Screens in forums become source of information
ASHU BHARATH ‘28
Lifestyles Staff
Every single student has asked a question like, “Wait, we have a special schedule today?” or “What time is lunch?” Then you’d go looking around your forum on those black poles for the scattered papers dangling off of them. You’d try to find the specific paper with the information you needed, and realize when you couldn’t, that it was probably one of the crumpled papers that fell on the floor. After that you’d give up and resign to being clueless for the rest of the day.
Turning on at 8:00 a.m. and off at 3:30 p.m., the TVs in the forums are now being used for announcements and other information. This allows students to have a convenient and central area for any general information they need, and for teachers to have a space to put announcements that they need to be shared.
“When people wanted to make announcements or publicize something, they would make a flier and then post it in the forum,” said the Upper School Dean Janelle Sterling. “We decided to use the screens for that instead.”
In the past the screens haven’t been used very much, only turning on, if needed, for grade meetings or certain classes. This year, with the help of the technology team, the screens have been set up to be used more frequently, and all the forums have them. There’s a program called Yodek which the TVs have had for a while.
community.
“The eighth grade one [screen], I kind of like to have some fun with,” said Eighth Grade Team Leader Kate Vane. “Sometimes we like to troll the eighth graders. It started off as us rick-rolling them, and then there are a few other times where we dropped in some 90s pop hits. It started as announcements but like it’s kind of like taking shape and moving in different directions. I had some advises, wanted a funny picture of them, put up there, so I made a ‘Vane Advisory Shenanigans’ sign one day. It’s just a nice space to have things.”
These TVs allow students to have a central area to look to for information.
“Last year, the tech team came to me and said, ‘Hey, these screens actually we could be putting to use,’” said Sterling. “And I said, ‘Well, teach me, and I’m happy to learn how.’ It was really their idea that I think has been working.”
So far, there have been many merits of using the screens this year. Sterling speaks about the advantages of this new system.
“I think the forums are cleaner,” said Sterling. “I think a lot of the paper that was up would fall down and then just kind of make a mess in the forums and our facilities team would have to come through and clean things up every day, and then kids would just print and print and print more stuff to get it back up.”
Now, the screens are even starting to build on a sense of
Digging into learning
“I feel like it’s nice, the eighth graders now almost rely on the TV a little bit,” said Vane. “They’re coming to us more with suggestions. They like the things they feel they have a voice in adding, like the sports scores and the advisory shenanigans.”
Students find this new system helpful and convenient as well.
“I like it, I find it helpful, [because] you can see when different clubs and activities meet and the schedule, among other things,” said Monica Kovacs ‘28.
There are many benefits to using the screens in the forums for this purpose, although there could be a bit of room for improvement. There is the occasional technical difficulty, and it’s hard to keep the schedules updated for each day, making it easy to fall behind.
“Learning the technology was a little tricky for me and still sometimes so there’s been some tech issues,” said Sterling. “Just having the daily schedule up, I’ll fall behind a little bit, and you guys [students] will come in and see yesterday’s schedule or something which could be a little bit confusing.”
Sterling is certain that this will be continued in the future.
“What I really like about it is that it gives everybody a central place to look,” said Sterling. “I think more people can see the information this way, even as they’re just walking back and forth to like lunches or different classes.”
Alumni family donates mineral collection to school
MEGAN PENG ‘25
Design Editor
With both their sons, Hunter ‘01 and Graham ‘04, Susan and Max Patton decided to donate their collection of minerals to the school to share their accumulation of unique specimens in hope of inspiring students to take interest in the subject as well. Throughout the years, they’ve collected numerous amounts of minerals that range greatly from geographical locations, age, and appearance.
“It’s a large, museum-grade mineral specimen that’s being donated to the school,” said Science Teacher Cathy Renaud. “I think we’ll have some middle-school clubs and upper-school electives centered around the minerals because we don’t have a geology class in the upper-school, so we might offer something club-level or one-semester long geology classes.”
Since Susan Patton was a child, she’d had a great interest in minerals, and that interest was further fueled by her growing desire to learn more about them.
“When I was four or five years old, I was hiking with my dad and mom in New Hampshire, and I saw a sparkly rock,” said Susan Patton. “It was a
kinds, maybe about 20, of minerals where you order them and they’ll come with books, which was a pretty common thing back in the day. The fancier rocks, which are the ones the school is getting, are pretty exotic, interesting, and from far-away places.”
The minerals that will be displayed differ greatly in terms of location, with minerals from the South Pacific and leading all the way to the North Pacific.
“We have rocks and minerals from every continent and they each have their own geographic idiosyncrasies, like how they form, such as minerals from the South Pacific, the West Coast, the Hawaiian Pacific Islands, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam—all volcanic. So we’ve got different compounds, shapes, colors—it’s just all very sparkly,” Patton said.
As a Michigander, Patton’s favorite mineral is copper due to how commonly it’s found in the state.
“I’m really fond of copper because it’s very commonly found here,” exclaimed Patton. It’s definitely necessary in energy with its ties to electricity. We’ve also got three pieces of bismuth, and bismuth is so interesting because of the way it transforms itself. You can change its chemical shape from this blob-like tahoe into a crystalline structure.”
Some of the Patton family’s fos sils and minerals have already been do nated to museums such as the Museum of Natural History located here, in Ann Arbor. The donation to Greenhills was inspired by Cranbrook School’s mineral collection, which is used to teach the earth, science, chemistry, physics, and history programs.
“We’re trying to steward our re sources as they get older, and make sure that the nice things we have go to a place where they will be used and appreciated,” said Patton. “Both of our kids went here, and we just love his school and hope that Greenhills kids will enjoy it.”
The donation may not only foster students’ interests in geology, but also help
Guiding minds around AI
MIRA JAYARAMAN ‘26
School Editor
In the past few years, one specific innovation has sparked both excitement and concern in classrooms: artificial intelligence (AI). As AI tools like ChatGPT become increasingly accessible, educators grapple with guiding their proper use in schools. In response to these developments, the school has created a new set of AI guidelines as a thoughtful approach to using AI as a helpful tool while maintaining the integrity of academic work.
Director of Teaching and Learning Jenna Goldenberg was especially interested in the rapid development of AI.
“AI is new,” said Goldenberg. “Every school and industry across the country are gaining new knowledge of it and how it’s evolving.”
Goldenberg had seen that students have been using AI more now than ever before and realized that the school needed to adapt to that.
“Last year, if you look in the handbook, there’s a very general, broad policy about AI,” said Goldenberg. “Students were interpreting different messages about AI across classrooms, even in the same classroom.”
Goldenberg took it into her own hands to take the most efficient approach to making these new guidelines.
“We created an AI Task Force consisting of one person from each department,” said Goldenberg. “We underwent training through an organization called Atlas, where we got to learn from other teachers and students throughout the nation.”
Goldenberg and the task force ensured that the new guidelines were clear by featuring a chart outlining how students should approach using AI.
teachers in creating a more interactive learning experience.
“When we found out that there would be a mineral and rock donation, we were really excited because one of things we look forward to as teachers is making sure that we can connect these abstract chemistry concepts to real-life,” said chemistry teacher Reeti Katoch-Rouse. “Having something that’s so tangible is going to really help in this [chemistry] classroom because, when we think about rocks, we think about what it’s invoking— the color, shape—and we can consider the different atoms within it. Take a diamond, for example, and we can think about how it’s made of carbon, which is arranged in a very specific way. By seeing something that’s very crystalline, the students will be able to connect the two [concepts] very well.”
The mineral collection is expected to be displayed next to the chemistry classroom, where both teachers and students can have easy learning access. There will be three collections—one will be displayed in a locked display case, and the others are teaching or student collections. The Pattons will donate a microscope that displays images for rocks and
One of the most pressing concerns surrounding AI is academic integrity. AI tools, particularly language models like ChatGPT, can easily produce polished essays and research papers, raising fears about plagiarism and the erosion of critical thinking skills.
English teacher Danielle Conti, another member of the task force, expressed her concern about students relying on AI to do their work for them.
“AI can be a wonderful tool, but it can also rob students of the opportunity to struggle through their own ideas and learn how to articulate them,” said Conti. “Writing is about finding your voice, and AI doesn’t have your voice.
For this reason, Conti has adopted a cautious approach to AI in her classes, particularly in assignments where originality is key.
“When students are writing personal essays, I want that to come from their brilliant brains, not ChatGPT,” said Conti. “I don’t want my students outsourcing their thoughts to a machine.”
At the same time, Conti recognizes the potential of AI to enhance student learning.
