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The Southfield Jay
Inside:
Homecoming recap, p. 6
Attendance policy changes, p. 2
Roller blading teacher, p. 12
Volume 57, No. 1
The student voice of Southfield High School / Southfield, Michigan
http://www.my.hsj.org/mi/southfield/jay
Homecoming
Queen
Jazmin Miller
October 2009
50¢

2 The Southfield Jay / October 2009 News
News briefs
New administrator
joins SHS staff
Columbus Moore has been hired as
a new assistant principal.
The former Southfield-Lathrup
football coach and Michigan State
alumnus says he loves sports and
traveling. Moore brings 10 years of
experience with him, doing what
he calls, the “same job” at different
buildings in Southfield Public Schools
and elsewhere, such as Ann Arbor High
School, Cooley High School in Detroit,
and Redford High School.
Moore says, “Kids are the same”
wherever he goes.
One of Moore’s first tasks is to
create an Emergency Education plan
that includes posting numbers on the
school exits. He says his main role is to
lend support to Principal Michael Horn
and the rest of the administrative staff.
- Rachael Robertson
WSHJ 88.3 is back
After months of silence, WSHJ
88.3-FM is going back on the air. The
school’s radio station was shut down
at the end of last year because it was
uncertain who would run the station
amid the staff layoffs.
English teacher Julea Ward has
replaced Jason Topp as the radio
teacher.
The station kicked off its mid-
October return by giving away candy
and stickers promoting the station.
The station has been promoting the
hottest jams, and new and improved
radio shows featuring news, sports and
school events.
- Logan Patmon
About the cover
Senior Jazmin Miller ran a savvy
campaign for Homecoming Queen that
featured four-foot tall posters of herself.
The cover of this issue features one of
Miller’s eye-catching Homecoming
posters that helped her earn the tiara.
The poster-sized photos, which
graced the school halls, were taken by
Timothy Paule and reprinted here with
written permission of the photographer.
- Logan Patmon
District tightens attendance policy
Tardy students will feel pinch in grade point
By Logan Patmon
Editor-in-Chief
For the third year in a row, the district
has changed its attendance policy.
Just as students were getting used
to last year’s attendance policy, the
2009-2010 school year began with a
brand new policy. This school year’s
policy is drastically different than last
year’s.
While last year’s policy allowed
an unlimited number of tardies and
absences, this year’s policy allows
students 5 tardies or absences. Upon
the sixth tardy or absence, the student’s
grades will be reviewed. If he or she is
passing the class to which they were
tardy or absent six times, he or she will
receive credit for the class but will get
zero honor points added to their grade
point average for the class.
This means the student’s grade
point average will severely drop if a
student has more than five absences or
tardies to any class.
“I think the new attendance policy
is too strict, especially for first hour,”
said senior Michelle Fitzgerald. “It’s not
always the student’s fault that they are
late. Some students have to drop off
siblings, and other people have a hard
time getting transportation to school.”
The policy is more strict this year
because last year’s policy didn’t work out
very well, said Deputy Superintendent
Ken Siver. After reviewing attendance
records, administrators realized that
many students were late to class last year,
while others chose not to go, he said.
This year’s tighter policy won’t hinder
students from graduating, Siver said, but
it will impact their grade averages.
The loss of honor points isn’t
written in stone, though. It is possible
for some students to get those points
back, Siver said. The policy allows
students, parents and an administrator
to have a conference to discuss the
student’s attendance. At the end of the
conference a student could be offered a
contract in which the student promises
that there won’t be another problem
with attendance.
But to recover the honor points, the
student would have to go before the
school board and make an appeal. The
board would decide on a case-by-case
Photo by Alisha Sterling-Miles
Bus stop: Junior Taylor Hunter arrives to school with his backpack, ready
for another day of classes. School starts at 7:20 a.m.
basis whether to restore the student’s
honor points, Siver said.
“This policy is designed to help
students and to prepare them for the
real world,” said Siver. “In the work world,
you can’t be late to your job very often,
and that is what we are trying to teach.”
Three years ago, the school used to
fail students based on poor attendance.
But the State of Michigan made it illegal
to fail a student based on attendance,
thus the policy has been modified.
Southfield Jay expands Web coverage
Andrew Melton
Staff Writer
The Southfield Jay has recently
revamped its Web site.
The web address is www.my.hsj.org/
mi/southfield/jay.
The new additions to the site include
videos of activities such as pep rallies,
band performances and special events.
There will be music clips, along
with Web exclusive stories and photos.
“The Web site allows us to be a
multi-media publication,” said Editor-in-
Chief Logan Patmon. “We are embracing
new technology and hoping that our
readers will find us in the paper and
visit us on the web.”

