Issue 2 2019-2020

THE

PROSPECTOR

801 WEST KENSINGTON ROAD, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056

THE VOICE OF PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1959

VOLUME VOLUME 59, 57, ISSUE ISSUE 24

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

Disrupting injustice, exposing indifference UNITED WE STAND: Senior Tariq Smith (left), sophomore Alondra Caldera (middle) and junior Felix Garkisch (right) stand in the commons representing the minorities of Prospect. Smith, in the vast minority of race and a member of Knights United, speaks out with a megaphone on the adversity experienced by all types of minorities -- not just racial -- while the background of people turn a blind eye. Garkisch identifies as gay and Jewish, while Caldera is Latina. As of the first Knight Voices meeting on Sept. 6, disscussion has begun on the prejudice taking place at Prospect and how to deal with it in the future. (photo illusustration by Mara Nicolaie and Ryan Kupperman)

At Prospect...

75% 13% 7.5% 3.1% 1.2% 0.2%

Of students are white

are hispanic are asian

are two or more races are african american are pacific islander and american indian

According to illinoisreportcard.com

RYAN KUPPERMAN Editor-in-Chief

W

hen senior and Knights United member Tariq Smith was a freshman, someone walked up to him in the locker room and asked him if he wanted to hear a joke. When he agreed, the student proceeded to make a joke that not only disturbed Smith, but threatened him simply because of the hostility portrayed against his skin color. To this day, it remains one of the most upsetting and offensive jokes Smith has ever heard. “‘Hey, what does a chainsaw say to a black person? ... run n***a n***a, run. Run n***a n***a.’”

According to illinoisreportcard.com, Smith is among the 1.2% of students at Prospect who are African-American, joining other groups like Latin/Hispanic (13%), Asian (7.5%), mixed races (3.1%) and Pacific Islander or American Indian (0.1%) in the vast minority at a school that is 75% white.

According to Smith, hearing such racial slurs, which include n***a and n****r (also referred to as the “hard R”), is not uncommon for students at Prospect — especially if you’re a racial minority walking through the halls.

“White people would walk up to me, or to any other person who’s African-American, and they would say ‘Hey, can I get the N-pass?’” Smith said.

By the “N-pass,” Smith is referring to agreed permission for someone to say the N-word, typically for a person who is not African-American.

“I already know that the people who come up asking to say it, already say it. And the fact that you’re asking me … I don’t know, I find it childish — coming up to me and asking permission for something that shouldn’t be said … Like, my name is Tariq, just call me Tariq,” Smith said. “Hearing the word ‘n***a’ in conversations is natural now.

That’s all I hear in the halls when I’m walking down or in the locker room — It’s like the new ‘hey,’ it’s like the new ‘hi.’”

While Smith has been experiencing this throughout his high school career, the topic was first addressed to administration on a large scale during the first Knight Voices meeting on Friday, Sept. 6. According to Principal Greg Minter, Knight Voices is a more diverse version of Principal’s Advisory Council, which was disbanded in favor of Knight Voices.

Because Minter felt that Principal’s Advisory Council was too Caucasian and female-dominated, he asked teachers to hand-select students from every race, grade level, gender and pool of interests to participate in Knight Voices. In addition, every administrator and every division head is asked to attend the meetings which take place during lunch periods of specific meeting days.

Smith, who was selected for Knight Voices, anticipated the meeting to be about school event discussion, such as what everyone thought about homecoming. However, once the issue of prejudice started to come

SEE PROGRESS, page 2

2 NEWS

prospectornow.com

OCTOBER 4, 2019

PROGRESS: Dialogue destroys prejudice 70%

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*According to illinoisreportcard.com

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everybody’s situations. Plus, Garkisch would also like to see more conversations about these issues taking place in the future in hopes of creating a safe space where people can openly talk about their experiences. Garkisch also feels that the key to tackling this issue headon is by making sure as many people are informed as possible.

“I think it’s just, as a school, you can’t change everyone, but I feel like it would help if everyone took the time to learn,” Smith said.

“If someone were to go up and talk about what they go through … and they say how they feel, I highly doubt, unless [others] are just extremely rude, that they would still continue to [be insensitive].”

Minter agrees with this, also emphasizing the idea of educating people to know better.

“I really kind of see it as ignorance. Some people are doing and saying things that they think are funny, but they are not funny — at all.

It’s got to stop, and I think having some adults have good conversation with people might help to alleviate some of the situation,” Minter said. “But there’s still just a lot of education that we need to be doing.”

