Everyone is passionate about something. For Plymouth senior, Rachel Auer, her passion is running. On Oct. 18, Auer crossed the finish line in Detroit to complete her first full marathon, The Detroit Free Press. She completed the daunting 26.2 mile journey in a mere five hours.
“My mom has always been a runner,” says Auer, “She’s been my inspiration.”
Four months before the marathon, Auer began training, increasing distance in long runs every two weeks. The Detroit Free Press 2015 was not her first running event. Auer also participated in the Detroit Free Press 2014 half marathon, the Ann Arbor Run the City half marathon, and the Brighton Run the Duck half marathon.
The journey to the full marathon was not easy. Auer encountered a few knee problems along the way that made it difficult to run.
“The hardest part about running is when you get injured and you want to run, but you know you can’t.” says Auer.
Auer’s hard work and determination definitely paid off. As she crossed the finish line after five long hours of running, Auer stated that it was “the most accomplishing moment” she has ever experienced.
For all the students working on distance running or even just thinking about running, Auer’s advice is, “Don’t doubt yourself if you’re only making slow progress. Slow progress is still progress.”
Although Auer crossed the finish line on October 18, it functioned as a starting line as well. It was her first full marathon, and Auer plans to continue running and participating in similar events in the future.
Crossing the Finish Line
By: Jordan Anheuser
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Rachel Auer
Rachel Hour crosses the finish line at The Detroit Free Press full marathon.
Student of the Month: Confessions of a Teenage Austin Girl
By: Janet Nava
Staff Writer
With moving comes the unfamiliar faces, and there are a lot. Coming from one school that had a maximum of 3,000 students to three schools that have 6,000 students is overwhelming to just think about. I find that I know almost none of the students that attend all three schools, and that it’s considered totally normal here. In Austin, I recognized almost everybody of my 3,000 student school.
People have been generally nicer to us in Michigan than in Texax, which is one of the main reasons my mom was on board with moving back. Austin is a real college city and not very suitable for a family, and living here in Plymouth has been the best experience for my mom yet. The same goes for me, because even though people in Austin were never outright rude or mean to me, the atmosphere here is definitely different. We have more family time and get to experience the small town feel that Plymouth offers to the community.
I expected there to be changes and I knew certain things would be different compared to Texas, but I never expected the changes to be to this scale. The first difference I noticed was the school system. I came from a one school one campus area, where here it’s three schools to one campus. I find that it would be more convenient to have three separate schools; it seems to be almost a mistake how far Plymouth High School is from the other two schools. The walking distance is a total hassle; after the first few days I was sore from the walking to my classes at all three schools.
The problem is not just that I’m out of shape; the schedule has also been messing me up. Over in Austin, school didn’t start until around 8:45, here it’s 7:10. That means I’m waking up around 5:30 to get ready and dropped off at school on time. Of course, everybody gets out at 2:20 compared to 3:50 in Austin, but for me, my sleeping routine hasn't quite been adjusted yet.
The school in Austin was on an A/B schedule, which means we took eight classes but split it to four every day, switching between A and B classes every day. Each class was about an hour and a half, making classes longer and the homework worth two days, which was convenient because we had two nights to do our homework before the next class. At P-CEP, I have to do twice as much work here, all because I have six classes worth of work to do every night instead of three or four.
Also, despite having three high schools, I was surprised that some of my classes were a mix of difficult and easy classes. The classes I was taking in Austin were AP Anatomy, APUSH, Pre-AP Physics, Pre-Calculus, Newspaper, AP Capstone, and AP English III. I know that seems to be large amount of AP classes, but all these were normal classes for an eleventh grade student in Texas. Here, I have found that APUSH is a sophomore class, physics is a senior level class and have neither AP Capstone nor AP English III are offered. Sports were counted as a P.E. credit and were included in the schedule in Texas, so people would have to double block sports to have the class every day. This was how the eight period schedule came in handy, but crunching down to six classes has been difficult here. Everybody told me coming in that the education here would be hard. In some cases, I feel either that I’m ahead or stuck in the middle to the point where I need to be in the class earlier to get everything that they’re doing. Either way, I have a feeling if I don’t clean up my act and get it all done, everything will come back and bite me, and I will be looking back at this and thinking, “Why did I think this was easy?”
