Ring, Ring Goes the Bell
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FREE Locally owned Aug. 26 - Sept. 1, 2020 www.lansingcitypulse.com A newspaper for the rest of us Ring, ring goes the bell Mid-Michigan schools ‘reopen’ SEE PAGE 12 -NEVIN ‘20 2 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • August 26, 2020 CLEANING YOUR HOUSE? Don't forget your drains! $ Schedule drain cleaning on YOUR schedule to keep 30 OFF them flowing BEFORE they stop entirely ANY SERVICE We offer full range of cabling and water jetting of lines CALL OVER Camera inspection/location services $100 COUPON EXPIRES 9/30/2020 CODE: CP2020 10% OFF ANY DRAIN CLEANING OR CAMERA INSPECTION MAXIMUM DISCOUNT $50 CODE: CP2020 COUPON EXPIRES 9/30/2020 We are a 3rd generation family owned business serving Greater Lansing since 1939 CALL 1-800-HEDLUND OR 517-321-5955 SPECIALIZING IN SAME DAY SERVICE City Pulse • August 26, 2020 www.lansingcitypulse.com 3 TWO GREAT LOCAL LEGENDS HAVE FINALLY COME TOGETHER! NOW YOU CAN PICK UP CITY PULSE IN ALL GREATER LANSING QDs!* FREE 12 oz. QD Gourmet Coffee Redeemable at All 28 QD Locations. Coupon Expires 9/1/2020. PLU# 41 * City Pulse available at all QD Stores Except Charlotte, Eaton Rapids and Fowler. 4 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • August 26, 2020 VOL. 20 ISSUE 3 (517) 371-5600 • Fax: (517) 999-6061 • 1905 E. Michigan Ave. • Lansing, MI 48912 • www.lansingcitypulse.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: (517) 999-5061 or email [email protected] PAGE CLASSIFIEDS: (517) 999-6704 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER • Berl Schwartz 7 [email protected] • (517) 999-5061 ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR • Skyler Ashley Catch up on the latest news highlights [email protected] • (517) 999-5068 EVENTS EDITOR/OFFICE MANAGER • Suzi Smith [email protected] • (517) 999-6704 PAGE PRODUCTION • Abby Sumbler [email protected] 19 (517) 999-5066 STAFF WRITERS • Lawrence Cosentino Threadbare Mitten Film Festival goes virtual [email protected] • (517) 999-5065 Kyle Kaminski • [email protected] (517) 999-6710 SALES EXECUTIVE PAGE Lee Purdy • [email protected] • (517) 999-5064 29 Contributors: Andy Balaskovitz, Justin Bilicki, Capital News Service, Bill Castanier, Ryan Claytor, Mary C. Georgio's Gourmet Pizzeria reopens in East Lansing Cusack, Tom Helma, Gabrielle Lawrence Johnson, Terry Link, Kyle Melinn, Mark Nixon, Dawn Parker, FREEDennis Preston, Carrie Sampson, Nevin Speerbrecker, Rich Tupica, Ute Von Der Heyden, David Winkelstern, Cover Paul Wozniak Art Delivery drivers: Rick Stilgenbauer, Dave Fisher Interns: Matthew Stine • [email protected] Art by Nevin Speerbrecker -NEVIN ‘20 NOW AT 10:00 A.M. SUNDAYS on City Pulse • August 26, 2020 www.lansingcitypulse.com 5 PULSE NEWS & OPINION C is for COVID School bells are beginning to ring across support for working parents who may not mid-Michigan, but not in a way we’ve ever heard be able to stay home during the day to before. With no small amount of trepidation on supervise their children. Current enrollment the part of students, parents and educators, and capacity is just 600 out of the district’s with the coronavirus potentially lurking behind 11,000 students, but LSD is looking for every sniffle, many area schools have wisely opt- additional partners to expand the program. ed to begin the year in all-virtual mode. For an urban district where the vast A number of area schools have adopted majority of students qualify for federally a hybrid approach, which allows students to subsidized lunches due to poverty, tech- choose between in-person instruction and dis- nology-based education presents a unique tance learning. Others, like Lansing Catholic set of hurdles that must also be overcome. High School, brought students back to the Economically challenged families are less classroom this week for full face-to-face instruc- likely to have computers or Internet access tion. The school says its decision is based on — the essential tools of online learning. guidance from the Centers for Disease Control LSD is working hard to overcome the and the American Association of Pediatrics, both digital divide by providing Chromebooks to of which issued statements supporting in-person every student who needs one at no cost, instruction so long as appropriate safeguards and working with families and broadband are in place to protect the health of students and providers to ensure the availability of staff. broadband service in the home. Keeping kids at home is the surest path to Critics argue that even the most care- avoiding COVID outbreaks among students, fully crafted plan for virtual education is teachers and other school personnel. Even inferior to in-person instruction. They argue though school-age children are not especially that children’s social development and vulnerable to the coronavirus, we know almost mental health will suffer greatly from the nothing about the long-term effects on their lack of face-to-face interaction with