Higher Image Design can screenprint t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, towels,

and other accessories. In addition to the many services they offer, Higher Image Design can also make business cards and postcards. Shad and Tiffany Sprague are both experienced graphic designers with degrees in Advertising and Graphic Design. “One thing we pride ourselves on is the fact that we have an eye for good design,” said the Spragues. “This is very important when trying to get noticed.” Since the opening of Higher Image Design four years ago, the company has completed many proj-ects in the area. Most of the noticeable projects are vehicle lettering. To find out more about the services Higher Image Design has to offer, visit their website at www.

higherimagedesign.com.

Photo Credits: Detroit Free Press

Photo By: Britnie Bell

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Jacob Mojica ‘11

Dating back to the end of World War II, North Korea has always proved to be a menace to international security. Over the last two decades, tension has grown over their immense nuclear ambi-tion. Recently, the Communist nation defied all calls to stop by the United Nations and went ahead with launching a long-range missile over the Sea of Japan on April 5, 2009. Quick to spark in-ternational criticism, many wonder if the North Koreans will ever stop being so provocative. “Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something. Now is the time for a strong international response,” President Barack Obama said in a speech to a crowd in Prague, Czech Republic. “North Korea must know that the path to security and respect will never come through threats and illegal weapons. We must stand together to pressure them to change course.” Coming after the launch, Obama took advantage of the situation to make his voice heard in Europe awhile there for the G8 confer-ence. Some describe the launch as the president’s first major foreign policy test since he took office in January. Meanwhile U.S. officials convinced the United Nations to condemn the launch as a “provocative act” and demand they “cease any plans of nuclear study.” Out of spite of having their launch con-demned, North Korea expelled all interna-tional inspectors from its nuclear sites and have threatened to launch more rockets and test another nuclear device. They also withdrew from the six-party talks designed to dismantle their nuclear program—involving the U.S., China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea. By doing this, they isolated themselves even further. “North Korea’s withdrawal from the six-party talks and the restarting of its nuclear program is a serious step in the wrong direction,” said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs in the daily press release. “They will not find acceptance by the international community unless it verifiably abandons its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The best path to acceptance is dialogue with other nations.” On the eve of the rocket launch, Japanese and American ships were stationed in the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean in case they had to “intercept any missile that was a potential threat.” As it turns out, the launch completely failed as stage one fell into the sea and the rest of the missile—as well as its payload—fell into the Pacific. Pyongyang claims they successfully put it into orbit though. Some countries protest that the missile could have contained a nuclear warhead, but North Korea insists it was carrying “an experimental communications

satellite for peaceful purposes.” The missile used was thought to be a Soviet-era Taepodong 2 model, which could have a potential range of 6,700 kilometers if used correctly. This could have put Alaska, Hawaii, or Japan in immediate danger. In response to the utter defiance of Pyongyang to abide by the 2006 resolution banning them from conducting such activity, the U.N. has froze the assets of three major North Korean companies. The U.S. and Japan wanted to take it even further and create a new resolution imposing new economic sanctions, but China and Russia stood in the way. They urged negotiation rather than using force. “You have to put it all into context of the North Korean situ-ation, they want to negotiate to get economic help,” said Selig Harrison, the director of the Center of International Policy on CNN. “All of this is a re-bargaining chip. The North Koreans are not hell-bent on nuclear weapons, this is just their opportunity to prove themselves, and they want to earn respect in the interna-tional community.” Deemed as “one of the most elusive leaders in the world”, North Korean ruler Kim Jong-Il expressed “great satisfaction” over the launch. He was most recently seen making an appearance at his re-election as leader of the DPRK on April 15, 2009, which he as-

sumed after his father—Kim Il-Sung—died in 1994. After his health problems have been made public,

North Korea is less willing to cooperate. “You just never know what

this guy wants,” said Pentagon spokesman

Geoff Morrell on CBS News. “While North Korea said the launch is to put a communica-tions satellite into orbit, we

believe it is a cover story to test

its ballistic missile technology. It is not clear to

us what Kim’s intentions are.” Seeing that North Korea is only showing a few of its cards in this dangerous game they are playing with the world, it would be even more wise to try to resume the talks with

the reclusive nation. Imposing new sanctions can only go so far as history dictates it usually has the opposite effect. Pulling North Korea

from the nuclear brink will be difficult, but panic doesn’t have a

place at the table.

F.Y.I.THE

Talon

May 22, 2009

Section A Page 8

Issue 14 Volume 16

Mitchell Kloc ‘11

When President Barrack Obama made his much anticipated visit to the University of Notre Dame last weekend, he received many controversial opinions from his audience. The commander-in-chief was formally invited by the university to give a speech during the commencement ceremony, where he would receive an honor-ary degree. However, his stance on abortion infuriated many pro life activists, who serve as a majority at Notre Dame, the largest Roman Catholic university in the United States. The Catholic Church along with many other Christian religions, believe that abortion in morally wrong and a sin. When Obama entered the ceremony, he received an applause and a standing ovation from many of the 12,000 people in the crowd. Once he began his speech, many people could be heard interrupting; one even yelled, “stop killing our chil-dren.” President Obama did not hesitate to bring up the abortion issue. He said that while those who are “pro life” or “pro choice” may never agree, but should have “open hearts, open minds and fair minded words,” toward each other. Obama said

that while he supports abortion rights, he thinks that abortion should be rare. "We can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions," said President Obama. While there were no major protests among the students at Notre Dame, the President’s visit still caused disapproval. Bishop John D’Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, whose area includes the Notre Dame campus, refused to attend the speech and led a prayer vigil during the speech. "The young people have behaved with great dignity. They have been firm in their purpose and strong in their purpose, but prayerful,” said Bishop D’Arcy. There were several small protests, one of which resulted in 19 arrests for tres-passing on Notre Dame property along with resisting law enforcement. They held signs with slogans like, “Shame on Notre Dame,” and “Stop Abortion Now,” “I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away,” said Obama during his speech. While many people have different opinions on abortion, Obama suggests that we

should at try to seek a common ground.

Jacob Mojica ‘11

With their deadline of March 30 already come and gone, bailed-out automakers General Motors and Chrysler LLC were given an ultimatum by the federal government—restructure significantly or die. Both auto giants were given “failing grades” by President Barack Obama for their efforts to restructure up to the end of March 2009. Now that both companies have been given a second chance, the question is if they can pull it together to save themselves from falling apart or suc-cumb to the inevitable. “While Chrysler and GM are very different companies with very different paths forward, both need a fresh start to implement the restructuring plans they develop,” said Obama in a press re-lease on March 30, 2009. “That may mean using our bankruptcy code as a mechanism to help them restructure quickly and emerge stronger. We cannot, we must not, and we will not let our auto industry simply vanish.” March 30 also served as a “change of the guard” at GM as longtime veteran Rick Wagoner was forced to step down as CEO by the Obama administration. Wagoner’s termination is just one of the many changes the automaker has been required to go under by the government. Fritz Hender-son, the Chief Operating Officer, ushered in a sense of hope as he replaced Wagoner as GM’s chief executive. “Having worked close with Fritz for many years, I know that he is the ideal person to lead the company through the completion of our restructuring efforts,” said Wagoner on the day he resigned. “His knowledge of the global industry and the company are exceptional and he has the intellect, energy, and support among GM’ers worldwide to succeed.” Stepping up as the chief executive, Henderson now has to deal with GM’s rapidly declining sales and government deadlines. Bankruptcy seems more likely for the auto giant as it tries reaching deals with its creditors, the UAW union, and its dealership base in order to cut costs. The company has been given until the end of May to reach those agreements or file for bankruptcy on June 1, 2009. With the government already having a stake of $15.4 billion invested in GM, some think national-ization would the best option for the automaker. The company can barely make monthly payments

saying they will need $2.6 billion more at the end of the month and $9 billion towards the end of the year. Others say the government managing GM is just as bad as GM managing itself. In an effort to downsize, GM will cut forty-two percent of its dealership network and slash 23,000 jobs by the end of 2011. It will also kill off its prized brands Pontiac and Saturn and focus on manufacturing new models of Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick. But without a high demand, GM will continue to fall behind its Asian competitors in sales and never truly recover. “GM has to become a better car maker than the competition and they haven’t done that in a very long time,” said Kevin Tynan, an auto analyst at Argus Research. “Does any of this guarantee market share stability? No. Does it mean that they finally get it in terms of what their customers what? No.” Applying for bankruptcy however may give GM a new start—a way to lose its negative aspects and keep its valuable assets. It did for Chrysler LLC, GM’s American competitor, who filed for bank-ruptcy last month after failing to reach a deal with all of its lenders. By negotiating with some lenders, the U.S. Treasury, and the UAW union, Chrysler was able to keep itself from shutting down completely. Labeled by the Treasury Department last month as “not being able to stand alone,” Chrysler has agreed to merge with Italian automaker Fiat. In order for a successful transition, the automaker must finish its restructuring. This was helped along earlier this month when a group of lenders su-ing the company fell apart. However, nothing is certain yet, which puts over 3 million jobs in the crossfire. “Everybody is worried sick,” said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, to CNN. “There’s only one solution to this industry’s problem and that’s and upturn in the market. The trick is living long enough until it does come back.” Since GM and Chrysler basically have the federal government to thank for their unending flow of taxpayer dollars to keep them in business, it would seem like they could begin to “stand on their own” rather than act as “wards of the state.” In order to compete on a global scale, they need to produce vehicles that appeal to the average consumer. Since the auto industry once served as an “emblem of the American spirit,” many hope the embattled automakers can start to “get things right for once.”

