Grosse Pointe South High School
Encyclopedia
Grosse Pointe South High School (GPS), commonly called South, is one of two public high schools located in the Grosse Pointe
s, suburban cities adjacent to Detroit, Michigan
. At the corner of Fisher Road and Grosse Pointe Blvd in Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe High School, the first public high school in the area, opened its doors in 1928. It became Grosse Pointe South High School in 1967 when the school board built Grosse Pointe North High School
, which opened in 1968. In 1993, Grosse Pointe South was added to the National Register of Historic Places
for its significance in architecture, art, and education. The school anchors one of Grosse Pointe's most historically significant neighborhoods, known as the Beverly Road Historic District. Grosse Pointe Memorial Presbyterian Church, Christ Church Grosse Pointe, and Richard Elementary School (all on the National Register of Historic Places) are within two blocks of Grosse Pointe South.
. Grosse Pointe
's move away from its farming community began after the American Civil War
, when wealthy Detroit businessmen purchased much of the lakefront property for summer homes. By 1900, year-round mansions were rapidly replacing seasonal residences, and a sense of community had begun to form.
Reflecting many citizens' growing perception that Grosse Pointe was a real town, the need for a high school became a topic of debate in 1910. After a five-year battle with landowners reluctant to have their land condemned, the school district began the construction of the area's first public high school in 1927. Many residents saw the construction as a symbol that Grosse Pointe had made the transition from resort to town and so were willing to pay for one of the finest public school buildings in Michigan
.
Grosse Pointe High School has a Georgian
revival colonial style building design and a 134 feet (40.8 m)-tall clock tower that dominates the facade. The interior is similarly impressive: The school opened with five libraries, two gyms, an auditorium, and a swimming pool, amenities some thought too luxurious. Tennessee marble and Pewabic tiles were used lavishly. During the Great Depression
, the interior received a beautiful series of WPA
-funded murals and the area's growing population led to additions in the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1930, student enrollment hit 1,340, just 35 less than capacity. The 1,300 students had to stand along the walls to pack into the boys' gym for an assembly. Since it was designed to hold 1,100 well, 1,340 bulged that gym's seams.
To make room for students, the Board of Education offices were moved back to Cadieux Elementary School. Board offices remain there today. Student and faculty sizes have varied, but the building always ranged from packed to comfortably full.
During construction, the over 10-story tall, 107 feet (32.6 m)-high boiler room smokestack was the tallest structure in Grosse Pointe. The 134 feet (40.8 m)-tall clock tower that has become the symbol of Grosse Pointe High was finished three months after the smokestack.
World War II
's colossal expansion of America's industries triggered the 1942 addition of a three-story industrial arts building.
In April 1953 Grosse Pointe High had its main gym completed, complete with a stage for large assemblies. For the students' evening dedication ceremonies, a public relations coup was pulled off, when Board of Education member and travel agent Chet Sampson delivered the newly married, romantic idols of America, Debbie Reynolds
and Eddie Fisher
.
The back end of the school was filled with ninth graders in the fall of 1955. The annex was linked to the main building with a roofed-only walkway that was called the breezeway or freezeway depending upon the weather.
In February 1961, work was started on adding a third floor to the industrial arts building. In March, the Board of Education authorized the construction of a second-story bridge to the main building to give easier access to the new third floor. In the fall of 1961, just nine months after starting, students were crossing the bridge and attending math classes in the new third floor.
The octagonal Wicking Library was completed and occupied for school during the fall of 1964, ending Cleminson Hall's reign as the school's reference site. A brick and steel breezeway that joined the main building to the annex crossed its front.
, which opened in the fall of 1968. This ended the 40-year reign of this building as the only public high school in Grosse Pointe. The school was renamed Grosse Pointe South High School and became a four-year high school as it remains today.
The Wicking Library was then South's newest portion. The library in the parking lot did not satisfy educators who thought that a library could be the center of instructional activity. In addition, many classrooms in the school needed replacement and the music facilities were poor. The plan to solve these problems showed a small addition on the left, a new hallway across the rear of the plant, and rooms surrounding the library. The music department would get two big practice rooms and a classroom. A large two-story structure was planned to surround the library. When the plans were revealed, everyone was happy that the definitely modern building would be around the corner from the traditional Georgian Facade. In September 1973, the new wing was completed. South now had first-class science labs and social studies classrooms, appropriately naming the new addition the “S-Building.” In addition to the new classrooms, South gained a new 116-seat lecture hall.
