Senior ends the school year in style

One thing was for certain during the competitive week of Senior Survivor: the color pink did not go unnoticed. Optimistic Maddie May Kroll supporters sported their pink shirts throughout the nail-biting week until the last day when Kroll was officially announced the ultimate 2013 Senior Survivor.

“I’m so honored that you guys wanted to support me. It was awesome how everyone helped me out, and how everyone bought the baked goods that we were selling. I really appreciate all the effort into the donating all the people put in,” Kroll says.

So how did Kroll, the self-doubting competitor who didn’t believe it was possible to make it past the first day, take home the competition?

“It was definitely my friends, they really stepped it up. They were insanely supportive and believed in me more than I believed in myself. They went above and beyond,” Kroll says.

As Kroll stated before in the YouTube video HHS Senior Survivor 2013 Preview, she was set on winning Senior Survivor because she is not an athlete and wanted to prove that one did not have to be coordinated to win. Yet the reason Kroll joined is a whole new story.

“I wanted to kick off the end of my high school career with something fun. I wanted to get myself more out there and out of my little normal friend circle and meet new people,” Kroll says.

However, it is not to be forgotten the true meaning behind Senior Survivor. Kroll truly felt the emotion throughout the week more and more as each day passed.

“At first it was more for the fun. Then I got a donation from a friend’s little brother who is in middle school. He gave me all the money in his piggy bank and said ‘I just want Zac to feel better’. That’s when it hit me that this was a big deal and what we were doing was really worth it. I was about to start crying,” Kroll says with teary eyes.

There is no doubt that Senior Survivor was a memorable week, one that will stay with Kroll from this day forward.

“Getting close with some of the people there and creating new friendships was worthwhile. Becoming super-exhausted and catty was another thing,” Kroll says.

In addition, Kroll points out that she chose pink because it has always been her go to color. Due to her girly and bubbly personality, pink is the color that defines her.

Just when Kroll thought the highlight of her senior year would be Senior Survivor, another surprise was in store for her.

On Saturday, May 4, Kroll excitingly stood on stage with her surrounding prom court nominees. Kroll, along with her fellow audience, was ecstatic when her name was called.

“It was insane. I feel like I’m in a Disney Channel movie. It’s all so surreal and unbelievable,” Kroll exclaims.

Aside from the remarkable senior year Kroll has experienced, college will be here before we know it. Seventeen-year-old Kroll decided that she wants to attend Kendall in Grand Rapids her freshman year of college, and transfer to New York after that to major in Art and Fashion design. Her passion for art and fashion is one for the books, seeing how she has accomplished a lot in this field and hopes to surpass her expectations after high school.

“I’ve always liked to draw and at the end of middle school I started entering local fashion competitions through the Opera House. I’ve been doing that every year since and I’ve placed first or second each time. It’s kind of my thing and I love doing it,” Kroll shares.

As if placing first in Big People’s Choice, where she took used clothes and ripped them to shreds making a fluffy dress, wasn’t enough, Kroll plans to extend her dream even further.

“I might possibly double major in toy design. I have a weird connection with toys. I love collecting toys and stuffed animals. I’m into kid like stuff. It would be very cool to either design higher end toys or work with Disney to design clothes. I’m very childlike at heart,” Kroll says.

Nonetheless Kroll is prepared for whatever she may encounter along the way. Due to her willpower, constant gratitude, and love for what she does, Kroll will end up where she wants to.

“This year has been incredible. It’s nothing I could’ve ever imagined,” says Kroll. “This has been the best year ever.”

Senior survivor technology team bring event to the masses

Last week at Howell High School, April 21 to April 26, was all about Senior Survivor. It’s a very strong and important tradition to HHS that will remain for years to come. Right now the survivors are the celebrities at school. However, people tend to forget who is doing all the work behind the scenes so everyone can watch and be a part of this experience as well.  While everyone else was sleeping, the tech crew of Senior Survivor, Anna Dodd, Collin Williams, and Dan Oswalt were working on the recording and editing of the nightly films.

HHS student council asked them if they could film the survivors and edit the videos. They all accepted. “It’s a field that we all have an interest in,” Williams says.

Every day last week Dodd, Oswalt, and Williams stayed at the school filming and editing all night. They started their filming right after school during eliminations and then continued through the evening, sometimes as late as 12:30 p.m.