Correspondingly, both Smith and Minter feel that this behavior is coming more out of a place of ignorance and distasteful humor rather than hatred.

“There’s a fine line between joking and disrespecting. And so, I would want — well, I think we would want — instead of being [stereotyped], judged and bullied for our differences, to sit down … and we learn,” Smith said. “They learn from us, and we learn from them.

Basically we just communicate. If you know better, you can do better. [However], that’s not going to change the trolls — the people who do it maliciously, like on purpose.”

As a student, Smith stressed that these types of derogatory remarks have followed him throughout his high school career.

“I started off my high school career with dreads, and the first thing that I heard about it was that I looked like Chief Keef, like Lil Uzi Vert — the black rappers with dreads. I didn’t mind it because I’d

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“Once we touched basis on racial issues, that’s when I was like, ‘You know what, I might as well bring it up.’ So, when we started talking about it, I felt better … that we’re experiencing the issues and we’re facing what is actually happening in the school,” Smith said.

“Even though we are talking about it, I still know that it’s not going to change everything, but it is still good to know that we are voicing out what is going on.”

According to Minter, the use of insensitive names was first brought up during fourth period, the first meeting period for Knight Voices. Latino and African-American students alike spoke about some of their experiences at Prospect with racially-insensitive remarks. Minter recalls how one Latina student spoke about people making fun of her name while another Latina spoke about how someone had told her that her body was the shape it was because “She only ate beans and rice.”

The mention of the use of the slur or derogatory remark “beaner” and the “hard R” both stood out to Minter.

“If someone were to ask me, ‘Do you think that this possibly could be going on?’ I’d say, ‘Well yeah, it’s possible,’” Minter said. “[But] I think I can speak for [all the administrators] and say that we had no idea to the degree of how pervasive it really seems to be.”

However, both Smith and Minter mention that, as brought up in the meeting, this type of prejudice is not strictly directed towards racial minorities. Many problems were also reported in regards to sexual orientation and religion with people saying things such as “that’s gay” or “homo.”

“I feel like people who are different would like to see — I don’t know if equality is the word, but I feel like we would want everyone to be fair,” Smith said. “Like not make jokes out of the things that we can’t change, and things that make us who we are.”

Junior Felix Garkisch identifies as both gay and Jewish. Garkisch, who was selected and took part in the Knight Voices discussion, also spoke about his experience dealing with types of homophobia and anti-semitism at Prospect. Garkisch was glad to see these problems addressed in the meeting; however, just like Smith, he is still skeptical on what can be done against it.

“Regardless of who you are and whether you go through this or not, it’s something that needs to be addressed,” Garkisch said. “A lot of people feel that it is okay to trivialize discrimination in general and almost pretend like it doesn’t exist.”

While he specifies that most slurs he hears are not directed at him but rather simply heard throughout the hallways, Garkisch still feels like he is learning how to deal with those situations. “[This type of discrimination is] relatively new, but it’s not brand new, so we’ve had a lot of time to discuss it, and I’m just, quite frankly, shocked and a little bit upset that it’s taken us so long to finally get to a point where we’re having that conversation right now when we’ve known about this for such a long time,” Garkisch said.

According to Minter, administration is still thinking about the best way to approach this. Minter doesn’t think a school-wide assembly would help, specifically because he understands that most of what goes on happens out of sight or out of ear-shot from staff.

Consequently, Smith feels that educating people and having conversations with them is the best way to become culturally-aware of

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heard it before,” Smith said. “Over time, I got annoyed, and I just said ‘Hey, can we stop that?’ It got to the point where they walked up to me playing one of Lil Uzi Vert’s songs, or Chief Keef’s or whatever, and they were like ‘Heyyy, Lil Uzi Chief Keef’ and all this other stuff.

Then, it went from that to jokes.

And not like the laughing type of jokes.”

However, Smith didn’t just experience problems with random people in the halls or the locker rooms. While he made a point freshman year to experience new groups of people in new environments by getting involved, Smith was surprised and offended when he was met with hostility disguised as

I get mad over it, they’ll be like ‘Okay, I know what makes him ticked, so I’ll just say it again to get people to start laughing,’” Smith said. “There’s not much anyone can really do about it because it’s not like you can restrict everyone’s freedom of speech … You can lock certain apps on the iPads, but you can’t lock people’s voice[s].”

