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Dialogue//May 25, 2016
DETROIT
STUDENT LIFE
A NEW VIEW AT CODY
YEAR IN REVIEW
PAGE 23 » RHS Stentor photographers look back
PAGE 8 » Students put together plan to replace dilapidated house next to school with a new park.
THE STUDENT VOICE OF DETROIT’S HIGH SCHOOLS
STUDENT LIFE
FROM DETROIT TO JUILLIARD PAGE 4 » Cass Tech’s Javon Jones headed to New York’s acclaimed performing arts school
DETROIT
DETROIT
CITY ON THE REBOUND?
PAGE 3 » The Diagnostic explores the ups and downs of Detroit’s economic recovery ACADEMICS
GATES
PAGE 19 » For the second year, a King student awarded Gates Millennium Scholarship A PUBLICATION OF
And the Emmy goes to ...
PAGE 15» Douglass seniors recognized for music video protesting police brutality
CRAIN MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY DETROIT HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM
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2 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016 OPINION
Uncertain future for DPS
Dialogue Vol. I, No. 4 | May 25, 2016
Detroit Dialogue is published by Crain Michigan State University Detroit High School Journalism to showcase the work of student journalists in the city of Detroit. Dialogue has been established as a forum for student expression and as a voice in the uninhibited, robust, free and open discussion of issues.
All content is prepared by students at participating Detroit high schools. Students receive advice and training from program staff and professional journalists from Crain Communications Inc. throughout the publication process. Michigan State University, Crain Communications and participating schools assume no liability for the content of Dialogue, and urge all student journalists to recognize that with editorial control comes responsibility, including the responsibility to follow professional journalism standards.
ABOUT CRAIN MSU DETROIT HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM Crain MSU Detroit High School Journalism enriches the educational experiences of students in the city of Detroit. Our work brings high school students together with professional journalists, Michigan State University faculty members and MSU journalism students to produce a newspaper and news website about the issues affecting students’ schools and their peers. The program is coordinated by the faculty of the School of Journalism at MSU with the support of Detroitbased Crain Communications Inc. and other partners throughout Southeast Michigan.
OUR TEAM Joy Visconti, joyvis@msu.edu Director, Crain MSU Detroit High School Journalism
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Jeremy W. Steele, steelej @msu.edu Scholastic journalism outreach coordinator, MSU School of Journalism Joe Grimm, jgrimm@msu.edu Program adviser & editor in residence, MSU School of Journalism
DESIGN Haley Kluge & Kelsey Parkinson The Edmund C. Arnold Chapter of the Society for News Design at Michigan State University
PRODUCTION Terri Driscoll & Andy Spanos Crain Communications Inc.
SUPPORTED BY
It would have been nearly impossible for any student in DPS to ignore the turmoil Arianna taking place Smith in Detroit RHS Stentor schools over the past few months; budget problems, sick out protests, and bills that seem more ‘reluctant appeasement plan’ than long term solutions. As a senior, the first reaction to these issues is an eye roll and a shrug. ‘We’re graduating, we don’t care. It’s not my problem, and even if it is, it won’t be for long’. Seniors figure we’ve already got our education, and the extra days off from school are a blessing. But many of us forget that we have siblings still in DPS schools, with educations that will be left in the hands of unsympathetic Republican legislators long after we pack up for University of Michigan and MSU and everywhere else we might spread our wings. “I was planning on going to Renaissance for high school because that’s where my sister goes,” said F.L.I.C.S seventh grader Anaya Smith. “I’ve heard it’s the best, but lately mom’s been talking about taking me out of DPS.”
CT VISIONARY
Detroit teachers and their supporters protest during one of two sick-out days in May.
and she knows more about it than the person standing at the white board, that’s a serious problem. “I’m not blaming DPS or the teachers, but something has to change. Whoever’s in control at the state level needs to get it together and realize that Detroit kids aren’t going away,” said senior Trevvan Carson, who’s brother Elias Carson attends F.L.I.C.S. “My brother shouldn’t
As much as I’d love to see my little sister walking the halls of Renaissance and rediscovering my alma matter, I don’t think I’m going to argue too much with my mother’s decision. I want her to have the very best education that takes advantage of just how smart she is. That’s not going to happen in a school district where uncertified teachers can come in and instruct kids whenever they want. If my sister is learning algebra
have to learn Chinese in a room where the ceiling is moldy and falling apart.” Every senior that helps their sibling with their homework should want to see them succeed. It might be time for some more student to protest and speak out against the State’s bills and the neglect DPS has been shown so that those A-plus tests on the fridge stay there for years to come.
Students pay price for missed days By Jarnard Smith and Corey Wells Eye of the Hurricane Teachers weren’t the only people affected by a two-day sick out earlier this month to protest Detroit Public Schools’ threat to stop paying teacher salaries over the summer. Students paid a price, too. “I understand the struggle that teachers are going through,” says Douglass senior James Smith. “They come in every single day and put their work in trying to get us to find who we truly are and help sculpt out our future.” On May 2 and 3, teachers called in sick after learning that money wouldn’t be available after June for days already worked. Most teachers have the district withhold part of their biweekly paycheck during the school year so they can continue to draw a
salary in the summer. DPS, which is over $500 million in debt, has been in state emergency manager control since 2009. The Michigan legislature has been debating funding proposals, but no solution is yet in place. Teachers argued that money for salaries should have been held in escrow. The sick out ended after the emergency manager, Steven Rhodes, agreed that teachers were owed their salaries. Some students, of course, enjoy having a 2- or 3-day school week. I know I do. But after a while, you realize that losing school days means missed opportunities to learn. For seniors trying to navigate the graduation process, the missing school days are even more disruptive. “It’s more than just teaching. That’s what people fail to realize. Teachers build friendships with students and try to build
a trusting bond with them because every single student has a different life story or has their own problems they have to deal with. Teachers have to find a way to teach the student, while also making sure the student is OK. Which, that right there, should explain why teachers feel they should earn more money,” says Smith. Sophomore Edward Banks said he understands why the teachers protested. “They’re fighting for something they deserve,” he said. “I am behind them completely because I know that if I wasn’t getting much recognition for my hard work, I would also be highly upset.” Said junior Carlos Walker: “Some teachers feel like they are not appreciated. Which is sad because i know that I appreciate my teachers, even though they can get on my last nerve at times.”
CRAIN MSU DETROIT HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS Benjamin Carson School for Science & Medicine Principal Charles Todd
Communication & Media Arts High School Principal Donya Odom
Douglass Academy for Young Men Principal Berry Greer
Loyola High School Principal Wyatt Jones
Cass Technical High School Principal Lisa Phillips
Detroit Cristo Rey High School Principal Susan Rowe
East English Village Preparatory Academy Principal Charlene Mallory
Renaissance High School Principal Anita Williams
Cody high schools Principals Latoya Hall-King, Johnathon Matthews and Michelle Parker
Detroit International Academy for Young Women Principal Beverly Hibbler
Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School Principal Deborah Jenkins
Western International High School Principal Angel Garcia
THANK YOU TO OUR CRAIN MENTORS AND SUPPORTERS In addition to the professional mentors listed along with student staff members in this publication, we wish to thank the following Crain employees for their assistance: KC Crain, Jason Stein, Krishnan Anantharaman, Phil Nussel, Jennette Smith, Rory Carroll, Richard Truett, Mike Colias, Steve Massie, Dan Jones and Don Loepp.
THE DIAGNOSTIC
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 3 CNA CERTIFIED
PAGE 13 » Course prepares students for future
Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine | carsondiagnostic.com DETROIT
WHAT MAKES A
COMEBACK By Myeasha Perry The Diagnostic Detroit seems to be saying, “Out with the old and in with the new.” Many citizens are left uncertain when asked the question, “Is Detroit really the comeback city?” With all the contrast of good and bad coming from the city, it takes much effort to take a deeper look into the question. Over the past couple of years, the Motor City has changed for the better: tearing down old houses and buildings, building new infrastructure and parks, and even renewing the well-known Belle Isle and the Riverwalk. Many have also tried to make Detroit a greener and healthier city by adding things like the Dequindre Cut, urban farms and new restaurants. “Detroit is becoming more of a ‘city;’ I’m excited because it’s kind of a blank canvas,” said Samantha Turner, Benjamin Carson HS senior. However, even with all of the new things in Detroit, one might be surprised that there is a migration of people away from the city. Many feel that Detroit was a depleted resource for jobs, opportunities and progress in safety. Former Clintondale High School student Vayshawn Smith has lived in Detroit throughout his life. “I want to move out of here because there is nothing here for me. Detroit doesn’t have anything for me to build off of,” said Smith. “I don’t think Detroit is the comeback city yet. We have nothing and
STUDENT LIFE
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Samantha Turner sets out to accomplish big goals
THE DIAGNOSTIC
Several abandoned houses in Midtown, in the vicinity of BCHS.
the people here aren’t fighting for things the right way.” The violence in Detroit is so prevalent that it kind of dims the light on the good things happening in the city. Some organizations and groups are trying to take a stand on the violence and push for a safe environment, like New Era Detroit and Project Green Light, though much more still needs to be done. The city’s opportunities are growing slowly but surely. Many feel, too, that the kids of Detroit are the future of the city. However, if is true, that means the future of the city lies in the education and betterment of its people. This leaves people with the question, “what’s still holding the city back from totally jumping forward?” Detroit Public Schools are being pushed into the spotlight.
With the city trying to come up, some might say the students are left behind. A portion of students have even held rallies and staged protests in order to make their voices heard. The drama reached the front of the classroom in recent weeks with fears of depleted finances for teacher salaries over the summer and the discussion of legislation that will shape the district for the future. “Detroit can be the comeback city if it’s allowed,” said BCHS Health Sciences teacher Curtis Valasek. Some people of the city feel like everyone is left to fend for themselves, but some disagree. “The movement starts with the organization of the people. There are different age groups who can and should join together and have the most power,” said Valasek.
By Joy Johnson and Whitney Vaughn The Diagnostic Unstoppable and extraordinary are a couple of words that can be used to describe Samantha Turner. From being treasurer of the National Honors Society to being accepted into the Michigan State University Osteopathic Medicine Scholars Program, Turner would definitely qualify as an extraordinary person. Turner has spent her high school years at Benjamin Carson High School, and believes that BCHS puts students on the path toward a successful career in
the medical field. Turner demonstrates her unstoppable character through her ambition to ensure that she accomTurner plishes everything possible in high school. Turner has been accepted into every college that she applied to, has served as an Ambassador to the Clinic for Success for all four years, founded the BCHS Drama Club, and also received a full tuition scholarship to attend MSU. While at MSU, she will be a
THE DIAGNOSTIC
Editor-in-chief: Joy Johnson Adviser: Sean Henry Crain Mentor: Vince Bond Jr.
THE DIAGNOSTIC
A small container garden in the home of Shishu Miah, a Detroit resident.
Working toward a greener Detroit By Tarek Miah and Deontay Cobb The Diagnostic Detroit is an industrial city, and it has been for a long time. As a result, too much of its environment, especially the waterways, is polluted with dangerous chemicals. The manufacturing world produces tons of waste, tarnishing its once-flourishing environment. But is it too late to restore it back to its original state? Many Detroiters believe that it’s never too late for a change and are willing to take action. “Looking from a different perspective, I would like to see us looking at our rivers and looking at what it takes to remediate them,” says Douglas McBride, the microbiology teacher and advisor of Benjamin Carson High School’s
Garden Club. Detroit waterways have been polluted and are still being polluted by the industries that, while the backbone of Detroit’s economy, house themselves in the city. “I think we need to start looking at how we can restore Detroit to the pre-Columbian biome,” said McBride. Looking back, large urban waterways have been cleaned up through collective efforts: for New York Harbor, the city had to excavate the dirt and incinerate it to take the harmful chemicals out. McBride proposes that the same could be done here, but other solutions exist as well. “To boost the process of restoring Detroit back to its natural state, we need to start planting,” says See GREENER on page 13 »
From boarded up to brand new By Sabrina Thurmond The Diagnostic In 2005, the condition of Detroit reached an all-time low. From political corruption and home foreclosure to abandoned property and high unemployment, issues plagued every aspect of Detroit’s well-being. As unemployment rose, violence increased alongside it, and less and less people lived part of the Osteopathic Medicine Scholars Program. With this program, not only will she be on the perfect path for her career choice, but she will not have to take the MCAT and she will also receive first preference into Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Her passion for always wanting to help others has pushed her to pursue a career as a pediatrician, and Turner is very grateful for the years spent at BCHS. “Ben Carson is a great school,” she said. “It gave me hands-on experience, placed me on the right track for medicine, and offered
in the city of Detroit itself. As a result, there are large portions of the city, from individual houses to almost entire neighborhoods, that are abandoned. While Benjamin Carson High School happens to be in Midtown Detroit, the abandoned building issue affects the school comSee ABANDON on page 13 » more opportunities for me due to its small size.” The total number of students at BCHS is comparable to the number of students in just one grade level at another school, which is a positive benefit for the students as the school can focus more on each student’s individual needs. BCHS offers internships at hospitals, a Certified Nursing Assistant program, and a pharmacy program. In fact, Turner has chosen to be a part of the CNA program, so when she graduates from high school she will have her CNA certification.
Staff: Khaliah Blount, Mark Buford, Deontay Cobb, DeiVion Drew, Gregory Freeman, Alanna Greenlee, Joy Johnson, Tiona Jones, Tarek Miah, Chantel Oliver, Marquiese Pearson, Myeasha Perry, Jonathon Ramseur, Zahid Salam, Deajnea Shuler, Dai’jah Sims, Sabrina Thurmond, Whitney Vaughn, Sean Waters
4 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016
CT VISIONARY
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
SUMMER OF STEM
PAGE 6 » Cass Tech program boosts knowledge
A public forum for the community of Cass Technical High School | ctvisionary.com STUDENT LIFE
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ON: JAVON JONES
JUILLIARD BOUND
CT VISIONARY
Much of Javon Jones’ inspiration has also come from Cass Tech’s Dance Workshop Instructor Anthony Smith.
