Opinions by Jessica Lynk

Opinions

The Correspondent

In Our Opinion

May 18, 2012

April showers bring Shea flowers (and much more)

Teachers and students walk into this brown, jail like buliding everyday. Why not make it pretty? During the week of wishes, it would be great for students to participate in a number of charity events, but the more each student could do, the better. This weekend The Correspondent staff, along with former staff members and friends of Shea Anderluh, will be selling and planting flowers. Flowers will be sold for $5 each from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday and Sunday. Each flower sold will help the Anderluh family and their expenses from traveling to New York and back for Shea’s treatments. All flowers were donated to this fundrasier by Red’s Gardens Center, so all profits will go to the Anderluh family. Money made during this fundrais-

er will be given to the Anderluh family to help with their finances. Also, the 5K run and 1K walk in memory of Gina Giancola will be held by the Gina Giancola SAFE foundation on May 20 at 8 a.m. at Thomas Middle School. The run will help get depression out of the dark and make more people aware of teenage depression and how common suicide really is. Some of the money raised will be given to a teenage girl as future scholarship money. The race is also being held to help the soccer team run for Gina and to come together for one more time before the seniors graduate. So participate. Buying a simple flower will help a family. OR help the Anderluh family by attending tonight’s Big Bonanza at 7:30. All proceeds go to their foundation. Finish the Week of Wishes by pur-

chasing a $10 t-shirt in memory of English teacher, Sarah (Kathy) Christenson. Students should wear them next Wednesday to the dedication ceremonies during all lunch hours. Every part of Week of Wishes w i l l h e l p people in the community. Why not participate?

• Graphic by jessica lynk

What I would have liked to know before I was a freshman Caitlin Strozewski Coming into Hersey on my first day was quite a shock. Being from a small private school, I knew it would be a difficult transition, but I wasn’t prepared for high school. If anyone had previously warned me about the struggle of getting myself through the hallways between classes, I would have been drinking protein shakes and going to the gym all summer. At least then, by the time school started, I would be strong enough to hold my ground when getting caught in the flow of students getting to class, which is nearly impossible for a freshman girl to escape. Something that freshmen orientation should prepare us for is the hallways. Navigating through an obstacle course complete with people shoving on both sides, being repeatedly hit by backpacks, having five

The Correspondent

is published 11 times a year by the journalism students of John Hersey High School, 1900 East Thomas Street, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004. Subscription rate is $15 a year. Call for advertising rates. Phone (847) 718-4945. The Correspondent welcomes a free exchange of ideas. Letters to the editor may be sent to correspondent@d214.org. Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of The Correspondent is determined by, and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication. The Correspondent will not publish any material determined by student editors or the student editorial board to be unprotected, that is, material that is libelous, obscene, materially disruptive to the educational process, and unwarranted invasion of privacy, a violation of copyright or a promotion of products or services unlawful (illegal) as to minors as defined by state or federal law. All unsigned editorial area the opinion of The Correspondent staff. Materials in this newspaper are the property of The Correspondent 2011-2012. The Correspondent is a member of numerous press associations. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/KRT Campus High School Newspaper Service. Two thousand copies are made each issue to be distributed to students during their second hour classes. Two hundred are printed and given to subscribing parents.

Editors-in-Chief Ashley Hawkins Kevin Hyde

Online Editor-in-Chief Garret Matchen

Editorial Board

Abby Fesl Mackenzie Francis Brin Loomis Jessica Lynk Emily Swanson

Managing Editor Claudia Caplan

Online Editorial Board Max Bestvina Michael Miller

Copy Editor

Melanie Cohodes

News Editors

Natalie Czarnota Erika Murillo Isabella Murry

In-Depth Editors Nicole Cecala Mili Pandya Caitlin Strozewski Julia Kedzior

Entertainment Editors

Bryan Boyle Michelle Chester Erin Horne Sam Kronon Jana Lopuszanksi

Graphics Editors Jack Hargett

Sports Editors Scott Bakal

Anthony Bellafiore Tim Griffin David Milligan

Opinion Editors Nick Diaz Dino Ljubijankic Drew Snelson Rachel Terry

Feature Editors

Miranda Fanella Kevin Schroeder Susannah Sinard Matt Stadnicki

Adviser Janet Levin

minute time limit to get to the end would have been a pretty accurate representation of what we would be going through. Getting through the hallways, especially near the commons after a lunch hour, is definitely not the highlight of my day. Ask anyone who isn’t a football player or over six feet tall, and they will agree with me. In addition to the hallways, I would also have liked a heads up about the schoolwork. Through middle school, I was pretty much able to coast my way through homework after a sports practice, not really caring if my answers were right. Little did I know that when I brought my procrastination tendencies to high school, I would find myself still awake into the hours of the morning, cursing the person who came up with abomination that is MEL-Con. I know a lot of people take this route anyway, staying up until 2 a.m. doing homework or maybe not doing it at all, but I prefer not to be struggling to keep my eyes open the next day. Luckily, most of my difficult classes are af-

