Issue 15

the

TOWER

Thursday, Jan. 19 , 2017

Volume 89

Issue 15

A weekly tradition since 1928

@thetowerpulse

Grosse Pointe South 11 GP Blvd. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

A MARK IN HISTORY:

KING’S VISIT SYLVIA HODGES ‘19 | Copy Editor n 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in front of a crowd of more than 200,000 people in the nation’s capital, ready to give a speech entitled “Normalcy-Never Again.” Near the end of the speech, King suddenly spouted the famous phrase: “I have a dream…” This impromptu change of plans made this particular speech one of the most highly regarded speeches of all time. Although not forgotten, King’s day of honor, MLK Day on Jan.16, seems to have had its importance diminished by some.

Daniel Kuhnlein ‘17 said he once had to deal with a coach who did not understand the importance of the holiday.

“One of my sports teams’ coaches gives practice off on Labor Day but does not give practice off on MLK Day,” Kuhnlein said. “I texted him on Labor Day when I found out there was no practice and I said, ‘I think all holidays should be treated equally and you shouldn’t give some off and some not off. You need to set a precedent. But there is one holiday you make us practice on that celebrates someone who spoke out.”’

Kuhnlein said the reply he got suggested that MLK Day was only a holiday for black people, the coach saying that the black people at his fiancée’s work “don’t complain about not getting MLK Day off.”

“I had to explain to him that MLK Day is not a black holiday; it’s an

I

American holiday that celebrates all Americans and the equality of all Americans,” Kuhnlein said. “You cannot understand how mad I was.”

Lenise Freeman ‘19 said that on MLK Day, she wants people to take into consideration that King was out there fighting for everyone’s equality.

“It takes a lot for someone to put themselves out there and actually do that,” Freeman said of King.

Freeman and Kuhnlein both said that on MLK Day, they try to remember King in a special way. Freeman usually listens to part of King’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech. Kuhnlein remembered hearing the speech read by a student when he was in kindergarten.

“That made me think that we had that day off not for professional development, not for the St. Joan of Arc fair. We had that day off to celebrate an American who was alive during most of our parents or grandparents’ lives,” Kuhnlein said. “The history of MLK is so recent, and there’s so much to dive into that I think we should all explore his history.”

Kathryn Williamson ‘17 gives back to the community on MLK Day with her family and church group, she said.

“Last year we did something for the Empty Bowls Project and then we went to this school. We made Valentine’s Day cards for inner-city kids who are struggling and need support,” Williamson said.

The Empty Bowls Project works to raise awareness for Cass

PHOTO COURTESY OF GROSSE POINTE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Community Social Services, who is working to feed hungry people in Detroit.

Williamson’s grandfather, Tom Smith, once served as a bodyguard for King on his 1965 visit to Villanova University in Pennsylvania, Williamson said.

“I was a football player on Villanova’s football team and five of the senior football players, of which I was one, were asked to protect him and be a guard body for him as he left our business administration building and walked to the auditorium,” Smith said. “We were deployed into the stands in the auditorium to make sure that he was protected and watched so that nobody went to the stage or got out of order or whatever it might be.”

Smith found a quote in his yearbook from King’s speech he made at Villanova, which read that “every man must have something he is willing to die for.” Smith said he never thought King might lose his life for what he stood for.

“I had no idea then that anybody would attempt to take his life, but it was several years later that it happened, a tragic, very terrible thing,” Smith said.

Three weeks before his assassination in March of 1968, King gave a speech to a crowd in South’s gym. While King had a close, unique connection to Grosse Pointe, it was marred by rude interruptions and protests.

Community unites to help student mental health LIZ BIGHAM ‘18 | Supervising Editor Once every few months in the upstairs of the Neighborhood Club, principals, teachers, board members, students, doctors, clergy, police chiefs, judges, probation officers and others come together to discuss a prevalent topic-- students’ mental health.

Alicia Carlisle, head of the SERVE office, created the Mental Health Initiative Committee last year when she saw a need for it in the community. Since then, she has invited groups of people who have come together to talk about how to help the community with mental health, Carlisle said.

“We got every person you can think of associated with mental health in that room,” Carlisle said. “This next year, you are going to see some good things coming out.”

The committee’s biggest intention is to educate from within schools, Carlisle said.

“Education will be coming to everybody in all different ways and from all different resources,” Carlisle said.

We want to give the kids a good place This year the committee arranged the to come in in the morning to go over their “No Resolve” suicide prevention assembly that took place at South and North and are notes, feel fresh about things and relax. planning a “No Stress Week”, giving students ALICIA CARLISLE hot cocoa and juice in the morning before Head of SERVE office midterms.

“We want to give the kids a good place to come in in the morning to go over their notes, feel fresh about things and relax,” Carlisle said.

Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services, Jon Dean, is the one who facilitates these meetings and makes sure the committee’s plans are feasible for the school and make sure they can happen, he said.

Dean believes that everyone in school needs to be conscious in supporting students with their mental health needs.

“Sometimes (mental health) looks like things about students and young people using drugs,” Dean said.

“But sometimes it could be around suicide or it could be around how you handle the burden of being a student.”

Because Dean has a child in the district, he sees every day how hard it is to be a high school student in this district, he said.

“The goal of this committee is to give kids the tools and opportunities to be successful with the emotional

THIS WEEK AT SOUTH...

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Girls Varsity hockey plays Liggett at home at 4:00 p.m.

jan.

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and mental self as well as the academic stuff,” Dean said.

Typically, the mental health meetings consist of guest speakers, Dean said.

“One of the advantages we have in Grosse Pointe is we have outstanding community resources,” Dean said.

In the past, the committee has heard from the chairperson of partnership for Drug-Free America and United States assistant prosecuting attorney that talk about drug enforcement, pharmacists that discussed restricted medication and even some student participation, Dean said.

“If we can get students in the room who are talking to adults about student things, there is real value in doing that,” Dean said.

Joe Calhoun ’17 got involved with helping at the meetings through his Exploring Global Issues class with Crosby Washburne.

“We had to choose an organization that we would like to be a part of,” Calhoun said. “At meetings I help set up chairs, nametags and try to get everything organized the best I can.”

The mental health initiative committee has been an eye-opening experience, he said.

A lot of his friends have depression, anxiety or are stressed and he wishes that students knew about this committee so they can be aware and cope with mental illness.

“There’s all this stigma about depression and anxiety, so I’m hoping that we can get rid of that eventually,” Calhoun said.

The Mental Health Initiative committee is looking to break down the stigma and make people comfortable enough to reach out, Carlisle said.

“Everyone has challenges that have appeared in their life,” Carlisle said. “If you need help, you seek See PAGE FIVE for the full story. it, and you get better.”

PHOTO BY LIAM WALSH ’18

Boys Varsity basketball plays Eisenhower at home at 7:00 p.m.

2017 DETROIT AUTO SHOW

jan.

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Mid-term exams begin and continue through Friday, Jan. 27

OPINION

2

1.19.17

Course selection: More students find themselves overburdened

It’s midnight on a Tuesday.

Your eyes and thoughts begin to blur as sleep’s dreaded grip takes hold.

A combination of sports and extracurriculars has just now allowed you to make a considerable dent in your homework.

If you stay up, your brain will be as good as mush tomorrow. On the other hand, are you willing to jeopardize your grades for a little more sleep?

It’s at this point when anxiety usually sets in. Frustration. Regret for mismanaging your time. No student or adult can function at their optimal level with inadequate sleep.

We believe over-scheduling oneself is a primary concern for students at South. With the expectation that colleges look for a challenging class load, it’s often that students find themselves taking classes far too demanding of their time and well being.

As a staff, we want to provide insight to students that will hopefully make their course selection decision on Feb. 1 a little more straightforward.

