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PERIODS

South committee aims to make decision regarding block scheduling by April 1, 2013

Inaara Tajuddin

staff reporter The Schedule Choice Committee (SCC), consisting of 41 South teachers and administrators, is discussing the possibility of South switching from an eight-period day to a block schedule for the 2014-15 school year. The official decision is expected to be made by April 1, 2013.

This committee met with the Schedule Evaluation Committee (SEC) Nov. 6 to discuss what the SEC has found in its research comparing the two schedules.

According to Benedict Hussmann, history department representative for the committee, the SEC has visited North and Rolling Meadows, both schools with block schedules. The committee concluded that of all the different types of block schedules, if chosen, an AB schedule would be most appropriate for South. Hussmann said that with an AB schedule, students would attend four alternate day 90-minute classes.

According to Principal Dr. Brian Wegley, this

preliminary meeting served to educate the SCC so that the members can later turn to their respective departments and inform them.

“Our goal [was] to really understand, and there’s been some really good work done by the [SEC] so then this group in February, on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5, they can present this to their departments and can get input from their departments,” Wegley said. “That will be our next step of this process.”

According to Hussmann, the discussion regarding the schedule change has been going on for a long time.

“Teachers are always talking about time issues,” Hussmann said. “What do I say at the end of every one of my classes? ‘We are ten minutes behind,’ and so there are a lot of frustrations that some teachers feel that we would do better in larger blocks of time.”

According to Matthew Whipple, contract negotiator for the Teacher’s Association and head

DECISION TIME: The Schedule Choice Committee (SCC), which will make the final recommendation regarding scheduling, consists of the administrative Building Leadership Team and two representatives from each department.

South also invited a wide variety of students to offer their input.

See BLOCKS page 2

Photo by Evan Richter

Model United Nations team travels to St. Louis for university symposium Aaron Ach

staff reporter

TO THE RESCUE: Representing the U.K. at a conference, seniors Seena Kurian (third from left) and Shawn Kurian (second from right) introduce a directive with teams from France and Russia. The team wrote the plan to aid North Korean refugees fleeing to France and the U.K. with Russia’s help. Photo courtesy of Terrence Jozwik

NEWS

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OPINIONS

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South’s Model United Nations (UN) team brought 13 members to the Washington University Model United Nations Symposium (WUMUNS) in St. Louis, MO, Oct. 19-21 for the club’s first ever out-of-state conference.

Senior Tim Hofmockel, Model UN vice president, said that South students were delegates, or representatives, competing with delegates from schools across the Midwest.

“How it normally works is that we send our team of however many delegates, in this case 13, and each delegate is assigned to a conference,” Hofmockel said. “So, there’s the tournament and a [smaller] conference.”

At a typical Model UN conference, each team consists of a certain number of delegates. The delegates each get assigned to different committees that model those of the actual UN. Committees discuss issues through a combination of moderated and un-

FEATURES

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A&E

moderated caucuses. A moderated caucus is a more professional setting where delegates give timed speeches arguing their stance on an issue. Unmoderated caucuses are less formal, conversational sessions, where, according to Hofmockel, “[delegates] really start to make solutions.”

During the committee sessions, delegates do research and write a paper stating their position on an issue in order to prepare for both their formal and informal discussion scenarios.

“Initially, it was really frightening,” sophomore Jane Brennan, a first-time participant, said. “It was really intimidating when you walked in to give your first speech. [It] was probably one of the scariest things I’ve done, and I love public speaking. Once you got through that first speech, it became fun and ultra-competitive, and you became just as involved as people were who had been doing it for years.”

According to Hofmockel, this wasn’t

See MODEL UN page 3

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SPORTS

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news

Nov. 9, 2012

BLOCKS, continued from front page of the Glenbrook Academy, the district discussed changing to a block schedule 12 to 14 years ago.

However, while North decided to change to blocks, South’s representatives decided that South should continue to have an eight-period schedule.

The implementation of block scheduling would take two years, according to Whipple, thereby not affecting current juniors and seniors.

“Let’s say we adopt a schedule by the end of this year, so 2013-14 would be the preparation year and 2014-15 would be where we would actually go into the schedule,” Whipple said.

Wegley said that this rigorous process is necessary to educate each department on block scheduling’s benefits and disadvantages. This way, the SCC can make the best decision for the school.

“I think there[...]are weaknesses and challenges[...]both [schedules] provide,” Wegley said. “It’s really a matter of us stepping back and getting a lot of input. I really want this to be something our teachers put a ton of input into.”

Math teacher William Lyon, who has taught summer school geometry for the past eight summers, said that he would prefer to have fewer, but longer, classes instead of shorter daily classes.

“I have seen the advantages to having a big chunk of time in which you can teach a course particularly for a subject like geometry which I think really lends itself to doing hands on activities, lab based activities, [which] would be hard to squeeze into a 50 minute period,” Lyon said. “I expect there are pros and cons [of block schedules][...]so I have some mixed feelings about it.”

The extended periods would also benefit the Science Department, according to Jeffrey Rylander, Science Department representative for the council.

“The opportunity to do extended learning activities and build a diversity of activities into a given class— for science, it can allow for setting up the context for an investigation, time for students to design and carry out the investigation, and then time to report out their findings all within the same

class period,” Rylander said.

According to Danita Fitch, World Language Department instructional supervisor, although she recognizes the controversy of not seeing students daily, which would especially be problematic when students are absent, she thinks blocks could allow students to learn at a deeper level. In her opinion as a teacher, getting deeper into the material is a key asset in learning language. “[Seeing students daily] is important for language development, but as long as there is the consistency of every other day, I think it’s better to have a longer and deeper experience of the language [by] using it during that time than the 50 minutes,” Fitch said. “I think we spend so much time around here running from class to class. It’s stressful for students, and it’s stressful for teachers because you’re always switching gears.”

The advantages and disadvantages with a regular schedule and an AB block schedule were discussed amongst the SEC, according to Hussmann. A block schedule would have 450 minutes of class time rather than the 500 minutes of class time with an eightperiod day.

Also, block schedule allows students to take eight classes in addition to lunch. Currently at South, students can take a maximum of seven classes if they have a lunch period, excluding early bird.

Senior Academy student Elizabeth Woo said that overall, she likes the mixture of North’s AB block schedule and South’s schedule.

“I think my schedule is a really good mix of both schedules because the Academy classes essentially work as a block schedule— 70 minutes of two interchanging classes out of three,” Woo said. “Then the rest of my day works as a South schedule.”

Hussmann said that when North and South discussed changing to a block schedule before, he was against the idea.

“I opposed the movement before, but I’m leaning strongly in favor of block scheduling now,” Hussmann said.

The SCC will discuss block schedules with staff on Feb. 4 and 5, 2013.

BOTH SIDES OF WILLOW Seniors from North and South voice their opinion on their preferred schedule.

“It’s really a matter of us stepping back and getting a lot of input. I really want this to be something our teachers put a ton of input into.”

-Principal Dr. Brian Wegley

“I prefer a block schedule because it gives me more opportunities to do my homework, and I prefer for class to be longer and more thorough.”

Nour Abdelmonem Glenbrook North

“I really have no preference for periods [or] block schedules because you’re going to go through all the same classes through all the days of the week, so it really doesn’t matter.”

Kevin Mathein Glenbrook South

Students, teachers show ‘Caring Hearts’ for community members in need Tammy Craven & Faith Savaiano

co-news editors Caring Hearts Unite (CHU), a not-for-profit organization, was created in October to provide financial assistance to families in Glenview who have financial need due to a family member’s medical condition.

Choral Director Stevi Marks said that she initially thought of the idea to start CHU after hearing about Debby Shellard’s diagnosis of severe aplastic anemia in September. Debby, a teacher at Attea Middle School, is the wife of Dr. James Shellard, assistant principal in charge of student activities.

“Everybody [in the community] wanted to do something,” Marks said. “I was so dismayed when I heard the diagnosis and I

was out for a jog in the morning…I was thinking, ‘Give me a sign [of how I can help], I have to do something.’[…]

I was wearing the Livestrong bracelet[…]and I kept seeing the bracelet and I [thought], ‘we should do a bracelet.’”

After thinking of this idea, Marks brought together a group of people from the community to brainstorm how to start the organization. Along with deciding to incorporate the organization to raise funds for members of the community facing medical expenses, the group thought of what to call CHU. “We tried to think of what to say on the wristband and at first I wanted it to be Heart of a Titan, but[…]we wanted it to be a community-wide approach,” Marks said. “[The Shellards are] so generous, they’re so caring, they have such kind hearts, and that’s how it sort of became [CHU].”

According to Marks, although the organization, which has already sold between 3,200 and 3,500 bracelets, stemmed from Debby’s diagnosis, the long-term mission is to help the entire community.

“There is no organization that LENDING helps people in this particular situaHANDS: Students tion, so there is a need in the commuparticipating in raisnity,” Marks said. “I think the biggest ing funds for Caring Hearts Unite have thing we feel very gratified about is been selling multigood comes out of adversity here[…] colored bracelets Out of the potential need of someone (above). Further that the whole community holds near information about and dear[…]we are going to be able Caring Hearts Unite can be accessed to help others. That is why the Shelonline at caringlards allowed us to go ahead with the heartsunite.com. wristbands.”

From left, photo courtesy When the concept of CHU was first of Stevi Marks, photo by Faith Savaiano presented to Dr. Shellard, he was hes-

itant.

“At first I was uncomfortable about it because my job in the building is to raise funds[...]that help other people, so I guess it was uncomfortable because part of this program would be helping my family,” Dr. Shellard said.

“But [Marks and Principal Dr. Brian Wegley] encouraged me to[...]help set this foundation up[...]with the idea that if we didn’t need any money, then the funds would go towards other families.”

Dr. Shellard also said he has appreciated the community’s efforts to help his wife.

“My family [has] been very touched by the fact that so many people would want to wear the bracelets in support of my wife’s wellness,” Dr. Shellard said. “For example[…]for my wife to be able to see the video of the choral concert and to see all the Premier choir had those bracelets on, it meant a lot to us to say, ‘Well, there’s a lot of people supporting your efforts to become well.’”

According to Marks, about 150 students in Masters, Bel Canto, Cure Club and some student officers are selling the bracelets, which cost $3 for students and $5 for adults.

Declan Garvey, student body president, is participating in selling the bracelets.

“I work very closely with Dr. Shellard, and so I just feel like he’s done so much for this school that[…]it’s very important for us to kind of come together and help him out,” Garvey said.

Along with providing financial assistance to families, another goal of CHU is to set up an in-house scholarship for students who have a family member with a serious medical condition. The board of directors of the organization, which has six adults and one student representative, is currently working on creating an application process for families to apply to receive the funds.

According to Dr. Shellard, he hopes the wristbands will remind students to care for each other, which is what the red-colored part of the bracelet represents.

“That’s always been a message that I’ve always wanted every student here who graduates just to [remember to say], ‘Well, it’s our responsibility to look out for each other; it’s just what we do,’” Shellard said.

news

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Nov. 9, 2012

District anticipates more reliable performance with PowerSchool Richard Pearl

staff reporter The District 225 Board of Education has decided to replace its current student information system, SchoolLogic, with PowerSchool.

Dr. Michael Riggle, District 225 superintendent, said he believes that the program’s performance determined the switch.

“We’ve got expectations for the district, the work environment for people and accuracy of information, and we’ve made a good, solid, honest effort with a software product that we felt we were going to grow with and do a good job with,” Riggle said. “But it’s just not performing on the level that we would have expected. So, it’s time for us to move to a different software product.”

SchoolLogic, comprised of SchoolLogic Student Management System, HomeLogic home access portal and TeacherLogic educator portal, has been the District’s student information system for the past two years. In 2009, the District agreed to switch to SchoolLogic from the previous system, Schools Administrative Student Information (SASI), according to Riggle.

PowerSchool was also considered in 2009 but was not selected, as it was not considered robust enough at the time. During this period, Pearson Education had recently purchased the PowerSchool program from Apple Inc., and while Pearson had plans to renovate the program, they did not have enough time to do so. SchoolLogic was the program chosen instead and was implemented in 2010 under a three year contract.

However, after two years with SchoolLogic, the district has grown dissatisfied with its performance.

“It’s just a matter of […] ease of use and consistent, reliable functionality,” GBS Principal Dr. Brian Wegley said.

Riggle believes the greatest problem with SchoolLogic is customization.

“We were hopeful that the company would be able to customize things to improve it to meet the way we work,” Riggle said. “And the customizations—when [the company behind SchoolLogic] was able to complete some of them—oftentimes caused [SchoolLogic] to have errors in other parts of the software.”

PowerSchool is expected to have many more capabilities than SchoolLogic and be more user-friendly.

It is also more easily customized and will not crash as often, according to Wegley. Additionally, PowerSchool will also run on Pearson-hosted servers instead of running on local servers like SchoolLogic. Riggle said that this is expected to reduce costs.

South and North will not be the only local schools using

PowerSchool. According to Dr. Rosanne Williamson, assistant superintendent for educational services, many other districts in the area use PowerSchool, as well as the majority of elementary schools that feed into District 225.

PowerSchool will provide the same services to students and parents that are currently available on HomeLogic, as well as potential new features, according to Williamson.

“Students and parents will still have access to the same type of information that is available in HomeLogic with the possibility of tying in other systems similar to Moodle and/or Google applications to the student/ parent portal,” Williamson said.

According to Williamson, South and North teachers will need training with the new system before the start of the 2013-2014 school year. The switch will hopefully help teachers in the long run, Riggle said.

“When teachers are working hard to do data entry to get the grade books in [TeacherLogic] properly, and they can’t tell whether or not something has saved properly, or, all of a sudden, they’re halfway through entering a long series of grades and something freezes and they

lose all the effort they put into it before—that’s not only frustrating, [but] it becomes unfair and a valuable loss of [...] hours that we can’t recoup,” Riggle said.

Science teacher Despina Mandarino said that she thinks the switch to PowerSchool will be beneficial to teachers.

“The system overall, I think, runs more smoothly and runs more like a spreadsheet, so I think [...] it’s going to be more intuitive and it’s going to be easier to use for each teacher,” Mandarino said.

