Issue 14 pdf

the

TOWER

the 90th special edition issue Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018 Volume 90 Issue 14 @thetowerpulse thetowerpulse.net

A weekly tradition since 1928

celebrating

Grosse Pointe South High School 11 Grosse Pointe Blvd. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

90

PHOTO FROM THE ’40 YEARBOOK

YEARS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEGENDARY LOCALS OF GROSSE POINTE & SCHOOL WEBSITE

in this issue The future of driving is here, without humans behind the wheel PAGE 2 editorial generations of The Tower importance of journalism

PAGE 3 Elizabeth Sheeren’s charity Tower fundraiser PAGE 4 80s profile senior pranks social culture of 80s PAGE 5 Berschback family profile PAGE 6/7 quotes from ’26 to ’16 graduates

ALYSSA CZECH ’19 & EVELYN KUHNLEIN ’20 Associate Editor & Staff Writer Autonomous vehicles, seemingly part of an unrealistic movie plot, are seeming to become more real as the days go by. The 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) featured many companies showing off their new automated and connected driving software.

Dr. Ken Washington, vice president of research and advanced engineering and the chief technology officer at Ford Motor Company, said one of the things artificial intelligence (AI) can do is help understand what the driver’s preferences are in regards to music, etc. and what their driving habits are. He said AI is in smart phones, vehicles and other technology. It is essentially software made to assist humans.

“Think of AI in much broader terms, not just in terms of what replaces the driver,” Washington said. “This is about humans, not just soft- ogy for them to manufacture in their cars.

“We’re at the forefront, we’re the biggest ware.”

DENSO, a global automotive components company no one’s ever heard of,” a DENSO emmanufacturer with headquarters in Japan, part- ployee at the NAIAS said.

The employee said what he loves about the ners with companies and produce new technol-

INTEL ADVANCEMENTS Jack Weast speaks about Intel Corporation’s developments in automobile technology.

He said the company is always looking for ways to do things more efficiently.

company is they bring people’s differences together and give lots of opportunity for diverse success, which leads to their achievements. continue to page 12 for the full story

PAGE 8 Tower legacy 300 words with alum PAGE 9 school policies changes technology changes PAGE 10 change of culture photo story PAGE 11 fashion music throughout the decades pop culture PAGE 12 auto show coverage GRAPHIC BY THE TOWER

IMPORTANT DATES jan.

24

Varsity Cheer has a MAC Competition at 6:00 p.m. in the main gym.

jan.

25

Charity Week begins today. Eat at The Hill and mention Charity Week to donate.

jan.

30

Mr. Blue Devil will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Tickets cost $5 at the door.

2 | OPINION

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 1.24.18

PERSEVERING THROUGH THE CHANGES:

The Tower’s adaptation with a shrinking budget OUR VIEW || EDITORIAL it.

The district budget a deficit. Everyone knows

The Tower has reported on it and its effects enough times to know this. The science department has had to cut down on experiments, middle school elective teachers have become parttime and security guards have been hired in lieu of hall monitors. However, we have not talked about how the deficit affects us as a newspaper.

We at The Tower are aware that we are not more special than any other program in the district. We are feeling the same effects as everyone else, having our budget decreased and our final issue grant denied. With that said, we are doing everything in our power to obtain our necessary funding.

As of right now, we can’t publish self-sufficiently. We generate revenue from subscriptions and advertising sales, but that is simply not enough to publish an eight-page paper on a weekly basis.

We discovered a few months ago the Mothers’ Club grant, which usually pays for the final issue of The Tower, was not passed. Tower, for the first time in at least ten years, will be responsible for paying over $3,000 for a 28-page colored issue which will be delivered to every person in the building, not just subscribers. The final issue of The Tower is highly anticipated every year. It contains every senior’s college plans. It contains senior staffers’ columns that people anticipate GRAPHIC BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

The Tower: a tradition at South since 1928, a family tradition since 1974 MY VIEW MAURA SHINE ’20 Page Editor

NEWSPAPER

the

TOWER

STAFF

That year, my uncle Tom started working at The Tower as a page editor. He was followed by my aunt Peggy a few years later and then my dad in the early 1980s. By the 2000s, three of my cousins also couldn’t resist the lure of what lies beyond the double doors to The Tower in room 144.

From Uncle Tom to myself, two generations and seven family members have invested themselves in The Tower, and received big returns because of this.

We all were following in my grandpa Neal Shine’s footsteps. He never worked at The Tower, but his life was devoted to the Detroit Free Press, where he started as copy boy in 1950 while still a student at the University of Detroit. He eventually rose to president and publisher, and retired 45 years later.

The newspaper business, with its deadlines, headlines and the endless pursuit to find and tell great stories, is ingrained in my family’s roots-- and heart.

My grandpa lived and breathed the news his entire life and instilled that love in his children and grandchildren. So it was natural to follow in his footsteps when each of us arrived at South and sought out The Tower and its great advisers, known for teaching the student staff to be great journalists and, hopefully, even better human beings.

Members of the Shine family are among many Tower staffers who made the leap from high school to collegiate or professional journalism through the years.

They’re not alone. In its 90 years of existence, The Tower has produced dozens of graduates who built careers as reporters, columnists, or editors around the world. My uncle and father, who both became newspaper reporters and editors in several states, are among them. My cousin, Neala Berkowski, was a writer for the Michigan Daily at the University of Michigan.

My grandpa never pushed any of his kids to pursue journalism, but his children spent much of their childhoods around the newsroom and surrounded by reporters and editors at and away from the office. Even though my grandpa didn’t push them into the business he loved, it’s safe to say he wasn’t disappointed when they went into it.

My uncle Tom knew he wanted to work for a newspaper after becoming a fan of the sports section, reading

it hundreds of times with the chattering of old teletype machines and phones ringing in the background.

He said he is still grateful for what he learned from The Tower and his advisor, Bob Button, a beloved and longtime leader who treated the high-school-aged staff like adults and left decision-making up to them. Because of this, he said he learned responsibility, fairness and maturity.

For my aunt Peggy, a staff writer for The Tower who eventually went into public relations, the paper let her be an investigative journalist. She remembers working on a story exposing local bars and party stores for serving and selling alcohol to minors. She still looks back fondly on the excitement of the experience.

She and my dad, Dan Shine, also a staff writer, recall how they looked out for each other when they got a chance to work on The Tower together.

After a 25-year-long absence of Shines at the Tower, the next generation crossed the threshold of The Tower newsroom.

My cousin Ted Berkowski joined the staff in 2008 when he signed up for the Honors Journalism class at South. Eventually, he was appointed to the prestigious position of editor-in-chief of The Tower and led the entire news team, including his younger sister, Neala Berkowski ’13, and their younger sister, Juliana Berkowski ’16, all wanted to continue the family tradition after growing up hearing stories about The Tower and how much fun it was, what great friendships could be made and the valuable learning that came out of it.

They loved the challenge of breaking news, and telling all kinds of stories to readers. Their adviser, the late Jeff Nardone, also holds a special place in their hearts.

For me, the lure of The Tower came from the same place: my family raving about their experiences bonding with staffers and advisors and writing stories they were proud of, late-night deadlines and dinners provided by parents, journalism camp and so much more.

Without even realizing it, I just knew the tradition of Shines at The Tower would carry on with me.

Since writing for The Tower my sophomore year and serving as a page editor, I have no doubt my decision to keep the family tradition going was the right one.

For the sake of The Tower, which after 90 years, has given so much to my family, and I like to think to many other families, students and teachers as well.

There is a lot to be proud of in working for one of the country’s last weekly high school newspapers, and the only one in Michigan.

So here’s to 90 -- and many more.

Page Editors

Editors-in-Chief

Liz Bigham* ’18 John Francis* ’18 Online Editors-in-Chief

Henry Ayrault* ’19 Grace Reyes* ’19

Print Associate Editor

Alyssa Czech* ’19

Supervising Editor at Large

Ray Hasanaj* ’18

Supervising Editors

Katherine Bird*, Rachel Harris*, Riley Lynch*, Elena Rauch*, all ’18 Bianca Pugliesi* ’19

Chase Clark*, Kaitlin Nemeh* Cam Smolen*, JD Standish*, all ’18 Adrian Doan* ’19 Anne Muawad*, Lauren Nemeh*, Maura Shine*, Aidan Walsh*, Elizabeth Wolfe*, all ’20 Copy Editors

Ian Dewey*, Piper Eschenburg*, Phoebe Miriani*, all ’18 Sylvia Hodges* ’19, Elizabeth Flower*, Victoria Gardey*, Claire Sheeren*, Imran Siddiqui*, all ’20 Business Manager

Evan Skaff* ’18

Web/Section Editors

Arianna Pagenette* ’18, Kaitlyn Perkins* ’18, Katherine Costello*, Claire Koeppen*, Jaqui Mercier*, Audrey Whitaker*, all ’19 Dominic Dulac* ’20

Is news no longer newsworthy?

MY VIEW GRIFFIN JONES ’18 Graphics Manager

News. Fake news. The gray area kind of news you don’t understand the relevance of but enjoy regardless-- Buzzfeed. This spectrum of information distribution is a topic that’s held influence over billions of people throughout history. But now, in the eyes of many in 2018, news seems it’s losing its credibility as a resource for information.

Opinion plays quite a large factor in the stories published and news broadcasted to the public.

A popularized idea by President Trump, “fake news” has been a subject of much controversy within this past year as much of what is seen on news channels and websites is questioned for its legitimacy. And it’s good to question what is taught to you, because if you don’t wonder more about it, are you learning anything in the first place? However, such negativity and distrust for the media has thrown the struggle for social power out of balance.

The media’s job is to spread news like wildfire, to make sure people are well-informed on specific topics and create an educated public. It is not their job to spread biased rumors and spread lies. But that also brings up the topic of Trump’s Twitter being a feed of his political ventures as commander-in-chief. Is it credible to read his tweets like they were a trustworthy news source? Is it even his job?

So, obviously this is the current discussion of who gets to say what, and who has more credibility.

But one major issue with all of this toxicity over media is its impact on hopeful youth journalists.

