GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
Spanish teacher makes switch from classroom to office With Kate Murray’s ascension to principal, a new interim assistant principal is chosen By Sean O’Melia & Haley Reid Staff reporters
Michael Spears, Spanish teacher and technology specialist, has stepped in as interim assistant principal. Principal Kate Murray began her role as principal on Feb. 28, leaving an empty seat for assistant principal. Now begins the process to find the person to fill that job. North has appointed an interim assistant principal until the position can be filled permanently. “An assistant principal needs to be an instructional leader and have to be dedicated to students and they also have to be committed to following through and following up,” Murray said. “Mr. Spears is an incredibly talented teacher and comes with 18 years of successful classroom experience. He has a great compassion and dedication to stu-
SPRING MEET THE COACHES
Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 p.m. at North in the cafeteria.
FIRST DAY OF SPRING
Wednesday, March 20.
CHOIR CONCERT
Thursday, March 21 at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 7 p.m.
BAND SPRING CONCERT
Wednesday, March 27, 7 p.m. in the PAC.
EASTER
Sunday, March 31.
SPRING BREAK
Begins on Good Friday, March 29. School resumes Monday, April 8.
EVENTS
North will be having a fashion show on Thursday, March 21, 6 p.m. at the Lochmoor Country Club. The evening will include a raffle, silent auction, dinner, and a fashion show featuring items from Girlie Girl modeled by North students. Please recycle after reading. Thank you! © 2013 North Pointe Volume 45, Issue 11
SINCE 1968
dents and the ability to communicate with diverse groups of people.” Spears will work as a teacher on assignment, meaning he will put the classroom aside until a new assistant principal is selected. “I have some of the best students that I’ve had since I’ve been at North, and it’s really hard to walk away from that, but knowing that I’ll still be in the building, I’ll still be working with the long-term substitute. I can pretty much stop in every day, if I want to,” Spears said. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jon Dean is working to find the permanent assistant principal. “We will have interview teams that consistent of staff, parents and students once we have identified candidates we are interested in,” Dean said. “I anticipate that the Board of Education will receive a recommendation for a new permanent assistant principal in May.” Superintendent Dr. Thomas Harwood is confident that the next assistant principal, will be up to North standards. “We ... have many talented individuals who come to our district and ... continue to develop their professional skills. Because of their advanced training, they may aspire to move to a higher level administrative position within our district or outside of our district,” Harwood said in an email. “For North High School, we are very fortunate to currently have such a strong leadership pool of both administrators and teachers who will help continue the growth and progress of the North High School students and community.” Spears said he will not be applying for the permanent assistant principal position. “I’m happy to help out as an interim. I feel that the best place at North for me is in the classroom. I like being a teacher, and I like being the department chair of the foreign language department, I think that’s probably where I’m happiest.”
Committee researches block scheduling, presents findings to School Board By Maria Liddane & Sarah Schade Editor-in-chief & Staff ReporteR
The 21st Century High School Review Team was 63% in favor of recommending a sevenperiod alternating block schedule to the Board of Education. The High School Schedule subcommittee selected this schedule as a best fit for the District, but the entire committee did not reach the 70% threshold established at their inception that they needed to make a recommendation. “It wasn’t enough for us to make a recommendation to the Board and say, ‘We should switch to this,’” senior and committee member Francesca Ciaramitaro said. “So, we just presented them with our research and said, ‘This is what we found.’” The entire committee, created and led by deputy superintendent Dr. Jon Dean, was designed to consider aspects of the high school experience. The group is broken down into three subcommittees: High School Schedule, Blended Learning and Dual Enrollment, and Credit Recovery. Twenty teachers, seven community members or parents, six administrators and four students make up the committee as a whole. The schedule in discussion has eight 90-minute periods – seven classes and an advisory period (90 minutes where students work and can talk to teachers), four periods one day and four periods the next. Ciaramitaro was part of the High School Schedule subcommittee and favored the block schedule. The subcommittee visited Birmingham Lahser and Northville High Schools, who both use this block schedule. A 21-page slideshow of the subcommittee’s research and work was presented to the Board, though they could not make an official recommendation. Principal Kate Murray, a committee member, understands both schedules have pros and cons. “There is no such thing as a perfect high school schedule,” Murray said. Murray said the current schedule provides students with “lots of different opportunities,” and she recognizes elective and tutorial op-
POINTE FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013
June 30, 2012: Bearden’s contract with Grosse Pointe Public School System expires.
Tim Bearden June 8, 2012: Former principal Tim Bearden announces he is leaving the North staff.
June 14, 2012: Principal position is posted online, open to all applicants.
July 1, 2012: Bearden starts position as chief academic adviser at Detroit Country Day.
July 19, 2012: Full committee interviews are conducted with the top candidates by different groups of individuals who are stakeholders in the matter.
Tom Tobe
July 20,2012: An announcement is made stating that no candidates would be chosen for the permanent position of principal. Instead, an interim principal would be chosen for the 2012-2013 school year.
Aug. 21, 2012: After being cleared through an interview process, Tom Tobe starts at North as interim principal.
Dec. 4, 2012: The full-time principal position is posted online again, open to all applicants.
March 11, 2013: Interim Assistant Principal Michael Spears announced.
