The Voice - Special Edition: Cindy Short

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Everett loses a

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Leaving a

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legacy

Jaleel Canty will tell you that without Cindy Short, he would not be attending college. Without her help, he would not have even been playing in Archie Ross stadium this year. Canty was one of a few members of this year’s conference championship football team that was in school throughout the summer taking online classes.

Short set up the classes for Canty. Passing those classes made him eligible to play his senior year.

Canty’s story is only one of many examples of a theme that was repeated over and over again at Short’s memorial on Thursday: it was always about the kids. Throughout her 15 years as athletic director, she helped hundreds of students stay on track or stay eligible.

Short was a sports star, in high school and at Alma College, setting records. She was a champion. But it was as a champion of students at Everett for which she will be remembered most.

Many athletes, as well as non-athletes, took the loss of Ms. Short hard.

At times, Ms. Short did come across to some students as mean, but there wasn’t anything that she wouldn’t have done for anyone at Everett High. She cared deeply about our school, our athletes and the success of students.

When word of her death broke, students found ways to pay tribute to her, including many different T-shirt designs, buttons and a collection of signed cards, posters and drawings.

Money collected from the sale of the tees and buttons is being placed in the

THE STAFF EDITORS

Meeshon Rogers (Editor-

in-Chief, News)

Kayla Smith (Opinion)

Jaimie Bozack (Features) Melanie Matchette (Photo) Damira Begic (Photo) Brooke Burns (Entertainment) Lucas Barner (Sports) Emily Dake (Online) Dejana Puranovic (Online) Noelia Lopez (Business)

2 • The Voice • March 2, 2013 • myvikingvoice.com

It was always about the kids.

REPORTERS Deanera Barrow Christopher Buckner Haley Buskulic Ben DeYoung Thalia Esparza Brittany Harris Sum Huynh Lindsay July Janelle Lewis Morgan McIntyre Tori Murine Alexus Patterson Tara Phan James Vandergrift Sophia Williams

Advisor

Amber Love

Chad Sanders

Cindy Short Scholarship Fund.

For some staff members, dealing with the loss of Short is hard. Basketball and softball coach Elizabeth Ballinger said Short always worked alongside her coaches and teachers.

“She was a team player and I loved working with her,” said Ballinger. Staff members loved the way she stayed ahead of ineligibility, making sure players were eligible for an upcoming meet or game.

Short’s death has also been felt in the community. WILX Sports Team

member Jeremy Sampson expressed his condolences through social media.

The day of Short’s passing, he tweeted: “Sad news about the passing of #Everett Athletic Director Cindy Short today. She was always super to work with and will be missed. R.I.P.” East Lansing athletic director, and Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association president, Tom Hunt spoke at her memorial. He said that it was Short’s commitment to the kids, and her involvement in league activities, that made her the recipient

of the upcoming Regional Athletic Director of the Year award. The award was to be presented to her at their next meeting, later this month.

Short’s legacy will live on in a scholarship fund for athletes. Every May, the scholarship will be awarded to one senior boy and girl athlete. Donating to the Cindy Short Fund is a great way to express how much Ms. Short meant to you, and the community. Donations can be made at the Everett main office, or to counseling department chair Jennifer West.

The Lansing School District is committed to a policy of providing equal opportunities to all qualified people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental ability.

Everett-Sexton game pays tribute

The Everett staff looks at the building as being a big mighty Viking Ship and our motto has been to row on! No one

Lucas Barner Sports Editor

rowed harder or with more spirit and dedication than Cindy. Her loss

has left a huge hole in the hull of our ship that will be felt for a very long time.

-Nita Kennedy, Lead Secretary

gave us guidance, love and acceptance. She was and continues to

Next, came the game. The Vikings got on top first with a three-pointer. They would only score four more points in the first quarter, trailing 30-15 at the half.

The team came out strong in the second half, out-scoring the Big Reds in the third and fourth quarters.

Heading into the fourth quarter, Everett trailed 49-40. The Vikings came within three points of the Big Reds, but their second half efforts were not enough.

