Issue 20

the

TOWER

Wednesday, March 21, 2017 Volume 90 Issue 20 @thetowerpulse thetowerpulse.net

A weekly tradition since 1928

Grosse Pointe South High School 11 Grosse Pointe Blvd. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

WALKOUT

South students participate in vigil honoring the victims of Parkland shooting ALYSSA CZECH & CLAIRE KOEPPEN BOTH ’19 Associate Editor and Section Editor

Students and teachers marched to the South football field and huddled on the track, holding their coats close to make themselves warmer against the wind.

Some students raised neon pink signs while listening to the choir sing the National Anthem and the four speakers discuss school gun violence and the victims of the school shooting on Wednesday, March 14.

Principal Moussa Hamka said he has been working with students at South and across the district, and decided to let students and staff go outside to have their voices heard.

“Talking to the students who came to me, I was really encouraged by their mindset. They didn’t want this to be a divisive issue,” Hamka said. “They said they wanted to come together to honor the victims.”

The students who came to Hamka talked to him about opposing school violence and fear about coming to school, along with how they wanted voices to be heard and resources to keep the school safe, according to Hamka. He supported them because of their nonpartisan ideas.

Trinity Diehlee ’19 said there was a group chat of about five or six people who organized the event, including Diehlee, Alice Scott ’21 and Riley Lynch ’18.

“I was handed the Instagram account (for the walkout) by a friend and I heard that Hamka wanted to talk to the runner of the account, so I went to talk to him,” Diehlee said.

There were several people interested in having a walkout at South, so they came up with a plan within the administration’s guidelines, Diehlee said.

Diehlee said the administration wanted the event to be on the football field with security for safety reasons, and wanted it to be non-partisan, which she agreed with.

Though the event isn’t political, Diehlee hopes the event will create some change and create a sense of student empowerment.

“I’m hoping this will get a conversation started in the community,” Diehlee said.

“I hope it can make a positive impact. Even if it doesn’t manifest in the legislation, at least it’s students participating in something and they come away with (a sense of) empowerment that they can

make a change.”

Not only students participated in the protest, however.

Parents of students, including Jean Alter Johnson and Monique Lenhard, as well as staff, such as English teacher Harry Campion, came to support those who walked out. Johnson and Lenhard said while they came to support school safety with the staff and students, administration told them they had to stand at the other bleachers across the football field from the students, and they had visitors badges on. “(I attended) to get the word out that we need more security for our kids in these schools and to make a change so everybody is safe in school everyday,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to come out and support the students and the movements. I believe they have a voice and can help make changes.”

Lenhard, who found out about the event via Facebook, said she hopes these student walkouts will encourage students to become involved in the political process in the future.

“People in this class will be voters soon,” Lenhard said. “Hopefully, they will make educated decisions when it’s their time to vote.”

Johnson said she hoped

C ompeting in one of the oldest show choir invitationals in the country, The Tower Bells and Pointe Singers competed at the 44th Annual Bishop Luers Show Choir Invitational on March 10.

Both choirs won multiple awards at the competition, including overall grand champions, best vocals and more.

“It was so exciting to win grand champions, especially because we felt as though the last competition we went to was disappointing because we didn’t place where we wanted or where we felt we deserved,” Lauren Fleckenstein ’18 said. “Everyone started screaming, crying and hugging when it was announced and then rushed to the stage.”

The choir competed against groups from West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Choir director Chris Pratt stated Beavercreek High School was South’s strongest competition.

According to Pointe Singers Captain Grace Brandon ’18, the group has been preparing since August.

As the competition got closer, the choir began rehearsing after school, multiple times a week for hours to get the little details together.

“It was a lot of preparation and energy, but it paid off in the end,” Brandon said.

For Pratt, he said the most important thing about winning this competition was the sense of accomplishment the student

performers feel about performance they gave on state and the sense of teamwork, pride and pushing oneself.

The biggest impact the competition has on the choir is how it affects the underclassmen who have never been to a show choir competition before, according to Fleckenstein.

“The atmosphere is very unique, and it’s really cool to see so many people do the same thing that you spend a major part of your time doing,” Fleckenstein said.

The choirs will now be getting ready for Broadway, a salute to the senior class, on May 24 and 25 in the Christian A. Fenton Performing Arts Center.

GRAPHIC BY EVA MCCORD ’21

IMPORTANT DATES march

21

Art Fest begins today in South’s Multi Purpose Room

SPEAKING OUT Students participating in the demonstration protested gun violence and honored the memory of the Parkland shooting victims

SPEECH Riley Lynch ’18 gave the first speech of the event, inviting all students there to skip class to leave.

PROTECTION Multiple police cars were present, watching over the crowd as they went to the field.

Scan here to access the full story on Tower Pulse

A HEALTHY CROWD Students gather on the South football field to watch the choir sing the National Anthem and listen to speeches on March 14.

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE KOEPPEN ’19 & GRIFFIN JONES ’18

Champs: Choir takes home top trophy at competition PHOEBE MIRIANI ’18 Staff Writer

the walkout would bring awareness to problems with gun control and school safety issues. Simon Chen ’18 said he participated to commemorate the lives that were lost from school violence.

“Hopefully the views and mindsets of people from both sides of the argument (will change) because I think it’s very divided right now,” Chen said.

Morgan Wilson ’19 said he decided to participate because of what he read in the Northpointe. He doesn’t think this specific walkout will change anything, but all of the schools acting at the same time will get Congress’s attention.

“After I saw the piece the Northpointe put out about how they were upset about how non-politicized it was, I was interested to see how the event worked out,” Wilson said.

march

DECA DECA, dominates the competition

Thirty three DECA mem- and that’s how I ended up going to internationals. I’ll be bers competed at the State Ca- going in April, so when they called my name for my actureer Development Conference al event I was pretty ecstatic,” Baerman said. on March 10 at Cobo Hall in Detroit. Three students, Medals are given out to several students in each cateAdrian Doan ’19, Erica Fossee ’19 and Molly Baerman gory for receiving top scores on either the written exam ’18, are state finalists and will move on to compete at the or the role play event, while state finalists, such as Fossee, international competition in Atlanta. receive a plaque.

DECA advisor Bill Cayo said there are about 90-100 “I was up (on stage) and remember looking down bestudents that compete in each event and they only take low and saw Mr. Cayo taking pictures because I was just the top five, so the odds of moving on are very slim. in shock,” Fossee said.

“All of the competitions involve a multiple choice test Cayo believes the skills students learn through DECA that assesses their understanding are valuable to help students get admitted of economics in business,” Cayo into college, business school or contribsaid. “The other piece, which I ute to a future career in business.

I’ll be going in April, so like best, is a problem solving “I think it’s a really great opportunity situation where the students are for students. Personally, my son comwhen they called my presented a problem and are givpeted and earned awards and he felt like name for my actual that’s what set him apart in the applicaen in the individual events 10 minutes to think of a solution that event I was pretty tion process to get into business school,” lives up to the criteria. Then they Cayo said. “I have had lots of students ecstatic. present that solution and answer come back to me and say, ‘Oh I just had MOLLY BAERMAN ’18 questions about it, so it’s real inan interview and it felt just like a DECA teractive thinking situations.” role play and I nailed it.”’

To prepare for competition, Baerman said being a part of DECA Cayo said members of DECA would ideally be enrolled and competing has allowed her to work with business in a business class where they gather content knowledge, specific terms and be able to dabble in various branches and at meetings they are able to practice the role plays to of business. sharpen their problem solving skills.

“Last year, I did management and human resources, Baerman said in addition to practicing role plays, she and this year is more marketing, so just exposure to the prepared by taking online practice exams to study for the behind the scenes stuff and also how you should handle written portion of the competition. yourself in a professional interview and fitting the role When they announced the names of the finalists for is super important,” Baerman said. “That’s what I’ll be each event, Baerman said she was excited to be recog- doing at the Academy in April; how to work with what nized in front over 4,000 students from across the state. you’ve done in DECA and apply it to college and your “I had applied to one of the academies through DECA, career afterwards.”