After they had their footage, they had to download it on the computer (which usually takes around a half an hour) and then edited it. It takes just about six hours to edit everything. The videos were created and placed on YouTube for staff and students to view.

They were also in charge of confessionals. Oswalt says, “We fed them things to play off of.”

The trio left the school around five or six in the morning to go home and sleep and wake up and come back for school.

Dodd says, “It’s a lot of work and you don’t get any sleep. It’s more than what people see.”

Senior Survivor 2013: Meet your Survivors

SENIOR SURVIVOR CONTESTANTS 2013

 Vincent Patritto by Lindsey Stefanka

Vincent Patritto, senior and contestant in Senior Survivor, is thrilled    about his spot in the last senior class activity.  “My color is red and I’m going to take red to a back to back championship!” Patritto exclaims.

As well as being determined, Patritto also believes he will win because of his love for the school. “I believe I’ll win because I’m athletic and I care about Howell High School,” Patritto says.

By participating in Senior Survivor and aiming for a win, Patritto hopes to prove his part in the competition.  “Hopefully I can raise the most money for NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness),” Patritto says.

Patritto has the drive and motivation to win; all he needs are supporters for his classmates to be this year’s ultimate Senior Survivor.  “I’m selling my t-shirts for nine dollars starting Monday the 18 through the 28, team Patritto, go red!” Patritto exclaims.

Dylan Roberts by James Edwards

Meet Senior Survivor contestant Dylan Roberts, his color for the competition is white and he refers to himself as “Team Big Dyl.” Roberts has been a fan of Senior Survivor for three years and has enjoyed watching it every year.

“I wanted the chance to compete and to test myself. I also want to raise money for some great foundations,” says Roberts.

Dylan doesn’t think he is representing one group in the school, but he wants support from everyone in the school. “I have social skills to raise money and also the athletic skills to win immunity,” says Roberts, after being asked what his skill set is for the competition.

He is most excited about competing and making new friends during the competition, but, after being locked up in the high school for a week, he feels like he will be tired every day for baseball. Roberts has great confidence that he will win it all this year, and he will do whatever it takes to win.

Amanda Franklin by James Edwards

Senior Amanda Franklin is one of the contestants in this year’s edition of Senior Survivor. The color that Franklin is wearing this year is black.

“I watched the Senior Survivor in the past, and it looked really fun. Courtney Schippers was my inspiration,” says Franklin. She doesn’t consider herself to be a part of a social group in the school, and doesn’t like the idea of contestants representing certain groups.

“I have what it takes to win it all: I’m good at strategizing, I have the athletic ability, and I’m driven,” says Franklin.

Beating fellow contestant Claire Garrison is what Franklin is looking forward to in competition, but does not want to do anything disgusting.

“Get involved in any way you can, donate money, participate, but most importantly, just enjoy it,” says Franklin, after being asked what else she wants her fans to do.

Maddie May Kroll by Katie Gibson

Representing the color pink in Senior Survivor is Maddie May Kroll, who became a contestant to stay close with her graduating class.

“I wanted to get to know everyone in class and make the end of my time here better,” Kroll said. “I’m really looking forward to growing close with them and working together as a community.”

Although excited about being in a much loved competition, there is still the idea of being overwhelmingly tired that worries her.

“I’m dreading feeling exhausted,” she says. “I feel like we won’t sleep.”

Besides this exhaustion that may come with the competition, Kroll feels that her non-competitive attitude, determination, and her ‘Disney-like dreams’ will help her greatly.

“I grew up with Disney and they taught me to never give up,” she said with a smile.

Above all else though, she is keen on the idea that this competition is more to help raise money.

“Regardless of what happens, students should support this,” she said. “It’s for a really good cause.”

Nick Edmonds by Kaite Rabel

Nick Edmonds, team green, is ready to be the next Senior Survivor.

Edmonds wanted to participate in the competition to represent the whole student body. He also wants to prove that you don’t have to be popular, athletic, or good-looking. “It all comes down to the student support,” Edmonds says.

Edmonds is anxiously waiting for the games to begin. However, he is nervous that he’ll be eliminated before he is ready to go. “I can’t wait to see what is in store for challenges and to see all the students and competitors enjoying themselves,” Edmond says.