Britteny Dee ‘09

Since its invention in 1973, the popularity of the cell phone has increased tremendously. It has become so popular that people can be seen talking on their cell phones everywhere, even at school. Since cell phones were rare and consid-ered a luxury when they first came out, this was not a major problem then, but the overuse of cell phones in schools is becoming more and more of a problem now. “I think there are many cases where cell phone use in schools has been a problem, and I do not think that Freeland is im-mune to the challenges that this continually expanding tech-nology brings,” said Superinten-dent Matt Cairy. The debate over whether or not to ban cell phone use at school completely is becoming a hot topic across the country. People against the ban say that there is a plus side to al-lowing students to have their phones at school. Many parents argue that it would be almost impossible to plan after school activities with their children without the use of cell phones. Cell phones also give parents, as well as students, a sense of security. If there is an emer-gency at home, a parent can easily reach their children at school by calling them, and if a student has an emergency at school, they can just as easily reach their parents at home. Parents for the ban argue that if there is an emergency, par-ents can just as easily call the office to reach their children. “I would be mad if they banned cell phones at school,” said Senior Eri Miyamoto. “I need mine just in case there is an emergency.” People for the ban say that having cell phones in school is completely unnecessary

and can be very problematic. Students can use cell phones to cheat on tests, organize gang activities, and text inappropri-ate pictures. Even if students aren’t using their phones for things like cheating, they can still be a major distraction. Many students admit to texting during class rather than pay-ing attention to what is being taught. Although many of these students say that using their phone doesn’t affect their school work, many parents believe it does. “I think that if a student is texting in class their work won’t be affected because even if they don’t have a phone, they would still find something else to distract themselves,” said Senior Tricia Clements. While having cell phones in school may be causing a few distractions, is it really worth banning them all together? Some schools are compromis-ing and allowing students to have their phones with them at school as long as they are turned off and out of sight dur-ing class time. Other schools are allowing students to use their phones only during lunch, while many schools are still considering banning them all together. While Freeland has yet to mention anything regarding whether or not it will follow suite on this cell phone ban, many students are beginning to wonder if it’s just a matter of time before they see some changes regarding cell phone use, or even a ban against them all together. “I do not believe that the cell phone policy will become more strict. However, from my discussion with the high school administration, I believe that the consequences for breaking the rules regarding cell phone usage will be more significant,” said Cairy.

Pros and Cons of Texting

Photo Credits: Chicago Tribune

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

SportsIssue 14 Volume 16

THETalon

May 22, 2009

Section B Page 1

Editor-In-ChiefAshley Beyer ‘10

Morgan Rousseau ‘10

Every year around this time is when crunch time for softball begins. This part of the season is where all the errors that are in a game will result in a loss and no team can use these. The season for softball is coming to almost a close and this is when the teams are working their hardest to try to compete with every

team to the end. The teams are practicing hard to finish their season with a “bang” in the tournaments. Freeland has been doing

that the last couple of weeks; however, they haven’t been com-ing on top in their competition.

The softball team started their week off with a tough game against Swan Valley. The girls came into the game knowing that their competitors were a tough and hard-working team. They knew that they would have to come

up on top and play their hardest with few errors in order to win. The game started with Morgan Rous-

seau on the pitching mound. The first five innings were a tough match-up ended with a 0-0 score.

H o w - ever, the sixth inning is where the team fell all apart. They started missing grounders and missing

many key ingredients that costed the falcon’s to fall short of the win, 7-0. Morgan ended the game with

four strikeouts and eight hits against her. Sophomore Haylee Parsons led the team with two hits. “Swan Valley was a good team that we played against. They were very

tough and errorless. We should have kept with them pretty close. We will be ready however, to play them if we have to later on in the tournaments,” Junior Jamie Hoffman said.

The second game against Swan Valley was when the team started to play “their game”. The girls came out strong and scored first. The Falcons had Hay-lee on the pitching mound. They started out strong with a 2-0 lead against the Vikings. The team kept adding runs to the scoreboard and by the sixth inning, the score was 3-4 with the Falcon’s on top. However a line drive to score the runs costed the game for the falcons. The falcon’s worked hard but they fell

short with a score of 3-4. Haylee ended the game with 10 strikeouts and seven hits against her. Junior Brittney Phillips led the team with three hits. “We played very well the second game against Swan Valley. We came out on top with scoring two quick runs in the first inning. We just needed to keep hit-ting the ball towards the end of the game and we just couldn’t get a hit to go through,” Junior Erin Repucci said. Even though the team lost two hard games against the Vikings, the team came out on Saturday, May 16 at their own tournament with an intensity to win. They started out their tournament against Bay City Western. The falcons were led by Haylee on the mound. The team worked hard however they fell short of a win with a score of 5-4. Haylee ended the game with one strike-out and five hits. Brittney helped the team with one hit and two RBI’s. “We played very well against Bay City Western. We hit pretty well and we played tough defense. We just didn’t excel when we really needed to at the end of the game,” Brittney said. The second game that the Falcon’s played was against the Bronco’s of North Branch. The game was led by Morgan on the mound. The team hit a quick three runs in, in the first inning to start on top of the Bronco’s. The Falcons’ won the game with great defense and great offence. The team won with a score of 3-2. Morgan finished with three hits against her, and 11 strike-outs. Haley Niedzweicki led the team with two hits. The third game that the team played was against Central Montcalm. The team was led again by Morgan on the mound. The team came right on top of the scoreboard with a quick 12 run lead against Central Montcalm. The Falcon’s ended the game in the third inning due to the fact of the mercy rule with a score of 19-0. Morgan ended up with 4 strikeouts and 3 hits. Brittney led the team with three hits and three RBI’s. Morgan also helped with three hits and two RBI’s. Haley also hit an out-of-the-park homerun to help win the game. “The homerun that I hit against Central Montcalm was super exciting because of the fact that it was my second homerun of the year. I didn’t even see it go over,” Haley said. The girls will be playing their first District game on May 26 at Alma High School against Bullock Creek Lancers. Come on out and support your Falcons.

sofTball CleaninG iT Up

Andrew Aulds ‘09

The Freeland Varsity Soccer team has had one heck of a season thus far. Their overall record is 10-2-1. The team has a great chance at winning districts and a great chance at winning conference. With a conference record of 10-1 the lady falcons could quite possibly clinch the conference and make a lasting impact in the playoffs. “I think we have a great chance to win conference and districts. As long as we keep playing like we are there is no reason we should get beat in districts,” said senior Karen White. The falcons played Nouvel Catholic Central on Tuesday May 12, the falcons played a great game keeping the game tied at halftime 0-0. Coming out of the locker room the girls had determination to pull of a win. The falcons scored a quick goal to talk the lead of the foot of Katie Glover. “When Katie scored that goal I jumped up and screamed ‘skittley doo’,” said senior spectator Ryan Johnson. The falcons held on to the lead for most of the second half, until the Pan-ther’s of Nouvel tied the game up with about 5 minutes left. The falcons played their hearts out but couldn’t pull of the win and settled for the 1-1 tie against a good Nouvel team. “I hate Nouvel, I wish we would have won 10-0 against them. They are prob-ably the team I hate the most in my life,” said White. Once the falcons finish up the regular season they will have to play in dis-tricts. The girls will play next week and play Standish their first game. After that game depending upon whether or not they win they will play Garber. “There is no reason in the world we shouldn’t win districts,” said sophomore Jackie Trahan. The girls’ team is confident coming into the end of the season and confidence is the key to success. The girls’ team will play their hearts out as the whole school watches them take districts.