First, figure out what the ap-

propriate amount of work is for you. How many hours a night of schoolwork are you willing to handle? Everyone is different, just because your friends are taking all honors and AP classes does not obligate you to do the same. You know your limit, be true to it.

Then, consider your interests.

Studying for a topic you’re interested in will be much more

balance.

In a Twitter poll conducted

by The Tower Pulse, 31 percent out of 48 voters said they have an average of six to eight hours of homework every week.

According to Johns Hopkins Student Assistance Program, prioritizing academics at the expense of personal factors like relationships and exercise can lead to a decline in academic perfor-

tolerable than a subject you dread. At South, there’s a class for everyone. Tailor your schedule to your strong suits.

Finally, don’t spend the days and nights leading up to Feb. 1 worrying about colleges and their expectations. It reflects better on an individual if he/she takes a regular-level class and performs exceedingly well than it would if he/she took a harder level class and struggled.

Although the thought of taking all honors and AP and magically being able to handle it may be alluring, it’s not seated in reality. A healthy, stable life requires

mance.

The process is circular. Neglect personal life for academics, your personal life will suffer. Neglect school work, and the stress it causes you will affect your personal relationships. All aspects of your life must live in harmony for the sake of your well being.

We encourage students at South to challenge themselves.

There’s a difference between a healthy risk and one that could be detrimental to one’s life balance. Don’t be afraid of taking that extra step, but be sure to know where the path leads.

OUR VIEW// EDITORIAL

Student witnesses terrorism in person in Fort Lauderdale MY VIEW John Schulte’18

STAFF WRITER

NEWSPAPER

the

TOWER

STAFF

Nobody knew what was happening. Nobody knew how many were hit.

Nobody knew what exactly to do. The only thing we knew was there was a man with a gun, and he was shooting.

I, along with my family, arrived at terminal two of the Fort Lauderdale Airport with potentially deadly timing on Friday, Jan. 6. I was in line just outside of the terminal to check my luggage when the chaos ensued.

Screams rose from the baggage claim area directly below me. Confused and unsettled, I looked over the edge of the road alongside my sister to figure out what was happening below us. We saw what we assumed to be an elderly woman passed out on the ground. After further inspection, a bright red wound seeped through the woman’s shirt as she lay motionless. People flooded out of the terminal, abandoning their luggage. A caravan of police cars flew by us. It was at this moment when we heard something terrible from a lady behind us in line.

There is a shooting at the airport.

I entered the terminal followed by police, SWAT and FBI not soon after. My family and I hunkered down alongside our luggage. We were eased by the news that the shooter just below us had been detained, but a sense of uncertainty remained.

Within minutes of learning the shooter was caught and placed in custody, a man sitting directly behind me broke into tears as he delivered some scary news.

Due to the the shooter, all the boarded planes on the tarmac where emptied and hundreds of people were standing on the tarmac.

The man claimed that his friend was on the tarmac, and there was a shooter amongst the hundreds of innocent people. The man’s friend sent him unsettling pictures of people, TSA agents and runway workers, running for their lives.

Murmurs spread throughout the airport as news of the alleged second shooter spread throughout.

I felt a pit in my stomach and was overwhelmed with a sense of disbelief. As I looked around, I saw faces stricken with disbelief. Nobody in the terminal wanted to believe what was happening.

Everyone was on edge. If one person sat down too quickly, everyone around them would drop to the ground for cover.

A while after the news of the alleged second shooter broke, I felt a sense of relief as heavily armed SWAT and police officers began to take position at every entrance to the terminal.

As things in the terminal finally began to settle down, I heard some great news from the man we befriended earlier. His friend, and everyone else, on the tarmac was escorted to nearby hotels by police.

There was no second shooter, people simply fell victim to panic and miscommunication.

Later in the afternoon, an FBI agent announced to everybody what had happened below us, and that there were no longer any threats in the airport.

However, we were being held until further notice.

I knew I was in for the long haul when the agent said that it could be five minutes, or it could be five hours. It was five hours.

They released us around nine o'clock that night.

My family and I were stranded at the airport with no car and no place to stay.

Buses were brought to the airport to take us to the convention center where we could take an Uber to a hotel or receive assistance from Red Cross, if accommodations needed to be made.

After a 20 minute ride, the bus had finally reached it’s destination. As I stepped off the bus, I was surprised to see a large cruise ship. They had taken me to a random port, with hundreds of others.

In order to find a ride, a hotel and a way home, my family needed to divide and conquer. I got the Uber, my sister found an open hotel room and my parents found a flight through American Airlines.

I didn’t feel the weight of what had hap-

pened back at the airport until I was in the car on my way to the Holiday Inn Express, 20 minutes from the port.

The news is always filled with horrific stories of shootings, but I’d nevFort Laud er expect to be so close to erdale one. It just goes to show this country is still far from learning how to prevent random acts of violence.

Whether the solution lies in airport security, gun control or mental health, actions must be taken to learn from tragedies and try to prevent events like this from occurring in the future.

Editor-in-Chief Erykah Benson* ’17 Associate Editor Jack Holme* ’17 Supervising Editors at Large John Francis* ’18 Liz Bigham* ’18 Supervising Editors Ray Hasanaj* ’18, Anton Mikolowski * ’17 Rachel Harris*, Riley Lynch*, all ’18 Page Editors Claire Hubbell* ’17 Cam Smolen*, Chase Clark*, Elena Rauch*, JD Standish*, Katherine Bird*, Liam Walsh*, all ’18

CARTOON BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

Student urges peers to show individualism through expression MY VIEW Claire Koeppen ’19 COPY EDIOTR

With the difficult political turmoil, numerous protests, tragedies, controversies and news stories this past year, 2016 was filled with lots of conflict, differing opinions and extreme viewpoints. These beliefs and issues are expected to continue in 2017 and beyond. As teenagers, who will be able to vote in a few years, these issues affect and influence our world and our future. It is important that we pay attention to current events and the impact on this coming year and beyond. Keeping this in mind, it is essential that we begin to voice our opinions and develop our own ideas. In a few years, the student body will be able to actively participate in many important decisions, and even now many students at South are already getting involved and looking for ways to make change happen in our community and beyond.

No matter where you stand on the spectrum of particular issues, it is crucial that teenagers find their voice and learn to stand for what they believe is right. We live in a country where we have the freedom to express our views and opinions. By not standing for something and expressing our points of view, we are wasting the rights and freedoms we can enjoy. There are so many ways to share our opinions, such as social media sites, where students have many ways to speak about a topic they passionately care about. The influence students can have today is tremendous. Social media channels allow us to spread awareness not only to the student body, but all around the world.

Something that’s...

POSITIVE Seniors receive college acceptance letters

GRAPHIC BY JD STANDISH ’18

Copy Editors Madeleine Glasser*, Lily Kubek*, both ’17 Alyssa Czech*, Sylvia Hodges*, Bianca Pugliesi*, Claire Koeppen* all ’19 Business Managers Cameron Francis* ’17 Asst. Olivia Sheffer* ’17 Photo Editors Lauren Thom* ’18 Phoebe Miriani* ’18 Online Editor-in-Chief Ariana Chengges* ’17 Web Editors Erica Fossee*, Henry Ayrault*, Kathleen Carroll*, all ’19 Multimedia/Social Media Editors Emma Andreasen* ’17 Abigail Due*, Brennan Zilhman* both ’18

Staff Writers Adam Cervone, Charlie Denison, Conner McQueen, Emma Russell, Gillian Eliot, Jack Froelich, Jack Roma, Kelly Gleason, Mac Welsher, Mary Grace O’Shea, Michael French, Sydney Stann, Thomas Sine and William Muawad, all ’17 Arianna Pagenette, Alex Acker, Blair Cullen, Evan Skaff, Evan Theros, Griffin Jones, Ian Dewey, John Schulte, Harper McClellan, Kaitlin Nemeh, Maren Roeske, Margot Baer, Mollie DeBrunner and Piper Eschenburg, all ’18 Allison MacLeod, Amelia Turco, Audrey Whitaker, Alyssa Cole, Donald McGlone, Grace Reyes, Jacqueline Mercier, Katherine Costello, Sarah Bellovich, Sarah Stevenson, and Olivia Mlynarek, all ’19 Adviser Kaitlin Edgerton

As we grow up, we become more aware of the changing world around us. Staying up-to-date with information and researching about a particular topic is a great way for students to learn about subjects and begin to form their own opinions. Making sure to read about current events, issues and controversies locally and internationally can help students to become well-educated, well-informed and most importantly, form their own opinions.