Cass Tech senior off to New York this fall By Ikeya Lake and Kaelyn Collins CT Visionary Cass Tech’s Javon Jones is not your typical dancer. He grew up in an athletic family, playing lacrosse, basketball and soccer for hours daily. His level of focus and discipline to routine led him to dance after hanging out with cousins making routines in the basement. “Looking back at the videos, I guess I sort of outshined my cousins,” he said. He outshined them all the way to Juilliard. Jones, a dance workshop senior, is was one of 12 men accepted to the world renowned performing arts university in New York – and the only one to receive a full ride scholarship
Jones’ mother wanted him to complete high for ballet. school before going to work in New York, Vocal music and the piano was his first which turned into a wise decision. love. But in eighth grade, Jones attended a In September 2015, Jones auditioned dance intensive at Oakland University with for the “Young Arts Foundation,” college students. Being the younga program that grants students est and least experienced particiwith the opportunities needed to pant of the intensive, he utilized excel in the world of the performthis intensive as an opportunity Freshmen ing arts. In his research, Jones to test his limits and enhance his admitted each discovered many of the worlddancing skills with guidance from year to Juilliard renowned dancers that he looks dancers more experienced than worldwide up to began their foundation in he was. this program. This inspired him to Jones then auditioned for the apply. He submitted a video along with 12,000 Broadway musical The Lion King and earned other applicants, which was narrowed down a role. As a sophomore and junior he auditioned for the renowned Alvin Ailey. However, to 12 finalists.
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Editor In Chief: Ikeya Lake Social Media Editor: DeAnna Howard Sports Social Media Editor: Dwight Blakey Sports Editor in Chief: Kaelyn Collins Sports Co-Editor: Dervon Thompson Scholarship & Senior Event Editor: Alyson Grigsby Community Editor: Ebony Tyson Broadcast Editor: Abriana Walton Editor of Photography: Startia Dodson Adviser: Erika Jones Crain Mentor: Brennan Lafferty and Jennifer Vuong
Jones’ submission was the result of a project assigned by Advanced Placement English teacher Vickie Green, who instructed her seniors to do an analysis of Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize-winning novel about slavery, “Beloved.” Jones choreographed an interpretive dance titled “Dearly Beloved” and performed the piece in the video, which earned him the inaugural $10,000 Max Mara Young Visionary Award in February. “I knew I was inspired by what the character “Beloved” was going through, and I really made the dance based on chapSee JUILLIARD on page 10 »
Staff: Dana Session, Tiontia Bell, Joi Arnold, Dajheonna Perry, Taylor Reeves, Victoria Singleton, Trinity Mix, Ananda Irving, Destini Jackson, Ijeoma Onyene, Jazmyn Ollis, Startia Dodson, Eann Dixon, Krishana Castro, Mackenzie Galloway, Alexandra Robinson, Karen Cyars, Jasmine James, Matthew Lewis, James Farley, Michael Farmer, Dervon Thompson, Dazhane’ Williams, Charles English, Brittany Waugh, Horatio Hampton, Jeshaunna Francis
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 5 PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATTHEW LEWIS
STUDENT LIFE
ALL IN THE
FAMILY Senior artist wins big in art competition By Ikeya Lake CT VIsionary Cass Tech senior Matthew Lewis is a prime example of the apple not falling too far from the tree. Lewis is the winner of 12 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as well as the National Silver Key for his body of work this year and he attributes much of his success to his talented family. His father and grandfather were also artists. “Becoming a professional artist takes a bit of knowledge about how to break into Lewis the profession,” Matthew’s father Phil Lewis said. Matthew Lewis said maybe 15 percent of the students in Ann Arbor for National Portfolio day were African American. Over 40 schools were present — about 17 undergraduate programs were related to art. Some scholarships were given out on the spot; Matthew took home 12 original art pieces to showcase. Phil Lewis worked at Ford Motor Company as a technical illustrator. He worked at the Detroit Free Press in the advertising and illustration created ads, illustrations and photography. He now works for MRM/McCann, a digital marketing agency based in Detroit. “It will take someone to create a website or portal for aspiring artists to know how to tap into various opportunities related to art,” said Phil Lewis. “I try to nurture his talents and supplement his art education elsewhere,” said Phil Lewis. “It’s unfortunate that the public schools continue to cut funding for the arts.” At age 5, Matthew Lewis began his journey as an artist. Both of Matthew’s parents are graduates of Cass Tech and met in the commercial art department in the 80s. His dad obtained a degree in illustration from the College for Creative Studies. His maternal grandfather, Charles Walker is a painter. Following the Art National Portfolio Day, Matthew Lewis has explored options that most artists never consider. Thinking beyond architectural animation, graphic design or freelance art, he has decided to take a unique road to his destiny through his gift. While most teenagers hang out with their friends or go out on the weekends, Matthew spends his time taking art classes. On Saturdays, he goes to Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. He also attends the Detroit Neighborhood Workshop and the College of Creative Studies portfolio
preparation classes. Over the summer, Matthew Lewis also attended a three-week summer program at the University of Michigan Stamp School of Art & Design. In the fall, he will attend Kendall College of Art & Design with a concentration in Medical Illustration. “Medical illustration fascinates me because of the anatomy of the human form,” he said. “The technical aspect is something recruiters during portfolio day really encourage me to go into.” African American Professor John McDonald, at Kendall College of Art & Design is the Department Head for Illustration. According to Phil Lewis, McDonald said he’s fighting for African Americans to have more exposure opportunities in art. Kendall paid attention to the details of Matthew’s work and impressed Phil with the recruiting process. “They really encouraged me and Matthew made his final selection to matriculate there in the fall,” said Lewis. In February, Matthew was awarded Scholastics Art & Writing, a National Silver Key medal, and first place in Kroger’s “I Can Make History” art contest. He spent the beginning of his senior year polishing eight self-portraits to submit to Scholastics. In the past, Lewis was also included in the Detroit Institute of Art’s Student Exhibition from 8th to 11th grade and will be featured again this year. He has also received a Top 20 Award of Excellence from Kendall College of Art & Design in Grand Rapids as well as a portfolio scholarship from the College of Creative Studies. Matthew also received a merit scholarship of $62,000 and a portfolio scholarship of $15,000 from Columbus College of Art & Design in Ohio. “Matthew has had a very successful senior year at Cass Tech and a large part of this is dedicated to his art teacher Natalie Barmore who has gone out of her way to ensure Matthew’s art was portfolio ready,” said Matthew‘s mom, Linda Lewis. “Taking classes outside of Cass Tech has definitely helped me grow by having different teachers and getting their opinions on things,” said Matthew. “Their outlook and perspective has definitely supplemented what I have learned in school.” Matthew’s art includes oil painting, water color painting, charcoal drawing, and graphite drawing. To see more of Matthew Lewis’ artwork, you can follow him on Instagram @_yeahmatt Ebony Tyson contributed to this report.
RIGHT: Matthew’s dad Phil Lewis illustrated this popular poster of Martin Luther King Jr. for the Detroit Free Press when Matthew was a young child. BELOW: Matthew submitted this photo that won him $10,000 because he enjoys drawing the details in “old faces.” Each wrinkles tells a story.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Matthew Lewis illustrated this photo of J. Cole’s album Born Sinner. This photo received 1,500 likes on his Instagram. This owl picture illustrated by Lewis has received 1,543 likes on his Instagram page. This eye picture received 800 likes on Matthew’s Instagram page. “The eyes are the window to the soul,” he says.
6 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016 ACADEMICS
Cass Tech seniors reap benefits of education provided by DPS By Alyson Grigsby and Kiryn Swain CT VIsionary A 34 composite on the ACT and full ride to Harvard, three Gates Millennium finalists, 12 Scholastic Art awards and a major in Medical Illustration and $925,000 in scholarships have been awarded to Cass Tech’s Senior Scholars. Detroit Public Schools was established in 1842, now in 2016 DPS isn’t nearly the system it was years ago. Even though the district is facing appalling conditions, it is still able to produce future leaders of tomorrow. Potentially, DPS could be closed by fall and a new Community Schools of Detroit will be instated. Could be the last of Detroit Public Schools’ success stories as the State tries to reinvent the wheel? As the end of high school looms for seniors, many Technicians are off to accomplish great things postgraduation. Often seniors credit their large scholarship offers to the opportunities given from receiving a Cass Tech education, from dedicated teachers to rigorous classes, to the plenty of extracurricular and community service activities they were able to participate in. Senior Cherai Laster has received over $925,000 in scholarships. She obtained most of her scholarship money from the University of Michigan H.A.I.L. Scholarship, Wayne State University Gold Scholarship, and the Detroit Chief of Police Scholarship. She was awarded full rides scholarships to several schools, including the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Johnson C. Smith University. After applying to over 25 colleges and universities, Laster has chosen to attend University of Michigan. “I chose U of M because it’s close to home. My step-dad went there and was a lecturer there as well, so I would be familiar with it,” she said. She also gave advice on how to obtain so many scholarships. “Just
CT VISIONARY
As the end of high school looms for seniors, many Technicians are off to accomplish great things postgraduation.
find as many as you can and apply to basically all of them, because the money does add up,” Laster said. With a composite score of 34 on the ACT, senior Redwan Binrouf has received college acceptances from schools such as Michigan and Princeton. This fall, he will be attending Harvard on a full ride scholarship. Binrouf attributes his success to teachers such as math teachers Mr. Abdun-Noor and Mr. Collins, as well as out-of-school internship opportunities. “They really made me want to challenge and apply myself. I always liked how they believed in me and that really made me want to aim high and make them proud,” Binrouf said. Binrouf, along with three other seniors, participated in an eightweek chemistry research program at Michigan this past summer. “The summer internship gave me a great opportunity to do research and get exposed to the college experience while I stayed on campus,” Binrouf said. After 16 years, this was the final year of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, which awarded scholarships to 1,000 high school
seniors across the U.S. Two recipients this year are Cass Tech’s Tre Lee and Makaila Jackson. They are able to receive their undergraduate degree from any U.S. college with paid tuition and room-and-board. Lee, a football and track athlete, will be attending Michigan State University in the fall. Like many athletes, he had to learn how to balance sports along with his academics and social life. “At Cass, who really inspired me was my teachers (Mrs. Patterson), my coaches who kept me on track, and athletes (whom) I looked up to in track and football because I aspired to get a scholarship in sports, but I knew I had to work hard in school and in those sports…” Lee said. “My mother played a big role in preparing for everything. She made me do the scholarship last minute and she definitely (helped) me for life after college.” “Upcoming seniors need to make sure they take scholarships and school seriously and apply to every dream school even if it’s not realistic.” “I’d tell the juniors that anything is possible if you really want it.” Binrouf said. “There are chal-
lenges and when you find yourself struggling just remember and have your end goal in sight. You have to motivate yourself.” Jackson, who is a member of National Honor Society and Medical Careers Club, shared her experience with applying for the scholarship. “You get from August to January to write the essays, so procrastination was the hardest thing. You have to make yourself do it because it’s easy to say ‘I won’t get picked because it’s thousands of people doing it and I can just give up’, but you have to have motivation.” This fall, Jackson will be attending Spelman College, majoring in Biology. “I thought that Spelman was the best option for me because they have a great education program where the sciences are highlighted and they send a lot of women to medical school,” she said. After she finishes her undergraduate studies, Makaila plans to go on to graduate school. The Gates Millennium Scholars Program will pay for that as well. “I went to DPS schools throughout my whole life, so from kindergarten to now, I feel I am very prepared for the future.”
DPS provides positive opportunities to students
CT VISIONARY
Summer programs boost STEM knowledge By Jazmyn Ollis CT VIsionary
OPINION
Cass Tech dance teacher Lisa Reynolds, DPS art teacher Natalie Barmore and counsler Sylvia Sanders were honored for their hard work and dedication.
ACADEMICS
By Dana Session CT Visionary As the class of 2016 seniors, we are thrilled to have been given a plethora of opportunities to become successful through Detroit Public Schools. Being a part of DPS since elementary school has given us the opportunity to see growth and changes that have both positively and negatively affects students DPS lose some of the best programs that we feel have shaped us as the students we are today. Teachers and administrators who show hard work and dedication like dance teacher Lisa Reyn-
olds, who won Michigan’s Teacher of the Year, Natalie Barmore, who was named DPS high school Art Teacher of the Year, and counselor Sylvia Sanders, who won Counselor of the Year, are all from Cass Tech. Unfortunately, Cass Tech will lose theater instructor Marilyn McCormick after 40 years of service to DPS, and dance workshop instructor Anthony Smith, who has moved to an administrative position. Even after cutting back on funding for school programs, the Detroit Public Schools teachers, students and staff are still, I believe, the best in the nation.
Is a summer job the way to start a three-month summer vacation? Maybe students will be interested in summer programs that match their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields in Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Summer programs have been proven to mitigate learning loss and produce achievement gains in the summer and leading up to the upcoming school year. “Summer programs are a great way to increase aptitude in competitive parts of STEM fields and it is an opportunity to learn out of the classroom in a different environment and receive scholarship offers prior to your graduating year,” said Cass Tech counselor Sylvia Sanders. Meharry, Morehouse and Howard are just a few of the HBCUs that offer summer enrichment programs for high school students. Meharry Medical College has a six-week Medical Enrichment and SAT Preparation program for African American students who have completed 10th grade. Students must demonstrate an interest in medicine fields or biological sciences. The program consists of training and instruction in computer literacy, cultural competency and even a college fair where students can begin to view different college and universities they may apply to their senior year of high school. The Morehouse School of Medicine S.T.E.A.M Academy is for high school students grades 9-12. The academy will introduce students into a variety of health careers and biomedical research. It will be a six-week session. The Doctor of Pharmacy Program at Howard University offers The Center of Excellence High School Summer Enrichment Science Academy for upcoming 11-12th grade students. Only 20 students who show interest in pharmacy or other health sciences can attend the six-week program.