Kate Murray
Feb. 27, 2013: Tom Tobe’s last day. He is honored with a surprise assembly thanking him for his time at North. Meanwhile, this was Mrs. Murray’s first official day as principal.
tions as beneficial. “I also am intrigued and understand the educational benefits of a longer teaching period, and I’m attracted to that idea,” she said. “I also think that an advisory is an interesting option for the high school, so that every student would have an advisory at the same time along with the teachers. So no matter which class you are struggling in you could have access to that teacher.” Dean also views longer classes as an asset of the block schedule and approves of the advisory period. “One of the things we’re having a problem with right now is that some kids have tutorial and some kids don’t. I don’t know what the rationale for our decisions on that all the time are. If it’s valuable, why doesn’t every kid have it? Or if it’s not valuable, why do so many kids have it?” he said. The 21st Century High School Review Team’s goal is to identify what will “best meet the needs of all GPPSS students.” The group agreed that “financial stewardship will be a consideration” but “will not supersede the needs of students.” “We looked at it, but it wasn’t a primary consideration. Certainly, for the Board it gets to be a primary consideration for them because one of their jobs is making sure that we have the correct funding and support for programs we need for kids,” Dean said. “I think there are ways that it could be done, but there are costs involved. And I think that’s one of the things that might have to be worked out.” Dean estimated this block schedule would add $800,000 to $1 million to the cost of running our high schools. “There were pros and cons to making a switch to an alternating AB block schedule, and I respect several great teachers who supported the prospect of making a switch,” South parent and committee member Cynthia Sohn said in an email. “However, many questions concerned me regarding a change to the alternating AB block schedule. Is 90 minutes too much for the average student attention span? Would missing one day of class be like missing two days since our current two days of learning would be consolidated into one day of learning? How would teachers adjust lesson plans to avoid loading up on 90 minute lectures/double geometry lessons, etc.?” South parent and “School Board watcher” Allison Baker sees longer periods as problematic. “Students on the block plan need to be able to focus on one subject for longer periods of time, which could be difficult for younger students, especially those with ADHD,” she said in an email.
Feb. 9, 2013: Full committee interviews with different groups of interviewers that are all stakeholders are involved in this process
Feb. 25, 2013: Kate Murray’s recommendation is approved by the Board.
ACT and MME raise pressure for juniors, district By Izzy Ellery & Melina Glusac Staff Reporters
‘This is it.’ This thought races through every juniors’ mind before they aim their fresh, No. 2 Dixon Ticonderoga pencil at miniscule bubbles. “I want to do good on every standardized test,” junior Brian Almeria said. The busy layout of “Test Fest” week on March 5, 6 and 7 gave Almeria the opportunity to put his attitude into action on the ACT, WorkKeys (which assesses employment skills) and the MME (Michigan Merit Exam). For many, the days were already organized in order from “vital” to “not even trying.” “I think more people worry about the ACT because it’s a harder test, and it is one of the main things colleges look at,” junior Vince Bruno said. Although students find it irrelevant to their future, the MME actually assesses juniors for their immediate college readiness in addition to garnering accolades for the district based on scores. “Schools are judged, and they’re posted, and you see that we’re in the top 3% that comes from the Newsweek rating, and the state of Michigan publishes where each school is at. That data is used by communities to advertise their communities and say that we’re in the top 10% of communities in the state,” Assistant Principal Tom Beach said. “Realtors use it, and when people are buying a house in the district, they say that we’re in the top 2% of schools in the state, so the ratings become very important.” Recognizing this importance, Brian Almeria has vowed to try his best on the MME portion. “I want to live up to the standard of Grosse Pointe (and the) expectations of everything the school is,” Almeria said. The Michigan Merit Exam is not just part of day three of testing. Rather, it encompasses all tests given in the week, including the WorkKeys and the highly valued ACT. “Day three is what is called the Michigan components. We used to run the MEAP for juniors before they switched it to the MME, which is the Michigan Merit Exam. The (state legislators) decided that the ACT did not measure fully a student’s ability, so they created extra questions in math and English and social studies to assess a student’s abilities to see whether or not they’re ready in Michigan standards,” Beach said. continued on page 2
continued on page 2
Feb.14, 2013: Kate Murray is recommended for approval to the school board.
Sean O’melia
NORTH
news
2 – Friday, March- 15, 2013 – North Pointe
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Cafeteria worker Sandy Bielak By Jennifer Kusch staff reporters
Cafeteria worker Sandy Bielak did not attend her sister’s wedding hoping to meet the man with whom she’d spend the rest of her life, but that’s exactly what happened. She and her husband, Ron, have been married for 26 years and are “as happy as can be.” “We are a good match, and it’s give and take all the way around,” Bielak said. “We have our disagreements, but we work them out. We don’t blow them off.” Sandy and Ron’s three kids reinforce the importance of their marriage. “They bring you together, and you do more... They’re our everything, they really are.” Growing up with five siblings Jennifer Kusch taught Bielak the importance of Cafeteria worker Sandy Bielak has worked with the family time. Sodexo lunch program at North for 11 years. “We did everything together. Baseball, basketball, all those sports. What is your favorite movie? Girl Scouts, vacations, I mean, we I love romantic comedies, so probably While You Were Sleeping. I love the romance of it. Sleepless in Seattle is did everything together.” Now that she has a family of her one of my favorites, too. own, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale, she appreciates that her spouse loves to focus on the family What is your favorite thing to do? Knitting and baking. I love to bake. I’ll bake anything as much as she does. “He’s great with kids. I tease ev- they’ll eat. And I love trying new things, like pies, cuperybody and say that I have four cakes, cookies. kids because he really is just a big kid. He loves them so much and is What is your favorite childhood memory? just a great dad.” However, Sandy has also found We didn’t do a lot of big vacations, but we went campthat family life has its challenges, ing. Family camping vacations were a lot of fun. which can try even the strongest of marriages. Their 16-year-old adopted son, Joshua, is currently enrolled If you could switch places with someone for one in military school. “He has emotional struggles, day, who would it be? ADHD, he’s bipolar... he just has a I’m happy with my life. I don’t think I’d want to switch with anyone. I really don’t think I would. I’m happy lot of emotional problems.” But the Bielak’s grave through with where I’m at. circumstances on an infinite scale, What is your favorite food? their closeness allows that. Thanks to the priority they’ve I like fruits. It’s healthy, and I’m trying to eat healthy. I put on their marriage, the Bielaks don’t always do it, but I try. But, I mean, I’m not really have navigated the past 26 years to- picky. gether successfully and are looking forward to many more.
