Very rarely does a freshman student make it onto a varsity sports team. Even more rarely does that freshman become one of the most valuable athletes on the team.

Sabrina Dass is one of two freshmen on the GBHS varsity girls’ tennis team. Dass plays singles 1, which is the most advanced singles position. This means that she plays without a partner against the most talented players from the other teams. She usually participates in matches against older and more experienced upperclassmen, but that doesn’t scare her.“I’m actually used to playing against older girls, I just focus on my own strengths instead of my opponents,” Dass explained.

Dass has been playing tennis competitively for about 4-5 years now, and is not sure about college plans. She has been doing really well so far this season, but is hoping to improve on her weaknesses and finish off her freshmen year strong.

“The whole team and I are really excited for the rest of the season. Even though we usually get really nervous before a match, its always a lot of fun,” Dass said.

Even in this cold weather, the girls push through the pain and continue to have fun while playing.

Every year the entire junior class attends a “Making It Count” assembly. The purpose of the assembly is to assist students in choosing the college that is right for them based on a variety of factors. Some of the factors include learning styles, class size, student population size preference, budget, and previous academic performances.
On the other hand, admission departments consider a multitude of factors including previous course selections, AP courses, recommendations from teachers, interests outside of the classroom, standardized test scores, written essays, class rank, interviews with the administration, and academic performance, measured by G.P.A. All are taken into consideration when you are being chosen for college acceptance.
The core of this assembly was spent discussing ways in which students can get financial aid, based on various criteria, when looking toward tuition and other college related expenses along with what is needed to maximize acceptance into the college of your choice.
Students had many comments about the assembly, and its overall message. Junior Lauren Baywol felt that the assembly was only repeating things she had already been told about college in the past. “I thought that it could have been helpful to some people, especially those who think that they are in need of help in finding ways to pay for college, but I’ve heard most of it all before.”
Other students thought that the assembly dragged on for the entire hour. “I thought it was really informative but the main points could have been reached in probably less than half of the time,” said junior Nick Martin.
Overall the students attending the assembly felt that it really wasn’t significantly helpful for helping choose a specific college. The information given could have been more easily presented through a packet or even in a discussion with a counselor instead of the hour-long assembly. Of course, with hundreds of students, large assemblies are the quickest way to give information to the most people.
While most of the students already know what is expected because of the extensive guidance we have received throughout the past years of high school, the true test of the assembly’s usefulness will come next year as students apply for colleges.

Throughout sports history, there have been so many lawsuits filed for everything from illegal drug use, to rape, to even throwing beer at basketball players. But never has there been a lawsuit filed regarding misconduct of hot dogs. That is, not until John Coomer recently filed one on Feb. 8, 2010 against Major League Baseball Team, the Kansas City Royals.

Coomer attended the Royals vs. Tigers game on Sept. 9, 2009 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The Royals fan sat six rows behind the third base dugout, a popular spot in the stadium where fans hoping to catch a foul ball tend to sit. Unfortunately for him, a foul ball wasn’t exactly what was being served up at the moment.

The Royals’ mascot “Sluggerrr” the lion, in all innocent entertainment, stood up on the third base dugout and started firing hot dogs into the crowd with a gun-like instrument. He then resorted to simply chucking the hot dogs into the crowd with his hands and lost control of his throw, nailing John Cooper directly in the left eye with a hot dog.

The hot dog detached Cooper’s retina as well as caused cataracts to form. He has since undergone two surgeries and claims that, “his vision is now permanently impaired,” and believes that he is now, “at greater risk for future eye problems.”

Instead of being a true Royals fan and forgiving the lovable lion for his mistake, Cooper is now suing the team for negligence and battery and seeking over $25,000.00 in damages. His lawsuit’s main argument is that Kansas City has, “failed to adequately train its agents in the proper method in which to throw hot dogs into the stands at Kauffman Stadium.”