The school districts in Austin leaned more towards the online aspect of journalism, whereas here, the print edition is more of the main focus. Down in Texas, specifically in the area I lived in, it was more technology based, so coming to a school system where the computers are outdated and in older condition than what I’ve been used to has really been annoying. It gets on my nerves so much that I become frustrated when people don’t know the difference between Chromebooks and HP laptops, that people actually use Internet Explorer, and think that Microsoft Word 2007 is usable and good along with thinking that Windows 7 is better and easier to use than Windows 8. The major differences between the two school districts baffles me every time I log onto a computer.
The entertainment and food has also been a stark change. Austin is a lively college city with music concerts, great food and huge festivals or events going on almost all the time, but here in Michigan, I haven’t quite figured out what’s fun to do here. It seems to be more on the calmer and quieter side of the U.S. The food isn’t exactly what I was hoping for, either. I don’t know what Michigan is known for food-wise, but in Texas, it was mostly Tex-Mex or Mexican food. It’s the food I grew up with and to have that not be available as much as it makes me miss Texas a little bit more.
Even though we come from the same hemisphere and the same country, the fact that we have so many differences makes me laugh. I’m surprised every time people ask me what something is or where it comes from. It seems that wherever you move, you always have to adjust the way that you thought something works. It may be because of the geography, people, or just how it’s always been, but living here has definitely required me to learn how to survive my high school years in Michigan.
There are lots of little things that remind me of my old life in Texas, but I’m not mad to have moved. I just miss the familiarity of knowing how things are and how they work. Whether it's the food or activities, I have found that it’s still really fun experiencing all that’s new to me. It may not seem like much, but everything is a new beginning to my life here and I’m going to remember all that happens, good and bad. These have been the confessions of a teenage Austin girl.
The P-CEP choirs performed their annual winter concert, “A Winter’s Song”, directed by Jennifer Neumann and Guest Teacher Kristin Chamberlain. The night was filled with winter and holiday themed songs to help everyone feel a little more festive.
Each of the eight choirs (Park Singers, Parksmen, Allegro, Dulcissima, Madrigals, Chamber, Festival Singers, and Encore) performed a variety of songs, both classic and contemporary. The concert began with Dulcissima’s performance of “Wolcum Yole!”, one of the pieces in the concert that included a harp accompaniment by Catherine Heise. After Dulcissima performed, Festival Singers performed “Jingle Bell Rock”, featuring a solo by Salem senior Nick Weston. Festival Singers is the combination of Madrigals and Chamber, the two most advanced choirs at the Park, and is one way for students to feel involved and like a part of something other than just a class. “It’s a good way to make friends, and everyone’s a family. It’s a learning experience in a lot of different ways; you don’t only learn music, but you learn how to work with others,” said Salem senior Meaghan Moss, a member of Madrigals and Festival Singers. “Everyone makes you feel welcome, and it’s a great way to be involved and feel like a part of the community.”
The performances by Festival Singers were not the only collaborations of the night. Park Singers and Dulcissima performed an entertaining version of “White Christmas” together, and “Believe” from the film “The Polar Express” was performed as a duet between Park Singers and Parksmen. However, the newest edition to the choir family, Encore, was perhaps the most interesting collaboration of all. “Encore was created to take the place of Applied Voice this year. Applied Voice focused on training for solo performances, but Encore is a show choir. It is largely a cappella, meaning that the majority of the music is carried by the choir itself with no other musical accompaniment,” said Plymouth senior Joe Wakar. “There’s a diverse spread of ages; two of our members are seniors, and there’s about an equal division of students in other grades. It’s a good mix of kids. There are lots of theater kids in the class, and probably six or seven kids who are in other choirs as well as Encore.” Encore’s performance in “A Winter’s Song” was entirely a cappella, and they sang “White Winter Hymnal” by contemporary indie folk band Fleet Foxes as well as “Variations on Jingle Bells”, in which Canton Sophomore Sydney Bramlett was a soloist.