Varsity Soccer kicking away

to the endKevin Roth ‘09 The Falcon boys have owned their competition all year, in duel meets and at big invitations. On Wednesday May 6, Freeland headed over to Hemlock to compete in the last two conference duels, against Hemlock and Alma. This was a very intense meet, both Freeland and Alma fighting for the conference title, and both being equally matched. The score went back and forth a few times but after the 1600 meter relay Freeland sealed the deal, and edged out Alma 74-63, and destroyed Hemlock 119-18. “I feel like we are in good shape heading into the TVC meet, especially since we won all of our duel meets this year. Alma gave us a good run for our money, but that won’t be an issue this time around,” said junior Neil Noack. Freeland went back to Hemlock Satur-day for another invitation. The weather was terrible all day, to the point they cancelled all field events. A few teams left, but Freeland weathered the storm, and brought home another first place trophy. The Falcons had a great meet, with junior Mario Baluha setting a new school record in the 200 meter run, with a time of 22.80 seconds. Freeland beat the second place team by over 40 points. “I feel like the team is hitting their stride, we are peaking at the right time and still have room to improve. We still have a lot more winning to do,” said assistant coach Tony Meyer. Freeland’s schedule is winding down, and with only a few meets left the Fal-

cons headed over to Nouvel to compete in a quad meet between Frankenmuth, Bullock Creek, Nouvel and themselves. With Regionals Saturday, Freeland gave a light load to many of the athletes out of events to save them. At the end of the meet Freeland left the parking lot already focused on Regionals. “I think we performed well as a team when we needed to, and we are set-ting ourselves up to peak at the end of the season like we are supposed to do. With our record breaking 4x800 relay leading the way to victory, a Regional title is definitely possible,” said senior Ryan Burdo. The Falcons headed to Standish-Sterling Saturday to compete in the Regionals meet, the qualifying meet to make it to the States meet. Heading into the meet Freeland was favored to win the team competition, and qualify a few athletes. After a long day, the meet was over and Freeland won by a mere 13 points. Freeland qualified nine runners including Anthony Miller, Ryan Burdo, Brendan Bell, Nelson Worner, Kyle Henderson, Neil Noack, Nick Me-tiva, Alix Fisher, and Mario Baluha. “It was great winning Regionals for the first time in school history. I was fortunate to be on two teams that won districts, football and wrestling, and now a regional title in track. We had a few let downs, but we had more great performances that pulled us through,” said senior Nelson Worner. With the first place finish at Regionals the team qualifies for MITCA team states

this Saturday.

Falcons Make History

Meet the Captains Highlights of Season: The whole season has been fun but especial-ly: breaking the bathroom stall door at SVSU with Kay Bay

Goals for the end of the Season: Make it to States and get All-state

Biggest Accomplishment: Winning Districts two years in a row for basketball and making it to States my freshman and sophomore year

Biggest motivation: My dad and Eli Mullen

Pre-game Rituals: G.P. with Emily and Kaleigh

Highlights of Season: winning at Clare, outdoor SVUS invite. Being athlete of the meet at John Glenn Invite

Goals for the end of the Season: Be all-state for something

Biggest Accomplishment: Being academic all-state in cross country my sophomore year and this year

Biggest motivation: My mother and step-dad

Pre-game Rituals: warm up, stretch, relax

Highlights of Season: Get-ting captain, all the first place finishes, Kaleigh sharing her yummy food, spending everyday with some of my favorite people ever!

Goals for the end of the Season: keep up the hard work, do good in Regionals, Counties, and States

Biggest Accomplishment: Run-ning at States two years in a row and not having to ride the boy’s bus every year.

Biggest motivation: It being my last year, my team, Laure Co-man, and my family

Britnie Bell

Amanda Slezak

DevonMussleman

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Down and More to Go

Sports May 22, 2009Issue 14 Volume 16

Kaleigh Theriault ‘11 The Girls Track team is approaching the last week of their season, and they’ve done it with a lot of hard work. The team has had some good wins and tough losses. On Wednesday, May 6, the Girls Track team traveled to Hemlock for a double-dual against Hemlock and Alma. Free-land topped both Hemlock and Alma to finish first. First place finishers were junior Britnie Bell in long jump, sophomore Lindsay Nichols in shot put, senior Sarah Schulz in high jump, senior Lindsey Kappen in the 100 meter dash, and sophomore Kaleigh Theriault in the 400 meter run and the 200 meter dash. Freeland also placed first in the 400 meter relay and 800 meter relay. “I believe that all the girls performed very well as a team against Hemlock and Alma,” said freshman Shelby Niedzwiecki. “The competition really pushed us.” The following Saturday, May 9, Hemlock held their Classic Invitational. The morning was pouring rain and the meet was delayed several times. The rain finally cleared up, and after

much consideration, the officials cancelled all field events. However, the running events continued on their normal sched-ule. With the poor weather conditions, several teams packed up their tents and left the meet. With the remaining competition, the girls ended up taking first as a team. Kaleigh was the only individual first place winner. The 400 meter relay and the 800 meter relay teams also took first. “At the Hemlock Invitational, the weather was horrible, but all of the girls tried their hardest,” said Brooke Schneider, “and that’s why we did awesome and won.” On Tuesday, May 12, Freeland went to Nouvel to compete in the Nouvel Quad against Nouvel, Bullock Creek, and Franken-muth, which is one of the team’s toughest competitors. First place finishers were sophomore Erica Lamb in the 100 meter hurdles, junior Amanda Slezsak in the 3200 meter run, and junior Sara Schram in pole vault. The team took second to Fran-kenmuth, who is ranked number one in the state. “Despite the tough competition, the team did fabulous,” said Lindsey. “The weather was great too.”

One of the two biggest meets of the year fell on a Saturday. To be exact, it was May 16, at Standish-Sterling High School and it was Regionals. Throughout preliminaries, semifinals, and the 3200 meter relay the weather was rainy and windy. A short while later, the weather cleared up, however, wind gusts approached 20-30 miles per hour for the remainder of the meet. Erica placed second in the 100 meter hurdles, qualifying herself for States. The 400 meter relay team, consisting of Kaleigh, Lindsey, Shelby, and Britnie, placed first, becoming Regional Area Champions and qualifying the relay team for States. “At Regionals, the team performed to the best of their abili-ties considering the wind,” said Coach Chi-Chi Rodriguez. “The wind played a major factor in more people not qualifying. I am proud of each and every girl that gave it their all.” The team traveled to TVCs at Hemlock this past Tuesday, May 19 competing for their place in the Conference. The State Meet will be big for the team, being held on May 30 at Comstock Park High School.

Girls Track reaches towards the line

Andrew Aulds ‘09

The Freeland Varsity baseball team is wrapping up the season faster than you can say “boo,” Their season has gone by extremely fast and they are now in the home stretch of their long but quick season.Their record this season thus far is 8-13. Although the season isn’t going quite as they hoped, the Varsity team has played many good teams and been in almost every game they have played. They have played many class A teams such as Heritage, Midland High, Midland Dow, Flint Powers, and Traverse City Central. Out of those five class A schools Freeland has gone 1-5. Leading the Falcons in stats this year in batting is David Griffin batting a solid .400, and Matt Hensler leads the team in homeruns with three. Nick Conrad has the most stolen bases with twelve. Leading pitcher is Justin Krenzke with six wins. Dylan Hellus has the lowest ERA with .129, and Jason McInnis has the most strike outs with 38. “I just throw my hardest and hope that my defense behind me holds up and we get some runs,” said Krenzke about pitching the most wins. Hensler has the most hits with 27 followed by Conrad and Krenzke with 19 a piece. Conrad also has the most plate appearances with 84 and Hensler with the most at bats with 69. “I know when I go up to bat that I am either going to get a hit, or I’m not going to get a hit,” said junior David Griffin. The Varsity team will play the Bullock Creek Lancers for a pre district on Tuesday May 26. Freeland swept BC when they played in the regular season 5-4 and 6-1. Freeland has proven they can beat the Lancers, they are just going to have to prove it one more time on the 26. “We are a dangerous team, when we go to districts, teams will be looking past us and we have a good shot at making some damage in the playoffs,” said senior Dylan Hellus. The Varsity team has had a shaky season thus far, but they look to be turning it around. Although they have a losing record (10-13) the team is playing the best ball they have played all year. They are truly peaking at the right time in the season.