When students are getting picked on for things they cannot help, both Minter and Smith stress that there is not much one can do in terms of responding to an insensitive joke or trying to push back against the people who said it.

“I feel horrible. There [are] kids who are walking around our hallways that are having things said to them and directed at them that they can’t really do much other than … try to laugh it off or just pretend it doesn’t bother them when it’s actually very very hurtful,” Minter said. “I just hate that that is their experience at school.”

Although this is the - Tariq Smith, senior first largescale trend the adminisjokes. tration has been made aware of, Smith’s freshman year, he Minter says that there are typicaljoined a sports team at Prospect ly about two incidents a year that and experienced many racist jokes are brought to the attention of a from his friends and teammates — dean (now Division Head for Stuespecially at night or whenever it dent Success, Safety and Wellness) was dark out. involving altercations caused by “I didn’t care the first time that the minimization of a minority it happened; I’d heard it before. group. In cases like these, Minter They were like ‘Hey, smile so we always likes to ask the kids being can see you,’ or ‘Hey, open your victimized if they have talked to a eyes.’ But then over time, it just trusted adult. However, he has regot annoying,” Smith said. “It got ceived strong feedback that most to me because I can’t stop them, students don’t talk to an adult because that’s who I am. That’s my about how they’re being treated color, and I can’t change the color because they don’t want to make a that I am. At the same time, they big deal about the situation or poswere my teammates — And I’m not sibly make things worse. saying that I don’t like them, cause “Individually, I think it was I’m friends with them … [but] it my sophomore year, I talked to would happen every time it was Dean Taylor because someone had ever dark out.” dropped the ‘hard R’ on me,” Smith According to Smith, this was said. “At first I was scared to talk the root of the problem. Most of the to a dean about it, but over time it things he was getting picked on started eating away at me and I bewere for an aspect that he has no came angry. So, I thought it would control over. be a better idea to just talk to a “[With the ‘hard R’], I can’t dedean ‘cause they’re here to help the fend myself against it. I can say students.” whatever I want to them after they “That being said, I also feel say it, but it’s not going to do anylike [for the most part] telling — thing — it’s not going to hinder or ‘snitching’ — wouldn’t help eithem from saying it [again]. And ther, except make problems. A lot once I give them a reaction, that’s of people grew up saying ‘Snitches just going to feed them more. If get stitches,’ ‘Snitching: you lose

There’s a fine line between joking and disrespecting ... instead of being [stereotyped], judged and bullied for our differences ... If you know better, you can do better.”

friends over it’ or all this other stuff … which is why I also feel like most people who get insulted don’t say anything because of how everyone got the concept of keeping it in and tattle-taling to the adults.

That’s why it took me so long to go to Dean Taylor … because I don’t want to increase the situation any further.”

According to Smith, he learned early on that getting angry and fighting back typically only makes things worse. However, he stresses that this isn’t the case for everybody.

“I fought people before my freshman year,” Smith said. “My freshman year, my temper wasn’t the best, so when people said certain things to me, we would get into altercations, and then security guards or teachers would take us both out of the classroom. So, I worked on it.”

“This year … my friend … always comes up to me and is like, ‘Why do these guys keep saying this word in front of me? ... I’m getting so angry,’” Smith said. “I know … we can talk about it, but it won’t stop everyone from saying it. It just sucks. It just sucks that I went through four years of it and — I wouldn’t say was numbed to it, but I just got used to it ‘cause I know it’s not going to stop, and if I keep fighting it, it’s just going to be a waste of time. So, I just had to set it aside and keep moving.”

Jamieson Elementary School, a Chicago public school located in the inner-city, is ranked in the top 5% in the state for diversity in the student body. According to Assistant Principal Carrie Cole, the school, which contains grades Pre-K through 8, is comprised of about 30 different languages and cultures.

According to Cole and corroborated by schooldigger.com, Jamieson’s student population is about 30% white, 30% Latin, 30% Asian and 10% African-American or other. Currently, Cole says the school is working hard to be racially accommodating as well as accommodating to other minority groups involving sexual orientation or preference. At Jamieson, teachers have stopped lining kids up by boys and girls.

“Just like we wouldn’t have students line up [according to] if they are black or Asian, we are not having students line up according to their sexual identity or preference,” Cole said.

In order to accomplish this, all teachers watched a 30-minute webinar regarding transgender, non-conforming students. The webinar discussed the legal, medical and physical precautions of teaching gender-fluid students.

