Middle school clubs relaunch
WILLIAM ENGELSBE ‘28
Sports Staff
Joining a club is an essential part of the Greenhills experience. Each year new clubs are proposed. At the same time, established clubs help students continue to explore their interests. Until this school year, middle school clubs were adult sponsored. Clubs were proposed by adults and students were invited to join. No commitment was required. Students were free to come and go.
“When Ms. Burroughs prepares for her club this year, she’s expecting a certain number of students,” said Head of Middle School Mayra Diaz. “The way we had it last year, people could drop in and out. Maybe she’d have four people, maybe she’d have 10 people. It was hard to prepare for that. The same thing happened with the Pickleball Club. I would set up four nets and three people would come one week and then the next week 10 people would come. That was hard to prepare for.”
The changes made this year aim to counter that problem. Students will decide where they will spend C&C before it happens. This means students are able to be marked in an attendance sheet by the club supervisor. In theory, this makes preparation easier for teachers.
student leaders of it so that the faculty member is really just the adult in the room supervising, but the students are really taking ownership of what they’re going to do every day.”
This year, Diaz and Maldonado received 73 club proposals. 32 club slots were available so many clubs had to be placed in the next club session which starts after winter break.
“It’s about student leadership and stu-
“So she asked if I would be the faculty sponsor for it, and I said yes because I also love to walk. So we all meet and go for a walk every Tuesday.”
As both a sixth grade teacher and a middle school club leader, Yavor has a unique perspective on these new changes.
“For me, it’s not really affected how I organize and prepare,” said art teacher Nicole Burroughs. “I have heard from some of my students that it’s a bit hard for them to get into clubs. I don’t know how true that is, but I think because clubs are done in a rotation, for some students it might be harder to commit to that and then get their opportunity to go in on the pottery wheel. I think there’s some benefits to it, because it does encourage more students to participate in clubs across the board because they have to sign up for something.”
The aim of this new system is to allow for students to propose club ideas more easily. This has created many new clubs as a result.
“Now, instead of kids coming up with clubs at random times or having clubs that we’ve always had, we put together a proposal form for students to propose any club they were interested in having,” said Middle School Dean Bridget Maldonado. “We then also asked them to be the
dent choice,” said Maldonado. “They know what’s cool. Way better than I do. They know what they’ll enjoy way better than I do. It gives them a way to exercise their voice. It’s about them telling us what they want and then us doing what we can to make that happen.”
Walking club was proposed and organized through this new student centered club system. Annabel Masias ’31 is the student leader of this club along with social science teacher Lauren Yavor.
“Annabel thought it would be great to use the last 30 minutes of the day to go for a walk outside and get some fresh air,” said Yavor.
“Now, we have a bigger variety in the clubs that are happening on Tuesdays and Fridays,” said Yavor. “I like that kids get to be in two different clubs if they want to be. And I think it’s great that all students are in clubs because I think it encourages them to hang out with people that maybe they don’t see in class or maybe make new connections, especially for our 6th graders. They’re still finding their people and figuring out where they fit at Greenhills, so it’s another nice way to connect.”
While middle school clubs have gone through changes in recent years, the high school clubs have remained mostly the same throughout that time.
“I think developmentally, upper school students are in a place where they can be much more independent,” said Diaz. “You also know what you like and you’re more committed to those things. And so when you join a club, you’re doing it with a level of commitment that requires a little more maturity. In middle school, it varies.”
Maldonado said the key to this new club system is student leadership. Historically, adults have acted as the leader of clubs, organizing and directing activities. This year’s new club system is designed to have students as club leaders. Teacher will shift into the supervisor role.
“For some clubs, no one was willing to be the student lead of it,” said Maldonado.
“And I didn’t pick that one because the key to the success of the first round of the clubs was if there was a student that was really bought in and wanted to run it.”
Detroit mayor, student panel discuss political climate
EVA BERNSTEIN ‘25
Editor in Chief
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan visited Greenhills Nov. 20 for a panel engaging in conversation with students as part of the League for Civil Discourse’s 2024 Fall Symposium of Ideas. He spoke about topics ranging from Detroit’s resurgence to political polarization. I spoke with Mayor Duggan, after the panel, about ways that Greenhills students can get involved in Detroit, his time in office, and his plans for the future.
Eva Bernstein: What role do you see young people taking in fostering Detroit’s momentum as a growing city?
Mayor Duggan: “It’s the young people that are providing the energy. They come down on nights and weekends. In the Detroit that I worked in for most of my life, people drove in at 8:30 in the morning, they left at 5:30 at night, and it was dead in between. Now, the vibrancy downtown from young people is what’s driving our recovery.”
EB: What opportunities exist for Greenhills students to engage in Detroit?
MD: “We run summer internship programs out of the mayor’s office. My son’s senior project was in the homicide unit of the Detroit police department. There are plenty of opportunities for senior projects in Detroit.”
EB: What do you think has been your biggest accomplishment as mayor?
MD: “We’ve gotten Detroiters to move away from the ‘us vs. them’ politics.’ That’s how the city has grown so effectively. Now that’s become part of the city’s DNA, that we’re unified.”
EB: What about being the mayor of Detroit surprised you?
MD: “I’m surprised by how supportive people have been to me for 11 straight years. If you were with me, no matter where I go, whether it be the store or the gas station, they’ll come up to hug me and take a picture. Then they’ll tell me about the dead tree in front of their house that they want fixed, but I’m amazed by how supportive they’ve been.”
Editor’s Note: Duggan announced he will not run for reelection as mayor of Detroit Nov. 13, the office he has held since 2014. On Dec. 4, Duggan announced he plans to seek to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in Lansing. While he serves as mayor as a Democrat, he said he will run for governor as an independant candidate in 2026.
IZZY BARU ‘25
Managing Editor, Print
There will be no blue and white balloons, there will be no shining disco ball, and there will be no DJ setup in the middle of the lunchroom. This year there will be no winter formal. The dance has been canceled but student council, or StuCo, hopes to create a new tradition in place of it.
While prom and homecoming are the most well-known high school dances, winter formal has been around the past three winters, to celebrate the end of spirit week with a party on Saturday.
“My understanding was that winter formal was added during COVID-19 for the freshman and sophmores because they did not get to attend prom,” said upper school dean of students Janelle Sterling.
Sterling said the dance was canceled this year due to a scheduling conflict with an Ethics Bowl conference hosted at Greenhills. This event appears to typically take place before every winter formal; however due to the amount of students attending and previous issues with the bowl impacting StuCo’s ability to set up for the dance, administrators have decided to entirely remove the dance from the calendar.
“Our schedule is just very jam packed during that time so there is no way to move winter formal to another weekend,” said Sterling. “It also wouldn’t completely make sense because the dance was placed specifically to commemorate the ending of spirit week.”
Besides the logistical issue, Sterling has found that according to the data of attendees in comparison to homecoming, winter formal was the least attended of the dances.
“I was disappointed to learn in August that there would be no dance,” said StuCo representative Jonah Kaplan ‘26. “However StuCo had no control over this so I hope students won’t place blame on us for canceling the dance. We hope to find something just as good or better to end off that week.”
StuCo, in charge of all student interest events, has been meeting every Monday during C&C to brainstorm and discuss what could go in place of winter formal. Sterling has challenged them to think of an event that could end off that Friday. There has been various talk of what could go in place of the dance.