News
The Southfield Jay / October 2009 3
Old teachers take on new subjects
By Matthew Anderson
Staff Writer
Several teachers at
Southfield High have begun
the school year teaching new
classes they have never taught
or classes they taught several
years ago.
Science teacher Bruce
Shepard, who taught Integrated
Science to ninth graders, was
chosen to teach Introduction
to Criminal Science this year for
the first time in his career. “I’m
just trying to familiarize myself
with new materials and find
material that is relevant to my
new course,” said Shepard .
Shepard says he is looking
forward to having more lab
work in the criminal science
classes than he usually does in
Integrated Science.
Economics teacher Beverly
Hicks is teaching African
American History for the first
time. She says she is looking
forward to teaching the class,
and isn’t having a hard time
with the transition to the new
class.
Hicks says, “I think I’m
doing alright. I’m working on
the rhythm of teaching the
class, but I’m a little spoiled. I’ve
always done nothing but eat,
sleep and breathe economics,
so now I have to create a new
rhythm for this class. I need to
work on sorting out material
so I can sort out the flow of the
class.”
Spanish teacher Mary
Corridore finds herself in not
only a new course this year,
but a new department as
well. Formerly one of the two
Spanish teachers at the school,
she is now teaching American
History and World History.
Corridore says she is
“fulfilling my professional
responsibilities.”
Jennifer McClorey, who
mainly teaches Physical
Education classes and Health, is
now teaching Dance for the first
time in addition to Health. “The
class is challenging, but fun.”
She says she has been doing lots
of research for her new class and
is looking forward top it. “I’m
learning as the students learn,”
McClorey says. “I’m curious to see
the dance routines my students
make up and dance to.”
Varsity Football Coach Tim
Conley, who has expertise in
teaching Spanish and social
studies, is teaching Spanish
again after eight years of
teaching social studies.
Conley says that he would
like to teach both Spanish and
social studies but is needed as a
Spanish teacher this year.
“You just never know what
will happen when you’re a
teacher,” Conley says. Hopefully
we’ll get more Spanish and
French teachers. If not, I’ll
probably never go back (to)
teaching social studies and
continue teaching just Spanish.
But that’s OK with me because I
like Spanish more.”
Photo by Craig Lewis
Changing places: Freshman science teacher Bruce Shepard
now also teaches Criminal Science.
According to English
teacher Robert MacFarland,
who is a union representative
for the teachers, “We’ve lost
quite a few teachers from
last year. We’ve lost nearly 20
teachers over the past several
years. But according to the
law, teachers have to be highly
qualified to teach their classes.
If new teachers are teaching
classes, parents will just have
to be assured that they are
qualified.”

4 The Southfield Jay / October 2009 Editorials & Opinions
The Southfield Jay is a
member of Quill & Scroll and the
Michigan Interscholastic Press
Association. The Jay is a 2004,
2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008
George H. Gallup Award winner
and a Spartan Award winner for
the same years.
We welcome your letters
to the editor. Letters must be
signed and may be edited for
space reasons.
E-mail us your comments
at southfieldjay@gmail.com, or
write to The Southfield Jay, c/o
Diane Hofsess, Southfield High
School, 24675 Lahser Road,
Southfield, Mich., 48033. Phone
us at (248) 746-8963.
The Southfield Jay
Published monthly during the school year
by journalism students of Southfield High School
Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
Centerspread Editor
Editorial Editor
Features Editor
Sports Editor
Entertainment Editor
Photo Editor
Webmaster
Staff Artist
Circulation Manager
Business Manager
Exchange Editor
Staff writers:
Faculty Adviser:
Our views
‘Obamacare’ makes good sense for America
“Change that we can
believe in.”
This now-famous
slogan comes from the
lips of President Barack
Obama, who has captured
the hearts of many
around the nation. There
were those who didn’t
believe that President
Obama would have a
tangent presidency. Yet
he continually does his
best, even when being
ridiculed to change what
is now a moderately
corrupt government.
His health care
reform plan wisely aims
to provide affordable,
accessible health care to
all Americans, excluding
illegal immigrants. This
brave new plan would
fortify employer-based
coverage, and guarantee
a patient’s choice of
doctors and care without
government interference.
Americans who wish
to stay with their current
health insurance would
not be forced into this
new system. Under his
plan, Americans would
finally have a shot at
having new affordable
health insurance.
President Obama’s
plan, which has been
nicknamed “Obamacare”
by the media, would
regenerate our market
structure to modify
competition by offering
federal health insurance
to employers. The
idea is to help ensure
that unexpected or
catastrophic illnesses
do not make health
insurance unaffordable.
