SEPTEMBER, 2009 VOLUME III ISSUE 1 DEXTER HIGH SCHOOL 2200 N. PARKER ROAD DEXTER, MI 48130

RThe Rostrum

Everything DHSStudent section support page 3

Freshman class pushes school to limit page 4-5 How schools prepare for flu season page 8

Photo by Cole Burgess

2 The RostrumSeptember, 2009 trends

Soccer team sports 'shants'Ali Krips

staff writer

Many teams try to pick out a new and improved outfit to intimidate their opposing teams. But this year, the varsity boys soccer team decided to take a different route. They are wearing what they call “shants”, a combination of “shorts” and “pants”.

The shants trend was discovered when senior captains Jono Jebson and Kurt Miller traveled to England for their club soccer tournament this summer.

“We liked the European style, of course,” Miller, said. “Shants are the perfect combination of shorts and pants.”

Similar to capris for men, shants may be a made up term, but most members of the soccer team say they love them.

The style appears to have originated in Europe, where soccer is a dominant sport. But members of the team say shants are meant for all to wear, not just the soccer team.

So the team decided to organize a day for most of the school to participate and wear shants.

A Facebook group was even created to start “Shants Day” “Shants Day equals great success,” senior Nico Warden

said on the Facebook wall of the event. Miller also wrote on the wall: “It’s going to be a shantastic

day.”The team wanted everyone to wear a pair of shants on the

first day of school, Tuesday, Sept. 8. They had a game at 5:30 that night and wanted everyone

to wear them to the game, as well, to help support them.As for Serena Bidwell, she participated in this event by

wearing her shants to school and attending the game.“I really didn’t know what they were until Kurt and

Jono were always talking about them, and spilling in the excitement of their England trip,” Bidwell, said. “I wanted to support the team, so I asked Kurt if I could borrow a pair of his.”

And Miller said shants day was a success. He said, “Around 50 people came to school that day with shants. I was excited.”

For some, choosing a school bag is easy. For others, however, the decision between either a tote or a backpack can be a torture.

Senior Amanda Atwell, long-time tote-carrier, has pondered taking the step from tote to backpack and has considered the pros and cons of switching.

“I want a backpack, because I think they’re so cute,” Atwell said. “But I’m afraid if I dress up (nice) for school one day, the back pack will just kill the whole outfit.”

Senior Sabrina Letwin has never used a tote instead of a regular backpack for school but was told not to carry a tote by her physical therapist.

“When I went into physical therapy for my hips, they asked me if I used a shoulder bag for school,” Letwin said. “(My physical therapist) told me carrying a heavy bag like that on my shoulder can (alter) the alignment of their spine and hips.”

And although Letwin’s pain in her hip was not caused by carrying a tote, she said she will not switch over to a tote because of the advice. “Backpacks have more room for my books, anyway,” Letwin said.

The American Physical Therapists’ Associations suggests people should use both straps when wearing a backpack. According to

their website, using only one strap, even with backpacks that have one strap that runs across the body, causes one shoulder to bear the weight of the bag.

By wearing both shoulder straps, the weight of the pack is better distributed and a symmetrical posture is promoted. A backpack that has padded, contoured shoulder straps will also help reduce pressure on the chest and shoulders according to the APTA

Seniors Alex Beattie said she prefers backpacks over totes, or shoulder bags, because backpacks provide more room for her heavy books.

“I wouldn’t be able to fit all of my big books into a (shoulder) bag,” Beattie said. “Backpacks are more comfortable and just better.”

Backpacks or bags?

Photo by Claire Berger

The decision about what to use while carrying things to class causes debate

Members of the boys soccer team sports shants in this group photo. Members of the team started a Facebook group to encourage people to wear shants to school, and according to senior Kurt Miller, 50 students followed through.

Photos by Lauren Daugherty

Morgan Quiststaff writer

3The Rostrum September, 2009get involved

Student section deserves fan supportWhen I go to a football game, I know

I’m going to have a good time regardless of the score. It’s because Dexter has a great student section, “The best student section in the SEC,” according to Principal Kit Moran.