LAUREN THOM ’18 Staff Writer

21

Spanish Club will be selling Pulsera bracelets during both lunches today and tomorrow

march

22

There will be a town Hall at Trombly Elementary School

2 | OPINION

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 3.21.18

Finsta fixation puts students at risk of tarnishing reputation Fake Instagrams, better known as “Finstas” seem like a harmless concept.

A place to keep random pictures and videos the creator didn’t find worthy enough to earn a spot on their main page, put there for followers to enjoy. However, in an era where social media dominates the social spectrum, these accounts have never posed a larger threat to anyone, especially to the teenagers who own them.

We’ve witnessed the reckless nature of Finsta accounts here at South before. Two years ago, several students were at the center of a community wide controversy after a photo displaying Grosse Pointe South students with the ‘n’ word written multiple times on their stomachs was posted on one of the student’s Finsta accounts. The students involved were suspended, and the incident sparked outrage in the community and surrounding areas. One post was all it took.

We at The Tower recognize the utility and capabilities of social media. In fact, Tower accounts are routinely updated and posted on daily. But what makes a Finsta account such a threat to the teenage demographic isn’t it’s platform-- it’s the very principle on which they are based.

Posting without consideration, cause or reason is the purpose of Finsta accounts. But it’s the lack of precaution that allows situations like the one that occurred

two years ago to transpire. Social media is more widespread in the teenage demographic than ever. 71 percent of teens use multiple social media platforms, the most popular being Instagram and Snapchat according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

What people choose to post is most critically received during high school, while they are still applying for colleges and while their peers are more consistently exposed to each other’s accounts.

This isn’t to say that social media has a limited purpose. It should be used however that person sees fit, whether it be as a tool, for exposure, or just general social interactions. However, students now are growing up in a generation that for the first time has to worry about keeping a presentable image at all times and all places-- just one poorly timed photo or video posted online could ruin someone’s future prospects. The nature of Finsta accounts works against this-- consistent and spontaneous posting, especially of content that the poster thinks is unsuitable for their main page helps promote a poor representation of students and tends to paint them in a bad light depending on what is posted.

We believe that while Finsta accounts essentially provide an easier medium for one to post destructive content, the decision to post this content ultimately falls to the user themself.

Responsibility with social media is more crucial than ever in today’s society-- and whether or not one decides to post bad content of themselves or others is up to them, with or without a Finsta.

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

PX

Our View Editorial

Studying Scoliosis

One staffer participates in medical study based on sister’s diagnosis

MY VIEW

SYLVIA HODGES ’19 Copy Editor

NEWSPAPER

the

TOWER

STAFF

When my little sister was diagnosed with scoliosis in August 2015, I wasn’t able to fully grasp what that could mean.

Would she be able to correct it through exercise? Would wearing a brace help? Would she need surgery?

After exhausting the first two options, she underwent fusion surgery in February 2017 to correct the 68 degree curve she had in her back at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.

My parents went with her, but I stayed at home for the week they were gone. I was able to talk to my sister about nine hours after her surgery over FaceTime. She still sounded like she was under anesthesia.

The fusion surgery she underwent was completely different from the normal surgery scoliosis patients undergo, in that she has only a few small scars on the sides of her back rather than one long one down the middle of her back.

They also had to trim three of her ribs in order to perform the surgery. It is a new surgery that isn’t completely approved by the FDA yet, but we were assured it

was safe and that the small number of patients who had already had it done had no major complications.

With this surgery, the patient has to go back to see their surgeon six weeks after surgery, six months after surgery, one year after surgery and two years after surgery. During February break, we all went to Philadelphia for her one year appointment.

I’d been to all her other appointments, except for the actual surgery, so I knew about the motion capture technology (MCT) the hospital used to track my sister’s movements when checking for any irregularities. MCT is the same program used to make movies like “The Polar Express” and “Avatar.”

At the one year appointment, the technicians asked me if I’d be willing to participate in a medical experiment they were holding through MCT to compare the movements of people under 21 who don’t have scoliosis with people under 21 who do have scoliosis. They made it clear I wouldn’t have any “real” benefit from participating, but they made sure I knew this could potentially help diagnose scoliosis better in the future. I agreed.

I had to change into an old T-shirt and wear a sports bra so they could cut through the material if they needed to.

They put small, black “markers” on my hips, shoulders, collarbone, neck and stomach, so the MCT could track my movements. I had to put my hair up as high as I could so it wouldn’t interfere with the markers.

For the first part of the experiment, I had to wear what looked like broken Apple headphones in my ears that also served as markers. I stood in the middle of the room with a camera in front of me, behind me and scattered up high around the room. I had to touch my toes, lean backwards as far as I could without moving my head, twist to my right, then to the left. Then, I was allowed to take the markers out of my ears and they had me

sit down so I could see how they were tracking my movements on the computer.

The outline of me created by the markers on the computer looked like a weird droid from Star Wars. My arms and legs were straight lines, and my head was an oddly placed rectangle. After they set the image of me, it was time to move on to the next part of the experiment.

I did similar exercises for the next half hour, and then I had to take off the markers and the tape they had used to keep my T-shirt out of the way. I sat for about five minutes to let the marks from the markers leave my skin before I was tested again. I was tested three times by two different people over the course of the experiment.

The whole thing took a little less than two hours, and at the end, my shirt had several cut out holes in it and my sports bra was cut halfway up the middle in the back, and I had red marks all over my already overly-sensitive skin.

While I was getting ready to leave, the leaders told me that the results of the experiment would not be done for five years. They wanted to test at least 50 kids over that span of time, and I was their first test subject in almost two years, since they had been asked to put the project on hold.

As I was leaving the hospital, I saw kids with braces on their legs or backs, a little girl who walked with the tops of her feet as she held onto a walker and countless other children who are suffering.

But then I noticed they all looked happy.

They were playing video games with each other or laughing while waiting for appointments. The little girl who walked on the tops of her feet was smiling from ear to ear as she made her way down the hall with help from only her walker.

And I smiled too.

GRAPHIC BY EVA MCCORD ’21

MY VIEW

ARIANNA PAGENETTE ’18 Section Editor

As a kid, a good amount of people remember eating the Flintstone-shaped vitamins. Hearing about this from my friends in high school, they all kind of looked at me when I said I didn’t know what they were talking about.

Growing up, I was always an active kid. I went from figure skating private lessons in the morning to afternoon dance and gymnastic classes after school, and had competitions every other weekend.

Keeping a good balanced diet for me was always my mom’s priority, seeing as we were always on the move.

Since all of my friends had vitamins to take in the morning, I always wondered why I didn’t.

My mom told me too much of a good thing can be bad and have the opposite intended result.

Vitamins and supplements can be helpful when they are needed, but they shouldn’t be needed when you eat right.

There were times for me when I did not feel 100 percent because I wasn’t eating right, and thought vitamins might fix the problem or give me a little boost.

However to me, vitamins always felt fake and artificial. I think the idea of them is good, but nothing is quite as good as the real deal you get in your food with natural vitamins.

Vitamins can be helpful when your diet is lacking in certain aspects, but it’s better to get the natural vitamins within your food.

Supplements, however, can cause an overfill within one’s body if they aren’t being processed correctly, and can lead to back-ups.

Supplements are products taken that contain a dietary ingredient, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs or botanicals.

For me, being anemic means I always have to be getting enough iron in my system. But I can’t take an iron supplement pill because of the way my body processes the iron with the pill.

If I were to take an iron pill, my body would process it, however instead of using it the right way, my body would build it up and not use it.

The use of supplements and vitamins for people who are already healthy shouldn’t be necessary.

If there are enough vitamins within your diet, there is no need for the addition of vitamins or supplements.

GRAPHIC BY ADRIAN DOAN ’19

“The “TheTower” Tower”isisthe theweekly weeklypublication publicationofofthe the Errors Errors Advanced AdvancedJournalism Journalismclasses classesatatGrosse GrossePointe Pointe Factual Factualerrors errorswill willbebecorrected correctedononthe the South SouthHigh HighSchool.

