This article discusses how school stores at Park schools (Plymouth, Canton, Salem) have started accepting credit cards from students, staff, and community members. Previously they only accepted cash and checks. Some students were surveyed about their views on using credit cards in school stores. The article also provides background on why the schools made this change and includes comments from marketing teachers at the schools.

1. ‘Faces in the
Crowd’
B6
Park wins
state titles
Check us out online:
pcep.pccs.k12.mi.us/perspective-online
The Perspective
Friday
March 21,
2014
Free
2013-2014
No. 6
Are you out of money and
craving those melt-in-your-
mouth cookies at one of the
school stores? There’s good news
for those with credit cards be-
cause all three Park school stores
can now charge MasterCard
and Visa credit cards with a $5
minimum purchase.
The Den Marketing teacher
Tyra Johnson said that the
demand for this service has been
around for years, and now the
stores have been given approval
to serve their customers in this
manner.
Salem Rock Shop Marketing
teacher Cristina Scappaticci said,
“On many occasions parents
arrive at the school store without
cash or a check book and are
inconvenienced when they are
unable to purchase items during
the school store hours.”
“We can now satisfy students,
staff and people in the commu-
nity better,” said Johnson.
The school stores are also
hoping to offer online shopping
for school spirit wear, and the
ability to take credit cards will be
better accommodating for this
purpose as well.
Using the App Charge pro-
gram on iPads, student store
workers can slide cards to charge
transactions.
Scappaticci said, “We are
planning [on] switching over to
iPads for all purchasing in the
school stores. The app allows for
a more efficient inventory system
than we are currently using.”
In the wake of the Target
hacking, some credit card users
might be uneasy about using
their cards for purchasing.
However, Scappaticci said,
“Any card that goes through the
App charge system goes through
a gateway company that encrypts
all transactions.”
In a survey of 80 students, a
majority said that they do not
have credit cards. About six
percent of students have use of
a credit card, while 94 percent
do not.
Plymouth senior Sarah Rea-
soner has a credit card.
“I think it’s convenient,” Rea-
soner commented.
Plymouth senior Anastasia
Langel who also has a credit
card, is not in agreement.
“I don’t agree with it because
I think people will spend their
money on cookies, and their
parents will get the bill and be
upset,” Langel said.
The decision whether or not a
student is responsible enough or
not to have a credit card should
probably be up to their parents
and them. However, the new
technology in the school stores
will allow for more options in
ways of purchasing for students,
faculty and members of the com-
munity.
By Breana Noble
News Editor
NEWS.................A1-A3
OPINION.............A4-A6
SPORTS.................B1-B3
FEATURES.............B4-B6
INDEX
School stores now accept credit cards
By Morgan Birman
Staff Writer
(Above) Gold medalists
Charlie White and Meryl
Davis answer questions
from students about their
experience in the 2014
Winter Olympics. (Right)
White and Davis take
a selfie with Kellogg’s
master of ceremony
Michael LeMelle and P-CEP
students.
Photo by Morgan Birman
Canton teachers Tim Baechler and Carolyn
Vander Roest perform a duet in P-CEP dance
off.
Graphic by Breana Noble
Meryl Davis and Charlie White, gold medalists in ice dancing at
the Sochi Winter Olympics, spoke to several hundred Park students
regarding their climb to the top of the podium.
Athletes from each school attended a breakfast at Salem on March
7 and an assembly followed.
As a sponsor of the event, Kellogg’s provided the breakfast.
“We’re lucky to be a part of Kellogg’s. We’re also fortunate to be
in the condition that we are but one in five kids is going without
breakfast, so being able to come back and sharing a message like that
is very important. It means a lot to us and being able to talk to you
about it is special,” White said.
“We’ve learned a lot of things that transition into life. Everyone
deserves a great start and that starts with breakfast,” Davis said, “My
mom actually taught in Plymouth Canton, so I feel a connection to
the area. Having her work with students made me realize the impor-
tance of getting a great start in the morning.”
White snapped a group selfie after MC Michael LeMelle took an
Ellen-inspired selfie. Afterwards, students piled onto a small stage
categorized by school for group photo opps with the pair. Davis and
White were all smiles and laughs with their gold medals around their
necks.
Channel 4 News and the Detroit Free Press covered the event,
and photographers knelt by the stage while Davis and Charlie talked,
blocking the view for students.
Mel Neal, Canton senior, was one of the student athletes who
attended. “I feel extremely lucky that I got to meet them. I watched
Meryl and Charlie every time they competed during the Olympics.
You can tell how much they practice and how hardworking they are.
When they won the gold I was happy because they were so deserving,
and it was an incredible routine that broke a world record,” he said.
“Winning the gold this year was one of our goals, but we also
wanted to be the best skaters we could be,” said Davis. “As athletes,
you learn over the years that it’s not really all about the results, but
it’s going to bed at night knowing that you did all you possibly could.
Coming home to the Detroit area and sharing it with our friends and
family has been really exciting.”
The Olympic pair, who trains at Canton’s Arctic Edge, have com-
peted together since they were children.
“It’s been awesome being able to come back here and celebrate
with our community,” said White. “We get the chance to travel all
over the world but these are the people that mean the most to us.
Thank you for being here, part of Michigan, it always represents as
well as it can.”
Craig O’Neill from Arctic Edge Ice Arena commented on the pair
skating at their rink. “They started in June 2005. [I feel] so happy for
them watching all their work for years, the long hours of training, the
airplane rides all over the world to different competitions. This is big-
ger than the rink. This is about Canton Township and the community
who has followed them and been with them every skate of the way
for the last six years,” O’Neill said.
Davis and Charlie share coach Marina Zoueva and training space
at Arctic Edge with the 2014 Ice Dancing silver medalists, Tessa Vir-
tue and Scott Moir of Canada.
“Charlie and I have trained for nine years with Tessa and Scott,
our greatest competitors, and I think Charlie and I see it as a great as-
set to our skating, to our career. It helps to drive us forward and we’ve
been lucky to train with them so long,” Davis said.
When a student asked White how he styles his hair every day, the
skater laughed. “I eat Cornflakes. No, there’s really no secret. Shower-
ing helps a lot; I recommend it,” White said.
Students also asked what the Olympians thought about perform-
ing with the dangers of having blades as sharp as swords on their feet.
“The only time I really think about having swords on my feet is
when I have to step on Charlie. A couple times during our career so
far I’ll step on him for a lift and unfortunately I have a little guilt,”
Davis said.
White replied to his partner’s comment by waving his gold medal
in the air as students laughed.
A pair of teachers from each school then performed their own
choreographed routine. Davis and White split up amongst two sepa-
rate panels of judges from the P-CEP Figure Skating Team to score
the staff on their performances.
For Canton, Tim Baechler and Carolyn Vander Roest preformed
an upbeat routine to Pitbull’s “Timber” with lifts giving them the
bronze.
Gretchen and Mike Andridge, both staff at Plymouth, started out
slow, but then changed the beat halfway through their routine with
a special feature of “I’m Proud to be an American” with an Ameri-
can flag carried across the stage in the background. The Andridges
received the silver.
Finally, Roxane McCormick and Kurt Britnell performed a syn-
chronized routine that won them the gold.
White discussed overcoming obstacles such as concussions during
training. “We take some pretty bad falls; luckily we take precautions.
A lot of the time when we’re doing hard lifts we start on the floor
without our skates on and slowly work our way onto the ice,” White
said.
Davis, 27, and White, 26, won the silver medal in the 2010 Olym-
pics. Also six-time National Champions, the ice dancers are two-time
World Champions.
So what are their plans for the future?
“A lot can change in four years,” White said. Davis and White have
not decided if they will pursue the 2018 Winter Olympics.
“We’ll be in our thirties. That’s old,” Davis said.
Both skaters are currently enrolled at the University of Michigan.
The gold medalists are set to head straight to ABC’s “Dancing
with the Stars,” which debuts March 17. White will be partnered with
Australian professional Sharna Burgess. Davis will be paired with
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who is known for his bad boy image.
“I’m just going to say Meryl is the favorite,” White said to the audi-
ence. “So I’m going to need all of you to call in. Help that poor guy
who doesn’t have a chance.”
“He’s playing the dark horse card here. We’re finding it really dif-
ferent dancing on the floor from dancing on the ice, but it’s gonna be
fun so don’t judge too harshly,” Davis said.
Gold medalists visit the Park
Photo by Morgan Birman
Photo used with permission of Michael LeMelle
“Coming home to the Detroit
area and sharing it with our
friends and family has been
really exciting.”
- Meryl Davis
Read additional stories online at:
pcep.pccs.k12.mi.us/perspective-online
The Perspective’s online site is updated in between
print issues of the newspapers, so there will always
be something new. In the upcoming weeks, you will be
able to read:
Opinions on gay marriage
Reviews on EMU and WMU
iPhone 6 rumors
BitCoin
President Obama on “Between Two Ferns”
Saint Patrick’s Day at P-CEP
Sports updates will also be posted onto the site.
Currently, you can find the recent signing for college
level athletics.
- Katelyn Polich, Online Editor
Read more Perspective
stories online
B1
6%
94%
Students with credit cards
Have credit card
Do not have credit
card
Friday
March 21,
2014
Free
2013-2014
No. 6

2. A2 News The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
P-CEP alumnus surveys Park students for psychology study
By Nathan Beer
Deputy News Editor
For those students worried
about cyberbullying: Never fear,
Lauren Reed is here.
The 2005 Canton High School
graduate is working on a doctor-
ate program in social work and
psychology. Reed saw that teens
often face the worst problems
with various forms of bullying
and wanted to search for a solu-
tion as a part of her dissertation.
Reed said, “Since I got into
grad school I’ve been studying
dating violence. So that’s physi-
cal, sexual and psychological
abuse. Most of that is among
teens.”
By and large, Park students
are against cyberbullying in their
environment. Salem senior Colin
McCoy said, “I haven’t personal-
ly experienced any cyberbullying
myself, but I have seen it in my
friends on social media websites.
I do think it’s definitely some-
thing that needs to be stopped.”
Some, although they oppose
bullying in general, are unaware
of how much a problem cyber-
bullying is among teens. Chris-
topher Schram, Canton senior,
said, “You know what? I don’t
like it. I honestly didn’t know
it was that much of a problem,
though.”
