Written by: Departing Senior - Isaiah Bellville '12

           A lot of people have asked me where I came up with the title for my column. Okay, more like four people. Still, they have asked. Nusquam Abscondre. When translated to Latin, it means “Nowhere to hide.” How bleak and morbid, right?

            It’s true though. There really is nowhere to hide. From anything, really. Any and every thing you do in your life will affect how the rest of your life plays out, no matter how insignificant. Memory isn’t something you can erase. Once a memory is made, it may never be forgotten. More important than memories, though, are feelings. You cannot hide from your feelings. You can lie, and say that “everything is okay”, but you can’t hide the truth from your self.

            So far, this all seems pretty self explanatory. The importance of “Nusquam Abscondre” lies in hiding the significant truths of yourself; Such as your beliefs, and knowledge of your weaknesses. You cannot repress the painful memories of your past, you cannot hide from what you want. If you spend your whole-albeit young-life believing you want to be a writer, and one day you wake up and realize that it isn’t what you want, you can’t hide from that. You cannot hide, and pretend to love the writing class you were in for three years as much as you did when you were writing three pieces a month. You cannot hide from the fear that grips you as you realize “I have no idea what I want from life.” You can’t hide from that, and neither can I.

            Now is a really great time for me to explain my title because I’ve recently realized that I’ve been trying to hide. But there really was “Nusquam Abscondre”, nowhere to hide. So I’ve decided to be honest with myself. I still love writing, but I don’t honestly believe that I can make a living out of it. I’ve believed this for a while, but I’ve been trying to hide from it. I’m going to stop hiding though, and for now, that means leaving the newspaper.

            I’ve really liked being on the newspaper. The staff here is fantastic. Mr. Smith has taught me more about my life and writing than I ever could have learned on my own. Even though there aren’t a ton of folks who read my column, I’ve always enjoyed writing it. It’s been a release for me, and this year, it has been a place where I could experiment with new writing styles. I loved knowing that at least a few people were reading my words, and I’m going to miss hearing “Loved your article Izzy!” Even if people didn’t actually like my articles, they lied and said they did. That’s a pretty good feeling.

            I feel kind of pretentious, writing a goodbye column. It’s fun to write, and a little sad, but I still feel like I’m being arrogant. Let’s not call this a farewell column, but a last insight into Izzy’s ideas; one last reminder that there is Nusquam Abscondre, nowhere to hide.

            Honestly, if you take anything away from anything I’ve ever written for this paper, let it be this: You are you for a reason. Don’t ruin that by hiding from yourself.

Spring: With nice weather comes stress

Written by: Jessica Allen '13

March: it is a month for starting over. Spring feelings are in the air, and if you’ve made it out of winter unscathed, then you are one of the lucky ones. March is the month of the year that probably has the most to offer.

             March brings ACT and MME testing for the junior class of Michigan. Most students dread the testing due to upperclassmen’s threats of how tough the exams are. Personally, I felt that the ACT was one of the easier tests. The worst part is the length of time that it takes ACT to process your test, figure out your scores, and send them to you and your schools of choice.

            The month of March also brings spring with it, although so far we’ve mostly gotten rain and the leftover snow from December and January that never fell. Spring sports begin, senioritis kicks in, and every student starts preparations for Spring Break.

            Spring Break should be memorable whether you’re going to Florida, on a cruise, somewhere tropical, or just hanging out at home for the week. Going on a road trip with friends or just changing your schedule and trying something new can turn a week that may not have been fun before into one of the best weeks of your life.

            It’s only March and yet we are having the weather of May or June. Although there has been rain and thunderstorms, the heat and humidity has definitely won out. There have been record-breaking temperatures across Michigan, with most days’ temps being higher than those in Florida.

            March is also when I am busiest. With softball, work, and school all playing a huge role in my life, I feel like I never stop moving. For everyone else in my situation, I know how you feel and it can be a huge stressor just trying to balance everything. Keeping my grades up is obviously the most important for my future, but it feels like I never have time to do homework.

            I’m not complaining though, I definitely love my job and my sports, so it’s worth every minute. Plus, jobs are pretty hard to come by for high schoolers and I know that I’m lucky to have a job, let alone one that I enjoy.

            Another great thing that March has to offer is March Madness. For everyone who is a huge fan of college basketball like myself, it’s hard not to find yourself wrapped up in all of the “madness” of the games. The best part is the crazy upsets and closeness of the games as the tournament progresses. This is what sports fans live for. The only thing I could wish for is that I had the program where you can watch four games at once.

