OPINIONS P.2
NEWS P.3
NOV.6.2009
Evan Paeth Ryan Patterson Nick Pyles Tasha Symonds Corey Walsh Maggie Young
Chorus Kimberly Bennett Kristen Bennett Nate Bittner Rachel Chapman Morgan Cooper Taisha Estrada Amanda Floyd Andrew Helfer Aneesh Joseph Chris Lachance Nicole Lambert
Danielle Long Kenny Maness Taylor McKinstry Meadow Nguy David Nowak Nathan Peel Janelle Pfeifer Austin Stumpf Tori Wisely Joseph Young
Jazz Band Sam Brush Daniel McGinthy Brady Page
Orchestra Annette Moeller Caitlin Wade
Vocal Jazz Ensembles Samantha Bley Chelsea Cariker Danielle Carter Rachel Chapman Anaya Duncan Taisha Estrada Aneesh Joseph
SPORTS P.6
FEATURES P.7
Meadow Nguy Nathan Peel Cody Ray Nick Rivera Keely Vasatka Tori Wisely
PHOTO PAGE P.8
the P r o w l e r
O’FALLON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL, ILL.
IMEA Results: 45 students recognized Band Emily Barker Colin Campbell Jenny Cornwall Leah Hoots Bayle Lee-Guskey Tivon Missi Sam Noethe
IN FOCUS P.4 & P.5
See page 8 for full details on the soccer team’s successful season.
VOLUME 39, ISSUE 3
Are we addicted to technology? Does social networking run our lives? Find out in the “In Focus” section on pages 4 & 5.
Music department mixes up routines with new themes, shows
Positive feedback for Show Choir’s show-stopping Circus Freak theme
BY BRYCE RADICK news@othsprowler.com With a Circus Freak theme, Show Choir has been hard at work practicing their showstopping musical acts. The theme, which includes Britney Spears’ “Circus,” Queen’s “The Show Must Go On,” and Rihanna’s “Disturbia,” draws inspiration highly from freak show settings. “I think it’s really cool and I think it gives us a really good shot at FAME events,” sophomore member Morgan Cooper said about the threeact routine. FAME events are the main show choir competition in which the performers aspire to reach. “We have the best shot this year,” captain junior Nick Rivera said. On Oct. 2, the Show Choir held a spaghetti dinner at which spaghetti was served to those who attended to get the first tastes of the show. In addition, solo acts were performed in between the Circus Freak acts. On Oct. 27, the group performed with the school choir at the annual feeder concert. The response from both performances was positive and the practice hours seem to be the source. The group practices from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday. “They are strenuous. There’s a lot of learning involved right now,” Cooper said. On Nov. 17, the Show Choir will again join up with the other choirs and perform in the Fall Choral Concert at the Milburn Campus. In the meantime, the choir will be tightening up its routine. “We expect a lot out of ourselves because we are capable of greatness,” Rivera said.
MR. JOHN DEMPSEY Soloist senior Anaya Duncan and the Show Choir performs their Circus Freak show for guests at the Spaghetti Dinner on Oct. 2. Songs from Britney Spears, Queen, and Rihanna were the inspiration for this year’s theme.
More competitive show means more work, success BY JENNIFER BAILEY news@othsprowler.com
MR. DAN MCCARTHY The Marching Band gets in formation for part of their show. On Sept. 26, the band participated in the Louisville BOA Competition, which was held at the University of Louisville stadium.They were finalists in the Division I rating for the competition.
Like the post office, the Marching Band has braved heat, humidity, and, more recently, cold, rain, and mud. “The Marching Band is tremendous, outstanding,” Head Band Director Mrs. Melissa Gustafson-Hinds said. “They have all been working very hard. We are doing a different type of show that is more competitive than what the kids are used to, but they like the show and have been putting in hours and hours of hard work to make it work.” So far the band has participated in six competitions. On July 4, they marched in the VP Fair Parade and placed first overall with honorable mentions for outstanding percussion and color guard. The Monzingo Marching Percussion Competition was on Aug. 29, where they placed second in open class. There were two competitions in September. On Sept. 19, they participated in the Edwardsville Marching Competition, and placed second in best visual for the Class 4A division. On Sept. 26, they placed third in the Class 4A division and were a finalist band in the Division I rating in the Louisville BOA Competition. In October, they competed in the Bands of America Super Regional Competition and the Greater St. Louis Marching Band Festival.
The Bands of America Super Regional Competition took place on Oct. 16-17, in St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome. They placed 15th out of 45 schools. They were only .15 points away from making it in the top 14 finalists. “It was bittersweet,” Mrs. Gustafson-Hinds said. “The kids had rehearsed in the rain and bad weather the week before, and I felt they deserved to place in the finalists. However, I am very proud of them and their performance.” The Greater St. Louis Marching Band Festival was on Oct. 24. Mrs. Gustafson-Hinds said the band gave a “good performance” and placed third in the Gold Division. “We’re still in a good place, for Grand Nationals,” Mrs. Gustafson-Hinds said. “This competition is separate form the BOA competition and is on a different rubric. Our score from the last competition [Oct. 16-17] is a better indicator of how we’ll do in Grand Nationals.” The Bands of America Grand Nationals takes place November 12-14 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The band’s goal is to make semi-finals at the grand nationals. “No one has made semis except Kansas City, which is not really close to us,” Mrs. GustafsonHinds said. “It would make history for the school and immediate area if we were to place in the semi-finals.” “The music [for] the show is arranged really well. It is definitely a great season to end my days in the marching band,” trumpet major senior Nick Kadonsky said.