Daniel Rhoades, social studies teacher, also favors the switch. Rhoades said that the most frustrating features of SchoolLogic were its impracticality, unappealing interface and incompatability with Moodle.

“The goal of the District is to stay with PowerSchool long-term,” Williamson said. “This will depend upon the performance of the product. It is important for endusers—students, teachers [and] parents—to have a student information system that meets their needs.”

Wiiliamson said that PowerSchool will be implemented July 3, 2013.

MODEL UN, continued from front page LORD OF THE NATIONS:

While attending a Model UN conference at Washington University in St. Louis, Tim Hofmockel, GBS Model UN vice president, dresses up as Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, which was the conference’s theme. Model UN will be participating in the Chicago International Model UN conference Dec. 6-9. Photo

by Washington University Model United Nations Symposium

a typical conference for South’s Model UN team. Unlike most Model UN conferences, WUMUNS has a history of themes.

With this year’s theme being Lord of the Rings, the conference had a committee in honor of the conference’s theme—The Council of Eldiron.

Also, Model UN realized the losses of seasoned GBS graduates from the Class of 2012, many of whom were seasoned veterans of Model UN, making this more of a year for rebuilding and gaining experience, according to Hofmockel.

Many of the delegates were representing the club for the first time, even in the team’s first outof-state conference.

Sophomore Claire Fisher, also a new delegate, expressed that she experienced similar nervous feelings.

“I was really nervous because I felt like I had to do well because I was being picked [to go to the conference],” Fisher said. “There were a lot of people in my committee who held leadership roles, so my goal was just to talk the

first night. And eventually, I warmed up and started to have more fun.”

Prior to the conference, senior Shawn Kurian, a first-time Model UN member as well, felt nervous along with anticipation and excitement.

“This is a serious competition,” Kurian said. “Model UN is pretty renowned and it’s pretty formal; we have to dress up every day and do a lot of preparation. This is my first year doing Model UN, so, for one, I’m excited because I get to be part of something [...] but I’m also nervous—it’s the nervousness that comes with any competition, especially as my first time experiencing how it all goes down.”

Reflecting on the conference, senior Luke Baeckelandt, Model UN president, felt that the conference was an important learning experience for the first-time delegates.

“I think there was a sense of disappointment and a sense of regret, in a way,” Baeckelandt said. “We had brought our best and our brightest, and we expected to get more awards than Tim’s Outstanding Delegate Award, a.k.a. second place[...but] it’s about the group[...and] it’s because of the group moments [...] we had that made it an awesome experience.”

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news

Nov. 9, 2012

Energy study shows District’s ‘exceptional’ efficiency Carolyn Kelly

asst. news editor Rosie Kelly

staff reporter

Results from energy study:

South and North were recognized as highly efficient in a recent energy audit conducted this spring by EnerNOC, Inc., an energy consulting firm, according to a Sept. 10 District 225 press release.

The press release stated that the purpose of the study was to identify energy-savings measures in the schools.

Principal Dr. Brian Wegley said that the finding wasn’t a surprise.

“Over the past several years, we have saved millions of dollars in energy,” Wegley said.

Associate Principal Gary Freund said efforts to reduce energy began around five years ago as part of a nationwide shift to energy conservation.

According to Freund, improvements included new windows in the library and other rooms as well as the installation of auto-sensors in hallways and rooms that turn the lights off if they are empty. The vending machines have been upgraded with sensors to lower energy usage when school isn’t in session.

Mike Calucci, South’s plant operator, described how three old and inefficient hot water boilers were replaced with more efficient techCHANGING IT UP: In South’s boiler room, Dean Krock, South’s assistant plant manager, adjusts settings for the school’s heating. As part of South’s nology. efforts to reduce energy expenditure, the new, more efficient boilers pictured replaced boilers that were original to the the building from the 1960s.

“We took those three boilers out and put in Photo by Jackie Cortopassi 10 small, little boilers that you wouldn’t even gy savings.

Skokie Patch. know was a boiler--looks like an oversize refrigerator,” “It was cited that the maintenance staff do an excepNiles West was also awarded an Energy Star certificaCalucci said. “These run at 85 percent efficiency, and they stage on as heat is needed. So, of all those 10 boilers, if we tional job in operating the schools in a highly efficient tion from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2010, only need one of them to heat the building, only one will manner,” Dr. Kim Ptak, director of operations for District according to the Skokie Patch, meaning that it is in the top go on. If we need three because it gets colder, two more 225, said. “The auditors claimed our staff [does] one of 25 percent of similar school buildings in energy efficienthe best jobs with on-going maintenance of any schools cy nationwide. will come on.”

North has also been participating in the district-wide The school’s fluorescent emergency lights were re- they have visited.”

Krock said that many of the audit’s typical recommen- initiative and had an audit completed similar to South’s placed over the summer with new LED lighting, accorddations, to fix issues with improperly maintained sys- audit, according to the press release. The audit identified ing to Dean Krock, assistant plant operator.

12 core areas for improvement within North for the fuAccording to Krock, the efficient ways that the South tems, did not apply to South.

“Through a lot of hard work from our maintenance de- ture. maintenance staff run the school’s air handlers, which The South audit listed seven principal recommendaprovide heating and cooling to the building, contribute partment here, our guys get preventative maintenance work orders on a monthly basis,” Krock said. “They tions involving the ventilation and chilled water systems. greatly to energy savings.

According to Ptak, such measures could be costly to “On average, any given week here...we have between make repairs before they start getting out of hand - you 50 and 60 extracurricular after-school events,” Krock know, as things come up they’re taken care of immedi- implement, but most of their savings would balance the costs in less than 18 months. said. “And instead of just turning the equipment on and ately, and this helps tremendously.”

Other Chicagoland schools are also investing in new According to Freund, South will continue its energy leaving it on all day till 10, 11 o’clock at night, we go in [every day] and adjust the schedules based on what’s energy infrastructure. Niles Township 219 has been im- savings, starting by replacing the lighting in the main gym over the next summer. going to be used...By doing this you don’t have a lot of proving efficiency for the past few years.

In 2011, Niles West was one of the first five high schools “Every dollar we can save, obviously, are dollars that wasted run time, and that also cuts down on the wear Glenbrook South HS AD quarter Page.pdf 1 11/5/2012 9:41:46 AM in the country to be awarded Leadership in Energy and go to students, so our goal is to save as much as we can and tear on the equipment.”

The district press release acknowledged South and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings: on the infrastructure side of things, on an ongoing basis,” North’s maintenance staff for their integral role in ener- Operations & Maintenance certification, according to the Wegley said.

-Estimated one-time cost of implementing energy-saving measures: $68,847 -Estimated annual savings: $46,283 -Payback time: 1.5 years

-Estimated current annual expenses on energy: $840,566

editorial

Nov. 9, 2012

The editorial expresses the opinion of the majority of the editorial board and not necessarily that of the publisher, adviser, school administration or staff.

5

Recognize the severity of concussions, long term effects

is published monthly by students at Glenbrook South High School, 4000 W. Lake Ave., Glenview, IL 60026.

The opinions expressed in The Oracle are that of the writer(s) and not necessarily of the staff or school.

The Oracle neither endorses nor rejects the products and services advertised.

editors in chief

Sarah Jaleel Kathryn Jaslikowski

news editors Tammy Craven Faith Savaiano

opinions editors Bailey Monte Emma Sailer

features editors

CJ Park Zoë Shancer

a&e editors

Maddie Abrams Rachel Mann

sports editors John Adkisson Ethan Spalding

web editors

Mary Friedman Ben Kraus

illustrations editor Ellen Takagi

photos editor Evan Richter

asst. news Carolyn Kelly

asst. opinions Julia Jacobs

asst. features

Shea Anthony Elisa Kim Madison O’Brien

asst. a&e Sally You

asst. sports

Rachel Chmielinski

asst. web

Kelsey Pogue Madeleine Salah

asst. photos Wyatt Richter

adviser

Marshall Harris

Letters to the Editor We would love to hear from you! Write a letter to the editor at gbsoracle@gmail.com.

The editorial board reserves the right to edit letters, being careful not to alter intent.

Signed letters may be published anonymously with the consent of the letter writer, the adviser, and the editors in chief.

Twenty six years after winning the Super Bowl with the 1985 son’s and Alzheimer’s diseases can also be long-term symptoms.

Chicago Bears, 50-year-old Dave Duerson shot himself in the Even though athletes, especially busy South students, may chest in February 2011. In an article in the New York Times, Alan view concussion treatment as an inconvenience, untreated conSchwarz describes that in the months leading up to his death, cussions can lead to more grave consequences. Athletes might “[Duerson] had complained of headaches, blurred vision and a think they’re doing their team a favor by returning to the game deteriorating memory.” before full recovery; however, concussed players will only bring He also left a suicide note requesting that his brain be donated their team down by not being able to play to their full ability. Also, to the NFL Brain Bank for concussion research, as he had suffered not treating a concussion properly and returning prematurely to several head injuries during his career. What the Boston Univer- the game may have serious repercussions in school. Missing days sity team that studied his brain found was chronic traumatic en- or weeks and then having to make up all of the homework while cephalopathy, a disease that had been found in more than 20 de- suffering from the symptoms of a concussion is not a pleasant acceased NFL players as of tion to undertake.

April 2011.

Although it’s difficult for According to silive.com, a coach to determine wheth300,000 concussions are dier the athlete wants to sit out agnosed in America each because of a headache or a year. That’s about 830 each true concussion, The Editoday, and that’s not including rial Board asks coaches to the hundreds that go unrerecognize that a player may ported. The Oracle Editorial be in danger if he appears to Board believes that so many be injured. This suggestion of these concussions go ungoes for teammates too – do reported because of a lack of not encourage fellow playawareness surrounding the ers to skip out on the traininjury, and we hope to eners if they think they are courage students, coaches hurt. According to athletic and parents to bring this istrainer Brian Robinson, consue to the forefront. cussion protocol at South is Concussions, usually very rigid yet crucial in an caused in high-speed athathlete’s recovery. letics, appear regularly at “You do not return to the South in sports such as athletics until you are symphockey, football, soccer, and tom free, until you are neucheerleading. According to rocognitively back to noran Oracle-conducted survey BEAR DOWN: During a game in 1984 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dave Duerson, mal, until we’ve cleared you of 47 athletes, 17 athletes re- Chicago Bears safety, hits a receiver (above). Duerson played professional football for a de- from the Clear to Play Poliported having had a concus- cade and suffered from multiple concussions (below). In 2011 he committed suicide and re- cy, which is the same policy quested that his brain be given to the NFL’s Brain Bank for research. Photos from google images sion. Among those 17 athwhich is the same [test] they letes, there were 26 concussions total, meaning some have had use in the NFL, in all levels of sports, which is a five day policy,” multiple concussions.

Robinson said.

The Editorial Board wants to stress that leaving concussions Robinson believes that coaches at South are responsible about untreated is more detrimental than many might expect, as going upholding the protocol. Rather, he believes that the parents are back to the sport that caused the concussion before being fully among those involved in an injury who need to recognize the sehealed is incredibly dangerous. According to Dr. Andrew Hunt, a verity. sports medicine specialist at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, “The problem at the time is not the coaches; coaches get it beconcussions severely alter the normal functioning of the brain. cause they’re constantly being educated, the hard thing is the parThis is especially dangerous for children and teenagers because ents,” Robinson said. “When they played, you had to be knocked their brains are not fully developed. Participating in a sport with down to have a concussion, and it hasn’t been like that for a long a concussion can cause an increase in the severity of symptoms time, but that’s what they remember, so it’s taking a little longer such as memory loss, dizziness and headaches. to educate the parents.”

According to Dustin Fink, an athletic trainer and creator of the According to the 2011-2012 Etruscan, more than half of South’s concussionblog.com, long-term damage for untreated concus- population participates in a school sport. With a student-athsions includes learning disabilities, depression and anger-man- lete population as large as South’s, The Editorial Board would agement problems. Hunt also explained that early onset Parkin- like the remind parents of the potential consequences of playing both contact and non-contact sports. According to foxnews.com, about 67,000 concussions occur in high school football games every year, and at least 50 youth football players from 20 different states have reportedly died or sustained serious head injuries since 1997. Though The Editorial Board recognizes the care of many South athletes’ parents, we hope to instill a heighted sense of concussion awareness in every family.

The consequences of undiagnosed concussions are worrisome and sometimes fatal. The Oracle applauds the athletic trainers, coaches and parents for offering their care and advice to concussed students. To prevent undiagnosed concussions, students must be aware of the risks and seek medical attention for any symptoms.

Dave Duerson

The Oracle Editorial Board Vote

Agree: 25

Disagree: 0

Corrections and Clarifications from Oct. 6th’s Issue 1

• The wrong name was placed on page 22 of a men’s Cross Country runner. The picture was of Alex Jackman, not Henry Dickson.

• On page 4, the last name of Mike Noll, varsity football head coach, was misspelled.

• On page 5, a description of the processes used to assess teacher performance lacked specificity that The Oracle and its readers expect. To view a complete, correct version of the story, “District prepares for teacher contract negotiations,” visit theoracle.glenbrook225.org.

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opinions

Nov. 9, 2012

DRAMATIZATION

Rules of the road: a guide to avoiding new driver idiocy Bailey Monte

co-opinions editor

WHAT NOT TO SAY DURING THE DRIVING TEST: (especially if your DMV examiner is an angry middle-aged man who smells bad.)

“What’s that smell? Do you smell that?”

“I’m really nervous. Sorry if I like...crash us.”

“KIDDING. That was a joke.”

“In neutral...whoops.”

“Woah, why would someone leave a shopping cart there? Did you do that to like...mess me up?”

“Wait, it’s a red. I can’t turn left, right?”

“This one time...I turned left on a red. I forgot it wasn’t just a stop sign.”

“Yeah, my mom was freakin’ out and screaming and stuff.”

“So what’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened to you during one of these things?”

“Oh my God. I seriously thought that dog was jumping out in front of us, he looked all skittish...I’m so sorry!”

“Yikes. Your neck’s all red. What’s that called again, whiplash?”

“I should not have worn these shoes; I keep pressing the wrong pedal.”

“What are you writing down? ‘This girl is a freak’? Probably.”

