Issue 25

honors journalism edition

the

TOWER

Wednesday, May 16, 2018 Volume 90 Issue 25

A weekly tradition since 1928

@thetowerpulse thetowerpulse.net

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

Brownell Broncos prepare to become Blue Devils

Walking to save a life: Annual suicide walk works to raise awareness for mental illness

reflections and say their own goodbyes.”

According to Hunwick, As the students start a new over the years they have chapter of their lives, Brownell worked out all the kinks withMiddle Schools’ eighth grade in the promotion ceremony students will deliver speeches, to make it the best it possibly receive awards and reflect on could be. past memories as they are pro“Over time, the past prinmoted to high school. cipal and I have worked on The promotion ceremony perfecting the ceremony and takes place on Tuesday, June keeping it at a maximum of 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the middle 40 minutes long,” Hunwick school’s multi-purpose room. said. “I think we’ve reached “At the promotion ceremo- the point where the ceremony ny, we follow along with tra- isn’t too long, yet is still able ditions we’ve done for many to acknowledge and congratyears in the past,” Brownell ulate the graduating eighth Middle School principal Rod- graders.” ger Hunwick said. “Each stuBrownell eighth graddent will er Claire have their Blake said I’m looking forward to name read, she is very being with my friends excited for and some and looking back on students the ceremowill share a the great memories ny and to speech that move onto from the past few they’ve prehigh school years. pared. ” as well.

Accord“At the CLAIRE BLAKE ’22 ing to Hunceremony, wick, the I’m lookpromotion program is a way ing forward to being with my to bring the school year to an friends and looking back on end in a smooth manner. the great memories from the “It brings quality closure past few years,” Blake said. to the school year and we get According to Francis, the to go over all the incredible Brownell staff tries to make things that have been accom- the eighth grade promotion plished in the year,” Hunwick as special and exciting as they said. can.

According to Gina Francis, “We want to acknowledge physical education teacher the eighth graders as they at Brownell, the staff tries to leave us and appreciate the leave the promotion as stu- time we had with them,” Frandent led as possible. cis said. “It’s so nice that we get “I think the ceremony is to have this special program great because of how the stu- that allows us to look back on dents get to talk to their peers all the great times we’ve had, and parents,” Francis said. and look forward to the great “They get to have their own times we will have.”

TARA COLE ’21 Guest Writer

OUT OF THE DARKNESS Family and friends gather in South’s girls gym to draw attention to the rising concern of depression and suicide as a community united at last years event.

PHOTO BY RILEY LYNCH ’18 part of a team,” Monahan said. “You can make to support the cause as a whole because you (a team) for a sports team, a club, a group of could be connected to it in a way you don’t friends or just your family.” know.”

Grosse Pointe South students and other According to Monahan, if you choose to Austin Detweiler ’20 said he plans on members of the community have decided register as a team, the funds you raise will be walking because he would like to be involved to stand up against decombined. with the positive message behind the walk. pression and suicide Walsh-Sahutske said half “I am participating in the walk because it I am participating in the and let those who suffer of the money raised through is for a really great cause; it has a really great walk because it is for a realknow they are not alone. donations will be used for message and it’s doing a really good thing,” ly great cause; it has a really Their medium? A walk South’s mental health fund Detweiler said. “I want to partake in a good great message, and it’s dothrough Grosse Pointe. for suicide prevention efforts, thing.” ing a really good thing.

Titled “Walk out of and the other half will be used Walsh-Sahutske said even if students the Darkness,” the walk for outsourced material, such choose not to fundraise, they are still helping will be held on Sunday, as print material, prethe cause and AUSTIN DETWEILER ’20 May 20. South counselsentations, support making a differYou may not even or and organizer of the programs, suicide preence by simply walk, Beth Walsh-Saknow that your friend vention groups and being in attenhutske, said the purpose of the event is to suicide discussion groups. dance. is struggling with that raise awareness and start a conversation “Last year we had a masseuse, we “We really or that your friend has about depression and suicide so, as a commu- had a therapist, we had art, some are trying to ena personal connection nity, we can promote treatment and potential chalk drawings and this year I’m trycourage people to suicide prevention solutions for this widespread issue. ing to get a henna person to come to sign up be“This is an issue that has hit really hard in in and do henna tattoos,” Walsh-Saor mental health. cause even just our community with adults in the last year,” hutske said. being part of JOSIE MONAHAN ’ 20 Walsh-Sahutske said. “With the wellness fair, Monahan said students should it is an awareyou’re going to have a lot of resources that participate in the walk because, even ness feature,” will be helpful for people in terms of thera- if you don’t suffer personally, many Walsh-Sahutske peutic resources and wellness resources. Just people have connections to the issue of men- said. “I think having people walking through a bunch of different options.” tal health that they may not even know about. the neighborhood is going to cause a lot of Josie Monahan ’20, one of the organizers “You may not even know that your friend people to say ‘What’s this all about?’ ‘What of the event, said it is completely free to sign is struggling with that or that your friend has are we talking about here?’” up, but donations are welcome. a personal connection to suicide prevention To register for the event, visit the website “You can either walk as an individual or be or mental health,” Monahan said. “It’s good afsp.org/grossepointe.

ZACH FARRELL ’21 Guest Writer

Earth science classes visit Canada to expand environmental knowledge

FINDING FOSSILS Earth science students observe rocks and other fossils on their field trip to Canada with Lisa Bouda.

FOREST FRIENDS Brooklyn Northcross ’20 and friends enjoy the fresh air and scenery of Arkona, Canada.

PHOTO BY BROOKLYN NORTHCROSS ‘20

PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA BOUDA

BRAD KEMPER ’21 Guest Writer Lisa Bouda’s honors Earth science class will cross the border and take a day trip to Arkona, Canada to collect fossils and rocks on Thursday, May 17.

The Earth science students will visit Glen Park in Arkona to collect the fossils from the river. After that, they will visit the Pinery on the shore of Lake Huron and

collect rock samples.

When the students are in Glen Park, they will wade through the river and collect fossils. This is a part of the subject the Earth science students recently learned in Bouda’s class. Bouda said the main goal of this field trip is to show Earth science in the real world, and how it can be applied outside the classroom. “[We take this trip to] appreciate that there is Earth science

IMPORTANT DATES may

19

senior prom takes place in Detroit at the Fillmore.

all around you,” Bouda said. “We have a very unique spot not too far away [where] we can collect fossils.”

Over the 25 years Bouda has been in charge of the field trip, there has been the occasional setback.

“It’s weather dependent,” Bouda said. “We’ve had two rainouts, and one time we had border issues.”

The students will test their

may

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knowledge on fossils and rocks in the real world instead of in the classroom, according to Bouda.

Many students, like Andrew Turnbull ’21, are excited to learn firsthand.

“I’m very excited that I can learn new things about my Earth Science class,” Turnbull said. “[I’ll get] a more enriched understanding of the Earth science world.”

ROCKY FALLS Lisa Bouda stands in a waterfall off the shore of Lake Huron in Glen Park, appreciating the view.

PHOTO BY BROOKLYN NORTHCROSS ‘20

Class of 2018 senior honors night will be hosted at South from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

may

24

South will be hosting the GPS Broadway choir performance at 7 p.m.

2 | OPINION

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 5.16.18

Middle schools falling short: preparing students for high school Our View Editorial

The transition from middle to high school has proven to be difficult for many students. We at the Tower believe part of this challenge has to do with eighth graders not being sufficiently prepared for the immense workload and time commitment required for high school level classes.