2
OPINIONS
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
Tired of seeing all the same faces at OTHS? BY SARE REINERT opinions@othsprowler.com
ADAM JOHNSON
Dear ID, thanks for four years of laughs, help BY ALEXIS HARDY opinions@othsprowler.com Every weekday morning between the months of August and May, the majority of us put on our OTHS IDs before or while strolling onto campus in order to avoid any unnecessary harassment from the authorities. It would not be a surprise if the rest of this article was followed with all of the burdens the infamous ID entails; however, we completely overlook everything our plastic pal rewards us with. Simply speaking, our ID allows us to be identified by our peers and authorities. Have you been appreciative for the numerous times you may have forgotten a name and the mystery person’s trusty ID helped you weasel out of a social faux pas? I, for one, have. Or what about those times when you are trying to figure out who an interesting stranger is, so you creep on their little white ID? Just me? One must also realize how simplistic our accessibility to food is with the help of our ID. Without them, we have to recall that six-digit number most of us were given our freshman year. Those of us with bad memories dread IDless days. Speaking of memory, let us not forget our IDs allow us the privilege of health care. Upon entering the nurse’s office, students must use their ID to scan their identity into the computer screen. This scan gives us easy access
to help from our nurses. I mean, healthcare is such a big topic lately, who knew such a small device played such a big role? If the above reasons do not convince you that our IDs are wonderful then perhaps the next reason will. Who doesn’t love being reminded of their outfit and hair choices freshman year? We all have our regrets over past hair and clothing choices, but if you want a good laugh on a bad day, take a look at everyone’s pictures on their IDs. I guarantee that will brighten your day. Additionally, sometimes people need to be reminded of what grade they are in, which is where our IDs come in handy. Underclassmen may forget to respect their elders sporting highlighter yellow and macaroni orange, but their IDs remind them of the school hierarchy we have solidly instilled at OTHS. As well, some upperclassmen tend to forget to act like an upperclassman. Thanks to our glamorous IDs no one will ever forget what their maturity level should be. The most important use of the ID, and also my personal favorite, is its convenient ability to adapt into a straight edge in an instant. Just a simple removal of the lanyard (or the pros keep it on) and viola! You have a perfectly straight edge, which is most beneficial in math classes for graphing. Sure, a ruler would suffice for some, but here is a double whammy: take a look at your picture and you will have a good laugh in algebra. To most, our IDs are an everyday hassle, but I just think of them as iPhones with many entertaining and practical apps. Without these $5 investments, I think my entire high school career would have been completely dull.
THE PROWLER STAFF & POLICIES Jennifer Bailey Editor-in-Chief
Jake Hamilton Reporter/Web Editor
Alexis Hardy Reporter
Sare Reinert Reporter
John Davis Reporter
Rachel Freese Reporter
Bryce Radick Reporter
Giselle Brooks Reporter
Sarah Sheesley Reporter
Ms. Mary Dempsey Adviser Contributors: Anthony Bailey, Adam Johnson, Mr. John Dempsey, Mr. Dan McCarthy The O’Fallon Township High School newspaper, The Prowler, is part of the educational curriculum of O’Fallon District 203.
to the editor. All letters must be signed. All signatures will be verified through a phone call or personal interview.
Although the paper is a class activity, OTHS students may submit materials, such as stories, photography, graphics, or art, for publication consideration. Students should bring any submissions to Room 608 Smiley Campus Submissions may be edited for content, length and grammar.
Letters may be submitted to Room 608, mailed to OTHS Publications, 600 S. Smiley St., O’Fallon, IL 62269, or emailed to letters@othsprowler.com. Letters should be fewer than 400 words in length. If excessive editing is needed, the letter will be returned to the author for approval. The Prowler reserves the right to edit any letter for grammatical errors, libelous content, or space limitations.
If written, staff editorials will not signed and will reflect the opinion of majority of the staff members. Commentaries columns, on the other hand, will be signed reflect the individual writer’s views.
be the and and
Any person with an interest in the OTHS community is encouraged to submit letters
The Prowler is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the Illinois High School Press Association. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service. The Prowler is printed by the Edwardsville Intelligencer of Edwardsville, Ill.
In a school full of 2,500 plus students, and over 50 different clubs and sports, one would think OTHS is full of plenty of opportunities for every student to get involved in high school. Here at OTHS, however, it is a different story. At our high school, I see the same faces of certain students over and over again. There are a select few who keep getting every position at school. I have no problem whatsoever with students who are involved in high school. I myself am one of them, but it is getting ridiculous with the amount of opportunities some students receive. I have to ask myself what makes this group better than others who try out for school positions. What makes certain students more qualified than others? There are certain opportunities at school that are totally vote-based. These include all Student Council elections, Homecoming and Prom court elections, and certain clubs vote on officers, such as Spanish Club, NHS, SADD, and a few others. I have no doubt that students deserve positions that they are elected to. Clearly, peers show support and agreement with candidates by going out and voting for them. However, in most cases, positions at OTHS are not voted on by students. With such subjective application and interviewing processes, is any system other than
voting actually effective or even fair? Should students be limited to how many positions they can hold at school? To me, it is hard seeing the same few students over and over again when I know there are other students who are just as deserving, if not more. Most students work equally as hard and are perfectly capable, but are simply turned away because the position is given away to one of the same favored students. I find this ridiculous, unfair, and unacceptable. It is time our school should change and give opportunities to new, deserving peers. Students should at least be able to participate in one thing they want to in high school, but, because of how things currently work, many are unable to. When we, as a school, turn students away and basically reserve spots in extracurriculars for a select few, we are blatantly discouraging students from getting involved. Isn’t that hypocritical of us when we claim that we’re a school who gives every student equal opportunity? Thus, our school as a whole needs to work together to give fair chances that are unbiased. We should encourage all students to reach for their goals without fear of being turned down because the position has already been “claimed” by the same group of students. I also have to ask myself, who makes all these decisions? Is it students, teachers, or both? Is it a coincidence, is it rigged, or is it just people playing favorites? I see plenty of capable students who are perfectly qualified for positions, whether it be in clubs, music, or athletics, but for some reason, the same students keep getting everything handed to them. I would like to see some new faces around OTHS.
What makes certain students more qualified than others?