Critics say the plan
shows favoritism to
democrats. This plan
would result in huge tax
increases. According to
the Obama’s official Web
site. The budget of this
plan is projected to be
about $200 billion a year
by 2019. Admittedly, this
may sound outrageously
expensive, but not when
you consider that America
has spent more than
$1 trillion on the
war in Iraq. It’s
a matter of
priorities.
Over the
years, America
has been sitting
at a saddening
37th place in
the ranking of the
World’s health report,
according to the World’s
Health Organization report.
Our country’s health care
is truly a disappointment
and it would be ludicrous
to continue on with the
present low-grade health
care system.
While politicians sit
around and debate about
whether or not to make this
risky change, a consumptive
child is out there left to perish
with no hope of a brighter
future because greedy health
care officials are blinded
by the sight of dollar bills
instead of compassion for
the precious lives of others.
Logan Patmon
Matthew Anderson
Revati Nkosu
Alisha Cayce
Ariana Dada
Cory Jackson
Michelle Nobles
Craig Lewis
Leslie Summerville
Tania Lee
Rachael Robertson
Michelle Nobles
Nieya Gaston
Kiera Boyce,
Marissa Katz, Brandy
Perry, Sierra Mays,
Andrew Melton, Jasmine
Walker
Diane Hofsess
America, you
have a bad case
of health care
blues. I have
just the plan for
you.
Dr. O
The Jay renews its editorial policy
The staff of The
Southfield Jay reaffirms
its long-standing editorial
policies with this opening
issue of the 2009-2010
school year. The paper’s
editorial policies are as
follows:
The Jay exists as an
open forum of public
expression. It serves
the student body of
Southfield High School
and will not function
as an instrument of any
individual.
All information
printed in The Jay will
be factually correct and
unbiased in content. It
will not knowingly be
published if it is injurious
to a person’s reputation
or constitutes libel.
The Jay will strive
to present the widest
possible scope of
information dealing with
Southfield High School
while ensuring that
articles are of interest to a
significant segment of the
student population.
The Jay will publish indepth
features highlighting
both positive and negative
areas relating to SHS in
hopes of enhancing the
readers’ understanding
of important issues and
events.
The opinions
expressed in unsigned
editorials are those of
the paper’s staff and not
necessarily those of the
school administrators or
The Board of Education.
Signed opinion pieces
represent the opinion of
the writer.
Editorials in The
Jay will be a forum for
honest opinion and
will not be influenced
by any outside powers,
including the faculty or
the administration.
Letters to the editor
are encouraged and will
be published as space
provides. They must be
signed and must abide by
the same stated standards
regarding other Jay
articles.

Editorials & Opinions
Seniors pay highest price
for Career Center changes
There are a dozen new
faces on staff this school
year, but none is more
noticeable to seniors than
that of Deanna Gabbana,
the school’s new Career
Specialist.
Gabbana is the rookie
who replaced the veteran
Ginny Borowski, when
Borowski retired last
year. This year’s seniors
are at a tremendous
disadvantage with a
rookie in the career office.
Before coming to
work at Southfield High
School, Gabbana worked
as a para-professional at
Brade-Lederle elementary
school for four years,
helping students with
special needs.
While Gabbana has
a positive attitude and
is willing to learn, time
is rapidly ticking for this
year’s seniors. When the
previous career planning
counselor retired, she
took with her all the
knowledge of how best
to run the Career Center.
Borowski in the past
scheduled numerous onsites,
which are interviews
at the school with college
admissions officers. They
allow students to be
How do
you like
the new
changes to
Facebook?
Compiled by
Alisha Cayce
admitted to universities
right then and there.
They have included
schools such as Michigan
State University, Western
Michigan University and
Oakland University. At
press time, only one onsite
had been scheduled
so far this year.
The only school that
had an on-site set up at
press time was Grand
Valley State University.
In previous years
students have taken trips
arranged by Borowski to
various universities in and
outside of Michigan.
Students venturing
into the Career Center to
look for scholarships will be
disappointed. The binder
that was normally stuffed
with scholarships for
seniors has disappeared.
The scholarship board
outside the Career Center,
which was normally
packed with scholarship
opportunities, is unusually
bare this school year.
This means that
this year seniors have
to research their own
scholarships on Web
sites such as collegboard.
com, cappex.com and
scholarships.com.
“It has more
technology, and it’s easier
for us to find out about our
friends.” - Alexis Flowers,
Freshman
Borowski was bound
to retire at some point,
but she should have fully
trained her successor.
To Gabbana’s credit,
she has arranged for several
university admissions
officers to visit with students
at Southfield High. But visits
pale in comparisons to onsites.
