Senior Profiles pg. 2 Supreme Court Decision pg.

Tumultuous Ticket Quandary pg. 5 Goodbye Late Starts pg. 8

MAY 2009
The Bolt EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL
thebolt.dearbornschools.org

DEARBORN, MI

Can You Hear Me Now?

A
By CAMERON SHANE
s the entire
school should
know by now,
teachers and administra-
tion alike have recently
started cracking down on
students for their usage
of cell phones and mp3
they’ve been stricter about
phones lately because every-
one still uses them anyway,
and people aren’t going to pay
attention one way or another,
however I have found myself
to be less likely to pull out
my phone just to check a text
because I don’t want my par-
ents to have to come in to get
being able to text in class, but
I think it’s good that we’re
not allowed to because it’s a
huge distraction sometimes
and I think my grades, and my
parents, appreciate any extra
concentration on my work,”
said Brianna Ca-
ruso, 9.
With students
“Taking someone’s know
that students don’t completely
understand the obviousness of
their actions.
“Kids drive me crazy with
their cell phones because they
think that they are all slick
when they have them out,
but teachers
they’re
what

players during school
hours.
Their pursuit to ban such
electronics from being even the
slightest bit visible has resulted
in many students taking ex-
treme caution before popping
in ear buds or checking a text
message at the risk of having
their beloved electronics taken
away and submitted to the
office.
“I think it’s stupid that
it back for me,” said Brandon
Evans, 10.
Many students have shown
feelings similar to Evans, and
one sophomore offered an un-
likely solution to the predica-
ment.
“I use my Zune and my cell
phone almost every second
I can in all of my classes,
but I think that the best way
to stop students from using
them would be to say that we
can use them because then I
wouldn’t feel like I have to
disobey,” said Alejandro
Pardo, 10.
As displayed by Evans
and Pardo’s comments, an
overwhelming portion of
students are in protest with
the newly reinforced rules,
however one student has
managed to find light at
the end of the tunnel.
“I don’t necessar-
ily like not
nearly all on the phone away brings doing,”
same side, the
opposing force
me joy because said Mrs.
Schuck.
is clearly the kids think they can What
teachers. But how the future
do they really
do whatever they holds for
feel about phones want...” cell phones
and mp3 players and mp3
in school? One math teacher players at school is uncertain,
made her opinion loud and as it cannot be known whether
clear. teachers with continue their
“I agree with our policy stand against electronics, or
because using phones during just become apathetic with the
school is a distraction, and it upcoming summer break.
detracts from the learning pro- A tenth grader blames the
cess. Taking someone’s phone teachers less than appeal-
away brings me joy because ing classes for the continued
kids think they can do what- problem, and offers yet another
ever they want and break the unlikely solution to this issue.
rules without getting caught, “If school was more fun
and that makes it fun to see no one would have a reason to
them get in trouble,” said Ms. bring an iPod and that would
O’Rourke. solve the school’s problem.
As expected, O’Rourke I only take mine out when
was not the only teacher who I’m bored and I think it’s the
had something to say about same for everyone else, and it
cell phones being used couldn’t be that hard for teach-
during school. New ers to add more fun activities
to the school, this his- into their lesson plans,” said
tory teacher believes Craig Henderson, 10.
 Features
MAY 2009 EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL PAGE 2

Congratulations
By HANAN MURSHED

W
here do you see yourself after college or even after high school?
Edsel Ford has a handful of seniors who are off to an amazing start in life. This doesn’t mean it’s too late for anyone
else. The Bolt wants to recognize these hardworking 2009 Thunderbirds. Congratulations to the class of 2009 graduates and
remember Go Thunderbirds!
Name & Age Kim Mattern, 17
GPA 3.0
College Attending Western Michigan University
in the Fall
Chosen Major Theater or video editing because I enjoy musical the-
and Why ater and being on stage but besides that, I love filming
Name & Age Laila Ali, 18
and taking different clips and putting them together in
GPA 3.99 a movie. The finished project is editing. Entertaining
College Attending Wayne State University people is a great thing to do for the world when the
in the Fall world is in such a bad state.