Edmonds secret weapon is his attitude. “I bring my attitude to the table. I’ve made it into the 12 survivors, that in itself is half the fight. The rest is up to the student support. Being positive and having fun will win this competition,” Edmond says.

Edmonds shares his word of advice to Howell High School, which is to just buy a shirt from everybody. “The money goes to a great cause regardless of whose shirt you buy,” Edmond says.

Caitlinn Fauer by Lindsey Stefanka

Senior Survivor contestant Caitlinn Fauer is more than ecstatic about being involved with the competition this year.

“It is really exciting to be a part of this for my senior year. I’ve wanted to do it since I was a freshman,” Fauer exclaims.

Fauer will be sporting the color yellow, which matches her bright and exuberant personality.

“I will be representing the spirited part of my class,” Fauer says.

Fauer’s former track experience will give her a bigger advantage for the athletic games. “I have long legs, and these babies can go fast,” Fauer says.

Fauer would like to win to show her class that succeeding is not about being popular, but instead about the work and effort you put into something.

Cassie Colon by Maggie Jenison

Senior Cassie Colon looks forward to hopefully being Howell High School’s next Senior Survivor.  She will be competing in the annual event where 12 seniors spend a week living in the school and going against one another in several events. Colon will be sporting lime green, which she is thrilled about.

“I wanted to be a contestant because after watching the competition for three years I knew that it seemed like a great way for the student body to have fun and help raise money toward a great cause together, and that I wanted to be a part of something big like this when I was a senior,” Colon exclaims.

Colon already has a game plan in her head to win because she knows what she is capable of bringing to the table.

“I feel that I will be able to help bring people together during the week and make it a fun experience for the whole school.  It’s about having fun and going out of your comfort zone, which I feel won’t be a problem for me,” Colon says.

Colon is looking forward to spending the week with great people and competing in challenges with the same people. However, she dreads not being able to get Taco Bell whenever she feels, which will be the toughest challenge for her.

“I want readers to know to make sure to show their support.  All the money goes to great charities so donate anything you can,” Colon says.

Zachary Rossetter by Maggie Jenison

Senior Zachary Rossetter has the honor of competing in this year’s Senior Survivor and looks forward to going as far as he can in the competition. Rossetter will surely stand out with his color orange, which he feels a lot of the student body will be wearing since he represents everyone. Most specifically, the swim team will be his biggest supporters.

“When I watched the Senior Survivor competition in ninth grade, I was inspired to be a part of it, not only because I find myself outgoing and funny, but also because I am interested in raising money for the better of the community.  In tenth grade my cousin participated, and that gave me even more reason to be a contestant.  Then my junior year, one of my swimmer friends took a role in making it to the final four in the survivors,” Rossetter exclaims.

What Rossetter plans on bringing to the table is something that none of us will see coming.

“I can’t tell you my secret… because that defeats the purpose of having a secret…I have a great personality and the ability to be friends with everyone.  I am hoping this will help me gain support from my fellow classmates,” Rossetter says.

Rossetter is looking forward to sleeping on the floor and running around the school at night. However, he is dreading sleeping at the same time because Claire Garrison threatens ‘You shouldn’t feel safe at night.’

“I’m good looking and you all should support the winning team, #TeamRossetter,” Rossetter states.

Stephanie Lewis by Sara VanOrd

Even though there are 12 energized students to look out for during the competitions, Senior Survivor, Stephanie Lewis, will be one to watch no doubt as she sports her sapphire shirt. How the students will be able to distinguish her from the rest is by her secret weapon: she doesn’t give up and is determined to get stuff done.

Lewis’ interest in our school’s yearly competition amongst the students started from watching the past years participants, and to her it looked like a lot of fun.

Every year there’s always a certain area, or group, of the student body represented by each survivor. This year Lewis would like to represent all the “stragglers” from the other groups, because she doesn’t really have one specific group she herself falls under.

“I’m looking forward to bonding with the other kids because we’re not friends outside of the groups but we’re coming together to raise money for a good cause,” Lewis says.

However, Lewis is not excited about sleeping on the floor every night and having to use the showers in the field house, yet she still is eager to start the games and contribute to raising money for the two causes our school has decided to assist.

 Adam Cruse by Renee Augustyn

On Team Blue, we have senior Adam Cruse representing the students involved in the band program here at HHS. Cruse has been yearning to participate in the senior survivor competition ever since seeing it as a freshman.