Multimedia/Social Media Editors

Abigail Due* ’18, Erica Fossee* ’19 Tower Radio

Alex Acker* ’18 Zachary Heimbuch* ’19 Staff Writers

Margot Baer, Solana Bryson, Blair Cullen, Griffin Jones, Harper McClellan, Caitlin Miller, John Schulte, Lauren Thom, Brennan Zihlman, all ’18 John Bellamy, Isabella Craparotta, Allison MacLeod, Olivia Mlynarek, Sarah Stevenson, Arif Ulku, all ’19 Madeleine Allen, Julia Ambrozy, Daniel Klepp, Evelyn Kuhnlein, Charlie Matthews, Kari Ronning, all ’20 Eva McCord ’21 Adviser

Kaitlin Edgerton

writing since they join staff. It praises college athletic commits and academic hall of famers. The Tower would not be The Tower if we could not publish this issue in full effects.

The final issue is not our only problem. Our website software and the software used to design the paper are not cheap. There are many additional features used by professional media outlets that we are curious to try out. More types of complex technology are needed to produce a modern newspaper, so it doesn’t make sense for the budget to not correlate with these changes.

Consequently, fundraising is a new element we have to focus on in Tower. Time is no longer only spent on writing stories and designing pages; we now have to prioritize funding and business. As the banner on page one and the story on page three describe, we are hosting a 90th edition celebration of The Tower. We see this as an opportunity to begin the fundraising process and bring together the community to support a group of amazing people.

As for this special 12-page issue -- we see it as a way to prepare the community for what is in store at the party. We want to celebrate 90 years of excellence within the school as well as The Tower; to honor the people who made this school successful; to reminisce on the history and stories throughout decades.

Grosse Pointe South is fortunate enough to have a helpful group of alumni who still live within the community and support the origin of their high school education. This special edition is for all the people who have helped make this school and The Tower the legacy it is today. It’s for all the people who have graciously allowed us to retell their stories from the past and explore the changes through time. We hope you enjoy this issue and will continue to support us through these times.

Within South’s journalism program, students are taught how to write specific stories like news, features, columns, etc.

They’re also taught when these types of story techniques are appropriate. However, when one student takes a look at what they’re learning and how national news agencies work, there are definitely some key differences in what they’ve learned and how those skills are applied in the professional field. At this point, opinion is basically mandatory if a story is to be successful, and the only news that isn’t opinionated is the kind about natural disasters and things that impact everyone in the same way.

The Tower, now in its 90th year, has been a prime example of goodwill for the sake of public knowledge as one of its main goals is to publish truthful and trustworthy news. It’s because of this goodwill that South’s student press proves it’s deserving of the respect it receives in the journalism community in Michigan and on the national level.

The Tower does have some opinion, however the staff and those students partaking in the journalism curriculum are taught the correct way to incorporate it into their news for the most unbiased and fair points of view and coverage.

But as stated before, the media shouldn’t prioritize opinion in national issues. The responsibility to form opinion is held by the people receiving the news. Professional news agencies have the job to ensure the information they’re feeding into people’s brains is factual and true, and put the faith of American people in good hands.

“The Tower” is the weekly publication of the Advanced Journalism classes at Grosse Pointe South High School. It has always been a designated public form of student expression.

The Tower is located in room 142 in Grosse Pointe South High School. Please contact us at 313-432-3649.

Errors

Factual errors will be corrected on the opinion page or in news briefs written upon request and verification.

Letters

Letters to the Editor are encouraged and will be screened for libel, irresponsibility and obscenity. The Editorial Board may edit or shorten letters as long as the meaning is Opinion Pieces unchanged. All letters must be signed and Editorials represent the majority opinion of include a telephone number for confirmation. the Editorial Board and are left unsigned.

Request to withhold the writer’s name Columns represent the opinions of individual from publication for good reason will be staff members and outside contributors. considered. Letters can be sent to the above email address, or dropped off in “The Tower” Editorial Board Room.

An asterisk * denotes Editorial Board editors.

Advertising

Display adverising is sold at a rate of $7 per column inch, with discounts for large or frequent advertisers. Advertising may not advocate illegal activities or contain libelous, irresponsible or obscene material.

Professional Associations

Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll, the Society for Newspaper Design and the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association.

COURAGEOUS SOLES: Local students give socks to hospitalized kids THETOWERPULSE.NET | 1.24.18

ABI DUE’18 Social Media Manager Grosse Pointe South student Elizabeth Sheeren ’18 and alumni Maggie Wright ’16 began a nonprofit this past October called ‘Courageous Soles,’ which gives socks to children, teens, parents and siblings of patients in the hospital.

With an initial goal of 100 socks and 500 dollars from donations, they’ve exceeded their goals immensely, and not only through items that were contributed.

Throughout Sheeren’s unexpected and lengthy hospital stay, she formed bonds with patients and their families who may be going through tough times.

This past summer, Wright was shadowing in the hospital, and while in surgery, she noticed the surgical socks the patient was wearing and was immediately reminded of the fun socks Sheeren wears.

Hoping to further ignite her passion in the medical field, Wright was interested in learning more about patients and what they go through, and this sparked the idea of creating a nonprofit.

“I was thinking socks are one of the only clothing items you can have on in a hospital,” Wright said. “It gives such an individuality to people, and I wanted to do something, but I had no clue the logistics of it all.”

Since Sheeren is known for always wearing her unique socks, Wright wanted to include her and start the project together.

“Wacky socks have been something that have really helped me cope with being in the hospital and going to appointments and infusions. It’s something fun too, because it gives you something to connect with other patients or staff about,” Sheeren said.

“Every time I go to an infusion, everybody is coming in wondering what socks I’m wearing that day.”

Sheeren and Wright completely underestimated the amount of socks that would be donated, they explained.

“Elizabeth and I said, ‘Let’s do something this holiday season to get it started’, so we did a wacky sock drive, hoping for maybe 100 pairs,” Wright said.

But Wright said they completely surpassed their goal, now estimating their total to be close to 2,000 pairs of socks.

None of this would’ve been possible without Claire Sheeren ’20, Elizabeth’s younger sister, according to both Elizabeth and Wright.

“We would FaceTime and she would open up the

socks from the Amazon Wishlist I made and put them into bins and write down whether they came with a letter or not, so she was a huge, huge help,” Elizabeth said.

According to Elizabeth, the initial plan was to deliver the socks after the holidays, because even though people donate all year long, there is a post-holiday lull and the donations drop. But when they started to receive more and more socks, some being Christmas-themed, they decided to give some socks away during the holiday season.

“I love giving back,” Elizabeth said. “I have a huge passion for giving back, and I do a lot of different volunteer work, and then of course I absolutely love wacky socks. When (Wright) came to me with this idea I was like, ‘Perfect!’”

Not only are socks an extremely practical item for everyone, but when people are unexpectedly admitted to the ER for a long time, they mostly focus on packing larger items, forgetting some of the necessities, according to Elizabeth.

“Being a teen in a children’s hospital, there isn’t a lot of support and services because when people donate, they’re thinking of 8-year-olds,” Elizabeth said. “They’re not thinking of the fact that there are 18-year-olds there, but socks, of course, can be used by anyone.”

Right after Thanksgiving, Elizabeth herself was admitted to the hospital unexpectedly due to her autoimmune diseases, and she stayed until New Year’s Eve. During her hospitalization, Elizabeth started up Courageous Soles, doing things such as setting up different pages, finding contacts and emailing numerous sock companies. According to Elizabeth, she used Courageous Soles as a project to keep her occupied while she was in the hospital.

“The timing of these guys coming up with the concept and establishing the things that need to be established like the Facebook page, the PayPal and the Youcaring. How that just happened to coincide with Elizabeth’s unexpected hospitalization... it was amazing,” Elizabeth’s mom, Julie Sheeren, said.

Although Julie’s involvement didn’t extend farther than carrying boxes and bouncing around ideas with Elizabeth and Wright, she believes what they’re doing together is wonderful.

“That is something Elizabeth, from the time she first got sick, was always looking to do: to connect with other kids or help other people,” Julie said.

Her favorite story so far from their project was when she was able to give away a pair of socks to another mother in the hospital. According to Julie, at that moment, they felt an emotional connection.

“I thought she was going to cry. She looked at me and I gave (the socks) to her and she looked down, and so of course I looked down, and she had bare feet and was like, ‘I have no socks’,” Julie said. “I got to be a part of that, which was really amazing because mom to mom, we had this understanding of what it was like to be in the hospital.”

When Elizabeth found out the woman’s daughter, Sammy, was obsessed with rainbows and unicorns, she knew she needed to give Sammy a pair. And that’s where the project sort of rocketed, they said.

“While she was in this first procedure with the anesthesia, my husband drove the socks up. Elizabeth, shortly after she had had a spinal tab and a bone marrow biopsy, stuff you are usually not up and around, was like ‘I have to give Sammy her socks!’,” Julie said.

Because Elizabeth was in the hospital while this was going on, they met a ton of people throughout the process, and realized Courageous Soles wouldn’t only affecting the kids, but would have an impact on parents and grandparents too.

“People were encouraged because they saw someone overcoming their challenge; not just overcoming, but thriving,” Julie said. “Doing something for others, being focused on others, not just on their own pain or difficulty or challenge. I think that is a huge thing. When you think of a college student, or a high school student, in our culture, it can be just about you guys and I think it’s really encouraging to these families. Being (at the hospital) at Christmas time, it’s a big bummer. You see young people that are like, ‘let’s have an impact, let’s bless someone, let’s encourage someone’.”

3 | NEWS

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH SHEEREN ’18

WORK YOUR SOCKS OF Maggie Wright ’15 and Elizabeth Sheeren ’18 pose with a stacks of their socks.

The Tower celebrates 90 years with bash

TOWER TURNS

90

fundraiser for student journalism 03.23.18 AT 7PM BLOSSOM HEATH INN 24800 JEFFERSON AVENUE BLACK TIE OPTIONAL SILENT AUCTION SPECIAL GUEST | BOB BUTTON

Marais Market and Cafe 17051 Kercheval Ave, Grosse Pointe, MI 48230 (313) 343-8800

MARGOT BAER ’18 Staff Writer This coming spring, The Tower will host a party to celebrate 90 years of being a publication. The party will take place on March 23 at the Blossom Heath Inn in St. Clair Shores, with tickets priced at 100 dollars.

“The 90th issue party was an idea we had in order to celebrate 90 years of Tower and also to come up with some fundraising for the future years in printing The Tower,” adviser Kaitlin Edgerton said. “Bob Button will be the guest of honor, and we plan to celebrate the Tower in the past, present and future.”