Reed first gained her inspira-
tion to look at cyberbullying
when she was interning at abuse
shelters. Reed said, “I was doing
an internship at a dating and
domestic violence shelter, and
when I was working with the
people there, things like texting
and phones and digital media
came up all of the time, all of
these different ways that their
assailants were controlling them
through media.”
After looking through many
social science journals, Reed
realized that there was little to
no academic literature on the
subject of cyberbullying. “We
didn’t have the resources, and
so I thought this was a huge gap
that we hadn’t been addressing.
So then I started studying digital
parts of dating violence.”
According to a 2013 Pew
Research study, 95 percent of
teens and young adults own cell
phones, compared with a 72.6
percent average among adults 30
years old and over.
Reed believes that because
high school students make up so
much of the phone using popula-
tion, they need to be made aware
of the dangers of using them. She
also wants students to hear solu-
tions from other students.
“A lot of the time, you might
have assemblies where you hear
from adults, saying ‘don’t go on
Facebook, don’t go on Twitter,’
but I think it’s really important
for teens themselves who are
experiencing this to know that
other teens are going through
this and that it is a problem we
can do something about,” said
Reed.
Some Park students are skep-
tical that such a huge problem
can be solved. Plymouth senior
Ryan Britton said, “It’s definitely
a problem. Nobody deserves to
be abused over the internet. It
should be stopped, but I can’t
for the life of me figure out how
you could stop such a huge,
entrenched problem.”
Reed draws from her experi-
ence in social work. “I worked
with some high school students
from the area, and they met ev-
ery week to talk about what kind
of issues are in their schools,
what kind of abuse they face
every week, and then these teens
go out to other schools, and
they give presentations to other
teenagers.”
She is collecting data via a
survey of students attending the
Park. “I put up this survey to
get some of the information out
there and help kids understand
what’s happening.”
Reed believes that this may
lead to a program similar to what
she witnessed in Ann Arbor to
raise awareness among victims,
abusers and bystanders. “I want
to put the information in the
hands of the students and assist
them in creating a safe space to
discuss this as a problem. What
happens with a lot of teens is that
they go, ‘Oh, yeah, this affects
me, but I didn’t really know that
this was a thing that could be
abusive.’ Cyberbullying is abuse,
and it does hurt people.”
Contact Lauren Reed at
reedla@umich.edu for questions
on the study.
The Michigan Merit Curriculum includes the
state graduation requirements for high school
students. For the class of 2016 and beyond, the
requirements are different for those who have
finished high school and will be graduating before
then. The new curriculum requirements include
two years of a foreign language and mandates only
a half credit of physical education instead of one
full as well as no computer classes.
Before the change had been made, many stu-
dents were already taking two years of a foreign
language, knowing that many colleges and univer-
sities require or prefer to see these courses as elec-
tives in high school. However, now that Computer
Applications and an extra semester of physical
education has been removed, scheduling students
into the elective classes has become more difficult
since students are no longer as likely to take the
previously required courses.
According to Canton counselor Bridget Ko-
curek, there used to be more cushion in elective
classes with only 20 to 28 students originally being
scheduled to each classroom.
“[Scheduling] can be hard at times or if students
take health and personal fitness during the sum-
mer. It’s especially difficult for ninth and some-
times tenth,” Kocurek said.
For this reason, it is not uncommon for class to
have anywhere from 30 to 37 students.
Many students view physical education classes
as unnecessary, perhaps thinking that they will be
seen as fluff courses by colleges and universities.
However, some of the more popular electives,
such as Creative Foods, are facility limited.
“We only have so many kitchens,” explained
Kocurek.
Physical education classes, on the other hand,
are not.
Some also have concerns about the impact less
physical education will have on students’ health
and education.
Salem Teacher and Leader of the PE Depart-
ment Roxane McCormick said, “I believe students
need exercise in their lives, and also they need a
break from all the rigor of their daily schedules.
With so many classes required, students need a
break from studying and homework. Studies have
shown that students who have Physical Education
classes do better academically in class and do bet-
ter on standardized tests. Taking physical educa-
tion classes allows them to meet new students
at the Park. It decreases the obesity rate, which
in turn will help to lower health costs. Having
physical education helps students by having less
depression and discipline and behavioral issues.
The benefits are enormous!”
Kocurek agrees, saying that she is concerned
about students burning themselves out in rigorous
courses when it is valuable to learn about fitness
for a healthy lifestyle.
“It’s as relevant as academics,” said Kocurek.
Salem senior Emily Marcero said, “I really think
that if someone is not playing a varsity sport, I feel
like they should have to take two classes. We need
to promote healthy lifestyles.”
Unlike some other classes, physical education
courses can be taken several times, and students
can receive credit each time.
McCormick added, “An important note to re-
member, there is a lot of room in students’ sched-
ules to take electives. Students can take up to eight
semester elective classes during high school, so
remember when you are scheduling there is room.”
Change in class requirements
makes scheduling difficult
Decrease in mandatory PE courses causes concern for student health
By Breana Noble
News Editor
Photo by Lucas Scott/ Photo Editor
People are not the same. Dif-
ferences are the things that make
us unique, but these things can
also cause divides and isolation.
Recently, students at the Park
through the Human Exploration
class and National Honor Society
have put a focus on those with
special needs.
Ten Leadership 2 students in
the Human Exploration course
are executing the third annual
Spread the Word to End the
Word campaign in order to raise
awareness of the derogatory use
of the word “retarded.”
Plymouth teacher for students
with cognitive impairments
Cathy Kava said, “Ten percent of
the population at the Park have
special needs. These students are
in your classes, even if you’re not
aware. When they hear people
use the ‘R-word,’ it is offensive.
It’s no different than calling
someone a name because of their
race.”
Leadership 2 Plymouth senior
Abby Humphries said, “This
campaign shows the students we
care about them and their feel-
ings. They sometimes call them-
selves ‘retarded’ or ‘stupid,’ and
it’s really heartbreaking to see.
They start to believe that what
people say about them is true.
We try to help them understand
that they’re unique in their own
way and that people care about
them and like them for who they
are.”
Leadership 2 Canton junior
Amanda Brushaber said, “A
person that has an intellectual
disability is the same as some-
one without. The ‘R-word’ is
used to mean stupid, dumb, etc,
when people say it. It is mean
because it seems they are calling
someone with an intellectual
disability stupid when really that
person is the same as [someone]
without [a disability]. They can’t
help they have a disability and
shouldn’t feel excluded, different
or stupid for it.”
“There are many different
ways to approach situations
rather than jump to using ‘that’
word. There are much more
professional terms to use when
describing someone with cogni-
tive, social or emotional impair-
ment, and we need to educate
people on those proper terms,”
Bri Grillo, Leadership 2 Canton
senior, said.
The campaign includes a ban-
ner to be hanged in the Salem
cafeteria that students can sign
during lunch to pledge to stop
using the “R-word.” The banner
can be signed March 21 during
all three lunches at Canton.
Kava said, “Students can get
involved by visiting the tables at
lunch, purchasing baked goods
and signing their name to the
banner. They can purchase pins
to show their support, and by
explaining to others their sig-
nificance, they are spreading the
word to others. We will also have
lanyards, t-shirts and wristbands
for [sale] that continue to spread
the word outside of P-CEP. Free
pencils and stickers to those who
sign also spread the campaign to
others who see these items and
ask, ‘What’s that all about?’”
Last year, the fundraiser col-
lected $1,000. The proceeds from
the baked goods sale and pro-
motional items will be given to
the Special Olympics program,
which provides sports and activi-
ties to those with special needs.
The National Honor Society
is also working with the Spe-
cial Olympians. On March 14,
the club held a school dance in
Plymouth’s cafeteria for students
in the program.
Canton senior NHS secretary
and event planner Paige Aresco
said, “The Special Olympics
dance is a chance for the stu-
dents at the Park to celebrate the
Special Olympians and have a
fun night. It is a super fun way
to honor the Special Olympians.
Our volunteers and the Special
Olympians always enjoy this
dance.”
Many students with special
needs aren’t able to go to their
own homecomings or proms, so
this event allowed them to have
a fun night with their friends.
The dance included pizza, baked
good treats, music, dancing and
souvenir photos.
“We learned that everybody
is equal. Everyone should have
fun,” Khalyn Mada, Plymouth
junior, said.
Park students unite around
Special Olympians
By Breana Noble
News Editor
University of Michigan graduate student Lauren Reed is
conducting a survey of Park students for a research study
on teenage social media use.
Photo by Lauren Reed
The Plymouth Girls Softball team stretches and listens to their coach at the beginning of
practice.
Photos by Breana Noble
At the NHS hosted Special Olympics dance, volunteers help to put on a fun night for lo-
cal students with special needs.

3. A3 News The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
Around midnight, the morn-
ing of Feb. 9, a 16-year-old
student was shot in the thigh just
outside of the After Dark Teen
Club that opened in October of
last year.
The night club was holding a
Blackout Twerk Party for 13 to
19-year-olds when the alterca-
tion occurred outside the doors.
In a group of teenagers, one
pulled out a gun and shot the
Westland student.
He was swiftly taken to a
hospital, and the injuries were
deemed not life threatening.
However, the shooter is still
unknown as of March 17.
Three days after the shooting,
the club was forced to close its
doors due to filing the business
incorrectly. According to the
Plymouth-Canton Patch, the
files said the business would
be for conferences only, not for
night club purposes.
The closing of the club’s doors
is both a disappointment and a
relief for some.
“It made kids feel like they
have to grow up way too fast,”
Shannon Kozlowski, Canton
senior, said.
“It’s nice to have an environ-
ment to hang out, but it wasn’t as
innocent as everyone thought,”
Taylor Morton, Salem senior,
said.
Plymouth senior Mo Elnour
said, “The first two times [at
After Dark] were fun, but then it
just got too crazy.”
If you know anything that can
help to catch the shooter, please
call the Canton Police Depart-
ment at (734)394-5400. Accord-
ing to the Patch.com, there is a
$1,000 reward for a tip that leads
to the arrest of this suspect.
Teen club closes
after shooting
By Breana Noble
News Editor
P-CEP reaches
snow day limit
By Alyce Krumm
Staff Writer
P-CEP has reached its limit
of six snow days. Because of this,
there are many rumors float-
ing around that Governor Rick
Snyder has passed a bill stating
that he is giving us extra days to
our snow day limit. This is false;
he will not be giving the school
districts of Michigan free days.
However, he does have a bill
proposing that school districts
have the power to either add
minutes to the end of their days
or add days to the end of the
year. By law, all schools in Michi-
gan have to have 1,098 hours of
instructional time, or at least 170
days, but because of the snow
days, many Michigan schools are
losing both hours and days.