The webinar also covered what to do if a teacher makes a mistake in terms of misidentifying a student or using the wrong pronoun.

Although Minter says there is no formal training for staff at Prospect, he emphasizes that they react on a case-by-case basis with the respect of the student in mind.

According to Cole, when incidents happen that involve discrimination, all parties are to have a conversation to explain why the situation was insensitive.

It is their school policy to find out on a case-by-case basis if the incident stemmed from anger or hate.

“I feel like it helps to do better once you know better,” Smith said.

“Let’s say you burn your hand on a stove … and you didn’t know better, but now that you know better not to touch that burning stove, you’re going to do better and not touch it again. Once [other students] know, it will help to prevent those things from happening as much — at the least.”

prospectornow.com

NEWS 3

OCTOBER 4, 2019

Esports team joins competitive ranks JOEY DELAHUNTY Entertainment Editor

P

rospect High School’s esports team will begin competitively playing “League of Legends,” an online arena-based fighting game, in the beginning of November.

The team will be coached by Technology Assistants Allison McLaughlin and Marc Episcope and Technology Media Services worker Thomas Bacon. They plan to participate in the (yet to be planned) IHSA esports tournament.

Although this is the first year both IHSA and Prospect are recognizing esports, the sport has been gaining viewership since 2012, according to statistics site Statista. com. Last year, USA Today reported that 258 million people watched esports in 2017 compared to the 204 million who watched the NFL regular season in 2016.

Esports are competitive video games played in tournaments, most often in teams. The most popular games for esports are usually fighting-based games like “Overwatch” and “League of Legends” or sports-based games like the “NBA 2k” series and “Rocket League.” Recently, mainstream TV channels like TBS and ESPN have been broadcasting esports tournaments and gaining them even more publicity.

There has been some debate online over whether esports count as a sport or not; when IHSA officializes this sport, which they plan to do when they host the tournament, they’ll have to defend their decision to both sides.

IHSA’s esports advisory committee has not considered it thus far based on the publicly available meeting minutes found on the IHSA site. Some colleges, like Robert Morris University and Miami University, have begun providing sports scholarships for esports. According to freshman Luke Bielawski, someone who plans to join the esports team, calling esports an activity makes more sense.

“The definition for ‘sport’ is so loose… marching band is a varsity sport, and that’s

E-SPORTSMANSHIP: The Dallas Fuel and the Paris Eternal face off at the Overwatch League World Tournament. Esports’ competitions has gained so much popularity, receiving recognition from both Prospect and IHSA. (photo courtesy of Wikimedia) kind of weird, and I can say that because I’m in marching band,” Bielawski said. “I don’t think [esports would] be considered a sport by traditional means because … people would get confused by it.”

On the IHSA site, esports is currently considered an emerging sport or activity which means that the IHSA does not yet host an official tournament for it. As of Sept. 27, esports currently has 76 different schools across Illinois registered to compete this year which is more than any other emerging sport or activity on the IHSA site has.

One of the biggest esports organizations is currently the Overwatch League (OWL).

It started in January 2018 and hosts an annual “Overwatch” tournament that ends around the end of summer. The winners of last year’s season, the London Spitfire, were rewarded $1 million. In this year’s OWL season — which started in February — there are 20 different teams who have a combined total of 199 players.

Major League Gaming (MLG) helps run the OWL with Blizzard, the company that

created “Overwatch.” MLG was founded in 2002 and is involved in nearly every professional esports league in the world.

According to McLaughlin, the coaches hope to eventually expand the team to more games that the IHSA plans to offer, such as “Overwatch” or “Super Smash Bros.”

However, since it’s a new concept for the players and the coaches, they wanted to keep it simple for their first season. “‘League of Legends’ is so well-established in esports that it’s a good starting point for [the new team],” McLaughlin said.

Esports have shown themselves to be viable for players and audiences with Kotaku, an online entertainment magazine, reporting that 13 million people viewed the beginning of this year’s OWL season.

People enjoy watching esports for many different reasons; Bielawski enjoys the announcer’s insight into the game and likes to learn strategies for when he plays. As for why he plays esports, it’s the same reason why people have ever played video games: “It’s just fun,” Bielawski said.

