Conspiracy theories are promoted through the media in documentaries such as Fox network’s 2001 “Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?” to numerous 9/11 films, leave students to wonder, is the truth really out there? Graphic by Reflection staff

Some people will believe anything they hear, whether it’s on the news, the Internet, or by word of mouth.  Others will do everything in their power to prove those people and their information wrong. This second group of people can only be classified as conspirators. A conspirator is someone who believes in the idea that many important political, economical and social events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.  After any major event, it can be expected that every detail will be scrutinized and debated to find discrepancies or gaps in information.  Conspiracy theories are one of the most debated issues worldwide, especially following tragedies.

 There are equally passionate arguments on both ends of the spectrum.  Conspiracy theories tend to be one of those issues that people feel it completely necessary to defend their thought process.

“I believe people on both sides fall into categories where they don’t understand what’s going on,”  freshman Samantha Turner said.  “They get too caught up in what they think that they don’t ever open their eyes to other perspectives.”

Turner said that she personally believes some theories have truth to them; it just depends on the issue and the source.

Many of those who do keep up with current conspiracy theories have different opinions on what is the biggest overall threat to America, due simply to the countless number and variety of ideas.

“The biggest threat to America [that isn’t acknowledged or known] is Russia,” sophomore Peyton Harris said.  “They have nuclear missiles and have made it clear they are ready to go to war with us.  Our country just doesn’t tell us that.”

Though other countries may pose a large threat to the U.S., Harris said that it all leads back to internal government.  Turner and Gull Lake graduate Tyler Phelps agree that the information received from the government through multimedia is both filtered and biased.

Though Phelps recognizes the bias placed throughout America’s news sources, he doesn’t agree with Harris and Turner on the credibility of these assumptions.

“I don’t believe them at all, there’s too many false theories.” Phelps said. “I don’t have a complex about people who do or don’t, it’s just my opinion.”

Gull Lake grad Seth Wimbley agrees.

“Seriously I don’t consider the possibilities of conspiracy theories.  I’m 18, therefore I don’t have the experience or justification to assume any conspiracy.”

Wimbley is open to new knowledge, he just feels he needs reason to believe any theories.

Whether or not you believe in conspiracy theories, or are even interested in them, it can be agreed upon that there are many possibilities, and people will always be looking for answers.

By Mili Renuart

Athletic Director Marc Throop sits behind his desk. Throop is retiring from his post at the end of the 2013 school year. -Photo by Reflection Staff

After two and a half decades of distinguished work and service on behalf of the Gull Lake School District, longtime athletic director Marc Throop has announced that he will be retiring from his post effective at the end of the school year.  Throop came to Gull Lake in 1988 as the school’s varsity basketball coach and business teacher, and in the years since has become a fixture on the sidelines of nearly all Blue Devil athletic events.  When asked why he feels that now is the right time to step away, Throop was frank with his answer.

“It is a very bittersweet time,” he said.  “The 60 to 80 [hour] work weeks have simply made me tired, and to be honest, I won’t miss that part.  I am extremely excited about working less hours plus spending a whole lot more time with my wife and family.  With the work that my wife does and what she has done, she is a real hero, and my work pales in comparison to what she does and the heart that she has.  God has certainly blessed me with her.”

Throop’s wife Peg is the founder of the prominent Kalamazoo non-profit organization Taste of Heaven, which sells its famous chocolate drizzled caramel corn to raise funds in the hope of “impacting young people locally, nationally and around the world.”  The organization is now fully owned by Kalamazoo Youth for Christ.

Although his time as a Gull Lake administrator is nearing an end, it is clear that Throop’s passion for high school athletics and the student athletes who participate in them has not waned in the least over the years.  It may no longer be his occupation, but Throop has expressed his desire to remain involved in Gull Lake sports into the future.

“My direct involvement will be based on what others desire, but my personal interest and wanting to watch the kids play will not go away,” he said.

And as for his presence on the sidelines?  Don’t look for that to diminish any time soon either.

“This may sound a little weird, but I’ve said that I want to get a nice golf cart and be able to simply drive up and watch games when I want and then leave when I want,” Throop said.  “Pulling into the stadium and watching games with what would be my own private seat really seems like a lot of fun to me.”

After years of working for the betterment of the school’s athletic program and developing close ties to countless members of the community, Throop describes Gull Lake as being “like a family member.”

“There isn’t one person who actually knows how I feel about this place,” he said.

When asked what memories he will take away from his time at Gull Lake, Throop’s response comes as little surprise to those who know him well.

“Probably the best part of this job has been when kids have graduated that you have coached and they come back and see you and say ‘thank you,’ even when sometimes those relationships were not always perfect during the tough times,” he said.  “I will miss the people that I’ve worked with like Don Eastman and our coaches as well.”