With the maximum snow
days reached, the discussion of
what the district’s plan is if we
get one more day will be put out
on the table before we exceed the
limit.
If P-CEP gets a seventh snow
day, we will have to make up
the time according to state law.
Students are starting to realize
that if these extended days off
continue, they will be held over
the initial allotted time of either
the school days or the school
year.
Ty Jasman, Canton junior,
said, “I think we should add
minutes, reason being is that ob-
viously the students and teachers
want to get to summer vacation
as fast as possible, and a couple
of minutes added onto each day
will hardly be noticeable.”
Dr. Michael Meissen, the dis-
trict superintendent, said, “There
are six days that are devoted
to inclement weather school
cancellations. We have one more
remaining until we would need
to make up days. At the moment
we have six snow days, and it will
be at that seventh day off when
we will be coming in to make up
the days.”
Meissen also stated that if
we go over that six day limit,
the Park will be adding full days
onto the end of the year rather
than adding minutes. ”Rather
than snippets of time across the
school days, it’s perceived to be
more productive educationally to
add a full day,” Meissen said.
Salem junior Shara Long
said, “I think it’s fair to add days
considering we ended up miss-
ing full days of school. If we miss
a day it only seems right that we
should have to make up a day.”
Plymouth junior Abbey
Zacharias said, “I think it would
be a bad idea to add days onto
the end of the year because we
already go to school half way
into June, and if we were to add
on days that will just add onto
the laziness of students and
excitement for summer.”
As spring comes, members of
the Park are looking for the snow
to disappear and get into the
warmer weather.
Photo by Lucas Scott/ Photo Editor
Arts Academy sophomores
Ryan Apley from Canton and
Dylan Wilson from Salem
were inspired by the enormous
amount of poverty so close to
home in Detroit. They filmed a
video documentary to show just
how great a problem poverty is
in the U.S. Apley and Wilson
submitted their video to the C-
SPAN StudentCam competition.
The contest required students to
create a video documentary that
answered the question, “What’s
the most important issue Con-
gress should consider in 2014?”
Their video earned honorable
mention.
Apley said, “We chose pov-
erty for the subject of our video
because Detroit was a close by
example that meant a lot to us
because it’s only a 20 minute
drive into one of the poorest big
cities in the nation.”
Wilson said, “Living so close
to Detroit, we always heard how
bad the poverty was there. I also
go to Detroit myself a couple
times a year, and always see a
lot homeless people asking for
money, and a lot of run down
homes.”
Salem social studies teacher
Carrie Chobanian said, “As part
of our Arts Academy U.S. Histo-
ry class study on the Progressive
Era, the students were assigned
to be muckrakers at school.
Their task was to locate a prob-
lem in the community, docu-
ment it with a camera, interview
people about the problem and
offer a solution.”
However, after learning that
Apley and Wilson had previously
won and participated in video
competitions, their latest being
on VideoVibe with a prize of
$250 for a short called “Chase,”
Chobanian challenged her
students to create a video to be
entered into the national contest.
Apley said, “Dylan and I have
been making videos from before
I could remember, but we got
really into it after making a few
claymation videos in elementary
school.”
The duo drove into Detroit,
collecting footage of residential
streets and city landmarks like
The Spirit of Detroit. Also fea-
turing Salem Assistant Principal
Allie Suffety, the movie captures
the extent and complexity of
poverty in Detroit and the local
community.
After researching for a
few weeks, Apley and Wilson
returned home inspired and got
straight to work, creating the
documentary in one night by
staying up until 7 a.m.
“It was 3 a.m., and we were
like, we can’t stop now,” said
Apley.
Check out the video at
http://www.viddler.com/
v/58af2f76?secret=27242875.
Due to the large amounts of snow accumulation, the paths between high schools are at
times slippery and lined with piles of snow.Videographers win honorable
mention in C-SPAN competition
By Breana Noble
News Editor

4. A4 Editorial The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
The Perspective
Regardless of whether you drive to school or not, you know that
the traffic surrounding the Park is a problem. In fact, it’s almost
expected; it’s the result of thousands of students, whether they’re in
seats of gigantic buses or behind the wheel of a two-ton vehicle while
driving with little experience. The brutal snow and ice that’s devas-
tated our roads is little help, either.
Still, our school, despite a serious tardy problem (as shown by
the Park’s “three tardies and a detention” system) and accidents that
occur nearly every day, has shown that they’ve done little to alleviate
the atrocious traffic that occurs in the morning and afternoon.
A complete overhaul isn’t necessary to ease the flow of traffic near
the Park, but rather small, simple steps will make a huge difference.
Plymouth needs an additional driveway into the school. In its cur-
rent state, only five or so cars at once can turn left into the school’s
lots, causing a huge buildup of traffic on Beck that leads past the
lights at its intersection with Ann Arbor Road. An extra road from
Joy or at Beck after Ann Arbor Road would be sufficient in mitigat-
ing traffic before and after school.
It isn’t logical to have one driveway for three parking lots. In addi-
tion, a right-hand turn lane into the school’s driveway, as well as the
possible expansion of the driveway to include an extra lane, would
shave off the morning drive by minutes. It’s also abundantly clear that
most vehicles in Plymouth’s driveway exceed the 15 mile-per-hour
speed limit, except for the few motorists and school buses that keep
the limit; to make the morning drive a quick one, this limit could be
raised to at least 25.
Salem and Canton both could benefit from the addition of park-
ing lot entrances and exits, which would ease lines to leave the lots
after school. With Joy and Canton Center so close to the lots, the cost
of additional entrances would be minimal enough to warrant their
construction. Though there are costs involved, the traffic surround-
ing the Park is a serious issue that must be fixed.
Traffic
Havoc
Students critique, defend NHS
Tiberiu Vilcu
Canton High School
National Honor Society is the largest extracur-
ricular organization for upperclassmen at P-CEP.
To say that kids join NHS because of a longing to
help better the community is far from true; most
join NHS for their college applications. Accord-
ing to Article 1 Section 2 of the NHS Constitu-
tion, “the purpose of this organization shall be to create enthusiasm
for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote
leadership, and to develop character in the students of secondary
schools.” While NHS tackles most of this statement well, there’s one
aspect NHS doesn’t have a handle on yet: “to stimulate a desire to
render service.” NHS is supposed to make you want to volunteer and
make a difference, but instead it creates a sense of obligation to fulfill
the required amount of hours. The organization places quantity over
quality.
The struggle to complete the required steps in order to get your
independent service projects up and running severely depletes any
passion you had for it in the first place. The moment you miss one
approval meeting you’re on the slate for dismissal, with only a hear-
ing standing in between. Even if there was a miscommunication
about the approval meetings or a legitimate reason for missing them,
it doesn’t matter.
I was personally a part of the Feed My Starving Children ISP. We
had our roles planned out. NHS then slapped down their paperwork
and we were forced to attend their sob-story presentations of ISP
options, even though we already knew ours. Later in the process,
our roles were determined to not be cut out for them. There wasn’t
enough “leadership,” and everybody knows that you need a “leader”
to design a website and advertisements.
The emphasis put on leadership is just silly; leadership doesn’t get
the project done. Would I have been a leader had I hired someone to
create the website instead? At my final meeting, they told my friends
that NHS would not be officially affiliated with the project in case it
gets out of hand, yet they still had to complete every sheet and follow
every regulation. Their hypocrisy, coupled with the fact that it took
them months to approve the ISP, led to my departure from NHS.
Kathryn Flucht
Canton High School
Most people think of National Honor Society
as something to which only the best students
are admitted. Naturally, it would follow that the
leadership would be the best of the best: always
well-organized and willing to accommodate.
Wrong.
I was an NHS member junior year, and had virtually no problems.
Senior year, however, was a mess. Even though the primary method
of communication for NHS is e-mail, I didn’t receive any once
the year started. My e-mail hadn’t changed from junior year, so I
assumed I didn’t need to worry.
Then came December. My first hour teacher delivered a letter
stating that I had failed to submit an Independent Service Project
idea, and there would be a hearing the next week. Obviously, this had
to be a mistake. No one had ever e-mailed me about an ISP idea.
Unfortunately, I had a doctor’s appointment right after school the
day of the hearing. The letter had said to speak to one of the advisers
if there was an issue, so I tried to meet one twice before school, as
going between classes wasn’t an option. I had to leave both times to
avoid tardiness before she arrived.
Finally, the day of the hearing rolled around, and I woke up sick as
a dog. I stayed home from school, and my mother e-mailed the head
while I was at my doctor’s appointment, explaining the situation and
asking if the hearing could be rescheduled.
Her response was unhelpful, to say the least; no, I couldn’t
reschedule, and I was officially kicked out of NHS. If I wanted
to appeal, I had to bring proof of my absence from school after I
received the official documentation of my removal – even though the
reasons for dismissal weren’t my fault.
To this day, I still haven’t received that official dismissal letter, so
there hasn’t been a chance to appeal.
The leadership for NHS is, in a word, inefficient. If you’re thinking
about joining next year, I would advise against it. While it looks good
on college applications, volunteering on your own is easier and less
aggravating.
Plus, you’ll never have to worry about not receiving e-mails.
Editorial cartoon by Robyn Apley
Dear NHS members:
We, Amol, Minji Kim, Cheema, Shannon, Marcus, Kyle, Nadia,
Katie, Michael, Paige and Rachel are a group of 11 high school
seniors who were elected last year to carry on the spirit of service that
is at the core of the National Honor Society.
Being students who are running the largest chapter of NHS in the
country, there are going to be mistakes, there are going to be flaws,
there are going to be mis-communications. We acknowledge and
take full responsibility for each shortcoming that NHS has made.
However, the spirit of service is what guides us as an organization,
and everything that we do is with the intention of honoring that
spirit.
As a chapter of a nationally recognized organization, we are
well aware that we require more of our members than the average
high school club. But every one of those rules is made to uphold
the integrity and sincerity of the service that you do. Furthermore,
we would never disrespect you as a member by asking you to do
anything that is a waste of time. We understand that you’re busy with
school, clubs, sports, etc.— we are too. However, rules, deadlines,
and processes are necessary to ensure that an organization of 600+
members runs smoothly.