Being well- informed can solidify our opinions and make our beliefs stronger as a result.

In the school community, it is also easy to get involved. The administration at South has been very supportive of giving students ample opportunity to share their points of view.

Whether one is well informed on a topic or wants to learn more about it, there are various clubs for students to express their viewpoints.

With over 60 clubs in the school, it is not difficult for a student to join a few clubs and stand for something they are passionate about. Not only that, but if a student wants to form their own club with their own beliefs, they have the option to create an organization they want.

The most important aspect, however, of standing for something is the old cliche that we must never give up. In times of hardship, turmoil and distress, it can be easy to forget the values that we have worked so hard to instill. It is important to have an open mind and listen to the opinion of others. However, if a student believes in a cause, they should not give up just because they face resistance.

With these thoughts in mind, I hope every student knows that they have the power to change the world. Again, it may sound cliche but it is important that in 2017 we all stand for something: big, small or anywhere in between.

Whether it be the Grosse Pointe Community or a larger world issue, we all can stand for something we believe in and make an impact.

HISTORICAL Donald Trump will be innagurated as America’s 45 president on Friday

“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.

EDUCATIONAL Midterms approaching next week for all South students

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 Opinion Pieces and obscenity. The Editorial Board may edit Editorials represent the majority opinion of or shorten letters as long as the meaning is the Editorial Board and are left unsigned. unchanged. All letters must be signed and Columns represent the opinions of individual include a telephone number for confirmation. staff members and outside contributors.

Request to withhold the writer’s name from publication for good reason will be Editorial Board considered. Letters can be sent to the above An asterisk * denotes Editorial Board editors. email address, or dropped off in “The Tower” Room.

Advertising Display adverising is sold at a rate of $7 per Professional Associations column inch, with discounts for large or Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press frequent advertisers. Advertising may not Association, National Scholastic Press advocate illegal activities or contain libelous, Association, Quill and Scroll, the Society irresponsible or obscene material. for Newspaper Design and the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association.

NEWS

1.19.17

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HOLLYWOOD’S MUST SEE MOVIES OF 2017 Release Date: May 26, 2017

Release Date: Feb. 24, 2017

Get Out is a horror film about an African-American man that visits his white girlfriend’s hometown, which is where he finds out that something extremely insidious is threatening the town’s African-American residents.

Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon and his brand new recruit played by Zac Efron stumble upon a criminal plot that could destroy the bay.

Split

The Belko Experiment

Release Date: March 17, 2017 The Belko Experiment is a horror-thriller film about Americans locked in their office in Bogota, Colombia and directed by someone who has taken over the companies intercom.

They don’t know who instructing them, but they are told to participate in a game of kill or be killed.

Release Date: Jan. 20, 2017

Three girls are kidnapped by a captor with 24 different personalities and keeps them in his basement with no windows and no way of communication.

They must use the personalities to help them run away and stay alive.

GRACE REYES ‘19 | Staff Writer For the past 10 years, the poetry club has been hosting a poetry slam, an event for students to competitively read poetry.

“At the poetry slam, kids can bring really anything they’ve written from personal poems to humor and political satire and share it in an open mic, or compete in two rounds with other poets. It’s really just a place for open expression,” Gwyneth Rennell ’18 said.

According to Harry Campion, the poetry club advisor, the judges for the slam are members of the audience and each piece can be no longer than three minutes and ten seconds.

“Last year, there was such a great energy in the room. You felt supported at every moment.

That’s what I’m expecting from this year too; a lot of people who love what they do coming together to cheer each other on and help each other grow as performers,” Rennell said.

Anyone can perform at open mic and read any piece of poetry, whether or not it is written by the reader.

“It’s (open mic) a judge-free poetry reading where you get to feel like a rockstar. People will cheer for you and you get to share your poetry,” Campion said.

According to Natasha Vatalaro ’18, poetry club is an environment for people to express themselves in a non-critical atmosphere.

“A lot of people don’t want to get into it (poetry club) because the stigma of poetry, but honestly it is a really great atmosphere with really nice and accepting people. It’s a cool place to come even if to just try it out for a night,” Vatalaro said.

The poetry slam and open mic night will be held Tuesday, Jan. 17 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Ewald Branch of the Grosse Pointe Public Library.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Campion said. “I have yet to have anyone say they did not enjoy themselves during a poetry slam and hopefully that’ll be the case again.”

Release Date: March 17, 2017 A new take on Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” where Belle, played by Emma Watson, is taken by the Beast, Dan Stevens, as his prisoner.

Wonder Woman

Release Date: June 2, 2017 Wonder Woman is about an Amazonian Princess who leaves her island to explore the world. Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder Woman, described her as having, “many strengths and powers, but at the end of the day she’s a woman with a lot of emotional intelligence.”

INFO BY ABI DUE COURTESY OF IMBD PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMBD

Architecture and Design | Arts and Sciences | Engineering | Management

High hopes for the tenth annual Poetry Club on Jan. 17

Beauty and the Beast

Get Out

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FEATURE

Do They Mak

? b m u lN

e e F u e Yo

KATHLEEN CARROLL ’19 AND RILEY LYNCH ‘18 | Pulse Editor & Graphics Manager

I

*Name has been changed to protect student’s identity. t was seventh grade.

With shaking hands, Joey Higgins* ’19 accepted the tiny blue and orange pill. It was just before practice that night, and, as per usual, it started with an innocent question asked by his brother.

“Do you want to try Adderall?”

Nearly four years later, Higgins still accepts the drug and uses it as he pleases, finding a way to wiggle around the “prescription only” logo on the bottle by trading for it and buying it.

“My mom won’t let me get (a prescription),” Higgins explained.

“She even says, ‘oh, you totally have ADD, there’s not a doubt in my mind.’ We’ve taken so many tests, we’ve seen people, but she’s like, ‘your brother’s abusing, because I don’t think he has (ADD)’. She thinks I’ll just abuse it like my brothers.”

According to Narconon, an organization aiming to stop prescription drug abuse, many users of prescription drugs acquire them via family members’ and friends’ houses, typically from those who have prescriptions for the drugs.

Eric Burson, a counselor at South, says he has seen several students rely on illegal prescription pills as educational enhancers. “The Adderall seems to be students who start by maybe borrowing a pill from a sibling or a friend or what have you because they need to study, stay up late, have a big test coming up or what have you,” Burson said. “Some form of an ‘upper’ stimulant to enhance. But, as strange as it is, those people are taking it generally to enhance their production, their efficiency, to get better grades.”

Higgins believes that high school, and especially college students, are far more likely to abuse stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin than other prescriptions.

“This stuff is heavily used to cram for finals and all that. Go anywhere within a 20 mile radius of any college around finals, you will be able to find it,” Higgins said.

