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Shelby student is on Northwood University’s successful mock trial team
One of Northwood University’s mock trial teams finished No. 2 at the University of Rochester’s fall invitational tournament this weekend in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The team of nine students, mostly from Michigan and one from Cincinnati, included Laina Tomei, of Shelby Township, pictured in the center of the front row. The team went 7-1 in the competition.
“By God’s grace, and plenty of hard work, they won their trial against the Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Toronto, and University of Connecticut. In their trial against Michigan State University, NU won a scoring judge’s ballot and MSU won the other judge’s ballot,” DeLois Leapheart, the mock trial team coach, said in a press release.
Leapheart thanked assistant coaches Stephen Dunn and Jacob Walters for their efforts.
A second Northwood University mock trial team, made up mostly of students who had never competed before, won its trials against State University of New York Geneseo and La Salle University but lost against Case Western Reserve University and Ohio University.
Northwood University is located in Midland.
Christmas Aglow to return
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The township’s annual Christmas Aglow and tree-lighting will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at Shelby Township Hall, 52700 Van Dyke Ave. The township will light its 40-foot tree and welcome Santa Claus, and spectators will see “a dance of lights from high-flying drones” according to the township’s website.
There also will be horse-drawn wagon rides and a chance to meet a real reindeer outside the Shelby Township Library. The Utica High School choir will perform, and there will be a Kris Kringle craft tent and the Holiday Express train display.
Following the tree-lighting, visitors will be able to go inside the library and take free photos with Santa Claus until 8:30 p.m.
Mark your calendar for Utica’s tree-lighting
UTICA — The downtown Utica Christmas tree-lighting celebration, featuring fireworks and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at Memorial Park, next to the Utica Public Library at 7530 Auburn Road.
Learn about Christmas on the frontier
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 will teach visitors about how early European settlers celebrated Christmas. There will be historically accurate games and activities that include candle-dipping. Attendees can visit the authentic Settler’s Cabin and meet Father Christmas from 2 to 4 p.m. Children can tell him their Christmas wishes and take photos with a cabin as a backdrop.
Too Happy Voyageurs will perform music and teach traditional dances at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The cost is $5 per resident and $7 per nonresident. Children age 2 and younger can enjoy the festivities for free. Registration is recommended. Find more information at shelbytwp.org.
Libraries to close for Thanksgiving
SHELBY TOWNSHIP/UTICA — The Shelby Township Library and the Utica Public Library both will close early at 5 p.m. Nov. 22 and remain closed through the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. The libraries will reopen with their regular hours Monday, Nov. 27.
UCS students among 8,000 who attended MiCareerQuest Southeast
After a four-year hiatus, MiCareerQuest Southeast returned to metro Detroit. Eight thousand students and teachers from 100 high schools participated in the region’s largest career exploration event, which covered more than 400,000 square feet of floor space from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Nov. 14 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
Nearly 1,000 professionals from 119 exhibitors in the fields of advanced manufacturing, construction, health sciences and technology taught students about 180 in-demand careers using hands-on, interactive activities.
Utica Community Schools was well represented at the career event, according to a list of participating schools on the Oakland County website. Students from Davis, Eppler, Heritage, Jeannette, Malow and Shelby junior high schools, plus students from Henry Ford II High School and the UCS Alternative Learning Center, took part in the activities.
For more information, visit oakgov.com/MiCareerQuestSE.
