The Viking Voice

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:17:27 +0000

Photos from the Class of 2010 Commencement are available at our Flickr page! Check it out! More to come!

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Texting and driving illegal in Michigan

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:42:48 +0000

DANGEROUS CONVERSATION: People who text while driving are 23 times more likely to get into a crash than drivers who were not distracted.

As of today, texting while driving is illegal in 22 states and that number keeps growing. This new law was first proposed when texting and driving became an issue, for especially teen drivers.

“Driving and texting is really dangerous. I know some people who do it, and [I don’t like] what they do,” said Junior Tou Her.

According to http://www.goodhandscommunity.org/ Michigan now will enforce the law starting July 1, 2010, this law will ban text messaging and e-mailing while driving. The fines for the offence are expected to be $100 for first offense and $200 for each offense after that. However, there will be no point addition to the license, yet Michigan’s law does not ban using a cell phone to make calls while driving.

Yet others do not think texting and driving is a big deal.

“I think texting [while driving] is not a big deal, as long as you are careful,” said junior Alan Yang.

http://www.seattletimes.nwsource.com states that texting laws are effective in other states. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, signed the bill on September 24th, 2008. The bill “Prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication.” The law requires drivers to use hands-free devices. As for drivers under 18, they are not allowed to use cell phones at all. Since July 2009, the California Highway Patrol issued 45000 citations. The fines are $76 for first offence and $175 for subsequent offences.

Most of the states that banned texting do not allow drivers under 18 to use cell phone at all.

“I think texting while driving is dangerous. I would never do that. Even my parents tell me not to do it,” said junior Jennifer Cayon.

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Viking Voice shines at awards ceremony

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:34:26 +0000

The Viking Voice newspaper staff took home nine individual awards, and a Spartan, the top award in the state, at the recent Spring journalism conference.

After a year filled with after-school work sessions, stressful deadlines, and dedicated teamwork, the Viking Voice staff got to see their work rewarded last month.

On May 30, the staff attended the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) spring awards conference. This year, the paper received nine individual awards, a Spartan award for online newspaper, and a silver award for the print edition.

“I am so proud of my staff,” said newspaper adviser Chad Sanders. “This is the most awards we’ve ever taken home. These guys rock.”

The awards ceremony, held at the Lansing Center, was attended by thousands of middle and high school students from across the state. 84 schools entered in 35 categories that ranged from writing and design to photography and video. In the individual races, 3,226 students were entered.

The nine awards include a First Place for junior Ciara Carter in the Opinion Page Spread category.

“When they called my name, I didn’t really realize it at first,” said Carter. “Then I looked over and Mr. Sanders was giving me an excited thumbs-up, and I knew something had happened.”

The surprise of the conference was the Spartan Award for the online newspaper, myvikingvoice.com. The site was created in December, and has been gaining viewers ever since. A Spartan is the association’s highest honor for an online paper; only two other schools in the state took home a Spartan for online newspapers.

“The Web is the future of journalism,” said Sanders. “It allows us to publish immediately, not have to wait for the next issue to cover a story.”

Sanders added that next year, he would like to see myvikingvoice.com add weekly updates, and daily sports scores.

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Annual EV social studies trip educational, enriching

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:30:22 +0000

Sophomore Pedro Alvarez and US History teacher Lothar Konietzko check out the sights in New York’s Times Square.

While most students were counting down the minutes to freedom the week before spring break, 50 of our Everett students were walking the streets of New York City.

Every year the social studies department puts together a field trip for students last year, they traveled to Washington DC.

The students were required to pay a fee of $375 dollars. The payment covered the cost of the bus, breakfast every day, Broadway tickets, and other daily expenses. Fundraisers were done by the students in order to help pay for their trip, by selling coupon books worth $20 dollars apiece, for each booklet they sold $10 dollars was contributed to the trip.

Students visited the American Museum of Natural History, the museum in which A Night at the Museum was filmed. While most students enjoyed the many exhibits of the museum, one student said his most memorable moment came after they left from there.