ter lunch, which has saved my grade multiple times. Once again, a little heads up at frosh orientation would have helped. Understandably probably students wouldn’t have listened if a teacher tried to lecture us about not procrastinating, but having an upperclassman talk about his or her experience of being overloaded with work might have gotten the message into our brains--procrastinating will do nothing but create a mess of problems. One last thing I wasn’t prepared for was P.E. I first began to worry when, after being asked by upperclassman who my gym teacher was, and then I told them who I had, I received comments like “Oh, you’ll be running.” Some people warned me not to try too hard on my first 12 minute run because I would have to improve later, but I didn’t listen. Now it takes all my strength to improve every fitness testing. Now I admit I exaggerated some about the ‘horrors’ that freshman go through, but they aren’t too off track. Maybe these wouldn’t have even phased me if I had been given insights on the real things that freshman should know.

Bucket lists inspire future accomplishments Drew Snelson

Making a list of all the things one wants to do in life seems like an impossible task. But that’s what a bucket list does, right? A bucket list refers to the slang term of “kicking the bucket” (i.e., dying). Knowing how lazy I am, I would probably never get around to making one. It’s like one of those things when two friends decide to do something fun but never end up doing it. Life should be spontaneous and full of surprises, not scripted. When an opportunity presents itself, I should take it, no matter if it’s a wish I had for a long time or if I had never even considered doing it. But I still didn’t get why the bucket list became so popular. Did people used to be buried in buckets? Did they collect dead bodies in buckets in the Middle Ages? Why did they make such big buckets? I had to find out. The first official recognition of the term “kicking the bucket” was in the 1785 edition of the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Delightful, isn’t it? But it gets better.

Whether there was some freak accident or a suspicious fire at the stool warehouse, there must have been some shortage of stools because instead of using them to suspend criminals on the noose, they used buckets. When the time came for the hoodlum to be executed, they would simply kick the bucket out from under them. State of the art technology going on there. Bucket lists can be fun if the things on the list are actually real and worth doing. Which is a very small percentage from what I’ve read and heard from other people’s bucket lists. Unfortunately, though, most fun things cost money. Just like everything else in the world. But Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson did one in the 2007 “The Bucket List,” though, so its got to be cool, right? Wrong. The only reason they got any of those things done was because Jack Nicholson was a billionaire hospital magnate while Morgan Freeman was a mechanic. The moral of the story there is that rich people do whatever they want and poor people just hop on for the ride. All I’m saying is that people don’t need a bucket list to have a good time and live life to the fullest. They need a cando attitude and/or a billion dollars. Really, either one of those would work just fine.

May 18, 2012

Opinions

The Correspondent

J U S T S AY I N ’

Somethin’ to talk about

Biking replaces gas guzzlers all month Many students associate May with rolling down their car windows and enjoying the spring breeze as they drive home from school. However, a better way to enjoy this weather is to bike. May is National Bike Month, and this provides the perfect opportunity to try something new by ditching the car and biking instead. I know that high school students want to show off their new cars and driving licenses, but by putting aside their pride for a few weeks and biking everywhere, they will save money on gas, enjoy the outdoors, and get exercise, all while helping the environment. Sure, it might take a bit longer to bike than to drive, but sometimes we all need to slow down, take a deep breath of the crisp air perfumed with flowers, and enjoy the flying sensation that a bike ride brings. Just Sayin’. • NATALIE CZARNOTA

Facebook pictures prompt judging In this era of technology and being able to connect with family and friends across the world, it has become easier to judge people by their covers now that it is the picture of a person that defies them. An individual’s Facebook profile picture is the single most important first impression that is given to a requesting friend once he or she has sought them out on networking sites. The time has come where it has become too easy to judge someone within seconds of seeing their face in pictures and albums. The single thought pops into everyone’s head, “Wow, Debra got fat” or “Luke’s face really broke out this year.” Making judgments about others isn’t always necessarily a bad thing, but at what point does it become over hypocritical to make comments about someone else, when you yourself might struggle behind those same skin problems or weight issues. We all do it, it’s just being human, but be nice. Just Sayin’. •CLAUDIA CAPLAN

New saying disappoints sophomore Mackenzie Francis Y.O.L.O. is an acronym created by singer/ rapper Drake, but used by many. YOLO stands for “You Only Live Once,” and has become a very popular saying- or should I say, an excuse- this year. Drake first used YOLO in his song “The Motto,” and meant for it to be a motivational term to show that life is short, and that it should be lived to the fullest. Although it started out that way, it has transformed into an excuse for students to use when mistakes are made. In my classes, I constantly hear crazy stories about how my classmates engaged

in inappropriate activities over the weekend. As if that’s not bad enough, the story always ends with, “Oh well... YOLO!” What YOLO means to me is doing things like making a bucket list and accomplishing it, telling someone what they mean to me, conquering fears, dancing in the rain, staying up all night to watch the sun rise, and most importantly, living in the moment. When a term that has so much potential to remind someone to embrace life’s opportunities is abused, it’s disappointing. If students wish to use the term YOLO to ease their guilt or regret, then so be it. Just don’t be mad at me when these foolish life choices come back for a bite in the butt.

t n e d u t S Sass

Freshman

What unique things are you doing over the Dimitrije Markovic “I’m looking forward to summer? going to summer school.”

