feature // 3

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015

BY

Carrie Fisher, the actress who

played Princess Leia, tells The
Daily News and moviegoers to
expect to see some major girl
power in this newest installment
of the Star Wars series. Though
the character of Princess Leia was
a powerhouse of a personality, it
could be argued that she played
more of the role of the damsel
in distress and had minor moments of heroism throughout the
trilogy. However, according to
The Daily News article, Fisher said the new character, Rey,
played by Daisy Ridley, will play
more of an active heroine role in
the movie.

6. RETURN OF
THE SQUAD
Whether youve been a diehard
fan from birth or youve just
recently become one with the
Force, the return of the original
trio of Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, Princess Leia, played
by Carrie Fisher, and hopefully
and Luke Skywalker, played by
Mark Hamill, will cause a flood
of love and nostalgia. All of this
takes place 30 years after where
they left off in Star Wars: Episode
6 Return of the Jedi, according to
The Arizona Daily Sun

5. THE ELUSIVE
ROLE OF LUPITA
NYONGO
While the mysterious character actress Lupita Nyongo has
remained under wraps, recent
promo videos reveal her role,
according to an article in The
Guardian. Lupita plays Maz, an
undefined character who has
been loosely described as a short,
orange and very old extraterrestrial, according to a recent article
by People Magazine. While her
exact significance in the movie is
yet to be defined, the Academy
Award-winning actress will nevertheless be an exciting addition
to the Star Wars universe.

7. WHERE IS
LUKE?
Has Luke Skywalker joined
the dark side? Fans rave in
response to Lukes absence
in the trailers. As described
in a USA Today article, though, there
are several fan theories floating around,
one of which is that
Luke Skywalker actually is Kylo Ren, the ominous villain wielding a red
lightsaber in the first released
trailer. On the other hand,
Mark Hamill, who originally
played Luke Skywalker, is scheduled to be in the film, according
to The Arizona Daily Sun, and
Kylo Ren is played by actor Adam
Driver. Could this hooded figure
really be the Luke Skywalker?

Whether he has followed in his fathers footsteps or

is being hidden away for a much
larger purpose, fans anticipate a
big reveal for Skywalker.

Proposed House Bill would increase training for high school counselors
RILEY LYNCH 18 // Pulse Section Editor
As the deadline for college applications draws to a close, students
have been frequently visiting the counseling centers and the College
Resource Center (CRC) to finish the application process. However,
some students, like Melissa Brieden 16, have found themselves dissatisfied with the way the process is handled.
Brieden, however, said the fault isnt with the counselors but with
the way the situation has evolved.
(The counselors) just told you what needed to happen before a
certain deadline and expected you to do it all by yourself, Brieden
said. And you have to go to the CRC, fill out a form, and then tell
them about all the colleges you applied to, and then meet with your
counselor, talk about where theyre sending your transcripts and your
test scores. Its really hands-off.
Brieden said a good solution to her lack of help with her college
application process would be to enforce the training of counselors in
Michigan high schools.
High school counselors are not required by the state to have training in college prep and selection counseling, according to the Michigan Department of Education. However, some counselors such as
Troy Glasser, who has worked in the Grosse Pointe Public School System for 10 years, have received that training. Glasser agrees with Brieden that pushing for more training for counselors would be beneficial.
That could happen if House Bill 4552 makes its way into law. This
bill would require high school counselors in Michigan to receive 25
hours of professional development in college-related counseling as
well as 25 hours in career counseling. The bill awaits a hearing.
(House Bill 4552) would be beneficial. It would, Glasser said. It
all depends on your clientele, so to speak. I actually had (college guidance training) in my graduate degree, and I knew that I wanted to

16

There are many things that will

be different with the new Star
Wars movie than from any of
the previous movies. For one, the
movie was filmed by director JJ
Abrams. Second, it is confirmed,
according to a USA Today
article, that ewoks and Jar Jar
Binks will not appear in movie,
so for those who have a special
place in their heart for that goofy
Gungan and those adorable teddy bear warriors, sorry for your
loss. However, one thing that fans
will be happy to see is that the
new movie has kept the iconic
original opening score, also performed under the direction of
the legendary John Williams. The
recycled music from previous
movies are sure to evoke a sense
of nostalgia that is singular to the
Star Wars franchise.

TER
OS

PHOTOS BY ERYKAH BENSON 17

USE THE FORCE //

Star Wars paraphernalia had made a
comeback in many
stores. According to
cinemablend.com,
Star Wars is expected
to profit over $5 billion in the next year.