The college visits give
little information that can’t
be found out through
a phone call, or on the
Internet.
This year’s seniors
have been groomed
by Southfield Public
Schools for the last 12
years, and now - at the
last step of the journey
- SPS is coming up short.
The career counselor
is the vital link that
connects students to
colleges, scholarships
and job opportunities.
Without a good career
counselor, students are
destined to miss out on
opportunities. That is
the worst part for the
seniors this school year
who are stuck with a new
counselor. None of them
will ever know what they
are missing out on.
- Logan Patmon
“It’s sweet. Now people
know who you are talking
about in your status when
you tag them.” -J’von Glenn
Sophomore
By Kieara Boyce
There has been a
lot of talk going around
about this irrational, new
attendance policy.
There is no need for
an attendance policy. It
wounds students and
has no benefit to them.
It interferes with student
grades.
The policy states that
if you are absent or late
more than 5 times, you
will receive zero honor
points toward your grade
point average. However,
you will receive credit for
the class, if earned.
Most people would
say they need all the
honor points they
can get to boost their
grade point average. It’s
truly hard as a senior
The Southfield Jay / October 2009 5
Letter to the editor: Pull the plug on Kanye West
After watching the
MTV Video Music Awards,
I couldn’t help thinking
how weak-minded Kanye
West is.
Some artists can
appear one way through
their music, but another
(way) when they are
in the public eye. His
“I really don’t see a
big difference between
the old format and the
new.” - Rashad Timmons
Junior
New attendance policy
needlessly damages
grade point averages
to apply for colleges
when your overall grade
point average is low, just
because of tardiness.
The policy makes
it hard for students to
succeed. Even if they are
really earning an A in a
class, it’s possible that they
could only get credit.
Students have been
told that this attendance
policy is designed to help
prepare them for the real
world. Plenty of teachers
have used the example
that if employees are late
to work every day, they’ll
lose their jobs. Although
this is true, and school is a
student’s “job,” the school
is trying to use the policy
to dictate what’s right
and what’s wrong for our
lives. This is an especially
response to Taylor
Swift receiving a VMA
was very inappropriate.
His mistake and bad
judgment could possibly
cost him a successful
music career.
If I were a producer
at a TV station, I would
think twice before
”Facebook is just
pointless now. It’s basically
just a resource to see
pictures. “ - Kiana Abston
Senior
critical time for students
to make the start of the
rest of their lives.
Yes, there are the
rebels of the school
who will just be late,
attendance policy or not.
But the policy is not fair
to those students who
have legitimate, quality
reasons as to why they
can’t make it to school
on time every day.
Some people have
lockers in A-House
and classes in distant
O-House. With a mere
six minutes for passing
period, it is sometimes
impossible to complete
the mission. Policy
makers need to consider
how badly this could
affect students and leave
our grades alone.
featuring Kanye on one
of my awards shows. It
is very clear Kanye did
not learn from his first
mistake with his earlier
comment about George
Bush.
- Sidney Lee
Senior
“Facebook is about
meeting new people. The
added features are just too
much.” - Daniel Dorsey
Senior

HOMECOMING 2009
The grit of the game, the pep in the rally,
and the glamour in the dance
made this year’s Homecoming
one to remember
Text and photos by Matthew
Anderson, Craig Lewis and
Revati Nkosu
From the Mardi Grasthemed
dance, to the
annihilating defeat of
Rochester at the game, this
year’s Homecoming was
one to remember for years
to come.
The Marching Blue Jay
Band at the pep rally hyped
up the football players for
their big game and brought
the class spirit out of the
students through screams
that shook the school
with excitement. The
Homecoming game against
the Rochester Falcons was a
32-0 shut-out.
At the dance, Queen
Jazmin Miller and King
Franklin Fisher lit up the
dance floor. Senior best
friends Erin Logan and
Bianca Robinson arrived
in the same red dress. And
among the most dapper
dressers were suited
seniors Jacob Miller, Shane
Scarbrough and Michael
Varner.

By Logan Patmon
Editor-in-Chief
Southfield’s newest eatery is
the Central Park Deli, which
opened in July, tucked inside
the Central Business Park.
If you’re craving a
corned beef sandwich or a chicken
Caesar wrap sandwich, the Central Park
Deli would be a good place to park
yourself. Otherwise, the deli is nothing
special.
The staff members on two recent
visits were so-so. Their attitudes weren’t
bad, but they didn’t serve food with a
smile. The music playing softly in the
background added to the calm vibe of
the restaurant.