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 7 SPORTS
The Rose that grew from the concrete
By Malik Manning CT VIsionary
Last year, Cass Tech girls basketball team played Detroit Country Day during the regular season, and Senegal, Africa native Ndeye Rose Fall’s competitive spirit kicked in. When Fall was a sophomore and played for Consortium High School, her team lost to Country Day. She transferred to Cass as a junior and promised herself that the next time she had the opportunity to play, she would beat Country Day. Thanks to 19 points and 17 rebounds she did. Then college recruiters started to notice the 6-foot-3 center/forward. Coming to America was a journey of sports and spirituality. Rose was born on the northwestern tip of Africa in Senegal and was introduced to basketball at 12 years old. No one in her family played basketball before, but it was her mother’s dream to always play so she introduced her to the game. When Fall joined the basketball club in Senegal that practiced five to six times a week, her athletic skills improved as she grew taller. Senegal’s National Basketball team’s scouts (known as U 16 and M 18 in Africa) took notice and she was chosen to compete in the
Junior Olympics representing the Senegal national team. At age 14, she was traveling to Paris to play at 15, she was in Osaka, Japan. “I lived with host families for two weeks in France and one month in Japan,” Fall said. “France was easier to adapt to because I speak French. I struggled in Japan because of the language and the team was different.” Coach Ali Mitchell from Consortium High School watched videos of Fall on YouTube and reached out. Moving and joining a team in the U.S. was a dream come true for Fall’s mom. However, Fall had to quickly adjust to the English language from her native French lounge, to compete for a collegiate basketball scholarship. At 16, she moved to Detroit and she found a family away from home. The Hunter family of Detroit (Jeffery, Crettia , Jenney, Sabura, Fatou and Seydi Sarr) helped Rose throughout her transition in America and have supported her endeavors. Being away from her mom over three years has been difficult for a growing teenager in a foreign land. Rose stays steadfast in prayer 5 times a day. Before leaving Africa her mother gave her reassurance and advice. “She told me that she has my back and to
CT VISIONARY
Coming to the U.S. was a journey of sports and spirituality for Africa native Ndeye Rose Fall. The CT star will play at Hampton this fall.
keep respecting myself and to love myself,” Fall said. “She told me to never change. To just be who I am.” These are words that have stuck with Rose as she has embarked on her athletic and educational journey to America. While Rose was selected to be a McDonald’s All American player, she suffered an injury and was unable to play in the Chicago
tournament. But the recognition garnered the attention of Division II collegiate scouts and Rose received a number of athletic scholarships. She decided to attend Hampton University because of large African community and her familiarity with the former Lady Technician K’Lynn Willis, who currently plays for Hampton.
SPORTS
NCAA LIFTS CAMP BAN College coaches allowed to attend Sound Mind, Sound Body Football Camp By Kaelyn Collins CT VIsionary The Sound Mind, Sound Body Football Camp was created in 2004 to increase the number of football student-athletes graduating high school and earning college scholarships in the Detroit community. “Sound Mind, Sound Body helps players and their futures. It gives people opportunities that do not really have them,” said Cass Tech alumni and Ohio State running back Mike Weber. Players come from the surrounding states as well: Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. The camp gives players the opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities and talents as well as get discovered by college coaches, until recently a new rule was established. “I met a lot of new faces, new coaches, and it gave me a lot exposure to coaches outside of my state,” said Michigan State commit Demetric Vance Jr. On April 3, BIG12, Sunbelt and
MWC conferences voted not to allow Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaches to come out and watch players during the camp. The policy change was set to go into effect this summer, but with the help of coaches, parents and students, the ban was lifted. Many players used social media to express their concerns and feelings about the new policy. CT fivestar wide receiver and top recruit Donovan Peoples-Jones mother created an online petition against the NCAA’s ban of coaches on the website change.org. Peoples-Jones said, “The major goal of the petition was to have at least 50,000 people sign. By promoting this, we are publicizing the issue on why the satellite camp ban needs to be overturned.” On April 28, the NCAA Board of Directors voted to rescind its ban on college football’s satellite camps. This decision is a win for the players, coaches and most prominently Michigan football coach Jim
KAMERON SHAKOOR-SANDERS/CT VISIONARY
The Sound Mind, Sound Body camp has provided students with exposure to college recruiters and coaches. Donovan Peoples-Jones’s mother created an online petition against the NCAA’s ban of coaches. TOP: Cass Tech’s recent participants include, from left to right, Peoples-Jones, Michael Owenu, Jayru Campbell, Tim Walton and Demetric Vance Jr.
Harbaugh and rising seniors. “I am excited that the ban has been lifted because now I get another opportunity to showcase my talents. The ban being lifted is a great thing because I am going into
my senior year and myself and the other seniors will get more exposure,” said Cass Tech defensive end Zach Morton. This camp gives players that do not get as much exposure a time
to shine. Those players who are not four-star and five-star athletes would have suffered most from this ban. Now that the ban has been lifted players and coaches will be returning to the camp this summer.
8 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016
THE CODY CONNECTION A public forum for the students and community of the Cody high schools | thecodyconnection.com DETROIT
BE GREEN
PAGE 9 » Volunteers plant trees, pick up trash
STUDENT LIFE
JAG helps students find, keep jobs By Alisha Reeves and Savannah Zellous The Cody Connection
CODY CONNECTION
Former DIT student Samuel Bessiake paints murals on an abandoned house across from the entrance to Cody DIT about a month before the house was torn down. A neighbor stopped the crew and asked them to save the murals, which were moved to another vacant house.
Student park project brings hope to Cody By Kianna Harris and Carlisle Jenkins The Cody Connection Junior Aniya Roundtree talked about the Cody neighborhood earlier this month on a panel during The Detroit GradNation Community Summit of 2016 at Wayne State University. “Our neighborhoods are bad. We have abandoned houses, grass growing as tall as people, and drunks walking around while we’re trying to find motivation to even go to school,” Roundtree said. “Seeing those kinds of things before even making it to the school discourages me from even wanting to keep going.” Now Roundtree is part of a group working to change that. Not happy to have an abandoned house right across from the entrance to the school, students, staff and parents from the Detroit Institute of Technology at Cody made calls to the City of Detroit until the house was removed. A group of students immediately started on a plan to improve the view.
“Our neighborhoods are bad. We have abandoned houses, grass growing as tall as people, and drunks walking around while we’re trying to find motivation to even go to school. Seeing those kinds of things before even making it to the school discourages me from even wanting to keep going.”
Senior Haider Almaleki thinks JAG is class that makes sense for life. “We learn about opportunities that are available and how to take advantage of them,” Almaleki said. “Like that apprenticeship at DTE Energy. We didn’t know anything about that until JAG came around and took us on a field trip.” JAG is a federally funded program serving schools in all 50 states. This year each of the small schools at Cody and Osborn have JAG classes. Instructor Genie Davis is a retired teacher and principal who is teaching JAG for the first time this year. She called JAG an amazing opportunity for students to get exposed to different career paths. She explained the DTE field trip that impressed Almaleki. “DTE is trying to recruit 50,000 people in Michigan because they are losing about 50,000 people to retirement. They had a career day to recruit talent and invited Cody as one of the frontrunner schools they’re looking at to hire for these jobs that are going to be starting at about $30,000 a year,” Davis said. JAG also guarantees summer employment for every student. Davis said that’s really important when there’s so much competition for jobs.
CODY CONNECTION
DIT senior Haider Almaleki poses at the reflecting pool in Washington D.C. in February.
A highlight of the year was a leadership program in Washington D.C. with about 1,000 students from 30 states. DIT got to take one student, and based on the leadership potential he showed in class, Davis chose Almaleki. Almaleki said he learned a lot from the conference about leadership, professionalism, networking and practicing workplace skills and behavior. But seeing the capital, flying for the first time, meeting people from all over, staying in a fancy hotel, and dressing professionally every day really made an impact. “Being able to see how wealthy professionals live inspired me to work harder to get rich,” Almaleki said.
Aniya Roundtree, Cody junior
ACADEMICS The students want to turn the lot into Hope Park, a space for everyone in the community. The plan includes community message boards, a fitness area, a small playground, a fountain and a stage. On April 6, they found out they won a $25,000 planning grant at Kresge Foundation’s Innovative Projects Grant Celebration at U-D Mercy. The grant is only to cover the costs of the planning which will happen this summer. Small groups will each work on research and planning for one part of the project. These groups include site and materials procurement, social research, commu-
THE CODY CONNECTION
Adviser: Sara Hennes
nity engagement and design. Freshman Omar Lopez is working with the community engagement committee passing out surveys to neighbors to get their ideas about the project. He calls Hope Park a work in progress. I feel like we’re changing the community,” Lopez said. DIT Social Studies teacher Josh Sabo said he’s pleased that Hope Park is really a student-led project. “It’s not something adults are doing and only involving students when the camera’s are rolling. In about three years, students can come back and be proud of something they created,” Sabo said.
Free tuition offer a game-changer By Nyla Shields The Cody Connection The entire Cody campus gathered in the gym on May 13 for Decision Day, a ceremony honoring seniors as they announced their plans for college. Those plans changed from some seniors after March 22 when Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced the Detroit Promise, a program that gives Detroit graduates the opportu-
nity to go to a local community college tuition-free. Senior Alisha Wedlow is thinking about putting off her plans to go to Indiana Tech to take advantage of the offer. “Going to college is really expensive, especially at a university, and the only way I would be able to actually pay is with scholarships,” Wedlow said. See COLLEGE on page 10 »
Staff Writers: Selena Braxton, Bria Cummings, JohnMichael Gonzalez, Kianna Harris, Alexis Hudson, Carlisle Jenkins, Shanika Kelly, Omar Lopez, Emier Metcalf, DeQuan Moore, Andre Russaw, Nyla Shields, Ryan Thomas, Kashell Washington, Robert Williams, Tyler Zellous
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 9 STUDENT LIFE
Cody mourns school social worker By Shanika Kelly The Cody Connection Students and staff at Cody DIT were heartbroken when they got to school on Mar. 3 and learned of the death of social worker Debra Cahee. English teacher Edith Wine who was very close to called Cahee’s passing a tremendous loss. “It is not just about the role she played as the social worker; it’s about the love that she gave, not only to her students, but also to the staff,” Wine said. The love people felt from Cahee came up often when the DIT community gathered in front of the school on Mar. 9 to share memories and release brightly colored
balloons. Sophomore Makaela Culberson remembers how nervous she was when she started at DIT and how much Cahee helped her. “If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have made it to 10th grade,” Culberson said. “She helped with everything and kept it between us.” “She helped me with my personal problems, you know just keeping me motivated,” said senior Alexis Hudson. Cahee worked for Detroit Public Schools for 25 years and spent the last seven years at Cody. One of her special projects was arranging for prescription eyeglasses for every student who needed them. Cahee was also active in
encouraging seniors on her caseload to apply for the school social work department’s Mildred A. Ellis Scholarship, a $1000 award given to four students each year. She might be pleased to know that one of the four winners this year is Cody DIT senior Philip Bryant who will be attending Central Michigan University in the fall. Bryant said Cahee was a big help to him throughout his time at DIT because he could talk to her about anything that was on his mind. “She could always tell when I was feeling bad and even if I said no, she had a way of forcing it out of me,” Bryant said. “Ms. Cahee was like a second mother to me. She was just a wonderful person.”
SAVANNAH ZELLOUS
DIT students and staff release balloons at the end of a Mar. 9th gathering to honor school social worker Deborah Cahee who died on Mar. 2.
STUDENT LIFE
DAVAUGHN SMITH
DIT Freshman Faith Latham works with a volunteer to plant a tree on May 16. The freshmen were continuing the activities of May 14 when volunteers worked on the grounds for National Network Arab American Service Day.
GREENING OF CODY Arab-American group participates in local service activities
By Kianna Harris The Cody Connection Despite the cold rainy weather on May 14, hundreds of volunteers and students from eight Detroit and Dearborn high schools came to the Detroit Institute of Technology to support the 12th National Network for Arab American Communities Service Day. Volunteers planted trees, boarded up abandoned houses, picked up trash on the streets, painted recycling bins and tire gardens, built
a butterfly garden, and added plants to the community garden. A lot of work was already done at DIT’s annual Spring Thing on April 16, and service day volunteers were able to bring new and exciting exterior features to help students build a sense of pride. Freshmen Kariel Thomas called the experience “electrifying.” Thomas was among many DIT staff and students who were on site to help those who sponsored the cleanup: ACCESS, Green-
ing of Detroit, Second Attention Strategies, and DTE Energy. Home Depot and Lowe’s donated the materials needed to make the day a success. DIT freshman Khiya Ashe was disappointed that more DIT students and staff weren’t there, but other events scheduled for the same day kept many from coming. “All our students should be here. It’s our school and our opinion should matter with the changes that are happening,” Ashe said.
According to the Arab American News, the goal of National Network for Arab American Service Day is to foster a culture of leadership and community engagement through service and volunteerism. DIT STEaM coordinator Chad Segrist supports the program’s goals. “It’s always nice for communities to gather and work towards common goals and objectives to help beautify environments,” Segrist said.
10 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016 STUDENT LIFE
MSU law leads CT ‘Black Lives’ talk By Brittany Waugh CT VIsionary “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” is a saying heard through the protests held across the nation about the numerous killings of black Americans at the hand of police officers. In a study published by the Guardian as of Dec. 31, 2015, it was found that young black men were nine times more likely to be killed by officers, approximating in 1,000 deaths as of 2015. Government mortality data has also found that about one in every 65 deaths of young African American men in the U.S. is a killing by police. Michigan State University Law School and Cass Technical High School students paired together to start the conversation most schools will often try to avoid. “Why do only Black Lives Mat-
ter? Shouldn’t All Lives Matter?” “Were all the victims really innocent?” These were questions asked at the Black Lives Matter forum at Cass Tech on April 8, an event sponsored by CT visionary Newspaper, Cass Tech NAACP and Michigan State University Law School. The panel included Black Lives Matter activists and law enforcement along with judges and attorneys. In the panel the cases of Tamar Rice and Sandra Bland were brought to discussion through displaying the video and listening to panel feedback on the cases. Among those in attendance were students of both Cass Tech and Grosse Pointe South. Following the forum, students were able to go to workshops paired with Grosse Pointe students to
COLLEGE
Detroit Promise gives students new option from page 8
“Going to college is really expensive, especially at a university, and the only way I would be able to actually pay is with scholarships.” Alisha Wedlow, senior
Any student with any grade point average who lives in Detroit and spent junior and senior year at any high school located in the city are eligible for this program. They just have to fill out the Detroit Promise application at www. DetroitScholarshipFund.com and the 2016-17 FAFSA form. The graduates can then go to one of five community colleges in metro Detroit: Henry Ford Community College, Wayne County Community College District, Schoolcraft College, Macomb Community College and Oakland Community College. Some students look at community college just as a place for students who aren’t smart enough for a university. But studies show that going straight to a university after high school
restart the discussion of how to interact with officers and knowing your rights. “Black Lives Matter does not discount the fact that other races do not matter, but because of the actions in society, apparently it doesn’t matter as much” said Michigan State Law School student Angela White when asked “Why do people feel Black Lives Matter is saying other lives do not?” After the forum many people stated how they appreciated the topics of the panel. “Though I did not agree with all of the points made on the panel, it gave me the opportunity to know what needs to be discussed more in schools and why this is a topic that should be ongoing in classrooms” said Cass Tech Junior Hunter Phelps, who attended with the Cass
could leave students struggling academically as well as stressing about how to pay for the rest of college. Senior Gregory Scott thinks starting at community college will be the smarter choice for him because he can take his required classes for free and at an easier school. “For me, it’s like when I get to a university I want to focus on my major,” Scott said. Cody DIT history teacher Henrietta Freeman doesn’t regret finishing two years at Wayne County Community College before transferring to University of Detroit Mercy because she wanted to improve her math skills. “It was hard when I started because I wasn’t disciplined, but there was so much help given,” said Freeman. And she said the experience made transferring to a fouryear school easier. “By then, I knew the ropes, and I knew to get help right when I needed it,” Freeman said.