Top ten news stories: Balloon boy hoax, Letterman scandal, Lil Wayne pleads guilty BY ALEXIS HARDY AND SARE REINERT news@othsprowler.com
1
On Oct. 8, David Letterman announced on his late-night program that he had sexual relations with female employees that work for the show. Prior to his announcement, an unidentified individual threatened to make a book and film about Letterman’s secret affairs if he did not pay a hefty check of $2 million. Letterman issued a fake $2 million check to keep the individual silent. CBS says an employee of the show has been charged with attempted grand larceny. -thehuffingtonpost.com On Oct. 9, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee announced its 2009 winner: President Barack Obama. The Norwegian committee chose Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” The president will be accepting the award in Oslo, Norway in December. He’s the third sitting president to win the Nobel Peace Prize (Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919). Alfred Nobel, the creator of the Prize, stated the award goes “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses.” -foxnews. com
2
3
On Oct. 13, the Senate Finance Committee passed its new healthcare bill with a 14-9 vote. After being passed it will be combined with another committee’s bill for a vote by the full Senate. Maine Senator Olympia Snowe was the only Republican on the Committee to vote for the bill. Parts of this bill include insuring 29 million currently uninsured Americans, establishing non-profit healthcare cooperatives, and creating health insurance exchanges to make it easier for small groups and individuals to purchase coverage. -Pravda.ru and cnn.com
4
The USS New York, an amphibious transport dock ship composed of nearly eight tons of steel salvaged from the fallen World Trade Center towers, set sail from Louisiana to New York on Oct. 13. This beauty was named in honor of the the Sept. 11 victims. Thousands of workers helped build it at Northrop Grumman Ship buildings yard in Avondale. Two more tribute ships are currently being built: the Arlington and the Somerset. -foxnews.com
5
On Oct. 15, a 6-year-old boy from Colorado supposedly set himself adrift in a balloon, but failed to return. A sibling witnessed Falcon Heene in the saucer-shaped, Mylar-coated helium balloon. The balloon returned later that day, but Heene was missing. The 20-ft long, five-
3
NEWS
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
foot high balloon has a basket attached with a door which was unlocked upon its return. It landed in Prospect Springs, Colo. A few days later, investigators found the entire situation was a hoax. The family admitted to setting it up for a publicity stunt in high hopes of a future reality show. The Larimer County Sheriff ’s Office is recommending charges. -cnn.com and foxnews.com
6
University of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard was pronounced dead on Saturday, Oct. 17. Howard, a 20-year-old cornerback who started in every game for the team last season, was killed following a sponsored student dance on campus, authorities said. The junior from Miami, Fla., was a soon-to-be dad, said UConn football coach Randy Edsall. -cnn.com and foxnews.com
7
Authorities are investigating a shooting outside a neighborhood bar and grocery store in northern Puerto Rico, which killed seven people and wounded at least 25 others. The shooting may be the result of a turf war between rival gangs. Among the wounded are a 9-year-old girl and a pregnant woman who lost her 8-month-old fetus when she was shot. Gunmen opened fire at about midnight outside the establishments in Toa Baja, a neighborhood west of San Juan that is heavily patrolled by police. -cnn.com and foxnews.com
8
The Obama administration says spending aimed at boosting the economy has created or saved 250,000 teaching or other education jobs this year. A White House report released concludes that money from a $787 billion stimulus package has helped states fill budget gaps that would have cost teachers their jobs in school districts and public universities across the country. -cnn.com
9
Somalia’s hard-line Islamist group al Shabaab is cracking down on residents who do not follow a strict form of Sharia Islamic law, now publicly whipping women who wear bras. Residents tell the paper that gunmen have been gathering women in Mogadishu who are perceived to have firm busts. These women are then publicly whipped by masked men as punishment for what Islamist leaders call deception. -cnn.com and foxnews.com
I love movies, classics, adventure, comedy, drama... New club made especially for movie fanatics BY SARAH SHEESLEY news@othsprowler.com Even with all the new clubs added at OTHS this year, one more club just got added to the list: Movie Club. Freshmen Jonathan Klinger and Tyler HawkFrey came up with the idea for the club, and asked Ms. Kelli Tallman if she would sponsor it. With her agreement, the Movie Club was able to become a reality. The club meets once a month in room 1025 at the Smiley campus to discuss movies they have recently watched. “I like to talk about various movies with people who enjoy the same,” junior Delisa Allen said.
They will choose the top movie and DVD releases for the month and write reviews about them that could end up on Panther Beat. “I like the comfortable environment where me and my friends can discuss our favorite films,” junior Justin Grimmer said. For months with holidays, they will do special discussions on those holiday movies, such as “Nightmare Before Christmas” and “The Christmas Carol.” They also plan on hosting a movie showing at least once a semester, or even going over to the movie theatre to watch a film at a group discount rate. Sign up sheets will go around at the meetings to see how many people the club can get. If there are a lot of members, officers might be elected.
AYO step team returns BY SARAH SHEESLEY news@othsprowler.com After taking a year off after their 07-08 premiere season, the AYO step team is back up and running for another great year. AYO in Nigerian means “happiness,” which is what the members tend to bring to their audiences when they perform. The team is under the new sponsorship of Ms. Candus Oliver. The AYO team has 25 members who are lead by their captain, senior Nikyal Carter. He helps them come up with new steps and helps them improve on
anything they are having a problem with. “It’s interesting to see how our final product turns out because practices can look pretty rough,” Carter said. AYO step team practices every Tuesday and Thursday in the Smiley Cafeteria from 3:15 until 5:15. Carter says the team is hardworking and dedicated to the success of their performances, leaving no time to mess around during practice. Students can watch the AYO step team perform at all Pep Rallies. They also hope to perform at February Frolics.
“It’s interesting to see how our final product turns out because practices can look pretty rough.” Nikyal Carter, senior
STIMULUS PACKAGE FOR TEENS $50 off coupon available online! www.mytutorlearning.com
Next class starts Nov. 21!
10
Hip-hop artist Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said. Lil Wayne is expected to receive a one-year jail sentence for his guilty plea. The Grammy Award-winning artist, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, is due for sentencing in February. His trial has been scheduled to begin in January. -cnn.com
277-7323
Hollywood TAN
4 Months of Unlimited Tanning For Only $75! East End 234-3132 Fairview Heights 234-4688 West End 277-8877
10 sessions-ACT test tips 2 proctored math exams 12 hours of classroom work Individualized workbook 210 Hartman Ln, O’Fallon, IL www.mathnasium.com
624-6402
_________________________
High School Homework Help Available
4
IN FOCUS
Social Networking:
Where has it been, and where is it going?