“It’s about using AI as a tool, not a crutch,” said Conti. “We’re going to explore how AI can help students improve their writing by offering suggestions, but it should never take over the process.”
To ensure students use AI responsibly, the school has recognized the best AI tool for classrooms to be Magic School AI, an educational platform that offers more guardrails than ChatGPT.
“What’s nice about it [Magic School AI] is that our younger students can use it safely,” said Goldenberg. Maeve Hammond ‘27 has dealt with her peers using AI and appreciates the new guidelines as well.”
“I don’t use AI personally, but a lot of my classmates do,” said Hammond. “Before there were guidelines, it was really confusing because some teachers were totally okay with AI, and others weren’t.”
As the school year progresses, both students and faculty expect the AI guidelines to evolve in response to new developments in the technology. This isn’t the end of the conversation—it’s just the beginning.
Graphics by Megan Peng ‘25
ENTERING A DIGITAL ERA Eighth Grade Team Leader Kate Vane works on getting her slide deck ready to upload on the screens for the next day, she said, “If students weren’t listening [during grade meeting] or they didn’t catch all the information, they can look up on the screen. They’re hearing it and seeing it, which is never a bad thing.”
Photo by Ashu Bharath ‘28
Graphics courtesy of Greenhills
Full hills, empty house
We need a spirit makeover
Community is at the core of Greenhills—it’s the sixth word in our mission statement and the ninth-grade theme—and no, it’s not just for show. There’s always a welcoming face to say ‘hi’ to in the hallway, a helping hand when you need it, and an old inside joke to laugh about with your friends in your forum. This makes sense; we are a tight-knit circle of bright individuals, both faculty and students, who choose to be here because we share the common values of curiosity, education, and, of course, community. While this sentiment is abundantly prevalent from 8:30 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. each day, there is an underwhelming, and frankly disappointing, enthusiasm among students when it comes to attending extracurricular events, such as sports games and arts performances. For a school that emphasizes and embodies community, why do we continuously fail when it comes to showing school spirit? The answer: Greenhills students tend to view school as a place to solely focus on academics, when, in reality, our most savored memories could be made supporting or participating in extracurriculars and school events.
Think of that match point, that game-on-the-line penalty shot, that free throw with three seconds on the clock. We look up to the stands one last time to get a last ounce of support from our friends, but our eyes are met with mostly empty bleachers staring back at us. Our parents show up, but there is something special about having a student section backing you at a game. We know that Greenhills will never have the Friday night lights that other schools await all week long, but that doesn’t mean we should throw in the towel when it comes to school spirit. Because of our size, we have the advantage of a closeknit community. We all know at least one person on each athletic team through friends, classes, or just by saying hello in the hallway. What better motivation is there for us to march out to the stands and cheer for anyone who’s playing at the moment? We aren’t asking for full attendance at every game, but a little more enthusiasm would be great.
Now, picture those stands filled with our fans on that match point, that game-on-the-line penalty shot, that free throw with three seconds on the clock. You look at the bleachers to build off of the spirited student section’s energy and win in those clutch moments. Sounds great, right? We can have these winning moments, but they all start with you showing up.
This lack of support is not just apparent on the field or court, but also on stage. It’s never easy putting your self under the bright lights, whether you’re acting in a play, singing in a concert, or playing an instrument in a recital. Why not show our brave class mates some support?
For a community that val ues its “artistic potential,” several students choose to only pursue their artistic talents outside of school. Although some of these select students do join school programs, most don’t. Why? It is discouraging to prepare a performance when chances are the
DHRUV NALLAMOTHU ‘25
crowd will be few and far between when you finally get to share what you’ve been working on. Imagine raising your instrument or taking a breath in preparation to sing and looking out into the audience only to be met with a few parents and even fewer peers. Months of classes and hours of practicing both inside and outside of school are just a glimpse of the work that goes into these performances, leaving students feeling unappreciated when their efforts go unseen by their classmates. It is worth noting that students often drop arts classes once they have completed the credit requirement. In fact, the majority of students lean towards the semester-long, visual arts classes rather than the year-long, performance-based classes like choir, orchestra, jazz, and band, to complete their arts requirement. Throughout elementary and middle school, we were all required to take a music class, however, in the upper school, enthusiasm when it comes to the performing arts appears lower than ideal. We are hopeful that the revised performing arts schedule will attract students who are new to the stage, with opportunities like the new all-school musical. Music and art are some of the best ways to foster community, so when course selection rolls around, sign up for a fine or performing arts class. You never know what hidden talent you could discover and new Greenhills memories you’ll make.
We understand that most games and performances happen after school and that it can be hard to get rides, but we also know that the majority of upperclassmen are able to get themselves to and from these events. Our suggestion to them: if you don’t have an extracurricular activity after school and there is an event being held on campus, do your homework in the library with friends and stick around to support your peers. These will be the moments that will stick with you.
Finally, Spirit Week. Although this week exhibits our highest levels of spirit each year, it’s still lacking. Few people take it seriously and actually participate in events; most stick to the sidelines with a blasé attitude. In order to cultivate an electric atmosphere at the all-school obstacle course challenge and the various performances that happen throughout the week, we must show up for one another. This January, when announcements are made at grade meetings, raise your hand to volunteer for Battle of the Bands and Walk Off. The group bonding and teamwork that go into preparing for those events could end up being some of your favorite high school memories, and will stand out even more if they are met with enthusiasm from your classmates. Furthermore, the main Spirit Week events happen during the school day, so you don’t have to go out of your way to show up. Let’s make sure that Spirit week embodies its nameGreenhills students, we can do better. Sing the Greenhills anthem proudly, audition for the musical, attend an orchestra performance, and cheer on the Gryphons on and off of the court or field. Let’s start bringing the school spirit we know we all owe our school and each other.
Beyond books What we are missing without a librarian
Libraries and schools have always been intertwined. Both exist for the sole purpose of spreading knowledge and educating the public. While teachers are actively recognized for their contribution to the teaching of the world, librarians have often been overlooked. As our school adapts to the new digital age, this is the first time in our school’s history without a librarian.
When you think of a librarian, you probably picture an elderly woman surrounded by dusty books telling students to “shhhh.” However, in our school, librarians have been anything but that. They are vibrant educators who play a crucial role in pushing us forward deeper into the digital revolution instead of holding us back in time. As we navigate the vast digital world it’s easy to get lost and librarians can be the torch in the darkness, helping us find what we need. From organizing our digital resources to constantly updating our e-book selection, there is always something they are doing to make it easier to access the information we need.
These days we are bombarded with a constant flow of information and it is becoming harder and harder to discern what is a credible source and what is fake information. Librarians are key in this lesson. They can quickly tell the credibility of a source and even better - they organize it for us. Our resource hub is often taken for granted on Gryphon, but it is one of the biggest tools we are offered. All of the best research databases are nicely laid in one place, so it couldn’t be easier to research a topic.
A guide to Gen Alpha slang
Right now, you are probably surrounded by a bunch of teens looking down at a screen and scrolling on social media. They are consuming content that is infested with what people call “brain rot,” a form of slang that has entwined itself into conversations among Generation Alpha.
Will this new slang make us cooked for the future or will this new slang allow us to cook, for the future of our society? As a person that tries to keep a progressive mindset, I think that there’s a spectrum that we need to take into consideration.
To do so, I have split the most notable Gen Alpha terms into three different categories, the first being terms that we should keep. The terms in the keep category are cap, drip, fax, mid, rizz, salty, and tea. These terms belong in the keep category because they make sense and are easy to decipher.
Librarians help students through the research process with anything from citation lessons to effective search strate-
gies. This set of skills that librarians equip students with is just as useful outside of the come informed members of society as they grow older who think critically about information presented to them.
A strong library program can also cultivate a love for reading that extends beyond the classroom. When students feel comfortable with a librarian who understands their interests and challenges, they
are more likely to explore new genres and subjects. Students can go from reading only the required books for a class to lifelong readers if they establish strong reading habits now.
In the near future we will have to learn to function without a librarian overseeing our information resources. While it is unfortunate, we must find a way to keep pushing forward into new areas of innovation. Our administration is actively searching for a new candidate to lead our Wege Gebhardt Library. This means we will soon have a new librarian taking charge of our digital database. The school librarian is so much more than a keeper of the books today; rather, a mentor and a guide through times of great misinformation. A new librarian could bring fresh ideas, organize workshops, and continue to enhance our research tools. They can be a guide for us in everything from helping 6th graders check out books to giving recommendations to 8th graders to helping 12th graders find research papers.