Junior testing continued from page 1
“You get an individual score on the ACT for colleges, but the MME score is made up of a combination of questions from the ACT, the WorkKeys, the Michigan component. In the beginning, we had kids say, ‘Oh, I’m only going to take the ACT because it’s free, and I don’t care about the rest.’ Well, you end up not getting a valid score under the MME, and colleges do look at what your score was, so they don’t just look at your ACT score anymore.” So which portion should students stress about the most? “They’re both important, but they measure different things,” Beach said. “The ACT is a test for college readiness. Am I ready to be successful in college? The MME portion of the test really determines a little more depth. There’s a difference between being ready and being able to perform there.” He offered advice to students: sharpen your Dixon Ticonderogas and your focus. “It’s important that students come prepared and ready,” Beach said. “It’s a high-stakes test. We treat it that way.”
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Block scheduling continued from page 1
“But the biggest difficulty I found with the Block Plan was that if you were ever sick, or had an emergency and had to miss class, you would miss much more than ... just one lecture, it was very hard to catch back up.” Dean sees student focus as a legitimate concern. “I look at it this way: I think 49 minutes is too long to do any one activity with kids. If you walk into a class and a teacher talks to you for 49 minutes, I think it’s hard to
tend to that,” he said. “I think in good teaching, you need to vary your instructional practices. I think that’s true of 49 minutes or 90 minutes. But it’s certainly more true in a 90 minute block of time.” The Board also had questions. “I’m not exactly sure where we’re going to go with block scheduling at this point,” Dean said. “Clearly they have many questions that still need to be answered before they consider a move to block scheduling. I think the community wants to see more data on how this would positively impact students. I think the Board wants to see, and I think the community would like to see, how teaching might look different.”
Committee surveys community
While the surveys had many questions revolving around block scheduling, they also included questions related to the sum of work by the 21st Century Review Team subcommittees, which explore the integration of technology into schools and gradution requirements, among other things. Each survey was created specific to audience. There were 18 questions on the faculty survey, 24 on the student survey and 25 on the parent survey. *There was a “skip” option for each question.
97 faculty members
463 students
95%
of parents indicated that the current 7-period day meets the needs of their child.
63.4%
of students like the current schedule and have no interest in any changes.
51.7%
of faculty members are “favorably impressed” with the current schedule and not interested in any potential changes.
876 parents
53.7%
of parents are interested in learning more about possible improvements to the schedule.
32.8%
of students like the current schedule but are interested in potential im-
36.8%
of faculty members are “favorably impressed” with the current schedule but are interested in potential changes.
Subcommittees within the 21st Century Review Team High School Schedule
Blended Learning & Dual Enrollment
Credit Recovery
Prinpical Kate Murray on blended learning possibilites:
“
On this side of the continuum, it would be what you have right now; you sit 49 minutes in your class every day monday through friday. On this side of the continuum, you have a student that has a fully online course and never sees a teacher and never sits in a desk. So we have options in between there.
And so Grosse Pointe is looking at some options in terms of having a combined class where some of the time would be spent in the traditional setting, in the classroom, in front of a teacher and then the other part of the class would be online. I’m interested and excited to try to create what those options would look like for North students.
“
SPORTS
North Pointe – Friday, March 15, 2013 – 3
Lacrosse player says “Aloha” to North’s team Taisho Cross has high hopes of making North’s team, but knows the commitment it will take. He has an athletic background, having dabbled in an array of other sports, but found his calling in lacrosse. “I used to wrestle and play football, but when I picked up my first lacrosse stick, I immediately fell in love,” Taisho Cross said. “I quit football in order to focus more on lacrosse, especially since no one takes lacrosse seriously in Hawaii, and I wanted to make a difference.” He has been playing lacrosse since eighth grade, and has been a varsity defenseman each year of high school. Lacrosse had proved to be more than just a sport, but a second chance at a healthy life. “In eighth grade, I weighed 325 pounds, and I was in the danger zone for diabetes. At my yearly checkup, my doctor told me that if I kept going the way I did, by the time I was 40, I’d be a diabetic, limbless and most likely blind,” Taisho Cross said. “This really scared me and put my gears into motion; I ended up losing 125 pounds from 8th grade to 11th grade from wrestling, football, lacrosse and dieting.” Taisho Cross also runs after school and said that seeing old pictures of himself keeps him motivated. Lacrosse, other than turning his health around, has brought about many opportunities that most don’t get to experience. “I went on a trip with my head coach, Corry Mabry, to Japan in 2012, which was an amazing experience. We played with many teams from the National Japanese Lacrosse League,” he said. Although Taisho Cross was a part of a championship-winning team back in Hawaii, he fears that his skills will fall flat when compared to those of North’s current varsity lacrosse team. “I’d really like to emphasize that I probably suck compared to people around here,” Taisho Cross said. Despite his low expectations, returning varsity player junior Julian Makowski has recognized Cross’ participation. “I haven’t seen him play yet, so I can’t make any decisions, but he goes to conditioning, so that’s a plus,” Makowski said. “It shows commitment.”