their health. It is all but certain that the virus will also instructors and peers. These concerns are find its way home to parents, grandparents and not unfounded, but most young people siblings, with potentially devastating consequenc- we know don’t seem to have any trouble es. watching a screen all day, as long as it That’s why teachers in many school districts involves playing a game or watching Tik across the nation are pushing back. Numerous lawsuits Tok videos. Formal instruction is likely to be far less have been filed to stop in-school instruction due to the The CP Edit engaging and teachers certainly have their work cut perceived health risks. In Florida, where the governor out for them to keep kids’ attention. But school-age ordered schools to reopen for in-person instruction Opinion children are more adaptable and resilient than we often and threatened financial penalties for failure to comply, give them credit for, so we’re confident that distance teachers successfully sued to halt the plan. The case is learning will be a success. School leaders need to be now pending on appeal. virtual learning that will protect children, their families vigilant, though, to ensure that virtual education doesn’t The prospect of reopening schools for in-person and school staff. Teachers will be in their classrooms widen the achievement gap for students from economi- instruction while the coronavirus still rages presents an as usual, but students will engage virtually with their cally disadvantaged families. enormous challenge for educators. It’s a bold experi- instructors for part of the day and complete self-paced Taken together, this year’s back-to-school strategies ment not only in managing a public health crisis, but in assignments at other times. strike us as a massive science experiment, with chil- the viability and efficacy of virtual instruction itself. Will The district also partnered with community orga- dren, teachers and their families as the test subjects. it work? We’re about to find out. nizations like the Boys and Girls Club, Impression 5 On balance, we strongly favor distance learning, at We’re most impressed with the Lansing School Science Center and Woldumar Nature Center to estab- least for now, to mitigate the health risks for everyone District’s return-to-school strategy. Under the lead- lish “learning labs,” where students can safely partake involved in the education enterprise. Better to be safe ership of Superintendent Sam Sinicropi and LSD in a variety of in-person educational activities under than to learn the hard way that C stands for COVID. Board President Gabrielle Lawrence, the district has adult supervision. The labs are designed to provide developed a well-crafted, comprehensive plan for Send letters to the editor on this editorial or any other topic to [email protected]. Please limit them to 250 words 6 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • August 26, 2020 Make an American slavery course a requirement By DEDRIA H. BARKER the table for people who (The writer is the author of “Mother don’t look like them, and This story is paid for by of Orphans: The True and Curious they’re going to need readers like you through Story of Irish Alice, a Colored Man’s to understand some of contributions to the CityPulse Widow.” She lives in East Lansing.) the cultural nuances of Fund for Community Harvard University President the things that we go Journalism. To contribute, Derek Bok wrote in his 2017 book, through. Even though please go to lansingcitypulse. The Struggle to Reform our Colleges, we’re in the same spaces com/donation. “It’s the need to make when we walk into an OPINION progress toward both elevator to go to work or classes. The first and only time I objectives simultaneous- in a meeting, we might have different taught African American literature, ly that presents the greatest challenge experiences based on our history and the class was nearly full, it, but in a to America’s colleges.” Bok’s objectives based on how we’re treated” fit of honesty, I told them that I was were educating more Americans, and Today’s college student destined to a writing professor. And, actually, the to do so better. be tomorrow’s leader needs to study class was the second-semester writing Bok was talking about multi-task- slavery and grapple with its meaning course. Two days later, the second ing. COVID-19 and Black Lives Mat- and the fruit it produced so they are class meeting was socially distanced. ter present another opportunity. equipped to help build an America This was pre-COVID. As college and university admin- Barker that lifts African Americans and the I found one student who had disap- istrators finalize plans for fall 2020 entire country towards the values of peared in the cafeteria. He told me, for continuing student education me that question was for a position in our Constitution, and Declaration of “Honestly, I just didn’t want to work amid the reality and consequences of African American Studies.” Independence.