The airy deli is unique in its design
compared to other restaurants in the
area. Huge picture windows allow
generous light into the restaurant, which
keeps the place naturally bright. At first
glance the place appears clean but a look
in the cobweb infested window corners,
and dirty bathrooms proves otherwise.
There are small tables that replicate
the feeling you might have if you were
sitting outside in a park having a bite
to eat. There are two HD flat screen TV’s
located at each end of the restaurant,
which play news.
The deli’s menu offers a variety
of food. They sell items such as fries,
wraps, salads, sandwiches, burgers
and numerous desserts, all priced
reasonably. A full course meal including
a sandwich, French fries, and a drink will
cost you around $12.
Rather have eggs? They serve
breakfast in the morning until 10 a.m.
My dining partner and I ordered
their chili cheese fries, onion rings Caesar
chicken wrap, corn beef sandwich, red
velvet cake, and banana pudding.
After waiting 20 minutes for the
food, it finally arrived. The fries were the
first thing I tasted and they were some
Entertainment
CENTRAL PARK DELI
Hold the fries but bring on the deli wraps sandwiches
CENTRAL PARK DELI
20840 Lahser, inside the Central
Business Park
Web site: cpdeli.com
HOURS: Weekdays 7 a.m. - 9
p.m.
Weekends 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
PRICES: $1.59-$6.53
MENU ITEMS: wraps,
sandwiches, burgers, desserts
PHONE: 248-799-9992
This restaurant’s rating: * *
* * * * * Must visit
* * * * Mmm, good
* * * Above average
** Nothing special
* Avoid it
of the worst around. They were extremely
stiff and had a burnt taste to them even
though physically they looked like they
were cooked to perfection. The cheese on
the chili cheese fries wasn’t even melted.
The onion rings were good, but
weren’t anything special.
The chicken Caesar wrap was
excellent. The lettuce was crisp and
fresh, there was the perfect amount of
dressing.
The corned beef sandwich was also
a delicious dish. The bun was soft and
warm, with exquisite corn beef layered
on it. The corned beef was among the
best in the area.
Their dessert is also very tasty. The
banana pudding was chilled to perfection
but was overly sweet. The Red Velvet cake
was a slice of heaven. It was moist, yet
light, sweet, but not too sweet.
We won’t be rushing back any time
soon - except maybe for a slice of that
red velvet cake - to go.
Overall, Central Park Deli gets 2 out
of 5 stars.
The Southfield Jay / October 2009 7
Photos by Alisha Sterling-Miles
It’s a wrap: The chicken Caesar wrap sandwich for $5.25 is a good bet at the
Central Park Deli. It comes with a crunchy dill pickel spear.

8
The Southfield Jay / October 2009
OLD
& NEW
Something old,
Features
something new
The Southfield Jay would like to introduce a new feature
called “Something old, something new.” In each issue, the
feature will spotlight “something old” - an interesting graduate
of Southfield High School - and “something new” - a new
freshman at The ‘Field. In this debut installment of the feature,
we chose to spotlight a Southfield Jay graduate who isn’t really
old, but then again, neither is this feature.
Freshman avoids lines
by bringing his own lunch
Photo by Craig Lewis
In the bag: Freshman Wendell Collins estimates he’s saving nearly $1,000 a
school year by bringing his own lunch.
Alumnus covers
college sports
By Ariana Dadashzadehzanjani
Staff Writer
Former Southfield Jay Sports
Editor Emanuel Johnson has taken his
journalism game to the next level.
He is a paid sports writer for The
Lanthorn, which is Grand Valley State
University’s campus newspaper. His
official title is “senior reporter.”
Occasionally, he also takes photos
for the paper.
Johnson is in his junior year at
Grand Valley, where he is majoring in
journalism. He works part-time at the
paper while attending school.
His future goal? “I want to cover
the Super Bowl and be able to get in for
free.”
Johnson said he used his high school
newspaper clips to get himself hired at
The Lanthorn. “They basically looked at
my portfolio and said, ‘You’re hired.’ “
Johnson is succeeded by his
By Jasmine Walker
Staff Writer
Wendell Collins is one of the
school’s 318 new freshmen using
the lunch room. Collins carries a
blue and orange nylon lunch bag
every day. While other students are
battling the long lunch lines, he is
the one calmly seated and enjoying
his lunch.
The average student spends
approximately $5 a day on cafeteria
food, which adds up to about $25
a week. But not Collins. By the
end of school year, Collins will
have saved about $800 on lunch by
bringing his own food.
Here’s what Collins has to say:
How has your first month of high
school been?
So far it has been good.
What was the biggest change
from middle school to high
school for you?
This school is a lot bigger and has
a lot more people.
Who’s your favorite teacher so far?
(English teacher) Ms. (Deborah) Elliott.