Although NHS is an organization, it is nothing without its
members, and everything we do is with the intention of giving you
opportunities to benefit the community. Just this school year, you all
have accumulated over 9,000 community service hours. Together,
we provided over 100,000 meals for African children, gave hope
to inner-city kids, supported our neighbors with donations and
genuine care, and have done so much more. For some, the service is
just a requirement. But for many others, it’s a source of enjoyment,
fulfillment and attainment. And to say that NHS is dishonoring the
spirit of charity is simply inaccurate.
We are NHS. Every year, we strive to improve not only as an
organization, but as people too. Some of the accusations against
NHS are fair — we accept that. And we genuinely understand your
concerns. However, NHS will not be known as an organization that
doesn’t have the community’s interests at heart.
It is not only we that are NHS. You are NHS.
Community service
requirements flawed
Rules too rigid, strict;
more flexibility needed
Spirit of service at core of NHS
Amol Carvalho, Minji Kim, Ahmed Cheema, Shannon Perry,
Marcus Granderson, Kyle Zander, Nadia Karizat, Katie Warbel,
Michael Whalen, Paige Aresco and Rachel Falzon serve as
Executive Board for NHS.
For Youssef Abdelhafiz’s guest column,
visit pcep.pccs.k12.mi.us/perspective-online
Corrections
The February issue’s relationship column contained an error iden-
tifying Rijada Ajdarpasic as a Plymouth senior. She is a Salem senior.
The Perspective regrets the error.
Board officers respond to criticisms of organization

5. A5 Op-Ed The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
A wise
elephant
once said,
“A person is a person no matter
how small.” Dr. Seuss was not
only referring to the unseen
Whos in “Horton Hears a Who”
but a much more serious issue:
the death of children through
abortion.
The debate over abortion is often centered over
a woman’s right to choose, when in reality it must
center on the question, “What is life?” According
to Merriam-Webster, life is “an organismic state
characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth,
reaction to stimuli and reproduction.”
A child in the womb at fertilization is complete
in DNA and growing. According to Doctors
on Fetal Pain, at eight weeks the baby reacts to
touch, and at no later than 20 weeks, the child has
developed nerves that connect pain receptors to
the thalamus in the brain, allowing for the baby
to feel pain, demonstrated in an increase in stress
hormones and recoiling movement. This confirms
the child will react to stimuli and its environment.
An unborn baby, no matter how small, is a life.
Our Constitution states that we the people
“secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and
our Posterity.” These “Blessings of Liberty” are
our freedoms found throughout the Constitution.
Merriam-Webster defines “posterity” as “all future
generations.” Thus, all the rights of current citizens
are the same for future ones.
Amendment XIV states, “Nor shall any State
deprive life, liberty, or property, without due
process of law,” giving us the
right to life.
An unborn child, part of our
posterity, has the right to life.
Abortion deprives the child of
this life.
On Jan. 22, 1973 the Supreme
Court decision of Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
In the 41 years since then, over 56 million children
have lost their lives to abortion in the United
States alone. In comparison, the Holocaust took
11 million lives, Joseph Stalin’s communist union
took 22 million and Mao Zedong’s took 30 million.
A common abortion procedure is surgical
vacuum aspiration. According to WebMD, during
this surgery, a syringe sucks the child piece by
piece from the mother’s body, killing the baby.
These pieces are parts of a human child.
Abortion impacts the mother as well;
Psychology Today reports that feelings of “guilt,
anxiety, numbness/depression, flashbacks and
suicidal thoughts” are not uncommon in women
after abortions are performed.
Perhaps the most difficult part of this issue
is the cases of rape, incest, endangerment of the
mother’s life, and physiological and psychological
reasons. However, less than seven percent of
abortions occur for these reasons. Restricting
abortion to these instances would save thousands
of lives each
year. But
even still, is it
for us to say
these lives are
not valuable?
Reasons
for abortion
are most
commonly
reported as
economic
challenges
and
unprepared
parenthood.
States have
begun
passing
legislation
requiring ultrasounds prior to abortion
procedures. According to Politifact, 90 percent
of mothers change their mind after seeing their
child in an ultrasound. Some will turn to adoption.
Adoptive Families reports over 18,000 infants are
adopted each year in the U.S. However, according
to Children of All Nations, 60 to 80 thousand
parents are looking to adopt babies.
As teenagers, this issue must hit home.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, one in
ten women will have an abortion by the age of 20,
accounting for 18% of all abortion procedures. If
you find yourself in a situation looking at abortion,
choose life. Contact the National Life Center at
(800)848-LOVE for assistance or visit National
Right to Life at nrlc.org for more information.
Point/Counterpoint:
Pro-Life or Pro-Choice?
Students debate arguments for and against abortion
LIFE
By Breana Noble
News Editor
Letters to the Editor
On the recent issue of The
Perspective, P-CEP’s very own
student operated radio station,
88.1 The Park, was highlighted
in the “Club of the Month” sec-
tion. I was glad to see this in the
paper because I am a part of 88.1
The Park and have been on the
station since my freshman year.
For the longest time, I do not
think that our student body was
aware that our school has a radio
station and this highlight proved
otherwise. I loved the article
because it brought attention to
the station, and it quickly sum-
marized the daily happenings of
what we do on 88.1 The Park.
I hope that everyone who
read the article tunes in to 88.1
The Park when they’re in their
car or at home and I hope that a
lot of students come out to audi-
tion! I look forward to seeing
more stories in the future about
88.1 The Park in The Perspective.
Jazmine Bibb
Salem High School
Celebrating 88.1 The Park
Students around P-CEP have
had problems with the school’s
Wi-Fi. It seems when school
starts again Wi-Fi is gone for
long periods of time, ranging
from two to three months. Stu-
dents around P-CEP tell me that
this happens because the teach-
ers are having a hard time using
the Internet and that when they
do it’s extremely slow. So at times
the internet technician blocks a
large amount of students from
the Internet. I know students
have smartphones that don’t
rely on Wi-Fi but others like me
have iPods and we would like
to be able to access the internet
without running to the library
every time.
Another important point
is that we are one of the top
schools in Canton, and our
school is preparing us for the
college/university life. So I be-
lieve since colleges/universities
allow Wi-Fi connections to all
students, we should also be able
to get Wi-Fi at our school.
Students need access to Wi-Fi
Gabriel Ezennia
Salem High School
Supreme Court decision
Roe v. Wade determined that
a woman has the right to an
abortion until viability, defined
as “potentially able to live outside
the mother’s womb, usually
placed at about 28 weeks.”
But according to Guttmacher Institute, 89%
of abortions occur during the first 12 weeks, and
a third of all abortions occur during the first
six weeks of pregnancy. About 1% of abortions
occur at or later
than 21 weeks. In
Michigan, late-
term abortions only
occur if the life of
the mother is in
danger.
According to a
2013 Gallup poll,
53% of Americans
support Roe v.
Wade compared to
29% who oppose it.
Though those
opposed call
themselves “pro
life” the question is
not whether or not
a zygote is alive- it
is. Life is defined
by Merriam-Websteras “the ability to grow, change,
etc., that separates plants and
animals from things like water or
rocks.”
The real question is
personhood and when it begins.
Does it begin at conception?
According to the American
Pregnancy Association, 50-75% of conceived
zygotes fail to implant and are released in
menstrual flow without the use of birth control.
By comparison, just 10% of these “deaths”
would equal those from HIV, diabetes and malaria
combined.
Are we losing these “lives”?
Does personhood begin with the ability to feel
pain?
According to the Emory School of Medicine
Pediatrics, “genuine continuous brain waves do
not begin until about 28 weeks” and “the myelin
sheath...required for efficient conduction of pain
signals... does not begin forming until after birth in
most of the cerebral cortex”
Pro-Lifers like to showcase adoption as the
magical win-win solution.
But according to the US Children’s Bureau,
over 104,000 children in foster care are currently
awaiting adoption.
There is no perfect solution to unplanned
pregnancies, half of all US pregnancies according
to Guttmacher Institute.
Choosing the best choice has to be done on a
case-by-case basis. But it is important to remember
that the pro-choice movement is just that, in favor
of choice. Not pro-abortion.
In fact, outlawing abortion does not decrease
abortion rates.
According to Guttmacher, “the abortion rate
is 29 per 1,000 in Africa and 32 per 1,000 in Latin
America—regions in which abortion is illegal
under most circumstances. The rate is 12 per 1,000
in Western Europe, where abortion is generally
permitted.”
According to the World Health Organization,
approximately 68 000 women worldwide die every
year from illegal abortions, 2,040,000 more suffer
permanent disabilities.
In the US, a legal abortion “is one of the safest
medical procedures with less than 0.05% risk of
major complications that might need hospital care”
according to Guttmacher Institute.
According to the American Psychological
Association, “among women who have an
unplanned pregnancy, the risk of mental health
problems is no greater if they have a single first-
trimester abortion than if they carry the pregnancy
to term”.
The real solution is not banning abortion
but providing access to comprehensive sexual
education, contraceptives, health care and welfare
for low income mothers.
That is the goal of pro-choice advocates, not
increasing the number of abortions, but increasing
the affordable reproductive health care and services
that women have the right to, that actually decrease
the abortion rate and truly save lives.
Cars
have been a
staple of life
in America
for over a century. Cars drove
Detroit to glory and they power
us to our destinations on a daily
basis. However, everyone who
drives a car knows the awful pain
that is the gas pump, an evil money-sucking device
that cripples your ability to spend the way you
want to and limits your freedom behind the wheel.
Gas prices have exploded over the last decade
due to the rise in oil prices. A barrel of oil hit
$147.50 in July 2008, the highest price ever. The
national average for a gallon of gasoline at the time
was $4.11, also the highest ever. Ten years ago, the
average cost of a gallon of gas was $1.60. Now it’s
$3.30.
However, what makes the rise in gas prices
so controversial is the fact that it is not based on
the standard economic principle of supply and
demand. In fact, when oil peaked at $147.50 in
2008, supply was up, and demand was down. Oil
storage units across the globe were filled to the top
with black gold and it wasn’t being used!
So why were prices rising against the law of
supply and demand? Let’s start out on Wall Street.
This boom in gas prices occurred just before the
market collapsed in late 2008. Before that, banks
were raking in money and wanted to continue
growing their profits. According to the Fiscal
Times, Goldman Sachs was investing hundreds of
millions of dollars into commodities (a.k.a. energy
stocks), and most of their investments went into
oil futures. When oil prices naturally rise due
to supply and demand, Wall Street banks pour
millions into oil futures stocks, looking to make a
quick profit on inflated oil prices and keeping the
price of oil high.