Varsity Baseball headed to districts

Catar-ina Quinn ‘11

Are you ready for some baseball? Well, the fans at the Dow Diamond sure were. It was the Loons first sellout of the season. “The Loons are doing pretty good this season, I’ve only been to a few games but I plan on going to many more,” said sophomore Josh Flood. On May 8th the Loons played the Burlington Bees. The game was played before a sold-out crowd of 5, 264, it was the Loons' first sellout of the season. The Bees started off with a four point lead. Then, Alfredo Silverio got one run back for the Loons in the third inning with a solo home run to center field, his first of the season. In the end the Bees took home the win 4-2. “When I went to the game it was packed, there were tons of people. The Loons ended up losing so it was a little disappointing,” said freshman Jamie Hain. On the 10th the Loons faced the Burlington Bees

yet again. The Bees led 0-3 at the top of the second inning. The Loons then made a bit of a comeback scor-ing three runs. The game ended with a score of 4-5 with the Bees taking the win. The next four games were against the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. The first was on the 12th. The Loons were down by two until Center fielder Nick Buss hit a two run homer to left center field tying up the game. The Loons battled until the end and took the win 7-3. The Loons continued the week beating the Tin Caps three more times. “The Loons are doing alright this season, the game I went to they lost though. I plan on going to many more winning games,” said sophomore Erica Lamb. The Loons then played the West Michigan Whitecaps on the 16th. The game was played in front of a huge crowd of 10,023. The game was played sloppily. The Loons defense had six errors but only one let in an unearned run. The Loons lost 6-13. The Loons next game is on the 17th at West Michi-gan against the Whitecaps. The Loons record is 19-16, they are doing pretty good this season but could use some more support at their games, so come to a game and cheer them on.

look to win

Athlete of the Issue

Current sport- Baseball.

Sports played- Football, Baseball.

Favorite Athlete- Kimbo Slice (profes-sional street fighter.)

Pre-game Ritual- Put on eye black and listen to music.

Favorite Sports memory- Being named regional champions in football for the 2008 season.

Mitch-ell Kloc ‘11

The first round of the NBA Playoffs is already over and the teams have moved on to the second round. The postseason continues to be incredibly exciting. First off in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept their First Round series against the Pistons, took on the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated the Miami Heat in seven games in the First Round. Atlanta, a team that is good for the first time in what seems like an eternity, was no match for the Cavaliers. The top-seeded Cavaliers continued their undefeated playoff run and routed Atlanta in four games, all of which were won by double-digits. “We're glad to finish this series off. Now it's time to go get our rest and get ready for the next series,” said Wally Szczerbiak.

Also in the Eastern Conference, the defending champion Boston Celtics were matched up against the Orlando Magic. Both teams were coming off of seven games series’ in the first round. The Celtics suffered yet another home loss when Orlando took Game 1 90-95. Boston came right back to win Game 2, 112-184. In Game 3, Orlando blew out the Celtics, 117-96. Game 4 had a very exciting finish. Glen “Big Baby” Davis hit a 21 foot jump shot right at the final buzzer, which won the game for Boston. Game 5 also had a very close finish. The Celtics went into the fourth quarter down 14 points to the Magic. Glen Davis and Stephon Marbury scored a combined 22 points in the fourth quarter, and the Celtics rallied to win, 92-88. “These playoffs have been incredibly exciting to watch, with all the close games and long series,” said sophomore Josh Porath. In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers were matched up against the Hous-ton Rockets. Houston surprisingly took Game 1 in L.A., by a score of 100-92. Los Angeles, the Top seeded team in the Western Conference, came right back to

win Games 2 and 3, 111-98 and 108-94. Housed rebounded to even up the series by winning Game 4, 99-87. The Lakers got back on top in Game 5, when they blew out the Rockets, 118-78. Houston did not give up though, and forced Game 7 when they won Game 95-80, in L.A. “We really came out with a great deal of aggression," said Shane Battier of the Rockets. The Lakers were heavily favored in this series, especially because Rockets Tracy McGrady and You Ming are both injured. The fourth and final series taking place was between the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. The series seemed lop-sided from the very start. Denver came out looking as good as ever. They took a 3-0 lead in the series. Dallas won Game 4, 119-117. However, Denver easily won Game 5, 110-124, and will advance to the Western Conference Finals. "I think our team is a good basketball team, a very good basketball team. And I have a feeling that we're not going to be messed up by the next round,” said Denver head coach George Karl. The Nuggets are 8-2 in the playoffs and look unstoppable so far.

Playoffs Update

Justin Foley 09

The 2009 Stanley cup playoffs are coming down to the final too series between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Carolina Panthers. The playoff se-ries have been extremely close this year, with almost every series going to game seven. “This year every series was close and it is just fin to watch all the teams battle and every game is intense,” said senior Eric Skornia.There have been 13 overtimes in this thrilling playoffs with 388 goals scored, if this should hold true for the next too series which should turn out to be a great battle. The Detroit Red wings had a little bit of a scare last round against the Cinderella story team the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks were the number eight seeded team in the Western Conference who they played the San Jose Sharks which were seeded first in the division. The Ducks took it to them and beat them in a grueling game seven which was a game to remember. “I love watching the under dogs win. I hate teams who think they can walk over other teams because of their records,” said senior Ryan Burdo. The Red Wings knew this was going to be a long battle and did not let up once. The series was a tough battle all the way through. Every game was exciting and there were no big blow outs which kept everyone on their heels, expesicially in game seven at the Joe Louis Ice

Arena where the Red Wings play at. In game six a huge fight broke out at the end of the game which left some Red Wing players with bruises and a couple of black eyes, all this ten-sion built up to game seven. It was an up and down game at the Joe. One team would score and then the other. We thought the Red Wing had the game beat but the Ducks put one in the back of the night late in the third period. But, the wings didn’t let up and scored the game winning goal with 3 minutes left in the game. “This was one of the best games of the playoffs. It was amazing when the Wings scored and everyone went crazy,” said senior Ryan Burdo. There also was a battle in the Eastern Conference between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Wash-ington Capitals. The two faces of the NHL faced off in a seven game series which was the most talked about game of the entire season. The hype did not let anyone down. The two stars both scored match-ing hat tricks in game three of the series. “That was the most amazing game I have ever watched,” said senior Jamie Ferritto.The series went to game seven which the Pittsburgh Penguins just demolished the capitals which led them into the conference finals against the Carolina Panthers. The Stanley Cup Finals are one game away which should make the series even more intense. Hopefully the Red Wings make it into the finals which they could make it back to back Stanley Cup Champions.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

J.v. SportsTHE

Talon

May 22, 2009

Section B Page 3

Issue 14 Volume 16 Kevin Roth ‘09

Aubree Berg ‘11 This season has been full of ups and downs for the JV softball team. The team has had several cancellations due to the weather this season, so they unfortunately have had fewer games than in the past. As the season winds down, the team is trying their best to redeem themselves after losing several games in a row; which were mostly due to errors on their part. “I hope that they discover that they can be a competitive ball team. I hope they find a desire to compete. That is something they need to find within themselves,” said Coach Katie Townsend. The team traveled to Ovid Elsie on May 5. After a rough start, the team was able to pull it together in the end. The leading hitters of game one were Shannon Riffel and Jamie Hain, both with two singles. The team scored one run in the first inning and four in the second, but was unable to score again until the sixth inning. Unfortunately, the team allowed Ovid Elsie to score eight runs in the third inning, which put them in a hole they would somehow have to dig themselves out of. The team scored two more runs in the sixth to make the score 7-11. They knew they would have to step up their game if they wanted to win; so they came back and scored seven runs in the last inning, making the final score 14-12. After coming close to losing the last game, the team had a talk and pulled it together for the second game. Leading hitters of the second game were Shannon Riffel with one double in the first inning and Erin Ruppel with two singles. The team came out swinging and aggressive. They scored two runs in the first inning and continued to score every inning after that. Allowing the other team to

score just three runs in the third inning, the final score was 10-3. On May 11, the team traveled to Bullock Creek. They struggled to make the plays and be aggressive at bat, and unfortunately lost both games. The leading hitters for game one were Amanda LyVere, Emily Young, Erin Rupple and Jamie Hain, who all hit singles. The team started off the game well and scored one run in the second inning and held them with a score of 2-1 until the fifth inning. Then unfortunately, it all fell apart when they allowed them to score six runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth inning. The final score was 11-1. “Bullock Creek was a fun game because we were playing with them in the first couple innings. The score was really close and it felt great,” said sophomore Addie Miller. The team played slightly better in the second game. Leading hitters were Erin Ruppel with two doubles and Bekah Wachner with one double. The team scored three runs in the first couple innings, but struggled to score any runs after that. They lost with a score of 11-3. The team’s most recent game was at home on May 14 against Swan Valley. For both games, the girls took the lead early on and played a competitive ball game. However, one error led to many in the last few innings and the game quickly took a turn for the worst. The leading hitter for game one was Erin Ruppel with one double and a single. The team came out aggressive and scored three runs in the first inning, but struggled to score any more runs until the fifth inning. They were still in a close game with Swan Valley until the sixth inning, when they allowed them to score six runs. The team

realized that they would have to pick up their game if they wanted to win, so they came back and scored four runs in the last inning. However, they still lost with a score of 8-12. “I think we definitely had the potential to win against Swan Valley if we would have had the desire to win it. We always play really good the first few innings and then it falls apart towards the end of the game. It’s disappointing,” said Sophomore Amanda LyVere. The team came back with the desire to win for the second game and worked their hardest to make sure Freeland came out on top. They started off well, scoring four runs in the second inning and only allowing Swan Valley to score one run until the fourth inning. The team struggled offensively in the third inning and scored no runs, but held the other team to the 4-1 score. However, once again, everything seemed to fall apart in the last few innings. Swan Valley scored three runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and eight in the seventh. Freeland lost with a score of 5-15. The leading hitter was Kenzi Dupuis with two singles. “Honestly, the most memorable game was against Swan Valley and Bullock Creek. I know that sounds crazy because we lost pretty badly against both of them but there was a point when we were in it. We were so close and had the opportunity to take over the game, but just had a few bad innings and lost it. In all of those games though, if we make routine plays, we win or we at least come close to winning. Those are the games that I remember. Not the blow outs...I would much rather play competitive softball,” said Townsend.