“But actually...how does this point system work?”

“Wait, I don’t have to parallel park? Well...F that. Practiced for nothing.”

“We made it! Sorry about your neck, again.”

“So...did I pass?”

“OH MY GOD! I LOVE YOU. Seriously, thank you.”

WHAT NOT TO DO ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR LICENSE: X Don’t tell people you’re a good driver after the first week…that’s obnoxious.

X Don’t confuse the gas with the break, unless you want to experience one of the scariest

dilemmas on this planet. Reversing out of control at high speeds? That’s always good.

X Don’t cut across three lanes of traffic without checking your blind spot.

X Don’t come to a complete stop and then turn red on a photo-enforced light that has warn-

ing signs everywhere. Unless you want your dad to watch the video and call you an idiot.

X Don’t “half-blow” a red light…as in slam on your breaks and try to reverse halfway through

the intersection.

X Don’t cause your passenger to hit her head on the window because you’re trying to show

off by swerving all over the place. Rude.

X Don’t respond to a creepy 50-year-old man in a Jaguar who is trying to drag race you be-

cause his big ego was wounded when he noticed that you were going faster than he was.

X Don’t be that annoying person who doesn’t move over to let someone pass you on the

highway. Get over it.

X Don’t grab the wrong part of the gas handle when it’s not in your car and subsequently

douse yourself in gasoline. Just a thought.

X Don’t slam on your breaks because the light turns yellow. That’s amateur hour stuff.

X Don’t get pulled over. It’s not fun no matter how long you’ve been driving, but it’s way worse as a new driver. If you do get pulled over, be ready to talk (or cry) yourself out of it.

X Don’t text and drive, or tweet and drive, or take a picture while driving. Seriously though, you’re bound to rear-end someone, or do something much worse, if you haven’t already.

X Don’t drive in and out of the GBS parking lot like a maniac with music blasting. No one thinks better of you for it.

X Don’t lock your keys inside your car. Along with your cellphone. Especially not at a gas station, in your pajamas. Unless you enjoy awkward and embarrassing situations.

Assumptions based on weight are often automatic, yet inherently unfair

Claire Fisher

columnist “The truth is, I am overweight. You can call me fat, and yes, even obese on a doctor’s chart. But, do you think I don’t know that? That your cruel words are pointing out something that I don’t see? You know nothing about me but what you see on the outside. I am much more than a number on a scale.”

These are the powerful words of Jennifer Livingston, an anchorwoman in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, who recently spoke about her weight on-air in response to a critical email she received from a local named Kenneth Krause.

Krause accused Livingston of not being “a suitable example for this community’s young people, girls in particular,” because of her weight.

Livingston, a mother of three girls, went on to point out that October is national anti-bullying month and that acts of bullying like Krause’s email teach children to become bullies themselves.

Though I agree, I will admit that when I first saw this video of Livingston, I didn’t feel pride in this woman’s strength, but a nagging thought in the back of my mind that she seemed to dance around the issue of her weight.

It was phrases like “obese on a doctor’s chart” and the way she focused on bullying that made me jump to conclusions about why she was phrasing things the way she was. Her obesity and blatant avoidance of the matter made me inherently biased against the message she was communicating. The problem was, I didn’t even recognize it as bias at first.

I’m not sure what else I wanted her to say; maybe that she was trying to lose weight but it was just taking a while to do so.

But then I realized that this woman doesn’t have to justify her weight to me, or to anyone. She doesn’t have to explain that she works out two to three times a week and runs triathlons, or that she has a thyroid condition that makes it difficult for her to lose weight, as her husband pointed out in an interview with ABC News.

It just shouldn’t matter. Yes, being healthy is important, but who wants to feel like they have to justify a part of themselves just to gain acceptance?

The problem is that people like Krause equate being overweight with a lack of willpower.

According to an Oracle-conducted survey of 247 South students, 43 percent think that the most common reason a person is

overweight is a lack of self-control.

This is understandable because yes, being unable to control overreating does equal weight gain.

But according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, many factors can contribute to weight gain: learned eating habits, genetics, a lack of time to cook properly or exercise, income, medical reasons, emotional reasons, stress and yes, a lack of willpower or “laziness.”

To someone who is trying to lose weight, or even to someone who isn’t trying to lose weight, one thoughtless comment can be really disheartening. Weight loss is a very slow and difficult process.

Do you really think a critical remark about a person’s food choices or lack of exercise is going to shame them into hitting the gym?

Weight can be a very personal issue, and one that is rarely black and white.

As easy as it is to judge, it’s just impossible to know someone’s story based on his or her appearance.

opinions

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Nov. 9, 2012

Graphic by Evan Richter

More guns mean more homicide: why America needs tightened gun control

Chris Callahan columnist

Nidal Malik Hasan. On Nov. 5, 2009, he opened fire with an automatic handgun in an Army base at Fort Hood, Texas. He killed 13 people and injured 28.

Jared Lee Loughner. On Jan. 8, 2011, he opened fire with a Glock nine millimeter outside a Safeway in Tuscon, Arizona. He killed six people and injured 14.

James Holmes. On July 20, 2012, he opened fire with a semi-automatic assault rifle in an Aurora, Colorado showing of The Dark Knight Rises. He killed 12 and injured 58.

Not surprisingly, after each of these mass shootings, the nation talked about gun control. Should we have stricter laws? Are we doing enough? What could have stopped the shooter from getting a gun?

Yet nothing has happened. According to Adam Winkler from the Daily Beast, mass shootings, no matter how tragic, don’t lead to gun law reforms.

According to Mother Jones, a liberal political magazine, over the past three years, there have been 14 shootings in America that have killed five or more people. And yet, according to David Frum from CNN, almost nothing in terms of gun control has changed during this time.

Take a second and think about that. We’ve had over 100 people injured or killed by rogue individuals with guns over the past three years and yet zero has been done to make it harder to gain access to guns. I don’t know about anybody else, but that seems like more than a coincidence to me.

Mass shootings, and deaths due to gun violence in general, might actually decrease if people couldn’t get guns so easily in the first place. Just a thought.

But here are the cold, hard facts: the U.S. has the highest civilian gun ownership in the world, with an average of 88 guns per 100 people, according to Fareed Zakaria from CNN. Additionally, according to Zakaria, “The U.S. has three gun homicides per 100,000 people. That’s four times as many as Switzerland, ten times as many as India and 20 times as many as Australia and England.”

Now, why don’t we take a deeper look at Australia’s gun laws? According to the Washington Post, Australia has banned automatic and semiautomatic weapons, as well as shotguns. Australia has clearly stricter gun laws than the United States, as does England.

According to the BBC, “The UK has some of the toughest gun control laws in the world. You need to spend hours filling out paperwork and proving to police officers that you are not a danger to society.” It’s fairly clear that nations that have stricter gun laws than the United States also have less gun violence.

The problem is, whenever the issue is raised, the National Rifle Association and other gun-lovers go up in arms and protest. Since I have limited space here, I’ll just address the Second Amendment, the core of the anti-gun control argument.

The Second Amendment reads: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

The Second Amendment was written in the late 1780s.

Remember, this was when there were less than 20 states and we didn’t even have a president yet.

That first clause, about a well-regulated militia, is criti-

cal. At this point, militias were essential to defend against the British and Spanish on all sides of the new nation.

At that point in our nation’s history, we had something called the Continental Army that could probably have carried out most of the essential duties of the militias that the Constitution refers to.

In the Constitution, the reason we need to bear arms is so we can form a “well-regulated militia”. If we don’t need militias, we don’t need the right to bear arms.

My point is this: the Second Amendment is outdated. This is the same Constitution that mentions slavery in two places. We don’t have slavery anymore; what is the functional difference, in the context of the Constitution, between things like slavery and the Second Amendment?

Outlawing guns altogether will never happen; we have to be realistic. But there is no relevant Constitutional right preventing tighter control, and it just might limit future premature deaths.

However, it’s not just mass shootings that necessitate gun control. According to The Guardian, a British news agency, 8,775 people were murdered by firearms in 2010 in America. That’s more Americans than have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined since the wars started. And Matthew Miller, of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, says that “before a child in the U.S. reaches 15, when compared to a child in the rest of the industrialized world, he or she is 12 times more likely to die a gunrelated death.”

It’s pretty obvious that statistics are on the side of gun control. There is no functional disadvantage to strengthening gun control and making it more difficult to gain access to any kind of gun. It might hurt freedom a little bit for some people, but white men in the 1750s thought ending slavery would hurt some peoples’ freedom too. Lives are at stake; when there’s an obvious solution at hand, we shouldn’t sacrifice that solution for anything.

If we don’t need militas, we don’t need the right to bear arms.

Graphic by Evan Richter Source: infoplease.com

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reviews

Nov. 9, 2012

: a Swift departure from Taylor’s classic country charm

Will Gould

music critic Taylor Swift’s Red is like no other album she has released before. Her latest effort strays from her trademarked heartfelt country pop in more than one way, when in the past, she has stuck closely to her tried-andtrue formula.

This time around, Swift ventures into several new genres with mixed results. It’s easy on the ears, and I can’t complain about much of the material, but this record has truly baffled me with its schizophrenic style jumping. While her latest album is no Fearless, the quintessential Taylor Swift record, it has its moments.

Red opens up with the anthemic rock tune, “State of Grace”, whose simple drum and guitar intro re c a l l s U2’s, “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. The resemblance only grows stronger when Swift joins in with her best Bono impression on the soaring, powerful chorus.

It’s certainly a departure from her signature southern-bellesitting-inthe-backyard-

strumming-her-acoustic-guitar style, and it is a welcome prisingly, they are responsible for the chart topping, “We change. Everything from the radio-ready “oh”s to the Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”. One of the best tension-ridden breakdown just before the last chorus songs on the album, “WANEGBT”, is setting records left points to a healthy maturation of her sound. and right. Fun, catchy, and relatable, it made a fantastic The album continues with the single “Red”, giving late-summer jam and is holding its worth into the augirls everywhere a color to describe every feeling they’ve tumn months. ever had. Another fun pop anMartin and Shellback them, this song could use a litalso wrote the dance-pop tle more depth to its lyrics, but song, “22”. A clone of the that’s to be expected with Swift. latest Ke$ha and P!ink A few songs later, the trouble singles, “Die Young”, begins with the aptly named, and “Blow Me (One Last “I Knew You Were Trouble”.

Kiss)”, it is clear that creatThe song kicks off with a nice, ing another radio hit was aggressive guitar riff, suggestin mind. Prepare yourself ing Miley Cyrus’s hit, “Party for lyrics about dressing in the USA”. At 40 seconds, up like hipsters and the the synthesizers start revving inevitable reassurance up, a dull roar complementing that everything will be Swift’s flippant croon. okay.

Here, my nervousness beIt is painfully clear gan to set in. The unmistakwhere Swift herself was able synthesized drums, the the only writer and where stripped-down, repetitive other people had a hand chorus and the club-friendin the process. The incredMakes Swift the only woman ly vocal line all point to one ibly lengthy Red (clocking to have two million-selling weeks thing: Taylor Swift is preparing in at 65 minutes) could to drop the bass. easily be divided into two The chorus of, “I Knew You full-length records.

Were Trouble”, puts Swift right The first one would be up there with Rihanna, Britney comprised of the songs Spears and Pitbull; Swift has officially joined the ranks of Swift wrote on her own, featuring tracks like the title pop icons who have tried and failed to hop on the dub- song, and the adorable, “Stay Stay Stay”. The second step train. This song will be a hit with fans of Flo Ri- would be songs destined for the airwaves, of course da’s, “Good Feeling”, and the like, but Flying Lotus featuring “WANEGBT”, “22”, and the other handful of would not be caught dead dropping this at next songs written by Max Martin and Shellback. year’s Tomorrowland.

There is, unfortunately, a third potential album as well: While Swift is known for writing the the collection of songs that never should have been remajority of her own music, Santa leased at all. Songs like the aforementioned, “I Knew You had a few more elves this time Were Trouble”, and the mind-numbingly melancholy, around. Most notable is the “Sad Beautiful Tragic”, make this shameful list, among power-duo Max Martin other boring, generic tracks. and Shellback, who While Swift obviously did her best to pack this album have been writing to the brim, it would have been wise to cut about 15 or top 40 hits for 20 minutes of material, only proving the age old adage, artists like P!nk, quality over quantity.

Usher and One Overall, Red is an acceptable album. Swift’s desire to Direction since reign supreme over all subgenres of Top 40 Radio led to 2008. a less than exhilarating record. Approach with caution, Not sur- as Swift’s newest album may swiftly become something you did not expect.

STATE OF GRACE: Country music star Taylor Swift released her fourth studio album Red last month.

Red is her most successful album thus far, with the single, “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, landing Swift her first number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Photo from google images

Rowling’s entrance into adult fiction compelling yet overwhelming Julia Jacobs

asst. opinions editor In her debut adult novel, The Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling takes a Hagrid-sized leap from wands, wizards and an epic prophecy to the inner-drama surrounding the death of a Parish councilor. The plot initially seemed drab; the intrigue in the late Barry Fairbrother and the woes of the town of Pagford were nonexistent. But the soap opera-esque plot that ensued makes up for the dull premise and, in some ways, overwhelms with drama.

Rowling starts smack dab in the middle of the conflict with the sudden aneurysm of Fairbrother in the parking lot of a country club. In addition to leaving three children fatherless and a wife widowed, this Parish councilor’s death necessitates an election that could tip the scale on an issue that is at the core of Pagford’s grief.

The Fields is a housing development that lies on the border of Pagford and the adjacent town of Yarvil, a sort of ‘ghetto’ for the cash-strapped, drug-addicted or plainold scum. The contention is whether the Fields, including the Bellchapel addiction clinic, should remain a part of Pagford or become Yarvil territory.

Pagfordians like father and son Howard and Miles Mollison, whose bank accounts are as expansive as their physiques, see the Fields as a drain on public funds. But Fairbrother had been vehemently pro-Fields, dedicating himself to diverting Krystal Weedon, a headstrong, crass 16 year-old, from the path of her heroin-addicted mother.