Moran said proportionally our student section represents better than those at college football games.

Most students know the football games as well as the basketball games are well represented by the student section, but imagine if all the sporting events at the high school had the same support.

That’s what Athletic Director John Robinson is trying to make happen. Robinson said he knows how much support the football team gets, and he thinks it would be a good idea to try to spread that support around to other teams.

His idea is a T-shirt that will allow students to get into selected events for free. The T-shirt costs $12 and Robinson said the money will go to the middle school A and B sports programs.

The T-shirts are available for purchase in the athletic office.

“We tried to include every sport,” Robinson said about which sports students can get in to for free.

Wearing the shirt allows free admission to the following sporting events: varsity and JV football games, volleyball games, girls swim and dive meets, boys soccer games, girls basketball games, hockey games, wrestling matches, boys swim and dive meets, varsity softball games, JV and varsity girls soccer games, varsity baseball games, lacrosse games and track meets.

This sort of support will be uplifting to the athletes who usually don’t see a lot of students at their specific sporting events. From my experiences in cross country, I know if I saw a bunch of kids show up to a meet, I would get really excited.

In cross country, when people are cheering, the tendency is to run faster, and that translates to other sports as well.

In professional and collegiate sports, the crowd has a huge effect on the momentum of the game. Players can get motivated much easier when the crowd is behind them, and I believe in high school the crowd has an even bigger effect, because the people cheering are friends and family.

The main reason most people play sports

is the thrill of competition. And the stakes are higher when there are more people watching and cheering.

Senior Joe Jansen agrees. “If the student section for football is fun, then the other teams work just as hard as the football team and should get the same recognition.”

I love the thrill of a race and the nervous feeling before the gun goes off, and being able to share that moment with my teammates is a great feeling. But if I were able to share that with even more people it would be that much more special, because it means a lot when friends are being supportive.

I encourage all students to buy a T-shirt to support your peers in hope that they will also support you. The main purpose of attending a sporting event is to have a good time.

That’s something I can guarantee will happen if students participate. Supporting peers is what this is all about, and having a good time is something that comes along with that. When I go to a football cheering in the student section is a lot of fun.

With Robinson’s T-shirt idea, I hope this spirit will translate to other sporting events as well.

With a group of 18 members behind her, sophomore Amy Moorman is fighting to raise awareness of friends and fellow students with disabilities by forming the Student Advocacy Club.

“I was getting sick of hearing people use the word ‘retarded’ in a negative way. I find it really offensive,” Moorman, who has several friends with disabilities, said. “The goal of the club is to promote awareness of disorders, diseases, and disabilities and to create a better unity in Dexter High School.”

The sponsor of the group, special education teacher Carrie Ragnes, said she hopes by the end of the year everyone in the school knows what the club and its purpose is all about. “The first thing we have to do is create interest in the

club,” Ragnes said adding she also wants to help educate all students of Dexter High School about students with disabilities, “Everyone is unique and have positive skills that they bring with them,” she said.

The group will participate in demonstrations to understand what it’s like to have a disability including wearing socks on their hands while trying to use scissors to simulate poor motor skills and walking through the school blindfolded with a cane to understand what it is like in a blind person shoes.

The club also hopes to visit Bates and other elementary schools. “I want kids to learn at a young age that words like ‘retard’ are hurtful,” Moorman said. The group also runs fundraisers to collect money for charities such as the Tourette’s Syndrome Association, the United Cerebral Palsy Association and the Down Syndrome Association.

Moorman thinks its important for students to join and participate in clubs. “It creates a strong bond between people,” she said. “If you don’t stand for anything, you’ll fall for everything,” Moorman said. This phrase is also used as the club’s motto.

The club meets once or twice a month. There are no requirements to become a member of the club. “People don’t need to have a disorder to get involved. We need everyone’s perspective,” Ragnes said.

Students interested in joining the student advocacy club should contact Moorman or Ragnes.

