SEAHOLM HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT VOICE 2436HIGHLANDER W. LINCOLN RD. - BIRMINGHAM, MI 48009 Thursday, may 26, 2016 WWW.SEAHOLMHIGHLANDER.wordpress.COM Female Team House Bill 4493 Locker Rooms Encounter Theft Layla Bellissimo keep my things,” Hirsch said. Guest Writer “I had heard stories about Passes Senate [email protected] people's stuff being stolen. I had no choice but to keep my Charlotte Hoppen The kickoff for spring sports bag in the open. It was too big Editor-in-Chief is a time that many stu- for the lockers.” [email protected] dents have been waiting for Already feeling uneasy “Genocides, very sadly and since September. This is the about leaving her valuables very tragically, are a part of highlight of a Maple’s athletic unattended, Hirsch decided world history,” Dr. Daniel career at Seaholm high, where that her bags simply wouldn’t Nerad, the superintendent of they can have a shot at many fit in a locker, and settled for Birmingham Public Schools varsity and club teams. leaving her extra change of said. “To suggest that they From tennis to track, one clothes for just one hour dur- shouldn’t be taught would can set their sights on becom- ing the day. This was a risk also be saying we shouldn’t be ing a successful student ath- that ended up in the loss of teaching history correctly.” lete and trying out for a sport brand new sportswear, and As of February 23, 2016, to make lifelong friends and about fifty dollars in damage House Bill (HB) Number explore their passions. It may was done. 4493 was passed. HB 4493, seem like every high school- It doesn’t stop at just one introduced by representative er's dream to participate in girl. Many have had a wide as- Klint Kesto, aims to mandate a sport, but recently many of sortment of things abducted at least six hours of genocide the women’s athletic teams at from their bags and personal education, including the Seaholm have been weary of belongings. Holocaust and the Armenian their fellow Maples. Sophomore Anna Chisholm genocide, in all Michigan This isn’t just any healthy has seen her fair share of public schools. competition, but instead thefts during the spring soft- According to HB 4493, the what’s been happening in ball season as well. material taught would be age the women’s locker rooms “I had forty dollars stolen appropriate, and received by can put some Maple pride to from my wallet in my back- students in grades 8 through shame. pack,” Chisholm said. “It was 12. This curriculum require- Countless personal items in my team room, the money ment would only be mandat- are being stolen in said locker was stolen while I was at soft- ed through the Social Studies rooms. From money to sport ball practice, which is only for Department, and teachers bras, this issue has risen over a few hours after school.” would be provided with the the past month alone. Situations like these have necessary materials in order With the start of spring occurred on multiple ac- to successfully complete the sports comes a rise in the counts. Girls leave their bags curriculum. amount of girls lugging their in team rooms, taking the ex- Flex teacher Stacey Olsen, equipment to and fro, which tra precaution to guard their along with Flex student Faren normally would be the biggest belongings. Bartholomew, testified in frustration, but this year has Team rooms are designed to favor of genocide education as Photo Courtesy of Stacey Olsen our lady Maples rolling their fit extra equipment in slightly a curriculum requirement at Stacey Olsen and Faren Bartholomew testify in support of House Bill 4493, which would make genocide eyes in aggravation. larger lockers and are accom- the Michigan Senate Educa- education a curriculum requirement in all Michigan public schools. Girls have to resort to shov- panied by a locking door so ing their bags into the small tion committee hearing in genocide. genocide because it vilifies the Bartholomew and Olsen the players would feel secure Lansing, Michigan on Tues- lockers, or darting across keeping their expensive sport- “Most people don’t even Turkish community,” Olsen spoke on behalf of the stu- the school to leave their bags day, April 19. know the Armenian genocide said. dents in Michigan public ing goods inside the locker “We were asked to speak guarded safely by their teach- room. occurred,” Nercessian said. In terms of how is actu- high schools, and how this ers. through my friend Lara According to Bartholomew, ally worded, HB 4493 is also mandated curriculum would Recently, many girls have Nercessian, who is very active According to a recent High- become even more frustrated HB 4493 received contro- being debated, according to benefit their learning. lander survey, over twenty in Armenian organizations,” versy during this