The Tower volume 90 issue 3

HOMECOMING 2017

PHOTO BY JOHN FRANCIS ’18

IN THIS ISSUE PAGE 3 Homecoming Court

The Tower // thetowerpulse.net // Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017 // Volume 90 // Issue 3 PAGE 4 Throwback homecoming photos.

PAGE 5-8 Class Themes

PAGE 9 Preview of band’s half time show

PAGE 11 Behind the scenes of SA & STUCO

PAGE 12 Evolution of homecoming fashion

School spirit, dedication lead to upholding long time traditions The start of school may imply the start of learning, but it is not the start of homecoming preparations. In the couple months leading up to this event, each class pours their hearts and souls into arrangements including, but not limited to, float building, poster painting, etc. These are some of the many traditions South upholds and are passed down class by class.

Traditions are something our school is deeply rooted in. It’s a tradition that we host foreign exchange students and welcome their alternative cultures with open arms. It’s a tradition to support our statewide recognized sports. It’s a tradition that students take on rigorous courses in order to prepare themselves for college and beyond. It’s no secret Grosse Pointe South values our past in order to build our future.

In order to keep traditions alive, restorations took place on our beloved Cleminson Hall and clock tower this past summer. These pieces of architecture are true symbols of South and the traditions we uphold year after year. It’s a symbol that speaks to how far our school has come along to be recognized as one of the top public high schools in Michigan, according to Niche.

Homecoming not only represents

Our View

tradition but community. It’s the only time of the year our entire school comes together as a group to celebrate unity. Spirit week isn’t meant to just show support for the football team but every other fall sport as well. This is made apparent when all the captains stride across the main gym floor at the pep assembly.

Homecoming wouldn’t be possible without Student Association and Student Council. These two clubs dedicate so much time to ensure the week leading up to homecoming and the dance itself is perfect for everyone.

Buying tickets and attending the dance shows appreciation for the hard work they put into this major event.

Our school keeps tradition, but sometimes they are modified. For instance, this year, Student Association chose to add a homecoming king for the first time. This addition makes homecoming even more inclusive than it already is.

Without tradition, our school wouldn’t be nationally recognized.

Without tradition, our students wouldn’t be fully prepared for college. Without tradition, South wouldn’t be the welcoming and warm environment it is.

Editorial

GRAPHICS BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

HOCO FOMO: The story behind missing out TWITTER MY VIEW

ANNE MUAWAD ’20 Page Editor

Weeks of preparation, stress and “I got that dress already!” all lead up to a three-hour dance where all you do is jump up and down screaming your lungs off to bad

music.

This is why homecoming will be, no matter how cute your dress is or what your hairstyle was, ruined by the end of the night. It’s not that the event wasn’t executed well, or that Student Association didn’t work hard enough-- they spent hours and hours making sure the dance was the best it could be. Yet, no matter how hard they work, I will never enjoy homecoming. However, I will still be attending my next three years at South.

I will spend $15 on a ticket, $100 on a dress, $30 on dinner and $36 to get my nails done each year solely because I have a serious case of the fear of missing out (FOMO). I actually cringe just thinking about

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scrolling through my Instagram homecoming night and seeing all the posts but not getting the notification saying I was tagged. I don’t even want to think about seeing Snapchat stories of the dinners at the Yacht Club before, or missing an afterparty in someone’s basement.

People make homecoming out to be the highlight of their year, but to me it’s really just that one week where I stayed up to 2 a.m. doing my homework because I had to online shop for a dress that no one else had.

The worst fight I ever got in with my best friend was due to the fact that we both ordered the same homecoming dress.

Another con to homecoming is the drama that comes with it.

Homecoming groups have resulted in me having more than 500 text messages after not checking my phone for an hour because people don’t all want to go to the same place for dinner, or everyone wants to coordinate getting their nails done, but that one person can’t come, so the whole group argues over whether or not to reschedule.

No matter how much I hate all of these things or how many times I’ve told my friends I’m not going next year, I always end up waiting in the line to buy my ticket because I would never be able to accept the fact that I didn’t see my social media blowing up with likes, comments, tags and people swiping up on my story saying, “Cute!” or, “I love your shoes, where are they from?”, even when they don’t actually mean it.

CARTOON COURTESY OF SAMANTHA CANNON ’19

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PHOTOS BY CHASE CLARK’18

Hoco Throwback SENIOR PRIDE The class of ’84 celebrates its sweep of homecoming awards: best float, best banner, most original and most spirited.