             All in all, March is probably one of my favorite months of the year. As long as there’s not a ton of rain and a pretty good amount of sunshine, there are enough good things happening and great things to look forward to that not much can ruin the atmosphere of March.

Exam time proves to be chaotic for ERHS students

Written by: Courtney Barnett '14

The end of the trimester rolls around and unfortunately, exams do as well. Exams for our core classes are really what kill us. The administrators tell us to eat a healthy breakfast and get enough sleep, but we can’t when we stay up until midnight studying. Retaining the information becomes difficult and takes a lot longer when you’re that tired.

            I don’t think we should have huge exams. We should have exams quarterly, so they can be smaller and reduce the amount of stress for teenagers. The curriculum would then take longer to get through though, but we would have an opportunity to take more classes. Most teenagers don’t eat much during exam time because we truthfully don’t have time. When we do get to eat, it usually is something ridiculously unhealthy and either fast food or something premade from the local store.

            Some of us have a job to go to after school, so we either take off work to study, or go to work and not have time for studying. Reviews can be some of the most demanding things. We are trying to get extra credit and do as good as we can, but it’s hard to study and work on the review. When I do a review, I don’t retain the information because I’m so tired and doing too many things at once. During exam week, or even the week before, there is too much information that were trying to retain, but can’t retain it all. It’s hard to focus time just on school.

            As teenagers, we all need to have fun and enjoy high school. We go through stressful times, which is understandable and fair. At some point we all have to be stressed in some way, shape, or form. All said and done its difficult, but it’s worth it. Going to college should be most teenagers’ dreams, but it isn’t always for everyone. One person may be good at one thing, but not others. School may come easy to you, or it may not. Either way, as long as you always put your best foot forward and try your hardest, you should be fine.

            Lets all be happy that we don’t have exams on semesters. Some schools are on semesters and they take exams only twice, so they have a ton of information to cover. Remembering four and a half months of information is difficult, let alone, our three months amount of information. Their are pros and cons to every situation and in this situation, their tends to be a lot of cons. No one likes exams, but in the end we all have to take them.

This side of the net

Written by: Carly Darrow '12

I find one trend in particular truly confusing and unnecessary with my/our generation. A trend that I personally do not and probably will not understand.

Please, if you are able, explain to me why tattoos among teenagers in high school are so popular? Especially those under 18. It feels as though a quarter of the student body has a tattoo and half of the students without a tattoo, want one. It’s something I feel has grown increasingly more and more common, and not just in our school per say.

Call me old fashion, but I have no interest in getting “inked” or getting a “tat”. I understand that some people get tattoos for significant events, people, or things that have affected them; I think that this is at least understandable. However, there are some things that I see teenagers getting lately that just completely dumbfound me.

I remember when my cousin was a freshman in college; he wanted to get a full back tattoo, one that he thought was really cool at the time. His mother however told him that if he went and got it done, he would be cut off financially. She compromised and told him if he waited two years and thought about this tattoo, she would let him get it. Still to this day my cousin remains un-inked, and he is glad to have waited it out because he wants nothing to do with that particular tattoo, nor with any.

It makes me wonder how many people in our school would still go out and get the tattoos they have now if they tried that process. Two years without a tattoo compared to the rest of your life with one is actually quite minimal.

The thing however that I think bugs me the most are what the girls in high school are getting. A wind catcher tattoo on your ribs? Really? It doesn’t make you more indy or hippie if that’s what you were shooting for. It’s absolutely pointless in my opinion, and far too overrated. And guys, did you forget what your last name was and have to have it inked on you in order to remember it? And Chinese symbols? Do you even know Chinese?

I really hope someone reading this feels my frustration.

Some call it self-expression or body art, but most of it I just look at and see it as pointless. I wish some kids in our school would try the two year rule. I just feel that some teenagers don’t realize that these super cute or super cool tattoos aren’t like the ones we used to get out of our cereal boxes.

In the words of Rollo: “That ain’t no Etch-A-Sketch. This is one doodle that can’t be un-did, homeskillet.”

Head2Head - 12 Best Spring Break destinations of 2012

Written by: Kaylee Heinz '12

Grab you swimsuit, tanning lotion and sunglasses because we’re going to get ready to kick off the best spring break of your life! Spring break is one of the most looked forward to times of the year, besides summer that is. Who want to stay in boring ole’ Michigan? Not me, and I’m sure you don’t either! Why stay at home with nothing to do when you could go on an awesome adventure with your friend and family out of the state. Here are some great locations to visit for your 2012 spring break. So go out and enjoy your vacation and get away!

12 Best spring break destinations in 2012:

Cancun - Writers have consistently ranked Cancun as one of the top party destinations in North America. The Mexican city features cheap overnight accommodations, stretches of nice beaches and plenty of nightlife.

