May 27, 2010 VOLUME III ISSUE 9 DEXTER HIGH SCHOOL 2200 N. PARKER ROAD DEXTER, MI 48130

TheRostrum

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Photos by Candice Wiesner & Stella Rodriguez

As the senior class departs for plans outside of Dexter High School, The Squall gives the senior class four words of advice: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish”. As the road ahead of you has no boundaries, remain focused and thrive off learning but re-member your youth. See page 4 and 5 for more senior memories and advice.

2 trendsThursday, May 27, 2010

Cornerstone

Class of 2010: what’s hot from then to now

Boat shoes seen as seasons change

Caitlyn Rize

trends editor

Er in McAweeney

blog editor

Everyone wants to make a good first impression and it’s a widely known fact that a girl can use one glance at a guy’s shoes to define him as a person.

Senior Stefan Elslager said boat shoes are the way to go. “My shoes say I’m ready to mingle,” Elslager said.

The sneaker-dress shoe hybrid is joining the ranks of controversial shoes worn by high school students along with Uggs, Crocs and moccasins. Elslager owns a pair of moccasins as well, but said his boat shoes are his favorite.

“They’re the everyday walking shoes,” he said.In the halls, the presence of boat shoes, also known as

deck shoes, are becoming more apparent, and surprisingly the trendy footwear is being sported mostly by boys. Elslager said that he was not the first of his friends to own boat shoes.

Senior Lauren Gardner could be considered a shoe enthusiast, owning boat shoes, Uggs, Crocs and moccasins. “Some people call me a trendsetter,” Gardner said when asked about her fashionable shoes.

For Gardener it’s all about the functionality of the shoes however, “They’re comfortable and stylish,” she said.

Like Elslager, Gardner was first introduced to the shoes by friends. “When I first saw them I liked them; they looked comfortable.”

The shoes exude a preppy, Hampton summer get-away feel, and as summer approaches, more people are vying for the boat shoe over a classic flip-flop for beach visits. “They’re a good alternative to sandals. They’re all season wear,” Gardner said.

While one can imagine the footwear being paired with a polo and khaki pants, the growing trend can be found with a more casual outfit. Elslager prefers his with khaki shorts but said, “They go with anything.”

The most popular brand of boat shoes is Sperry Top-Sider, the self-proclaimed creator of boat shoes. In 1935, Paul Sperry combined a white soul with a moccasin upper to create the $100 innovation. Seventy-five years later boat shoes are now ranging from $39.95 to $435.

Dexter High School

Mill Creek

BatesTa

magac

his

Boy Ban

ds

Razor

Scoote

rs

Milk

Bag

s

“Wish

bone”

The Trai

n & Sp

ider

Americ

an

Girl D

olls

“Old

School”

Nickel

odeon

Pokemon

Creekside

Arthur

Beanie

Babies

Limit

ed T

oo

Gameboy C

olor

Lunchab

les

Whee

lies

Spongeb

ob

Squar

epan

ts

4-Squar

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Lizz

ie M

cGuire

Harry P

otter

Spik

ey H

air

Disney

Chan

nel

“orig

inal

movies

”

Crocs

Uggs

Napole

on

Dynamit

eiP

ods

Xanga’s

NOW C

D’s

Neope

ts

AOL: AIM

“Avat

ar”

iTouch &

iPad

Faceb

ook &

Twit

ter

Emo &

Goth

Cliq

ues Senio

ritis

XBox 360

- C.O

.D.

Everyone sprinted

outside to make claims either

on the spider or the train at recess.

A classic,

educational television show

for young children.

You could feed your pet

with the click of a miniature button. Awesome.

“Hey Arnold”, “Doug”, “All

That”, “The Amanda Show”, and

Rocko’s Modern Life”.

Save the hundreds

you have in the closet. One

day they’ll be worth millions.

For those days mom

was just too tired to pack your lunch.

Classic hybrid between shoes

and roller skates- Perfect for quick and

easy mobilization.

“Johnny Tsunami”,

“Brink”, and “Zenon: Girl of the

21st Century”.

Every kid wanted to be the first in

the king square. The most competitive,

intense game on the playground.

Every day we would

run home to get online and talk to

the friends we just left 20 minutes ago.

Most people are

embarrassed to admit they had a

Neopet, but the games were just so fun.

Thank you Steve Jobs for providing the

most technologically advanced/future-forward technology to our school.