While this lawsuit is still in progress, until a verdict has been settled, the entertainment at Kauffman stadium will have to be watered down a bit. In other words, Sluggerrr’s throwing days could possibly be at an official end. Which, if you think about it, is quite sad seeing as shooting hot dogs at people is just a fun part of the entertainment provided at Kauffman Stadium.

Yes, Sluggerrr should definitely be more careful especially since this incident has occurred. But in all honesty, is “failing to adequately train agents in the proper method in which to throw hot dogs into stands” really a legitimate argument in a lawsuit? I’m thinking not. Furthermore, I highly doubt that “hot dog throwing” is even a portion of training that mascots endure while applying for the job. Let’s be real here.

What this all boils down to is that Sluggerrr made a mistake and hurt an innocent fan. But it’s still highly uncalled for and over the top for Coomer to sue the entire team over it. It’s not like the team authoritive figures wouldn’t have obliged him in some way for his troubles. But the guy who was supposed to be a Royals fan had to go on and sue them. Now that’s low.

So congratulations, John Coomer. I hope you enjoy whatever you may win in this lawsuit because in the end, is it really that big of a deal? One thing is for sure, your social status with your fellow Royals fans will plummet. I sure hope it’s worth it.

     Do you think you have what it’s got be a lacrosse player? Everyone thinks that girls lacrosse isn’t as intense as guys, but they are all sadly mistaken. Take a risk and find out how much fun and how aggressive girls lacrosse can actually be.
     Right now the team is in development with conditioning twice a week. Tryouts are rapidly approaching and will be here before you know it, so if you want to tryout attend. New comers are encouraged, even if you have never played before. There are two conditioning dates left before tryouts:
Monday, March 1
Wednesday, March 3
6:15-7:30pm
     If you are interested in playing you should definitely try to attend these last few conditioning sessions. That way you can get to know your possible teammates and you can become acquainted with coach Katie Gutteridge – talking to her about your skepticism of your ability to play the sport.
     Tryouts are Monday, March 15; Tuesday, March 16; and Wednesday, March 17; the exact times and where they will take place are to be announced because the tryouts have to fit with any upcoming sports games or meets of any kind.
     The GBHS girls lacrosse team now has a website where you can keep yourself updates with dates of conditioning, try-outs and games. www.grandblanclacrosse.com. You can also use the website to view photos and awards; there is even a team bulletin board.
     Regardless of whether or not you know how to play or have ever heard of the game, you are welcome at try-outs. Nothing can compare to the feeling of the accomplishment of making and being a part of a team.

The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada started out a little rocky with the death of  a Georgian Luger, but after some adjustments to the track the Olympic games were underway. The lighting of the cauldron included speed skater Catriona Le May Doan, basketball all-star Steve Nash, skier Nancy Greene, and legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky. Fans from all around the world came to witness their own piece of history as hard trained atheletes put it all on the line for one chance at Olympic success. And when it was all said and done, the best atheletes were heroes to the countries that they so proudly represented.

The events that U.S. took gold on are as follows:

Bobsled, cross country skiing (individual), men’s super combined, men’s figure skating, men’s speed skating, women’s alpine skiing (downhill), men’s snowboarding, women’s freestlye skiing, and men’s snowboarding halfpipe.

The U.S., despite not taking the majority of gold medals, had a few players who outshined the rest. They worked harder, longer, and more fiercely to train than almost anyone else in Vancouver.

Apollo Anton Ohno

After hearing about his miraculous silver medal comeback, Ohno, a short track speed skater, was picked to be a favorite in the rest of his events. Unfortunately, in his 500 m final, Ohno was disqualified out of his silver medal performance for an infraction, impeding a Canadian skater around the final turn. His total medal count in his winter Olympics career is 8 medals, with 3 (1 silver, 2 bronze) coming from 2010, making him the most decorated American winter Olympian in history.