Most Watched Esports Competitions 1. League of Legends 2. Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CSGCO) 3. DOTA 2 4. Overwatch 5. Hearthstone

*Information from esports news website, dextero.com

4 OPINION

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Grace Givan Ryan Kupperman ASSOCIATE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jenna Koch COPY EDITORS Brendan Burke Elizabeth Keane Shannon McGovern ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rick Lytle ASSOCIATE ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Olivia Kim NEWS EDITORS Ryan Barich Adriana Briscoe OPINION EDITORS Genevieve Karutz Madison Manczko FEATURES EDITORS Rachel Zurbuch Manisha Panthee ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Tommy Carrico Joey Delahunty SPORTS EDITORS Alyssa Schulz Cameron Sullivan Jake Terpins BROADCAST EDITOR Grace Baldino VISUALS EDITORS Mara Nicolaie Grace He Abby McKenna ADVISER Jason Block MISSION STATEMENT The primary purpose of the Prospect High School Prospector is to report news and explain its meaning and significance to our readers and the community. We, the Prospector, hope to inform, entertain and provide an unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions. The Prospector is published by students in Journalistic Writing courses. Some material is courtesy of MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

ADVERTISING For ad rates, call (224) 456 8026 (ask for Grace Givan or Ryan Kupperman), fax (847) 890 0513, email or write the Prospector, 801 West Kensington Rd., Mount Prospect, IL, 60056, prospectornow@gmail.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Drop off letters to the Prospector in the box in the library, in room 216 or email letters to prospectornow@gmail. com. All letters must be signed. Limit letters to 400 words. The Prospector reserves the right to edit for style and length.

Staff effectively handles discrimination Junior Tessa Fusilero walked into her Knight Voices meeting on Friday, Sept. 6 not knowing how it was going to go, and when the issue of marginalization came up, the tone of the discussion instantly changed.

Knight Voices members shared their personal experiences dealing with racial and sexual orientation ignorance and how their fellow peers often made disrespectful remarks toward students within Prospect’s minority groups.

According to Fusilero, Minter and his fellow administrators immediately listened in to the complaints given and tried to come up with a solution.

They were able to bring more attention to the issue and allow student voices to be heard without fear of being found out.

“It feels like a really safe space with all the people in there; you know that no one is going to say your name or who did it,” Fusilero said. “[The administrators] value

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Voting results of the Prospector staff in regards to this editorial. your honesty and when you tell them what’s wrong which makes it easy to trust them.”

Both Minter and his administrators know that there is not much action they can

take to fix this problem, but they are doing everything they can to make students feel more comfortable with talking about it.

“By just having this group, it’s definitely a start to [fixing the problem],” Fusilero said. “[Administrators] have helped with addressing the problem and talking with the rest of the staff to let them know what these students are going through.”

According to Minter, the best way to get students to become culturally aware and understand what’s acceptable is through education.

This is the most effective way to address student concerns and why Knight Voices plays such a major role in shaping a way for administration to actively partake in protecting the student body.

We, the Prospector, feel that the administration has

effectively addressed this issue of marginalization, and will continue to take matters into their hands in a way that positively impacts the students involved.

The administration’s attempt at fixing this problem is through offering more education to students on what should and shouldn’t be said on the school premises. This is a notable idea on how to take action, as we know enforcing policies such as prohibiting insensitive remarks toward minority groups is unrealistic.

Every student deserves to be heard when it comes to dealing with these types of injustices, and administration is allowing just that.

Making this problem a vocal issue is the first step in the right direction when it comes to handling an unfortunate situation such as this.

Staff Editorial

staff

prospectornow.com

OCTOBER 4, 2019

The lonely lives of lesbians Lesbian isolation symptom of larger community issues

*name changed for confidentiality

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wenty-thousand women marched on Washington D.C in the first official Dyke March in 1993, according to the NYC Dyke March website. This march was created by the Lesbian Avengers, a lesbian liberation group, to create a space for women away from male-centric pride marches.

The initial march on Washington inspired Dyke Marches all over the country and eventually the world. This summer, I attended Chicago’s Dyke March. It was not only my first time going to Dyke March, but also my first time at any pride event.

I felt out of place.

I didn’t feel like I belonged in a place supposedly for people like me. Amongst the crowds of people both at the march and picnic afterwards, I saw no one holding up a lesbian JENNA KOCH flag, poster or banner.

Associate My experience at Editor-in-Chief Dyke March isn’t the only example of erasing lesbians from LGBT culture and spaces.

According to the Washington Post, bars for lesbian and bi women are nearly extinct.

Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, or Michfest, held its last festival in 2015.

Lesbians are often devalued in LGBT history and our spaces are almost gone. This combined with the default straight and male world around us can create a sense of isolation even within the LGBT community.