Dylan Hellus ’09 With their sweep of the Oakland Athletics last weekend, the Tigers have put a one game lead on division rival Kansas City. The A’s were beaten handily all three games, 14-1, 9-1, and 11-7. Leading the team over the series, Ramon Santiago, who batted .667, with eight hits, six RBI’s and two dingers. Tigers pitchers Zach Miner, Rick Porcello, and Edwin Jackson all picked up wins. As for the rest of the season, the Tigers have been producing when they needed to, riding to a 20-16 record through 36 games. Injuries in the pitching staff have hindered the team, but they have trucked through. Both Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robinson are expected to be back later this month. Another major star out of the line-up is third baseman Carlos Guillen. Last year, he hit .280, with 120 hits, fifty four RBI’s and 10 home runs. He is also being missed defensively, his .950 fielding percentage last season led everyday third basemen on the team. Coming up, the Tigers face the also hot Texas Rangers. The Rangers are on a seven game winning streak, and are four games up on the Angels in the AL West This will be a true test for the Tigers as they

face one of the leagues elite teams. Willis, Verlander, and Jackson are expected to start against Texas.

Speaking of Dontrelle Willis, he is making his revival in the Major Leagues. After being Floridas number two man in their 2003 World Series win over the Yankees, he went to Detroit, and has had control issues since. After spending most of last season and the beginning of this one in triple A, he is making his comeback. In his first start he pitched four and two thirds innings, giving up eight hits and four earned runs against the Twins. The tigers would go on to lose the game, but not by Willis’ doing. He will be back out looking for his first win on Tuesday.

If the team continues to play like they have been, and they get their injured players back, they are poised to win their division. They well have

to fend off Kansas City and Minnesota down the stretch, and Chicago could very well pick up before seasons end. It should be a good season, especially if they get to play some October baseball.

JV Softball Struggling to Make Plays

JV Baseball Back on Track

Amanda LyVere ‘11

On May 11 the Junior Varsity baseball team played the Bullock Creek Lancers. The team went out and fought, the game was really close with the score of the first game was 0-3, the team lost. The second game ended with the score of 5-4, and a win. The highlight of the second games was when Sophomore Ben McKeith came in and got the hit of the game second game. Freshman Tom Taugher also did a great job moving runners the second game. The timely bunts help get them the win. “We’ve improved in a number of areas. We have become better defensively but we still have some work to do. We have also increased our baseball knowledge,” said Coach John Carroll. The season is almost over and the team has learned a lot of new things. The team has strong bats and is able to get some good hits. The top hitters are freshman Brandon Anderson and Tyler Reid. “The hardest things to understand are situational things during the game and we have shown some big improvements,” said Coach Carroll. The team played great games against the Lancers. The team also played The Swan Valley Vikings on May 14. The first game ended with a close score of 11-10. The second game the Falcons ended the game strong with the score of 10-3. This was a great was to end the night. The falcons traveled to Pinconning on May 16. This is a big tournament to them. Last year Freeland ended up winning this tournament. This year the team would try their best to win it again. The first game that they played was against USA. The game ended with the score of 7-4. The Championship game was against Pinconning, and the end score was 4-3. The Falcons won its second consecutive Pinconning Baseball Tournament Title.

Tigers roar to top of AL Central

From Left to Right Jamie Hain, Emily Young, Courtney Piper, and Erin Ruppel all take their turns at the plate.

Dontrelle Willis throws the heater against the Texas Rangers

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

ClassesTHE

Talon

May 22, 2009

Section B Page 4

Brittney Dee ‘09 Issue 14, Volume 16

Aubree Berg ‘11

FHS traditions during Cinco de Mayo week date back for over a decade. One of the many tradi-tions is the creation of posters promoting taking a foreign lan-

guage class by Spanish I students. Each year, there are countless displays of creativity and artistry, but only

the top four posters receive an award. “A lot of schools celebrate foreign language week

where they promote all foreign languages. Since we only have Spanish at FHS, we chose to have Cinco de Mayo week as a mini foreign language week. The posters give students

a good way to promote Spanish (and other languages) and show off their artistic abili-

ties to t h e whole school,” said Spanish teacher Mindi Hannon. This year’s winners showed their creativity and originality by creating posters that haven’t been seen in the past. The winners were chosen based on the votes of teachers and administrators at FHS. Each staff member voted for their favorite five posters and then Sra. Hoffmann and Hannon tallied up all the votes to determine the winners. “All of the posters were very detailed and it was evident that the winners took the time to make them look great. Overall, the Spanish I posters turned out amazing this year!” said Spanish teacher Lynn Hoffmann.

The winning posters were as different as the poster creators themselves. First place went to Sophomore Breanne Lesnar. Her poster was a Lays Potato Chip bag that said “Languages: Betcha can’t learn just one.” Breanne won a $10 gift certificate to Meijers as a prize for her unique poster. “I was actually shocked to discover I won first place because there were a lot of creative posters made. I was excited when I found out. It made all the time and effort I put into my poster worth it,” said Breanne. The second place winner was Sophomore Haylee Parsons. The theme of Haylee’s poster was from the movie Madagascar. It featured all of the furry creatures from the movie and said “It’s a jungle out there: learn Spanish.” Haylee won a Twix bar, Jolly Rancher Chews, and a pencil as the second place prize. “I wanted to do something colorful and unique. I thought Madagascar had a lot of colors and the saying I chose went well,” said Haylee. Stephany Lutz was the third place winner. Her poster was a Monster can that said “Spanish: Speak-It.” She received a Milky Way and a pencil as a prize. Fourth place went to Katherine Krueger for her poster featuring Audrey Hepburn. She won candy as a reward. The Spanish posters turned out even better than expected this year. This is a favorite project among Spanish students. Not only do they get to display their artistic abilities, but they get a chance to win a prize for all their hard work. This Cinco de Mayo week tradition at FHS is sure to con-tinue on for many years to come.

Britteny Dee ‘09

As the school year comes to an end, many students are taking it easy and relaxing before graduation, but this is not the case for Freeland’s Advanced Placement students. AP English, AP Cal-culus, and Advanced U.S. History students have been working hard, preparing for their AP exam. Wednesday May 6 was the Calculus exam, the first of the three tests offered at Freeland. The Calculus exam was followed by the English exam on Thursday, and the History exam on Friday. “I took the Calculus test,” said Senior AP Calcu-lus student Sarah Schulz. “The hardest part was the definitely the written response.” Since the tests were so strenuous, students were allowed to leave school after taking their exam instead of attending their afternoon classes. Each class did something different to prepare for the exam. Stephen Guentert’s Calculus class spent a lot of time after school preparing for their exam. They were given a packet of prob-lems similar to that on the exam and they went over them in their after school study sessions. “Mr. Guentert gave us a huge packet filled with old AP tests,” said Sarah. “The packet really helped.” Marcie Rousseau’s English class spent the first semester of class doing several free response, 40 minute essays to prepare themselves for the exam. Then they spent second semester studying poetry and doing AP style multiple choice ques-tions.

“We did a lot of practice essays in class, but they definitely paid off,” said Senior AP English student Jessica Evans. Matthew Samocki’s U.S. History class also start-ed preparing for this test early on in the year. They had note cards to do every week as well as a practice test that they took every Friday. They also did several free response essays and took true and false tests towards the end of the year to make sure they were fully prepared. Some students spent all of this time preparing in hopes that they would score well on the test and receive college credit for the class that they were taking. Others took the test simply because their teacher required them to. “I took the test to hopefully earn some col- lege credit,” said Sarah. Now that the testing is over, all students can do is wait to get their results back and hope that they did well enough to earn some college credit.

