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(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Isis Givans and Sharneisha Morris
Staff Writers
Lately in society there has been an excessive amount of controversy and racial tension between African American and Caucasian communities. Some issues were the creation of Black stereotypes and the brutality displayed by white officers.
These are some setbacks in present day. Some people, white and black, feel that the whites are displaying modern day discrimination because of the thought of being superior.
“I don’t understand why all this violence is occurring,” senior Keila Dillard said. “Aren’t we all the same on the inside?”
Altercations with law enforcement seem to be the norm now. Media footage shows officers fighting and disciplining suspects. But just how much “discipline” is too much?
“It’s like ... they are (police) fighting against us instead of protecting us,” said senior Allegra Hicks. “What am I supposed to do if I’m in need of emergency assistance, call them? Please.”
In response to the Eric Garner case people protested across the country with shirts that said “I Can’t breathe” quoting the victim. This was just one of the many instances where racial profiling came into play. Another is the uprising in Baltimore.
What has the country come to? The U.S. is supposed to be an integrated country. When is it acceptable for the police to use excessive force? Someone can get killed every day but if they are of African American descendent it is debatable.
This country needs to stick together. More communication needs to be utilized to avoid further conflicts. A house divided against itself will always fall.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Kayla Cockrel
Staff Writer
As seniors approach the exit of adolescence, many families plan elaborate celebrations and parties to send their young adult onto the next phase of life. Seniors rush to complete financial aid applications, select the perfect prom ensemble and mail out graduation announcements.
Senior year, undoubtedly is so different for every student. CT Senior Tatyena White has endured the journey to graduate; basically all on her own. She has no memories of her parents standing by her side and pushing her through the roughest patches of school; nor any nostalgia of a cozy bedroom where she could have taken refuge after a hard day.
White instead recalls moving from homeless shelter to shelter, and trying to keep herself together while rest of her life fell apart. At 14, White began taking care of her younger sibling after her mom had a mental breakdown when her father left them.
“I started taking care of myself at age 14.” said White. “My mom was unstable and unable to take care of me years before I was 14, but I was too young to realize it.”
After moving with her aunt, White begin to feel tension mounted in the household and the environment grew less safe; White felt unwelcome in her aunt’s home and she moved in with a close friend, while the rest of her family stayed behind. Seeking refuge amongst her CT family, whenever she could, became a daily routine.
“I began sneaking in and out of my friend’s houses because I figured it was better than living with my aunt.” said White. “Worrying about where I would sleep at night, how I was going to wash my clothes for the week, budgeting bus fare and money to eat; became my main concerns through high school.”
The added pressure of sneaking about everyday finally began to crack her academic stamina and her troubles started to seep into her school life. She finally told her counselor, Sophia Sims and CT attendance agent Stacy Wilson exactly what she was dealing with.
“Reaching out for help was the best thing I could have did for myself and my siblings.” said White. “Principal Phillips helped me to get a job and I have been with my friend Janyla Norwood and her mother Michelle Thompson for the last month, I am so grateful for them.
The added help from White’s CT family helped her through a turbulent time in her life, When White finally confided in the Cass tech Staff she was met with support. The staff latched onto her to remind her that in her darkest hour, she could still be surrounded by love.
“I’ve been homeless for most of my life, staying with family members, in shelters and friends when able. I’ve lived without water, heat or lights” said White. “I now know I do not have to fight my fight alone.”
Today White can experience the nervous excitement of her future, instead of facing a life beyond school with fear and uncertainty. As a result of the help she received and the love she was met with, graduation will not be a symbol of steps she wouldn’t be able to take as her peers moved forward and she stayed behind. Looking forward she can see the world of possibility that she ignored as she faced mental illness, homelessness, and hunger day by day.
“I cannot wait to move into my very own college dorm and have true stability” said White. “Then I’ll know I overcame all of it, I did not quit and I will not quit.”
Tateyana White contributed to this report.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Angelica Euseary, Renaissance Staff Writer
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Jakobi Lundy-Bass
Staff Writer
The Detroit Institute of Art is a place where art and expression meet. One of the current exhibits showcases the work of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.
