the bolt may 2009 edition

8/7/2019 The Bolt May 2009 Edition

1/8

As the entire

school should

know by now,

teachers and administra-

tion alike have recently

started cracking down on

students for their usage

of cell phones and mp3

players during school

hours.

Their pursuit to ban suchelectronics from being even the

slightest bit visible has resulted

in many students taking ex-

treme caution before popping

in ear buds or checking a text

message at the risk of having

their beloved electronics taken

away and submitted to the

ofce.

I think its stupid that

theyve been stricter about

phones lately because every-

one still uses them anyway,and people arent going to pay

attention one way or another,

however I have found myself

to be less likely to pull out

my phone just to check a text

because I dont want my par-

ents to have to come in to get

it back for me, said Brandon

Evans, 10.

Many students have shown

feelings similar to Evans, and

one sophomore offered an un-

likely solution to the predica-

ment.

I use my Zune and my cell

phone almost every second

I can in all of my classes,

but I think that the best way

to stop students from using

them would be to say that we

can use them because then I

wouldnt feel like I have to

disobey, said Alejandro

Pardo, 10.

As displayed by Evansand Pardos comments, an

overwhelming portion of

students are in protest with

the newly reinforced rules,

however one student has

managed to nd light at

the end of the tunnel.

I dont necessar-

ily like not

being able to text in class, but

I think its good that were

not allowed to because its ahuge distraction sometimes

and I think my grades, and my

parents, appreciate any extra

concentration on my work,

said Brianna Ca-

ruso, 9.

With students

nearly all on the

same side, the

opposing force

is clearly the

teachers. But how

do they really

feel about phones

and mp3 players

in school? One math teacher

made her opinion loud and

clear.

I agree with our policy

because using phones during

school is a distraction, and it

detracts from the learning pro-

cess. Taking someones phone

away brings me joy because

kids think they can do what-ever they want and break the

rules without getting caught,

and that makes it fun to see

them get in trouble, said Ms.

ORourke.

As expected, ORourke

was not the only teacher who

had something to say about

cell phones being used

during school. New

to the school, this his-

tory teacher believes

that students dont completely

understand the obviousness of

their actions.Kids drive me crazy with

their cell phones because they

think that they are all slick

when they have them out,

but teachers

know what

theyre

doing,

said Mrs.

Schuck.

What

the future

holds for

cell phones

and mp3

players at school is uncertain,

as it cannot be known whether

teachers with continue their

stand against electronics, or

just become apathetic with the

upcoming summer break.

A tenth grader blames the

teachers less than appeal-

ing classes for the continued

problem, and offers yet anotherunlikely solution to this issue.

If school was more fun

no one would have a reason to

bring an iPod and that would

solve the schools problem.

I only take mine out when

Im bored and I think its the

same for everyone else, and it

couldnt be that hard for teach-

ers to add more fun activities

into their lesson plans, said

Craig Henderson, 10.

The Boltthebolt.dearbornschools.orgEDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOLMAY 2009 DEARBORN, MI

Senior Proles pg. 2

Goodbye Late Starts pg. 8Tumultuous Ticket Quandary pg. 5

Supreme Court Decision pg. 6

By CAMERON SHANE

Can You Hear Me Now?

Taking someones

phone away brings

me joy because

kids think they can

do whatever theywant...


2/8

EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOLMAY 2009 PAGE 2

Features

CongratulationsBy HANAN MURSHED

Where do you see yourself after college or even after high school?

Edsel Ford has a handful of seniors who are off to an amazing start in life. This doesnt mean its too late for anyone

else. The Boltwants to recognize these hardworking 2009 Thunderbirds. Congratulations to the class of 2009 graduates and

remember Go Thunderbirds!

Name & Age Laila Ali, 18

GPA 3.99

College Attending

in the Fall

Wayne State University

Chosen Major

and Why

Biology leading to a degree in pharmacy; I like chem-

istry and biology and I wanted a job in the medical

eld.

Role Model My family has inspired me throughout my educa-

tional career and I believe that their condence in me

is what helped shaped the individual I am today.

Words to Live By It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look

back and regret.- Jackie Kersee

Advice to under-

classmen

Dont slack off and take advantage of all the oppor-

tunities Edsel has to offer because in the end it will

pay off.