In the late 1970s, a series of articles appeared in the school's student newspaper The Tower, detailing significant safety and space issues within what was then known as the IA (Industrial Arts) Building. Much debate over the conditions (and need for expansion) in the 1930s-era wing ensued between the cost-conscious GPPS Board and concerned parents and teachers. The School Board ultimately agreed that major improvements were necessary. An area with tennis courts was selected for the expansion, which were later replaced on top of the industrial technology shops. The top floor of math rooms was unchanged. A modern photography classroom and lab sat next to a new drafting room, while two modernized art rooms provided general and commercial art classes with fine homes. The first floor featured a fine drawing and painting studio, a superlative ceramics, sculpture, and metals laboratory, and an art appreciation lecture classroom. The industrial technology department started in earnest in the remodeled basement. The sprawling underground addition started with the parking and outdoor service area of the four-bay automotive shop backed up by a sophisticated wood and metal shop and a TV studio.
The cinder tract of the football field did not meet the needs of the expanded athletic programs that came as the nation discovered jogging and the track and field events. A major project modified this, providing an all-weather track. That same all-weather track could not be walked upon with high heels, and since 1969, South had been seating a thousand parents on the cinder track for its outdoor graduations.
With the help of the internationally famous George P. Johnson display company, this ceremony moved to the front lawn in 1980. The artists from George P. Johnson Co. also reworked the school seal for the speaker's podium, giving the school a modern version for all purposes.
In 2003, Grosse Pointe South celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a series of commemorative events and guest speakers.
Over the past few years, the school has undergone a number of major renovations and additions. In 2004, the renovation of the school's auditorium was completed, allowing seating for 400 students. In 2005, the so-called "New S-Building" was completed to add a large number of science classrooms. Renovations in 2006 have been completed, as the original S-Building received a face lift to upgrade its outdated facilities and small classrooms.
In September 2008, South completed the building of the new John and Marlene Boll Athletic Center along Fisher Road, in place of the old Comtec and tennis courts. The facility includes a new 12-lane competition pool with seating for 400+, locker rooms, a field gymnasium, a new fitness facility, a conference room, athletic offices, and multipurpose space. The design of the new building mimics the main 1928 building, with Georgian revival architecture.
The original natatorium was renovated to serve as a student commons, complete with skylights and an imprint of the old pool on the floor. South celebrates its history by lining the walls of the student commons with photos of former South students throughout the decades. Adjacent to the old pool, the original boys gymnasium was converted into a multi-purpose fine arts performance facility. The old pool locker rooms serve as a school store and dressing rooms.
magazine creates a yearly list of the 1000 top public high school
s in America. For 2008, both of the Grosse Pointe high schools placed. In 2008, Grosse Pointe South High School was ranked #363 (#2 in Michigan) and Grosse Pointe North High School was #916 (#11 in Michigan). http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?s=Michigan In 2009, Grosse Pointe South was ranked in the top 2% of High Schools-Nationwide.http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?s=Michigan
By 2010, Newsweek posted that Grosse Pointe South High School was ranked #520 (#5 in Michigan) and Grosse Pointe North High School was #1187 (#18 in Michigan). 2
sports teams for boys and 18 varsity sports teams for girls. These sports include baseball
, basketball
, competitive cheer
, crew
, cross country
, field hockey
, figure skating
, football
, golf
, gymnastics
, ice hockey
, lacrosse
, sailing
, soccer, softball
, swimming
and diving
, synchronized swimming
, tennis
, track and field
, volleyball
, and wrestling
. Grosse Pointe South competes in the Macomb Area Conference (MAC)
, under the regulation of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)
.
Mr. Robert Button, who taught journalism and supervised the paper for over two decades, was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 1989.
The Tower has its own two-room office and classroom at the front of the old building. Recently the Tower room had ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Ronald Bates memorial telecommunications center, named after the deceased former Student Association president.
The newspaper was close to being featured on the MTV show "The Paper," but the show was canceled. A film crew came in from MTV Studios and spent a long weekend with the staff, and filmed events like the Editor-in-Chief announcement.
The Tower's current adviser has had several students, hundreds collectively in past years, who have won several awards, including Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) Sparty awards and Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Gold and Silver Crown awards.