BY JAKE HAMILTON features@othsprowler.com Where is today’s technology leading? More specifically, where is social technology leading? The very first social networking site was SixDegrees.com, born in 1997. Today, there are well over 600 social networking sites. The top networking sites are Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. There are also photography-oriented sites such as Flickr, Photobucket, and TinyPic. New sites are being created every month; among those is Google Wave. What makes these social networking sites so popular? The advancements in new ways to interact with these sites and the ease of use make even the simplest things addicting. Most people associate Facebook with the main way to communicate online. Facebook has a total of about 300 million users, with about half of those logging on every day. What keeps bringing people back is the ease of use. It is easy to update your status, catch up on life with friends, and add pictures to your profile. Facebook is currently working on newer advances to make everything easier, including making the mobile site better to use, and a new main page to make viewing information easier. For those of you who use the social site Twitter, this new main page will look very familiar. This new design is called Facebook Lite, which is a simpler, cleaner look to Facebook. Check out this new design at lite.facebook.com. Another growing social networking site is Twitter. Twitter was created in 2006, before the commercial release of Facebook. Twitter is all about the question, “What are you doing?” Even if this does not appeal to everyone, it appeals to the users who contributed to the 5 billion tweets, or updates, everyday. This number continues to increase every month, putting the social site in direct competition with Facebook. Myspace is a quickly dying social network. The amount of spam and predatory risks make it less appealing. With Facebook and Twitter being the ‘new thing’ and more popular, MySpace is not the preferred network to use. The newest networking creation is Google Wave. Google is making online collaboration easier by creating an HTML5 web applicationa brand new technology for making online applications work natively on the browser without Adobe flash- for users with a Google Wave account. This way, working on documents as a group becomes synchronized, with only one copy of the document and not two or three.
Chart showing growth in number of visitors to social networking sites MySpace, Facebook and Twitter
Not only is there online collaboration, there is a new way to communicate. Email becomes a thing of the past with the speed and easy use of Google Wave. Chatting real-time, unlike on instant messaging, is in actual real time with being able to see what the other person is writing as it is happening. You can upload pictures, share them
Quiz Time: Three juniors spill, MySpace quiz style In vain of old-school MySpace bulletin surveys, I logged into Facebook and tagged almost all of the acquaintances I have, asking them to fill this out. Then, I chose some of the most interesting responses from those who chose to participate.
What is your favorite animal? Penguin, they always look classy with their suits embroidered in their skin.
Evan Townsend (junior)
Worst injury you’ve ever had? Busted my chinny chin chin open, and almost broke jaw in 2nd grade, fell off the bike.
Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? My dad washes all of our cars.
Your dream vacation? AUSTRALIA!
Amanda Mecalo (junior)
Have you been in love? I have had crushes on thousands of people. Do you miss anyone right now? Some people I knew at Governor French.
Alyssa Watts (junior)
Have you ever eaten a crayon?
Yes, when I was little I wanted to see if my mouth changed colors like it did when I drank Hi-C!
Worst injury you’ve ever had? I stepped in a bee hole once and got stung by five different bees at the exact same time.
Do you need to do laundry? My mom does it for me. In a Boy/Girl... Best Clothing style As long as they match its all good. What is your heritage? Mostly German and Swiss.
INTERVIEWS COMPILED BY BRYCE RADICK
with everyone, and see other people’s pictures all within a short amount of time. Google Wave is currently in beta: this means that it is not widely available to the public yet. As soon as it does go live, many predict that Wave will “broaden the scope of what it delivers,” said Adam Frucci, contributing editor of a popular online technology site, Gizmodo.
With all of the advances in today’s technology, the amount of effort put into the social networking sites that continue to make them better makes the idea of communicating online to a mass of people all the more interesting. Now, “What are you doing?”
ADDICTED TO FACEBOOK
It’s not an official disease, but is FAD (Facebook Addiction Disorder) affecting your life? BY SARE REINERT features@othsprowler.com
Most teenagers are already pretty busy between school, work, and extracurriculars, so do they even have time to sit on social media sites such as Facebook at all? The answer is apparently yes: Most of us use Facebook at least once a day, every day. “I spend around four hours or more on Facebook a week, but I don’t like to think I waste that much time on the internet for no reason,” said Katie Brasel. She isn’t the only student who spends hours on Facebook. “I spend about three or so hours on Facebook on weekdays,” senior Justin Swatloski said. Why do teens use these social networking sites in the first place? “Because all your friends can be connected with the click of a mouse,” Swatloski said. Even more importantly, is Facebook becoming an addiction? “Yes. Teens are always checking everyone’s
statuses and pictures. We are addicted to other peoples lives,” said senior Sarah McNease. Senior Katie Morris also agrees. “When people first get Facebook, they think they wont use it very much, but people are getting addicted to all the applications and games and everything else Facebook offers. People use Facebook during all their free time. Now even on their phones,” she said. Is this so called “addiction” a positive or negative aspect in a teen’s life? “Both. It’s pleasant to know you can keep in touch with old friends and have easy access to the latest world around O’Fallon, but some people’s lives are dictated by it and social skills are possibly lacking now,” senior Molly Barton said. Swatloski finds it completely positive. “While it may make teens more dependent opon the internet for communications and planning, that’s just the wave of the future. The more familiar we are with cyberspace, the better off we will be in the long run,” he said.
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
Question of the month:
How do you feel about social networking?
Facebook Fun Facts -Within four years of launching facebook it became the number one social networking site on the web. -webupon.com -It was originally created in a dorm room at Harvard as a project for school by Mark Zuckerberg.-webupon.com -The company is now worth an easy $15 billion.-webupon -More than 300 million active users; 50 percent of active users log onto Facebook on any given day. -facebook.com -The average number of new registrations per day is 250,000. Facebook says that the number of active users doubles every six months. -computer.howstuffworks.com -Mark Zuckerberg, founder and owner of facebook, is the world’s youngest billionaire, worth about $1.5 billion and counting. -forbes.com -Worldwide, more than 6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day. -penn-olson.com -There are more than 40 million status updates daily. -penn-olson.com -There are more than 70 translations available on facebook and about 70% of facebook users are outside the United States. -penn-olson.com
Lanie Gravlin (sophomore) I use Facebook to talk to my friends overseas and my family in Ireland. Aryk Arington (senior) I think that it’s a good way to keep in touch with friends that are far away. Alison Lyons (junior) I like Facebook because you can see what everyone is doing at once.