It may seem nice to be able to give minimal effort for a mediocre grade in middle school, but this does not help when freshman year rolls around, and getting away with only doing one homework assignment each night doesn’t cut it anymore.

In the Grosse Pointe Public School System, students have seven different classes in high school, compared to only six in middle school. Also, every high school class will most likely regularly have homework, unlike in middle school where the majority of the time the homework was only from a few classes each night and far easier. Since transitioning students have to deal with two more classes and more homework in each class, this can be extremely overwhelming.

For both grade level and honors students, some sacrifices must be made in a student’s personal life to accommodate for this increased workload. In middle school, students often become accustomed to being able to go home, finish homework in about an hour or less and then have the rest of their day to play a sport, hang out with

GRAPHIC BY EVA MCCORD ’20

friends or relax at home. This is not the case in high school. In a poll of 50 freshmen, students said they spend an average of over two hours on homework per night along with extracurriculars and any other activities one might have, as opposed to the one hour or less they recall spending on homework in middle school.

The workload can seem overwhelming to incoming high school students and can make for an uneasy

transition, the hardest obstacle being the tricky balance of time management between work for different classes. In middle school, students don’t have to worry about managing their time as much because they often have only one daily homework assignment due the next day.

To make it easier for eighth graders to transition from middle school to high school, middle school teachers should work together to create a balanced

The perspective of a ‘psycho’ GREY KOREJWO ’20 Guest Writer

the the

TOWER

N N EE W W SS PP A A PP EE RR SS TT A A FF FF

Life is unfair. That’s what we’re always taught by adults and superiors. That no matter what we do, the world is still unfair. For some people the world is more unfair than others. Where people sink into the depth of their deep, dark thoughts until they feel like they’re drowning.

That’s what it’s like for me and 350 million other people around the world, which is 5 percent of the population according to the National Institute of Mental Health. With mental health slowly declining worldwide, there needs to be a better system to take care of these sick children, even if it’s not physical. As a person who’s been to many mental facilities, for many diagnoses that even I don’t know what to call what I have, there needs to be something for children with these invisible illnesses.

The first time I was called a psycho was by my brother.

I knew I saw things that people didn’t see. I knew I heard things that people didn’t hear. But I never considered myself “psycho.” It hurt. Somebody I knew for my entire life, from the first moments of my life, and he had called me “psycho”.

At that point in my life nobody ever called me that.

I’ve been to mental facilities seven times since seventh grade. From Kingswood to Havenwyck to Harbor Oaks. All gave me the same results. I was drugged up for a week and sent home with all my problems still remaining at large. Nothing changed. That’s the main reason I’ve been seven times. I’ve seen it happen the same with everybody. Drugged up and sent off. Sent off to go into an unfair world where invisible voices and thoughts break you down until you feel like you’re dead already.

There are a lot of ways we can combat this impending situation at hand. With one in ten children experiencing a period of major depression, according to a Cengage company, you need to speak up.

Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Liz Bigham* ’18 John Francis* ’18 Online OnlineEditor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Henry Ayrault* Ayrault* ’19 ’19 Henry Grace Reyes* ’19 Associate Editor

Associate Editor Alyssa Czech* ’19 Alyssa Czech* ’19 Supervising Editors at Large

Supervising Editor’18 at Large Ray Hasanaj* Ray ’18 LiamHasanaj* Walsh* ’18 Supervising Editors

Supervising Editors Katherine Bird*, Bird*, RachelKatherine Harris*, Riley Lynch*, Rachel Harris*, Riley Lynch*, Elena Elena Rauch*, Rauch*, all all ’18 ’18 Biana Biana Pugliesi* Pugliesi* ’19 ’19 Page Editors Editors Page Chase Chase Clark*, Clark*, Kaitlin Kaitlin Nemeh*, Nemeh*, JD JD Standish*, Standish*, all all ’18 ’18

Go talk to your counselor if something is wrong. Don’t be afraid. I guarantee you somebody out there is feeling the same way as you. 20 percent of adolescents, ranging from 13 to 18 years old, suffer through severe mental disorders in one year as reported by a Cengage company, so there’s always someone somewhere with the same issues.

I know I’ve felt alone many times in my life, like I was the only one out there with these issues, but it’s not true, no matter what you think.

Even if you don’t have these issues, but you know somebody that does, comfort them. Help them get through the struggles that are put upon them and talk about the future. Tell them it will be okay. Tell them to look ahead to the future. Ask what their aspirations are and tell them to chase those dreams.

We can sit here and pretend it doesn’t exist. We can just act like it’s not our problem. But it’s time to take a stand. It’s time to understand that we can’t have more announcements of student deaths ringing throughout the hallways.

If you are feeling suicidal or need to talk, please contact the national suicide hot line: 1-800-2738255.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness: 20

percent of youth aged 1318 live with a mental health condition.

50 percent of youth aged

8-15 did not receive mental health services in 2017.

Adrian Doan* Doan* ’19 ’19 Adrian Anne Muawad*, Muawad*, Lauren Lauren Nemeh*, Nemeh*, Anne Maura Shine*, Shine*, Aidan Aidan Walsh*, Walsh*, Elizabeth Elizabeth Maura Wolfe*, all all ’20 ’20 Wolfe*, Copy Copy Editors Editors Ian Dewey*, Dewey*, Piper Piper Eschenburg*, Eschenburg*, Phoebe Phoebe Ian Miriani*, all all ’18 ’18 Miriani*, Sylvia Hodges* Hodges* ’19, ’19, Sylvia Elizabeth Flower*, Flower*, Victoria Victoria Gardey*, Gardey*, Claire Claire Elizabeth Sheeren*, Imran Imran Siddiqui*, Siddiqui*, all all ’20 ’20 Sheeren*, Business Managers Business Managers Evan Skaff* ’18 Evan Skaff* ’18 Web Editors Web Editors Arianna Pagenette* ’18, Kaitlyn Perkins* ’18, Arianna Pagenette* Kaitlyn Perkins* Kathleen Carroll*,’18, Katherine Costello*,’18, Kathleen Carroll*, Katherine Costello*, Claire Koeppen*, Jaqui Mercier*, Audrey Claire Koeppen*, Jaqui all Mercier*, Audrey Whitaker*, ’19 Whitaker*, all ’19 Dominic Dulac* ’20 Dominic Dulac* ’20 Multimedia/Social Media Editors Multimedia/Social Media Abigail Due* ’18, Editors Abigail Due* ’18, Erica Fossee* ’19 Erica Fossee* ’19

Tower Radio

amount of homework for each class to help integrate these skills into students for a less extreme transition in workload.

Teachers should also increase how often they assign work while taking into account how long those particular assignments take students, gradually increasing the homework load as the year progresses to help students get comfortable with a high school level homework load.

According to the Association of

Middle Level Education, exposing middle school students to samples of high school work is a great way to get students used to what high school will be like and also gives an idea of they should prepare for when they start high school.

While we understand some might say middle school teachers should keep the workload light before being overwhelmed by it in high school, having homework in more than just one class each night will help build these time-management skills before high school. This would decrease the number of students whose grades suffer dramatically during freshman year as they are trying to acquire these skills.

Exposing students to a gradually increasing workload in middle school is also essential in helping students find a balance in their lives with extracurriculars and other activities before going into high school. This will allow students to have a more successful transition into freshman year, and ultimately a more successful high school career.

Much like high school curriculum is designed to help ease the transition into college, it should be the same case for middle to high school. Although our middle schools do a lot to prepare students for high school, like the structure of the daily class schedule, offering high school classes in middle school and changes in volume and difficulty of homework and workload still needs to be done in order to make students more prepared and successful when tackling the next chapter in their educational careers.