Shaun White

What more can we say about this shaggy haired, millionaire-earning, gravity-defying snowboarder Olympian? He never gives up at getting better. And in the 2010 Olympics, it showed. His first run on the halfpipe earned him a score of 46.8, high enough to defend his gold medal event. But did that stop him? No sirree. In his unneeded second run, he performed a Double McTwist 1260 (3.5 spins), earning a 48.4 (out of 50), widening the gap of silver medal to 3.4 behind this decorated Olympian. His performance gave Americans something to be proud of, and that gold medal hopefully won’t be his last.

Ryan Miller

The goalie of the NHL team Buffalo Sabres, and a grad of Michigan State, Ryan Miller put on the best performance of any player in the U.S.A. hockey run. He was named MVP of the tournament, but that only scratches the surface. He finished his Olympic run with the best goals-against average of any goalie.  Miller is accredited to this young team’s surprisingly undefeated run to the gold medal game, that being their only loss. He will go home a hero, no matter what the final score said. His silver medal shines proudly.

As last week was a sweet victory for the boys’ basketball team winning the KLAA West division, it’s now time for the Bobcats focus on the KLAA division championship. Last Friday started the tournament for the Bobcats playing Lakeland. They pulled out a close win after Patrick Haggin scored a three pointer with 1.2 seconds left in the game, leading the Bobcats to a 54-51 win. This Tuesday, the bobcat’s had another victory, this time over Pinckney, winning   61-44. They will play their next game Friday against Waterford Mott.

“I feel confident going into the tournament Friday,” said senior Luke Ford.

This season has been very successful for the team. They currently hold a record of 12-4 and still have part of a season left to play.

“We have had a very good season,” says senior Brad Hammond. “The team really worked well together this year.”

Throughout the season, the Bobcat’s biggest rival has been Brighton. They beat Brighton once and lost to them once and had to share the championship KLAA West title with Brighton. This season, the Bobcat’s have beat Hartland twice but have lost twice to Carman Ainsworth.

A stand out player on the team is senior Pat Haggin. Last week against Howell, Haggin achieved a career high of 31 points. He is also the leading three point shooter for the Bobcats.

“This season has been the most fun basketball season I have ever played in high school,” said senior Patrick Haggin.

If you thought Apolo Anton Ohno was impressive on the dance floor when he competed in and won ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” you should see what he can do on the ice. This Olympic medalist, and 12 time national title short track speed skater, is making history at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Ohno was first brought to the attention of the world during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was during the final turn of the Men’s 1000m Short Track Speed Skating that a drastic whipped out all but one skater, Australia’s Steven Bradbury, who went to win gold for the event. However, despite injuries to his leg, Ohno crawled across the finish line, earning a silver medal for the event, and his first Olympic win. Ohno went on to win the gold medal in Men’s 1500m Short Track Speed Skating that same year.

Since his first triumphant Winter Olympics in 2002 Ohno has won gold, two silver, and three bronze medals for speed skating, as well as seven national championships. The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics brought record breaking wins for the skater. With the win of his 6th and 7th medal, silver for the 1500m relay, and bronze for the 1000m relay, Ohno made history, becoming the most decorated American in Winter Olympic history. Ohno has now passed Bonnie Blair for most Winter Olympic wins.

With two races down, Ohno has two other events to compete in before the Winter Olympics conclude the 500m, and the 5000m relay races. With his track record there is a great chance that yet another 2010 medal is in his future. Whether he brings home more medals this year, or not, Apolo Anton Ohno will be remembered as the speed skater who made Winter Olympic history.

Dropping in is an understatement when it comes to the Olympic half-pipe rides, rather, they fall from the sky and throw down the hardest tricks out there. The American men dominated the half-pipe Wed., Feb. 17, with Shaun White taking home the gold as expected and Scotty Lago also hopping on the medal stand in third place.

Although the men did well on Wednesday, the women failed to hit the high bar set in place by the men the following night. Although both the men and the women carried four snowboarders to Vancouver, America only carried away four medals, the men taking gold and bronze, Hannah Teter brought home the silver and Kelly Clark got second bronze for the team.