By Kristen Kaled & Colleen Reveley assistant editor & staff reporter
Sean o’melia
About two months ago, senior Cody Taisho Cross flew across the U.S., excha ng i ng his Internationa l Bac c a laureate program in Honolu lu, Hawaii, for a seco n d s e mester at North, trading sun for snow, flip flops for snow boots, and all the while keeping a lacrosse stick firmly in hand. Taisho Cross moved here from Honolulu at the beginning of second semester. He is living with his three cousins, who also attend North, and his aunt. But Taisho Cross is no stranger to Michigan. He first visited a decade ago and again last summer for a lacrosse camp. Lacrosse has become something that’s helped smooth the transition, but it’s a step up from what he’s used to. “Conditioning is very intense here on the mainland, but I feel that it is really preparing me for the season,” Taisho Cross said. “Back on the islands, it was much more laid-back, but this is definitely a good change.” The laid-back attitude towards lacrosse in Hawaii meant no school team. Taisho Cross was on a club team, Wolfpac, for which he still received varsity letters for playing. “Lacrosse is not big in Hawaii at all, and there are only about six teams in our league,” Taisho Cross said.
family photo
Senior Cody Taisho Cross’s high school lacrosse team in a team photo in front of Honolulu’s “Diamond Head” Mountain. Cross has had to adjust to the not-so-sunny conditions in Grosse Pointe “Obviously the weather (is the hardest part). Just the dryness. And being the new kid second semester your senior year is kind of tough. But, it’s pretty cool here. I like it.”
Hawaii
Michigan
Today’s expected weather in Honlulu is 78°
Today’s expected weather in Grosse Pointe is 46°
Known as the
Known as the
Aloha State
Wolverine State
Hawaii has 6,423 square miles of land and 36 square miles covered by water
Michigan has 56,809 square miles of land and 40,001 square miles covered by water
Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee
Detroit is known as the car capital of the world
Hawaii has its own time zone: Hawaii Standard Time zone
The whole state of Michigan is in the Eastern Time Zone Source: www.netstate.com
on campus
North Pointe – Friday, March 15, 2013 – 4
Anything can happen
It was curtains up for North’s production of Brigadoon March 7-9. By Brigitte Smith, Kaylee Dall & Jeffrey Valentic Staff Reporters
LEFT: Senior Kristina Kamm said, “I played Fiona. I really enjoyed my part because first of all, I’ve alaways wanted to play it, but it also challenged me because it’s so emotional.” BELOW: For senior Kyle Stefek, it took 45 minutes to complete his makeup. “My process was always longer than everybody else’s because it seems like no matter how much we put on, the director told us I looked too young, even when I was given the most wrinkles,” Stefek said. “I always felt like I couldn’t move because they gave me the mutton chops and gray hair, so my face and hair were stiff.” BELOW: Even with the last minute new director, Don Bischoff, the students received a standing ovation. “There was a lot more emphasis on the musical aspect than the dramatic aspect,” senior Logan Hart said, “but there were still a lot of moments of heavy drama (in the play).”
Photo courtesy of Robert Thies
‘X’ marks the spot on art award
By Emma Puglia, Katelyn Carney & Patricia Bajis Interns and Staff Reporter
The urge to draw started in kindergarten. Simple doodles with crayons eventually grew to award-winning art for senior Jordan Jackson. Jackson’s piece showcasing Civil Rights activist Malcolm X earned him a spot as one of the 12 finalists in McDonald’s Celebrates Black History Moments on Canvas. “I think of him as more of a symbol than a hero. (He is) symbolic that we live in a world that is capable of great change, no matter how strong the opposition may be,” Jackson said. Jackson said that the piece he entered originally came from an art assignment to create a depiction of a personal hero. He chose to create his project through a style called block print. “Imagine carving out an eraser and (painting) it, and then you print it on a piece of paper and do it a couple times until you get what you want.” The contest was Michigan based and judged by locals from counties open to the contest. “Jordan successfully captured the complexity and personal power of Malcolm X, a major figure in modern African-American history, using a technique that also conveyed simplicity and timelessness,” McDonald’s restaurant owner John Potts said. Judging was based on originality, creativity, execution, composition, technique, color, texture and balance, black historical relevance, theme and the artist’s vision statement. Jackson’s current art teacher, Robert Thies, received materials to enter his students into the contest late, with only two day left to enter. Thies said that Jackson is “self motivated” and found about the contest earlier than his art class and entered on his own. “His goal at North, among other things I’m sure, has included improving his ability to make art. He puts a lot of thought into what he does. So I think Mrs. (Susan) Forrest and I have always been impressed with his skill and his growth,” Thies said. Along with the title of finalist, Jackson won a $125 bankcard and was featured in a two-week gallery exhibit at N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art in Midtown Detroit that ran through March 14. “It is always an honor to be recognized. I appreciate the opportunity,” Jackson said. Jackson plans to continue his passion for art past graduation. “(Art’s) just something that I’ve never been able to shake, almost like OCD. If I don’t do something, my head gets a little jumbled, more than usual,” Jackson said.
Photo by kirsten schoensee
Photo by andi held
News Briefs North goes western for MORP
On March 22, the Class of 2014 is hosting MORP in the gym from 7 to 10 p.m. The dance this year is country themed. “The student council picked it because a lot of students said that’s what they’re interested in,” junior class president Michelle Austin said. “We asked around and posted stuff on Facebook to see what people wanted.” MORP is the largest fundraiser that will contribute to the Class of 2014’s prom. “Prom is like, for seniors, and it’s fancy and stuff,” Austin said, “and MORP is the casual dance that the juniors are doing for the whole school.” Although MORP is country themed, country attire isn’t required to enter the dance. However, those who come must follow the dress code: shorts down at least to the thumb and no bare stomachs. Austin said that some country music will be played, along with a variety of other genres, and that there will be plenty of Union cookies.