Moorman said she hopes the club will live on after she graduates. Ultimately, though, she just hopes her message is heard and spread. She said, “One day people will stop using words like ‘retard’. Once they know about something, they won’t find a reason to make fun of it.”

an analysis piece by Aaron Gilmanstaff writer

Student Advocacy Club works to raise awareness of disabilitiesErin McAweeneyblog editor

Students sign up and discuss various clubs at booths that were set up at lunch on club day. Among the clubs represented were Ultimate Frisbee , Debate, Oceans Bowl, Drama Club, Anime Club and Forensics.Photos by Claire Berger

Photo by Lauren DaughertyAt the homecoming game Nate Dunham cheers on the football team from the student section.

4 5The RostrumSeptember ,2009 the spread The Rostrum the spread September, 2009

Photo by Sarah Breuninger

On the first day of school,seniorAlexCarr,yearbookdesigneditor,wasstunnedatthesightofthe20new20”iMaccomputersinyearbookteacherBarryMergler’sclassroom.

“The old computers were soslow and didn’t work very well,”Carr said. “I just like how bigthe screens are and all the newprogramsonthecomputers.”

Costing about $1200 apiece,thecomputerswerepartofa$55million bond approved by voterslastNovember.

AndforDirectorofTechnologyMattMaciag, thesemachines arecentraltomakingDexterSchoolsaleaderinteachnology,although,as Maciag said, “I was verynervous writing a check for $1.7million (the total cost of all thenewmachines).”

Vicki Allie, a TechnologyAssociate atDexterHighSchool,saidthenewcomputersaregreat.

“Since the computers are allthe same now, they’re easier toworkwith”shesaid.“Someofthecomputersusedtobeondifferentwave lengths so it was harder toworkwith.”

AndCarrsaidhavingthenewcomputers makes yearbook a loteasier.

“We used to have to sharecomputerswithTheSquall,anditmade things a little bit difficult,”Carrsaid.

With the new computersstudents also received a portableUSBdeviceoftheirowntouseonthenewcomputers.

Maciag said he thought ofthe idea to solve the technicalproblemswithincomputersandtoofferconvenienceforstudents.

“Studentsdon’thavetousethesame computers every day now,”

Maciagsaid.“TheycansavetheirworkontheirUSBs.”

TheUSBs also allow studentsto keep their information tothemselves and allow all of tastudent’s information to remainwiththem.

“There were no securitypurposesbefore,”AlliesaidofthenewUSBsandthenewstudentlog-ins.“Everyonecouldseeanythingyou saved on the computer. Noweverythingismoreprivate.”

Carr said she loves the newUSBsbecauseit’seasiertotransferdocumentsfromschooltohome.

“It’s just annoying how slowtheyarewhenyouplugthemin,”Carr said. “It’s takes forever foreverythingtoload,butIlikehowIcanbringmyschoolworkhomewithme.”

Alongwiththenewcomputersand USBs, there is a new setupcalled Apple Remote Desktop.This system allows Maciag andAllietoseewhatastudentisdoingon the computer, not to spy, theysay,buttofixproblems.

“Thisprogram ismainlyusedas a support tool,” Maciag said.“Ifsomeonehasaproblem,Icantakeoverandsolvetheproblem.”

The new system is onlyconnectedtothecomputers,soifastudentplugstheUSBinathome,noonecanseeinformation.

“We can only see it if thestudent has loaded somethingon theUSBandopened iton thecomputersatschool,”Alliesaid.

Maciag said he hopes all thestudentsenjoythenewcomputers.He said students are supposed tobe enjoying them while gettingworkdone.

“I want kids to respect thenew computers because a lot ofotherdistrictsaren’tevenclosetowhatwehave,”Maciagsaid.“Weneedtotakeadvantageofwhatwehave.”

Freshmen class pushes school population to the limitSirah Camarastaff writer

An overcrowded high school could be a problem, but Principal Kit Moran said it is a good problem for a school in Michigan to have.

Not everyone thinks that way, however. Sophomore Carly Cash doesn’t like the someo of the large classes

she has. “I pretty much do hate the big classes,” she said. “They suck.” Cash said large classes make it hard to concentrate and to get one-

on-one help with the teachers “Teachers don’t seem to pay attention,” she said.