Rowling analyzes the ripple effect of Fairbrother’s

death as if she’s writing a narrative psychological experi- ever, is the masterful way Rowling delivers the climax. ment. She writes in third person omniscient, reading as The typical Potter structure rings true: a hundred-someif everyone’s thoughts are amplified for all to hear. Ev- thing pages pass before something really ‘happens’ but ery action might have a reaction from several people in just before all is lost, she ramps up into a fabulously excitthe same vicinity, to the point where identifying a ‘main ing pinnacle. In the spirit of a “whodunit” novel, she ancharacter’ would be impossible because each character swers every question and connects every thread, leaving me satisfied yet sick to my stomach from vast amounts has the same limited time in the spotlight.

In terms of writing style, I wanted Rowling to pull out of human suffering in the unassuming town of Pagford. all the stops. I believed a shift in voice was necessary to coincide with the shift in target audience, yet Vacancy is just as verbose and riddled with weak metaphors as the Potter series. Disappointingly, the only thing separating Vacancy and the Potter series, dignifying an ‘adults only’ label, is the content.

There were plenty of themes Rowling deemed unfit for small ears in the Potter series: Dumbledore is gay, teenagers guzzle Butterbeer like orange juice and love potions have the same function as date rape drugs. In Vacancy, these divisive themes aren’t clouded with fairy dust but accentuated to the point where every character seems to be suffering from severe psychological and/ or physical pain. The list begins with child abuse, heroin-addiction, pedophilia, selfharm and rape and continues on to the point where I begin to question whether Pagford FROM MAGIC TO MUGGLES: The Casual Vacancy is bestelling author J.K. Rowling’s first novel unrelated to the is a quaint English town or a large-scale reHarry Potter series. The novel became the 15th best-selling book of 2012 during its habilitation clinic. first week of release. Graphic by Evan Richter The redeeming quality of this book, how-

features

9

Nov. 9, 2012

HOME SWEET HOME: In her home in Syria in 1986, custodian Sahar Barkho (fourth from left) sits with her older sister and her two American born cousins from Chicago who visited her home in Syria for two months. Barkho and her family moved from Syria to the U.S. in 1995 but grew homesick and revisited in 1997, 2001 and 2004. Photo courtesy of Sahar Barkho

Custodian reflects on conflict in Syria, opportunity in America Grace Abiera

staff reporter Many students in America forget what it really means to say, “God bless America,” and take the treasures of freedom, especially regarding religion, for granted. Custodian Sahar Barkho appreciates what America’s political system has to offer because such freedom was scarce in her native country.

Barkho began working at South in 2007 and works to keep the facilities tidy, particularly the nurse’s office and restrooms.

According to Barkho, the Revolution in Iraq, her grandparents’ home country, started in 1933. Islamic people came and forced Christians out of Iraq, threatening to kill some and murdering others, says Barkho.

“Christians fled and scattered to Iran, Syria and Turkey,” Barkho said.

“We are spread, and we have no country.”

Assyrian people and Syria are often confused, Barkho explains, but she considers herself Assyrian.

“Syria is a country which belongs to Islam,” she said. “Eighty percent of Syria is Islam and twenty percent is Christian.”

In 1995, when she was 15 years old, Barkho’s family decided it was necessary to move from Syria to the United States.

“We came to the United States because it is a better country [with] more education and nicer people,” she said. “To be honest, we feel like this is our home.”

Although Barkho and her family were happy to gain freedom, they lost the comfort of their close-knit community when they moved to the United States.

“We had to leave [many] of my family and friends that I’ve known my entire life,” she said.

The pain from leaving her loved ones back at home was equally as difficult as the language barrier she encountered when she moved to Chicago.

“In Syria, I spoke Assyrian at home [and] Arabic at school, which is the primary language in the Middle East [...],” Barkho said. “When I moved to the U.S, one of my first memories was when the neighbors came to our door

and brought us cookies and welcomed us, and we just stood there looking at each other, my mom and my sisters all thinking, ‘What is she saying?’”

According to Barkho, the war in Syria continues today, and although she lives in the United States, she still connects to the tragedies that are happening in Syria.

“This war is about revolution, it’s about religion,” Barkho said. “It is so sad. We are losing family every day, every day.”

According to Barkho, being a Christian in Syria means risking one’s life for one’s faith.

“We have to hide our crosses,” Barkho said. “We are not allowed to go to church because we are afraid we are going to get bombed. In the past two to three months, we have lost our sixth church because of the terrorism in Syria.”

Barkho does not believe she or her family would have been able to survive the horror in Syria without God’s strength.

“Believe me, no one is strong,” she said. “When you have a war, you think your own family is strong, but it’s really just God providing for us.”

According to Barkho, she feels privileged to be living in the U.S and is very proud of raising her kids here. She has two children: David, who is turning 11, and Daniela, who is turning six.

“In the Middle East, I was taught by my family that the three most important rules were [to] respect your home, school and church,” Barkho said. “Even though my children were born in the United States, I teach them every day who to respect.”

Barkho believes that respecting others and loving them from the heart is the most important habit a person should have.

“I believe that no matter who you are, if you are Islamic, Christian, Middle Eastern, American, and even if I do not know you, I still have to respect you,” Barkho said.

Barkho is honored to be a part of the South community; however, she will never forget her Assyrian roots.

“Glenbrook South is a beautiful school, with beautiful teachers, in a smart country, and I am proud of that,” Barkho said.

“I believe that no matter who you are, if you are Islamic, Christian, Middle Eastern, American [...] I still have to respect you.”

-Custodian Sahar Barkho

STANDING TALL: In the nurse’s office, Sahar Barkho works as a custodian, cleaning and tidying the facility. Barkho began working at South in 2007 and loves the atmosphere and values of both the U.S. and the GBS community.

Photo by Wyatt Richter

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features

Nov. 9, 2012

Teachers weigh pros and cons of being young in their profession Hailey Hauldren

staff reporter Most students can say that they have been yelled at many times to get to class, questioned for a pass in the hallway or interrogated about where they are heading.

Believe it or not, there are teachers who have had the same experiences.

Being mistaken for a student seems like part of the job description for many of South’s newer instructors.

Math teacher Brian Schmalzer said he was mistaken for a student so often that he grew a beard just to distinguish himself from his students.

“I used to get asked for hall passes, and I was told to get to class several times,” Schmalzer said.

Schmalzer also said that there was a time when some TLC student tutors also came into his classroom to help out, and he was told numerous times to get his materials out and get to work.

“I started laughing [after the tutor kept repeating that] because I realized he thought I was a student, so I said, ‘I’m the teacher’,” Schmalzer said. “ It took me standing up and going to my desk to prove to him that I was the teacher. The poor guy didn’t talk to me for the rest of the period.”

History teacher Joanna Lialios is also often mistaken for a student.

“Many times, especially when I first started working [at South], the paraprofessionals would yell to me, ‘Hey,

where’s your pass?’,” Lialios said. “I also think some students think I’m a student as well.”

Art teacher Stephanie Fuja has been asked for a pass so many times while walking through the halls that she wears her keys around her neck to avoid being mistaken for a student.

Being a younger teacher has more difficulties than constantly being mistaken for a student, according to Lialios.

“I think that especially for a first year teacher, some students think that they can take advantage of you because you look like a student,” Lialios said.

“From the very beginning you have to establish what kind of relationship you are going to have with your students so that they can’t walk all over you.”

History teacher Benjamin Widner, who also had to grow facial hair to avoid being mistaken for a student, said that being a young teacher required learning on the fly. Once he made a lesson plan that he thought his students would love but ended up getting a very different reaction.

“I looked around the room and a handful of kids were having a hard time keeping their eyes open, and I thought, ‘This is going nothing like I thought it would’,” Widner said.

Despite some obstacles, the younger teachers all agreed that there are also many advantages in being closer in age to their students.

“As younger teachers, we can relate a little bit more to the students and what they’re going through today because we weren’t there that long ago,” Fuja said.

Schmalzer said despite the struggles his youth brings, he continues to learn alongside students and is working towards becoming a more advanced teacher.

“It’s a lot of work at a young age, but you advance quickly,” Schmalzer said.

“It’s all worth it.”

FIND THE TEACHER: Young teachers are hidden amongst the crowd of students pictured at right. Pick out the instructors.

Answers: From left, Joanna Lialios in the skirt; Brian Schmalzer with the beard; Stephanie Fuja in the glasses; Benjamin Widner in coaching uniform; Dan Rhoades with books.

strives to show students benefits of going green staff reporter This year, several students have come together in order to spread the word about vegetarianism and improve the vegetarian environment at South by creating Veggie Club.

Junior Zack Bauer, Veggie Club member, feels that although Veggie Club is brand new to South, it is becoming an asset to the school.

“We’re steadily getting more members every week, and I think as it progresses it becomes more established because we get more people involved,” Bauer said.

Junior Nick Moses, Veggie Club creator and organizer, feels that there is a broad range of members that Veggie Club is hoping to attract this year.

“The ideal type of member would be somebody who is open minded, maybe doesn’t know anything about vegetarianism […] and [somebody] who is willing to give something a chance,” Moses said.

According to Moses, Veggie Club has goals that it would like to establish in order to improve the vegetarian atmosphere of South.

“In terms of short-term, local goals, some of the things we’d really like to do are to bring a legitimate animal product–free option to the cafeteria, because really, there isn’t one,” Moses said.

Bauer said that one long-term goal of Veggie Club is to inform people about vegetarianism in order to launch a school-wide Vegan Challenge later in the school year.

“If Americans didn’t eat meat for [one day a week] every year, it would be like taking a million cars off the road,” Bauer said. “We want to make a vegan challenge where people try to be vegan or vegetarian for a week.”

Moses feels that vegetarianism is one of the most effective ways of making a difference in the world. He also feels that Veggie Club has helped to make this message more clear.

“I’ve been vegetarian for over a year, and I’ve been vegan for about nine months, and to me, the reason why I’m vegan is because I see it as being the biggest, most effective single step a person can take [towards] making an actual difference in the world,” Moses said. “It makes a big difference in animal rights, it makes a big difference in my own personal health and it makes a huge difference in terms of the environment.”

Junior Janna Lyhus, another Veggie Club member, agrees that Veggie Club is also a way to spread the word about vegetarianism or similar lifestyles.

“I went pescatarian last April, and it’s just such an awesome way of living [… ] I would like to share that with people,” Lythus said. “I really like Veggie Club because it’s a lot of people who are interested in making their lives better.”

“The ideal type of member would be somebody who is open minded, maybe doesn’t know anything about vegetarianism […] and [somebody] who is willing to give something a chance.”

-Junior Nick Moses

VEG FACTS 5.2% of the United States adult population is interested in learning about a vegetarian diet

3.2% of the United States adult population is actually vegetarian

Graphic by Evan Richter

Maggie Engels

India has more vegetarians than the whole world combined, with 40% of the country following a vegetarian diet Vegetarian lifestyles are better for the Earth www.raw-food-health.net

features

Nov. 9, 2012

11

Teens with divorced parents work to balance life and school ing him unfocused during school.

“I was constantly thinking about how much my life was going to change,” Chris said. “I was scared that my Balancing homework and activities is a struggle for life was going to be so much more different.”

For sophomore Melissa Garrison*, her dad moved out many. What complicates matters more for some South students, however, is having to switch between houses of the house before the divorce was made legal in Decemthroughout the week and being distracted in class due to ber 2011. Garrison saw how her parents fighting negatively impacted her grades even before the divorce. their parents’ divorces.

“When my parents were fighting really According to freshman badly before the divorce I was doChris Brandon*, his ing absolutely terrible in school parents divorced because I just didn’t care anyin 2010 when he more,” Garrison said. “I was was in seventh like, ‘What is the point to try?’” grade, leavSophomore Sandra Gartner’s* parents’ divorce process lasted nine months until it became final in October 2011. She now has the stressful task of switching between houses every three days and basically lives out of a suitcase, according to Gartner.

Senior Laura Brandon* also feels the divorce put a lot of stress on her, especially during her junior year.

“During my junior year, my parents were fighting a lot, and even though they had been lot divorced for a year or two, my m ore, grades dropped very severely because it definitely there were so many issues with them forced me to fighting,” Laura said.

In contrast, junior Daniel Perry*, whose parents got di- grow up and be vorced in 2001 when he was five years old, does not be- a lot more indepenlieve having divorced parents has affected his education dent.”

For Roland, the dior any other aspect of his life. According to Perry, his parvorce took a toll on her ents have both always been available to help him whensocially when she was ever he needs it. “[Having divorced parents] is all I know,” Perry said. young.

“When I was little, “My parents work really hard to co-parent, and they do it well because I never feel like we aren’t really it really impacted me,” Roland said. “I didn’t a family.”

According to sophomore Tina Roland*, have many friends after whose parents got divorced in 2004 when she moving to a new school was six years old, therapy has been able to so I was kind of a loner, help her cope with the stress of having di- and I didn’t have any sibvorced parents. When it comes to school, lings to talk about it with however, Roland does not feel teachers un- because I was an only child.

So, it was very hard to work derstand the stress.

“I don’t think [teachers] really understand through it all by myself.”

Gartner noticed a big change because they don’t really think divorces are a big deal,” Roland said. “I think this is because during family holidays as a result when they were growing up it wasn’t as com- of her parents’ divorce.

“At holidays when we’re not all tomon, but now more than half the people who gether as a family, it’s just get married usually end up in a divorce.” different and I’m not used Garrison feels that despite the difto it, especially since this last ficulties, she shouldn’t receive week of October, it’ll be one any special treatment because year since the divorce was final,” of her parents’ situation.

Gartner said.

“I think if I went up to a According to Melanie, despite the teacher they wouldn’t give negative aspects of her parents’ divorce, me any sympathy because she is trying to look past it and remain opI’m 15 years old and timistic. should be able to handle “The way that I see it is that it could be way myself,” Garrison said.

1082 SHERMER ROAD worse, my situation could be horrible,” Laura In addition to the GLENVIEW, IL 60025 (847) 729-5829 said. “I still have both parents in my life, which educational affects is a good thing [...] I just have to learn of divorce, Laura from all the mistakes both of my has been impacted parents have made and learn mentally because from all the hardships I had her parents’ di[to endure] just to make vorce occurred myself a better person when she was and to have a better beginning future.” to become a *Names have teenager. been changed.

