Thanksgiving Weekend Weather

by Ben Kouchnerkavich

After visibilities as low as a quarter mile this morning, expect clouds to decrease during the afternoon. This will lead to a decent day, with highs in the mid to upper-50s. There's a lot to be thankful for weather-wise on Thanksgiving, with mostly sunny skies in store, along with a high around 60 degrees, which is 15 degrees warmer than normal! Rain will move in late Thursday afternoon and continue through Friday morning. Rain showers will change over to lake-effect snow showers on Friday afternoon, before coming to an end Saturday morning. No accumulation greater than a dusting is expected in the Holland area. Sunday is looking dry at this point. Highs for Friday and the weekend will only be in the upper-30s to lower-40s, with lows in the mid to upper-20s.

Gone With The Wind: How We Take Weather Alerts For Granted

by Ben Kouchnerkavich

On Thursday, November 8th, students at Holland New Tech High School were given the privilege of meeting with a group of schools, including students from Nicaragua on an Internet video chat. In their World Studies class, the current sophomores at Holland New Tech have been participating in a project entitled, “Food, Glorious Food,” which aims to help children in Nicaragua through the Canada-based group Change for Children.

Nicaragua is known for its biodiversity, with an abundance of rivers, creeks, streams, and animals. The problems they are having with food in the country are helped greatly by community gardens, where they grow sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots. One community garden costs only $2,000. During the video chat, Holland New Tech student Khalil Torres asked the people in Nicaragua the question, “How can we help?” The answer was that the country is in great need of money, which can be used to go towards these community gardens.

Problems with food production in Nicaragua are not helped by natural disasters that plague the country with devastation. There is no advanced warning system at all in the country for hurricanes and tornadoes. As a meteorology enthusiast, this hit particularly close to home for me. In America, we have the luxury of choosing to ignore advanced warnings.

On May 22, 2011, at least 158 people were killed in Joplin, Missouri, when an EF5 tornado plowed through. An EF5 is the strongest on the EF (Enhanced Fujita) scale, producing winds over 200 mph. The tornado struck at an estimated time of 5:40 PM CDT. The National Weather Service placed the first Tornado Warning for the storm at 5:17 PM. That is an amazing amount of lead-time to place on a tornado, giving 23 minutes to get to safety. The SPC (Storm Prediction Center) in Norman, Oklahoma, issues severe weather outlooks across the United States up to 8 days in advance. They had a slight risk of severe weather for the Joplin area on May 20th (two days in advance). The SPC issues five severe weather outlooks a day. The first outlook is issued at 1 AM CDT. At that time on May 22, the SPC was already forecasting “a 10% or greater probability of EF2-EF5 tornadoes within 25 miles (of Joplin).” At 8 AM CDT, The Storm Prediction Center upgraded the severe weather outlook to a moderate risk of severe weather. Some still ignored the warnings, despite having access to information that could help them.

A more recent example of Americans choosing to ignore advanced warnings was with “Superstorm Sandy.” One model we look at in meteorology is called the GFS (Global Forecast Model). This, like all other models, tends to have accuracy decrease as they go out further in time. However, the GFS accurately predicted the strength of Sandy going into the northeast 1-2 weeks in advance. Sandy was predicted much more accurately than a typical regional severe weather outbreak. I was watching some live streaming coverage of Hurricane Sandy online from television stations along the east coast a few days before it hit that area. There was an interview from the ABC station in New York, in which two young girls were interviewed. Despite the mandatory evacuations being declared, the two girls said they would stay, and that they weren't worried, because Hurricane Irene “wasn't that bad.”

Speaking as someone interested in going into the meteorology field as a career, this upsets me. I think it is important that meteorologists don’t overly hype severe weather events when communicating a forecast, but just deliver the facts. There are some meteorologists who refer to “storms of epic proportions,” whereas there are also some who significantly downplay potentially significant events. I think a meteorologist ought to be neutral. Hurricane Irene was definitely a storm that was hyped too much, which probably lead to young people forming opinions that they need not worry. This was irresponsible, and it can lead to citizens making dangerous choices in the future. Perhaps it should be a criminal offense for people who decide to stay put during a time when there are mandatory evacuations in place. Sandy was a very big system and caused a catastrophic amount of damage. It is not logical to create an opinion of a storm based on a previous storm, due to the extremely unpredictable and unique characteristics that each storm possesses.