HENRY AYRAULT ’19 Pulse Edtior-in-Chief

The Tower looks through its archives, exploring homecoming memories from years past.

PIE FRENZY Tim Palowski ‘04, Freshman Class Adviser Brian McDonald and Sean Grabowski ’05 prepare themselves for the pie eating contest at the 2003 pep assembly.

BREAK ON THROUGH Team captain Tony Gatliff ‘00 busts through the banner, leading the team into the game 1999 homecoming game.

CROWNING THE QUEEN The 1992 homecoming queen Kathie Schrage ’93 recieves her crown.

The price is right: Homecoming co$ts Windsor Price Range: $15 - $189.90 Selection: 423 Dresses PromGirl Price Range: $39 - $1,302 Selection: 1,720 Dresses Macy’s Price Range: $49 - $219 Selection: 159 Dresses

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ELIZABETH WOLFE ’20 Page Editor

Macy’s Price Range: $1 - $500 Selection: 394 Heels Designer Shoe Warehouse Price Range: $19.98 - $179.98 Selection: 555 Heels ALDO Price Range: $29.98 - $219 Selection: 219 Heels

Charvat the Florist Price: $18.38 Moehring Woods Price: $21.13 Viviano’s Flower Shop Price: $10.89 GRAPHICS BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

SPARTA SENIORS GOT SPIRIT? Class President Blair Cullen ’18 works hard to finalize posters for spirit week. The senior class has been preparing since Aug. 8 PHOTO BY KATHERINE BIRD ’18

KATHERINE BIRD ’18 Supervising Editor

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ntering high school as the Fire and Ice Freshmen, the senior class will now make their exit as the Sparta Seniors. Beginning Aug. 7, the senior class began poster painting and float building.

“Our posters have never been so well done,” Blair Cullen ’18, Class President, said.

“We developed new ways of doing things and really mastered it our senior year.”

Students who are artistically skilled sketch the posters while others paint on the canvas, Cullen said. The posters for the Sparta Seniors will be hung along the main hall Thursday morning.

The senior class has run into weather problems, according to LaShun O’Rear.

“Mother nature does not like us,” O’Rear said. “We’ve had rain and thunderstorms, which has set back a lot of things. A lot of posters got wet but it’s been really great because we paint a lot every time we come here. We finished the pom poms for the float by the end of the summer and that was

I’m really excited for our class to see our work this year because I don’t think we have ever done such good work.

BLAIR CULLEN Senior Class President

good to get out of the way.”

Not only was the weather an issue, but due to homecoming being Sept.

30 as opposed to in October, preparations were one to two weeks shorter than they usually are, Cullen said.

Within the past two weeks everything has come together.

“The obstacle we face every year regardless of when homecoming is is time,” Katherine Parent, english teacher and class advisor, said. “We always feel like we need more time and that we don’t have enough time.

But that’s not different than any year prior.”

The final float party will take place on Sept. 28 at 1013 Three Mile. A raffle will take place along with food and music.

“I’m really excited for our class to see our work this year because I don’t think we have ever done such good work,” Cullen said. “A lot of people like the theme so people are enthusiastic about it.”

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DISNEY JUNIORS HARD AT WORK Rowan Ecclestone and Tim DeGrand (both ’19) work diligently on painting a poster.

Participation at float parties was higher than usual this year.

PHOTO BY BLAIR CULLEN ’18

BLAIR CULLEN ’18 Staff Writer

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s students from the class of 2019 attend their last float party of the year on Lakeland, they will be looking back at the last seven

weeks.

“We have been preparing for spirit week since August, with float parties twice a week in the summer and three times a week since school’s started,” vice president Amy Ellis ’19 said.

The junior class’ spirit week theme is Disney juniors and their spirit day takes place on Sept. 25. Float parties took place on Tuesday’s, Thursday’s and Sunday’s.

Homecoming planning started earlier than it has been in the past, when usually homecoming takes place the first or second weekend in October, according to Ellis.

Classes this year had less time to work on the float, with homecoming taking place the last weekend of September.

“The theme this year is really cool and easy to work with,” float party host, Lily

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We’re at a much better place this year, part of that is because we have so many ideas that we’re able to come up with ideas for posters really easily.

AMY ELLIS ’19 Vice President

Mackrell ’19 said. “Being my first year involved it’s hard to compare the timing with past years, but I can say we have had a lot of work to get done and not much time.”