Student athletes should receive a seventh hour tutorial MAX SIMONSON ’21 Guest Writer Many student athletes constantly find themselves missing class due to a sporting event after school, which results in them missing important information that is vital to the curriculum.

But, if all student athletes received seventh hour tutorials, this would almost eliminate the problem.

Throughout elementary and middle school, missing class came with no consequences.

But as we transition into high school, missing school is a terrible idea. Missing class can hurt someone academically because almost everyday is filled with important information.

Student athletes especially struggle with this because on game days, they find themselves being drawn out of class early. This often results in a drop in grades. As a solution to this problem, I propose every student athlete should be scheduled with a seventh hour tutorial. This would result in less class being missed by student athletes.

Students around Grosse Pointe South hate the idea of missing school and setting themselves behind other students. Student athlete Nick Vandenbrink ’21 said missing class can hurt his grade. He said he often needs extra time to get his work done.

Vandenbrink is currently on the freshman baseball team.

Tower Radio Alex Acker* ’18 AlexHeimbuch* Acker* ’18 ’19 Zachary Zachary Heimbuch* ’19 Staff Writers

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

He knows balancing sports and school can be tough sometimes.

I believe implementing this tutorial in athletes’ schedules will make this much easier.

I also play multiple South sports. I played varsity soccer, ran track and am part of a travel soccer team. I can remember nights where I would double up on practices because of this.

These nights I could be up until 1 a.m. doing homework. This may not seem late to some, but two practices can be exhaust-

ing. I wish I had a seventh hour tutorial at these times because it would give me an early start on homework and decrease the time spent on homework after practices.

A seventh hour tutorial would be helpful to the hundreds of students at South that struggle to balance their work in school and sports. Seventh hour tutorial would be a great addition to the schedule of student athletes.

PROTECT THE NET Thomas Wacker ’19 competes in the regional semifinals against Troy on Oct. 21, 2017.

PHOTO BY ADRIAN DOAN ’19

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THETOWERPULSE.NET | 5.16.18

3 | NEWS

Community nonprofit seeks to revitalize Detroit, opens a contemporary coffee shop TROYE AHO ’20 Guest Writer As a result of the lack of a chill and neighborhood space, The Commons, a coffee shop and laundromat, has opened up on the eastside of Detroit, bringing new life to the area.

The Mac Avenue Community Church (MACC) Development, a Detroit churchbased nonprofit, seeks to revitalize the city, and the coffee shop/laundromat is just one example of their efforts.

Jesse Bandfield, the manager of the shop, has been part of the group developing the idea and construction of The Commons for at least three years.

“We wanted to create that space where everyone could come together,” Bandfield said. “Through community meetings, we came up with the great idea of taking the social atmosphere of a cafe, the practicality of a laundromat, and crushing them to-

gether, and you have the Commons.”

Not only is The Commons a huge step for MACC Development in their goal of reviving Detroit, it is also a great place to go get a coffee, hang out with friends or perhaps get some work done, according to Malaysia Searcy ’18. She enjoys The Commons for the people and the overall ambiance.

“It’s just a warm, welcoming environment,” Searcy said. “The employees are really nice, and they make you feel like they’re your friends.”

According to Bandfield, this was also a goal of MACC Development, to make it a place that is almost a home away from home.

“We wanted to give people a reason to come together. So people arrive for the coffee, and they get that space to be able to be with friends,” Bandfield said.

Jessica Dodge ’19 mainly uses The Commons as a workspace, and agrees that it is

perfect for group projects or other situations where people need to work together.

“It’s a really nice place where people can collaborate,” Dodge said. “If there are community projects that need to be done, there’s a community space up on the second floor.”

It’s just a warm, welcoming enviornment. The employees are really nice, and they make you feel like they’re your friends.

MALAYSIA SEARCY ‘18

The outcome of this three year project has come together beautifully, and already positive community reactions are being seen, according to Bandfield. Although the shop has been open for almost two months, the grand opening on Saturday, May 12 signified the end of the journey to finish the store and begin a new opportunity for Detroit’s eastside.

“It’s been something that people have anticipated, so for (The Commons) to actually be open, and to be able to host people here, it’s been a joy for us,” Bandfield said. “Then to see how the community has reacted to NEW BREW Above is the inside of the new coffee shop, The Commons, after three years of the space has been development. The goal of opening it was to revive and bring back life to the neighborhood space. awesome too.”

Honors night slated to recognize exemplary students BELLA CRAPAROTTA ’19 Staff Writer

On Tuesday, May 22 at 7 p.m.

South students will be honored and recognized for their accomplishments at the seniors honors night in the South Auditorium.

Seniors honors night is held to honor the students at South that have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above. Along with seniors that have upheld this standard, six juniors will also be awarded book awards that were nominated by South’s staff.

Other accolades such as: the Junior English Award, military academy awards, scholarships, athletic awards, and recognition of senior Student Association (SA) members, senior student council members, and National Honor Society students will be acknowledged at the ceremony according to student activities director Maria Mitzel.

“The ceremony is a little bit later this year,” Mitzel said. “Usually it’s prior to prom but because AP testing is a week later this year it has been pushed back.”

The invitations were sent out on May 3 and according to Mitzel, this year there are more students.

In the past Mitzel has usually invited 170-185, however this year she said she has sent out 200. Colin Mulcahy ’18 received a formal invitation in the mail and said he is planning on attending the ceremony .

“I’m proud that I got invited to this and that I made it through South with good grades,” Mulcahy said.

According to Mulcahy, other seniors are grateful to be honored

at the ceremony.

Anna Gleason ’18, an enrolled senior but early graduating junior, said she is also excited to be acknowledged at the event .

“I’m really glad that they’re doing this for me because it feels really great to have all my hard work recognized,” Gleason said.

Gleason is graduating in 2018, after her three years at South. She will be leaving for a youth exchange trip for 11 months, living with several host families in Finland for cultural and educational

I’m glad they’re doing this for me because it feels really great to have all my hard work recognized.

ANNA GLEASON ’18 immersion.

“It’s kind of a weird situation,” Gleason said. “I’m walking with the seniors but all my friends are juniors. South has been really great at helping me and inviting me to seniors honors night and prom.”

After graduating from South, Gleason hopes to go into neuroscience and research study Alzheimer’s disease or marine biology.

“I’ve had a lot of great teachers and memories but one takeaway from South would be the really close friends I’ve been able to make over the past couple years,” Gleason said. “And the amazing teachers I’ve had that inspired me to go into biology and research and push me to work so hard.”

VegFest welcomes vegans from across Michigan KATHRYN CHERVEN ’20 Guest Writer

With major restaurant sites like Eater Detroit and Thrillist boasting lists of the hottest vegan-friendly restaurants in Detroit, it’s clear that Michigan’s vegan population is growing. A study by ReportBuyer in 2014 found that only one percent of people in the United States claimed to be vegan; that number had risen to six percent by 2017. The scope of this increase was seen by the thousands of people who attended Michigan’s annual VegFest on April 29 at the Suburban Collection Showplace.

“These days it’s really easy to be vegan, but seven years ago, when we first went dairy free, you’d go to a restaurant and find the one vegetarian thing on the menu and make sure you order it without the three different kinds of cheeses they put on it,” owner of Ice Cream Plant Robb Zimmerman said.

“Now you go to a restaurant, you order food and it shows up already vegan; at almost every restaurant you have multiple choices.”