While we await a permanent librarian hire, it’s important to reflect on their integral role in our school. Greenhills prepares us through rigorous tests and challenging coursework, but also stresses the importance of equipping us with the tools to thrive in the outside world.
Our school is a warm place full of friendly faces passing through the hallways. A librarian should be one of those friendly faces. A person who dedicates their time to helping guide us through the world of literature and technology simultaneously. As you go through your day and make use of all the resources Greenhills offers you, just remember in the back of your mind, all the people who made your life easier by giving you the tools to succeed.
When someone’s not telling the truth, I can’t just say that they are lying; I have to call cap. If someone is dressed nicely, I have to say that they are looking drippy, because saying they look nice wouldn’t do them justice. Fax is just facts phonetically and it’s cooler. Mid is short for middle, and rizz, short for charisma, is the most notable example of Gen Alpha slang. Salty is a great word to describe someone who is upset. Finally, you don’t say gossip anymore, you say tea. Now it’s time for the mid category. The terms in this category are clout bussin, and basic Clout is a useful term, but only when describing something that pertains to popularity or influence, typically in the social media sense. Bussin is used to describe good food, and although it is a good term, it’s uses are limited which is why it landed in this category. Basic is a basic term, so it should stay in the mid category for now. Now it’s time for the absolutely awful terms that we should send to Mars. These terms are slay, period, it’s giving, gucci, sigma, and skibidi/skibidi toilet. Slay period, and it’s giving are terms that I prefer not to use and prefer not to hear. Gucci used to be cool, but it isn’t anymore. Sigma is funny, but when it’s overused it becomes annoying. Now we have gotten to the most diabolically bad Gen Alpha term that is most associated with “brain rot”: skibidi/skibidi toilet. Apparently there’s a show based on skibidi toilet that I don’t care to watch for the benefit of my sanity. Please don’t ever say skibidi or skibidi toilet again. All the other terms can stay, but those must go.
TWOEY BULLOCK ‘27
Graphic by Megan Peng ‘25
Graphic by Megan Peng ‘25
Owen Barton | Math
Why do you teach the topic you teach?
“I am going to be teaching Algebra one. So far in my career
I’ve just taught upper level and high school level math. I am looking forward to showing kids math can be exciting and hopefully this will give them less anxiety for future math classes.”
If you weren’t teaching what would you be doing?
“I played a lot of golf in my teenage and college years so I would end up in sales for a company or at a golf club.”
Jenny Larson | College Counselor
What do you do?
“I am a college counselor. the college process is fraught with anxiety for most kids. Unless you have someone helping you feel better about the process, you can get stuck and it makes for a really unpleasant senior year.”
If you weren’t counseling what would you be doing?
“I sometimes think about what it would be like to work in a coffee shop and chat all day.
I’m from Seattle and I loved how chill the cafes are there.”
Dayna Hock |Administration
What do you do?
“The controller essentially means the financial controller. Basically I reconcile the financials for the business. I work alongside John Nickel to organize the data and present it to the board.”
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
“I love the Tea Haus in downtown Ann Arbor and I love hosting tea parties in my home currently. I would probably want to run my own tea room.”
Jennifer Nidetz | Middle School Counselor
What do you do?
“I am a school counsler. I started out in consulting when I graduated from college, and I found that my passion was more in helping people rather than helping businesses.”
If you weren’t counseling what would you be doing?
“I would be working somewhere like a foster care or foster home. I would particularly work with refugees or kids who come to America as unaccompanied minors.”
Britta Pigorsch | Learning Center
Why do you teach the topic you teach?
“I love helping students feel capable in their learning and connected to it. I do a lot of arts integration to give students the opportunity to learn in new ways.”
If you weren’t teaching what would you be doing?
“I have a lot of hobbies and one that I could see myself doing in the future is being a flower farmer and having a farm.”
11 join staff
Kristin Hoffman-Peavler | Performing arts
Why do you teach the topic you teach?
My path to music started when I was teeny tiny. I’ve been singing since I could talk.”
If you weren’t teaching what would you be doing?
“I was a pediatric oncology nurse, I “mom”ed for a while, and I sing and play piano professionally. I had planned to do opera, but my voice didn’t develop in that way. I think I would have done something in one of those fields.”
Alejandra Noguera
| Foreign Language
Why do you teach the topic you teach?
“When I moved to the United States, I was working in schools that had a dual language program. These schools needed a Spanish teacher, so I started as that and worked with kindergarten. I found I loved it.”
If you weren’t teaching what would you be doing?
“My undergraduate degree is in law, so probably advocating for education.”
Jo’Von Thompson | Information Technology
What do you do?
“I am a part of the IT help desk. I just help students by analyzing the technology here . I honestly don’t know how I found myself in this job, but it’s been the best customer service job I’ve had.”
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
“Something with sports. I have a degree in sports administration and I love football, so I’m a big Lions fan.”
Evan Jackson | Athletics
Why do you teach the topic you teach?
“I started out as a teacher, but sports have always been a big part of my life. I enjoy seeing a kid who maybe struggles in the classroom have success on the court then be able to translate to confidence back in the classroom.”
If you weren’t teaching what would you be doing?
“If I was skilled enough, I would like to be a basketball player, or if that wasn’t possible, a sports agent.”
Madeline Patramanis | Math
Why do you teach the topic you teach?
“I love that in math, every problem has an answer and that there are so many different ways to get to the solution. It is a great feeling as a teacher to watch a student grasp a topic they struggled with.”
If you weren’t teaching what would you be doing?
“Probably something with arts and crafts. I have very niche art hobbies, I took up embroidery this summer. Or if it was a professional job a bookreader.”
Walker | Social Stud-
“I’ve always been a huge history nerd.
If
Expanding curriculum
New courses introduced HUGH JORDAN ‘26
School Staff
Political Philosophy:Taught by Kate Vane this course, dives into foundational concepts such as justice, rights, liberty, equality, and the nature of political authority. “The class offers a unique opportunity to imagine the strings that truly pull government from the perspective of both history and philosophy.” said Rykken Vivekanand ‘26. Through critical analysis of key thinkers and their theories, students will develop a nuanced understanding of political philosophy’s relevance to contemporary societal issues.
Rights, Justice, and the US Supreme Court: Taught by Jenna Goldenberg, the couse offers students a comprehensive exploration of the legal and philosophical foundations of American rights. “This class has really opened my eyes to how the Supreme Court affects our everyday rights,” said Nolan Williams ‘26. Through lectures, discussions, and assignments, students delve into key topics such as the Bill of Rights, civil rights and liberties, judicial review, landmark cases, and current legal issues.
English IV: Poetry: Appreciation and Practice: Taught by Monica Lewis. The course explores the intricacies of poetic form, language, and theme, students analyze classic and contemporary poems, examining their structure, imagery, and historical context. “Through close readings and creative writing exercises, students develop a deep appreciation for poetry and hone their own poetic skills” said Lewis. The course culminates in a comprehensive understanding of various poetic styles, movements, and the enduring power of
Natalie Caramagno
sive to physical endurance,
all wellness. “It’s great to be able to get physical activity in during the day, it’s a good break from just sitting in a classroom,” said Nina Olsen ‘26 Through a combination of different workouts, students will learn how to design personalized fitness plans and adopt healthy, active lifestyles. The course aims to build both physical and mental resilience, fostering lifelong habits of health and fitness.
Textile and Fiber Arts: Taught by Nicole Burroughs the course provides students with a unique opportunity to explore their creativity and develop practical skills in the field of textile design. “I love how much freedom we are given in this class, we’re given guidelines but the rest relies on our own creativity,” said Cherry Andrews ‘26. Through a combination of varying hands-on projects, students are gaining valuable experience in various textile techniques, such as knitting and weaving.
Pirate Studies: Taught by Mark Randloph, this senior seminar explores the historical, cultural, and literary significance of pirates. Students will examine the complex realities of piracy, including its motivations, strategies, and impact on global trade and politics.”What cultural forces have redefined piracy as something appropriate for a kids’ Halloween costume?” said Randolph. To answer that question the course will also investigate the romanticization of pirates in popular culture, analyzing the factors that have contributed to this transformation, such as the appeal of the rebellious spirit, the allure of the open sea, and the desire for escapism.
Recreational Sports: Taught by Sara LeBlanc, the class offers students a much-needed outlet for physical activity, stress relief, and social connection. “It’s really nice to be able to get a rest from the stress of school and play sports with my friends,” said Mahd Ali ‘27. With a variety of sports options available, ranging from human foosball to ultimate frisbee students can find a recreational activity that suits their interests and fitness level, while also fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.