“I matured way faster r hte because I reRic an v ally had no yE sb hic p choice,” Laura a Gr said. “Just having to look after my brother and myself a Caroline Berg

staff reporter

Voice & Piano Lessons

4th Lesson for Free!

KIRSTIN SYNNESTVEDT, D.M.A.

12

K N I P K

N reness Mon a w A I r e c H , Breast Can

Thout October

g u o r h T

Daughters support mothers with breast cancer Shea Anthony & Madison O’Brien

asst. features editors Kelsey Pogue

asst. web editor While scientists and doctors have cured many diseases, cancer remains extremely elusive. According to senior Brittany Balzano, Cure Club president, one in four men and one in six women will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and every three minutes someone is diagnosed with breast cancer.

With October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, freshman Tori Lothian reflects on her experience of her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. “[I found e r a out my e r e Th mom had n a th

cs hi ap Gr

more ion 2.9 mill ancer c t s a e br rs in survivo . the U.S b

yW

ya tt R ich ter

breast cancer] in sixth grade,” Lothian said. “When she first told us about it I was just like, ‘Whoa, like what are you talking about?’ and I got kind of scared.”

Junior Ellie Foley’s mom found out that she had breast cancer on the first day of finals during Foley’s sophomore year. This had a lasting effect on both Foley and her family.

According to Foley, her mom’s diagnosis made her angry at first.

“The first thing I thought was, “How could this happen to my mother?’” Foley said. “[She] is the most caring woman in the world who is always thinking about other people and is always protecting everyone.”

Senior Jenna Appel was told her mom had breast cancer when she was 13. She described the effects the diagnosis had on her.

“It affected my life because there is nothing worse than seeing your mom going through treatment and suffering,” Appel said.

Lothian explained how other people helped her family during this time.

“A lot of peo-

ple came over to make dinner for us,” Lothian said. “I know our church helped a lot; [they] made my mom a lot of blankets.”

Because her mom wasn’t always able to be around during the treatment process, Foley had to become more independent and take on responsibilities usually handled by her parents. Foley believes the entire experience has made her a more mature individual.

“I realized that I needed to grow up,” Foley said. “I think that if my mom’s cancer didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be as mature as I am now.”

Recently, Foley’s mom was diagnosed for a second time.

“The doctor saw some precancerous lumps at first and then after they did a biopsy they found out that it actually was cancer,” Foley said.

Foley’s mother went for surgery early Friday morning, Nov. 2, according to Foley.

“When I got the text at 12:30 Saturday morning […] that my mom was cancer free again, I was really re-

Breast cancer death rates have been declining since 1990

lieved.

She’s n o t going to deal with it again, she’s all good now, [I’m] just waiting for her to come home.”

According to Foley, her family is very active in contributing to breast cancer awareness and funding.

“My brother plays football, and he got a bunch of his friends together, [gathered] money, and bought tons of football gear, all pink,” Foley said. “You’ll see them on the field, they’ll be wearing the pink gloves, and the pink socks.”

On the field and off, Foley’s family remains a vital foundation of support.

“I have a great family, and we’re all in this together,” Foley said. “You learn how strong of a basis of a family you have.

I knew there was love in my house, but through this we were incredibly strong and we’ve gotten stronger.”

.uk mydaily.co

Brittany Balzano

tt

by Wya Photos

Richter

Cure Club president Aunt currently has breast cancer.

Giuliana Rancic E! News anchorwoman Breast cancer survivor for past four years.

Ellie Foley

Cure Club board member Mother is a breast cancer survivor.

13

-Breast c a n nth, S cer o uth s tuden ts

worke d to

van yE ic b

r

hte

Ric

ph

Gra

awareness month fi nd a cu re

and shared personal stories.

South breast cancer survivors live to tell their tales Madison O’Brien & Elisa Kim

asst. features editors In April of 2006, at the age of 35, Rosie McManamon, Business Education teacher, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

According to McManamon, it was hard for her to believe that she had breast cancer at first.

“I didn’t think it was really happening to me,” McManamon said. “But then I wanted to do what it took to make myself healthy again and get rid of this cancer.”

After going through surgeries, McManamon underwent four months of chemotherapy. According to McManamon, the treatments were exhausting. She said she had lost her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes.

“I wore a do-rag to school once the hair started to go,” McManamon said.

“My students didn’t necessarily know what was going on. If a student asked, I told them the truth. Some teachers even had no clue and asked, ‘What’s up with the dorag?’ When I told them, they were shocked.”

Despite the hardships that came with breast cancer, McManamon strived to keep daily routines.

“I didn’t miss any school due to chemo treatments,” McManamon said. “[I] wanted things to seem normal, but I had no energy and slept a lot at home. [I] used all of my energy at work.”

According to McManamon, having her family members be so concerned for her was unbelievable. “[My nieces and nephews] would cry and want to talk with me on the phone,” McManamon said. “Amanda wrote stories about the family cancer experience for her English papers. Trevor wore pink football gloves during his football games last year, and this year he wore a pink t-shirt with my name on it under his football jersey and pink socks for every game.”

According to McManamon, the outpouring of love she experienced made her more appreciative. She emphasized the importance of lending a helping hand.

“Reaching out to sick friends and family who need you does wonders,” McManamon said. “Be there when you can, it makes us feel like we’re

not alone.” two to three months. At the six-month Similar to McManamon, choral direc- mark, the doctors found that her tumors tor Stevi Marks will have been cancer-free spread to her arms, spine, liver and lungs. for seven years as of this December. She ”They gave me a different drug and this was diagnosed with stage four metastatic drug completely worked for me,” Marks breast cancer in Jan. 2006 at age 51. said. “My tumors stopped growing [...] to According to Marks, accepting the diag- the point now where there is nothing in nosis and fighting cancer was difficult. my liver or lung at all. It’s gone.” ”I really didn’t believe it at all,” Marks Last July, Marks heard from her doctor said. “Physically, there were a couple that she will be cancer-free the rest of her weird things with me that weren’t right. life.

There should’ve been a red flag, but why “Out of adversity often comes joy,” would I ever think that was [cancer]?”

Marks said. “I’ve been very, very blessed, Despite stress and hardship, Marks de- my life has changed radically and for the cided to focus on recovering. better.”

“I had two days of not knowing what to Marks emphasized that awareness is do with myself, and then I got up and said, key.

‘Okay, I can lay here in a cocoon or I can “At first I had to be reactive, and that redo something about this,’” Marks said. “I ally terrified me,” Marks said. “[Be] proac[...] said, ‘I am going to take control of this. tive, not reactive.”

I will decide who I see, what I use, how I handle this,’ and that was an important moment for me.”

According to Marks, she was being 12% of wo scanned in the U men every

.S. will develo pb cancer reast du their life ring time cancer.o

rg

Stevi Marks

Cure Club board member Aunt is a breast cancer survivor.

Ann Romney

Former First Lady of Massachusetts Breast cancer survivor for past four years.

nymag.com

Breck Murphy

Choral director Breast cancer survivor for past seven years.

14

features

Nov. 9, 2012

Skorupa chooses teaching over dinner with Britney Spears Ruhi Bhaidani & Grace Brunzell

staff reporters He was once a renowned fencer. He has eaten dinner with Britney Spears, has toured with the Grateful Dead and has tried on Jay-Z’s 250,000 dollar watch. He has recently patented safety breaks. Yet John Skorupa is still intent on remaining a Health and Drivers Ed. teacher at South.

“Teaching is the job that I love,” Skorupa said. “I don’t feel like I come to work here. [...] I feel like I come to a place where I’m able to share experiences with the adults that I work with and the kids that I teach.”

Junior Haewon Kim had Skorupa as a Health teacher last year and thought he was a caring and humorous teacher.

“Anything he says, or anything that comes out of his mouth is funny,” Kim said. “He can make a joke about a tree and I would laugh [...] He was a good teacher.

Whenever I struggled in class, he’d help me get some help and get my work done.”

However, Skorupa hasn’t always been a teacher. During high school, Skorupa was an accomplished fencer. He went to two Junior Olympics, one National Championship and almost qualified for the USA Olympic team. Yet he regards fencing as just a hobby.

“My fencing experience in high school is no different than a student at South who would play volleyball or wrestle or play lacrosse,” Skorupa said. “It’s just something that you do when you’re in high school.”

Even after high school, Skorupa was far off from being a teacher.

“When I was finishing up high school and going into college, [...] I started off being an usher for events: sporting events, concerts, things like that,” Skorupa said.

“When I turned 21, I worked as a security guard at All state Arena, the Aragon, the Vic, Soldier Field, pretty much all over the place.”

As a security guard, Skorupa had the opportunity to meet celebrities and tour with them over his summers. According to Skorupa, he’s toured with Dave Matthews Band, Metallica, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Jay-Z, Beyonce and more. He

DAUGHTER’S DREAM: At the end of his career as a security guard, Skorupa takes his daughter, Joanna

Skorupa, to meet her idol, Miley Cyrus. From 1989 to 2009, John Skorupa worked as a security guard for many different celebrities. After having his daughter accomplish her dream, John poses with her for a photo (right). Photos courtesy of John Skorupa

personally got to know a few other entertainers.

“I’ve been out to dinner with Britney Spears, where it was just Britney and I before she was a big deal,” Skorupa said.

“I’ve been ice skating with Garth Brooks’ kids. I’ve been bowling with Dave Matthews. I’ve tried on Jay-Z’s 250,000 dollar watch.

I’ve taken just fun, playing around guitar lessons, so to say, with Eddie Van Halen from Van Halen.”

Skorupa said he had toured with bands and musicians as a security guard for 15 years. His career came to an end after he finally took his daughter to meet her idol, Miley Cyrus.

Though one door closed, another one opened. Skorupa, with a degree in kinesiology (the study of how muscles move within the body) and a minor in educa-

“[Skorupa is] just very lively, whether he’s in the classroom teaching, on the field coaching, or in the office with us.”

-Health teacher Courtney Kelly

tion, became a P.E. teacher. Later, he got a job as a Drivers Education and Health teacher at South.

Skorupa’s involvement as Drivers Ed. teacher at South gave him the idea to patent “safety breaks” in cars. According to Skorupa, the breaks allow parents who practice with student drivers to stop the car without the consent of the student.

“If the parent remains calm in the car, it’s a more positive learning environment for the student, and the student is more capable of learning under less stress than if they are stressed out,” Skorupa said.

According to Steve Stanicek, head of P.E., Health and Drivers Ed., this isn’t the first time Skorupa has had an innovative idea in the field of Drivers Ed. “He’s always thinking about how to make the program better,” Stanicek said.

Health teacher Courtney Kelly said Skorupa is likeable, outgoing and easy to communicate with. Kelly had Skorupa as a lacrosse coach when she went to South.

“He’s always talking to kids and welcoming people to come in,” Kelly said.

“[He’s] energetic, he’s just very lively, whether he’s in the classroom teaching, he’s on the field coaching or in the office with us.”

Though he’s been through a few different careers, it is clear that Skorupa believes teaching is his favorite of all the jobs he’s had. “[There are] lots of very interesting, fun, cool people that work here, but the kids is what makes it,” Skorupa said.

South students “espresso a latte” different views toward coffee Calli Haramaras

staff reporter For some, the hardest part of the day is the morning, getting up and getting ready for school. For others, it’s either lunch time, when they feel that strong crash coming on, or late at night, as they try to stay awake and quickly finish up assignments before they fall asleep.

People seek different ways to cope with stress and fatigue. Some turn to a specific drink for help: coffee.

Thirty-four percent of 289 South students surveyed by The Oracle responded that they drink at least one cup of coffee per day.

Senior Katharine Battaglia, who drinks about four cups of coffee every day, says she prefers coffee because of the taste and the calming effect of it.

“I’m more alert and happier with coffee,” Battaglia said.

Not only does coffee affect Battaglia’s mood, but it also affects her sleeping

patterns. According to Battaglia, she sleeps about four hours every night.

Senior Madeline Moore also enjoys drinking coffee. She said she feels sick when she doesn’t have coffee.

“Usually [I drink] about five to seven cups of coffee a day,” Moore said. “If I don’t have coffee like right in the morning when I wake up, I get really bad headaches.”

According to Harvard School of Public Health studies, regular coffee consumption can protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.

However, the studies also stated that increased coffee consumption is potentially unhealthy because of high caloric intake.

Sophomore Noreen Andersen is part of the 13 percent of 289 South students sur-

veyed who dislike coffee.

According to Andersen, she prefers to drink about three cups of tea per day because she does not like the bitter taste of coffee.

“I think [tea] makes me feel better,” Andersen said. “I know it’s good for [me] and it has caffeine in it and I need caffeine to go through my day.”

Senior Casey Chiappetta said she used to drink about five to six cups of coffee per day.

However, she decided to make the switch to caffeinated tea after she started feeling sick and constantly jittery when drinking coffee.

Moore expressed her thoughts on South students’ general viewpoint towards coffee consumption.

“I think that most kids at South don’t drink coffee because they enjoy it; they drink [coffee] to stay awake and only when necessary,” Moore said.

“I think that most kids at South don’t drink coffee because they enjoy it; they drink [coffee] to stay awake and only when necessary.”

-senior Madeline Moore

features

15

Nov. 9, 2012

Adopted students discuss past, look forward to future

pted cousin find themselves Emily Dermer (left) and her ado of runs in the family.” cool,” Dermer said. “It just kind were both adopted. “It’s pretty

ng one another, senior CONNECTED COUSINS: Embraci in a similar situation in that they Photo courtesy of Emily Dermer

Maddie Abrams

a&e editor A woman is pregnant but has no money and no one to help her. She wants to keep the child but knows that she cannot give him/her the best opportunities. Another woman is pregnant, but she is hardly a woman. She is 16 and feels she is unable to properly raise a child.

Not every parent is able to keep his or her child. Some are financially unstable and others are simply not ready.

Adoption is an alternative process some parents choose over keeping their children in these situations. This affects some South students in different ways.

For sophomore Will Neely, being adopted is not something that ever really affected his life.

“I accept that the parents that I’m living with now are my parents because they brought me up since I was a baby,” Will said.

Will’s older sister, senior Emma Neely, was adopted as well. According to both of them, they grew up knowing about their adoption and are very glad.