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Letters Letterstotothe theEditor Editorare areencouraged encouragedand and Associate Editor Miller, John Schulte, Lauren Brennan Miriani*, Miller, John Schulte, Cam Thom, Smolen, Lauren Miriani*,allall’18 ’18 will be screened for will be screened forlibel, libel,irresponsibility irresponsibility Alyssa Czech* ’19 all ’18 all ’18 Sylvia Associate Editor Thom, Zihlman, Brennan Zihlman, SylviaHodges* Hodges*’19, ’19, and obscenity.

The Editorial Board may Opinion and obscenity. The Editorial Board mayedit edit OpinionPieces Pieces Elizabeth Alyssa Czech* ’19 ElizabethFlower*, Flower*,Victoria VictoriaGardey*, Gardey*,Claire Claire shortenletters lettersasaslong longasasthe themeaning meaningisis Editorials Editorialsrepresent representthe themajority majorityopinion opinionofof ororshorten Supervising Editors at Large John Sheeren*, JohnBellamy, Bellamy,Sarah SarahBellovich, Bellovich,Isabella Isabella Sheeren*,Imran ImranSiddiqui*, Siddiqui*,allall’20 ’20 unchanged.

All letters must be signed and unchanged. All letters must be signed and the theEditorial EditorialBoard Boardand andare areleft leftunsigned. unsigned.

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Elena KariJust-Us Ronning, all ’20 Kathleen ElenaRauch*, Rauch*, Kari Ronning, Welch, Abigail Wilson, KathleenCarroll*, Carroll*,Katherine KatherineCostello*, Costello*, allall’18 Claire Mercier*, Audrey ’18 Navya Chamiraju, Brooklyn Northcross, Ava ClaireKoeppen*, Koeppen*,Jaqui Jacqui Mercier*, Audrey Advertising Advertising Professional ProfessionalAssociations Associations Biana Pugliesi* ’19’19 Eva Anna McCord ’21 all ’20 Whitaker*, Bianca Pugliesi* Mitchell, Cornell, Whitaker*,allall’19 ’19 Display Member Displayadverising adverisingisissold soldatata arate rateofof$7$7per per Memberofofthe theColumbia ColumbiaScholastic ScholasticPress Press Dominic DominicDulac* Dulac*’20 ’20 Association, National Association, NationalScholastic ScholasticPress Press column inch, with discounts for large oror column inch, with discounts for large Page PageEditors Editors EvaAdviser McCord ’21 Association, Quill and Scroll, the Society Association, Quill and Scroll, the Society frequent frequentadvertisers. advertisers.Advertising Advertisingmay maynot not Clark*, Nemeh* Kaitlin Edgerton Multimedia/Social ChaseChase Clark*, KaitlinKaitlin Nemeh*, JD Standish*, Multimedia/SocialMedia MediaEditors Editors for forNewspaper NewspaperDesign Designand andthe theMichigan Michigan advocate advocateillegal illegalactivities activitiesororcontain containlibelous, libelous, Cam Smolen*, JD Abigail allStandish*, all Adviser AbigailDue* Due*’18, ’18, Interscholastic Press Association.

Interscholastic Press Association. irresponsible or obscene material. irresponsible or obscene material. ’18 Erica ’18 Kaitlin Edgerton EricaFossee* Fossee*’19 ’19 Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief

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THETOWERPULSE.NET | 3.21.18

3 | NEWS

Grosse Pointe celebrates the 50th anniversary of Civil Rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s speech BROOKLYN NORTHCROSS ’20 Staff Writer Known for his encouraging, inspirational speeches during the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. gave an empowering speech at Grosse Pointe High in 1968. Fifty years later, the school celebrated the 50-year anniversary of this uplifting speech on Wednesday, March 14.

The event consisted of video interviews of attendees at Dr. King’s original speech, a live NATION OF OPPRESSION The map shows the people of severreading of Dr. King’s speech by al movements, such as King’s, that advocated for the rights of students and community memthe marginalized throughout the history of the U.S. bers, a video montage of student work and the announcement of PHOTOS BY BROOKLYN NORTHCROSS ’20 the competition winners.

According to Izzy Donnelly, the Director of Education at the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, this event was organized by a variety of members in the Grosse Pointe Community including REMEMBERING THE PAST Robert Bury, from the Detroit Historical Society, speaks at the 50representatives from the Detroit year anniversary event for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech.

Historical Society, the Grosse representatives to read,” Ford said. “The South and gave his speech. was that Pointe Historical Society, the Grosse ending was very special because it was “He was killed three weeks later,” there are Pointe Board of Realtors, the Grosse presented by the original recording of Donnelly said. “It was a pivotal time in millions of Pointe Foundation for Public Education Dr. King himself delivering his speech in history. With all the riots, the world was Americas, and the GPPSS PTOs. 1968.” on fire.” because “There was a nice welcome by the Ford said he was honored to be choThe tribute to Martin Luther King was each perprincipal, Moussa Hamka,” Donnelly sen to deliver a part of the speech. connected with a contest open to sub- son emsaid. “They had a great introduction by “Martin Luther King was such an in- missions of any medium. At the end of bodies a POWERFUL PROJECTS Students submitted artwork and other Robert Bury, the Executive Director and media for a contest commemorating King’s speech. spirational, influential character, both the event, the winners were announced. piece of CEO of Detroit Historical Society.” in the past and present,” Ford said. “It They will be awarded with monetary this counAccording to Donnelly, the event had speech) was there is a lot of inequality would be unwise to not give him the prizes in the next few weeks. The first try and they numerous speakers, all speaking on the in the world and people aren’t treated credit he is due. It’s important to see his place winner and recipient of 1,000 dol- all go through their own struggles.” importance of this commemoration. equally,” Garcia-Johnson said. “The way notions of peace and humbleness that is lars was Soleil Garcia-Johnson ’20.

Garcia-Johnson said she is happy she “The principal came up first, and they still required to be practiced today.”

“I entered this competition because I decided to participate in the competi- to get over racism in this country is to had a beautiful video of people who were recognize it. Until people start to recogDr. King’s speech was titled ‘The Oth- feel like diversity is sometimes an issue tion. there the night of Martin Luther King’s nize that racism is very real, then it will er America.’ Ford said he really reflected in Grosse Pointe,” Garcia-Johnson said.

“I think it’s important because a lot of real speech in 1968,” Donnelly said. on the content of the speech.

“Equality is something I’m really pas- what Dr. King said in his speech 50 years never be solved.”

“They talked deeply about their reaction According to Donnelly, the 50th an“There is still another America be- sionate about and I felt that this would ago is still very relevant today,” Garto the heckling, the riots and everything niversary of Dr. King’s speech was essencause we still see these racial divides in be a great outlet to express my beliefs.” cia-Johnson said.

“I think it’s important that went on.” our country, these economic divides, According to Garcia-Johnson, she not to forget about these things and keep tial to honor and celebrate in order to After the video interviews, Dr. King’s move on in a better world. these social divides,” Ford said. “Not was surprised when she found out the working on them.” speech was read by 15 different commu“He was a peaceful man looking for only between the white and black com- poem she entered into the competition Being in the same gym Dr. King was nity members. Demetrius Ford ’18 was nonviolence and he was murdered,” munities, but between people who are of won first place. in 50 years ago allowed people to conchosen to be one of the presenters and high and low classes too.”

“Since the prompt was: ‘Is there An- nect and relate to the issues even more, Donnelly said. “It was devastating and if delivered a portion of the speech. we don’t look at the past, we are doomed Donnelly said she was 12 years old at- other America,’ I did a twist on that,” Garcia-Johnson said.

“It was split it up into several portions to repeat it.” tending St. Paul when Dr. King came to Garcia-Johnson said. “My argument “I feel the main message (of Dr. King’s so that there would be many diverse

Bookworms engage in race discussion with Detroit peers over book JUST- US WELCH ’20 Staff Writer Students will break free from the “bubble” as they meet with fellow students from the Detroit School of Arts on March 27 for a dialogue on race, inclusion, cultural differences and curriculum review, sparked by reading “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas.

The Hate U Give tackles the struggle of a young African-American girl who battles with the internal struggle of the trauma she has faced because of police brutality while going to a school that has a white majority, like South, according to English teacher Danielle Peck.