According to the Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence, 13 percent of teenagers have reported taking a prescription medication

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A closer look into prescription drug abuse among the student population

recreationally, most commonly viewing it it builds and builds so that now you know one pill isn’t enough, I need as a study aid for exams. two pills,” Burson said. “And then I need three and then four. Then it Burson said it’s illegal to take medications becomes lethal. But it could be lethal the first time. like Adderall without a prescription. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Higgins feels he doesn’t overdose on Adderall or take it randomly.

School of Public Health reports that most abusers of Adderall get it He primarily takes it when he needs to stay awake, like before work. from friends or family with prescriptions, as Higgins does.

He also denies having a physical dependency on the drug.

“I ask people with prescriptions, like buying it or trading for it,” “If I sleep well the night before, I’ll take it before I go to work just to Higgins said. “It’s not something I should be doing, it’s not something stay awake sometimes,” Higgins said. “I don’t feel like I need to take it I’m proud to be doing, but it’s something I like to do.” to feel normal. (It hasn’t gotten) to the point where I have an addiction, Elise Whitney ’18 does not use prescription drugs at all, and be- and where if I don’t have it, I don’t feel like myself.” lieves they should only be used by people who need them for a medical Burson claims he has seen a handful of students attempt to get the reason. help they need from treatment centers for “I think (using prescripdrug addictions, but the main component tion drugs) is okay as long of a successful withdrawal is what enviI think it’s helped me more than it’s hurt me, as it helps people with testronment the students are in afterwards. ing and helps them concenHe says they could be easily influenced to but I think I change when I take it. I get really trate,” Whitney said. “(Using go down the same road if they return to irritable when I’m on it. A lot of my friends have the drugs without a prea place extremely similar to the one they told me they prefer me without it. scription) is kind of unfair; just left. because they don’t have a “The one thing is, it’s difficult when medical reason to. I’ve never you often take a student out of this enviEARL ROLLINS ’18 thought that I’ve needed to ronment and you put them somewhere in (use them).” a treatment center, and then when they Higgins doesn’t think he is abusing the Adderall, despite taking it come back to this environment, they’re in the same school, they have without a prescription. the same friends,” Burson said. “Generally, you have to get different “I guess it’s recreational (use),” Higgins said. “Because a doctor nev- friends, et cetera. If you don’t, often you go back to those same beer said I had ADD. But I don’t know, I just use it for whatever I want. If haviors. That’s when the percentage who relapse becomes really high. a doctor gave it to me for a specific purpose, then I would say (it was) You’ve got to change your life. Not just the one thing; you’ve got to medicinal. But since I don’t, I use it for whatever I want, I would say change everything.” recreational.”

According to Burson, 12-step programs are available 365 days a Burson believes that a large component of drug dependence is the year, and they are available everywhere. tolerance one’s body can build up to a certain drug, especially the ones that are not prescribed. As the tolerance builds, people feel an If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call the increased need to take more drugs than necessary.

Anonymous Addiction hotline at (844) 243-9770.

“Your tolerance is your body’s reaction to the drug, and over time

Q&A:

GRAPHIC BY KATHERINE BIRD ’18

Joshua O’Grady ’18 shares his experiences as a foreign exchange student in Germany

When did you first go to Germany?

I left America Aug. 11, we landed here Aug. 12. I left Grosse Pointe about a day before and spent the night in Chicago.

INFORMATION COURTESY OF ALYSSA CZECH ’19

have this one room up on the third floor of the building that is our homeroom and then a couple of subjects are taught there like German, English and math and so on. But then for specialty classes like science, where we need special rooms, we go to those and just schedule those out as needed.

How does your lifestyle (food, customs, friendships) compare to your lifestyle in America?

(The German people are) not as outwardly friendly toward people on the street, and that’s kind of true, people tend to keep to themselves. But then, when you’re in a school setting with the class, they’re pretty similar to the people in America where they’ll be friendly. Pretty much what I’ve experienced with my friends is pretty similar there.

What program and scholarship did you go through?

The program, I’m here with an organization called YFU, that’s Youth For Understanding, and the scholarship is called CBYX, that’s Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange. It’s a joint thing between Congress and the German legislature that they give money to send students to different countries.

When did you decide to become a foreign exchange student?

I started applying in October or November 2015, and then my application was due in December. I heard around April that I got accepted. I just applied to the one (organization) because we’ve been with YFU before, and I’ve hosted foreign exchange students with YFU before and the scholarship was available through YFU and that’s been great, it has paid for the whole thing.

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What about your experience has been the hardest for you to adjust to?

I think the biggest change is I speak almost no English at all. That’s what I’m supposed to do with the organization, but in the school obviously every class is taught in German, except for English, which because of a South requirement I have to have four years of English to graduate, so I get to take English here. With my host family I’m staying with I speak all German and the kids in school speak all German. I speak English about once every two weeks when I talk to my family on the phone.

A NEW READ | O’Grady ’18 with a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in German.

Why did you decide to become a foreign exchange student?

My family has hosted exchange students before. We had a couple in our house; I kind of wanted to see what it was like from the other end of that experience.

I really wanted to come to Germany because I’ve been taking German at South and that’s been a lot of fun. It’s one of my favorite classes-- if not my favorite-- and it’s just a great thing. It looks great on college applications when I get to that next year because not that many Americans do it.

NEW ADVENTURES | O’Grady with his host family on a road trip in the beginning of October. Pictured behind is the infamous Leaning Tower of Pisa.

What are some major differences and similarities about your life in Germany compared to your life in America?

The main difference would probably be how school is structured here. We have Monday through Friday school, but we have eight hours a day, but our classes are usually two hours and we don’t have the same classes every day. It’s right in between an American schedule and a college schedule.

We don’t actually have substitute teachers here, so whenever a class gets cancelled we just go home. That happened last week: my chemistry teacher was out of town, so on Friday

I got to leave at about 11:30 and just go home.

Normally it (school) is (from) 8 until either 1:15 or 3:30 depending on how many classes I have; I have between three and four (classes) a day, except for Monday when it starts at 9:50 because I don’t have to take French. So we change teachers all the time but the teachers don’t actually have their own classrooms. We have a group of about 20 kids that we are a class and we go to every class together, and then the teachers, we

What are your expectations for the remainder of your experience?

From everything I’ve heard about other exchange students, around Christmas time, around New Year’s, is when the language and the culture just really start to click, and then the whole rest of the year just gets a whole lot easier. I’ve had a little bit of that but I’m on break and I haven’t had school again.

How does the trip so far comA WARM WELCOME | O’Grady ’with his host family upon being pare to your initial expectations? greeted after arriving in Germany. O’Grady left his family Aug. 11 I tried not to form too many and arrived in Germany on Aug. 12. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOSHUA O’GRADY ’18 initial expectations because we’ve had a bunch of exchange students before, we’ve hosted five over the years--only two of those were at South, we moved when I was in 7th grade--and they just all had different experiences, and I knew I was going to have my own different experience. But, I expected that I would learn a lot and so far I have, that’s good.

I am going to a YFU, they call it the Middle Seminar, I go to Dresden for a week and I’m going there for a week-long thing, I don’t know exactly what it is. And right after that, interestingly, I do an internship, because apparently, I’m in the 10th grade here, but 11th grade at South, and everyone in the 10th grade in Germany does an internship at some place. So I, through my scholarship, have someone in the German Legislature who’s sponsoring me, and so I’m doing an internship at her office in the city just south of us called Hildesheim and one Wednesday I’m heading out to Berlin to actually meet with her and spend the day in Bundestag with her.

Would you recommend being a foreign exchange student? Who in particular would you recommend it to?

I would definitely recommend it to a certain type of person. It is not for everybody, but if you read about some exchange student stories and what that whole thing is about and if you think that describes you, I would definitely say at least look into it. It’s a great experience; it has done so much for me that is really so unique around America right now, and even around here. There aren’t many Americans around here.