This year, VegFest, Michigan’s annual vegan-themed festival, had an expansive food court as well as guest speakers including medical professionals, chefs and Detroit Lions’ running back Theo Riddick, according to the VegMichigan website. “(VegFest) is mostly people here in the state.

They’re the kind of people I want to reach that I think would really get value out of what I’m doing,” Zimmerman said.

According to Zimmerman, Ice Cream Plant first began as a way for his son, who potentially had a dairy allergy, to eat good ice cream. However, after discovering that his son didn’t have the allergy, his family remained vegan because of how good they felt without dairy in their diets.

“I’ve had other parents who have children who are severely allergic to dairy or severely allergic to nuts and they just figured ‘my kid can’t grow up eating ice cream,’” Zimmerman said. “The biggest reward is making people happy and helping their kids have a normal life.”

Adults are not the only people who partake in the vegan lifestyle; a number of students at South are vegan for various reasons.

“I’m vegan mainly for health,” Daniel Schenk ’20 said. “I’ve felt like I have more energy and I don’t feel as sluggish.”

According to Schenk, there are many people who are misinformed about veganism who choose not to educate themselves.

“Some people get really mad about it,” Schenk said. “There’s a lot of fake news people say about it, but people should just do their own research on it.”

While Schenk cites health as his main motivation, Zimmerman said that his reasoning is split between health and empathy.

“If you eat meat and you see a video online of cows being slaughtered you say ‘oh geez that’s terrible I don’t want to watch this anymore’ but don’t feel bad eating a burger,” Zimmerman said. “If you don’t eat meat and you see that video then you know it’s not attacking you personally any longer and it’s easier to feel empathy for the animals.”

Many vegan chefs also participate in VegFest because it provides them with an opportunity to share their lives’ work with a large audience.

“Healthy food accessibility for people is my main purpose,” owner of Cacao Tree Amber Poupore said. “When I discovered being plantbased, it gave me life because I had never felt so good.”

Poupore has at-

tended VegFest both as an attendee and as a participant since its creation in 1999. She cites VegFest as an output for her veganism and that of thousands of others.

“One person can make a difference even though we often feel powerless,” Poupore said. “Especially as consumers, we’re very powerful and when we change our diets it’s something that we do all day everyday for the rest of our lives and that is a huge impact that one person can make.”

GRAPHIC BY KATHRYN CHERVEN ’20

FAIRFAX QUALITY MARKET 899 Beaconsfield Grosse Pointe Park (313)-822-7074 Only a 7 minute drive from South Subs and snacks great for lunch

4 | ENTERTAINMENT

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 5.16.18

A guide for must-watch movies this summer JACKSON MARCHAL’21 Guest Writer

Romance

Horror

Crazy Rich Asians

The First Purge

Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), a native New Yorker, and her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), go to Singapore for Nick’s best friend’s wedding. As excited as she is to visit Asia for the first time in her life, she is still nervous about meeting Nick’s family. To add on to that, she is still unaware of a few key things about Nick’s life. One: that his family is one of the richest in the country, and two: he is one of the most sought-after bachelors. With the jealousy of many girls, and the disapproval of Nick’s mother, Elanor, it adds complications to the relationship. This comes out Friday, Aug. 17.

The Founding Fathers of America found that in order to push the crime rate below 1 percent for the rest of the year, they must allow one night of all unpunishable violence. It was supposed to be contained in an isolated community, but the rage spreads across the nation. The purpose of the film is to explain how purge night all started, and how the country accepted this kind of atrocity. This comes out Wednesday, July 4.

Comedy

Drama

Uncle Drew

Hot Summer Nights

Dax (Lil Rel Howery) is completely broke after draining his savings to join a team competing in a Harlem basketball tournament. Winning the tournament means everything to him. Not only for the cash prize, but regaining his stature; however, things don’t look good. The team faces many setbacks such as losing to Dax’s longtime rival Mookie (Nick Kroll). One day, he runs into Uncle Drew (NBA star Kyrie Irving).

After Dax convinces him to join the team, they travel around the country in attempt to bring together Drew’s old basketball squad. With the help of Drew and other basketbal stars, Dax has a chance at winning the tournement. This comes out Friday, June 29.

Daniel (Timothée Chalamet) is sent off to the preppy peninsula of Cape Cod for the summer. As he tries to fit in, he is constantly stereotyped as the “new kid.”

This all changes for him when he is introduced to cannabis by Hunter Strawberry (Alex Roe), the neighborhood rebel. He becomes hooked and realizes that with the help of Hunter, they can make a lot of money selling it. The two become strong business partners through their shady transactions. Along the way, he pursues Hunter’s sister, McKayla, and they fall for each other. Hunter is not okay with this, as it may affect their business. This comes out Friday, July 27.

PHOTOS COURTESY IMBD.COM

Rose’s serves excellent fresh food

The local diner you never knew about right around the corner MARY FANNON ’21 Guest Writer When walking into the welcoming Rose’s Fine Food Diner, you are immediately encased in a warm atmosphere that is filled with immense amounts of hospitality. The small restaurant is located on 10551 East Jefferson Ave, Detroit. The classic vintage style paints a picture of the restaurant several years back.

Quirky photos and paintings give you a true sense of what this place is all about. You are greeted and seated while they promptly ask you how you are before they even ask you for your drink order.

Once the waitress introduced herself and told us the house specials, my sister and I each ordered a cup of coffee with a side of cream.

The coffee cups were “old-school” vintage, which added to the warm vibe. The water cups, colored a pretty aquamarine, also followed the vintage theme.

My sister ordered “The Forager” salad. She described it as a fresh

green mix with grilled pears on top, which was covered with warm caramelized walnuts and an acidic balsamic dressing. On the side, she received two pieces of toast with their homemade apple butter. After finishing the salad and side, she concluded that the toast was her favorite part. The meal was one of the many healthy and clean choices on the menu.

I ordered the “Q Dilla Remix”.

This was an Americanized take on a traditional Spanish quesadilla. It was made with a house made tortilla melted together with cheese. On top, there was an egg, fresh guacamole, onion salsa and a sprinkle of paprika. This was accompanied with a green salad covered with a light balsamic and a chickpea mash.

I have to admit, I didn’t finish the whole dish. Yet, what I did have was absolutely amazing. The warm tortilla with the spicy salsa went hand and hand. The side salad adds a nice clean touch to the plate as well.

Each meal was under $20, which

made this two person brunch an inexpensive trip. I have found that many new and modern restaurants have been charging ridiculous amount of money for such easy and simple meals. It is nice and comforting to know that there is still a classic restaurant that knows the correct way to price and create their meals.

One thing that I didn’t care for was the organization of the food.

The one and only cook had cut potatoes laying on the griddle for over an hour. While not touching the heat, they were susceptible to bacteria, as well as flies.

While observing the restaurant during the 20 minute wait, I quickly noticed that they have only four workers, one of which was a cook, and the other three were taking turns serving and checking out customers at the cash register. This one cook prepared all of the meals for the 40 plus

customers.

Rose’s helps the community as well as Michigan by only using locally and organically grown ingredients, making incredibly fresh and clean dishes. This is not only helping their own business by creating delicious foods, but they are also supporting Detroit by making business for the quaint companies.

PHOTO BY MARY FANNON ’21

Sixth Benji movie is the best one so far BRIDGET DOYLE ’21 Guest Writer The classic 1974 movie “Benji” has once again been brought to life in a more modern, 2018 version that stars the lovable, heroic dog Benji on a mission to save two kids in danger.

