Hemisphere Sports: Basketball and Bowling

Panther Gossip: Holidaze Edition

Winter break thoughts, by Nick Dryer

For many High School students, winter break is the first of a few extended breaks in the school year. So, this is obviously something they look forward to. But what exactly do most of these students do over these breaks? For a lot a students, they'll probably tell you "Sleep", or "eat a bunch". 

But there's a few students that look forward to these breaks because they go on vacations or other things that don't involve just sitting inside their house. 

One student, Frank Ladwig, who is a junior at Western High School, said he has a huge vacation planned. 

"I'm leaving on the Tuesday before break even starts, and I'm going to North Carolina to visit my grandparents." 

These breaks are a huge part of students years, because it is an extended period of time that students don't have to go to school. So, why are there only so many of these breaks in the year? 

Christmas Traditions at Western High School

by Logan Howe
Hemisphere Staff Writer

Starting in October, some people start getting ready for the meca of the holiday season... Christmas. The traditions, presents, and most of all, family, make everyone feel warmth and comfort during the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
Why is Christmas my personal favorite? Playing Martha Stewart 24/7 and excessively adding glue and glitter to any piece of decor I can, this includes my dog. Christmas is never simple, and shouldn’t ever be simple. It’s not a time for an 1800’s moth eaten Santa decoration, throw that out, grab some tinsel, and begin to throw it at anyone and anything.
Thinking about my obsession made me curious about other people’s Christmas traditions and Yuletide cheer. I approached many people on the topic and got mixed answers that I wasn’t expecting.
“The Fourth of July”, Kimberly Shore stated after being asked what her favorite holiday is. The room gasped, eyes were rolled, and glares were given. She began to back up her claim by describing the late summer nights, children playing, and warm weather... Someone tell her that this is real life, not Grease. Christmas is key.
“I start playing Christmas music the day after thanksgiving” Therese Lefere stated. Many others said that they started playing Christmas tunes as early as October. “July” Lauren Luplow said in a loud and excited voice, clearly happy that Christmas is almost here.
One of the key ingredients to the perfect Christmas is the music. “All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey” Justin Macchia said regarding his favorite Christmas song. Other answers are listed below:
Therese Lefere: (Begins singing) “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas”
Kim Shore: “Silent Night, but when I want to get in the mood for shopping, I listen to All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey.”
Allie McCrum: “Straight up, a classic, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”
Lauren Luplow: “Last Christmas by WHAM!”
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Sorry Nat King Cole, but none of your traditions relate to today’s kiddos. “We have two different trees. One for Santa’s presents and one for Mom and Dad’s presents” Kim Shore said, nervous that her tradition is anormal. “We go to a Christmas tree farm and I try to chop down the tree, but I can’t.” Justin Macchia explained.

“O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree” I sing as I pay 70 dollars for the blessed fraser fir. It takes an army to decorate my tree. Just kidding, touch my tree and you will be kicked out of my house faster than Lindsay Lohan leaving rehab.
I am very proud of my peers and their Christmas spirit. The Christmas fanatic, Allie McCrum, stated that she looks forward to “staring at the Christmas tree until my retinas burn out”. Happy holidays. 

Snow days discussed

By Sophia Wood
Hemisphere Staff Reporter

Snow days are fun for everyone, but what goes into deciding on one?
In the winter almost every day is a choice for the superintendent. A morning drive, communicating with local road commissions, talking to other superintendents and local weather alerts all come into play. The snow fall varies in a state like Michigan, so the superintendents must locally make that choice. Michigan law grants 6 days for forgiven time that can be used for snow days. If too many days are missed, the school may reschedule full days. State law states that districts are to have 1098 hours of teaching, So you could imagine the pressure on the superintendent when calling a snow day.

"On a snow day I like to sit around and watch Netflix." - Emily Collier
"What I want to do is read, watch movies and drink hot chocolate. But I end up shoveling and doing chores." - Ayla Skyler

It's important to have a day off every once and a while to rest your mind and body. Also with school being cancelled the chance for accident goes down, so your cars also get a rest. Wether you choose to be productive or lazy on your snow day, I think we can all agree that they are beneficial.

WHS Video Announcements

News Briefs

By Dylan Reynolds
Hemisphere Staff Reporter

Is the tardy policy bad? 

When students receive a certain amount of tardies they get detention. Most students who have gotten tardy related detentions think that it's a waste of time. Students who are missing classes and getting tardies and missing more classes by sitting in detention. So they say that the tardy policy isn't helping anyone.

Winter break affecting exams

Western High School is going on Christmas break on December 23rd and won't start school again until January 9th. Exams for the second quarter aren't being taken until we get back from winter break. Many teachers aren't happy with this since there will be two week that students won't be in school and will potentially forget some things that they've learned.

Western High School Women's Track 

WHS women's track is starting and if you are interested email Coach Belote at taylor.belote@wsdpanthers.org. The winter conditioning has already started and it's not too late to join.

Christmas Door Decorating Contest 

Every flex class was challenged to decorate their door for the Christmas Door Contest
All the doors will be judged December 19 and the winner will be known the same day. The winner will be receiving a pizza party for their flex class. Good luck to all of the class that participated!