Name & Age Annika Doner, 18

GPA 4.23

College Attending

in the Fall

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Chosen Major

and Why

Environmental Science because I want to help keep

the Earth clean and clean up all the damage humans

have done.

Role Model Franklin D. Roosevelt, he did what he thought would

help the country through it toughest times, even when

the Republicans tried to stop him.

Words to Live By Its hard to make decisions when you know what

your values are. -Roy Disney

Advice to under-

classmen

Get ready to apply for colleges and scholarships. Its a

ton of work but it may be worth it it.

Name & Age Anese Yaffai, 17

GPA 4.0

College Attending

in the Fall

University of Michigan Dearborn

Chosen Major

and Why

Pre Med so I can help others, its highly encouraged

by many, and its a eld that is always growing and

needs more people.

Role Model My parents because they push me to do my bes and

taught me what I need to know to be successful.

Words to Live By La ilaha ilallah, Muhammed rasool allah which

means theres no God but one and Muhammed is

Gods prophet.

Advice to under-

classmen

Always have an open mind.

Name & Age Kim Mattern, 17

GPA 3.0

College Attending

in the Fall

Western Michigan University

Chosen Major

and Why

Theater or video editing because I enjoy musical the-

ater and being on stage but besides that, I love lming

and taking different clips and putting them together in

a movie. The nished project is editing. Entertaining

people is a great thing to do for the world when the

world is in such a bad state.

Role Model Anyone who has the guts and patience to make it to

Broadway (its not easy!)

Words to Live By Sometimes its just good to tilt your head to the right

gaze off into the distance and let your mind go. -J.D.

from the T.V. show Scrubs


3/8


Features

Class o 2009!Name & Age Mary Clutter, 17

GPA 4.1

College Attending

in the Fall

University of Chicago (where the fun goes to die!)

Chosen Majorand Why

Mathematics with a premed intent because math isthe only thing Im good at and Im really interested in

diseases and alternative medicines.

Role Model Dr. Temperance Brennan from the T.V. shoe Bones

because she is ridiclously smart and nerdy and shes

the best in her eld.

Words to Live By Where do masters nd their apprentices?

Not on CraigsList...I checked. -Dr. Sweets from

Bones

I dont know what that means. -Dr. Temperance

Brennan from Bones

Advice to under-

classmen

If you want to have to do when you have to do it, a

time will come when you can do what you want when

you want to do it.

Name & Age Cindy Wan, 17

GPA 4.17

College Attending

in the Fall

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Chosen Major

and Why

Biomedical Engineering because Im intrigued by the idea of developing

new medical technologies, and Im choosing to take advantage of my

gift in math.

Role Model My grandma. She put herself through college and beat down those who

stood in her way of success.

Words to Live By No matter what your mom tells you, you are not the best and you are not

the most amazing person in the world. Learn to make the most of what

you are and prove to yourself that you deserve to be in this world.

Advice to under-

classmen

Honestly, you are going to end up working for a high school nerd one

day. No one gives a crap how cool you think you are now if youre go-

ing to end up living in a van down by the river

Name & Age Megan Filipowski, 17

GPA 4.02

College Attending

in the Fall

Spring Arbor University

Chosen Major

and Why

Professional Writing; I want to use my gift of words to

benet others and share my experiences with the world.

I feel that I connect better with people through the things

I write and maybe one thing I say will have an impact on

someone somewhere.

Role Model My mother and grandmother. They are both strong women

and have always been there for me. Theyve showed mewhat hard work can accomplish and that no goal is out of

reach. They remind me that I can always reach the stars.

Words to Live By Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing

the game. -Babe Ruth

Take risks, you cant steal second with your foot on rst.

Do more than talk, say something.

Advice to under-

classmen

Dont be afraid to be yourself because youll nd the

people that will walk with you in your journey through high

school and maybe beyond. As Dr. Suess says, Be yourself

and express your true feelings because those who mind

dont matter and those who matter dont mind.


4/8


SportsSotball Hits It Out o the Park

By LORI BOETTGER

This

years

var-

sity softball

team is off to

a good start;

having a new

coach and a

new eld has

not set them

back one bit.

The var-

sity softball

teams new coach, Mike Moyer, has formerly coached the varsity

baseball team at Ypsilanti and is now a teacher at Lowery Middle

School.

The girls have played ten games with a record of 5-5, beating

Crestwood twice, Redford Thurston, Romulus, and Annapolis.