The Fiscal Times quoted Mark Cooper, the
chief economist of the Consumer Federation of
America, when he said, “The average American
consumer is paying 75 cents more per gallon
because of excessive speculation (oil futures
inflation).”
“I think Wall Street banks should not be
allowed to invest in oil like they do,” said Salem
senior Amanda Kline. “It’s not fair to us that we
should have to pay more because they want to
make some quick cash.”
So what can we do to stop Wall Street banks
from inflicting pain at the pump? The answer will
have to come at the national level. Democrats in
Congress are pushing for legislation that would
stop Wall Street banks like Goldman Sachs from
buying and selling oil futures. The proposed
legislation would also add more oversight to other
futures markets as well.
Although the only change that can come from
this is on the national level of government, you
can still make a difference. It doesn’t take long to
e-mail or tweet representatives in Congress and tell
them what you want out of them. It turns up the
pressure for them to get stuff done when they see
people actively pressing issues. Bring the heat on
Congress P-CEP, and we can help bring down the
costs of gas.
By Vibha Venkatesha
Deputy Opinion Editor
Dates not needed for prom
With
this
year’s
prom coming up, senior girls are
worrying about getting a prom
dress when nobody has been
asked to prom yet. “What if I
don’t get asked?” asked Kayla
Fryz, Plymouth senior. This is
a question asked by many students. Is it so bad to
go alone if you aren’t asked to prom? In a survey
of 100 students at the Park, 41 percent said they
would consider going to prom without a date, and
59 percent said they would not go if they did not
have a date.
There has been a lot of talk about prom and how
important it is for girls to be asked. It’s acceptable
to go to prom without a date. If I don’t get asked,
I will definitely still go. Prom is supposed to be
something you’ll remember for the rest of your
life. It’s one of the last high school experiences with
your senior class.
“I don’t think it’s that important to find a prom
date because we’re all still young and should be
able to have fun with our friends, with or without
a significant other,” said Lili Apostal, Plymouth
senior.
Other students agreed. “I would still go without
a date and maybe
find someone else
who didn’t have
a date,” said Nick
Danis, Salem
senior.
Some people
don’t even want a
date; it’s respectable
and independent.
Plus, it could be
even more fun with
a group of your
friends. “I don’t
even think I want
a date because all
you need a date for
is the pictures. It’ll be fun either way,” said Kianna
Todd, Plymouth senior.
Seniors, if you can’t find a date or don’t want
one, don’t worry. You’re not alone and it’s okay to
still go to prom; you’ll regret it if you don’t.
By Raquel Allen
Staff Writer
By Joe Zylka
Staff Writer
Students can make difference
when it comes to high gas prices
Illustration by Raquel Allen
Illustration by Madeline Julyk
CHOICE
Pain at the Pump: Gasoline prices hurt students.
Photo by Steven Keene

6. A6 Features The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
44630 Ford Road
Canton, MI 48187
(734) 207-7930
SAVE $95 PCEP STUDENT
SPECIAL
DISCOUNT
Accredited by
Salem basketball wins districtsPhotos and story by Lucas Scott
Photo Editor
Salem senior Michael Hoover sets a pick on Canton’s
Jack Zemanski for Salem senior Brady Cole.
Salem’s “Blue Crew” gets excited during their “I believe we can win” chant.
Top row left to right: Nick Danis, Trevor Mac, Nick Morton, Jon Nushi and Andrew Hunt
Bottom row left to right: Max Rogowski, Conner Stella, Robert Charara, Alec Merlington,
Jack Driscoll, Jake Sealy and Zach LeBlanc
Salem Junior Allante Wheeler lines up for the game winning free throw with
Brady (left) and Connor (right) Cole watching from behind.
Junior Tyler Brooks and seniors Michael Hoover, Brady and Connor Cole hold up the
district championship trophy for the first time since 2000.
Leading Canton in
points were Greg
Williams (21) and
Davon Taylor (14).
For Salem, Allante
Wheeler led the
Rocks with 13 and
Brady Cole added
another 10.
Salem made the short trip to Phase III
for the district championship against their
rivals, the Canton Chiefs, on March 7.
It was a battle to the end where both
teams never got far ahead of the other.
Salem was able to prevail thanks to
a last second free throw from Allante
Wheeler.
Senior Brady Cole had this to say about
the win: “I would say it was the perfect
way to end my basketball career. I love
everyone on the team but I also love
beating them more than any other team.
So I guess it meant everything to me
because I couldn’t imagine ending my
season because of Canton.”

7. March
23 29
3130292827
262524232221
19
20
2827262524
1716151413
12119 10876
543213130
18
2
Sunday SaturdayFridayThursdayWednesdayTuesdayMonday
April
Track City
Meet, all
schools @
Varsity field
3:30pm
Get to know
Gabby Epelman,
Canton Soccer
Full player rofile on
page B2B1 Sports
Canton Girls Basketball Vs. Plymouth
48 - 34
Canton Girls Basketball Vs. Holly
42 - 33
Canton Girls Basketball Vs. Lakeland
43 - 24
SCORES
Canton vs. Plym-
outh Baseball @
Canton 4pm
Plymouth vs.
Salem Softball @
Plymouth 4pm
Canton vs.
Plymouth
Softball @
Canton 4pm
Plymouth vs.
Salem Girls
Lacrosse @
Plymouth 8pm
Plymouth Girls
Tennis quad @
Plymouth 9am
Plymouth vs.
Canton Boys &
Girls Track and
Field @ Plymouth
JV Field 3pm
Plymouth vs. Sa-
lem Girls Soccer
@ Salem 7pm
Salem Quad
vs. Plymouth
Girls Tennis @
Plymouth 8am
Salem Boys
Golf vs. Novi @
Salem 3pm
Salem Boys /
Girls Track vs.
South Lyon
@ JV Field
3:30pm
Salem Boys
Lacrosse vs.
North Farm-
ington @ Salem
8pm
Salem Boys
Baseball vs.
Saline @ Salem
4pm
Salem Softball
vs. Franklin @
Salem 4pm
Salem Softball
Invite@ Salem
9am
Salem vs.
Canton Girls
Lacrosse @
Varsity Turf
8pm
Canton vs.
Salem Girls
Soccer @
Canton 7pm
Canton vs. Sa-
line Girls Soccer
@ Saline Area
Schools 7pm
Canton vs.
John Glenn
Girls Soccer
@ Varisty Turf
7:30pm
Canton vs.
Plymouth Boys
Golf @ Canton
3pm
Park teams win state titles
Beckly Lough, Canton senior, blocks a shot made by Northville during a PCS Penguins
game.
Canton Girls Gymnastics team members celebrate with the state trophy after winning
the state title at Plymouth High School.
PhotosbyJohnKemski
PCS Penguins
Hockey
Canton
Gymnastics
Canton vs.
John Glenn
Baseball @
John Glenn
4pm
Canton vs. Al-
len Park Girls
Tennis @ Can-
ton 4pm
Salem Boys La-
crosse vs. Howell
@ Howell 7pm
Salem Boys
Baseball vs. Saint
Xavier DH @
Saint Xavier 12pm
Salem Girls
Track vs. North-
ville @ North-
ville 4pm
Canton vs.
Churchill
Boys Track
@ Churchill
March 21, 2014
Plymouth Prep
Hockey
Story continued on B3
Plymouth, Can-
ton, Salem Soft-
ball KLAA Asso-
ciation Crossover
TBD 4pm
Canton vs. Gross
Point North Girls
Lacrosse @ Gross
Point North HS
7pm
The Plymouth Prep Hockey
team made history by being
the first team in Plymouth JV
history to embrace the title of
state champions. The Wildcats
took down Hartland 3-0 in the
final game Saturday, March 8. It
was a thrilling game. Impressive
feats throughout their season
included a record of 17-1 in the
regular season and their overall
record of 53-3-3.
Sophomore captain, Ricky
Covault, scored the first two
goals of the game in the first
period.
No more goals were scored
until the third period, when
James Baldwin scored to bring
the game to a 3-0 score, where it
stayed for the rest of the game.
Hartland scrambled to
recover the entire game, unable
to rack up any points against the
Wildcats.
“The game is what I would
say a dominant game. We were
in their zone the entire first pe-
riod, and after that, they couldn’t
do anything to stop us,” said
sophomore Matt Barno.
“One of the biggest obstacles
was in the beginning of the year.
By Hailey Foster
Sports Co-Editor
By Jessica Price
Staff Writer
Plymouth High School host-
ed the annual Michigan High
School Athletic Association state
meet with the team competition
March 7 and the individual com-
petition March 8. The Plymouth
Wildcats placed sixth with a
141.325, and after three consecu-
tive seasons of placing second,
Canton placed first for the first
time in history.
The Chiefs scored a 146.65,
which broke the Grand Ledge
Comets’ six-season champion-
ship streak by 2.4 points. Farm-
ington United Gymnastics came
in third with a 144.2.
Canton head coach John
Cunningham received his first
state title after 46 years of coach-
ing gymnastics and 35 years of
coaching for Canton.
“Throughout the entire
season we practiced to improve
our scores for the ultimate goal
of becoming state champs. It
could not have come at a better
time, since the past three years
we have been runner up in the
state to a team that has won six
straight titles and 106 straight
wins. I am so happy that I was
able to finish off my senior
The PCS Penguins took home
their second state title when they
beat Walled Lake in the champi-
onship game on March 8.
The championship title came
to the Penguins for the third
time in history and the second
time in three years. The team
beat the Walled Lake combined
club by a score of 2-1.
The Penguins team, which
went 10-7-2-1 in the regular
season, hit the playoffs strong.
Senior captain Alexis O’Flynn
said, “We kept moving as the
season went on and everything
fell together just in time for the
playoffs.”
The final game against Walled
Lake was not easy by any means,
with the Penguins having to kill
off difficult five-on-three penal-
ties. The PCS team was able to
get goals from junior forward
Emily King and senior forward
Jenna Carter. The Penguins also
benefited from goalie Becky
Lough, who made 17 saves on
the day.
Although the girls hockey
team has been constantly over-
looked throughout seasons past
by other sports like basketball
and boys hockey, the team still
By Adam Duxter
Sports Co-Editor
Story continued on B3Story continued on B3

8. B2 Sports The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
This season in Park hockey
was an exciting one with all
three teams working for their
best. We look back on a great
season for each team as winter
draws to a close. Plymouth made
the longest run into the Playoffs,
but was eventually defeated in
the state quarterfinals. Salem was
dropped by Plymouth in the pre-
regional game in a heartbreak-
ing overtime loss. Canton never
seemed to find their footing all
season, and it showed as they
lost in the first round of playoffs.