The float design will be the Disney Castle from the opener with a light orbiting around it. Posters include all types of characters from Disney’s TV shows and movies.

“We’re at a much better place this year, part of that is because we have so many ideas and so many things Disney is a part of that were able to come up with ideas for posters really easily which is really nice,” Ellis said.

Advisor Marianne Modlin said the class felt no difference with homecoming being earlier this year, with this being one of the best years as far as participation goes.

“Preparation has been very easy this year,” Modlin said. “The students really took more leadership and by gaining experience from the past few years, they have done everything.”

SIGHTSEEING SOPHMORES

FLOAT PARTY Kathryn Cherven ’20 puts poms on the skirt of the sophmore float.

PHOTO BY IMRAN SIDDIQU ’20

ISABELLA CRAPAROTTA ’19 Staff Writer

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he class of 2020 is prepared to travel into homecoming season. The Sightseeing Sophomores are ready to take over homecoming with their spirited homecoming theme.

Student Council Secretary Shannon Kerr ’20 said she is excited to start assembling their extravagant float with moving pieces.

The sophomores’ float will be taking the school on a trip around the world in the homecoming parade. The class of 2020’s float includes the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower and a giant spinning globe, according to Kerr.

“I think we are right where we need to be,” Kerr said. “Our float is coming along and we are kind of far ahead, so I don’t think that we need to worry about time right now.”

Along with the sophomores’ float, the spirit packs are also packed with all the tourist equipment, said Olivia Stricker ’20. Each spirit pack has a

I like our theme I think it’s very original, I love our spirit packs, and I think it’s really cool how many parts we have to our float.

OLIVIA STRICKER ’20

fanny pack, sunglasses, binoculars, a visor and some flag tattoos.

The class election voted on the class theme at the end of last year according to class advisor, Mr. Rennell.

“I like our theme,” Stricker said.

“I think it’s very original. I love our spirit packs, and I think it’s really cool how many parts we have to our float.”

Both Stricker and Kerr said they are confident in their class’s progress.

“We are definitely prepared for this years homecoming,” Kerr said.

“I think we could win a couple categories.”

Even with all the homecoming excitement, Renell has also made sure that the class of 2020 is participating in more events.

“I mean homecoming is one thing, but all year round we make sure we’re doing charity events and fundraisers, and make sure we are representing the class well,” Rennell said.

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FIXFRESHMEN IT CAN WE FIX IT? YES WE CAN! The freshmen gather at on Fisher Rd to work on their first homecoming float. The design of the float is two cranes lowering a “S” into the word “Freshmen.”

PHOTO BY MADELINE ALLEN ’19

MADELINE ALLEN ’19 Staff Writer

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he class of 2021 has been hard at work preparing for their first Homecoming Spirit Week at South.

“Fix It Freshmen” was voted the winning theme last spring by former Brownell and Pierce students, and the freshmen have been gathering twice a week to try to bew the best among the classes’.

“We have been working on the homecoming float since August, and we’ve been really busy building and painting the float,” class president candidate Morgan Skaff ’21 said.

Class advisor Kendra Caralis said her goal as class advisor is to make sure the freshmen feel comfortable with each other, and to do that she wants to put having fun at the top of her list.

“I hope they can learn what South is all about: Blue Devil pride

I show up with my friends to the float parties and end up making new friends.

I think it’s fun to be interactive with the school and meet new people.”

MORGAN SKAFF ‘21

and getting to meet new people they aren’t around all the time,” Caralis said. “My goal is to make sure they come back and do this next year and to have fun.”

Skaff believes she and other freshmen find getting to know their peers is what draws them to float parties.

“The float parties are great because you do so many different things while meeting a lot of different people,” Skaff said. “I show up with my friends to the float parties and end up making new friends. I think it’s fun to be interactive with the school and meet new people.”

All of the hard work that the class of 2021 put in at their float parties leaves Keely Messacar ’21 excited for the float contest.

“We have a really cool idea for our homecoming float,” Messacar said. “I hope our class wins the best float. I’m excited to see how everything turns out.”

PREVIEW: THE GAME

THE MARCHING BAND JOHN FRANCIS ’18 Editor in Chief n the battleground made from synthetic turf to which the Blue Devils will face off against Romeo, for a short time the influential music of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen will flood South’s stadium.