“I also learned a lot about black culture when I was reading this book and I think that’s really cool,” Peck said. “I want students to know it and value it and value the language too.”

The novel selection gives a fresh, new perspective by sparking conversations about the social justice of today, opposed to some of the other core text currently in the English curriculum, according to Peck, who has helped to organize this inter-school discussion.

“I think, more importantly, (the curriculum) doesn’t reflect the world as we want it to be,” Peck said. “We also want the students to feel like their voices are reflected in the curriculum, too.”

Peck recognizes the danger of only teaching literature from a different century and how the topics of ‘racism’ and ‘equality’ aren’t addressed the same way as these topics should reflect now.

“It’s hard for (students) to see how it is still relevant today and I think for some students it’s kind of a stretch, and some students may never make the full connection,” Peck said. “With

this, I think because it’s so recent and so relevant, you have to have those conversations.”

The Detroit School of Arts is only 20 minutes away, yet the lives of people in Grosse Pointe and Detroit may differ in curious ways that Peck is passionate to explore on a deeper level through this field trip.

“Living in this community, people have chosen to live here instead of living a few miles away, and we chose to keep ourselves here and not gain other experiences to meet new people and communicate with other people,” Peck said.

Assistant Principal Joseph Spryszak hopes reading this book and having a discussion with students of a different school, with a more diverse student body, will be a valuable opportunity for students to hear issues from differing perspectives than they would see at South.

“In some school districts, you can be in a little bit of a ‘bubble’ and maybe you don’t get an opportunity to talk about how other people are thinking or what they’re feeling,” Spryszak said.

This book opens classrooms to discussions that wouldn’t spur from other book in the curriculum because it is so relevant, according to Zachary Ashkar ’20.

“I think after adding this book to the curriculum, it will really open people’s eyes and minds to these events happening all around us,” Ashkar said. “It could potentially lead to more future advocates and leaders against these kinds of things-- unjust things-- happening in America today.”

The overall goal, according to Spryszak, is to

Gearing up for competition season

THE HATE U GIVE BY: ANGIE THOMAS

give s t u dents an opportunity to see literature and modern issues through a different lens introduced in high school in a safe, but challenging way as if it were in the curriculum.

“I hear kids talk about the ‘bubble,’ like ‘I don’t want to leave it, I want to stay I feel safe,’ and that’s fine but to grow you have to move on a little bit,” Spryszak said.

This field trip has an endless amount of possibilities Peck wants to explore beyond the walls the Grosse Pointe Curriculum has unintentionally built.

“I want my world to look different; if I want my world, it look like we are actually talking, instead of here’s my community and here’s your community and that’s it,” Peck said. “I think this book encourages that. I’m really happy we’re doing this.”

This is only the beginning for more possible inter-school discussion Peck feels is important for the future that surpasses school.

“I think this is so cool and it seems like a small way to change things in the world, but change starts in small ways,” Peck said. “Change can start at school.”

PHOTO BY LAUREN NEMEH ’20

GEARHEADS The robot is hanging from the scale to score points. A climb is worth 30 points.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GEARHEADS

ANNA CORNELL ’21 Staff Writer The North-South combined robotics club, the Gearheads, placed second in their competition, which took place March 8-10.

The competition, “Power Up”, was held at Centerline High School with 29 North students and 13 South students competing.

“The goal was to take cubes, called power cubes, which are basically just milk crates, and put them into a tall scale and a smaller scale called a switch,” Chole Skiles ’19 said. “For the team that had the most cubes in the switch or scale, they gained points, and after the end of the two and a half minute match whoever had the most points won.”

According to Gearhead adviser, Jason Wolfsen, the festivities last two days, beginning with an opening ceremony followed by 80 qualifying matches.

“For the first 30 seconds, the robot is in ‘auton,’ where they are in autonomous mode where the teams put in a program for the robot to respond to,” Wolfsen said. “Then the students control the robot for the final two minutes.”

There are two alliances, red and blue, that compete against each other and switch up during the competition, according to Gearheads member Alexa Rigotti ’21.

“They put you on a cer-

tain alliance with certain people and you break up eventually; an alliance (is) with two other people so there’s three teams on an alliance,” Rigotti said.

After the qualifying matches, the top eight teams out of the 40 are elected to be alliance captains, where they pick other teams that they want to be on their alliance, according to Skiles.

“As teams get eliminated, they will go against other alliances,” Skiles said.

After discovering what the upcoming season challenge is, the team has about six to eight weeks to build a robot that will achieve the task the challenge presents, according to Wolfsen.

“During the off season (May through December), the team meets a couple of times during the week to work on honing their skills as well as understanding better the different areas of the robotics team,” Wolfsen said.

The combined team has plenty of machines in the machine shop, which allow the club members to build their own robot from scratch, according to Wolfsen.

“Most teams (rookies) end up purchasing a robot kit and put it together,” Wolfsen said. “We have the capabilities in our shop to design, fabricate (cut and build from the drawings), and build the robot all together.”

ONE ACTS:

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 3.21.18

4 | FEATURE

Ironing out the Wrinkles: Movie Review

Annual student directed skits took place last week in the auditorium MY VIEW

HARPER MCCLELLAN ’18 Staff Writer

Before attending Grosse Pointe South’s annual One Acts, I had no previous knowledge of the show.

I knew it was an all student production, so I was a little hesitant at first. Because what could go wrong with teenagers telling other teenagers what to do?

Based on other performances I’ve seen at South I was excited.

The lights in the auditorium dimmed and the first act has begun.

Act one: The Marriage Proposal. It started with a man looking for the father’s approval to marry his daughter. After gaining approval, the couple started disagreeing on pretty much everything. Julia Rapai ’18 and Grayson Kennedy ’19 brought the drama and had me laughing out loud.

The actors gave their all, and I mean ALL. They were on the ground, running around, and yelling which had the whole crowd’s eyes glued on the stage.

The second act was about an accountant that somehow ended up on stage. While his fellow actors thought he was joking, he actually had no idea how he got up there. Character George played by Morgan Wilson ’17 seemed believably confused and kept the audience entertained.

The intermission came and I was really excited for the rest of the acts.

A Young Playwright’s Journey Through an Obligation was the third act. It showed an insight on the thoughts of a student director and writer trying to keep their promise to teacher advisor Meaghan Dunham. Lead Muriel Steinke ’18 kept the crowd laughing as Olivia, with different ideas for acts portrayed

by Leo Smith ’19, Andrew Fleming ’20, Grace Walsh ’19, and Kerrigan Dunham ’21. This was the only one of the four acts that was student written by Peter Lianos ’18.

SWINGING SABERS Leo Smith ’19 and Andrew Fleming ’20 battle on stage during one acts. This one act was written by Peter Lianos and had the crowd visually entranced.

It was quite entertaining watching Olivia’s ideas come to life, which included basketball players, dog on an island of poets, poets of an island of dogs and star wars.

The fourth and final act, ‘The Philadelphia’ was one of my favorites. Characters Al and Meredith got stuck in their own worlds which Al describes as a Philadelphia. While they are both physically in New York, Meredith is in a Philadelphia filled with oddities, while Al in Los Angeles on a “cosmic beach”.

The thing that is so special about One Acts is they are all student directed and casted. Which is such a good way to give students that outlet to showcase their talents.

I definitely recommend seeing One Acts at some point, they keep the audience captivated and was a good way to spend my night. Props to the directors and actors, they honestly were all so talented and captivated the audience.

MARRIAGE OR MISTAKE Grayson Kennedy ’19 and Julia Rapai ’18 bicker during their scene as they try to become a married couple. This one act was directed Kaiya Sutton ’18.

MY VIEW

SOLANA BRYSON ’18 Staff Writer

“A Wrinkle in Time” is an uplifting coming-of-age Disney movie. Many famous actors portrayed characters in the film. Fan favorites such as Oprah, Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon starred as three of the magical beings.

The movie star Storm Reid plays the protagonist, Meg. Throughout the movie, we get to see a considerable amount of her character development through Meg. We’re introduced to her when she is a young child doing science experiments with her father at home. Meg’s parents are renowned scientists who spark her interest in physics and presumably where she gets her intellect and cleverness that is evident throughout the movie.

