NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
SINCE 1968
POINTE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012
LIFE
Junior Alana Page describes her life-long meatless diet.
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maria liddane
Administration enforces dancing, drinking policy By Jordan Radke editor
ON CAMPUS
Check out the float building process as each class’s superhero takes form. Page 3
COLLEGE VISITS Oct. 23 University of Michigan-Dearborn St. Joseph University Oct. 25 Oakland University Army National Guard
For Jennifer Hammond, Grand Blanc High School principal, it was about enforcing appropriate dancing rules for 1,500 dance-goers at the school’s Sept. 29 homecoming, even if the student reaction was an exodus of about 700 from the dance. For Assistant Principal Kate Murray, it’s about shifting a culture here at North because “teenagers by nature are always trying to push the envelope.” For junior Krystian Quint, it’s all a waste of time. “We pay good money to enjoy the dance. There is no harm done by people grinding. It’s just dancing,” Quint said. But high schools still try. At Nathan Hale High School, in Seattle, Washington, students have been asked to sign contracts aimed to eliminate lewd behavior at dances. Administration at Geneva High School in Geneva, Illinois, has
asked their disc jockey to remove songs that promote sexual dancing from his repertoire. North’s policies (including “face to face with a little space”) and then, are just a microcosm of a struggle between administration and students to define a culture that, in Assistant Principal Tom Beach’s words, has “changed a lot since (he) was in school.” “I feel that it’s our job as staff members at Grosse Pointe North to educate students on what is appropriate and what is inappropriate,” Murray said. “It’s our job to help teenagers understand how to present themselves in an appropriate manner.” In Grand Blanc, appropriateness has been defined as “face to face” for a few years, but it was only at this year’s homecoming that it was enforced. About 30 students were asked to leave, and 700 chose to in reaction to the firmer enforcement – though Hammond posits many had to as their rides were leaving. “The change to enforce the rules
Oct. 29 University of Toledo
was based on our discomfort with the students’ behavior at our past two dances as well as complaints from students, staff and parents,” he said. “We posted the rules on the backs of the tickets, we made an announcement in school before the dance, and we also announced our expectations as they entered the dance. Then, about 9 p.m. when the doors closed, we went in to the gym to enforce the rules.” Administration at North is preparing for the Oct. 20 homecoming as well. Murray said they aim to increase the number of chaperones on the dance floor and let students know that, after one warning, there will be consequences. “We always give a warning first.” Beach said. “We’ll usually talk to someone and say, ‘If I had your parents standing here, and they saw this behavior, would they be pleased with you?’” Student reaction can be fervent. “It’s just going to make homecoming boring. North is becoming communist,” freshman Tommy
Heinemann said. “Why can’t they let the kids have fun?” Administration seeks to police not only student behavior during the dance, but beforehand as well. Murray indicates one may be a function of the other. “The breathalyzing even changed the type of dancing out on the dance floor; it shifted the entire culture,” Murray said of the use of Q-tip breathalyzer tests at dances last year. One out of ten students will be randomly tested at this year’s homecoming. Senior Maggie Kelly objects to the random testing. “It’s a waste of time to breathalyze anyone. The teachers should just pull aside anyone noticeably drunk and act accordingly. It just creates a weird atmosphere,” Kelly said. Quint offers an alternative. “Don’t be stupid; don’t get drunk and go to a school event. Easy as that.” Contributing: Emma Ockerman
Nov. 8 Western Michigan University
Students link with special-needs peers to aid independence
Cornell College
By Colleen Reveley & Libby Sumnik
See Mrs. Figurski for a pass the day before the visit.
North Links is an upcoming peer-to-peer support program in which general education students pair up with students with disabilities to support socialization and independence of those with special needs. Their helpful peers would dedicate some of their time in and out of school to become not only mentors, but friends. “Links are ninth through twelfth grade students who use their tutorial or lunch period to spend time with students with various special needs. Really and truly, it’s for the autism department and cognitively impaired. This is typically the primary target because these kids are very low socially. A lot of times, what you’ll see happen is these kids will build relationships and start going to football games or movies together,” ALP teacher Lisa Lucas, said. “So let’s say it’s your tutorial. You might go to the government class and almost act as an assistant, kind of like the Freshman Assist, except you’re with a student with special needs and only with that student. Typically, the goal is to pair a girl with a girl and a boy with a boy.” School psychologist Christine Kuhl, who is helping organize the
Oct. 30 Olivet College Nov. 1 Wesleyan University
Staff reporters
Courtesy of Susan Vens
Seniors Ali Scoggin, Paige Micks, Jenna Paglino and juniors Jordyn Parent and Madison Vens won their golf regional, advancing the team to states.
IDEAS
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...we have proved
time and time again that 140 characters is
more than enough to show the worst side of a decent person
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© 2012 North Pointe Volume 45, Issue 3
Girls golf advances to states By Patricia Bajis Staff reporter
The girls varsity golf team placed third in the regional tournament, advancing themselves to the state finals for the first time since 2005. The five girls with the best averages during the season journeyed to Pontiac Country Club to represent North. Seniors Jenna Paglino, Paige Micks, Ali Scoggin and juniors Madison Vens and Jordyn Parent battled pouring rain, stinging winds, hail and 40-degree weather on Oct. 10. “We didn’t really start off well. We had a certain number in mind
that we wanted to shoot beforehand, and we weren’t able to do that because the weather conditions kind of changed everything,” coach Brian Stackpoole said. “It had stopped raining about 20 minutes before we teed off, and we thought that was a really good sign that the day had turned nice, but unfortunately, once the rain stopped, it became extremely cold and windy.” “We expected a lot from ourselves, and we went in with the attitude that we couldn’t control what other teams could do and hopefully play our best rounds of golf that day, and if we knew that we played our best, then everything would take care of itself,” assistant coach Brian Degnore said. Scoggin was the top player, shooting 90. Vens shot 92, Micks shot 93 and Paglino and Parent both shot 101. continued on page 2
program, said there are similar programs to Links. She started one at which elementary school in Ypsilanti where she previously worked. “There are many different peer-to-peer programs in the state of Michigan alone. A lot of school districts have them, like Clarkston and Grand Ledge. I used to work in a district called Lincoln Consolidated Schools. I had a program there called Pals,” Kuhl said. The special needs students mimic the behavior that their Links display in the general education classrooms which promotes self-sufficiency. “We hope that the students at North realize the power they possess to be a positive influence in others’ lives. We also hope students choose to use this influence to help those with special needs achieve independence and social skill development through modeling,” Kuhl said. “Some kids have been here for four years and have never gone to a dance or never have gone to a football game because they have no one to go with. And sometimes, it opens up doors for extra curricular social opportunities.” continued on page 2