When asked about what he could bring to the table for 2013’s Senior Survivor, Cruse replied with, “I feel my biggest strength that will allow me to win Senior Survivor is my ability to have fun with everything I do. I’ve seen a lot of contestants in previous years get eliminated quickly, simply because they’re nervous or not fun to watch.” Cruse hopes that his charisma and free spirit will serve to entertain the viewers of the competition this year.

Cruse’s outlook on the competition as a whole is solely positive. When asked what he was looking forward to most in senior survivor, Cruse said, “I’m looking forward to how wacky the environment is, which is my domain. I’ve heard from other contestants how this was the highlight of their senior year, and I just get more and more excited thinking about becoming a part of that.”

As for what he dreads, Cruse insists, “There is no downside to this; everyone is having a blast and all proceeds go to charity.” Cruse is not afraid of possibly not making it through the competition. He reassures that the experiences he has this year during senior survivor will make for fantastic memories later in his life.

Cruse is very aware of the fact that much support from the student body is needed in order to make progress in senior survivor, but it serves as his motivation.

Cruse wants readers to know, “I’m counting on each and every one of you. I know that together we’ll be unstoppable and we’ll be able to accomplish amazing things by supporting these charities. See you on the show, GO TEAM BLUE!”

Claire Garrison by Danielle Risacher

Out of the 12 determined seniors, Claire Garrison, will be one to look out for. Garrison will be sporting purple throughout this tough week, a color many students will be wearing to support her. Especially people involved in athletics and student council, which are the student bodies Garrison will be representing.

What Garrison will bring to the table will be unlike any others. She has natural inherited talent and athleticism, and isn’t only fighting for herself.

“Well I’m extremely competitive so I feel like that will help. But also the fact that the foundation we are fundraising for is pretty personal for me, I will work extra hard to raise the money. Not just to win the competition but for the foundation itself,” Garrison says.

During Senior Survivor the contestants all become close with each other. Garrison believes that this group of students will have an exciting week since they’re all funny and comfortable together. However, the downside of the week will be the eating contest!

All in all, the number one reason Garrison wanted to be a contestant is due to the foundations the donations will be going to. She was also looking forward to participating in her senior year as much as possible; claiming Senior Survivor to be one of the coolest things Howell does for seniors.

“I’m going to work really hard to raise money for these foundations,” Garrison states.

Dillon Chinn by Lindsey Stefanka

Dillon Chinn, Senior Survivor contestant, is the new color of Crimson this year. Chinn is very excited that he has been one of the lucky seniors to be chosen for the competition.

“I was really hoping to get picked so I’m pretty excited to compete,” Chinn says.

Unlike other competitors, Chinn has created new strategies for earning the most money besides T-shirt sales. “I’ve been baking cupcakes almost every day and selling them for a dollar,” Chinn says.

This method has really helped Chinn earn money, although he’s not allowed to say how much money he has collected.

Chinn says that he will be competing for the supportive part of the senior class.

“I’m a big supporter of charity organizations so it’s really cool all the money we will be earning and giving to some great causes,” Chinn says.

Next to Chinn’s generous side, he also wants to win the competition to have some more lasting memories of high school.

Let The Games Begin: Senior Survivor Student Opinion Poll Turns up Some Interesting Results

It won’t be long until we all see the disgusting food challenges and the riotous obstacle courses. It’s almost the time for those epic Senior Survivor Games, one of the most wonderful times of the school year. But considering how much the Survivors are interviewed, why not give the audience the chance to speak? A student opinion poll provided insight to the audience’s side of the Games. *

This poll did not merely ask which team one supports; it was designed with many other questions in mind. For example, the majority of the student body would rather purchase a T-shirt than buy some other merchandise or show, or even donate freely. Of course, this makes perfect sense: people also said that they felt that the Senior Survivor Games promote school spirit, AKA “team spirit.” So, with the purchase of a T-shirt, a student puts on the war-paint for their favorite Senior’s tribe, so to speak, and jumps on the color-coded bandwagon.

Yet this begs the question: does Senior Survivor do a good job of advertising and promoting the charity behind it? After the inference calculations, 55% to 76% answered in the affirmative to this question. This is welcome news; after all the main motivation behind the Games (besides a good time) is charity. It is nice to know that something so fun for the school is also so beneficial for society.

