How to ‘taco’ a Is this a soundtrack couponsValuable inside! backpack: directions you can sink your on how to pull off a fangs into? Inside: classic prank. PAGE 6 PAGE 3 ernest w. seaholm HIGHLANDERWWW.SEAHOLMHIGHLANDER.COM SEAHOLM HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT VOICE County inspection of cafeteria finds Getting In: five health code What do colleges look violations for in an applicant? We’ve asked the experts Zach Hill Staff Writer [email protected] As most seniors sit down and began filling out there college applications, the questions began to arise. What is this college looking for? Do I have enough extracurricular activities? What is this college really looking for? Who reads my application? Although every college has a different ad- missions process, the process usually starts with an admission officer who reviews every aspect of the application. How many people review the application and what they do with it varies with each school. The Seaholm cafeteria -- seen here “Generally at least three to four people will after regular operations hours. An have reviewed an application before an ini- inspection turned up five health code tial decision is rendered,” said Gabriele Santi, violations, but did not force the closure Director of Communication in the Office of of the facility. Photo by Lindsay Boeckl Admission at Michigan State University. The process is much different at the Univer- Jessie Frank sity of Virginia however. Deputy Sports Editor “Every application gets two reads; one by [email protected] one admission officer and one either by the dean or one of his associate deans,” said Car- A September inspection of Seaholm’s cafete- ol Wood, Assistant Vice President for Public ria by the Oakland County Health Division re- Affairs at the University of Virginia. “Then vealed five violations of the 2005 Food Code, admission officers write a summary of each including mouse droppings. student.” These violations, stemming from a Septem- Despite the different processes, most uni- ber 16 inspection dealt mainly with cafeteria versities including: The University of Michi- equipment and not the food itself. “At a food service establishment, a critical “Grades, grades, grades. A violation is not always food related,” said So- dexho School Services Manager David An- student’s grades in academic drejko. courses are very important.” Seaholm was found to have two critical and three non-critical violations. A critical violation is one that poses an im- Betsy Erwin mediate hazard and must be corrected within Former Asst. Dean, Northwestern 10 days. A non-critical violation is a non-im- mediate hazard that must be corrected within gan, Michigan State and even Hope College 90 days. agree that the most important part of the ap- Graphic by Lindsay Boeckl and Josh Cohen “A critical item means a provision of this plication is the transcript. code, that, if in noncompliance, is more than “Grades, grades, grades,” said Betsy Erwin, likely than other violations to contribute to food a former director and assistant dean at the J.L. contamination, illness, or environmental health Kellogg Graduate School of Management at hazard,” said Terri Rose, Oakland County For seniors, waiting is the hardest part Northwestern and later a Consultant at the Health Division’s Chief of Food, Shelter and Ross School of Business at the University of Prevention in an e-mail to The Highlander. Amanda Smith Rossen said that she has had a lot of students coming into her of- Michigan. “A student’s grades in academic The most concerning of the non-critical viola- Lifestyles Editor fice asking about the status of the paperwork that the colleges require courses are very important.” tions were mouse droppings discovered under Along with good grades, colleges and uni- [email protected] counselors to send in. the beverage counter. “It’s fine to ask,” Rossen said. “It’s probably good to check so you versities also take the applicants schedule There was also a missing thermometer in the App season is well underway, and while some Seaholm students ex- have an idea in your head of when we sent it out, because we record very heavily into account. They want to see juice and grab-and-go salad cooler. citedly open letters of acceptance, others wait in agony as their online all of that stuff.” students challenge themselves, and show that While the cooler already had a built in ther- app status remains unchanged. After checking with counselors, and confirming that every part of they are motivated. Many universities said mometer, another one is required as a backup, “I probably check my app status more than I should,” said senior Cal- their app is sent in, some students choose to call the admissions office that they would prefer an honors level course according to Andrejko. ley McMillan, who is waiting to