Chosen Major Biology leading to a degree in pharmacy; I like chem- Role Model Anyone who has the guts and patience to make it to
and Why istry and biology and I wanted a job in the medical Broadway (it’s not easy!)
field. Words to Live By “Sometimes it’s just good to tilt your head to the right
Role Model My family has inspired me throughout my educa- gaze off into the distance and let your mind go.” -J.D.
tional career and I believe that their confidence in me from the T.V. show Scrubs
is what helped shaped the individual I am today.
Words to Live By “It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look
back and regret.”- Jackie Kersee
Advice to under- Don’t slack off and take advantage of all the oppor-
classmen tunities Edsel has to offer because in the end it will
pay off.
Name & Age Anese Yaffai, 17
GPA 4.0
College Attending University of Michigan Dearborn
in the Fall
Chosen Major Pre Med so I can help others, it’s highly encouraged
and Why by many, and it’s a field that is always growing and
needs more people.
Name & Age Annika Doner, 18
Role Model My parents because they push me to do my bes and
GPA 4.23 taught me what I need to know to be successful.
College Attending University of Michigan Ann Arbor Words to Live By La ilaha ilallah, Muhammed rasool allah which
in the Fall means there’s no God but one and Muhammed is
Chosen Major Environmental Science because I want to help keep God’s prophet.
and Why the Earth clean and clean up all the damage humans Advice to under- Always have an open mind.
have done. classmen
Role Model Franklin D. Roosevelt, he did what he thought would
help the country through it toughest times, even when
the Republicans tried to stop him.
Words to Live By “It’s hard to make decisions when you know what
your values are.“ -Roy Disney
Advice to under- Get ready to apply for colleges and scholarships. It’s a
classmen ton of work but it may be worth it it.
MAY 2009
Features EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL PAGE 3

Class of 2009! C
Name & Age Mary Clutter, 17
GPA 4.1
College Attending University of Chicago (where the fun goes to die!)
in the Fall
Chosen Major Mathematics with a premed intent because math is
and Why the only thing I’m good at and I’m really interested in
diseases and alternative medicines.
Role Model Dr. Temperance Brennan from the T.V. shoe Bones
because she is ridiclously smart and nerdy and she’s Name & Age Megan Filipowski, 17
the best in her field. GPA 4.02
Words to Live By “Where do masters find their apprentices? College Attending Spring Arbor University
Not on CraigsList...I checked.” -Dr. Sweets from in the Fall
Bones
Chosen Major Professional Writing; I want to use my gift of words to
“I don’t know what that means.” -Dr. Temperance
and Why benefit others and share my experiences with the world.
Brennan from Bones
I feel that I connect better with people through the things
Advice to under- If you want to have to do when you have to do it, a I write and maybe one thing I say will have an impact on
classmen time will come when you can do what you want when someone somewhere.
you want to do it.
Role Model My mother and grandmother. They are both strong women
and have always been there for me. They’ve showed me
what hard work can accomplish and that no goal is out of
reach. They remind me that I can always reach the stars.
Words to Live By “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing
the game.” -Babe Ruth
Take risks, you can’t steal second with your foot on first.
Do more than talk, say something.
Advice to under- Don’t be afraid to be yourself because you’ll find the
classmen people that will walk with you in your journey through high
school and maybe beyond. As Dr. Suess says, “Be yourself
and express your true feelings because those who mind
don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
Name & Age Cindy Wan, 17
GPA 4.17
College Attending University of Michigan Ann Arbor
in the Fall
Chosen Major Biomedical Engineering because I’m intrigued by the idea of developing
and Why new medical technologies, and I’m choosing to take advantage of my
gift in math.
Role Model My grandma. She put herself through college and beat down those who
stood in her way of success.
Words to Live By No matter what your mom tells you, you are not the best and you are not
the most amazing person in the world. Learn to make the most of what
you are and prove to yourself that you deserve to be in this world.