Common side-effects include

procrastination, lack of motivation and

diminishing attendance.

Consumed the lives of

senior boys since the beginning of

their sophomore year.

Along with this trend was the daily sacrifice the

seniors made to the emo/goths sitting under

the stairs at lunch.

3get involvedThursday, May 27, 2010

Freshman Nick King doesn’t just hear from complaining parents at home. He also hears from them at home plate.

King is a new umpire for both baseball and softball in Dexter’s Minor and Major Leagues. The Minor League is for third and fourth graders, while the Major League is for fifth and sixth graders.

“It’s a new experience for me, and I know I make mistakes, so I do not take it personally,” King said of the criticism he recieves as an umpire.

King is not alone. Sophomore Ryan Kimball also gets critiqued on a regular basis at his umpiring job but says the key is keeping his composure and staying calm when making calls behind home plate.

“People will usually question calls, but you have to act professional,” he said. “No matter what, parents and coaches will always disagree because the calls will be going against one side or the other.”

In particular, Kimball was involved in an argument with a coach when it was his first time behind the plate.

“The coach was angry because the pitcher threw a strike, even though I had already called time for the batter,” he said. Kimball said he made the right call and there was nothing he could do about it.

“The batter called time and I gave it to him, although the pitcher did not see it,” he said.

With the difficult responsibilities behind the plate, King however, prefers umpiring in the outfield. He said being behind home plate can be too much pressure, and making calls in the outfield relieves some of that stress.

“Umping in the outfield is easier, and I don’t get criticized as much,” King said. “It’s less stressful and you make fewer mistakes.”

Although the two are criticized by parents and coaches, both say they enjoy the job and the money that comes along with it.

Umpires are paid based on what type of game they are officiating. If it is a Major League game, King and Kimball will receive $25. If the two umpire a Minor League game, the price per game is $20.

Umpires have flexibility when it comes to working as well. They contact chief umpire, parent Charlie Gagne, and let him know their availability. Based on their schedules with extracurricular activities and school, their days to umpire will fit accordingly.

In King’s opinion, the money and the flexibility are the biggest incentives in umping. “I like the money,” he said, “I’m going to spend it on food, clothes and other things,”

Kimball agrees but said he plans to save the money until his birthday. “I turn 16 this summer, and I’ll need money to buy a black Ford Escape so this job helps out,” Kimball said.

Although the umpires are sometimes criticized by parents, coaches and even players from time to time, they only learn from it.

“You develop a pretty tough skin,” Kimball said. “At first it’s heartbreaking (hearing the parents complain), but after that you get used to it.”

Learning new rules, patience and confidence are just some of the things that King has learned since umpiring baseball and softball games.

He said, “I’ve learned many things about the game, and it has given me more confidence in my calls.”

Dave LaMore

assistant opinions editor

I’ve done some good things. I’ve done some funny things. I’ve done some things I should have gotten in a lot of trouble for. I’ve done some things I have gotten in a lot of trouble for. I’ve done some bad things (namely an entire week recently spent in Mexico), and along the way I’ve had only a couple regrets.

With it all, I like to think I have done it up big, and I have had a damn good run in my 18 years of life. And as a new chapter for me begins, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has made my life everything it is.

Thank you Mom and Dad, for birthing the amazing, rare, wonderful, creative, intelligent, loving and beautiful human being that is me. Thanks for giving me everything I could have ever wished for and more.

Thanks for always being there for me. And thanks for giving me a great life and the opportunity to have an even greater one.

Thank you friends, for everything. I am not going to give you each an individual shout-out. You don’t need it. You have the stories, and you know who you are.

Thank you, Zachary Lindke, Daniel Quinn and Ishmael, for showing me a new way to view the world. Even though you twisted, turned and screwed my brain in unimaginable ways, thanks.

Thank you, Annalise. You kind of suck sometimes, but you’re still an alright sister. I guess.

Thank you nurses, doctors and heart surgeons at St. Joe’s Hospital who saved my dad’s life when he got sick last spring.

Thank you, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for my senior spring break and the greatest week of my life.

Thank you, Jamie Dudash, for being the most motivational and inspirational coach I have ever had the pleasure of performing under. You made the hardest thing

I have ever done, running cross-country for a nationally-ranked team, into an athletic and life experience. And even though I left you for Friday night lights at Al Ritt, you made an impact on my athletic career and my life.