There are 314 in the freshmen class and 270 seniors graduated last year. This sets the population at the school at 1219 in a school built for 1200. But Moran said he’d rather have too many students in a school than have too few.

He also sad he has some theories about why Dexter’s growing.

“We’re next to Ann Arbor but not in it,” he said, adding he thinks since Dexter is so close to Ann Arbor, students come to Dexter because they can still have access to the city but not go to a school with a few thousand students like Pioneer.

Moran also said because the school is smaller, he thinks the staff gets to know the students,and this makes students feel as if they are wanted at the school.

Moran also said the district has to follow the teacher contractswhich limits the number of students teachers can have in their classes. If that number is exceeded, teachers get paid extra for every extra student they have.

Moran said there is a “sweet spot” of 20-25 students in a class, meaning there are a certain number of students who can be in a class without the class being too big or too little.

Since 2002-2003 Dexter has seen about a 20percent increase in

students.One of the biggest classes this trimester is Melania Murphy’s

fifth hour Spanish I class with 28 people. “I have students who talk a lot, and it’s hard to lecture,” she said. “It’s a serious problem in a class,where you’re trying to learn another language.”

Freshmen Kathryn Pisano is one of the students in the class, but the large class doesn’t seem to bother her. “I like (the bigger class),” Pisano said.

Pisano said if more people are in the class then there are more people to volunteer and get involved. Though sometimes it gets crowded, she said, “Ms. Murphy can still handle it.”

Health teacher Shirley Bitters also has a large classes, with her largest class being 34 people. And Bitters is not a fan of these large numbers. “It’s harder to give individual attention” she said. “The benefits of having a smaller class is you get to know everyone.”

Students pass underneath the new glass doorway on the second floor. According to Principal Kit Moran, the doors were built to prevent people from wandering around the building during basketball games or after school.

Photo by Sarah Breuninger

Moneyfroma$55millionbondpassedby Dexter voters last November has ledto many changes at Dexter High Schoolthroughoutthesummer.

Newthingsaroundtheschool includea cross walk outside the library, sciencerooms, lights in the gym, technology,a fence around the baseball and soccerfields, a concession stand and doorsaroundtheschool.

AccordingtoPrincipalKitMoran,onereasonthenewdoorshadtobebuiltwasforsafetyreasons.“Somedoorshavefirecodeissues,”Moransaid.

Moran also said a reason for thenewdoors is to try to prevent people from

wandering around the schools after hoursandduringbasketballgames.

However these new doors causedproblems for some students who had toswitch lockers because they had to takelockers out in order to put the new doorsin. Senior Elly Mioduszewski got a callin the middle of August about her lockerchange.“TheytoldmeIdidn’thavealockeranymore,”Mioduszewskisaid.

Mioduszewskisaidshethenhadtomakeanappointmentwithhercounselor togetanewlocker,whichledtoanotherproblem.

Her lockerwas in a locationwhere shenever goes during school, and she had toswitch lockers again after being put on awaitinglist.Shenowhastoadjusttogoingtoanewlockerafteryearsofusingthesame

locker.“I preferred where my locker was

before,butI’mgettingusedtothechange,”Mioduszewskisaid.

The new projects are not finished yeteither. Additional security cameras aregoinginaroundtheschooltoo.“Thereasonfor the security cameras is to viewpeoplewhen they come into the school from theexterior,”Moransaid.

Moran also said the security cameraswillhelppreventthingslikevandalismfromhappeningtotheschool.

Many changes have been madethroughoutthehighschooloverthesummer,andMoran said they are all for the better.Hesaid,“Idobelievethatthechangestotheschoolwillmakeitabetterplace.”

Building gets renovations Elizabeth O'Keefestaff writer

Computer, USB upgrades arrive this fallColeen Hillhealth editor

The library is home to 32 new 20” iMacs. In addition, a new technology system allows students to transfer their work between computers using using personal USB devices. Every student in the district received a USB wrist band for this purpose.