The Vikings went on the lose the game 66-58, an emotional ending to an emotional night.

MELANIE MATCHETTE

It didn’t take long to decide the best way to honor Cindy Short, Everett high school’s dedicated athletic director who died in a snowmobile accident February 17. The AD whose life was “always about the kids” will be remembered with a scholarship that continues to help those kids.

All donations made in her honor are being put in a scholarship fund for graduating senior athletes.

Details are still being worked out, including the official name of the scholarship. This year’s graduating class will see the first recipients, one boy and one girl athlete.

maybe people [will be] Even though it nominated,” said head sechasn’t been long since retary Nita Kennedy, who the fund was created, was a big part of Everett’s proceeds from the sale memorial ceremony. “We of T-shirts and butare still not certain yet.” tons, as well as donaIt is known that the tions from Mrs. Short’s Short scholarship is intendmemorial services, ed to be an annual award. have already started to “This is not planned add up. to be a one-time thing; we How the two recipients of the Cindy Sales from T-shirts and buttons are looking forward for Short scholarship will support the Cindy Short memorial this to happen for years to come,” said Kennedy. be chosen is undeter- scholarship fund.

Anyone looking to support the Cindy mined at the moment.

“We may have coaches and counselors Short scholarship fund can visit or call the Evdecide, or have students apply to get it, or erett main office (755-1080).

be a true friend to all of us here at Everett.

Mad love, Cindy!

-Alfonso Salais, Spanish Teacher

“Whenever I think of Cindy I think of how dynamic and efficient she was. There was never a flaw.”

Ms. Short was “It was very easy to tell that she meant a lot to a lot of people, and she was as dedicated nice as I’ve seen anyone be to a stranger. to Everett She didn’t just do her job; she cared athletics.

-James Toby, Social Studies Teacher

about her job.”

- Ryan Locke, senior

Being the dog lover she was, There was a stray dog running all over the yard at Everett. Ms. Short picked up the dog, put the dog in her car, and started driving all over the neighborhood to find his owner.

-Ms. Landon, Special Education

She took care of many athletes and had high expectations.

We will miss her deeply.

-Liz Ballinger, Math Teacher/Coach

“She and I really liked the same music, like the Brady Bunch tunes. She would call me up

and sing a verse of the song and then I’d sing the next verse.”

Pamela Schafer-Brown, Spanish Teacher

3 • The Voice • March 2, 2013 • myvikingvoice.com

Members of the varsity boys’ basketball team observe a moment of silence before their game against Sexton. The wore warm-ups that read: “Ms. Cindy Short, Gone but not forgotten, you will be greatly missed, EV Nation.”

Scholarship fund honors Short Lindsay July Reporter

-Jim Allen, Theater Teacher

Our friend Cindy made everyone feel important. Like a family member, she

DAMIRA BEGIC

Sunday night, February 17, many athletes received calls from their coaches that Athletic Director Cindy Short had passed away as a result of a snowmobile accident. It was a devastating night for not just all Everett athletes, but for the whole CAAC community.

Even though this tragic event had occurred, Tuesday’s cross-town rival game against Sexton was still to be played.

The Lady Vikings played at Sexton that night and were presented with roses from each of the Big Reds. Sexton also wore a black strip on their jerseys to honor Short.

Everett also honored Short with their uniforms that night. Both the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams now have a black patch on their jerseys that bear the initials “C.S.” Prior to Short’s death, she had planned on presenting the varsity football team and head coach Marcelle Carruthers with the conference championship trophy, and Carruthers’ Regional Coach of the Year award.

Although Short wasn’t in attendance, the ceremony was held, in between the JV and varsity boys’ games.

The varsity boys wore warm-up T-shirts in honor of Ms. Short, which read “Ms. Cindy Short, Gone but not forgotten, you will be greatly missed, EV Nation.”

Just before the National Anthem, which was sung by Mecca Johnson, there was a moment of silence to honor the hard work, dedication and time that Short had put in to the Everett Vikings athletic program.

She was a wonderful person who really cared about her students.