Students walk for Leukemia
Students Against Violating the Environment (S.A.V.E.) is sponsoring a 5K run/walk on April 28 at 10 a.m. Proceeds will go to Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation for Leukemia research and the Celebrate a Life Event, as well as to the Jacob Michael Davis Foundation, which helps cover funds of childhood cancer treatments. The S.A.V.E. a Life 5K-Run/Walk is also the first 5K race in Grosse Pointe. S.A.V.E. sponsor and science teacher Chris Skowronski’s goal is to have 400 runners attend this event. He says he would like to see it continue as an annual tradition that brings the community together. “I wanted it to be something people would look forward to year after year, like circle it on their calendar like ‘hey, we have the S.A.V.E a Life 5K coming up,” Skowronski said. Skowronski said S.A.V.E. aims to promote individual physical fitness and show people that by running and walking more, they can save gas and the environment. He also says they hope to raise awareness to the fact that the less amount of gas and oil people are using, the less the pollution can harm people. By Diajah Williams & Anu Subramaniam
Photo by kirsten schoensee
UPPER LEFT: This year North’s musical went Scottish. Senior Jacob VandenBoom said, “I think just the sheer fact that I got to wear a kilt made it the most fun I’ve had.” UPPER RIGHT: Senior Robert Cobau toasts a miracle in his last spring production. LEFT: The entire cast sings in McConnachy Square. “(The musical) has honestly been life changing,” senior Stephanie Saravolatz said. “It helped me get out of my shell. I could be myself during rehearsals, which is a bit ironic considering we act in musicals. But I mean in the sense that the people were so accepting and genuine.”
Life
North Pointe – Friday, March 15, 2013 – 5
Legacy lives on through student memories Parcells Spanish teacher Brian Aulph’s life remembered By Marie Bourke & Dayle Maas Assistant editor & Editor
Left: Sophomores Maria Tsakos, Molly Marcin, Nikki Haggerty and Katelyn Carroll as eighth graders with Parcells teacher Brian Aulph in 2011.
Courtesy of Nikki Haggerty
By Emma Ockerman Managing editor
His orange room was steps away, and his advice a phone call closer. Parcells teacher and JV football coach Brian Aulph had made this clear to his colleague Joe Ciarivino. He had heard of his affable persona through his son, Chris, who was coached by Aulph. He knew it the moment Aulph invited him to Taco Bell; it was a quality he admired. It’s a quality he’ll miss. Aulph’s orange room is empty now, a monument to those who pass it. Complications from heart surgery took him from his friends, family and students Feb. 19. “As a coach, he had an uncanny ability to motivate us to always work harder. I think it is safe to say that translated off the field as well,” alumnus Chris Ciaravino said. “I’m sure that you have seen the “Attitude & Effort” wristbands, and for anybody who spent time with him, it was easy to see that he always gave 100% of both.” The Ciaravino family knew Aulph beyond the classroom and the field. They took the “Attitude & Effort” mantra as their own and allowed it to influence their lives. “He always had a good attitude, no matter what was happening,” sophomore Joe Ciaravino said. “It just really inspired me to have a good attitude about things, even if they aren’t going well.” The Ciaravinos became closer to him through a mutual passion for fishing. Joe recently acquired a hand-me-down orange rod from Chris, and can’t help but be reminded of his times out on the water with Aulph when he sees it. “If he wasn’t catching fish, he had patience,” Joe said.
“I remember him telling me with a giant grin on his face that if I catch one more (fish) before he did, that he was going to throw me off the boat. There was something about the way he said that to me that really made me laugh,” Chris said. But Aulph was more than a coach, a teacher and a fisherman. He was a friend to those surrounding him. “He knew he could call me without explanation, he could ask me for something, and I would do it. I knew that I could also call him and say, ‘Brian, I need help with this,’” Mr. Ciaravino said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Well, wait a minute I have these things to do,’ he’d be like, ‘Okay it’ll be done.’ So that kind of friendship, I value that in people – that they’re willing to make you a priority, even though their lives are very hectic because he has two children. “That was refreshing because you didn’t have to worry about any pretenses in your relationship – that you could be yourself, and he would honor that and he would challenge you.” Mr. Ciaravino laid an orange tie out for his son, Joe, Feb. 23, the day of Aulph’s funeral. “He (Mr. Ciaravino) just doesn’t have that guy over there, and he could always go to him,” Joe said. Trips to Taco Bell, conversations about life and family, and fishing trips riddled with laughter aren’t easily forgotten, but eternally cherished. “He was somebody that enjoyed friendships with other people, and worked hard developing friendships,” Mr. Ciaravino said. “So that love has come back to him and his family, and I’ve talked to people that don’t teach in this district that are friends with him, even from middle school. They talk about Mr. Aulph as being one those people that keeps people together.”
Right: Aulph had a signature orange classroom. “(In the photo it’s) him retelling a story to us about a fish he almost caught that was huge, but his line broke ... He said he wanted God to show him that fish when he died,” sophomore Nikki Haggerty said.