“I don’t know any other lesbians,” said junior Mikayla Straus. “Even people I know that aren’t straight, they still have a really different experience.”

The phenomenon of “lesbian loneliness” can be seen in the three book comic series by Nagata Kabi titled “My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness,” Hayley Kiyoko’s new single “I Wish” and various other media made by lesbians.

Lesbians went from having a rich and diverse subculture in the late twentieth century to being ignored in our own community.

This lack of community and erasure within the LGBT community has caused an epidemic of loneliness among young lesbians, myself included.

However, in order to relieve this isolation, the root causes of it must be acknowledged. Isolation is the symptom of a larger problem that involves homophobia, misogyny, the internet and, surprisingly, LGBT people’s own equality.

Sure, I can explain lesbian loneliness to non-lesbian friends. I can tell my straight therapist about it. However, it feels pointless. Just as I can’t relate to being attract-

DYKE DILEMMA: A distressed lesbian stands in front of a wall of heterosexual symbols. This represents the specific isolation and loneliness lesbians experience because of homophobia, misogyny and many other reasons. (Illustration by Jenna Koch) ed to men, non-lesbians can’t relate to this specific type of isolation that many lesbians feel.

Though gay men don’t have things much easier, being attracted to men while also being a man makes them a very valuable addition to any straight girl friend group — for better or for worse.

This dynamic created the stereotype of a catty and cliché “gay best-friend,” but it also made gay men more palatable to straight women, thus furthering their acceptance.

Prospect’s homecoming court had two gay men on it this year. Both guys definitely deserved their spot on homecoming court, but that would just never happen with lesbians.

When I asked Straus why she believes gay male bars are thriving while lesbian bars are not, she said, “it’s not ‘cool’ to be a lesbian.”

“You hear about drag culture,” Straus said. “You hear about things that not only gay men are into, but also straight people really like … [lesbians] are scary to other people.”

I doubt that the football team is dying for a “lesbian best-friend.” If I’m wrong, boys, you can contact me at 1-800-SAD-DYKE. I’ll be waiting.

In the general scope of all same-sex attracted people, a lot of the original goals of the U.S’ gay liberation movement have been mostly achieved.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2014, and although the current administration has many of us worrying, it does seem as though we can now throw away our posters, pack up our pride flags and go home.

No matter if our fight really is over, things are far easier than they were 50 years ago, especially in metropolitan areas like

Chicago.

Twentieth century lesbian culture came out of necessity. Lesbians, especially lower class lesbians, could not live without a community to protect them. This need for protection isn’t as needed as it used to be, but the support a community brings is now gone as well. Or is it?

Sophomore *Amber Bain is a part of many online group chats for LGBT teens on the communication app Discord. Through these servers, she’s been able to meet more women like her and find a sense of community. One of her friends on the servers even met her girlfriend through the app.

Straus also follows many LGBT people on social media and feels connected to the community, as well as other lesbians, through that. I’ve met a handful of other lesbians online and even text some of them everyday.

Even with these online spaces, I still feel alienated in my everyday life. Online connection just isn’t enough, and it never really will be.

I can act like it is, but deep down I crave real human connection. Even sitting down and talking with Straus for a few minutes felt like more connection to another lesbian than the thousands of lesbian articles, posts and conversations I’ve had and read.

I know I need more of that. I know lesbians need more of that. So I’ll do what I can.

If there’s not a women’s LGBT group at my college next year, I’ll make one. I’ll be brave enough to wave my lesbian flag at Dyke March 2020. I’ll publish this article so the small lesbian population at PHS can have something to read and relate to.

I’ll love my fellow lesbians not just romantically, but in a way that’s loud, that’s celebratory and that can’t be ignored.

prospectornow.com

OCTOBER 4, 2019

OPINION 5

Body standards ‘slim’ girls’ self esteem G

rowing up as a dancer, the “ideal dancer’s body” was always described to me as a super tall, skinny girl with graceful long legs and a short torso. For those of you who don’t know me personally, I’m 5 feet 4 inches tall, and my legs are quite the opposite of long — I buy ⅞ length leggings in order to avoid a foot of leftover fabric congregating at my ankles. These types of body expectations don’t only exist in dance, but the media has also enforced an environment where high school, middle school and younger girls feel as though they’re in constant competition with each other.

In the past few years, I’ve noticed and appreciated seeing brands like Dove and Aerie shed light on the importance of using untouched photos in their advertisements, as well as providing a diversity of the size, shape and color of the women being photographed. At the same time, Victoria’s Secret still exists.

The annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is an event that millions of people look forward to watching, but when the runway is exclusively filled with size two, 5 foot 10 inch tall models, this event becomes one to ALL ABOUT THAT WAIST: A girl is pressured by the measuring tape around her make girls feel bad about themselves and as- waist while a pair of eyes judge her. Recently the media has created unhealthy body pire to look just like the models do. expectations for girls.(cartoon by Grace He) Sociology teacher Kristen Ray believes gap I aspired to have. Looking back now, just as much? Instead, brands like Victoria’s that women who fit this mold are exclusively that was completely out of their control, as Secret have an attitude of displaying photoadvertised as sex symbols. shopped bodies that are physically impossi“We look at [celebrities] and think ‘Wow, was the fact that my thighs did and still do ble to attain and feeding those images to the I want to look like them,’ but they have per- touch each other when I walk down the halls sonal trainers, they have people that cook for today. I wasn’t able back then to have the young girls in our society who then question them,” Ray said. “I know [there are] a lot of perspective I do now, and so I waged a war why they can’t look like that. in my mind against all girls who were skinAccording to Ray, the competitive aspect celebrities who aren’t that perfect ‘image’... nier than me. This competition among girls stems from being judgmental; but I don’t think we have enough existed for me both at school and Ray has observed that when a girl walks into of [them].” in my daily dance classes, wheth- a classroom, all the other girls of the room Constantly being surrounded er the other girls were aware of will look at her. by an environment in the media it or not. Some moments that “I think that society has this image of where only the tiniest women encouraged this mindset for me what women are supposed to look like, how are considered sexy and desirincluded when we had to weigh girls are supposed to behave,” Ray said. “So able is detrimental to the way ourselves in sixth grade health when a girl walks in a room [and fits those a young girl perceives herself. class to calculate our BMIs or standards], people feel threatened.”

As an 11-year-old entering midanytime I was measured for a This is why it’s so important for women dle school, I got caught up with dance costume, upset that I was a and girls of all ages to embrace each other; wanting a thigh gap. It took years medium instead of a small. everyone has something that they’re inof me trying to hide my thighs ELIZABETH Don’t get me wrong here, I’m secure about. However, praising a size 16 by pulling my shirts way too far KEANE not saying that size-zero women doesn’t mean shaming a size four. I’ve gotten down before a new “trend” arose with thigh gaps are evil or don’t to a point in my life where I’ve learned that I in the media that normalized Copy Editor deserve to feel supported in so- no longer need to put others down to feel bethaving thicker thighs. This was ciety. I’m simply stating the fact ter about myself. “Flowers are pretty, but so around the time that Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” was re- that 68% of American women wear a size 14 are Christmas lights, and they look nothing or above, and, as mentioned in Dove’s Proj- alike.” As cliché as that quote from Tumblr leased in 2014, and my insecurities about my ect #ShowUs, 70% of women don’t feel rep- may sound, it makes perfect sense — I can legs considerably lessened. find a girl who looks nothing like me beauBefore that though, my younger self’s resented in everyday media images. That is more than half of the female population in tiful, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t also first instinct was to be jealous, almost angry, toward the girls I knew who had the thigh America, so why can’t they be celebrated find myself beautiful.

A perfect example of this can be heard in the seemingly body-positive song “All About That Bass.” While that song features lyrics such as “every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top,” Trainor also refers to girls smaller than plus size as “skinny b*tches” and sings that “boys like a little more booty to hold at night.” These two lyrics are alarming to me for two reasons. The first one tells girls to think of all girls who happen to be skinny as b*tches, which only encouraged my sixth grade self to be meaner towards those girls in my head. The second lyric instills another aspect of female competition into a young girl’s mind — male approval.

Although it’s great that a woman’s body at any size can be appreciated by a man, their opinions should never be our primary source of confidence. I know that that is easier said than done, but the dating world shouldn’t be seen as a cutthroat environment where whoever gets the boy “wins.”

Boys are not a prize to be won, and neither are girls.

Nevertheless, no one is perfect. No matter how many times I blast Lizzo or Ariana Grande songs while driving alone in my car, I’ll still have moments of weakness, jealousy and insecurity because I’m a human being.