They lost to Redford Union, Romulus, Taylor Kennedy, Wood-

haven, and Melvindale.

The rst home game on the new eld

was victorious for the Thunderbirds,

beating Crestwood 9-6. That game only

marked the beginning of the season; there

are still many games to play at home to

break in the new eld.

There are ve returning seniors,

Katrina Koehn, Stephanie Greeson, Holly

Tebelman, Annika Doner, and Danielle

Boettger. There are also some returning

juniors on the team including Lori Boett-

ger and Sarah Irish. Finally, there is one

returning sophomore, Lauren Johnson.

Its different with a new coach, but

we are learning a lot and it is paying off

in the eld, said Katrina Koehn, 12.

For the most up-to-date scores and

highlights, see http://thebolt.dearborn-

schools.org.

To Play or Not to Play?By MICHELLE GAEDKEM

any high school

athletes hope to

eventually play at

the college level. Continu-

ing to compete in athletics in

college begins in high school

with academics, and it is very

important to be eligible to play.

The National Collegiate

Athletic Association (NCAA)Clearinghouse is set up to

provide guidelines and to

ensure that all potential college

athletes meet the requirements.

So what does it take to

be eligible? First, all ath-

letes must graduate from

high school. Students must

complete at least 16 courses

approved by the Clearinghouse

if they wish to play at the

Division I level and at least 14

courses if they wish to play

Division II. Next, students

must meet the GPA require-

ment. The GPA of Division

I athletes follows the sliding

scale provided by the Clearing-

house and GPA for Division II

athletes must be at least a 2.0.

Athletes must receive a quali-

fying score for either the ACTor SAT, which is also shown

on the sliding scale. Lastly, all

college-bound athletes must

complete a questionnaire and

receive amateurism certica-

tion.

After fullling all of the

academic requirements, the

next step is understanding the

recruiting process. College

coaches have strict rules, and

depending on the sport, there

are different periods through-

out the year when an athlete

can be contacted. Coaches are

also restricted on the amount

of phone calls they

are allowed,

however,

prospective

athletes can

call coachesat any time.

Next it is

important to

take visits to

college cam-

puses. Athletes

are allowed up to

ve ofcial visits and as

many unofcial visits as they

like. After making a decision,

the nal step of recruitment

is committing by signing the

National Letter of Intent.

The truth is, not everyone

has the opportunity to play

sports at the college level. To

have the best chance

at making it, it is

important to

rst meet all

the academic

require-ments. After

this take the

initiative.

Many excel-

lent athletes

are overlooked

because they do not

ask questions, do research,

and contact colleges.

2009 Varsity Softball Team

Senior captain Katrina

Koehn pitches the bal


5/8


EditorialsSeven Just Wont Cut It

By LAUREN VALLEEEDITORIAL

Congratulations,

class of 2009!We are graduating

June 6! I hope your families

werent planning on traveling

from across the country to see

you walk at commencement,because chances are, seven

tickets for your entire family

might just be insufcientbet-

ter tell the rest to stay home.

Instead of having an open

graduation ceremony, seniors

will be limited to seven tickets

per student, and anyone want-

ing to attend the ceremony will

need a ticket to get in. These

tickets are interchangeable; for

example, if a senior only has

three family members attend-ing, they can give their other

four tickets away to a friend,

etc.

This year, the layout for

the commencement ceremony

will be radically different

than previous years. For the

graduation ceremonies of

06 and 07, graduates were

seated facing the goalposts,

with the stage situated roughly

in the end zone nearest to the

school. Family and friends

could choose to sit in either the

home or away bleachers, and

anybody was free to attend.

For the class of 09 com-

mencement, seating will be

limited to the home bleach-

ers only, with the stage in the

center, and graduates seated

facing the stands, anking the

stage. This setup is similar to

that of Dearborn Highs com-

mencement ceremonies, two of

which I attended, to see both

of my cousins graduate in 06

and 08.

According to Mr. Jaafar,

the decision to re-vamp com-

mencement was made to createa more intimate, tight-knit

atmosphere for our ceremony.

Also, during the commence-

ment of 07, a fence was bro-

ken by a large group of people,

and since less people will be

attending the 09 ceremony,

it will be easier for security

guards and the police force to

control the crowd.

I share Mr. Jaafars senti-

ment that commencement

should be a dignied andformal affair, free of riffraff

with air horns and obnoxious

noisemakers, along with those

who have no reason to attend

other than to cause trouble.