“He was just always there to listen, and I wasn’t ever the person to say how I was feeling, but he always knew how I was feeling, and it was just nice to know if needed, I could go to him. He always had a joke when someone needed a laugh.” Junior Claire Schaden
“He actually inspired my future career. I was at a soccer game with him and his son, Nick. He fell on the bleachers, and I picked him up before Mr. Aulph could. We talked, and he thought I was meant to be a child cancer doctor when I’m older because of how I acted around Nick. And I will try as hard as I can to do that for him.” Sophomore Nikki Haggerty
On fishing with Mr. Aulph, “I was always going, and I was always talking about going with him, and I said he should go by the park sometime, and he went by the park one time, and I was out there too. I was with my friend. We just sat out there with him and fished. I remember we caught a lot of fish that day. It was slow for a while but then we caught a lot of fish.” Junior Andrew Goralczyk
“His ability to poke fun at us to just the right degree without overstepping any boundaries made his class a favorite amongst all who were lucky enough to have him.” Senior Francesca Ciaramitaro
Courtesy of Matt aulph
‘Cluck Kent’ brings senior’s ideas to life By Andrea Scapini & Libby Sumnik assistant editors
As she sits in her math class with equations going in one ear and out the other, senior Grace Tallerak struggles to focus and instead turns to her sketch book as a stress reliever. Since she was able to pick up a pen, Tallerak’s artwork has shown more attention to detail than artwork typical of someone young. “It almost feels like you’re cheating when you’re making a piece of art because a lot of people are like, ‘Oh that must be so hard to do,’” Tallerak said. “You’re not in normal thinking mode. It’s more abstract and emotional, and you can really get to touch more of the basic human mind.” Writing and illustrating a children’s book has always been a goal for Tallerak, but it was just a matter of learning how to go about it. “My mom has always kind of wanted to write a little kid’s book, so that kind of inspired me to write one,” Tallerak said. “I had to do a story for Mythology that I took this year, and I also had to make a
scholastic por t fol io. I decided to mesh them both together and put in five times the effort on it. We had this book layout plan. I started thinking what would be a cute character from there, and then it just spiraled out.” After three attempts at a title, the book was named “Cluck Kent and the Quest for the Golden Birdseed.” It’s a tale of a chicken whose journey brings growth in his personality. Tallerak’s mother, Melony, has ideas for children’s books of her own that she would want Grace to illustrate for her. They hope to complete a full children’s book together within the next year. “I’ve had a couple of stories floating around in my head for a couple of years. When Grace started taking art, I was kind of like, ‘Oh let’s make this happen,’” Melony said. “When I first heard about her doing the book, I was very proud of her, and then when I saw the illustrations, I was blown away.” Melony’s creativity is not the only inspiration for Grace. When Grace needs ideas for her next piece of artwork, she looks towards her friends and especially her boyfriend, senior Noah Cherry. “Whenever she has a dead spot, or whenever she’s out of her own ideas, I’m always like, ‘Oh well you could do all this stuff,’ and then she does it and gets her ideas going,” Cherry said. “It helps her with drawer’s block I
guess.” Not only do they suggest drawings for her, but Tallerak’s friends are also the basis of characters in her children’s book. “I have some friends like Logan Hart, Jacob Vandenboom, Jeremy Harr. They help me a lot figuring out what my characters will be because they’re all actors, so when you listen to them talk for a while, you just want to make a character grow out of it,” Tallerak said. “I kind of modeled all of my characters off of someone I knew, with the exception of Cluck Kent, who was sort of a mixture of all my friends.” Although Tallerak’s book is complete, it hasn’t been formally published. “I’m debating on (having it published) because I’m not sure if the target audience would appreciate it as much, and it’s actually a lot of money to publish something,” she said. Tallerak is unsure of her college plans, but she aspires to continue creating art beyond high school and college. She is debating between Oakland University and the College of Creative Studies. “I really want to go into biology, as opposed to just art. I’ll probably do a biology major and an art major or an art minor with it,” Tallerak said. “Oakland is kind of a jack-of-all-trades school, and I think I’m gonna go there. CCS, though, awarded me a huge scholarship” “I want to be a gallery artist or maybe
even just do more children’s books on the side. I don’t want to burn out my artwork. I want it to still be me as to opposed to with like Disney. They’ll give you a subject and have you make paintings from that. Although that’s really cool and something I’d love to do, I kind of want to make paintings for me and things that make me happy.” Contributing Kristen Kaled
Grace Tallerak
6 – Friday, March 15, 2013 – North Pointe
reviews
Little Brother: When a case of ‘wrong place, wrong time coincides with the worst terrorist attack since 9/11, Marcus Yallow’s life gets turned upside down. In Doctorow’s book Little Brother, when a 17-year-old boy is captured by the Department of Homeland Security, he fights back. Doctorow uses technology, action, young love and politics to weave a riveting tale of how a corrupt system is brought to light by a high schooler with an Xbox. Colorful description enhances the action that keeps the book alive. Witty conversations within sneak politics into the plot without boring the reader. Characters are well developed, dialogue is entertaining and details lend to the humanity and believability of the book. The book explores what would happen if there was a second Patriot Act and whom it would affect. Beyond that, Doctorow muses about what privacy citizens are entitled to, what gives them that right and under which circumstances a citizen forfeits that right.
Pirate Cinema: In the novel Pirate Cinema, citizens can get their Internet shut off by the police for violating copyright laws. This is what happens to Trent McCauley when his passion for making remixes of copyrighted material is discovered. In response, he does the rational thing and runs away to live on the streets in London. Doctorow uses the people he meets and the things he is taught while away from home to subtly educate the reader about copyright laws and what the definition of “stealing” is. All of this is disguised, of course, with a thick layer of wit, adventuring, semi-illegal activities and even some steamy snogging at one point. Doctorow’s writing pulls readers into Marcus’s life and makes them care. Doctorow explores the meaning of “stealing,” and its differing intensities, using squatting, garbage picking and repurposing copyrighted material as examples. Pirate Cinema also discusses what happens when companies have the ability to buy decisions in the government.
Four books of the Internet, for the Internet By Audrey Kam Staff Reporter
A world where eBooks aren’t pirated illegally anymore, where a citizen can conveniently go to an author’s website and download their published works at no cost, save the few seconds it takes to email friends to share the novels. This is the vision of author Cory Doctorow. His work is registered under the Creative Commons license that encourages the reuse and free sharing of his work. The group aims to shift the traditional copyright “all rights reserved” model to “some rights reserved,” so works like the four young-adult novels Doctorow has written can be easily available for the broad public. Homeland: The sequel to Little Brother doesn’t disappoint. Marcus is back, and he means business. He isn’t going to let his rights be infringed a second time, if he can avoid it. But Marcus has gotten older since Little Brother, and an adult life comes with more responsibilities. So while secretly fighting internet injustice, Marcus also has to find and hold onto his first job in a bad economy. Homeland brings a whole new level of modernity to the table, incorporating top secret leaks, web stalkers and hackerspaces into the already tech-savvy soup that Little Brother left behind. The characters have gotten older since the first book in the series, so subject matter is a bit more mature. New concepts are demonstrated and illustrated as opposed to being explained, inviting the reader deeper into the adventure. The big picture consequences in the aftermath of the second Patriot Act are examined. Whom do people trust? How will they fight for their rights? Where will those who fight end up? How will the economy be affected?