Of course, it all remains to be seen; the week of the Games could provide quite different answers to these questions.

*Please note that the freshmen were not included in this study. The poll was conducted with seventy-six students in grades ten through twelve who received the ballots for the poll from their English teachers. The results reported in this article are from the week of March 25th, when Senior Survivors were still selling their T-shirts. The statistical calculations were all preformed by Tiffany Turner.

Senior Survivor mandatory meetings

As many of us Howell Highlanders know, every year we have a competition called Senior Survivor and it’s that time of year again! Applications were in the main office available to any and all seniors interested in participating for Senior Survivor 2013. The applications consist of a permission slip and a short essay question defending your right to compete in senior survivor this year. Applications were due March 1 in the main office.

“A committee consisting of student council advisors and administrators will be choosing this year’s group, “ says Ms. Gabriella Dinatale, student council advisor at Howell High School.

There are some requirements for Senior Survivor, such as having at least a 2.0 GPA. Names will be fed into a random name generator and the first six names will be this year’s Senior Survivor students.
Students will be notified on March 4, who the selected students are. These lucky students will need to attend a mandatory meeting on Tuesday, March 5 at 2:20 in room S-3.

Money earned from Senior Survivor to be donated to Arc of Livingston

This year’s Senior Survivors have chosen to donate the money they earn to The Arc of Livingston. The Arc of Livingston is a non-profit organization that provides support to individuals with developmental disabilities such as transportation, mentoring and housing assistance.

“When we researched charities the kids liked that the Arc was local and helped individuals with special needs,” says Andrea Brady, the senior class advisor. “We are hoping to raise anywhere between 6,000-9,000 dollars for them.”

This year’s Survivors well exceeded that expectation, raising over $13,000, a new record for the competition.

Arc of Livingston was established in 1954 by a group of parents from Livingston County. These parents were searching for ways to provide support for their children with developmental disabilities other than state institutions.

“We exist to assist families and individuals with developmental disabilities of all ages by providing support, information and advocacy. Our goal is to help build a community that includes and values people with disabilities,” says Patti Novak, the Executive Director of the Arc of Livingston.

Not only does this organization provide help for those with developmental disabilities but also their families. They have many events and workshops such as a night-out for parents, dances, an annual family day, and Sibshops.

The Sibshops give children who have siblings with special needs a chance to meet and talk with others about the challenges and the positives of have a special needs sibling. Parent’s Night Out and the Annual Family Day give the parents and other family members a chance to interact with other people that they can relate to. The money raised during Senior Survivor will help pay for these events.

“The money will be used to help fund programs that help us support our families.  It will be contributed to our information and training to help people and families access information needed to improve their situation or problem they are experiencing,” says Novak. “We also hope the money will help us provide scholarships to children who need help to be able to attend an inclusive camp this summer.”

The Arc of Livingston believes that camp is an experience every child deserves, which is why they offer scholarships to help pay for camps for children under the age of 18. The camps provide the children with a fun experience, and the time at camp also teaches them skills that can be helpful in their everyday lives. The scholarships provided will help pay for things such as registration fees, personal assistance, etc.

The Arc of Livingston is also currently trying to raise awareness to the community about the negative effects of using the word “retard.” The word creates a negative image of people with disabilities. Their goal is to “spread the word to end the word!”

“Language is powerful, and when we can be aware of our language, we can make changes to our community that welcomes and supports all people, including people with disabilities,” says Nowak.

Howell Senior Survivor on his way to culinary success

Nick Mannisto was on a cooking campout in 2008 with his scout troop when he entered a competition to see who could create the best meal.

He had the choice to make anything available, and eventually cooked up a roasted chicken in a Dutch oven over a fire. He won the competition.

Little did Mannisto know that the chicken cuisine he created would pave the way for his passion of culinary arts.

Mannisto, now a senior at Howell High School, is fully committed to a dream of owning his own restaurant, which he has already named “Rosemary” as it is his favorite herb, and he plans to have a garden growing on the roof of the building.

“I like the feeling of looking at a dish and saying, ‘I made that,’” Mannisto says. “The foods I have made over my high school years have molded the way I cook in the kitchen.”

While those at school may recognize him as an integral part of the Highlander Restaurant, little do some know about his other accomplishments.

Mannisto, who lives with his mom, Debbie, dad, Mark, and brother, Luke, grew up as a scout, where he learned the values of life such as working hard, helping others, and contributing in a positive way in the community.