P-CEP choir concerts are always well put together and entertaining to watch. These concerts don’t just happen on a whim though; they involve a lot of careful planning and practice. “We did sectionals within our vocal section (soprano, second soprano, and alto) where we worked on our music without teachers, and then we had group rehearsal to go over the dynamics for the piece. After all of that, we rehearsed with our piano accompanist, Mrs. DeHeart, and our harp accompanist, Catherine Heise. Then, we rehearsed in the auditorium for the two days before the concert instead of the classroom.” said Salem senior Kallie Ives, a member of both Madrigals and Festival Singers.
“A Winter’s Song” traditionally ends with “Carol of the Bells”, performed by every choir together, and alumni are invited to come back onstage to participate. This year was no exception, and as the first few notes of the song were played, choir alumni began to flood the stage in a rush to get to perform again. It was great to watch the smiles on everyone’s faces as friends were reunited in song, and it was a perfect end to a wonderful concert.
A Winter's Concert
By: Caitlin Flora
Head Copy Editor
Photo by Janet Nava
The P-CEP Perspective has a new addition to its big family. Recently I, Janet Nava, moved here from Austin, Texas. As if starting in the middle of the school year wasn’t hard enough, moving to Michigan has definitely had its challenges and obstacles. Whether it’s the cold, the people, or the fact almost everything is different; I’ve been able to experience it all.
To start things off, I was originally born in Livonia, Michigan on April 30, and I’m currently a junior at Canton. My older brother Gabe and I were born here, and my parents were born and raised in Texas. In 2004, we moved to Austin, Texas when my dad got a new job working for DELL Computers Inc. Ever since then, I lived and grew up in Austin.
Coming from a place where it’s hot 90% of the time to where it’s cool 90% of the time is a major change. First of all, in Austin, if even a few flakes of snow or a major chance of ice was present, school automatically got cancelled. Here, I’m walking in 20 degree weather with snow falling and ice on the sidewalk. Snow surrounding you has become such a normal thing for Michiganders that I feel people really don’t see the beauty in it.
The Wayne County Light Show is a fun event for people of all ages. This approximately hour-long drive down Hines Drive is an extravagant event that ran every day until Dec. 31st.
Entrance to the light show is located between Warren Road and Ann Arbor Trail on Merriman Road in Westland. There are about 40 light displays, with everything from elves to dinosaurs that will keep everyone engaged.
The cost of entry is $5 per vehicle and is open Monday through Thursday 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
“One little girl had her head stuck through the sun roof giggling at all the lights. It was amazing,” says Jessie Roberts, Canton senior.
A little something extra can be found at the end of this magical route for kids to enjoy; Santa will be available for visiting until Dec. 23, but don’t worry, he will have time to get back to the North Pole.
“I would highly recommend people go out and see it!” says Nikki Schroeder, Salem senior.
Light Show a Fun Winter Activity
By: Amanda Hoehn
Staff Writer
Photos by Amanda Hoehn
Exciting light displays like dragons and Santa's workshop appear along Hines Drive for the holiday season.
You are feeling stressed, overwhelmed and frustrated with your day. You want to relax, but, you do not want to fall asleep because it is only two in the afternoon. The best solution is to meditate. Meditation is a short and easy way to calm down and take a break from your stressful life.
Jake Stelmaszek, a junior at Plymouth high school, mediates one or more times a week. He said, “Meditation is a state of self awareness and it gives one a chance to stop with their daily lives and think about themselves in a peaceful way.”
The first step for meditation is to find a quiet and comfortable place. Do not decide to meditate at your sister’s soccer game or somewhere loud and crazy. You want to find a place that you can be alone and relax in, perhaps your room or outside somewhere.
After finding your peaceful place, it is time to find a comfortable position to sit in. Preferably, a crossed leg or lotus position. But, you can pick any position that you feel comfortable with, just make sure that your back is straight. After you find your position, take each of your hands and push your index and thumb fingers together. Then, place your hands on each side of you, whether it’s on your knees or just by your sides.
