Latest news with #CassTech
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MSU football joins rival Wolverines, others in offering 2028 in-state ATH prospect
Michigan State football has extended an offer to an in-state athlete that's trending on the recruiting trail. Mylan Griggs of Detroit announced on Sunday that he's received an offer from Michigan State. Griggs -- who is listed as an athlete -- announced the scholarship offer from the Spartans via a post on social media platform X. Advertisement Griggs plays for Michigan high school powerhouse program Detroit Cass Tech, and is a member of the 2028 class. He is listed at 6-foot-0 and 160 pounds. Griggs is not yet ranked or rated on 247Sports or Rivals. But his interest on the recruiting trail would suggest he'll be a highly-rated prospect in due time. According to 247Sports, he now holds offers from Michigan State, Michigan, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (FL), USC, Wisconsin, Army, Kent State, Marshall, Miami (OH), Southern Miss, UMass, Temple and Toledo. Michigan State has picked up a lot of steam on the recruiting trail in recent weeks in their 2026 class efforts. Hopefully, that'll also translate to the 2027 and 2028 classes with prospects like Griggs. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5. This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU football offers Detroit 2028 ATH prospect Mylan Griggs
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I'm grateful for the time with my mom. I grieve the time I lost
I, like all other gay men my age, was obsessed with this season of "The White Lotus" — specifically, the three college best friends who travel for a week in Thailand only to steal shady glances and gossip about each other's lives. I strongly identified as a Laurie, Carrie Coon's character, as the career-driven, sensible, but sensitive and passive aggressive friend. (What can I say? We all have flaws.) So, in the season finale, when she delivers a powerful monologue about the impermanence of life and finding purpose in it, and she says, 'Time gives it [my life] meaning.' It hit me hard. I teared up. I laughed. I screamed, 'Give her the Emmy!' at the screen. I loved it. But then, the more I thought about it, the more I got annoyed. Since my mom's unexpected passing last August, the only thing I can think about is time. I think about time lost. I think about how others get more time. I would randomly Google older celebrities' ages or compare their time on this earth against my mom's 67 years. It's made my relationship with time obsessive, critical and skeptical. As I obsessed over time, I also grew tired of it. After she died, days felt like weeks, weeks somehow felt like years. I started reading about grief and the importance of giving yourself time. I would think 'this too shall pass' or 'time heals all wounds' — but for me, time was the wound. Now, about nine months after her passing, as I'm beginning to feel more like myself, it's Mother's Day again — and I'm confronted with the fact that I don't have any more time. So, if time gives life meaning, then what happens when time runs out? In the weeks after the "White Lotus" finale, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I know what the monologue was trying to say, but it felt like a slight, or even an attack. I found myself overthinking, obsessing over it. I've wanted to give up answering the question, what makes life meaningful — and that has become clear in her passing. Since her passing, I've been inundated with examples of a life well-lived, many of which can be found in a city we both love and will always call home, Detroit. Her lifelong friends reach out to share stories from their days living on West Warren or singing in the choir at Carter Metropolitan. Her colleagues at the Detroit Water and Sewage Department reminisce about how she was a tough but fair boss who always cared for people on her team. Her friends from Cass Tech sent love from their 50th high school reunion she just missed. Her voice echoes in these stories like she is in the room. In fact, in her absence, I realize how much I reference her and her mottos — witty, sharp and sometimes cutting one-liners about purpose, responsibility and integrity. Not the old phrase "you are what you do" — which I've always hated as I think it's reductive. Sure, you are what you do, but you're also what you love, what you think, what you feel. I am not reduced to what I do, who I love or even how I grieve — meaning truly comes from the stories that persist, the lives we touched and the connections formed. As I live in a new reality without her here physically, time has continued to offer one lesson: Our meaning outlives time. I'd like to say I've come to some evolved perspective on time, but I still hold tension with it. Time is both a friend and a foe — I am both grateful for it and loathsome of it. Some days, it feels like a cheerleader; other days, like the school bully. I've learned that I can't control time, only how I choose to live in it. How I spend it. Time thinking about her. Time celebrating her impact. Time loving my family and friends the way my mom loved hers. Perhaps, the time spent writing this op-ed. She has no more time in the physical — that part is done. But now that her time is gone, her life finds new meaning. So, Carrie Coon, I don't know if time gives our lives meaning. But through all of life's stuff — through loss and grief, triumphs and traumas — it's become clear to me that life's meaning outlives time. This Mother's Day, I am grateful for the time I had. I grieve the time I lost. I celebrate the honor of walking through this world as Dawn Griffith's son. And as someone who overthinks everything, maybe that's good enough — for today. Matthew Griffith The writer is a native Detroiter living in Los Angeles Regarding the letter from Karen Donahue. ("I expected more