Plymouth made the deepest
run of all Park teams by mak-
ing it into the state playoffs. This
year, they made their way to the
state quarterfinals against Novi
Catholic Central at Yost Ice
Arena in Ann Arbor. It seemed
like déjà vu for the Wildcats as
they played in the same round,
against the same opponent and
at the same rink as last year. Un-
fortunately, the Wildcats suffered
a similar result, with a 5-2 loss.
The final score makes the game
seem like a blowout, but it was a
hard fought battle all the way to
the end.
The Wildcats had a fairly
successful season, going 13-
9-1, which included a KLAA
South Championship. Eight of
Plymouth’s wins came as part of
a winning streak that was built
on the back end of the regular
season, and they kept going until
the loss to CC.
“Our coach set up a tough
schedule to get us prepared for
playoffs, and I think we were an
extremely hard working team
and were competitive in every
game we played,” said senior
captain Zach Tavierne.
Salem had a similar case of
déjà vu this year. The defend-
ing Park champions took home
the Lash Cup once again but
were dropped by Plymouth in
overtime in the playoffs, which
came as a surprise since Salem
had beaten and tied Plymouth
earlier in the regular season.
In Salem’s last minute tie with
Plymouth, they clinched the
Lash Cup outright and a share of
the KLAA South. Salem finished
with an 11-15-1 record; six of
those losses were disappointing,
single-goal games. The Rocks’
scoring ability was a threat all
year but went scarce throughout
some periods.
Senior alternate captain Jack
Driscoll said, “I think we met
some of our goals as a team. In
the end, we gave it our all, and
the odds weren’t in our favor.”
Canton did not fare as well
as their Park rivals this year.
Under the helm of a new coach,
the Chiefs had trouble in many
aspects of the game, resulting in
a 3-21 record.
Although it was a rough year,
Canton can look forward to all
the youth the team has for years
to come.
Player profile:
Gabby Epelman
Gabby Epelman is a defen-
sive player for Canton Varsity
Soccer. She has been play-
ing the sport for 13 years and
plans to play in college. Here
are some things you might not
know about her:
By Adam Duxter
Sports Co-Editor
PhotocourtesyofGabbyEpelman
Epelman after scoring the winning
goal in the Canton vs Northville game
last year
Favorite class: Chemistry
Favorite food: Sushi
Best Soccer memory: Scoring the winning
goal against Northville who were favored to
win states with 5 minutes left in the game
Hobby other than soccer: Reading and
crossfit
Dream job: Being the best crossfit coach /
athletic trainer
Club team outside of school: Vardar ECNL
Celebrity crush: James Franco
College plans: Go to the University of
Toledo to study exercise physiology as both
major and minor while playing college
soccer
Role Model: Julie Foucher because
she’s the second fittest in the world while in
medical school at U of M
In 5 years I will be: Training to compete in the Crossfit Games while
coaching crossfit and studying to excel further in my major and
minor
Wildcats lose
in quarterfinals
By Peter Contos
Features Co-Editor
It was a big year for wrestlers at the Park, one of the biggest in
Plymouth-Canton history. The 2013-14 seasons included a trip to the
team state quarterfinals for Plymouth, an individual state champion
in Canton’s Ben Griffin, a senior, and seven other placers at the state
competition.
In the team competition at Battle Creek, sixth-seed Plymouth
faced off against third-seed Catholic Central.
Plymouth was the first team to represent the Park at Battle Creek
since 2008.
The Wildcats wrestled hard, earning wins from Brandon Harris
and Dylan Dwyer but were put away by the Shamrocks in the end.
The team’s effort earned them a 36-5 record, along with a district
and regional championship win. Coach Quinn Guernsey thought
extremely highly of this year’s team but wishes they could have pulled
out a higher seed.
In individual competition, the Park sent 11 wrestlers to the Palace
of Auburn Hills.
Plymouth sent a total of six wrestlers, including seniors Mohamad
Youssef, Jon Conn, Sofus Nielson and Joey Shaver and juniors Bran-
don Harris and Hussein Youssef.
Mohamad Youssef placed 6th at 119 pounds. Hussein Youssef had
less luck, being eliminated at 171 pounds.
Mohamad Youssef said this was “the best season I’ve ever had,”
and a highlight was “getting the pin against Bedford to seal the deal
to go to Team States.”
Conn placed 8th at 140 pounds, and Nielson earned 7th at 145.
Shaver made a run to the semi-finals but settled for 6th at 160
pounds.
Canton sent four wrestlers, seniors Ben Griffin, Alec Pantaleo and
KJ Wooley and junior Ty Jasman.
In the 130 pound final, Griffin was losing 1-0 and in the bottom
position with just over 20 seconds remaining in the match. Griffin
then pulled together an improbable Peterson-roll to put his op-
ponent, Ben Calandrino of Howell (future teammate of Griffin’s at
EMU), to his back, earning the reversal and back points. Griffin rode
out the rest of the match with his opponent on his back, and as the
buzzer sounded, Griffin ran a victory lap around the mat, throw-
ing his ankle bands in the air, and then jumped into the arms of his
coaches.
“I’ve been chasing a state title since I was six years old. It feels
almost too good to be true now that I finally did it,” said Griffin.
At 145, Pantaleo was looking for his second state championship,
but he, who looked to be in on a shot, was caught in a cradle and put
to his back. His opponent, Malik Amine of Catholic Central (future
teammate of Pantaleo’s at Michigan), held the cradle just long enough
for Pantaleo to be unable to wiggle out, and the ref called a pin.
Wooley lost in wrestle backs, ending his season without placing at
states.
Salem qualified one wrestler, junior Mitchell Goss. Goss dropped
two overtime matches but would overcome those matches and place
eighth, earning him all-state honors, Salem’s first all-state wrestler
since 2012.
With seven wrestlers placing at states and a State Champion, the
Park experienced one of their most memorable wrestling seasons.
By Peter Contos
Features Co-Editor
Wrestlers win big
Boys Basketball playoffs
kicked off with a rivalry; the
first round included the third
meeting between Canton and
Plymouth. Canton was 2-0
against Plymouth coming into
the match up and had the upper
hand being able to play in front
of a home crowd.
The Chiefs jumped out to an
early lead, controlling the game
for the opening three quarters.
However, due to foul trouble
from Davon Taylor, the team’s
leading scorer, Plymouth was
able to rally back. A late Josh
Reynolds three-pointer and
Xavier Gardner basket brought
the Cats within three, 39-36.
It was too late for Plymouth,
however, as the Chiefs were able
to knock down five of six free
throws and put away the Cats for
good. Taylor led the Chiefs with
18 points and 15 rebounds.
Next for Canton was a
Wednesday match up with
Catholic Central in the district
semifinal. Canton’s defense was
on their game however, as they
held the Shamrocks to only 36
points total. Shutting down the
offense was only half the battle,
as Canton needed a spark on the
offensive side of the ball. Provid-
ing that spark was the Senior
Forward, Davon Taylor. Taylor
dropped 20 points and added 8
boards to his stat sheet.
On the other side of the
bracket, the Salem Rocks saw a
first round bye and took on the
Novi Wildcats in the second
round. Salem struggled through
the game, finding themselves at
a 44-35 deficit at the beginning
of the fourth quarter. During the
last eight minutes of play, the
Rocks outscored Novi 28-19.
Salem’s Connor Cole was
clutch for the Rocks as he
knocked down a three within the
closing seconds to send the game
into overtime. In OT, the Rocks
fully dominated the Wildcats,
outscoring them 17-8. Cole
finished with 35 points and 4-6
three-point shooting. Alec Win-
frey also contributed 14 points
and 4 blocks for the Rocks.
In the district championship,
two of our home teams clashed
it out in a memorable game.
Canton and Salem faced off for
the second time this year, with
Canton winning the previ-
ous match up thanks to Jordan
Nobles racking up 26 points in
a 60-56 victory over the Rocks.
This time, Salem held Nobles to
only 6 points the whole game.
Junior Greg Williams stepped
up for Canton, as he scored 21
points (4-6 3PT), tacking on 8
assists and giving Canton the
lead at the half 26-20.
Salem battled back as they
tied the game 44-44 with three
minutes left. After they ex-
changed buckets over three min-
utes, Salem fouled Taylor and
sent him to the line for a 1-and-
1. Salem got the ball down the
court to Junior Allante Wheeler.
Wheeler was able to draw the
foul with only 4.8 seconds left in
the game with the game tied 49-
49. Wheeler didn’t let his team
down as he put away the Chiefs
by making his first free throw
and giving the Rocks a 50-49
win over the Chiefs to win the
District Championship.
Next on tap for Salem was a
trip to Linden high school to face
off against Grand Blanc (22-3).
Salem dominated the first half
of the game, but the Rocks went
cold in the second half. This
allowed Grand Blanc to erase a
third quarter double digit deficit
and complete the comeback in
the fourth. The Bobcats made
their only three of the game, and
Grand Blanc closed out with a
one point win, 53-52 over Salem.
By Lucas Scott
Photo Editor
Salem squeezes past Canton in basketball districts
Canton Girls Basketball state runner-up
By Kelsey McDougall
Copy Editor
The Canton Girls Basket-
ball team ended their season
the same way they started it,
matched up against the Mus-
tangs of Marian High School.
The Chiefs fell to the Mustangs
in the Class A State Champi-
onship at the Breslin Student
Events Center Sat. March 15. At
the conclusion of an aggressive
battle for the championship title,
the final score of the game was
44-26.
While the Chiefs didn’t claim
the state title, their season was
nothing short of spectacular.
Although starting their
season with three losses in their
first six games, one of which was
to Marian, the Chiefs weren’t
fazed. They went on to finish the
regular season with a record of
18-4 going into the first round of
the state tournament.
“We knew coming into the
season it wasn’t going to be easy.
We knew we played the games
in the beginning to find out how
good we really were and what we
needed to focus on to become
better as a team. It gave us moti-
vation to work even harder and
be successful,” said senior Rachel
Winters.
Senior Taylor Hunley added
that the Chiefs overcame their
initial losses because they knew
that while they didn’t win, they
were gaining experience by
playing against some of the top-
ranked teams in the state.
The Chiefs began their run
to the state championship Feb.