Kameron Johnson (sophomore) In my Facebook experiences, I met my uncle from Cuba that I didn’t even know existed. Cassandra Gherardini (senior) It’s a great way to stay in touch with people and setting up events.
Tiffani McCormick (freshman) I think that it has some good qualities, but people often spend more time online than in person with their friends. Tyler Klaus (freshman) I feel like they are a good way to keep in touch with friends, but your life shouldn’t be spent on them. INTERVIEWED BY JAKE HAMILTON
Textbooks could disappear in future BY JAKE HAMILTON features@othsprowler.com Today’s current economic status has put some technological advancements on hold at OTHS, although the technology department is hopeful for the future. “The goal is to make sure that optimally we’re meeting the needs to make all students better learners,” said Mr. Dwight Espenschied, Director of Technology for OTHS. The technological advancements that need to take place to create an environment that brings OTHS closer to the classroom are just over the horizon. The technology department at OTHS has proposed a plan to bring laptops and a digital copy of textbooks to every student and teacher at the school. This plan has been ‘in the works’ for quite some time and has had many roadblocks. The major hitch in the transition falls under the economic category. Money plays one of the biggest rolls in determining the success of the plan.
At roughly 2600 laptops to purchase, each costing in the ballpark of $500, the start up cost totals to about $1 million. This does not even include the annual costs, which includes hiring up to 25-30 more staff members. With the annual cost being at least $1 million, this questions the justification for such an immense undertaking. How can one justify the need for 2600 laptops, new staff, and all of the safety issues? Class involvement can justify every bit of it. Bringing a classroom to an online environment anywhere, any time, can boost a student’s involvement within the class. Imagine not having to carry a single bit of paper to class: just bring a laptop to school. Responsibility of the student is prioritized. Forgetting a textbook at home or not remembering to bring your homework from a locker will no longer be the focus of a student. Bring the laptop and class can begin. One local high school has adopted a plan to have a laptop for
every student. CBC, or Christian Brother’s College, is a private high school that has an online infrastructure to back the laptops. Even with the limited knowledge of the decision that CBC made to transition to digital environments, it all came back to the issue of money. Now, what steps are being taken to achieve this new age of technology and teaching? The Edline system that teachers use every day to manage grade books, take attendance, and even send messages to parents about missing assignments, does more than what is used today. Edline is a system that is trying to compete with the college level system known as Blackboard. Blackboard is a communityoriented infrastructure that handles online courses, discussions, and student forums. Edline can mirror those abilities, and can be set up to handle online high school courses and have forums for students to help each other out with different courses. Another potential roadblock is
acceptance. The community has to accept the massive change that this idea is bringing about. Decreasing the amount of text that a student has to carry and giving them a laptop would be a major change for the educational environment. What about internet safety? What about those who do not get internet at home? What if parents or teachers don’t like the idea of laptops in school? All of these factors are part of the long process that is involved with this undertaking. This is so much more than handing out laptops to students. The timetable is very unstable. “By the day, when I thought this could take hold, it’s slipping away,” Mr. Espenschied said. There are a lot of social and economic changes that have to occur for this to even be logical. “Unless there is evidence that this could save enough money from what we spend today, the economic situation is pretty much going to determine when we are ready,” he said.
5
Serial Statuses The statuses we all know and can’t stand
BY BRYCE RADICK features@othsprowler.com One of the central features of Facebook (and certainly Twitter) is, of course, status updates. There are people, however, who take their statuses to an extreme level that annoys every person who is deciding to stalk them at that moment. Here, in no particular order, is a top five list of statuses that people dislike most.
1
THE BORER In the words of junior Katy Beebe, “It annoys me when people post every single irrelevant thing they do on Facebook, like “sitting on the porch.” Then two minutes later, “Inside.” THE LYRICIST While this doesn’t annoy everyone, like Beebe, who says that she “think[s] song lyrics are a legitimate expression of how the person feels,” most others, including CNN.com and sophomore Ian Wilson, do not. “It is annoying because everyone posts the same song around the same time. 95 percent of the time it doesn’t pertain to the person who is posting it.” THE COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME Junior Amanda Mecalo points out one of the most agitating statuses fall under this category. “I hate when people post pointless things like ‘hey ppl’ or when they update their status every five minutes.” THE CRIER While it is okay that you have emotions, displaying them on the web does not seem to mesh with some people. “I hate when people are like ‘OMG I’M CRYING!!! </3’ because you should be telling your close friends that, not Facebook,” junior Erika Nowak said. THE DESPERATE CALL-OUT FOR FRIENDSHIP Facebook, being a social networking community, is all about communication with others, but some attempts to connect just sound needy. “pc4pc is so annoying along with texxt, with too many x’s to be interesting,” junior Alex Consunji said. In addition, the question pops up if anyone actually ever texted the person and, if they did, why?
2
3 4
5
6
SPORTS
ATHLETE PROFILES
Melissa Hauser, tennis
Melissa Hauser is a senior varsity tennis player. Melissa plays No. 4 varsity for singles and No. 2 varsity for doubles. She first started playing tennis when she was ten and has been playing ever since. Hauser hopes to play for one of the military academies after she graduates. Hauser is constantly practicing, whether she is on vacation or in the off season. “There are times when I even slept with my racket under my pillow,” Hauser said. “My favorite thing about the team is all the girls. They are my family and I couldn’t imagine playing without any of them. We don’t look threatening in our little skirts, until we ace the other team,” she said.
Quan Guion, football
Quan Guion is a senior receiver and a safety on the varsity football team. “I’ve been playing football since I was old enough to know what it is,” he said. Quan’s ideal school to play football at would be Miami. However, he says that he’ll probably go to a Division II school instead, but he’s not quite sure where yet. “I’m going to miss the Friday night games, it’s the best feeling in the world; and of course I’m going to miss my teammates, they’re like a second family to me,” he said.