Amanda LyVere ‘11

The Spanish II classes float on by for the Cinco de Mayo parade. The classes got into groups, and started brainstorming, began construction and completed their floats on May 7. Spanish II teacher Mindi Hannon and Lynn Hoffman judged the floats. They decided that the Fiesta SpongeBob was the best, and would receive first place. The Red Hot Chili Peppers was also nice and got second place. The Waterfall with underwater fiesta was the third place winner. “The judging was difficult. We looked for the most unique and most creative floats,” said Spanish II teacher Hannon. The fiesta SpongeBob was made by a group of five girls from the fifth hour class. The group mem-bers were Kaleigh Theriault, Haley Niedzwiecki, Ali Gatz, Emily Wegner, and Ashlie Melzo. Haley came up with the fiesta SpongeBob. The group thought that this would be fun. The group made a SpongeBob and his pet snail Gary. The group made their box look like SpongeBob. The group de-cided to have Kaleigh wear the box and walk in the parade. Kaleigh put the box on and walked in the parade. She had the tall sox and everything. The treat for winning first place was a pizza party, which was on Mon May 11.

“I had a lot of fun working on the project. It took a lot of hard work, but we finished it and it looked great,” said sophomore Kaleigh. The second place winner was a group from sixth hour. The groups theme was Chili pepper. The group was made up of Emily Baker, Autumn DeGroat, Sara Marker, Haylie Kitch, and Justin Burns. The group got king size candy bars for their second place winning.“The whole group was thinking of random food. The pepper was Haylie’s idea and it was a great one,” said sophomore Sara. The third place winners were another group of girls from the fifth hour class. The group came up with the idea of Waterfall with underwater fiesta. The group consisted of Rebecca Vinson, Ariel Wachner, Ashley Walker, Stephanie Nickell, and Mallory Kosiara. This group received king size candy bars. “The underwater fiesta theme came from Ashley, she is a genius. We just went with this theme and it worked well,” said senior Ariel. The students had very creative ideas, and had fun. All the floats were very well designed. The

Cinco de Mayo week was a Success.

Jordan Raver ‘09 Departing at 5:45 AM and not returning until midnight, the students who went on the Cedar Point trip had a very long 18 hour day ahead of them. This is not a new trip for Advanced Physics teacher Nikki Clark; in fact it will be her twelfth. The idea to go started when Mrs. Clark was teaching Pre-Calc. Mr. Dave Oczepek was teaching Ad-vanced Physics and heard about Cedar Point having a “Physics Day” for schools all around the area. They decided since the classes had such a great group of kids that they would go. The tradition has not stuck for every year since then, but they have gone a total of twelve times. “This will be my first trip with out Mr. Oczepek, so it’ll be sad for me,” said Clark. The requirements to be able to go on the trip were as follows: the student had to be in or completed algebra II, Pre-Calc, Calculus, or Advanced Physics. They also had to have a permission slip turned in and the price for the trip was $68.00. Students were allowed to bring a small cooler if they wanted to pack their own lunch because the bus made no stops for snacks on the way there and back. “It [the bus ride] was crazy. Lots of people were tired. Some guys still made

fun on the way back [by trying to fit more than four people in the bus bathroom]. It was the best ride ever!” said Senior Roger Shen. To prepare for the trip the Advanced Physics class had to measure the flag pole using trigonom-etry. The students on the trip were also given a worksheet packet that they had to fill out through out the day. “We had to fill out a packet through out the day, but it wasn’t that bad. Some of the other schools had packets that looked more like books,” said Senior Kelly Schultz. The weather for the trip was hot with a slight breeze making it a great day to ride roller coasters. The bus ride may have been long, but it’s safe to say that every student had a great time riding their favorite rides and just enjoying the best day ever. “The lines were not long at all due to the fact that it was all high school physics classes. I would

recommend riding front seat on the Maverick, it’s so tight. This was the best day ever!” said Kelly. With a beautiful day the trip was again a

success. This makes the future for the coveted Cedar Point trip secure and surely there will be more.

Aubree Berg ‘11

On May 14, art students had the opportunity to attend the well known Detroit Institute of Art to see a play and visit the art museum. This trip gave students the opportunity to see famous works of art from all over the world and watch an original play performed by stu-dents their own age. “I believe bringing students to the various museums in the Tri-city area and Michigan al-lows them to see the actual works of art - up close and personal- and allows the student to

interact and study the pieces rather than just observe from a slide pre-sentation. Also, in the bigger scheme of things, museums could become obsolete if there are no patrons or visitors. If students never set foot in

a museum as young people, they probably will not attend as adults. The future of our cul-tural institutions depends on it,” said art teacher Tamara Klida. Ceramics, Drawing, and

Portfolio Development students were invited to

attend the field trip. First, the students

attended a the-ater

perfor

mance called “8 Mile.” It was put on by students ages 12-18 who did everything from write the script and music to design the set. The play was about cultural differences and stereotypes that divide Detroit along 8 Mile. “My favorite part was getting to watch the play. I thought it was very funny and creative. The students did a really nice job,” said fresh-man Amber Gallant. Following lunch at the Detroit Institute of Art, students were split up into groups and taken on a docent-led tour of the museum. The students were then given the opportunity to explore the museum independently for an hour. “My favorite part was looking at all the gorgeous and famous artwork. We were able to see original artwork done by Picasso, Van Gough, Diego Rivera, and so many others. We were also able to see many famous art pieces like “The Nightmare” and famous artist’s self portraits,” said sophomore Katie Conlon. Overall this field trip was both beneficial and enjoyable for students. It gave them the op-portunity to view famous artwork from all over the world and see a one-of-a-kind theatrical production. Many students agree that the De-troit Institute of Art is well-worth visiting. “I absolutely LOVE the DIA - especially the Diego Rivera mural - and believe it to be the cultural gem of Michigan. Students should have an opportunity to go at least once in their lifetime,” said Klida.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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Talon

May 22, 2009

Section B Page 5

Issue 14, Volume 16

Brandi Lodge ‘10

When a normal individual sees a puppy or a child, they usually feel happiness in seeing something so small and innocent. But, when a drug trafficker sees the same thing, they think of ways to stuff drugs into the sometimes oblivious people or animals. Children and puppies are commonly used to smuggle drugs into the United States and other countries. Small packets of cocaine may be surgi-cally inserted into the puppies or packs of heroin may be taped to the legs of small children. Drug traffickers will do anything to get the money for the drugs. “I have never heard of drug mules and it is crazy to think people would even consider doing those types of things,” said Sophomore Kelsey Baxter. In Mrs. Hannon’s Spanish III class, the students watched a video on one of the many cases of drug trafficking, which is through drug mules. Drugs mules are people that knowingly bring drugs into another country just to get paid. “It is a powerful movie that shows a different side of the drug problem that people don’t com-monly think about. It also shows some of the issues with immigration; that it is more than just Mexicans crossing the border,” said Mindi Hannon. The movie was called Maria Full of Grace, and took place in Colombia where a seventeen year old finds herself pregnant with a child of a man she does not love. After working in the horrible

conditions of a flower shop and being treated poorly, she decides to find a new job. On her way to Bogota, Maria is intercepted by a drug scout who sparks her interest in drug muling by the large sums of money. “The movie was very interesting and it was about something I had never even heard of, it kept my attention,” said Senior Megan Crofoot. After almost getting caught in customs with the 62 capsules of heroin she had ingested, Maria makes it out into New York City where she tries to escape the drug-trafficking cartel. The movie is a very big eye-opener to what people will do to make money in the world these days. Drug mules can be spotted out in several different ways. Some ways to spot a drug mule is to notice what they are wearing, how much luggage they have brought, and how nervous they may act. The drug mules can not eat several hours before digesting the capsules, so frequent trips to the bathroom are a sign to most airline officials. “I loved the movie so much that I think I will go home and rent it again,” said Junior Brooke Schneider. If you have not seen Maria Full of Grace, you are missing out because the movie shows another world of foreign relations and the use of drugs in a different society. People will do anything for money, and this movie simply proves it.