from Gretchen Whitmer," Detroit Free Press, May 4.) It is estimated that the economic impact that Selfridge Air Force Base has on Michigan is in excess of $850 million, with 30,000 jobs supported by the base. Karen Donahue's letter chastises Governor Whitmer for casting aside politics and working with the Trump administration to secure the future of this base. Governor Whitmer, this is exactly what I expect from you. The governor should be lauded for putting the interests of Michiganders above politics. She's clearly no fan of the current president. But she understands how important the base is to the economic vitality of our state. Brian Sietsema Huntington Woods Opinions influence choices and the words used to describe current events. Opinions are influenced by personal experience and sources of information. In today's world there are many different sources of information. People choose the source of their information often based on what they want to hear and become isolated from other viewpoints. Letters: Anti-Trump protesters don't like Trump. You don't say. | Letters Many people are biased by the information source they choose. Unfortunately, people often do not even try to listen to other viewpoints or sources. In reading 100 Voices, I often saw phrases I am familiar with from certain broadcasting news shows (Fox News). It would have been interesting to hear not only who these people voted for, but where they get the majority of their news/information from. Renee Vatne Sterling Heights Trump's new EPA lead sings a tune all of us familiar with Flint should recognize | Opinion Whether we root for U of M or MSU, whether we vote red or blue, there's one thing all Michiganders have in common: we love our Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are vital to our state's economy, tourism industry and way to life, not to mention that they comprise 20 percent of the world's fresh water. Now, the Great Lakes are under attack and all Michiganders should be outraged. President Trump's proposed budget drastically cuts funding to the EPA and NOAA, which will result in a rise in invasive species, devasting our commercial and recreational fishing. Our beaches will become more dangerous without access to forecasts about rip current and E. coli contamination. And 30 million people who get their drinking water from the lakes may lose access to clean water. If you value the Great Lakes, now is the time to contact your elected officials and demand that they reject these dangerous cuts that will destroy our way of life. Letters: Pope Leo XIV to succeed Francis as the first American. Tell us what you think. | Letters Lynn Baldwin Ann Arbor Submit a letter to the editor at and we may publish it online and in print. If you have a differing view from a letter writer, please feel free to submit a letter of your own in response. Like what you're reading? Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access with a Detroit Free Press subscription. We depend on readers like you. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mother's Day, Trump's visit, Whitmer's role, Great Lakes | Letters
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sisters from Cass Tech, Renaissance credit school for successful career paths
The Brief With help from the DPSCD Foundation, meet Kylee Mitchell Wells and Dannis Mitchell. Kylee is a 1997 alum from Detroit Cass Tech, while Dannis is a 2003 grad of Renaissance High School. Both have blazed trails in their careers with Kylee at the Ballmer Group and Dannis at Barton Mallow. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit is home to the largest school district in Michigan. Detroit Public Schools Community District has produced so many notable alumni — from pro athletes to judges to journalists. The backstory With the help of the DPSCD Foundation, we're going to highlight some of their achievements in a series we call "Homecoming." FOX 2 wants to introduce you to two sisters who've excelled in their careers thanks to Detroit's public schools. The first is Kylee Mitchell Wells — a class of 1997 graduate at Cass Tech High School. "I serve as the executive director for Ballmer Group, it's a national philanthropic organization that supports kids and families with economic mobility efforts," she said. FOX 2: "What is it about this place that really helped you become the success you are?" "Cass Tech is worldwide," she said. "My career has taken me all over. I'll never forget the time I was in Germany, and someone said, 'Oh you're from Detroit! You must've gone to Cass Tech.' I said, 'Wow, we really are internationally known.' "All of those years of just being in public education, I understand. I'm the person who understands what it means to have a public school education - and that it can take you very far." FOX 2: "It means a lot for you to give back?" "Giving back is everything. My parents taught us you can always help someone," she said. This year Kylee Mitchell Wells will receive the Tyrone E. Winfrey Award from the DPSCD Foundation. One of her biggest cheerleaders is her sister Dannis Mitchell, a 2003 graduate of Renaissance and Randolph. "I was a tennis player, and I was book-smart as well. I was very social, so I learned how to network at a young age," she said. "My current role is senior director of community engagement. I'm on the Senior Leadership Team at Barton Mallow." One of the projects she's worked on in Detroit, was Little Caesars Arena. "It really made my career," she said. "It really blossomed in this space. The new Hudson's site - I'm working on that currently, the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center." FOX 2: "We don't find a lot of women in construction — a lot of Black women in construction. What do you want other young women to know that no career field is off-limits?" "I want them to know the sky is the limit," Dannis said. "Take advantage