TOWER

the

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A WEEKLY TRADITION SINCE 1928

@thetowerpulse

Gross e Pointe S outh, 11 Gross e Pointe B oule vard, Gross e Pointe Far ms, Michigan 48236

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Volume 88
Issue 10
thetowerpulse.net

A WEEKLY TRADITION SINCE 1928

Paris, Beirut terrorist attacks impact

future in regards to national security

Volume 88
Issue 12
thetowerpulse.net

ZOE JACKSON 16 // Page

Editor
ver since he can remember, clocksmith
Phil Wright has been
interested in the way
things work.
When I was a kid, and I tell
everybody this, if I got a toy that
was mechanical, I tore it apart. I
wanted to see how it worked. I
was just a gearhead. I liked that
kind of stuff, Wright said.
The third generation carpenter and self-taught horologist,
or clockmaker, hails from South
Charleston, Ohio, where he is the
owner of the aptly named The
Tower Clock Company.
South Charleston isnt exactly
around the corner from Grosse
Pointe, and Wright has been living in Souths S-lot while repairing the clock tower.
Theres a lot of action, Wright
said, of living in an RV in Souths
parking lot for weeks at a time.
It was crucial to have a specialist like Wright working with
Souths clock, engineer Michael
Torongo said via e-mail.
The clock tower needed to
have worn parts replaced, adjustments to weights and mechanisms and a complete overhaul
on the frame, said Torongo. We
found Phil because I knew that
the clock at Greenfield Village
was recently renovated, and I
found out Phil was the guy that

did it.
Greenfield Villages clock tower is very similar to Souths 134foot tower in age, style and mechanics, Torongo said.
Wright became involved in
this rare career early on, he said.
I met a guy who is a steeplejack, the guys that climb around
on top of buildings and paint the

When I was a kid,

and I tell everybody
this, if I got a toy that
was mechanical, I tore
it apart. I wanted to see
how it worked. I was just
a gearhead. I liked that
kind of stuff.
PHIL WRIGHT
HOROLOGIST

little things up on top, Wright

said. I didnt want to do that, but
he did (clock repairs) on the side,
and I got interested in that.
This same man gave Wright
the opportunity to work on a
courthouse clock from the next
county over, he said. Wright was
able to tinker with it and learn
how it operated. From there, he
was able to start his own business.
Because of his rare expertise,
Wright said he travels around in
his RV to do different jobs. Living

Historic clock in the tower is restored

in a motor home can come with

some surprises.
One morning I turned the
coffee maker on, and its worked
every day before, but today I have
no power at all in the RV, Wright
said.
Overall, though, traveling
around to work can be pretty enjoyable, he said.
I get homesick, but the nice
thing about it is that 75 percent of
my work is all done at home, and
being self-employed is nice too,
so I can take a day off whenever I
want, Wright said.
From the three unique times
he has visited, Wright has stayed
at South cumulatively for close
to a month. He said he needed
to spend time on Souths clock
tower because some of the mechanisms were not working properly, and this necessitated his physical presence.
Problems with the clock have
persisted for years, Principal
Moussa Hamka said.
The clock wasnt keeping
the correct time, even when we
would reset it, and would lose the
time or stop, Hamka said.
Also, the bell that is supposed
to chime on the hour was not
chiming, Hamka said. Because of
these problems, Wright first came
out to South in the early spring.
Visit www.thetowerpulse.net for
more on the clock tower repairs.

South, Wayne State to perform joint holiday concert

LAUREN PANKIN 16 //
Supervising Editor

Threat to school safety last week leads to police intervention

This Friday is the last

day to donate to
the coat drive. Bring
gently-used coats to
Cleminson Hall.

21

two orchestras have played together, Gross said. The

last time was in 2006.
In the concert, both the South orchestra and
Wayne States orchestra will play one of Beethovens
symphonies, Gross said. In addition, each school
will perform a holiday piece. South is playing
Christmas Festival by Leroy Anderson, and the
Wayne State Orchestra is performing the music of
The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.
Each orchestra is performing a classic piece,
and coincidentally, the South orchestra is playing
Beethovens Symphony No. 7, and the Wayne State
orchestra is playing Beethovens Symphony No. 8 ,
Gross said.
Learning Beethoven did not end up being a ma-