The movie then flashes forward four years where we learn her father had disappeared. Heartbroken and confused, Meg begins to embody a delinquent. She gets in trouble at school and begins to shut everyone out. Meg’s little brother, a positive and heartwarming six year old, helps to “summon” the magical beings. Calvin, a fellow classmate at Meg's school is also summoned because of his troubles at home. The three magical beings incorporate their wittiness and guidance on an exciting journey to find Meg’s dad. Throughout the journey Meg is forced to learn how to love herself and her worth. It also helps that Calvin is totally captivated by her the entire journey. Meg's cleverness comes in handy when they get in difficult situations, often making her the hero.

The uplifting film shows how she grows to love all her flaws and becomes confident in herself. I think it’s a good movie for all young girls to watch to show them that knowing your worth and having confidence can go a long way. The movie had its gushy moments and was inspiring for viewers of all ages.

Al Ameer: Authentic Lebanese style food PHOTOS BY HARPER McCLELLAN ’18

MY VIEW

JOHN SCHULTE ’18 Staff Writer

Tucked in the heart of Dearborn lies a restaurant that stands out from the many other Lebanese restaurants in the area. Al Ameer is the place to be, if you’re looking for some quality home-cooked Lebanese food.

Being your everyday bougie white boy, I didn’t know what to expect when I went to Al Ameer for the first time. My only experience with Lebanese food was getting a chicken shawarma wrap at Park Grill, which gave me a pretty gnarly case of food poisoning. I pushed this traumatizing experience to the back of my mind to avoid tainting my opinion of Al Ameer.

I went with a group of six, so we got all family style dishes, allowing everyone to have a taste. My lacrosse coach, Justin Macksoud, ordered for us, as he has been going to Al Ameer with his family for years. Freshly-baked pita bread was waiting at the table for us already. The house salad, tabbouleh, hummus and garlic sauce soon followed. All the food was fresh, being made from scratch that day. The hummus was amazing. Prior to this, I had only ever had sabra hummus from the grocery store and I wasn’t a huge fan. But this hummus, this hummus, was unlike any-

thing I had ever experienced before. At least until the raw kibbeh was brought to the table.

For those of you who are just as uncultured as me, raw kibbeh is minced raw lamb loaded with spices. I was suspicious at first, but as I was preparing my portion my mouth watered more and more. To eat raw kibbeh the right way, you must flatten your portion with a fork, making grooves for the olive oil to rest in. After applying a generous amount of olive oil, you’re ready to dive in. You can eat it with a fork with the warm homemade pita bread or-- my personal favorite-- on a nice big piece of raw onion. Your breath is going to reek after eating here, but it’s part of the experience. There are free mints on the way out for a reason. I probably scarfed down half a pound of this pink gooey goodness before the main event.

Mid way through my raw kibbeh trip, a large platter was set in front of me. On this dish, under a pita blanket, were nine kebabs.

Three chicken, three beef and three kofta. I guess you could describe kofta as a Lebanese meatball on a stick that is closer in shape to a pretzel rod than a meatball. Bad comparisons aside, this stuff is almost as life changing as the raw kibbeh. When putting some on your plate it practically melts off the stick and it will surely melt in your mouth.

While divulging on the sweet meaty goodness I forgot to talk about

a dish that even a vegan would love. The rice.

At Al Ameer they don't screw around when it come to the rice. It’s tasty and loaded with spices, adding to the deliciousness. In addition to the spectacular spices, they put meat in the rice. That’s right, meat in the rice. Sorry for getting your hopes up vegan readers, but at Al Ameer they do things right. Beefing up their rice with beef could not be more of a power move. You might be angered by this, but animal cruelty and cow rights couldn’t be less of a priority when you’re eating this rice.

Try some and you’ll be converted; I promise.

The last order of business is addressing the juices. Like all the other food, the juices at Al Ameer are freshly squeezed and delicious. I had the strawberry crush, which is made of strawberry, lemon, sugar and ice. Basically I got strawberry lemonade, but Al Ameer has other, healthier options for those who would like some fresh squeezed goodness to accompany their meal.

Al Ameer is hands down the best place to go in the metro-Detroit area for authentic Lebanese cuisine. It has won awards, fed adult film actresses and is downright delicious. You can try to find a better spot to grab some raw kibbeh, but I guarantee you’re going to have a tough time. Al Ameer has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants, I rate it ten baba ganoush out of ten.

KOFTA LOVE John Schulte ’18 snaps a picture of his plate at Al Ameer before devouring it. Pictured is a Kofta Kabob, meat, rice and raw kibi.

PHOTOS BY JOHN SCHULTE ’18

FAIRFAX QUALITY MARKET 899 Beaconsfield Grosse Pointe Park (313)-822-7074 Only a 7 minute drive from South Subs and snacks great for lunch

Emily’s Middle Eastern Deli 22205 Greater Mack Ave (586) 777-2256

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 3.21.18

Best ways to

get a tan

1

MARGOT BAER ’18 Staff Writer

Tanning beds:

Pros: You can go at any time of the day or in the dark and cold winter nights. Going to the tanning bed is more time efficient than regular sun tanning. It only takes about 10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week, and builds a nice deep tan.

Cons: According to skincancer.org, indoor tanning can be more dangerous than outdoor tanning. They say “indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.”

Spray tans:

2

Pros: You can get a nice tan without causing any damage to your skin.

You can buy self tanning products and tan yourself in the comfort of your own home.

Cons: A sunless tan can come out blotchy or cause irritation to the skin.

Getting a spray tan can get expensive. One session can cost anywhere from $25 to $50.

3

5 | FEATURE

Beyond the color: students embrace creativity through

hair dye

CLAIRE SHEEREN’20 Copy Editor Dyeing one’s hair different colors has become increasingly popular in recent years, and students like Trinity McClinton ’20 and Noah Karcher ’18 have followed the trend.

Karcher currently has pink hair, and this is his fourth time dyeing it. According to Karcher, dyeing hair comes out a little differently every time, but he has enjoyed doing it.

“It’s a fun experience,” Karcher said. “It takes a lot of time to do, but if you do it right, it’s fun and different.”

McClinton currently has her hair dyed in a “fading technique,” which is purple on the top and pink on the bottom, and this is her second time dyeing it. According to McClinton, once she dyed her hair the first time, she knew she wanted to do it again.

“I got it done the first time, and then I wanted to change it to the color I have now,” McClinton said.

McClinton’s friend Enya Nguyen ’20 likes how dyeing hair gives people a way to show their personalities in a non-permanent way.

“I think (dyeing hair) is fine,” Nguyen said. “It is a good way to express yourself, just like clothing and it’s not exactly anything permanent. You can always change it to what it was before.”

Dyeing hair different colors can have various effects on the hair and scalp, according to Salon 76 hair stylist Sarah Smith. Smith said artificial colored hair dye can be very damaging because it causes breakage and damage to the hair shaft, which is the hair that projects

NEW DO, NEW YOU Trinity McClinton ’20 shows off her colorful locks after getting her hair dyed.

Not tanning: Pros: No risk of getting skin cancer or having a blotchy sunless tan. By not tanning, you avoid premature aging and sun spots.

Cons: You will not have the glowing bronzed skin that is so sought after, depending on your natural skin tone. Avoiding the sun at all costs can put a damper on any vacation or outdoor activities.

Regular sun tanning:

4

Pros: Being out in the natural sun is a great way to get Vitamin D. Spending 15 minutes, 3 times a week will get you the recommended amount of Vitamin D. A natural tan can come from the sun’s rays.

5

Cons: Overexposure of the sun can lead to sunburns and/or skin cancer. Overexposure can also lead to premature wrinkles and sun spots.