Summer: aspire adventures

The promised time is drawing near once again for students everywhere. With only about a month left in school, the prospect of summer vacation is building in the minds of the student body and ensuing fidgeting and giddiness galore. Summer is the reward given after all the hard work during the school year. Yet, over the years I’ve come to notice that there is always a returning issue once the time actually comes. Obviously, there are the default options: swimming pool, theme parks, and sports. Those options are not as durable these days though. There is an increasing difficulty in finding things to do without them being illegal or too boring. This lack of activity, however, is sustained only by a person’s refusal to embrace the power of youth and try something they aren’t too used to. As part of the teenage population, there are possibilities out there that can make this summer spectacular, to put it lightly. Not that being a middle aged adult is some sort of curse, at least I hope it isn’t, but it’s clear that the interests of middle aged adults differ slightly from those of 15 to 18 year olds. Imagination is also key. Take, for instance, the new phenomena grasping parts of the Hersey population known as “Fugitive”. The game, which is more like a fight for survival, consists of a group of players, who are the fugitives, that have to travel on foot to a designated area, sometimes over a mile away. The other group is in charge of hunting down and tagging the fugitives in order to stop their advance, and get full use of whatever automobiles are available. The game becomes a full on battle and man hunt, somewhat reminiscent of “The Hunger Games.” This is just one example of how teenagers can engage in fun, physical activity that is full of exhilarating action. With a little imagination and a refusal to sit around and do nothing, Fugitive was born. If creating a full on game/race for survival isn’t a favorable option, don’t stop there. Adventure is never too far away. Exploring areas not previously traversed can result in seemingly unlimited excitement. Try researching a different town with some interesting locales, and get there in whatever mode of transportation desired. Taking a train to a foreign area or trying a cross country bike ride there can really heighten the sense of adventure. Exploring the natural world is, of course, chocked full of wonder and awe inspiring phenomena. Of course, this should all be done within the realm of safety. There’s a fine line between being adventurous and young and being stupid and fool hearty. The point is, youth should be cherished and embraced, and there’s no better time to do that then over the summer. With a young mind and body, and a free and adventurous spirit, the world can be a playground. • NIck diaz -Read more opinions online and then sound off yourself! Visit www.CorrespondentLive.org-

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Busayo Ajayi “I’m looking forward to relaxing on the beach with my family.”

Natalie Karasinska “I’m scuba diving in Florida with my brother. ”

Grace Sinopoli “I’m going on a mission trip to Indiana.”

The Correspondent In

OUR

Opinions

October 7, 2011

Students should appreciate this school

Despite students’ complaints, we go to an excellent school. Hersey is great academically. Just look at the ACT scores. This past year, our average composite scores was 25.2. Seeing that the national average is around a 21, this is outstanding. Here students are given the opportunity to receive a first-rate education, and many take advantage of this opportunity. Our dropout rate is minimal, and 95 percent of graduates enroll in college. Even if students do begin to fall behind academically, plenty of opportunities are available to get the help. This starts by teachers often staying late or coming in early to help. But another key part is the Writing Well where teachers of every subject are always available to help and even edit papers. This school is also graced with some really fantastic teachers. This school has rather high hiring standards, so the staff more than qualified to teach their individual subjects. The teachers also put plenty of time out of school to make this school a better place. A small survey revealed that teachers work about 10 hours a day on average. This includes staff meetings, after-school activities, and out-of-school grading.

Opinion

Some teachers have also been known to keep teaching while pregnant until the day they deliver. Not even an incoming newborn can pry them from what they love to do. Hersey is one of a few schools in Illinois that houses deaf students. This allows other students to feel comfortable communicating in new ways. The Career and Life Skills program, or CLS, helps students with disabilities grow. The school welcomes students with all kinds of disabilities and teaches them vital life skills while exposing the general population to those who have struggles but have a lot to offer. We are also fortunate to have great sports programs. Sports for both genders include swim and diving, soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, water polo, track and field, cross country and technically football. That’s right: if a girl wants to, she can join football. Although we don’t always win, the Orange Crush continues to be supportive of the teams. In short, This school has a lot to offer. The four years students spend here shape them, so they should take advantage of what is offered to make these years count. Although the school may not be the most attractive, it is loaded with opportunities.