Advice to under- Honestly, you are going to end up working for a high school nerd one
classmen day. No one gives a crap how cool you think you are now if you’re go-
ing to end up living in a van down by the river
 Sports
MAY 2009 EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL
Softball Hits It Out of the Park
T
By LORI BOETTGER
his
year’s
var-
sity softball
team is off to
a good start;
having a new
coach and a
new field has
not set them
back one bit.
The var-
2009 Varsity Softball Team sity softball
team’s new coach, Mike Moyer, has formerly coached the varsity
baseball team at Ypsilanti and is now a teacher at Lowery Middle
School.
The girls have played ten games with a record of 5-5, beating
Crestwood twice, Redford Thurston, Romulus, and Annapolis.
They lost to Redford Union, Romulus, Taylor Kennedy, Wood-
haven, and Melvindale.
To Play or Not to Play?
M
By MICHELLE GAEDKE
any high school courses if they wish to play
athletes hope to Division II. Next, students
eventually play at must meet the GPA require-
the college level. Continu- ment. The GPA of Division
ing to compete in athletics in I athletes follows the sliding
college begins in high school scale provided by the Clearing-
with academics, and it is very house and GPA for Division II
important to be eligible to play. athletes must be at least a 2.0.
The National Collegiate Athletes must receive a quali-
Athletic Association (NCAA) fying score for either the ACT
Clearinghouse is set up to or SAT, which is also shown
provide guidelines and to on the sliding scale. Lastly, all
ensure that all potential college college-bound athletes must
athletes meet the requirements. complete a questionnaire and
So what does it take to receive amateurism certifica-
be eligible? First, all ath- tion.
letes must graduate from After fulfilling all of the
high school. Students must academic requirements, the
complete at least 16 courses next step is understanding the
approved by the Clearinghouse recruiting process. College
if they wish to play at the coaches have strict rules, and
Division I level and at least 14 depending on the sport, there
PAGE 4
The first home game on the new field
was victorious for the Thunderbirds,
beating Crestwood 9-6. That game only
marked the beginning of the season; there
are still many games to play at home to
break in the new field.
There are five returning seniors,
Katrina Koehn, Stephanie Greeson, Holly
Tebelman, Annika Doner, and Danielle
Boettger. There are also some returning
juniors on the team including Lori Boett-
ger and Sarah Irish. Finally, there is one
returning sophomore, Lauren Johnson.
“It’s different with a new coach, but
we are learning a lot and it is paying off
in the field,” said Katrina Koehn, 12.
For the most up-to-date scores and
highlights, see http://thebolt.dearborn- Senior captain Katrina
schools.org. Koehn pitches the ball
are different periods through- National Letter of Intent.
out the year when an athlete The truth is, not everyone
can be contacted. Coaches are has the opportunity to play
also restricted on the amount sports at the college level. To
of phone calls they have the best chance
are allowed, at making it, it is
however, important to
prospective first meet all
athletes can the academic
call coaches require-
at any time. ments. After
Next it is this take the
important to initiative.
take visits to Many excel-
college cam- lent athletes
puses. Athletes are overlooked
are allowed up to because they do not
five official visits and as ask questions, do research,
many unofficial visits as they and contact colleges.
like. After making a decision,
the final step of recruitment
is committing by signing the
 Editorials
MAY 2009
Seven Just Won’t Cut It
Has this year’s senior class paid too high of a price for previous miscues?
By LAUREN VALLEE—EDITORIAL
C
ongratulations,
class of 2009!
We are graduating
June 6! I hope your families
weren’t planning on traveling
from across the country to see
you walk at commencement,
because chances are, seven
tickets for your entire family
might just be insufficient—bet-
ter tell the rest to stay home.
Instead of having an open
graduation ceremony, seniors
will be limited to seven tickets
per student, and anyone want-
ing to attend the ceremony will
need a ticket to get in. These
tickets are interchangeable; for
example, if a senior only has
three family members attend-
ing, they can give their other
four tickets away to a friend,
etc.
This year, the layout for
the commencement ceremony
will be radically different
than previous years. For the
graduation ceremonies of
’06 and ’07, graduates were
seated facing the goalposts,
with the stage situated roughly
in the end zone nearest to the
school. Family and friends
could choose to sit in either the
home or away bleachers, and
anybody was free to attend.
For the class of ’09 com-
mencement, seating will be
limited to the home bleach-
ers only, with the stage in the
center, and graduates seated
facing the stands, flanking the
stage. This setup is similar to
that of Dearborn High’s com-
EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL
mencement ceremonies, two of
which I attended, to see both
of my cousins graduate in ’06
and ’08.
According to Mr. Jaafar,
the decision to re-vamp com-
mencement was made to create
a more intimate, tight-knit
atmosphere for our ceremony.
Also, during the commence-
ment of ’07, a fence was bro-
ken by a large group of people,
and since less people will be
attending the ’09 ceremony,
it will be easier for security
guards and the police force to
control the crowd.
I share Mr. Jaafar’s senti-
ment that commencement
should be a dignified and
formal affair, free of riffraff
with air horns and obnoxious
noisemakers, along with those
who have no reason to attend
other than to cause trouble.
However, by limiting seniors
to seven tickets per family, we
enter into a Faustian bargain
whose moral consequences
clearly outweigh the benefits.
Students will have to
choose who from their family
and circle of friends they will
be able to invite, which in
some cases will tear families
apart. I have a relatively small
immediate family, but still an-
ticipate issues with the number
of tickets we’re allotted. After
a tally of who needs to be
invited, I am still at least one
ticket short, not even including
my extended family, several
pairs of aunts and uncles, and
friends who happen to be un-
derclassmen.
How does the administra-
tion expect us to choose? I
cannot even imagine explain-
ing to my cousin why she’ll
be left out of my graduation.
Perhaps it would go something
like, “Sorry, but even though
I got to see you walk last year
at DHS, you don’t get to come
to my commencement because
you didn’t quite make the list
of who gets a ticket. But hey,
you’re still invited to my grad
party, so that makes up for it,
right?!”
The commencement fiasco
is yet another example of how
the class of 2009 gets to
continue to pay for previous
classes’ mistakes.
We witnessed it in the fall,
when the leadership program
was cut thanks to the blatant
abuse of privileges by previous
years’ officers, and our class
officers were forced to plan
fundraisers and school pride
events outside of school.
The last pep rally we had
was limited to only the fresh-
man class and Link Crew
leaders, since eggs have been
thrown and fights have broken
out at previous rallies.
We also experienced dis-
crimination when we were no
longer allowed a true Senior
Pride Day, and had to re-name
it “Senior Picture Day,” and
“Senior Dress-Up Day,” since
previous seniors thought it
would be a smart idea to rent
PAGE 5
limos and skip class.
A recent bulletin in the
school announcements specifi-
cally stated that “Senior Dress-
Up Day” during Spirit Week
was “NOT a Pride Day.” I’m
sure the rest of the senior class
appreciated that wonderfully
helpful clarification as much
as I did. In case anybody was
confused, the instructions were
to dress up, but have NO pride.
Also, on “Senior Picture
Day” earlier in the year,
the class of ’09 missed out
on breakfast and flowers, a
luxury that former seniors got
to enjoy. The class of ’09 took
money out of their own class
fund to purchase these items,
in honor of the upperclass-
men… It would have been nice
to have the favor returned.
Our class has become
the victim of circumstances
beyond our control, and I
ardently refuse to accept the
“this is what happened last
time we did this” excuse that
our administrators are so fond
of. I understand that a small
percentage of people tend to
ruin things for the rest of us;
however, I was not responsible
for the destruction of a fence in
2007, and now my family and
my fellow classmates are being
punished for it. Whether or not
this was the intention of the
new ticket-limiting stipulation,
it is simply reality.
Continued on pg. 7
MAY 2009
Editorials EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL PAGE 6