The co-editors-in-chief Elizabeth Bigham ’18 and John Francis ’18 are excited to bring together Tower al-

umn and community members for such an event.

“We have worked so hard on (the newspaper) this year and every year in the past,” Bigham said. “It will be nice to have everyone come together and celebrate Tower.”

In addition to celebrating 90 years of Tower, the event plans to incorporate a silent auction to raise funds as well as create levels of sponsorships for the event.

Bigham hopes the community will come together to help raise funds and show their support for student journalism.

“All students are working to get sponsorships and to get companies throughout the community involved. They’re going to be donat-

ing items,” Bigham said. “We have packages for different levels of sponsorships, so we are hoping to raise funds to print.”

According to Francis, the guest of honor at the party will be former adviser Bob Button, who is traveling in from Indiana. “(Button) was one of the first great advisers of the paper that made it what it is. I think it’s exciting for all of us to be able to celebrate the paper,” Francis said. “It’s not often that you get to see a weekly paper that’s almost a century year old.”

Hopes for the 90th issue party are high, and Edgerton, Bigham and Francis are excited to celebrate their hard work and almost 100 years of printing weekly.

4 | THE 80s

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 1.24.18

A day in the life of a South student in the 1980s

Weighing the pros and cons of senior pranks over the years

‘It’s just a prank!’

HARPER MCCLELLAN ’18 Staff Writer

Senior pranks.

A thought to be a right of passage for the graduating class; in the past, the goal was to one up the previous class. But now with new technology and long term consequences, the long standing tradi-

LOOKING BACK

We went to the senior trip that used to go to Balboa Island Amusement Park. We all smuggled in soap and we filled up the log ride with like 50 pounds of detergent so that when you came down, it was all bubbles.

BRIAN BEDSWORTH ’80 tion has started to fade. “(In the 80s, students) never got caught,” Bryan Bedsworth ’80 said. “We went to the senior trip that used to go to Balboa Island Amusement Park. We all smuggled in soap and we filled up the log ride with like 50 pounds of detergent so that when you came down, it was all bubbles.”

Many would agree that the rate of senior pranks every year is decreasing steadily.

“Administration seems to be way more strict and not as fun about it, they don’t really let you do much,” Garrett Bollenbacher ’18 said. “Back in the day, they were pretty lenient with the pranks.”

According to Bedsworth, his class played many pranks as seniors. He recalls one where they catapulted water balloons from the front lawn into classrooms that kept their windows open.

Some view it as society becoming more empathetic towards others; others believe our society has become too sensitive.

“I think society is more empathetic for the people who have to deal with this stuff now and actually doing that to some other living thing is cruel. People don’t want to be (seen) as cruel as they once were,” English teacher Harry Campion said.

Unlike today, when consequences were given out, it stayed between the student, the school and parents.

Today, consequences The nature of the can go as far as notifyquality of the pranks ing colleges or suspenthemselves... Well, so- sion.

“Nobody told the ciety doesn’t find them colleges anything if you funny anymore. got busted. The consequences were nothing HARRY CAMPION like it is today,” BedEnglish Teacher sworth said.

Many worry that the risk is not worth the reward with carrying out senior pranks.

“It can be easier using social media or even cameras for kids to get caught,” Bollenbacher said.

According to Campion, cameras make pranks harder to get away with and majority of students get caught.

“I don’t know what (students) could do now,” Bedsworth said.

Executing pranks that are conscious of everyone’s feelings and keep the student out of trouble are difficult for seniors now.

“The nature of the quality of the pranks themselves… Well, society doesn’t find them funny anymore,” Campion said.

GRAPHIC BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

Throughout the 80s, Leonard said many policies changed at South, one of those being the attendance policy.

“Kids could skip 20 or 30 days without punishment,” Leonard said. “Back then, kids would just travel on a whim because there was no attendance policy.”

Leonard said the smoking policy also changed.

“You used to be able to smoke anywhere on the outside of the building on campus,” Leonard said. “My dad could look over onto the courtyard and that was a main area where people would smoke.”

Leonard said for fun she and her friends would go to football games, which were on Saturday afternoons instead of the current Friday night ones. They would also sometimes go off-campus for lunch.

“We would speed about 80 miles an hour in our cars to make it to Little Caesars and back,” Leonard said. “It was always fun just getting out of the building.”

Leonard’s husband also went to South; they graduated in the same class. She said South influenced her and her spouse on where to raise their own kids.

ELIZABETH FLOWER ’20 Copy Editor

M

eg Leonard ’89 chalks up a lot of her successes and passions in life to one small stretch of years which influenced who she was as a person: her time at Grosse Pointe South High School in the late 80s.

Leonard attended South from 1986-1989.

She transferred there her sophomore year from a Catholic school in Detroit. According to her, coming to South as an outsider greatly influenced her perspective on the school.

“Once I was in, I really valued that I was able to go there,” Leonard said. “It felt like every corner you turned, there was quality: a quality teaching staff, quality opportunities, quality sports teams.”

Leonard participated in many activities while at South. She took French, participated in the Student Association as a senator and played varsity volleyball. She was also involved in The Tower as a staff member and then as a sports editor her senior year.

Leonard discovered her passion for English and writing while at South, something she contributes to an American Literature class.

“I feel really lucky I found what I loved in high school. For me, it clicked,” Leonard said. “I have such fond memories of that component to high school. High school can be tough, but those parts-The Tower, my English classes and my art classes-- were wonderful parts to my high school experience.”

Leonard had a unique experience at South not many kids have, in that her father, John Blondin, was a teacher there for 34 years. “He taught Chinese history, U.S. history and Modern European history, so everyone knew ‘WE MADE IT’ Margaret Leonard ’89 and her friends celebrate their completion of school my father,” Leonard said. “My dad at South. They pose together for a photo after the graduation ceremony. loved being a teacher there.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEG LEONARD

CULUTURE CHECK:

D

“My husband and I, as married adults, lived in other cities and we chose to come back to Grosse Pointe to raise our families,” Leonard said. “I think that speaks volumes, knowing where my kids would go to high school. One of their grandfathers taught (at South), and one of their grandfathers was a graduate.”

According to Leonard’s husband, Bill Leonard ’89, the pair had known each other in high school but did not date until college.

“We socialized at sporting events and parties and school functions, but it never turned into a dating scenario,” Bill said.

Meg said something unique about going to high school in the 80s was how more relaxed it was with certain things, like applying to colleges.

“That’s a huge competition now,” Meg said. “High schoolers were allowed to be high schoolers for a lot longer.”

One trend of the 80s that influenced South, according to Meg, was the music.

“Guns N’ Roses came out in our era, and those were our high school theme songs, like Sweet Child of Mine and Welcome to the Jungle, which makes me laugh when I find that on my kids’ playlists,” Meg said.

Leonard now has three kids at South: a senior, a junior and a freshman. She also has a third grader in the school system. Leonard’s father-in-law, William Leonard ’56, is still active with the school, going to football games and reunions.

“Grosse Pointe High has continued to be an academic and athletic leader in the 66 years I have been associated with it,” William said.

“I had a great education and I have watched my children and grandchildren get the same at the ‘High.’”

Meg said she loves the pride she gets when she drives past South, as it’s the same pride she felt as a student there.

“Not a lot of towns around the world have that,” Meg said. “A lot of my friends not from here are just amazed at the connections people have because of going to Grosse Pointe South.” here are just amazed at the connections people have because of going to Grosse Pointe South.”

EVAN SKAFF ’18 Business Manager uring the 80’s at Grosse Pointe South, there were many similarities and differences in terms of drug and alcohol culture within the student body.

National issues such as President Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs affect-

ed the public views.

The Challenger space shuttle that exploded during takeoff, killing all crew on board, changed the outlook on space exploration for many. Breakthroughs in pop-culture like Michael Jackson’s hit “Thriller” and The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” changed the music industry.

Closer to Grosse Pointe, the war on drugs was more of a relatable topic, according to South graduate Daniel Mercier ’88. He included there was a lot of glorification of drugs on TV, like in the show Miami Vice. Mercier said the same issues that affected students 30 year ago are still relevant now.

“The S-Court was always filled with smoke, you could just smoke there,” Christopher Eschenburg ’87 said. “People from every type of social group. It didn’t mean the rest of us didn’t smoke, they just felt comfortable smoking there

Challenges that faced South as a whole

in the S-Court.”

Along with smoking, according to Mercier, there were some other hardships within Grosse Pointe South.

“We had some issues with suicides,” Mercier said. “One year, we had some talks about that in school. They had a speaker come in from this TV show Bereta and talk about drugs. That was pretty dramatic.”

The speaker had lost his own career to drugs and found help. He began speaking to youth about this topic that was sweeping the nation, according to Mercier.

The tradition and culture of people leaving campus for lunch continued. Inda Eschenburg ’88 said she enjoyed the open campus policy.

“I ate in the cafeteria when I was a freshman, but then I started to go outside and drive places to eat,” Indra said.

“You would eat Burger King, Buscemi’s, sometimes Mr. C’s.”

Everything was more relaxed when both Indra and her now husband Christopher went to Grosse Pointe South.

“We had a blast. Back then, South either worked great for you or if you weren’t a person for who it did, no one stepped in so you could fail classes and not go to school,” Indra said. “There weren’t as many safety nets to get kids involved as there were today.”

The students had fun with the small things in life, they

didn’t need social media to have fun, according to Indra.

“We swam next to the War Memorial and the Little Club,” Christopher said. ”You could hang out there all day in a swimsuit and no one would care.”

Some issues facing the school back then still exist today, according to Chris.

“What wasn’t fun was the amount of kids who went through rehab for cocaine use and drinking. The drinking culture has always been a problem here,” Chris said.

Chris added that there were a lot of drunk driving deaths when he attended South.

Many students could never drink again after the age of 19 based on the choices they made at South. Cocaine was a highly used drug in the 80s and has been compared to the marijuana use in today’s culture, according to Eschenburg.

“We just had our 30th reunion,” Chris said. “And they were freaked out by some of the pictures in our yearbook.

There were (pictures with) Confederate flags that were held on the front lawn in some of these pictures, but back then, it just meant the South.”

Chris added that although the flags represented a symbol of the South back then, today it means something completely different. Some classmates at the reunion were in disbelief that those photos were even taken.