Thank you Camp Michigania, for giving me a week to look forward to every summer.

Thank you, Cheryl Wells, for being crazy and for being crazy awesome. You’re a woman who does the impossible on a daily basis, and I have no idea how you have any time for bathroom breaks, eating, sleeping or breathing.

Thank you, Rodney Satterthwaite. You taught me about journalism in Intro., and you have let me write for the amazing publication known as The Squall for the past two years. Not only have you made me a better writer, but more importantly you have shown me that if you find something you truly love, go for it.

You love journalism, you teach and spread journalism on a daily basis, and you are one of the happiest and funniest people I know. You showed me that “do something you love and happiness will follow,” is a truthful cliché.

Thank you, Kit Moran. You are an awesome principal who always puts the kids first. I can’t say anything besides these last four years wouldn’t have been nearly what they were without you.

Thank you Randy Swoverland. I know you despise The Squall so you will probably never see this, but thanks.

Thank you Mrs. M. I would try and spell your last name, but my attempt wouldn’t do you justice. You are a funny, intelligent and inspiring person. Thanks for being a teacher I will never forget.

Thank you lunch ladies, specifically for stromboli and more specifically for always being able to make me smile.

Thank you Madame Lund, just for being you.

I have loved my life up to this point. Let’s hope I continue to love my life for the rest of my life.

I didn’t hit everyone or everything in this list and so for everyone above and for everyone I missed, thank you everyone for everything.

Students umpire little leagueTh

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, fo

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hing

Alexander Dobbsget-involved editor

Photo by Marshall KellenbergerPlay Ball: Sophomore Tucker Whitley umpires a Little League softball game from behind the plate. Stu-dents who ump say they earn money and learn valuable lessons about dealing with conflict.

4 the spreadThursday, May 27, 2010 5the spread

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Many seniors plan to further their education in college. It’s the next big step after the four years in high school. And often this future university is close to home.

As for Liam Donevan, he chose to take a different route--in Canada. Donevan is attending McGill University located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the world’s top 25 most research-intensive universities.

Founded in 1821, McGill is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It has over 34,000 students, with international students comprising one-fifth of the student population.

According to Donevan, it’s about a 10-11 hour drive, located at the foot of Mount Royal in downtown Montreal. With almost 20 percent of its students coming from 160 countries around the globe, McGill has the most internationally diverse student body of any medical-doctoral university in Canada.

Donevan is now a part of the diverse student body and got there by getting a 30 on his ACT and having a 3.7 GPA.

He could probably get into just about any school in Michigan, not to mention in the

nation. But why not get the education towards home?

“I want to go (to college in Canada) because it is a really good school, and it’s in a great location that you just can’t find in the US,” Donevan said. “It’s in one of the coolest cities in the world.”

Along with the great location, Donevan chose this school because it is one of the best public schools in the world. According to the school website, “Montreal is lively,

s o p h i s t i c a t e d , fun and affordable. With an international r e p u t a t i o n for academic e x c e l l e n c e , McGill offers i n n o v a t i v e , flexible and interdisciplinary programs.”

But for Donevan it came

down to what school was the best for him. “When I went there for a tour in April, it just felt like a good fit, definitely a place that I would want to be,” he said.

Plus Canadian tuition is quite a bit cheaper than in-state tuition at most schools in Michigan which he said helped him make his decision. And he’s sure of it. He said, “I’m confident I made the right decision.”

Donevan leaves country for college

Senior Poll (based on 145 responses)What was the most memorable thing

about senior year?

Jessica Deljevicstaff writer

What types of trends will you remember?

If you could describe senior year in one word what would it be?

Football gamesObama Visiting Ann

ArborAP Classes

Harry Potter promAlex Everneeeeee

Senior SurvivorHomecoming

St. Patrick’s DaySpring Break

Luke Hattie falling at

the assemblyMovies filmed here/ David Schwimmer

Tour De DexterMosh Pit

Jeff Dinser breaking his finger at the

assemblyGore-illaz

Finally realizing we get to leave

Skinny jeansLeggingsSweats

Big shirtsUgg boots/ shoes

PlaidJustin Bieber

Converse shoesRobot Unicorn

Attack“Glee”

Color streaks in hair

V-cut shirtsShants

Being lazyPeacoats on boys

“Alice in Wonderland”Classic Pizza

ThursdayTouch phones

Hot messMediocreChaotic

RankshnuffAwesomeAmazing

EpicCrazyBlah

ParadoxicalUmtameable

UnbelievableRidiculous

FakeFreshPartyHolla

EnergeticTubularClassyLongNice

Once senior Aaron Schantz goes to West-ern Michigan University, he will be joining the 370 year history of our country’s National Guard.