hear back from both Michigan State to confirm and to check on the status of their application. with a slightly lower grade than a college “We normally always have one,” said An- University, and Central Michigan University. “It’s always good to check,” Rossen said. “I think for peace of mind prep course with a higher grade. drejko. “I’m not sure why we didn’t have one “As of right now, I’m not into college,” McMillan said. “All I want more than anything. It’s okay to call. Will it hurry the process along “MSU strongly encourages students to take this time.” is to hold an acceptance letter in my hand. That would make my year.” and speed it up? Probably not, they’re working as fast as they can a challenging curriculum,” Santi said. “The In addition to the missing thermometer, no Senior Luca Cappicchioni is in a situation similar to McMillan’s. over there.” quality of a student’s curriculum is definitely trashcan was near the one of the six hand wash- “I check my app status about three times a day,” Cappicchioni said. Rossen said that if a student thinks it’s taking an abnormally long evaluated, including senior year curriculum.” ing sinks in the cafeteria. “I applied to the University of Michigan, Michigan State University time to hear back from a university, that placing a call would not be Colleges also like to see growth in the While those violations may not have been and Indiana University.” a bad idea. students’ education. They look for higher an immediate hazard, damaged spatulas were Cappicchioni, like McMillan has not yet received any decisions. “One of the best things [a student] can do is to assure that after grades and harder classes with each year. considered to be. “I haven’t heard from any of them yet,” Cappicchioni said. “I applied they submitted their application that any or all of the supporting docu- “A student’s curriculum with grades trend- “We corrected this immediately by throwing right before the November 1 deadline, and my counselor forms were ments are coming in at the same time,” said John Ambrose, the As- ing upward is strongly considered,” Erwin away the damaged spatulas,” said Andrejko. sent in before that.” sociate Director of Admissions at Michigan State University. said. The second critical violation was an “inad- Cappicchioni said that out of the three schools he applied to, his As far as calling the admissions office, Ambrose said that calling the Schedule difficulty and grades play a role, equate air gap provided for food prep sink,” dream would be to attend the University of Michigan next year. admissions office will not alter the status of a student’s application. but there is much more to the admissions according to the initial inspection report. Guidance counselor Rebecca Rossen has advice for students who “They should feel free to call the office after they have completed process than just the transcript. Standard- The cafeteria’s drain is different than the have already pushed “send” and are anxiously waiting for a reply. the application if they have questions,” Ambrose said. “But I don’t ized test scores, extracurricular activities, and drains one would find at an everyday “I would say, just be patient,” Rossen said. “This is a big time for the See CAFETERIA / Page 2 colleges and if you’re in a panic, it’s not going to make it go any faster.” See WAITING / Page 2 See APPLICANTS / Page 2 BPS to community: Tell us where to cut $18M Lanie Barron money went, we Those present at the meeting also expressed sidering using some of the funds this year. Co-Editor in Chief felt like we need- interest in reevaluating health benefits for “At the [November 3, BPS School] Board ed to reevaluate teachers and administrators. Meeting, they said they would consider us- [email protected] contracts across “You can use a little bit of ingenuity along ing $1 million of those funds this year,” said James Held the board,” said with the doctors and insurance companies Wilkinson. “They haven’t voted on that yet, Birmingham and the unions,” said Birmingham Michael but they agreed to consider it.” Staff Writer resident Carolyn Rebuck. “We could probably work some- In the last month, Governor Granholm [email protected] Capone, one of thing out where we could save a lot of mon- eliminated under 20J and approved a $165 the estimated 75 ey.” cut in per pupil funding for Birmingham Birmingham Public Schools plans to slash residents in atten- However, Birmingham Education Asso- schools. BPS expects to lose approximately 20 percent – roughly 18 million dollars – dance. ciation Vice President and Seaholm teacher $957,000 from 20J alone. from the budget by 2012, and early discus- Capone also Scott Craig said the need to cut funding for However, there is now uncertainty as to sions appear to put teacher salaries and ben- noted that al- district faculty was over emphasized.