26, when they defeated North-
ville 41-25. They then went on
to beat the Plymouth Wildcats
for a third time this season and
to claim the district champion-
ship title, the score 48-34. They
took down the undefeated Holly
Broncos in the regional semi-
finals 42-33 and then trounced
Lakeland 43-24 to become
regional champions.
Canton’s success didn’t end
there. The Chiefs then went on
to defeat Flint Carman-Ain-
sworth to reach the Final Four at
Breslin. There they played Grand
Ledge and pulled out a victory
in what was an extremely close
game until the final quarter.
After the game was tied 19-19
after the third quarter, Canton
went on a run to end the game
with 35-28.
Going into the state semi-
final and final games, Winters
said that the Chiefs prepared by
doing what they always do, by
working hard at practice, making
each other better and plugging
away game after game.
“It was such an amazing
experience being able to play in
the Breslin Center. It was cool to
play in an arena of that caliber.
It is an experience that doesn’t
come around too often,” said
Hunley.
Although falling short to
Marian in the state champion-
ship, the Chiefs certainly do
not have anything to hang their
heads about. This season’s team
is the first in Canton’s history to
make it all the way to the state
championship game, one game
further than the 2010 and 2011
teams that made it to the Final
Four in back-to-back years.
“I think that our team’s
strength this season was the fact
that we were all very close and
that we got along so well. We
had really good team chemistry,”
Hunley noted.
“When we were playing at the
Breslin, all I was thinking about
was what a great experience it
was. I took it all in, and even
though we fell short, being state
runner-up is pretty dang good
and an experience I will never
forget,” said Winters. “My favor-
ite memory is being so successful
and winning many champion-
ships. I also loved my team. It
was a great senior year, and I
wouldn’t have wanted to spend it
any other way.”
Joined by Hunley and Winters
on the Varsity team are seniors
Paige Aresco and Shannon
Perry; juniors Alanna Brown,
Alexa Lagola and Jordan Church;
sophomores Natalie Winters and
Madison Archibald and fresh-
man Erin Hult.
PhotosbyJohnKemski
Taylor Hunley (LEFT), and Paige Aresco (RIGHT), both Canton seniors, go for shots againt Marian in the state finals game.

9. B3 Sports The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
The Park has a unique high school atmosphere,
not only in its educational experience, but in its
athletics; the difference in its rivalries is unmatched
by any high school.
Not only do students have classes in all three of
the buildings, but they also have friends who may
go to any of the schools. When it comes to game
time, you are playing against another school whose
players you saw in class earlier that day and even
ate lunch with. They are also the kids that you will
be going out with after the game.
When playing another school, you want to be
competitive and win the game. At the Park, you are
playing against your friends who go to the school,
and it is much like playing a game against your
family members.
There’s the dilemma for the players; they want
to play their heart out and win the game, but they
also want their friends to be happy and successful.
When you come out victorious in a game
against another P-CEP team, you not only win the
game, but you also gain bragging rights. Coming
to school the day after a victory is an experience to
which you look forward. Walking in the doors of
your home school, you are somewhat of a hero for
defeating the opposing team.
If you are the loser of the rival game, you have
to live with the bragging rights that are inflicted
upon you by members of the other team, along
with another loss in your record. Along with this,
you are forced to see the members of the opposing
team the next day in classes.
In other high schools, the rivalries are com-
pletely different. In schools that have a single high
school, there are just games against other schools’
teams. Granted, this is still a big competition, and
these match ups for other schools are just as im-
portant as they are here at the Park, but the sense
of competition that Park athletes experience is
something other schools can’t understand.
Although there are competition and rivalries
at every high school and between every sports
team, the Park pushes those aside with its unique
situation. Playing against your friend who lives
next door but goes to another school is something
students at normal high schools will never under-
stand.
The cross-Park rivalry is something that was
around when there were only two schools. Now
that there are three and two of them are in the
same division, the rivalry and sense of competition
is deeper than ever before.
By Alyce Krumm
Staff Writer
Park rivalries unique
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year with a state championship
and finally achieve a goal that I
had since freshman year,” said
Canton senior captain Melissa
Green.
Not only did the Chiefs win
team states, but they also had
three individual state champions.
Reigning Division Two vault
champion, Canton senior cap-
tain Erica Lucas,
received her third
straight state title
with a score of
9.475. Canton
sophomore Mad-
die Toal claimed
state champ title
for Division One
balance beam
with a score of
9.725 while Can-
ton sophomore
Hailey Hodgson took the title for
Division Two with a 9.375.
For All-Around Division
One, Canton junior captain Joc-
elyn Moraw came in fourth place
with a 37.825, and Toal came
in seventh with 36.9.25 points.
Lucas placed second for Division
Two All Around with a score of
36.25 while Hodgson came in
fourth with a 35.85.
Other Park gymnasts who
placed were Plymouth senior
Katie Salanga, who scored a
9.225 and took second place
for Division Two balance beam
and Salem freshman Alexis
Frantzeskakis took ninth place
for Division One balance beam
with 9.175. Frantzeskakis also
scored a 9.525 and ended up
placing third for Division One
vault and placed ninth for
Division One All Around with a
36.575. Plymouth junior Kayla
Janevski placed tenth for Divi-
sion Two Vault with a score of
9.0, and Plymouth
sophomore Haley
Metz placed tenth
for Division One
Uneven Parallel
Bars with a score
of .975.
“This champi-
onship is the best
ending to high
school gymnastics
for me. We have
placed second in
the state for the past three years I
have been on the team, and win-
ning states started to become the
unreachable goal. However, this
championship shows me why I
have put in so much time and
effort over the past four years,”
said Lucas.
“We are probably one of the
hardest working teams, and for
the past couple years it hasn’t
shown through all the way. I am
so happy it did this year, though.
Finally winning just shows how
hard work and determination
can truly pay off in the long run,”
said Hodgson.
We kept losing players to inju-
ries,” said Covault. They pressed
on and did not let that stop them
from attaining their end goals.
The game was a shutout for
goalie Trevor McManus. His
presence and great plays are
what the team had to fall back
on in competitive times during
the game. Kyle Kozler, one of
their defensive players, played
a very strong game. With the
two of them working together,
along with the other defensive
players, it created an unbeatable
force and mindset that Plymouth
needed in order to win the game.
“It feels great to be state
champs, since it’s the first time
for most of us to win it, and
it’s the first state championship
for Plymouth JV history,” said
Covault.
“The best part about it was
knowing that nobody could
beat us. No team could beat
us. The bond I have with these
boys won’t ever be broken,” said
Barno.
Because of their status as a
team separate from the school,
the Wildcats prep team was able
to play more than 50 games on
the season. The team is excited
with the success, and the Varsity
team is looking forward to the
level of talent to be joining them
next year.
Plymouth Prep
Hockey
PCS Penguins
Hockey
Canton
Gymnastics
Stories continued from B1
The Plymouth Prep Hockey team displays its banner after
winning the state championship.
P-CEP teams become state champs
Used with permission of Darrin Silvester
Morgan Cusumano, Plymouth senior, challanges a player during a game.
Photo by John Kemski
has been able to find success
even without student support.
“It’s always funny when
people find out we have a girls
hockey team,” said O’Flynn.
“They’re usually really surprised,
but I wish we would get more
recognition and support from
the schools.”
That might just happen for
the girls, as they continue to have
success at the division two level.
Even though the success has
been large for the team in the
past five seasons, the senior cap-
tain stresses that to be a yearly
contender, you can never get
comfortable.
“That’s the past. How many
championships a team has in the
past is irrelevant and distract-
ing. The past doesn’t matter. The
only thing that matters is getting
a new one the next year,” said
O’Flynn.
Photo by John Kemski
Jenna Carter, Canton senior, takes the ice during a game.
Canton head
coach John
Cunningham
received his first
state title after 46
years of coaching
gymnastics.

10. B4 Features The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
The relationships children
build in their preschool years
can affect them throughout the
rest of their lives. The idea that
they have a “big kid friend” at
school can be very exciting.
In the mind of a 5-year-old,
hanging out with a big kid is the
coolest thing out there. Kiddie
Kampus is a two hour block
class that gives high school
students the chance to build this
connection with a preschool
aged child.
“You build a relationship
where you are viewed as a
teacher, a friend and a role
model,” said Sarah Edgecomb,
Salem senior. The students who
take this class learn about child
development from birth to eight
years old as well as teaching
skills useful for working with
young kids. Working along with
preschool teachers, the students
learn about education and how
to make lesson plans.
Students will do a child
study – the observation of two
children and where they are in
their childhood development.
Working with children can be
beneficial to the high school
students and the young children.
It teaches tolerance to older kids,
and it helps the preschool kids
to open up to people other than
their teachers.
“They love the kids, they call
them their big friends,” said Ce-
cilia Hutchison, Kiddie Kampus
instructor.
“The benefit I get out of this
class is I’ll have so much more
experience with children in all
different ways, and I’ll have all
good teaching techniques no
matter what age I’m working
with or what skill I’m teaching
them. It’s something not a lot of
high school students get to walk
out with, and I’m very lucky to
have this opportunity,” said Alex
Kelly, Plymouth senior.
This class is so much more
than outlining textbooks and
doing busy work. This class
lets people get involved; it is a
unique, interactive learning ex-
perience that many schools don’t
have the opportunity to offer.
“If you’re the type of person
who wants to go into any sort
of education, or work with kids,
take Kiddie Kampus. It teaches
you a lot of things that you didn’t
think you would know. It’s such
a great learning experience, and
there’s something to look for-
ward to every day,” said Kelly.
In the mind of a 5-year-old, a
“big kid friend” can be the per-
fect person to open up to. When
the preschoolers don’t want to
talk to a teacher, they always
have that other option. Students
taking Kiddie Kampus have the
ability to act as a big brother or
sister, and that relationship can
benefit the preschooler through-
out the rest of their childhood.
By Katelyn Polich
Online Editor
Kiddie Kampus benefits children, students
Clockwise from top: Megan Leslie demonstrates with puppets; Meredith Rinke colors
with the students: Ms. Macro helps teach lessons during play.
Photos by Lucas Scott/Photo Editor

11. B5 Features The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
Connect with CPL
Online at www.cantonpl.org
Call us at (734) 397-0999
Visit us at 1200 Canton Center Rd, Canton, MI 48188
We’re located next to Canton Township building!
News for Students from
The Canton Public Library
Prepare for your AP Tests with
FREE Study Guides and Practice Tests!