He will drill one week out of every month during his time at Western.

The National Guard has been deployed in almost all of the major United States wars and conflicts and Schantz is more than happy to join with pride.

And Principal Kit Moran said military ser-vice can be a good option for some students.

“For some it’s not a bad choice,” he said. “I think for some students it is a viable op-tion,” adding he thinks every student should get at least a two-year education beyond high

school. Counselor Gerry Holmes also said Schantz

choice is one that can benefit many students. “I think the ad-

vantages in the mili-tary are that students can get prepared,” she said. “They have a chance to grow and be independent yet still have the neces-sities paid for. It can give students a sense of belonging that they might not get in high school or after college.”

For Schantz, enrolling for National Guard duty was a chance to serve. “I thought it sounded like a good opportunity,” he said.

The economy has not been kind to recently college graduates and the military offers for-mal job education and on-the-job experience.

Once soldiers have fin-ished training, there is a guaranteed job waiting for them, which Holmes said many students like.

“It’s a good way for (students) to earn a col-lege education if they are uncertain they are ready or able for college,” she said, “Sometimes students may also go in because of family issues, and the service may

seem inviting to them.” Holmes said any student waiting to enroll

in the armed services needs at least a high school diploma.

Applicants have to pass the A.S.V.A.B. Test to be looked at for service as well.

Although Schantz will be getting a civilian job after he graduates college, he said he will continue to serve his country in the National Guard.

“I’ll probably be deployed either to Af-ghanistan or to Iraq,” Schantz said.

But he said he is not too worried about go-ing; he is willing to serve the nationand he will have graduated from Western Michigan University by then and will have a job ready for him at home.

The other benefit of military service, Schantz said is employers will often give extra consideration to someone who has the lead-ership, productivity and commitment skills that the military will provide.

For all these reasons, he said, “I am happy to do what it takes for my country.”

“ I’m confident I made the right decision.”

Liam Donevan, senior

It’s finally here. The one thing we have all

been yearning for from the start of the school

year: summer. And while the rest of the school

will have to get up each morning at the crack

of dawn, study for their little math tests and

do homework sheet after homework sheet, we

seniors will be able to sleep until noon and do

what we want.

Sounds like uber fun for them, doesn‘t it?

So while the rest of the high school is sitting in

class (suckers), I have devised a list of things for

us to do since we’re now officially on summer

break.

Floating down the Huron--There’s nothing

better than grabbing a group of your friends

together on a hot day, grabbing a few tubes and

going floating down the river. It’s relaxing and

is bound to be a good time. But watch out for

the drunks. They’ll getcha

Cedar Point-- While most of get to go to

Sandusky for our senior trip, no matter how

many times you ride the Dragster and get hung

upside by the Raptor, it never gets old. Not to

mention, taking the trip down to northern Ohio

with your friends and blaring ridiculous music

never gets old either.

Grad party hopping—The month of

June and even the beginning of July is full of

graduation after graduation party. Not only do

they give you something to each weekend, but

they are an excellent way to hang out with some

friends before they leave for college. So don’t be

a party pooper. Go to grad parties.

Shaving cream the juniors cars--So we’re

done with school, and the junior class is still

sitting in their 70 minute classes. So why don’t

we all venture back to the school and have a

little fun with their cars? Plus, we can get back

at the ones we’re not so fond of by writing “X” in

car marker. Sound like a good idea? I think yes.

But in reality, I’m just kidding … maybe.

Things to do when you’re bored

Sarah Akbarifardblog editor

National Guard provides post-graduation opportunity

Ali Kr ips

staff writer

Jack Nixon

staff writer

“ I thought it sounded like a good opportunity.”

Aaron Shantz, senior

2009-2010Steve Ferguson

staff writer

Highlights

Swine flu- In mid 2009 the swine flu pandemic spread across the world. On Nov. 19, 65 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine had been administered. At the end of the pandemic, 622,482 peo-ple were infected by the flu ,and 14,286 had died from it.