FEATURE

1.19.17

5

Top 10 cars of the 2017 Auto Show 10.

JACK HOLME ’17 | Associate Editor

Contributors | Liam Walsh, John Francis, Chase Clark, all ‘18. Alyssa Czech, Arianna Pagenete, Henry Ayrault, Grace Reyes, all ‘19.

The BMW m240i xDrive is equipped with real time traffic information and online entertainment that includes 220 tracks to choose from. This convertible comes with many eco friendly benefits, such as the automatic stopstart function that shuts off the engines at stops. It comes with an air curtain that reduces drag on the body shell that then reduces turbulence, decreasing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Not only is this car eco friendly, but it’s also power hungry with a six-cylinder Twinpower turbo engine packing in 355 horsepower and a launch of zero to sixty in 4.4 seconds. This four seat convertible provides a powerful and comfortable drive with dynamic cruise control and 6.5” center screen control panel.

9.

The 2017 Ram Rebel TRX concept car is complete with 575 horsepower and capable of tearing up the pavement at speeds greater than 100 mph. The truck has 6.2L supercharged HEMI V8 engine and built with an off-road suspension, the RAM 1500 Rebel TRX will be a powerful half-ton pickup. The suede seats complete the unique interior design and the exterior has a custom induction system, including a vented hood, designed for the supercharger.

The truck has four modes of operation-- normal, wet/snow, off-road, and Baja.

5.

Starting at $129,500, this Florett Silver Metallic Audi RS 7 is packed with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission with Quattro all-wheel drive and sport differential. It has a V8 engine that delivers 605 horsepower at 6,100 to 6,800 RPM and has an impressive top track speed of 190 mph and accelerates from 0-60 in 3.6 seconds.

4.

The Ford GT is the best piece of American automotives and maybe even worldwide as the more than 600 horsepower hypercar looks down upon the competition with a smug grin. The crown jewel of the Americas has a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 Engine that can get you to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and to a top speed of 200 mph. This car finally gives the US something to show the Italians in the face of Lamborghini and Ferrari.

3.

8.

The Mercedes SL450 Roadster has a 3.6 V6 biturbo engine and 362 horsepower, with the capability of accelerating from zero to 60 miles per hour in a mere 4.9 seconds. It is being sold at $86,950. The vehicle can climb to a whopping top speed of 155 miles per hour. Additionally, the SL450 has an ECO Start/Stop system that shuts off the engine automatically while the car is stationary, such as at stoplights, and instantly restarts when the brake is lifted. The car also features “heated 16-way power seats with memory,” according to www.mbusa.com.

7.

6.

The mark of a new beginning in the future of the automotive industry, the Mercedes-Benz Electric Intelligence concept car delivers a new level of performance. It’s equipped with two electric motors, and it provides a powerful drive system, with an output that can be increased up to 300 KW through battery components. The vehicle can reach up to 60 mph in less than five seconds and ranges over 300 miles in a single charge. This car is the beginning of a sustainable future for everyone.

The “Buzz” is a concept microbus by Volkswagen. It is supposed to have two electric motors, totaling a horsepower of 369, and will have a fully autonomous mode. The retro van will be able to jump to 60 mph in only five seconds, much faster than the original microbus. The interior looked really comfortable, and it will be exciting to party in the back while your van automatically drives you to-and-fro.

Future of cars is here with autonomous vehicles GRACE REYES ‘19 | Staff Writer For safer, more efficient and less polluting cars, Michigan State’s CANVAS (Connected Autonomous Networked Vehicles for Active Safety) program has been working for over 10 months now developing the first stages of the autonomous or self-driving car.

“In the autonomous car, the brain and computer are in the trunk of the vehicle. The sensors are on the corners and on top are all connected to the trunk of the vehicle,” Hui Liu said, who is an undergrad from Michigan State working as a researcher in the electrical and computer engineering department.

According to CANVAS, their initiative for the vehicle is to have sensing of external and internal environments, maximizing situational awareness, and have four-season autonomous driving for any given condition on the road.

“This particular car is a Lincoln and we equipped it with all the sensors and computers for it to be a smart car and after that, then we will run tests for it to be autonomous,” Liu said.

According to Liu, the car is equipped with multiple sensory radars and LIDARS (laser radar) which will help detect targets like traffic signs, pedestrians and other cars.

“We have 360 degrees LIDAR on top of the vehicle. We collect the sensory information to create intel on the surrounding environment, which will help the car make smart decisions on self driving,” Liu said.

According to CANVAS, radars, LIDAR vision and multispectral sensing help create a 3-D map for the car to aid in better navigation.

“Our main focus is the software side of the autonomous vehicle. We have other projects for solar cars as well,” Liu said “This is just a small step towards the future of complete autonomous driving.”

You can’t spell ‘MERICA without Corvette. And this one is as American as you can get. Primarily blue paint with red and white accents, coincidence? I think not. This monster gets to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. But what’s even better is that it still comes with a seven speed manual gearbox, linked perfectly to a 6.2 liter V8. The looks are demeaning, with it’s large fenders and the unique spoiler that ties everything together.

2.

Mercedes celebrates the 50th anniversary of the AMG series with a car that looks fit for a German James Bond. The smaller car looks and acts like a bullet shot out of a gun with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that pushes you with 503 horsepower to a three second 0-60.

1.

I’m a sucker for baby and light blue on cars. The color pops like neon, but it comes without the annoying qualities that come with having neon. This R8 belongs on Miami beach with you driving it and a gorgeous model in the passenger seat cruising up and down the beach. And if you want to go fast for some reason, you can.

This 5.2 Liter V10 crusader hits 62 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds. But why would you want to go fast, when the car looks this ‘19 S good?

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Since its debut in 1907, the show has grown from a regional event with 17 exhibitors to an international event with more than 60

Junior reflects on attending Auto Show press day Walking into COBO Hall, home of the North American Auto Show, was overwhelming and slightly intimidating. It’s completely transformed from what you might see passing through on the way to a Red Wings Game.

Going on industry day upon arrival, we weren’t created with the mass public trying to get a look at some of this year’s top hits.

ARIANA PAGENETTE ’18 Industry day is a day of networking, analyzing and developing. With over 35,000 STAFF WRITER automotive professionals and analysts from over 2,000 companies, employees can come together and share information.

At the start of the morning, not a lot of people where there. This was one of my favorite parts because you didn’t have to wait for someone to look at a car.

Not only were many analysts developing for their own purpose, but I was able to develop a better knowledge of cars. I knew bits and pieces of what my grandpa told me, so I went in not completely oblivious.

Once the center started to fill up with many other people, the intimidation factor started to dwindle. Continuing to walk around, I saw just how in depth the analysts were looking into the cars.

One of the exhibits that I enjoyed was the Dodge Ram. The way they present the cars was eye catching in that they were set up as they would be seen in the real world. Trucks were propped up on rocks and suspension weights in the backs of trucks as well.

There were also a lot of new ideas for technology. My favorite was the virtual reality that allowed you to be put into a car of the future that is self driving. With many other ideas for the future ten years from now, the technology in the car will be incredible.

Being my first auto show, I really enjoyed it and look forward to attending in the future.

MY VIEW

:

The first auto show was held in Detroit in December 1907 at Riverside Park

quick facts

The name was changed from the Detroit Auto Show to the North American International Auto Show in 1989

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FEATURE SPORTS

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1.19.17 9.6.16

“Impulse” spits fire on soundcloud PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUNDCLOUD

DROPPING BARS | Rockim Williamson records his new song, Impulse. The song can be found on Spotify. This photo is also the album cover to Williamson’s album.

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RILEY LYNCH ‘18 | Graphics Manager ake one: “No. Not fast enough.”