“It’s not really something [our parents] would want to keep a secret,” Emma said. “[…] But if they didn’t tell me and then randomly told me I would be questioning my-

self because I know some people that have been adopted and they have identity problems.”

According to Emma, she and Will were adopted from different families and they were both closed adoptions.

This means that all information is concealed so they cannot contact their birth parents until they are 18 years old or if they have court orders.

Junior Ally Nathan’s adoption was also closed. According to Nathan, she really wants to find her birth parents.

“Even if it’s just once in my life, I just want to be like, ‘Mom, tell me everything’,” Nathan said.

Similarly, senior Emily Dermer wanted to meet her birth parents, but she received news this summer that they are no longer living.

“It was really shocking,” Dermer said.

“My mom wasn’t really supposed to tell me, it just kind of slipped out when we were at the doctor’s office. It threw me back and it took me awhile for it to actually sink in, but it was really sad.”

Although Dermer desired to meet her birth parents, she has learned to deal with the reality that she won’t be able to now.

Will, however, said he has little desire to meet his birth parents.

“There’s the whole nature versus nurture thing and how, because I was brought up by my parents, I’d be more closely related to them than my birth parents,” Will said.

Emma and Will’s mother decided to adopt because of medical reasons, according to Emma.

“My [adoptive] mom actually, when she was 16 years old, was [in and out of] the hospital because [something was wrong] where she couldn’t have kids,” Emma said.

According to Emma, she was delivered to her adoptive parents by the adoption agency when she was a couple weeks old. Will, however, spent about ten days with foster parents prior to being officially adopted by his parents. Dermer, adopted when she was one week old, has always been aware of the fact that she was adopted.

“I always kind of [grew] up knowing,” Dermer said. “I don’t really remember a time where my parents told me. It’s just kind of always been with me.”

Nathan also cannot recall a moment when her parents told her she was adopted but knows her parents decided to adopt when her mom was trying to get pregnant. “[My adoptive mother’s pregnancy] was unsuccessful and [my

adoptive parents] really wanted a child, so they reached out to an adoption agency and they found a family who they had a connection with,” Nathan said.

According to Nathan, she does not know much about her birth parents, but knows they gave her up for adoption for the right reasons.

“It’s not like my biological parents didn’t want me,” Nathan said. “It’s just that they were too poor and they couldn’t afford having another child because my biological mom’s husband left in the middle of her pregnancy.”

Both Emma and Nathan experienced difficult situations with bullies when they were young after students found out they were adopted.

According to Emma, an event in second grade was the first time that she ever really thought about being adopted.

“He found out that I was adopted, and I think we got in a fight or something, but I remember he made fun of me [for it],” Emma said.

Students in Nathan’s class bullied her while her mother faced challenges with other parents who criticized her for telling Nathan she was adopted at a young age.

“One of the kids from my class went home and told their parents [that I was adopted],”Nathan said. “Those parents called my parents […] outraged that my parents told me that I was adopted. All the kids would bully me for that, […] and I just never understood it.”

Nathan explained that she still has days when she feels embarrassed about being adopted.

“Everyone has those days where they feel unwanted, but if I could [share my adoption story and] tell those kids who are embarrassed, [...] I would just tell them that there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Nathan said.

According to Emma, she feels that there is something special about being adopted because of the process.

“It’s not like you put in a request to have a baby,” Emma said. “You have to apply to certain parents [...] through an agency. My parents applied for each of us.”

Despite being adopted, Emma and Will share common interests with their birth parents.

“My [adoptive] mom told me that my [biological] parents were both musicians, and I am now involved in music and that’s something I’ve always been interested in, so it’s sort of by nature,” Emma said.

According to Emma, although she is fascinated by this coincidence, she is hesitant about meeting her biological parents in the future.

“I’m not sure if I would necessarily go hop on a plane without thinking about it at all,” Emma said.

Nathan explained how being adopted is not a huge deal, but something that should be embraced.

“I don’t care where I come from,” Nathan said. “I’m Ally, it shouldn’t matter.”

Will explained that his and Emma’s adoption has never affected their relationship with their parents and is not a huge deal in their lives.

“We both know that our [adoptive] parents are our parents now, and that’s all that matters,” Will said.

According to Nathan, she agrees that being adopted does not change her relationship with her adoptive parents or who she is.

“At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who raises you,” Nathan said. “You have to love them because they’re the ones that give you all these opportunities.”

“I don’t care where I come from. I’m Ally, it shouldn’t matter.”

-Junior Ally Nathan

2.5 percent

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Illustration by Zoe Shancer

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a&e

Nov. 9, 2012

Drama Club uses creativity to benefit community Anna Hofmockel

staff reporter How many organizations have raised money for a service project by wearing funny hats? Well, that is how South’s Drama Club does it. The Drama Club raises money for a charity organization called Heavenly Hats, which donates hats to people who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.

“I love helping out charities and doing it in a creative way like wearing crazy hats,” junior Zach Bauer, Drama Club member, said. “The fact that it’s drama club adds an aspect of creativity.”

Senior Megan Clarke, the Drama Club publicity officer, says the service project is a great way to have fun and raise money.

“I love being goofy and dressing in all kinds of weird things, so this gave me an excuse to do so,” Clarke said. “On top of that, [being] part of something that helps a lot of [people] who really need it [...] it’s just a good feeling.”

Along with the Heavenly Hats project that takes place in November, members of Drama Club and the Drama 3 Improvisation class take weekly trips to The Vi, a senior citizen community in Glenview.

To prepare for these trips, students learn improvisation games in either the Drama 3 Improvisation class or at weekly Drama Club meetings.

According to Matt Miller, senior Drama Club President, students teach and play improvisation games with the senior citizens at The Vi. “It’s really fun to see how different people think about improv, and the senior citizens are hilarious and really good at it,” Miller said. “I look forward to getting to interact with them.”

Junior Matt Chorvat, a Drama Club member who visits The Vi often, believes the atmosphere of the community is very welcoming.

“Everyone is just there to have a great time,” Chorvat said. “I remember once I had a great time with the dating game with the seniors.”

Doing service projects with Drama

SERVING LAUGHS: While learning new improvisation games, senior citizens interact with South Drama Club students at a local indepent living and continuing care community. The Drama Club members use their talent and creativity in order to come up with similar service projects that benefit the community. Photo by Tommy Hagerty

Club is also very rewarding, according to junior Kaitlin Lambert.

“It doesn’t feel like a service project, it feels like a drama class,” Lambert said.

“At The Vi when you’re teaching the senior [citizens], it’s not like you’re doing it because you have to, you’re doing it because it’s fulfilling and fun for you.”

Projects like Heavenly Hats and weekly trips to The Vi are fun because of the people who are in Drama Club, according to sophomore Janie Kahan.

In the first year the Drama Club raised money for Heavenly Hats, it won an award for raising the most money in the area, according to Drama Club Sponsor

Beth Barber.

According to Barber, Drama Club raised around $3,000 last year.

This year, the Drama Club hopes to raise at least $1,000 for Heavenly Hats.

“You get to know the members of Drama Club better; we are all one big family,” Kahan said.

IMEA provides outside evaluation for South musicians Emily Mitchell & Kali Croke

staff reporters At the sound of a single note hitting the piano, perfection is expected for musicians to make the cut. In that moment, a row of judges must decide whether or not the prospective student will make it to the one thing on his/her mind: IMEA. Each year, the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) holds a music competition between nine districts composed of high schools around Illinois. Students audition to be selected to perform in and be judged on various ensembles such as jazz band, vocal jazz, chorus or orchestra. The audition process allows musicians to be eligible to compete in the Illinois All-State Music Conference.

This past October, South performers in the Music Department auditioned and rehearsed for a coveted spot in the group of students competing in the District 7 IMEA competition. According to choir director Stevi Marks, this process was similar for many students around Illinois.

“All around the state, auditions are held for student musicians who excel to see if they can participate in an upper-level ensemble,” Marks said. “First, they try to get into the district level, and the top of those kids get to go to State.”

This year, 18 South singers will compete for State in the classical or jazz group.

Choir director Martin Sirvatka said that he is very excited about the number of students participating this year.

“I was really proud that they stepped up to the plate and hit a home run,” Sirvatka said. “They did a lot on their own,

UNDER PRESSURE: Singing at a fall choir concert, Master Singer choir members practice their musical skills. Selected members will have the opportunity to participate in IMEA this year.

Photo by Jaqueline De Witt

and I was very proud.”

As a junior, Hannah Schiller is excited to be able to go to IMEA for the first time.

“It’s like work being paid off,” Schiller said. “You kind of want to be able to go as a freshman and sophomore, and as a junior you’re like, ‘finally.’ This is awesome.

I’ve been working hard for this.”

Senior Kris Hansen said this is his third year participating in IMEA, specifically vocal jazz. In vocal jazz, they are required to sight read and “scat” on the spot during

their audition. According to Hansen, although the process is nerve-wracking, it is also rewarding. “[Auditioning] gives you the opportunity to see what kind of competition there is, and also to see the level of talent outside of the school,” Hansen said.

While there are several opportunities for students like IMEA, Marks said this is the only event where students are judged.

“We have a lot going on at this school,” Marks said. “I like [...] to service our

school rather than spending time going to hear what one other judge says to us.”

Marks further explained that although she and Sirvatka are somewhat weary about the judged contests, they fully support IMEA. She likes that it gives students the chance to perform outside of their comfort zone and under pressure.

Sophomore David Sucher is one of the members of vocal jazz for IMEA. He found the audition process to be a positive experience despite being under pressure.

“Just going into the audition [taught] me so much,” Sucher said.

Sirvatka agreed and said that no matter what, auditions like this are always sources of good experiences for performers.

“Anytime a student has a chance to audition and get someone else’s perspective outside of this school, it makes them better at what they do,” Sirvatka said. “Our kids get confidence from doing that, and they bring that back with them and I think they get better as musicians.”

According to Hansen, Sirvatka and Marks are extremely encouraging throughout the entire process.

“They’re very supportive, [but] they keep a really great balance between the IMEA participants and the other kids who aren’t doing IMEA,” Hansen said.

Marks said she is very excited about this group of students whether they make it to State or not.

“We’re not in the room with them, we don’t know how they did, and all we can do is try to prepare them the best we can,” Marks said. “There are some students that really stepped up [...] so of course we’re very, very proud.”

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Nov. 9, 2012

TV show Ca$h brings off-beat comedy to students, community

and I asked, ‘Hey, what should the name of the show be?’” Richter said. “Tommy wanted to make it $, literally just $, so I thought of Ca$h, with a dollar sign as the ‘s’.”

While the majority of the content in Ca$h is clean, they have had some incidents in which they haven’t been able to air their content.

“There have been a few times when we’ve had to bleep stuff out of skits we filmed and ones where after we’re like, ‘Alright, we’re not going to air this. We are not showing this to anyone [but ourselves],’” Gould said. “There was one where we wrote it, filmed it, finished it up. It was hilarious but not [appropriate for air].”

The final product of each episode can be viewed on YouTube, vimeo and GBS TV. According to Dettloff, the feedback so far has been great.

“My favorite part is probably having so many people liking it in the end,” Dettloff said. “It’s really rewarding, having something that you’ve produced and seeing other people liking it and complimenting you about it. I think that’s one of the most rewarding parts about it.”

To watch episodes, visit their YouTube page, cashdollarsmoney, or like them on Facebook, facebook.com/cashdollarsmoney.

Rachel Mann

a&e editor

“It’s actually a really boring and bad time, and we all dread getting together to make the show because we’re not friends and we don’t enjoy each other’s company. It’s really painful to do the show.”

Sarcastically said, senior Will Gould reflects on his experience thus far as a writer and actor for the student-run TV show, Ca$h. Ca$h is comprised of seniors John Adkisson, Eddie Dettloff, Will Gould, Tommy Neuman, Josh Raebel, Evan Richter and Evan Sucher. According to Gould, the members of Ca$h have been close friends since the beginning of high school.

“The Ca$h experience really starts with Paradox because that’s when all of us, the Ca$h guys, started acting and writing comedy,” Gould said. “[Ca$h] is actually an extension of what we’ve been already doing.”

Gould described the goal of the show as bringing a new type of humor to the South community.

“Basically what we are trying to do is make people laugh at things they haven’t laughed at before,” Gould said. “We want them to be watching an episode and think, ‘Hey, that’s really not that funny, why am I laughing at this?’ Anyone can do punch line jokes, but not [everyone] can really make the audience have to almost evaluate what they’re laughing at.”

Richter, Ca$h director and producer, says the show is a representation of how the group of friends interacts when they hang out.

“I think [Ca$h] does a pretty good job of showing our collective personality,” Richter said. “We say and think of really weird things, […] and now we just happen to have the camera as we’re doing it.”

So far, Ca$h has aired two episodes and plans to air six more episodes over the course of the year. The 13-15 minute episodes are comprised of several mini skits written by the cast members.

“When I’m acting [in Ca$h], it’s something I wrote or something that my friends wrote, and I know how it would want to be portrayed,” Gould said. “The fact that we are all close friends really makes it easier to get the desired product because we all know each other so well.”

According to Richter, the process of creating an episode begins with creating scripts or outlines of the skits. After filming, Richter edits the material to add transitions and special effects. According to Richter, each minute of the show requires approximately an hour of editing. “[When] editing, you need to maintain the timing and the feel of the skit as it was thought out,” Richter said. “If there’s a certain joke being told, there needs to be a certain amount of time between the delivery and the set up. Editing is about making sure the idea of the joke isn’t lost.”

According to Richter, the process of choosing a name for the show was spontaneous.

Graphic by Evan Richter “The origin of the name is that we were all standing around

Top 5 Ca$h lines

1. “Personally, I don’t really believe in death. The way I see it, death is just a made-up word for trying to describe what happens at the end of your life.” - Will Gould as Grief Counselour 2. “I do what I do to feed my family.” - Josh Raebel as Raptor Boy 3. “Live for nothing or die for something.” - Eddie Dettloff in Raptor Hunters 4. “Did you see what this guy did to me? He startled me. Startled me to heck.” - John Adkisson in Raptor Hunters 5. ”What’s the biggest thing you can think of ?” - Episode One Skit

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18

a&e

Nov. 9, 2012

South Students Dress to Impress on Halloween South students flaunted their creativity on Oct. 31 by wearing costumes to school. The A&E editors held the second annual costume contest for students to earn an opportunity to be published in The Oracle. The following students were selected and given recognition for their costumes.