Western High School Dance Club! 

Coming to WHS is the new Dance Club! This will be taking place after school from 3-4:30 in Mrs. Avinas room, every Monday through Friday. This is a fun place to make memories and new friends. Don't be afraid to show up if you don't know how to dance. There will be lessons and you can learn how to. Everyone is encouraged to come out and anyone is welcome to join.

Gymnastics 

Western faced Lumen Christi on Wednesday, December 14th. Western performed very well but lost to Lumen. Lumen Christi had a score of 132.075 and Western had a score of 120.0. Amanda Motts from Western placed in the top three in vault, beam and floor.

News Briefs 12/16/15

1.)    Senior Pictures: Pictures recieved late into December will be charged a $10 late fee. Pictures submitted even later may get an even larger late fee or not even added. Email pictures to Ms. Sponsler

     2.)  Candy Canes: There are candy canes for sale at lunch for both first and second lunches. Candy canes are 2 for $1, and come in different flavors. The money gathered from the sales go to the WHS LINK program, so it’s a win-win, you get a treat and help fund activities.

            3.)  New iPad Cases…. If you havent gotten them already. Go to Mr. Hood and Mr. MacGuinness’s room to get the new case. Make sure to watch the video on how to put the case, and don’t put it on upside down…

            4.)  iPad Wizards - MacGuinness and Hood: If you happen to have any technical issues with your iPads you should try to find Mr. MacGuinness or Mr. Hood to assist you in your iPad difficulties. You may see them wandering the halls or at their office.

Coach Ron Rudland enters the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches' Hall of Fame

by Dylan Reynolds and Jacob Jones

 Hemisphere Staff Reporters

          Western high school soccer coach, Ron Rudland has recently been inducted into the hall of fame by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association. The MHSSCA hall of fame banquet took place at the Crowne Plaza in Lansing on November 19, 2016.

          The current Athletic Director at Western High School, Ryan Hackworth was one of Coach Rudlands old players that played for him from the years of 1997-2001.

          We asked what it was like to playing for Coach Rudland, Mr. Hackworth said “It was probably the highlight of my high school career.”

          Mr. Hackworth liked seeing Coach Rudland on and off the field  “It wasn't just during the fall season that I was stopping by the choir room to talk to him.” 

          Mr Hackworths favorite part of his coaching was the team bonding they did together. “ Going up to Silver Lake, running the dunes, and all the different things we did as a team at the games and during practice.”

          Coach Rudland was very surprised when he got the news about being put in the hall of fame. His response was “Wow that's a surprise.”

          There were many more things that were considered when making the decision. It wasn’t all based on the performance of Rudland’s teams. The dedication he had throughout the years and the leadership he showed to all of his players.

           He has won several conference championships and district championships. Throughout the years his favorite memory was when his team from 1991 took down Harper Creek to win his second district championship. They were down 2-0 at halftime. His team told him “don't worry coach, we're going to win this game.” They came back in the last 12 minutes to win the game 3-2.

          Coach Rudland has been the coach at Western for 32 years, and is still going. We would like to thank Coach Rudland for all of the time he has invested in Western High School, and congratulate him on his well deserved award.

         

          

Lady Panthers bring you the news

In this week's edition: Lainey Ellis interviews all-state quarterback Steele Fortress while the other ladies bring you the news.

Panther Gossip: News You Can Use

Coach Rudland inducted into the Hall of Fame

After Mr. Rudland's recent induction into the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame, watch as senior Jake Jones interviews Western athletic director Ryan Hackworth and varsity soccer coach Ron Rudland.

Emergent health partners field trip

By Makenna Devine
and Lainey Ellis
Mrs. Cottingham who works at career prep high school set this up she said "I called last year and then called them again this year and they told me about this opportunity they were offering." She also said "they will be showing us the training for EMT and Paramedics and what they have to go through, this will show us what they do on a daily basis, we will also have 911 dispatch scenarios and hands on training for us." This is a great opportunity for students, especially if you want to go into the medical field. Emergent health partners is a non-profit provider located in Ann Arbor. They are a high quality ambulance and health transportation services. They also provide paramedic and EMT education programs. Western Career prep students will be going and this opportunity is also offered for Western High School students. Contact your counselor if you would like to go on this trip. "This will be a great opportunity and we will have more hands on learning like this." Mrs Callendar said.

WHS student have opportunity to take college classes while still in high school

By Makenna Devine 
and Lainey Ellis
Each semester roughly 20% of the student body at western high school takes at least one college class while still a high school student.
"About 100-120 juniors and seniors every semester dual enroll here at Western," said Mrs. Becky Callendar, guidance counselor at western high school.
Western offers a variety of options, on where you can dual enroll and what classes you are able to take. Most students enroll at Jackson College or Spring Arbor University. You can choose to do your basics or a class that falls within your major. Most students choose to take an English, math, or psychology course. Western covers $522.50 per class, if your class is over this cost you are required to pay for it along with paying for your textbooks and other materials you may need, you are also responsible for your own transportation. You can visit your counselor to set up a meeting for the 29th to talk about class options. You can also email your counselor to set up this meeting. Dual enrolling while in high school is a huge benefit. Not only does your high school pay for part of it but you get a college credit while still in high school. Dual enrolling also has some challenges which can sometimes become too much for a student. It could also be a challenging course that you may need to spend more time studying for. If you struggle with regular high school classes dual enrolling may not be for you. You should be able to maintain average grades in your high school classes, before you consider dual enrolling in a course.