According to the DIA’s website, “Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo were an explosive couple. He carried a pistol. She carried a flask. He romanticized Detroit. She rejected it. But what they shared was a belief in communism, a thirst for tequila and a passion for each other. Discover how they left their mark on Detroit. And how Detroit left its mark on their art.”
Loyola High School seniors visited the exhibit on April 21, as a part of an interdisciplinary assignment for their Spanish, English and art classes. The students saw nearly 70 works of art that depict the evolution of these two extraordinary artists’ careers.
“It was outside of anything I have ever seen in my life, and the way this was painted really struck me as different,” senior Anthony Frierson said.
The class was particularly impressed with the way they were able to witness Kahlo evolve from a supportive wife to a feminist activist through her works. They were also able to view the famous Detroit Industry mural painted by Diego Rivera, which was the reason he and his wife Frida were in Detroit during that time.
While they were there, the students were required to complete worksheets for each of the classes, which were intended to make the trip one that was both fun and academic
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Ricardo Murray
Staff Writer
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
Most teens in the city of Detroit wake up every morning around 6:15 and get ready for school, a place where most students dread.
School should be a place where teens are excited to come to everyday. Grades are a big factor. Most students don’t care about what they learn. They do anything to get the grade and go on to a higher level. People have lost sight of what grades are supposed to represent.
In today’s modern society, we have students with 2.0 grade-point averages and 32 ACT scores. The grades are not matching the knowledge.
Most students are eligible to do the work but too lazy. Test scores are phenomenal because students have the potential to do the work, but aren’t succeeding because their not being pushed in the correct direction.
Teachers don’t fulfill their parts either, because they aren’t pushing students like they use too, nor are they helping students.
Students look forward to snow days just so they won't have to come to a place where their opinion doesn't matter. School should be a place that students get prepared for whatever they plan to do with their lives. Students are so grounded on the grade, the main asset is missing: Knowledge
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Montgomery Hill and Asia Wilson
Staff Writers
On Thursdays, it was a usual ritual during this past season to hear, “Did you see ‘Empire’ last night?” in the halls of Communication & Media Arts High School.
If an individual did not watch “Empire,” then that person was likely to either receive a spoiler or be left out of the conversation by those viewers. The discussion of “Empire” has become a norm here at this school. Several statements have been made by student figures that including senior Courtney Lewis of the Drama Club that a fanatic-made play shall be held by CMA.
The new, popular TV series premiered and sensationalized many watchers. “Empire,” starring Terrance Howard, as Luscious Lyon; Taraji P. Henson, as Cookie Lyon; Jussie Smollett, as Jamal Lyon; Trai Byers, as Andre Lyon; Bryshere Gray, as Hakeem Lyon; and Grace Gealey, as Anika Calhoun; became one of the most watched television shows of its kind.
Raising the viewing rates of FOX Broadcasting Company, “Empire” has been internationally acclaimed. The show has become such a hit that the company decided to produce a season two.
The Empire craze can be confusing to some who have never viewed the series. Among other television shows that have launched, why is Empire so popular?
The show “has urban appeal with big corporations and can show how corrupt the industry can be,” senior Armani Canady said.
“It’s full of suspense, excitement, and surprises. It has the ability to keep you locked in and to have you on your toes at all times.” junior John Phillips said.
CMA marketing educator R. Henderson said: “They have really good writers. The lifestyles are cool. The music is awesome. It’s just the dialogue; the actors really get into character to the point that you really think the character is that person.”
However, it is not enjoyed by everyone.
Third-year ELA instructor, C. Stokes said: “I watched the first episode and I just saw the commercial start up. It entertains the same stuff off: sex, violence, drugs, and music.”
When asked to comment about the upcoming season, he said: “I am not going to watch the second season because it was written like a poorly written urban fiction novel: overdramatic and nonrealistic.”
“I feel like it’s too big of a show to be so new and it’s ridiculous,” senior Tiarrah Franklin said. “Somebody also told me that I might as well live under a rock because I’ve never watched it before and I refused to watch it.”