Lodge ‘10

It’s the bug that rolls around each and every year, it’s the phrase that teachers all hate to hear, and most of all it’s the excuse for seniors to become procrastinators. Its “senioritis”. As the end of the school year comes nearer, more and more seniors start to feel the itch. Senioritis can be described as when students do not want to do all of their work or when they simply do not feel like giving it their all. However, no one can blame them. Most of them are waiting to get out of the house and be out on their own when they graduate and school is the furthest thing on their mind. “At the end of the year, school is the last thing that I’m concerned about when gradua-tion is so near,” said Senior Nick Dangelo. But, what about the juniors? Is there such thing as “junioritis”? Most juniors can not wait for graduation either. Graduation is the time that all of the junior make the transition into the senior spot. There may be a lot of pressure to fill the shoes of the previous seniors. “I don’t feel any pressure to fill the spots of the seniors because our class is nothing like the seniors. Our class is close and it will be fun,” said Junior Paige Filitraut. It is then the last year for ju-niors to experience the journey of high school. It will be the last year for football games, homecoming dances, and high school friends. Are they really excited to put everything be-hind them and start all over? “I think it’s crazy that we will become seniors soon, I still sleep with stuffed animals,” said Junior Erica Arias. Juniors can look to the seniors for a lot of advice though. Most juniors can relate

to some of the seniors and find out information about applying to colleges, what college life is like, and how the real world really is. When a junior becomes a senior, they now need to decide what classes to take, whether or not to co-op, dual enroll, or be a part of another career complex. It is a good thing that the counselors are always there to step in and help out make those tough decisions. Juniors also have to start thinking about their senior project and what career they want to make their life. “Electronic research is a pain, but once you are done, the stress is over with and it is time to graduate,” said Senior Brendan Ellis. Even with all of the pressure of the seniors leaving and all of the tough decisions having to be made, the juniors always luck out just fine and step up to bat. However, juniors should not worry about stressing out so much and should just have fun, relax, and make this last high school year the best that they can. You only have one year left, so prepare for the future and make the best of it.

Kenzi Dupuis 11’

The year has almost come to an end and Katie Townsend’s Freshmen English class is working on one of the last sections for the year. The students have been participating in many activities that partake in the romantic play, Romeo and Juliet. “I like the suspense of what’s going to happen to Romeo and Juliet because we know they are go-ing to die,” said Jamie Hain. The students have been enjoying a lot of the activities that have to do with the drama. The play will take them until the end of the year and they will continue to learn more about the ideas and themes of the play. The language the story uses is different from now, because it is a setting from so long ago, which makes it a little difficult for some of the students to interpret. To help the translations Townsend uses translated text to help understand the plot. To reinforce what was read, the students watch the video of Romeo and Juliet. The students really connected to the video and understood the play after watching. “It was hard to understand a lot of what the book is saying but I liked the movie because its kind of funny with how they’re so very old fashioned,” said Evan Gennrich.

In Act I, Romeo is trying to sneak into one of Juliet’s parties. He would be killed if anyone found out he was there because of the rivalry of the two different families. To work around that problem, Romeo applies a mask to sneak into the party without getting killed. To demonstrate the scene, Townsend’s students made masks to wear. This was fun for the students and was a simple reenact-ment of the play. “I used red, white, blue, and yellow paint foam, attempting to make it a flag. I also thought it was really cool how when we read out loud in class, some people try to get into the character,” said Brittney Deal. This week, the students have been working on Act III. To reenact this section, the students will perform separate parts of the play to the rest of the class. This will break the play up a little bit for the students and will hopefully help the students understand better. “I love watching the words come to life and seeing the kids perform allows them to be someone else for a day. It is always interesting to see kids come out of their shell,” said Townsend. Shakespeare was meant to be performed in any way. This romantic drama is a fun and interesting section for the students to learn. It is something that should be recognized all around the world. It has a touching story line and is something the students really enjoy.

Katie Townsend’s Freshman Classes and their masks

Jordan Raver ‘09

Every freshman comes into high school think-ing they’re all that. They think that the world is in their hands and they have the right do to what they want. Well, they don’t. What they do have is the right to start being successful early. A lot of seniors leave saying “I wish I would have known…” so freshmen and any other underclass-men should follow these steps to make sure high school is not only fun but also productive.

1. Food, Shelter, Water- Always make sure you have a lunch or lunch money. The day can get very long and you will get very hungry with out something to eat. Keep your locker clean. A messy locker is just asking for disaster. Water is very good to have because it is healthy and refreshing.2. Respect your teachers- First of all don’t talk back to teachers, it’s rude. There are so many students who think they know more than the teachers, but they don’t. Even if you know you’re right, don’t push it. The teacher is going be right at least fifteen more times compared to your once. Respecting your teachers can go a long way when it comes to getting letters of recommendation or help with homework.3. Don’t procrastinate- “I’ll do it tomor-row,” is not a good motto to live by. No one ever does it tomorrow or the next day. Get it done and then you won’t have to worry about it. 4. Keep a planner- Organization is the key to success. With a planner you’ll be able to keep track of all your assignments and activities with out having to try to remember everything. A planner is also easy access for doodling when you

get bored.5. Be friendly with the office ladies- This could mean the difference between a tardy and an absence. Next time you’re in the office stop for a second and ask them how their day was. Four years will go by smoothly if you have a good relationship with the secretaries. They have more power in that office than you think.6. Come to school- Although it may be very tempting to skip school, don’t. Attendance may just mean having to pass exams but colleges do look at that to see how reliable you may be. Coming to school is also very important for get-ting all of your homework and making sure you know how to do it. 7. Don’t get overloaded- Joining every sport and every club may keep you busy, but it is also important to have time to just chill and hang out with friends. You don’t want to always be tied down with commitments every day of the year. 8. Stay true to yourself- Do not let anyone change who you are. A person may seem like they’re your best friend at the time and for them you’d do anything, but in reality the next month you’ll probably hate each other. That’s high school, and it happens to everyone no matter what clique they are in. Instead of changing for your friends, change your friends to people who are more like you.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

GrubsTHE

Talon

May 22, 2009Issue 14 Volume 16

Section B Page 6

Michael Graebner ‘11

Britnie Bell ‘10

Teacher appreciation week took place May 3 to May 9 at Freeland High School. The teachers of the high school received a small gift everyday with a different quote. The gifts for the teachers help show them that the students do appreciate what they do for them, even if they don’t show it. Teacher Ap-preciation week was planned by the student council with the help of their advisor, Dennis Andrews. The National Teacher Appreciation Day is actually the first Tuesday of the first full week of May. Teacher Appreciation Day was first started in 1944 when a teacher, Ryan Krug, in Wisconsin came up with the idea for a day to honor teachers. Krug wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt for help. In 1953 Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teachers Day. Eventually, the day turned into a week with Tuesday being the official Teacher Appreciation Day. This year the Student Council decided to do their annual Pancake Breakfast for the teachers on Tues-day along with giving the teachers a gift each day. The creative writing classes contributed to teacher appreciation by writing a variety of poems to each teacher written especially for them. “It was the best teacher appreciation week in the five years I have taught here. I felt appreciated and was surprised by all of the creative gifts,” said Government teacher Matt Samocki. Teacher Appreciation week kicked off with a pudding cup for the teachers for “pudding” up with their students. Each teacher received a pudding cup as a way to show them thanks. Tuesday the teachers got received a paper weight at their breakfast and a highlighter to “brighten their day”. On Wednesday the teachers received starbursts and post-it notes for “sticking with us”. “Our teachers can be hard on us but in the end it pays off. I want to say thank you to all of our teachers for being there before and after school to help us with problems and questions,” said Junior Ali Gatz. Teachers are the key to student’s success which is why student council decided to give each teacher a Freeland Falcon lanyard on Thursday. After a long week of teaching the teachers deserved a break with a Kit-Kat. Along with the Kit-Kat bar each teacher got a Freeland High School Mug to end the week. “We really hope the teachers liked their presents. We put a lot of work into making them feel appre-ciated, they deserve it,” said Student Council Executive President Hillary Satkowiak. Students may not always show their appreciation and probably complain more than thank but in the end without the dedicated teachers Freeland High School students would not have the knowledge they

have now.

Thanks for “Puddin” Up With Us

Amanda LyVere ‘11 There are eleven students from Freeland that are going to spring into service. The eleven are going with Karin Williamson. They are going to meet at the Saginaw YMCA, then get into groups and head out to their work sites. This is like “Make a Difference Day” in the fall. These community projects were created and sponsored by the United Way. It is an opportunity for high school students to volunteer within the community and help people that are in need. “I attended this with the group of students. It was a great day to help out the ones who need it,” said Williamson. The eleven students were all girls. There were nine juniors; Mackenzie Woodman, Marissa Rocha, Sara Schram, Autumn DeGroat, Rachel Lutz, Renee Kucher, Kallie Sat-kowski, Taylor Kula, Erica Arias. A there were also two seniors; Ariel Wachner, and Emily King. There were other high schools from the area that also took part in Spring into Service Day. The groups of students go to different senior citizens houses to do yard work, and anything else needed to make the house look good. “I loved the experience. I would do it again if they needed it. It was so much fun,” said senior Ariel Wachner. The group split up at the YMCA and given some spots that they would be going. Then went out and helped the community. There were students from Bullock Creek, SASA, Carrolton, Arthur Hill, and Valley Lutheran. All the students were split up to meet new people while helping out the elderly. “It was so much fun to see what a difference it made in peoples lives. It was also great getting to meet new people from different schools,” Said junior Sara Schram. This experience was to help others by volunteering their time. The eleven students left at the beginning of the day to meet. They did not get back until the end of the school day. The students were helping the senior citizens in the community. “This was a great way to end senior year. I like helping others when they are not able to,”Said Senior Ariel Wachner.