09

South Orchestra
and Wayne State
University will play
together today.
<see above>

10

PHOTO COURTESY OF GPSBO.ORG

jor problem for the students after a

The students are excited to
There will be two
play with the Wayne State orfew rehearsals, Sunny Xia 16 said.
Beethoven symphonies
Beethoven was difficult at first,
chestra and see some former
but as we rehearsed more and got
South students, Xia said.
and some Christmas
a chance to practice the piece indiI think it will be interestmusic. It will be an
vidually, it wasnt really a problem,
ing to have a joint concert with
evening of great music.
and were actually still learning the
Wayne States orchestra, Xia
said. Especially since at least
piece, Xia said. Were always imJAMES GROSS
proving each time we rehearse. Its
two of the members are South
ORCHESTRA TEACHER
a continuous process.
alumni.
During the concert, both orThe concert starts at 7:30 on
chestras will perform their own individual set, Dec. 9 in the auditorium, and it is free.
Gross said. The addition of Wayne States orchestra
There will be two Beethoven symphonies and
does not change the format from a regular concert some Christmas music, Gross said. It will be an
for the orchestra.
evening of great music.

THIS WEEK AT SOUTH

The girls swim team

travels to Oakland
University for State
Finals this Saturday
at noon.

dec.

20

nov.

nov.

19

The first show for Its

Murder in the Wings
takes place this
Thursday.
<see page 6>

dec.

THIS WEEK AT SOUTH

HOLIDAY TUNES // The band and orchestra posing in Vienna, Austria last year. Most of these students will be performing today in the joint holiday performance.
GRIFFIN BROOKS 16 // Staff Writer
Tonight the Wayne State University orchestra
travels to the South auditorium to perform a joint
concert with the high school orchestra.
Wayne States orchestra plays throughout metro
Detroit at different events, so it was their orchestra
professor who initiated the idea for the concert,
South orchestra teacher James Gross said.
The university orchestra is like an ambassador for the university, Gross said. They represent
Wayne State University when they go out and play
in different communities, so they asked if we would
be interested in playing a concert with them down
here at South.
This is the second time in the last 10 years the

Tomorrow from 3:30

to 5 p.m. there will
be a Hour of Code
in the Media Center
for students.

11

dec.

I am pleased to see the emphasis placed on safety at all

levels of administration, Huebner said.
Hamka said he didnt believe the student posed a serious threat to South.
Based on the information I have from our internal
investigation as well as the collaboration with the Farms
Police Department, I do not believe that there was ever an
imminent threat to the safety and well-being of any of our
students or staff here on campus, Hamka said.
South isnt the only school that has received violence
threats on this level. The FBI concluded that K-12 schools
are the second most likely areas for public shootings, with
142 school shootings since the Sandy Hook Shooting in
2012 as of June 2015.
Grosse Pointe Farms police declined to comment, although they did grant interviews to The Grosse Pointe
News. The city attorney denied The Towers request for a
police report and Chief Daniel Jensen the report being released to The Grosse Pointe News was an error.
Assistant Principal Steven Wolf who was part of the investigation declined to comment.
I think this is a great lesson for students, Hamka said.
Often times, students dont realize the power of the words
that they choose. The words you say matter, and have a
real and significant impact on the people around you. Its
important ... that you should probably never joke about
certain subjects.

nov.

HANNAH CONNORS 16 & RILEY LYNCH 18// Copy pended and will not be returning to the Grosse Pointe
Public School System, Hamka said.
Editor & Pulse Section Editor
As always, the police in cooperation with the school
rosse Pointe Farms police were notified of
a students verbal threat to Souths safety on responded promptly to both manage the student as well as
ensure the safety of our school community, Hamka said
Thursday, Nov. 5.
The student initially made the threat on in an email sent to parents Monday Nov. 9. Please unWednesday, Oct. 28 in passing time between classes, Prin- derstand that since this threat was received by the police
cipal Moussa Hamka said. The student said to a friend, Thursday night, the student was at no point in classes at
South and was in fact under police supervision or obserIm about to shoot up this school.
The following week, the friend who heard the threat vation at all times.
The student was arrested on Nov.
told another student. This student in9, held for 48 hours and then released,
formed their parents about the threat,
I am pleased to see
although the case is open and the stuwho reported it to the police the evening
dent could potentially still face charges,
of Thursday Nov. 5. Hamka was immedithe emphasis placed
Hamka said.
ately made aware of this, he said.
on safety at all levels of
Mary Petz 17, who has attended
(I and the Farms police) discussed
administration
school with the student for multiple
the student, and I reviewed the students
years, said she was mostly unaware of
disciplinary history, Hamka said. We
LAURA HUEBNER
the situation until it came up between
also talked about the student who reportMOTHERS CLUB PRESIDENT
other students in conversation. She
ed it, whether they have a history of false
believes the situation has been put out
reports or any concerns with them.
The police knocked on the students door at 11 p.m. of proportion in relation to what she heard happened.
I didnt really put much thought into it because the
that evening. Initially, the student denied ever making the
school had handled it way before we even were told about
threat, Hamka said.
However, I advised (the police) that I did not want the it, and it didnt really seem that serious, Petz said.
Mothers Club President Laura Huebner said that while
student attending school the next day, and that we would
she doesnt know everything about the threat, she is glad
contact the family with next steps, Hamka said.
The student who issued the threat has since been sus- safety is being emphasized at South.