Women and men are not compared often for their athletic ability, but when it comes down to who provides a better performance some traits do need to be kept in mind. For one, the men were flying up to heights of 30 feet above the lip of the half-pipe while most women barely had time to rotate their board around. The men were pulling the hardest tricks in the book, such as the “double cork,” and White even pulled off a “double McTwist”—a trick only he has mastered.

While the men soared to new heights, the women kept their tricks to 900s and grabs, except for Torah Bright, the gold medalist from Australia, who pulled ahead of the pack without even attempting what she has been working on, the “double cork” that had become so popular with the men but has never been shown by the women. Not only did the girls play it safe, but the majority of them fell on both their first and second runs; the women often scrubbed out the landings and if that did not take them down, the loss of speed took them out of the competition.

The women could have carried more speed into the pipe had they started from the top of the run rather than waiting until they were halfway to the pipe to start. The men booked it down the top of the run and pumped right into the half-pipe throwing down difficult trick combos and keeping their air high above spectators’ heads. The women slowed themselves down into the pipe and rolled over the lip—the lack of speed into the pipe and the lack of the pumping action greatly decreased their speeds.

Although the women put down their best, the large amount of mistakes made it a hard competition to watch—especially since the women followed the men’s spectacular performance the night before

All together the ladies were not nearly as impressive to watch as the men. Whether the difference is a variance in strength between the two genders, different levels of fear, or just plain athletic ability is up to the viewer.

Braving the cold weather, harsh wind, and high slopes, the Grand Blanc High School Ski Team practices and competes in hopes of qualifying for SEMSLs and states. The team, coached by David Clement and John Lambert, practices four hours a week at Mount Holly and races another four hours a week against teams from all over Oakland and Genesee County.

During that week, they have two main races: Slalom and GS (giant slalom). GS is wider, while slalom is a smaller course.

“My favorite race is slalom because you get to hit things,” Captain R.J. Lambert said. To be more specific, the race requires agility and skill by hitting the stakes as you pass. This race is not only dangerous, but potentially harmful as well.

Sophomore Lauren Ulrich said, “I don’t mind that race, but I have so many bruises from it.”

Currently undefeated, the team is looking forward to placing high at upcoming meets. Hoping to place top three at districts, they would like to qualify for SEMSELs. Also, for skiing, there are two ways you can qualify for states. You can either place top ten at regionals individually, or place top three as a team. This year, Regional’s are at Pine knob, and States are at Boyne Highlands.

“My favorite part of high school ski team is all the inside joke we have; it is so much fun,” said Sophomore Mike Engelman.

Help support our fellow students and wish them luck for their upcoming meets whenever we can. Let’s hope they finish off their season as strong as they started it.

After a lot of time put in, the students dreams of a win were toppled.

Students from Steve Barker’s Studio Art class volunteered to represent GBHS at this year’s ice sculpting competition in Frankenmuth. Seniors Rebecca Thresher, Kaitlynn Brasher, Ariele Harris, and junior Jessica Kallie, with sophomore back-up Jin Kwag. They showed their determination and all had to leave right after school and carve the sculpture during the last days of midterms for the competition. “Our ice sculpture, actually made from snow, starts as an 8-foot tall and 6-foot wide and deep snow block,” Barker explained. Team captain and previous member Rebecca Thresher recalled, “We had the same dates last year, and even with the busy week, it was still a fun experience.” Because finals were the same week as the dates of the sculpting times, the Grand Blanc team lost out on 5 hours of work. The first day they were able to stay later than the other groups to try and catch up. “Since we had such a short time we picked the design of balloon animals because it’s creative yet still quicker than other options,” said team member Ariele Harris. Even though the previous weeks’ temperatures were close to or above the freezing mark, they plummeted during the competition to allow for decent carving and sculpting weather. The teams all had to stop sculpting at 5p.m. Jan. 29. First place went to an Owosso High School team and unfortunately Grand Blanc’s toppled over with forty minutes left of the competition.