What is your favorite book? I
to read mainly fiction. My favorite book ever is “Crossing the Safety” by Wallace Steiner. I’ve read all of his books but this one is my favorite because I like the length of it and the subject of it. It’s not only about relationships but it’s
Taught by
Briefs compiled by Izzy Baru ‘25 Graphic by Megan Peng‘25
Disinformation expert sits down with students, editor
EVA BERNSTEIN ‘25
Editor-in-Chief
Barbara McQuade, former United States
Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and New York Times bestselling author of “Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America,” visited Greenhills for a panel engaging in conversation with seniors from the Campaigns & Elections and Rights, Justice, and the U.S. Supreme Court. They covered topics ranging from AI’s role in spreading and detecting misinformation to political polarization heading into this year’s presidential election. spoke with McQuade, after the panel, on her views on what schools and students can do to reduce the spread of misinformation and what she hopes readers will take away from her book.
Eva Bernstein: In “Attack from Within,” you say that your motivation behind writing the book is to spark a conversation about misinformation and disinformation. What role do you see students taking in this conversation?
Barbara McQuade: “Students need to become educated about the tactics of disinformation and about how to build good media literacy skills. If they aren’t getting that in the classroom, they should be looking to outside sources for that to learn how to consume media in a skeptical way and seeking to verify facts by looking at other sources. Beyond that, the they can share this information with others. Maybe as a group they could put together a TikTok campaign where they create a ‘Five Best Practices’ [for misinformation] trend. It’s always useful to start with yourself and learn what you need to learn, and then spread that through your spheres of influence, like your family, your classmates, your school, and then maybe the larger community. These would be great projects for students to undertake because it’s so important when you
want to communicate with people that you meet them where they are, and for young people, that’s on social media. You can write all of the books you want, but if people aren’t reading them, they aren’t going to reach people. In this moment, delivering that information with people is probably the best way to do it.”
School deploys election task force, offers voting education
DHRUV NALLAMOTHU ‘25
EB: Should schools play a role in halting the spread of misinformation and disinformation, and if so, how?
ourselves that the information that we are getting is reliable.”
EB: How should students who want to speak out about issues that are important to us approach social activism and posting on social media without spreading misinformation and disinformation?
BM: “I don’t know if schools can halt the flow, but I do think they can help provide accurate information to students and also teach students those critical skills they need to be able to discern the difference between fake news and real news. It would be great if schools were teaching students to read critically, meaning not just accepting what they read at face value, instead looking at it with a bit of they know, if it’s consistent or not, what the source is, if the writer is credible, what the evidence for the claim is, whether it’s based on research or a data set, or a quotation from a reliable expert in that particular field. Schools can play an important role in educating young people about how to ask the important questions so that we can satisfy
BM: Remember that social media is for ever. You might take down a post but that doesn’t mean it’s not still out there. Somebody might have taken a
A snapshot of first-time voters’ thoughts
Renia Kahn ‘25
Miles Knox ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote?
“Fifty-fifty. I think I need to research a bit more to be confident in who I’m gonna vote for.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for?
“I mean, I’m not a hundred percent yet, but I’m leaning towards one candidate. That happened like a month ago-ish.”
What has influenced your decision?
“My dad.”
Talen Pilz ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote?
“Yes. I’ve had a lot of time to think, and especially this year, I’ve seen a lot more media. I’ve been more involved with watching CNN with my family, and I have strong views about both candidates.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for?
“Probably six months ago. My family’s always voted Democratic. I always knew I’d be in the same spot, but I never really thought about it until recently.”
What has influenced your decision?
“My family and the stuff I see on TV, the stuff I hear about, like the environment growing up in Ann Arbor [where] a lot of people are Democratic. It’s just the way it is and the views you’re raised to adopt.”
Kabir Rajendra ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote?
“Honestly, there’s a lot of things going on in my mind right now. It’s going to be a coin flip on the day of.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for?
“I’m still undecided.”
What has influenced your decision?
“There’s a lot of important things. A lot of things going around. I’m always looking for a new candidate, a new voice. It’s been the same types of people around for years, so it’s time we had a change of things. always keep an open mind when it comes to elections.”
screenshot of it. Law enforcement with a subpoena can still get it, so whatever you post exists forever. You should keep that in mind. If you want to share your views on something, that’s wonderful. Participating in dialogue in democracy is a great way to debate, and even disagreeing is wonderful, as long as you do it respectfully. That’s how we get to a better understanding. If you hear an opposing argument, it might cause you to reconsider your own argument and it makes the arguments better in the end. People should educate themselves about an issue before they opine on it because you might think something is good, bad, silly, or dreadful, and you don’t know as much about it as you might think you do. You might hear this all the time from people who are older than you, ‘wow, it’s amazing how much dumber I’ve gotten as i’ve aged,’ and it isn’t that they’ve gotten dumber, it’s that they’ve realized how much they don’t know. It’s easy to second guess and be critical of decision makers when you don’t actually have all of the information. Be humble about what you don’t know, be diligent about gathering information, and if you want to post your views, have at it, and just know that when you say something online, it lasts forever.”
EB: If there’s one thing that you would want readers to take away from “Attack from Within,” what would you want it to be? BM: “Truth matters. In a democracy, we can all have our own opinions, but we need the same set of facts as a starting place so that we can have meaningful policy decisions.”
Managing Editor, Online
In a time marked by political division and heightened emotions, educators at our school are taking proactive steps to ensure that students engage thoughtfully with the upcoming elections. When this election cycle started nearing, former Associate Head of School Quincy McLaughlin and Director of Teaching and Learning Jenna Goldenberg came together to assemble a task force to deal with the heightened political climate.
“We really wanted to get some good brains together to kind of have one centralized group of faculty that could kind of have an eye on election programming across classes across the school,” said Goldenberg.
They brought in people from throughout the school to create a group of diverse and politically engaged faculty.
“So we thought about whose expertise we wanted to tap,” said Goldenberg. “Karin Scott came in as the leader of the History Department. Dr. Lund filled the role of our politics expert. Peter Fayroian joined as the head of school and I helped out as the Director of Teaching and Learning with an eye towards institutional practices.”
While this wasn’t the first time a task force was assembled to deal with our modern day politics, this is the most concrete plan.
“This was done before for the past few elections,” said Goldenberg. “But this time, it was more solid. I actually think this would have been just as important if not more the last election cycle. I think in the past we have had teachers and administrators bring in thoughtful speakthoughtprogramming. As our school is growing and as we bring in more talented faculty, it seemed like a good time to formalize it for
our group.”
One thing that is constantly shifting in the political landscape is how polarized our climate is. For the task force it’s not only crucial to look outwards into the way society is handling it but also looking internally to how the student body is dealing with these issues.
“This is a time of extreme polarization in our country and these political issues are particularly charged,” said Goldenberg. “We wanted to make sure we were taking care of all the people in our community to help lead them through that time that feels informative and empowering in a safe and supportive environment.”
Photo by Dhruv Nallamothu ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote? “Not yet. I’ll be doing a lot of research. I have a lot of resources with the different ballot propos als, so yeah, after that, I think so.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for? “I mean, guess I’ve identified as a Democrat for my whole life.”
What has influenced your decision? “Definitely policy positions, and then how I think the leaders would impact this country, if they’re going to make it more united or more polarized in the future.”
Jackson Shoemaker ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote?
“Already did. Just my preference, I’d rather do it at home.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for?
“Pretty much as soon as Biden dropped out and Kamala Harris came in, I knew who I was voting for.”
What has influenced your decision?
“I don’t like Trump, and I think Kamala Harris is pretty reasonable, good for [the] economy and lifting the middle class up, and agree with that.”
Ishan Leahy ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote?
“Yeah. Government class really prepared me.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for?
“I mean, I learned all the specifics recently, but even if didn’t learn anything or take any classes I’d probably vote the same way.”
What has influenced your decision?
“The way you’re raised has a significant impact and your school and location influence you too. Most people in this area are probably going to be voting the same.”
AJ Simon ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote?
“I do. am a little obsessive when it comes to reading up on this stuff.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for?
“Anyone who’s met me could predict who I’m voting for. I knew who I was voting for a very, very long time.
What has influenced your decision?
“A lot of the issues coming up in the election affect me personally. Oftentimes [people] think that some of these things don’t affect them, so their vote doesn’t matter, but it does. I don’t want to live in a world where those things are happening to me.”
Kade Mason ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote?