Diana Lezama, volleyball
Diana Lezama is a senior outside and right side hittter on the girls’ varsity volleyball team. “I started playing volleyball in sixth grade, so it’s been about six and a half years now. Soccer and basketball were a complete fail for me and volleyball just seemed like a fun and challenging sport to try.” She described her role on the team, as well as for the other seven seniors, as a leadership role. “It’s our job as seniors to take responsibility and to be leaders for the rest of the team.” When asked about her favorite part of being on volleyball, Lezama said, “Spending time with the girls, we all have a great sense of humor so practice and games are always quite amusing.”
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
Volleyball girls win regional title
BY JOHN DAVIS sports@othsprowler.com
The girls’ volleyball team is on track to have one of its best years in the history of the program. The girls record currently stands at 28-7-1 with a 5-2 record in Southwestern Conference play. After a week of tough match-ups, the team rebounded with a 2-0 win over Alton in their “Volley for the Cure” game. On Oct. 13, scores of rowdy students and parents cheered the Lady Panthers on to their conference victory over the Redbirds. On Oct. 15, the girls traveled to Althoff, a consistent power in southern Illinois. The girls lost in straight games to the Crusaders, 18-21 and 14-21. The girls also participated in the OTHS Autumn Classic on Oct. 16 and Oct. 17. The Lady Panthers performed well, taking second place in the school’s annual tournament. Their sole loss in the bracket came to Triad in the championship game. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the girls won another Southwestern Conference game, this time defeating East St. Louis in two games. Senior Emma Goldschmidt and freshman Katie Roustio led the Lady Panthers to their fifth conference victory. On Oct. 24, the girls competed in the Mt. Pulaski tournament. Once again, they emerged victorious, gathering their third tournament title of the year in the process. The team is very optimistic about their postseason chances “We’ve been building for this season since my sophomore year,” senior Cosette Dwyer said. We’re not giving up without a fight.” On Oct. 29, the girls played in their Regional Semi-Final game. The team matched up well with East St. Louis, winning in two games.
On Oct. 31, the team played Belleville West for the Regional Championship. In a threegame thriller, the girls emerged victorious. It was the first time since 1992 that O’Fallon has won Regionals. “I was so proud of the team for working hard
and reaching their goals,” Coach Erin Legendre said. “It was a great feeling, but now we have to refocus and look to the next game. On Tuesday, Nov. 3 the girls faced off against Edwardsville in their Sectional semi-final match.
ANTHONY BAILEY Senior Jenny Stroot (left) sends the ball over the net during the “Volley for the Cure” game on Oct 13. The girls’ finished their regular season with a 26-7-1 record.
Boys’, Girls’ Cross Country heads to State
BY RACHEL FREESE sports@othsprowler.com
On Friday, Oct. 16, O’Fallon hosted the Southwestern Conference meet at the new sports park and both the boys and girls teams earned first place. In cross country, the lower scores are better, and the O’Fallon boys earned a score of 24 with Edwardsville, O’Fallon’s biggest rival, coming in second with a score of 38. “We’ve been trying to beat Edwardsville all season and we finally did so it shows how far we’ve come along,” junior Jake Slaughter said. Out of 52 varsity runners, all seven placed eleventh or higher. O’Fallon’s top runner, junior Michael Scolarici, ran a 14:57 and earned second place. “It’s probably the best team I’ve run on... We’re really motivated this year, not only to get to state, but to do well,” Scolarici said.
In addition to individual accomplishments, many team members, both varsity and junior varsity, earned their personal best times. The boys came into the tournament on a three game winning streak. The girls, who also had a successful race, earning O’Fallon’s fourth conference title in the past six years. “Despite the cold windy weather on Friday night, the girls turned in an exceptional performance,” Coach James Neil said. At the race, junior Sarah Johnson, sophomore Kaylee Schmitz, and sophomore Bridgette Wilson placed fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively, earning first team all-conference. Junior Chelsea Hendrix and sophomore Sarah Russel came in tenth and 12th respectively, receiving second team honors. “It’s been a great senior year and we’ve been stronger than we’ve ever been before,” senior runner Anne Nikola said.
Golf seasons end at Sectionals
Swimming stays strong, successful
Tennis ends promising Boys continue season on down note post-season run tonight
BY JOHN DAVIS sports@othsprowler.com
BY JENNIFER BAILEY sports@othsprowler.com
BY RACHEL FREESE sports@othsprowler.com
BY GISELLE BROOKS sports@othsprowler.com
After a third place regular-season finish in conference, the girls’ golf season ended at the Sectional Tournament. The team was represented by junior Katie Milleville, who qualified out of the Regional Tournament held in Carbondale. Clinton Hills golf course in Belleville was the site of the Sectional Tournament. “Katie played well but came up two shots short of making her first state appearance. I think her finish will make her work hard in the off-season to ensure a strong senior year,” Coach Chris Eddy said. “I think our team will have the opportunity to make a run at the conference title next year.” The boys’ year also came to a close at Sectionals. Junior Sam Summerlin was the boys’ lone representative. He played a great round, but was unable to advance to the State Tournament. The boys finished fifth in conference during the regular season. At the Regional Tournament at Clinton Hills, Summerline was the only golfer to advance. Senior Tyler Klingelhoefer missed the cut by only one stroke. “We had more underclassmen come out...this year. It’s a great sign for the overall continued development of our program,” Coach Keven Kellermann said.
Despite losing 11 of its members from last year, the girls’ swim team has remained strong and the numbers are just about where they were last season. “For a team of our size we have performed very well,” Assistant Coach Christina Buehler said. The girls are lead by senior captains Maggie Armstrong and Victoria Goodwin. “We rely on these two girls for [their] support and for their leadership,” Buehler said. “They are great team players and have been great additions to all of our relays.” The Quincy Invitational was on Saturday, Oct. 17, where the girls placed second out of 11 teams. On Oct. 24, the girls held the O’Fallon Invitational where they placed first in all events, except for the 500 freestyle, in which they came in second. The girls are hoping they perform this well during the remaining part of the season. The team has two meets left for this season. On Nov. 7, the girls will compete in the Marion Invitational. Their final meet, which will be the Sectional meet, will take place on Nov. 14 in Springfield.
