Teachers weigh merits of homework in post-pandemic learning
ISABEL BARU ‘25 School Staff
Teachers’ opinions always range on homework and the pandemic has only helped to change them more. Returning to in-person classrooms is a change for both students and teachers. On the border of giving too little work or too much work, teachers feel this pressure after a year of remote learning.
“During the pandemic I decided to get my masters degree,” said 9th grade Global Perspectives teacher Harry Berkowitz ‘07. “In my program there were many conversations about how much work students should receive especially once the pandemic is over. I am now more thoughtful and intentional about the amount of work I give my students each night. I’ve been trying to dial the amount back a bit while still maintaining high standards. ”
Many teachers like Berkowitz have changed their view, while others chose to reevaluate the assignments given.
“I don’t know if I would say I changed the amount more than the quality,” said math and computer sciences teacher Lisa Flohr. “For example, I used to send home lots of practice problems but now I find it more helpful to give four quality problems versus ten problems.”
The pandemic led Flohr to take a step back and see what was needed to change in order to help her students transition back into in-person learning.
Along with the amount, the type of homework is also affected by the pan- demic. Some teachers assign readings, writing assign- ments, or worksheets, while others prefer virtual approaches.
“I prefer to have students complete activities that would have been homework assignments in class, because they learn more like this due to the fact that they can ask questions immediately,
and I can answer and help them right away.” Said chemistry teacher Julia Norman.
Teachers are also considering the possibility of making their classrooms totally homework free. All assignments not finished in class would be collected during the next class.
“I would love for my class to be homework free, however some students like to spend extra time completing their work so homework couldn’t be totally expelled,” said Norman.
The type of classes could also determine the teachers choice on homework given the workload based on the subject and the rigor that comes with it. Each classroom needs different things. The work changes if it’s a science, math, english, or a history class.
“I could see my class becoming homework free, but it would be dependent on the student’s choice. It would be up to them whether they think they need more practice or not,” said Flohr. The risk of student choice would be that they would have to keep track of their work and comprehension. A homework-free course would require students to consistently keep track of their work and invest more time and energy to retain the information they are learning in class.
“Having a totally homework-free classroom will make it harder to do long term activities entirely in the class time,” said Norman. “ Last year we did a lab report during class that took a couple weeks, previous years this lab report would have been home - work and finished sooner.”
For classes that have bigger projects, homework will be more beneficial toward students in those courses. In science classes, students conduct labs and experiments; having homework outside of the classroom ;homework could help them students stay on top of what they are learning. This would allow teachers to add more to their lesson plans, as students use a shorter amount of time to complete the projects.
Schools open again, but notes are closed for tests
VIOLET WEIZER ‘25 Lifestyles Staff
After a year of hybrid learning, students are transitioning back to in-person learning, but that transition brings back traditional testing modalities, such as closed note exams. Open note exams, which are more common in remote settings, are perceived as less stressful than closed note exams by students, but may not be the appropriate assessment tool in every circumstance according to educators. In addition, open note exams raise questions of integrity that may have been amplified last year during online learning.
“Last year I was able to have some open note tests for math and Intro to Bio, but this year I’m not allowed to have any open note tests for any classes, so I feel like I’m doing worse because of the lack of access to my notes, and that means I have to study more,” said Maddie Miller ‘24.
Teachers acknowledge this, but maintain that there are benefits to both types of exams.
“I think that there’s value to all sorts and all kinds of assessments,” said Dean of Academics Deano Smith. “And I think that it’s actually very important for us as teachers, because of our job, our passion, and the reason we’re here is to help students learn things and not to just figure out how to learn a certain thing, but to learn how to learn things.”
Teachers decide what type of tests to give based on what they want the students to know, and what skill sets the students have gained.
“I think that our teachers are really thoughtful about what the purpose of any given test is, and depending on what the purpose of the test, or the quiz, or any of those assessments is, sometimes open note tests can serve that purpose really well if we want the student to build some of those organizational skills or if we really want the students to focus on applying those facts or skills,” said Director of Teaching and Learning Jenna Goldenberg. “Then there are times when we want students to try to put some of those facts in their long term memory, so they can retrieve them with ease and be able to do more complex work, a closed note test would serve better.”
During online learning, teachers had to think of new ways to assess what information students had learned.
“I think teachers were also creative about thinking in terms of what questions they could ask on assessments, even though students had the whole world open to them, and the whole internet open to them,” said Goldenberg. “They still needed to demonstrate learning and their own thought process, their own deep thinking, and critical thinking of analytical thinking skills on assessments.”
In college, professors give open note tests and traditional closed note tests, but they are more complex than open note tests given in high school.
“I dreaded open note tests in college because they were the worst because they were really, really, really hard, because the professors could ask anything,” said Smith. “I want students to think, and that’s trying to help you learn through things, to construct thoughts, and to integrate your understanding of things.”
Part of the Greenhills mission statement states that the school helps young people realize their full intellectual potential in preparation for college — and beyond.
“We learn too, and part of the school’s goal, part of our mission statement is ‘lifelong learning’ which means that I can still learn too, and the pandemic has certainly provided opportunity for that,” said Smith.
December 10, 2021
Student Newspaper of Greenhills School Volume 22, Issue 2
Friday,
The
Graphic by Amy Huo ‘23
Photo by Devyn McGow ‘23
FAUCI OUCHIE Andrew Mac asks Thomas Rouillard ‘28, “Which superpower would you rather have, invisibility or the ability to fly?” as he gave the sixth grader his COVID-19 vaccine.
Photo by Violet Weizer ‘25
CLOSE YOUR
BOOKS Pranay Shah ‘23 and Jay Vijan ‘23 study for Advanced Biology during their free period. “I think open note testing is good because it allows for students to have their basic concept of what they are learning in front of them, and that way the teachers can make the test where the students have to apply the concepts in a more difficult way instead of having students memorize basic equations or concepts,” said Shah.
One size doesn’t fit all
Fresh approaches needed for stressed Junior class
Juniors will be revisiting their Fresh skills during advisory this year in order to help them better manage their stress. While we can all agree that juniors have reason to be stressed, the old ‘Fresh’ approach may not be the best way to go.
Junior year comes with too many stressors to count. Not only do students have to worry about their grades, their standardized tests, taking on leadership roles, and figuring out where they want to go to college, this junior class has to figure out the high school dynamic after spending a year in COVID-19 hibernation. With all this in mind, it is no surprise that teachers feel that juniors need more help managing all those stressors.