CT VISIONARY
MSU second year law students Chaz Gross and Angela White.
Tech NAACP. The forum not only touched students, but adults in attendance as well. Given a moving testimonial by Christopher Hoorne of the Future Project of why Black Lives Matter
JUILLIARD from page 4
JOHN MICHAEL GONZALEZ
Slam poet Abdoulaye Doumbouya performs at the College Decision Day in the Cody gym on May 14. The DIT senior will go to the US Army on July 18.
ACADEMICS
CT students spend 9 days touring Japan By Cyrin Watson and Victoria Singleton CT Visionary After a 17-hour plan ride, nine Cass Tech students arrived in Japan with former Japanese teacher Renee Packzowski and foreign language department administrator Lori Singleton. The trip was about $5,000 including plane tickets, hotel stays, food, entertainment and transportation. The company EF Educational Tours allowed students to pay in monthly installments. Students were in Japan for nine days. Upon landing, the group was welcomed by a tour guide named Peace, who was 20. Most of the younger generation within Japan are able to speak English. The group
is such an important component to the African American community and how much the movement has cultivated the journey of reaching justice in these violent crimes.
visited five cities: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, Atami and Osaka. With the help of a tour guide, the group immersed ourselves in the culture, eating the typical Japanese diet of seafood such as shrimp tempura and sashimi. There were also visits to the famous shrine Shinjo Inari in Kyoto, which is guarded by statues of foxes; a symbol of fertility. Japanese shrines are places of worship for prayer spiritual purposes. Before approaching the shrine, you are required to perform a cleansing ritual. Women who wished to become pregnant visited the shrine to pray for a healthy baby, and beautiful pink cherry blossoms adorned the inside of the Shrines.
The students also shopped at many malls and marketplaces that sold unique sweets and confections. One of the most interesting parts of the trip for the students was the hot springs similar to an American steam room or Jacuzzi. In the last two hotels the group stayed, they were immersed in the Japanese style of community bathing. The guide took the group around Japan using all forms of transportation, as well as the Bullet Train that goes 320 km/h (200 m.p.h.) Cities like Tokyo were modern and resembled New, York; the other cities were more traditional with a lot of farm land. Ananda Irving contributed to this report.
ter 22, which was her monologue and it was just talking about her in this really dark place, and it could have been the bile of the slave ship or purgatory, and I really tried to just display that for the audience; the grief and strife and thriving and being trapped,” said Jones. Since winning, Mara paired Jones with a publicist who has placed him in professional dancing arenas, and he was even able to meet acclaimed male Russian ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov in New York. He also has traveled to San Francisco, where he attended daylong workshops. Much of Jones’ inspiration has come from Cass Tech’s Dance Workshop Instructor Anthony Smith. “We have always produced really good dancers here,” said Smith. “Many have gone on and are currently dancing in professional companies, Alvin Ailey and on Broadway.” Smith has worked really hard to instill in all of his dancers not only the key elements of dance but values that will help them go further in life. He does not let his students perform if they have anything less than a 3.0 gradepoint average. “I want to teach them that they have to be successful in all areas of their lives and they have to do those things that make them successful,” said Smith. “A dancer is an athlete as well as an artist.” Jones is the first student from the Detroit Public Schools system to get accepted to Juilliard School in eight years. The school of dance only accepts 24 freshman yearly, 12 males and 12 females. “Mr. Smith has really opened up my mind to a lot of things and helped me find my artistic voice and helped me find myself as an artist,” said Jones. Mackenzie Galloway contributed to this report.
THE COMMUNICATOR
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 11
A public forum for the students and community of Communication and Media Arts High School | cmacommunicator.com STUDENT LIFE
Student photographers share vision The Communicator The art of photography has become a trending hobby, and it seems that DPS has their own share of students who have found an interest and has become known for it. “When I’m taking pictures, I’m not just looking for something that looks nice or has a certain mood. I create my own environment and inject my own personality into the scene I shoot,” said Renaissance senior Justin Woods. “I want people to develop their own conceptual
opinion of my photography and interpret it their own way.” Photography has become a way for students to bring the art in things that seem normal like an alleyway of downtown Detroit, or a leaf growing out of stick wood. Among Woods, is also another senior from Renaissance Deshawn Williams, who shoots alongside Woods, who goes about his photography from a different perspective. “When I shoot, I attempt to compose the work to produce
open ended thoughts that can vary depending on one’s mood,” said Williams. “I also create my composition in a manner that will spark the thoughts of taking advantage of life and living with no boundaries.” One of Williams’s pieces has won the spot in the D.I.A Marketing and will be featured on their postcards. “I want them to think about how things that may be considered ugly can be more
COURTESY OF JUSTIN WOODS
“When I’m taking pictures, I’m not just looking for something that looks nice or has a certain mood,” said Renaissance senior Justin Woods.
See PHOTOS on page 13 »
STUDENT LIFE
DETROIT
CMA students attend annual military ball By Logan Johnson The Communicator The 67th annual Military Ball was held on May 6 at Burton Manor. The night was filled with spectacular awards, dining and dancing for both JROTC cadets and their escorts. This formal event empowered all the participants to exercise optimum etiquette with a five course dinner. This black tie affair was a fashion extravaganza with a burst of colorful ball gowns. After a majority vote, the highlight of the evening was Crowning of sophomore Niya Cox as CMA Ball Queen. Cox said “this years’ ball will remain in a class by itself.”
The celebration included many JROTC schools from around the State of Michigan. For many cadets, this was their first event. As the ball concluded, it was past the legal curfew of many of the cadets in attendance. But the cadets were presented with a curfew waiver in order for them to get home and not be affected by the curfew. Junior Taylor Ephraim said “the food and company was delicious and [the ball] allows students to reflect on a year of hard work.” Sponsor Sgt. Gentry represented this year platoon with elegance and dignity. School Administrators also supported in this annual event.
Just a Bit Eclectic opens tea shop
The annual Military Ball was held on May 6 at Burton Manor. This event was a fashion extravaganza with a burst of colorful ball gowns. The celebration included many JROTC schools from around the State of Michigan.
SPORTS
Phillips gets second chance to showcase skills The Communicator CMA senior John Phillips III recently played in the Horatio Williams Foundation Second Chance Basketball Games. This event took place April 9 from at the Detroit Edison Public Academy. The Horatio Williams Foundation Second Chance Basketball Games is for high school seniors who didn’t receive a college basketball scholarship during the basketball season. College coaches are invited to watch them play. College scouts wanted to see the players in
person to get a better idea of who they are as a person and as a player vs. watching on video. Phillips Phillips was one of the players out of the estimated 65 seniors who were in attendance, only two from CMA participated. There were six teams with NBA team names such as Miami Heat, Pistons, Indiana Pacers, etc. Phillips played on the Warriors
THE COMMUNICATOR
and went up against each team once. They played 12-minute halves (24-minute games). After all the games were done, the top performers played against each other on two teams. Phillips was recognized as a top performer of the event by averaging 11 points and two steals per game and scoring 78 points in seven games. Phillip’s team won four out the seven games that he played in by averaging 65 points per game. His playing time averaged out to be 20 minutes per game. “An opportunity to play in the
front of the college coaches for a basketball scholarship and a chance to have fun and enjoy my passion,” Phillips said when asked about what he gained from his new experience. Various colleges were in attendance such as Wayne State, Saginaw Valley, Oakland Community College and Albion College. Since Phillips was the top performer he received athletic scholarship offers from Wayne State, Albion, Oakland Community College and Henry Ford College.
Adviser: Robbyn Williams Editor-in-Chief: Jalon Nelson Co- Editor-in-Chief: Danielle Anderson Crain Mentor: Ursula Zerilli Secretary: GeAundra Weatherspoon
By Tarious Porter The Communicator Watch out Starbucks there’s a new shop in town! Just a Bit Eclectic is a tea shop that has recently opened in Detroit. The Just A Bit Eclectic shop or J.A.B.E doesn’t just sell food and drinks but focuses on the community and making the area a better place. “The J.A.B.E. is always a place for me to do homework or just get advice” “Most of said Kobie our people Dudley, a local teen. don’t have Owner the chance Darlene to build skills Alston before they is also a long time actually set Detroiter foot into the and opened the business work world.” to aid young Darlene Alston, citizens Owner who need a quiet place. “Most of our people don’t have the chance to build skills before they actually set foot into the work world I want to help,” Alston said. “There are knitting clubs, entrepreneur programs and even a back room completely open to the community. With one cup of tea at a time Alston hopes to impact the community in a positive way.
Staff Writers: Judy Russell-Pearce, Erika Davis, Brianna Coleman, Paris Brown, Lonnie Wymes, Olonzo Clayton, Lamari Boone, Kayanna Dennis, Rickiya Anderson, Erin Jackson
12 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016
THE HOWLER Detroit Cristo Rey High School | cristoreyhowler.com STUDENT LIFE
GIRLS MAKE CHANGE: Changing the community and changing themselves By Jennifer GonzalezHernandez The Howler Sitting in a circle, one by one, girls shared why the topic of interpersonal violence hit close to home. The solemnity was palpable. You could hear a pin drop. One girl finally mustered up the courage to speak, and no one dared to say a word until she was done. The girls are part of a fellowship called Girls Making Change. Stephanie Chang, a Michigan State Representative in Detroit, started the fellowship in February of this year, to encourage girls of color to be more involved in politics. Now 10 girls from Cesar Chavez High School, Cristo Rey High School, King High School and Western International are working on a community action plan to try making a difference. The girls started meeting every two weeks, but as the project nears they meet almost every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Alessandra Alvarez-Paines, a
Caribbean-Salvadoran 18-year-old senior at King High School, said she joined the program because she has “always wanted to be a part of something that was going to help me get closer to my goal of helping others. So I thought GMC was the right fit for me. It was also a program for [girls of color] which really stuck out to me. I felt I could really accomplish something amazing here.” The action plan is centered on violence and injustice in the community and aims to give a voice to those who are victims of abuse. It targets young adults in the community’s surrounding high schools to further educate them on topics that are often glazed over like the importance of consent and why victim-blaming is wrong. The girls decided to focus their project on interpersonal violence because they wanted to help spread awareness and partner with other organizations, such as AlternaTHE HOWLER
See GIRLS on page 13 »
Cristo Rey’s Girls Making Change want to give a voice to victims of abuse.
SPORTS
ACADEMICS
In pursuit of ancient knowledge, students are awarded for Latin chops THE HOWLER
This year Cristo Rey fielded a baseball and softball team in the Catholic League for the first time.
Detroit Cristo Rey plays ball By Camilla Cantu The Howler “Charge it! All the way!” Coaches yell from the dugout. This year for the first time in Detroit Cristo Rey history, a baseball and softball team will play in the Catholic League. The Wolves baseball team and the Lady Wolves softball play their first official games, players and coaches go into the season with different expectations and motivations. “I want to teach all the underclassmen how to play, how to understand the game,” said Sydney Lester, senior softball player. “I was really nervous last week but
now I’m excited because softball is just life.” Koi Woodland, a sophomore on the softball team, said she wants the team to improve its skills in the first year, but “we want to win at least a couple of games for our season.” Colbert Lucey, a teacher at Detroit Cristo Rey and coach of the Cristo Rey Wolves baseball team, holds similar expectations. “We want to complete the season, complete every game, put a team out there, teach them about baseball, and grow from there,” Lucey said. Lucey along with Luz Solis, a
THE HOWLER
current softball player and DCR student, really pushed for the formation of the two teams. Solis even received an award in recognition of her efforts and determination to start a softball team in June of 2015. “There had been attempts to start the baseball team before. When I came two years ago and said I could coach, Sue said yes,” said Lucey. This season, the Cristo Rey baseball team has 14 players and four coaches. The softball team is made up of 16 players and three coaches. Both teams head into the season hoping win some games but more importantly be competitive.
Editor-in-chief: Juanita Zuniga Adviser: Stephanie Morrow Crain Mentor: Hannah Lutz
By Juanita Zuniga The Howler Dressed in white togas and laurel crowns, students in Detroit Cristo Rey’s Latin III class performed a Kardashianmocking skit called “Keeping up with Julian’s” that won them second place at the University of Michigan’s second annual Copley Latin Day. But, the trip wasn’t just about who could release their inner Meryl Streep or Johnny Depp the best, the primary purpose of Latin Day is to get students from the Ann Arbor and Detroit areas involved in Latin and Roman civilization. Students “get to experience the language in a different way,” said Nick Bolig, a Detroit Cristo Rey Latin teacher. And that they did, the students did everything from speak with various professors to participate in a scavenger hunt on campus. It was a great experience for the
students to, “get together as a society” Bolig said. Many of the students, like Cristo Rey junior Ruben Lugo, a Latin I student, said, “hands down, the skit was my favorite part.” Many others, like junior Carina Garza, a Latin III student, said she enjoyed being able to express her love for Latin and expand her knowledge on the language. Although Latin is perceived by some as a dead language, it has a strong presence at Detroit Cristo Rey. Latin is the only language offered at Detroit Cristo Rey, and with teachers like James Dwyer and Nick Bolig students couldn’t be more enthused to learn it. “Mr. Dwyer has helped me to understand a piece of the culture aspect which I fell in love with,” said Garza The language itself has several benefits: vocabulary, critical thinking and public speaking. See LATIN on page 13 »
Staff Writers: Nehe - Miah Scarborough, Daniela Lugo, Camilla Cantu, Jennifer Gonzalez-Hernandez
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 13 ACADEMICS
Ben Carson’s CNA course prepares students responsibility, causing some students to feel overwhelmed at times. “Having the stress of working with Pearson patients can affect you if you let it. I would say the workload and working with patients would be the most difficult tasks in this course,” said Pearson. What’s more, while working in the hospital with real patients can be beneficial, there are risks as well, sometimes life threatening. There are many
By Marquiese Pearson The Diagnostic English 12, pre-calculus, NJROTC, and art are all typical senior classes, but can you imagine taking a nursing class that includes working with patients on top of those classes? Twenty-one students at Benjamin Carson High School are doing just that. Along with the courses required for graduation during one’s final year in high school, seniors at BCHS have the option of taking a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course. This course includes learning medical terminology, over 20 physical
skills, and hands-on work with patients at Detroit’s very own John D. Dingell Veteran Affairs Hospital. BCHS seniors Marie Pearson and Alexia Richardson are just a couple of the students who are enrolled in the course. “Taking this CNA course has been a life changer for me. It has taught me medical skills and terminology that I can use in everyday life,” said Pearson. Richardson echoed Pearson. “This class directly helped me learn how to take care of the elderly not only in the right way, but in a professional way,” said Richardson. However, the CNA course also carries much
ABANDONED
Vacant buildings create concerns across city
“When you walk down the street in the suburbs, you walk past new supermarkets, nice, big houses, and parks. But not here.”
from page 3
Marcus May, BCHS Junior
munity as a whole. Many of the students at BCHS come from all over Detroit and beyond, and the abandoned buildings across the city cause some individuals to feel uncomfortable walking or catching the bus. “I don’t like walking past abandoned homes or buildings because they are an eyesore, but, even worse, you don’t know if there are animals or people who don’t belong in there,” said Marcus May, a BCHS junior. “When you walk down the street in the suburbs, you walk past new supermarkets, nice, big houses, and parks. But not here.” Some would say that Detroit has been forgotten. However, there are programs across the city that are working to combat the issue of
abandoned buildings. One example of a school becoming involved in this fight is the Life Remodeled project at Cody High School, which focuses on making a change in the city since the summer of 2015 by boarding up local homes and putting up beautiful artwork. “Bringing the Life Remodeled movement to Cody High School was not only for our students, but for the entire community,” said Marjani Jackson, school service assistant at Cody. “The students were so proud. They jumped at the opportunity to get up early, get on a shuttle, and help clean up their community.” A program like this resembles an example of how a school can be a useful tool in addressing community problems across the city.