Photo by Alisha Sterling-Miles
Game on: Southfield High alumnus
Emanuel Johnson graduated in 2008
with plans to become a journalist.
sister Emanne, who is a freshman at
Southfield High, and his younger
brother, Etaune, who is a sixth grader
at Brace-Lederle.
Are you interested in any
school clubs or sports?
None have caught my interest yet.
What would you like to
accomplish during freshman
year?
Maintain good grades throughout
the whole year.
What do you think about the
school’s lunch menu?
It’s cool, but I’d rather bring my
own lunch.
Why do you carry a lunch box?
It’s less complicated and saves
me money.
Who packs your lunch?
I pack my own lunch either before
school in the morning or the night
before.
What’s in a typical lunch for
you?
Different types of sandwiches,
juice boxes, fruit or fruit snacks,
and Cheetos.
What are your future plans?
To become an inventor.

By Revati Nkosu
Staff Writer
Southfield High is trying to go
green, but for now it’s only pale green,
according to Principal Michael Horn.
“Even though Southfield High
School is a ‘green’ school on paper, we
don’t conserve electricity properly for
all the technological advances that we
have,” said Horn.
In some of the newer and renovated
parts of the building, automated lights
turn on and off by motion, Horn said.
The school is also conserving energy by
using the heating and cooling system
less frequently, he said. But other than
that, the school is not doing much to
reduce, reuse or recycle, Horn said.
“The District is doing a lot to save
energy, but not Southfield High,” Horn
said.
Senior Heiress Catchings said a
group of Interact students led by her
is attempting to help the school go
greener. Catchings is helping to launch
a paper recycling program as her senior
project.
Catchings, who also delivers the
school’s morning announcements, says
she further intends to raise awareness
about recycling through “green facts”
she plans to report during the morning
announcements.
But saving energy doesn’t always
have to be a school project, Catchings
said. If everyone made basic recycling
efforts, the world wouldn’t be in the
predicament it’s in right now, Catchings
said.
Food technology teacher Maude
Moore is doing her part to help
Southfield go green. She planted
an herb garden on school grounds.
Gardens help increase oxygen levels.
The herbs she grows are also useful in
her cooking classes.
In other green efforts, teachers
have been asked to take home personal
refrigerators, printers and coffee
makers.
The Southfield Jay / October 2009 9
Principal: School’s green efforts need bigger push
Here are several other tips on “going
green” and conserving energy that Horn
wants the school to start on now:
• Get a reusable water bottle
• Recycle plastic bottles, glass
containers and aluminum cans
• Turn the water off while brushing
teeth
• Take shorter showers
• Unplug electronic devices when not
in use
• Reuse plastic containers
• Switch to reusable cloth shopping
bags instead of paper or plastic
• Buy biodegradeable items
• Ask litterbugs to pick up their trash
• Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs

10 The Southfield Jay / October 2009 SPORTS
Photo by Craig Lewis
Carrying on: Junior Daevon Robinson, number 32, takes the ball from sophomore Brandon Watkins, to
run it down the field. The Jays went on to defeat Rochester 32-0 before a full Homecoming crowd.
New players fill varsity ranks
By Cory Jackson
Sports Editor
The Varsity Football Team is feeling the loss of last
year’s group of graduating seniors. Last year’s team
was the most successful football team Southfield High
School has ever seen, defeating powerhouses like
Harrison High School and cross-town rivals Southfield-
Lathrup and going all the way to Regionals.
So far this year, the Blue Jays have suffered painful
losses to Harrison (12-34) and Rochester Adams (38-0),
squeaked past Stoney Creek (22-17) but soundly
defeated Rochester (32-0), Farmington (35-11) and
Seaholm (33-7).
Super Blue Jays such as Tim Keith, Sidney Avery,
Travon Johnson and Terron Turner have all left the Blue
Jay nest and flocked to different college teams. Now a
new group of Blue Jays is trying with mixed success to
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step up and fill the spots left by those graduates.
Attempting to fill a few of those empty spaces
are seniors Kevin Harmon, Jonathan Mackey, Alonzo
Graham and Kevin Kelly, who all have something in
common: they came to Southfield High from Henry
Ford High School for a better education and football
opportunities.
Then there’s Brandon Watkins, a sophomore who
came to Southfield last year, and Justin Dansey who is
also a sophomore and attends University High but has
permission to play for Southfield High. Both Watkins and
Dansey have helped the team by filling the quarterback
position left by Eddie Beal, who graduated.
Harmon said, “Southfield has better educational
opportunities than our other school., and the football
team is more organized and disciplined.”
Graham added, “There’s no gang violence, and the
band is so much more live.”