“Scouts helped mold me into the person I am today and in my future,” Mannisto says. “With the leadership skills I’ve gained through scouts, I feel like I can do anything if I set my mind to it.”

Although he discovered his passion with his troop, Mannisto’s crowning achievement came in July of 2011 when he was honored with the title of an Eagle Scout.

To become an Eagle Scout, Mannisto had to earn approximately 25 merit badges ranging from CPR to swimming to money management. In addition, Mannisto worked to complete an intense community service project in which he spent 180 hours organizing and building a memorial garden at his church, Heart of the Shepherd in Howell.

“Completing this project made me feel as if I could conquer bigger and better things in the future,” he says.

The restaurant he plans to own is one of those bigger and better things in Mannisto’s bright future.

After he graduates this year, Mannisto, who is an avid guitar player, will begin classes at Schoolcraft College in Livonia. There, he plans on taking courses in Schoolcraft’s prestigious culinary arts program.

“I feel like attending Schoolcraft will bring my game to the next level,” he says confidently.

Not that it’s all ready at a high level. Mannisto serves as the assistant manager at the Highlander Restaurant and already has experience in the kitchen at places such as Pure and Simple Catering and the Moose Grille at Moose Ridge Golf Course.

Mannisto also took some time off from the kitchen to compete in this year’s Senior Survivor competition. Mannisto, who represented Team Orange, says that he looked forward to the challenge of the competition and was excited to fundraise for a good cause, the Arc of Livingston.

While he took the competition incredibly seriously, his charitable background proves that Mannisto is willing to do anything to help out the greater good.

Whether you find him in the kitchen or out in the community, you can bet on one thing: A restaurant called “Rosemary” will be treated to rave reviews, and it won’t be a coincidence that Mannisto is at the helm.

Senior Survivor 2011 raises money for Youth Connection

Day 1 (Sunday May 15): All survivors spent the night, arriving at HHS at 5:00 pm. They made their posters and buckets.

Immunity Challenge: The contestant with the most t-shirts sold could not be kicked off the following day.

Winner= Courtney Schippers

Reward Challenge: Minute to Win it – Two teams competed in challenges like that found on the popular game show with the winners’ reward being a McDonald’s breakfast.

Winners = Conor Ruggles, Karter Wallace, Shane Dzierwa, Courtney Schippers, Caitlin Green, and Sarah Beatty

Day 2:

Who went home? (Those who got eliminated do not get to participate in that day’s challenges.): Conor Ruggles and Sarah Beatty.

Immunity Challenge: Ninja Warrior – Contestants competed in an obstacle course at the Highlander Way Middle School playground based on the game show Ninja Warrior.

Winner = Zach Campbell

Reward Challenge: Kick Ball – Two teams competed in kick ball for ice cream.

Winners = Karter Wallace, Maria Barlow, Ashlyn Samples, Cal Smith, and Shane Dzierwa

Day 3:

Who went home? Shane Dzierwa and Ashlyn Samples

Immunity Challenge: Two stage food challenge – Contestants who drank/ate and kept down a mixture of food won.

Winners = Matt Sullivan and Courtney Schippers

Reward Challenge: Basketball with Connection kids – Contestants played the basketball game HORSE except instead of spelling HORSE, the players spelt SURVIVOR. Winners got cell phone privileges for the night from 9pm to 12am.

Winners = Cal Smith and Matt Sullivan

Day 4:

Who went home? Zach Campbell, Maria Barlow, Caitlin Green, Malory Dowdle

No Immunity Challenge

Reward Challenge: Pool Games – The first part, the contestants built a raft in 30 minutes and raced them across the pool. The winners, who were Courtney Schippers and Matt Sullivan, then had to swim to the bottom of the shallow end of the pool, grab pictures of contestants and put them in order of elimination. Winner got $50 added to their bucket.

Winner = Matt Sullivan

Second Reward Challenge: Extreme Spoons – Winner got an air mattress for the night.

Winner = Matt Sullivan

Who remains? Matt Sullivan, Karter Wallace, Cal Smith, Courtney Schippers

Day 5:

Final contestants competed to raise the most money with the winner being announced at the 6th hour presentation on Thursday, May 19.