The son of the original “Benji” director, Joe Camp, displays the young, heartwarming friendship between an orphaned dog named Benji and siblings Carter (Gabriel Bateman) and Frankie (Darby Camp). After Carter finds Benji alone in the streets of New Orleans, he instantly falls in love with the dog. Although Carter is not allowed to have a dog due to his mom’s strict rules, he leaves a trail of strawberries for Benji to follow him home. Carter and Frankie must then do the best they can to hide their new dog from their mom for fear that she will send him to a dog’s biggest nightmare--the pound.

The action later heats up when the two siblings find themselves in trouble after they

are kidnapped by robbers. Since Carter and Frankie saved him, Benji realizes it is up to him to save them, so he teams up with a stray puppy pal in hopes to rescue his new friends.

Although Benji cannot literally speak, he still teaches lessons about friendship and family. Camp fantastically characterizes Benji as a scruffy, lost stray with a heart as big as his deep, brown eyes. It is almost impossible to not say “aww” when Benji is first introduced.

Parents should be advised that after watching this film, it is highly possible that their children will want a puppy of their own.

Through all of the saddening scenes that may pain viewers’ hearts, Joe Camp hits home with “Benji,” especially to dog owners. Though I do not own a dog, I still found this film enjoyable and captivating.

“Benji” (2018) is an adorable yet exciting movie that will attract viewers of all ages. Whether you are young or have been a lifelong fan, this family film will not fail to make the crowd fall in love with Benji. Even though this movie is not in theaters, you can currently find it in the “New Releases” section on Netflix.

NR, 4/4 stars, 1h 27 minutes.

PHOTO COURTESY IMBD.COM

‘I Feel Pretty’ tells a bigger story KATIE CHERVEN ’20 Guest Writer “I Feel Pretty,” the new movie starring comedic leading lady Amy Schumer, from “Trainwreck” and “Snatched,” has been receiving a downpour of mixed reviews. While receiving a 3.9 out of 10 score on imdB, the film earned a description of “revolutionary” from Rolling Stone Magazine and a handful of less-than-favorable reviews from The New York Times.

The premise of “I Feel Pretty” is the life of Renee Bennett (Schumer) and the event that will alter her existence forever: a fall at a SoulCycle class. The tumble wounds Bennett’s mental state, the result being a warped sense of self image: Renee now believes herself to be the most beautiful woman in the world.

While her physical appearance hasn’t actually been changed, Bennett’s attitude and self-worth undergoes an overhaul. Bennett begins to take charge of her life, making power grabs within her office and initiating a new romantic relationship with a man, while also boasting a new sense of self absorption.

The cast features Michelle Williams from “The Greatest Showman” and “Manchester by the Sea” as Bennett’s boss and Emily Ratajkowski from “Gone Girl” and “Entourage” as Mallory, Bennett’s attractive friend.

While the plot of Schumer’s movie is based on Renee Bennett’s lifestyle changes after what she believes is a major physical change to her appearance, the overarching theme of the story extends far beyond this simple, comedic plot.

The jarring reality of “I Feel Pretty” comes along with many of the scenes intended to be the funniest.

After the laughter fades away in the audience, scenes like those in which Schumer enters into a bikini contest alongside a number of thin, conventionally attractive contestants makes you cringe: a product of societal messages based on the claim that we accept every person no matter what they look like, while not actually doing so.

The real premise of this movie is not just to spread the idea of loving yourself despite whether or not you fit into commonplace molds; it’s also to address the deep rooted issues women face in America. It brings to light and quietly critiques the generally accepted standardization of women to look a certain way and act in a certain manner based on the interest of a judgmental general population.

I recommend “I Feel Pretty” based on the grounds of holding a strong hidden message, as well as on the basis of a night at the movies enjoyable for a group of friends.

Overall, “I Feel Pretty” works as a thought-provoking message about overcoming the societal boundaries placed on young women concerning body image and the acceptable “standards” that they are expected to meet.

5 | FEATURE

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 5.16.18

Social media and teen mental health: the destructive effects on the mind

BFF <3333 BFF <3333

OMG, she’s perfect. Ugh, I wish I could look like her :/ I need to get more followers if I ever want to be that popular.

Why can’t I have her life ???

Her outfit is so cute. I NEED her top!!!

CHARLOTTE PARENT ‘21 Guest Writer Endlessly scrolling through social media has become a mindless routine. Seeing post after post of spa days in Florida or photo shoots in school-whatever it may be-- all are good things to show one’s followers, but the potential effects they leave on these followers are not so good.

Social media is a ubiquitous tool for teens to use in order to keep touch with their friends and view the current happenings of the world. The appeal of little to no adult oversight drives them to platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, according to a study

by The Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). Licensed master social worker and family therapist Mary Beth Garvey adds the overall charm of social media is primarily the lack of supervision. Likewise, NORC reported that 75 percent of teens use Snapchat, which narrowly concedes to the 76 percent of teens that use Instagram.

“Part of the appeal (of social media) is the type of content that parents want them to stay away from,” Garvey said. “The rebellion is appealing.

It also provides constant access to peers, instant gratification and the innate ability to curate exactly what you want your life to look like.”

Social media has the intoxicating allure of a one-way ticket to view someone else’s show, according to Grosse Pointe South counselor Beth Walsh-Sahutske. According to Walsh-Sahutske your business becomes everyone’s business on social media-- one can easily project small highlights of your life and put them together to make it appear as if your life is perfect.

“You can see quite clearly (that) when you look at the effect of social media in terms of your mindset, it (creates) a warped perception of the world around you,” Walsh-Sahutske said. “So, here are people that look just like you, and seem just like you, yet their world is always happy and they are doing amazing things and look beautiful doing it.”

When access to social media is left unrestricted, it causes a multitude of effects on teens. Self-esteem

is significantly affected by social media use, Grosse You see it clearly when you are working with a stuPointe South High School principal Moussa Ham- dent where gaming is their primary (or only) focus ka said. Their insecurity is prevalent when they are in their world.” always comparing themselves to others.

The psychological ramifications social me“If you’re always watching what other material- dia presents to teens are heavy and diverse. Garistic things people have, and then go and focus on vey said social media can impact kids’ lives in a what you don’t have, it can lead to inferiority com- number practical ways-- facilitating connections, plexes,” Hamka said. “Then, you’ll feel bad about improving socialization and offering plenty of reyourself, or want to have whatever they have, or sources they can use to their heart’s extent. any number of bad things.”

“The constant distraction of technology can One would be hard-pressed to find a real photo help teenagers avoid or numb out uncomfortable on social media these days, according to an arti- emotions they’re faced with,” Garvey said. “Social cle from Child Mind Institute. They add that with media can further help us disengage from others, social media, teens have the ability to create their as well as disconnect from our own thinking and lives exactly how they want them to be, and the re- feeling.” sulting feeds are not unlike highlight reels-- they Social media also has some positive outcomes show only the best and most enviable moments which can help teens long term. According to an while concealing the efforts, struggles and the article from The Conversations, social media can merely ordinary aspects of day-to-day life. create a sense of community, encourage people to “The regular adolescent seek help and share informapressures placed on teens tion and resources. They also these days are a full plate in said that in the past, frequent and of itself,” Walsh-Sahutske social media use has been assoYou can see quite said. “In the process of growciated with an improved ability ing in our society, you’re sim- clearly (that) when in sharing and understanding ply trying to figure out what you look at the effect the feelings of others. your identity is and what it of social media in “I think there’s capacity for a means to be ‘me’. (Those) are terms of your mindset, lot of good to come out of social really tough questions for media,” Garvey said. “But since (it creates) a warped anybody to figure out on their many teenagers struggle with own, but to layer in social me- perception of the world finding a balance with technoldia, it makes that even more around you. ogy, I think the negatives could difficult.” outweigh the positives. If social BETH WALSH-SAHUTSKE Social media posts aren’t South Counselor media is exercised with more the only culprit that have the caution, we’d see less of the negpower to affect teens’ mindative influence.” sets. Walsh-Sahutske added Social media isn’t entirely that gaming addictions have their own potential good, however. Walsh-Sahutske said the effects soinfluence on behavior, attitude and academics. cial media has on mental health in teens have the Popular games like Fortnite could be responsible possibility to be more damaging than beneficial-for assorted problems including sleep deprivation. there are many studies that show a correlation be“There’s a solid increase in gaming addictions in tween social media, negative behaviors and mental people that have shown symptoms of sleep depri- health concerns. vation,” Walsh-Sahutske said. “They don’t have sig“Depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation are nificant motivation for things in life beyond that. common ‘bad’ effects of social media,” Walsh-Sa-