The post-season began on Friday, Oct. 16, when O’Fallon hosted the Sectional Tournament. No O’Fallon player advanced to state. Collectively, the team placed eighth in the sectional tournament. “Maggie Fleming and Anjali Shekar were one match away from advancing, but they did not pull through. They did however, just as the other girls did, play with all their heart. They left all that they had on the court that day,” Coach Kathleen Lieberman said. “The end [of the season] was kind of disappointing. Maggie and I had a very good chance of making it to state but we got stuck with a very hard match against Altoff. I wish we had made it, but I know we tried our hardest,” junior Anjali Shekar said. Over the course of the season, the team became very close. Coach Lieberman commented on that, saying, “they take turns going to each other’s house for movie nights on the weekend and really enjoy being around each other after tournaments. It’s nice to see that they have a genuine interest in each other.” Overall, Coach Lieberman says the biggest accomplishment of the season is “significant improvement in skill levels from the beginning of the season.”
As the weather starts to cool, that typically means the end of another football season. However, the O’Fallon Panthers have a little more work to do. Coach Brandon Joggerst said, “We are very excited as a team and a coaching staff to make it back to the playoffs.” The boys have made it to the playoffs for the first time in three years. The boys defeated Belleville East 17-7 in our homecoming game, but they lost to Belleville West the following week 17-7. The Panthers defeated Edwardsville in the Oct. 16 game 20-7. On Oct. 23, the boys finished their regular season with a 28-6 victory over winless Alton. Coach Joggerst says that the players deserve the trip to playoffs because they have worked hard all throughout their high school careers. Senior captain Barry Hendrix said, “It’s very exciting, because we’ve wanted this ever since we were freshmen.” The Panthers defeated Lincoln Way-Central in the first game of the playoffs 16-0. The Panthers will be going against Lincoln Way-East tonight in game two of their playoff run. The game is at 7 p.m. on the turf.
INTERVIEWS BY SARE REINERT & GISELLE BROOKS
Another top runner, junior Paige de la Vega, commented on the tournament, saying “it was really cold that day but I think we all ran our hardest and it went really well.” O’Fallon runners then entered the Regional Championship at Granite City on Oct. 24. Both the boys and girls took first place. Scolarici was the top runner in the event, finishing with a time of 15:05. Conor Ryan, Craig Munie, Jake Slaughter, and Jose Mendez all finished in the top ten. The top five teams in Regionals advance to Sectionals. Sectionals took place at Maxwell Park on Oct. 31. Again, the boys took first place, while the girls finished one point behind Lincoln Way-East for a second place finish. The State Tournament is set for Saturday, Nov. 7. “Every team aims for the post-season,” coach Jon Burnett said.
FEATURES
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
Josh Greene, Nicole Lambert named September Students of the Month BY RACHEL FREESE features@othsprowler.com The month of September, volunteer work, and the coveted parking spot are where the similarities end between Nicole Lambert and Josh Greene, the September students of the month. Senior Josh Greene, an Air Force Junior ROTC Squadron Commander, has high hopes for his future. He wants to attend the United States Air Force Academy, where he attended a seminar this past summer, and major in aeronautical engineering. “I hope to become a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. I would love to fly either the F-15 Strike Eagle or the F-22 Raptor,” he said. An engineering degree seems to perfectly fit a student who says his favorite subject is math. “I have always loved math because of the feeling of satisfaction you get when you finally solve a long, challenging problem,” Greene said. Despite his success in the field of math, Greene claims he has issues with test-taking. “My worst quality is that I tend not to trust myself when taking tests, so I end up double and triple checking my answers before I move on to the next question, which has caused some problems on physics tests and the ACT,” he said. On the other hand, Greene says that his best quality is responsibility because it allowed him to achieve the success he has had in his difficult classes. Outside of class, the senior is also an athlete. He has played lacrosse at O’Fallon for the two
years he has been here, and he was a lacrosse captain last year. “I was named ‘athlete of the week’ sophomore year after I scored the last three goals, the last being the game winner in overtime, in our game against SLUH,” Greene said. Other activities he participates in include tutoring at Marie Schaefer weekly, volunteering for the Special Olympics, and being an Eagle Scout. Additionally, Greene holds an interesting opinion about the Milburn Campus. “If I could change one thing about OTHS, I would make it so the seniors got the new Milburn Campus, and the freshmen got the Smiley Campus. I was given a tour of the Milburn Campus by the principal, and the school was amazing with how new everything is and how high tech it is,” Greene said. This idea probably stems from his view of his first high school. Greene lived in Fayetteville, Georgia his freshman year and attended Whitewater High School. “The school had been built 4 years before I got there, so it was a very nice, high-tech facility,” Greene said. While at Whitewater, Greene was on the National Honor Roll. His achievements have only expanded since he moved to OTHS. If there is any musical event going on at OTHS, there is a good chance Senior Nicole Lambert is involved in it. She is a drum major for the Marching Band, captain for the Great Expectations show choir, French horn player for the Wind Ensemble, singer in the Madrigals performance, performer for February Frolics, and much more.
Hola! Willkommen!