The best self tanners to use:

St. TROPEZ Self Tan Bronzing Mousse ($42 from amazon.com), Ulta Bronze Glow Self Tanning Tinted Mousse ($12.99 from ulta.com), and Kiehl’s Sun-Free SelfTanning Formula ($24 from macys.com PHOTOS BY MARGOT BAER ’18

UNDER THE SEA Cassie Pinder’s ’19 red hair was perfect to dress as Ariel for the Disney Juniors during spirit week, 2017.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CASSIE PINDER ’19

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRINITY MCCLINTON ’20

out of the skin. and washing hair less often to preserve the “It’s very damaging because you color and minimize the effects. have to remove all of the natural pig“By using good shampoo and not washment in order to get that artificial ing your hair everyday, that not only maincolor,” Smith said. “It’s a lot differ- tains the color of your hair, but also the ent than regular color; regular color health of your hair,” Smith said. uses peroxide, which has ammonia.

According to Smith, hair dye can last The chemicals work together to open up to three to four weeks. Smith said the hair shaft and then close it back young people often let it fade and fail to down to seal in the maintain it. color. When you do “When these young those crazy colors, kids do it, they can’t afyou have nothing to ford to maintain it,” (Hair dye) is a good close it back down, Smith said. “Dyeing hair way to express so it’s damaging.” costs a lot of money, it’s yourself, just like McClinton is time-consuming and to clothing and it’s not aware of the effects do it and make it look exactly anything of the hair dye on pretty, you need to be in her head and has there (the salon) every permanent. found ways to help month. These kids don’t ENYA NGUYEN ’20 with it. want to do that or they “It’s really damattempt to do it themaging because they selves.” bleach it, a lot of time I put coconut Aside from the potential effects, Mcoil on it before I wash it to revitalize it Clinton said people seem to admire her and then I have different shampoos, hair. conditioners and color treatments “I get a lot of compliments on my hair that I use,” McClinton said. and I don’t hear people say bad things, at Karcher said his hair can get gross least not to my face,” McClinton said. when dyed, but can be prevented if he According to Karcher, people accept takes proper care of it. him regardless of his hair color.

“Sometimes (dyeing hair) can “Honestly,” Karcher said. “If you act like make it crunchy or ruin it, but if you your hair is normal, then no one will care.” take the right care of your hair, it’s fine,” Karcher said.

Smith suggests using good shampoo

50 shades darker: students who tan tanning, which is a sunless artificial tan, according to Clark.

“I would recommend spray tans because Being pale is becoming a thing of the past, tanning booths are bad for you, but if you as tanning is becoming increasingly popular want to get tan, the natural sun is better as with many new available methods and more long as you wear a protective sun tan lotion,” students willing to get them.

Dr. Adonis Lorenzana said.

With spring break just around the corner, According to Dr. Lorenzana , UV tanning students are even more interested in getting can cause wrinkles, sunspots and even prethat natural glow, so they can already be tan mature skin cancer, but that doesn’t scare evon the beach, according to eryone away.

Anna Clark ’18.

“I’m aware it can “I go tanning because I’m cause three types of pale, and I want to get that I’m aware it can cause skin cancer,” Clark base layer before I go on three types of skin said. “Either way, I’m spring break,” Clark said cancer.

Either way I’m getting cancer but I’m According to Clark, tanjust speeding up the getting cancer, but I’m ning can define features and process.” just speeding up the give self confidence to those According to Clark who feel uncomfortable with process. and Kado, they actheir pale skin.

ANNA CLARK ’18 knowledge the harm“It’s just easier to not have ful effects of UV and to put on that much makeup spray tanning, but in the morning,” Isabel Kado disregard the concerns ’19 said. “I just put on mascara and I don’t of possible cancers and premature aging behave to put on a whole face (after I tan).” cause the tans boost their confidence and Two common methods of tanning include make them feel better.

UV tanning where your skin is exposed to ul“UV tanning can be damaging to the traviolet radiation in tanning beds, or spray DNA,” Lorenzana said. “Spray tans contain SOLANA BRYSON ’18 Staff Writer

harmful chemicals.”

According to Clark, spray tans can fade quickly compared to a single UV tan lasting up to a couple months and spray tans give you the possibility of appearing orange-toned.

“I prefer UV tanning because spray tanning gets all over your clothes,” Kado said.

“With UV tanning, you just go and you shower and nothing comes off.”

According to Kado, despite the possible harmful effects of tanning, she still goes once or twice a week to maintain her tan.

“I have an unlimited pass and I can go whenever I want in the month,” Kado said.

According to Clark, popular tanning places around the metro Detroit area include Total Tan and Metropolitan Tanning.

“With Total Tan and Metropolitan being so close, it makes it easy to get a tan because I could go after school or before work” Clark said. “ I can get a tan whenever I want to.”

According to Clark, the average cost of one UV tan is $10 to $20 dollars, but you can often get packages and deals to save money.

“Tanning might be detrimental and I might get cancer in the future,” Clark said.

“But for now, I’m happy and tan.”

6 | FEATURE

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 3.21.18

Improving the community one step at a time Girl Scout troop at South betters the community through service projects school, you are an Ambassador.”

The troop has been involved in multiple community projects, including raking leaves for communiThe Girl Scouts of southeast Michigan, Troop ty members and working with the Service for Older 75082, have worked hard since the age of eight to Citizens (SOC). However, according to Abundis, earn badges, awards and honor, according to Troop their greatest accomplishment to this date was earnLeader Dr. Margot Abundis. ing the Silver Award in the of summer of 2015.

The scouts have worked on earning their badges “The Silver Award is a community project or a catering to different skill, doing community projproject of good will that your troop can do for othects and fulfilling the requirements of a book called ers in your community or in the world,” Boehmer “Girltopia” to further themselves as people and as said. women.

The entire troop worked together on the Silver “It’s all about women being encouraged to do Award instead of splitting into smaller groups, as things they wouldn’t otherwise. We have a lot of there were only six of them, according to Boehmer. patches that are all about women power,” Madeline “We all achieved a Silver award, which you do Campbell ’20 said. “The journey we are on right with your troop,” Campbell said. “It’s a service projnow, which this thing you have to complete every ect that helps the greater community. We made year is called Girltopia, and it’s about building a dresses out of pillowcases for girls in Haiti, and they better world for women and for everybody in that went through the HART mission trip through St. respect too.”

Paul Church, and they delivered them.”

The troop began meeting once a month with 24 The girls were greatly impacted by achieving this girls. Since then, the troop has reduced to six girls, award, being able to see the change they brought. according to Abundis. For eight years, since second This project put a deserving smile on every girl’s grade, the girls have slowly moved up the ranking face in the troop, encouraging them to do greater ladder through symbolic bridging ceremonies, acgood deeds for the world, according to Abundis.

“I think earning the Silver Award was rewarding, and seeing the little girls in Haiti actually wearing these dresses, we have photos of that; that was something that touched me,” Abundis said. “That’s one that was direct, where you saw what we did, and saw it on them.”

The troop has worked on many projects to this day, pitching in to help their community. Through their participation in these projects, the STRONG BONDS The troop displays the friendship brace- girls have learned about third-world problems and how to help people in lets they made to solidify their bond with each other. dire need, according to Abundis.

“Mainly, we work on their badges, which is skill sets that we learn and earn badgcording to Natalie Boehmer ’20. es. (We have) also done several charity events, we “The youngest (girl scouts) are Daisies, then earned the Silver award last year making pillowBrownies, then Juniors,” Boehmer said. “When case dresses for an orphanage in Haiti,” Abundis you’re in middle school, you’re a Cadette, and when said. you’re a freshman or a sophomore, you’re a SeAccording to Abundis, the scouts have cut nior, so I’m a Senior. As a junior or a senior in high NAVYA CHAMIRAJU ’20 Staff Writer

Transgender students speak on treatment at South EVA MCCORD ’21 Staff Writer As he passes through the bustling hallways, Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) vice president Rowan E. ’19 attempts to draw little attention from his peers.

Much like his fellow students, E.’s primary focus of the day ranges from his paper due the next period, what he’s having for lunch, or all the homework he has to do when he gets home.

However, as E. glides past a group of snickering and staring students, a few simple sneers and taunts are enough to quicken his pace.

E. is a member of the transgender community, making up an even smaller portion of South’s own LGBT+ collective. According to The New York Times, one in every 137 students identify as transgender in the United States alone.