However, by limiting seniors

to seven tickets per family, we

enter into a Faustian bargain

whose moral consequences

clearly outweigh the benets.

Students will have to

choose who from their family

and circle of friends they willbe able to invite, which in

some cases will tear families

apart. I have a relatively small

immediate family, but still an-

ticipate issues with the number

of tickets were allotted. After

a tally of who needs to be

invited, I am still at least one

ticket short, not even including

my extended family, several

pairs of aunts and uncles, and

friends who happen to be un-

derclassmen.

How does the administra-

tion expect us to choose? I

cannot even imagine explain-

ing to my cousin why shell

be left out of my graduation.Perhaps it would go something

like, Sorry, but even though

I got to see you walk last year

at DHS, you dont get to come

to my commencement because

you didnt quite make the list

of who gets a ticket. But hey,

youre still invited to my grad

party, so that makes up for it,

right?!

The commencement asco

is yet another example of how

the class of 2009 gets tocontinue to pay for previous

classes mistakes.

We witnessed it in the fall,

when the leadership program

was cut thanks to the blatant

abuse of privileges by previous

years ofcers, and our class

ofcers were forced to plan

fundraisers and school pride

events outside of school.

The last pep rally we had

was limited to only the fresh-

man class and Link Crewleaders, since eggs have been

thrown and ghts have broken

out at previous rallies.

We also experienced dis-

crimination when we were no

longer allowed a true Senior

Pride Day, and had to re-name

it Senior Picture Day, and

Senior Dress-Up Day, since

previous seniors thought it

would be a smart idea to rent

limos and skip class.

A recent bulletin in the

school announcements speci-

cally stated that Senior Dress-

Up Day during Spirit Week

was NOT a Pride Day. Im

sure the rest of the senior classappreciated that wonderfully

helpful clarication as much

as I did. In case anybody was

confused, the instructions were

to dress up, but have NO pride

Also, on Senior Picture

Day earlier in the year,

the class of 09 missed out

on breakfast and owers, a

luxury that former seniors got

to enjoy. The class of 09 took

money out of their own class

fund to purchase these items,in honor of the upperclass-

men It would have been nice

to have the favor returned.

Our class has become

the victim of circumstances

beyond our control, and I

ardently refuse to accept the

this is what happened last

time we did this excuse that

our administrators are so fond

of. I understand that a small

percentage of people tend to

ruin things for the rest of us;however, I was not responsible

for the destruction of a fence in

2007, and now my family and

my fellow classmates are being

punished for it. Whether or not

this was the intention of the

new ticket-limiting stipulation,

it is simply reality.

Continued on pg. 7

Has this years senior class paid too high of a price for previous miscues?


6/8

In a recent Supreme Court hearing the court decided that it would be unconstitutional for Coach Marcus Borden, a New Jersey high

school football coach, to take part in a silent, student lead prayer with his team.

This decision is shortsighted because religion is everywhere and many people dont feel the need to hide their religious beliefs

when they are in public.

Borden has been ghting this ban on team prayer since November 2005 when Borden and

his attorney Ronald Riccio led a federal lawsuit arguing that the school districts regulations

were too strict. In 2006 a district court judge ruled that the school districts rules were uncon-

stitutional, but in 2008 the decision was reversed. When Riccio asked the Supreme Court to

review the court decision they declined to hear Bordens appeal.

Since the prayers were being led by the students and not the coach, it proves that most stu-

dents hadnt been uncomfortable in this situation. Knowing that Coach Borden has been doing this with his team for 26 years allowed

the students to know his reputation and what the normal pre-game

rituals would be. Students trying out for the team had to be aware that

the team participated in pre-game prayers and factor that into their

decision to try out.

The Supreme Court may have found this issue to be unconstitutional

because of religious promotion, but how can that be when nothing

was being said out loud? These prayers were silent; no student was

declaring the whole teams prayer to any specic higher being. The

students all had the chance to direct their thoughts and prayers to theirown god or to not even pray at all and sit in the silence. No student-

athlete was being forced to take part in prayer, nor were they being

told who or what to believe in. Since students were not being forced to

worship a specic god or religious gure, by their coach, why are they

banned from taking this time out with their team to have a moment of

silence before a game?

EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL

Recently, the Supreme Court forbade a high school

football coach from pre-game prayer with his team

due to the ban of religion in public schools. The de-

cision to rule this case unconstitutional was accurate because

prayer should remain a private act in public places such as

schools.

Coach Marcus Borden declared that disallowing him to

pray with his team was infringing his rst amendment right

to free speech. However, the courts turned the situation

around, saying that what Borden was doing is considered

religious endorse-

ment.

Richard Katskee,

an attorney for the

Americans United

for Separation of

Church and State,

told HighSchool-

Sports.nj.com, Children have a clear right to attend public

schools without religious pressures being brought to bear byschool personnel.

Regardless of the beliefs of players and coaches, the val-

ues of these people should be reserved strictly for personal

life. In 2005, a few Jewish players on Bordens team com-

plained to the superintendent about the uncomfortable ritual.

These boys should be granted the right to engage in sports

without having to be put into the uneasy situation of praying

as a group.

Coach led prayer is clearly not only unconstitutional,

but morally incorrect, and the Supreme Court is justied

in refusing to revisit the case of New Jersey football coach

Marcus Borden.

MAY 2009 PAGE 6

Editorials

By ALYSSA GIRARDI

Got Prayer?By GABBY TOUPIN

PRO

CON

Cartoon from www.blogspot.com, unknown author


7/8


Editorials

It seems Detroit has taken a break from

music. Since Iggy and the Stooges,

since MC5, since Motown, Detroit

has never really led any sort of musical

revolution, and with everyones focus on

our economic crisis, many arent giving

our cultural crisis a second glance.

Corey Rusk announced Feb. 18 thathis record label, Chicagos Touch and Go

Records, is going on an

ofcial hiatus until further

notice. The name may not

sound all too familiar, but

Touch and Go Records

has been an inuential dis-

tributor in the Midwest for over 20 years,

propelling independent music from in and

around Michigan. Bands ranging from

anyone between MTVs favorite new act

TV on the Radio and short-lived Detroit

hardcore punk band Negative Approachhave all made their mark through the

Touch and Go name. But what does this

mean for the rest of the Midwest? Being

a leading distributor, the halting of Touch

and Go directly affects the progress of

other major independent labels.

Worst case scenario in my mind, this

leads to a chain reaction of self-destruct-

ing independent record labels throughout

the eastern U.S. But Im going to take the

optimistic (and realistic) perspective and

say that as long as were listening, theyre

going to keep recording. So lets look atthe other way this could turn.

Losing one independent record label

is not signaling the death of indie music

altogether. If anything, this noble sacrice

is feeding the underground wave of do-

it-yourself production that is ooding the

internet. All over the world, the country,and even Michigan right now are do-it-

yourself labels and distributors who focus

on promoting local and obscure artists. AA

Records of Detroit, and Hanson Records

and American Tapes of Ann Arbor, for

instance, are prime examples of do-it-

yourself labels popping up in Michigan to

showcase the weird, the noisy, and those

you wouldnt hear otherwise. Homemade

tapes and CD-Rs created by local artists

from our own communities are reaching

all over the continent thanks to the likes of

labels like these.Thanks to the internet, people any-

where are able to write

and record their own

music right from their

own home if they like,

and thanks to this

do-it-yourself mental-

ity the inspiration is perpetual. Although

its probably safe to say that most of these

artists wont be ying in private jets and

sipping champagne anytime soon, thats

not necessarily the primary goal for most

of these artists. But who am I to say whowill make it and who wont? As a matter

of fact, just a mere 20 years ago Touch

and Go Records itself started out only as

a few friends photocopying fanzines and

bootlegging their rst live shows.

By ALEX SYTEKThe End is Near...

I have attended every

graduation I could since I was

a freshman here at Edsel Ford.

I have friends whose siblings

graduated in 06, had friends

of my own graduate in 07, and

unfortunately did not get to

see the class of 08 walk since

I did not have a ticket to the

ceremony.

However, limiting attendees

at the 08 commencement was

a reasonable concession at

the time, because it was held

indoors at U of M Dearborn.

Students had only six tickets

per family given the change

in venue, since our eld was

under construction at the time.

Im still trying to wrap my

head around why we have to

hand out tickets for admission

into our brand new outdoor

stadium.

But its not just my own

personal connections to the

graduates that explain my

desire to attend the previous

commencement ceremonies.

Its about respect for those who

have gone before me and com-

pleted their high school years.