Winner = Courtney Schippers

Total raised for Connection Youth Services: $6400

Money raised by Schippers on the final day: around $990

What Schippers has to say about winning: “My reaction when I won was kind of just stunned…Any of those guys up there could have taken the win. It was just cool to be the only girl still in it and win to keep the tradition alive.”

Get to know your 2011 Senior Survivor Contestants

It’s about that time again where HHS seniors will battle against each other in challenges and in raising the most amount of money for charity. Senior Survivor this year will be starting Sunday, May 15 and will go through Thursday, May 19. The benefiting charity this year is Connection Youth Services which aid teens and families in crisis. T-shirt sales end on Friday, April 29 and the survivor with the most t-shirts sold will win immunity Monday night, as all seniors will be spending the night on Sunday.

Basically, throughout the week, twelve seniors, six girls and six boys, will be competing against each other to raise the most money each day, and the senior with the least amount will be sent home. On top of competing to raise the most money each day, the seniors will be competing in undisclosed challenges to try and win immunity for that next day. There are also privilege challenges in which, if won, the senior gets special prizes like cell phone usage or being able to go out to eat.

Some of the basic rules for Senior Survivor are:

• No cell phones/ electronics
• No car keys
• Only allowed to bring pillow and sleeping bag and other basic necessities

On the last day there will be four final contestants. The finale will be held at the end of the day in the HHS auditorium for all those interested in watching the results.

And now it’s time to meet the contestants and start picking your favorites. Each senior was asked the following basic questions:

• What are you most excited for with Senior Survivor? Why?
• What are you least excited for? Why?
• Besides yourself, who do you think will win/ who do you want to win? Why?
• How challenging do you think Senior Survivor will be? Why?
• What was your initial reaction when you found out you made it on Senior Survivor?

Contestants’ Responses:

Maria Barlow

1. “I am most excited to spend time with fellow seniors, and to help raise money for a good cause.”
2. “I am least excited for a challenge that involves eating anything nasty!”
3. “Besides myself, I think that Malory Dowdle will win Senior Survivor. I want Malory to win! I want her to win because she is a cheerleader!”
4. “I don’t think Senior Survivor will be too challenging, unless there is an eating challenge! I don’t think it will be too challenging, because I am an athlete and I am faced with many challenges on a daily basis.”
5. “My initial reaction when I found out I made it on Senior Survivor was I was excited! I really wanted to participate this year so finding out I made it made me super happy!”

Sarah Beatty

1. “I am really excited for the challenges. I have always thought they would be something I can do and want to try them and hopefully win.”

2. “I am least excited about staying all night at the school. I would prefer my bed to sleep on and not the floor or chairs.”
3. “I have absolutely no idea. Everyone is equally good because they all have their different talents that can allow them to win. Whoever wins is fine with me.”
4. “I think it could be a range of difficulties. Some things can be easy to me and I fear others will be hard. However, I do believe raising the money would be the hardest because I am kind of nervous when it comes to asking strangers for money.”
5. “I was really nervous and actually wanted to quit. I am not the typical person who gets picked for these types of things, and I was freaking out.”

Zach Campbell

1. “To spend the night in the school because I feel these old walls have a story to tell and they need someone to listen.”
2. “Not having Taco Bell.”
3. “I feel Shane will win because he has that charisma, the kind of charisma that makes you wanna walk up to him and say, ‘Hey, how ya’ doin’ buddy?’ ”
4. “On a scale of 1 to 17 I’d say that Senior Survivor will be a 14… Because it’s challenging.”
5. “I will answer that with three words Fire, Ghosts, Eagle.”

Malory Dowdle

1. “I am most excited to compete in the challenges!”
2. “Well, if there is a challenge where we have to eat nasty food I am least excited for that! I have a very weak stomach!”

3. “If anyone else were to win besides myself it would be Maria Barlow. I think she will do good in the challenges!”

4. “I think Senior Survivor is going to be challenging, but fun! I think the worst part will be the lack of sleep!”

5. “When I found out I made it on Senior Survivor I was thrilled! I had been wanting to do it since I saw it for the first time in ‘08!”