Log in to the LearningExpress Library online and prepare for your up-
coming tests. It’s free, available 24/7 and when you create an ac-
count, you can track your progress. All you need is your Canton Pub-
lic Library card or Michigan ID card to access these tests:
With a Canton Public Library card, go to www.cantonpl.org/
databases#test-prep and select LearningExpress Library. Then
choose College Preparation and pick your test.
With a Michigan driver’s license or state ID
card, go to www.mel.org, select Tests and
Tutorials from the left column, then create
an account and choose your test.
Trouble logging on? Call the library for help at 734-397-0999.
 AP Biology
 AP Calculus
 AP Chemistry
 AP English Language
 AP English Literature
 AP European History
 AP U.S. Government
 AP U.S. History
 ACT Prep
 SAT Prep
 PSAT/ NMSQT Prep
Many dream of having the op-
portunity to explore foreign na-
tions, but some foreign language
students had the chance to do
that during Midwinter Break.
Students from French 3 and 4
as well as from AP French trav-
eled across the Atlantic to France,
and students in AP Spanish were
able to go down to the Domini-
can Republic on a marine biology
service learning project trip.
In France, students traveled to
Paris and Versailles, visited the
castles of the Loire Valley, headed
to Brittany on the Atlantic coast
and then went up to Normandy.
“It was great,” Jenna Nutter,
Canton senior said. “We all got
really close and played lots of
cards.”
In Paris, the group visited
the Champs Elysées, went up in
the Arc de Triomphe, visited the
Louvre and Notre Dame and, of
course, ascended to the top of the
most famous landmark in Paris,
the Eiffel Tower.
Canton senior Spencer Rag-
nuson said, “My favorite part
was going to the top of the Eiffel
Tower and seeing all of Paris and
seeing what the world was like
outside of the U.S.”
Salem French teacher and trip
advisor Katherine Rokakis said,
“I always love to see the students’
faces as they see the Eiffel Tower
for the first time and as they ex-
perience the cultural aspects of
France.”
At Versailles the group had
the opportunity to act out dif-
ferent roles from leaders in the
French Revolution. In the Loire
Valley, students awed the castles
of Chenonceau and Amboise
and attended a French culinary
arts school, preparing a 3-course
meal with professional chefs.
The travelers stopped in Car-
nac, a sort of French Stonehenge,
and climbed on the rocks which
have been standing in perfect
lines for thousands of years.
Nutter said, “There’s one sec-
tion of Carnac where you can
actually climb on the rocks, and
so we were getting on top of them
and taking pictures.”
In Brittany, while exploring
quaint towns, students learned
about the Breton culture, even
partaking in a class to learn tra-
ditional Breton dance.
Rokakis said, “It was fun to see
[the students] dancing, climbing
on the rocks at Carnac and ex-
ploring the Breton town of Qui-
mper.”
From there, the journey
moved to Normandy where stu-
dents were touched by the D-Day
beaches, and along the Oma-
ha Beach, wandering silently
through the American Cemetery
there.
“Every year I give a wrap-up
survey to students, and I am just
finishing gathering those. The
overwhelming responses are that
this was the trip of a lifetime and
that they can’t wait to go back,”
Rokakis said.
In the Dominican Repub-
lic, students observed and re-
corded information on fish and
sea urchins for a program called
Reefcheck that aims to conserve
tropical coral reefs as well as the
California rocky reefs.
Daily, the group worked in Las
Galeras with the foundation in
order to gather data on the life in
the reefs. Students learned about
indicator species and how to rec-
ognize specific fish that show the
health of reefs.
Canton junior and AP Span-
ish student Eiley Fong said that it
seemed dangerous at first, but she
enjoyed helping the cause.
Salem senior Jason Basanese
said, “I learned a lot about why
it is important to maintain the
coral reefs, especially in tourist
areas. They provide white sand,
a lot of the fish and a lot of the
scuba diving.” He added that
their destruction can lead to the
shoreline receding.
The trip also included some
time at a women’s cooperative to
learn how to construct dolls and
weave baskets with local vegeta-
tion, like coconut and palm, as
a way to increase income in the
small town. There, students saw
the contrast in American and
Dominican culture.
“We learned women are not
expected to have jobs. Women
are expected to not be indepen-
dent at all,” Basanese said.
Salem junior and Spanish stu-
dent Haleemah Shajira said, “It
was really cool to see the opin-
ions and how the woman were
trying to do more.”
In the capital, Santo Domingo,
the group toured the city where
Columbus landed, saw ruins of
the first hospital in the Americas
and stayed in a hotel inside one of
the first Spanish forts.
Canton senior and AP Span-
ish student Annika Nuler said
that bargaining in Spanish when
shopping was difficult at first, but
“by the end of the week, we were
more accustomed to it.”
At the end, the travelers helped
out at an iguanarium while learn-
ing about the endangered species
of the iguana.
Plymouth Spanish teacher and
trip advisor Alicia Maturen said,
“We were learning something
new every day that we could take
away forever. We all worked to-
gether toward common goals
with a new group of people in the
Dominican Republic. We discov-
ered big things and little things
that humantity has in common.”
Preparations for the French
trip next year are already begin-
ning, and Maturen hopes to do
another service learning trip in
the future.
By Breana Noble
News Editor
Members of Advanced French classes visit the Eiffel
Tower.
Advanced language classes travel abroad
Photo provided by Eiley Fong
Nora Akcasu and Eiley Fong enjoy a boat ride off the
coast of the Dominican Republic.
Photo provided by Katherine Rokakis
Photo provided by Alicia Maturen
AP Spanish classes wade in the waters of the Caribbean
Sea.

12. B6 Features The Perspective/ March 21, 2014
Graduating Seniors of 2014
Scholarship
Vocational-Technical
School Education
For graduating seniors of 2014 who
will pursue technical careers at two-
year colleges or technical schools
2.0 GPA or higher
Resident of Plymouth-Canton
Community School District
Person of high moral and
personal character
School or Community Service
Demonstrates financial need
Submit the proper application with updated transcript,
two letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors,
or employers, and a personal statement by
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Finalists will be interviewed on Thursday, May 8, 2014
2:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Canton High School
General Office Conference Room
Return completed application to Mr. Bondy,
Canton High School, Room CV22
It is REQUIRED that you attend
YOUR Senior Honors Convocation.
Park Players presented "Faces in the
Crowd" in Canton's Dubois Little The-
atre. The play featured a series of indi-
vidual monologues and group sketches,
covering a range of topics relatable to
the lives of high school students.
"This show dealt with contemporary
American issues faced by teenagers
today," Shannon McNutt, Canton drama
and English teacher and director of Park
Players, said of the play that ran Feb. 28,
March 1, 7 and 8. "The first act is kind
of heavy. It deals with painful subjects,
such as suicide, incest, violence in
schools and drug and alcohol abuse to
the difficulties of friendship and divorce
in families."
Canton sophomores Madison Fifer
and Ian McPherson performed a sketch
called "Nightsream," which dealt with
the issue of suicide.
"I know people who have tried to
commit suicide, so that's personal," Fifer
said.
Kyle Cochran, Canton junior, per-
formed "Peak Moment," a monologue
in which his character reflects on a
moment of recognition after playing the
piano for some of his peers.
"In 'Peak Moment,' I am a musician,
and musicians don't get a lot of notice.
The marching band is constantly hated
for no reason, and it's disrespectful at
times," Cochran said.
The cast shared advice for people go-
ing through rough times, agreeing that
talking to others is the best option.
"Reach out to people. Don't go
through it alone," Fifer said.
"Don't be secluded. Your friends
are the most important tools to sur-
vival, and they can help you through
anything, and it's always possible that
they've been through something that
you have," Cochran said.
"It's definitely a lot better to talk to
people because if you keep that inside,
it's just going to build up," McPherson
said.
McNutt explained that this play was
supposed to create these kinds of per-
sonal connections, not only among the
actors, but audience members as well.
"In a school the size of P-CEP, people
don't know each other, and you can
walk by someone in the hallway, and
you don't know what's going on in that
person's life. It could be something
really serious and sad," McNutt said.
"We get absorbed in our own lives, and
it's easy to feel lost and like people can't
identify with you. These issues raised
in the play show that you're not alone.
Even the most awful things that happen
to people happen to others, and there's a
place you can turn to."
Another goal McNutt had in mind
when directing this play was expanding
the cast's acting capabilities. Although
this presented a challenge to some of the
performers, it further developed their
skills as actors.
"It's an opportunity for young actors
to grow and stretch themselves. The kids
audition, and you try to fit them into
these stories in ways that would grow
and stretch them the most," McNutt
said. "We had a few people in this cast
that were extremely shy. To see their
confidence grow is exciting."
"It broadened my horizons," Cochran
said. "In most of my roles, I've been seri-
ous, very low key, and in this play, I was
the total opposite. I had to be boister-
ous, fun and jump around."
McPherson said that he wasn't used
to performing serious pieces like the
ones he did in this production.
"I like to do more comedic stuff, so
when I had to show more solid emo-
tion, it was a bit harder, since I'm more
of a concealed person with that kind of
stuff," McPherson said.
Ashley Daniels, Canton sophomore,
performed "America."
"'America' had to do with how
people are blindsided about the true
America compared to the TV shows
they watch," Daniels said. "I had to learn
to be righteous, and I had to learn more
about it because I read it over and over
again, and I didn't really understand it
until Ms. McNutt taught me."
Another factor that drew McNutt
into this particular play was financial
matters.
"There was a budget concern. We
were spending a lot of money on ‘West
Side Story.’ That's a very expensive show,
so I wanted something that was cheap
and wouldn't have a lot of expenses
with sets or costumes," McNutt said.
"We're a self-sustaining program. Shows
are getting more expensive. It can cost
$20,000-$30,000 to put on a show.
When we sell tickets, we're not making
money; we're breaking even."
The next Park Players production,
“West Side Story,” takes place March 21,
22, 28 and 29 in Salem's Gloria Logan
Auditorium at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12.
For students interested in involving
themselves in Park Players next year,
there is an informational meeting at the
beginning of every school year.
Park Players bring controversial student issues to the stage
By Jana Boster
Copy Editor
Photos by Meredith Whitaker
‘Faces in the Crowd’
Canton sophomore Madison Fifer and Canton sophomore
Ian McPherson perform “Nightsream.”
Canton junior Cameron Waarla performs a monologue. Canton freshman George Rafka takes his moment on the
stage.