Once you have done all of these steps, it is time to clear your mind. First you will close your eyes in a relaxed formation. After you have done that, take some long deep breaths to help you come to your most relaxed state.
When you have cleared your mind from all your stress and frustration, it is time to focus on your breathing even more. There are three cycles of breathing for meditation, each are five minutes long. For the first cycle of breathing, you will begin to inhale and exhale through your nose. Make sure each breath is loud, full and clear because you want to be able to hear your breathing.
Once those five minutes have passed it is time to move to your second breathing cycle. For this cycle you will inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. You want to make sure you take long inhales for this cycle so you are able to take nice and powerful exhales out of your mouth. Do this cycle of breathing for five minutes.
After you are done with the two breathing cycles it is time for the final one. For your third breathing cycle you will inhale and exhale through the mouth. These breaths should feel very strong and powerful. You want them to be big and full breaths so you can get at the most relaxed state possible.
Once you have completed your three breathing cycles, you have finished your meditation and you are ready to go on with your day. Now, you do not feel stressed and frustrated with your life. You feel much more energized and relaxed, like you are ready to take on whatever obstacle life throws at you.
How to Meditate
By: Ally Schwinke
Staff Writer
In the world of hip-hop, debuts are often viewed as a rapper getting everything off of their chest. They introduce themselves, share their feelings, and try to make a blip on the radar large enough to warrant a follow-up. That follow-up is where the artist can start to explore the art form, and exploring is exactly what Logic does in "The Incredible True Story," the follow up to his 2014 debut "Under Pressure." Does Logic hit his target of a game changing concept album examining themes of life, death, and fame? The answer is both yes and no.
The concept album component of "The Incredible True Story" comes in the form of an epic sci-fi space adventure over one hundred years into the future, chronicling the journey of Thomas (Steven Blum) and Kai (Kevin Randolph) as they search for the planet Paradise after Earth’s destruction. The two space captains listen to Logic’s music as a glimpse into the past while they reminisce about the last days of Earth and offer philosophy on the universe. The skits that appear after every few tracks provide entertaining dialogue that gets progressively more thoughtful as the album goes on.
The skits are just a small part of what "The Incredible True Story" offers, however. When it comes to the music, individual tracks either stand out or fail to present anything memorable. The first track following the intro, “Fade Away,” introduces concepts of death and fame to the forefront right away. Logic brings up the fact that life, as well as someone’s time in the spotlight, is short, so one has to make most of the chance when they have the opportunity.
The next track, “Upgrade,” showcases Logic’s impressive flow and again brings up the idea of having to adjust to life in the spotlight. One of the only other outstanding tracks on the album, “Young Jesus,” is brilliantly produced to sound like a 90’s throwback with Logic and Big Lenbo sharing the mic like a pair of classic MCs.
Other tracks offer nothing too special and are similar to many things listeners hear too much in the world of modern hip-hop. “Like Woah” brings nothing significant lyrically and sounds almost formulaic. “I Am The Greatest” has an interesting intro but sounds too close to any other self-centered rap song you hear from almost every other rapper. The middle of the album, with tracks like “City of Stars” and “Lord Willin’” is alright, but doesn’t stand out like some of the songs at the beginning of the album.
The production of "The Incredible True Story" is without a doubt impressive. The album was entirely produced by Logic himself along with his longtime friends, producers 6ix and C-Sick. Each track has a unique beat that keeps listeners nodding their heads even when the lyrics fall flat.
Overall, "The Incredible True Story" is a justifiable sophomore effort that will leave people wanting to see what Logic will do next. The premise of the rap concept album is interesting, but some poor lyrical execution and ignoring some themes introduced in the early parts of the album make it fall slightly short of being a game changing masterpiece, but don’t count Logic out yet.
Review: Logic- 'The Incredible True Story'
By: Michael Adzima
Sports Editor
Inside Out: A Movie Worth Seeing
By: Maddy Hanton
Staff Writer
Ever since "Toy Story" was released in 1995, Disney-Pixar films has been held to high standards. With many of their recent releases being sequels and prequels to previous movies, animation fans were eager to see what their newest creation, "Inside Out," had in store. When it hit theaters in June 2015, it did not disappoint.