In just a few weeks, the community will be embracing the annual homecoming traditions held up by students and community members alike; and this year, all eyes should stay toward the field once South’s marching band begins, according to Tim DeGrand ’19, who is a member of South’s football half-

PHOTO BY MARGOT BAER ’18

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time show.

The band will be featuring the songs ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love,’ ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Under Pressure,’ according to DeGrand.

“These are really recognizable songs that a lot of people know and like, so I think everyone will have a good time listening,” DeGrand said.

DeGrand has been involved with music at school since the ninth grade, where he has since switched instruments, going from the traditional trumpet to a somewhat larger, similar looking horn, known formally as the marching mellophone.

“It’s the ‘Marching French Horn,’” DeGrand said while explaining that it was suitable for what the show requires.

The problem with the traditional French horn (and for those who aren’t up on instrument design, the French horn has a ‘bell’ or where the sound exits from on the side opposed to facing directly ahead) is the sound cannot be reliably played from the side, so that’s where the marching French horn comes in to fill that space.

AJ Rizer ’18, the section leader for both the tubas and baritone saxophones, joined the marching band his sophomore year, and says that being a part of the halftime show has given him plenty to remember.

Being a section leader entails reading charts, then directing the members of the section in that order. Rizer recalls the harder parts of learning how to perform the halftime shows.

“It was a little bit tough at first,” Rizer said. “Not because it was unwelcoming or anything, it was just tough because I had never marched and played before.”

Although the halftime show is the same for the duration of the football season, with this being only their third performance, mistakes can happen. DeGrand explained that even if you make an error during the show, the best recovery is not letting the audience know.

“The show must go on,” DeGrand said.

GAME FACE Svea Swanson ’22 looks on before the show.

VARSITY UPDATE ARIANNA PAGENETTE ’18 Section Editor South’s varsity football team officially started their season Aug. 24 against Detroit Cody.

This year’s captains include Davis Graham, Anthony DerManulian, Jacob Hinkle, Jamin Mays, all ’18, and Miles Dearing ’19.

“I expect our team as a whole to grow as a group and work together to win games,” DerManulian said.

With year-round preparation, the training never stops for the Blue Devils. Through the New Year, the team focuses on strength and conditioning pretty exclusively, head coach Tim Brandon said.

“Practices this summer have had strong attendance; we’ve been improving day by day and will only get better from there,” DerManulian said.

With many starting seniors

graduating last year, the team has shifted to a younger one with athleticism and potential, Brandon said.

“We have good linemen, they are just inexperienced and starting for the first time,” Brandon said.

Brandon’s biggest thing is being able to see young athletes take the next step in maturity and evolve into experienced football players.

“The best part is being on the field with these kids for the first three weeks and the atmosphere around Friday nights,” Brandon said DerManulian said he has goals to take each week like it is their last and win each game as if it is scheduled.

“One of the main priorities is to beat Grosse Pointe North and win the MAC white division to prolong the season into playoffs,” DerManulian said.

PHOTO BY JOHN FRANCIS ’18

TALKING STRATEGY Jacob Hinkle and Davis Graham, both ’18, take a moment on the sidelines.

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Sight Seeing Sophomores spirit day

OVERVIEW Tuesday OF THE Monday WEEK Disney Juniors spirit day

Sparta Seniors spirit day Thursday

Wednesday

Fix-it-Freshmen spirit day

Friday

2: Pep Assembly 6: Parade 7: Homecoming game

Students who sit out the homecoming dance CLAIRE KOEPPEN ’19 Section Editor Throughout spirit week, class and school wide activities lead up to the Homecoming football game and the Homecoming dance. While many choose to participate in the class theme days, Unity Day and the game, some students choose to skip the dance.

Chancellor Leech ’19 said that he decided to skip the dance because his friends don’t go.

“I have no one to go with,” Leech said. “None of my friends go to that stuff. I haven’t gone in the past for the same reason: none of my friends went.”

Milena Sinistaj ’19, Dance co-Chair, said that since homecoming is a once a year event, she hopes everyone participates in it.

“Homecoming is the biggest school event of the year,” Sinistaj said. “A lot of planning goes into it. Think about it, you have the chance of only attending four homecomings, so why miss it? You can’t go back in time, and every year comes with a new experience.”

Laura Distelrath, Student Association (SA) adviser, said the money used for the dance is used to pay for various Homecoming and Spirit Week costs, as well as different charities.