School dances- Some parents started complaining about the way students were dancing. They said students’ dancing styles were inappropriate and rules should be made to fix the problem. Because administrators began enforcing these rules such as no grinding or no dancing front to back, at-tendance at the dances dropped significantly.

Haiti earthquake- Jan. 12, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti kill-ing 230,000 people, injuring 300,000 and making 1 mil-lion homeless. Also approxi-mately 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed and were severely damaged.

Health care- U.S. govern-ment passes a universal healthcare bill.

Clean Up DHS blog- On March 22, 2010 anonymous community members creat-ed an anti-Squall blog. The blog criticized articles that were written in the news-paper and asked for more administrative oversight of the paper.

Volcano erupts- The Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupts on April 14, 2010 causing ash clouds to cover Iceland and spread to Europe. The ash clouds also caused thousands of flight delays.

1. Stay up for at least 72 hours straight. Rumor is you start to hallucinate after that amount of time.

2. Work out. Gotta look good for them college honeys.

3. Go floating down the river. Don’t stop until you reach Florida.

4. Get a job. If you want to have any spending money in college without doing anything illegal, you should find work.

5. Experiment. Labs, new people, etc.

1. Get arrested. Jail is not fun.

2. Take college classes. If I have to explain why, then you can’t be helped.

3. Go to bed early. Stay up until at least 5 a.m. every day, weekends until 7.

4. Experiment with crystal meth. Drugs are bad ... mmmkay?

5. Eat fast food every day. You will become fat and broke, quickly.

B CA

6 puzzleThursday, May 27, 2010

Can you match these old photos to current seniors?

answers: 1D, 2E, 3F, 4A, 5B, 6C

D E F

65

DON’TDO

During your senior summer . . . Nick Baron

Staff Writer

2 3

4

1

Photos by Ross Chamberlain

Jesse Clafl in M allorie Br yant Jake G il l is

Carol ine Buck ley M argaux Emp ey Henr y Haley

with two. Joey King and Marshall Kellenberger and I will spare no details on the final decision. Marshall at the beginning of this year you were crowned assistant to the uPage editor, where you literally were nonexistent I had more help from the lifeless and deflated sparty in the corner of the room than you. Many of your 5x5’s were humorous and controversial but here at the squall and especially the uPage we are all about quality. Which brings me to the final candidate and the most worthy. Joey King who I am pretty sure has never written on the uPage before so I figured why not start next year. So on that note next year the uPage editor will be... Marshall. It came down to how I would approach voting for a president. “ Who do I think would suck the least”. Enjoy Marshall and keep the uPage alive, never give in the angry parents. McCarthy out.

5X5The Great Randy Swoverland.

Does napping count?

Mrs. Walter’s Power Points, because a two hour class with them actually making us work would have been impossible to get through.

PlayingDexter football.

Front Page Issues with Parker. Duh.

Get out of the way.

Establish your dominance early; throw someone.

Do not park in the visitor section. Ever.

Don’t be a smarta-- to the upper-classmen.

Be nice to Connie.

Anything that ever happened in Mrs. Schmid’s.

See my last answer.

I wish I would’ve been able to wake up in time for Key Club.

Go back to freshman year and change everything.

No comment.

I’ll be back. It’s been fun, but I’m glad it’s over.

Salutations! See ya! Thank God it’s over.

Who is the favorite teacher you’ve had at DHS?

What is your favorite memory of DHS?

Any advice for upcom-ing fresh-men?

If you could’ve done one thing differently in your last four years, what would it be?

Any last words for the school?

Mor

gan

Dav

is (1

2)

Hua

zhi Z

hong

(12)

Kati

e Fr

aham

mer

(12)

Ben

Schu

ltz

(12)

&QAwith custodian

Maria Mast

Aaron Gilman

staff writer

[ ]Marshall Kellenberger

assistant uPage editor

Tom

my

Tann

er (1

2)A new uPage king is crowned

Q: What do you prefer? A) Garbage B) Trash C) Rubbish D) WasteA: Garbage.

Q: If you had one word to describe your job what would it be?A: Babysitter.

Q: What do you call those gray bins with the open tops?A: Trash cans.

Q: What would you do if the trash cans didn’t have wheels?A: Push it.

Q: Does the garbage ever get heavy?A: Yes.

Q: What would you do if a kid refuses to throw away garbage?A: Spanking.

Q: Where does the garbage go?A: Outside.