Miami Beach - Although Miami Beach can be pricey and has a reputation for being super exclusive, writers say that the Florida city is surprisingly accessible. Nightclubs and bars pack the colorful streets and encourage you to stay out all night. By day, the long stretches of beautiful sand and clear waters are nice places to work on your tan and to recover from the previous evening's festivities.

South Padre Island - Throughout the rest of the year, South Padre Island welcomes mostly families to its resort hotels and beautiful beaches. But when Spring Break hits, the quiet Texan island becomes overrun with students.

Puerto Rico - There’s a reason that Puerto Rico is known as the "Island of Enchantment." During the day, the pristine waters host plenty of activities for active students; in the evenings, the city comes to life.

Puerto Vallarta - By day, Puerto Vallarta is for exploring, with serene beaches, mountains and hidden coves. At night, happy hours kick off the night and visiting students stay out until the wee hours of the morning in dance clubs and partying on the beaches.

Bahamas - Bahamas features crystal clear blue waters and are guaranteed to bring out crowds of crazy teenagers every year. There is plenty to do during the daytime and casinos, nightclubs and bars take care of activities for after sundown.

Cabo San Lucas - Although the hotels are relatively expensive here, Cabo San Lucas is the party capital of the southern Baja. The beaches are pristine, and there are plenty of activities for the daytime hours.

Jamaica - Jamaica has remained a popular Spring Break destination for years. The resort heavy Caribbean island has water activities during the day and plenty of places for night life activity.

Playa Del Carmen - Writers compare Playa del Carmen to Cancun since also has cheap hotels and is popular with the students. However, it's far more relaxed and laidback.

Punta Cana - Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic has plenty to do at all points of the day. The beach waters glitter, and nightclubs and bars abound for the younger set at night, both within your resort and outside of it. However, Punta Cana tends to be better known for its hot golf scene than its Spring Break scene.

Puerto Plata - There are plenty of vacation package deals, which make Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic and extremely accessible city; all-inclusive resorts tend to be popular options among raging teenagers. The city is known for its cheap accommodations and laidback atmosphere.

Daytona - With beaches you can drive on, Daytona makes for an excellent road trip. And when not living out of your car, there are budget priced hotels and or motels just a few minutes from the beach.

Head2Head - 10 things to do at home on Spring Break

Written by: Janna Wing '12

Spring break is right around the corner, and many teenagers are preparing themselves for a great trip to vacation spots. But these days many teenagers are also staying home because trips become less affordable for many. So staying home may seem like a drag but there is an upside to looking forward to it. You’re saving a lot of money by not going anywhere. There are also many activities to do when staying around town.

10 Things to do when staying home on Spring Break

Hang out with friends - Many of your friends aren’t going anywhere on spring break. So get a hold of them and hangout, have a sleep over and enjoy the time you get to spend with them.

Exercise - Many teenagers have been working on that spring break body for over months, but its no time to lose it even if you’re not going anywhere. Work out, go biking, running, swimming, rollerblading. It’s spring time so you can enjoy working out in the nice weather. Summer is still coming up so you need to keep that body looking good.

Clean - This is a great time to clean and organize your room. Catch up on all that laundry you have yet to wash or clean out that messy car. It is that time of year to get that spring cleaning taken care of.

Go to the movies - Get a lot of friends to go see a movie. It’s a cheap way to have fun with your friends who also stayed home. It’s very relaxing and would be a great time. Get snacks, kick your feet up, and enjoy the non crowded movie theater.

Shopping - Go to the mall. Spend some of that money you saved up by not going on spring break. By some new spring and summer outfits. Get a new swimsuit for the beach this summer. Treat yourself to a little something new.

Sleep - Catch up on some rest. You now can sleep in and enjoy a good nap. Unlike when you go to a vacation spot on spring break you get the chance to rest up and sleep in for half of the day.

Read - Take the time and relax and read that book you’ve been wanting to but haven’t had the time. Go out and buy yourself a new book to read or go to the public library and check out a few. It’s a great time to read a few books, if you enjoy reading.

Enjoy treats - Go to your favorite ice cream shop and have your favorite ice cream. Get some recipes and bake your favorite cookie or cupcake. These treats are really good and you can enjoy making them and eating them to.

Bowling - Cosmic bowling late at night with some friends is a great time. It’s an activity no teenager ever gets bored doing.

                Host a get together - Since a lot of your friends are staying home, get them all together. Have them over for some time together. Eat pizza, play games, and be teenagers because you only live once (YOLO)!