The group produces one main stage play each Fall. Recent productions have included Daniel J. Sullivan's "Inspecting Carol," Christopher Sergel's "To Kill a Mockingbird," John Van Druten's "I Remember Mama", Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!
Two years ago, the 'Players' performed Moises Kaufman's "The Laramie Project", a controversial play about the murder of a homosexual, Wyoming college student. 'Laramie' was selected as one of five mainstage shows at the 2008 Michigan Thespian Festival at Michigan State University, and the Players were invited to attend the International Thespian Festival, but did not attend due to lack of funds, and because "The Laramie Project" is geared toward a small stage. The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, an anti-gay organization, sent three protesters to picket outside the building just as students were released on Friday, November 21 (Opening night). Students and staff were featured in The Detroit News on November 4, 2008 and The Detroit Free Press & on Channel 4 News (WDIV) on November 5, 2008 as soon as the church group announced their plans to protest. Because of the extensive media attention and community interest, the 'players' performed all shows to sold out audiences- a first in the history of the club.
In recent years, small groups of junior and senior thespians have mounted independent fund-raiser shows. In the spring,seniors with the most "thespian points" are chosen to cast and direct a one-act play.
Team 1189, "The Gearheads" with Grosse Pointe North. Founded in 2003, the team was originally known as The Rabid Squirrels but soon changed its name the next year. The team's distinctive logo consists a Pedestrian Crossing sign edited so the head looks like a gear. The Gearheads are sponsored by General Motors
, Grosse Pointe Public Schools, IAmTheLaw(dot)net, Peninsula Capital, and Macomb Scrap Metal.
In 2009, eight students brought it back for the program's first show without any assistance from the high school or the Grosse Pointe Public School System. The reiteration in 2009 was completely unaffiliated with the school. It was performed at the City Theatre in downtown Detroit. The show was sold out and received high praise from community members for its tasteful humor. In 2010 Second Suburb was again written and produced by eight students and performed two shows at City Theatre.
The Second Suburb tradition has continued into 2011 and 2012, both years being run by student leaders.
Adam Steiner: Music Theater Equity Performer: presently touring in Shrek's National Tour. WMU grad and Pointe Singer member, Leads in 4 years of South's musicals. Lisa LoCicero: General Hospital Olivia at South was in Orchestra, Pointe Players and South All School Musicals, Chorus Line and Hello Dolly (Miss Molloy)
" speech.
Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe refers to a coastal area in Metro Detroit, Michigan, United States that comprises five adjacent individual communities. From southwest to northeast, they are:*Grosse Pointe Park, city*Grosse Pointe, city*Grosse Pointe Farms, city...
s, suburban cities adjacent to Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. At the corner of Fisher Road and Grosse Pointe Blvd in Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe High School, the first public high school in the area, opened its doors in 1928. It became Grosse Pointe South High School in 1967 when the school board built Grosse Pointe North High School
Grosse Pointe North High School
Grosse Pointe North High School, commonly called North, is a public high school in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The school opened in 1968 after Grosse Pointe High School was split into two schools, and Grosse Pointe North took the northern side of Grosse Pointe's students and...
, which opened in 1968. In 1993, Grosse Pointe South was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
for its significance in architecture, art, and education. The school anchors one of Grosse Pointe's most historically significant neighborhoods, known as the Beverly Road Historic District. Grosse Pointe Memorial Presbyterian Church, Christ Church Grosse Pointe, and Richard Elementary School (all on the National Register of Historic Places) are within two blocks of Grosse Pointe South.
Grosse Pointe High School
The construction of The Grosse Pointe High School in 1928 marked an important transition in the history of this area along the shores of Lake St. ClairLake Saint Clair (North America)
Lake St. Clair is a fresh-water lake named after Clare of Assisi that lies between the Province of Ontario and the State of Michigan, and its midline also forms the boundary between Canada and the United States of America. Lake St. Clair includes the Anchor Bay along the Metro Detroit coastline...
. Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe refers to a coastal area in Metro Detroit, Michigan, United States that comprises five adjacent individual communities. From southwest to northeast, they are:*Grosse Pointe Park, city*Grosse Pointe, city*Grosse Pointe Farms, city...