Former Cody High School student Elexis Walls, who was also part of the movement, said, “helping Detroit Public Schools work on the school to make it better is a big step to improving the environment in which we go to school, making it a little bit better since abandoned houses aren’t safe for kids to be walking past on their way to or from school. It was good to have them boarded up.” With the Life Remodeled project as an example, there is much that can be done in the school system to try and resolve the issue of abandoned houses in Detroit. Abandoned houses are not just an eyesore, but a threat to the safety of students at BCHS and throughout Detroit.
GREENER
plants, which gave rise to the BCHS Garden Club. “I like the idea of teaching people how to plant, the benefits of plants, the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables, and ultimately coming to a way that we can start changing our eating habits,” says McBride. To “green” Detroit means to take advantage of excess land and
work toward a beautiful future, but it takes humans’ willingness and effort to promote and spread the idea. People are more willing to do something when they know the benefit that it produces. Detroit is still on a major waterway, and it is still a hub for the U.S., so it is not too late. The city can be returned to its original state with the help of its very own people.
BCHS club aims to improve environment from page 3
BCHS sophomore Meer Alrafee. Whether this be a backyard full of vegetables and fruit trees or a small container garden in an apartment, purifying Detroit can start with
PHOTOS
COURTESY OF DESHAWN WILLIAMS
DPS students explore photography
“When I shoot, I attempt to compose the work to produce open ended thoughts that can vary depending on one’s mood,” Renaissance senior Deshawn Williams said.
from page 11
meaningful than they thought,” said Renaissance senior Graham Polk. “I love to get the people around me to interact with their surroundings. I feel that’s where the meaning of my work comes from.” Polk has earned himself a job has a photographer with clothing lines and models. Cass Tech’s Isaiah Williams’s is another DPS visionary. “My first photoshoot was
alongside Joseph Mcfashion, owner of 4shoMag,” Williams said. “There are people I idolize
but that does not mean I want to be like them; I want to be better than them.”
risks with patients at the Veteran Affairs Hospital. Residents suffer from a variety of health issues such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Being in this environment can be a hazard for teenagers. Not all students could handle dealing with this responsibility. “It depends on your maturity and patience level whether or not you can handle disease- ridden patients,” said Pearson. Taking this course does require a level of maturity considering most skills are hands on and require some “uncomfortable” tasks, like
LATIN from page 12
Latin “is a timeless source of information that opens up walls of opportunities,” said Bolig. The goal of learning Latin is for students to become better lawyers, doctors, historians, orators and more. The language has allowed the students to understand the ancient world and how it has molded society. Dwyer has been teaching Latin for five years. He said that studying classic cultures helps students “see where our political system comes from and why our world is the way it is today.” Students said they want to try to make the language “cool” again because they believe that ancient Rome and Greece were such an interesting time.
GIRLS
Group encourages girls to be politically involved from page 12
tives For Girls, to make an impact. Two Alternatives For Girls staff members and three peer educators met with the students on May 7 to present the information and resources they have, so that the girls are better equipped for the assembly presentations they plan to have at their high schools. The girls decided to reach out to AFG because they noticed the issue wasn’t a novelty in the community and realized, “why try to reinvent a wheel that’s already been created,” said Mary Naoum, one of the group facilitators who is an Assyrian Iraqi-American grad student from the University of Michigan. The students in the fellowship agreed that the topic of interpersonal violence, which includes physical, mental, emotional and domestic abuse as well as sexual assault, is being overlooked and not enough action is being taken. One of the group leaders Maria Ibarra, a Hispanic grad student from the University of Michigan, said: “I am excited that the GMC Fellows chose this topic because
changing a patient’s soiled bed linens, assisting patients using a bedpan, and taking a patient’s vitals. There are over 20 skills you must master before finals. The final includes two parts, a written portion that ranges from 60-120 questions and a physical portion that will include demonstrating three skills with mastery. This is stressful to some, but Pearson says it’s all about time management. “Studying little by little is the key to passing these finals. Don’t overwhelm yourself by crunching everything in at once,” said Pearson. Latin is “pretty cool, so as Latin students we need to make it stay cool,” Lugo said. Even though the language is compelling on its own, the students say the teachers are the real motivators in keeping them engaged. They use real life situations, scenarios, and people to explain the ancient world. “A teacher is a student’s role model, and my teacher, Mr. Bolig, has made me appreciate the Roman culture and Latin language by making the experience fun,” said Brianna Sloan, a junior. Not only did their Latin chops win them second place, but students say Latin class has helped them become well-rounded students who understand the value of ancient culture and its lasting impact on today’s society. it’s one that deserves more attention. I think often times people are afraid to talk about issues of violence and abuse because it’s so painful that we rather pretend it doesn’t exist. It inspires me to see that the girls are tackling this issue we a lot of bravery.” Andrea Soto, a 17-year-old Mexican-Puerto Rican junior at Western International, said she voted for the topic because “it is really important for people to understand what interpersonal violence is so they can identify it when it occurs.” The girls are moving full force to tackle this issue to really get to their audience so that their voices are heard. Ibarra is confident that the project will be a success. “Community change is about building relationships and challenging each other to become better versions of ourselves,” she said. “This project focuses on a concept called ‘consciousness raising’ in which we highlight a topic of concern to the community so we can see how it affects various facets of our lives. The beautiful part about community action is that it will change the girls who are planning it as much as the rest of the community.”
14 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016
PINK LADY PRESS The Detroit International Academy for Young Women | pinkladypress.com STUDENT LIFE
STUDENT LIFE
ARE YOU READY? Seniors nervous and excited about life after graduation
PINK LADY PRESS
queenSpeak at Michigan’s Louder Than A Bomb 2016. Top row, (left to right): Faith Davis, Tanecea Hughes, Destiny Vernon, Jayla Arrington, supervisor Olivia Scheidler, and Alexus Bolja. Bottom row (left to right): Nikebia Brown-Joseph and Hawa Rahman.
queenSpeak finds success in poetry By Nikebia Brown-Joseph Pink Lady Press In October 2014, Detroit International Academy Spanish teacher Olivia Scheidler and English teacher Lisa Brooks started DIA’s poetry club. By the end of the month, the members became known as queenSpeak. In their first year, queenSpeak experienced much growth and success. The team competed in their first poetry slam, Michigan’s Louder Than A Bomb at University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s Neutral Zone, in March 2015, placing second in the final round. After competing at Michigan LTAB 2016, held at Wayne State, the team’s poem about DPS was featured before
the final round. The poem addresses the various issues that DPS students have faced as well as the horrible circumstances many Michigan residents have faced recently, such as the Flint water crisis. Louder Than A Bomb was just the beginning. Last June, various members of queenSpeak performed at the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Kresge Court for the Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo in Detroit exhibit. DIA senior Hawa Rahman and DIA alumnae Jazmin Johnson and Sakila Islam also competed in Brave New Voices, an international youth poetry slam festival, last summer in Atlanta. Rahman and Islam’s joint
poem “Why Are Muslims So…” was featured before the final round and a YouTube video of the performance has garnered over 100,000 views. The two will be returning to the festival again this summer in Washington D.C. queenSpeak was also able to host a session for the 2015 Allied Media Conference. AMC is run by Allied Media Projects (alliedmedia.org), which “shares and supports models for using media for transformative social change.” The session focused on forging identity through poetry and the process for writing group poems. queenSpeak will be hosting another session at AMC this year.
By Darshae Ward Pink Lady Press As the end of the year is approaching, the class of 2016 seniors are getting ready for prom, graduation, college and life. Will you be prepared? Are you ready to become an adult? We asked students at Detroit International Academy will they be ready when their graduation year comes. “Being a senior will be exciting and sad because when you graduate, you have to go into the real world without your friends and family. You may be separated. College is very intimidating to me. Makes me want to stay in high school forever,” freshman Bionca Ward said. “I think that I would be nervous because there is more pressure to become somebody. It will
also be a lot of stress because everything is more serious, like college applications. I think that graduating will be a big relief,” sophomore Sophia Leflore said. “As a junior, I feel like next year is going to be fun, stress-free, and a relief because I have been working so hard in these past years, I will be able to breathe a little,” Celeste Heard said. Being a senior holds a lot of opportunity and responsibility. It can also be very fun. Senior BreOna Law-Williams knows a lot about that. She says it was not what she expected at all. “It was a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Law-Williams said. “My advice to future seniors is to focus on graduation, apply for all scholarships, and don’t get caught up in the crowd.”
DETROIT
Links helps students manage potential conflicts By Autumn Barber Pink Lady Press On May 18, The Detroit Chapter of the Links Inc. took time out of their busy schedules to meet with the ladies of Detroit International Academy 10th grade students to discuss the importance of self-control and the best way of handling conflicts. During this session, students were taught the “I message” method, where you are encouraged to explain to your adversary,
or friend, how they made your feel. They suggested this strategy is helpful for everyone, especially high school students, who would rather solve issues with their first, rather than their words. Freshman Christine Banks said: “She would begin verbally defending herself, before she actually starts with an ‘I message’. I am not a fighter, so I would do what I can to avoid an altercaSee LINKS on page 18 »
ACADEMICS
High school awaits 8th graders By Kenndall Wallace Pink Lady Press It’s almost end of the school year and eighth graders are soon about to graduate and take a harder step into their education life: High school. Not all middle schoolers are ready to go to high school, maybe because they are a bit nervous about it, or they are just dreading an extra four years of school. However, what about the high schoolers who have already experienced it? The Pink Lady Press asked high school students for advice for the middle school and then asked
eighth graders about what they think of going into high school. “I would tell 8th graders to work hard, because if they work hard they can become something great,” freshman NaVaeh Richards said. “I would tell them that it’s important not to skip classes, because if you skip classes, you could get confused when test time arrives, and maybe end up failing the class,” freshman Areyana Mckay said. “As an 8th grader, going into high school seems like it would be a little nerve-racking,” Mya Graves said.
“This is a new experience for me, and I have a feeling it won’t be like middle school.” High school is a big change, and it may seem difficult. However, it’s important to realize that high school is a great opportunity and can get you into great colleges. “I’m actually both excited and nervous at the same time,” Jamiyah Hamilton said. “I’m afraid that maybe once I get into high school, other students may not like me, but at the same time it seems like it would be an adventure.”
PINK LADY PRESS
Adviser: Christina Bell-Bowers Crain Mentor: China Haley
PINK LADY PRESS
“I would tell 8th graders to work hard, because if they work hard they can become something great,” freshman NaVaeh Richards said.
Staff: Nikebia Brown-Joseph, Hadja Simakha, Hawa Rahman, Jalayna Porter, Autumn Barber
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 15
EYE OF THE HURRICANE Douglass Academy for Young Men | douglasseye.com
SPEED DEMONS
PAGE 18 » Track team breaks records
STUDENT LIFE
Douglass students win Emmy By Khalil Wilson and Nathan Lymon Eye of the Hurricane Douglass Academy valedictorian Kamar Graves, senior Drake Glover and junior Deon Butler won an Emmy award last month from the Michigan chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their music video “Peace.” The video was shot in front of Douglass as part of a project for the Lyricist Society, a school hip-hop club headed by staff member Quan Neloms. The club produces a music
video each year. “We were the only Detroit Public School there, so it was good to represent Detroit as a whole,” said Graves. “I was real nervous, I didn’t think we had a chance.” The song’s lyrics are a protest against police brutality. “As a black person, police brutality was common to a black person,” said Graves. Glover said he believed someone “needs to speak up and stop it.” Butler, who now attends Detroit Collegiate Preparatory High School,
and Glover were the featured rappers in the music video, which is available on the Lyricist Society channel on YouTube. “Everyone that knows that I won feels happy that I won,” said Glover. Lyricist Society members wrote lyrics and performed on music videos, worked behind the camera in areas such as videography, documentary making and sound engineering. “I feel like it was a great achievement to win an Emmy, especially with other participating schools,” said Graves.
QUAN NELOMS
Douglass seniors Kamar Graves and Drake Glover receive an Emmy for their rap video “Peace.”
STUDENT LIFE
STUDENT LIFE
Douglass JROTC has new leader By Elijah-juan Pearcy Eye of the Hurricane
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
Douglass senior Chase Davis is surprised and tearful as Douglass senior class vice president Kamar Graves calls all the seniors to the front to pin Davis, who had no family member available to pin him.
CHASE KNOWS ‘I felt the brotherhood we have at Frederick Douglass’
By Michael Betty and Khalil Wilson Eye of the Hurricane When Frederick Douglass seniors gathered in March for the annual pinning ceremony, Chase Davis had a dilemma. Traditionally, parents of Frederick Douglass students will stand and pin their child during the ceremony. It’s a great photo opportunity; one that fills pages in the school yearbook annually. But Davis had no parent to pin him. Davis’ mother passed away in 2012, and his aunt had to work. Instead, he had the whole senior class.