If we think back to our days in Fresh, we had issues. The class, while well-intentioned, took a ‘one size fits all’ approach to our needs. By this, we mean that the class offered us simple coping strategies in a kind of blanket way. It also asked us to speak openly about personal feelings and thoughts in a space that didn’t always feel safe. But, anxiety and other mental health problems are personal and unique to each one of us, and having to speak about our experiences and concerns may not be the best approach. We may also need more personalized solutions to our individual challenges than what off-the-shelf coping strategies can provide. While broad strategies may be helpful to some, we must take into account how other students may still feel that their problems have gone unaddressed.
A second concern is that this approach would take time out of our weekly advisory meetings. This may be an issue as juniors need every minute of their precious time
and advisory time is no exception. Any student is able to go to the Learning Center in the library for assistance and guidance on study tactics and learning tools. Additionally, any student who feels that they need mental help can reach out to their advisor, the school counselor, or drop into the mindfulness center. All of these solutions enable students to take responsibility for getting what they need in the way they want it and when they want it. Juniors do have anxiety issues, but they also need to be given the flexibility to exercise their independence in order to address those issues. It is essential that juniors begin to learn how to advocate for themselves, and there is no better way to begin that by reminding them that they have the resources around them to help in their stress.
Equally as essential, students must have a more direct way to communicate their needs to faculty and staff that is both safe and effective. In a year like no other, both juniors and their teachers must get re-acclimated to all aspects of high school learning.
As students, we do want to provide feedback on the effects of how many tests we are taking, essays we have to write, and hours of homework we need to do, etc., and finding a way to do this in a way that everyone agrees is providing reliable and honest information might also help us find ways to better manage our anxiety.
Many students use this time to study, finish homework, and talk to teachers, and so many more use it to decompress by talking to their friends, going outside, or taking a moment to themselves.
While it is deeply thoughtful of the teachers and staff to want to help students by implementing a junior Fresh program, we may already have solutions that better fit this problem.
Junior laments lack of Asian representation in academic curriculum courses
FIONA LIN ‘23
Growing up, I could barely find any Asian American representation in textbooks. Whether it is in humanities, whether intended or not, social sciences, or STEM fields, the American education system gives off the impression that there are no prominent Asian figures worth learning about. Even when students do learn about Asian Americans the actual Asian experience was not recognized. I, like other students, could not find myself in books I read and the movies I watched. Occasionally, I saw Asian characters on TV -- people like Lane Kim from Gilmore Girls and Nelly Yuki from Gossip Girl. To my surprise, the two were insanely similar: they both fit perfectly into the model minority. This stereotype depicts Asians as reticent and submissive, and further perpetuates the narrative in which Asians are born smart, obscuring racism against Asian Americans.
The root of anti-Asian racism essentially lies within the gap that is too often filled with prejudice and ignorance -- the western education system. In particular, the American education system has remained largely Eurocentric, outdated, and disconnected from reality; the silence and disengagement perpetuate systematic racism. The surge in anti-Asian hatred during the COVID-19 pandemic is a historical trend and understanding the history of it comes before addressing the problem itself.
It is incumbent upon the Greenhills
Senior advocates for mental health days
LINDSAY PECK ‘22
Imagine waking up to the piercing sound of your alarm in the morning. As you rub your heavy eyelids, you perceive your laptop lying next to you. Feeling the rough texture of your jeans that you have been wearing since the day before, you manage to plant two feet on the floor. You fell asleep working again. You aren’t ready for the day ahead of you. Underprepared is an understatement for how you feel about your day’s assessments; you studied so much, yet not enough. Even socializing with your peers seems like an effortful, dreadful task. That knot in your back becomes a little more painful when you, inundated with assignments, realize that a good night’s sleep and emotional stability seem to be an idea of the future.
This toxic extreme that you are driving your body towards is taking a toll on your mental health. You’re frustrated that a single day of attendance, a test, and an essay seem to mean more to the school than your mental wellbeing.
It’s safe to say adolescents have felt this way at some point in their high school career. This constant “work hard” mentality is simultaneously normalized and concealed. Among students, staying up late is seen as a “flex” to their peers to understand how hard they work. Many teachers expect students to meet harsh deadlines yet become upset when class participation is lacking and students are drowsy. Bearing the burden of seemingly endless assignments and attempting to navigate one’s social and academic life can easily manifest itself into mental health problems. It is beyond difficult for students with depression and other mental illnesses to feel motivated.
Working at the cost of students’ mental health is an unhealthy behavior the Greenhills community must put forth its best effort to minimize. A partial solution to this problem would be the implementation of mental health days.
faculty to help students of color feel more valued in the classrooms, amplify issues of marginalized-groups, and adopt a more inclusive overall curriculum that better reflects the nation’s diverse history. There are many prominent events that lay on the spectrum of Asian history beyond the textbooks. Aside from the Opium War that students learn about in 9th grade Global Perspectives, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and Japanese internment camps during World War II in US history, there is so much more to it. Most of us don’t learn about the mob violence faced by Asian immigrants, nor do we celebrate Patsy T. Mink as the first Asian American woman, and the first woman of color, to serve in Congress.
The school should still make an effort to ensure that books and films students read and watch in class cover a range of topics, including Asian food, music, and arts. Students should not only be learning about Asian culture in social science and language classes-- ethnic studies are interdisciplinary and permeate every subject.
For example, students in art electives can learn about Ai Weiwei, a Chinese contemporary artist known for utilizing his installation art, eclectic oeuvre to speak up against corruption. Increased overall representation galvanizes more visibility around anti-Asian racism and establishes a collective conscience of diversity. The study conducted by Christine E. Sleeter from the-National Education Association
A mental health day is a day off of school to focus on the wellbeing of a student. Not only would the mental health days be beneficial to the Greenhills students, but they would also be a well-deserved break for the hard-working teachers who are also very much in need of a break. On top of that, they would also indirectly positively affect parents as they see their child more energized, less stressed, and most importantly, happier.
Students can spend this day relaxing, catching up on missing work or sleep, spending quality time with friends and family, going outside, or even playing video games. The point is for it to be a break for a student to do what they need and want to do. When school bombards students with assignments, it is easy to lose sight of and time for passions. This day can serve as a time in which students are encouraged and welcomed to do whatever they need to do in order to cater to their emotional needs.
Sure, everyone feels overwhelmed at times, and stress will most likely be present in students’ future careers, but that doesn’t mean we should be ignoring this pervasive feeling at Greenhills. Prolonged stress is not something that should be swept under the carpet and normalized.
Hence, Greenhills must do its part to mitigate burnout and improve the overall quality of student mental health. Mental health days at Greenhills would be achievable and straightforward. There should be one mental health day per marking period.
Ideally, every mental health day would fall on a Wednesday, serving as a mid-week pause to lessen chronic stress. Some may argue that mental health days would be disruptive to learning class material; however, they would instead ensure that students return to school on Thursday mentally re-energized and prepared with the mindset to learn and retain information.
The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies also suggests that well-designed and well-taught ethnic studies curricula cast positive academic and social outcomes for students.