The spots that needed to be filled were mostly
defensive positions and luckily Mackey and Harmon
play linebacker, Graham plays cornerback and Kelly
plays defensive end.
Thus far, the new crop of players has yet to prove
that they can go as far or further as last year’s team.
As for some of the returning players, they are happy
that their football family is growing with talented
players.
Senior offensive linemen Dijon Ways says,
“Everybody is working great together. We’re working
as one unit.”
The football team’s next attempt to surpass last
year’s unprecedented 11-2 record will be Oct. 16,
when the Blue Jays take on Troy, at Troy.
Sports briefs
Track star earns world title
Track star Bridgette Owens has returned for her
last year of high school with a new title. This summer
Owens traveled to Bressanone, Italy, for track. Overall
Owens placed third in
the world against teens
17 and up.
“I believe I performed
well, but as I looked at the
race on television, back
in Michigan, I discovered
some things I could have
done differently,” Owens
said.
She’d like to improve
her form and her control
over her nerves, she said.
The main thing Owens
learned in Italy is to stay
Bridgette Owens
calm while running and just have fun.
Owens has been running track since she was 7
years old, and it became much more of a serious sport
at age 12. “Track is my life,” Owens said.
- Sierra Mays
Girls’ Golf putters along
The Girls’ Golf team is off to a rocky start, but they
still are determined to do well, said Coach Steve Sharp.
Six girls play on the team: junior Marissa Katz, and
seniors Robyn Baynes, Revati Nkosu, Angelica Brown,
junior Kiairra Hill and
Brittany McGhee.
Three of the players
are new golfers.
According to
Sharp, the girls are
improving every
week.
“The team just
needs a little bit of
work, but we still
love the game and
are hard workers,”
said Baynes.
The team’s final Robyn Baynes
record is 2-6 with wins against Pontiac and Southfield-
Lathrup. They are 2-4 in their league. Their home course
is Beech Woods Golf Course on 9 Mile and Beech Daly
. - Leslie Summerville
V-ball team dominates court
The undefeated Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team is
dominating the court with wins against Ferndale
(25-8) , Pontiac (25-8 25-9, 25, 12), and Southfield-
Lathrup 25-18, 25-17,25-18.
“Our biggest competition would have to be
Country Day,” said junior Noelle Hairston. “They’re also
a really good team and work very hard.”
- Leslie Summerville

Andrew’s
‘A’ Game
By Andrew Melton
Money blinds
NFL rookies
What ever happened to wanting
to play in the National Football League
just to play in the NFL?
Being known as one of the
world’s greatest athletes, winning a
championship and scoring the game-
winning touchdown were all thoughts
that ran through our minds when we
fantasized about playing in the NFL.
Now, something bizarre happens
to athletes between the time they
begin college ball to the day they are
drafted. Money becomes the motive.
How do I know this? Well an
increasing number of college stars are
holding out on the teams that drafted
them. And, of course, the main - if not
the only - reason is because they want
more money.
Now, everyone who gets drafted
wants that new car and to buy his
mom a house. But since when has $20
million as opposed to $24 million not
been enough money to do that?
Yes, I am referring to former Texas
Tech Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree,
who seems to be, if the San Francisco
49ers cannot sign him by November
17 th , the first player to ever re-enter
a draft after failing to sign with the
team that drafted him.
Obviously Crabtree is disappointed
that he was not drafted higher in the
first round. After all, he is a two-time
Biletnikoff Award winner for being
the best college receiver in the nation.
However, instead of trying to get topthree
draft pick money when he was
not a top-three draft pick, he can show
that he should have been in the top
three through his performance on the
football field.
Do not think I am turning a blind
eye to the veteran NFL players such as
Steven Jackson and Terrell Owens, who
held out for more cash in their bank
accounts. However, there is one huge
difference between these players and
draftees. They have actually proven
themselves in the NFL.
If Crabtree is as good as he thinks he
is, the money will follow. As for the 49ers,
if Crabtree goes, the money stays.
By Andrew Melton
Sports Writer
SPORTS
At 5 foot 9 inches and 185 pounds,
senior wide receiver and linebacker
Kalon Willis can be described as a leader
and veteran for the Blue Jays football
team.
Willis is a triple threat athlete, also
wrestling for the wrestling team and
running for the track team.
Math teacher and Varsity Football
Coach Milton Jones, who has coached
Willis for three years, shares his thoughts
on one of his captains, saying, “He is
disciplined, a hard worker, and versatile.
An all-around good kid and player that
should play a sport at the next level.”