Photo by Jojo Parin

Photo by Jojo Parin

Students crowd through the second floor hallway during passing time. With 1219 students in a building built for 1200, many students say they are feeling the effects of overcrowding.

6September, 2009 Entertainment The Rostrum

Rating: RRun Time: 81 min.

Sacha Baron Cohen is back and getting away with more than ever. After his 2006 smash comedy "Borat”, Cohen has found a new character to travel around the world making every situation as awkward and graphic as possible. Cohen’s new character, Bruno, is a gay Austrian fashion-star wannabe who leaves his country to become a world-famous celebrity in L.A. Along the way he also makes a stop in the middle east, where he attempts to make peace with Israel and Pakistan, which might be the funniest part of the movie. The two representatives from there

respective countries unite during 'Bruno's song of Peace' and their views on the war change from the Austrian's touching melody. Through all-male nudity and graphic attempts at comedy, there is quite a bit of humor (if you can sit through it), especially the ending credits, where music artists Bono, Sir Elton John, Slash and even Snoop Dogg come together with a song fit for the final minutes of “Bruno”. I won’t be renting this movie anytime soon and unless you don’t mind being bombarded with scenes of male genitalia, I don’t recommend it to you either.

Verdict: Male-nudity comedy not actually funny ... more creepy.

Dexter High School 2009 graduate Da-vid Cooper and drama teacher Matt Mar-tello are bringing Dexter “Back to Reality”.

“Back to Reality”, a play written by Coo-per and Martello, goes up Oct. 21-24 at 7:30 every night in the Center of Perform-ing Arts. Tickets are $7 and can be pur-chased at the door.

The show is about a drama teacher in Marquette, Mich. Who comes in second on a game show, and goes home with nothing.

Cooper said, “This sends him in a so-cial spiral. It’s really about accepting your station in life and keeping your ego from running too rampant at the expense of your friends.”

“Back to Reality” was created mainly by Martello and Cooper. “I had the idea to write ‘Back To Reality’ about a year and a half ago. I shelved the project due to time constraints and writer’s block,” Martello said. “I approached Dave Cooper about helping me write it during the third trimes-ter last year. He was always showing me fragments of scripts that he was working on, and I’ve always enjoyed his writing. I wanted him to help me finish the script. He took an independent study class for me third trimester; he would write a little,

I would write a little, and we would collaborate in that fash-ion. When Act One was written, we sought out a test market of about 15 students and faculty members. We made revisions based on the comments we re-ceived and went from there.”

The main characters, accord-ing to Cooper, are the drama teacher Brent Majewski, played by junior Alex Sloan, his fiance Kelly Howe played by junior Ruby Grammatico and the more notable teachers and acquain-tances roles played by junior Corey Bowen, senior Catherine Cook and sophomore Paige Driscoll. According to Martello there are more than 35 people in the cast.

Cooper said he has very high hopes for this production. “My goal is for our play to be a great success with a great turn out,” he said. “We want it to look good, feel good and keep people interested.”

Martello said he also hopes this produc-tion does well. “While I have written and produced many of my shorter works, this is my first full length play,” he said. “My goal is to have a lot of people involved with the fall play this year. Too many times at DHS,

the fall play is an afterthought and not a priority. I would like to change this dra-matically with this particular production.”

According to Martello, the DHS faculty band Progress Report will make an appear-ance during the play too.

“We’ve worked hard on it,” Cooper said. “Now, please be our guest. Come on into DHS’ Center of Performing arts some night between Oct. 21 and 24 and enjoy DHS dra-ma’s fall production of ‘Back to Reality’.”