In addition to a more inclusive curriculum, recruitment and retention of qualified teachers of color can also boost students’ performance. At Greenhills, there are only two Asian teachers in the building, and both are under the modern and classical language department. This means that in determining the general curricula at Greenhills, no Asian voice is represented. While the Diversity and Inclusion team at Greenhills actively works towards building a safe environment for all students, teachers from different backgrounds and cultures can draw from their own experiences and connect better with students alike.
Ethnic studies serve as a big umbrella term that encapsulates not only Asian studies: it informs and examines different histories, cultures, and issues of racially marginalized groups. As the American education system continues to emphasize the predominantly European narrative, Greenhills has the responsibility to assure that courses offered dismantle systemic racism. Whether it is about Black, Latine, Native, Asian, or LGBTQIA+ studies, the topic of culture and prejudice should be discussed in the everyday classroom setting to further raise awareness and destigmatize this difficult conversation.
PAGE 2
EDITORIAL
Alcove is a newspaper written by students, for the students of Greenhills School. All opinions, views, and statements reflect those of the students working on Alcove and not necessarily the faculty and staff of Greenhills. Alcove is written to inform, encourage, and expand upon the curiosity of the students that Greenhills strives to cultivate. Providing a forum for students to express their individuality, the Alcove reminds you to always read the pine print. Graphic by Amy Mu ‘23 Graphic by Amy Huo ‘23 DEC. 10, 2021 Editor-in-Chief Fiona Lin ‘23 Associate Editor, Print Mustafa Zirapury ‘23 Associate Editor, Online Devyn McGow ‘23 Associate Editor, Design Anna Zell ‘22 Managing Editor Yasmeen Ogaily ‘23 Copy Editor Emma Zhang ‘23 School Editor Fiza Ali ‘24 School Staff Amanee Singh ‘24 School Staff Izzy Baru ‘25 School Staff Eva Bernstein ‘25 Opinion Editor Annie Stone ‘23 Lifestyles Editor Amelia Danan ‘23 Lifestyles Staff Sevi Aghssa ‘25 Lifestyles Staff Violet Weizer ‘25 Sports Editor Nicholas Alumkal ‘23 Sports Staff Elina Palapattu ‘23 Sports Staff Arjun Prabukar ‘23 Sports Staff Sophia Rich ‘23 Sports Staff Rishi Verma ‘23 Arts Editor Lindsay Peck ‘22 Alcove Club President Maraki Tamrat ‘23 Advisor John Lund
Keep your eyes open for this one
Ceramics students throw pots blind folded
EMMA ZHANG ‘23 Copy Editor
Taking their ceramics skills to another level, Kyra Christensen ’22 and Sara Raoufi ’25 were brave enough to attempt the craft sightless, throwing pots blindfolded. Long-time ceramics teacher Rob Kinnaird brought back the tradition this year, and with it, brought joy back to the ceramics classroom after a year of challenging online ceramics.
“This was something that I learned to do when I was in high school, and the last time it was done [at Greenhills] was a few years ago. It was hilarious, and it was fun to watch for the students,” said Kinnaird.
Raoufi volunteered first, then persuaded Christensen to join her. The two, both Ceramics I students, took on the task and opportunity to learn in a new, exciting way.
“It was a good, ambitious idea especially given the fact that I hadn’t done ceramics before,” said Raoufi. “Rob is always looking to push his students to get them to try new things.”
As Kinnaird said, “You don’t have to see to succeed on the wheel.”
The activity exercised and challenged the students’ sense of touch, different
Art classes adjust, reflect on pandemic adjustments
RIDHI GUPTA‘24 Club Member
Downstairs, the ceramics room is filled with sound. The whirr of the pottery wheels is overlaid by murmured conversation. Combined with the sun streaming through large windows and the earthy smell of clay, it is easy to feel content. But last year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced students into a virtual state, behind screens and black boxes, the opposite of the warm comfort provided by the art rooms. The pandemic had a tremendous impact on the art classes at Greenhills. One that sent teachers and students scrambling to redefine art in the face of a changed society, but more impor tantly change how it looks in the classroom.
“Art is best in the moment in an en vironment that feels a little bit more col laborative for students something you couldn’t replicate with an online learning format,” said art teacher Nicole Burroughs. “There were things I couldn’t do,” she said, “I couldn’t do the pottery wheel with students, I couldn’t do jewelry with students I was very limited.”
As well as being limited in the units and mediums that she taught, units that many students look forward to, Burroughs was also restricted in the way she taught. Resorting to programs like Flipgrid to record demonstrations and video tutorials, she wasn’t able to provide the full experience of “being in the moment” and creat ing art. Although there was an upside to creating tutorials online, Burroughs found that having a database of lessons to look back on was helpful for students, but nothing can beat in-person instruction.
“This is the way we’re supposed to be, [in-person]. It feels good to be back together,”said art teacher Rob Kinnaird.
Kinnaird has been part of the Greenhills community for nearly 30 years and has taught a wide range of art classes during this time, and he said that providing a rich experience for his stu dents while navigating the pandemic was a challenge.
“No one wants to watch a slideshow,” said Kinnaird. Ultimately, he settled on incorporating multiple breaks into his classes to allow students time to rest and recharge before the next portion of class, a system he intends to keep in place beyond the pandemic. He had even begun to hand out surveys and feedback forms to gather information on what he could improve and change.
“I’ve come up with a better sense of teaching and learning,” said Kinnaird. Kinnaird said the pandemic forced him to think from a student’s perspective, a viewpoint that shifted the way he taught, and will continue to do so years after the pandemic ends.
from what they were used to, which was mostly relying on vision to guide their hands.
“I had to examine the clay in ways I never used to. I had to feel all around and notice where the pot was too thick or thin and address the issues solely by touch, and that was a challenge because I really relied on sight to help with those things,” said Raoufi.
Christensen, too, found the exercise helpful.
“Making ceramic pots with your eyes closed is not that hard. It shows you just how little you actually need your eyes to throw clay on the potter’s wheel,” said Christensen. “The pot I made was the best one I’ve made so far.”
The exercise challenged the students to really work with the clay, instead of simply forcing it into the desired shape.
“I learned the importance of really feeling what’s in my hands, because before I would look and try to just press things and hope it would work purely based on what I was seeing. But when I gave up the sight aspect of it, I learned new ways to center and mold the clay,” said Raoufi. “The whole blindfold experience really taught me how to use every part of the clay and how to use my every other sense to produce a good
pot.”
Kinnaird, who plans to retire after this school year, pushes his students to be creative outside of their comfort zones often. Though it is technically a ceramics class, students have the opportunity to experiment with all sorts of mediums and skills, such as metal bending and wood staining. The ceramics classroom is perpetually an experimental environment, where it is okay, normal and even encouraged for students to make mistakes.