By GABBY TOUPIN
Got Prayer?
I
n a recent Supreme Court hearing the court decided that it would be unconstitutional for Coach Marcus Borden, a New Jersey high
school football coach, to take part in a silent, student lead prayer with his team.
This decision is shortsighted because religion is everywhere and many people don’t feel the need to hide their religious beliefs
when they are in public.

PRO
Borden has been fighting this ban on team prayer since November 2005 when Borden and
his attorney Ronald Riccio filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the school district’s regulations
were too strict. In 2006 a district court judge ruled that the school district’s rules were uncon-
stitutional, but in 2008 the decision was reversed. When Riccio asked the Supreme Court to
review the court decision they declined to hear Borden’s appeal.
Since the prayers were being led by the students and not the coach, it proves that most stu-
dents hadn’t been uncomfortable in this situation. Knowing that Coach Borden has been doing this with his team for 26 years allowed
the students to know his reputation and what the normal pre-game
By ALYSSA GIRARDI

R
rituals would be. Students trying out for the team had to be aware that
the team participated in pre-game prayers and factor that into their
decision to try out.
The Supreme Court may have found this issue to be unconstitutional
because of religious promotion, but how can that be when nothing
was being said out loud? These prayers were silent; no student was
declaring the whole team’s prayer to any specific higher being. The
students all had the chance to direct their thoughts and prayers to their
own “god” or to not even pray at all and sit in the silence. No student-
athlete was being forced to take part in prayer, nor were they being
told who or what to believe in. Since students were not being forced to
worship a specific god or religious figure, by their coach, why are they
ecently, the Supreme Court forbade a high school
football coach from pre-game prayer with his team
due to the ban of religion in public schools. The de-
cision to rule this case unconstitutional was accurate because
prayer should remain a private act in public places such as
schools.
Coach Marcus Borden declared that disallowing him to
pray with his team was infringing his first amendment right
to free speech. However, the courts turned the situation
around, saying that what Borden was doing is considered
religious endorse-