's move away from its farming community began after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when wealthy Detroit businessmen purchased much of the lakefront property for summer homes. By 1900, year-round mansions were rapidly replacing seasonal residences, and a sense of community had begun to form.
Reflecting many citizens' growing perception that Grosse Pointe was a real town, the need for a high school became a topic of debate in 1910. After a five-year battle with landowners reluctant to have their land condemned, the school district began the construction of the area's first public high school in 1927. Many residents saw the construction as a symbol that Grosse Pointe had made the transition from resort to town and so were willing to pay for one of the finest public school buildings in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Grosse Pointe High School has a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
revival colonial style building design and a 134 feet (40.8 m)-tall clock tower that dominates the facade. The interior is similarly impressive: The school opened with five libraries, two gyms, an auditorium, and a swimming pool, amenities some thought too luxurious. Tennessee marble and Pewabic tiles were used lavishly. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the interior received a beautiful series of WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
-funded murals and the area's growing population led to additions in the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1930, student enrollment hit 1,340, just 35 less than capacity. The 1,300 students had to stand along the walls to pack into the boys' gym for an assembly. Since it was designed to hold 1,100 well, 1,340 bulged that gym's seams.
To make room for students, the Board of Education offices were moved back to Cadieux Elementary School. Board offices remain there today. Student and faculty sizes have varied, but the building always ranged from packed to comfortably full.
During construction, the over 10-story tall, 107 feet (32.6 m)-high boiler room smokestack was the tallest structure in Grosse Pointe. The 134 feet (40.8 m)-tall clock tower that has become the symbol of Grosse Pointe High was finished three months after the smokestack.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
's colossal expansion of America's industries triggered the 1942 addition of a three-story industrial arts building.
In April 1953 Grosse Pointe High had its main gym completed, complete with a stage for large assemblies. For the students' evening dedication ceremonies, a public relations coup was pulled off, when Board of Education member and travel agent Chet Sampson delivered the newly married, romantic idols of America, Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
and Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (singer)
Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
.
The back end of the school was filled with ninth graders in the fall of 1955. The annex was linked to the main building with a roofed-only walkway that was called the breezeway or freezeway depending upon the weather.
In February 1961, work was started on adding a third floor to the industrial arts building. In March, the Board of Education authorized the construction of a second-story bridge to the main building to give easier access to the new third floor. In the fall of 1961, just nine months after starting, students were crossing the bridge and attending math classes in the new third floor.
The octagonal Wicking Library was completed and occupied for school during the fall of 1964, ending Cleminson Hall's reign as the school's reference site. A brick and steel breezeway that joined the main building to the annex crossed its front.
Grosse Pointe South High School
By September 1964, it has become obvious that the Grosse Pointes were in need of a new high school. The Board of Education purchased the 31.7 acres (128,285.5 m²) Vanderbush Farm, the sole remaining such parcel in Grosse Pointe Woods, and built Grosse Pointe North High SchoolGrosse Pointe North High School
Grosse Pointe North High School, commonly called North, is a public high school in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The school opened in 1968 after Grosse Pointe High School was split into two schools, and Grosse Pointe North took the northern side of Grosse Pointe's students and...
, which opened in the fall of 1968. This ended the 40-year reign of this building as the only public high school in Grosse Pointe. The school was renamed Grosse Pointe South High School and became a four-year high school as it remains today.
The Wicking Library was then South's newest portion. The library in the parking lot did not satisfy educators who thought that a library could be the center of instructional activity. In addition, many classrooms in the school needed replacement and the music facilities were poor. The plan to solve these problems showed a small addition on the left, a new hallway across the rear of the plant, and rooms surrounding the library. The music department would get two big practice rooms and a classroom. A large two-story structure was planned to surround the library. When the plans were revealed, everyone was happy that the definitely modern building would be around the corner from the traditional Georgian Facade. In September 1973, the new wing was completed. South now had first-class science labs and social studies classrooms, appropriately naming the new addition the “S-Building.” In addition to the new classrooms, South gained a new 116-seat lecture hall.