“That’s very much what is at the core of the ceramics program, which is not everything you are going to try is going to be perfect,” said Kinnaird. “A lot of the things you are going to attempt are not going to work or might fail. If you’re willing to do that you’re actually going to accomplish more than the student who’s constantly trying to play it safe. It’s not that it’s a competition, it’s just that your personal arc of learning is going to be more powerful, and you’ll find yourself more connected to it when you’re willing to make mistakes, and it allows you to innovate. Failure is not something that Greenhills students deal very well with, but that’s part of the class, so Ceramics can be a challenge for a lot of students.”
middle and upper school music teacher. The introduction of video tutorials and Flipgrid for Burroughs, student surveys through Google Forms for Kinnaird, or Soundtrap and SmartMusic (collaborative music recording and developing programs) for the music classes, left its mark. Something that Donato believes needed to happen.
But while classes are reverting back to an in-person learning format, lifting many restrictions on teachers, Donato is still limited in what he can do.
“I had to rethink every single thing I’ve done, rethink every single assignment, every single emphasis point, everything.”
He started by stripping down his curriculum to the most basic and essential experiences, something that was “a daunting task”, but was ultimately beneficial. Though, finding ways to present this simplified curriculum to students was an uphill climb.
roughs and Kinnaird’s classrooms are pretty much reset to normal, but that doesn’t mean things haven’t changed as we come out of the pandemic.
“There is a stronger presence of useful technology in the classroom now that wasn’t there before,” said Neil Donato, a
“The biggest impact [of the pandemic] right now is performances,” said Donato. “We’re pretty tioning in the school do we invite people from outside into the school?”
Current protocols continue to limit this important aspect of the creative process, sharing work with an audience. These protocols, masking up, being careful about distancing, keeping windows open, using air filters, are actions that create a shielded environment at Greenhills.
“It’s just one layer of protection over the other,” said Donato.
The return to the building allowed students to interact and learn with their peers, a stark difference from the connection a screen crowded with black boxes offered. Being present in the school building encourages students to operate as musicians, artists, and creators in a classroom together, and pushes them to rebuild a culture of creativity.
“The fundamental purpose of art, or music, or theater is community-based. It’s to foster connections between other people… the communication we have with each other and also the communication with the audience. It’s not meant to be something that’s done by yourself… It’s designed to be shared,” said Donato.
DEC. 10, 2021 PAGE 6
LOOK MA, NO EYES Sara Raoufi ’25 throws a pot blindfolded. “The ceramics course as a whole is by far one of my favorite classes I’ve taken at Greenhills. Rob’s willingness to not just allow, but encourage students to experiment every day drastically
Photo by Rob Kinnard, Graphic by Ridhi Gupta ‘24
SOPHIA RICH ‘23
Sports Staff
Greenhills has welcomed a record-setting student body for fall
2021. While students and faculty have had generally positive reactions to this sudden population increase, the school is in the midst of some growing pains while attempting to accommodate the windfall of new students.
This year’s combined student body of 631 is the largest in Greenhills history.
The freshman class – the Class of 2025 – reflects Greenhills’ growing popularity throughout the Ann Arbor area. Its 100 students come from a variety of middle schools, but a large percent of them are returning from the Middle School .
“The percentage of Greenhills eighth graders that stayed for upper school is up from years in the past,” said Director of Enrollment Management Sylvester Cutler. “We have a larger number of families deciding to keep their children at Greenhills, partially because of the school’s re-
this along with other perks that come with sending their children to an independent institution such as Greenhills.
“We have had families do surveys and focus groups and asked them why they decided to explore Greenhills. The main reason has been their frustration with virtual learning in the public schools,” said Cutler. “What I’ve gathered from a lot of families is that they’ve known about Greenhills for quite some time, and they knew it was a great school, but they never thought to explore the possibility until recently. When Covid hit, frustration quickly grew amongst parents and students regarding virtual learning, and that caused them to explore Greenhills as a prospective option.”
Although this sudden spike in enrollment has come a lot more into focus this year, the total student enrollment has been increasing gradually ever since the school was founded in 1968.
“I think it’s important to note that every decade since the school was founded we’ve added about 100 kids per year, so this current number we’re at really isn’t so shocking,” said Fayroian. “When I was here fifteen
DEC. 10, 2021
in enrollment and effects that may have on their student experience. “I definitely have noticed that there are a lot more kids here this year,” said Izzie Gillard ‘23. “For me personally, as an upper schooler, it hasn’t affected my learning experience too much. It’s mostly small things like not being able to find parking or unusually busy hallways.”
Larger class sizes and longer pick up lines have been noticed by students and parents alike.
Disregarding the lack of physical space in the building itself, many people in the community have benefited from this all time enrollment high.
“I really like having a bunch of new people in my grade,” said Molly Greenberg ‘26. “Greenhills can feel a little small sometimes, and having new students makes it feel a lot bigger.”
There have been a few perks that have come with this larger student body such as more academic and athletic successes. These positives are pretty much inevitable when you have more students. We can even credit some of the success in the athletic program to the larger sports
HEADLINE
Lockers cut in half as student population grows
ELINA PALAPATU ’23 Sports Staff
Walking into the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grade forums is different this school year, as one is greeted by lockers half the size as before. In addition, some cubbies have also been made smaller than years past.
The change in lockers is especially noticeable to the eighth and 9th graders, as they are the only two grades to previously have full lockers at Greenhills (due to Covid-19, lockers were not in use last year).
“From all the people I have talked to, no one [seems to] like the change in lockers,” said Sylvia Bleakley Wasserman ‘26.
Students say that they notice the difference in the locker sizes, whereas the differences in cubby sizes are less prominent.
“They’re [the lockers are] okay once you get used to them,” Alana Andrews ‘26, who has a top locker, said. “The cubbies don’t feel smaller at all.”
However, there are differing opinions among students, as students with bottom lockers have a very different experience than those with top lockers.
“As a taller person, it kind of sucks,” Meera Pandey ‘25 said. “People have almost stepped on me, and it feels awkward to get my books from my locker.”
An increased number of coaches, teams and facility usage are all part of the athletic department’s response to a surging enrollment at Greenhills. Due to the uptick in students, the athletic programs now are more popular than past years.
“We’ve seen more teams; we’ve added more levels to a couple of our larger team sports, so that’s been a pleasant surprise,” Athletic Director Meg Seng said.
Along with a larger student body, many students who chose not to participate in sports last year due to the pandemic have returned for the 2021-2022 season.
“This was the first time in a very long time that we were able to sponsor a junior varsity field hockey team, which was fantastic,” Seng said. “That’s something that we hope we can sustain going forward.”