When his turn arrived, about 30 classmates walked up to him in support and pinned him together. “It was a happy moment, but was also a little depressing. It was a happy moment because I felt the brotherhood we have at Frederick Douglass, but it was depressing because I thought back to my mother and her passing,” said Davis. “I didn’t expect my story to go viral. I thought it was a small thing, but so many people have offered me support after the story blew up.” Counselor Joseph Rogers posted the moment on his Facebook page, and it drew 12,000
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
Editor-in-chief: Michael Betty Adviser: Michael Walters Crain Mentor: Victor Galvan
likes. It then found its way on The Shade Room Instagram page, which has 4.7 million followers. Chase has since received offers of support from social media followers; offers for which he is grateful, but all he declined. Douglass senior class officers came up with the idea to present Davis with his senior pin. The emotional moment brought tears to the staff at Frederick Douglass and even some students. Davis, who is often attached to the phrase “Chase Knows,” didn’t have a clue. He was surprised by the gesture, he said, and cried a few tears himself.
Section editors: Nathan Lymon, Branden Davis (photos)
The Detroit Douglass JROTC program has had to start over mid year, replacing two long-term instructors with a new one. Sergeant First Class Robert Vaillancourt joined at the end of April to lead the Douglass group. He replaces First Sergeant Laverne Rush and Sergeant First Class Terry Strauss, both who retired unexpectedly this winter. This is Vaillancourt’s first time as head of a JROTC program. He recently retired from the United States Army after 24 years. “I love to help the kids and feel I can be positive influence and rebuild the JROTC program here at Douglass Academy” said Vaillancourt. Rush left in December, citing personal health issues. Strauss left in February because of Detroit Public School’s financial problems. Their departure left an eight-week gap in leadership. “Not having a JROTC teacher was kind of boring and dull because we were limited to do most things we did or could do when we did have an JROTC teacher,” said Douglass student Michael Betty. Douglass senior Joshua Johnson said the lack of a full-time instructor was “irritating, but minor setbacks come as bigger comebacks.” “The program will continue to build and bring in great cadets who are willing to take the program to a serious new start even with a new instructor,” said Johnson.
Staff Writers: Elijah-juan Pearcy, Jarnard Smith, Corey Wells, Vincent Wilks, Kenneth Burns, Chase Davis, Drake Glover, Khalil Wilson
16 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016
VOICE OF THE VILLE East English Village Preparatory Academy | voiceoftheville.com
INSIDE OUT
PAGE 22 » Poetry program helps students express themselves
STUDENT LIFE
EEVPA students traveling to Italy By James Ceasar and Jaleen Stevenson Voice of the Ville East English Village students Nicholas Huey and Khariane Gray will be traveling to Italy this summer. Huey and Gray were only students in Detroit to be finalists
of the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation USA’s essay contest, a program open to 11th grade students in New York City, Los Angeles and Detroit. The program selects five students from public schools from New York City, two from Los Angeles, and two from Detroit. To apply, the students research and write a
1,000-word essay on the Women of the Italian Renaissance, a representation of a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries. The students will be participating in a month-long academic program in Florence. These classes will be based on the evolutions of the Italian Renaissance and the
composition of a college common application essay. “I’m excited about it,” Gray said. “I think it’s a good opportunity.” Added Huey: “I’m honored. I am excited to see the buildings and experience things in a different country.” With them winning this com-
STUDENT LIFE
ACADEMICS
EEVPA celebrates National Dance Week By Champayne Hicks Voice of the Ville The celebration of National Dance Week was April 22 through May 1, 2016. East English Village dance teacher Rosalind Leath, who is also the Michigan Delegate for National Dance Week hosted a Dance Awareness Zumba class for staff, parents, students and the community on April 28. “The purpose of Dance Awareness week is to expose and introduce as many people as possible to the enjoyment and benefits of dance through the promotion of dance in schools,” Leath said. Zumba is a Latin-inspired cardio dance workout that uses music and choreographed steps to form a fitness party atmosphere. The Zumba class was taught by Leath was a huge success, as many students and staff members participated. This event was held as a fundraiser, as well as raise awareness
VOICE OF THE VILLE
Rosalind Leath, a Michigan Delegate for National Dance Week, hosted a Dance Awareness Zumba class.
of health and fitness for EEVPA’s staff and students. Money collected was donated to replace the lighting in our school’s auditorium, which
will improve performances. “We appreciate the opportunity to raise needed funds, while encouraging fitness,” Leath said.
“Because of the dedication of our dance program, we can ensure dance continues to be a positive inspiration to many.”
SPORTS
Griffith is the Ville’s rising track star By Latya Shackelford Voice of the Ville Isaiah Griffith, an East English Village Preparatory Academy track star, has many accomplishments. Griffith won two national records in long jump and triple jump, as well as three state records in long jump and triple jump. Griffith is a 15-time national medalist for his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics Team, S’tr8 Smoking Track Club and a six-time national champion.
VOICE OF THE VILLE
petition it could be a great asset for them being accepted into colleges or universities. Gray wants to attend Howard University, and Nicholas’s dream school is the Berklee College of Music. Upon completing the program in Italy, students will receive a certificate acknowledging their finalist status.
On Feb. 26, he won triple jump and broke the state record for the third time in the same season. Griffith holds the top six triple jumps in Michigan high school history. Growing up Griffith would watch Justin Gatlin, an American sprinter and an Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter dash. His 100-meter personal best is 9.74 seconds. Gatlin is a world indoor champion in the 60-meter dash and also the man responsible for influ-
Editor: James Ceasar Co-editor: Champayne Hicks Adviser: April D. Seworth Crain Mentor: Sherri Welch
encing Isaiah to begin running track. Griffith starting running track when he was 8 years old, and in his first Griffith year competing, he won nationals. Griffith was born with athletic abilities. His mom ran track in middle school and held the sixth grade record for Detroit Public Schools
for 20 years in 100-meter dash. But Griffith lost his mom at the age of 14 to multiple heart problems. “She would be very proud of me because of how the journey started,” he said. Griffith is undecided for college, but he is looking for a college with a good track and field program. He is also focused on the 2020 Olympics. “It’s my first ultimate goal in life,” he said. “Performing well at it is a part of the goal also not just getting there.”
BULLDOG SPOTLIGHT ON BIOLOGY TEACHER
ARSHALA WASHINGTON By Briana Rice Voice of the Ville Arshala Washington is a beloved ninth grade biology teacher at East English Village Preparatory Academy. Washington attended Tuskegee University in Alabama and earned a bachelor’s of Arts in Science. Washington She also holds a master’s degree in Biology from Alabama State University. Washington focuses on hands-on learning and real-life application within her classroom, as well as differentiated instruction. “I believe in tailoring instruction to meet the individual needs of my students,” Washington said. EEVPA participates in Go Green, a DTE initiative that supports renewable energy and development throughout Michigan. EEVPA’s Team, The Green Team is comprised of Washington, Kimberly Stevenson, an environmental science teacher and Sharon Shell, a Biology teacher. They work together to ensure the school is reducing energy and conserving natural resources. Shell supervises our gardening program, which produces fresh vegetables and fruits served in our school cafeteria. Stevenson and Washington supervise the energy conservation program where energy is reduced during school breaks, such as Christmas and Spring Break.
Staff Writers: Jesse Brown, Ty’Janai Burks, Malik Burns-Sherrell, Kanira Chambers, Maryann Claxton, Scott Cleveland, Dajana Corbitt, Jaszlyn Cotton, Jawon Dangerfield, Cierra Davis, Regina Dixon, Zetorria Ellis, Abriana Favors, Kavon Gardner, Ava Gaymon, Isis Giska, Precious Gist, Iris Gray, Kyle Jackson, Destiny Jones, Love Jones, Cedrick Lattimore, Lindrell Mitchell, Anyiah Morris, Maranda Randolph-Mathis, Brianna Rice, Ricardo Rivers, Christopher Rollins, Latya Shackelford, Devin Smith, Jaleen Stevenson, Danajah Turner, Labria Weaver, Kevon Webb, Ciarra Welcome, Ah’Janae Whitehead, Jaida Williams, Jasmine Young
BULLDOG NEWS
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 17
A public forum for the students and community of Loyola High School | loyolabulldognews.com STUDENT LIFE
Loyola hosts Week of Respect The march was supported by many people in the area. The students received high fives, handshakes and honks of approval from passing cars. On Tuesday during the Week of Respect, students participated in Respect Animals Day, which took action against animal cruelty. The following day, the University of Detroit presented antibullying activities for Respect One Another Day. Thursday was Respect Military Day. On the last day of the Week of Respect, a carnival was held in the school gym for Respect Differences Day. Games like ring toss, cake walk, football toss, and many more were played. Local schools that are affiliated with Project Unify brought their special needs students to Loyola to enjoy the carnival. All of the students were able to participate and win prizes. “It felt very good to see the happy faces of kids when they won a game,” freshman Lester Hunt said. “I felt it was good to see that they could win no matter what.”
By Elijah Stringer Bulldog News This year at Loyola High School, students took part in a program called Project Unify. Project Unify is a program aimed at including all students in non-exclusionary events. It is a statewide program that is part of Special Olympics Michigan. The organization serves 20,679 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Michigan. The students and staff at Loyola celebrated Project Unify by having a week of respect from April 11-15. Students participated in seminars, marches and a carnival. On the first day of the Week of Respect, students participated a Rally for Respect Everyone and a one-mile march in the city of Detroit as a Walk Against Bullying & Violence. Students made signs and created chants designed to tell drivers about the cause. “I think what we are doing is really cool,” sophomore Leslie Porter said. “It feels good to raise awareness of Project Unify.”
BULLDOG NEWS
TOP: Loyola students prepare to begin their onemile walk against bullying and violence during the Week of Respect. LOWER RIGHT: Project Unify students and Loyola High School students enjoy the Week of Respect carnival together. LOWER LEFT: Loyola students building the games that will be used for the Respect Differences Day carnival during the Week of Respect.
ACADEMICS
ACADEMICS
Students select colleges on Decision Day By Kyle McBeth Bulldog News Being accepted to college is a great feeling especially if you get accepted to your dream college. Many of Loyola High School’s seniors have been accepted to more than one college or university. On May 3, the seniors at Loyola announced what college they would be attending during the school’s College Decision Day. The seniors presented their decisions in a rather creative way. Principal Wyatt Jones III and other staff members pretended to be sportscasters. They brought each senior up to the stage, said something great about them, and tried to figure out which college the student would
BULLDOG NEWS
choose. When asked, the senior announced his college or university. The announcement was followed by a photo session with the senior’s family members. Loyola parents, grandparents, siblings and a variety of others beamed with pride for their senior. It was an event that created a special moment for each senior. After all of the seniors were done announcing which college they will be attending this fall, Senior counselor Angela Hunter held a raffle and gave away essentials that the students may need for their college dorm. Prizes included microwaves and bed sets. The event was followed by
Editor-in-Chief: Ricardo Murray
BULLDOG NEWS
Loyola seniors pose for a group photo with principal Wyatt Jones III, left, and counselor Angela Hunter after they all announced the college they will attend in the fall.
a tailgate party that included a barbeque prepared by teachers and staff. There were also several activities available for everyone
Adviser: Della Young
Crain Mentor: Jeremy Carroll
to enjoy. The activities included a video game truck where students could play games inside and outside the truck.
Loyola Seniors Achieve 100% Acceptance Again By Ricardo Murray Bulldog News One hundred percent of Loyola High School seniors have been accepted into a college of their choice. It has been a long rough four years for these 28 seniors. They have lost some class members on the way, and many of them have had to deal with deaths of close friends and family members. Despite the hardships, they still had to stay on top of their grades and school work. On the other hand, they also See ACCEPTED on page 17 »
Staff Writers: Christopher Turner, Treveon Vaughn, Kyle McBeth, Nicholas Lee
18 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016 STUDENT LIFE
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
From left to right: Christian Jones, Phillip Wade, Evan Rogers and Branden Davis practice the blind exchange at track practice.
SPEED DEMONS
Douglass track team has recording-breaking season By Michael Betty Eye of the Hurricane All records are meant to be broken as the saying goes. Some records tend to seem unbreakable because of how far they seem to be. Through the excellent coaching of Frederick Douglass English teacher Nathan Tedford and dean of students Saleem Shaheed, the school has broken its own
records in over five different categories. Douglass senior Evan Rogers broke the school 100-meter dash record with an impressive time of 11.78 seconds. “It makes me want to work harder to break my own record one day,” Rogers said. “Coach Tedford always makes sure I’m at practice to work on my technique and fast feet he is the reason I have the record now.” Another senior Joshua Johnson easily
STUDENT LIFE
Loyola debaters advance By Christopher Turner Bulldog News Loyola High School’s debaters are on the rise. Two of the school’s debaters, sophomores Kyle McBeth and Elijah Stringer are traveling to Salt Lake City the second week of June for Utah where they will be competing against the top debating teams in the country.
They earned the opportunity to compete at the national level after they qualified during a tournament at Wayne State in March. Their final score was 5-1. “I’m super excited to competing against other outstanding teams for Loyola,” Stringer said. “This is a huge accomplishment for me and Loyola. I can’t wait.”
ACCEPTED
University, Saint Xavier University, and others both in outside of Michigan. The students plan to major in a variety of subjects such as business, sports management, teaching, computer science, nursing and architecture. Now they are ready to graduate high school and move on to a new and exciting chapter in their lives. However, the 28 students have built a strong bond between them over the last four years. Senior Walter King said, “I will miss all my brothers and the bond we share. Being at Loyola is truly like being in a brotherhood and this band of brothers are moving on together to a lifetime of success.”
from page 18
have things to celebrate. Like being inducted into the National Honor Society, making it to state semifinals in basketball, playing on championship football team, serving their community all year round, and winning numerous awards and scholarships. The most important thing they have to celebrate is having everyone accepted to college. Some of the colleges and universities they will attend are Bowling Green State University, Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, Tennessee State
broke the 1600-meter for Douglass with a time of 5:32.00. Sophomore Doriawn Rogers broke the long jump with a jump of 17 feet. Christian Jones now holds the record for 300 meter intermediate hurdles with 49.70 seconds. Junior Owen Wallace broke the 400-meter record with a time of 44 seconds. The team of Phillip Wade, Kamar Graves, Branden Davis and Marqueze
LINKS
Program aims to foster decision making from page 14
tion.” Special guest speaker coach Jaye Hill shared his personal life including, trials and tribulations with the ladies, which hit home for some students. “I like how he is able to motivate others after he has been through so much,” said 10th grader Maya Baker. “I really could relate to what he was saying about kinds growing up bitter because they didn’t have their father in their lives,” sophomore Nakura Hill said. Hill took a survey of how many ladies didn’t have a father in their lives, and almost half of the students stood. He then gave the ladies an acronym to live by, P.R.O.C.E.S.S. Student need to have Purpose, be Righteous, cross Obstacles, Change, Empowerment, Selfishness, and finally have Sensitivity. “I feel that this acronym could remind me to be a better person,” sophomore Cierra Spillman said. “I left the meeting feeling as if I gained some knowledge,” Nakura Hill said.
