Volume 52 Issue 2
Downers Grove South High School
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Feb. 24, 2017
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Winter dance hopes to defeat dwindling numbers By Jayna Bardahl, Print News Editor As the girls zipper their dresses and the boys tighten their ties, the stage is set for one of the oldest American traditions to date, the high school dance. Despite its long standing love in American society, there is no denying the decline in school dances’ popularity recently. Despite this dance dilemma, DGS holds true to tradition and will host the annual winter dance on Feb. 25, 2017. On this day from 7 p.m to 10 p.m, the large gym will be transformed into an all night dance floor DGS plans on hosting a successful winter dance. In years past, the atmosphere of the winter dance has explored many different themes such as Turnabout and Southfest. DGS has experimented with bouncy houses, guest DJs and even free Chick-fil-a to add something unique. This year DGS is choosing to go simple; the Feb. 25 dance will be referred to as the winter dance. Some students feel different types of pressure depending on what the dance is called, but DGS activities director, Jennifer Martinez, commented on how students should not allow the title of the dance to limit them from making
the experience their very own. “If girls want to ask boys, they can ask boys. If boys want to ask girls, they can ask girls. If you want to go with a group of friends, go with a group of friends. The point is, come and have fun and dance,” Martinez said. As for the bouncy houses, guest DJ’s and free Chick-fila, DGS will be leaving these add-ins out this year. Senior Vishal Sorakayala explained what students should expect walking into this year’s winter dance. “We’re thinking of having a more traditional dance like the way we normally do it,” Sorakayala said. As always, the winter dance will have a theme along with it, and student votes determined that this year’s theme would be “Black and White”. Martinez discussed how the dance should look with this theme chosen.
“Imagine a fun and elegant affair,” Martinez said. With the dance planned out, the next step is advertising the event so that the school can reach its goal of 800 tickets sold. Senior student council member Victoria Garcia explained how the student council is planning on tackling the issue of publicizing the dance. “We put everyone in subcommittees based on social media, the T.V. screens in the cafeteria, the video announcements and the audio announcements,” Garcia said. These different committees will reach out to the student body to get the word out and the ticket sales up for the fast approaching dance. Student activities is also strategizing ways to promote attendance. Like previous dances, Boom Entertainment DJ’s came to DGS on Feb. 8 and Feb. 22. play-
ing music and offering free tickets. The school was also offered a “Spirit Week Special” on tickets in hopes that students would jump at the opportunity to purchase a ticket for only $20. Aside from the efforts from the activities department and student council, Martinez explained what she believes to be the most effective form of promotion for the dance. “The best form of recruitment to raise attendance is from the student body. The students need to encourage the students to come so it’s the cool thing to do...You guys want to make memories as a student and a class together, and the only way to do that is to come and support and dance and have fun,” Martinez said. Tickets have been on sale for the past three weeks but for those who make the last minute decision to attend can purchase a $30 at the door. Hoping to see students come out in high numbers, Martinez left off with a “challenge” to the class of 2017. “Special message to my seniors. We need you. This is one of your last parties with all your underclassmen. And seniors should come,” Martinez said.
District 99 searches for qualified applicants to take on new jobs By Gabrielle Bartkeviciute, Print Editor-in-Chief School District 99 has decided to add two new jobs in the following weeks to aid in student and teacher performance, all in the light of low budgeting from the state. The two new director level positions added are: Director of Student Services and Director of Innovation and Teacher Learning. The Director of Student Services will work underneath the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and will work with the counselors, deans, special education teachers, and outplaced students to give them the resources that aren’t always provided in school. The Director of Innovation and Teacher Learning will focus on professional development among teachers and improve the tools teachers can use to help students learn. Superintendent Hank Thiele explained why the district made the decision to add two new positions. “We are very thinly staffed here at the district office, especially if you compare us to other schools in the area. In those few areas we’ve added a lot over the last five years. Whether it’s getting Chromebooks and getting digital resources and more technology, or it’s decisions that the state of
Illinois has made that increases the programs we need to provide,” Thiele said. While there is a need for support in the district building, there is an issue of funding considering Illinois’ lack of a budget for more than a year. Comptroller Mark Staehlin explains the budget that District 99 has considered the tense economic circumstances of the state. “The projection shows that we have a surplus, and I think that’s very unusual this year [because] the state has not been keeping up with the payments they have promised to us. This year they are $2.5 million behind at the midpoint compared to last year at this time [when] they were only a million dollars behind. So they are a million and a half dollars worse at the end of December,” Staehlin said. Thiele explained what the district will do to accompany the two new jobs demanding about $230,000 into their budget. “Some of it is shifting funds around in the short term. In the long term we have some debt rolling off, so in the long term it comes off for loans that the district has, and these salaries will fill that space,” Thiele said. With a need to shift around money, Staehlin says that the district’s previous investments in capital are giving
them the opportunity to invest in the much more expensive project. We are students. talking somewhere near six million “We have about an 85 million dollar dollars to complete the air conditionbudget so… we would probably just ing project… It may seem like we are reallocate -shift around- money from not doing it, but $200,000 wouldn’t do other areas. One area might be some much toward air conditioning either capital projects. We’ve really ramped in the two buildings,” Staehlin said. up our expenditures for capital projDespite various opinions about ects over the last couple years, so where the district is putting their that’s something we’ve caught up on a money, the two new administrative lot of our stuff,” Staehlin said. jobs are simply focused on improving With many students at DGS com- both teacher and student performance plaining about the lack of air condi- as a whole. tioning and a recent investment in two new district jobs, the budgeting may not seem to add up. Staehlin explained the reason why the district is adding two new jobs instead of investing in air conditioning at DGS. Aside from the new positions added for the district as a whole, applica“The air tions are out for a DGN student activities director, a position DGN has not c o n d i t i o n - had before. Photo by Claire Pikul ing is a