Classmate Trivia

1. Who from the class won a Pulitzer Prize?

A. Ellen Sternberg
B. Jim Mitzelfeld
C. Brian McClenic
D. Andrew Gaudin

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Mitzelfeld as he was working for the Detroit News, when he uncovered a scandal involving the theft of $1.7 million by 10 employees of the state Legislature's House Fiscal Agency. His investigation led to the resignation of one state lawmaker and sent several folks to prison. Jim asked for a justified raise, and went to law school soon thereafter, when his editor at The Detroit News turned him down, saying, "If you wanted to make money, you shouldn't have gone into journalism." Jim is now a federal prosecutor fighting fraud and public corruption in the District of Columbia for the U.S. Department of Justice.

2. Who was proposed to during a 110,000 crowd at University of Michigan football game via a airplane banner?

A. Nancy Caplan Bernstein
B. Tricia Lock Godin
C. Lori Robertson Hamway
D. Sandra Kort Bittker

Scroll Down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandy Kort Bittker during her senior year at Michigan, and she is still married to the romantic who buys her flowers every month since then....

3. Whose family named their store after our beloved alma mater  "The Groves Market"?

A. Sait Karca
B. Julia Grove
C. Robert Saoud
D. Sharkey Haddad
E. Jerry Smith

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharkey Haddad.  The funny thing is that when I asked him the question over the phone, he asked, "who was it?"  Sometimers affects us all to different levels....   It was in Detroit, at Wyoming and 6 mile, right across the street from their other store.

4. Who had never played soccer before and was recruited by the soccer coach to actually play in a game against Seaholm for the sole purpose of starting a fight?

A. Steve Schmidt
B. Scott Ladoceur
C. Buddy Puscas
D. Geoff Hill

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scott Ladoceur, he had brass knuckles taped up, and the game lasted about 10 minutes, and there was a bench clearing brawl, and the coach was never penalized, and there was not any consequences.  Steve Schmidt may have been recruited as well.  If you were wondering, Groves won the fight...it was on our turf...

5. Who's high school vehicle was an old mail truck?

A. Greg Syeon
B. Brian Smith
C. Brad Watson
D. Candy Stone

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brad Watson...it was painted black, and yes he had to drive on the wrong side. 

Brian Smith had a new black Trans Am, just like Smokey and the Bandit, Candy Stone had a lime green Vega, and Greg Syeon had a muscle car.

Provided by Gale Hirs

6. What two men tried out for the women's volleyball team?

A. Jeff Goudie and Jerry Smith
B. Mark McManus and Marshall Bice
C. Chris Morrow and Jim Witoszynski
D. Don Else and Jeff Miller

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Morrow and Jim Witoszynski were protesting that there was no men's team.  They made the first cut, and before the final cut was made, and before the Birmingham Eccentric sent a reporter to cover the story, they bowed out...This information was reluctantly provided by Jim Wito, but he said that it was Chris Morrow's idea...

7. Who on the last day of school, during final exams, put paper bags over their heads, and threw eggs, and then hosed down Mr Bauer with the fire extinguisher....(This was with a classroom full of students, so they knew that Bauer could not chase them because he could not leave them alone to cheat on the final.)

A. Jerry Smith and Jeff Goudie
B. Andy Gaudin and Pete Kapsalis
C. Tom Mackillop and Tom Shelly
D. Brian Plachta and Sam Dobrotka

Scroll Down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy Gaudin and Pete Kapsalis. However Andy Gaudin (as an outstanding attorney in the San Francisco area) would deny that this ever happened.  Jerry Smith and Jeff Goudie were thought to be guilty by Mr. Bauer and many other staff.  I moved into Mr. Bauer's neighborhood, about five years after we graduated, and he would often walk by, and I did rat out my friends in an effort to clear Jerry's name.

8. Who tracked down their favorite teacher in Vermont and drove there to thank her in person for doing such a great job teaching many years after graduating?