“I feel pretty prepared. I realized that I was going to be able to vote last year on my birthday when I was taking Government, so we started talking about all the candidates.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for?
“When we learned that Kamala was running. I knew I wasn’t voting for Trump, so I decided to vote for Kamala.”
What has influenced your decision?
“I don’t want a convicted criminal in office. News has influenced who I want to vote for based on what [the candidates] have said about different policies.”
Chase Weaver ‘25
Do you feel prepared to vote?
“Yeah. I use a lot of social media and watched a good deal of the debates. It’s very easy as a teenager today to stay active politically.”
When did you decide who you’re voting for?
“In this election, it’s a bit different since both of the candidates have been in the political scene before, so not recently, I’ll say that.”
What has influenced your decision?
“Peers to some extent. I’m surrounded by politically opposite family, so it’s definitely more peers than family.”
Briefs compiled by Billy Rozelle ‘27
these tense topics in intelligent and thoughtful ways.
“We used research from the Close Up Foundation which specializes in civil discourse. One of the most important things we found is what kind of environment you are creating. Is it a space that values students’ voices? Is it a place where students are supportive of others? I teach my students the concepts ‘We are humans before scholars.’ and ‘Be more curious than certain.’”
[Karin] Scott agreed with Goldenberg. When designing the curriculum, Scott made sure to keep this in mind.
“We are just teaching the facts,” said Scott. “There are resources for us to be able to show students both perspectives. That’s why it was so important for us to lay out the policies of each political party so students knew what those parties were trying to achieve.”
Scott took a lot of time setting up the election specific curriculum that was taught in history courses throughout the high school and middle school.
“We thought about what we wanted students to know as they watched the election results come in on November 5th,” said Scott. “We thought about what skills we wanted these students that ranged from sixth to 12thgrade, to have. Media bias is such an important part of the political landscape right now as well as learning about the candidates themselves and the party platforms they are running on. And lastly something that was important to us was how elections work and the electoral college’s role in the presidential election.
Students across the entire school have taken part in the first segment of the election lessons. This lesson focused on discerning disinformation through the website AllSides.
Goldenberg also shares the fine line they have to walk between keeping kids engaged in democracy while also not imposing their own personal beliefs in their lessons.
“It’s really challenging,” said Goldenberg. “One of the things we did as a faculty was we met together and looked at the research around best practices for teachers to take when dealing with what we call ‘hot moments’. If we are leading a discussion in class and a student says something that maybe contains misinformation or reacts to what another student says, we are trained on how to deal with those moments.”
As the Director of Teaching and Learning, Goldenberg went through lots of research to ensure they were handling
“This activity changed my perspective on how I look at social media,” said Rowan Tindell ‘26. “Most of the time I just look at the headlines instead of reading the entire story. This lesson showed me how much the headline could change based on the news source.”
An addition to the task force was Director of Civic Engagement Alyssa Friendly, who joined to offer a different perspective on how students could get involved with the election.
“One big one that we are trying to promote is being a poll worker,” said Friendly. “It is an awesome chance for students to not only earn a little bit of money, but also gives them an opportunity to be on the front lines.”
Students, alumni work campaigns, polls
KIERAN LUMENG ‘26 School Staff Students and alumni are getting involved in the election as campaign staffers and local poll workers. Owen Klein ‘20 works on the Harris-Walz presidential campaign as a full time staffer.
“The one word that comes to mind [when I think about my job] is exhilarating,” Klein said. “Things are constantly changing. There’s a clear goal. There’s a clear end date.”
The job is flexible in nature and allows Klein to shift his routine daily.
“Depending on your role, things are never set in stone,” said Klein. “For a normal 9 to 5 office job, you know what your expectations are every day. You’re going to have the same things you work on week by week. Although we have similarities that we work on every day, things are constantly in flux, and it’s super unpredictable.” Election work isn’t just for graduates, though. According to service director Alyssa Friendly, civic engagement is on the rise, and more students are getting involved in the election process.
“There are different ways to get involved, especially as politics seems to enter our minds more and more,” said Klein. “By this point [Greenhills] is communicating more with their students about how they [can] get involved politically.”
Students are taking advantage of
basically educated on how to work the poll book [and] how to register voters.” The orientation teaches students strategies to deal with people arrive at the polls without their identification, which is require to cast a ballot in Michigan.
“There was a whole problem solving section,” said Zhu. “We talked about what we should do if voters show up without identification, how to set things up, and what to do if there are any problems. It was four hours long. It’s paid training, which is really nice.” Zhu noticed increased political engagement among youth at the training.
“60 to 70 percent of the people were high school students like us,” said Zhu. “There were only several adults.” The experience of learning how to help out with the polling process for the presidential election takes
“Many students are doing volunteer work and engaging in the election without it being a school run event,” said Friendly. “It’s safe to assume that Greenhills students are reflective of the national trend that there’s more community engagement.”
Greenhills is making an effort to communicate opportunities for students to help out with the polling process and getting people to vote.
these opportunities.
“[The opportunities were] actually emailed to us by Mrs. Friendly, so that’s where we got the idea,” said Samantha Zhu ‘26, who is working at the polls on election day.
Zhu attended a training event to prepare for her work.
“We received special computers, and we practiced registering voters,” said Zhu. “Everything’s done digitally. We are
FACE THE FACTS Sophie Erb-Watson ‘25 asks author and legal scholar Barbara McQuade about misinformation. “She was an amazing public speaker and super inspiring,”
Photo by Eva Bernstein ‘25
The Electoral College is the U.S. system for electing the President and Vice President. Rather than directly voting for candidates, citizens vote for electors pledged to them. Each state’s electors equal its number of Senators and Representatives, giving larger states more influence. In most states, the “winnertake-all” approach grants all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate with the most votes there, allowing a candidate to win the presidency without the popular vote. Swing states, where both major parties have strong support, are often the focus of campaigns, as candidates seek their electoral votes. Safe states, which consistently favor one party, receive less attention. This dynamic concentrates campaigning in competitive states, sometimes leaving safe-state voters feeling overlooked. The Electoral College has sparked debate about its fairness. Critics argue it can diminish the value of individual votes, while supporters believe it protects smaller states’ interests. Understanding this system is key, as it shapes the U.S. presidential election.
What is the Electoral College?
Winner-take-All : A system where the candidate receiving the most votes in a state gets all of that state’s electoral votes.
Electors : Individuals chosen to formally cast votes for President and Vice President in the Electoral College Popular Vote : The total votes cast by citizens in an election, regardless of electoral votes. Electoral Vote : The votes cast by electors in the Electoral College, which determine the winner of the presidency.
Swing States : States where both major political parties have similar levels of support; they can be won by either party in elections. Safe States : States where one political party consistently wins.
Key election terms:
The outcome of the 2024 presidential election is expected to hinge on seven “swing states.” Use this 2024 Electoral College map to color-in those toss up / swing states as results come in on Tuesday night. Remember, blue is for Harris (Democrat) and red is for Trump (Republican).
Watch the swing states!
The U.S. Senate is currently composed of 51 Democrats (including four independents) and 49 Republicans. There are 34 seats up in 2024including a special election in Nebraskaof which 23 are held by Democrats or Independents. Republicans can retake control with a net gain of two seats or by winning the 2024 presidential election along with a net gain of one seat. At stake in the U.S. Senate
Sophomore knits, crochets for teachers, classmates
EVA BERNSTEIN ‘25
Editor in Chief
Some people babysit to earn some extra cash. Others mow lawns. Students can typically be seen studying, gaming, and reading in the forums, but Brian Magnus ‘27 can be spotted with needles and yarn in hand, knitting or crocheting custom garments for his teachers and classmates.
“I started knitting when I was five with my grandma,” Magnus said. “I made a scarf and then I stopped after that. I picked it back up when I was 12 or 13 at a yarn shop because at that point I just crocheted, but my grandma and my mom wanted me to knit so that I could make cooler stuff.”
Since then, knitting and crocheting have become a
form of connection beyond Magnus’ family.
“I get to be friends with people I wouldn’t normally get to know because of our shared interest,” Magnus said. Payton Mathis ‘27 took up knitting after seeing Magnus knit during English class.
“He was sitting next to me and he was knitting, and I was like, ‘that looks fun, let me try,’” Mathis said.
“Brian is a really great teacher.”
Magnus’ knitting has also caught the attention of his teachers.
“Sometimes teachers will see me knitting or crocheting in the forum and they’ll ask me to make something for their friend or their baby or their dog,” Magnus said.
“It makes the teacher really happy and it’s just a fun thing to do. It also gives me an excuse to knit during class.”