In the late 1970s, a series of articles appeared in the school's student newspaper The Tower, detailing significant safety and space issues within what was then known as the IA (Industrial Arts) Building. Much debate over the conditions (and need for expansion) in the 1930s-era wing ensued between the cost-conscious GPPS Board and concerned parents and teachers. The School Board ultimately agreed that major improvements were necessary. An area with tennis courts was selected for the expansion, which were later replaced on top of the industrial technology shops. The top floor of math rooms was unchanged. A modern photography classroom and lab sat next to a new drafting room, while two modernized art rooms provided general and commercial art classes with fine homes. The first floor featured a fine drawing and painting studio, a superlative ceramics, sculpture, and metals laboratory, and an art appreciation lecture classroom. The industrial technology department started in earnest in the remodeled basement. The sprawling underground addition started with the parking and outdoor service area of the four-bay automotive shop backed up by a sophisticated wood and metal shop and a TV studio.
The cinder tract of the football field did not meet the needs of the expanded athletic programs that came as the nation discovered jogging and the track and field events. A major project modified this, providing an all-weather track. That same all-weather track could not be walked upon with high heels, and since 1969, South had been seating a thousand parents on the cinder track for its outdoor graduations.
With the help of the internationally famous George P. Johnson display company, this ceremony moved to the front lawn in 1980. The artists from George P. Johnson Co. also reworked the school seal for the speaker's podium, giving the school a modern version for all purposes.
In 2003, Grosse Pointe South celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a series of commemorative events and guest speakers.
Recent Renovations
In September 2008, South completed the building of the new John and Marlene Boll Athletic Center along Fisher Road, in place of the old Comtec and tennis courts. The facility includes a new 12-lane competition pool with seating for 400+, locker rooms, a field gymnasium, a new fitness facility, a conference room, athletic offices, and multipurpose space. The design of the new building mimics the main 1928 building, with Georgian revival architecture.
The original natatorium was renovated to serve as a student commons, complete with skylights and an imprint of the old pool on the floor. South celebrates its history by lining the walls of the student commons with photos of former South students throughout the decades. Adjacent to the old pool, the original boys gymnasium was converted into a multi-purpose fine arts performance facility. The old pool locker rooms serve as a school store and dressing rooms.
Academics
South has an ongoing tradition of excellence, shown by organizations like The Tower (award-winning student newspaper), The Viewpointe (yearbook) and The Looking Glass (literary magazine). In 2007, five South students received the National Merit National Scholar award, including one Junior. South students also perform well in the National Merit Scholarship competition (12 Finalists from the class of 2007, 8 from the class of 2008).Rankings
NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine creates a yearly list of the 1000 top public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s in America. For 2008, both of the Grosse Pointe high schools placed. In 2008, Grosse Pointe South High School was ranked #363 (#2 in Michigan) and Grosse Pointe North High School was #916 (#11 in Michigan). http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?s=Michigan In 2009, Grosse Pointe South was ranked in the top 2% of High Schools-Nationwide.http://www.newsweek.com/id/39380/?s=Michigan
By 2010, Newsweek posted that Grosse Pointe South High School was ranked #520 (#5 in Michigan) and Grosse Pointe North High School was #1187 (#18 in Michigan). 2
Athletics
As of 2010, the school offers 15 varsityVarsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
sports teams for boys and 18 varsity sports teams for girls. These sports include baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, competitive cheer
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, crew
Crew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, soccer, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, synchronized swimming
Synchronized swimming
Synchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. Grosse Pointe South competes in the Macomb Area Conference (MAC)
Macomb Area Conference
The Macomb Area Conference is a high school sports league located in Southeastern Michigan. It is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association . There are currently 35 members, spread across St...
, under the regulation of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
.