GRADUATING CLASS OF 1987 Students gather in front of Grosse Pointe South High School. Some students flew the Confederate flag to represent the South.

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5 | FEATURE

From one generation to the next Alumni from ’09 and ’81 and former teacher of South reflect on some of their favorite memories from this school

RACHEL HARRIS ’18 Supervising Editor

B

lack and white photographs organized by year in a binder organizer, scrapbooks with old dance tickets and a half century old Homecoming boutonnière peeking out from the yellowing pages, and stacks of pages about the history of South were some of the items neatly laid out on Suzy Berschback ’81’s table.

Berschback had organized all of the South artifacts and photographs from her family after hearing about The Tower’s 90th issue, ready to share her family’s experiences and the history of the building. For the Berschback family, around 20 members of their entire extended family have attended South over the years and have not only made their mark on the building, but have been touched by their varying experiences within South.

SUZY BERSCHBACK Suzy Berschback, a 1981 South graduate, has a lot of history within the building.

Both of Berschback’s parents and two children have attended South.

Berschback said she appreciates the history and tradition South has to offer, which is one of the many reasons she decided to have her kids receive an education from South. According to Bershback, it is the beauty of South’s architecture and the history in every square inch that makes the building so special.

“It (the architecture) really elevates you

teachers is really important,” Berschback said. “And your friend groups are really important. Freshman year you might have a friend group and by the time you graduate, you’re in a whole different friend group.

You are figuring out where you fit in the world and who are your people. That’s all a part of it.”

According to Berschback, Grosse Pointe is a great place to grow up and raise a family. Growing up and attending South, Berschback said she didn’t pay particularly close attention to history.

“You know we are making history,” Berschback said. “But then, as you grow older, your appreciation of your town and people looking out for you in your town grows. I like having a long history in Grosse Pointe and knowing so many people in our family histories. When I go out, I still see people I graduated with or people that went to school with me. I like that, rather than being in a place where I don’t know people and their history.”

CHARLOTTE BERSCHBACK One of Suzy’s daughters, Charlotte Bershback ’09, was the Student Council President for all four years during her time at South.

“I wanted to be involved in something,” Charlotte said. “It was exciting to feel like you were doing something for everybody else in the class, and it was nice to get to know what was going on on the inside of the school.”

For Charlotte, Homecoming week was a little different than for her mom. Although

JOKES ON YOU The words “The battle begins,” were said over the PA and the Class of 2009 headed out to the front lawn for their senior prank.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUZY BERSCHBACK

to feel like you are in some place special, and that you should pay attention,” Berschback said. “I think when you’re growing up in this area, you don’t realize how beautiful it is. We are just a couple blocks from the lake, and the whole lifestyle that comes with it. All of that combined is pretty special.”

According to Berschback, what makes South so special is not only the exterior of the building, but everything that happens inside the doors under the clock tower. She said what stands out in her mind the most when she thinks about her high school experience is the friends she made and the fun they had together at South. South is where Berschback met her lifelong friend, who now lives in Seattle. For Bershback, high school was about forming lasting relationships with her peers.

“That’s all that really matters is the people you meet and have life-long relationships with,” Berschback said. “So even though she’s in Seattle, we’re still the best of friends. She lives across the country, so that’s pretty good.”

After witnessing her two children attend South, Berschback said she noticed many similarities between the experiences she had with those of her daughters. According to Berschback, the style of clothing is one of the only things she has noticed change at South over the years. However, Homecoming week looked a lot different in the 80s that it does today, she said.

“Our Homecoming floats were literally kegs. We made a Homecoming float out of a keg, you know just tapped them,” Berschback said. “I remember the Homecoming parade through the village, (it was the) same route.”

For Berschback, she remembers the relationships she developed with her teachers and friends the most.

“I really liked developing relationships with teachers, so I think that helps carry you through school-- those relationships you have, and building trust with those

it was one of the most stressful weeks of the year, Charlotte said it was one of the most memorable.

“The seniors used to paint the rock last, and I remember the night before our spirit day, I slept outside in my minivan with another student to guard the rock because we were scared somebody was going to paint it overnight,” Charlotte said. “I think I did that junior and senior year, just stayed in my car and hoped nobody painted the rock; we would chase people away.”

Otherwise, Homecoming week was very similar to how it is today, Charlotte said. Float building began in August, but students generally tried to use more chicken wire, pom poms and plywood to build the float.

One specific memory Charlotte recalls during her senior year was their senior prank. The Class of 2009, after organizing it in a Facebook group, decided to do a “live action battle role play.” All of the seniors made their own armor and swords and made sure nobody brought any real weapons to school, Charlotte said.

“The Tower people weaseled their way into the principal’s office… broke into the PA system and announced on the PA ‘The battle begins,’ in the middle of third hour.

All the seniors came running out of their classrooms and grabbed all their shields and weapons, and ran out to the front lawn and fought a giant battle, and the people from shop class rolled out a giant catapult from their class and launched water balloons into the crowd. Somebody was running around playing the violin in a dress... it was really crazy. Eventually we all put our weapons down and went back inside.”

But for Charlotte, her favorite part of high school was being a member of The Tower staff, she said. She remembers Monday night deadlines, where some nights, she would stay with other members of the staff until one in the morning, managing to goof off and have fun, yet be serious enough to publish a quality newspaper.

“I was on The Tower with Jeff Nardone, who was absolutely my favorite teacher through all of high school,” Charlotte said.

“Jeff Nardone was the glue that held it all together. He treated us all like we were adults, so it felt like a really cool place to

them and they adhered to them and we just had a good time. It was very interesting to teach some of the years from about 68 to 75, and then it became as most people would consider more normal at the time.”

Today, Tom said he often will run into

THROUGH THE YEARS The Berschback family’s three generations that have attended South. From left to right: Nancy King ’75, Madeline Berschback ’11, Charlotte Berschback ’09, Marilyn Smith King ’47, and Suzy King Berschback ’81.

be. That was my favorite part, getting to hang out in The Tower room with everybody. I think that was what made my high school experience, and led me to do what I do now.”

Now, Charlotte is a law student in her third year, and she plans on being a public defender.

“I’ll be somewhere defending people accused of crimes,” Charlotte said. “I think Tower really caused me to dig deeper into a story. Even if someone has done something that from the outside looks really wrong, that there’s always two sides to that story.”

Looking back on her high school experience, Charlotte said she is grateful for the South environment and the teachers.

“They (the teachers) treated us more like adults than you see at other high schools,” Charlotte said. “It’s open campus and you can leave for lunch. Being able to drive somewhere at lunch and have people respect you and and let you do those things is a really impressive thing about South. I think there’s something about being treated like you have a little more responsibility than people at other schools, and that to me has changed the way that I am as an adult.”

students he taught at South since he has lived in Grosse Pointe since ’53.

“I see them in the village, and I of course don’t remember them all,” Tom said. “They come up to me and say ‘how are you.’ It makes you feel good when people remember you like that.”

When Tom was in high school, he played tennis and he continued to after high school, so he wanted to be the coach at South, he said.

“I started coaching South tennis, and I coached there for 32 years,” Tom said. “I am proud to say we were in the top 10 (in the state) for all 32 years and went to the state finals for all that time.”

According to Tom, he had some talented players who went on to play in college, and the South tennis program was very successful. What made coaching so rewarding for him was the comradery of the players and his strong assistant coaches.

“But, I am not going to take all of the credit because most of them of course were playing tennis with their own coaches since they were 10,” Tom said. “I always thought of myself as the psychologist who handled all of the mental problems they had on the court rather than the physical problems. That’s what I enjoyed the most about coaching.”

TOM BERSCHBACK Looking back Although Tom Bershat his experiences back, Suzy’s brother-inteaching and coachOur Homecoming law, did not graduate from ing at South, Tom South, he spent many years said he particularly floats were literally within the school. For 39 likes the diversity kegs. We made a years, Tom taught math at of the staff and stuHomecoming float South, and for 32 of those dents the most. out of a keg, you years, he was the boys ten“I think their apnis coach. proach was much know just tapped Tom began student more casual than them. teaching at South in 1967, other high schools I the year before Grosse have visited or knew SUZY BERSCHBACK ’81 Pointe North high school about in a sense opened, and he continued that most of the stuto teach math until 2008. dents at South never For Tom, some of his dressed to impress favorite years at South were when he was or were in big cliques,” Tom said. “They younger and was just beginning his teach- seemed to get along with each other much ing career, especially with the class of 1972 better than most schools, and I think it is and 1973, he said. probably true today still. The other one was “At that time teachers and students that I think the faculty was aware and knew could be a little more friendly to each oth- how to handle some of the crises that we’re er, and students used to visit me in my car- in pretty well. All in all, it was just a great riage house, which of course would not go place to work and I enjoyed-- nobody enover very well now,” Tom said. “But, at the joys all of it-- but I certainly enjoyed most time, I just had certain ground rules about of it.”

BATTLES The class does live action role play for their prank on South’s front lawn.

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PAUL BURGONYE ’85 “Some friends and I were in the first Science Olympiad in East Lansing in ’84. We had an amazing faculty sponsor who helped us set up the team and coordinated everything. We did okay in the contests, but we had a great time.”

TED BERKOWSKI ’12 “My best memories at South are from the tennis team and The Tower. Tower trips to NYC really stand out.”

MIKE CROW ’86 “The greatest thing about South? The history. Not just the building, but the generations of families that attended the same school together.”

BERNIE HAYWARD ’26 “I used to hate school.

Now that I’ve graduated, it seems the high school students have a snap of it.

We were never allowed so much freedom as you are.”

JAMES BELLANCA ’91

SEAN BRUCE ’87 “If you were willing to do the work, South was the best high school to get an education.”

“I have a lot of great memories at South. Certainly the friendships I made when I was there, but the teachers were such an important part of the experience there.”

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JENNY KOWAL ’98

SUZANNA ANTONELLI ’81

RON SIMMONS ’63

“I got to be a part of everything. I got to be part of the sports and the scholastics, the arts. Being on the Tower provided me the opportunity to be part of everything.”

“In the month of May, the senior class would meet at Angel Park at about 7 in the morning and we would all have a beer before we went to school.”

SPENCER HUGHES ’08

LINDSEY THIBODEAU ’10

“South introduced me to some business classes, which helped me decide where to attend college.”