Hats, socks, baby clothing, and dog accessories are among the custom garments that Magnus has made for his teachers. In
Three students, two continents, one school
New students bring international persepectives to school
VIOLET WEIZER ‘25
Lifestyles Editor
Packing up your belongings, getting on a flight to a new country, and starting your first day at a new school are feelings that Stella Kim ‘27, Angela Choi ‘27, and Ellora Natarajan ‘26 experienced this year. These students from Germany, South Korea and the United Kingdom (respectively) are looking to foster community connections.
Kim, Choi, and Natarajan did not go to international school in their home countries. All three students have said the way in which teachers approach teaching in general is different in the states.
“I went to a standard German school, not an international school so all of the classes were taught in German,” said Kim. “My old school was very different from here because of how the school system is wired. They were mainly focused on getting through the materials that they were given, because in Germany you get like a set plan for the year of what you have to teach your students, so they were very focused on getting through that instead of making sure their students understood it.”
The structure of schools abroad is not the same as that of Greenhills due to how each government chooses to build its education system.
“The class sizes are smaller [at Greenhills] for one thing, and there’s a lot more focus on each individual student rather than the whole class which I think is better,” said Natarajan.
Teachers Luke Walker and Tim Wilson have both taught abroad at international schools in the past.
“Teaching at an international school at a place like Taipei American for the last
several years you encounter students who are very worldly,” said Walker. “They are students who have lived in a number of different places and they often don’t say they belong to one particular culture but to several. We call them third culture kids.
Inherently it brings a lot of challenges but also a lot of rewards and a lot of interesting conversations to the classroom.”
Wilson taught at the Dulwich College in Shanghai. He said challenges teaching abroad were few due to the amount of help he was able to receive from his community abroad.
addition to bringing others joy by gifting his creations, Magnus finds joy when making them.
“If I want to be mindless, I have something to do where I can use my hands and get my energy out,” Magnus said. “If I want a challenge or a puzzle, I can do something more complex with cables. My favorite thing that I’ve made is a purple cabled sweater for my sister.”
Magnus’ giftees not only get to choose the color and style of their garment, like purple and cable knit, but they also get custom sizing.
“I can customize whatever I’m making to fit the person really well, so I can make sure that it’s the best fit they’ve ever had,” said Magnus.
English teacher Becky Randolph got one of these custom garments for her dog.
“Brian was knit- ting in the eighthgrade forum, so I asked him if he could make a sweater for my dog, Oskar,” Randolph said. “That night he emailed me asking for Oskar’s measurements, so I sent them over. Brian is an awesome guy.” Looking forward, Magnus wants to develop his craft and start a business.
“I’m eventually going to try to start selling more of my stuff,” Magnus said. “Spun Ann Arbor, the yarn shop that I go to, offered me a job for the winter, so I’m probably going to do that as well.”
coming to us with English speaking experience.”
Choi speaks four languages including English. Her first language is Korean.
“My second language is English, which I’ve been using for about two years now,” said Choi. “I also learn Spanish in school, and I speak a little bit of Japanese. When I first moved here, I used to think in Korean but now it has all pretty much combined in my head.”
“There were some types of frustrations that just came naturally while living in a different country but there was a really strong community from my school that was willing to help,” said Wilson. “We also very rarely had kids that weren’t
Drawing to Success
Senior wins art contest
BHARATH ‘28
ASHU
Lifestyles Staff
Have you ever been in a class so boring that you start doodling in the margins? You may end up drawing little pictures or patterns right? Imagine taking that talent and using it to your competitive advantage.
That’s what Tove Vivekanand ‘25 did when she submitted a winning entry for the Juried Art Competition for Art Around Saline. Titled “Dragon,” this pencil and ink piece was submitted by Tove last year and is now being displayed in downtown Saline.
Vivekanand has had an interest in art since she was a child, and has seemed talented from the beginning.
“In preschool she would bring home some artwork like everyone does, and we started noticing that she was pretty good,” said her mother, Jennifer Vivekanand.
Vivekanand is constantly doing art, whether it’s doodling in class, or working on a new piece.
pen drawings.
“It’s s cool, she does line art, and a lot of shading with pen. She makes cool intricate drawings of wolves and dragons,” said Hannah Behringer ‘25.
Vivekanand started pattern work only two years ago. She does acrylic and digital work as well. Her main drawing style is ink and
Kim was raised bilingual in En- glish and German. She said that she sometimes faces challenges with translating information in her head from German to English, but the teachers here have been very accommodating to her academic needs.
“In Latin I have to translate everything from Latin to German and then to English,” said Kim. “It’s really crazy, but I have to do this because of how the pronunciation here works as well as how the cases are set up, so I’m constantly just translating in my head.”
Coincidentally, Kim, Natarajan, and Choi are all now members of the girls swim team.
“It was my first experience doing sports because we never did them in the UK, so it was
“[I like to draw] mostly animals,” said Vivekanand. “I’ve been trying to do more landscapes, though, such as making more trees, oceans, and mountains.
Just in her freshman year, Vivekanand painted a Griffin that was the winning entry of the Greenhills cover art competition. It became the cover of the Evergreen Magazine in 2022.
“She has a lot of different art styles. I think [the Griffin] is her acrylic style or her digital style, but she also does a lot of very beautiful hand drawings,” said Vivekanand’s mother. Vivekanand’s mother, said she has always been an accomplished artist as evidenced by her being selected as one of six winners for the Juried Art Competition for Art Around Saline.
“My mom told me about [The Art Around Saline exhibit] and she thought I could [submit to it] there was a piece I was already working on, so I finished it, and then I submitted it online, and then a few months later, I heard that I’d won,” said Vivekanand. “Then I got to go see it downtown. It was nice.”
In addition to winning a $300 honorarium, for a year, a 4’x3’ reproduction of her work is hanging in downtown Saline in parking lot #4, 100 S. Vivekanand’s mother took a key role in motivating her to participate competitively.
“I think people that know Tove know she’s a little quiet and she doesn’t talk about herself much, but she’s a very accomplished artist and
extremely difficult for me,” said Natarajan. “The first few weeks were totally brutal and it took me a while before I could really properly complete an entire practice. But now with the new friends I have made on the team, practice is not quite so bad.”
Other than the swim team, Kim and Choi have found other commonalities with each other. Kim said it has been very helpful to find someone like herself to help her adjust better to this new place.
“When we first met I found out that she was also a new student in the sophomore class,” said Kim. “Then it just kept on getting creepier because I found that she was Korean and lives in the same apartment complex as me. Since we are neighbors, we do a lot of things together like share a ride to school ev - eryday together, and are on the swim team together too. It’s all a very funny coincidence.”
Greenhills offers opportunities that did not exist at some of the students’ prior schools. Students are able to participate in sports and clubs that were not available to them before.
I encouraged her to try it out,” said Vivekanand’s mother. “Send a piece in and see what happens, right? You don’t know unless you try.” Currently, one of the many things Vivekanand is working on is a series of coloring books to be published, as her senior project.
“She’s busy, she’s always posting and she’s always working on something,” said Vivekanand’s mother. Additionally, Tove has a website with all of her art, including videos of her drawing, and information about her and her art. It’s called ToveBlue.com.
As for the future, Vivekanand has an art show coming up in June 2025, just before graduation, at Caragan Cafe in Downtown Saline. If you were to go to the Juried exhibit you would see her new show, just across the street, called “The World of Tove Blue.”
Photo courtesy of Becky Randolph
AN INK-REDIBLE PIECE One of Vivekanand’s favorite pieces, Dragon, features an intricate pattern on the body of the animal. “I like how the detail on the wings came out,” said Vivekanand.
Photo courtesy of Tove Vivekanand ‘25
WINGING IT The Griffon was Vivekanand’s winning cover art for the Evergreen Magazine, Digital Painting 2022. “I took a risk while creating this piece,” said Vivekanand. “I think that was one of my first times not using a thick border on art work I’ve done, so I was happy it came out well.”
Photo courtesy of The Evergreen
Photo by Eva Bernstein ‘25
Junior commits to Purdue for soccer
Most competitive soccer players grow up dreaming of playing for a Division One college, it’s a goal that seems so obtainable. But rarely do any actually go on to play in college, in fact, less than two percent of high school athletes go on to play a Division One sport. For Charlotte McMurtrie’26 this past summer, though, these dreams became a reality. McMurtrie, an attacking mid for the Michigan Hawks verbally committed to Purdue University in August, just months after the June 15 recruiting window opened. Being one of the top players in the country, McMurtrie immediately had interest from many colleges, but Purdue stood out among the rest.