Baseball
The baseball team is led by Hall of Fame Coach Dan Griesbaum and won the Michigan Division 1 State Title in 2001. South has been to the Final Four in baseball 5 times ('87, '96, '01, '03, '05). In addition, South has won the district championship 16 times since 1992, and won the MAC conference 9 times in the same span. Between 2001 and 2005 they reached the D1 Final Four 3 times, won 4 league championships, and eliminated their arch-rival Grosse Pointe North from postseason play in all 5 seasons.Swimming and Diving
The boys' swimming and diving team has a long history of success, winning state championships in 1960, 1962, and 1968. The team also finished as state runners-up in 1943, 1944, 1963, 1981, and 2010. The team has won numerous Macomb Area Conference Red Division Championships, and they won their 12th straight title in 2010.| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Battle Creek Central | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1944 | Battle Creek Central | Grosse Pointe & Monroe Monroe Public Schools (Michigan) Monroe Public Schools is a public school district in Monroe, Michigan. It is the largest school district in Monroe County in terms of enrollment... (tie) |
Class A |
| 1960 | Grosse Pointe | Birmingham Seaholm Seaholm High School Ernest W. Seaholm High School is a public school located within the Birmingham City School District in Birmingham, Michigan, serving grades 9-12. It is located at 2436 West Lincoln Road, Birmingham, Michigan 48009. Seaholm opened its doors for the first time in 1951 under the name Birmingham High.... |
Class A |
| 1962 | Grosse Pointe & Birmingham Seaholm (tie) | Class A | |
| 1963 | Birmingham Seaholm | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1968 | Grosse Pointe | St. Joseph St. Joseph High School (St. Joseph, Michigan) St. Joseph High School is a public high school located in Saint Joseph, Michigan. It is the only public high school in the . The school's mascot is the Bear and its primary athletic rival is Lakeshore High School.School Motto:... |
Class A |
| 1981 | Ann Arbor Pioneer | Grosse Pointe South | Class A |
| 2010 | Birmingham Groves | Grosse Pointe South | Division 2 |
Tennis
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Monroe | Grosse Pointe & Lansing Eastern Eastern High School (Michigan) Eastern High School is a public high school in Lansing, Michigan as part of the Lansing School District.Eastern International Baccalaureate Magnet High School is the only high school in mid-Michigan authorized to offer students the opportunity to earn a prestigious International Baccalaureate... (tie) |
Class A |
| 1938 | Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1945 | Grosse Pointe | Monroe | Class A |
| 1946 | Grosse Pointe | Monroe | Class A |
| 1947 | Grosse Pointe & Monroe (tie) | Class A | |
| 1948 | Kalamazoo State High | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1950 | Hamtramck Hamtramck High School Hamtramck High School is a public high school in Hamtramck, Michigan, United States, named after Colonel Jean François Hamtramck.-History:Hamtramck High School was originally located on Wyandotte and Hewitt Streets until 1970 when it was moved to the former Copernicus Junior Middle School.A... |
Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1961 | Hamtramck | Grosse Pointe | Class A |
| 1990 | Ann Arbor Pioneer | Grosse Pointe South | Class A |
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Grosse Pointe South & Portage Northern Portage Northern High School Portage Northern High School is a high school in Portage, Michigan.Northern High School serves 1,350 students from ninth through twelfth grades. In addition to meeting the regular education needs of students living in the NHS attendance area, the school also houses several special education... (tie) |
Class A | |
| 1977 | Grosse Pointe South & Portage Northern (tie) | Class A | |
| 1978 | Grosse Pointe South | Portage Northern | Class A |
| 1979 | Grosse Pointe South | Portage Northern | Class A |
| 1980 | Grosse Pointe South | Birmingham Marian Marian High School (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) Marian High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school for girls in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit... |
Class A |
| 1981 | Grosse Pointe South | Portage Northern | Class A |
| 1982 | Grosse Pointe South & Birmingham Seaholm (tie) | Class A | |
| 1983 | Grosse Pointe South | Bloomfield Hills Lahser Lahser High School Lahser High School is a high school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Opened in 1967 with 200 students, it now has under 900 students. Now the school is receiving the International Baccalaureate program for the class of 2013 and beyond. The teachers at Lahser have been preparing for this for 3 years... |
Class A |
| 1984 | Grosse Pointe South | Ann Arbor Huron | Class A |
| 1985 | Grosse Pointe South & Ann Arbor Huron (tie) | Class A | |
| 1986 | Grosse Pointe South | Bloomfield Hills Lahser | Class A |
| 2002 | Port Huron Northern Port Huron Northern High School Port Huron Northern High School is a high school located in Port Huron, Michigan. The school's colors are blue and gold, and the mascot is the Siberian Husky... |
Grosse Pointe South | Division 1 |
| 2008 | Grosse Pointe South | Ann Arbor Pioneer | Division 1 |
Other Sports
| Year | Sport | Result | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Boys' Basketball | Runner-Up | Class A |
| 1962 | Boys' Track and Field | Champion | Class A |