hutske said. “I don’t know if (researchers) have been able to go beyond correlation to say this is a causal relationship between the two because that’s a hard thing to do. I think it’s clearly an obvious correlation, though.”

Teens deal with the impact of constant pressure from peers on social media in different ways. Some students, like Danielle Patterson ’21, use social media frequently to keep in touch with friends and stay up to date on celebrities and general news.

“I think social media makes it easier than ever to connect with friends,” Patterson said. “You’re able to interact with them whenever you like. Without social media, you can still text and talk face to face-- I still sometimes do-- but apps like Snapchat make it (easier) for you to send fun pictures to your friends. It’s a really nice (option) to have.”

Others, like Katherine Krick ’21, have no profiles on social media. A large portion of the effects social media inflicts on teens aren’t usually seen in teens who are so detached from those networking sites. Krick said since she doesn’t have to constantly check her phone, she’s more tuned in with what’s going on around her.

“I’m so much less stressed without social media,” Krick said. “I’m more confident and happy about who I am, and I’m not always worrying about what other people think of me and how they see me.”

For parents who are concerned about the amount of time their teens spend on social media, Garvey suggests setting ‘device-free zones’ at different places around the house, such as at the dinner table or in the bedrooms. Ultimately, she said, the goal is to help kids make their own good decisions about balanced, responsible technology use on social media in the most effective way possible.

“When used with moderation, social media isn’t as detrimental as many fear,” Garvey said.

“But there must be (some) amount of restriction.

The bottom line is that teens need to balance engagement in their ‘social media world’ and the real world.”

6 | FEATURE

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 5.16.18

Link Crew prepares to welcome incoming freshmen for the coming school year TARA COLE ’21 Guest Writer

w e r C k n i L

New people. New school. New experiences. Starting high school can be a nerve racking time for every student transitioning to a new school.

As the new school year is right around the corner, Link Crew has begun preparation to welcome the incoming freshmen. By providing new friends and guidance around the school, Link Crew helps lighten the nerves of freshmen who are adjusting to high school.

Link Crew leader Amy Ellis ’19 said her job is to be a peer for her group of freshmen to look up to.

“The leaders and I are there for the freshmen as a reassurance in case they need to reach out to someone, but they don’t necessarily feel comfortable talking to their parents or a teacher,” Ellis said.

According to the group’s adviser Dennis Pascoe, Link Crew’s intent is to make freshmen feel more comfortable at school and provide them with someone to help them.

“My freshman year has positively changed because of the help my Link Crew leaders provided,” Kathrine Bsharah ’21 said. “Without them, I don’t know where I would’ve gone or how I would’ve gotten around the first couple of weeks.”

According to Pascoe, not every freshman will use Link Crew as a tool, but the ones who do will feel more secure and ready for high school.

“The amount of help we give them depends on the person,” Ellis said. “I think the ones who were very nervous for high school benefited the most because we helped ground them and let them know we were there for them.”

The guidance certainly helped, Bsharah claimed, although she may not have needed it as much as other kids.

“My Link Crew leaders really helped me out at the beginning of the year by touring me around and helping me find my classes,” Bsharah said.

Ellis claims she has had experience guiding freshmen with many different emotions towards starting high school, and works with each one differently.

“I contacted my group a lot in a previous year, and we did things together such as going to get breakfast because most of the students in that group seemed to want that,” Ellis said. “However, this year, most of the students are doing great and don’t seem to need as much assistance as the previous year.”

Not only do Link Crew members provide help for the freshmen at the beginning of the year, according to Pascoe, they frequently will reach out to their groups to check in and see how their year is going.

“Our crew will show the freshmen around various events and keep in touch with them to make sure they’re having a smooth first year of high school,” Pascoe said.

According to Pascoe, Link Crew has had lots of achievements in the past couple years, but is still working on finding ways to improve the program.

“Whenever you bring a new program like Link Crew to a school such as South, it’s always going to take time,” Pascoe said. “I think each year we’re getting better and better.”

HANDS UP Everybody’s hands are in the air as leaders and freshmen play an icebreaker to introduce the students to the school and both new and old classmates.

So much more than an adviser: Ms. D leaves legacy on Student Association FRANNIE O’SHEA ’21 Guest Writer Many people say she is the best adviser, the best person and the best teacher. Laura Distelrath, who has taught the students in Student Association all about leadership, is leaving the adviser position of Student Association (SA).

Distelrath has been advising student council and SA since the fall of 2011. According to Distelrath, she got involved to give the experience for the high school students that she had when she was involved during her high school years.

“I just really loved what it brought to me,” Distelrath said.

“I saw (what) student activities brought to so many other students in terms of having an impact on your school and the culture of your building, but also on the community as well and just the individual growth and lessons that you can learn.”

Distelrath said her experience has been one that she will never forget. She has learned so much through her experience and is really grateful that she has had the opportunity to work with so many amazing students.

“It’s been really rewarding to see students go through their own experience and growing and learning, and especially getting to see kids get involved freshman year, and then get more and more involved in the organization and grow throughout four years,” Distelrath said.

What she will miss most about SA are the relationships that she has built throughout

the years advising, according to Distelrath. She has loved seeing them grow and really experience SA with her.

“I am getting emotional.

There’s so many kids that I’ve gotten close with over the years, and so some of them have graduated but like we are still in touch and so that to me is the most rewarding part like getting to see them grow but also being apart of their life for four years and for some of them you know even after,” Distelrath said.

Katie Parent, English teacher and Distelrath’s close friend, believes that Distelrath has given her all to SA and put everything She puts her whole heart into everything that she does, whether that’s teaching math and getting excited about triangles or being the Student Council advisor, the SA advisor or just being a good friend.

KATHERINE PARENT English Teacher into making the organization what it is today.

“She is incredibly caring,” Parent said. “She puts her whole heart into everything that she does and whether that’s teaching math and getting excited about triangles or being the Student Council advisor, the SA advisor or just being a good friend, she really puts her whole heart in everything.”

According to Parent, she thinks that Distelrath has done

such an amazing job with helping to grow SA more and more throughout the years. No matter what, she has made the students take on leadership and reflect on all of their decisions.

“I think a really big difference that she has brought to the organization is that she makes kids a lot more reflective,” Parent said.“They don’t just do an event and then (be) done with it; they have to write committee reports and think about “how can we make this event better next time.’”

Rachel Harris ’18, SA President, has loved having Distelrath as an adviser and will miss her incredibly. She has brought so much to the organization and has taught them about how to be amazing leaders, according to Harris.