of any opportunities that are put before you." Both sisters went to different high schools - so is there a Cass Tech-Renaissance rivalry within the family? Is there trash talk? "Well, I mean there are people who went to high school, and there's those of us who graduated from Cass Tech," Kylee quipped. "I'm just saying ..." "But the reality of it is — Renaissance was a blue ribbon school," Dannis said. "Our parents used to love to see us go back and forth about our schools. It's a true pride that we have." FOX 2: "What is it about these schools here in Detroit — especially talking about Renaissance and Cass — that prepare you for life after high school, life after college?" "Being the largest school district in the state of Michigan, it's more than just the two of us who are products of our community and doing well," Dannis said. "We just are an example of that." The Source Information for this story came from interviews with Kylee Mitchell Wells and Dannis Mitchell.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Acclaimed U-M dance alumna, Detroit native returns for residency, will give talk Wednesday
A celebrated University of Michigan dance alumna is finally receiving her homecoming. Internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Briana Ashley Stuart, a Detroit native who now lives in Brussels, Belgium, has spent the last two weeks on U-M's campus and in Detroit working with students. The residency, titled 'From Michigan to the World: Exploring Art, Entrepreneurship and Uncharted Pathways,' offers students, faculty, and the wider community an immersive experience with Stuart, whose career spans percussive and contemporary dance, cultural ambassadorship, and entrepreneurial artistry across the U.S., Europe, and Africa. The residency will conclude with a live symposium in Ann Arbor on the evening of Wednesday, March 19. 'It's been a long time coming,' said Stuart. 'I've performed and taught literally around the world, and I always said, 'Why have I never come back home?' It's been amazing to be here, engaging with University of Michigan students, dance majors, dance minors. I taught at Cass Tech on Thursday, for example. And, outside of that, I get to see family and friends. It's been absolutely amazing.' In Belgium, Stuart teaches dance and performs her own choreography, as well as working with other artists and theaters in the area. She also uses the title 'dance entrepreneur,' under which she has created a large-scale dance program for adult beginners in Brussels featuring multiple instructors. Stuart was based in Washington, D.C., while working with professional stepping company Step Africa. When she left the troupe, she decided to sell all her things and travel the world. 'I stumbled across Brussels,' she said, 'and I really liked it. And not only that – when I would leave Brussels to visit another random country, someone would say, 'Hey, Briana, there's this thing going on. You should come back.' Something just really kept drawing me to Brussels in particular. So, after my six-month trip, when I came back to Michigan and I knew that I could pretty much start over, I asked myself: 'Where was the last place that I was happiest?' 'It was almost too easy – in Brussels. After that, I applied for my visa, and now it's been almost eight years in Belgium.' One of Stuart's missions is to carry forth the African-American tradition of step dancing, which began in the early 1900s on Black college campuses. 'Stepping is a form of self-expression,' she said. 'It's a form of pride, notably within the Divine Nine historically Black fraternities and sororities. I'm a Zeta, which is how I started stepping. When I love about this particular art form is its power and its energy. When you see a group doing it, you really feel their solidarity and their connectedness, which is pretty much why we step. 'It's a very culturally rooted art form, so it's really still connected to those fraternities and sororities – but, slowly and surely, you see stepping also in other places, such as churches or youth groups that use stepping as an afterschool activity. It's really important because it's a strong part of African American culture, and it's so powerful to connect people to movements and sound.' Stuart said her time back in Michigan has been rich and rewarding. 'The first week, I was teaching dance majors,' she said. 'Like in an African traditions class. I also gave a master class. And then, I did dance composition, looking at how to create dance pieces from the choreography standpoint. I did a talk on being an entrepreneur, and specifically a freelancer in dance, as well. And then, at Cass, I also taught a master class. 'Within each of these events, it's of course about dance, movement, and art, but there have been really important conversations within these events (that) allow students to ask me about my life. So it definitely goes beyond dance and really looks at the entire scope of what it means to build a life as an artist, especially abroad.' At Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. symposium at Stamps Auditorium, Stuart will give a TED-style talk in which she'll share her story, followed by a Q&A. She will also be presented with the 2023 SMTD Alumni Society Emerging Artist Award in Dance, which she was unable to accept in person two years ago. Stamps Auditorium is located at 1226 Murfin Ave., Ann Arbor. Admission to the symposium is free; register at To learn more about Stuart, visit Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Acclaimed U-M dance alumna, Detroit native returns for residency
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local girls helping teens in Ghana with special donations
As we mark Women's History Month, we are profiling a local executive who is inspiring the teens at Cass Tech to help girls in Ghana with sanitary pads and other products designed for women.