“I loved the campus and I loved the coach’s goal for the team, I really saw myself fitting in with the program,” said McMurtrie. “I liked them before the recruitment window opened because they sent me some mail, but I didn’t know about them too well until after the recruitment period started.”
The college recruitment process is a stressful period in many athletes’ lives. The countless emails sent and phone calls with coaches are overwhelming. McMurtrie echoed this experience.
“Coaches can’t talk to you until June 15 so you have to send a bunch of emails before that point and then when it opens up, it’s stressful because you have a bunch of calls the first day but then it kind of fizzles out for a bit,” said McMurtrie. “Scheduling those visits was a little stressful too because you have to work around your schedule and theirs and you have to go quick when you’re dealing with scholarships and stuff because they don’t stay around forever.”
The transition from playing a competitive sport in high school to college is a big one, but McMurtie is embracing the opportunity.
“I’ve trained for so many years to make it to the next level so I think I really am ready for college,” said McMurtrie. “All of the practice and tournaments around the country have made
me confident in my skills. I’m excited to see the different level of play in college and the work I will have to put in.”
Since McMurtrie committed so early, she still has two seasons of club soccer left to go. Most would take their foot off the gas but McMurtrie does not expect any sort of attitude shift.
“Because I am already committed, a lot of the pressure on me to perform is gone,” said McMurtrie. “But I’m not going to change the way I play because we [Michigan Hawks] are trying to win another national championship.
Although McMurtrie excels on the field, her advisor, Dylan Madden is impressed
Protected on the pitch
State mandate puts the focus on sports safety
For Greenhills coaches, safety is front of mind. Frightening injuries make headlines on a national scale, like when Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered his fourth concussion since 2019 in September, or when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered life-threatening cardiac arrest after a hit to his chest in Jan. 2023. With these types of injuries also possible at Greenhills sports practices, games, and meets, requirements have been put in place to make sure that medical aid can be received by those who need it as soon as possible.
For the 2025-2026 school year, changes have been made to these requirements to make playing a sport at Greenhills even safer than before.
“The state of Michigan has new safety mandates for the ‘25-’26 school year,” said Health Services Coordinator Christine Gajar. “All coaches are to be CPR certified, [and] AEDs need to be placed so that a shot can be delivered within three minutes of a code being called, so schools are going to have more AEDs within the building.”
The new regulations mandate that all coaches be CPR-certified and able to use an AED, but this is not a new mandate at Greenhills.
“That’s been a requirement for many years that all Greenhills staff is CPR certified,” said Gajar. “But we’ll do a more complete and thorough job making sure that all coaches are CPR certified now [that] it’s a state mandate.”
Another change will be the addition of a new head athletic trainer. Sherrie Springer is filling in the role while a fulltime replacement is found to replace outgoing trainer Meaghan Dreffs.
“In the role here as an athletic trainer at the school, you try to do as much as you can with prevention,” said Springer. “Do we have enough water? Do we have ice? Do we have everything we need in case we have an injury?”
With all the risks associated with athletics, Springer says that risk prevention is a team effort that includes all of Greenhills, not just trainers and coaches.
When at other schools, the conditions are the same, due to the state requirements.
“Everybody has the same credentials,” said Springer. “The nice part is you expect that at another school too. So if we’re the visiting school, we know that we would have help there too.”
Boys tennis head coach Eric Gajar is one of those who works to make sure that all student-athletes are safe. In his role, he helps prepare his team on what to do in case of emergency.
with her leadership and energy in the classroom.
“She is an example for all of her peers,” said Madden. “ All of her classmates love to be around her and interact with her.”
Playing a college sport takes hours upon hours of training and practice. Classmate Lauren Ye ‘26 can attest to McMurties dedication and effort from what she’s seen in school.
“Charlotte is one of the hardest-working people I know and I’m not surprised she has gotten this far,” said Ye. “ I think no matter what obstacles she faces she will overcome them and succeed.”
To ensure her best performance at the club, level McMurtrie elects not to play for Greenhills soccer.
“Our coach doesn’t want us to play because of the risk of injury and overlap with club season,” said McMurtrie. “ I have a lot of friends on the team but I put my club first and I need to make sure I am healthy for club season.”
In the summer of 2023, McMurtrie and her teammates on the Michigan Hawks captured a national championship, taking down opponents from all over the country. Now, McMurtrie and her teammates will be going their separate ways for college and will be competing against each other
“Most of the people on our team are playing in college,” said McMurtrie. “ A couple are going to other big ten schools, like Northwestern, so I will get to play against them. It’s cool because I’ve played with them my whole life and now we’ve finally made it to the next level.
With McMurtrie’s recruitment journey over, (at least for the moment) she leaves us with a bit of advice that helped her get to where she is today.
“If you work hard and put in the time the results will come, just believe in yourself and trust in your preparation and you will be rewarded.”
A fresh start Volleyball program expands
“I have goosebumps thinking of growing a program for the future if we are consistent,” said Volleyball Head Coach Tiffany Willard upon the creation of a freshman girls volleyball team.
A girls freshman volleyball team was announced going into this school year. The athletics department saw an influx of freshmen on the volleyball team last year so the decision was made that a freshman team would be beneficial to the program.
“We thought that if we had enough of the nines, we would try to create smaller groups so that we could have more game experience,” said Willard. “We thought practice was great, but it just lacked that game time.”
Willard was one of the people responsible for the creation of the freshman team.
“I brought it to my coaching staff and we all agreed to try to get another one, that was the avenue that we wanted,” said Willard.
Willard thinks this decision has helped balance out the teams and help the program as a whole.
“Then the 9s are usually ones that just really need to work on skill, so it has really created a good stepping stone and really helped continue to grow the program and keep individuals in the program.” said Willard.
The team is led by Colleen Dumas, who is working with Willard.
“Coach Dumas, she’s doing a really good job of exposing them to some of the ideals that we do on varsity,” said Willard.
dated, league-mandated, and school-mandated,” said Gajar. “All three require that. Then the concussion protocol and first aid [training] is required for all coaches at Greenhills.”
With the recent attention, Gajar says that other safety aspects are under scrutiny.
“People have [become] more aware in the last couple of years about concussion protocol,” said Gajar. “If someone’s out, [knowing] what it takes for them to be eligible to come back in and compete. And then people have been a lot more cautious around heat.”
Boys soccer captain Etienne Rouil - lard ‘25 said he is reassured by the safety efforts. When he was a freshman, the precautions put in place were tested when there was a medical emergency during a soccer game.
we hire coaches or when we’re onboarding coaches, we’ll ask for their [training] certificates,” said Gajar. “If they don’t have them, then we’ll provide that training.”
“We practice with each team every season,” said Springer. “So that if something ever happened and say, I wasn’t there, if a coach had walked up to their car and something happened [and] it was only kids, [they] would know where to get started, who to call, where to get the AED.” These procedures also extend outside Greenhills.
“It’s called an emergency action plan,” said Gajar. “We have to know where the AEDs are. You assign different groups of people or different pairs of people to call 911, find the trainer, go out and help the ambulance locate where they’re going.”
Even though the state requirements are in place, Greenhills works to make sure that their coaches are prepared for any emergency.
“The emergency action plan is state-man-
“We had a very real experience with this,” Rouillard said. “We were playing against Huron when I was a freshman, and when our goalkeeper went up to catch a ball a Huron player underneath him made him fall from the air onto his neck and he started having a seizure.”
Even with the frightening circumstances, every player remembered the safety roles and went into action.
“Instantly everyone knew their jobs,” said Rouillard. “We went to get the AED, open the gates, greet the ambulance, and those who knew how to provide CPR were there if needed. It was super organized and [when] the ambulance came, he ended up being fine, in large part due to the safety precautions that had been organized before. It really helped that everyone knew what they were doing.”
For Greenhills students and staff, it is extremely important that everyone knows their emergency position at all times. Rouillard says that the most important part is that no one panics and everyone follows their set roles.
“Even a few seconds can save a life,” said Rouillard. “So having set jobs is really important to make everything efficient in a situation when people might start freaking out. Knowing what to do can almost calm people, and save lives. So I’m
emphasizes this.”
“Obviously at the freshman level, the game time, the speed of the game is a little different, but the fact that they’re already being exposed to formations, serve receives, defense, all of that stuff, they’re getting looks right now, which is only going to make them stronger as they get older.”
This is Dumas’s first year coaching at Greenhills. She is eager and excited to work with players that are putting in work on the court and ready to learn and grow.