“She knows the line between helping and letting the students do the work,” Harris said. “She doesn’t take things over, but she is there for help when people need it.”

According to Distelrath, she is ready to take on new challenges and to have time to accomplish what she has wanted in the past.

“Nine and a half years is a long time to be involved in Student Council stuff,” Distelrath said.

“While I’ve loved every minute of it, it’s a lot of time and I am just excited to try some new things and to have the time available to either accomplish personal goals that I have, and have the time to work towards that, but also to get involved in different ways in the school.”

UNITY DAY Ms. D and Daniel Kuhnlein ’17 pose in front of South on Unity Day, an event put on by Student Association.

HOMECOMING CELEBRATION The 2017-2018 Student Association E-board and Ms. D celebrate a successful homecoming.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STUDENT ASSOCIATION

PHOTOS BY JOHN FRANCIS ’18

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 5.16.18

7 | FEATURE

Lack of sleep poses dangers for students because I have a lot of homework from my honors a lack of judgment classes and sports after school which take up a lot of According to Dorsey, to live a healthy lifestyle, my time,” Heimbuch said. students should try to get at least eight hours of We spend an average of one third of our lives-Heimbuch thinks that she could achieve better sleep a night.

25 years-- asleep. As sleep is so vital, it is important grades if she slept more.

According to Grace Hurst, ’21, she sleeps for for students especially to get an ample amount of “I believe that I could do better in school if I got about seven to eight hours each night, which is a sleep if they want to do well, as sleep deprivation more sleep because sometimes I’m really tired in little less than recommended, mainly due to one can cause a loss of focus in and out of school. class from a lack of sleep which makes me not pay reason.

At high schools esattention as well as I could with more “I’d say that I get about seven or eight hours of pecially across the U.S., sleep,” Heimbuch said. sleep a night because of my homework load,” said many students aren’t Sleep deprivation doesn’t only tar- Hurst.

I believe I could do meeting the recommendnish your focus in class. According to Grace felt that the number of hours she slept ed number of hours needbetter in school if I got the National Heart, Lung and Blood impacted her school performance. ed for a healthy lifestyle. more sleep because Institute, a lack of sleep can cause an “I don’t know for sure but I don’t think that I For many it is because sometimes I’m really increased risk of could do much better in school of after school commitheart disease, kidthan l already am if I were to get tired in class. ments or homework, but ney disease, high more sleep,” said Hurst. for others it is just due MAIRIN HEIMBUCH ‘21 Sleep is the golden blood pressure, dia Sleep is vital for a healthy to the desire to hang out chain that ties health betes and more. life and not getting enough of it with friends, check social According to can lead to some nasty side effects. and our bodies media, or to take part in other social activities.

Dr. Edward Dorsey, not getting If you are trying to ace your next together.

According to a 2006 National Sleep Foundation enough sleep also brings forth test or quiz, it is super important poll, 87 percent of high schoolers did not meet eight dangers to students who own a to get enough sleep the night beTHOMAS DEKKER ‘21 to ten hours of sleep and the poll also pointed out car. He mentioned that somefore. that the student hours of sleep were declining. one who is very tired could fall “Sleep is the golden chain that The issue seems to be everywhere. Many stuasleep at the wheel which is very dangerous for the ties health and our bodies together,” Thomas Dekdents encounter a lack of sleep and for Mairin driver and to other people on the road. ker ’21 said.

Heimbuch, ’21, it’s due to the sports she plays and When asked about what other effects little sleep her daily homework load. can have on students, he said that it can bring about “I usually get about six to seven hours of sleep JACKSON POTTER ’21 Guest Writer

GRAPHIC BY JACKSON POTTER ’21

Increasing number of required school days results in burnt-out, frustrated high schoolers Are the required 180 days of school too much for students?

ANNA LUDVIGSEN ’20 Guest Writer

ation to “recharge their batteries” in a way. “(Students need to) get their mind on something else before coming back to school because school can be stressful,” Roebuck said.

According to Rennell, the alteration of the breaks has to do with a negotiation between the teacher union, the Grosse Pointe Education Association and the district. However, one major party left out of the

From a student’s perspective, their authorities are their teachers, hall monitors, counselors and principal. Yet students don’t really know who is controlling the number of days they have to go to school every year.

Due to state legislation, Grosse Pointe South High School has increased the length of their school year, but students didn’t I don’t think it will get much of a improve anyone’s say in this decision. overall ability to learn “There’s now or willingness to go to a state law that school. says that students have to MEG GLEASON ‘20 go 180 days. So, we had to add three days to our scheddecision making is the stuule; even though we had dents. enough hours, we had to “(State legislators) make add days,” Grosse Pointe decisions not on what’s Education Association the best, in my opinion, President Mike Rennell for students,” Rennell said. said.

“These legislators are makIt was either to cut three ing these rules having nevdays off of December break er stepped into the school, or cut three days off of Febso they think that it’s best ruary break, according to for kids.”

Rennell.

Gleason does not like “We took teacher input, the changes made, and bewe took administrative inlieves others would agree put, we took community that the vacations are realinput and tried to do what ly nice to have and will be the majority wanted bemissed. cause you are never going “I truly don’t think it’s to please everybody,” Rengoing to do anything; I nell said. don’t think it will improve Geometry teacher Jenna anyone’s overall ability to Roebuck was disappointed learn or willingness to go about the cut, but was hapto school,” Gleason said. py with a week off during Roebuck believes February break. the state of Michigan “We were given a survey just wants more conat the end of last year about sistency across the state some different things in to make sure everyone our contract that were imhas the same amount of portant to us and vacation school days. days was one of those items “They want to set that we could have chosen, minimums, but they albut we weren’t given a speready had the hours. So, cific say in the vacations,” hours and days are kind Roebuck said. of an unnecessary step.”

South student Meg Rennell said.

Gleason ’20 said she doesn’t Both Roebuck and understand why breaks are Gleason agree with the being cut at all. possibility that state “I don’t think it will imlegislators will keep deprove anyone’s overall abilicreasing our vacation ty to learn or willingness to time year by year. go to school,” Gleason said.

“We will probably “I do not think it’s going to just continue to indo much or be helpful.” crease and I don’t think Roebuck says that she that we will have that believes her students need February break in the vacations, and deserve a next ten years,” Roemental break and relax-

buck said. “We will always have the winter break, I just don’t know how long it will be. I can just see us probably going to school later into the summer.”

According to Rennell, as long as the laws don’t change, students’ school year will be 180 days long.

“Based on the state’s pattern with continuously increasing the school days, they are probably going to keep doing that, and they are probably going to make us go to school before Labor Day, since we always go the Tuesday after; they are going to make us align with a lot of the other states and the Midwest,” Rennell said.

This trend seems to be disliked overall by the teachers and students, who do not have much of a say in the changes made in their own school, and can only watch the state legislators take control.

“Kids are under a lot of stress these days, and we need to have that time to de-stress and come back fresh,” Rennell said.

Students’ thoughts on the added school days “I would prefer if we had a year that is the exact same consistently throughout the four years that I’m here because a lot of students start to recognize a pattern of learning that is habitual.”

Jack Michaud ‘21 “I think that there should be a shorter school year because there are a lot of days where you’re sitting in class doing nothing and there’s a lot of wasted time. If there were a shorter school year it would help students from burning out and slacking off at the end of the school year which can result in dropping grades.”