"Inside Out" is set inside the head of Riley, an eleven-year-old girl who has recently undergone a big move from Minnesota to San Francisco. Her feelings, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust, are depicted as living beings that control her actions, thought processes, and the formation of her memories. It has an original and creative plot that portrays human emotion in a colorful, imaginative storyline.
Despite being based on a somewhat complex concept that feelings are living entities with personalities of their own, at no point does the movie get even vaguely confusing. The director and screenwriter, Pete Doctor, managed to build this amazing, complicated world in viewers’ minds with ease while still expanding upon it in a way that is easily understandable throughout the movie.
Due to its elaborate and innovative plot, "Inside Out" is not just entertaining for kids; it has proven to be enjoyable for adults too. With witty humor and creative explanations for how our minds operate, it seems as if it is more relatable for adults; older audience members are capable of understanding its references to abstract thought, subconscious fear, and other concepts that can be difficult for children to grasp. Older viewers also may enjoy this film more because they have already experienced growing up and can appreciate how Riley’s mind is depicted at this critical point in her life, while younger viewers only see it for its colorful scenery and silly characters.
Overall, "Inside Out" teaches an important lesson: it is okay to be sad. At the beginning of the film, the character Joy tries desperately to suppress Sadness and prevent her from influencing Riley’s life and memories, but in the end Sadness is the only one who can save Riley. The idea that sadness is not a bad thing and is actually an important aspect of life is one that is rarely suggested in movies targeted towards children. In fact, it is an idea that many adults struggle with.
"Inside Out" is creative and complex while still being easy to understand and entertaining for all ages. It is a heartwarming, funny and meaningful story that teaches important lessons about growing up and embracing change and sorrow. These details, along with brilliant animation and interesting characters, are what make Inside Out a movie that is worth seeing.
I’m sure all of the Star Wars geeks are waiting patiently for the new movie, "The Force Awakens," to be released. We all remember our reactions back in 2012 when The Walt Disney Company acquired the franchise from Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion dollars. We especially remember when they announced that they were going to create an all new trilogy. And now, on Dec. 18, we will get to see the return of one the best selling film franchises of all time.
However, just because the beloved film franchise returns does not mean it is going to be met with open arms. Many fans are very wary of trusting Disney with their new trilogy. They fear that Disney will make some irreparable changes to the fundamental story and galaxy that is far, far, away that we have come to love. As Ryan Mattey, Plymouth junior, puts it,” I honestly think that it could be the worst movie ever created, because that’s just what Disney does.” Many fans in the Park also have the same or similar mindset as Mattey.
Kyle Hendrickson, Salem junior, said,” They should not have anything to do with it; just give it back to George Lucas, they have no business with Star Wars.”
“I hope that they don’t make it too family friendly, or even worse change the story too much,” said Grant Davidson, Canton junior.
Matt Wakenell, Canton freshman, said, “I fear that they may kill off the original cast like Han Solo, or bring back characters like Jar Jar Binks. Plus they might make a crossover with the Star Wars T.V. shows that they created. But the thing that I fear the most is that they won’t make an effort at all and will expect to bring huge profits on the name alone.”
Fans have legitimate reasons to fear these things, but not all are expecting the film to be a flop. Damon Favero said, “I go to Star Wars for the action, not the plot. This isn’t some chick flick.”
Star Wars has many fans: whether it is because of the riveting story of the struggle between good and evil in that far off galaxy, the wonderful beauty of the things that reside in it, or for the awesome fight scenes and battles that span the galaxy. We know what we fear Disney will do to the trilogy, but we should still give the film a chance before we condemn it. For all we know it could be up to par with the original films or even, though highly unlikely, better than what George Lucas could ever dream up. We don’t know these things; so I hope on the 18 of December that you will all give the movie a chance.
Star Wars: A Disturbance in the Force
By: Jonathan DeClaire
Staff Writer