Having a junior varsity (JV) team made it possible for all players to get playing time and experience, which has been a goal of Varsity Field Hockey Head Coach Liza Ruggiero.
“It makes our program that much stronger because we have such a solid foundation through the JV program where players are learning foundational skills, and then they’re able to progress to that varsity level, so it’s huge for us,” Ruggiero said.
“It was fun being on the JV team because I got to talk to a lot of people that I wouldn’t normally talk to,” Maddie Miller ‘24 said.
Having a JV team enabled students to make new connections, as there were more people playing field hockey this year.
Along with these new levels, coaches are dividing an increasing number of teams into smaller groups to accommodate travel to competitions and make sure that there are not too many people on the bench.
have players who are competing for those positions, so that’s great.”
Having more people on the teams allowed for a more competitive atmosphere, even at the JV level.
“Our JV team had a big bench, so we’ve got players competing for those positions as well,” Berkowitz said. “I think that competition drives people to perform at a higher level.”
Because there was more competition, having a JV team provided everyone a chance to be involved.
“I think it’s nice to have two teams so that people can get more playing time,”
Etienne Rouillard ‘25 said. Rouillard started out on JV and later moved on to varsity.
With winter sports quickly approaching, the athletic department has been doing everything they can to accommodate the rise in athletic interest.
thing that will continue throughout the increase in enrollment, however, some popular high school sports, such as girl’s volleyball and boy’s soccer, split students into varsity and junior varsity teams.
“[The increase in students has been] a total pinch point,” Seng said. “We’re definitely having conversations, especially about the winter, boys basketball in particular, about our roster sizes.”
This winter, it is expected that nine basketball teams will share two gyms.
“It’s been a scheduling nightmare. The facilities are the facilities, so
Students have also had to adjust to putting their books in a different sized space.
“My locker can get messy really easily. It’s hard to organize because it feels like there’s no space,” said Meera Tewari ‘25.
One student recalls not knowing about the half lockers before school started.
“I wish I knew about the half lockers before coming back to school, ‘’ Teddy Staebler ‘25 said. “I know people who got locker shelves to fit the size of the old lockers, and when they came to set up their lockers for back to school night none of their shelves fit.”
Director of Operations Ken Gerimia said two “big” reasons for installing the half lockers was to remove the lockers from spaces like the “Main Street” hallway, and to uncrowd the forums.
“A lot of the conversations I was having indicated that a lot of the hallways were getting pretty congested during the breaks,” Geremia said. “The forums are also getting more use than before and feeling crowded.”
With lockers no longer on “Main Street” in the eighth grade forum, Geremia said he has heard facul-
ty notice much more space in the hallways, especially during peak busy times like lunch. 9th grade dean Liza Ruggiero said she is very thankful to the maintenance staff for their work over the summer to install these new lockers.
“All of us that were here over the summer saw the amazing hard work the maintenance staff was doing to make this happen for us,” said Ruggiero.
In addition to more space in the hallways, the half lockers were also made to provide more space in the forums.
“The idea is to make better use of those forum spaces, ‘’ Gerimia said. “With more wall space we can eventually put in more furniture, and have more space for students to take a break.”
The lockers were also slowly aging, which was also taken into consideration when deciding to replace them.
However, Tewari said the forum does not feel less crowded.
“Since the lockers are smaller, people use their cubbies to store their leftover books. But then they don’t have anywhere to store their backpacks, so they just leave them in the forum and it becomes a mess,” Tewari said.
In addition to this, Bleakly Wassserman said the forum feels just as crowded, if not more crowded than years past, due to just how many kids there are in her grade.
With the lockers in sixth, seventh, eighth, and 9th grade cut in half, some are wondering if there are any future plans to change the lockers in grades 10-12th. As of right now, Gerimia’s answer is no.
“The lockers that were replaced were in forums with very trafficked areas,” Gerimia said. “I don’t think there’s much of a need for it, and there hasn’t been much conversation about those grades.”
Gerimia said the end goal is for Greenhills to have 100 lockers in each forum, so that there will be enough lockers for each grade no matter what. This ensures that future summers won’t be spent adding lockers and working on major projects for larger incoming classes.
“The 10th, 11th, and 12th grade
forums have close to 100 lockers already,” Gerimia said.
“Unless the lockers have trouble with aging, there are no immediate plans to change them.”
According to Seng, 47 percent of all students participated in a fall sport this year, including 52 percent of all high school boys and 43 percent of all high school girls.
“[Our participation rate is] certainly a lot higher than it was the last two years, and we expect that that’s a trajectory that’s going to continue (...) we’re pretty happy with our overall participation rate,” Seng said.
This season was also successful for the JV boys soccer team, which can be a struggle to keep afloat throughout the full extent of the season.
“We were able to survive the year even with some mishaps and injuries. We were still able to field two full teams,” Seng said.
Assistant Varsity and Junior Varsity Boys Soccer Coach Harry Berkowitz ‘07 was a member of the soccer program as a student, and has been involved in recent years since graduating, but this year has had the highest number of players that he has ever seen.
“Varsity has a lot of options,” Berkowitz said. “In each position, we
“We’re trying to find creative ways to divide the rosters, increase staffing whenever possible, and maximize the facilities, as well as the days, and times that they can be used,” Seng said.
Assistant coaches have been added to high school and middle school teams, and possible practice days have increased. This past school year, Saturdays were incorporated into teams’ practice schedules, which is set to continue.
“We did it last year during the pandemic, and it actually was pretty well received, so we thought, ‘Why not continue it?’” Seng said.
Greenhills does not cut middle school students from sports -- some-
we can only do so much with that.” Seng said. While Greenhills does want as many students participating in basketball as possible, the department will need some adjustments.
“We may have to make selections based on the amount of space, gym time, and the number of coaches we have. We may in fact see cuts that we haven’t seen for a decade or more,” Seng said.
some down back. Historically, there were points where growth did initiate changes, and different wings were added,” said Dean of Students Tom Ward.
In the past, there have been times when growth was instituted, and different areas were added throughout the school to ensure that students could learn and interact with their peers and teachers in a more organized manner.
“A lunch room was only added a couple years back, as the student body was gradually increasing,” Ward said. The lack of space forced the Green-
workspaces, and a variety of comfortable seating have made the library a more popular space for students to study.
It has proved a challenge to find a space at Greenhills that can accommodate for staff and teachers every school day. Old classrooms had to be converted to office spaces, and private study rooms for students and teachers in the library have been converted to offices with only two study rooms remaining.
With more incoming staff, available office space has decreased, and many teachers have to share rooms and don’t have
their own space. Out of the 49 classrooms in the building, 36 rooms are being shared by multiple teachers. This leaves only 13 rooms that are utilized by a single teacher. The majority of shared classrooms are shared between 2 teachers, but rooms like 3019 and 3009 are being rotated between 4 different classes. The wide variety of classes Greenhills offers is not equivalent to the number of classrooms in the building. This has been a problem for students as about 74% of the rooms in the school are shared.