“It’s still in the talking stages and we are trying to build suspense,” said StuCo representative Roger Mariani ‘27. “But that day we are ending with two basketball games so we are hoping to add something that incorporates elements of the dance but will also bring students out to support the teams.”
While winter formal is canceled for this year, Sterling and the StuCo representatives are unsure if the dance will make a return in following years.
“I think it might be gone for good,” said Sterling. “I believe that it is too early to say but the only reason I think that is because anytime you take something away it’s hard to bring it back. It will be interesting to see what the student body has to say about it because there has always been a mix of opinions surrounding the dance. I feel like students truly just want a place to gather with something to do and I am more than happy to provide that. ”
Some students love the thought of dressing up and dancing, however others aren’t so thrilled by the idea. Students’ emotions regarding the cancellation seem to range from indifferent to devastated.
“I am upset that it was canceled,” said Lauren Ye ‘26. “ I wish the winter formal was still happening because the timing of it was good. I enjoyed how it was right in between homecoming and prom, it gave me something to look forward to.”
SERVICE STARS Annabelle Brummett ‘30, Saanvika Nichani ‘30 and Audrey Vaidya ‘30 participate in R.O.C.K.S (Ripples of Caring and Kindness in School) service club. R.O.C.K.S
Photo by William Engelsbe ‘28
Photo courtesy of John Lund
Our New Year’s resolution: community
engagement
As teenagers, we are often told that we have the power to change the world. While this can be emboldening, it can also feel daunting and patronizing coming from adults. Just last month, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke directly to young Americans in her concession speech following the presidential election.
“Don’t ever give up,” said Harris. “Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power. And don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before. You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world.”
This call to action made headlines, and while on one hand, it is empowering to hear a prominent political figure shout out your age demographic, it is also a bit unsettling to hear our nation’s leaders pin the responsibility for progress on us.
We are constantly told that it is up to us to reverse climate change and end the school shooting epidemic, issues that are not the products of our actions but that we are now responsible for solving, especially given the fact that our generation shoulders the majority of their burdens. Take into consideration the fact that the vast majority of Greenhills students are unable to vote, and we are left with a student body that has been on the receiving end of calls to action and messaging that we are the future, when most of the time, it feels as if there is no way to make a meaningful impact on soci ety.
While it is important to take time to reflect in the wake of the recent election, it is essential that we look into how we, America’s youth, can be cat alysts of change. Candidates would not speak to us if they did believe in us; they are in our corner. It is our job, though, to find ways that we can get in volved and make a difference, and believe it or not, a vote is not the only meaningful way to use your voice. Get involved. Join a cam paign. Protest an unjust proposition. This past election cycle, students were involved in various campaigns and found it to be an extremely effec tive outlet for their energy. While the presidential campaign often soaks up the limelight, don’t forget the impor tance of our local elections. State repre sentative, state supreme court, and city council member races are often easier to get involved in, and these are all important make decisions for us as a local and state
ty. Knocking on doors and phone banking can seem trivial, but it is one of the most useful things you can do in these local elections. Having these difficult conversations about strong beliefs is hard, but important to grow intellectually in your ideals. Every house and every person makes a difference in these small elections that can get decided by less than a couple hundred votes. In these ever-changing times, it’s important to make sure that we are represented and cared for by our local government.
Now, you may be thinking, ‘Politics isn’t for me. What are other ways that I can get involved and make a difference?’ Luckily for you, there is no shortage of opportunities when it comes to community engagement, and, even better, Greenhills provides the resources to find causes that appeal to people with diverse interests, such as applying to join SLICE (Student Leaders in Civic Engagement) to create various service opportunities for your peers like the Pathway Adventures where you can sign up to help out at a local organization over the weekend or during your free period. From volunteering at Food Gatherers to doing crafts with kids at King Elementary, you could find a new interest and leave with meaningful memories, all while creating positive change in our community.
BILLY ROZELLE ‘27
The
Alternatively, if you have conflicts during the time that this ming is offered, you can still complete small day. Write a nice the sidewalk with hold the door for person behind as you enter the library. The truth is, you can’t change the world until you change yourself, and these seemingly mundane acts are the perfect way to start. Regardless of magnitude, any action taken to improve society, whether it be on a nationwide campaign or within the walls
As we approach the new year, many people are in the spirit to break bad habits and start new ones, writing down their resolutions. There are the usual goals: organizing your closet, exercising, and reading more, but this year, we ask that you actively engage in our nity. It’s true, New Year’s Day is a great date to start something new, but there’s also no time like the present. Don’t wait until Monday to start journaling, and certainly don’t wait until 2025 to start using
morning after What the election results say about the Greenhills community
If you talked to a Greenhills student before Nov. 5, the results of the presidental election seemed like a sure thing. From discussions about “eating cats and dogs” to agreements and disagreements on political issues such as immigration and women’s rights, the majority opinion was clear: the Greenhills community did not believe in a vision of the next four years offered by former President Donald Trump. Despite this, it would not come true, Trump becoming President-elect Donald Trump at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, after the Associated Press called Wisconsin in his favor. Trump went on to win all seven swing states en route to a landmark victory, winning the popular vote for the first time in all three of his elections and leading Republi - cans to flip the Senate and re- tain control of the House.With such a massive victory by a can -
didate that many students had placed little belief in, the statement has to be made: The political viewpoints of those at Greenhills can not tell us anything at all on a national scale.
Part of the disconnect comes through the diversity of the Greenhills community. Greenhills has managed to assemble cultures and people from all groups, but a lack of diversity in political opinions appears regularly. Nationally, this sharing of cultures does not appear, but political opinions differ drastically throughout. According to the 2020 census, 61.6 percent of the population identifies as white. Of the voting public, that number swells to a stunning 71 percent. Of that 71 percent, 57 percent voted for former President Trump, who carried the votes of 60 percent of white men, who make up one-third of the voting population, and 53 percent of white women, who make up an even larger 37 percent of voters. Of the 29 percent of non-white voters, 64 percent voted for Harris. Looking further into this demographic, additional stunning figures are seen, such as 91 percent of Black women voting for Harris. With such massive numbers for one candidate, it would seem that those votes would carry them to the White House. However, Black women only make up 7 percent of the voting population, and 7.8 percent of the entire population. In short, there is simply not enough diversity in the American voting population and the general population to flip the scales away from a candidate that the majority of white voters wanted in office.
Another reason that Greenhills viewpoints do not match up with the outcome of the election is the massive push for college education seen throughout all grades in the school. If you walk into the 11th grade forum, you will see a seemingly chaotic mass of information about starting the college application process. Instead of a faculty leader’s office, the offices of the college counselors are instantly available for any student to receive information. In 12th grade, the first semester
consists of a mad dash to perfect your applications, which is then followed with heavy anticipation to find out if you have been admitted into your dream school. However, for most of the country, the exact opposite can be found. 62 percent of Americans lack a college degree, but they do fill out their ballots. In this election, Trump carried 56 percent of voters without a college degree, who made up a stunning 57 percent of voters. Connecting back to the large margins of white voters he carried, 66 percent of white non-college-educated voters filled in a ballot for Trump. This demographic made up almost 40 percent of all voters.