As I said earlier, in America, we have the luxury of choosing to ignore advanced warnings. Meanwhile there are people in Nicaragua who have had their lives ruined by disasters such as the devastating Hurricane Mitch. This is because they don’t have access to the amazing technology that we have. Meteorology is not an exact science. When I met with Grand Rapids’ FOX 17 meteorologist Jon Shaner recently, he clued me in on how meteorology is a relatively new science. As a result, the general public needs to realize that there are going to be flaws with forecasting and it is best to err on the side of caution when there is the possibility of a storm that is going to be potentially dangerous.

We have a choice to obey the alerts we are given. They don’t have that opportunity in Nicaragua, and we shouldn’t take what we have for granted.

Thursday Weather 11.15.12

by Ben Kouchnerkavich

Holland, Mich.--High temps over the next 7 days will be in the upper-40s to lower-50s, with lows in the 30s. After partly to mostly sunny skies through next Monday, it looks like a chance of rain will re-enter the forecast by Tuesday and Wednesday.

Wednesday Weather 11.14.12

by Ben Kouchnerkavich

Holland, Mich.--The next seven days will all be very similar, with partly to mostly sunny skies, and highs in the 40-50 degree range. Temperatures will average 1-2 degrees below normal. Breezy conditions are expected today, with gusts to 25 mph possible.

Lows will be in the 30s most of the time, but upper-20s are expected tonight.

The Presidential Election: Local And National Results

Reporting by Bryce Crenshaw and Oscar Roman-Rivera

Holland, Mich.--President Barack Obama was re-elected for his second and final term on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Obama won the Electoral College vote in 28 states, and Mitt Romney won 22 states. Obama won 303 Electoral votes, and Romney had 206. A candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win, so Obama won by a large margin. The election had low voter turnout, partly due to Super-storm Sandy, which left much of the East Coast devastated, and without power.

Students of Holland New Tech and Holland High School were given chances to participate in mock elections, and Obama won by large margins at both schools. That said, opinion about politics and the election was diverse in the days following the election.

Ben Kouchnerkavich, a 10th grade student said, "Being a Libertarian, I have different beliefs than most people. I feel that parents tend to push their beliefs onto their children, and children only feed off what their parents think (about politics)."

Mr. Ryan Harrell is a teacher at Holland New Tech, and he majored in Political Science at Hope College. He said, "I feel as though right now our political system is greatly influenced by business interests rather than the will of the people. This is nothing new, however.  It has been a recurrent theme throughout history. I hope that as we progress as a nation there is a shift to pulling money out of our political power structure." He also believes that students need to pay attention to politics, even at a young age. He said, "You (students) will inherit the problems (or solutions) produced by our current politicians. The policies put in place today directly influence your future, such as higher education options and job availability.”

Ms. Emily Wells, a science teacher at Holland New Tech, commented, "Differing viewpoints in this country have always contributed to its richness, and they should be respected.” She went on to say, “I think that there is a growing systemic problem in politics in which people are so divided along party lines that they cannot work together to really solve any problems. Apparently they need a lesson in collaboration." Collaboration is important enough at Holland New Tech that it makes up 10% of every student’s grade.

Some were looking forward to the re-election of President Barack Obama, and some were not. Noah Babinski, a 9th grade student, felt that neither candidate was acceptable. "I didn't like either of the candidates,” he said. “One had something I liked, and the other the same. But altogether I wouldn't have wanted to vote for either of them, mainly because I'm not a fan of politics. It’s too corrupt."

Election Day Weather

by Esella Niño

Holland, Mich.--This year on Election Day, people were lined up early and ready to vote even though it was freezing cold. The high temperature on November 6^th was about 48 degrees, and the low was about 26 degrees. "My wife stood in line for roughly half an hour to forty-five minutes," said Jay Woods, a teacher at Holland New Tech. It seemed that most people didn't mind it being cold while they were standing in line waiting to vote. "Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church is our polling place, and the parking lot was very full at 7:30 AM," said Mr. Woods. 

Many people probably thought it was freezing, but were nonetheless excited to vote and were not discouraged by the cold weather.

Tuesday Weather 11.13.12

by Ben Kouchnerkavich

Holland, Mich.--After seeing some snow showers move through last night that produced only a few hundredths of an inch of snow, skies will become mostly sunny today. Highs will only be in the upper-30s.