“I often will be in the faculty workroom, “ said history teacher Mackenzie Hess. A faculty work has been installed near the junior and sophomore forum so teachers can do work when their classroom is being used. Hess said she often goes
Academic director Deano Smith said that Greenhills is aiming for teachers to teach 4 out of the 8 classes in the same classroom, but compared to past years the amount of shared classrooms has increased.
“From an efficient use of space standpoint, it’s [sharing a classroom] not great because they [teachers] want students to use more of the space,” said Smith, “Because of the current schedule, sharing classrooms will become a long-term situation.” As more students enroll, more classes will be needed.
Many students consider Greenhills to be a smaller school than others and agree that if changes were made, it would positively affect their attitude, learning, studying skills, etc.
PAGE 4 PAGE 5 DEC. 10, 2021
Cramped Campus With more students, builing space becomes hot comodity Athletics accomodate rise in enrollment Student enrollment hits all time high KICKIN IT Jacob Miner ‘22 in the senior recognition game against Detroit Country Day School. “The future [of the soccer program] definitely looks bright because of the amount of new players,” Miner said.
Palapatu ‘23
Photos by Annie Stone ‘23, Devyn McGow ‘23, Elina
STACKED Camille Clem ‘27 and Lucinda Gubbini ‘27 gathered at their lockers between classes in the seventh grade forum. “I often find myself climbing over people to get to my locker,” said Clem.
EVA BERNSTEIN ’23 School Staff
EsCAPEing fashion norms
Quin Welch ‘25 expresses himself through style
SOPHIA RICH‘23 Sports Staff
Among the few hundred students walking through the all school forum on the way to class, is a boy with a top hat, cape, wrist watch, and rose shaped broach. Unlike the other students who are wearing brands like Aviator Nation and Nike, he’s wearing Historical Emporium.
While other students are rushing to throw on whatever clean clothes they can find in the morning, this particular freshman is fastening his wrist watch and making the finishing touches on his carefully crafted, pre-planned outfit.
Quin Welch ‘25 prides himself on being an extremely interesting guy, aside from his unique fashion sense, he has many other defining characteristics. He’s known throughout the Greenhills community for being a really genuine kid.
“I think he’s so nice, I like him. Whenever I talk to him, he’s really friendly and welcoming” said Maddie Miller ‘24.
Beyond his kind personality and confident demeanor, Welch’s unique way of dressing has been noticed by the student body.
Welch dresses up for school each day and has been dressing this way since he was eight-years-old. He sees it as a way of expressing his true self.
“It happened when I was getting ready for church and I saw a fancy coat up high in my closet, where I couldn’t reach it. I thought to myself: that looks fun, can I wear it? And it just went from there,” said Welch.
Welch sure found a way to stick with the fun fashion, as he hasn’t changed up his style since that one day six years ago.
“I like to switch up what I wear,” said Welch. “But generally, I stick to the same style. I would describe it as historical formal.”
Welch originally had some trouble finding reliable stores to purchase these clothes from, since top hats and capes, unlike sweatshirts and sneakers, are difficult to find in local department stores and boutiques.
“Mostly I rely on receiving clothes as Christmas presents and birthday presents. Even though I do get a lot of stuff from a store I like called Historical Emporium. It’s an online shop,” said Welch.
This “historical formal” style may be classy, but comes
with a few drawbacks, one of which being price. A full outfit from Historical Empo rium typically runs upwards of 600 dol lars, ultimately, leaving a pretty signifi cant dent in the bank account.
“You have to find a balance be tween good quality and good price,” said Welch. That’s why I like Historical Em porium. It’s not always the most historical, despite its name, but most of its stuff is good quality.” Welch describes himself as a “character,” saying that his clothes are part of something bigger – who he is as a person.
“I’m very into music and acting. Of course you can tell I’m very dramat ic just by my clothes,” said Welch. “It fits well with my charac ter. Luckily, it’s not sports or anything that would be affect ed by the clothing I wear.”
In the beginning, he received some backlash on his clothes, but as time went on people got used to it. The “cape kid” soon became a beloved fashion icon.
“My mom really didn’t like it as much [the fash-
ion choice], because when she grew up things like that would’ve been looked down upon and people would have been bullied,” said Welch. “But luckily, Greenhills is a very nice community
This character Welch has created has found a way to impact the greater Greenhills community. These clothes that first started out as a fun way to express himself, soon became
“His clothing style is something I’ve never seen before but it fits his personality really well,” said Inaya Nazmeen ‘24. “He’s not afraid of not dressing like the other kids and that inspires me
When it comes to style, Welch has found a unique way to express himself. He’s also found a way to make sure that others feel comfortable doing the Welch said, “Just do what you want and don’t care what other people
he said.
Injured? Call Deano!
School aids injured students with academic support
DEVYN MCGOW ‘23 Associate Editor, Online
Falling like the leaves from a tree this time of year, some Greenhills athletes and students are finding themselves not only in need of medical attention but academic support. Traversing the halls, one may have noticed students in casts, on crutches, and requiring scooters to get around.
There have been many injuries among students during the first semester, and oftentimes when a student is injured, they miss school. This can lead to students feeling stressed and under pressure while trying to make up the lost time. However, Greenhills has systems and protocols in place to aid students when they are injured and help them integrate back into school when they feel as though they are ready. Dixon Miller ‘23 missed over two weeks of school after an accident resulting in a broken arm which needed to be immobilized.
“I feel like Greenhills did a really nice job of letting me take my time. I didn’t feel rushed and felt like I had enough time to make sure I was ready to re-enter,” said Miller. Any time an injury occurs, the incident is reported to Deano Smith, the Dean of Academics.
“We hear from a student’s parents, or a grade dean, and that initiates a protocol from me and the academic office,” said Smith. “We have a conversation with the family, I send out a note to the teachers, grade dean, advisor, and Paula Mervin, since she takes attendance.”
Students work with Smith and the academic team to determine reasonable goals pertaining to completing assignments and returning to the building.
“I started going back to my STEM classes first,” said Miller, “Greenhills was so flexible and let me come to
one class per day.” When a student has to miss a significant amount of school due to an injury, teachers and advisors work closely with the student to make them feel at ease.
“I work closely with the grade deans and team leaders who are the ones on the front lines,” said Smith, “I’ll talk to them, and they will work with the teachers and advisors.”
Cale Piedmonte-Lang ‘22, was playing goalkeeper for the Men’s Varsity Soccer team when he went up for a ball, was hit by the opposing player, flipped and landed on his head. He suffered a concussion and missed several days of school afterwards as he recovered.