“[My most memorable moment from the trip was] when the two girls almost got left at the museum, it was the funniest thing ever,” said Sophomore Pedro Alviarez.

The Broadway show, In the Heights starting Corbin Bleu, better known as Chad form The High School Musical was for some the most exciting experience “I liked the show a lot,” said sophomore Kani Cadwell, “it was really good and fun. I especially liked that we got to see Corbin Bleu.”

The students also went to the Apollo Theater for “Amateur Night.” They got to see young talented people sing, dance, speak, and play instruments. They also got the chance to see Dru Hill.

“I loved the live performances and how everything you see on TV is really how things are,” said junior Chantel Dedrick.

Even though there were many things the students enjoyed, Times Square seemed to be many students’ favorite part of the whole trip. They were able to see all the buildings lit up at night as they walked down Broadway Street, Times Square, Wall Street, Madison Avenue, and Fifth Avenue.

“[I loved] all the stores, lights and people,” said Dedrick.

The trip was nothing like the group expected. They said that seeing New York City in movies is one thing, but actually being there and seeing things that they’ve seen on TV really made an impact on them.

“Overall, the trip was something to remember,” said sophomore Taylor Deberry. “I’ve always wanted the chance to go to New York. To experience that with all my friends just made the trip even better, it’ll be something to cherish.

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Senior Prom goes ‘Beyond the Stars’

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:37:14 +0000

Prom of 2010 is a month away. This years event will be hosted at the Kellogg Center on Michigan State University campus inEast Lansing. The theme is “Beyond the stars”.

“Prom is actually a mixture of two different themes that include Hollywood and Starry nights,” said senior class presidentDuVonna Bonilla. “Everyone should be satisfied and it will look great.”

Tickets for prom were originally $40 a person, with no couple prices.

The breakdown of the ticket price is $22.50 which is for the room, food and drinks, $3 for the DJ, $4 for the decorations, and $10 for pictures which includes one keychain, two 8×10 pictures and a flash drive to download 50 of your choice pictures from Life Touch’s online website within the next day.

With pictures being included in tickets, different packages will be available for purchase.

Last Friday a senior class meeting was held to confront the rumors that were going around, and complaints about the price of the tickets.

Few seniors were complaining about how the prom ticket included the pictures, which seniors did not get to vote for. During the class meeting, the option of tickets being lowered to $30 (not including pictures), with a show of hands, majority ruled to keep prices as is.

The announcement of couple prices for $70 excited many seniors. Couples who already purchased tickets separately, can go see senior class advisor Jim Allen to receive their $10 in return.

Prices will remain the same with no inflation after the date of April 15th. Allen stated that there will be a set date where tickets will no longer be on sale, that information will be announced as soon as possible.

Tickets are available to purchase from Bonilla, senior class treasurer Leslie Runyon, senior class president Katarina Johnson or Allen. Tickets are also sold during all lunch periods.

Prom of 2010 is still a senior prom only. Juniors or underclassmen can only attend if invited. Students from other schools can attend with a guest permit filled out and approved by both administrations. The age limit for guests is 21.

For students who are planning on driving to prom, there are also parking passes that are available that can be purchased from any class council member. The pricing for that is only $1.

Also for the price of $1 is a chair at a RSVP table at prom. A table includes eight chairs. As of this time, RSVP tables have been sold out.

“The purpose of RSVP tables is so that you will have reserved seating that no one can take from you, said Johnson.

It has been stated at the previous senior meetings that the Kellog Center or surrounding hotels will not be renting out hotel rooms for promgoers. Also, they will not be available for parents to rent.

Runyon said she thinks the reason why students cannot rent hotel room is because of the past experiences where rooms have been trashed. Students have parties that destroy the place and police have been called. Also, the idea that students can rent rooms after prom has many parents upset.

