Issue 21

Page 1

the

TOWER Wednesday, Mar. 29, 2017

Volume 89

Issue 21

A weekly tradition since 1928 Grosse Pointe South 11 GP Blvd. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

@thetowerpulse

ART FEST 2017 Flip to page 4 for more coverage of the event.

PHOTO BY MARGOT BAER ’18

Choir evaluated on their Rescheduled forum plans singing at Solo & Ensemble to present GPPSS Diversity Plan on April 12 at Pierce IAN DEWEY ’18 | Staff Writer ing, which is where you read music and they Last Saturday, multiple South Choir stu- rate you on that,” Richardson said. “I wasn’t dents participated in the Solo and Ensemble so sure I did that well, but I guess I did.” event through the Michigan School Vocal The MSVMA Solo and Ensemble event Music Association (MSVMA). The MSVMA serves not only evaluates students’ individual solo & ensemble is an annual event in which performances, but also offers criticism so the choir students from all around Michigan student may grow in their skills as a vocalist. can be based on their performance by judg“You sing your two songs, and then you es. This year, it took place at Avondale High get feedback from the judge,” Ksebati said. School in Auburn Hills. “There will be a little interaction part of the “Solo and Ensemble is a chance for so- event where the judges will tell you to ‘Do loists and groups to perform in an adjudi- this,’ and then you’ll change it on the spot, cated atmosphere where students perform and it’s kind of interactive, so you learn how two contrasting styles of music: chamber or to grow from that performance.” concert music,” Choir This critique from the Director Christopher judges also carries into a Pratt said via e-mail. You can take it into your student’s private lessons. “(Students) receive you can take it voice lessons and improve into“Then written commentary, your voice lessons a clinic with the judge on those aspects that you and improve on those asimmediately follow- worked on at the festival. pects that you worked on ing their performance CINDERELLA KSEBATI ’17 at the festival,” Ksebati and a score that is then said. turned into a rating.” Additionally, the Solo According to Cinderella Ksebati ’17, a and Ensemble event allows students the opchoir student who participated in the event, portunity to broaden their scope in the type participants have to go through a district as- of music they perform. sessment before they are allowed to come to “You have to sing two songs, normally this statewide event. one foreign language song and one English “The way it works is you qualify for states, song,” Ksebati said. and you have to get an excellent or superior Richardson, under these requisites, derating at the District festival,” Ksebati said. cided to go for a German tune. “All the people that get that score get to go “I sang a German song, and I also sang an onto states if they choose, and then you go African spiritual song,” Richardson said. onto the same process.” The MSVMA state Solo and Ensemble The ratings used are the same as those at allows students from all across Michigan to districts. According to Pratt, Division 1 is the be evaluated under their performance. Achighest rating a contender can receive, while cording to Richardson,everyone involved in a Division 4 is the lowest. school music should participate in this event In addition to the two pieces the stu- and like events. dents must sing for the judges, there is also a “I think everyone should go out and do sight-reading portion, according to Meghan it,” Richardson said. “Band kids can also go Richardson ’17, who also participated in the out and do Solo and Ensemble (through MSevent. BOA), so I think everyone should go out and “In it (the event) there is also sight-read- try it.”

sion that a GPPSS Forum was needed to present the MARY GRACE O’SHEA ’18 | Staff Writer The League of Women Voters (LWV) is host- Diversity plan…The nonpartisan League of Woming a rescheduled forum on Wednesday, April 12 en Voters is moderating this as it does school board regarding the Diversity Plan and its incorporation candidates and other forums of interest to our community.” into the Grosse Pointe Public School System. The As a change meeting will be held in the Pierce Middle School auditorium, the location where it was planned to We are hopeful that the to the entire GPPSS, all are take place prior to the mass power outage. Tom Wells, president of the LWV, said that ac- auditorium at Pierce is full welcome to attend the meetcording to Dr. Gary Niehaus, superintendent of to overflowing. ing and share the Grosse Pointe Public School System, the goal TOM WELLS any questions of the forum is to publicly present the GPPSS Di- President of League of Women Voters or concerns, versity Plan to the community. “As Dr. Niehaus has stated, the Diversity Plan fo- Rebecca Fannon, GPPSS Community Relations cuses on leadership and culture,” Wells said. “The Specialist, said. “This is a district forum to present the DiversiDiversity Plan is an outgrowth of the Strategic Plan approved by the Board of Education. The panel-- ty Plan, with a panel discussion moderated by the moderated by the League of Women Voters)-- is LWV,” Fannon said. “There are no other partners there to give perspective and answer questions but all are welcome and encouraged to come and about what is happening across the country, state bring their neighbors.” Regardless of the community’s views on the plan, and locally.” The idea for the Global Leaders Forum was dis- speaking is encouraged and wanted at the forum, cussed following the presidential election in Jan- Wells said. “We are hopeful that the auditorium at Pierce uary as a result of an uptick in bullying and hate speech expressed by worried people in the commu- is full to overflowing,” Wells said. “We are hopeful that any and every concerned community member, nity, Wells said. “The idea of the forum came from a group dis- parent, student and teacher will attend. This specifcussion between some concerned individuals, in- ically includes those that think they are not in favor cluding me, that met with Dr. Niehaus and some of the plan. The idea is to have a civil discussion on members of the administration,” Wells said. “Dr. a difficult subject in a welcoming and respectful environment.” Niehaus was the catalyst in coming to the conclu-

GHAM ’18

PHOTO BY LIZ BI

THIS WEEK AT SOUTH... march

29

Class and SA officer elections take place during lunch and after school in Cleminson. [see page 7]

march

31

Spring break begins after school. Classes resume Monday, April 10.

11

april

Freshmen and Sophomores take the PSAT, Juniors take the SAT and Seniors have no school.


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