There is little questioning the legacy of excellence that Throop has left after over 25 years of work at Gull Lake, and anyone seeking evidence of this need only to examine the records of the school’s athletic teams during his tenure.  While his day to day presence in the hallways may be coming to an end, it appears likely that his influence on Gull Lake and its students will continue to last far longer.

By Tyler VanderMolen

Junior Connor O’Brien chips to a green in the regional tournament on home ground: Gull Lake View West. The team’s strong showing earned them a place at this year’s state tournament on June 14 and 15 at Meadows Golf Course at Grand Valley State University.  iPhoto by Alexis Southwick

The 2013 season for the Gull Lake boys’ golf team can easily be described as a roller coaster. From the start of the season to the end, the team fought their way through every tournament, but didn’t see much success. At least, not until the end of the season.

The season started out cold for the team, both literally and figuratively. The weather was erratic, varying from 30 degrees to 60 degrees, sometimes on back to back days. The play of the team was also shaky during this time, as each player was trying to find his role on the team and adjust to the competition.

The team consisted of two seniors and five juniors. Senior Cooper Quartermaine, a state qualifier in the 2011 season, led the team with his experience. As a team captain, he was looked to for guidance both on and off the course. The other captain, junior Tyler VanderMolen, was looking to his experience and leadership to help the team. Three other juniors, Colin Brenner, Connor O’Brien, and Jeffrey Adamski, rounded out the teams top five.

As the season start to heat up, the competition got stronger. Gull Lake competed in the SMAC Central division, challenging Portage Central, Portage Northern, Kalamazoo Central, and Loy Norrix. These five teams played five jamborees against each other, each at a different team’s home course. When all the jamborees were finished, the Blue Devils had placed second in their division. In between the jamborees were invitational’s, a chance for schools that don’t normally play each other to match up and find out who the better team is. Gull Lake played in five invitationals this year, including hosting one. They traveled to Lakeview, Perry, Rockford and Kalamazoo Christian, ending in the middle of the pack in almost every tournament.

Amid the jamborees and invitationals, there were also conferences. Each of the 16 teams come together twice in the season, trying to place best in the SMAC. When both tournaments were finished, the Blue Devils had finished eighth out of the 16 teams in the conference, right in the middle as it seemed to be almost every tournament.

The end of the conference tournament marked the end of the regular season for SMAC teams, meaning it was time to compete in districts. In the Plainwell district, the team beat out seven other schools to earn fifth place in the district–good enough to advance them to regionals.

The team didn’t have a bright outlook going into regionals, knowing state powerhouse teams such as East Lansing and DeWitt would be competing with them. However, they did host the regional, at their second home course, Gull Lake View West.

Junior Colin Brenner putts in the regional tournament, on the 18th green of Gull Lake View West. Photo by Alexis Southwick

On June 6, the boys headed out onto the course for the regional tournament. Not one of the players had much idea of how the others were doing, but they were all playing well. When they were finished, each came to the scorers table, and looked at the others scores.

“I looked up and saw all the other guys standing there,” VanderMolen said,”because I was the last to get done. I saw a few scores in the 70′s, so I thought we might’ve had a chance to do alright.”

He was correct; as Quartermaine had shot a 77, and O’Brien and Brenner each had 79’s. VanderMolen came in with a score of 85. At that time the team started to think they had a chance.

“I played really well,” O’Brien said. “Before we started, Cooper [Quartermaine] was saying he didn’t want it to be his last high school tournament. I knew that if a couple of us did well, we could make a run at states.”

As the other team scores went up on the board, the Blue Devils found out their fate. Shooting a score of 320, the team had placed third, good enough to get into the state finals. The team finished behind DeWitt with a 313 and East Lansing with a 314.

Coach Pat Pearson said he was shocked at the teams’ high finish. He told mlive.com: “I’m breathless; I’m still stunned. We practiced really well over the last week, and we really had no pressure. It helped that we were on a course we were familiar with.”

The boys will travel to The Meadows golf course on the campus of Grand Valley State University, June 14 and 15 to compete in Gull Lakes’ second state finals in the last three years.

By Colin Brenner

Interracial relationships are becoming significantly more common. Now, almost half a century after the Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia, 1967, which struck down laws that obstructed interracial marriage, nearly one in 10 heterosexual relationships are between people of different races or ethnicities, as compared to less than half a percent in 1960.

The Wimbleys, like many other interracial couples, met mixed reactions from friends, family and colleagues.

“There were a few people who were like, ‘why are you settling?”’ Chris said.

“I had people that I knew that stopped being friendly after we started dating,” said Eric.

“Our reaction was to stop hanging out with those specific people,” Chris said.

Their families had mixed reactions to Chris and Eric’s relationship as well. Some of Chris’ family members were strongly opposed.