“I don’t like the idea of kids thinking they are adults,” said Everett parent Erika Pilar. “Kids let loose after prom, and things [like sex] happens.”

Despite the problems with prices of prom, seniors are still excited for this year’s event.

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Keepsakes require commitment, hard work

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:32:29 +0000

Members of The Viking Voice and The Archives dedicate scores of hours outside their normal school schedule in order to put the school newspaper and yearbook together. The task takes great dedication and commitment by all involved with the two organizations. However, some people do not understand what it takes to make it all happen. They are judgmental of the newspaper and yearbook, and do not appreciate the time, effort and ingenuity it takes to create these keepsake items.

For example, to put The Viking Voice and The Archives together, staff members must spend hours brainstorming ideas and narrowing the list to just a few interesting topics for reporters to write about.

Then staff must invest a lot of time to seek out teachers, students or other individuals to interview for their stories. They must also fit sections of stories together so it makes sense to the reader.

Editors must read and re-read stories searching for errors while creating page layouts so the newspaper is attractive to the reader. While writing their own stories for the paper, they must also meet with their staff to make sure the writing process is going smoothly.

The process can be stressful. Being in a newspaper or yearbook class is not like being in an ordinary class. In any other class, if a student does not have their research paper done on time, no one suffers but themselves. As part of a newspaper or yearbook team, a student lets down an entire classroom and school by not meeting deadlines and not doing their work.

The talents it takes to produce a great yearbook or school newspaper include excellent writing skills, ability to get people to talk for interviews, a creative mind and being motivated to do a good job.

Instead of complaining about the newspaper and yearbook, students should take into consideration the hard work and dedication it takes to produce the school newspaper and yearbook and be thankful that some of their peers chose to take on such a difficult

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2010, Overlooked again

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:28:39 +0000

On March 18, senior and student council Vice President Michael Smith sent a message to all seniors via Facebook. Smith explained all the ways the class of 2010 had helped Everett, only to have promises of rewards broken. He finished the letter by asking administration to keep its promise of pizza parties for making Adequate Yearly Progress and winning last year’s college fair competition. Here is what Smith had to say:

Dear Administration & Counseling Department,

When we were freshmen, we had everything. We had open-campus, we had longer passing times, we had real pop and we had freedom. We understand that change is necessary, and we also understand that mistakes made on behalf of the minority will affect the majority. However, the mistakes were made by people who, more than likely, didn’t make it to where we are now. We are the graduating class of 2010. While we thank you for the numerous freedoms and privileges that have been snatched away from us, this is not what this letter is about.

We have helped the image of the school as we were the first class to hit AYP. We are aware of the importance of this success, but on the whole, we feel unrewarded. Hitting AYP, on an individual basis, means absolutely nothing to most of us, as it is not a requirement for our graduation. However, our hard work has benefitted the establishment that we will be leaving soon. This letter addresses promises that were made regarding our achieving certain levels of performance.

We have not caused a stir, even though it is one year later and the administration has failed to uphold their promises if we were successful. Prior to testing, the administration had promised us a pizza party if we had achieved the goals they set for us. We hit your goal, now where’s your end of the bargain?

At the beginning of the school year, the counseling department hosted a college night for the upperclassmen so they could get some information on the various colleges in the area. Also, they created a competition between the junior and senior class to see who could accumulate the most attendees. The winners would receive a pizza party. Of course, the seniors beat the juniors. The counseling department then changed the stipulations of the prize and exclaimed that they were to honor the efforts of both the juniors and seniors. The year is slowly coming to a close, especially for us seniors, and we have heard nothing of either pizza party!

We’re not asking you for much, but our hard work has gone completely without reward. We have remained quiet until now, but it is time we take a stand! We were promised two pizza parties, and we want both of them. Not one glorified pizza party, but a pizza party on behalf of the administration for our efforts in our testing last year, and one on behalf of our college fair competition from the counseling department (you can even include the juniors if you would like).