CON
banned from taking this time out with their team to have a moment of ment.
Richard Katskee,
silence before a game?
an attorney for the
Americans United
for Separation of
Church and State,
told HighSchool-
Sports.nj.com, “Children have a clear right to attend public
schools without religious pressures being brought to bear by
school personnel.”
Regardless of the beliefs of players and coaches, the val-
ues of these people should be reserved strictly for personal
life. In 2005, a few Jewish players on Borden’s team com-
plained to the superintendent about the uncomfortable ritual.
These boys should be granted the right to engage in sports
without having to be put into the uneasy situation of praying
as a group.
Coach led prayer is clearly not only unconstitutional,
but morally incorrect, and the Supreme Court is justified
in refusing to revisit the case of New Jersey football coach
Cartoon from www.blogspot.com, unknown author Marcus Borden.
MAY 2009
Editorials EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL PAGE 7

By ALEX SYTEK
The End is Near...
I
t seems Detroit has taken a break from
music. Since Iggy and the Stooges,
since MC5, since Motown, Detroit
has never really led any sort of musical
revolution, and with everyone’s focus on
our economic crisis, many aren’t giving
our cultural crisis a second glance.
Corey Rusk announced Feb. 18 that
his record label, Chicago’s Touch and Go
Records, is going on an
official hiatus until further
notice. The name may not
sound all too familiar, but
Touch and Go Records
has been an influential dis-
tributor in the Midwest for over 20 years,
propelling independent music from in and
around Michigan. Bands ranging from
anyone between MTV’s favorite new act
TV on the Radio and short-lived Detroit
hardcore punk band Negative Approach
have all made their mark through the
Touch and Go name. But what does this
mean for the rest of the Midwest? Being
a leading distributor, the halting of Touch
and Go directly affects the progress of
other major independent labels.
Worst case scenario in my mind, this
leads to a chain reaction of self-destruct-
ing independent record labels throughout
the eastern U.S. But I’m going to take the
optimistic (and realistic) perspective and
say that as long as we’re listening, they’re
going to keep recording. So let’s look at
the other way this could turn.
Losing one independent record label
is not signaling the death of indie music
altogether. If anything, this noble sacrifice
is feeding the underground wave of do-
it-yourself production that is flooding the
internet. All over the world, the country,
and even Michigan right now are do-it-
yourself labels and distributors who focus
on promoting local and obscure artists. AA
Records of Detroit, and Hanson Records
and American Tapes of Ann Arbor, for
instance, are prime examples of do-it-
yourself labels popping up in Michigan to
showcase the weird, the noisy, and those
you wouldn’t hear otherwise. Homemade
tapes and CD-Rs created by local artists
from our own communities are reaching
all over the continent thanks to the likes of
labels like these.
Thanks to the internet, people any-
where are able to write
and record their own
music right from their
own home if they like,
and thanks to this
do-it-yourself mental-
ity the inspiration is perpetual. Although
it’s probably safe to say that most of these
artists won’t be flying in private jets and
sipping champagne anytime soon, that’s
not necessarily the primary goal for most
of these artists. But who am I to say who
will make it and who won’t? As a matter
of fact, just a mere 20 years ago Touch
and Go Records itself started out only as
a few friends photocopying fanzines and
bootlegging their first live shows.