“My dad didn’t say anything, and he wouldn’t even talk to him [my husband] for about a year. My mom was unfriendly and rarely spoke to him,” said Chris Wimbley.

They faced discrimination at times in the public and also in the private sector.

“One time we went to a restaurant [in the south] and were asked to go to a different one,” said Chris Wimbley. “Another time, I didn’t get a job because of who I was dating.”

Susan Slatin, now 56, also faced the wrath of disapproving family, friends and society. While living in California in her thirties, she dated and fell in love with a half-Black half-Native American man.

“I was always drawn to people who were forbidden. They seemed more interesting to me, different cultures. I didn’t want someone who was just a male version of myself,” said Slatin.

Susan Slatin and her boyfriend were avoided at work parties, and once even had food and garbage thrown at them.

“The most painful reaction was that of my mom,” she said. “Don’t ever tell your dad because he will disown you.”’

Slatin also said her mother agreed she could tolerate it if it stayed in California and if she would never have children with him.

“Part of my feeling was that because of my upbringing I would not be able to make a life with him. We would be all alone with no family, no support,” said Slatin. “Even though we were in love, I knew we couldn’t have a life together.”

Their relationship continued for several months, but they were forced to accept that their relationship could not continue.

Despite increasing statistics, interracial relationships are still viewed by a large sector of society as taboo.

by Clayton Coleman

 “Most of my injuries are soccer related,” said Bradley. Her injuries range from hip surgery, broken ribs, and to the tearing of muscles.

As one of the more aggressive sports, soccer is common for injuries.

“I’m not scared of soccer. I’ve grown immune to my injuries,” Bradley said. “They’re part of the past.”

Most people would assume injuries happen because the person injured is accident prone. Others may classify a soccer injury as a mistake.

“A lot of people comment on my injuries. I’m not fragile, and I’m not bad. I get hurt because I’m determined,” said Bradley.

Freshman Danielle Orbeck agrees.

“Madi is one of the most determined people I know,” said Orbeck.

Even with all the risks, Bradley plays on.

“I’ve been hospitalized. I’ve broken ribs, fractured wrists, and gotten concussions. I’ve even had surgery.” said Bradley. “Life without soccer is like fish without water. I would die if I couldn’t play. It would crush me.”

Duke Orthopedics states that there are more than 200,000 ACL injuries occurring each year. The risk that Bradley takes each game is very, very high.

But that doesn’t stop Bradley from playing.

“I started six years ago. My best friend taught me in my driveway,” Bradley said. “I play because it’s a release. I can hangout with my friends and do what I love. I’m most definitely addicted.”

Bradley isn’t the only one who feels relieved when playing. According to Dr. Manny Alvarez, a medical contributor of Fox News, exercise is a a great stress reliever. It not only calms the mind, but it also improves a person’s mood.

For many players, soccer stops after high school. College Sports Scholarships (CSS) say that because it is extremely difficult to play college level sports, players simply quit.

“I don’t plan on stopping,” Bradley said. “I’ll stop playing when soccer stops being fun. And looking into the future, it’s not stopping. So neither will I.”

By: Regan Troff

Language Arts teacher Andrea Walker along with three other teachers talk about their experiences as teachers, discussing inspirations, classroom management and the politics of the profession. Screen shot from video.

Teachers speak about education and the recent changes. Includes interviews from business teacher and DECA adviser Jason Burghardt who begins the clip talking about why he went into teaching and wraps up on the changes in education. Biology teacher Michelle Mahar relates teaching back to her own curriculum, science.  Trigonometry and Geometry teacher Annemarie Gerrish discusses time in the classroom.  Language Arts teacher Andrea Walker relates in different segment on a wide range of topics–from classroom management to changes in education.

Interview and video by Dylan Grosser, Sierra Rehm and Taylor Davidson

To be considered for admission into National Honor Society, students must possess and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5, and are required to submit a record of prior service or volunteer activities as well as positions of leadership that they have held.  These standards as well as an application essay and teacher evaluations are then taken into careful consideration by a select group of teachers and administrators, who make the final decisions on which applicants are accepted.  The process culminates with the induction ceremony, in which the outgoing members of NHS are recognized and their college plans and scholarship achievements are acknowledged.  The ceremony also serves as the official beginning of the careers of incoming members, and includes speeches from standing NHS officers as well as the traditional candle-lighting procession formed by the inductees.

The event was highlighted by a speech delivered courtesy of Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell, the evening’s guest speaker, who stressed the importance of the ideals instilled by National Honor Society in the future success of our community.  Hopewell’s sincerity and sense of humor made an impression on many who attended.

“I think Mayor Hopewell was really able to put things in perspective,” said junior NHS member Ryan Mutchler.  “He made it easy to see how being a part of this organization will serve to benefit so many people both now and in the future.”