Take two: “No. Too fast. I lost the beat.”

Take three: “No. I don’t know why. Just--no.”

Rockim Williamson ’18 took another deep breath, ran his hands along his head and closed his eyes. His hand motions grew more and more rapid as he continued to rap his original song, “Impulse”, into the recording microphone.

Take four: “Yeah. That’s good.”

A few weeks later, the hard work paid off when “Impulse” was released on iTunes and Spotify.

“I felt that I moved up a level in the music industry because anyone can put songs on YouTube or SoundCloud, but if you put things on iTunes or Spotify or anything that has a lot more credibility, then it’s just a better way to have people hear your music,” Williamson said.

Williamson started working on the EP in late August, writing lyrics and collaborating with others on background beats.

Jessica Boehmer ‘18 has been working with Williamson since late September on the full album, “Born to Rap”, which will include seven songs with Boehmer providing vocals on one of them.

“My experience with Rock has been incredible,” Boehmer said. “I’m so lucky to have been included on this EP. It’s been an awesome experience and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with him on such a great project.”

According to Williamson, his friends and family have all been supportive of his wish to go into the music industry.

“My parents are nothing but supportScan this QR code for a link to the song on Soundcloud ive,” Williamson said. “Whenever I’d show my mom a song, she’d always start dancing, and it’s hilarious because my mom can’t dance and she knows it. It makes me happy and it’s more motivation to keep going.”

Kim Hudson, Williamson’s mother, is overjoyed with the release of his song. She says he has wanted to be a rapper since he was ten, and that the entire family finds a way to connect to the music. “(There’s been support) from his step father, his brothers, and of course myself,” Hudson said. “We will sit and listen to his music when he’s finished a project. His dad’s brother recently sent him music from ‘back in the day’ so he can listen to and appreciate music that he may never heard before, and apply that to the type of music he likes to write today. We’ve recently bought him different ‘gadgets’ that can help him write the music, edit the music, and hopefully soon produce it.”

Hudson believes that Williamson will succeed with his music because it’s a large part of who he is. According to Hudson, he always carries around a composition book and writes about what he sees around him.

Boehmer said she is excited to see what Williamson does in the future as well.

“I definitely think he has the potential to ‘make it big’,” Boehmer said. “He works really hard and has the drive to push himself as far as it takes to bring his music to more people.”

Williamson wishes to attend Full Sail University in Florida and continue on to make his music wellknown by the general public. He says the first step to getting there was his EP, and he is eager to make more music.

“The whole purpose of the EP is to get myself out there on another level,” Williamson said. “Whenever I write or perform, I like to send a message in my songs and I feel like I can be that person who you can just listen to whenever. I’m a very positive rapper. I don’t use negative things in my songs. I feel like that’s an advantage so you can listen to me anywhere or show me to anyone.”

The faces of Grosse Pointe’s small businesses

ASHBY’S STERLING ICE CREAM

DI NOTO’S

OWNER: Carl Ghafari

OWNER: Rose and Pino Di Noto

HISTORY: “The story has actu-

HISTORY: “We opened, it will

OXFORD BEVERAGE OWNER: David Bourgeois HISTORY: “We purchased the

ally been here since 1963. It was a Baskin- Robbins at first, and the first owner who had it had it for 24 years, and the previous owner who I bought it from had it for the past 27 years. In 2003, it changed to Ashby’s.”

be eleven years on March 6th.

When we first started we didn’t know much other than to use our old family recipes. At first it was stressful but we’ve been going strong now for about eleven years.”

business from another individual, it was not easy in the beginning but we put a lot of work in and devoted a lot of time. It has steadily increased business and we are thankful for our customers.”

OUTCOME: “I’m very happy, I’ve

OUTCOME: “It can be fun and it can be extremely stressful. We enjoy our customers, we deliver our food, we cater, we have our old world family recipes brought over from Italy, (like) a cookie my grandma brought back from Sicily.. we’re very proud of it.”

OUTCOME: “We are a conve-

had it for over a year and two months now, so it’s been going really well, it’s fun to see how busy it gets in the summer and how slow it gets in the winter, but it’s a nice combination of each.”

nience store, we sell refreshments, as well as candy, snacks, and party favors. We appreciate all of our business. Our business has steadily increased and we are thankful for all of our customers.”

PHOTOS AND INFO COMPILED BY ALYSSA COLE ’19

1.19.17

FEATURE

7

A MARK IN HISTORY: KING’S VISIT (cont.)

PHOTO COURTESY OF GROSSE POINTE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

“A Mark in History” cont. from PAGE 1 Ruth Zinn, who attended the speech, recalled her experience that night. “(King) was mesmerizing because he has this absolutely fabulous voice and you couldn’t take your eyes off of him because he’s just that kind of charismatic sort of person,” Zinn said. “I remember the message being one of hope, and racial justice necessary for our country.”

King’s speech was entitled “The Other America.” King said that there were literally two Americas, one prosperous and respected and the other inferior and ignored.

“Every city in our country has this kind of dualism, this schizophrenia, split at so many parts, and so every city ends up being two cities rather than one,” King said. “One America is beautiful for situation. In this America, millions of people have the milk of prosperity and the honey of equality flowing before them...In this America children grow up in the sunlight of opportunity.”

King spoke of the opportunities the white population of America were given, having been given the privilege of living what he said was a more advantaged life.

“But there is another America. This other America has a daily ugliness about it that transforms the buoyancy of hope into the fatigue of despair. In this other America, thousands and thousands of people, men in particular, walk the streets in search for jobs that do not exist.

In this other America, millions of people are forced to live in verminfilled, distressing housing conditions where they do not have the privilege of having wall-to-wall carpeting, but all too often, they end up with wall-to-wall rats and roaches,” King said.

King mentioned that the youth of the other America weren’t given the same educational opportunities as the children of the white America.

“In this other America, thousands of young people are deprived of an opportunity to get an adequate education. Not because they’re dumb, not because they don’t have the native intelligence, but because the schools are so inadequate, so over-crowded, so devoid of quality, so segregated if you will, that the best in these minds can never come out,” King said.

During his speech, King was frequently interrupted, either by applause or disagreement.

“Donald Lobsinger and his group from Breakthrough come marching in and really they were protesting Dr. King’s position on the Vietnam War,” Zinn said. “Dr. King was in favor of getting out of it and Lobsinger thought he was a Communist.”

Breakthrough, a pro-Vietnam War and anti civil rights group, was started locally in the 1960s by Donald Lobsinger.

“We had a huge demonstration at Grosse Pointe High School when Martin Luther King was invited to speak there. That gymnasium was packed. It was a cold winter night and it was snowing. We had about two to three-hundred people outside that school protesting Martin Luther King. Because Martin Luther King and his communist associations and his communist background, Martin Luther King was no patriot. He was an enemy of the United States! He supported the communists during the Vietnam War!” Lobsinger said in an interview with the Detroit Historical Society. “Martin Luther King had a press conference the next day and said that never in his experience did he experience anything like this opposition at Grosse Pointe High School at an indoor meeting.”

Although Breakthrough disbanded in the 1990s, Lobsinger said as long as he is still breathing, Breakthrough lives.

“I do remember that Breakthrough interrupted his speech, but my

stronger memory were the hundreds of people who called them down and rose in a standing ovation to his speech,” Pamela Cubberly wrote in a letter. At the time, Cubberly was a senior at South, which back then was known as Grosse Pointe High School.

Ed Egnatios, who works with the WK Kellogg Foundation, an organization dedicated to racial equity in all their work, was a high school senior when King came to Grosse Pointe.

“One of the founders of the Inter-Faith Center was on the GP School Board and received death threats after approving Dr. King to speak,” Egnatios said. The Inter-Faith Center was founded in 1969 after King’s murder.