Q: Why do you call Parker Latshaw a baby?A: He looks like a baby. He leaves doodie on the table. He looks like my 4-year-old son.

Q: What would you like to say to the class of 2010?A: Hasta la vista, baby.

7uPageThursday, May 27, 2010

Parker for sure.s e n i o r

Definitely Mr. Grannis.

Tie between Dudash, Riethmiller and Parker.

I guess I wish I would’ve tried other sports.

Photos byRoss Chamberlain

Yes, it is very sad, but my time as uPage editor has come to an end. And the most important part of my leaving, is picking a successor who can try to fill my shoes. The task seems impossible, and it most likely is. But I can only hope someone will be worthy enough.

Looking at the cast of hopefuls, I am not optimistic for the future of the uPage. I see four potential candidates: Marshall Kellenberger, Joey King, Emily Pap and last and certainly least Kevin Skiver.

Before I start the process, I would like to share the job the uPage editor entails. You must read every article on the uPage, even scanning for grammatical errors but, reading to see if it is funny.

If it is, then you leave it alone and say, “Well done. This is funny.”

Then sometimes you come across the article or 5x5 that just is not funny. As the uPage editor, it is your voice that must write on that article, “This is not in the least bit funny. I got physically sick after reading this piece. Redo the whole article and make this somewhat respectable.” The point is to be easy with your comments. Don’t hurt the writers feelings. That’s about all uPage editor entails, absolute page perfection.

To be honest the elimination process was an easy decision. Emily, the tribe has spoken. You are a good writer, but you would have been

just awful as the uPage editor. I hate being the one who crushes everyones hopes and dreams, but I have a job to do.

Next up for elimination Kevin Skiver. You won the Madden Tournament early on this year. Seeing how video games are my kind of my thing, that left me with a bad vibe towards you. This is my greatest joy and maybe my most proud statement as a writer. Kevin Skiver you

will not be the next great uPage editor.Oh, how the tables have turned. I am

left with two. Joey King and Marshall Kellenberger, I will spare no details on the final decision. Marshall, at the beginning of this year you were crowned assistant to the uPage editor, where you literally were non-existent. I had more help from the lifeless and deflated Sparty in the corner of the room than you. Many of your 5x5s were humorous and controversial, but here at The Squall and especially the uPage, we are all about quality.

Which brings me to the final candidate and the most worthy. Joey King has never

written on the uPage before so I figured why not start next year. So on that note next year the uPage editor will be ... Kellenberger. It came down to how I would approach voting for a president: who do I think would suck the least? Enjoy, Marshall, and keep the uPage alive. God knows we are the only page keeping this ship afloat. McCarthy out.

Probably Mrs. Bauer.

Ian McCarthyuPage editor

8 artsThursday, May 27, 2010

“Naturally”By: Selena GomezWhy: “Selena’s hair is like ... ”

Lauren Daughertyco-photo-editor

“Shine Blockers”By: Big Boi Featuring Gucci ManeWhy: “Because they can’t block my shine.”

Alex Everardco-editor-in-chief

“I Wish You Were Here” By: IncubusWhy: “I can’t even explain how much meaning this song has to me. So many memories I wish I had back.”

Dan Flowersarts/entertainment editor

“Stir it Up” By: Bob Marley Why: “If you’ve had a rough week or you’re just feeling down, this is the song to release your in-ner butterflies.”

Alex Dobbsget involved editor

Life is a lot like a book. Each chapter leads to the next, and every tale is different from the one it’s next too. We are all the authors of own stories, choosing different themes, characters and settings in which to live our lives.

But for the last four years we’ve all shared common ground within the walls of DHS. For lack of a better phrase, we’ve been dipping in each others ink. Some passages have been friendly notes, love poems or even hate mail. No matter what has been written down, it’s with us for life.

So here we are now. The school year draws closer to an end and I, as well as the rest of the class of 2010, have yet to grasp the reality of our situation.

For the last 12 years of our lives we have ended the year the same: counting down the days awaiting our three months of summer freedom, only to find ourselves coming right back in the fall, to the same place with the same people. But everything is about to change.

Principal Kit Moran’s voice will come over the p.a. today to dismiss the senior class. We’ll walk out of the school too excited and oblivious to really think about the inevitable that is falling upon us. It’s over.

Everything we are used to and comfortable with is going to change: our daily routines, surroundings and most of all our friends.