Rating: RRun Time: 100 min.Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Ken Joeng, Justin Bartha, Mike Tyson

Director Todd Phillips pulls together an insanely hilarious cast, along with a cutting edge comedic script, written by Jon Lewis and Scott Moore. It brings a unique twist on a “what happened last night” film. After traveling to Vegas for a bachelor party, the three groomsmen wake up with no recollection of the night before and the groom is no where to be found. The trio runs all over Vegas finding out small amounts of

info about the night before, and they pick up a baby and new wife on the way. Your sides will be splitting and eyes will be tearing up from laughing for the entire hour and a half. With a baby in a closet, Mike Tyson singing Phil Collins, a small Asian pimp and everything in between, this is definitely a must-see for anyone who has a sense of humor. It may require multiple viewings, as so much of the movie can be missed simply because you are laughing too hard. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll understand when you do. Verdict: Funniest movie of the summer.

Ashley Burlesonstaff writer

Drama teacher, former student write play

Juniors Alex Sloan and Ruby Grammatico rehearse for their roles in the play “Back to Reality”. Drama teacher Matt Mar-tello and 2009 graduate Dave Cooper wrote the play.

Dan Flowersentertainment editor

“Gay Fish” by Kanye West/South Park“I’m a fish stick lover.”Jack NixonStaff writer

“Wild at Heart” by Gloriana“It was my favorite summer song, and I miss summer.”Caitlyn RizeTrends editor

“History” by Jay-Z“Amazing. Listen to it. And check out ‘More Than a Game’ soundtrack.”Dan FlowersEntertainment editor

“Underdog” by Spoon“Because Keepon is the cutest robot. Plus it’s a really happy song.”Coleen HillHealth editor

“Vacation” by Young Jeezy“Weekly I’m feeling stressed. This song makes me think of all those relaxing mo-ments.”Jessica KreegerScience teacher

“Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus“I love the beat, and it’s irresistably catchy.”Ryan BaeseHistory teacher

Staff Playlist

Photo by Claire Berger

7September 2009EntertainmentThe Rostrum

People of all ages crowded into Comerica Park in Detroit on July 31 to see one of the most anticipated concerts of the summer: Warped Tour. With bands like 3OH!3, The Architects, These Green Eyes and P.O.S., who could resist seeing this show live?

“There were tons of bands with a ton of different sounds, and there was always someone playing that you wanted to hear,” senior Ryan Steinbach said.

Another summer concert that was a success was The Rothbury Summer Music Festival, which was held July 2-5 in Rothbury. Some artists who played included The Dead, The Black Crowes and Bob Dylan.

For all the hip-hop fans out there, Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy had their

America’s Most Wanted Fest on Aug. 30 at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston.

Another good concert over summer was the Blink182 with Fall Out Boy on Aug. 22, which was also

at the DTE Energy Theater in Clarkston. This concert had a really good turn out with tons of people rocking out to songs like “Panic At the Disco” and “I Guess This Is Growing Up.”

“It was amazing,” sophomore Emily Pap said. “Best concert I’ve ever been too. They played all of my favorite songs by them. I had a lot of fun.”

Lastly, Detroit-born music star Kid Rock had a concert on Aug. 15 in Boyne Falls.

The summer is not the only time that students go to concerts. There are also some good concerts coming up in the fall. For all the MIMS fans out there, he has a concert at the

Hayloft in Mount Clemens on Oct. 14. There will also be a Jay Z concert on

Oct. 21 at EMU, which is part of his new album’s hype “The Blueprint 3” with the

hit from the album “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-

Tune).” “Jay Z’s song “Run This Town” is awesome.”

sophomore Claire Tewskbury said.For all the metal heads who want some place to mosh, there will be a Five Finger Death Punch concert on Oct. 15 at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac. They will also be featuring some songs from there new album “War Is the Answer.”

“This is going to be different since their new CD moves away from their old screaming style to more singing,” senior Kyle Hargrove said.

Out of the metal scene and into the more soothing music, there will be a Colbie Caillat concert with Howie Day featuring their new album “Sound the Alarm” on Oct. 9 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre.

“Colbie Caillat has a really soothing voice and her lyrics are really meaningful,” junior Kelsey Heilman said.

Lastly Cobra Starship will perform with Boys Like Girls and The Main n Pontiac on Nov. 14. “I’m really excited for it, because they’re one of my favorite bands, and I am looking forward to hearing ‘Good Girls Go Bad’ and ‘Guilty Pleasure’,” Pap said.