‘09 Suffers, Tickets Don’t Suffice continued from pg. 5

By LAUREN VALLEE — EDITORIAL
I have attended every
graduation I could since I was
a freshman here at Edsel Ford.
I have friends whose siblings
graduated in ’06, had friends
of my own graduate in ’07, and
unfortunately did not get to
see the class of ’08 walk since
I did not have a ticket to the
ceremony.
However, limiting attendees
at the ‘08 commencement was
a reasonable concession at
the time, because it was held
indoors at U of M Dearborn.
Students had only six tickets
per family given the change
in venue, since our field was
under construction at the time.
I’m still trying to wrap my
head around why we have to
hand out tickets for admission
into our brand new outdoor
stadium.
But it’s not just my own
personal connections to the
graduates that explain my you find yourselves with any
desire to attend the previous extra tickets, feel free to send
commencement ceremonies. them my way. Underclassmen,
It’s about respect for those who if you find yourselves without
have gone before me and com- a ticket, I don’t blame you for
pleted their high school years. considering the alternative of
It’s about school pride. Watch- hopping the fence.
ing the seniors become
graduates of Edsel Ford
High School is just some-
thing that the underclassmen
need to be a part of.
So, my fellow ‘09ers, if
 Current Events
MAY 2009 EDSEL FORD HIGH SCHOOL PAGE 8

Quiet for a Lacking

STAFF 2009
The Mice Slayer: Rydzik
Editors-in-Chief:

Late Starts
Megan Filipowski, Lauren

Day
Vallee
Copy Editor:
Deanna Suleiman
Managing Editor:
Lindsay Finnerty
By MAY ASKAR

L
By MIKENZIE FROST

S
Sports Editor:
ate start has recently ended and that means Amber Kolts
ilence is usually something that is as- goodbye to sleeping in on Wednesdays. Layout/Web Design:
sociated with school, but on this day, it Late start originally began at Fordson Donovan Golich, Scott Werth
Seniors:
is anything but usual. High School and there are other schools who partici- Rana Alhadi, Mike Boettger,
On April 24, students took a stand for what they pate in late start throughout other districts for differ- Haley Bowers, Michelle
believed in by participating in the Day of Silence, ent reasons. Gaedke, Cedrick Gulley, Ka-
a student-led national event that brings attention to So what is the exact reason for late start? It was fah Hussein, Andrew Lyon,
Bianca Osbourne, Allison
anti-lesbian, started so that teachers could hold their meetings in Petlichkoff, Alex Sytek, Nina
gay, bisexual, the morning. But will it continue next year? Most Toupin
and transgender say that it probably will. Juniors:
“I feel more relaxed on late starts, I don’t have Danielle Aguirre, Lori
name calling, Boettger, Safa Kaid, Mariam
bullying and to worry about getting up early and being late to Mohamed, Cari Moore, Emily
harassment in class,” says Jamila Mothana, 10. Moreno, Gabby Toupin
schools. Late starts could be used for a variety of things. Sophomores:
For example, you could use late starts for extra Jeff Abdullah, May Askar,
The Day of Mikenzie Frost, Alyssa Gi-
Silence started study time, tutoring, eating a good breakfast, and of rardi, Dakota Joseph, Hanan
in 1996 and has course catching up on your sleep. Murshed, Chelsea Ravasani-
been practiced at The disadvantages of late start are that some Asl, Cameron Shane, Jesse
students are even reluctant to go to their first hour Shupe, Sara Yaffai
Edsel for three
years. It has classes on late start. Other times, students are com-
ing into their MISSION
turned into the
STATEMENT
largest student- morning classes
later than usual. The Bolt staff is committed
led national to bring the Edsel Ford stu-
event in the “I don’t
dent body and administration
United States. dislike late newsworthy articles that will
Students at Edsel starts, it’s a good educate, inform and entertain
opportunity for in a reliable and timely fash-
usually stay ion while maintaining the
silent throughout the teachers to
district wide core values and
the whole day, but other students talk during class, and collaborate, it’s contributing to the overall
stay silent during breaks, such as lunch and passing only going to get pride of our school.
time. more efficient
EDITORIAL POLI-
“I do the day of Silence to show my support of les- over time,” says
CY FOR LETTERS
bian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and protest Mr. Schleif.
“I love late starts,” says Mohamad Farhat, 10. TO THE EDITOR
the oppression against them,” states Molly Mentor, 10.
To break the silence, students participated in a The Bolt welcomes your
special Breaking of the Silence Ceremony after school. opinions on stories or
editorials featured within
They met in a big circle and talked at once. Then the the paper. The editorial staff
students moved to Ford Field where they shared their reserves the right to print
experiences throughout the day, enjoyed food, and and edit letters. Authors
watched various performances. of edited letters must be
verified before consider-
“People need to realize that they have to be accept- ation for final printing.
ing of other people in the world. The Day of Silence is a good way to bring attention to all the people that get Anonymous letters will not
mistreated in school and out of school,” exclaims Bruce Brown, 10. be accepted.