“I don’t watch it because it’s brainwashing the mind of the viewers to think that the industry is something that it’s really not,” senior Jamila Jackson said.
“I am very excited for the return of the show Empire by fox and also I can’t wait to see how Lucious gets out of this one.” senior Lawrence Brown said.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
As junior year is winding down, it’s time to get myself prepared for my future as a senior. The trip here has been one that I will always remember.
Looking back at when I began high school as a freshman, I remember being nervous. I wondered if my middle school teacher had prepared me for the expectations that my high school teachers would have for me. However, I quickly adapted to my new school and freshman year with help from the upperclassmen.
When I returned the next year as a sophomore, I did not feel any of the nervousness from the previous year. In fact, I found that school could be fun. It is also the year that I realized that I was not just moving from grade to grade, but that I was also growing as a person.
This year, that maturity has helped a lot. I have had to find a balance between academics, work and sports. As a result, junior year has been challenging. I have realized how important time management is, and learned how to set priorities.
Academically, the work is harder and there is more of it. My teachers have been giving me material that I know I will see in college. At the same time, I know that junior year is also important because that is the year that can make or break a grade point, and determine where I will attend college.
I am looking forward to senior year. I am anxious to apply to the colleges of my choice, and to be treated like an adult. Most of all, I am looking forward to becoming the great adult that I know I can be.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Wesley Mulligan
Staff Writer
Creating, planning, brainstorming are all gifts that lie within humans, but not everyone embodies the art of applying the gift of “creating.”
Life is what you make it, teachers can’t teach you everything, and neither can your parents. The talent of creating is natural. Most of our past inventors were all creative geniuses. Some may think the skill is easy or even “lame”, when in reality it’s difficult, anyone can solve a few math equations or even answer article questions, if you ask me that’s mediocrity. But given the right to construct music, art, clothing, or more with no boundary is complex.
I often get upset when people with the authority to create are overlooked because those in charge fear our thought processes and talent, for instance Kanye West, this man is a producer, rapper, designer, and more in one but recently Nike was holding him off on designing his very own sneaker called the “Yeezy’s.”
Why is that? Some say because of racial issues, but honestly I think they’re afraid of this man’s God given gift and ability to mold and create things unknown to this world as of yet.
As an upcoming designer growing up in a family that’s creative based it caused me to think beyond peoples mediocre and society accepted intelligence and look at the big picture, the way of viewed beauty, the way of art, and the ultimate view upon life.
Ernst F. Schumacher once said: “Any Intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”
“Creativity is knowledge,” Dante Hoard. “Anyone can gather and retain information, but the ability to come up with your own concepts and answer questions unanswered before sets apart the real geniuses from the fakes. Art is expression, releasing your feelings through actions instead of words. Expressing deeper thoughts that can’t be expressed within a simple conversation. Doing what you truly want to do solely because you love doing it.”
“Well to me creativity in the fashion industry is doing whatever ever you want, wearing whatever you want,” Spencer Sanders said. “It’s not all about following the trends or about having the latest things but about how you wear it. As a designer, I focus on things that I like first and if the people like it too then it’s a hit, but it could also be a miss. But regardless if it sells well or not, I know I designed it for myself first. Being you is creativity, and being creative is what makes us all unique.”
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Alyssia Curry
Staff Writer
For seniors from all over Metro Detroit, the time is approaching and everyone is fired up about graduation. First semester was a breeze but second semester the work became harder. All seniors are trying to get high school and over with. Completing assignments, projects, and FAFSA and more.
Teachers are really putting the pressure on students with all the constant work that’s due. Not to mention prom preparation, college admittance and ACT retake. Senioritis is also starting to kick in and some seniors are not on the right track for graduation.
“Without graduating nothing will be easily accomplished in your life. A high school education ensures more money and a solid career,” King senior Kaila Perry said.
Senior year has flown by completely and the memories and friendships are fleeting. It’s time to apply our outstanding achievement and knowledge to the real world. Graduating and becoming Successful should be the ultimate goal for every senior from the Class of 2015.