“My favorite electives were art classes. I still wear some of the jewelry I made in metals class. And they inspired me to pursue a Studio Art minor in college.”

“The greatest gift South gave me is my group of girlfriends. There is something so special about old friends who have grown up alongside you.”

NEALA BERKOWSKI ’13

ASHLEY THIBODEAU ’08 “I loved South and my best friends today are people I met at South. I remember having classes and tutorials with them, going to lunch off-campus and celebrating spring with a Tigers day game.”

“My best memories at South were definitely from The Tower. It was stressful at times but hanging out in the Tower room after school everyday was so much fun.”

1920 DIANE BAKER ’65

2010

LEONARD CUGLIARI ’71

TOM SHINE ’75 “I was a manager for the football team, and hanging out with my friends who were on the team every day after school was fun. I really enjoyed sports, I was sports editor of The Tower, so it was fun to be involved in one.”

“My favorite memory of South I had is when I took my favorite girl to the Junior Prom. ”

1930

South throughout the years

2000 PEGGY FAHNSTACK ’60 “One of my favorite memories of high school took place during my sophomore year in Honors American History with Mr. Kaloger. He took us on a field trip to the United Auto Workers (UAW) headquarters in downtown Detroit.”

1990 KRISTI JEURGENS ’76 “Through my experience from living in Grosse Pointe during high school, I have lived my life trying to accept people for who they are and not where they come from or how much money they have or what they look like.”

WILLIAM LEONARD ’56 “Three generations of Leonards have called Grosse Pointe High their home: Bill ’56, Billy ’89, Mary ’92, Kathryn ’18, Will ’19, Elisabeth ’21, and hopefully, Jack ’27.”

TOM LUDWIG ‘69

“Two of my friends skipped out for lunch and so they came back after lunch and they’re going ‘Oh my God, the president is dead! The president got shot!’

Next hour, over the loudspeaker, they go, ‘The president has been shot’.”

KRISTEN MALLEGG ‘84

1940

“The legend of the 1984 senior class prank-- an old car was stripped down, spray painted, and hoisted to the roof of the school. Guys from our class were notorious pranksters - I seem to remember a horse head and/or a goat in the school.”

“I loved chemistry, Mr. Martin was a fantastic chemistry teacher and he let us do experiments in class beforehand.”

1950

“Varied, rigorous and enlightening in the ways that it is for most people who transform from 9th grade to 12th grade because it’s a time of great change.”

1960 1970

LIZ JOHNSON ’90

“The thing I love the most about South is the same pride I feel when I drive by the beautiful building and the pride I felt as a student inside of that building, is the same pride I feel as a parent sending kids there.”

COURTNEY MCGUIRE ’94 “In the 90s, it was all about dances, so girls would ask boys to MORP, which is PROM backwards. It would be a casual date, we would always do Sadies, it was never canceled, and we still did Junior Prom because that’s how much we enjoyed dances.”

“The best part about South was the sports and activities that were fun to attend. My favorite memory are all my friends and how I am still in contact with some of them.”

“I remember writing an editorial one year. Our entire class got into a bit of trouble after our Homecoming pep rally. I think the editorials made the students feel that they had a voice if they disagreed with what was going on.”

JACK NELSON ‘84

“My best memory would probably be going to the state basketball championship my freshman year.”

MEG LEONARD ’89

SUZANNE SPINDLER ‘82

BILL TURNER ‘88

1980

JULIANNA BERKOWSKI ’16

“Someone released three thousand crickets into the school. I remember crowds of girls screaming and running down the halls, and then days later, you’d find single crickets in the weirdest places around the school.”

LIZ VOGEL ’00 “I think that Grosse Pointe South really shaped who I am even when I was still this lump of clay. I knew I was in an environment that was going to foster creativity and academic curiosity. Even if I wasn’t ready for it yet, the teachers knew we were ready.”

BRIANNE K. NAUDEAU ’98 “My time on The Tower, and in particular being taught by Jeff Nardone shaped who I am as a writer, leader and human being. He was a mentor and a friend, and I miss him dearly.”

KYLE HACIAS ’03 “For me, I definitely have a lot of fond memories around sports. I played baseball, basketball and football, it was a year-round thing for me.”

HANK AUCH ’28 “The gym and the pool were not finished when I was there, I didn’t get to swim in it. My memories are just of all the fun we used to have, the school was great.”

TYLER CONLAN ’09 “The most impactful moments I felt at Grosse Pointe South were in Mr. Smith’s Latin class. His passion for the Latin language and culture of the ancient world was infectious, and has informed many of the academic decisions I make and path I take even unto graduate school.”

CAROLYN GORSKI ’02 “Who. What. Where. When. Why and How; this mantra and mentality became a life lesson on how to craft the best questions and create a full story in the classroom and life.

It has stayed with me thanks to Jeff Nardone’s leadership on The Tower staff.”

DANNY MERCIER ’88 “South was nationally ranked and we were notorious for having some of the biggest parties. In the 80s, South mastered the art of both working hard and playing hard.”

LORRAINE DALZEN-SHEPHERD ’39 “I can remember one time when J. Edgar Hoover came to speak to the gym full of people, and he talked so fast, that we could hardly understand what he said. And later, well, we heard about him since.”

HOMECOMING QUEEN CROWNINGS FROM 2017 AND 1992.

THE QUEENS WERE KATHIE SCHRAGE ’93 AND JULIA RAPAI ’18.

PHOTO BY JOHN FRANCIS ‘18

8 | THE TOWER

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 1.24.18

AN UNFINISHED TRADITION celebrating the legacy of South’s weekly 90 volume newspaper

Button was pleasantly surprised by his response, “I no matter the topic. In retrospect, he was tasked thought that’s why we hired you.” with the impossible; filling the shoes of a man who’s As Button began to dig into the job, he was impressed metaphorical foot size rivaled bigfoot. But for his stuby the caliber of writing the students were publishing. dents that he came to know, they accepted him just the Button said The Tower staff was the cream of the crop. same.

They worked to put out a weekly paper much like it is Satterthwaite recalled a moment from early on today, but the production process was quite different. in the job, one that’s emotional value has stuck with Old fashioned typewriters ticked away as the staff him. It was at a Michigan State high school journalused letterpress reproduction. ism summer camp, where students and colleagues “We wrote stories in type gathered to commemorate the and then sent them to the late Nardone. printer who then set them “I was just talking in letterpress slugs,” Button to some of the students, said. “We got back galleys and then someone said of the printed columns. we needed a picture. Then, Then we pasted them down Alexa Lysik (the Editor in on layout sheets, then sent Chief at the time) tapped them back to the printer me and said, ‘You need to be assembled how we wanted in this, you are a part of this them.” now,’” Satterthwaite said. “I In Button’s first year, The still get emotional about it beROD SATTERTHWAITE Tower won a Pacemaker, cause it was the new leaderPast Tower adviser the highest award for a high ship accepting me.” school newspaper, followed Satterthwaite said The by five more in his tenure. Every year under Button’s ad- Tower staff was an eclectic group of students. A visement, The Tower also received the top more studious staff member may write the piece, ranking from the Michigan Interscholas- and the outgoing athlete may copy edit it. It was a tic Press Association, a Spartan Award. dynamic range of students that created a dysfuncIn 1994, Jeff Nardone took over the tional family of sorts.

EXCELLENCE YEARS OF reigns. The publication had been around “They were kids who weren’t afraid to stand up since 1928, but Nardone would only be its to authority, which some people don’t like,” Satthird adviser. terthwaite said. “And they were students who Nardone was a man with a passion for were very proud to be a part of this publication.” journalism, and a teacher who had an imSatterthwaite’s time as adviser would not last, pact on every one of his students, accord- and after two short years he would move on to ing to Megan Fleming ’14, a former Editor being an adviser to Palo Alto High School. in Chief of The Tower.

And so, starting in the fall of 2016, Kaitlin “He was the voice of The Tower and he Edgerton would assume this prestigious role let the students take charge,” Fleming said. as the defender and mentor of a student-run, “But he was always that guiding and help- student-led publication. ing hand that was always there.”

Jack Holme ’17 was the Associate Nardone passed away in November of Editor during Edgerton’s first year, said 2014, but his former staffers will say it’s he saw right away that she would do a through The Tower that his legacy lives fine job in keeping up the status quo of on. excellence The Tower has been known for.

Jacqueline Francis ’13 was the Editor in “From what she’s been getting done in 17 National Chief the year preceding Fleming. the time she’s had,” Holme said, “I think She said for her, The Tower was just the she’s doing a good job.”

Pacemakers beginning and Nardone was a big part of Coming from a freshly minted alumthat.

Francis is now a news reporter for a nus staffer, Holme’s outlook for the paper is NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC local Fox Affiliate in Illinois. bright.

He, like other past editors, will always PRESS ASSOCIATION “Mr. Nardone never said journalism value being on The Tower during his time at AWARDS was going to be easy,” Francis said. “But South. he did say it’d be rewarding. Even as high There’s a lot to be said about what Tower stu15 COLUMBIA PRESS AWARDS school journalists we had the ability to dents walk away with after that last issue goes to DETROIT hold officials accountable, ask the tough print.

ROUND TABLE FREEDOM questions and at the end of the day impact Button said his hope as an adviser was that the FOUNDATION MI BEST CIVIL our community for the better.” staffers would graduate from The Tower with skills AT VALLEY By the time Francis came in as editor, and knowledge that could translate into any field or FORGE RIGHTS REPORTING Nardone was the only Tower adviser most occupation.

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION, 1962 FEDERATION people knew. But from what she under“To find out the truth, to find out different points OF PRESS FOR stood, Nardone took over the Tower with of view, to weigh opinions and to find those were useWOMEN respect for all that preceded him. ful tools,” Button said.

“I know he inherited the Tower from The Tower is an institution that shapes those who Button,” Francis said. “And I think he un- experience it, and forges a connection with staffers past derstood that he had a legacy and a tradi- and present, Francis said. tion to carry on, and he did a phenomenal “In that newsroom there are tough conversations, job with that.” you’re talking about what’s affecting our community MICHIGAN SPECIAL Nardone would think the legacy of right now,” Francis said. “So inevitably there’s a bond that TRIBUTES Tower is something where students get to forms between you and your fellow staffers,” come and be a part of something, learn She went on to add the bond doesn’t end there. from it and take those lessons with them, “I know if I met a student today who worked on The according to Fleming.