“It’s a big part of me, and it’s a big part of my interactions with people,” E. said. “A lot of people assume things based on your identity alone, so being transgender emphasizes that.”

GSA president Harry Susalla ’18 said he feels as though the LGBT+ community as a whole is underrepresented within the school, with transgender students nearly invisible within the curriculum.

“I know there are two bathrooms that are available to those who are uncomfortable using the standard, binary bathrooms,” Susalla said. “But the administration should be implementing policies, such as mandatory pronoun recognition.”

According to fellow transgender student Grey Korejwo ’20, his teachers are often the most accepting of his pro-

nouns and disposition, and take the time necessary to properly approach the subject. “(The teachers) are usually the ones who take the time to correct themselves if they use the wrong pronouns and do their best to remember,” Korejwo said. “There’s always a few exceptions, but the staff is normally respectful about referring to me correctly.”

Despite the relative support from adults, E. has experienced numerous instances of bullying and harassment from his classmates, and fails to understand as to why administration is turning a blind eye to the transgender youth. “(I) hear these comments in the hallway, or in the classroom, and it really, really hurts to hear,” E. said. “The worst is when people say my identity is a phase; it’s such a personal and harsh thing to criticize and poke fun at someone for.”

Both Korejwo and E. encourage either explorative or unknowing students to take personal measures to learn about the transgender community, in order to ultimately create a more unified student body, as well as discuss the topic with those self-identifying. According to Korejwo, conversation alone can emphasize familiarity, comfort and a better understanding of the world and others around one’s self.

“One of the most important things you can do is to listen,” Korejwo said.

“Let us tell you how we feel, rather than hear it from other people; we’re the ones living the lives you keep reading about. Overall, it’s really important to remember that we’re just your fellow peers; we’re just like you.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARGOT ABUNDIS

their local field trip budget to fund an out of country trip to Paris and London. This trip would cater to the girls’ taste better, and since it has become scout-oriented, the budget will shift according to their plans and desires.

“When (the girls) were young, we did a lot of fun field trips, but now as high HELPING HAND The Senior girl scouts lend a hand to the younger troop school stumembers. dents, we’ve tried to cut Abundis said. back on extra costs because we are working on goThrough their experiences in the Girl Scouts, ing to Paris and London, summer of 2019,” Abundis each and every girl has grown into mature, said. “Now they are older, this is more girl-led, so well-rounded women, according to Campbell. we just do what they need to do to accomplish their “You have a greater sense of impact; the impact goals. The ultimate goal is to earn their Gold Award, you have on yourself and the world,” fellow scout which is the equivalent of the Girl Scouts Eagle Anna Abundis ’20 said.

Award, the highest award a girl can earn as a scout.”

The troop helped put together clean birthing kits According to Abundis, some of the scouts (alfor third world countries, according to Margot. This ready) have good ideas, ranging from literature to helped them realize and understand real life probexercise-based lems and challenged them to come up with solucharity work, tions. making it excit“I think they are a little more conscientious about ing to see what third-would causes, developing a true sense of self.

It’s all about women they finally do Hopefully, (they will develop)strength, responsibilifor their Gold being encouraged to ty, and fairness,” Margot said. do things they wouldn’t Awards.

“Most people think it’s cookie selling and things “The Gold like that,” Boehmer said. “But in reality, Girl Scouts do otherwise.

Awards are inis seeing what women can do to make the world betdividual, so it’s MADELINE CAMPBELL ter for other women.” not anything Senior Girl Scout that is done troop-based,”

TAKING A GAP YEAR: CAITLIN MILLER ’18 Staff Writer

What is a gap year?

A gap year is a year you take off from traditional school between when you graduate from high school and when you go onto post-secondary training or schooling. We don’t have a lot (of students taking gap years), but we do have a few. Every year, there’s a couple of kids that will do it... What I think is important about a gap year is it’s not just a year that you take off and do nothing, you really want to make sure you’re using that time productively, but just in a different way.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of gap years?

For some kids, it has been a really intense year or two leading up to college admissions, and some people really need to take that time to regroup and finally jump into an intense college experience, so it provides a needed breather, but also it gives an opportunity for students to expand their world view before they go back into an academic setting where they might not have that same opportunity to see things that they don’t usually see.

Q&A with Counselor Beth Walsh-Sahutske

What do students have to do in order to take a gap year?

There are a lot of different things a student can do with a gap year; we’ve had kids that have gone to programs where they go overseas or they might do service in a more formalized gap year service program. There’s also a kid who went to Europe, and he did a more formalized travel plan, like a six month travel plan. There are some folks who will do more of a combination of apprenticeship and service learning opportunities, so there’s a variety of things people do.

Do you believe kids are pressured to go to college and that gap years are looked at as out of the social norm?

I think there is a really strong expectation these days that every kid goes to college, but it really is a far better choice for some kids to make different choices than going into college. Interestingly, a lot of the colleges that are encouraging gap year are not necessarily the ones you’d expect.

It’s actually the high end, Ivy League (schools) that like to have students get that year for maturity and growth, so that they actually build and grow a more interesting class coming into their freshman year.

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 3.21.18

7 | FEATURE

TheTower

Grosse Pointe South High School > GRAPHIC BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

PHOTO BY KATHERINE BIRD ’18

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“Finstas” are a secondary Instagram that has become a popular trend among students at South. The purpose and attraction to this type of social media account varies by user.

PHOEBE MIRIANI ’18 AND ALLY MACLEOD ’19 Staff Writers eal Instagram accounts are used so everyone can accounts people feel the need to make themselves look perfect,” Sre“My consequences were initially me not being able to attend my last show off their picture-perfect life, but now Finstas bernak said. “While on Finstas, you get a real view of a person and senior varsity football game and my title of being a captain on the team have changed the game. their personality.” was taken away,” Mays said.

“Finsta” accounts on Instagram are now a comIn a Twitter poll, 89 percent of students said they would not allow Since this incident, Mays no longer uses his Finsta and chooses not mon trend for South students and teenagers nation- their immediate family members to follow their Finsta. to post any pictures from now on. wide. Finstas are secondary Instagram accounts that Many teens use their Finstas to hide certain so“When all my friends heard about what hapare private and allow users to post more censored and private material cial behaviors from family, some friends, teachers pened to Jamin, we were all shocked,” Margaux than on their main Instagram accounts. and coaches, according to world history and anFlournoy ’19 said. “There was no way to prove that “Finstas started to become a thing for South kids in late 2015, and thropology teacher Margaret Pierce. the person in the background wasn’t 21 or that JaI think Finstas by 2017, everyone I knew had a Finsta account,” Gabby Peruski ’19 “Finstas can influence behaviors when they may min was also drinking, so I don’t understand why create a secretive said. not be an accurate representation of what the norm he was in trouble.” environment where According to Lanie Maynard ’19, teenagers only use Finstas for is as well as representing what may be unhealthy Hearing about what happened to Mays freaked people find it is okay to out a lot of South students, according to Flournoy. three main reasons. behaviors like substance use and harassment of othbe more exclusive.

“People only use Finsta accounts to complain about what is going ers,” Pierce said. “There is also the issue of complete “I have taken pictures with my parents while LANIE MAYNARD ’19 on in their own life, to show off their party lifestyle, and to post things strangers following and getting involved in that perthey have been holding a beer or a red solo cup,” that they think are funny that no one else actually cares about,” May- son’s life in a strange way.”

Flournoy said, “Does this mean I am going to get nard said.

Like Pierce, Madison Griffin ’18 also believes suspended?”

Matthew Koueiter ’18 agrees with Maynard and that specific users that students use their Finstas to post things about Annie McKee ’18 believes that students use these profiles to draw attention to their way of living. drugs and alcohol. shouldn’t get in trouble for things they post outside of school, re“Some people primarily use their accounts to show people how “They obviously can’t post it on their real Instagrams so they use gardless whether there is alcohol in the posts or not. She thinks what much they drink, but other people don’t use their accounts to do that,” their Finstas for that, hence why the Finsta profile is private,” Griffin the students do during their free time, after school or on weekends Koueiter said. said. shouldn’t affect them when they come back to school.