The numbers don’t lie. America has forever been the great melting pot, but at the ballot box, the stirring seems to stop. Greenhills shows viewpoints from all different paths of life, but these paths converge to end at the same political stances. The main issue in believing that Greenhills politics match up with American politics at all is disregarding the white, male, non-college-educated voter. At the end of the day, this is a demographic that will not be seen at any point in the halls of Greenhills. This demographic will, however, be seen at the polling place, deciding who becomes the next President of the United States.
The next four years are shaping up to be extremely eventful. The Republican Party has been given, as Trump put it, “an unprecedented and powerful mandate” to, as he told RFK Jr., “go wild” on legislation, and they have two years until the 2026 midterm elections to push it through. A lot will change in the country, but the Greenhills demographics will most likely not. This gives community members two years to find ways to reach the demographics not seen here. If they want to truly find the opinions of the majority of the voting public, they will have to leave the halls of Greenhills and reach out to others. This is where they will find the average American, worried about the economy and their working-class job rather than how fit a certain candidate is for the role.
Why we need to be better at not sharing grades
TWOEY BULLOCK ‘27
When you walk into the forums here at Greenhills, you hear the lively chatter of students talking to their friends and schoolmates. After a big quiz or test, you start to hear, “How did you do?” or “What did you get?” After two full years here, I’m starting to get tired of this. Sometimes, I want to keep my test scores to myself, even when I do really well on a test. But because it’s second nature to me now, every time my grade has a big test, I share my score.
Think of grade sharing as a game. Many of us here at Greenhills are competitive and want to win this game, but to avoid being a total jerk, they don’t wish to show off when they win, mostly. So when someone asks you how you did on the test, internally they are trying to compare their score to yours. After you tell them your score, if your score is higher than theirs, they know that they just lost to you but because you yourself want to know if you won as well, you ask them for their score. They tell you your score and you are feeling better from the interaction and they are feeling worse. You tell each other things like “Oh, great job” or “You did so good” and both of you continue your days.
For good test takers who score high on most of their tests, this game is fun because they mostly always win, but for those who struggle with tests, these interactions are dreadful. Some may argue that these people can just say “I prefer not to share” when asked to share their test grade, but because of peer pressure and wanting to fit into Greenhills student societal norms, they usually end up sharing their scores and losing these competitions frequently. What if we ended these competitions and talked about any other topic? I know many of us enjoy sharing our grades, but I think grades should stay personal whether you have straight A’s or you’re barely passing your classes.
After every big test you have, instead of sharing your specific score when someone asks what grade you got, give that person a vague answer such as, “good”, “bad”, “okay”, or “I bombed it”. You can still share your grades in this way, but with a general answer, you’ve answered their question and you’ve kept your specific grade private.
I know it will be difficult to stop sharing specific grades, but if more people become less specific about the grades they got or have in a class, our community as a whole will benefit. So the next time you are tempted to ask for someone’s grade or tell another person your grade, don’t do it, because it could be harmful to either them or you.
Robotics marks 10 years of technological feats
ASHU BHARATH ‘28 Lifestyles Staff
Ten years ago, a group of students began creating mechanical robots, driven with curiousity and a passion for innovation. Today, the well-established robotics team celebrates the growth and accomplishments achieved over the past decade. The team has had many successes as well as faced a good deal of challenges. From the creation of the team, to the present, there have been many dedicated students and mentors who have been a part of this group. Alex Monte-Sano, a former economics teacher at Greenhills, took on the role as lead mentor when he founded the team.
“ We [the team] started in the fall of 2014, 10 years ago,” said Monte-Sano.
team consists of thirty-six students.
“A lot of new ninth-graders are joining the robotics team,” said Monica Kovacs ‘28. “There was a lot of interest at the club fair. It seems like more people are interested.
Along with an increase in student participation there is a lot of student diversity in the team as well.
“Ten [students] self-identify as female,” said Dershimer. “We’re seeing an increase in upper school numbers as well. The other cool thing is that we’re developing a recruitment pipeline now, and increasing the representation of females is a big goal for our team. And this is our third year with a dedicated female staff member.”
“At the same time, Mrs. Gleason, who was the eighth grade science teacher, before Dr. Dershimer, was starting a middle school team and she came to me and said, you should start a high school team at the same time. We started that fall getting ready for the competition season in January.” In the team’s early years, mentors mainly determined the course of meetings, and what was done on the team.
“Mr. Monte-Sano had noticed that when students stepped into robotics, they had never done robotics before, and so it was up to the adults to act mostly as mentors and chaperones to what happened,” said Charles Dershimer, the robotics program coordinator, and mentor. The team progressively started to become more independent, relying more on its members than mentors.
“Now we have more students and we have as many students in our sixth grade [team] as we had in the whole program almost five years ago,” said Dershimer.
The upper school robotics team has accomplished a lot. The same is true for middle school.
Last season was the first year one of our middle school teams, specifically the eighth grade team, made it to the state championship.
Participants on the team have been recognizing the change as well.
“There’s a lot more girls joining than there had been,” said Monica Kovacs.
COVID presented many challenges for the team, as it did for the rest of the world.
“COVID disrupted competitions,” said alumni Jeremy Kovacs ‘22. “They canceled all the competitions that year. The next year was a bit different too. My junior year, they didn’t really have competitions, so that year there wasn’t much going on.” The team had a decrease in participants after COVID as well, and the team has made great progress since then.
“We had a pretty small team, and then after COVID, we had probably five dedicated students, and now we’re up to 30 in that upper school,” said Jeremy Green, the current lead robotics coach.
Robotics teams are guaranteed two district competitions that start around March. In its early years, the team would just go to the two. Later on as the team progressed they did more on and off season competitions.
As of right now, the upper school
“We did two district competitions, we voluntarily did a third district competition and then we did states and then we did worlds,” said Montesano. We were super busy that year.”
In the past, the school has had seventh grade, eighth grade, and upper school teams. Now, there is a sixth grade team as well.
physics rooms. That was really challenging.”
The mentors found it harder to work in this space as the team progressed. They searched
“We moved down to where the shop is right now, and then slowly built that out,” said Monte-Sano. “There was nothing in there at first, and we slowly just added more and more.” The space has come a long way. It has many facilities built in and it continues to expand.
“We’ve seen in the 2023 season, the middle school team, for the first time ever in 10 years, qualified for the state championship,” said Dershimer. “And that was [a] phenomenal thing to have happened. We were also awarded the connect award, and that’s important because this is a judged award that’s given to the team that most connects with their local science technology engineering community.”
The upper school robotics team has qualified for the state championship multiple times. One of its most significant achievements occurred in 2019 when, for the first time, the team qualified for the World Championship.
“The space encourages the team to be successful and [it] supports their success,” said Dershimer. “It has now grown into having a dedicated shop, a dedicated build space and classrooms that are organized.” For their 10th Anniversary, there is a plan for a potential special drive party.
“Over the last nine years, the lawnmowers have been to the state championship four times, and the world championship once,” said Dershimer. “The upper school team has a really strong record. This past year, the team was awarded the engineering inspiration award for outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation of engineering within a team and school communities, [which] shows, again, that we’re not just about building a robot, we’re really about becoming engineers in terms of everything we do.”
“We’re wanting to do a 10th anniversary drive party and definitely 10th anniversary shirts,” said Green. As for the future of the team, priorities are student leadership, further improving the space, potentially hosting a middle school robotics competition, and strengthening sponsorship in terms of mentors and finances.