“Not only was my team super supportive, but also my teachers. They worked with me to make sure I had everything I needed to catch up in my classes,” said Piedmonte-Lang. “I never felt rushed. I felt as though I had time to recover.”
When students return to the building, teachers and faculty make sure the student is comfortable and has the materials they need to catch up on concepts.
“The teachers are automatically compassionate. They make sure students have the concepts down,” said Smith.
“Dr. Smith has been my point person … he has helped so much. When I first came back, he greeted me at the door and walked me to my first class,” said Miller.
When a student’s injury requires a cast, wheelchair, scooter, or another form of mobility assistance, they work with Smith, Head of Upper School Quincy McLaughlin, and Learning Center Director Caitlin Smead ‘03. These faculty members work with students who require learning assistance after an injury.
Teachers also make a point to accommodate the needs of students who may be challenged with mobility.
“The teachers were really helpful. Occasionally I’d say “I can’t do that,” and the teachers were really kind and really understanding,” said Miller.
Miller had a cast which covered the majority of his right arm. He was unable to use his right hand, which had led to very limited mobility.
“Ms. Smead helped me do life with one arm. She taught me how to use voice dictation and always made sure I had a scribe when I needed one for an assignment or test,” said Miller ‘23.
Tom Lucas ‘23, another member of the Men’s Varsity Soccer team, was clipped from behind by an opponent during a game which caused a sprained ankle and resulted in him being carried off the field by his teammates. Lucas spent many weeks on crutches as a result of the injury.
“It was difficult to be on crutches at school. My arms hurt from carrying my bag, and it was difficult to get around school,” said Lucas. “My friends and teachers were really supportive though, they offered to carry my books and made sure I wasn’t falling behind.”
Leo Applegate ‘23 was using a mobility scooter for about 6 weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot.
“It was hard to get around the hallways, especially during passing periods,” said Applegate. “But luckily everyone was very helpful, my friends and teachers always made an effort to see if I needed help carrying anything or getting somewhere.”
Greenhills works to help students who suffer accidents or injuries fully recover, before their complete return to the classroom.
“The goal for students out for a longer period of time, or for any injured student, is to get better, and we as a school don’t want to slow that process down,” said Smith.
DEC. 10, 2021 PAGE 3
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
STYLING Fashion icon Quin Welch ‘25, strikes a pose. “I like dressing differently than everyone else,”
“I was in a lot of pain, it felt like my ankle had snapped off, but I could feel my teamates support every step of the way as they helped me get off of the field,” said Tom Lucas ‘23.
Photos by Devyn McGow ‘23, Sophia Rich ‘23
From the court to the classroom to the crib
Janelle Sterling juggles wearing many hats in and out of work
NICHOLAS ALUMKAL‘23
Sports Editor
Math and science teacher. Grade dean. Basketball coach. Foster mother. Wife. Sounds like a social media bio. Or a full plate, depending on one’s point of view. For Janelle Sterling, a busy schedule allows her to stay on task and not procrastinate.
Sterling started working at Greenhills last school year when Coronavirus forced a switch to virtual learning, changing the experience of teachers and students alike.
“Some of the things that I was encouraged by or what drew me here when I walked through the school for my interview, I did not get to see,” said Sterling. “There are things that I lost being online the first year, like not being able to see how the school actually operates,” said Sterling.
When Sterling was first hired by Greenhills as a teacher and the girls varsity basketball coach, it was in the middle of the 2019-20 school year, right before the Coronavirus pandemic shook the entire world. When looking for a new sports team coach, there is a set of boxes the Athletic Department looks to check.
“At Greenhills we make faculty coaches a priority. We definitely are looking for people who enjoy students and have a good rapport with students,” said Greenhills Athletic Director Meg Seng. “We want to make sure that kids are in a friendly and safe environment, that is first and foremost,” said Seng.
Throughout Sterling’s life, basketball has played a pivotal role. She played from ages 7 to 18. First she participated in recreational leagues. Then, she played in AAU competitive basketball leagues from ages 10 to 18. Next, she participated in her high school’s team, playing junior varsity her freshman year, then varsity from sophomore through senior year. While attending the University of Michigan studying Industrial and Operations Engineering, Sterling also played intramural basketball, cementing a lifelong love of the game.
On top of Sterling’s basketball expertise, she also brings Greenhills knowledge beyond the basketball court. She is a math and physics teacher, and this year she embraced the opportunity to be the 11th-grade dean.
Outside of school, Sterling adds another responsibility to her plate. She has become a licensed foster parent.
“I have been licensed to foster since November 2020,”
said Sterling. “In January 2021, my wife and I got our first placement. Our daughter was nine months old when we met her, and now she is almost 20 months old,” said Sterling.
Sterling acknowledges the chaos and the time commitment that come with raising a baby.
Somehow she has managed to balance all of these duties. Now that the season is up and running, she has to juggle more things. Sterling said other faculty coaches and colleagues have been a big help and have made her transition easier.
When recruiting Sterling to Greenhills, Seng and other administrators saw her as a perfect fit. “We knew she was a coach, a math teacher and a science teacher. Those happened to be three things we were looking for at that time. We call her our unicorn
hire. She definitely is one of a kind,” said Seng. Though she thought the move would be more seamless, her first year at the helm of the girls basketball team was an adjustment for Sterling.
“It was a little rough at first, but once they got to know me it seemed like we got comfortable with each other pretty quickly,” said Sterling.
Once the players got familiar with Sterling and the season progressed, they built a strong bond with her and had an enjoyable time during the basketball season.
“She took the time to get to know us on a more personal level,” said varsity girls basketball player Georgie Branch ‘22. “We do a lot of interesting things during practice that are different from what a lot of [other] coaches do. She also adds a bit of fun into the practice that makes us all want to come back and stay for longer,” said Branch.
Sterling defines her coaching philosophy as helping her athletes improve everyday. However, she also reminds athletes to enjoy what they are doing while playing. She is not a “yeller” by nature, but still hopes to challenge her players, push them out of their comfort zone while maintaining a sense of fun and cohesiveness moving through the season.
Now that she has a year under her belt, Sterling sees this upcoming season as an opportunity to succeed. Last year, the team was able to win their first district game. During that game, everyone on the roster played and scored. Throughout her first season, the team was also able to be competitive in almost every game they played. Heading into this season, Sterling has a better sense of what to expect from the competition and what her players are capable of achieving.
“We do not have to start over from scratch this year,” said Sterling. “We’ve got players that know me, know how I operate, and know what we are trying to do. We can expand our playbook a little more. We are an upperclassmen driven team—with eight seniors and four juniors—and with that comes a sense of responsibility and maturity,” said Sterling
The pandemic continues to touch this season. The first scheduled game for the girls basketball team had to be moved because their opponents had a COVID-related issue. However, the team is set to open their season on December 3rd. Her passion for coaching and teaching comes through when Sterling speaks about her various roles at Greenhills.