testimonial Olsen. “I covered first that I am a than before, seeing as the Olsen said. “They have of girls have reported personal team rooms are locked in the process due to some beliefs “Another [testifier] was a Jewish American, which is items either missing or stolen course some vested interest that teaching the Armenian professor from a school in a very important distinction mornings, and left unlocked in getting genocide legislation after leaving their bags while in the afternoon during genocide in schools would Tennessee, and he talked from just being a Jew because at practice. passed, being that they are make the Turkish viewed in a about genocide as a very my family suffered through practice, which is eventually Armenian.” Freshman Emily Hirsch, leaving the door open to a negative light. Olsen also saw specific legal definition,” the Holocaust in order for me who plays on the varsity ten- Lara Nercessian is the this as apparent when she Olsen said. “So nothing that to be an American,” Bar- potential theft. Chairperson of the Armenian nis team for Seaholm, is a fre- So with this knowledge of testified through the support occurred prior to the legal tholomew said. quent user of both the swim National Committee of Michi- from many Turkish commu- definition of genocide, which Bartholomew also cited her what is occurring behind the gan, and also testified with and sports locker rooms. She locker room doors, what steps nity members to not pass the was set in the 1950’s, can be experiences in the Flex Pro- believes the locker rooms are Olsen and Bartholomew. Ner- bill. called genocide because the gram as extremely influential are we supposed to take to cessian testified in support no longer considered a safe eliminate thefts? “One [testifier] was a Turk- legal definition didn’t exist to her strong passion for place to store any personal of HB 4493, and supported ish man from Michigan who yet. Based on his logic, then genocide education. During For those lucky enough to her argument with legal facts items. tuck their equipment inside spoke against mandating the the Holocaust couldn’t be the anthropology year in Flex, “I never thought [the locker surrounding the Armenian teaching of the Armenian considered a genocide.” See HB 4493 / Pg. 3 room] was a safe place to See LOCKER / Pg. 4 Google Classroom Receives Mixed Feedback From Faculty and Students Melanie Taylor Classroom to determine if it is “Part of blended is having lightened, and they never run Opinion Editor a viable platform to switch the an online experience,” social the risk of forgetting a paper [email protected] entire district to. studies teacher Bob Carleton at home. “The hope was after this said. “Well, we didn’t have a “Instead of it being in pa- In the past, most blended wave we would have by the platform.” pers that you have to look for, classes have been taught end of the school year a Carleton stated that his it’s literally all right in front through Google Classroom, decision,” Dr. Joe Hoffman, coworker and fellow member of you,” junior Sam Buckey an online classroom software Assistant Superintendent of of the DTSG, Leisa Passarelli, said. “I think give it 20 years allowing teachers to post as- Teaching and Learning as had just been introduced to and there won’t be paper signment and receive work well as the head of the Google Google Drive at a professional anymore.” digitally, or some applica- Classroom initiative, said. conference. About a year after Buckey, a student of Car- tion resembling it. The use “Is this something we want blended classes began, Drive leton’s World War II blended of these sites was met with to take mainstream to all the became their primary method class, confirmed that the such a positive response from classrooms in our district?” of communication between students’ perspective of this teachers and students alike By “wave,” Hoffman means students and teachers. change matches that of the that more blended opportuni- a group of teachers newly When Drive was updated district administration. ties were added to the cur- added to the trial. Years and expanded to Classroom, “Reaching students and riculum. ago, the Birmingham Public complete with the full Google having them involved in ways Moreover, Google Class- Schools (BPS) district con- Suite of Tools, the blended that are meaningful for them room was able to spread to tacted a small group of about classes adjusted accordingly. is going to change over time,” other non-blended outlets. 50 teachers to join what they Soon thereafter, everything Julia Alder, a curriculum At this point, it is more likely deemed a Digital Tools Study was transferred online. coordinator for Birmingham that one or more of a stu- Group (DTSG.) Those teach- “Google Classroom is inte- Public Schools said.