One of the largest changes that have happened since the start of the team was to the robotics work space. Initially, the team used to meet in the physics room across from the physics lab where Monte-Sano used to teach math and economics.
“It’s a small room,” said Monte-Sano. “We just had tools that I owned and we would bring them out into the hallway and build in the hallway between those two
“As for the future for the team, we really want to continue to have the student leadership be a strong part of it,” said Dershimer. “I would like us to host an event for the middle school. I think that we could actually host a competition here at Greenhills, and the upper school team could support that.” Currently, the students are working hard in preparation of the upcoming season.
“The thing that’s been most gratifying for me is that the spirit of the team remains the same.The point of the whole exercise is to develop students who have an interest in solving problems and can work in teams and do complex and typical things under time pressure. My interaction with the team over the last couple of years after I’ve been involved is that the spirit remains.”
WIRED FOR SUCCESS Qualifying for the state championship, and even the world championship, the 2019 robotics team was rooted in their teamwork, dedication, and innovation.“The team
MOWING THE LAWN Mentors like Alex Monte-Sano, Charles Dershimer, Jeremy Green, and Christina Greenfield have blazed a path for the success of the team. “It’s nice when the robot does well, but what we want to do is develop passion in students to use engineering, to make the world a better place, and I think Jeremy and Dr. Dershimer really carried that spirit on,” said Monte-Sano. CUTTING
GEARING UP FOR TEAMWORK The team has always worked
on, and off-season. “We started doing
competitions pretty
ly on, like in the summer, that started relatively early,” said Monte-Sano.
Sophomore’s bookstore recs
& Noble has approximately 600 locations throughout the United States for a reason: it is a solid, reliable bookstore. The Ann Arbor location of Barnes & Noble has a Starbucks inside where customers can purchase pastries and drinks alongside a cafe setting of chairs and tables frequently utilized for studying. Barnes & Noble doesn’t
Barnes and Noble is a solid bookstore
Schulers Books (Previously Nichola’s Books) is a local, independent bookstore located in the Westgate Shopping Center. The store was purchased in 1992 by Nicola Rooney but was sold to Schuler’s Books in 2014. The store’s support of new and independent authors makes the store a unique location for discovering new material to read. Local authors frequently visit the store to sign books, do live readings, and promote their upcoming work. Schuler’s Book works to support non-profit organizations by hosting a Book Week. These by-request fundraisers mean that the organization selected will be given 20% of profits made in that week, granted that the customers mention your organization. Another way Schuler’s Books supports the community is their resale policy regarding used books. This exchange means that any book donated will award you 30% of the book’s market value as an in-store credit or 20% of the market value in cash.
Schulers Books is not particularly unique in its book selection and does not have the charm or aesthetically pleasing interior of other small bookstores. However, with the support and events it hosts to boost new and smaller authors, customers can see the store’s appreciation for literature and efforts to expand its store material.
Freshman ranks best bagels
Barry Bagels is the best bagel place in Ann Arbor. They have a wide variety of menu items, from cream cheese flavors to chips. A fresh chocolate chip bagel from Barry is the closest you can get to perfection in a bagel. When you walk into their store, it feels local and warm. Their selection of drinks perfectly complement the fresh doughy attributes of their bagels that set them apart from the rest.
My go-to order is an Eggel and cheese with sausage, a plain bagel toasted with cream cheese, Garden Salsa Sunchips, a Diet Coke, and a plain chocolate chip bagel for dessert. Their bagels are surprisingly filling, so keep that in mind while ordering. Their BLT is also great as a backup option. If you want something with greens, recommend their veggie sandwiches, especially the veggie and hummus on an everything bagel. The actual bagel itself is dense and rich, with a soft outside, and the dough is slightly sweet and heavy. This does mean, however, that the bagels don’t keep as well as more airy bagels, so remember to enjoy them fresh. I would also recommend lightly toasting them, as the crispy outside goes well with the soft inside. Overall, I think Barry Bagels is the best all around bagel place in Ann Arbor
VIOLET WEIZER ‘25 Buzzzzz. A new challenge has dropped for Starbucks Rewards: “Earn 90 bonus stars by ordering an iced latte three times in the next four days.” Enticing, although a bit ridiculous sounding, opportunities like this come up on my Starbucks app around once a week, and every time they appear I am faced with an internal decision: is it worth it?
Bruegger’s
I am hooked on Starbucks, or rather, their rewards system. Every day, I find myself checking the app for new offers to gain rewards points, which are called stars, or just looking at any new drinks that I will need to try soon. Earning stars wisely can be challenging for new customers, but the system itself is pretty simple. Each star is earned after spending $1, so the hack here is to use gift cards, which you can purchase and reload yourself to earn double stars on every purchase. Now, what to do with all those stars you have earned?
I would only redeem 25 stars if you are not a frequent customer, because stars expire six months after earning them. But if you don’t foresee yourself frequenting Starbucks enough within six months to earn 200 plus stars, then I would recommend using the stars right when you earn them.
I tend to normally cash out 200 stars when I earn them. By selecting the choice to get a free handcrafted drink, you are left with countless options to make your drink worth up to $15 or more dollars. I usually make mine around $12 because it is hard to rack up the price if you are purely concerned with money and not taste, unless you are adding countless espresso shots to your drink.
As I mentioned earlier, there are other ways
items.
Maple French Toast Gourmet, Jalapeño Cheddar, and Egg bagels all set Bruegger’s apart from the rest in terms of options. Bruegger’s also has an exceptional selection of whole wheat bagels if that’s what you prefer.
I highly recommend their classic Egg, Sausage and Cheese on an everything bagel and the Bacon Avocado and, Tomato Egg White I suggest toasting the Bacon Avocado and Tomato Egg White if possible because the avocado tends to make the bagel soggy without a harder crust. Bruegger’s Bagel is a good bagel shop and is a great option for breakfast, lunch, and diner!
to earn stars other than purely from purchasing stan dard drinks. If you are a frequent user of the Star bucks rewards app, they will send challenges to your account. These challenges are catered to an algorithm of what the app thinks you frequently purchase. My most recent challenge that I completed was worth 90 stars. This challenge included purchasing three specific drinks before 11 a.m. Often, am not able to complete challenges because they included purchasing drinks almost every day for over three days in a row. This would break the bank for me. There have been periods of time where I don’t have access to a Starbucks, such as on vacations, so I purchase Starbucks less. It is only after these droughts that the app stops sending me challenges and offers to earn more stars. In the past, Starbucks has offered double and triple star days. These special days used to come about once a week but I have not seen one for months. These star days are exactly what they sound like, on every purchase you earn double or triple the amount of stars. Remember, using a gift card on one of these days can earn you quadruple or sixtuple the amount of stars on your purchase.
There used to be other deal days too such as BOGO (Buy One, Get One) days or BOGO 50 percent off any size drink. I presume that these deals come across less frequently now due to the change in CEO or the dwindling end of boycotts.