Egnatios said that people still have too much denial of Grosse Pointe history. “(We still have too much of a) color blindness myth making instead of dismantling the racial hatred and institutional forms of racism that hold back all of us-- white folks and folks of color together,” Egnatios said.

Egnatios also said that King has been a guiding light for him since his teenage years.

Steve Spreitzer, who runs a 75-year old human relations and racial justice organization, said that most Grosse Pointe residents are on their journey of racial awareness and healing. He also referred to King as our north star for the racial healing and justice work needed to make us whole.

“The work for racial healing, for racial justice is complex and humbling, leading us to each other for understanding and joint action,” Spreitzer said. “(Residents of Grosse Pointe are) poised to come together to work together to make Grosse Pointe a place where all people are welcome and treated fairly.”

Principal Moussa Hamka believes it is evident by progress elsewhere in the country that Grosse Pointe has moved forward as well.

“The Jim Crow laws have been eliminated.

The mere fact that in the ‘50s and the ‘60s, blacks in certain parts of the country couldn’t drink from the same drinking fountain as whites tells you that as a country we’ve progressed,” Hamka said. “From what I hear anecdotally...I think that the nation, the state and the community have all made a lot of progress.”

The chair that King is believed to have sat in while at South sits in Hamka’s office, with a photograph of the activist taken at South hanging above it.

“Not many high school principals can say that Martin Luther King visited their school,” Hamka said.

The 50th anniversary of King’s death is in March of next year.

Kuhnlein believes the United States needs to acknowledge this great leader more publicly.

“There are a lot of holidays that America celebrates, about one each month. There’s one in October called Columbus Day and we celebrate the first European, besides the Vikings, to discover America.

Christopher Columbus gave disease to millions of indigenous Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke up and talked about race issues in a time where that was not heavily accepted,” Kuhnlein said. “MLK was courageous and he was above and beyond a normal American citizen and he was killed passionately fighting for what he

Not your average Joe : SYDNEY STANN ‘17 | Staff Writer tarting at six in the morning, Joe Peters meets with the midnight guys, cleans the offices and the receiving room, gets the commons ready for lunch, delivers paper, answers UPS and FEDEX, all while taking call after call after call until ten o’clock in the morning.

Peters, head custodian, who has been working at South for five years, has had previous experience as a custodian at Kroger for 27 years and at the Chippewa Valley schools before coming to Grosse Pointe.

After lunch, he takes the trash out, cleans the lunchroom (Commons), the library, the upstairs cafeteria and the girl’s gym while tending to whatever else the administration calls him for.

He’s called constantly.

“It’s non-stop; this school goes from five in the morning ‘til 11 or 12 at night,” Peters said. “When I’m here and by myself until 10 in the morning, I’m taking care of all the kids, all the teachers and everything else that needs to be done.”

Peters acknowledges his position at South and does not let the stigmas that come with being a custodian bother him.

Whenever someone makes a comment toward his profession, he does his best to not let it get to him.

“People expect you to do everything and just say ‘you’re a custodian’. You gotta face it, everyone here is a teacher and they got degrees and the kids, what do kids care about a custodian, you know, so you’re at the bottom of the chain, that’s for sure,” Peters said, “Everything goes down to us BEHIND THE SCENES | Joe Peters is the Head Custodian of and the engineers. That’s a little South. Previously, he has worked at Chipppewa Valley. tough sometimes but it doesn’t PHOTO BY SYDNEY STANN ’17 bother me.”

S

believed in.”

Kuhnlein said that King should continue to inspire Americans.

“The history of MLK is so recent and there’s so much to dive into that I think we should all explore his history,” Kuhnlein said.

Zinn said our actions can show that we want to continue to honor King and his legacy.

“The way we treat our fellow man or woman in this world is one of the best ways we can (honor him),” Zinn said. “All of us have a job to do and to show our concern and acceptance of people of all nationalities, ethnicities, backgrounds...everything.”

In the final moments of King’s speech at South, he spouted words of hope and encouragement, and there were no interruptions.

“So however difficult it is during this period, however difficult it is to continue to live with the agony and the continued existence of racism, however difficult it is to live amidst the constant hurt, the constant insult and the constant disrespect, I can still sing we shall overcome. We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice,” King said in his speech.

He quoted poets and the Bible, sticking with the theme of “we shall overcome” as the crowd sat silently. In the audio recording, King’s booming voice rings out to the crowd in the final seconds.

“With this faith we will be able to speed up the day when all of God’s children all over this nation-- black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old negro spiritual, “Free at Last, Free at Last, Thank God Almighty, We are Free At Last.”

GRAPHIC BY LIAM WALSH ‘18

South custodian reflects on lifetime of hard work and love for students

There’s always something going on. But the hardest part is not the amount of work, but instead a call to the bathroom, according to Peters.

“When somebody gets sick in the bathroom or something like that, I hate that,” Peters said. “Especially in a classroom, if somebody (throws up) in a classroom and there’s kids in there and you have to go (clean up) and all the kids are wound up, it’s pretty nasty.”

Bathroom calls are not always for unintentional messes though, Peters said. They are a key spot for destruction.

“Graffiti is a problem in the bathrooms, and throwing paper towel on the floor and in the urinals. Boys can be pretty nasty, the girls aren’t too bad,” Peters said. “But graffiti is very hard to clean.”

Jack Austin ’17 acknowledges the hard work custodians like Joe do, and appreciates the clean environment that they provide.

“I don’t think about the janitors too often, but they do a wonderful job, especially in the cafeteria. The school JOE PETERS is very clean and you can definitely tell Head Custodian they put in lots of hard work everyday,” Austin said.

Elle McEvoy ’19 would also like to thank the custodians, specifically for the calls to the bathrooms.

“Thank you for cleaning the bathrooms. I know it’s super annoying when there’s bunch of toilet paper all over the place,” McEvoy said.

The custodial staff appreciates the student body as well, even if they aren’t often seen intermingling with one another.

“I love the kids, I swear to God, I talk to almost every kid I see. I know a lot of kids by first name, and they know me by first name too, and the teachers do too, so I love that part of it,” Joe said. “Love the kids, the kids are a good part of it.”

The custodians at this school not only keep it clean, but lend a hand to the staff and students whenever help is needed according to math teacher Elizabeth Bornoty.

The custodians are very helpful with the students and teachers, she said. If someone forgot their keys or cannot get into a classroom or a student can’t get into their lockers, they are always willing to help out right away. Bornoty said she has never had to wait for someone and most of the time the custodians notice that she’s struggling and help out.

“I very much appreciate how well they take care of the staff and the students, they take care of our home, you know it’s there home, it’s our home,” Bornoty said, “I would want to thank them and tell them just how much I really do appreciate their work.”

I love the kids, I swear to God, I talk to almost every kid I see.

SPORTS

01.19.17

‘GET’CHA HEAD IN THE GAME’

How South’s sports players perfrom pregame rituals and hype up before games WILL MUAWAD ’17 | Staff Writer What is this so- called “zone” that an athlete gets into before a game?

The so called “zone” is a mindset and getting prepared for a game, according to Anthony Frazier ’18, captain of the boys Men’s Varsity Soccer Team.

“To me, getting in the zone means preparation for a game and being the best that you can be,” Getting into your groove, getting

“Normally before games, I like to listen to hype rap pump up music to get me going, get me angry,” ANTHONY FRASER ’18| Varsity Soccer

ready, Frazier said.

For Josh Adams ’17, a Varsity Basketball player, getting into the zone also includes running over plays and situations before the game.

“Getting into the right mindset means going over the plays in my head from every position, the rotations on defense, and most of all just focusing on the game and the game only,” Adams said. “I get excited for the game but it also means settling my mind onto what’s most important at that time.”

