Issue 18

Page 1

the

TOWER Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Volume 89

Issue 18

A weekly tradition since 1928

@thetowerpulse

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

Trip to China expands students’ world view ALYSSA COLE ‘19 | Staff Writer Last week, a group of South students took a trip abroad to China. The group left on February 16, and returned eight days later. This time was filled with a variety of experiences. The trip was arranged and advised by Dennis Pascoe and Kendra Caralis-both South teachers-- with organizational help from ACIS (American Council for International Studies), a business dedicated to planning educational trips. The group traveled to three different cities: Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai. According to Pascoe, there were many sightseeing opportunities in each city, so there were tour guides to lead the group to the different sites. During the day, students visited major tourist sites, and at night they explored shopping and entertainment districts, Pascoe said. Students saw many historical landmarks such as the governmental center, the Forbidden city, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall, according to Reis Dempsey, ‘19, one of the travelers. “Being involved in another country’s culture was breathtaking. The water

GSA response to transgender bathroom policy reversal

in China was not drinkable, so we had to use bottled water to brush our teeth. Everything was so different there, but unforgettable,” Dempsey said. According to Gabie Smith ‘18 new friendships formed between people who had barely talked before the trip. Students met lots of new people, while having the opportunity to view a different culture firsthand. “We went on a lot of adventures,” Smith said. “We hiked the Great Wall, and that was beautiful. We saw many Buddhist temples, and I thought the food was great because it was all authentic Chinese food.” The trip to China allowed kids to get outside of “the bubble” and their comfort zone, Pascoe said. Many people are not exposed to cultures of other countries in the world, and are only used to the american lifestyle, according to Pascoe. “I think this trip really helps open the eyes of people and give them a new experience,” Pascoe said. “It shows them that it’s not just Grosse Pointe, there is more to the world than that.”

Students enjoyed sights rich with history on their trip to China this past Midwinter Break, including The Forbidden City (left and right) and The Great Wall of China (middle). PHOTO COURTESY OF GABI SMITH ‘18

How the GPPS plans to deal with the deficit IAN DEWEY ‘18 | Staff Writer loss to the school system isn’t because of a natural In the past few months, it has come to the atten- economic reason; in a natural market, such as in a tion of the School Board that the GPPSS is currently private school for instance, a decrease in students at running under of a deficit of $1.5 million, according a certain point leads to more revenue. But in a public school, grants awarded by the state are directly to Deputy Superintendent, Jon Dean. According to Dean, the school board first be- related to enrollment in that district, Hamka said. “You have, let’s say, 100 kids less than you expect,” came aware of the problem when they were writing Hamka said. “Well, each student represents about up the budget speculations for nine or 10 this school year. thousand “So each school year, by dollars of law, each school district has to state fundpropose a budget that would ing. Over include their revenues,” Dean the last said. “Every year you have couple of this budget and for this school years, we’ve year we sit in, 16-17, we beJON DEAN come in a lieve we’re going to miss our Deputy Superintendent little under budget target by approximatewhere we’ve ly $1.5-1.8 million.” According to Principal Moussa Hamka, infer- projected to be, and enrollment does fluctuate; so ences on the origin of the deficit seem to be popu- whenever enrollment dips, you feel the pain.” Hamka isn’t the only one who thinks that delation based. “What I know is that we’ve had some decrease clining enrollment is the main cause of the deficit. in enrollment over the last couple of years,” Ham- Dean also believes that the correlation between enka said. “When you have a student population that rollment and the debt may be valid. Not only that, but Dean also believes rising costs comes under the projected numbers, you will incur a deficit, and you’ll need to make some adjust- have played a factor in the district’s debt. During the Board of Education meeting on ments.” The reason why a lack of enrollment incurs a Monday, Feb. 27, school board member Lisa Abbey

“Our current fund equity right now is about 7.8 percent, or about 7.8 million dollars”

said enrollment in the school district is expected to incur a shortage of about 75 students in the upcoming school year, so it would be inferred that state funding will probably decrease in the next year. But not all is to blame on the district miscalculating the amount of enrollment decline in the past years. According to Hamka, another perhaps larger factor is the amount of funding the schools receive from the state in general. “I think the biggest piece for us to understand is that we have not received the necessary state funding and increases that we should’ve over the years,” Hamka said. “The reality right now is that Grosse Pointe Public Schools, and almost every other school district in Michigan, receives less today than they did ten years ago.” When it comes to scaling back this deficit, the school board hasn’t come to any conclusions about what to do yet, according to Hamka. “So what the district is looking at is what are our expenditures, what areas or programs do we need to cut back on, I think the school board is working through some of those parameters: class size, programming, staffing levels, and looking for opportunities in the budget to close that deficit gap,” Hamka said. [To read the full story, check out PULSE]