Annie Rinke ’18, on the other hand, believes that Finstas are priMany usernames for Finstas have very promiscuous names and are In contrast to McKee, Barret McKown ’21 believes that the adminmarily used for people to brag about the things they own and do. usually puns with their real name, according to Kate George ’20. istration should be able to punish the students because of what they “Many posts I see that are from people’s secondary accounts are “Everyone who follows me or I follow all have names that imply post on their private Instagrams or Finstas. to show off to people their new boat or new expensive clothes they how much they drink, smoke or party,” George said, “Some usernames “If someone is posting something with alcohol or drugs, they bought,” Rinke said. are so creative, it seems like it took hours to think should be punished, because after all, it is illegal for student our age so Since Finsta profiles are used to post more risqué of.” why wouldn’t they be punished,” McKown. photos and videos, Peruski says it leads to more gosFinstas also create a risk for some students fuMcKee also thinks that there is nothing the administration or socisip being spread around the school. ture when getting jobs or getting scholarships, acety can do to change the way high schoolers use their Finstas and the Everyone who “All the time people come up to me and ask, ‘Did cording Pierce. things they post on them. follows me or I follow you see this person’s Finsta post or did you see that “Anything on the internet can be permanent.

“We use these accounts to post about things no one really cares all have names that person’s Finsta post?’” Peruski said. “Ultimately, Employers do look at social media of a candidate about but might find funny or post things we just want our close imply how much they Finstas have led to more unhealthy relationships at presence when they get an application or resume,” friends to see,” McKee said. “Nothing is going to stop us from sharing drink, smoke or party.

South.”

Pierce said. “They want to know what kind of per- stuff with our friends, we do what we want to do.”

Maynard agrees with Peruski’s idea that Finstas According to Pierce, teachers can only teach “device etiquette” to Some usernames are so son they are bringing in to their workplace, and if have made social interactions worse. they will fit in the social climate, the people they a certain degree and it’s really up to parents to set guidelines for their creative, it seems like it “I think Finstas create a secretive environment work with, and what the core values may be of the kids. took hours to think of. where people find it is okay to be more exclusive,” company.”

“High school students by nature and brain development often enKATE GEORGE ’20 Maynard said. “Since all Finstas are private, you have Jamin Mays ’18 got in trouble from a Finsta gage in risky behavior,” Pierce said. “It is ultimately up to the parents to request to follow the accounts and if your request post earlier this year in the fall because he was and families to pay attention to what a student is up to on their device is denied it can be really hurtful and uncomfortable posing in a picture while someone in the back- and set guidelines and boundaries.” when you see them in person.” ground, who doesn’t attend South, that was holdIn contrast to Maynard’s beliefs, Savannah Srebernak ’19 thinks ing alcohol. that Finstas allow people to have more bonding experiences since Fin“I got caught because someone released the photo via social media stas are updated more than users real Instagram accounts. and a random student brought it forth to the main office,” Mays said.

“Finstas are more personal than real Instagrams because on real There were major consequences because of this, according to Mays.

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8 | SPORTS

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 3.21.18

Korean Olympic hopeful skates towards roots

Q&A with Ava Russano ’18, hockey player trying out for South Korean Olympic team

RAY HASANAJ ’18 Supervising Editor

4.) What position are you and how long have you played hockey in America?

1.) Tell me about your South Korean background.

“I was born in South Korea and I was adopted when I was five months old.”

“Center. I’ve played hockey for 15 years. My freshman year, I played for South and then sophomore year I played for Little Caesars. Junior year, I played for Belle Tire and my senior year, I played for Little Caesars.”

2.) How did you come in contact with the South Korean team?

“I reached out to someone on the Olympic team through Instagram. She was adopted from South Korea as well and now she plays for the Korean team.

So I said, ‘It’s cool that we have similar stories,’ and how I want to find out what procedures there are to try out. She gave me her manager’s email address and then I emailed her with a highlight video. I’m waiting for a response.”

5.) What gave you the confidence to try out for the South Korean team?

“I had a few coaches tell me that I was one of the most skilled players that they’ve had. So I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’ll try it out.’”

PHOTO COURTESY OF AVA RUSSANO’18

3.) What made you want to play for South Korea and not America?

“I think it would be cool for me to be able to live there for a few years and just learn about my background.”

6.) Are you putting in any extra work in preparation?

“I am doing private lessons three times a week.”

Swimming toward success State champion swimmer Matthew Koueiter qualifies for Junior Nationals

Girls varsity soccer team welcomes new head coach ARIANNA PAGENETTE ’18 Managing Editor

PHOTO BY JOHN FRANCIS ’18

JACK BELLAMY ’19 Staff Writer Swimming since he was seven years old, Matthew Koueiter ’18 has been training year round, six days a week, to take his swimming to the next level.

This year, with a qualification at the NCSA (National Club Swimming Association) Junior Nationals this past week, his dedication paid off.

The NCSA Junior Nationals are held in Orlando with about 1,500 swimmers competing from across the country, according to Coach Foley, Koueiter’s coach of five years.

“It’s hard to become a great swimmer without committing to it year round,” Foley said. “And when Matthew did make t h e commitment and started working as hard as he does, he took his swimming to anMAKING WAVES other Matthew Koueiter level, ’18 qualified for the beNCSA Junior Olympics.

Koueiter trains all year round.

PHOTO BY JACK BELLAMY ’19

coming the state champion he is today.”

Ethan Briggs ’18 has been swimming with Koueiter since they were young, most recently competing with him at South. According to Briggs, their training has been rigorous, helping prepare Koueiter for Nationals.

“Since freshman year, he has really shown a lot of talent, but this past year, he’s really put a lot of extra time and extra effort to get his national cuts and go down to that meet,” Briggs said. “I’m really happy for him and proud of him.”

According to Koueiter, he made the decision to commit full time to swimming going into his junior year.

“I played baseball for South my freshman and sophomore year, then going into junior year I talked to my coach and told him I wanted to focus on swimming full time so I could continue to swim in college,” Koueiter said. “After that, I was in the pool year round almost everyday and I made ton of progress, and that’s pretty much the reason I’m doing as well as I am and the reason I’m able to swim in college next year.”

Koueiter plans to continue swimming after high school, but is grateful for the success he has had and opportunity to swim at the NCSA Junior Nationals.

“I can’t explain how much making this meet means,” Koueiter said. “To compete against the fastest kids in the nation is a huge honor and I’m super excited to be a part of it.”

just means having to learn a new set of plays and a new set of rules but it also brings new energy, Voytowich said.

“The new coach this year brings a

Transferring from Cousino High School where he was previously at for two years, Coach Chris Bolio is now the head coach for the girls varsity soccer team.

“I was ready to make a change and take on the challenge of turning around a program that has had recent struggles,” Bolio said.

Before taking the job at South, Bolio previously coached for seven years and is currently also a coach for Nationals Soccer.

“The new job is just like anything else new, strange a little at first and a little intimidating,” Bolio said.

Bolio said the transition has been great, and the athletic staff and the girls have all been very welcoming.

“Our new coach is awesome, he brings a whole new flow and level of competitiveness to the team which is helpful when playing,” Hannah Voytowich ’18 said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BOLIO The team is already looking better from past years, the team flows to- new style and I’m looking forward to gether and are already noticeable im- the games this year,” Voytowich said.

The teams looking forward to provements, Voytowich said. working harder at practice and win“He is pushing us a lot harder than ning more games with the new coach, past coaches, which I think will help according to Murphy. us win more games,” Lizzy Murphy “The new coach ’18 said. brings new style, so At first impresThe new coach it can help us win, sion, Bolio is rebrings new style, so hopefully, more than ally nice and has it can help us win, one game this seathe intentions to hopefully, more son, ” Voytowich said. help the team win Besides working than one game this games and imhard and winning, season. prove their skills, the team also works Murphy said.

HANNAH VOYTOWICH ’18 well with the new “I’ve had a new coach, Voytowich coach all four said. years at Grosse Pointe South, and it is “I am excited for the new season a big change every time,” Voytowich with this new team,” said Voytowich. said.

Having a new coach each season