Viking Nation says goodbye Kayla Smith Opinion Editor On February 28, Everett High School found their own way to honor Athletic Director Cindy Short with a memorial service held in the Earvin “Magic” Johnson gymnasium.

Coaches, athletes, past graduates, family members and others came to share memories and show their respect for Short.

“I liked how many people came to speak, and how they had her friends and family in one area,” said freshman Parris Davis, who sang two songs at the ceremony.

Many people found it important that Everett hold its own memorial service for Short.

“This was Ms. Short’s home away from home,” said Director of Student Services and Athletics Jim Davis. “Everett was her family away from home as well.”

Many past graduates were there to say goodbye to Short, and to support her friends and family.

“She cared about kids. She was fantastic as an athletic director,” said principal Dr. Norman Gear. “She reached the hearts of many individuals and she’s going to be dearly missed by staff, the community and everyone’s heart she touched.”

The overall theme throughout the memorial was that Short loved the students. Over and over, speakers talked about how everything she did was for the students, and how she did whatever it took to get the student’s what she thought they deserved.

“The message was consistent throughout the whole memorial: how she loved the kids, and everything she did was for the kids,” said Social Studies teacher Frank Seminski.

Seminski read a poem at the memorial, and unveiled a banner in honor of her. The banner hangs on the east wall of the gym.

“The biggest surprise was the banner,” said close personal friend Cheri Meier.

Art teacher Pam Collins presented an original drawing of Short to her mom, D. Jane.

Then, head counselor Jennifer West explained the Cindy Short scholarship fund that will support two scholarships a year for senior athletes. She presented the plaque that will hold the names of all the people who earned the scholarship in her name.

The evening was Everett’s chance to say goodbye to one of its own.

“Everett is a family community,” said Director of High Schools and Academies Worsie Gregory. “The memorial is more of a celebration than mourning.”

Students honor Short with shirts, sentiment goes viral Ben DeYoung Reporter Groups of students set out to honor the memory of Cindy Short at last week’s pep rally. One group of students, led by Seniors Haley Fuhrman and Katie Runyon, wanted to do something a little different.

“Cindy inspired us. We wanted to do something nice for her. She’s always been there for us athletes, doing everything she possibly could to help us out. It’s our way of saying ‘thank you,’” said Fuhrman.

The decision was made to create custom shirts for the pep rally. Runyon and Fuhrman purchased the shirts and fabric paint and set off to make the shirts.

The black short sleeve T-shirts, each bear a single letter or symbol. When the 14 students lined up, they spelled out “We (heart) Cindy Short!”

On the back of the shirts were other messages. The back of senior Jaleel Canty’s shirt simply says “Never Forgotten.”

Fuhrman and Runyon recruited most of their friends to pick a letter, including football players that were very close to Short.

This photo of the students lined up has gone viral on the Internet. On the Viking Voice’s Facebook page, the picture has generated almost 600 likes and over 60 shares. It has led to a chain of comments where people could leave their messages, whether it being a long paragraph, or a

simple love-and-prayers comment.

Many people in the community applauded Everett’s dedication to honoring Ms. Short.

Joan Barrons Wood wrote a comment on the picture saying, “The Everett Vikings make me proud to be from Lansing!

Well done.”

Sherri Schefke Kuhlman wrote another comment saying, “That is awesome, just like Cindy was.”

The decision to remember Short in such a unique way was a chance for students to honor her impact at Everett and on Everett’s athletes.

“We’ll never forget her and what she did for us athletes,” said Fuhrman.

Ben DeYoung

4 • The Voice • March 2, 2013 • myvikingvoice.com

Clockwise from top left: Seminski escorts Short’s mother, D. Jane Short; one of many memorial designs; junior Azalea Miller reads a poem she wrote; ‘12 grad Jacob Venable unveils the memorial banner; the front showcase displays Short memorabilia; West presents the Cindy Short scholarship; Parris Davis sings “God Bless America.”

Senior Jaleel Canty wears one of 14 custom shirts designed to honor Cindy Short. The photo of the students in the shirts gained nearly 600 likes on The Voice’s Facebook page.