Mr. Roberts’ Neighborhood: Students and faculty reflect on the life of a beloved substitute teacher

ARIANA CHENGGES ‘17 | Pulse EIC “I remember when I would tell “Don’t take me out of context my students I would be taking a kids,” is the most memorable saying day off, they always asked if they students will never forget from the could have Mr. Roberts and at first I most familiar substitute teacher in the got very suspicious about why they Grosse Pointe Public School System, would want a particular sub,” physics Jack Roberts, according to Addison teacher, Matt McGuire said. According to McGuire, he Enders ’17. Many students would be enamored perceived Mr. Roberts would always upon walking into their classroom talk to the students, not at them and and seeing the one and only substitute that is what kept them engaged. As a reward to his students teacher to put a smile on their faces, sometimes, McGuire would get Mr. Enders said.

Roberts as a substitute for the day because his kids loved him. “Whenever I would come back after a day of him subbing, nothing was ever broken and everything was intact,” McGuire said. “He would just keep them at full attention which was really nice.” He was extremely nice to all the teachers in the school, according to McGuire. “I always knew it would be a good period if Mr. Roberts was subbing

because he was always energetic and a wonderful person overall,” Jon Rogowski ’17 said. According to the Wujek-Calcaterra tributes website, Roberts died on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at the age of 89. “He was always upbeat and whenever I looked at him, I would think, ‘that how I want to look when I grow up,’” McGuire said. “That is how I will forever remember him.”

THIS WEEK AT SOUTH...

8

march

A public forum for the League of Woman Voters will take place at 7 p.m

14

march

Open Mic and Poetry Night takes place On at 6:30 p.m.

LAUREN THOM ‘18 | Photo Editor Last month, President Donald Trump’s administration reversed former president Barack Obama administration’s policy that permitted transgender students to use the restroom that corresponds to their identified gender in public schools. It is now in the hands of the states and local school districts to decide if sex discrimination laws apply to gender identity. Harry Susalla ’18, the Gay Straight Alliance Club (GSA) Vice-President, disagrees with this policy change and said he can understand the other sides opinion, given that there isn’t a strict definition when it comes to gender identity, and that gray area can cause confusion. “The only thing (Obama’s policy) was doing was helping so many transgender students feel comfortable and safe in their school,” Susalla said. “And I know there’s transgender students at South, which a lot of people don’t know.” Susalla said that President Trump not supporting transgender students is a large step backwards for the entire LGBTQ+ community. “He’s not fighting for transgendered youth, he’s allowing others to fight for them because he doesn’t think it’s an important issue, which it totally is,” Susalla said. “I can only imagine the trauma of transgendered youth that feel they aren’t safe in their school and that the top of the government doesn’t fight for them.” Because the school district now has the power to set policies, Susalla said he has faith in South’s administration to be open-minded and allow transgendered students to use their preferred bathroom. In order to raise awareness of this issue, Susalla said there needs to be a dialogue that allows everyone to voice their opinion. Without this, he believes there will be no progress. Oliver Lardner ’17, GSA President, said she was very disappointed after hearing about the policy change and believes it is an unnecessary step back. “You’re taking a right away from (the students), ultimately, and I understand why. Maybe they think it’s a safety precaution to prevent people from lying and going into another bathroom, but people can do it anyway,” Lardner said. “With every pro there’s going to be some cons.” Lardner said this policy change makes students feel invalidated, herself included. “I know it makes them feel alone and invalid, and it’s up to GSA and other people to make them feel like they’re welcomed again,” Lardner said. “(GSA) is definitely open to anybody who wants to seek any type of counseling; we’re emotionally supportive.” Stephanie Samuel ’89, LGBTQ+ Chair of Welcoming Everyone Grosse Pointe (WE GP), said she believes this policy change is terrible because all students should feel safe and supported in their schools and with their current condition, they do not and will not unless comprehensive changes are made. She said she thinks there is a fear of the unknown, and some people simply don’t understand what makes an individual transgender, which could make them transphobic. “I just hope that all South students can feel comfortable because they deserve that, and nobody is less than,” Samuel said. “If they feel less than, not only me as the Chair, but the entire WE GP has their back because we feel that equality is due to every single person no matter what.” The new Grosse Pointe Public School System Diversity Plan is being launched and the first meeting will be held on March 8 at 7 p.m. in the Pierce Middle School auditorium. Their goal is to address a variety of diversity issues and answer any questions that people in the community may have, whoever they may be in order to create a more understanding, inclusive environment for the students of South.

15

march

Family Center event for High Vibration Living


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