| 1997 | Boys' Lacrosse | Runner-Up | Class B |
| 1998 | Boys' Ice Hockey | Runner-Up | Class A |
| 1998 | Boys' Lacrosse | Runner-Up | Class B |
| 2001 | Baseball | Champion | Division 1 |
| 2001 | Sailing | Champion | Fleet Racing |
| 2005 | Girls' Lacrosse | Champion | Division 1 |
| 2006 | Girls' Lacrosse | Champion | Division 1 |
| 2007 | Boys' Ice Hockey | Champion | Division 2 |
| 2008 | Girls' Golf | Runner-Up | Division 1 |
| 2011 | Girls' Golf | Champion | Division 1 |
Choir
South has consistently been named one of the top show choirs in the nation.{Showstoppers Grand champion 1997, 1998, 1999 Newsweek rating of showchoirs 2011 USA Today named Les Misérables Michigan Best Musical and Nationally Honor Musical 2009). They have won Showstoppers, a national show choir competition, as well as hosting the competition three times as the Honor Choir(Showstoppers 2001, 2003, 2007). In addition, the choir has had several international performances including singing mass at St. Peter's Bacillica in The Vatican City (Music Celebrations). In 2008, the choir traveled to Spain where they visited Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid and Segovia. The choir performed a show choir show and a classical concerts (Music Celebrations). The choir also sang a high mass at the Barcelona Cathedral. In 2010 the Choir traveled with (KI from Colorado Springs) to Greece and Crete where they were the featured performers for Athens' Carnival, did an exchange performance with the Athen's School for Performing Arts and the Crete University Arts Series. While in Greece the South Choir performed a fund raiser for the children of Greece food bank. The South choirs, under the direction of Ellen J. Bowen, have performed 64 performances with the Detroit symphony Orchestra from 1994-2009 Holiday Pops. They have also performed with the Detroit Chamber Winds professional ensemble at Christ Church, Grosse Pointe. The South choir is also well known for their productions of the "All School Musical" which annually takes place in April and May of the school year. The 2012 production will be Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" which will take place the last week of April and the first week of May, 2012. In 2010-2011 and 2009-2010 The Pointe Singers were named by the Michigan School Vocal Music Association as State finalists in the Small Ensemble Division(MSVMA). Five composers from the Music Technology Lab were awarded outstanding composers in the State of Michigan and were featured at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival held every May on the Western Michigan Campus, Kalazamoo (MMEA). There are over 180 students enrolled in the South Choirs for 2011-2012 (Counseling Dept GPS). Richard Wolf is the full time accompanist. The web site for the choir boosters is www.gpsouthchoir.orgThe Tower newspaper
Grosse Pointe South has a student newspaper that is as old as the school itself. The Tower has been winning awards as a top newspaper at the state and national level for decades, with many of its writers garnering individual awards at different levels each year.Mr. Robert Button, who taught journalism and supervised the paper for over two decades, was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 1989.
The Tower has its own two-room office and classroom at the front of the old building. Recently the Tower room had ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Ronald Bates memorial telecommunications center, named after the deceased former Student Association president.
The newspaper was close to being featured on the MTV show "The Paper," but the show was canceled. A film crew came in from MTV Studios and spent a long weekend with the staff, and filmed events like the Editor-in-Chief announcement.
The Tower's current adviser has had several students, hundreds collectively in past years, who have won several awards, including Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) Sparty awards and Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Gold and Silver Crown awards.
Pointe Players
Pointe Players is Grosse Pointe South's student theater organization. It is Troupe #49 of the International Thespian Society. It is also among the five oldest clubs at South, as it was started in 1929.The group produces one main stage play each Fall. Recent productions have included Daniel J. Sullivan's "Inspecting Carol," Christopher Sergel's "To Kill a Mockingbird," John Van Druten's "I Remember Mama", Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!
Two years ago, the 'Players' performed Moises Kaufman's "The Laramie Project", a controversial play about the murder of a homosexual, Wyoming college student. 'Laramie' was selected as one of five mainstage shows at the 2008 Michigan Thespian Festival at Michigan State University, and the Players were invited to attend the International Thespian Festival, but did not attend due to lack of funds, and because "The Laramie Project" is geared toward a small stage. The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, an anti-gay organization, sent three protesters to picket outside the building just as students were released on Friday, November 21 (Opening night). Students and staff were featured in The Detroit News on November 4, 2008 and The Detroit Free Press & on Channel 4 News (WDIV) on November 5, 2008 as soon as the church group announced their plans to protest. Because of the extensive media attention and community interest, the 'players' performed all shows to sold out audiences- a first in the history of the club.
