the
TOWER Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016
Volume 89
Issue 6
@thetowerpulse
Grosse Pointe South 11 GP Blvd. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236
Students on edge as recent clown sightings make their way closer to The Pointes SYLVIA HODGES ‘19 | Copy Editor While there have been no confirmed sightings in any “Creepy clowns” have been spotted in several states of the Grosse Pointe community yet, people are still on and in Canada over the last few weeks, causing mass edge. Billy Beardslee ‘19 said there is some humor in hysteria and fear. the situation, however it should still be taken seriously The sightings began in August of this year, when chil- by police. dren in Greenville, South Carolina reported that clowns “If it gets to the point where they’re not following the tried to lure them into the woods behind an apartment law or they’re really endangering someone, then I think complex. Other residents in the complex said that they the police should take it seriously,” Beardslee said. saw the clowns as well. The incidents were first reported Beardslee said he thought it just gives people someby the Washington Post. thing to talk about. Near the end of September, the clown hysteria began There have been allegations of some of the viral vidto spread to other parts of the United States and Cana- eos of clown sightings being staged. While this cannot da. According to ABC News reporting, the hysteria has be proven, Beardslee said he believes the sightings are also recently spread to Australia. Clowns were sighted real. in Victoria, Australia, recently. There have since been Susie Jarboe ‘20 also thinks there are real videos out sightings in 37 states and in a few cities in Canada. there, but she thinks some could be a hoax for publicity. The hysteria has recently spread to metro Detroit, “I didn’t really believe it at first, but then I saw a lot of where there have been several incidents over the last videos on Instagram and then I was like, ‘woah,’” Jarboe week. A seven year old boy in Sterling Heights was at- said. tacked by a man dressed as a clown wielding a plastic While sophomores at South are reading about witch butter knife. Two 18 year old women chased two 14 hunts in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” students at Penn year old girls in Roseville while dressed as clowns and State are going on clown hunts after rumors spread of have since been ara clown sighting near camrested and charged pus. At least 500 students with disorderly conmobbed the streets to hunt I didn’t really believe it at first, but down the clown, however duct. A clown was filmed standing outthen I saw a lot of videos on Insta- Penn State Police Sgt. Mike side a car wash in Nelson told the Centre Daily gram and then I was like, ‘woah,’” Clinton Township in Times there were no clown the early hours of the sightings or credible clown SUSIE JARIBE ‘20 morning, waving to threats. the people filming. “I would go (on the hunt) All of these incidents were reported by WXYZ Detroit. just for fun with my friends,” Jarboe said. “I’d just make “Those who want and choose to wear these clown sure we stayed safe.” suits, just know, when people call us, we’re going to inJarboe also thought that the whole situation should vestigate,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig said in an be more serious than funny. She thought that the police interview with CBS Detroit. “If the investigation leads should be involved, however some incidents could just to a criminal misconduct of some sort, then we’re going be harmless pranks. to take appropriate action.” “I was kind of more scared than finding it funny
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because I get people do pranks and all, but there’s some real stuff out there,” Jarboe said. While many of these clowns may just be copying other people and dressing up to scare others, Daniel Kuhnlein ‘17 said he thinks there may be some mental health issues involved with the people dressing up as the clowns. “I think there are mental health issues with people in the world and they need to be addressed,” Kuhnlein said. While many people don’t dig down deep into what this issue really is, Kuhnlein thinks it is a form of terrorism. “It is a serious threat to our society,” Kuhnlein said. “People think it’s so funny because there’s people dressed up as clowns, but it’s a form of terrorism.” Kuhnlein said that since we live in a post 9/11 era, we find ourselves fearing for our lives often. He said he sees why people can think this situation would be humorous, but Kuhnlein holds tight to the belief that this is a serious threat. “I think people are using their capabilities to invoke fear on others as a form of self pride,” Kuhnlein said. Kuhnlein said if he ever encountered a clown, he would run. Jarboe said the same. “My first reaction would be obviously to run and record it, and then call the cops,” Jarboe said. Beardslee said he would walk away quickly if he ever came upon a clown. According to a poll conducted on the Tower Pulse Twitter, 51 percent of 35 voters didn’t particularly care about the situation while 49 percent said they were terrified. “I don’t think it’s gotten out of hand yet, but there’s always people that go a little too far,” Beardslee said.