We’ve seen it before: the on-stage antics of hip/hop star Kanye West at award shows, where he has done nothing more than make himself the most unpopular person in show business.

It’s bad enough the rapper can’t take losing for his own video. During the 2006 MTV European Music Awards he stormed the stage making a huge scene after “Never be Alone” by Justice took home the best video award. But now he’s going after awards for other people.

He came out of no where and stole the microphone from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech for Best Female Video at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. What goes through his head before he does that?

“Taylor, I’m really happy for you. I’ll let you finish,” Kanye told an obviously stunned Swift. “But Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time, one of the best videos of all time.”

If you ever wanted to kill the moment for someone, this is how you do it. Not to mention that after he gave the mic back to Swift, her time was up, and she couldn’t finish her speech until later in the night after Beyonce won Best Video of the Year.

Beyonce graciously called Swift back to the stage, and Swifth was greeted by a standing ovation from the crowd.

West has since apologized on The Jay Leno Show for his actions, but his words fell on deaf ears for many. There isn’t much you can say after you steal the spotlight during an award you’re not even up for.

How concerned is he with fame? Really, now, when the president comes out and calls you a jackass, you’ve really done something stupid.

If he hasn’t gained enough negative attention yet, rumors about his new tour with Lady GaGa are circulating the tabloids. People speculate the tour, ironically entitled “Fame Kills”, would be delayed from the PR wreck West created

during the VMA’s but is now scheduled to continue from November through January, according mtv.com.

Hopefully West has learned a little a something, but I doubt it, about showing up to public appearances intoxicated. After his debacle in Europe, he blamed the incident on “a little sippy-sippy”, and the VMA’s were no exception as he was on the red carpet with a fifth of Hennessy in his hand.

There is also speculation that this VMA incident was a planned stunt by MTV to stir up controversy. All the media clips of the incident have been taken off sites like Youtube by MTVs parent company Viacom due to copyright. And I wouldn’t put this past MTV, knowing they’ve done something like this in the past when Sacha Baron Cohen, dressed as his character Bruno, dropped, butt in face, on top of Eminem during Mathers’ performance last year.

Looking closer at the evidence, you can see how a stunt like this benefits all those involved, except West who is just the jackass. Jay-Z, who was set to perform at the end of the show, told MTV he wouldn’t perform unless his wife, Beyonce, was made to look real good, and she was.

By calling Swift back up to finish her speech, she is now seen as the angel who saved the new girl.

So MTV got Jay-Z to perform, Beyonce looks humble, and the world falls in love with Swift. Possible set-up? Absolutely.

However, this time I see it a little differently. The sheer awkwardness on Swift’s face was a dead give away. If it was a pre-planned stunt, she obviously didn’t know a thing about

it. The way I look at this is simply Kanye being Kanye and making a fool of himself yet again because things didn’t go his way.

This most likely won’t be the time we see West’s name on the news for some kind of thoughtless behavior, but i guess that’s how he will be remembered. Rap-star, celebrity, idiot.

Steve Fergusonstaff writer

Summer/fall concerts provide variety of entertainment

VMA controversy shows Kanye’s egoDan Flowersentertainment editor

Kanye West steals the mic from Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Illustration by Gabe Altomare

photo from mtv.com/fair use

School nurse helps prepare for possible H1N1 outbreak

8 The RostrumSeptember, 2009 health

Illustration by Gabe Altomare, survey by Nck Baron

As Dexter Community Schools prepares for the up-coming flu season, district nurse Aileen Kernohan is keeping busy.

With several flu viruses expected to spread this season, Kernohan said there is a lot to be done. With the recent development of the H1N1 virus (swine flu), there is not only more to worry about but more to get ready for.

“We have a pandemic flu plan in effect, in coor-dinates with the Center for Disease Control and the State Health Department,” Kernohan said. “It’s very fluid, so there will always be a plan for different sce-narios.”

Parts of this district-wide plan include staff encour-agement to students to keep up good hygiene, letters and e-mails keeping parents informed, and custodians working to keep the schools extra clean.