“All of our events throughout the year for SA are charity events; the money goes towards various different causes,” Distelrath said. “Homecoming helps us to be able to put on events and fund all those different events as well as to pay for other expenses upfront.”

Distelrath also encouraged students considering going to the dance to talk to their friends and form groups now.

“Check with your friends to see if they’re going,” Distelrath said. “Sometimes people will think their friends aren’t going but then find out the day of that their friends actually are, and we don’t sell tickets at the door, so have those conversations now.”

While Leech doesn’t participate in other Spirit Week activities, he does find other ways to get involved in South.

“I do some of the clubs at South,” Leech said. “I’m in

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Mock Trial and Latin Club.”

While nothing is brand new this year, there are still fun features in addition to the dance, including different music, according to Sinistaj.

“The photobooth will be returning so you and your friends can capture and save the moment,” Sinistaj said.

“The music this year will be very hype. We have requested the DJ to not play as many mixes, so instead, we will have more full songs that are upbeat.”

Distelrath said that even 16900 Kercheval Ave. (313) 647-0525 if students choose to skip the dance, she hopes they get involved in other activities at South.

“Students are entitled to spend their time however they want to,” Distelrath said. “But there are so many opportunities at this school, I just hope that they find some way to plug into South and get involved.”

Sinistaj felt similarly; she believes everyone can make their own decisions about attending the dance but encourages students to go and create memories.

“Everyone has the right to choose whether they want to go or not,” Sinistaj said.

“Attending Homecoming, however, will broaden a student’s horizons. School pride is what Homecoming is all

about and it’s a great opportunity to create new memories that will only enrich your high school experience.”

Follow us on Instagram: @chezloulousalon You will be entered in a drawing to win prizes including hair products, haircuts, and blowdries.

Homecoming Breakdown : 2017 ALYSSA CZECH ’19 Associate Editor It’s 6 a.m. and students fill the hallways, dressed up, taping up posters, decorating the rock and waiting in a staggering line to get bagels or donuts.

Soon there will be trucks towing large floats parade down Kercheval and around the track as students eagerly anticipate the game.

Then girls and boys dressed in their new dress-

committees to make the day possible.

“The committee chairs are the ones actually looking at what needs to get done and empowering and getting the committee members to actually follow through on that,” Distelrath said.

While Student Council is focused on each class individually and SA is oriented toward all-school events, Distelrath added.

“It’s like two halves of the

PAINT JOB Katie Cherven ’20 touches up the paint on the homecoming float.

PHOTO BY IMRAN SIDDIQUI’20

es and suits will fill the gym floor.

This is possible because of Student Council and Student Association (SA)..

“Spirit day is our big day in everything that we prepare for in the homecoming season,” class of 2018 adviser Katie Parent said. “So everything you see on spirit day is pretty much what we’ve been working up toward.”

According to Parent plans started this past June.

“The pep assembly that all students come to, the parade that all of the grades are a part of, Unity Day that’s trying to bring our entire school together,” adviser Laura Distelrath said. “That’s our focus, how we can help all four grades have a good time during the week, celebrate being a part of South, and really come together and celebrate our school.”

SA president Rachel Harris said the club splits into

same whole; they both go hand in hand with part of making homecoming successful.” Andrew Fleming ’20, vice president and SA member, said.

Distelrath explained the unusually early date of homecoming this year added another layer to the typical overwhelming feeling homecoming can bring.

“Today at our meeting, Rachel said, ‘Guys, homecoming is next week!’ and so

(there was) that ‘Oh, we have a lot to do’ moment for a couple of people,” Distelrath said.

“I love to see students really take ownership,” Distelrath said. “For them, to get excited about a new idea and then to follow through with it, and to see how that can have such a positive impact on other people.”

Harris said SA initiated several changes in their process as well. They added the homecoming king for seniors while keeping the homecoming court all girls for the other three classes, and SA changed the voting system to online.

Parent said her class didn’t have many significant changes in their routine this year.

“We are seniors, we kind of have the system down and so by this point we’ve found what works for us and we do it,” Parent said.

According to Harris, her hope for the future is that more people will get involved with SA and step up and take part in being a leader next year.

“My expectations are just for people to have a fun week,” Harris said. “I feel like homecoming is really stressful for people and we lost sight of the fact that it’s supposed to be a really enjoyable week where we all come together. I’d like for it to be more united rather than grade vs. grade, where we all come together and show our South spirit.”