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For the Win: Imagine sweatshops full of children playing online games just for the gold, then forking it over to a boss who sells it to players who want a quick “level up.” To get fair working conditions, the gamers have to unionize. Told through multiple points of view, For The Win drags during the first third of the book. It is distracting to have to keep remembering what happened the last time you looked through the eyes of a particular person. Eventually, the stories click together in an uplifting tale of how the gamers fought to unionize. The advantage of multiple viewpoints is that each character is developed before they meet the other main characters, so the story isn’t slowed down by explanations or anecdotes when the action picks up. This saved the book. Doctorow looks at what would happen if in-game economies began to spill over and affect the real world economy and labor. Also, he studies what it would take to organize all of the factions of gamers out there and the far-reaching consequences of manipulating the economy.
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IDEAS
North Pointe – Friday, March 15, 2013 – 7
Can you hear me? “Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression and freedom of the press for all students, regardless of whether the ideas expressed may be considered unpopular, critical, controversial, tasteless or offensive.” Board of Education Policy
Maria Liddane Editor-in-Chief
Dayle Maas NEws editor
Jordan Radke Editor
Emma Ockerman Managing EDITOR
Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above and staff members Melina Glusac, Audrey Kam and Jacob Barry.
OUR EDITORIAl
Alternative senioryear options provide head start, motivation As that affliction known as senioritis (type B: secondsemester) seeps through the ranks of those graduating this year, the question arises: is four years of the traditional high school experience right for everyone? If the senior year for some is unproductive and under-scheduled, then alternatives to a fourth year of high school should be made available to better fit the needs of seniors and boost motivation. Granted, the majority of North seniors are collegebound, and four years of traditional academia is probably a good fit for most. Still, not all students are heading to college. And if college-bound students are granted a head start through college credit opportunities from AP classes, then those that will be heading elsewhere after graduation – or any for whom four traditional years in high school just isn’t a best fit – should be similarly afforded early advantages. “Opening up internships is a great option,” counselor Barbara Skelly said. “In fact, I’m visiting a factory soon that is looking (for) high school students that they can open up those opportunities to. We need a partnership with businesses or industries that are looking to take students on.” This is why the recommendations of the 21st Century High School Review Team regarding dual enrollment and experiential learning opportunities make so much sense. Senior year may be a transition year, but not everybody is transitioning toward the same experience; so it’s understandable that as graduation approaches, some students will drift into ennui as an eighth semester in the classroom feels irrelevant to them. The 21st Century High School Review Team was composed of District teachers, administrators, parents and students, and aimed to “structure the high school experience to best meet the needs of all GPPSS students.” They urged, among other things, exploring opportunities in experiential learning, career technical education (CTE) and university credit options. Skelly sees students’ motivation decay during senior year, and views internships and career shadowing as ways to bolster motivation. “If they got an internship relating to their career path, they’d probably be energetic and willing to get up in the morning,” Skelly said. In this way, The 21st Century High School Review Team does good in looking to squeeze the most practical education out of four years for the greatest amount of District students possible. If a student recognizes that she wants to start career training in a certain field, or start earning credits at community college after several years in high school, that avenue should be open for her. So, the cure to senioritis is preventative, rather than alleviative: providing seniors choice should stem secondsemester listlessness and help create schedules that they can be energetic about. In a famous psychological study by Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin, a different group of seniors (nursing home residents) were split up into two groups. For one group, the staff gave the seniors much personal responsibility: the seniors chose how to spend their time and how to arrange their rooms, among other things. The opposite group was treated well, but not given these choices. They found the group that was afforded choices showed significant improvement in “alertness, active participation, and a general sense of well-being.” In a similar way, North’s seniors could benefit from an expansion of options regarding how they spend their senior year. It is fair that there be opportunities available for all types of students. Looking further into expanding pathways like CTE, dual enrollment and experiential learning like internships, as the 21st Century High School Review Team has done, not only prepares seniors for work after school, but, like our nursing-home seniors, shields them from the weariness second semester brings.
Do you hear what I hear? The muffled voices of friends and the feeling as if you are in a cave that never ends? This is my everyday life with Meniere’s Disease. Blasting music as loud as it will go through headphones is typical for many teenagers. Unlike everyone around me, my hearing of music is limited, and it’s not by choice. This menacing disease has left me with only 76% hearing recognition in my left ear, so it’s essentially taken over one of my Turn my five senses. Jenna Belote Plugging headphones into my left ear leaves a muffling sound that is worse than trying to talk to someone in a cave. I can’t always decipher which song I am listening to. When I listen to music with my headphones in my “good ear,” I can hear the music perfectly fine, but then I’m not able to hear people around me. Watching people enjoy their music is bittersweet. The fact that they don’t have to go through my negative experience makes me happy; I would rather deal with this myself than have to watch someone else go through the frustration. On the other hand, some days I ask friends or family if I can just chop my ear off because of the unpleasant problems I have to face every day. When you go to a concert, you usually leave unable to hear or with your head filled with a buzzing sound. That is how I hear on a regular basis. When people talk, it makes my ears ring. The level of sound at concerts or pep rallies doesn’t affect people with Meniere’s as much as regular voices do. It’s easier for me to decipher a rock concert than an everyday conversation with a peer. These challenges have
been difficult, and the disease has taken away my enjoyment of music. I won’t let the disease take away everything I enjoy. I’ve been a gymnast for four years. Gymnastics is the most dangerous sport a Meniere’s patient could participate in. Mixing dizzy spells with being on a four-inch-wide beam six feet in the air certainly poses obvious health risks. While I am involved in this sport, I am limited in what I am allowed to do. Floor routines, consisting of listening to music and coordinating moves with it, are more challenging. The entire sport probably shouldn’t be an option, but I am pretty persistent in what I want to accomplish, even with this disease I have come to call my own. Nothing holds me back. I don’t use this disease as an excuse to get out of work, and I don’t let it affect what I want to accomplish in the future. Telling people of my disease doesn’t scare me. I know I might ultimately get comments or questions about it, but I sometimes want people to realize how this truly affects not only my life but the family and friends around me. Most people rely almost entirely on verbal communication. I, on the other hand, have had to learn to use sign language as well. The downside of having another method of communication is that no one close to me knows American Sign Language. Teaching others brightens my mood because it shows how much people care and want to help me. I may be the one to have to live with this for the rest of my life, but the fact that I can’t hear also greatly affects others. My family members have to repeat sentences two and three times over. My friends have to stand on my “good side” so that I can hear them out of my right ear. They have adapted to my impairment, and that is more than I can ask of anyone.