“Graduating is important because without a high school diploma you are not guaranteed a high paying job because know one will want to work with an uneducated person so by graduating you are setting your future up to be a success,” Rochester Hills senior Jalen Taylor said.
Graduating is an accomplishment. It allows the graduate to look back and remember where they started and how hard they worked to graduate. It is also a way to show young people that they can also accomplish the goal of graduating if they truly desire it.
“Graduation is important so that you’ll go to the next level and it gives you a much better chance at being the best in life,” Pershing senior Frederick Roberts said.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Nathan Lymon
Staff Writer
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Dajae’ Everette
Staff Writer
As the year winds down, and a speedy year it was, I can’t seem but sit and reflect about the years that I’ve spent as a CMA student.
I have been here ever since the ninth grade and have experienced some of the greatest times in my life. I remember that out of all of CMA history, as freshman we were the first to win OLYMPIAD.
In the 10th grade we lost a memorable piece of our class and we stood together and pushed through the pain. In the 11th grade, we faced the ACT head on and got great results, and now as we end our senor year, we are more of a family then we have ever been.
We share our dreams and inspirations and we even share our downfalls. Some of us have cried together, some of us have fought together, and most of us have friendships that we’ll hold dear to our hearts forever. Some of us have fell in love within these CMA halls.
We have had extraordinary teachers that have taught us not just school lessons but life lessons, and that have nurtured, loved and protected us.
I am grateful for my experience with the Pharaohs. It has taught me how to come back from a setback and work through trial and tribulation with a smile. It has taught me to view success wholly and not just worth monetary tangibility. It has shown me how to go into the world, find my calling, love it, and work at being the best I can be.
I will miss my purple, black and white, and I’m sure will sometimes long for the guidance and advice from my teachers, but I know that if I ever need them, they are just an email away.
When I was crowned “First Lady’’ of the journalism staff as Editor-in-Chief, I was ecstatic and had so much to offer.
In the beginning, I was a little nervous because I was unsure if I could handle this whole staff. I was really scared, because I was extremely too scared to fail and had no idea what I was getting into but as I grew to understand my staff and the way they learned and worked I had it under control.
I orchestrated and aided and helped to make the paper the best it would be. Even with close deadlines, staying after school and working over the weekends I enjoyed every bit of it. I am extremely excited that I can add Editor-in-chief to my resume.
I will pass on the torch to someone who is worthy and gracious to hold the title, but I will leave them with very big shoes to fill!
I want to thank my staff especially my co-Editor-in-Chief, Qu’Juan Twilley, for staying up long nights and always being there when we had to get the paper handled. I also want to thank my top sports editor, Wesley Mulligan, for always adding so much life and flavor to the paper and always being willing to write more at ‘’crunch time.”
I want to thank my whole staff and the best adviser known to man, Dr. Williams. She has been the most generous and humble adviser in the world. She’s helped us through every stage of the paper and when things got rough she pushed us through it. I want this newspaper to flourish even more and even though I won’t be here I know The Communicator will always live.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Gabrielle Ford and Grace Dorsey-Burwell
Staff Writers
On the first day of school this year we seniors felt excited walking in the door counting down the days to graduation. Smiling and joking around in the hallways near classrooms, silently reminiscing about our freshmen year in the same hallways.
We had nervous smiles and awkward waves in the silent halls with empty classrooms. Our freshman year the school was only filled with us. We didn’t know what we should or shouldn’t do. We had a whole week of induction to get to know our classmates and teachers. Together we helped each other throughout the year becoming close to one another and forming a family. That same family has grown bigger in the passing years as we’ve welcomed younger members.
Since that first year we’ve added new friendly faces and watched each other grow along with our school. Every year was something new. That’s something Ben Carson had over other schools and it’s why we stayed.
Every day we try to set a new standard for our peers and the underclassmen. Our senior year kind of feels like our freshman year in a way. The close family connection, constant growth, and sharing memories of working on DNA structures in Mr. Todd’s biology class.