Although I am obsessed with earning stars, I do still care about which drinks I order. Here is my complete list of drink recommendations for every
Established in 1969, Bagel Fragel is an iconic Ann Arbor establishment. I would recommend their chocolate chip bagel and of course, their famous fragel. A fragel is a cinnamon raisin bagel that is fried and coated with sugar. Their sandwiches are some of the most creative I’ve seen and there isn’t one I wouldn’t recommend. Another bagel I love is their spinach feta. It goes great with any cream cheese, but especially something sweet like their strawberry or brown sugar cream cheeses. One thing to keep in mind is their hours of operation. They open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 2:30 p.m. every day of the week. This unfortunately means it’s not possible to get them after school. This doesn’t take away from their actual menu, though, as being able to enjoy a fresh fragel in the morning is always a treat. Bagel Fragel stands out because it feels unique and local, something that isn’t matched by many other bagel
iconic to miss.
Violet’s guide to starbucks
the year. A good alternative for when you can’t order this drink is just to get a matcha latte with vanilla sweet cream cold foam. The texture is the exact same and the flavor is also very solid.
Ranked No. 3 and 4 are refreshers. On the left is the Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher and on the right is the Cran-merry Orange Lemonade Refresher. I would rate the cranberry refresher a 9/10 and the mango dragonfruit a 9.1/10. The Cran-merry is the first seasonal refresher ever released and I recommend that you give it a try but with no inclusions. Inclusions are the freeze dried fruit pieces that get rehydrated by the drink. The Mango Dragonfruit is my all-time go-to drink, but it especially hits in the summer. I only get this drink with lemonade because just a water base is completely flavorless. A hack that I use for refreshers is purchasing a tall size drink with no ice and then asking for a venti cup of ice and mixing them together. This hack is cost effective and can also work well for Matcha Lemonade. Sometimes I get this drink with no ice and drink it over the course of two days, this is only when I am really pinching pennies.
Ranked No. 5 is Matcha Lemonade This drink is a hit or a miss depending on how well the barista shakes the drink. This drink also does not keep well because the matcha sediment collects at the bottom of the cup and turns a brownish color. This is a good summer alternative to a regular matcha latte so I would recommend giving it a try if you like lemonade-based drinks. Keep in mind that Starbucks does not use ceremonial grade matcha so do not expect the flavor to be that concentrated.
My order history is not limited to these five drinks, but these are ones I tend to get regularly. For refreshers, I always recommend the lemonade base rather than the water, because the ice already waters down the flavor. For coffees, I tend to lean towards the iced option unless it is a mocha.
During the holiday season, which I personally start in Nov., I stay away from refreshers so I can try the new drinks on the menu. Out of those new drinks I highly recommend the Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai. The combination of the spiced cold foam makes the bland flavor of Starbucks chai very bearable. I am a very strong supporter of Starbucks drinks, and if I may, I give myself the title of connoisseur. But not everything they make is the best you can find. I do not recommend Starbucks London Fog or Chai. These teas are much better elsewhere. also do not recommend their raspberry flavored pearls, or you may know them as popping boba. This addition of “boba” to the menu is straying too far away from Starbucks’ cafe origins. If you want to order boba, just go to a boba shop.
I am also not a fan of the “subtle” price inflations on some of my go-to drinks. In other states and bigger cities, prices of these so-called “standard” drinks differ. But alas, this is due to inflation and other unspecified company costs. This is a pseudo-complete guide as do not include the bakery and sandwich options in my ratings. I aim to try those one day, but for now I am sticking to the drinks. It’s
IZZY BARU ‘25
Science couture
Instructor uses clothing as teaching, learning tools
KIERAN LUMENG ‘26
School Staff
Geology rocks. fueled by mitochondria and coffee. ba.na.na. trendsetter. These are all words on t-shirts. Reed is a teacher known for her t-shirt collection with science-based puns. She can be seen walking through the halls with one of these t-shirts most days. The shirts are sometimes related to what she is teaching in class and other times just a joke, but they are always related to science.
“It has grown over the last few years,” said Reed. “I pretty much started collecting when I came to Greenhills.”
Reed did not intentionally plan to become famous for her t-shirts, but as her collection grew, it became her claim to fame. She found her first shirt online and it took off from there.
“I found a t-shirt on Etsy that was the Fueled by Mitochondria and Coffee t-shirt, which I found just really hilarious,” said Reed. “Then I started to find others that I thought were fun. Then it started to become more of a thing that I became known for. So I’ve just leaned into it.”
The t-shirts aren’t just for fun or fashion. They also aid in the teaching of science to Gretta’s middle school students.
“Beyond classroom teaching, it’s a way that I’ve connected with students,” said Reed. “Some of them relate directly to what I teach. Some of them don’t. It just kinda brings a little extra fun to things.” It is not just the students who enjoy the t-shirts, the teachers enjoy the sight of new t-shirts.
“Always fun to see Deano Smith giggle in the hallway when he sees one of them that he hasn’t seen before,” said Reed. Smith,
Old McGryphon had a farm
head of the upper school agrees that he enjoys the sight of Reed’s t-shirts every single day.
“I love Reed’s wide variety of shirts,” said Smith. “She is outstanding. Some people have style.
Ms. Reed, seriously [has] real style.” Reed limit doesn’t limit her fashion just to t-shirts. She will also pair her shirts with science-themed jewelry or get other styles of shirts.
“I think my favorite one is probably my GEOLOGY ROCKS t-shirt,” said Reed. “Mostly because I also pair it with earrings that are fossils from the game Animal Crossing. So I do try to match my theme a little bit. I also have a button down that has a topographical map. I try to wear that when I do topography with 7th grade.”
Reed’s students also have their favorite t-shirts and they think it makes science class more enjoyable.
“It’s all different. Each individual one is kinda special in its own way,” said Cody Peng ‘30. “I like the banana one with the blue background.”
Reed is not the only teacher who uses their clothing to express what students are learning in class. Smith also uses clothing to teach.
“My style is like having shirts that are connected to what I’m talking about or doing in class,” said Smith. “So right now, I’m wearing a spirit and opportunity [Mars rover] shirt because I teach about Mars rovers. You’ll see me wearing shirts that have connections to the curriculum. So the fact that Ms. Reed has, like, 10 gazillion shirts all about cool things about science, I absolutely love it.”
Community members engage in agricultural pastimes
GRACE MOMOH ‘28
Lifestyles Staff
Growing up on a farm is not just a lifestyle, but a life lesson. From educational experiences to learning valuable morals,
“My father was born on a farm in France and he worked on it, grew up on it, and when he came to the United States, he wanted to continue that,” Etienne Rouillard ‘25 said, “He, my siblings, and I, we do this for fun basically.”
farming is a part of life that some people get to experience firsthand. A couple of students at Greenhills share this way of life with one another and even though their jobs may be similar, their experiences and takeaways are different.
One thing that each of the students had in common was the fact that their farms connected them to their family’s roots and history. Things like plant seeds were passed down and carried over to new locations, like here, in the United States.
“The biggest thing in our garden is tomatoes,” said Lydia Muller ‘27, “My family is Italian and we have these Italian tomato seeds that my great grandfather brought over when he first moved here.”
Farming can be a job, but it also can be a passion. This passion is one of the ways that the traditions of farming pass on through generations.
Etienne and Manon Rouillard agreed with Muller that the experience of living or working on a farm is a positive experience. Farms have something for everyone, indoorsy or outdoorsy, there’s things that anyone can enjoy.
“I personally don’t do work on the farm because I’m not much of an outdoorsy person,” Muller said, “[The experience] is cool though and the barn is nice.”
For those who do more work on the farm, the experience is more hands-on and educational.