Tower ten years before me, there’d be that instant connecINDUCTED 1932 Francis agreed. tion,” Francis said.

“Joining The Tower was becoming a Fleming said most staffers will always remember the part of something that soon became a part legacy of The Tower in a few short words: “Never forget of me,” Francis said. what you’re a part of.”

Rod Satterthwaite would be adviser She added that those were the words scribbled at the number four. After a few years with inter- bottom of a legal pad she found when cleaning out Narim advisers and even some english teach- done’s desk after his passing. ers at South helping The Tower along, the And although he’s no longer here to preach those school made their decision. A soft-spoken words to each and every staff member as they head out bald man with tortoiseshell glasses and a the door on graduation day, his mantra still rings true.

INFOGRAPHIC BY RILEY LYNCH ’18 willingness to engage in any discussion,

LIAM WALSH & JOHN FRANCIS both ’18 Supervising Editor & Editor in Chief Bob Button walks into room 142, a classroom with walls painted an institutional green. The door handle has the original knobs from Grosse Pointe High. The blackboard is crowded with messages scribbled in chalk, Button said this is how students would communicate between the different hours.

It’s 1966 and Button had just inherited “The New York Times of high school journalism”, or at least that’s what a fellow advisor had once told Button at a teaching conference.

Before taking the job as The Tower adviser, Button had spent the past four years in Waterloo, Iowa as an English teacher. He came to Grosse Pointe in hopes of building a full-time journalism program. Before being the adviser, Button added, he didn’t realize the power of the high school press.

“It was assumed the high school press was a PR tool for the school and a chance for students to get some experience,” Button said. “It was always safe.”

Button said one of his first days he went to the then principal of the school, Jerry Gerich. He asked Gerich what the guidelines were when it came to what The Tower could and couldn’t publish.

They were kids who weren’t afraid to stand up to authority, which some people don’t like.

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The Tower

110 17

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QUILL AND SCROLL AWARDS

PHOT

COMPILED BY RILEY LYNCH '18

The same eight pages: ‘03 alum replicates his own Tower in Chicago school

T

MARK UPS (below) Lund ’03 reads through one of The Blueprint’s issues.

TOWER TRIP (above) Lund and other staffers pose outside of The Today Show during The Tower New York City field trip.

IN ACTION (right) Lund answers questions in front of his students.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN LUND ’03

300 word profile hree years ago, past Tower alum and current Jones College Prep High School AP Government teacher, John Lund ’03, was marking up his school’s newspaper. His department chair looked over his shoulder, saw the red marks he scribbled on the page and offered Lund to take over advising their paper.

“I basically replicated The Tower at the school I teach over here in Chicago,” Lund said.

According to Lund, his exposure to journalism from The Tower gave him a headstart into his career with NBC and CBS. He now teaches at a Chicago high school and has a journalism class, which he runs closely to how Jeff Nar-

done did, Lund said.

“The thing that’s hard about it with him being gone is I can’t ask someone how to run it,” Lund said. “There’s no rule book to a journalism class, especially when a lot of people aren’t as good as The Tower.”

Lund has worked basically on memory to publish The Blueprint, he said.

“I have my bound editions of the Tower in my filing cabinet, and I pull them out every once and awhile to see ‘how did we do this?’,” Lund said.

According to Lund, it can be hard to mimic The Tower because of the different dynamics of South and his current school.

“The kids that go here come from all over the city,

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and are not as tightly knit as Grosse Pointe,” he said.

No matter the challenges, Lund believes the importance of journalism trumps any adversity.

“It’s invaluable, especially when a program like The Tower has been around for 90 years,” Lund said. “It’s important to highlight because it’s one of the better programs at South and always has been.”

Lund doesn’t know what lies ahead in the future, he said. He hopes to be principal or dean at a journalism school.

“I definitely see sticking with it [journalism], but what form I take it is up to debate,” Lund said.

Turning

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the

Page

The similarities and differences in school policy throughout the years

A PAPERBACK THROWBACK Each of these excerpts are from the 1939 edition of the student handbook, The Pointer.

ALYSSA CZECH & GRACE REYES BOTH ’19 Associate Editor & Pulse Editor in Chief

A

s South reaches its 90th anniversary, so does its school policy.

But as the years and students’ behaviors change, so do the so-

cial norms.

English teacher Elizabeth Lulis ’97 said she sees many similarities between South’s policies when she was in high school and the ones in place currently, but looking back at the rules in the 1970s is when she is able to see stark differences.

Leonard Cugliari ’71, Lulis’ father, said he saw a lot of changes through the years he went to South and even more when he sent his children to the same school.

“Especially with my kids and grandchildren going there, (South) definitely has more discipline, which I’m happy about,” Cugliari said. “As you get older, you see the dangers that could happen (and you see policies) try to stop that from starting, so I’m grateful for that.”

Kyle Hacias “My first year when ’03 said he also they changed the noticed a trend attendance policy, there of increasingly was actually a walkout. strict school pol150 students rebelled icy at South.

“It seems like and walked out of the every year, there’s school.” more rules and DOUG ROBY regulations administration tries Social Worker to implement to help people succeed and stay focused,” Hacias said. “They demanded more discipline each year.”

Assistant Principal Cindy Parravano said if students are more responsible, less policy needs to be employed to police inappropriate behavior. Spanish teacher Cindy Morefield-Pinder agreed; she said policies change because students evolve the ways they harm themselves and the schools react to it.

“The more responsible you are, the less rules need to be enforced on you,” Parravano said.

One of the most noticeable changes to South’s policy over the years is the attendance policy, according to Lulis and school social worker Douglas Roby.

Lulis said her senior year (1996-1997)

was the first year an attendance policy was put in place and the 10 absence cap was established. She said if a student skipped a class, they were given a one hour detention and after two or more absences, they had to go to Saturday school. Tardies were handled by teachers independently of schoolwide policy. “(Previously), you could miss classes as often as you wanted and there weren’t repercussions for students. But students were having an upwards of 30 or 40 absences per class,” Lulis said. “I will admit I attended Saturday school on more than one occasion.”

According to Morefield-Pinder, when she attended White Hall High School, it was not beneficial to skip classes because the student would fall behind due to the fact that they could not get the information online or by sending a picture as easily as students can now.

However, when the attendance policy was first put in place, there was backlash from students, according to Roby.

“My first year when they changed the attendance policy, there was actually a walkout. 150 students rebelled and walked out of the school,” Roby said. “They paraded down the halls.”

Lulis said her parents’ rules were if she was doing well in school and needed to miss, she could handle it.

“All of a sudden, someone else was telling me how many days I could miss; I was offended by that,” Lulis said. “But quite honestly, 10 (absences) a semester... it wasn’t really a big deal.”

The smoking policy is also something that has changed with the times. According to Cugliari, during his time at South the rule was in place but not enforced.

“Every class change, you could go into any boy’s restroom and you’d find numerous guys smoking in the bathroom in between classes,” Cugliari said. “Back in that day, even your teachers smoked in the building.”

When Morefield-Pinder was a high school student, she experienced a very similar problem.

“The bathrooms were just filled with smoke. At the high school I went to, they actually had smoking sections outside that kids could go smoke,” Morefield-Pinder said. “We had kids chewing tobacco in the halls, it was disgusting.”

Roby said students would smoke in the courtyard in front of South during passing time when he attended South.

According to a more recent South graduate, Hacias said smoking wasn’t allowed on campus, but students who were 18 would go across the street to light up.

Recently, new rules targeting vaping-which is under the smoking heading in the school’s policy-- have been implemented.

The newest of which were put in place around Dec. 1, 2017.

Part of these new regulations require a three day temporary separation from school for anyone who is caught with tobacco products on school grounds, in a school vehicle, or at a school activity for the first time. The second offense is a five day separation and the third can be up to a ten day separation, according to Parravano.

Parravano said these new policies have caused the staff to have to be more vigilant and that these rules are difficult to enforce.

“I think (vaping) is still a problem, only because we can’t be everywhere at one time. Students can go really anywhere that is out of eyeshot or earshot to vape,” Parravano said. “I think it’s happening less in restrooms. Our hall monitors are a little more present near the restrooms and walking around, making sure that behavior isn’t happening.”

South’s policy regarding alcohol has also evolved. Lulis recalled how some of her friends could not walk at graduation because they were caught drinking. She also said there was constant communication between the school district and the police, including working with a police liaison in building.

Hacias said he almost got in trouble because he was at a party at his friend’s house.

“I personally wasn’t drinking because I was driving, but it was easy to consider that I was drinking because everyone else was,” Hacias said. “That came into question and the sports penalty was considered, but in that instance, I made a good choice. I was a sober driver to get people home and none of us should have been drinking. It was a tough situation but it didn’t end up negatively impacting me.”

However, the policy has changed related to substance abuse since Hacias graduated in 2003. Now, even if a student is “intentionally... in the presence of tobacco (or) alcoholic beverages... the student will be suspended from extracurricular activities” including all clubs and sports, and “the student will lose their captaincy, leadership positions, or leadership role for the current school year,” according to the handbook.

Cugliari said the school policy when he attended South was focused strictly on matters that occurred while on the school campus.

“The school never got involved with stuff we did outside of school,” Cugliari said.

Another new change to policy this year is changes in the dress code at South. The new regulations give students more liberty in that area, according to Parravano.

Cugliari said his dress code was much stricter than the one put in place when his children attended South and now, but the students didn’t mind.

“We couldn’t go to school in blue jeans, sweatshirts, and t-shirts, we had to wear slackers and a collared shirt,” Cugliari said.

“We weren’t allowed to wear gym shoes, we had to wear our school shoes. You had your school shoes “Every class change, and your gym shoes. There was you could go into any a different stan- boy’s restroom and dard compared you’d find numerous to today. That was pretty strictly en- guys smoking in the forced. It wasn’t a bathroom in between problem because classes,” for us kids, it was LEONARD CUGLIARI ’71 normal dress.”

Parravano said when policy changes need to happen, there is a recommendation made by a committee made up of administrators, teachers and parents-and at some point, students are probably brought in, which is something students from the Principal’s Advisory Committee may do. Then the superintendent looks at that recommendation and presents it to the school board, who either approves it, denies it or suggests that changes be made.

“It’s up to the school board to either approve it or not approve it, or look at making some changes,” Parravano said. “They are the final say in whether we implementing or are we not implementing.”