Grades online provide unrealistic real world preparation Jessica Lynk their grades at every moment. It is the responsi-

In the early days of preschool, coming home to sit down and practice my letters was not even close to a chore. Sitting down with my mom and drinking juice while practicing my abc’s was a highlight of my day. Going from grade to grade, homework seemed to become more of a burden than actual fun. With the new Homelogic system, it seems easier for parents to get in touch with teachers. This isn’t a bad thing until I am being questioned about homework and grades on a daily basis. I get that my parents are doing this because they love me, but I am not in kindergarten anymore. Some students decide not to do their homework, so the Homelogic system can be helpful for those students. In reality though, parents aren’t going to be following them around college, messaging their professors, and checking

The Correspondent

In-Depth Editors

Shea Anderluh Ashley Hawkins Kevin Hyde Becky Pauwels

Nick Diaz Megan Boyle Julia Kedzior

Editorial Board

Entertainment Editors

Abby Fesl Connor Hargett Jessica Lynk Garret Matchen Emily Swanson

Graphics Editor

Managing Editor

Carlos Andina Zack Killam

Claudia Caplan Lauren Kelley

News Editors Melanie Cohodes Erika Murillo

Michelle Chester Susannah Sinard Natalie Czarnota

Sports Editors Brian Loomis Michael Miller David Milligan

Opinion Editors Anthony Bellafiore Luis Rueda Dan Mika

Feature Editors

Max Bestvina Mackenzie Francis

Headline Editor Scott Bakal

Photographer Madeline Weber

Adviser Janet Levin

Getting calls so parents stay involved in school isn’t a bad thing, but every week is a little extensive. Especially because the system takes 24 hours to update, students could have gotten their grade up to an C, but they still get a call because the system hasn’t been updated yet. Parents should care about grades, but not to the extent of excessively checking grades every day. When my parents get daily e-mails telling them what my homework is, they seem to be more involved in my school life, but they normally have no idea what my homework actually is and have no recollection of what I am learning, so help is no where to be found. My parents can tell me to do my homework, but the effort comes from within. Homework can be done with self-motivation. Of course, when parents give a little push to do it, it might get done, but they won’t be there in college, so they don’t need to be here now.

Lonely naked man wants a new place Carlos Andina

is published 11 times a year by the journalism students of John Hersey High School, 1900 East Thomas Street, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004. Subscription rate is $15 a year. Call for advertising rates. Phone (847) 718-4945. The Correspondent welcomes a free exchange of ideas. Letters to the editor may be sent to correspondent@d214.org. Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of The Correspondent is determined by, and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication. The Correspondent will not publish any material determined by student editors or the student editorial board to be unprotected, that is, material that is libelous, obscene, materially disruptive to the educational process, and unwarranted invasion of privacy, a violation of copyright or a promotion of products or services unlawful (illegal) as to minors as defined by state or federal law. All unsigned editorial area the opinion of The Correspondent staff. Materials in this newspaper are the property of The Correspondent 2009-10. The Correspondent is a member of numerous press associations. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/KRT Campus High School Newspaper Service. Two thousand copies are made each issue to be distributed to students during their second hour classes. Two hundred are printed and given to subscribing parents.

Editors-in-Chief

bility of the student to get homework done and study, parents can’t do that for them. College is right around the corner, so getting a phone call telling parents that grades have become lower than average is not necessary. In college, no parents should be able to check grades on a daily basis. In four years or less, students will be on their own, not getting a call from a machine that can’t even pronounce their name. No parent will know what “El Secuestro one through four,” “foundations binder check, LOTF chart,” or “Issue two duties” is. Neither will they ever need to. It is the responsibility of a student to do their homework. LOTF chart will not be something that they did in high school nor will it be something they remember. Parents can check and question why it is not done, but there is no way that a parent will need to help a student through her homework. We all have been in school for at least ten years, I think most of us know what to do.

The naked man statue looks lonelier than ever in the back of the school. While he was once accompanied by a bike rack and pine tree, our beloved statue now stands all by himself. With grass clippings scattered on his base and garbage filling rust holes in his legs, the naked man has definitely seen better days. But why do we have to limit the view of his welcoming pose to a forgotten corner of this school? With all the renovations going on, we should take the time to find the naked man a new home. The way I see it, we’ve got some options here. We can take the more subtle approach and put the naked man under the freshly painted Roland R. Goins Stadium sign. What better way to welcome people to our new turf field than with the naked man’s outstretched hand. He could become a new mascot! We could even dress him up for different holidays. Come to think of it, he even looks like the Orange Man! This was clearly meant to be. While the naked man will be a stud wherever we put him, it’s our responsibility to make sure he’s used to his full potential. So I say we go all out: put him smack dab in the middle of the front entrance hall, welcoming