In recent years, small groups of junior and senior thespians have mounted independent fund-raiser shows. In the spring,seniors with the most "thespian points" are chosen to cast and direct a one-act play.
Student government
The Student Government at Grosse Pointe South is bicameral. There is the Student Association (S.A.), which deals with the school as a whole, and four class councils, one representing each grade. Each grade has six S.A. senators, six class senators, and four executives. In addition, the senior class has the five S.A. officers. The major responsibilities of student councils include to plan and prepare for homecoming, hold fundraisers, plan prom, and donate to charities.FIRST Robotics Team
The school shares its FIRSTFirst
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
Team 1189, "The Gearheads" with Grosse Pointe North. Founded in 2003, the team was originally known as The Rabid Squirrels but soon changed its name the next year. The team's distinctive logo consists a Pedestrian Crossing sign edited so the head looks like a gear. The Gearheads are sponsored by General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Grosse Pointe Public Schools, IAmTheLaw(dot)net, Peninsula Capital, and Macomb Scrap Metal.
Second Suburb
The Second Suburb is an all student comedy troupe which has been running on-and-off at Grosse Pointe South since 1989. It was canceled in 2004 because it had become a platform for vicious attacks against students and staff instead of the intended purpose which was to parody life at South.In 2009, eight students brought it back for the program's first show without any assistance from the high school or the Grosse Pointe Public School System. The reiteration in 2009 was completely unaffiliated with the school. It was performed at the City Theatre in downtown Detroit. The show was sold out and received high praise from community members for its tasteful humor. In 2010 Second Suburb was again written and produced by eight students and performed two shows at City Theatre.
The Second Suburb tradition has continued into 2011 and 2012, both years being run by student leaders.
Notable alumni
- Scott BomanScott BomanScott Avery Boman has been one of Michigan’s most visible Libertarian politicians since the late 1990s...
- Michigan politician - Tony FadellTony FadellAnthony M. Fadell is a Lebanese American computer science engineer. He was known for being the Senior Vice President of the iPod Division at Apple Inc., having succeeded Jon Rubinstein in 2006. On November 4, 2008, Apple announced that Fadell would be stepping down as Senior Vice President but...
- former Senior Vice President of the iPodIPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
division at Apple Inc. - Chris GetzChris GetzChristopher Ryan Getz is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Getz bats left-handed and throws right-handed.-Early life:...
– Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
second basemanSecond basemanSecond base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
with the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, formerly at the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... - Reid Fragel-College Football Player Tight EndTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
with the Ohio State BuckeyesOhio State BuckeyesThe Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports... - Edward HerrmannEdward HerrmannEdward Kirk Herrmann is a U.S. television and film actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D...
- Actor, best known for his role as Richard Gilmore on the comedy drama Gilmore GirlsGilmore GirlsGilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW... - Mike MurphyMike Murphy (political consultant)Michael Ellis "Mike" Murphy is a Republican political consultant. He has advised such nationally prominent Republicans as John McCain, Rick Lazio, Jeb Bush, John Engler, Tommy Thompson, Spencer Abraham, Christie Whitman, Lamar Alexander, and Arnold Schwarzenegger...
- political consultant
Adam Steiner: Music Theater Equity Performer: presently touring in Shrek's National Tour. WMU grad and Pointe Singer member, Leads in 4 years of South's musicals. Lisa LoCicero: General Hospital Olivia at South was in Orchestra, Pointe Players and South All School Musicals, Chorus Line and Hello Dolly (Miss Molloy)
Speakers
Grosse Pointe South hosted a landmark speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on March 14, 1968, when 2700 people gathered in the gymnasium to hear a speech entitled "The Other America", just three weeks before his assassination. Dr. King had already visited Detroit and led a march in the city of Detroit where he gave an early version of his "I Have a DreamI Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination...
" speech.
External links
- The Grosse Pointe Public School System Web Page
- The Grosse Pointe South High School Web Page
- The Grosse Pointe North High School Web Page
- The Grosse Pointe Historical Society (MLK Visit)
- The Grosse Pointe South Athletic Booster Club
- Friends of the Grosse Pointe South Pool Web Page
- 2009 Aerial images of Grosse Pointe South High School Web Page