“I’m confident that the team can succeed,” said Dumas. “They really put forth their effort every practice and are willing to work hard and learn.The unity, the togetherness, the energy, how they care about each other. It’s just feels like a family. When I drive here, I’m excited about coming to Greenhills.”
Dumas’ goals for the freshman team are centered around growth and consistency. This is part of a bigger vision Dumas has for her players for development as a student athlete.
“I want them to reach their full potential as a volleyball player, and as a student athlete,” said Dumas.
The Gryphons grabbed their first win on September 19th in a two-zero sweep of Clarenceville High School. Renna Bunek’28, a player on the freshmen team, commented on their loss on Sept. 17 against Clarenceville High School before their game on Thursday.
“Well, the game that we just had yesterday was super close, said Willard. “We play them again on Thursday, and I think we can win.”
According to Willard, the Greenhills volleyball program is all about development and growth.
“There’s a lot of passion and athletes that want to play volleyball and I want to give them a really good experience.”
glad Greenhills
BILLY ROZELLE ‘27
Sports Staff
TEDDY STAEBLER ‘25
Sports Editor
BLACK AND GOLD Mcmurtrie ‘26 at her media day shoot this August. “I’m looking forward to competing in the BIG 10,” said Mcmurtrie.
COORDINATING FROM THE CORNER Inside of the trainer’s room, ’ Health Service Coordinator Christine Gajar works to make sure that all staff are ready in case of emergency. “When
Photo courtesy of Charlotte Mcmurtrie ‘26
Photo by Billy Rozelle ‘27
SETTING UP Several players, including Bridgitte Avsharian ‘28, pass while warming up for practice including Bridgitte Avsharian’28, who talked about her first impressions of the team.“At my old school, you did it for fun, but Greenhills is serious,” said Avsharian. “It’s for sure competitive, but all your teammates are nice.”
WILLIAM ENGLESBE ‘28 Sports Staff
Photo by William Englesbe ‘28
FALL SPORTS RECAP
Boys Tennis
Coming off of a Division 4 team title, the boys tennis team elected to move back up to the fiercely competitive Division 3. Despite the challenge, the team tied for the Division Three state championship with rival Detroit Country Day on Oct. 19. They managed to bounce off of a tough team loss at the regional championship, where they lost by two points to Country Day, to nudge out Cranbrook on their courts for the co-championship. Individually, Teddy Staebler ‘25 took the one singles championship in an epic comeback, recovering from losing the first set 1-6. On the doubles side, William Pearce ‘27 and captain Kabir Rajendra ‘25 took the one doubles championship coming back from down 0-5 in the first set, captain Ajay Puhorit ‘26 and Charlie Rich ‘26 won the two doubles championship, and Kirtan Palapattu ‘27 and Richard Wu ‘26 won the three doubles championship. Throughout the season, they dominated local Division One schools, including all Ann Arbor area teams. extending their win streak against Ann Arbor Division One schools where they have not lost a meet since 2017. The Gryphons finished the season with a record of 12-3-4.
Girls Volleyball
Girls volleyball started their season by winning the Greenhills Tri, beating Lutheran Westland 2-1 and Riverview Gabriel Richard 2-0. In the Catholic League, they have a record of 7-1, winning all matches except their match against league powerhouse Everest Collegiate. Everest has not lost any sets in any games except for a set taken by Greenhills. The team had momentum going into the Catholic League final, beating Austin Catholic 3-0, but were promptly shut down by Everest again, losing in the final 0-3. To prepare for districts, Greenhils willl take on tough competition in Milan and Dearborn at home Oct 30, a simliar level to the teams they will play in the later rounds of districts. Districts begin early November at Ottawa Lake Whiteford.
Boys Skiing
This winter, Greenhills will have a new boys co-op ski team with
As the newly added fourth
the lack of options for
during the
season. After two years of conversations with other schools, championed by John Sadrack ‘26, the team is finally set to debut. Practices will be held at Pine Knob in Clarkston, and prior experience is manda-
Girls Golf
The girls golf team closed out a successful season at the state finals on Oct. 19, with the team finishing fifth overall. Captain Mia Melendez ‘25 finished third individually, closing out her high school career. This was the first time that Melendez did not win the Division 4 individual state title. The team won several matches and gained accolades such as the Catholic League championship, where Melendez placed first with a 63 and Hannah Lee ‘25 shot an 86. They went on to win the regional championship on Oct. 10 at the Links of Novi, finishing first over Bath and Monroe St Mary Catholic Central to take the team championship for the fourth year in a row, with Melendez shooting a 64 and taking the individual regional title for a fourth time. With Melendez and Lee gone next year, the team will rely on the expeince of upperclassmen, Saaya Doshi ‘26, Kayla Young ‘27, and CC Jarjoura ‘27.
Girls Swim & Dive
The girls swim and dive team has managed to establish itself as a Catholic League powerhouse. In the first half of the season, they managed to break multiple school records, with the 200-yard medley relay record broken by Ryen Mahoney ’28, Payton Mathis ’27, Viv Simon ’28, and Sadie Skiles ’28, with a time of 2:02:91, and the 1-meter dive school record broken by Libby Schuster ‘27, with a score of 199.5. The team will go on to compete in the Catholic League championships on Nov. 14 and 15 at Kettering High School, and those who made the state cuts will compete at the state championship on Nov. 22 and 23 at Oakland University.
Girls Basketball
Girls basketball finished last season with a lot to look forward to, losing a tightly contested game at Districts with a young team. This year, the team will lean on returning talent of starters Libby Schuster ‘27, Cate Alumkal ‘27, Alexi Magdich ‘26, Eleana Zhuang ‘25, and freshman Quinn Maldonado ‘28 to fill the gaps of four departed seniors. After a lot of work in the offseason, the team is poised to make a run at districts or potentially deeper. The team begins their season Dec. 3 away at Skyline.
Boys Soccer
After a difficult regular season, boys soccer sharpened their focus for the MHSAA playoffs. The team started their endof-year push on Oct. 10 by beating Star International 8-0 at home in the district quarterfinal, beating Clarenceville 8-0 on Oct. 16 in the district semifinal, and beating rival Father Gabriel Richard (FGR) 2-0 for the district championship. They then beat Eaton Rapids under the lights in a stunning shootout to become one of the last eight teams standing in the state. Despite their playoff success, they had a tumultuous regular season, with both up and down games. They started the season with a loss against Lutheran North, which was then promptly followed up with losses to Divine Child and Cranbrook. They were then able to get back on track, with a win against St. Mary’s, and a tie against FGR, going on to beat them later in the season. The teams season came to an end after a heartbreaking loss in shootout to Williamston in the Regional Final.
Girls Field Hockey
The girls field hockey team has had a season full of highs and lows, with a record of 8-6-1. They opened their season with a 2-1 win against East Grand Rapids and then went on to a 7-0 win versus Northville. Despite these victories, they have had some tough losses, losing against Father Gabriel Richard, Marian, and losing twice to Academy of the Sacred Heart 0-2 and 0-1, with the second one in the Catholic League semifinal. The team then finished their season with a tough loss to Mercy in a shootout in the first round of the MHSAA playoffs, which was also their senior night. They honored their seven seniors, Kendyl Barfield ‘25, Clara Bixler ‘25, Jayla Johnson ‘25, Tove Vivekanand ‘25, and the two captains, Swarthmore commit Ananya Leahy ‘25 and Wellesley commit Meera Pandey ‘25.
Boys Basketball
Last year, boys varsity basketball had one of its best teams in years, with their season culminating in a district final appearance. This season, however, the team will have to overcome the loss of eight seniors and the first eight in the rotation. Additonally, the team will have a new coach in Jason Pickett after the departure of long time coach Andrew Wright. Led by captains Sermon Grewal ‘25 and Brock Merritt ‘25, the team hopes to find success despite the new faces. Season starts December 3 at home against Annapolis High School. Open tryouts begin Nov. 11 and are required for Varsity, JVA, and JVB teams.
Boys Swimming
After a successful 2023-2024 campaign, where they won the Fenton Relays for the first time in over 20 years, took third at Catholic leagues, and had every relay event in the state championships, the boys swim team will seek to overcome the loss of two key senior leaders. Led by captain Nico Dettling ‘25, and young talent Ethan Hong ‘27, Manuel Garcia ‘27, and Jeremiah Green ‘27, the team has high expectations. Events to watch: Dettling and Garcia along with two FGR seniors make for a competitive 200 freestyle relay, and Hong and Green both excel in the 500 freestyle. During spirit week the team faces off against Catholic Central, at home in a high-stakes matchup.
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