all the students as they walk in the front doors. Not only could our plain white interior use a little bit of awesome statue, I bet seeing this rusty guy getting the attention he deserves every morning would help cheer up students as they headed to their first period class. If his mild nudity • Carlos Andina is the reason for his solitary confinement, then we can compromise. We’ll make him wear some clothes. I’m sure we could use some of this school’s artistic talent to make some metal shorts for him, so he’ll be a bit more family friendly. If he’s too heavy, we’ll use some weights class guys to lift him while our physics students figure out a good way to move him. We should let the naked man bring us together. Some schools might be embarrassed to have a rusty naked guy hanging out on their back porch. But not us. They’re just jealous. Most of the high schools around here don’t have much to set them apart. So let’s embrace our statue and invite him in. Other schools might have swimming pools or nicer cafeterias, but what they don’t have is good ‘ol Rusty. It’s time we give the guy a proper home.

Opinions

October 7, 2011

The Correspondent

J U S T S AY I N ’

Shirts bring opportunity to reminisce I was putting away clean laundry the other day and noticed that the amount of oversized shirts with iron-on decals far outbalanced the amount of properly fitting shirts I have actually bought. Most of these ruling t-shirts have some form of “JHHS” and always have a shade of orange somewhere on them. Over my past four years here. I have accumulated well over a dozen school shirts, ranging from Freshmen Orientation to Homecoming and AP Photo shirts. I wondered how large my collection would be if I had taken up all the t-shirt opportunities presented to me. They may not be my article of choice as far as fashion goes, but once I graduate each and every one of these orange-laced tees will bring back fond memories. The more involved the student, the more chances they will have to reminisce each time they tug an orange sleeve out of the bottom of their drawer. Dresser nuisance now, cherished high-school memory later. Just sayin.’ • Madeline Webber

Bathroom writing disgusts students

Whenever I walk into the girl’s bathroom and open a stall door, I’m greeted with random colors of writing on the wall. I remember watching TV or movies about high school and watching scenes with girls writing guy’s names or whatever on the bathroom doors. However, I remember I never thought that I’d look at writing with such language against this school. I can’t think of a reason for this. Is this school so horrible for some students that they have to write their complaints on the bathroom walls? I don’t understand the meaning and I get annoyed whenever I see it. This habit needs to stop. Just sayin’. • Emily Swanson

Class ring personalization defeats purpose Julia Kedzior A high school class ring is known to most people as a symbol of graduation that commemorates the end of one’s experience of high school over the four years. Ever since the idea of the class ring originated in 1835, it has been meant to unify each class and give them something to remember high school by. Each class is different from the others, and they share hundreds of memories that will stay with them. The identical rings were usually kept for a long time and worn often, and could be seen at class reunions. Even though some of these things are true for the class rings we see today, the rings have become significantly more individual, and the unifying force has been lost. Josten’s, the company that provides class rings here, has decided to promote rings that can be different for each person. The rings now have a surprisingly

wide range of design possibilities, displaying anything from a representation of a club or activity to a student’s name. The different stones and types of metals that are used to make the rings as personal as possible allow students to really get creative and make something unique. In all of this variety and individuality, we have lost sight of why the class ring was created in the first place. If every person has a different ring, how does it unify everyone as a whole? It’ll be just like any other ring that can be bought outside of school for personal amusement. When I go off to college in a few years, I want to look at my ring and remember how awesome my class was, and know that no matter where we all are in the world, we’ll have that one thing to represent our time together in high school. The realization that class rings have lost their original true value is making them seem less special each year. I already know what activities I participated in and what my birthstone is, and a class ring isn’t needed to remind me of that.