A favorite memory was when we had the 70s day. Everyone was dressed in their best 70s outfit. It was a wonderful bonding moment, especially when we had the fashion show and a soul train line. This year we are faced with college applications, internships, classes and senior activities. All leading up to our future outside of high school and unwrapping the mysteries of our lives.
The thing that will be missed the most after graduation day will be the people, be it friends or teachers. The bonds that we made in our four years are some of the best bonds and memories that we’ll ever have. We will miss the childishness that we leave behind and shed for a chance at adulthood and we’ll even miss all the rules that we used to follow.
And now we bid goodbye to that chapter of our lives.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Angolique Woods
Staff Writer
King High school’s robotics team, the Crushing Crusaders, recently competed in the First Robotics Competition at Troy High School.
In the last three weeks they had to run tests to make sure their theory was accurate. The team didn’t do it alone; they had great help from the University of Michigan. The students were giving help from a U-M workshop. In the workshop they were able to use updated tools and computers for researching their ideas. Also, engineers volunteered their service by helping the participating schools out. Overall the schools that participated in the competitions enjoyed themselves.
The benefits from the learning experience of robotics is that you learn engineering, you get to work in a collaborative environment, networking and the students are given scholarship opportunities. Learn more about the robotics competitions on www.USFirst.org
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Destinee Fort and Anika Chowdhury
Staff Writers
Students at Detroit International Academy for Young Women noticed a recent trend: students in various grades left our educational facility only to return days or months later. Where did they go?
Sophomore Darjenee Clark left for an alternative school. These institutions have slightly different focuses in class compared to that of traditional schools. Some alternative schools cater to a diverse range of students with different needs and academic levels, while others focus more on students that have special educational needs or are affected by a variety of social problems.
“The academics weren’t at a higher level and the school itself seemed very unorganized and chaotic,” Clark said.
When asked about why she returned to DIA she said, “DIA has higher standards for all of their students here and the staff shows much more [attention] to their students.”
Alternative schooling might not have been a good fit for Clark but isn’t a negative experience for others. Sophomore De’Ja Jenkins transferred this year to DIA from Mumford High School and said she’d rather be at Mumford.
“At Mumford, test scores were rising, the work was more advanced there,” Jenkins said. “Since [being] at DIA, it feels like it’s mostly review.”
When asked whether she preferred the staff at Mumford more, she said, “I think the staff at both schools are quite similar, but I would still have to pick Mumford since I feel that teachers there used more interactive methods to teach, while at DIA, it seems like all we do is bookwork.”
Senior Destinee Fort left DIA and went to a charter school. This type of school receives public funding but operates independently of the established public school system in which they are located.
“The way you enter a school building is different at charter schools,” Fort said. “There is no security at the front door, while at DIA, we are checked by security guards, which makes me feel much safer.”
While she believes that DPS schools have a “lack of resources” she would still much rather be at DIA because of the “constant care that the staff gives to all the DIA students.”
Sophomore Hadja Simahka had the most recent and interesting education, which is on the rise, online schooling. She attended an online school for a year before transferring.
“It was difficult to be at [this] type of school, mainly due to little interaction between people,” Hadja said. “The school work was harder since I didn’t always get a lot of help.”
Junior Hawa Rahman, who has been at the DIA for about six years, said the “sisterly and affectionate environment of the school and the many opportunities that have been given to me are the biggest reasons why I stayed here and will continue to stay until I graduate.”
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
As my senior year is coming to a close, I have realized that my four years at Cass Tech were truly a blessing. As Senior Class President of 2015, my responsibilities were not only to make sure my senior year was successful, but make sure my classmates succeed as well. The heavy duties of working with seniors on scholarships, receiving indescribable feedback from students and administrators, and accommodating an entire class of 488 seniors molded my character and shaped me for my college career. Being a part of the astounding Journalism program at Cass and having the opportunity to be educated by Erika Jones prepared me for the School of Communications at Howard University this fall. Howard is nicknamed the Mecca, because of the journey students undergo during their tenure at the university. These four years have afforded me with a more well-rounded view on life and helped me find my niche.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Nikebia Brown-Joseph
Staff Writer
On Feb. 28, students from Detroit International Academy for Young Women visited Ford Field and got the chance to check out the Monster Truck Jam before it opened to the public.