“The reading by far because I never read in the summer or in my spare time.”
“The stress that comes along with it throughout the whole week.”
“The science is the worst because it’s hard to finish in the time that they give you.”
Alex Raicevich
Gabrielle Shimko
Vince Bruno
senior
junior
Junior
YOUR TURN: What’s the worst part about the ACT? By Amanda Berry & Danae DiCicco
“The science part was the worst because it was at the end, and you’re tired, and it’s a lot of reading.”
“The anticipation of taking it. All of the worry and dread of ‘this test is so important, your life depends on it.”
“Getting all the paperwork done correctly. To make sure everybody has exactly what they need in order to be successful.”
Marné Gallant
Brian White
Mary Beaupre
senior
counselor
learning skills teacher
Armbruster, Katelyn Carney, Miranda Barry, Olivia Pullen, Radiance Cooper, Mallika Kanneganti, Wendy Ishmaku, Matt Stander EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane EDITOR: Jordan Radke MANAGING EDITOR: Emma Ockerman SECTION EDITORS: Dayle Maas, Kim Cusmano, Lauren Semack, Gabby Burchett ASSISTANT EDITORS: Kristen Kaled, Andrea Scapini, Libby Sumnik, Amanda Berry, Marie Bourke, Izzy Ellery STAFF REPORTERS: Patricia Bajis, Colleen Reveley, Melissa Healy, Natalie Skorupski, Sara Villani, Rachel Cullen, Jacob Barry, Danae DiCicco, Sydney Thompson, Taylor White, Audrey Kam, Brigitte Smith, Melina Glusac, Jennifer Kusch, Courtney Veneri, Chris Elliott, Haley Reid, Sarah Schade, Jenna Belote, Emma Puglia, Jeffrey Valentic PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caroline Schulte (Photo Editor), Emily Huguenin (Assistant Photo Editor), Sean O’Melia, Kaylee Dall INTERNS: Anna Hopkins, Anu Subramaniam, Brittney Hernandez, Caelin Micks, Carrie Rakowicz, Cydni Newman, Daijah Williams, Dora Juhasz, Emily Martinbianco, Erica Lizza, Erin
The North Pointe is edited and produced by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review. Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe School System. We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com. One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online at myGPN.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100 percent recycled paper. CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Twitter: @myGPN FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, CJE
Editor’s desk maria liddane
Wash your hands! My fight in a cold invasion Zicam tablets, pints of orange juice and pumps of handsanitizer. It’s been a battle for the books – this fight I’ve fought against a sickness I don’t have (yet). I’ve been warned on the daily for the past two weeks to “Stay away!” by people who, at a time seemingly so distant, loved my company. It started with my dad. He always manages to contract some vicious bug whose pincers latch on and won’t let go. In the deadly cold’s beginning stages, he locked himself in the basement and rarely emerged – hibernation in the Man Cave. We didn’t go down, he didn’t come up; our interaction was limited to almost nothing. “We’re safe,” we said. But we weren’t. The plague hit as we entered mid-winter break and hours spent together in the house increased. The bug’s maniacal laugh echoed in the family and living rooms – ironically deserted. When enough of my father’s days were ruined, it leapt to its next prey, my brother. From there? My mother. It effectively attacked 75% of the bodies currently residing in my home. So it’s been a glorious month at the Liddane house. The sick visions of beauty lay in sweaty, faded pajamas under heaps of blankets. They stare at me, bleary-eyed, mumbling words of caution as they sip blue Gatorade. Their energy, what’s left of it, goes towards preserving the last survivor. With basketball playoffs approaching, the importance of my health was amplified, and the mantra became “You can’t get sick.” I joined in: “I can’t get sick.” As if the repetition shielded me from an imminent sickness. I enter the ill-people’s chamber and head for a seat in the far corner, my arm outstretched – reaching for a blanket in front of me (a two-sided, suede and cotton, doubly plush one) – but my mother exclaims, “Don’t touch that blanket!” I halt, arm frozen in the air. It’s germ-ridden, infectious threads were masked by squishiness. I was nearly deceived by its inviting facade. That blanket was quarantined behind a chair pronto. In the kitchen, there are two packages of 60-count disinfectant wipes. Knobs, light switches, and all other frequently-handled items are routinely wiped (scrubbed, actually). An orange-scented chemical clean lingers. It’s the sick people’s perfume. Silver lining: our house has never been this sterile. My dad’s recovery paralleled my mother’s deterioration. My brother remained the constant, sleeping. And I, the outlier, floated about the house, rubbing hand-sanitizer between my palms, eyeballing each blanket as I sought a spot to nap. (Extra sleep is a must during battle, they say.) I hobbled downstairs one morning and was surprised to see my father standing with coffee in hand. He extended the cup in my direction, “Wanna sip?” I’m not Snow White. I cocked my head: “Are you serious?” Editor’s note: Orange juice as a cold preventative is a myth; I have recently been experiencing cold-like symptoms.
North Pointe – Friday, March 15, 2013 – 8
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