Photos by Evan Richter & Wyatt Richter

Maddie Abrams & Rachel Mann

a&e editors Sally You

asst. a&e editor

LEAST SEXY Jake Nelson

Daniel Palmer Navy EOD

Michael Jobski

Joe Rauh Conductor

MEN IN UNIFORM

Grandpa

Brennan Sean Cascarano Garvey Robin Wonder Woman

Richard Simmons Jordyn Altit Phineas

MEN IN TIGHTS

David Colston Batman

SEXIEST

Brett Laurie Superman

Hannah Gruenberg Ferb

BEST TV CHARACTERS

a&e

19

Nov. 9, 2012

BEST LOOKING IN A BATHING SUIT

Katie Iida & Olivia Smoliga

Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy

Quinn Abrams Scuba Dude Chris Jenkins & Drake Maleh

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

vote in an online survey! theoracle.glenbrook225.org

BEST HOMEMADE COSTUME

MOST HARD CORE Mutant Ninja Turtles

Rory Penepacker

Annie Engels Mustard Adam Hettinger Stoplight

Cassidy Harman Ketchup

MOST EDIBLE

Jamie Reynolds

Landon Hartfield

Melissa Scherer

Ethan Boner Cat in the Hat

Amanda Thoelecke Thing 3

Danielle Yapor Thing 2

BEST STORY BOOK CHARACTERS

Devin Maki Tigger

Sam Herzon Winnie the Pooh

MOST ADORABLE

20

a&e

Nov. 9, 2012

South vocalists look to MaryJean Allen for musical success hand, if [students] come to their lesson and they’re having a really crummy day, I’m not going The famous joke in instructor to immediately make them sing.

MaryJean Allen’s music classes That would be too hard because is that you always leave her stuas singers, our body and mind is dio laughing and feeling better. the instrument.”

Allen, nicknamed by students Allen’s expertise is also noMJ, is not an official classroom ticed by faculty members. teacher at South. Instead, she has “If I have a question about her own office in the music deanything, voice technique or a partment where students receive style or anything, I go to her,” one-on-one voice lessons during Choir Director Martin Sirvatka choir or a free period. said.

In the private lessons, Allen Sirvatka has even taken lesand her students usually work sons from Allen himself. on songs for the recitals she According to Allen, all her deproduces in the fall and spring, grees are in vocal performance, along with preparations for auand she never thought she ditions for the V-Show, musical, would become a voice teacher. and South vocal groups.

“I realized not only that I was Senior Kris Hansen, a three good at [teaching] but that I year student of Allen, describes liked it better,” Allen said. “I feel how her teaching style allows the most passionate about helpstudents to learn techniques pering people.” sonalized toward their voice.

Allen is also a licensed Body “Personally, [Allen] has Mapping teacher, a method of tweaked my sound so that I can MAKING MELODIES: During a one-on-one voice lesson, freshman Kate Maki (left) practices her vocal skills under the guidlearning about musculo-skeletal sing any style with a greater ance of instructor MaryJean Allen (right). Students are eligible to take private voice lessons with Allen during choir or a free structure in order to improve amount of ease,” Hansen said. “I period. Photo by Jacqueline Dewitt movement and musical perforknow that every singer’s voice is mance. And, she is a certified a slightly different instrument, Alexander technique teacher, a ing lessons with her, and she just made eating disorder, and she would always so she is versatile in her approach with me feel like my voice was special and I ask how I was doing. I can talk to her method that improves ease and freedom teaching because of that.” of movement, balance, and coordination. was actually good.” about basically anything.”

According to senior Allison Stanek, According to Allen, her main goals as Allen is also supportive of her stuAccording to Allen, she talks to her lessons from Allen have helped her grow dents in areas besides music, according students going through a rough day be- a teacher are to help students face rejecas a musician. to Stanek. fore the lesson until he or she feels calm tion, which occurs often in the large and “I was just really not confident in my competitive South Music Department, “It’s a different relationship than I enough to sing. singing and it kind of ruined [choir] for have with most teachers,” Stanek said. “I “I’m not a professional therapist, that’s as well as building her students’ confime,” Stanek said. “But then I started tak- was out in treatment because I have an not what I do,” Allen said. “On the other dence.

Mollie Cramer & Ariana Nufio

staff reporters

Popular blogs worth checking out for modern entertainment Bailey Monte

co-opinions editor

A&E Opinion: As blogs gain popularity and begin to emerge as one of the main sources of entertainment on the internet, here is a crash-course guide about which ones you should be sure to check out and follow on Tumblr (both a blogging platform and social networking site).

This is exactly what it sounds like: a blog dedicated to real pictures of Kim Jong-Il, former North Korean “supreme leader,” looking at things. It’s unclear as to how these photos have been obtained or why there are so many. It’s difficult to avoid laughing out loud.

#WHATSHOULDWECALLME is the ultimate home of video “memes” on the Internet. In this sense, a “meme” describes a picture or video accompanied by words that is shared between people online, intended to be funny. This site takes short videos (typically relating to pop-culture) accompanied by words to illustrate humorous aspects of everyday life. The material here is witty and honest, rarely recycled, and sure to make any visitor laugh at least once. It has inspired countless spin-off sites.

This blog is a conglomeration of photos, short video, and literature, song, and movie quotes.

Both beautiful and inspiring, it’s simply nice to look at. “Stream of consciousness” is probably the best way to sum it up.

“Literally Unbelievable” has gained great acclaim as being one of the funniest blogs out there. It features real reactions by people on Facebook who read satirical articles written by The Onion and don’t realize that it isn’t a news publication, but rather a source of political and social commentary and humor. Gullibility at its finest.

This is the fake burn book of Suri Cruise. It features large paparazzi photos of other child celebrities accompanied by her biting commentary.

All of the content is current, which is always a plus.

She typically comments on other child celebrities, she always delivers hilarious, scathing remarks. If you’re not into celebrities, stay clear.

sports

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Nov. 9, 2012

Hockey adjusts to new conference, young team Ben Kraus

co-web editor At 3-5-3, the varsity men’s hockey team is looking for growth in the new “Original Nine” conference.

South has faced some early struggles out of the gate—including a shutout loss to Rockford in its first league game—but Greg Abbott, senior captain and defenseman, feels that the struggles are typical at this point in the season.

“We definitely have had our ups and downs in the games,” Abbott said. “We’ve been fairly inconsistent, but those are just the things that come with [where we are] early [in the] season.”

This is the first year of the “Original Nine” conference, adding new teams to South’s schedule. According to head coach Jimmy Philbin, teams were chosen from the Metro North League as well as other top leagues, and include Loyola and New Trier.

“We created this league to be an extremely competitive league for this year and years to come, and for developmental purposes, it’s only going to make players get better,” Philbin said.

Finding its place in a new league also provides an excellent chance for South to test themselves, according to Abbott.

“Playing in this new conference is a great opportunity,” Abbott said. “We’re going to be playing against the top competition across the state of Illinois, and I think we can hang around with a lot of these teams.”

As for South, with eight sophomores on varsity, youth and inexperience define this year’s team.

“We are a very young team,” Abbott said. “[However,] I think a lot of the [young] players have the potential and have the skill to play well at [the high school] level.”

ICE ICE BABY: Skating down the ice, junior Krystian Szorc looks to chase down the puck. Szorc is one of 13 non-seniors on the 20-man team this Philbin says that the amount of youth on this year’s season. Photo by JP O’Rourke squad translates into less physical play. However, he However, Washburn acknowledges that this team With fewer returning players, Abbott feels the onus to feels they can utilize their speed and athleticism well.

“We don’t have a lot of size and we’re not a physical needs to make strides in a couple key areas to be able to perform falls on those more experienced players.

“I definitely think that our top line is going to have to team right now,” Philbin said. “[But] you don’t have to compete. For Washburn, this starts with the basics.

“We need to hit more,” Wash- play very well in order for us to do well,” Abbott said. “I kill someone when they have the burn said. “And, obviously we expect [Davis and Morrison] to be some of the top scorpuck. It goes back to having a quick need to put the puck in the net ers on the team. And Reid [McMahon, senior goalie], is hockey team.” more.” primed for a big year.”

Jack Washburn, senior captain As for the seasoned vets, key Overall, Philbin feels that the numbers will not tell the and forward, also notes there are defenders, according to Phil- full story this season, as it will be one full of hard work in advantages with this year’s youngbin, will include Abbott, senior a difficult conference. sters. captain Kevin Morrison and ju“I don’t know if the numbers really matter that much “They’re young and inexperinior captain Connor Dunham.

Senior captain Eric Davis, right now,” Philbin said. “I think the development of our enced,” Washburn said. “The one upside is [that] we got Washburn, junior Trey Buckingham and junior Mike Dilteam [does]. A .500 record in this league would be outrid of a lot of slower guys from last year that couldn’t lon headline the team’s group of forwards. standing for our team this year, though.” move, so we can play better defense than last year.”

“We need to hit more. And, obviously we need to put the puck in the net more.”

-Senior Jack Washburn

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22

sports

Nov. 9, 2012

Athletes pictured have not necessarily had concussions

Photo by Wyatt Richter

Photo by KK Kuramitsu

Photo by JP O’Rourke

Concussion severity poses major threat to athletes Ethan Spalding

co-sports editor

Without the brain, the human body would be a collection of tissue with no function. The digestive system would be a cesspool of corrosive chemicals, the respiratory system a collection of empty passageways. The heart would not beat.

According to antranik.com, the bones surrounding the brain, collectively known as the skull, protect the brain from harm. Tissue, known as meninges, and cerebrospinal fluid provide extra cushioning to prevent the brain from colliding with the hard skull.

Despite natural protective measures in place, the brain can still be injured. In cases of excessive trauma, concussions occur. According to Dr. Andrew Hunt, a sports medicine specialist at Illinois Bone and Joint Institute (IBJI), the trauma that induces concussions interrupts the connections of a healthy brain.

“Concussions alter the normal functioning of the brain due to the mechanical injury[….] There’s damage that interferes with how the neurons and the brain communicate,” Hunt said. “Every concussion[…] can affect how people normally perceive [and] think.”

According to Hunt, concussions pose a particular threat towards young people because of their developing brains.

“In kids, [concussions] can be especially problematic because they’re especially susceptible [and] they are in the process of learning, and a concussion can interfere with their ability to do that,” Hunt said.

Concussions are naturally more prevalent when the brain is travelling at high speeds and experiencing collision forces. This puts athletes, who are frequently in motion, at particular risk. Contact sports, especially ones like football, are particularly conducive to the head trauma that induces concussion.

The prevalence of concussions has been relatively constant throughout sports history. Despite this, Dustin Fink, an athletic trainer in Shelbyville, IL. who runs theconcussionblog.com, believes that people have only just begun to realize the scope of what is happening.

“I think it’s a generational thing[…] [Concussions] were happening but we didn’t know what was going on until [we found out] what we know now,” Fink said.

Hunt attributes raising awareness to prolific cases involving ex-NFL players.

These have prompted people to take concussions more seriously as well.

“I think, unfortunately, it’s been the NFL experience with some of the fairly high-profile findings from recent suicides,” Hunt said. “Autopsy studies that have shown that repetitive, long term concussions can lead to serious pathology on the order of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Hunt reciprocates this viewpoint, explaining why diagnoses have become more frequent over recent years.

“I think we’ve done a much better job over the last ten or fifteen years in recognizing the severity and extent of the injury,” Hunt said. “I think a lot of that has come about with the availability of neuro-psych testing that previously was unavailable to groups and organizations other than professional sports teams.”

NFL players are not the only people at risk for long-term results of concussion.

Fink believes that anybody with a long history of concussion is predisposed for mental issues in the future, something he believes he has been affected by himself.

“The main thing that I’ve seen [are] the emotional aspects, and the long term effect there is, [including a] learning disability,” Fink said. “It’s not always common, and there [are] lots of people who’ve had head injuries and done well. I’ve had 11 [concussions] myself and I carry a master’s degree, and it’s not that I can’t learn, but I do struggle with things like depression and anger management at times, and

I wasn’t like that five, ten years ago, but I am now. There could be a lot of factors, but those are the things we need to be wary of.”

While the long-term effects are the most drastic, the short-term effects are nothing to scoff at. Taylor Bielanski, sophomore hockey player, has suffered four concussions and says that concussions have had a severe impact on his life.

Bielanski says that his repetitive concussions have led to “kind of a slower thought process, tougher doing homework and a lot of trouble focusing.”

In response to a growing number of situations like Bielanksi’s, the Illinois Highschool Association (IHSA) has made attempts to curtail the number of concussions and keep athletes out of danger.

The new policy requires that coaches “shall be educated about the nature and risk of concussions and head injuries”, “Shall immediately remove from participation/competition any athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury”, and “Shall not allow an athlete who has been removed from play because of a suspected concussion/brain injury to return to play until the athlete has received written clearance from a physician”.

Despite these efforts, players still often play through head injuries. Hunt equates this to an overall lack of awareness among athletes.

“Unfortunately, many high school kids don’t appreciate the severity [of concussions], want to play and will tell you anything they need to get back on the field,” Hunt said. “[Recognizing concussions] becomes a difficult task where the value of experience is huge.”

Thus, when kids do suffer concussions, the responsibility is put on the athletic trainers to recognize if a kid is faking health. According to Fink, this is extremely difficult because there is no objective field test for concussions.

“Kids need to understand [the risk], they have to be honest, because it’s so subjective as an athletic trainer,” Fink said. “I can’t tell if a kid is dizzy or not unless he is [visibly] stumbling around[…] so it’s up to them to tell me.”

Head injuries are intrinsic to sports like football, hockey and lacrosse. No matter the technology or rule changes implemented, people will get hit in the head because of the fast-paced and violent nature of sports.

With that being acknowledged, Fink believes that with rising awareness, full-contact sports like football will be approached differently in the coming years.