Williams hold the school record of 4x100 relay. “It feels spectacular to be a part of a team that now holds a school record,” Wade said. “Coach Tedford stresses that running is going to hurt at practice so when were at the meet it will become easy. I am only one member of the team it took all of us to break the record and all of us to break it again.”
STUDENT LIFE
Selective Service: Is it good or bad? By Corey Wells and Jarnard Smith Jr Eye of the Hurricane Registering your name for selective service is the law, but is it a good or bad idea? Selective service is the federal government’s way of keeping tabs on eligible men should it ever enact a draft, which hasn’t happened since 1973. Still, every man who reaches the age of 18 must apply to the selective service. Many seniors at Douglass were not aware of this rule until advised of it by their counselors recently. Some said they do not see the need for registering. “I do not feel it is fair to us to be forced to register when we are 18 because I feel as if my rights are being taken away, and I am forced to do something I never planned on,” said senior Kenneth Burns. Said senior Michael Betty: “Not everyone should have to do that. We have our own lives. That’s our decision, not the government’s.”
Some students, however, think selective service is a good thing. “If you want financial aid for college, then you should sign up and have the government pay for your schooling. If the government is willing to pay for your education, then you should be able to work for and protect your country if called upon,” said Nate Lymon Additionally, men who fail to register will be ineligible for federal jobs and possibly state jobs, training, and loans. It is even possible to lose U.S. citizenship. The consequences for saying no to selective services registration can carry a maximum penalty of $250,000 and up to five years in prison, though nobody in recent decades has received that penalty, according to collegeconfidential.com. Douglass students and other young men should listen to the advice of Douglass counselor Dianne Parham. “They need to do it because it’s the law,” said Parham.
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 19
CRUSADERS’ CHRONICLE A public forum for the students and community of Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School | crusaderschronicle.com STUDENT LIFE
ACADEMICS
Crusader earns the Gates Millennium Scholarship again
CRUSADERS’ CHRONICLE
St. John Providence Health Center at King held its Annual STI Screening Event to keep teens informed about the negative possibilities involved in sexual contact.
St. John Providence guides students in STI preventions By Destini Clark Crusaders’ Chronicle This year St. John Providence Health Center at King held its Annual STI Screening Event to keep teens informed about the negative possibilities involved in sexual contact. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites through some physical contact. “The purpose is to help not only our students but staff recognize the need for screening, prevention, and health promotion,” said Mia Love, pediatric nurse practitioner at the St. John King Health Center. “We focus on two of the main STIs that are common for the adolescent population,” she said. “Those are chlamydia and gonorrhea.” With 653 students tested, only
ELECTION 2016
And then there were
3
CRUSADERS’ CHRONICLE
36 students came back positive. Positive students were immediately treated and counseled. “We treat our positives kids with medication on site and our negative kids we call down to give counseling,” said Love. “The kids who are positive get counseling as well but their counseling is a little bit different.” Positive students were not happy to receive their results but relieved to know and get treatment. “I was devastated to find out that I had gonorrhea but I received excellent help and nobody had to know,” said an anonymous student. There are many students who did not get tested because they made the decision to not indulge in this type of behavior. “Soon I will be 18 and I still
haven’t had sex,” said an anonymous senior. “I just feel like I haven’t come across someone that I would be willing to give my innocence to.” The medical staff reminds students that the best thing to do to avoid contracting a STI is to not have sex. “The No. 1 prevention would have to be abstinence,” said Love. King’s Health Center welcomes all students, and they are ready to listen to whatever medical or social issue students face. Simply set up an appointment, and they will call you down to the clinic. If you just need someone to talk to, these are the people you can go to. St. John Providence Health Center at King has its own outside entrance. For medical or social assistance, call (313) 567-0534.
By Destini Clark Crusaders’ Chronicle Jana Goodwin, the Class of 2016 president, is one of the recipients of the Gates Millennium Scholarship. This is not the first time a student from King has received this scholarship. Last year, Crusader Paris Dimick received the same scholarship. “Paris Dimick motivated me when she won last year, and the administration was very helpful. They guided me and helped every way they could,” said Goodwin. Established in 1999 and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Millennium Scholarship provides 1,000 students of color with financial means to reach their post high school goals. The scholarship covers college tuition, books, fees, and living expenses for any college the recipient chooses to attend. Goodwin still is undecided about which school she will attend in the fall of 2016, but Spelman College in Atlanta, is at the top of her list. She plans to study sociology, psychology and business. The most difficult portion of the application for the scholarship was the question that referenced something in the applicant’s life she had to overcome. In the tenth grade, Goodwin found her uncle dead, her mother died of a heart attack, and grandmother died due to heart complications. These deaths happened in an eightmonth span. “The hardest thing was completing essay question No. 8 without getting emotional,” said Goodwin. “I suffered and struggled greatly. I persevered
CRUSADERS’ CHRONICLE
Jana Goodwin is still is undecided about which school she will attend in the fall, but Spelman College is at the top of her list.
and pushed harder for what I want in life. I believe that life isn’t as easy as it seems but as easy as you make it.” If given the opportunity, Goodwin wants to thank the Gates family. “I want you all to know you’ve changed my life completely; I am very honored and grateful. You all have changed lives around the world and one day I hope I can do the same. I plan to be on top,” said Goodwin. “I was very joyful, grateful, and proud. I am beyond grateful. I feel like this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”
Some may think that because they can’t vote, there’s no point in knowing who’s fighting to be the Commander-in-chief but it’s important to know. The next president could change education, health care, immigration, the economy, and more that may affect everyday life for all Americans. “We’ve got to do a better job voting locally
By Alana Burke Crusaders’ Chronicle Whether you’re a part of the graduating class of 2016 or 2020, the next president will change America’s future for better or for worse. Democrat or Republican, it’s essential to know who may be representing America for the next four years. “I believe the next president could affect me greatly,” said senior Isaiah Wheeler. “I’m
now enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, so the next president could cause me to have to fight in a war.” The Republican candidate still in the running is Donald Trump after Senator Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich dropped out of the race in early May. In the Democratic Party, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders are currently running.
Managing Editor: Alana Burke, Carrimia Owens Adviser: Veronica Hollis Crain Mentor: Jim Treece
Staff Writers: Autisha Baldwin, Diamond Bowers-Curtis, Jamal Brown, Destini Clark, DaiJanea Dates, Katila Dickerson, Natosha Dozier, Dakeilah Freeman, Jannese King, Alexandria Kotaran, Mykah Maupin, Destiny Peoples, Tyanna Reeves, Phillip Rush, Jaleel Taylor, Sherita Thompson, Deriana Thornton, Heaven Willingham
See PRESIDENT on page 21 »
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
20 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016 ACADEMICS
Jenkins voted Educator of the Year By Diamond Bowers-Curtis & Natosha Dozier Crusaders’ Chronicle The Coleman A. Young Foundation (CAYF) has recognized principal Dr. Deborah Jenkins as the 2016 Educator of the Year, saying she epitomizes the leadership qualities of the late Mayor of Detroit, Coleman Al-
exander Young. She seizes opportunities to help prepare the youth of Detroit. “Dr. Jenkins deserves to be Jenkins Educator of the Year because she concentrates
on educating the whole child: socially, academically and emotionally,” said English teacher Sherrhonda Denice. “She focuses on all the things that impact a young person.” Jenkins was nominated for the CAYF Educator of the Year by her colleagues through letters of support. Those were followed
by a school visit by representatives of the Foundation and then an interview. Administrative assistant Danita Williams is one of the staff members who recommended Jenkins because of her dedication to the students of King. “During the current teacher shortage in DPS, Dr. Jenkins,
ACADEMICS
See JENKINS on page 22 »
ACADEMICS
$3,500 GRANT IS ‘SURREAL’ Big break for Crusaders’ Chronicle journalism program By Alana Burke Crusaders’ Chronicle On April 5, Michigan Office Solutions and the Detroit Red Wings presented high school journalism students with a challenge: Write two 500 word essays in the hopes of winning grants ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 for their school’s journalism program. The essays also ensured participating students a spot at attending the High School Journalism Day at Joe Louis Arena. King’s very own Carrimia Owens entered her essays and won 2nd place and a $3,500 grant. “I entered the contest because I felt like our journalism program needed the money,” said Owens. “We are very good journalists, we produce amazing articles and they would be better articles if we had better resources.” In the first essay, Owens had to explain why she wants to be a journalist and what her goals are when she becomes a journalist. “That question was the easiest to answer,” she recalled. “I want to ask the hard questions most people won’t, to allow someone’s story to be told, and to make my readers aware of relevant events going on in the city.” The next essay asked how a $5,000 grant could support the school’s journalism program. With
aside from her duties as principal, taught mathematics classes for three consecutive years to keep as many children as possible educated,” said Williams. As a member of the Michigan Association of Secondary Schools Principals, Jenkins
CRUSADERS’ CHRONICLE
King junior and Crusaders’ Chronicle managing editor Carrimia Owens wrote two essays that won $3,500 for the school’s journalism program.
that grant, King’s program can receive new technology and books can be bought to help both the program and students reach new heights. “I want the money to be used to purchase new technology for our journalism program and take outside trips to see how other journalists interact with each other,” said
Owens. “It would be beneficial for us to see journalists in action.” This grant will not be taken lightly or in vain. King’s Journalism Program is low funded because it is not a sport or a performing art. With this grant, the articles that King students write can be even better. Owens was not the only
one who won that day: journalism students, program adviser Veronica Hollis, and King are all winners. “Being able to win our program a $3,500 grant is surreal,” said Owens. “We are now in a position to purchase materials that we so desperately need if we want to be the best.”
Onsite tutoring boosts grades By Alexandria Kotaran Crusaders’ Chronicle At King, students show compassion towards each other in various ways, such as tutoring fellow students with subjects they need help in. Friends at Work is a tutoring program implemented by physics teacher Shedrick Ward. This program, which began after first card marking, allows upperclassmen to tutor underclassmen in their core classes. Tutees were selected by their classroom teacher. “I enjoy tutoring the students,” said junior Demarcus Taylor. “It’s volunteering, and it is a passion.” The tutors use many examples to strengthen the tutees’ skills and have their own teaching style to help the students improve their grades. “I’m more of a one-on-one type of person, so I like to see where their lowest points are and help from there,” said junior and tutor Kamari McHenry. Some students may struggle in the traditional class setting and a smaller environment is more helpful for these individuSee TUTOR on page 22 »
SPORTS
Red Wings invite high school journalists to visit Joe Louis Arena By Carrimia Owens Crusaders’ Chronicle The Michigan Office Solutions, a Xerox Co., sponsored the Detroit Red Wings Annual High School Journalism Day at Joe Louis Arena. On April 5, the Red Wings’ staff, along with Michael Caples of Michigan Hockey and Ken Kal of 97.1 FM, warmly welcomed some of Michigan’s high schoolers and gave beneficial guidance in journalism. One area of concern was reporting the news using social media. “It’s important to be careful, because you can post something [on
social media] and you can find out 15 minutes later you were completely wrong,” said Caples. There was a tour of the Joe Louis Arena that started with the press box. As the tour continued, students were taken to the breathtaking Red Wings arena to watch the hockey players practice for their upcoming game. Students captured these moments with pictures and videos. They were also encouraged to Snapchat, Tweet, and Instagram their experience. After the practice, students had a chance to interview the Detroit
Red Wings head coach, Jeff Blashill. “If you want to have any success in life, you better be able to get back up when you get knocked down,” said Blashill. This event gave students a glimpse into the world of professional journalism. The students received key advice and tips on how to be successful. “You have to work hard, otherwise you won’t make it,” said Blashill. “You have to work harder than the next person to learn more than they do if you want to succeed.”
CRUSADERS’ CHRONICLE
Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill says, “If you want to have any success in life, you better be able to get back up when you get knocked down.”
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 21
PRESIDENT
SPORTS
Election field narrows to Trump, Clinton, Sanders from page 19
and statewide,” said U.S. history teacher Tyrone Spencer. Trump has vowed to reform America’s education by dismantling the Department of Education and Common Core Standards. Trump’s goal behind dissolving the DoE is to return education to the “local level” so bureaucrats in Washington can’t control education standards despite states having
CRUSADERS’ CHRONICLE
King baseball head coach Norman Taylor has dedicated 26 years of his life to coaching.
2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES » Donald Trump, Republican » Hillary Clinton, Democrat » Bernie Sanders, Democrat
control over their education standards. “It’s only so much you can do at the federal level and it always boils down to your state and local level officials,” said Spencer. Despite Trump’s infamy for inciting violence at his rallies and using “divisive” language, he is quite popular amongst certain voters. Some Democratic voters went as far as voting for other Republican candidates to keep Trump from getting the nomination. “Donald Trump comes off as a bad person,” said junior Brandon Lyons. Democratic nominees Clinton and Sanders take similar approaches to reforming education. Clinton and Sanders want to make college debt free and cut the interest rate on student loans, but their plans to achieve this are different. Sanders, along with making college debt free, wants to make college tuition free. To do this, Sanders says he will stop the federal government from profiting from student loans and require colleges to meet all financial needs of low-income students. To pay for the expenses of the plan, Sanders will raise taxes on Wall Street speculators. Clinton says under her New College Compact students attending a four-year college or university won’t have to take out loans for tuition and those colleges will make tuition affordable, and those attending a community college won’t pay tuition. Despite naysayers, many support Clinton because they believe she’s the best candidate due to her past experience in the White House as Secretary of State. Dealing with leaders internationally has awarded Clinton respect that none of the other candidates have. “Being able to deal with foreign countries is big when you talk about a leader who’s done that before,” said Spencer.