Wednesday will be partly cloudy. It will be breezy, with gusts to 25 mph possible. Highs in the mid-40s are expected. 

For the rest of this week all the way through early next week, we'll see partly to mostly sunny skies, with highs in the upper-40s to lower-50s.

Monday/Tuesday Weather 11.12-13/12

by Ben Kouchnerkavich

Holland, Mich.--After widespread rain moved through last night, we'll see a break in precipitation for the latter half of the morning and early afternoon, before some lake-effect snow showers become possible for the rest of the afternoon into tonight. It looks like just a few tenths of an inch in accumulation. It will still be windy today. Granted, it will not be as windy as it was on Sunday (Hudsonville reported a 58 mph wind gust yesterday). Still, gusts to 30 mph will be possible today. We already saw our high temperature for today occur at midnight (53 degrees), and temperatures for this afternoon are only expected to be in the upper-30s.

Mainly sunny skies are expected for Tuesday, with a high around 40 degrees. Breezy conditions with gusts to 20 mph will stick around.

For the rest of the upcoming work week, we are anticipating partly to mostly sunny skies, with highs in the mid to upper-40s. Next weekend is looking mostly sunny, with temperatures moderating to the lower-50s.

HNT Mock Election Results

by Devon Viles, Lenora Mendoza, Kyle Shannon, Devin Banks, and Brandon Davis

Holland, Mich.--On November 6th at Holland New Tech, a mock presidential election was held. As it turned out, most students voted for the Democratic candidate, President Barack Obama. There were 60 votes for President Obama, and Governor Mitt Romney received only 23 votes. Votes were also cast for other candidates such as Ron Paul, who received three votes,  Gio Pedraza, who obtained two votes, and Cyrus Dimock who also received two votes. Last but not least, Mr. Von Plagenhof received one vote. In this election, Holland New Tech voted for the Democratic candidate by a nearly two to one margin. This is a clear reversal of the traditional large margins that usually favor Republican candidates in Ottawa County.

Hurricane Sandy And Halloween

by Staff Reporters

Holland, Mich.-The unintended consequences of Hurricane Sandy were visible last night in Holland, as Trick-or-Treaters were far less numerous than normal for Halloween.

Cold temperatures, wind, and rain from the hurricane were the culprits. Some Holland Trick-or-Treaters stayed out for shorter periods, or and some chose not to go out at all. "Last night was too cold for some people," said Bryce Crenshaw. "My sister stopped at around 6:45 because her face was too cold." 

Families offering treats were fewer than normal. According to Cyrus Dimock, "Fewer people were handing out candy last night." It was suggested by some HNT students that economics and the weather conspired to make some people not participate in the holiday. According to one student, "my parents couldn't afford to hand out candy this year. We are behind on our bills at home."

Candy alternatives were handed out by some people. Students reported getting pencils, popcorn, fruit, hot dogs, and CDs as well.

There were a few reports of traditional Halloween vandalism. Smashed pumpkins and other incidents of criminal mischief were not widespread, but did occur.

HHS Boy's Soccer Mid-Season Report

reporting by Mali'ki Lipscomb, Esella Niño, Yaddrian Almena, and Brandon Davis

Holland, Mich.--The Holland Boy’s Varsity Soccer team has been doing great so far this season. They have beaten the top ranked team in their division, and have a record of 15-2-1. They were ranked #9 in their division at one point. Holland recently lost to Zeeland East by penalty kicks in double overtime.

Asked for comment on the season, Coach Ceithaml said, "I hope we win districts, and win the first state soccer championship in Holland soccer history." He continued, "The reason we are doing so well is because of the player’s determination and their commitment." Coach Ceithaml seemed pleased that his team had made it this far, and said, “I always had faith in my team.”

"It's a team effort," said Jesus Corona, a junior on the team. He said that the team does not have a dominant player. He remarked that the drills that the team does at practice produce team chemistry. So far this season Jesus has scored one goal and has seven assists. He is hoping Holland will beat Holland Christian and will win districts, and he is looking forward to next season as well.

Holland New Tech Students Speak: We Prefer Laptops

Reporting by Devon Viles, Tyler Pettee, Victoria Duque, and Oscar Roman-Rivera

Holland, Mich.-Holland New Tech students were asked this week whether they preferred to use laptops or iPads. Twelve students suggested that they preferred iPads to laptops. Thirty-four students said that they preferred laptops to iPads.