Hacias said administration has challenges trying to enforce and develop policy, because they have to try new things, therefore it is natural for policies to continuously evolve.

“At that age, there’s a lot of different influences and temptations. Everyone has good intentions when they are trying to put these rules together,” Hacias said.

“Students try to follow them, but everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are a natural thing and maybe (policy) needs to be collaboratively explored more with students and administration. There needs to be more awareness on the issues happening so they can be prevented to some extent.”

Technology changes affect school policy; cause teachers to be more aware ABI DUE ’18 Social Media Editor Throughout the last decade, there has been a revolutionary transition between many factors of the cell phone, Peter Palen, social studies department chair, explained, such as when it’s appropriate to use in class, how often people are using them and exactly There were strict what people are using them for. bands against cell As a student in the early phones in classrooms 2000s, phones didn’t become when I was in high popular until Palen’s senior year in high school, 2004. school.

“There were strict bans PETER PALEN against cell phones in classSocial Studies Department rooms when I was in high Chair school,” Palen said. “In fact, if your cell phone chirped, or went off or rang in class, that was grounds for an office referral.”

Although cell phones were becoming more common, their uses were mostly limited to texting, Palen said.

“Back in my day, if you wanted to copy someone’s worksheet, you

had to physically be there before school, go to their house to copy it, or have them read the answers to it over the phone,” Palen said.

According to psychology teacher DeEtte Reynolds, before cell phones became prevalent among students, kids were creative with finding different ways to cheat on tests.

“Traditionally, (students) used to cheat by writing things on their hands or on the desks. Sometimes, I would catch kids writing information on their shoe, which is pretty inventive,” Reynolds said. “One time, I caught a kid who had written the answers on his pencil, which must’ve taken a lot of effort, but you don’t see that as much anymore.”

The pivotal point of phones being used in the classroom was once phones had internet, according to Reynolds.

Lindsay Froelich ’19 said she uses the internet for homework help a lot instead of opening her book. She said it is easier to just look up the answer on her phone.

“There was always texting, but then it became more of an issue for cheating,” Reynolds said. “A kid could theoretically look up an answer during the test or take a picture.”

After last year’s cheating incident when Reynolds was absent on the test day, she now requires students to place their phone in a bin before testing.

“There’s always that likelihood (of cheating) if kids take the test in the hall, so they have to leave their cell phone in the classroom,

because of that,” Reynolds said.

Even though there are some downsides with technology, such as cheating and disturbing the class, there also many positives.

“It’s a double-edged sword; it can definitely benefit students by reminding them about certain things, but in the real world you’re not always going to be reminded like that. It might be doing them a disservice,” Palen said. “I see technology as both a blessing and a curse. I see that it has a lot of positives for education, but there are definitely some real drawbacks as well.”

Another large difference is the way information can be accessed these days, Palen said.

“Through class lectures, (teachers) would didactically give their students information little by little bit,” Palen said. “Now all my students have all of the information at their fingertips, so I think one of the biggest challenges for education and for educators is how we can use the iPhone for accessing, evaluating and analyzing information.”

Even though technology has gotten much more advanced, cheating and technology have always had a relationship, according to Palen, but due to the rapid rate of communication today, it’s much easier to cheat.

“On an assignment that is a fill in worksheet type of assignment, the nature of that makes it very easy cheating on the iPhone,” Palen said.

6 | FEATURE

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 1.24.18

THE STROH’S BROS: a timeless friendship RILEY LYNCH ’18 Supervising Editor

THE STROH’S BROS Kurt Buhler, Gary Cornillie, Pete Gardella, Pete Gigante, John Meier, Tom Willetts and Jacques Wolfe all ’81 purchased the above photo as an ad for the yearbook.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE GPS YEARBOOK

High school cliques become forms of lifelines for students across the world, and Grosse Pointe South has never been an exception. Some groups shift and change over time, and some have remained constant since youth. One of those long-lasting groups claims to have brought fame to their name: the Stroh’s Bros.

According to Jacques Wolfe ’81, the Stroh’s Bros have been friends since they were five years old, and adopted their name in high school.

“We became friends when we were in grade school together at St. Paul Catholic School,” Wolfe said.

“We were all excited to get to South.

We each pursed individual interests: sports, Student Association, school plays, etc. Throughout all of this, our friendship that had formed many years before carried over and, in fact, grew.”

Tom Willetts ’81, another Stroh’s Bro, said the group’s name began when he attempted to start a sponsorship with Stroh’s Brewery Company during the winter.

“This was the start of the Stroh’s Bros (name), and from that time on, I used to go to the brewery each year and pick up over 5 thousand Stroh’s shirts, coats, koozies, hats and sweaters,” Willetts said.

However, that was only the beginning of the obsession with the beer brand. During their senior year, the Stroh’s Bros paid for an ad in the yearbook that depicted a golf club hitting a can of Stroh’s beer, shot by Willetts. In addition, Wolfe recalls their senior prank, which occurred during their commencement ceremony.

“My friends climbed up on the roof of the main building the night before graduation and rigged a very large banner that was unrolled during the commencement ceremony,” Wolfe said. “I have reached out to my friends and the banner said ‘Stroh’s.’”

Wolfe recognizes that times have changed, though, between his time at South and that of his daughters’, Rachelle Wolfe ’18 and Elizabeth Wolfe ’20. One of the main differences was the system of ethics, which Wolfe noted didn’t seem to apply.

“I do not recall that there were

any published guidelines,” Wolfe said of the Code of Conduct. “Consequences, in general, were much less severe when I attended South.”

Rachelle claims from what she’s heard, her father and his friends got into some trouble, but never had severe consequences, which she noted is radically different from today.

“Since my father attended South, policies have become much more strict and students’ lives out of school have become more regulated,” Rachelle said. “Things that my dad did in high school with no punishment would land him in the principal’s office today.”

According to the Student Handbook, in 1995, South adopted a new policy enforcing the underage drinking laws. Under MCL 380.1308, any minor in possession during school hours or during a school-related activity will be suspended for a minimum of five days and can be referred to the authorities. In addition, wearing clothing that sponsors alcohol or any type of drug can be punishable by detention through separation.

Both Jacques and Willetts admitted to attending parties with drinking, and neither faced any form of punishment because of it.

“When we were drinking below age, we always tried to go to one of the groups’ basement and make sure to stay off the streets,” Willetts said. “I cannot comment on what (current) kids that are drinking are doing to ensure they are not putting themselves at risk and causing a lot of pain for their parents. I made a promise to my mother that she would never have to worry about me calling from jail after we had been out having fun. I kept that promise.”

Willetts thinks that because the group was safe and didn’t make life-threatening decisions while they weren’t sober, the administrators during their time at South didn’t mind as much and may have even been oblivious. He also noted that there is no true way administrators can stop parties altogether, as they have been around for decades.

“Parties on the weekends always had alcohol, and sometimes got out of hand. But I had sisters that told me that they had these same type of parties in the 60s. What has changed is that the tolerance to it

has seemed to hit a breaking point,” Willetts said. “I believe that this is due to those that have pushed the boundaries and many kids are getting hurt. While I was at MSU, we never had anyone killed during fraternity hazing, but today, it has gone too far, and so I can understand how the administrators have tried to make sure it does not happen on their watch.”

Wolfe said the Stroh’s Bros typically had fun at the parties while remaining responsible, recalling one time where another friend rented out a venue to host a gathering during 1981.

“There were a few times where the parties were really big-- maybe a hundred or more kids,” Wolfe said. “My friends and I would stop by, and we would always see people there we knew. My senior year, some girls from my class booked a room at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dearborn and we all went there for a party after the Homecoming dance.”

Although the high school days are over for the Stroh’s Bros, they all keep in touch, according to Willetts.

As for Wolfe, the traditions and memories get to live on through his daughters, who walk the same halls he did over 30 years ago.

“I thought South was a great school when I was a student there, and even better today,” Wolfe said.

“The fact that my two girls walk the same hallways and sit in the same classrooms as I did is pretty cool.”

Rachelle shares the same sentiment, adding that it has strengthened their bond.

“I think it’s really cool that I get to go to school where my dad went,” Rachelle said. “It’s like I get to relive his experiences and he can relate to mine. I feel more connected to the school since my father attended it.”

Wolfe said he still maintains contact with the Stroh’s Bros, and aims to see them whenever possible.

“Of course, like all people, we have moved on with families and busy careers,” Wolfe said. “To this day, however, we continue to keep in touch and get together whenever possible. Somehow, someway, we became lifelong friends and I am truly grateful for my Bros.”

A look through Towers throughout the years

1959 Grosse Pointe swimmers defeated record-breaking speed in the 160 yard relay for the second time in two seasons.

1959 Russian students practice their pronunciation with the use of tape recorders on the third floor.

1940 English teacher, William Mehegan, makes his debut on the show ‘Night Court’ for allegedly stealing automobile parts from minors.

1959 Students get dressed up and model for their final exam.

1959 Students practice dramatic scenes of their production of ‘Icebound.’

1956 Senior class ‘Graduation Day’ float is decked out with roses for the spirit day parade.

1940 Biology classes study a possum and its reactions to find out how fast it can learn.

1957 Students in homeroom hold the record for having bought War Stamps for three consecutive weeks.

1959 Students go to the print shop and learn what goes into printing final newspapers.

PHOTOS BY THE TOWER

That is totally 80s!

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 1.24.18

BLAIR CULLEN & HARPER MCCLELLAN BOTH ’18 Staff Writers

Layering

11 | CULTURE

A fashion throwback to some exciting 80s trends.

In the 80s, layering on different colors and prints was a popular trend; specifically adding a bright sweater over turtlenecks. Every person that was alive in the 80s had to own an oversized jean jacket to pull the look together.

Stripes

Stripes, stripes, and more stripes! A casual striped tee tucked into jeans, was a staple outfit of the 80s. Stripes were also commonly found on turtlenecks. The use of bold prints and patterns were radical during this time. Anything velour was a must have for the 80s like this striped velour jacket.

Overalls

Every 80s kid probably had a pair of overalls in their closet. Not even kids; teens and adults followed this trend too. Popularly paired with slogan tees or oversized sweaters, it was a bonus if your overalls were acid-washed.