“We eat the eggs from chickens and we butcher them, like pluck and gut them and everything, so it’s fun and it’s a good educational experience,” said Etienne Rouillard, “I also enjoy just being outside. I think overall it’s a really good experience.”
Having a farm is also a way to bond with family and friends. Whether it be using the produce to cook for them, spending time with them working on the farm, or simply just walking around.
“I walk around every night after dinner with my dad,” said Manon Rouillard ‘25, “to close the chicken and duck coops, get the animals ready for the night, and feed them.”
he and his family still
respect the lives of animals. Through his experiences on a farm, he has learned some lessons as well.
“I think it’s important, whether you have a farm or not, to just really understand and value where your food comes from,” Etienne Rouillard said, “and understand the work it took to get your food on the table.”
Brandon Groff said his experience butchering his animals is more of a melancholy one and that he doesn’t necessarily enjoy it. He believes that it is a part of life and that he is doing his part to lessen the negative impact that he has on the environment.
“I butcher the chickens myself,” said Groff, “which is not an easy thing to do because you’re killing something that you have a relationship with.”
With having a farm, comes the responsibility of having a farm. People who own a farm need to chip in their efforts and do the jobs they need to do in order for it to be successful.
“Every night closing the chicken and duck coops, making sure that they have water and food,” said Manon Rouillard, “and we have lambs, and sometimes when they are born, the mothers abandon them for whatever reason, so for a couple of years I’ve been bottle feeding lambs morning and night to make sure they stay alive, and there’s plucking and gutting the chickens and turkeys.”
Living on a farm has also opened Rouillard’s eyes to the
The Rouillard family raises animes to be conscious of where their food comes from. “The lambs are pretty funny animals,” said Etienne
For the Rouillards and their neighbors, the farm is their primary source of food. Food can bring people together and it is necessary for life in general.
“We have chickens, turkeys, rabbits and sometimes, ducks,” said Etienne Rouillard, “we do it for us and we do it for our neighbors so we get food.”
People may wonder about the guilt that may come with killing animals, but as Etienne Rouillard said, it’s a part of life and something that people should know about and should value, and
‘25. “But we do eventually kill them when they become adults at about one years old.”
actions that he and other people do in their everyday lives, and how, through those actions, they don’t really think too deeply about where their food comes from, and how much work was put into it.
“Oftentimes, we’ll just throw away something like our hamburgers at lunch and not eat everything.” said Rouillard, “We don’t realize the human work that went into it and the environmental cost. Most of the food we eat comes from the opposite side of the world, so I think understanding where our food comes from is
Linda Smith
Photo by Kieran Lumeng ‘26
A GENTLE MOMENT IN NATURE’S BEAUTY Etienne Rouillard ‘25 helps
care for and support the lives of the animals on his farm. “It’s very peaceful,” said Manon Rouillard ‘25. “It’s a good break from school and I find it very relaxing.”
FRESH MEAT
Rouillard
Photo courtesy of Etienne Rouillard ‘25
Photo courtesy of Etienne Rouillard ‘25
The Spirit of Detroit sports
Professional advice Freshman interviews Pistons stars
MAIRA NAGPAL ‘28
Whether working in the media side or being a player for the team, many people in the Detroit Pistons’ community have advice for high schoolers wanting to go into sports. Their advice, while being in different positions, is very similar.
Pistons podcast host Ku Khahil said he believes that self motivation is key to creating a brand.
He said he thinks that social media needs to be taken very seriously, and hard work is important.
few to get out of that city. “Just keep working hard,” said Stewart, when asked what advice he would give to high school sports players.
Ivey’s family has a rich history in sports—his
“The main thing, I would say, is to work hard, you have to be incredibly self motivated, and like I said, really just utilize social media to your best abilities,” said Khahil.
Pistons center Isaiah Stewart said he believes that success comes from hard work. According to him, kids need to keep putting effort into their craft to succeed and reach their potential. Stewart grew up in a neighborhood with lots of crime, which led him to have an understanding of the importance of hard work, as he was one of the
grandfather played for the Lions, and his mother was a player for the Detroit Shock and a WNBA ath lete who is now a college coach. This legacy has instilled in Ivey an under standing of the hard work required to achieve his goals. When asked what advice he would give to young basketball play ers, Ivey offered a simple yet meaningful response “Keep working,” said Ivey, after pondering
on the question for a minute. Pistons starting point guard, number one pick, and arguably franchise player Cade Cunningham had three main points that kids should follow if they want to be successful basketball players. Cunningham grew up around a basketball family, and his manager and trainer are also his close family members. This allowed Cunningham to observe and absorb the game, and understand what’s needed to succeed in basketball.
“Just work hard, listen to your coaches, and watch basketball,” said Cunningham, when asked about advice he would give to young players.
TARIQ KHALIL ‘28
Freshman believes Red Wings need new coach
The Detroit Red Wings are the least followed team in Detroit. As a fan of Detroit sports, I am more focused on the winning teams in Detroit than the consistently losing Red Wings. But this team also has young players who are developing into stars in the league: Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, and Simon Edvinsson are gaining national attention for their performance on the ice. Since coming in as general manager for the Detroit Red Wings in 2019, Steve Yzerman has tried his best to turn things around for the team. Yzerman’s commitment to the Red Wings runs deep, as he used to play in the NHL for them and led the Red Wings to five firstplace regular season finishes and three Stanley Cup championship wins. As general manager, he has also acquired veterans and other good players such as Alex DeBrincat, Vladimir Tarasenko, Andrew Copp, Jeff Petry, and Patrick Kane who was drafted first in the 2007 draft. Despite this impressive roster, the team has struggled the past few seasons, only making one playoff appearance in the past 10 years.
Though last year, with many players
flecting a noteworthy improvement. They barely missed the playoffs with a 41-32-9 record. Goaltender Cam Talbot has started the season off strong playing in 11 games and having the 6th highest save percentage at 92 percent shots against are saved and also recording a shutout.
While the Tigers, Lions, and Pistons are finally getting hot, the Red Wings are colder than the ice they skate on, struggling to pick up the pace with the rest of the Detroit teams. Most of the losing has been placed on head coach Derek Lelonde. That is because ever since coming in to lead the team in 2022, he has failed to meet high expectations. Lalonde was a very successful coach before his tenure at the Red Wings, leading the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL to an impressive record. When Lalonde was brought in to coach the Red Wings, it should have been a quick turnaround for the struggling team. However, in 2022, the team had a losing season with 35 wins, 37 losses and 10 overtime losses. One could argue that a new coach would deserve a year to acclimate to their new home ice, but Lalonde is continuing to underperform as he begins his third season with continued losses at home and away. Lalonde said in an interview last spring
“Don’t look at the negatives,” but the reality is that’s all there is under his leadership. The Red Wings need to make a change in coaching staff now if they hope to have a chance at making the playoffs. So, who should be brought in to replace Lalonde if he is indeed fired? If a change is going to be made, I say why play it safe? We need a drastic change to shake things up. Therefore, in my opinion, the Red Wings should avoid the obvious picks and instead hire Todd Nelson. Currently coaching the Hershy Bears in the American hockey league, Nelson is known for building terrific team culture and morale. That is exactly what the Red Wings need with their roster of young athletes. Furthermore, Nelson isn’t just a players coach, he also has success on the ice. His current team has won the Calder Cup every year he has coached for them. Larkin, Raymond, Seider, and Edvinsson are capable of achieving success on the ice. They deserve a coach like Nelson. Detroit deserves a coach like Nelson.