Kate George ’20 • Schools are now required to go 180 school days per year • South had to add three days to their calendar

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8 | SPORTS

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 5.16.18

Rising star Elana Zingas is set to play at Cornell this fall

GOING TO GOAL South rushes to the net and shoots on the goal, as an opponent blocks the shooter and the goalie crouches to stop the shot.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HENRY SHIELDS ’21

Junior varsity brings in a ‘W’ against North HOPE WHITNEY ’21 Guest Writer The JV boys lacrosse team took their first win of the season against local rival Grosse Pointe North on Thursday, May 3. The boys played an astonishing game, ending with an 8-1 win against the Norsemen.

Goals were scored by Brian Fraser, Andrew Turnbull, Sean Clarke, Aaron Vyletel and Joey Sceglio, all ’21, along with Ryan Konieczny and Nate Bingaman, both ’20.

The boys have not had a very successful season thus far, leaving the game with a new 1-6 record (now 2-6). However, this win may give the team some hope for the future.

“I think we are all very proud that our first win

was against our rival, North,” attackman Brian Fraser said.

Fraser led the team with the first goal of the game, starting it off on a positive note. After a productive first half, the boys walked off the field at halftime with a 5-0 lead.

Fraser said the team did a lot better this game at taking shots and scoring goals, along with playing stellar defense-- both of which are crucial for a successful game.

According to Fraser, to ensure their first win, the team learned new strategies and spent more time preparing for the game, along with bonding as a team.

“We learned new plays which were a big help,” center Andrew Turnbull said. “We spent a lot of

time preparing for this game.”

Turnbull said it wasn’t all fun and games though; the Norsemen put up a good fight, giving South a rough time on the field. However the team kept their cool, knowing that they will end the game in victory.

“Our biggest struggle was not retaliating against their aggressiveness,” Turnbull said regarding the Norsemen strategies.

According to Turnbull, the team will keep improving on teamwork and scoring, both of which are very important in games.

“Our team is best at bonding and helping our favorite teammate Marc Rittner get the ball,” Fraser said. “We learned new plays and bonded.”

On par:

Men’s golf swings for another successful season RYAN CALDWELL ’21 Guest Writer One of South’s most successful sports is often left in the shadows.

The men’s golf team has been one of the best in the state for the past few years. Their success is continuing with a strong team this season and a great coaching staff behind them that knows how far they will go.

They are led by captains Patrick Sullivan ’18 and Coalter Smith ’19 who, according to teammate Will Krick ’21, are outstanding golfers and have become team leaders.

“Coalter hits the ball really well.

He finds a way to score really well even when he isn’t hitting the ball the way he wants,” Krick said.

This year’s team shows real promise. They are undefeated so far, playing flawlessly throughout.

According to Krick, the players on the team have clicked so far and

practice together nearly every day.

They have developed strong chemistry.

“The bond that we have with a team of 11 kids isn’t big like the cross country team,” Krick said.

They compete against teams all across the state, including Traverse City Central, Brother Rice and Eisenhower High School. Antonio Cavaliere ’21 described the pre-match process and advice given by his coach.

“I practice putting and chipping, and my coach gives me advice, like keeping my eyes over the ball, those sort of things,” Cavaliere said.

They are led by coach

Robert McIntyre, who stresses the importance of playing each round shot-by-shot and not worrying about score. He also believes that the young talent is very important to the team.

“Well the young talent is the future, so when people move through the program and graduate, and if you don’t develop your team, you won’t have a future,” McIntyre said.

As for Krick, he has a different approach for preparing for a match. He said he collects tees, balls, then he chips and putts until the coaches bring him over and they do some introductory stuff and then they go play. The team is 6-0 in the MAC Red division, and thriving according to McIntyre.

“We have high expectations for ourselves and

we play well in the season to get in the playoffs. The younger players who progressed during the season can show it in the playoffs. As for the varsity players, they want to make it through regionals and do well in the state finals,” McIntyre said.

The favorite course of the season for Krick was Cherry Creek, which is the home of Eisenhower. Cavaliere said Lochmoor Club was his favorite because that is his home course and he said it is very fun to play.

The golf team requires a lot of these busy students’ time; they practice almost daily with sporadic matches through the week. According to Cavaliere, the time you put in is all worth it when you are playing.

“The golf team has been worth my time. I have accomplished many new skills and had fun with my teammates,” Cavaliere said.

Photo Essay: Track meet @ Eisenhower

HEADS UP South’s first men’s 4x800 runner holds onto Eisenhower.

DETERMINATION South’s third runner chases down the win against Eisenhower.

RELAY Kaleigh McCarron ’20 carries the baton as she sprints to the finish line.

NECK AND NECK Nate Vorhees ’19 chases down Eisenhower to give South the lead going into the third runner.

STRONG FINISH Rockim Williamson ’18 recieves the baton to beat Eisenhower.

CHEESE! Members of the team gather up for a photo. PHOTOS BY JAMES ULKU ’19

BIG DREAMS Elana Zingas ’18 watches the puck, ready to tip in a rebound. Zingas started playing hockey at eight years old.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELANA ZINGAS ’18

MATTHEW KORNMIER ’21 Guest Writer For many people, sports are just a hobby, but for future college hockey player and current South student Elana Zingas ’18, that is not the case.

Devoting a majority of her spare time to hockey has not only made Zingas a college-level athlete and gotten her a scholarship to play on Cornell University’s women’s hockey team, but taught her memorable life lessons and created friendships that will last forever.

“I have gone through a lot of adversity and different experiences. I think that the friendships I’ve made are definitely a big part of it,” Zingas said. “It’s a different type of friendship that I know will last my whole life.”

Zingas’ hockey career started when she was only eight years old, but it was in seventh grade when she made the West Coast U.S. Select Hockey team that she made her decision to try to become a college hockey player.

With that team, Zingas said she traveled worldwide and played in Italy, Sweden and Finland three different times, leading her team to win the world championship twice.

“Those were some of the best weeks of my life,” Elana Zingas said. “(It was) a good experience that helped me get a lot of exposure to colleges.”

After playing on the U.S. Select team, Elana Zingas said she began playing for Belle Tire 19U AAA hockey, and has been playing with this team for the past five years. According to Zingas, on this team her coach Mike Vigilante played a key role in helping her push limits as a player and a person.

“Mike, who has been my coach for five years, has definitely been a big influence in my life,” Zingas said. “I look up to him as a role model, and I think that he expects a lot from me, sometimes more than I expect from myself.”

After a tournament last spring in Vermont, Zingas reached out to all the colleges scouting at the event. Cornell was one of the colleges that responded and asked her to visit.

“When I visited there, I stayed overnight with the girls’ team for a couple days, and I think that’s what really made my decision easy because other college visits I went on I didn’t get to stay with the team,” Zingas said.

According to Zingas, support from family and friends has been essential in her road to success.

Teammate and friend Maria Di Cresce ’18 is one of those people.

“She really pushes me to improve myself not only as a hockey player but as a person,” Di Cresce said.

According to Zingas, another supportive figure throughout her hockey career has been her sister Emilea Zingas ’20. Emilea said that through such a long road, her family has always been there to support her.

“She is a really hard worker and I can see that hockey is her passion and she truly loves it,” Emilia said. “I am so happy that she is continuing to play hockey in college and I can’t wait to see what happens after that for her hockey career.”

As for the future, Elana plans to take a post-graduate year before going to play for Cornell in the 2019-20 season. Elana also plans to continue playing hockey and training with her team next year before starting a new chapter in her hockey career.

“It will be a new adventure. My teammates now are some of my best friends,” Elana said. “I think I will hopefully have that at Cornell too.”