Its about school pride. Watch-

ing the seniors become

graduates of Edsel Ford

High School is just some-

thing that the underclassmen

need to be a part of.

So, my fellow 09ers, if

you nd yourselves with any

extra tickets, feel free to send

them my way. Underclassmen,

if you nd yourselves without

a ticket, I dont blame you for

considering the alternative of

hopping the fence.

09 Suers, Tickets Dont Sufcecontinued from pg. 5

By LAUREN VALLEE EDITORIAL


8/8


Current EventsSTAFF 2009

The Mice Slayer: Rydzik

Editors-in-Chief:

Megan Filipowski, Lauren

Vallee

Copy Editor:

Deanna Suleiman

Managing Editor:

Lindsay Finnerty

Sports Editor:

Amber Kolts

Layout/Web Design:

Donovan Golich, Scott Werth

Seniors:

Rana Alhadi, Mike Boettger,

Haley Bowers, Michelle

Gaedke, Cedrick Gulley, Ka-fah Hussein, Andrew Lyon,

Bianca Osbourne, Allison

Petlichkoff, Alex Sytek, Nina

Toupin

Juniors:

Danielle Aguirre, Lori

Boettger, Safa Kaid, Mariam

Mohamed, Cari Moore, Emily

Moreno, Gabby Toupin

Sophomores:

Jeff Abdullah, May Askar,

Mikenzie Frost, Alyssa Gi-

rardi, Dakota Joseph, Hanan

Murshed, Chelsea Ravasani-

Asl, Cameron Shane, Jesse

Shupe, Sara Yaffai

MISSION

STATEMENT

The Boltstaff is committed

to bring the Edsel Ford stu-

dent body and administration

newsworthy articles that will

educate, inform and entertain

in a reliable and timely fash-

ion while maintaining the

district wide core values and

contributing to the overall

pride of our school.

EDITORIAL POLI-CY FOR LETTERS

TO THE EDITOR

The Bolt welcomes your

opinions on stories or

editorials featured within

the paper. The editorial staff

reserves the right to print

and edit letters. Authors

of edited letters must be

veried before consider-

ation for nal printing.

Anonymous letters will not

be accepted.

LackingLate Starts

By MAY ASKAR

Late start has recently ended and that means

goodbye to sleeping in on Wednesdays.

Late start originally began at Fordson

High School and there are other schools who partici-

pate in late start throughout other districts for differ-

ent reasons.So what is the exact reason for late start? It was

started so that teachers could hold their meetings in

the morning. But will it continue next year? Most

say that it probably will.

I feel more relaxed on late starts, I dont have

to worry about getting up early and being late to

class, says Jamila Mothana, 10.

Late starts could be used for a variety of things.

For example, you could use late starts for extra

study time, tutoring, eating a good breakfast, and of

course catching up on your sleep.

The disadvantages of late start are that some

students are even reluctant to go to their rst hourclasses on late start. Other times, students are com-

ing into their

morning classes

later than usual.

I dont

dislike late

starts, its a good

opportunity for

the teachers to

collaborate, its

only going to get

more efcient

over time, says

Mr. Schleif.

I love late starts, says Mohamad Farhat, 10.

Quiet or aDay

By MIKENZIE FROST

Silence is usually something that is as-

sociated with school, but on this day, it

is anything but usual.

On April 24, students took a stand for what theybelieved in by participating in the Day of Silence,a student-led national event that brings attention to

anti-lesbian,

gay, bisexual,

and transgender

name calling,

bullying and

harassment in

schools.

The Day of

Silence started

in 1996 and has

been practiced at

Edsel for three

years. It has

turned into the

largest student-

led national

event in the

United States.

Students at Edsel

usually stay

silent throughout

the whole day, but other students talk during class, and

stay silent during breaks, such as lunch and passing

time.I do the day of Silence to show my support of les-

bian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and protest

the oppression against them, states Molly Mentor, 10.

To break the silence, students participated in a

special Breaking of the Silence Ceremony after school.

They met in a big circle and talked at once. Then the

students moved to Ford Field where they shared their

experiences throughout the day, enjoyed food, and

watched various performances.

People need to realize that they have to be accept-

ing of other people in the world. The Day of Silence is a good way to bring attention to all the people that get

mistreated in school and out of school, exclaims Bruce Brown, 10.

the bolt may 2009 edition

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