New tardy, cell phone policy

creates cohesive guidelines
BRENNA BROMWELL & KATHARINE KUHNLEIN, both 16
//Associative Editor & Staff Writer
new school-wide policy on tardies and changes to
the existing cell phone policy will be implemented
on the first day of second semester, Feb. 1, by the
Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS)
committee, Vice Principal Steven Wolf, said.
The PBIS team is compiled of the administration, including
Wolf himself, and eleven other teachers that work to come up
with expectations and policies for students, Wolf said.
The new tardy policy is a clear expectation of what we want
our students to do, traveling from one class to the next, consistently, across the board from all teachers in all parts of the building Wolf said.
Prior to this, there was no set policy, instead, tardies were handled at the teachers discretion, Wolf said. Due to these inconsistencies and feedback received from staff, the PBIS team decided
that South needed a uniform system for addressing tardies.
We were really inconsistent with what teachers individually
were giving as consequences, Wolf said.
With the new policy, when a student is late to class they will
receive a warning the first and second time. On their third tardy,
they will get a 30 minute detention after school (detentions will
be held Tuesdays and Thursdays). When a student is tardy for the
fifth time (in one class), they will get a referral and a Saturday
school will be issued, Wolf said.
The number of students who have a lot of tardies, the volume
is not high, said Wolf, However, those kids who do abuse it,
they really tend to abuse it.
The main goal of the policy is to act as a deterrent for students
being late to class, Wolf said.
When its first starting out, students wont really know its a
policy, so it wont have a big impact at the beginning, but when
people start getting punished for tardiness, it will have a much
bigger impact, Kaitlin Malley 17 said.
However, Malley thinks it is a little extreme, because sometimes you have a class in the S-building and your next class in
the IA building; in those cases sometimes you just cant get there
in time.
I think it is definitely necessary because right now there is not
a policy, so there is not punishment if you are tardy, although, it
needs to be a little more lenient, Malley said.
I think Saturday school would be tough, but if youre going to
keep showing up to a class late and you know thats coming, then
you deserve to go to it, chemistry teacher Jessica Wieseler said.
The request for the new policy came from the teachers themselves, Wolf said. Many teachers had requested a uniform, schoolwide policy.
I didnt notice that big of an issue with tardies in my classes
and I just dealt with them on an individual basis, Wieseler said.
But I know as a school and as a whole there has been a lot of
teachers whove complained about it.
Students will also be hearing more about PBIS, which is a
nationwide program, in the future, Wolf said. All Grosse Pointe
Public Schools will be implementing PBIS programs this year.
The main goal of PBIS is to create more clear and consistent expectations for students.
Along with the new tarI think Saturday school
dy policy, the PBIS team is
would be tough, but if
also implementing changes
youre going to keep to the personal electronic
showing up to a class device (PED) policy, Wolf
late and you know thats said. Signs with red or
coming, then you de- green lights will be placed
in each class, signifying if
serve to go to it
cell phones are allowed to
JESSICA WIESELER
be out during that time.
CHEMISTRY TEACHER
In the policy, it is expected that while in red light
rooms, PEDs are silenced or on vibrate, and out of sight.
Malley thinks this new policy will be helpful to the the teachers who do not want their students using phones during class.
Teachers can say put your phone away as many times as they
want, but unless theyre actually punishing kids for it then its not
really going to have any impact, Malley said.
The PED policy was not changed much from what it previously was, it was put into writing, Wolf said.
We did have a cell phone policy here, but know one knew
what it was. We couldnt find in writing what it (the PED policy)
was, we had a sense of what it was, Wolf said. We started from
there, we changed very little and we put it into writing.
Similar to the tardy policy, a student will receive a warning if
they are caught using their phone in a red light room.
If you have your cell phone out you get a warning, its a cell
phone, but it can be a distraction, Wolf said.
On second offense, the teacher will take the phone and keep
it until the end of the day. After the third time, the student is
written up and given a one hour after school detention. For additional offenses, the students PED will be confiscated and their
parents will be called to come and pick it up.