“We’re also trying to insure that every classroom has Kleenex and hand sanitizers,” Kernohan said.

Another part of the plan that is new this year are the procedures when students leave school sick. Now, students will be given a half sheet of paper, remind-ing them of common symptoms associated with the flu and swine flu and tips to get better.

Also, in PowerSchool, instead of having an “E” placed in for excused attendance in classes, an “F” for flu will be placed instead.

“This will allow us to look in a single glance to see how many students are out sick,” Kernohan said, add-ing she hopes this will make the cases easier to track, rather then figuring them out from just excused ab-sences.

In the past, students and teachers have been able to get flu vaccines from private pediatricians, physi-

cians or clinics. However, the swine flu’s expected cir-culation will not allow everyone to receive the neces-sary shots.

The demand could lead to a long waiting list in Oc-tober and November for those not already on a prior-ity list according to Bridie Kent, a spokesperson for the Kent County Health Department.

This year, the district is providing an alternative dispensing site, where vaccines will be given out free to students and families who want them.

While the CDC and State Health Department both recommend students get both the flu and swine flu shots, Kernohan said it is a personal choice.

“It should be a decision that a family makes,” she said. “There are complications with both shots, as with any shot, but they do protect families from getting sicker than they normally would.”

Senior Cora McCugh gets her flu shot every year, as her doctor recommends.

“I’d rather get the shot than end up getting sick, “ McCugh says.

She said she is also preparing by purchasing hand sanitizers for her backpack.

“I went to Bath and Body Works and bought mini hand sanitizers at the five for five sale,” she said. “Now, I have five delicious hand sanitizers to help prevent me from getting sick. I’m trying to be extra careful and wash or sanitize my hands more often.”

In the meantime, the CDC has recommended some daily steps to help prevent the flu: cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap, avoid touching your face, and stay home if you develop any symptoms.

“For (high school) students, the key to staying healthy is really just boosting your immune system: getting adequate sleep, proper nutrition and using basic health precautions,” Kernohan said. “Really, truly, by practicing good hygiene and taking care of your health goes a long way to protect you from get-ting sick.”

• Ifavaccineforswinefluismade,areyougoingtogetvaccinated?599total 275 Yes 219 No 105 Maybe,butIamscaredofneedles• Ifyourfriendcontractedswineflu,wouldyouvisithim/her?543total 206 Yes,Iamagoodperson 116 Yes,onlyiftheyarewearingamask 221 No,Idon’twantswineflu

• Istheretoomuchhypegoingonabouttheswineflu?578total 457 Yes,themediaisgoingcrazy 121 No,itisaseriousissue

•Doyoupracticegoodhygiene?575total 23 No,Irarelywashmyhands 380 Yes,Iamalwayswashingmyhandsorusingsanitizer 142 Sometimes,butittakessolongtowashwell 30 WhenI’mnotwashingmyhands,I’mthinkingaboutit

District prepares for flu season

Custodian Maria Mast cleams off a DHS door handle. Custodians say they have been extra vigilant in cleaning door handles and tables to help prevent the spread of viruses this fall.

Convienient flu shots offeredMatt Liberskystaff writer

Lauren Gardnerstaff writer

For many, fall comes with a flu shot. Whether you're absolutely terrified of needles or completely indifferent, going to a clinic to get the annual shot can be inconvenient.

However, in an attempt to solve that prob-lem, Huron Valley Ambulance is offering drive-through flu shots at their office.

The shots will be administered in HVA ga-rages by HVA paramedics and Washtenaw County Health Department workers, outside their office on 1200 State Circle, Ann Arbor. They will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 10.The program is available to anyone 18 or

older, but as always, those over 50, health care workers and those with chronic illnesses are especially encouraged to receive the shot.

Many pharmacies are also offering walk-in clinics.

Walgreens is offering shots for $25 at all of their locations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also, the CVS location at 2100 W. Stadium is offer-ing vaccinations to anyone 9-years-old or older from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 6.

Photo by Sarah Breuninger

Swine flu survey