On Behalf Of The Senior Class, Michael Smith-Davenport

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Everett prepares students for college

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:27:48 +0000

School plays an important role in students’ lives. While they are in high school there are several ways to prepare your self for college.

High school is a place where students can learn as much as possible and gain many skills to prepare them to for college.

“Everett High School prepares students for college because we offer many honors and AP classes,” said counselor Erin Falsetta. “If they want to those kinds of classes, the opportunity is here.”

Many students agree that Everett is the place to be to prepare for their futures.

“I think this school does prepare you if you take college-prep classes,” said junior Jasmine Heggins.

Government statistics show that out of the 3.2 million students who graduated in October of 2008, only 68.6 attended college.

Counselors here at Everett feel like students do not take advantage of the opportunities that they come across.

“Everett does prepare students for college because we have successful students, but some students don’t take advantage of what we have to offer,” said counselor Jennifer West.

Everett offers a wide range of classes for students to get ready for college curriculum and high school is the first step students have to get through in order to be good and ready for college.

“Yes, I think Everett High School prepared me for college in certain aspects, but they could do better teaching,” said former Everett student William Thompson.

The transition from high school to college can be a difficult one. A student’s social life and academic life will be remarkably different from high school, but going to college will help to land a better job in the future.

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EV staffer marches for peace in Gaza

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:30:24 +0000

Rowan and another member of the Michigan Peace Team seated on camels, Columbus and Moses, in front of famous Egyptian pyramids.

In December 2009, while everyone else celebrated Christmas Eve or was making preparations for Christmas Day, Everett Registrar Isabella Rowan was packing her bags for her 12-hour flight to Egypt.

On Christmas morning, Rowan left for her flight to Cairo, Egypt where she participated in the Gaza Freedom March.

“I was there to promote peace and human rights, and show others what we can do,” said Rowan. “Everyday that went by, I found out more and more about Gaza and how there’s not enough supplies to go around. People struggle everyday for the things we take for granted.”

Rowan, who is part of the Michigan Peace Team, traveled to Gaza along with a group of 1,400 other members of the organization. According to the Michigan Peace Team website, they train people to demonstrate for peace in a period of three to four weeks.

Throughout their trip, the team struggled with language barriers and had various problems with government officials.

On her blog written early on the morning of December 31, 2009, she told of a frantic text message she received that she needed to get out of the hotel immediately because authorities were locking down hotels and not letting any internationals leave. Rowans blogs continue at: http://www.bellaingaza.blogspot.com/.

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Administration, students agree: new school policies necessary for change

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:19:30 +0000

Over the years, Everett has made drastic changes in their policies within the building because of lack of discipline within the student body.

Changes are being made to tardy policies through hall sweeps, the lunchroom policy becoming stricter so that people are not allowed to leave and now the possibility of not having pep rallies next year is being proposed due to the lack of respect between groups of people.

“When the pep assembly is happening, some students don’t know how to act at times,” said Assistant Principal Tracey Keyton. “That shows that our school has some disrespectful students and we don’t want to be seen in that light”.

Due to the negative behavior, administration is talking about cancelling all certain aspects of future pep rallies.

“Next year we will have assemblies as always, but if students can’t come together and work on acting better at the assemblies, there won’t be any extras,” said Keyton. “We will cancel all dancers and performances.”

Junior Romouri Williams agrees that pep assemblies need changes. He believes that many people with diverse ideas are needed if the events are going to get better than they are now.

“Pep assemblies are whack,” said Williams. “And, it should not just be the input of the senior class. It should be everyone’s ideas in the school because more ideas mean more to put on the table.”

As for the stricter lunchroom policy, security officer John Gibbs explains that when open campus was available, some students would steal from nearby stores, leave for the whole day and generally trash the neighborhood.

“Students would go to stores and steal, or leave for the whole day,” said Gibbs. “For years, it had been going on.”

Through this policy, administration hopes to keep the students out of the business districts and away from nearby stores as well as residential areas where many of the problems arise.

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