HOCO IS COMING Student Association scrambles to complete hallway posters before spirit week.

PHOTO BY RACHEL HARRIS’18

GRAPHIC BY AUDREY WHITAKER ’19

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FLASHBACK:

A look at homecoming fashion throughout the years

1966 1966

KARI RONNING & ELIZABETH FLOWER ’20 Staff Writer and Copy Editor Tea length dresses. Big skirts. Lace collars. These are just a few of the homecoming styles worn at South in the 1980s, according to Margaret Leonard ’89.

“We were ultra preppy,” Leonard said. “That is what Grosse Pointe South was, and Grosse Pointe North.

People did not deviate from that look.”

There were no Leonard said her era groups; if somewas much more conservabody didn’t ask tive and believes that now, you, you didn’t South’s homecoming style is more put together. go. That’s just “I am amazed by how how it was. few fashion faux-pas are MARYJO HARRIS made by girls now,” Leonard said. “I think they just look dressed to the nines, they’re very fashion savvy.

They look how we looked in college.”

Cody Conlan ’20 said she would describe the current homecoming dress styles as short, elegant, and simple. Kaitlyn Stafford ’21 agrees.

“Most of them I see are fit and flare, short skater

dresses,” Stafford said. “They seem to be solid colors from the pictures I have seen.”

According to Leonard, popular fashion brands during her time at South were Laura Ashley and Jessica McClintok. These brands designed dresses with puffy sleeves, patterns and lace collars.

“We did not dress down,” Leonard said. “We all overdressed up a little bit more I would say in our era.”

Another difference at South’s homecoming in the ’80s was how students only went if they had a date, according to MaryJo Harris ’84.

“The guy asked the girl and that was it,” Harris said. “There were no groups; if somebody didn’t ask you, you didn’t go. That’s just how it was.”

Boys asked girls face to face, according to Leonard. There were no fancy posters or creative ways of asking.

Leonard said it was a completely different era and believes those fashions “looked ridiculous.”

“Now, here we are watching our own kids go through this very same school,” Leonard said. “It’s a very surreal experience.”

2009

2009

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOUTH VIEWPOINT YEARBOOKS

Innovative junior takes matters into her own hands, designs own homecoming dresses SYLVIA HODGES ’19 Copy Editor

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Anna added she tried not to procrastinate making her dresses.

“Last year, I procrastinated and I finished it at 3 a.m. the day of homecoming,” Majni said.

Jamie said it is exciting to see her daughter in one of South’s fashion and fabrics classes.

“We have never been in a public school system that offered such a class,” Majni said. “I am excited to see her sewing and creativeness evolve to another level.”

This isn’t Anna’s first time making herself a dress, and it certainly won’t be her last.

“It’s kind of hard for me to find dresses-- they usually don’t fit right,” Anna said. “So I make ones that I like and that fit me okay.”

PHOTO COURTSEY OF ANNA MAJNI ’19

When Anna Majni ’19 was ten years old, her grandma bought her a sewing machine. Flash forward, Majni is attending her first homecoming at South in a handmade dress.

Majni, who recently moved from Ohio and is a part of South’s cheer team, made herself two homecoming dresses this year, since she will be going to the dance at South and her old school.

Majni said she looks up dresses for inspiration. “(Then I) draw out something that I like and then I just measure myself, make a pattern, cut it out on paper, cut it out on fabric and then sew all the fabric together,” Majni said.

According to Majni, the first dress she made took five or six hours to make, and the second dress took around four hours, the work being divided up over the course of about a week.

Maya Ciechanowski ’18, one of Majni’s teammates, said she thinks the dress is great.

“It saves a lot of money and allows you to show your true personal style,” Ciechanowski said.

Jamie Majni, Anna’s mom, said her daughter started out by making a pillow.

“She got interested in sewing after attending a party at a place called “Sew Fun” in Charlotte, North Carolina,” Jamie said.

According to Jamie, her daughter is self-taught through trial and error and YouTube.

“I love to see her while she is working, and of course her final projects,” Jamie said. “She gets very focused and it makes her happy.”

Ciechanowski said Anna once took apart and remade her dress so it would fit better.

“That is true determination and proves she doesn’t settle for any less in her dresses,” Ciechanowski said.

Ciechanowski also praised Anna’s work.

“That girl really knows what she’s doing, especially with the neckline and waist fittings,” Ciechanowski said.