Somethin’ to talk about

The greed for speed

In the short time I’ve been here, the world has become immensely faster. Cars have cut down their zeroto-sixty times, mail can be sent around the world in seconds and with the black magic of Netflix, we can watch entire movies on our PCs instantly. This newfound speed is undeniably awesome; we can now learn more about our world in a few hours surfing Wikipedia than our ancestors did in a lifetime of experience. But this blistering exchange of information carries a hidden downside: it’s turning the world’s inhabitants impatient. Our inner speed demons manifest themselves everywhere, demanding fast food to be ready before our nerves can relay the message representing hunger to our stomach. If a airline pilot tells his passengers that the flight’s been delayed, they’ll all groan and run to Twitter and Facebook to complain about their 30 minute wait. It seems that anything other than instantaneous results are unacceptable these days. In fact, a good chunk of the readers who started this article have already stopped reading it (thanks for sticking with me!) Maybe it’s just my inner senior citizen speaking, but no one appreciates the wonders of mankind that make life immensely easier. Take the plane analogy; people have no problem whining that their flight from New York to London was delayed 30 minutes. They believe it to be an injustice for them to sit on a grounded plane with internet access. Orbitz says that on average, their plane would take off from New York and land in London in under eight hours. If one was born before commercial flight existed, their trip across the Atlantic by boat would take eight days. It seems like taking it slow is a skill that has become obsolete. But it’s still necessary in the age of the fast and (if they’re stuck behind a slow driver) furious. The brain simply hasn’t reached a point in its evolution that it can process so much information in such a small amount of time. It’s the reason why the world becomes a blur when looking out the window of a car speeding down the freeway. It’s the reason why a class would fail a test on material they learned the day before. It’s the reason why I had writer’s block and took two weeks to write this story. While a faster world is great, some parts are better when served slow. “Romeo and Juliet” wouldn’t be as good a story if Shakespeare just wrote “and lo, the teenage lovers killeth themselves.” So if life is looking like one tripping blur, then step back for a second, take a deep breath, and notice something that wasn’t there a few minutes ago. • Dan Mika -Read More Opinioms online and then sound off yourself! Visit www.CorrespondentLive.org-

t n e d u t S Sass What is your favorite aspect of Hersey?

Freshman Sophomore

Jackie Aronson “I enjoy the variety of clubs.”

Sabrina Barrett “I love all the activities and sports.”

Junior

Nick Schneider “I like the bathroom by the East Gym. It’s really nice.”

Senior

Keith Pedersen “I like our athletic programs and the teachers.”

Opinions Light shed upon reasons for rules

The Correspondent

In Our Opinion

Feburary 17, 2012

Teenagers are rebellious creaStudents are also not allowed to students to switch electives. Actures. We don’t like being bossed purchase snacks from the vending cording to the counseling departaround, especially if the rules seem machines during class. It’s true that ment, this is done to give teachers useless. It may seem that Hersey’s students don’t learn as well when a set roster on the first day of class. administration has created some they’re hungry. But this rule was Students can also change an rules solely to annoy the student made for multiple reasons, accord- elective class during the first two body, but the administration says ing to the deans. Students will miss days of the semester, but only if anotherwise. Most of the rules at- out on the lesson while heading off other class is available during the tempt to keep the school running as to buy their treat. Also, food isn’t al- same period. The school is trying to smoothly as possible, and students lowed in classrooms, so there isn’t a bring some structure as schedules just have to deal with that. point in going to the vending ma- change. They’re trying to step away Contrary to what the hallways chines anyway. from being too lenient. Changing would suggest, there’s a rule forbidAnother disputed rule is the classes can cause problems. The ding students from hanging objects Course Swap-O procedure. Instead student and teacher have to become or pictures outside a locker, unless of changing schedules whenever acquainted, and the student has to it’s dealing with a school-sponsored they’d like, students have to wait for make up missed work. group or an individual accomplish- designated dates to make changes. It’s easy to argue over the regument like a “birthday.” These deco- Course Swap-O takes place in Au- lations of this campus, but the adrations should only stay up for three MAN, I CAN’T BELIEVE I gust and allows ministration gives reasons for these days, according to the Administra- HAVE TO ASK TO GO TO rules. Heed caution to PSH DUDE I’M SUPPOSED those tive Team. Advertisements are seemingly silly THE BATHROOM. I’M TO BE IN CLASS BUT I GLAD IT’S LUNCH. supposed to go on the bulletin rules and Hersey will TOLD MY TEACHER I WAS run more smoothly for board outside the commons. The GOING TO THE BATHROOM reason for this rule is because the everybody. AND JUST LEFT. tape used for decorations can take the paint off the lockers. WHY WE CAN’t Have nice things •GRAPHIC BY Carlos Andina

There’s a mom for that: older generation discovers technology Lauren Kelley

My body jumps from the loud ‘beep’ coming from my phone. I turn over and open my half-asleep eyes to try and make out the time on my clock. 2:01 in the morning. Who would send me a text at 2:01 in the morning?! I reach for my phone and read “It’s your turn” from Mom. To help my disoriented self, I get out of bed and head for my parents room to ask my mom what she’s talking about. I silently peek through the doorway to see only my dad sound asleep. At this point, I’m wide-awake and ready to solve this mystery. I stealthily walk downstairs and turn the corner and see my mom sitting on the couch holding her newest Christmas present: the iPhone. She holds it as close to her face as humanly possible while scrunching her nose to keep her glasses from falling off her face. I walk over and sit down on the couch next to her; she doesn’t even budge. I clear my throat loudly