Western Hemisphere Video: Question of the Week

Video Announcements on the Hemisphere Upload

Four Things I Learned Without Social Media

By Sophie Wood
Hemisphere Staff Writer

When people choose to give up social media, it can be to avoid drama, disconnect from their iPhone, or some other personal reason.
In my situation, I was forced to abandon social media as a punishment.
71 percent of teens use more than one social media app, and I had multiple as well. So it was a pretty big culture shock for me to go completely off all of the platforms.

1. There's more pressure to look good 24/7, when you don't take any selfies.

Whenever I posted a picture online, I was almost always wearing makeup. So on the days I didn't wear it, I pretty much just didn't post any pictures. This led to more pressure for me to look good all the time, since people couldn't just look on my Instagram to see me at my best.

2. It's really awkward to ask people for their number every time you want to talk to them. 

Usually, (wether you have a crush on someone or you're just friends) you just get their snap chat or Instagram, and you're instantly able to talk. But without social media.. it's a bit awkward to ask for someone's number without sounding like you're flirting.

3. It can be a bit freeing. 

Although social media is fun, not having to worry about followers and likes and if someone is posting about you, is also fun. It's nice knowing you have nothing to stress over.

4. Your friends get cut in half. 

Only having people's phone numbers, makes a lot of people inaccessible to you. Being such an extrovert, it's really lonely only talking to the (roughly) 100 or so people on your contacts.


When people choose to give up social media, it can be to avoid drama, disconnect from their iPhone, or some other personal reason.
In my situation, I was forced to abandon social media as a punishment. It's not fun and I miss it, but I learned these things.
.
Statistics:
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/

News Briefs Nov. 18

Senior Pics Reminder

Attention Seniors! The deadline to turn in senior pictures is fast approaching. Please check your email for the senior survey and fill out the form by Tuesday, Nov. 22. Senior pictures AND Baby pictures are due Thursday, Dec. 1. The form will also need you to submit your senior quote.

Please note that there is a $10 late fee for any pictures turned in after the due date in December. Pictures not submitted in December run the risk of not being published in the yearbook, or at least, being charged a $20 late fee.

Semester 2 Dual Enrollment

If you are a student who is interested in taking a Dual Enrollment class next semester, please email your counselor. You have the choice between taking classes from either JC or SAU; the class you want to take will be determined when you meet with your counselor and a college representative. Please also watch the dual enrollment video before making your decision. You can find the link to the video in the daily announcements!

 Theater Auditions for “Hello! My Baby”

This year, the theater department will be performing the musical “Hello! My Baby”. Vocal auditions will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 30, and Friday, Dec. 2, beginning at 2:45. To audition you must set up an appointment— to set up an appointment, go to the link in the daily announcements to fill out a form and choose an appointment time.

Additionally, anyone signing up for vocal auditions should prepare a short, 16-bar song that shows off your vocal range.

READING AUDITIONS will take place on Thursday, Dec. 1 from 2:45 until 4:00 with Mrs. McElhone. Only those interested in a speaking role must attend. Those who want to be in the chorus do not need to attend.

4. Boys Basketball Parent Meeting

Basketball season is just around the corner! There will be a parent/player meeting on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 11:30 AM in the WHS library. Please contact coach Ryan Mulnix at ryan.mulnix@wsdpanthers.org if you can’t attend the meeting.j

–By Madelyn Polich

News Briefs Nov. 17

Fall Break

Western High School’s fall break will start Wednesday the 23rd and last until Friday the 25th. Classes will resume on November 28th.

Credit Recovery

Ten or more absences in one class constitutes lost credit in that class, according to Western High School’s attendance policy. Paper documents that prove there was a valid excuse for the absences can be given to Mrs. Blakemore. If there was no excuse, students will have to attend an after school Credit Recovery session in the SRC. For more details, see the student handbook (pages 20-23) or speak to Mrs. Price or Mr. Taylor. Students will have until January 12th to turn in or make up their hours.

Community Service Hours Submission

There’s a brand new way to submit your community service hours. Forget forms and paperwork, you can submit all your community service hours through this link: https://docs.google.com/a/wsdpanthers.org/forms/d/1jLt0yPWep8RY6UEVVOaGIgOStzo9IAzSlmtOb ev3IfU/viewform?ts=57b34511&edit_requested=true

Video Contest

Do you want $1,000, a chance to get your name out there, and great resources? If so, visit this link for more information: https://www.worldof7billion.org/student-video-contest/. Mrs. Callender is ready and willing to help contestants, and she would love to see your creations. The deadline for this contest is February 23rd, 2017.

-By Carmen Ortega