Yes, the same crowd of people that over the duration of the last four years has been there for you. Through all the awkward firsts, young romances, unforgettable moments, the ridiculous high school drama, and the crazy times you wish you could relive every day, everything will just be a memory.

Now, this isn’t meant to be a depressing “we’re-all-leaving,-I’m-so-sad” type of deal. Far from it. What happened is over but never forget it.

Keep all the memories with you, remembering everything you have done and all the good times when things get rough.

Think back to the days when people actually went to dances (yes,

they used to be awesome) and Friday nights in a packed student section at Al Ritt field.

Bring mistakes from the past with you and what you learned from them, but don’t be afraid to make more.

Let the whole high school experience and everyone who impacted your life stay with you and shape your opportunities.

Most of us will be departing from Dexter next fall, and as depressing as it may sound, graduation will probably be the last time we all see each other. The way I see it, though, with technology constantly progressing and texting becoming the social norm for conversation, we’ll be able to stay in contact with those people we actually want to talk to.

Not to mention we’ll be seeing all the annoying status updates from those of us who become Facebook addicts. Unfortunately, I’m sure there.. will be more than a few.

In three months, all of us who are going off to college are going to have the one thing we’ve been waiting for since the first time we were grounded, sent to our room or put in time out. Independence from our parents.

We’re on own, but with freedom comes great responsibility. No more doing homework to get mom off your back or reminders from dad about the early class on Tuesdays. The only person we have to account for is ourself.

College is supposed to be the time of our lives. New places, new faces, later classes and a whole lot more free time. I’m sure if they could, our parents would give just about anything to go back and re-live their glory days.

But they can’t, and when we’re done, neither can we. Which is why we need to make the most of the time we have. Because as cliche as it sounds, every second counts.

But, we’re not gone yet. We can see the future on the horizon but we still stand in the present with three months of summer ahead of us. So, I say to fellow classmates, of all the unforgettable times we’ve had, let’s make this summer stand out.

We have three months until we load the cars, until the good-byes, until the next chapter and our stories branch out. But before we start filling in the blank pages ahead of us and any of that can start, an ending to the reign of X needs to be written in the metaphorical book that is our lives.

“Madder Red” By: YesayerWhy: “Yesayer will reclaim the throne from MGMT for the kings of psychedelic music.”

Max Berryco-news editor

Many students await Rothbury each year like a small child waiting for Santa. So when officials announced that there would be no festival this summer, music lovers everywhere got a feeling even worse than finding coal in their stocking.

According to event producers, timing was the issue. Due to various artists recording and tour schedules, coordinators of the event weren’t able to pull it off. But don’t fret, they also said Rothbury will is very likely making a comeback in 2011.

Even with the absence of Rothbury this summer, there is still a plethora of good, live music to see around

the country. Whatever your music tastes may be, there’s something for you.

Top of the Park will be returning this year June 18- July 11. This is a way to discover some lesser- known local bands including Yoshi, Funktion, The Sun Messengers, The Saints of Soul and many more.

Ticket prices come in a wide range of prices depending on where you want to sit and who you are seeing. Some events are even free.

In addition to live music, Top of the Park also includes an assortment of other attractions ranging from yoga class to face painting.

If you’re looking to see all your favorite bands in one place, and don’t mind a little road trip, Lollapalooza is perfect. It will be going on Aug. 6-8 at Grant Park in

Chicago. The line up this year is amazing. With

acts ranging across all genres including: MGMT, Spoon, Lady Gaga, Slightly Stoopid, Matt and Kim and B.o.B. Tickets are already on sale and sell for $215.

It’s a little pricey, but worth it. A three- day pass gets you in to see all the bands. If you have a little extra money to throw around, you can purchase a VIP pass for $850.

VIP passes include unlimited access to the Lolla Lounges, VIP golf cart shuttles between lounges, viewing platforms on the main stages, Specialty drinks served all day, catered food, mini spa treatments and reserved private bathrooms.

While neither of these may be able to fill the void Rothbury has left, they are worthy substitutes.

“Wavin’ Flag (World Cup Remix)”By: K’naanWhy: “An inspiring song that gets me PUMPED for the summer.”

Kevin Yarowssports editor

Staff Playlist

Photos by Ross Chamberlain

Nicole Minzey

Staff Writer

It's time to live life

Summer alternatives to Rothbury

Dan Flowersarts/entertainment editor