GRAPHIC COURTESY OF RILEY LYNCH ‘18
BREAKING GROUND: Provenzano’s new book cracks the top 1,220 on Amazon
ON TO THE NEXT ONE | The boys varsity tennis team poses with the trophy after their second place win at the Regional Competition. The team focuses on singles and doubles scrimmages during practice. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN WILLARD
Tennis team hopes to place within the top 10 at the State Championship MADELEINE GLASSER ‘17 | Copy Editor The boys’ varsity tennis team got second at regionals on Thursday, qualifying to compete for the state championship Oct. 13-15. The team practiced and worked hard in preparation for the match, according to David Scupholm ‘17, one of the players. “We practiced and played a lot of matches this year,” Scupholm said. “We knew we would be ready to play well.” At the practices, the team focused on doubles and singles scrimmages, according to Patrick Willard ‘17, the team captain. Patrick said he was proud of the way the team performed. “The team played skillfully at regionals,” Patrick said. “It showed that everyone had improved from the start of the season.” Coach John Willard is also proud of the way his team played and worked to-
gether to advance on after regionals. “I was very proud of the boys,” John said. “They have worked hard in practice to prepare for this day and it showed. It was a team effort to advance to the State Tournament.” According to John, the team’s goal is to make the top ten this year after an 8th place finish at last year’s state tournament. “We always hope to finish in the top ten, but I know the boys will compete to their best ability each and every match, and that is what is important,” John said. Patrick said the team is working hard after regionals to perform well at states. “We will prepare for the state tournament by keep doing what we are doing,” Patrick said. “We’re working on the shots we felt let us down during regionals in hope of serving them up for states.”
UPCOMING AT SOUTH...
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The League of Women Voters Board Candidate Forum is happening in the South Wicking Library
EMMA RUSSELL ‘17 | Staff Writer One of the publishers that Provenzano worked with was English teacher, Nicholas Provenzano, published his sec- AJ Juliani, who explained that this book wasn’t too hard to ond book, “Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces.” This book is work on as Provenzano came with the book pretty close to meant to help assist anyone who is wanting to build a Mak- being done. The editing process was long and there were erspace, or an area where one can create, invent and learn many edits to be made, but it was a fun collaboration, Juliani explained. within their classroom or school. “He’s a blast. I think he’s got a ton of energy, a lot of really Two years ago, Provenzano and South librarian, Courtney McGuire, built one of these makerspaces for the students and good ideas, and a lot of enthusiasm for teaching and learning staff. It made sense to provide South with a place without a and having fun while you’re doing it,” Juliani said. “It was a lot of fun to work with him on both a professional and perteacher or a grade to freely create and invent, McGuire said. “Mr. Provenzano has incredible connections within the sonal level.” community, so when the opportunity presented itself to have Juliani and Provenzano’s main goal for this book was to the money, it was a clear yes (to build a Makerspace),” Mc- write something that wasn’t just another stuffy education Guire said. “It made sense to book, Juliani said. They aimed use the back reference, weed to create a book that reflected out the materials that are no how fun it is to build and have What this book is really doing is saying, longer used and provide a a Makerspace available, he said. ‘Here’s some of the things we did, here’s some space that’s always open.” “This is going to really imFrom the building of the pact a lot of teachers, but also a of the mistakes we made, here’s how to make Makerspace and on, Provenzalot of students. What this book it better at your own school for your own stuno had been tracking his is really doing is saying, ‘Here’s dents.’” AJ JULIANI successes and failures, thus some of the things we did, here’s Publisher helping him create his newly some of the mistakes we made, released book. The book is inhere’s how to make it better at fused with nerdy pop culture references, an informal style of your own school for your own students,’” Juliani said. “So, writing, and many self drawn pictures, Provenzano said. I think that for the people and the students that it’s going to “The second book (“Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces”) impact is going to be amazing across the country and the is essentially for if you are an educator and want to get started world. And I think that’s the powerful thing of a book like putting in a Makerspace in your school or classroom. This is this. It makes learning fun and not just for the teachers, but your guide based on my experiences on how I did it here at obviously for the students, as well.” The book’s existence relied on many things, the funding, South. So, the premise of it is that,” Provenzano said. “They [teachers] don’t want a stereo-instruction manual, they want the “O.K.’s” from the district and Hamka, and a place to put something that sort of speaks to them, tells them like it is, Makerspace, Provenzano said. Provenzano says he would not and coming from someone who has actual classroom experi- have been able to publish the book without McGuire, Principal Moussa Hamka, the school and district, the Mothers’ ence. So that’s kind of what the book is.” With this being his second book, Provenzano said he Club, and CTN in creating the makerspace. found it was much easier to write and it did not take nearly as “So, without those two (McGuire and Hamka) and the long as his last one. This book was more of an enjoyable task district and the granting organizations that gave us money, for him as it is based on his passion project, he said. we wouldn’t be able to do that,” Provenzano said. “...All of “This one was just me and I could write it in my own tone, those people helped me put together Makerspace by giving in my own voice,” Provenzano said. “And I had really com- us the space and the money to do it. And I had no idea what I plete editorial control of what it was going to sound like. So, was doing, so without that I never would have had the opporthis publisher, called Blend Education, they really gave me tunity to write a book on, ‘Hey, this is how you do it, based the freedom to make the book exactly how I wanted it to be, on what I did.’” including doing the artwork.”
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PSAT/NMSQT testing No school for seniors takes place 7:30-12:00 on Wednsday a.m. for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors
Confrences take place during the evening and continue through the 20th