For those being inducted, the event served as recognition of their previous academic and volunteer efforts as well as an opportunity to open doors for new ones.

“Obviously being accepted into an organization as prestigious as NHS is something that we are all proud of,” said sophomore inductee Annie Walbridge.  “Just hearing the future plans of outgoing members tonight speaks volumes about what this society represents.”

Current Gull Lake National Honor Society members are already hard at work organizing and planning service events for next year, and are looking to continue the proud tradition that the organization has established in the greater-Kalamazoo and Richland communities.  With the induction of their new class of members, the future for the Gull Lake NHS appears exceedingly bright.

By Tyler VanderMolen

In high school the youngest students are just 13 years of age, much too young to see such obscenities. School is supposed to be a sanctuary, a place where its attendants are able to feel comfortable. Creating a sex-infused environment impairs learning for many students, because they return to their classes with graphic images burned into their fragile minds.

There are a few teachers at Gull Lake High School who do their best to prevent these disturbing activities from occurring near their classrooms, but many sections of the school– such as at the end of hallways or the tops of staircases–go unpatrolled. Couples are well aware of these spots and tend to congregate there in between class periods.

PDA also makes a considerable number of students uncomfortable by drawing attention to the fact that they themselves do not have partners with whom to bring filth to the hallways. Although these students may someday be part of the problem, for now they are single and sensitive about their relationship statuses.

Lastly, there is no reason to participate in PDA activities in school because frankly,  most students don’t really cares about how “in love” couples are. Many couples seem to be obsessed with drawing attention to themselves, but generally speaking, very few people find their PDA cute, or even tolerable. If the school administration does not act, students will have to enforce a no-sexual-contact policy themselves, implementing policies such as walking between couples and taping together the heads of students mid face-eating session. The epidemic needs to be addressed and fixed immediately.

by Clayton Coleman

But that is not to say what Bing has to offer.

    Bing takes a different approach to bringing in users. For one, they abandon the idea of a plain page with a search bar on it. Instead, they have professionals take photos of breathtaking scenery and then upload it to the home page. Bing appeals to artistic people who like to see very cool pictures and art. In addition Bing has a toolbar at the bottom; different from Google, which shows the most popular stories and searches. If you are bored, you can look at what other people have searched.

Google is based off of its user interface, simple and friendly. Once you open the webpage, you are greeted by a white page containing a search box. This presents the user a simple and friendly way to search for information. However, it gets quite stale after a while. Google is starting to make their search engine more appealing to artistic audiences. New font and colors have started making the Google homepage unique. One of their most famous designs is the 30th anniversary of Pacman a playable version of the game is located in the Google logo.

Personally, I prefer Google because it is clean and simple. In addition, I have grown up with Google so I am more comfortable with it. However, if both Bing and Google were to come out at the exact same time, I would probably prefer Bing over Google because it is much more visually appealing than Google is. I would also prefer Bing to Google because of the page’s layout and the column that has the most popular searches of the day. It will be interesting to see what the next generation of people will use to find information.

By: Brian Hall

Physician-assisted suicide is the voluntary mercy killings of patients with one or more terminal diseases. So far, only three U.S. states, Oregon, Washington and Montana, allow voluntary euthanasia.

    As Americans, we live by the Core Democratic Values: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, but are they a requirement? Does the Constitution require its citizens to live? Well, the Supreme Court seems to think so. In Vacco vs. Quill and Washington vs. Glucksberg, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that physician-assisted suicide is not a protected liberty interest under the Constitution. At the same time, the Constitution does not outlaw it either. Which opens the door for states to make the decision themselves on whether to permit physician-assisted suicide or not.

Tony Nicklinson’s case is unfortunate, but it can teach us a lot. He was a man who had been basically removed from this planet. His accident left him unable to do the one thing he loved, taking away his only means of expression. The man’s only desire was to die a peaceful death. Isn’t that what we all want? Maybe others didn’t agree with his decision. So what? It’s still his decision: a decision that only affects his life. People who submit to voluntary euthanasia/assisted suicide are making that choice completely independently. When teenagers or whoever try to commit suicide, we enroll them in rehabilitation clinics because they have potential. People like Tony, simply don’t. And whether we agree with it or not, we have to respect those suffering from terminal diseases in this country. There is always a small percent chance that some scientist will invent a magical cure for all diseases. For some people that’s enough to keep going, but for others it’s simply not. People are the pilots of their own bodies, and if it’s against a persons belief to commit suicide, that’s fine, but no one should force that upon others.

My mother always told me, “If I end up brain-dead, in one of those mechanical wheelchairs, don’t let them keep me alive.” And for her sake, I really hope that becomes a reality.

by Dylan Grosser