Having the right mindset before a game or match is the key to success, according to Maddie Paolucci ’17, captain of the the Girls Varsity Tennis team.

“I think that a lot of success in sports has to do with your mindset,” Paolucci said. “If you have a good attitude about things going into a game or match, you will likely perform much better than if you didn't have a positive outlook.”

Getting into the “zone” is crucial for getting focused on the task ahead, whether that be a game or match, according to Adams.

“It's crucial for an athlete to get in the right mindset because that's how they close in and get focused on the game ahead,” Adams said. “Mental preparation is half of the game, so you need to

dial down and be ready to go, and block out extra distractions that might cause your mind to lose its focus.”

Listening to music before a game is a big part of achieving the right mindset, according to Frazier.

“Normally before games, I like to listen to hype rap pump up music to get me going, get me angry,” Frazier said. “The music helps me get aggressive and it also calms me down and gets me focused. When I focus on the music I don’t really think about what’s happening and what is going to happen, I just start feeling confident and ready for the game.”

Paolucci said that Music is also a big part of getting ready for her matches as well.a match mentally for Paolucci.

“Typically for high school, we do have a team playlist and that is playing throughout our warm up over the speakers.

The music style ranges but I'd say in general its pump up music, like rap,” Paolucci said.. “Whenever we have music playing at the courts when our opponent gets there, they are more intimidated than if we didn't have it playing which I think is another reason why we do it.”

In addition to listening to music, Paolucci always has to get her last her serve in during warmups.

“When you warm up for a tennis match, you always hit serves last,” Paolucci said. For whatever reason, I always have to get my last serve in order for me to start the match. I guess it just makes me feel more prepared to start.”

As captains of the soccer team and tennis team at South, Frazier and Paolucci also help get their teammates pumped up and into the right mindset before the game.

“I try to keep things focused during the warmup and I try to talk to some of the players before the game and get them pumped up,” Frazier said. “I try to be really serious and have an almost angry demeanor and hopefully that kind of charisma spreads throughout the rest of the team before the game.”

Paolucci also talks to her teammates before their match and even cheers them on during their matches.

“Usually the captains talk to everyone before a match or a tournament and give out some advice or encouragement to the team,” Paolucci said. “IThen if I am done with my match and there are other girls still on the court, I always make an effort to cheer them on and keep them going, especially if they are in a close match.”

Making sure the team and it’s players are educated about the game and match ahead, according to Mr. Roby, school social worker and former vVarsity boys golf coach.

“If we drove all together, I would have discussions about what to think about for the day., Whether that was the course we were playing, the conditions that we were facing. You got tota be mentally ready to go,” Roby said.

Getting yourself and teammates into the right mindset before a game can be the difference between winning or losing a game, according to Frazier.

“I remember coaches saying that if you go into this game thinking that you might lose it, you are going tonna lose it,” Frazier said.

“If you go into the game thinking you are going tonna win and it’s going tonna be really ease, you are going tonna lose it. It’s all about the mindset. I think that is why we beat Western in dDistricts this year, because they thought that they were just going tonna beat us, and we went out confident but not cocky. The mentality that you have before a game is really important.

SPORTS UPDATE:

Syncronized Swimming took on Troy Highschool, their first meet of the season.

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Gearing up: Softball starts the preseason rituals, gaining strength BIANCA PUGLIESI ‘19 | Copy Editor The girls softball team has now begun their preseason conditioning and strength training.

“We have strength and conditioning on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour, and then on Saturdays, the parents lead hitting so the girls can come in and hit whenever they want to,” head coach Bill Fleming said.

“On Monday nights, we have coaches practices for our returning varsity players.”

Captain Lauren Sancya ’18 said that so far, the practices have been going well.

“We just started our conditioning, so we’re only going to get stronger,” Sancya said.

Outfielder Julia O’Halla ’19 said the preseason practices are the time when the team makes the most progress.

“It’s always good to see all the girls in the offseason and this is the time when we really improve, because during the season we have no time to work on our swing. It’s a lot of technical stuff,” O’Halla said.

WE JUST STARTED CONDITIONING, SO WE’RE ONLY GOING TO GET STRONGER LAUREN SANCYA ’18

According to Fleming, the Grosse Pointe South Athletic Booster Club has allowed the team to hire a trainer.

“I think strength and conditioning is really important, and we’re lucky because the Booster Club helps us out and allows us to hire a trainer to work with the girls,” Fleming said. “The girls really like it.”

Fleming said that the team’s goals for this year are the same they have been in the past.

“We want to be an all-state academic team, which we’ve been three years in a row. We want to win our league, we want to beat North, and we always want to go far in the state playoffs,” Fleming said.

Sancya is feeling positive about the upcoming season.

“We only lost one senior, so we have a great group of girls,” Sancya said. “We are still a young team, but there’s nowhere to go but up.”

MICHAEL FRENCH ’17 | Staff Writer The Grosse Pointe Blue Dolphins synchronized swimming team had their first meet of the season on Wednesday against Troy High School, and for the first time in seven years, the Blue Dolphins came out victorious.

Troy’s 34-person team was no match for the 11 Dolphins.

The team this year is a mixture of Norsemen and Blue Devils. The six Blue Devils are Skylar McCrindle, Meredith McDonnell, Delaney Jackson, Abby Wilson, and co-captain Brooke Martin.

Though they were victorious in their first meet, the girls are not satisfied and are working hard to continue their success throughout the rest of the year.

“This year, the team is doing very well. It was nice to win our first meet of the season, and we have to keep working hard to win,” Martin said.

The team is coached by Lauren Martin, older sister to

Brooke. Martin has been coaching the Blue Dolphins for two years now, trying to help the Dolphins be as best as they can be.

The Dolphins also have other professionals coming to their practices to give them tips, and helping them to try to maintain their recent success throughout the rest of the season.

“I think having qualified people come to practice to help us with our skills is very helpful. I believe it helps us absorb many different techniques to help us improve,” Martin said.

Though this was only the first meet of the season, the girls’ demanding win was a great start. The Dolphins next meet is next Wednesday in Ann Arbor, and it is their first tri-meet of the year against Ann Arbor Pioneer and Ann Arbor Huron.

Blue Devils basketball faces Utica ADAM CERVONE ’17 | Staff Writer his past week, South’s varsity basketball team faced off against Utica Stevenson at home.

With four minutes left in the first quarter, Utica had the lead on South, 11 to 8.

When asked how he thought the team played overall, Senior Josh Adams said, “We played hard., well we always play hard, that is out team trademark,” Josh Adams ‘17 said.

South’s Defense was too relaxed this game, allowing Utica and their skilled players to get shots off from the perimeter, according to Adams said Josh Adams ‘17.

At the end of the first, South managed to tie the game up with 18 each.

One of the reasons why Dakota won the game was their coaching., “Their coach was very disciplined, he had a number of plays that he was always

T

yelling out on the court and he kept his players very disciplined,” Adams said.said Adams ‘17.

Utica pulled away at the end of the first half with a score of 31 to 25.

“They were definitely a beatable team.

Wwe have played better teams (Dakota), it is just that we came out flat,” Adams said.

At the end of the third quarter, Utica still remained with the lead of 53 to 40.

“We learned that we can coast by in practice and not try and then show up to a game, play no defense and expect some how to win,” Noah Davey ‘17 Senior Noah Davey said.

South faces off against Chippewa Valley Jan.. 13, at their home court.

“Chippewa lost their two best seniors and are in a rebuilding year right now but they are still a MAC team so they can't be overlooked,” said Davey said. ‘17.

HOOP CITY | Blue Devil Ryan Downy ’19 dribbles while setting up a play mid game. South’s apponent, Utica Stevenson took advantage of the relaxed defense played against them.