A. Deb Peckham and Carol Walker Aten
B. Lisa Wong and Lori Friesner
C. Russell Levine and Bob Glass
D. Eric Freeburg and Tricia Lock Godin

Scroll Down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deb Peckham and Carol Walker Aten. The teacher was Judy Patterson. Ms. Patterson came up with us after 9th grade from West Maple Junior High and taught English, Creative Writing, and was the faculty advisor for yearbook and the newspaper. She nurtured a lot of talented and good students - not always the best academically - but she knew how to connect and challenge. The skills I learned from Mrs. Patterson, like layout, headlines, editing, creative writing, and research - I have used more in my professional career than ANYTHING I ever learned in college since. Beyond that, she knew how to coax teenage emotions and personal challenges out through the written word. I still have all the papers and journals I wrote. Her impact was so profound personally, that Deb Peckham and I tracked her down a few years back and drove to Vermont to thank her in person. As she said: "It's been a remarkable trip."

Provided by Carold Walker Aten.

9. 1979 alum Bill Eberhart was one of the stars of the Groves football team.  According to the Falcon Athletic Club, what school record(s) does Bill still hold:

1) Points per game
2) Points per season
3) Career yards
4) All of the above

Scroll Down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the Above. Bill Eberhart still holds the school records for Points Per Game (34), Points Per Season (155), Career Rushing Yards (2134) and he also holds the record for Most Rushing Attempts per Season (180).

10. Who was the only person who could do a 360 dunk on a regulation basketball rim?

A. Mark McManus
B. Phil Creager
C. Ron Peurach
D. Mark Lunetta

Scroll Down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ron Peurach.

Provided by Mark Lunetta

11. Who made their living as a stripper? (for a period of time)

A. Steve Baum
B. Tom Mackillop
C. Paul Andrews
D. Steve Schmidt

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Schmidt, but it was down to a g-string, and he felt it was not that much different from a speedo!

12. Which swimmers from the class of 1979 were All American?

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave MacDonald, Mike McGovern, Steve Schmidt, Eric Best, Reynaldo Castro and Scott Tyler. Steve in two events, Scott in three.

Provided by John Rometty

13. What former classmate has coached high school lacrosse teams to state championships in two different states?

A. Daron Topouzian
B. John Rometty
C. Tim Lauderbach
D. Jeff Brayton

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B. 1990 Michigan – Birmingham Brother Rice High School (21-2), 2001 Illinois – Barrington High School  (18-0)

No recruiting violations (at least for lacrosse) at Brother Rice, but there was a future NFL linebacker who played lacrosse as a “hobby” who I don’t believe lived anywhere near Birmingham.

14. Who in the class bought their parents home?

A. Doug Prew
B. Tom Shelly
C. Gail Hirs
D. Glen Allgren

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the above.

15. Who in the class is currently swimming for the Doughboy team that competes nationally?

A. Eric Best, Steve Derderian, and Steve Schmidt
B. Dave MacDonald, Gale Hirs Law, and Paul Andrews
C. Tom MacKillop, Lori Friesner, and Scott Tyler
D. Pete Kapsalis, Eric Freeburg, and Glen Mottershead

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom MacKillop, Lori Friesner, and Scott Tyler. In addition, Scott Tyler won the 40 to 50 age class and set a record for his age group.

16. Who from Groves had an affair with Bill Clinton?

A. Jerry Smith
B. Gale Hirs
C. Laura Streif
D. Mimi Tauber

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerry Smith.

Actually Julie Tauber had an affair with him, after the Monica Lewinsky incident...this was reported in the National Enquirer, and recollected by David Newman. Julie is a couple years older than us, Sister of Ellen Tauber, class of 1980.

17. Who was shot with a flare gun by their three-year old son in the stomache while working underneath the captain's helm of his 32' yacht?

A. Glen Mottershead
B. Henry Glime
C. Brian Smith
D. Tom DeMarco

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom DeMarco, yes he lived, and his boat survived, but the carpet was on fire, and he had an extremely large bruise, but after talking to a doctor (who was a family friend) who said that if you can do it a sittup without feeling like you are having a baby, that you are fine, and you can continue your vacation!  His son Colin was not punished, Tom took the brunt of the punishment for leaving the flare gun in a spot that Colin could reach...(Colin was able to load the flare, and he did that on his own.)

18. Who was the backstop of the Atomic Sittup hazing game that was one of the annual rituals of football camp?

A.  Scott Ladaceur
B.  Brad Watson
C.  Stu Hixon
D.  Mike Dinu

Scroll down for the answer...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stu Hixon, who reluctantly allowed this to be included.



agape