Senior attributes Lions success to winning culture
TEDDY STAEBLER ‘25
For the better part of the last century, the Detroit Lions have lived at rock bottom. On top of their NFL-worst 0 Super Bowl appearances, the Lions have also: went 0-16, missed the playoffs at 9-6 multiple times, had two of the best players of all time on their team, and before last year, had only won one playoff game in the Super Bowl Era. So when did it all go right? When did the Lions become the seemingly-invincible-juggernaut that are second in Super Bowl betting odds? The answer? A complete culture shift.
After a disappointing 4-7 start to the 2020 campaign, newly appointed owner Sheila Ford, took action hiring Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell. This change didn’t seem to be anything new, after all the Head Coach and GM spots have been revolving doors for the Lions for the last 25 years. It was bound to be another 3 year partnership, culminating in yet another last place NFC North finish. The difference about Holmes and Campbell is that they had a vision, they believed the Lions could find success under the right management. The rest of the NFL wasn’t watching but something was brewing in Detroit.
The rebuild started with the 2021 NFL Draft. With the 7th overall pick, the Lions faced pressure to draft a quarterback. Justin Fields looked like he could be the quarterback of the future; he had the arm, the athleticism, the experience, the fight, it seemed like a sure thing. But the new Lions didn’t take the easy way out. Instead, Holmes and Campbell decided to to take a different route, electing to select highly-touted offensive tackle Penei Sewell from Oregon. Later in the draft, they struck gold
with Amon-Ra St. Brown, at 112th overall. As expected, the Lions struggled that season, finishing 3-13-1. Yet fans remained hopeful. With a top-five pick and a promising offseason, the team still had a chance. In the 2022 draft, they selected Michigan native Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick and paired him with Alabama speedster Jameson Williams to complement St. Brown. Despite a rough 1-6 start to the 2022 campaign, the Lions’ faith in Campbell ultimately paid off. The team rallied to win eight of their final ten games, finishing 9-8 and barely missing the playoffs. It was a sixwin improvement, proof that the rebuild was working. Furthermore, Jared Goff was playing at an all pro level and was showing why he was the 1st pick of the 2016 NFL draft. In 2023, everything clicked. The Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs to fill the running back void and Jack Campbell to lead the defense. The result? A franchise-record-tying 12-5 season, their first NFC North title since 1993, and two playoff victories. For context, the Lions won more playoff games that season than they had in the rest of the Super Bowl era combined. Though their journey ended with a heartbreaking NFC Championship loss to the 49ers, the Lions had cemented themselves as legitimate contenders. Now in 2024 the Lions are 11-1 on the heels of a 10 game winning streak and are first in the NFC. Holmes and Campbell didn’t take shortcuts, nor did they settle for mediocrity. They instilled belief, fostered resilience, and prioritized long-term success over quick fixes, ultimately resulting in the powerhouse we know today.
Sophomore enthusiastic about Tigers’ future
TWOEY BULLOCK ‘27
For almost a decade the Detroit Tigers have been at the bottom of the AL Central division. They have cycled through players like cycles of a dishwasher. For young Tigers fans, they’ve never seen a Tigers playoff berth.
In the latter part of the 2010s, the Tigers were a shell of their former team. I. Fan favorite players such as Nick Castellanos, Justin Verlander, and James McCann were all traded to different teams. These moves by former GM Al Avila were signs that the team was entering their rebuilding era.
At the turn of the decade, the Tigers hired AJ Hinch, the manager of the controversial 2017 World Series-winning Houston Astros. Hinch was fired because of the sign-stealing allegations that came upon the Astros after they won the 2017 World Series. For the first years of Hinch’s tenure as manager of the Tigers, they were mediocre with the team having a combined record of 221-265 in Hinch’s first few years of managerial tenure in Detroit. Tigers fans started to lose hope in this team because it was losing season after losing season after losing season in Detroit, the cycle would not stop. In the late part of the 2024 season though, something started to change. On Aug. 10, Fangraphs gave the Detroit Tigers a 0.2 percent chance to make the playoffs. At this time, the Tigers were eight games below .500. People thought that the Tigers would again have another losing season because they were sellers at the trade deadline, trading veteran players such as Jack Flaherty and Carson Kelly. The loss of their highest-paid player, shortstop,
Javier Báez also seemed like a blow to this team. But that‘s when the Tigers caught fire. Tarik Skubal further established his case as a Cy Young award recipient securing the AL pitching triple crown with 18 wins, an ERA of 2.39, and 228 strikeouts. Young emerging stars like Parker Meadows, Riley Greene, Colt Keith, and Kerry Carpenter shined by making highlight plays and getting hits in the clutch. With September call-ups, players such as Justyn-Henry Malloy, Jace Jung, Dillon Dingler, and Jackson Jobe started to make their presence on this team known. The Tigers finished the season with a trip to the Wildcard round where they would face Hinch’s former team, the Houston Astros. The Tigers swept the Astros and had a date with the Cleveland Guardians in the wildcard round of the playoffs. In a great series that went the distance, the Tigers ultimately lost. They had a 2-1 lead and they were at home with a chance to clinch a trip to the ALCS. Some fans say they choked, others say that they were never supposed to make it that far in the playoffs, but I think it‘s a combination of both. The Tigers put the Guardians on the ropes and had a chance to win the series at home, but the Guardians are also a well-rounded team who were able to battle, rattle Skubal in Game 5, and take the series. What the Tigers have shown me this season is that they are back, their young talent will keep developing into solid contributors for the team, with even more prospects on the way in the future. I think that the Tigers will be a playoff contender for years to come.
Photo by Maira Nagpal ‘28
MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE While Jaden Ivey may be a professional basketball player with a possible long career ahead of him, he enjoys a different sport a lot as well. “I like to skateboard,” said Ivey.
Graphic by Megan Peng ‘25
Picking Pickett
New coach selected to lead boys basketball team
TARIQ KHALIL ‘28
Sports Staff
After the boys basketball team’s loss last season, a decision was made to make a change on the side lines. Coach Jason Pickett has been hired as the new head coach of the team, bringing with him years of coaching experience. The hire was made by athletic director Tom Ward. Ward said that Pickett stood out because of his prior basketball coaching expe rience.
“Once we talked with Coach Pickett, we knew this was the guy we wanted,” said Ward. “I’m so excited about him.”
In replacing longtime head coach Andrew Wright, Pickett will have big shoes to fill in coaching the varsity team.
“There is always a transition,” said Ward. “When you have a new coach come in, they are going to do things differently.”
Pickett said he is very excited about his new coaching role at Greenhills. He enters the role with a large amount of coaching experience and a love for the game. Prior to helming the Gryphons basketball team, Pickett most recently coached at Ypsilanti High School, the Saline boys basketball program, the Saline girls var sity basketball team, the Farmington Harrison boys varsity basketball team, and the Saline boys junior varsity basketball team.
“It’s my 30th season coaching basketball, [and] I love doing it,” said Pickett. “I’ve played [basketball] since I was a kid. It was the first team sport I ever played.” As a coach, Pickett has a team-first mentality. letting the team bond to work together on and off the court.