Students went on the record to justify their preferences. Pamela Figueroa said, "I prefer the laptop because it is easier to type with, do research, and do projects. I feel a lot more organized with a laptop, because you can make folders to put things in for different classes." Bronson Clyne, a 10th grade student at Holland New Tech, said, "I like the laptops better because they're less fussy, and better to research with compared to an iPad." Edgar Cardenas responded, "I prefer a laptop because it is easier to use, and you can do more with it."

Some people had different views on the matter. Jose Arroyo said, "I prefer the iPad because it is easier to carry, and because it's easier to do my homework." Christian Castaneda also agreed, saying, "I prefer the iPad because I can do my work faster, and it is smaller and faster."

After gathering data from students, it became clear that the students of Holland New Tech prefer their laptops to the iPads mostly due to the limited capabilities of the iPads compared to the laptops.

MEAP Testing For Michigan Schools This Week

by Eric Smith

Holland, Mich.-The M.E.A.P. stands for Michigan Educational Assessment Project test. It comes every school year. Many students don't care to take it, while others see it as a chance to assess their general knowledge in the subject areas tested. This year's schedule is listed below:

         October 9 is Reading 1 for 8th grade.

         October 10 is Reading 2 for 8th grade.
         October 16 is Math for 8th and 9th grade.
         October 17 is Science for 8th grade, and 9th grade Social Studies.

M.E.A.P. testing will take up most, if not all, of the school day. It is recommended that all students get a good night's rest, and eat healthy in the morning to stimulate their brains for the best results.

If you have any questions about the M.E.A.P., it is suggested that you contact Ms. Collins at Holland High School, or Holland New Tech.

Final Meeting of the Community Energy Advisory Group?

by James H. Woods and Staff

Holland, Mich.-Last Tuesday night (September 25, 2012), the Community Energy Advisory Group (CEAG) of Holland met for what may be the last time, at Holland New Tech High School. The group has supported the Community Energy Plan that was recently adopted by Holland's City Council. The group's biggest achievement, and most important role, has been educating residents of Holland about the energy plan, and not allowing the city or its residents "to ignore it," according to Don Triezenberg, one of the founding members of the CEAG.

The Community Energy Plan was the work of Peter Garforth, of Garforth International, an energy consulting firm. It is a 40 year plan created to turn Holland into a world-class, energy efficient city. The pillars of the plan are energy efficiency, stable energy supply, efficient power generation, and a cleaner environment.

It was an informal meeting attended by various interested individuals from the community. Roughly a dozen people attended. The agenda contained three segments: a discussion of the the committees that the city has created to push the Community Energy Plan forward, an open discussion of current energy issues, and a closing that reflected on the work of the CEAG over the last two years.

As City Council recently approved the Community Energy Plan, it was decided that implementation should be broken out by emphasis areas from the plan itself. Action teams that will oversee implementation of the plan are: Home Energy Retrofit, Citywide District Heating, Industrial Services, Building Energy Labeling, Electrical Generation, and Community Education and Outreach. The CEAG heard brief summaries of the meeting plans for each of these groups. Due to the creation of the action teams, it was deemed perhaps unnecessary for the CEAG to meet in the future, as it is likely that action teams will take over much of the work that the CEAG has done in the past.

James Clift, Policy Director of the Michigan Environmental Council (MEC) attended the meeting. He was there to speak about the 25% by 2025 ballot initiative for the November election. The initiative seeks to change Michigan's current law, forcing state utility companies to use 25% renewable power generation by the year 2025. According to Mr. Clift, fossil fuel prices are rising, and renewable energy prices will be declining in the future. The MEC is advocating to pass the ballot initiative for the purpose of creating "more jobs, stable utility rates, and a cleaner environment."

Mr. Clift cited a report by MSU that estimated that about 30,000 jobs would be created in construction if the ballot initiative passes. The report estimated an additional 43,000 jobs would be necessary for ongoing operations of renewable energy generation agencies.

It is estimated that Michigan spends $1.5 Billion dollars per year on coal for electric generation. An additional $1.5 Billion dollars per year is also incurred in health related costs and damages from the impact of coal and natural gas power generation. 

Current poll numbers show Michigan voters in favor of the ballot initiative by a significant margin.

Coley Brown, a member of the CEAG, led an activity at the end of the meeting that sought to recognize and reflect on some of the achievements of the group over the last two years.