“The sport as we see it [may change],” Fink said. “I see an increase in flag football; I see an increase in alternatives with less collisions for younger athletes. I think we’re at the highest level for tackle football right now.”

Hunt agrees that football is on the verge of changing, but does not expect football to fade to the extent boxing, another dangerous sport, did during the 20th century.

“I think it’s going to be an ongoing issue that develops over time,” Hunt said.

“I don’t ever see football going away, but over the course of time with increasing numbers [of head injuries] maybe there might be rule changes. It’s tough to say. I don’t think it’s anywhere on the order of boxing [in terms of riskiness], but I don’t think we’ve ever allowed kids to box.”

According to Fink, as long as there are sports, there will be risk for head injuries.

“The problem with concussions in football or any[…] sport or activity[…] is [that] the brain is just floating inside the skull,” Fink said. “Even if we put a helmet around a head, it doesn’t impede the brain from sloshing around and causing the issues. The linear forces that create skull fractures and major brain bleed are definitely attenuated by helmets, and that’s why they’re in place, but what the helmets don’t do, and what they can’t do, is stop the brain from rattling inside the skull.”

sports

23

Nov. 9, 2012

Q&A: Future Bulldog Smoliga talks decision, senior season ing in the water. It relaxes me and calms me down. I love turning into competition mode. I love seeing my times In 2010, Olivia Smoliga drop and how my hard work set her first state record as a translates into the meets. I sophomore in the 100 yard love making myself stronger backstroke. Since then, she and competing with the top has set two more state rerocks in the nation.” cords and gone to Olympic On what keeps her motivatTrials, missing the Olympic ed for high school meets: cut by less than a second.

“The biggest challenge for Last month, Smoliga comme is keeping up my times mitted to Georgia Universiduring dual meets. I recentty on a swim scholarship. In ly just did a [100 backstroke conversation with The Orain] 57 [seconds] at Evanston. cle, she talked about this and The national record is 51 [secmore. onds]. I would like to be closOn potentially being an er to [that] time. The biggest Olympian: challenge is thinking about “I’m focusing on taking State at every dual meet and everything one step at a time. knowing that I have to be a I have high school State comlot faster in order to drop my ing up in a couple of weeks. time for efficiency.”

Then, I have Worlds and NaOn staying humble: tionals. From there, I start my “I know there are also so collegiate career. In the back many girls out there on a of my mind, becoming an larger scale who are better Olympian would be sweet, and it’s always there. It is my ALL SMILES SMOLIGA: Looking up to the New Trier natatorium scoreboard at last year’s state meet, senior Olivia Smoliga smiles at her than me. My coaches [Kelly Timson and Steve Iida] albiggest goal. I love seeing my state-record time. Smoliga set two state records last year to bring her total to three. Photo courtesy of Glenview Lantern ways tell me that there’s alimprovement and meeting new people on my journey to the tween USC and Georgia. I chose He talked about the way he will loved. He’s very old- fashioned, ways someone better [than me].

Georgia because of the southern train me for the Olympics and but also very approachable. It [Knowing that] makes me work Olympic trials.” that much harder to get better.

On choosing the University of hospitality. Also, [the] coach is so my plan to get better to make was a great fit all around.”

That’s the reason why I’m in the caring. He’s the guy I’ll be spend- it to the top. The coach was a On her love of swimming: Georgia: “I love swimming. I love be- pool everyday.”

“I love Georgia. It was be- ing my next four plus years with. Southern guy who my parents Mary Friedman co-web editor

Smoliga’s Sweet Spot

What puts the 4-time state champ in her zone

Favorite album: Taylor Swift’s “Red”

Favorite pump-up song: Jay-Z’s “On to the Next One”

Favorite athlete: Missy Franklin

Favorite pre-race snack: Peanut Butter & Jelly

Favorite sports movie: “The Fighter”

Pair of pairs: swim sisters form foundation of third-ranked swim team Marlye Jerva & Katie Vanderveen

Caroline Bickel & Hannah Mason

staff reporters

staff reporters

tie

Ka

lly Ke

For sisters Niki and Katie Wells, swimming is not just a sport. It is a way for them After years of watching their siblings swim to records, the youngest Cordes sisters, Kendall and Kelly, are ready to make a name for themselves. Together they’ve learned to to connect to each other and become closer.

Niki and Katie swim on the women’s swim team together and are coached by prioritize their time, because if they don’t, as their mother says, “They’ll drown”.

Senior Kendall and sophomore Kelly have had the experience of being able to support Kelly Timson. However, their swimming careers began at different times.

“I started swimming when I was 10,” Niki said. “[Katie] joined a year after me. each other in and out of the pool ever since they started We’ve been on the same team for six years.” swimming.

Niki started swimming after encouragement from “Since 1997, somebody’s been going to swim practices,” her parents. mother Leslie Cordes said.

“My mom found an ad in the paper for the swim Their oldest sibling, Colin, was the first Cordes to start team, and she asked me if I wanted to do it, and I swimming in 1997. In his career at South, he won State in said sure because I liked swimming,” Niki said. “I both the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle, a pedigree that liked going fast. So I did [swimming], and Katie allowed him to swim collegiately at Princeton University. followed.”

“When I was younger, I would always come to my Due to their similar facial features, many brother’s practices and see him working in the pool,” people mix up the sisters, especially when Kelly said. “I would always be like, ‘Oh wow! That their distinguishing features are masked seems like so much fun!’ So, that made me start by their swimwear. swimming.”

“We get called each other’s names Though they participate in different events, a lot,” Niki said. “You put caps and the sisters look to each other for inspiration. goggles on and it’s hard to tell people “We’re really competitive with each other, apart.” but we also push each other as hard as we can,” According to Niki, even though Kendall said. “We’re not afraid to really tell each their facial features are similar, their other to go faster or pick it up.” personalities separate and make them Last year, Kelly qualified for the IHSA state meet while both unique.

Kendall did not. Kendall still cheered on her younger “People who have known us for years sister, however, which really impressed their mother. are like, ‘I don’t even know how people mix “[Even though] she couldn’t be there herself, [Kendall] you up, you’re totally different’,” Niki said. was so excited to be there for Kelly,” Leslie said.

According to Timson, Niki’s more serious According to head coach Kelly Timson, the sisters have while Katie is much more outgoing. a relationship that allows them to use each other as rivals to “It’s interesting to have two girls that live in motivate themselves to do better. the same house [and] sleep in the same room, but “They can get on each other’s nerves a little bit, but it’s a have such different personalities,” Timson said. friendly rivalry most of the time,” Timson said. “I definitely According to Katie, when it comes down to it, see them getting more excited for each other’s successes than nothing gets in the way of the sisters’ relationship, the average person.. They understand how to work hard and and they remain each other’s biggest fans. have good, fit family values.”

“There’s nothing that I like more than seeing Niki The sisters expressed that they work hard and that even succeed,” Katie said. “It makes me feel good, and I though they sometimes dislike waking up for early morning Ke nd know it makes her feel good. There’s no one I want to practices, it’s rewarding in the end. They have their swimmer al l [win] more than my sister because she’s always there siblings and each other to motivate themselves to do their best Photo by Ethan Spalding i ik [for me].” every day.

N

24

sports

Nov. 9, 2012

Football falls in first-round blowout XC stumbles in co-sports editor Ben Wittenstein

staff reporter After winning two of their last three regular season games to qualify for the IHSA 8A playoffs, South lost to the Schaumburg Saxons 42-7 Oct. 26, putting an end to their season.

Heading into the final third of their season, the Titans saw the Waukegan Bulldogs, Niles West Wolves and Maine South Hawks as roadblocks in their path to qualify for the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season. First, South took on Waukegan Oct. 6.

On a cold Homecoming morning, senior Max Cohen led South’s versatile offense to a 45-7 victory against the Bulldogs. Although Noll referred to the game as one a lot of people expected South to win, he also acknowledged two future Division I players on the Bulldogs’ side making things tricky for the Titans. South followed up its biggest win of the season with a 35-25 win versus Niles West the following week. According to Noll, South played a great game for 40 minutes, and proceeded to hang on for the last eight.

While the Niles West victory rewarded South with a playoff bid, the Maine South match was a true test of the squad’s talent. Having never beaten the Hawks before, the Titans were hoping this year would be the year and opened the game up with a score. However, Maine South took over the second half, eventually winning 35-14. According to Noll, this was a difficult loss to swallow.

“We all expected to beat [Maine South],” Noll said. “I think our guys know if we played a better second half we would have had a better chance to beat them. In the immediate aftermath we were all a little frustrated because we all felt really good about the first half but not the second half.”

Fast forward to Oct. 26, when the Titans took on the Saxons in the first round of the playoffs. In a game that Noll described as “not one of our better performances,” South was defeated in a manner that Noll had not seen during the season.

“The Schaumburg game was much different from every other game; in every other game we played we were ahead at one time and it was competitive,” Noll said. “We were ahead deep into most of the games we’ve played. This game we were not in it from the very beginning and a number of things went wrong and we just did not play well in any phase of the game.”

For Noll, the loss was devastating, and brought the Titans to a final record of 5-5.

This was the first time they were .500 or below since 2004.

According to Noll, closing out games proved difficult for the team this year (see below). Also, losing four starting defenders and senior Grant Paterakos, the prospective starting tailback at the start of the season, to injuries, made things hard.

“A lot of games come down to a few plays, and you have to make those plays and win or not make those plays and not win,” Noll said. “There have been times this year where we have struggled in the fourth quarter.”

Cohen echoes his coach’s thoughts and targets a lack of second half consistency as the team’s main problem this season. “[The second half has definitely been our Achilles heel], “ Cohen said. “During the halftime break we just needed to stay focused and make the necessary corrections for the second half.”

However, looking back, Cohen views the season as one deDRAGGED DOWN: While being pulled down by an fined by perseverance.

Evanston defender, senior “We definitely got better as the Ose Ilenikhena attempts season went on,” Coto run for the endzone. hen said. “We’ve Ilenikhena, the first-string receiver for the Titans, overcome a lot of had the second most obstacles, and a receptions this season.

Photo by JP O’Rourke lot of injuries.”

Noll echoes his praise for the team’s perseverance and reveres the amount of work the team put into this season from top to bottom.

“It was a smaller team than in the past, it was a less experienced team than in the past, and for whatever reason we have not done as good a job in the weight room, and I’ll take the blame for that,” Noll said. “So, we just did not have the physical presence out there that we normally have, but we competed really hard. [Positively,] from start to finish this team improved more than any team I’ve ever coached […] Making the playoffs is a pretty big accomplishment for this group.”

“[Positively,] from start to finish this team improved more than any team I’ve ever coached [...] Making the playoffs was a pretty big accomplishment for this team.”

-Head coach Mike Noll

The fourth quarter: where things went south For the first time since 2004, the Titans had a record of .500 or below. In their 10 games this season, the Titans led in nine, and all nine of those leads extended into the second half, eight of those leads extending into the fourth quarter. This is a summation of each of the Titans’ losses this season.

Week 1 Prospect

South led the Knights 41-26 at halftime, but the Knights went on a 29-point run in the second half to win the game 55-41. Prospect quarterback Devin O’Hara scored six touchdowns for the Knights.

Week 3 GBN

North RB Grant Rushing ran for two touchdowns and threw for a third in the first North win against South in eight years.

Rushing’s last touchdown, a 16 yard run, put North ahead 2114 with 44.7 seconds

Week 6 New Trier

Going into the fourth quarter the Titans and Trevians were knotted up 21-21, but 10 unanswered points from New Trier awarded the Trevians the win in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Week 9 Maine South

Despite being tied 14-14 at halftime, Matt Alviti, Maine South and Northwestern-bound quarterback led the Hawks to three unanswered TDs in the second half and another undefeated conference season as the #1 ranked team in Illinois.

Week 10 Schaumburg

Schaumburg quarterback Stacy Smith hit receiver Cole Reyes for three touchdowns early, giving the Saxons a 42-7 win over the Titans, ending their season. This was the only game where the Titans never led.

Sectional meet John Adkisson

co-sports editor After capping off the 2012 season at the Sectional meet Oct. 24, the South men’s Cross Country team finished the season 5-2. According to head coach Kurt Hasenstein, it was an overall good season for the young squad.

The season started off with the team medaling in the 15 and 20 team invites at Crystal Lake, Wauconda and Warren. However, Hasenstein feels the meets got harder later on.

“The invites we went to at the beginning of the year we traditionally do well in, and the invites later in the year are a little bit harder,” Hasenstein said. “If you look at how the kids placed compared to how they did last year, I think we continued to improve.”

Hasenstein considers one of the main goals for the team every year to be to place in the top half of the conference. South achieved this, placing third in their CSL conference meet, which made Hasenstein very proud.

Senior Peter Westerfield and juniors David O’Gara and Casey Henricksen received allconference honors. According to Hasenstein, they have been the foundation of the team this season, providing balance in the top runners.

These runners set up a fifth place finish at the ten-team Regional meet. To Hasenstein, this set of performances was admirable and showed the team’s true potential.

“The conference performance [was good…] going from fourth to third this year and closing the gap on Maine South and New Trier, who are ahead of us,” Hasenstein said. “In our regional performance last year we were seventh and this year we were fifth, and next year we return eight of our top 10 [runners].”

These runners include O’Gara, Henricksen, juniors Charlie Castelli and David Cohn, and sophomore Alex Jackman. Despite this depth, Hasenstein considers the Sectional meet to be a slight disappointment, as South finished 17th out of 22 teams and failed to qualify anyone for the State meet.

“The competition [at Sectionals] is very strong; in [Sectionals] you throw in more teams from the western suburbs and it becomes very difficult,” Hasenstein said. “I think we could have finished a little stronger but we didn’t.”

Overall, Hasenstein is very pleased with the hard work his team has put in throughout the season and up to Sectionals, and acknowledged how hard it is to do what they do.

“We talked about how proud I was of their efforts, not only that day but the whole season and leading up through [Sectionals],” Hasenstein said. “Like a whole lot of athletes here these kids are putting a lot of time into the offseason; it is a lot easier to sleep in in July than get up and go for a seven or eight mile run. It takes Pho to b a special breed and I’m very y To mm yH proud of the guys for the age r ty time they’ve put in.”

Peter Westerfield

John Adkisson