Willis’ work ethic shows up in the
classroom, too, as he has a 3.2 grade
point average. College choices for Willis
include Central Michigan University,
Bowling Green, Grand Valley State and
Wayne State, all of which are scouting
him for football.
Kalon was one of the few juniors
who started all last season, playing a
big part in the Blue Jays’ record-setting
playoff run.
He says he realizes the team has a
tough route to run if they are to top last
season’s successes.
The Southfield Jay / October 2009 11
PLAYER PROFILE:
Veteran Blue Jay plays wide receiver
This
or
That
By Craig Lewis
Best restaurant
Favorite TV show
Ralph Lauren
or Beverly Hills Polo
Best college
football team
Math or English
Photo by Cory Jackson
Tough stuff: Senior Kalon Willis dresses for football practice in the Blue Jay
locker room. Willis is in his fourth season on the Blue Jay football team and
intends to play at the college level.
Strong motivation drives every
great athlete, and Willis is no different,
simply wanting to work hard to become
the best possible football player.
His teammates speak highly of him.
Varsity center Jesse Boone sums up Willis
as “a good friend that can be trusted on
and off the field.”
William Lyons Dijon Ways
Jazmin Miller Yvette Overton
Golden Corral Little Caesars Red Lobster YaYa’s
Fresh Prince
of Bel-Air
Johnny Test The Game Sponge Bob
Square Pants
Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren
Texas Tech Grambling State Michigan State Penn State
Math Math English Math

12 The Southfield Jay / October 2009 FEATURES
Roller blading teacher
skates along in life
By Marissa Katz
Staff Writer
The halls quickly empty out as
the last bell of the day rings.
A stray paper here and there
litters the ground and is in an
instant blown away. A tall form
roller blades past, easily twisting and
turning about the papers and through
the halls.
The roller blading teacher is John
Shirkey, who’s often seen dashing from
his classroom to the school library or
main office to complete his business of
the day. He’s a multi-talented teacher on
wheels.
Shirkey has been teaching for 15
years, handling subjects ranging from
architecture to science.
This year he’s teaching computer
animation, drafting, and computer
assisted design (CAD).
Many people may wonder exactly
why he has this interesting mode of
transportation inside the building. His
simple explanation is that the newly
built wing of the school is much too big.
Roller blading, he says, “saves time.”
He is careful not to roller blade when
the halls are full of students. He mostly roller
blades after school or when classes are in
session and the halls are uncrowded.
Ironically, the multi-talented teacher
says he was only an average student
in high school. He was in the Class of
By Michelle Nobles
Staff Writer
Senior James Jordan has landed
the leading role in this year’s fall
play, Terror by Gaslight.
He plays Dr. Cyrus Norton,
a surgeon who is creating an
anatomical museum. But
there’s a piece missing from
his museum - cadavers. The
cadavers he needs can only be
obtained by public gallows.
Co-starring with Jordan
are juniors Stephanie
Gullatte and Michael Love,
who play Gin Hester and Leonard
1973 at Marysville High School. Shirkey
recalls that not all of his teachers were
too fond of him.
But when Shirkey got to college,
that changed, he says. At Wayne
State University, Shirkey maintained
a 3.972 GPA when working toward his
master’s degree. He was also a part of
the Wayne State’s newspaper staff as
a photographer; he says his favorite
assignment was a Stevie Ray Vaughan
concert, which he covered before the
singer died. He also received a certificate
in micro computer applications at
Oakland University.
Shirkey says he started skating
around the age of 10 at McMorran
Auditorium in Port Huron, and according
to him, he proudly says he has not
broken a bone. He has yet to fall while
skating around the halls of Southfield
High School.
Besides roller blading and teaching
a wide variety of subjects, Shirkey
can sing. He sang in the Port Huron
Schubert Male Chorus and now sings in
the Detroit Choir, which he joined last
year. The choir often travels to perform
concerts in other areas, and Shirkey
says he hopes they will travel to Austria
this year.
But the only sure traveling Shirkey
has on his calendar for now is to make
the frequent trek from his classroom to
the school library – on roller blades.
Senior to star in ‘Terror by Gaslight’
Scrubbs, respectively. They are devious
grave robbers who don’t care where
the bodies come from.
According to Drama teacher
Brenda Perryman, the good Dr.
Norton has no idea about his coworkers’
methods, but he will
eventually find out.
A freshman also has a
key role in the this year’s play.
Delando Davis-Wright plays
Detective Harrison.
The play is scheduled
to take place on Nov.
6-7, at 7 p.m. in the
auditorium. Ticket prices
are $5 for students and $7 for adults.
Photo by Marissa Katz
Wheels of fortune: Drafting teacher John Shirkey is known for passing
through school halls on roller blades. He says it saves him time.