“I want the players to steer their ship, whether they play thirty-two minutes or zero minutes,” said Pickett. “I want them to have fun and get the work done, and I’m looking for ward to making a community that guys can come and be a part of.”
prefers certain types of players. He says he likes
Pickett does have some expectations for the team and
New Playbook
are willing and wanting to get better, and have a great attitude,” said Pickett. “The biggest thing is I love a high motor.” Pickett describes a “high motor” as someone who is always prepared to enter the game and give their all on the court. “I always feel like the high motor gets the loose balls,” said Pickett. “[The] high motor gets those rebounds that nobody motors dive on the floor. They won’t be
With Pickett’s hire, Sermon Grewal ‘25 has some uncertainty about the season, but is overall positive on how the team plans on moving forward. “It’s a good fresh start for the team,” said Grewal. “[Pickett] is a good coach with a great vision, [but] he’s coming into a system that is rebuilding after losing nine players. It’s a big culture change.”
The basketball team has a challenging schedule this season, with games against Loyola, Riverview Gabriel Richard, and two games against Lumen
Middle School Athletics Kick off New Flag Football Program
MAIRA NAGPAL ‘28
Sports Staff
After many years of being deprived of a football team, students don’t have to wait any longer. The new intramural flag football program was introduced during the last week of October and consists of multiple teams made up of middle school students that practice and play against one another on campus.
“We are doing Tuesday and Thursdays, organized intramurals out on the turf,” said Greenhills’ athletic director, Tom Ward. “We split into teams and they get to play games.”
During November and the beginning of December, players get to participate in drills and games to help improve their flag football skills. Every day of practice, some teams play games against one another, while other teams participate in activities and drills to help improve their flag football skills.
“The program is very organized,” Jayla Johnson ‘25, one of the senior coaches, said. The flag football program is split into two divisions, the sixth grade division and the seventh and eighth grade division.
“In the sixth grade division, we have three teams every day of practice. Two teams play and one team practices, and it rotates.” said sixth grade flag football player, Deen Narayan ‘31. “One team is seven kids, with five on and two subs. So there’s 21 kids in the sixth grade division.”
The program is taking place in between the fall and winter sports season, which is different from all other Greenhills’ sports teams.
“We started thinking about it and working on it last spring, and just thinking about what it would be like if we had some kind of offering between fall sports and winter sports,” Ward said.
Since the season takes place in between the fall and winter sports, there are some restrictions as to who can play, because of conflicting schedules. However, if students are not playing the specific sports that overlap the flag football season, they are welcome to join, no matter the gender or experience.
“The only kids that can’t play because of practice times and schedules are if they do middle school girls basketball or swimming because their practice is at the same time,” said Evan Jackson, middle school athletic coordinator and head of program. “But anybody who wants to sign up, sign up: boys or girls, it doesn’t matter.”
Students have all played flag football in P.E,
however have never had an opportunity to join football as an extracurricular activity. This program gives middle schoolers who join more exposure to an otherwise new sport.
“It’s different to be on a team and have a coach,” Jackson said. “It’s just [more] exposure.”
This program will be coached by high school upperclassmen, which is also different from other sports teams that Greenhills’ offers.
“I joined because it was different and I like teaching little kids,” Johnson said.
This allows middle schoolers and high school upperclassmen to have more chances to work together and bond while trying something new in a competitive atmosphere. Coaches don’t need any prior experience on a football team to coach, allowing more students in upper school to have more exposure to a new program that they weren’t able to join in middle school.
“I think we are gonna face a lot of adversity this season, but it will help us grow,” said Grewal. Another player and leader on the team is Noah Korley ‘26. He has been playing basketball with Greenfreshman year and is very confident about the new season. Korley believes they will be better this year than they were the last.
“We got a lot of new talent coming in from 90both the coaches and players positions,” said Korley.
“We will be ready to go when the season starts.” Korley does admit that there will be a culture shift with the new coach, and things will be much different from last year, especially with most of the team being inexperienced.
“We lost a lot of guys from last year, we [only] have four guys coming back,” said Korley. Korley has a very positive view of the new coach and is ready for the season to begin.
the middle school flag football program, there is no sign of a high school program being created in the near future.
“I think we are quite a bit aways from looking to having a high school football program anytime soon,” Jackson
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: Since teams only consist of seven players, all kids get playing time and get the opportunity to create winning plays for their teams. Players are assigned positions, such as Center or Wide Receiver, and get lots of exposure to those positions throughout the course of the season. “Everyone gets the ball,” said Deen Narayan ‘31. “One of my memorable moments was I got an interception for a touchdown.”
“Now that I have been helping coaching, I know a lot of the middle school boys,” Johnson said. “I haven’t been on a [flag football] team, but I would help my little cousin throw and catch a football.”
While high school students are able to coach
Freshman swimmers make a splash
School records broken
TWOEY BULLOCK ‘27
Sports Staff
This year’s freshman class for girls swimming hit the ground, or more accurately the water, swimming. Ryen Mahoney ‘28 was one of the breakout freshmen this year by being a part of four new school records set in the 200 medley relay, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 400 freestyle relay. Mahoney is no stranger to competitive swimming because she participates in club swimming as well.
“During the high school season, you get a lot closer to your teammates,” said Mahoney. “Club is way more competitive, which takes some of the fun out of it. I think that being a club swimmer in the past made it an easier transition from going to high school.”
Another freshman swimmer that broke out this year is Sadie Skiles ‘28, Skiles also competes in club swimming as well, but she found high school swimming to be harder than club swimming.
adapted to it, and they’ve helped make me a better swimmer.”
For the freshmen, a key part of adapting to the high school team was being able to feel that they were a part of the team, in the sense that they were able to make strong connections with teammates in the upper grades. The freshmen attribute team chemistry as a major factor in their success this season.
“My teammates for sure have helped me get to where I am now,“ said Mahoney, “They just challenge me every single day of practice. They strive for me to be a better swimmer and a better person at school. Everyone has pushed me really hard, which is really nice.”
said. “With the space and the numbers, there are a lot of steps that go into adding that to the school and we are quite [far] from that.”
mates.” said Mahoney. “I think that going to practice every day and just being on deck at the meets with them is really helpful for me.”
With new incoming swimmers each year, Hazzi noticed that even more people are interested in joining the girl’s swimming program and every person helps the team get as many points as possible.
“The amount of girls that we’ve seen join the team this year was exponential,” said Hazzi, “I credit all the new people this year who joined and made the team almost double in size. All of them matter and all of them are helping us get each point, each meet.”
With the performances from the freshmen this year, Hazzi can’t help but to be optimistic about the future of the program.
“It’s[high school swimming] definitely been harder than club,” said Skiles, “You have a shorter amount of time to get ready for meets like states and stuff. The practices are really hard, but I’ve
Team chemistry and intersquad healthy competition is something that is developed over time. Skiles and Mahoney contribute team chemistry and intrasquad competition into their experience and success in high school swimming. Captain Sophia Hazzi ‘26 has helped create a culture where freshman swimmers enter a swimming program that is filled with fun, competitiveness, and friendship.
“I’ve definitely made closer connections with my team-
“I am so pumped, even when I graduate, I want to come around and see how they’re[the team] doing,” said Hazzi. I know that what we’re doing this year and how fast we’re growing ais more cohesive than ever. I’m excited to see how far we will go into the future when we get even more new people.”
Photo by Tariq Khalil ‘28
Graphic by Violet Weizer‘25