Shane Dzierwa

1. “What am I most excited for about Senior Survivor? I am excited to be able to slither down the hallways at night. Why? Because I am getting sick of doing it during the day.”
2. “I am least excited for the entire school to see me crying on camera.”
3. “I would like Malory Dowdle to win because I was originally the color purple but we traded. So if she won, I could just tell her that it was the shirt, which should have been mine.”
4. “Let me answer that with another question: How hard is it to make a cat’s cradle with steel wool?”
5. “When I first found out, I was relieved because I had bet my whole life savings to Ian-under-the-bridge that I would get into Senior Survivor.”

Caitlin Green

1. “I am just excited to be with all the people. I don’t know many of them very well, but at the meetings there was never a dull moment and I am just excited to see what happens.”
2. “Having to eat unpleasant things, in the past that always looked the worst.”
3. “I honestly don’t know.”
4. “I think it will be tough to keep motivated throughout it.”
5. “I could hardly contain myself. I kept reading the paper because I wanted it to start right away, and I wanted to know more about everything that was going on.”

Conor Ruggles

1. “I am most excited to win challenges and spend quality time with Karter Wallace.”
2. “Spending time around Cal Smith.”
3. “I think that Calton Smith would win other than me and I would want whoever can raise the most money to win!”
4. “I believe that it will be pretty challenging because we [can’t] leave the school and it’s gonna be pretty exhausting.”
5. “I was super excited and ready for the challenge.”

Ashlyn Samples

1. “I’m most excited for having to live at the school for the week. I think that it will be really fun!”

2. “I’m least excited for not being allowed to leave school or not be allowed to have our cell phones. That will be very hard.”

3. “I could see Cal Smith winning it all.”
4. “I think that it will be mentally challenging; [we] will have to be on top of [our] game the [entire] time.”

5. “My initial reaction when I found out that I made senior survivor was… ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ ”

Courtney Schippers

1. “In all honesty, I’m pretty geeked to being living in the school for a week. It sounds like a fun time, and this is a great group of people to be stuck in a school with. This is such a great cause to be raising money for, and even though it’s a competition, we’re all in it to reach the same goal and make a difference for this cause.”

2. “Even though I’m super competitive, I’m the least excited to have to compete against some of my friends. It’s all in good fun, but it’s still hard. I’m also getting kind of nervous about the food challenge. We never know what ridiculous food STUCO will come up for us to eat…”

3. “Besides myself, who would I like to win? Caitlin Green for sure. She and I are rooting for each other and we’ve got each other’s back. She’s my bud and I’ll support and encourage her all the way.”

4. “At first, I thought that Senior Survivor would be a walk in the park but even the raising money process is intense. I have a feeling that the challenges this year will be awesome, but even crazier. It’ll definitely be a test for all of us.”

5.“I’ve always had that thought in the back of my mind of wanting to do Senior Survivor, and finally decided to just give it a shot after seeing the fun that my previous Senior Survivor friends had and the difference they made. Michelle Wright was actually the first [person] to tell me that I had made the cut and I was kind of in shock at first. I never thought it’d actually happen, but now that it has, I’m super excited and ready to do this challenge.”

Cal Smith

1. “I am most excited to stay at the school for a week.”
2. “I am least excited for how tired I am going to be.”
3. “I feel my friend, Conor Ruggles, has a good chance to win.”
4. “I feel Senior Survivor is going to be really hard because of how tired everyone will be.”

5. “My reaction was that I was extremely excited for this challenge.”

Matt Sullivan

1. “I’m most excited to compete with my fellow classmates and see what they are bringing to the table. Also, I’m hoping to make some alliances that will take me to the end all in hopes to win.”

2. “I don’t really know what I’m least excited for. I guess a food challenge if it’s nasty enough. I don’t want to eat like a nasty, year old cabbage or something, ha-ha.”
3. “Well, besides myself, I would say the person who will have the most success is Courtney. She’s sweet on the outside but on the inside I could see her being a sneaky, devious player that will make it to the end.”
4. “Well, I think it will test me both mentally and physically, but I think I will be able to win any challenge, and it shouldn’t be too tough.”
5. “My first reaction, well, ‘YAHH BABAYYY, HEY EVERYBODY GUESS WHO JUST MADE SENIOR SURVIVOR… THIS GUY!!’ True story.”

Karter Wallace

1. “Hanging out with the competitors.”

2. “Sleeping in the school for a week.

3. “Cal [Smith] or Matt Sullivan because they are my buddies.”
4. “Very hard because I have no idea what the games are going to be.”

5. “Whoooooo!!!”