Logos Varsity Sweaters

A go-to high school look was throwing on a varsity sweater paired with high-waisted jeans. The stripes around collar and sleeves was a big trend in the 80s.

The 80s saw a lot of graphic and slogan shirts.

Sneakers

Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Converse, and the list goes on. The 80’s loved their big brand names. What shirt was more wicked than a brand name tee?

Athletic sneakers worn in day-to-day outfits was seen everywhere in the 80s. Maybe gaining popularity through the 80s aerobic craze or seen on favorite athletes. Think high-top sneakers such as Reeboks, Nikes, and Converse.

PHOTOS BY HARPER MCCLELLAN & BLAIR CULLEN BOTH ’18

History Highlights EVA MCCORD ’21 Staff Writer

1920s - Youth culture

1940s - With sound

1960s - The Beatles

1930s - Music went

1950s - Elvis com-

1970s - The political

in the 1920s was defined by the improving automotive industry, which was a bigger symbol of independence than fashion or music. Celebrities such as fashion designer Coco Chanel and actress Fay Wray dominated billboards.

through many changes during the 1930s, with large bands and swing music becoming popular across the country.

Bandleaders such as Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller were the faces of this movement.

entering the film industry, movies became increasingly popular; comedies and musicals helped people forget their troubles during times of fear amidst World War 2. Radio was also wildly popular, with music from Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday.

pletely dominated the music industry, with a brand new style of music people called “rock n’ roll.” Television began to take a chunk out of the film industry’s revenue; it was now typical for an average household to have a television, a radio, and other such electrical appliances.

changed music forever after their formation in 1960. Civil rights began becoming a more highlighted issue, regarding topics such as race, religion, gender, and national origin. New music and increased social unrest was a way to cope with political frustration.

and economic freedom of women continued to grow, alongside hippie culture; this movement focused on world peace and opposition to nuclear weapons.

1980s - By the late 80s,

Nike had grown into one of the most profitable clothing industries in the world. Popular bands such as R.E.M., Foreigner, Van Halen, Def Leppard, and New Kids On The Block dominated youth culture.

2000s - The iPod

is first released, later to be followed by the iPhone. The growth of the internet contributed to globalization during the decade, allowing for faster communication among people around the world.

1990s - By the 90s, musi- 2010s - Increased cians had a greater impact on what young people more than designers; hip hop style was arguably the most popular among young people. Animated movies such as Toy Story and A Bug’s Life changed how children viewed the movie industry forever.

focus on activism and human rights, demonstrated by women marches and the Black Lives Matter movement.

GRAPHIC BY EVA MCCORD ’21

Dancing through the decades KARI RONNING ’20 Staff Writer

Pop, heavy alternative, rap and rock are just a few genres Grosse Pointe South heard over the radio and in the halls over the decades. According to alumni and South teachers, popular artists, albums and songs identify their high school careers.

Laura Monahan ’85, remembers her era as the beginning of punk rock and the end of Styx, a progressive or hard rock band.

“I would say my decade was all about big sound, and no joke, bands like Chicago who had huge horn sections, they just had big sound, big numbers and big productions,” Monahan said. “It seems like songs were more complex sound wise in comparison to previous decades.”

Monahan recalls some of the biggest artists during her time in high school were those who achieved once-in-a-lifetime awards. According to Monahan, these artists include singer-songwriters such as Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.

“Michael Jackson was the biggest at this point, his popular album was Thriller which is the biggest selling album of all time,” Monahan said and is fact, according to the RIAA. As South approached the 90s, Coleen Jogan ’91 remembers her era as switching between genres, moving on from Bon Jovi. Some of the famous bands her classmates were familiar with included Guns and Roses, Nirvana, U2 and R.E.M. “I would describe my era as rock or heavy alternative,” Jogan said. “I think ‘Losing My Religion’ and ‘Shiny Happy People’ by R.E.M were huge.”

According to Jogan, she remembers close friends who attended R.E.M. concerts, a pop and rock band who won multiple Grammys. Some of them including ‘Best Pop Performance by a Duo’ and ‘Best Alternative Music Album,’ according to Grammy.com.

Taylor Barczyk ’05, and current fashion teacher at South, defines the 2000’s music genre as pop, with introduction to rappers and individual artists, such as Ludacris.

“Brittany Spears was big, Justin Timberlake had just gone solo, so that was huge,” Barczyk said.

“There were boy bands like NSYNC, but they started moving away from that with Christina Aguilera.”

Barczyk attended concerts while in high school, including popular bands and artists who won Billboard Music Awards, such as the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC according to Billboard. com.

According to Paisley MacKay ’20, she attended concerts throughout high school as well, including Katy Perry and Imagine Dragons.

“I went to Imagine Dragons with a couple friends recently and it was really cool to be in a huge arena around so many people, it was like being part of a family or something,” Mackay said.

MacKay believes artists South is familiar with today include Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran. According to MacKay, the style for music now seems to have switched over to rap and hip-hop.

“I would say there are a lot of popular hits with hip-hop or rap nowadays,” MacKay said. “There’s even songs with electronic music like techno, but I’m not a fan of that, I like music that I can singalong with and actually relate to.”

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 1.24.18

12| AUTO SHOW

Continued: The future of driving ALYSSA CZECH ’19 & EVELYN KUHNLEIN ’20 Associate Editor & Staff Writer Continued from Page 1 said in a survey the company did, DENSO’s goals are “innova- 74 percent of consumers would tion, efficiency, stepping into the not trust an autonomous or rofuture and being at the forefront bot driver in their car. of that for overall human and Weast said accidents from machine interface,” the employee other drivers increase this skeptisaid. “We are trying to make life cism, and one of the main factors easier and convenient on every- holding back drivers’ trust of maone and also think about things chine is that they are struggling before they happen.” to give up control. Also, drivers One new innovation the com- are worried that while they unpany is coming out with, accord- derstand the rules and someing to the employee, is hypervi- times purposefully break them, sor. robots will not, such as in the “Hypervisor is already in pro- case of following the speed limit. duction. It’s pretty brand new, it “Humans interpret the rules, was released Dec. 14. It works the robots follow the rules,” with being able to communicate Weast said. between different operating sysAI and autonomous vehitems in your vehicle and it gives cles would allow people to relax them a really seamless and quick or work while they are getting communicating bridge to be able where they need to be, according to graphic share,” the employee to Weast. They would blend ensaid. tertainment experience with proAnother DENSO technolo- viding the driver necessary inforgy that is underway is called the mation about how and when the curved organic light emitting car is driving. diode (OLED), which is a tech“The vehicle becomes almost nology that presents bright, vivid an extension of your home. A images with a wide viewing angle place to work, sleep, etc.” Weast and fast response time, in cars. said.

“We’re thinking 2021 for mass According to Weast, techproduction, because we still have nology is advancing extremely to refine some things that disturb quickly, so quickly that somefunctionality,” the employee said. times people should stop, take a “It’s an organic luminescent dis- breath and realize what has been play, so the organic component accomplished. of it makes it a lot more difficult Weast said there are two milfor reliability and durability. It’ll lion vehicles in 2018 “with safety be in pretty much all the vehicles features that will change people’s by 2025.” lives,” and that mapping data colDENSO is also deciding on lected in 2018 by the company producing a “personal electric can be used in 2019 to support vehicle,” which looks almost like automated driving. a bike, that would be an autonAccording to Sam Abuelsomous shared vehicle, similar to amid, senior research analyst the Lyft app except with autono- contributing to Navigant Remous vehicles instead of drivers. search’s Transportation Efficien“This (vehicle) can be total- cies program, these autonomous ly autonomous. It would show vehicles with AI in them are so up with no one driving it, and it much better now and are getting would just pick you up and you closer to being affordable. could drive it, you could pedal it Innovation by countless comor put it in automotive mode and panies in the automotive indusit could drop you off at work,” the try is allowing cars to be more DENSO employee said. “That’s technologically advanced, and to something that hasn’t been total- move towards putting completely 100 percent decided on.” ly autonomous cars on the marJack Weast, senior principal ket at affordable prices. engineer and chief systems ar“I see it going from a science chitect of Autonomous Driving project to reality,” Weast said.

Solutions at Intel Corporations, said there is a lot of skepticism about autonomous vehicles. He

5 cars at the Auto Show that won’t crash your budget DAN KLEPP ’20 & JOHN FRANCIS ’18 | Staff Writer & Editor-in-Chief

TRUCK OFF:

#1: Subaru Crosstrek

This year, Subaru launched its second generation design of the Crosstrek, a compact SUV. It is one of the most fuel-efficient all-wheel drive compact SUVs in America, according to the Subaru 2018 media information on the Crosstrek. With an estimated 29-mpg, it holds well with competition.

#2: Toyota Camry

The 2018 Camry offers sleek looks with its all-new redesign. The Camry makes a modest 203 horsepower and a fuel-efficient 39 mpg highway.

It has a comfortable and cleanly designed interior with leather seating. It also has optional built-in WiFi and adaptive cruise control.

#3: Honda Civic

The Honda Civic with the “Si” trim has been a classic sport sedan choice for generations. It makes a punchy 205 horsepower, coupled with a standard manual transmission, is a recipe for fun. It also makes an outstanding 38 mpg highway and provides good leg room.

#4: Subaru Impreza

The 2018 Impreza offers more room in the cabin for passengers than the previous year model, and has standard Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Near Field Communication connectivity. As with any Subaru model, the Impreza comes standard with All Wheel Drive (AWD). This re-designed Impreza has 152 horsepower and a five-speed manual transmission is standard for Impreza 2.0i and 2.0i Sport Models

#5: Fiat 124 Spider

The Fiat 124 Spider is the car for the enthusiast with a budget. This two-seat roadster offers sporty design and good performance. It makes a seemingly small 160 horsepower, but that is paired with a feather-weight 2,436 pound curb weight. It also offers a standard manual transmission.

PHOTOS BY JOHN FRANCIS ’18 & DANIEL KLEPP ’20

2018 FORD F-150 VS 2018 CHEVY SILVERADO

RAY HASANAJ ’18 & CHARLIE MATTHEWS ’20 Supervising Editor & Staff Writer

Eight different models

21 miles per gallon Tires functional on all terrains

MSRP $41,175

450 pounds lighter than 2017 model

145” wheel base

PHOTOS BY JOHN FRANCIS ’18

Included with Sirius XM radio

Wireless phone charging and 4G LTE WiFi connectivity