4. FEMME
FATALE

EC

As fun as it will be to see the original cast pick up from where they
left off, it will also be exciting to
see how the fresh new faces will
be woven into the story. Finn,
played by John Boyega who is
first introduced to fans beaded
with sweat and in a frenzy of panic, dons a Stormtrooper outfit in
the sands of desert planet. Daisy
Ridley plays Rey who, according to Cinema Blend, describes herself as a lone
scavenger who lives in the
ruins of a crashed Star
Destroyer, also appearing in the trailers.
The two appear to
be the frontrunners
of the next generation of Star Wars,
and itll be entertaining to watch the
dynamic
duo
battle against
the dark side
in this new
landscape.

3. ORIGINAL
SCORE

D
BI

Though R2D2 won the hearts

of Americans everywhere as the
cute, comedic companion of
C3PO, its time to make room for
Star Wars new baby: BB-8, an
adorable droid appearing for the
first time in the opening trailer.
NASA tells Wired that BB-8
could actually work in space, and
that if they ever one, the design
would be perfect for traversing
extraterrestrial terrain. It will be
both exciting and entertaining to
see how the spherical droid will
play out in the fim.

2. NEW
CHARACTERS,
NEW PLOTS

GA

Its a matter of days before nerds everywhere congregate to watch what is predicted to be one of the biggest
movies of the year. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, is set to premiere on Friday, Dec. 18 in theatres everywhere.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is projected to reel in $170 million to $240 million during the
opening weekend, topping the all-time record of $2.8 billion dollar at the box office of the movie Avatar in 2009.
While there has been a lot of hype surrounding secrets about the movie, director JJ Abrams has managed to keep
them under wraps, while fans are buzzing about one of the most momentous events in cinematic history. In honor
of the seventh installment of this legendary series, here are the top seven things fans should be excited for in Star
Wars: The Force Awakens.

1. BB-8

S
HIC
AP

ERYKAH BENSON 17 // Page Editor

GR

THE FORCE AWAKENS

work in a high school for kids that have ambition and want to go to
secondary school. So I do think its beneficial, but every school is a
little bit different, case by case.
While Souths counseling center has access to five counselors, a
school social worker and a school psychologist, a study by The Center
For Michigan showed that Michigan ranks in the bottom five states for
adequate counseling, with approximately 700 students per counselor
on average. Around 340 students are assigned to each counselor at
South, and Glasser said schools averages closer to Souths could help
with getting more experienced counselors, leading to more individual
time with students.
I think thats important, that
people are aware, because realI feel like there should
ly the state ambition is to get as
be
more
individual
many kids as possible to look at
meetings
and
help but
a secondary education, whatever
its good for the majority.
that might be, Glasser said. But
there are some schools that need
MARGARET SOHN 16
to push harder.
CLASS PRESIDENT
In addition to a counseling
center, South also has a College
Resource Center (CRC), where
students can find information regarding admissions, financial aid,
scholarships and more, according to the CRC website. The CRC is
located within Wicking Library.
Grosse Pointe North Counseling Department Chair Barbara Skelly
also said additional counseling opportunities should be available for
students. College resources are provided at North in the Counseling
Center where counselors have around 280 students per counselor.
Id love to see us be able to sponsor visits to colleges that would be

of minimal cost to the students, Skelly said via e-mail. It is important

for students to be on the campuses and get a feel for the schools to
which they are applying.
Other Michigan high schools, however, have faced both a lack of
counselors and information. The Detroit Public School System, for
instance, implemented its first counseling center in 2010 at the Communication and Media Arts High School,
Michigan public school counselors reported spending approximately 29 percent of their work day figuring out college and life plans
with students, according to the Joyce Ivy Foundation. Meanwhile,
while an estimated 30 percent of counselors time is taken up by administration and paperwork.
In contrast, counselors at private schools reported spending 250
percent more time with their students, due to the smaller counselor
to student ratios.
Margaret Sohn, President of the Class of 2016, said college counseling at South has helped her, but shes worried that its not like that
for all students.
(South counseling) could definitely be more personalized, Sohn
said. I feel like there should be more individual meetings and help,
but its good for the majority.
And while Glasser said he does ultimately support the idea behind
the new House bill, he also said, the most important preparation actually takes place in the classroom.
(Kids dont come to the counseling center) enough, Glasser said.
We try to get the ball rolling early. First of all, thats the expectation
of Grosse Pointe South, so over 90 percent of our kids go onto another
school so, in theory, theyre having a big part of that conversation at
home. Truthfully, a big part of your college guidance is your everyday
curriculum here at the high school.