“I just love being on a team,” said Sterling. “I love the idea that everybody plays a role, no matter how small that role is. The impact you have on your team and your teammates is significant.”
Throughout Sterling’s life basketball has been a stress reliever. She credits basketball for taking her mind off the pandemic over the past year and continuously being able to focus on an activity she enjoys.
Athletes navigate ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions
RISHI VERMA ‘23 Sports Staff
Face masks, which have now become a normal sight due to the Coronavirus pandemic, were not excluded from high school sports in Michigan. Many high school athletes know the perils of playing through a mask. It gets harder to breathe, you get tired faster, it’s uncomfortable, and it gets gross due to sweat.
Two years ago, when school went virtual in March 2020 due to the lockdown restrictions, those who would have had seasons during that time were not able to compete.
“I felt sad that I didn’t get to have my season, and felt robbed of what is one of my favorite times of the year,” said varsity womens tennis player Gia Sandhu ‘22.
All remaining varsity sports were cancelled for that school year. Although school continued to be virtual last school year as well, seasons for sports still occurred, however, they looked very different from your ordinary season.
Some of the adversity that high school athletes faced, at least those who managed to still get a season, were among: having to wear masks as they competed, not being able to take vans or buses to competitions, being unable to bond as a team outside of practice, having shortened seasons,different formats for competition, and much more.
It may seem like a minuscule thing, but sports teams at Greenhills and the varsity experience are very special to players and coaches alike.
“We are like a family and support each other through thick and thin. I feel like I can go to my teammates with anything,” said Sandhu on what her team means to her. Sandhu has been on the varsity womens tennis team for two years now, with her upcoming season this year to be her third.
breathe, we felt tired faster, it was almost like we slowed down,” said varsity men’s soccer player Pranay Shah ‘23.
Shah said that a lack of summer practices meant the team was already more out of shape. All varsity soccer players had to deal with such restrictions, adapting strategy as well as how they practiced and competed.
difficult to bond as well as maintain the brotherhood I know we are,” said Shah. This year as COVID has improved, we see a return to normalcy with varsity sports.
“This year has been much better,” said varsity soccer player Adrian Bardwell ‘23. “We are able to spend time as a team out-
Greenhills students’ resilience was also demonstrated through the loss of their varsity season. Although the varsity womens tennis team was unable to do much together since their season was held during lockdown, as soon as it was safe to be around each other, they did much to make up for the loss of the season.
“We had summer practices almost everyday,” said Sandhu. “This really brought us closer together, as we all felt like we were trying to make up for something we collectively had taken from us by the pandemic.”
Last year, however, as some restrictions were lifted, sports were able to be held.
“We had to play with masks on. This made it harder to
Playing through the pandemic also affected the mental aspect of sport rather than just the physical. Because school was virtual, the only time teammates saw each other would be at practice or competitions.
“Not being able to be in the building with my peers and teammates made it harder to get motivated,” said Shah. Shah said how the players had to get to practice as well as competition individually, meaning no team bus rides.
“Due to COVID restrictions, not being able to see my teammates anywhere outside of practice or games made it really
side of the soccer field and being able to play the game without any restrictions on the field is great.”
Some sports, however, are still facing restrictions to some degree.
“It’s great to be able to play as well as be with the team outside of practice, but having to still
in
is
said
DEC. 10, 2021 PAGE 7
play
masks
really unfortunate,”
varsity volleyball player Alex Hummel ‘23.
PUT ME IN, COACH Janelle Sterling (in orange) gives instructions during a huddle at basketball practice. Greenhills is Sterling’s first varsity head coaching position. She has coached at almost all levels including recreational basketball, middle school, junior varsity, and has been a varsity assistant coach.
Photo by Nicholas Alumkal ‘23
Photo by Isabel Baru ‘25
LOCKED IN Varsity volleyball players Peyton Feeney ‘22, Anna Zell ‘22, Alex Hummel ‘23, and Riya Narayan ‘23 play through pandemic restrictions while masked. “Playing in masks is definitely more challenging but if wearing the mask allows us to have a season I don’t think anyone is complaining,” said Naryan.
Just keep swimming Swimmers dive into what team members hope is a “more routine” season
RISHI VERMA ‘23 Sports Staff
Being a swimmer at Greenhills is no easy task. Apart from the difficulty of the actual act of swimming, some challenges facing Greenhills swimmers include: a tri-school team, ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions and a co-ed team.
The Greenhills swim team is actually a team made up of swimmers from three different schools: Father Gabriel Richard (FGR), Whitmore Lake, and of course, Greenhills.
Having a team made up of students from different schools can cause concerns about team chemistry. However, there are a lot of unique benefits to having a team made up this way.
“Being on a team with another school is really fun. It’s a great way to meet other kids and branch out from the usual group of people that you surround yourself with,” said varsity swimmer Anika Bery ‘24.
Though the idea of not going to school with all your teammates seems like it could create issues, it can sometimes be nice for the athletes.
“While I love my teammates, I need a break from seeing them all day, everyday,” said Bery. Moving past team chemistry, another challenge having a team made up of students from three schools poses is scheduling.
“Our team has three different school schedules, so it can be a logistical nightmare sometimes,” said varsity swimmer James Kluge ‘23.
The logistics being so complicated means that some students must compromise. The team practices at Whitmore Lake, which is convenient for students who attend Whitmore Lake, however, it is a 15-minute drive for both Greenhills and FGR students. This can be difficult for the students when practices fall right after school, and even more inconvenient if a student has a lot of schoolwork or doesn’t have their license.
“When I was a freshman and a sophomore it was a lot harder to get to practices because all us underclassmen didn’t have the ability to drive ourselves. I remember being late to countless practices as well as getting home late after practice because I would have to wait for my ride to come get me,” said varsity swimmer Leo Applegate ‘23.
It isn’t all bad though. The team faces all these hurdles
together, creating a special type of bond.
“Part of our culture is being this unique, co-ed, three school team and helping everyone grow regardless of outside ties. We’ve learned to embrace the quirkiness, and I couldn’t see us any other way now,” said Kluge.
For most high schools, the men and women swimmers compete separately. At Greenhills however, the swim season is coed, falling in the time where other Michigan high schools would have just the men’s season.
“If there was enough interest for women’s swimming, I think that for the whole girl’s’ team it would be awesome to have a separate team because in meets we would have more people to actually compete against, and we would not have to make men’s cuts for championship meets,” said Bery. “There are still some women who can make the guys’ cuts, but it is harder than if we were to have to just make the cuts for women.”
Though being on a co-ed team can make the sport chal-