The Correspondent

Editors-in-Chief Shea Anderluh Ashley Hawkins Kevin Hyde Becky Pauwels

In-Depth Editors

Editorial Board

Entertainment Editors

Abby Fesl Connor Hargett Jessica Lynk Garret Matchen Emily Swanson

Managing Editors Claudia Caplan Lauren Kelley

News Editors Melanie Cohodes Erika Murillo Matt Stadnicki

Megan Boyle Nick Diaz Julia Kedzior

Michelle Chester Natalie Czarnota Susannah Sinard

Graphics Editors Carlos Andina Zack Killam

Sports Editors Brian Loomis Michael Miller David Milligan

Opinion Editors Anthony Bellafiore Dan Mika Luis Rueda

Feature Editors

Max Bestvina Mackenzie Francis

Headline Editor Scott Bakal

Photographer Madeline Weber

Adviser Janet Levin

enough to start a toast at a dinner party; she remains a statue. Keeping my distance and collecting my bravery, I prepare to do the unthinkable: wake the sleeping bear. “MOM!” I scream. She forcefully peels her bloodshot eyes away from her toy and looks at me as if I had just spit in her food. “This is worse than I thought…” I think to myself. “When’s the last time you blinked?” I ask her, immediately distracted from what I was originally going to say. She raises her eyebrows, wanting to know why I dared interrupt her game of Words With Friends. It was just yesterday that my mom owned a pink Razor and had no idea what a smartphone was. Today, I cannot picture my mom without that little piece of technology glued to her hands. As she stares at me, I study her face and realize she’s addicted. I saw the same look on my dad’s face when he discovered MeTV, my brother’s face when he played World of Warcraft, and my other brother’s face when he got the complete Star Wars saga on Blu-Ray. It was time for an intervention. I ripped the phone out of my

mom’s hands and held it tightly between mine and quickly sprinted across the room, ready to put up a fight. The iPhone is the young generation’s demand. It is I who my mother should be yelling at to go to bed. I should be the one getting yelled at for texting at the dinner table. I should be the one joking with my friends about how moms are clueless when it comes to technology. “I finished my math test early, so I just played Hanging With Friends with my mom for the rest of the period.” “My mom is always playing Words With Friends, it’s so annoying.” “My mom wants me to get your mom’s Words With Friends username for her so they can play.” “When my mom’s phone is charging, she sometimes steals my phone just so she can play Hanging With Friends.” Apple is aiming these games at the younger generation. So why is it that all moms are taking over? This dilemma has gone on long enough. There should be an app for this…

Popularity shouldn’t be the priority

Jessica Lynk to help someone else pick up a pencil in the hall.

Being in high school, almost everyone cares about what other people think about them. Whether it’s about their outfit or who they talk to in school, people care, sometimes too much, about what others people think. Not only is this seen in high school, but throughout the world. A major example in society comes from the bystander effect. The basic outline of the bystander effect is that when others are around people, they are less likely to help out when others need it. If someone’s purse is stolen, a person is more likely to help out if others aren’t around. I began to wonder why this is. It seems that in our society, it is more important to maintain the ‘cool’ persona than to actually help out. Then it clicked. In our heads, we say “Someone else will help them,” or “I’m too busy.” But if everyone says this, no one will help. It takes a lot of guts to help, but it is so beneficial to say, “I actually helped them.” Being popular can be made important by classmates, parents, or even older siblings, but the reality is that no one should care. A friend should not think a friend is “less cool” if he stops

Although a high popularity status can be something that a student wants to achieve, it can be much more fulfilling to a student knowing she helped change someone’s life. Whether a person is trying to be “too cool” or is trying to be safe, in some cases peoples’ lives can be in danger. For example, a few weeks ago a couple, who lived in Arlington Heights, was involved in a suicide/homicide on a Sunday. The bodies were not found until that following Wednesday. People who lived in that same apartment said they heard something like gunshots, but they never called the police. The bodies were found after the police went to investigate the home, when their son called to say that the mother hadn’t been at work for two days. Huskies pride themselves in being nice and helpful, but when ever a student is booked or falls down, rarely do I see a student help. Students just continue walking by, pushing the fact that another student is in need of help to the back of the mind. It can make a real impact on someone’s day by just helping them. If everyone tried to help at least one person out, whether it is calling the police when someone seems to need help or picking up loose papers for them, this world would be a better place.

Feburary 17, 2012

Opinions

The Correspondent

J U S T S AY I N ’

Somethin’ to talk about

Think before throwing fists

After the shocking viral video of a group of kids brutally attacking one of their peers, there has been a big concern over the notion of violence in teens. I am a strong believer in the idea that violence is never the answer. Some may call that naive but that makes little difference to me. Part of what makes the scenario I mentioned earlier so sad is the fact that these kids are of the same school and probably see each other in their everyday lives. As a student here, I can’t even imagine an act like that taking place. As adolescents, we should be working with each other and depending on one another to move along in our lives. Whatever petty squabbles we may have should never lead to violence. The only reason one should fight is if it’s to protect the values and people they care for. Pride and hate should not lead to fists. Just sayin’. •Nick Diaz

Letters lower college interest

For the past month or so, I have been receiving letters from many colleges. I, along with other sophomores, have gotten letters from Loyola and many others. When I first received a college letter, I felt proud of myself. Somehow, a college was interested in me. When I realized that other students were receiving letters, the effect diminished. All the colleges were doing was sending letters with barely any personal touch. After that, I realized that this influx of letters were all my fault. During the PSAT, students had the option to have their scores and information sent to colleges. Because of this, colleges are now able to send letter to careless students. Students should be more careful who they give their information to, or it could be annoying • MAtt Stadnicki later. Just sayin’.