OTHS welcomes two new exchange students
BY JENNIFER BAILEY features@othsprowler.com They come from near and far. They add to the diversity of OTHS and teach a thing or two about different cultures. They are the two foreign exchange students, juniors Jose Cano and Mareike Richter. Jose Cano hails from Mexico. French teacher Mrs. Ann Pilackas describes him as a good student with a great sense of humor. Since arriving here in August, Jose has had to adjust to life at OTHS. “The school is very different from my school back home. The first day was overwhelming because there are so many students; there are only 150 students in my old school. Also, our schedule is different. Here you have the same classes everyday, where we might have English on Monday, but not Tuesday,” he said. Another difference he has had to adjust to is the cooler temperatures in the Midwest. Jose decided to become an exchange student because his siblings were part of the program and they had positive experiences. The program allows the students to choose which country they would like to go to. “I could pick between 27 countries,” Jose said. “My first choice was the U.S. because I wanted to improve my English.” He has joined the Boys’ Cross Country team, which has made it easier for him to meet people and make friends. “He has fit in very well with the team since he joined. The guys and I really enjoy having
him around,” Coach Jon Burnett said. Both exchange students have noticed that the American stereotype of eating lots of fast food is, sadly, true. Junior Mareike Richter is from NordrheinWestfalen, Germany, which is located three to four hours west of Frankfurt. She speaks German, French and English. She has done other exchange program in France, but it was only for ten days, instead of a whole year. Back home, Mareike does a lot of outdoor activities time with her family and friends, such as a high ropes course, swimming and windsurfing. When she hangs out with her new friends here, she goes swimming, to the movies and shopping. “Everyone made me feel Jose Cano welcomed, but the English I learned is different from the way Americans speak,” she said. Even though she has been learning English for six years, this has had a bit of an effect in some of her classes. Anatomy and Physiology has proved to be more difficult because she has not learned the jargon for this class in her English studies. However, this has not deterred her from pursing a career as a surgeon. Mareike Richter Though she misses her loved ones and the food from Germany, she plans to make the most of her stay here. “I want to find friends for life,” she said. “I want to learn something about the American culture, and i want to see what Americans are really like instead of how the movies show them.”
15% OFF STOREWIDE UNTIL DECEMBER 31
Mon.-Fri. 10-7 Sat. 10-5 Sun. 1-5 1001 S. Lincoln O’Fallon 624-3611
www.BonniesFormalFashions.com
7
Josh Greene and Nicole Lambert
Naturally, the music teachers, such Mrs. Schackelford, Mr. Harris, Mr. Cowell, Mrs. Marble, Mrs. Bassler, and Mrs. Gustafon-Hinds are large influences on her high school life. In fact, music is such a big part of her life, she hopes to make a career out of it. “I plan to, hopefully, become a high school music teacher and teach either here at OTHS or a school similar to it… It would be a blessing to be able to share what I have been taught throughout the years with students like me in the future,” Lambert said. Volunteer work, a job at Texas Road House, Student council, SADD, and church activities are just some extra-curricular activities that top
off her musical schedule. “Sometimes I have so much going on at once, it’s hard to focus on one thing in particular,” Lambert said. However, Lambert says her best quality is her “determination to accomplish goals.” “No matter how small or how large the goal is, I never let fear get in the way of my success,” Lambert said. Lambert’s positive outlook even comes in to play in relation to the freshmen campus. “The only thing I would change about OTHS is somehow tying more interaction with the freshmen at the Milburn Campus with the students at the Smiley Campus,” Lambert said.
Answer our poll question:
“Which social networking site do you use most?”
Take the poll at at www.othsprowler.com PLUS News, features, opinions, sports, photos, and Panther Beat!
8
PHOTOS
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
Senior Sean Blumberg dashes toward the ball at the Oct. 20 Regional game. Blumberg has been a varsity player since his freshman year.
Sophomore Tyler Collico dribbles up the field with his teammates against Belleville West.The team defeated the Maroons 2-1 on Oct. 20.
Regional champs soccer team has historic season BY ALEXIS HARDY sports@othsprowler.com Our school may not have realized it, but our boys’ soccer team finished their season with a record of 174. This record placed the team fifth in state, which is the highest ranking in OTHS boys’ soccer history. They claimed the Southwestern Conference title due to their outstanding hard work and severe determination. Unfortunately, the boys’ senior night on Oct. 8 was canceled due to heavy rain and severe lightning. The following week, the team traveled to SLUH where they lost 2-0 to the nationally-ranked Junior Billikins. On Oct. 17, the Panther boys played an away game against Alton High School. In the fiercely cold wind, sophomore Alex Reifschneider scored two goals. The Alton team had to cope with having little to no possession throughout the game. Meanwhile, sophomores Ryan Lawhead and Bryan Lucas added goals to make the final score 4-0. On Oct. 20, the team played their first Regional home game against Belleville West, winning 2-1. Senior Tyler Wobbe scored on Maroons’ goalkeeper Kent Kobernus in the first half and assisted the winning goal to Lawhead with only 18 minutes remaining in the second half. “He [Wobbe] is a high energy guy who can make things happen. I noticed something, so I threw him
up on top and he made a difference for us tonight. He had a great game,” Coach Jason Turkington said to Belleville News-Democrat. The team moved on to play Belleville East for the regional title on Oct. 23. Senior Corey Hendershot scored a last-second goal at the end of the first half. Controversy filled the game including several red and yellow cards called, the validity of the Panthers’ goal questioned, and a Lancer who angrily encountered the referees following the game. “I thought our boys played well as usual. We missed a couple of scoring opportunities early that would have made the game a little less suspenseful. It was really good to get Brandon Daniels back in the flow. He’s been missed since his injury a couple of weeks ago. He brought a lot of passion and energy to the game in the second half,” Turkington said following the Regional game. The Panthers added the Regional title to their Southwestern Conference title with a 1-0 victory. On Oct. 28, the team journeyed to Edwardsville’s turf for a Sectional playoff game. After the game’s two halves ended in a 0-0 result, the teams went into overtime. They played with the “golden goal” rule in which they would play two 10-minute halves, and whoever scores first wins. The Edwardsville Tigers scored a goal 23 seconds in overtime, ending the Panthers’ historic season.
Senior Conor Knox saves a goal from getting by during the Sectionals game on Oct. 28. During the 21-game season, the team only allowed nine goals.
The team rejoices after beating Belleville East at the Oct. 23 Regional game. The win meant they moved up to the Sectional playoffs against Edwardsville.
Sophomore Alex Reifschneider fights for control of the ball against a Maroon during the Oct. 20 Regional game.
Junior Cale Ward dribbles past an opposing Tiger during the Oct. 28 Sectional game. Despite the team’s efforts, the Panthers lost 23 seconds into overtime. All Photos by Mr. John Dempsey and Miss Mary Dempsey