Entering the arena/stadium, the chill from outside was very apparent. A fine layer of dust covered many of the seats due to the dirt that had been shipped in the week before. Students settled into their seats to begin a question-and-answer session with truck drivers Dustin Brown and Bari Musawwir.
Brown, who drives Monster Mutt, has been working with monster trucks for about 10 years. He began as a crew member and worked his way up through the ranks.
Musawwir, who drives Zombie, became a monster truck fan at a young age. He was first noticed driving hobbyist radio control cars.
Rigorous training is necessary to become a driver, as well as a background in motorsports. It took Musawwir four years and two test sessions to become certified. When it comes to tricks, both Musawwir and Brown agree that the backflip is hardest to perfect.
So what about the magnificent machines? They are almost completely custom built and many hours of hard work goes into their creation.
“State of the art machines and computer designed,” Brown said.
To enter the truck, the seats are tailor made to fit each driver’s body exactly and include a five-point safety harness. One of the biggest improvements in the past few years has been to the shocks. They are designed to take falls from 40 or 50 feet in the air. A full tank requires 20 gallons of methanol alcohol and the trucks’ speed only reach up to about 75 m.p.h. Not including the driver, each truck usually has two crew members.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Michael Crenshaw
Staff Writer
Giving students inspiration, hope and opportunities to expand their learning beyond the classroom, the Future Project has helped students by giving them tools to do things that will get them to accomplish their dreams.
The Future Project is a nonprofit organization meant to transform schools by allowing students to express their dreams and passions then enact plans in their communities and school that will help them toward that goal. The Future Project and its director Toni Jones has supported Renaissance through many projects.
The Stentor has reported on Future Project since the beginning of the school year. As it ends, students are becoming aware and are being positively affected by it.
“I feel like the Future Project has made an impact to those who are involved. I think it will have an even much greater impact if the Future Project grows with the freshman of this year,” said Sophomore Cydney Gardner-Brown
Students involved in Future Project believe that it really is beneficial if you get involved in it. To them it was eye opening.
“I will never forget the Future Project first coming to Renaissance and wondering what it was all about, and all I would hear is ‘it's the organization that makes dreams come true,” said senior Kyla Wright. “As elementary as this sounded to me at the time, that really is what the Future Project is but so much more.”
Starting in the beginning of the school year, the Future Project have completed several projects to unite the school such as a freshman scavenger hunt and starting a blog to encourage students to express their own style.
“The Future Project, to me, is a sign of new hope,” said senior Julius Hurst. “It has affected me by allowing me to do my own project and help students around the school in more ways than just talking.
Just recently, Future Project hosted an event in the lunchroom called UnClique the Clique, a scheme used to break up students grouped together in cliques.
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Keyerra Mitchell
Staff Writer
(05/13/15 3:00pm)
By Sharneisha Morris and Erin Jackson
Staff Writers
You can too!
That was the resounding message from First Lady Michelle Obama when she spoke to Detroit high school students on Detroit College Signing Day.
Students from all over Detroit were invited to participate in the first citywide Detroit Signing Day, which was held May 1 at Wayne State University’s athletic center. National Signing Day is part of the White House’s “Reach Higher” initiative and is modeled after the NCAA’s National Signing Day.
The purpose of this day was to encourage post-secondary education among students to prepare for a brighter future. Besides Obama, several other special guests were in attendance, including recording artist Ciara and members of the Detroit Pistons.
Obama spoke about her humble beginnings and told students how she came from similar backgrounds. She stressed the ideas of hard work and persistence.
“I felt encouraged and determined that I will graduate from Oakland University,” said Communication & Media Arts senior Miracle Rudolph.
The First Lady also went beyond just telling students to prepare themselves academically, but to try to have experience in their desired field.
“It is my dream to major in criminal justice,” said CMA senior Qu’Juan Twilley. “Mrs. Obama’s words inspired me to volunteer at my local police department.”