Greedy drivers-stop snagging handicap spots Garret Matchen

Within my six months of having a license, I’ll admit I broke a few rules: I’ve changed lanes in an intersection, rolled through a stop sign, and gone over the speed limit. But the one thing I haven’t done, and will never do, is take a handicap spot. Sure, there are laws against it, but who follows them? Everyday on my trek home, I notice a taxi or parent sitting in the handicap spot. I don’t know if the taxis are picking up a disabled student, but I know many of the parents that park there aren’t picking up a disabled student. Even if the taxi is picking up a handicapped kid, they must have the proper identification. According to eHow, the Illinois law states “In order to lawfully park in a handicap parking space, the owner of the plate or placard must be present, entering or exiting the vehicle. Fines of up to $500 and possible driver’s license suspension are among the penalties for unauthorized use of these plates and plac-

ards.” Despite the laws, no one is here to enforce them. Someone should watch the spots, so they’re not taken up. On my walk home, I always see a van picking up a handicap student. The van however, due to the handicap spots being taken up, has to park in the last spot of the reserved parking. I understand that few people are affected by this, but it doesn’t warrant them from being cheated from what is rightfully theirs. Handicap plates in Illinois cost $29 plus the original cost of the plate. Now that may seem like a small amount of money, but when parents have to pay thousands in medical bills, it’s a lot. Money, however, shouldn’t be the issue in parking in the reserved spots; morality is the problem. I believe it is morally wrong to take handicap spots. Doing so forces the student to walk farther and many of the students have trouble walking. Handicap spots are not a meant to cause drivers pain, they are meant to help those who can’t help themselves. Next time there’s an empty spot in a crowded lot, get some exercise and be a helper to the disabled.

t n e d u t S Sass

Freshman

IF YOU COULD MAKE ANY RULE AT HERSEY, Szczygiel WHAT WOULD“I wishKonrad freshmen could go out to lunch.” IT BE?

Employment hurts student

About a week and a half before this article was published, I began work at the second real job I’ve held throughout my short life. I scraped by the cash I needed by doing stereotypical teenage odd jobs: mowing lawns, baby/dog sitting, painting gutters and other simple ventures. But none of those assignments compare to holding an actual job, and nothing can compare to holding one’s sanity together while at his job. During my first job as a waiter/dishwasher in a retirement home, I felt as though I was living out a terrible remake of “Office Space” without being able to steal a copier and smash it to pieces while blasting gangsta rap. Adults love to discuss how awful their jobs are and they’re somewhat correct. Jobs can subject people to mind-numbingly long hours of work for terrible pay. But it’s much harder to hold a job as a teen than it is as an adult. For example, we have to go to school for eight hours and head for work. But for some reason, adults don’t consider school to be tiring and think anyone who thinks so should suck it up. My first boss certainly believed so. If the line of work calls for it, a kid may have to regularly work six days in a row. Add in the school day, homework and the occasional extracurricular and we’re looking at 10 hours of work per day. Holding a job while being under 18 also means that the employee is subject to a legal form of discrimination. My boss can legally pay me 50 cents less than someone who’s reached the legal age. Why is my work not as valuable as an adult’s? It isn’t as if I don’t have expenses. I need money for gas, college and the door fee to get into Zero Gravity. It’s amazing that society has fought to make sure that everyone earns the same wage whether he be of a different gender, color or creed but can’t be bothered to give their youth their fair share. Yet despite all of these depressing truths, I fear I’ve painted too dark a picture of teenage employment. Yes, having a job can be make the hearts of men miserable, but I think that I’ve learned a truth about the human condition though having one. Societies tend to unite in order to share the positive things in life. But when humans come together to their workplace, they somehow manage to get past the existential crisis starter that is employment and they become some of the best of friends. If that isn’t a display of our specie’s resiliency, then I don’t know what is. And if that isn’t sweet enough, just imagine quitting a stupid dead-end job. Spoiler alert: it’s freaking awesome. •Dan Mika

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Sophomore

Junior

Senior

George Vladimirov

Shaunte Vega

“That you can use your phone in school.”

“For staff members to treat all of us like adults.”

Rachel Morrison “You should be able to go through any of the doors in the school.”