Life lessons taught through baseball By Alana Burke and Manual Mack Crusaders’ Chronicle Coaching is not just a job; it’s a gift where you can touch the life of a teen. Baseball head coach Norman Taylor has dedicated 26 years of his life to coaching. In that time, he has coached high school and junior college baseball – guiding and assisting teens in making good life-long decisions. He has 23 years of coaching high school baseball, including 15 years here at King. “My greatest challenge is to help young students with their journey,” said Taylor. “I respect
the journey you guys [students] are on because the people you [students] are today is not the individual you’re going to be 10 years from now.” For Taylor, winning is nice, but he uses baseball as an avenue to teach life lessons. He uses it to propel students in the right direction. “One reason I love baseball so much is because it’s a game that parallels with life. The tools it takes to be good in baseball are the same tools it takes to be good in life,” said Taylor. “In order to succeed you have to fail and baseball is a game built on how well you
can embrace the failures, not successes. Some people go into panic [with life situations] and do desperate things and mess their whole situation up. Other people say ‘I got to find a way to make this work.’” In his 15 years as the head coach at King, Taylor has seen several students get scholarships, with three former students signing with professional teams. “In my 15 years, we have 14 kids that have received baseball scholarships,” said Taylor. The parents of the players believe that Taylor is the epitome of coach and counselor. Many
feel like he’s a father figure to their son. “He’s a wonder coach here for the kids,” said parent Nancy Watson. “He’s here to make sure our kids have a good education and to get them farther with college and scholarships. He’s like a father.” The Crusaders’ baseball players have learned a lot about life from Taylor. “He teaches how to be disciplined not with just baseball but in classrooms and the workforce,” said center fielder Kavon Moore. “He teaches when we get a job, we should be responsible and respectful.”
STUDENT LIFE
From Liberia to the youngest graduate of the class of 2016 By Alana Burke Crusaders’ Chronicle Across the nation, it isn’t uncommon for students to graduate early. Students graduate a year or more earlier than expected because they’ve earned all their credits. At King, the youngest graduate of the class of 2016 is Joe Faryean at the ripe age of 15, who entered King in 2012 at just 12 years old. Before Faryean came to King, he migrated to the United States from Africa. Faryean is a native of Liberia, a country on the western coast of Africa. Faryean started school before the age of five in Liberia and attended school for a year until a war broke out in 2003. “In Liberia I went to kindergarten,” said Faryean. “Then there was
a war that broke out, so I had to go to Ghana to be a refugee.” In Ghana, Faryean went to primary school, where he skipped the fourth grade, until 2008. By that time, after five years, the war had ended and Faryean moved back to Liberia with his family. “I went to school there [Liberia] until the seventh grade. Then I came here for a better education.” Faryean attended Burton International Academy for his eighthgrade year. When it came time to apply to high schools, Faryean applied to three: Cass Tech, Renaissance, and King. Faryean chose to turn down acceptance to Cass and Renaissance to attend King. “At the time, I had just learned about Dr. King and I was watching
a movie about him,” said Faryean. “I thought that because he was such a powerful man, a school named after him was goFaryean ing to be good.” Faryean has enjoyed his time at King, which in his opinion, is a “great high school.” Faryean has had the support of his teachers and classmates during his time at King. “Every time I have problems, I go to them [teachers] and ask them for help specifically,” said Faryean. Faryean had good things to say about his fellow students. “My calculus class is the best class you could ask for. That class
isn’t about competition. It’s about helping each other.” Along with having a reliable support system at school, Faryean receives assistance at home from his brother. “We learn from each other,” Faryean said. “If I have homework I don’t know how to do, I ask my brother for help and if he has homework he doesn’t know how to do, he asks me.” In the fall, Faryean will be attending Michigan State University to major in neuroscience. Even though he’s the youngest graduate of the class of 2016, Faryean feels all the hoopla isn’t necessary. He said, “I personally don’t think it’s a big deal because everyone can do it.”
22 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016 SPORTS
STUDENT LIFE
KING’S MICAELA KELLY
LOVE & BASKETBALL
By Katila Dickerson Crusaders’ Chronicle Using MLive.com, fans voted senior Micaela Kelly, a shooting guard, Michigan’s Class A girls basketball Most Valuable Player. She won with 7,585 votes, or 48.59 percent of the votes cast. Kelly has steered King toward state championships and quarterfinals, impressing her supporters and opponents along the way with her competitive and athletic skills. She has been playing at King since her ninth grade year. “I love basketball because it’s a competitive sport,” said Kelly. “To see myself either lose or fall down just makes me want to work extra hard to get to the top.” Since her freshman year, Kelly has played 22 games per year, resulting in roughly 88 games played with only four losses. Kelly’s passion for basketball started in second grade, simply from watching her two brothers play recreationally. Kelly began playing because she wanted to play basketball with her brothers. “My brother helped me out a lot,” said Kelly. “I look up to him a lot. Seeing him play that good made me want to get better.” The first time Kelly played on a team was in third grade, but Kelly didn’t compete against other teams until she was in sixth grade. Kelly began playing on the Elite Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team at that time, which contributed to her growth from middle school to high school. “I played on a traveling team, that’s what helped me with my CRUSADERS’ CHRONICLE scholarships. We went all across Readers of MLive.com voted King senior Micaela Kelly Michigan’s Class A girls basketball Most Valuable the United States,” said Kelly. The competition that Kelly has Player. In her time at King, she led the Cruaders to the state championships and quarterfinals. faced at AAU basketball games has court, Kelly is a caring person and will attend DePaul in June on an win, loss, championship, and even opened her eyes to new strategies a true leader. athletic scholarship to pursue a and different opponents she would injury, even coming with Kelly “Kelly’s heart shines bigger and degree in kinesiology. to her doctor appointments and face on the court and in life. brighter in that she has the power Even though Kelly wants to surgery after she tore her ACL at “You’re competing against to tap into the multiple aspects of major in medicine, that doesn’t one point. everyone that’s there, and you go her heart, successfully channel mean she wants to give up playing “He never left me and he never to show your spot,” said Kelly. and bring them to fruition. This is basketball entirely. gave up on me,” she said. “He Kelly considers her coach, what separates her from the rest “I don’t want to go to the continues to push me.” William Winfield, her role model WNBA, but after college I do want – her dexterity to access and be Kelly has decided to continue that she looks up to as another whatever the situation calls for,” to play overseas,” she said. playing basketball at DePaul Unifather figure. Winfield has been said assistant coach Bird Sullivan. Aside from her talent on the versity in Chicago, Illinois. She with Kelly through every practice,
TUTOR
Tutoring program helps improve academics from page 20
als. Friends at Work meets after school and is completely taught by students. Because of the tutees’ successes, more tutors were needed and now teachers assist as well. “We depend on the students who get A’s and B’s to make themselves available to the students who perform at the opposite end of spectrum,” said Ward. The recipients of tutoring
services become more aware of time, punctuality, and productivity in a restricted amount of time. In the program, students have 45 minutes to learn something and to show evidence of what they have learned. For the second card marking, some students saw their grade point average increase. Freshman Zamaria Battle specifically needed help in mathematics. Last card marking, Battle’s overall grade point average was a 4.0. “I just needed help in math,” said Battle. “I pull my work out and they help me out.”
JENKINS
King teacher honored by Young Foundation from page 20
continuously puts forth efforts to give legislators and the community a better view of the circumstances inner city students face. “I’m fighting against the bad perceptions of the city and bringing forth some of our good,” said Jenkins. “A lot of times, people fall victim to the news and they think that’s the
gospel truth.” Jenkins has been with Detroit Public Schools for 41 years and has remained because of her love for the district. “I love Detroit Public Schools. There is a lot of pride in our city, great people, and many opportunities to help shape young lives. Detroit is my home and I enjoy serving where I live,” said Jenkins. “As a Detroiter and a committed reflective educator striving to improve daily, I feel that I am in the best place for this opportunity.”
VOICE OF THE VILLE
East English Village’s Writer in Residence Ben Alfaro begin working for Inside Out in 2008, helping students learn about poetry.
Literary Arts Project helps Loyola students By Scott Cleveland and Malik Burns Voice of the Ville Inside Out, a program hosted in several schools throughout Detroit to expose students to poetry, began in 1995. East English Village’s Writer in Residence Ben Alfaro begin working for Inside Out in 2008 when he was just 18 years old. “I was excited, and felt I could relate to the students because of our shared experience,” said Alfaro, who graduated from Wayne State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies. Inside Out gives students a chance to express themselves through writing by telling their stories and getting their voice heard. His goal isn’t that everyone becomes a professional writer, but it’s to help everyone find their voice through poetry. “I love seeing young people who start the program that are shy, hesitant or don’t like writing, through time and through practice they start to find their voice and realize they have those possibilities to tell their stories,” Alfaro said. “Many students learn best through poetry which allows them to be expressive. Poetry is an important educational tool.” Even with her years of experience, accolades, and education, Jenkins said she believes there is always room for improvement. “Successful educators are willing to learn more, work smarter and continuously improve their service to the children and communities that we serve. I am a born educator and work hard to become a great educator,” Jenkins said. “Our singular purpose is to grow our students into greatness. Anything less is unacceptable,” said Jenkins.
RHS STENTOR
May 25, 2016 DetroitDialogue.com 23
A public forum for the students and community of Renaissance High School | rhsstentor.com STUDENT LIFE
Senior Kadeeja Murrell showcases her musical talent at an RHS.
YEAR IN REVIEW A
THROUGH THE PHOENIX EYE
s we bring the year to a close, Stentor photographers look back through their viewfinders and reflect on the Renaissance High School experience. View more photos at www.DetroitDialogue.com
ABOVE: RHS Majorettes shake it to the beat. RIGHT: A tradition at RHS; the Powder Puff game. ABOVE: RHS Students stand with their teachers on DPS issues. RIGHT: RHS DECA team scores a third place victory, the only one awarded to DPS. TOP CENTER: Renaissance aids Flint during the Water Crisis. BOTTOM CENTER: An RHS Fashionista at work.
RHS STENTOR
Editor-in-chief: Arianna Smith Managing Editors: Brandy Blackwell and Desmond Johnson Adviser: Carianne Wargowsky Crain Mentor: Omari Gardner
LEFT: Senior grandpa hit the splits on “Family Day” of Spirit Week. “My favorite part of the beginning of the year is spirit week, I love seeing the seniors dress up as senior citizens for family day,” said junior Tiaunna Bradley.
Staff Writers: DeAnna Allen, Yakia Baldwin, Sydneah Burnett, Bianca Carr, Denaya Cole, Trenton Copeland, Taylor Cotton, Heaven Davis, Chandra Fleming, Taylor Gribble, Jordan Hines, Ryan Horton, Tiarra Ingram, Gabrielle Jackson, Khalil Jewell, Miles Johnson, Maisha Massey, Kayla McCoy, Deonna McKay Joseph McLain, Bria Mosby, Ameer Mussawwir, Nnenna Nnaji, Jaret Quick, Makayla Rand, Kamau Smith, Jabari Stewart, Holidae Taylor, Arne’a Thomas, Daydreanna Thompson, Jordan Walker
24 DetroitDialogue.com May 25, 2016 STUDENT LIFE
ACADEMICS
NAUJA SWAN/RHS STENTOR
Seniors Amari Jones and Mariah Williams say they are prepared and plan to finish senior year with a bang.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICE DEBOSE
After the final stop on their college tour, Renaissance students enjoyed some time in Virginia Beach.
Varsity chorus tours HBCUs “I have made so many connections and my relationship with my choir brothers is the best it’s ever been. We have gotten so much closer.” Anthony King, junior
By Desmond Johnson RHS Stentor After 13 hours and a long bus ride, members from the Renaissance Varsity Chorus arrived at Morgan State University for the first stop of their annual college tour. “This is the first year in four years that we were able to go on tour and I’m really excited by the way it turned out,” said choral music instructor, Patrice DeBose. “It was the perfect group to tour with.” Renaissance Varsity Chorus, or RVC, went on their annual historic black college tour from April 25-28. During the tour, members are able to audition for the different universities in hope of receiving vocal music scholarships to further their education. “At first I was so nervous to audition, especially in front of a real college professor,” said junior baritone Anthony King. “But if I want to make a career out of music, when it’s time to shine, I gotta shine.” The first stop on the tour was Morgan State in Baltimore. Following auditions, members were able to ask questions and tour the campus.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICE DEBOSE
Choir is truly a family these are bonds that cannot be broken. Pictured left to right: Anthony King, Desmond Johnson, Dwayne Gary Jr.
The next and final stop on the tour was Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Vir. Junior Atiya Whitehead auditioned for a vocal music scholarship here. “I love to sing,” said Whitehead, a soprano. “Singing is my passion and I plan to use it to go far in life. I really like Norfolk State and I can see myself continuing my education there.” After the final stop on tour, RVC
members had some time off. They walked the strip of Virginia Beach where they played in the ocean, went to an amusement park and ate traditional southern cuisine. “I’m so glad I decided to go on this tour,” King continued. “I have made so many connections and my relationship with my choir brothers is the best it’s ever been. We have gotten so much closer.”
ACADEMICS
RHS seniors pass on ‘skip day’ By Bianca Carr RHS Stentor After rumors that graduation would be postponed and seniors would be required to serve extra days due to their low attendance rate, seniors at Renaissance came together to resolve this. Seniors typically plan a skip day to celebrate how far they’ve come, but this year some seniors decided to speak against
it, going against the popular decision in favor of logic. “Why is there a skip day if no one comes to school in the first place,” asked senior Krishauna Fisher. Many silently agreed with her but most seniors weren’t receptive to her claim. It wasn’t until student body president Destiny Davis stepped in that seniors realized they needed to make a change.
“(Fisher) has a great point,” said senior Destiny Davis. “That’s the reason that our school year is extended. I understand being a senior and not wanting to come to school but Michigan mandates that seniors have a 70 percent attendance rate to graduate.” After hearing this news plans were made, and as a class, it was agreed that everyone needed to finish this year strong. In the following weeks,
seniors have made a tremendous effort to be at school daily, on time and ready to learn. They have been the students that Renaissance expects them to be. The seniors have collectively raised the attendance rate, hoping to set an example for underclassmen. Due to their efforts, Renaissance seniors will graduate on time. Graduation is scheduled for June 7 at 4 p.m.
Can students avoid senioritis? By Arne’a Thomas RHS Stentor Walking into Renaissance High School last fall, members of the class of 2016 didn’t anticipate all of the challenges that they would face. Senioritis gave almost everyone a smack in the face. “Of all the things that makes senior year stressful, senioritis and college applications are the most stressful,” said senior Nauja Swan. Senioritis is a decline in motivation or performance. It may sound easy to catch, but there are ways to avoid doing so. “My biggest advice to an incoming senior would be to stay on top of your work and start listening to teachers advice about what college is like,” said senior KriShauna Fisher. A majority of seniors at Renaissance said that the key to avoiding senioritis is to stay motivated. Motivation plays a big part in procrastination, studying and effort. “I wish I would have focused on a smaller number of colleges to apply to and made more connections before I was time to apply because the process would have been a lot less stressful,” said senior Angela Harris. Seniors at Renaissance this year alone were challenged with college applications, dealing with the cost of college, regular school work, jobs, applying for scholarships, and becoming an adult all at the same time. The idea of getting through Senioritis comes with patience and staying alert.