Issue 15

@thetowerpulse

Sick-outs, science standards debated

at first State of Education town hall

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT // Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo speaks passionately in support of DPS teacher sick-outs. As a former
DPS science teacher, she said working conditions are unacceptable since some classrooms have 50 students, mold the size
of mushrooms and a lack of security.

PHOTO BY CHASE CLARK 18

LAUREN PANKIN 16 // Supervising Editor

Held on the same day Detroit Public School (DPS) teachers
launched a sick-out resulting in the closures of 62 schools, the first
State of Education in Michigan Town Hall was hosted and moderated by State Representative Brian Banks at Grosse Pointe North High
School on Monday, Jan. 11.
This is the first time weve
had a panel of this diversity,
Banks said.
We have to start from
Consisting of state superinground level and change
tendent Brian Whiston, state
how we think about
representatives Amanda Price
teaching science.
and
Sherry
Gay-Dagnogo,
Harper Woods superintendent
CHRISTINE GEERER
Todd Biederwolf, President Dan
GPEA Representative

Quisenberry of the Michigan Association of Public Schools Academies, the bipartisan panel included Grosse Pointe-based resident and
former mayoral press secretary Greg Bowens, Grosse Pointe Public
School System (GPPSS) superintendent Gary Niehaus and Parcellls
science teacher and Grosse Pointe Education Association (GPEA) representative Christine Geerer.
Applauded and booed by an audience of more than 75, consisting
of DPS parents, Grosse Pointe school board members, teachers, superintendents, attorneys and congressional staffs, the bipartisan panel debated topics ranging from state-run Education Achievement Authority (EAA) schools to the increasing competition of cyber schooling.
Niehaus said he supports online education and would like to implement an unconventional certificate system which grants students qualifications based on knowledge rather than time spent in a classroom.
I really dont like that we believe that every child in Michigan and
the U.S. has to sit in a classroom for 16 weeks for one semester in order
to gain the material or the skillsets, Niehaus said. There has to be a
way to measure a students skillsets by either a certificate, or by some
form of documentation that says they have mastered that.
Although Gov. Rick Snyder floated around the idea of opening

26

Midterms begin next

Tuesday with 1st
and 2nd hour exams
from 8 to 11:15 a.m.
<see pages 6 & 7>

school borders, Niehaus said he does not foresee the borders dropping.
Currently, school districts are given the choice to allow or restrict the
entrance of students who live in other districts.
With the Nov. 2015 passage of new science standards which emphasize the application of skills, districts must update the curriculum
and retrain teachers, Whiston said. This process will require funding
for new equipment and time for professional development.
Of course, the money and time isnt there, said Whiston. We never make this easy, right? But we go through process of updating standards on regular cycle basis.
Whiston said these standards were called for by teachers and drafted with the support and direction of educators and experts.
Time for us is not as big of a factor as money, Niehaus said. When
we look at textbooks and new techniques and science equipment that
is going to be needed inside the classroom, thats going to be expensive,
but its also going to be a priority.
Also passed in Nov. 2015, revised rules for teacher evaluations
de-emphasize student test scores and allow districts a degree of autonomy in choosing their own assessments, Banks said.
As an alternative to the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP), Niehaus suggested the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), since he said it is well-researched, is not continually rewritten, and is a better growth standard for year-to-year comparison.
Moving forward, Whiston plans to involve parents and educators
in designing standards, pursue
a check for homeschooling and
work toward the elimination of
EAA schools.
For further information and
perspectives on teacher evaluations, the DPS sick-outs, school
of choice, charter schools, open
borders, EAA schools, homeschooling and cyber school, check
out thetowerpulse.net via this
QR code.

The North American International Auto

Show cruises into downtown Detroit
JACK HOLME 17 // Page Editor
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)
has been a Detroit attraction for
close to 30 years and this years
show kicked off on the 11th of
this month with press day. The
show opened up to the public last
Saturday on the 16th.
The Auto Show has been always been a spectacle for not
just journalists and car nuts to
indulge in. The Auto Show prides
itself as being a family function.
Every day during the Public Show
there is a parade around the main
floor at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily
of The Parade Company. The parade will have luxury cars of all

THIS WEEK AT SOUTH

The GPS Choir will

perform in caroling
groups on Friday in the
Multipurpose room.
<see page 3>

Volume 88

thetowerpulse.net

Gross e Pointe S outh , 1 1 Gross e Pointe B oule vard , Gross e Pointe Far m s , Michig an 4 8 2 3 6

A
LIKE CLOCKWORK // Horologist Phil Wright, a third-generation carpenter, examines the gears
which cause bells to chime every hour in Souths historic clock tower. Wright is a self-taught
PHOTOS BY EMMA RUSSELL 17
clockmaker.

Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016

A WEEKLY TRADITION SINCE 1928

@thetowerpulse

Gross e Pointe S outh , 1 1 Gross e Pointe B oule vard , Gross e Pointe Far m s , Michig an 4 8 2 3 6

Time for a change:

now? Do
you suspect
everybody? Moon
said. Thats just so
unfair to these people who
are fleeing that same violence
that we just witnessed from where
they are coming from.
A former French student of Moons,
Caroline Forster 14, attends the Superior
Institute of Communications & Publicity
(ISCOM) in Paris.
My experience this past weekend was
pretty unreal, Forster said via e-mail. I was
out to dinner with family when we got the first
alerts and calls. In the beginning, we assumed
it was a small attack in a northern neighborhood
and decided to finish our dinner. By dessert, we
were receiving more updates and realized the seriousness of the events.
Because the shootings and bombs were in northern districts, called arrondissements, Forster was
geographically removed from the terrorist attacks,
she said. Upon arriving safely home to her Western
neighborhood of Levallois, she marked herself safe on
her Facebook page, and spent the majority of Friday
night and early Saturday morning watching the
news.
Going into the city for class on Monday made
Forster nervous, she said.
Arriving at school, in the center of the
city, we had a moment of silence for the
lives that were taken, Forster said.
This instant was extremely moving
and emotional; my eyes were wet
with tears as I realized how
lucky I was to be surrounded
by classmates and friends
during this difficult
time.
See ATTACK
ON LIBERTY
on page 8.

Following
a double suicide
bombing in southern
Beirut that killed at least
43 people on Nov. 12 and a
series of attacks in Paris that
killed at least 129 people on Nov.
13, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder halted
the Syrian refugee effort in Michigan on
Sunday, Nov. 15, according to a statement
released by the governors office.
Both terrorist attacks were perpetrated by
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),
according to The New York Times. ISILs forces are concentrated in Iraq and Syria, and the
violence of civil war and extremist terrorism has
prompted the migration of an estimated 9 million
refugees, according to syrianrefugees.eu.
For French teacher Amanda Moon, news of the
Parisian attack elicited shock, surprise and sadness,
she said. With family, friends and students in France,
Moon said she is grateful no one she personally
knows was involved in the terrorist attacks, although
she remains concerned for their welfare, especially
in the case of her adoptive, half-Muslim family
living south of Paris.
I think about them and how acts like this
reflects on them--they are such good people, Moon said. Im sad for them, too,
because what does this mean for their
population and for their refugees
that are coming from Syria that are
in real danger and need to flee?
Moon said she is concerned that Europe, a
destination of hope for
refugees, will increasingly refuse
Syrians.
What
do you
do

TOWER
the

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015

A WEEKLY TRADITION SINCE 1928

@thetowerpulse

Gross e Pointe S outh , 1 1 Gross e Pointe B oule vard , Gross e Pointe Far m s , Michig an 4 8 2 3 6

Attack on liberty

TOWER
the

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015

(INCLUDES WEEKLY IN-SCHOOL DELIVERY & E-MAIL)

28

kinds and local celebrities from:

tv, radio, sports and some clowns
and props to tag along.
For individuals who want to
express their inner photographer
the NAIAS and MLIVE have
a photo contest for Best Selfie,
Best Photo of the City of Detroit, Best Electric Vehicle, Best
Family Photo, Best Concept Car,
Best Black and White Photo, Best
Luxury Car and Best Domestic
Car. To submit your photos use
the #NAIAS on: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Participants
have the opportunity to win an
array of Bose products.
SEE (NAIAS BURNS RUBBER IN DETROIT) ON PAGE 4.

Choirs annual
preview show will
debut routines at
7 p.m. Thursday at
Parcells.

PHOTO BY JACK HOLME 17

ON DISPLAY // The Dodge Viper ACR is shown during the

NAIAS. This edition continues the legacy as a powerful icon
of the Dodge line.

03

feb.

TOWER
the

- Souths main platform

to voice their opinions
and remain involved
with the school, community and beyond

TO SUBSCRIBE,
CHECK THE CORRESPONDING BOX ON
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jan.

- daily web coverage

- winner of many state

and national awards

jan.

- weekly print coverage

on a range of issues
including prominent
events, controversial
issues, althetics, interesting people and more

The Spirit of Giving

will take place on
Wednesday in
Souths Main Gym.
<see page 4>