Students Spring into Service

Student Coun-cil Of-

ficers 2009-2010

Executive Council:

President: Morgan RousseauVice-President: Alyssa McGrandySecretary: Libby Scher-zerTreasurer: Adam Burns

Freshman Council:

President: Samantha SchmidtVice-President: Alex ShibilskiSecretary: Kimberly SampsonTreasurer: Aaron Fein-auerRepresentatives: Ken-dra SampsonMorgan ScottJessica Clayton

Sophomore Council:

President: Sara Reis-ingerVice-President: Lauren ShaferSecretary: Caitlyn SkorniaTreasurer: Melanie DupuisRepresentatives: Kins-ley FormsmaNicole Toyzan

Junior Council:President: Courtney PaykVice-President: Robert WhiteSecretary: Kaleigh TheriaultTreasurer: Shannon RiffelRepresentatives: Bre-anne LesnarAmanda DePelsmaeker

Senior Council:

President: Katie OttVice-President: Britt-ney PhillipsSecretary: Justin BurnsTreasurer: Erin RepucciRepresentatives: Brit-nie BellPaige Filiatraut

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Breanne Lesnar ‘11 With sixth grade in sight, it’s time for the fifth graders to start thinking about the big choice that awaits them next fall. Their decision will affect their school schedules for the remainder of their education and possibly uncover hidden talents. When they return for their last year in the elementary school, they will have the option to join Freeland’s outstanding band program. To hear for themselves what band is like, they traveled to the high school on May 13 for a special concert. “We not only entertained them, but presented the instrumental music program to them with an invitation to join us next year as sixth graders. By their reaction, it will be another large beginning band next year,” said Band Director William Shephard. When the fifth graders arrived that morning, the Freshman Band was buzzing with ex-citement. They had enjoyed preparing the songs for the young audience and were eager to show off their skills. To introduce the fifth graders to the program, they performed some Disney movie tunes, a Star Wars number, some jazz, and a couple other fun pieces. The concert ran smoothly and the fifth graders displayed sincere pleasure and interest. “They were a very polite, attentive audience and asked some really good questions during our Q&A time. In fact, when I went to the elementary school that afternoon, they

were still excited about their time with us,” said Shephard. To show the wide variety of instruments used in band, a designated freshman from each section played a small solo. By introducing each instrument individually, the audience got a chance to hear what each sounds like on its own. “I wasn’t really nervous to play my saxophone solo, because they didn’t know what it was supposed to sound like,” said freshman Emily Young. “It was funny to see their reac-tions to each instrument.” Following this, the fifth graders finally had an opportunity to ask questions. Many hands shot into the air to voice some very good questions. The freshmen got a kick out of one humorous student who inquired if a song could be played on the gong. “I thought it was a great encouragement for kids to join band in sixth grade,” said fifth grader Ben Balen. “I think I will play the saxophone because it will be a challenging and fun instrument to learn.” The excited chatter as they left shows that the concert definitely sparked interest among the group to pursue a musical future. It won’t be long before they determine whether band will bring music to their ears or leave them with a bad taste in their mouth.

Freshmen get fifth graders into the rhythm of band

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

FeaturesIssue 14 Volume 16

THETalon

May 22, 2009

Section B Page 7

Morgan Rousseau ‘10

Decorative, dangly Earrings T-string gladiator sandals Dressy Tanks

White denim shorts Cuff bracelets

Catarina Quinn ‘11 A beautiful princess, a voodoo doctor, a Cajun firefly, and a frog prince, what do all these things have in common? Well, they are all characters in Disney’s upcoming movie The Princess and the Frog. This movie is based on the classic fairytale except this new story has a few more twists. “A new twist on a traditional story is always great, and this new movie sounds like its going to be really good one,” said sophomore Stephanie Conley. This is Disney’s first movie featuring an Afri-can American princess, named Tiana; it is also the first movie where the princess has her own job. She works as a waitress in a restaurant. The story takes place in the 1920’s in New Orleans, Louisiana. “I think that the new movie The Princes and the Frog is not going to be one of Disney’s best movies because it is going to be a musical. Personally I don’t like musicals. But I do like the fact that there is a black princess, it’s good that they are bringing diversity into their movies,” said Brandyn Kearney.

The movie has caused some controversy for Disney. Tiana was originally supposed to have a job as a maid just like Cinderella and Princess Snow White, which received complaints as being racially insensitive although politically correct for a black woman during the era of the film's setting, the 1920s.

“I think it’s cool that they are making prin-cesses in all different races, it really shows how far society has come,” said sophomore Shannon Riffel. Princess Tiana will be voiced by Anika Noni Rose; some other rec-ognizable voices in the movie will be John Good-man, Oprah Winfrey, and Terrance Howard.

“I think this is go- ing to be another great Disney movie, I’m planning on seeing it with my little sister,” said sophomore Haylee Parsons. This movie is not only a Disney first but also a sign on how far society has come. The Princess and the Frog is set to come out On Dec. 11, 2009.

Catarina Quinn ‘11

It’s almost summer and everyone is trying to get that back to the beach tan, but is it really worth the risk? Tanning though it may look cool can be very harmful to your body. “Personally I don’t like tanning and I don’t think it should be allowed. It’s like condoning skin cancer. Why you would want to give your-self skin cancer is beyond me. No fake n’ bake for me,” said sophomore Kaylee Worley. Skin cancer can be an effect of tanning, but there are many other harmful things that can happen like a dysfunctional immune system, sun and eye burns, and cataracts. “I go to the tanners but I don’t feel like I’m taking a risk when I tan because there is no history of skin cancer in my family. My parents used to tan when they were young and they are fine, so I’m not worried,” said sophomore Stephanie Conley. Some easy ways to know if you are at risk for skin cancer are, if you have a history of

it in your family, if you are fair skinned, or if you burn easily. Another symptom is odd moles on your body. “I don’t think that being tan for a little while is worth getting skin cancer,” said sophomore Lauren Behmlander. Research proves that tanning in a tanning bed for twenty minutes is equivalency of be-ing at the beach for a day. Sometimes tanning booths emit more than two or three times the UVA rays that the sun does. “I think that tanning is very dangerous. The long term damages like wrinkles and skin cancer are not worth the short amount of time that people will be tan. I think people who tan often really need to rethink their choices,” said Kaylee. If you do choose to tan be careful and make sure to check for any of the warning signs of skin cancer, and don’t forget to wear sun block.

Andrew Aulds ‘09

After five months of pouring their hearts into music, American Idol is down to their last three, Danny, Chris, and Adam. The three guys sang their last songs as the trio on May, 12. The three men sang their lungs out and in everyone’s mind is a winner. To get this far into the competition and still be around is an amaz-ing feat. Even those who don’t win the competition will still become a star, they will all probably get record deals. “I hope that Adam wins. He holds those long notes and it gives me goose bumps all over,” said senior Ryan Johnson. American Idol has been the most popular show on television for the past five months and has sadly come to an end. Luckily for all those American Idol fanatics the show is quite done yet. The top ten singers for the show will be going on tour this summer to almost every state and big city. For those people who couldn’t live without the show will have to order tickets fast because they will not last long. “I would love to get tickets to see them on tour but I

wouldn’t know when or where to get them anyone who goes to see them will be one lucky person,” said junior Katie Ott. The last three guys sang their hearts out but one had to go home unfortunately for Danny he was the unlucky one

without the votes. Although this is the end of the show for him he will still be on

the American Idol tour. “I was really sad to see

Danny go home, he was really talented and had a great voice,” said junior Renee Kucher. Then there was two. With only Kris and Adam left the show became really exciting as each per-

son sing had to sing three songs. Both Kris and Adam

gave it their best, but the show needed a winner. Disappointingly

there couldn’t be a tie. Although there was only one winner they will all be American

Idols to fans around the world. This years American Idol was Andrew Aulds. He will get a record deal with American Idol and he will also receive a one million dollar check. Kris truly is the American Idol. Seacrest out.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CONGRATulations

Class of 2009Issue 14 Volume 16

THETalon

May 22, 2009

Section B Page 8

Our lives are before us... Our pasts are behind us... But our memories are forever with us.

Keeling