We can’t control certain feelings; what we can control, however, is how we respond to having them. So, instead of projecting my own insecurities and jealousies onto other girls by gossiping or picking fights, I try to stay mindful of the fact that they can’t control what they were born with the same way I can’t. There is absolutely no need for a girl to tear down another girl for their body when we can all agree on how hard it can be to grow up battling body-image issues and impossible beauty standards.

So, instead of fueling this competitive nature that has been placed on our gender, fight it. Compliment a girl you’ve never met before in the hallway and I can bet you it will make her day. Support and purchase products from brands that advertise beautiful people who represent you and your values, not what a marketing team finds aesthetically pleasing. I am so incredibly thankful for the girl that I didn’t even know who asked me if I was doing okay when she overheard me crying in the bathroom last year — it makes a difference.

Once you start sending out that type of positive energy toward other girls, you’ll start to see the competition fading and your life will not be nearly as cluttered with gossip or girls being “fake nice” to you. Karma works both ways.

How to keep cool under college pressure As a freshman, I was definitely not in my Every year, students attend counselprime. I made a multitude of terrible, naive or-run guidance sessions focused on future decisions such as accidentally box-dying my and career planning. Freshman year, stuhair bright orange and only using the dog fil- dents have to fill out a “four year plan,” ter to take pictures of myself. where they predict the classes they’ll take Additionally, when I was a freshman, I during their upcoming years at Prospect. thought binge watching HGTV meant I was When I thought about it, it seemed pretty destined to be an interior designer. pointless.

It took me a long time to learn from my Looking back at my four-year plan, I mistakes. During junior year, I first started found that when I was a freshman I predictwatching “Grey’s Anatomy.” At the same ed that during senior year I would be taking time, I was having mental breakdowns every AP Biology. I couldn’t help but laugh at my night because of my AP Physics homework; plan, as I failed all my physics tests last year however, that didn’t stop me from watching and hate science all together. I am currently Christina Yang perform a heart operation a senior not enrolled in any science courses, and thinking, ‘I could totally be a surgeon.’ so clearly freshman me didn’t know how to Choosing my future based on TV shows plan my future. probably wasn’t the best plan, and I defiIn addition to the four-year plan, career nitely feel a lot more capable to pathways are also introduced make decisions about my future freshman year. Also referred to as as a senior than I did when I was “career clusters,” the pathways 14. When I was a freshman, I was are different groups of careers simply concerned with surviving that involve similar training and my first year of high school. education to the four-year plan.

Getting introduced to career Upon meeting with their counclusters, graduation requireselors, students are prompted to ments and four-year plans during choose a cluster so counselors can freshman year can be overwhelmrecommend electives and other ing, and the idea of making adult opportunities such as district cadecisions with the little life expereer nights, clubs or internships.

MADISON rience we have as 14 and 15 year“There are so many careers MANCZKO out there,” said college counselolds seems inconsequential. Additionally, high school is said to Diane Bourn. “So let’s break Opinion Editor or fly by, which can definitely make it down into areas to help try to freshman think ‘the sooner the determine what might be an inbetter’ when it comes to preparing for their terest of yours.” post-secondary lives.

My first impression of career clusters College-prep is very valuable when the was negative, as I thought making a very time is right. That being said, it shouldn’t premature decision added unnecessary be stressed over as an underclassmen. It’s stress freshman year. However, pointing to extremely important to remember that any a career cluster on a sheet of paper is not a decision a student makes as a freshman is binding agreement, and students tend to find far from permanent or binding. the idea extremely worthwhile.

In addition to freshman guidance sessions, in the past two years, the district implemented a new project for freshman to complete in their English classes where students have to make a presentation about the career path they choose. “[The project] has really helped a lot,” said freshman Mia D’onofrio. “It also made it seem much easier and effective to now have an idea of how you can further get into electives.”

Since I’m a senior, I did not do this project. I don’t feel like I missed out, as presenting about wanting to be an interior designer to my HWOC class as a freshman would be no help when I’m trying to pursue a communications major in college.

Also, with the amount that students change their career path throughout their time at Prospect, it seems like a waste of time to assign this project right away. Why not do it junior year, when students have a more clear idea of who they are and what they’re interested in?

According to English teacher Teresa Buczinsky, the project is a part of a new district initiative to better prepare students for college decisions. With the high price associated with a college degree, the goal is to help families save money by adding things like dual-credit courses and encouraging students to have a more definite idea of what they want to do heading into college.

The initiative is certainly well-founded, as encouraging students to focus on a career path sooner rather than later could prevent them from paying an expensive tuition just to change their mind about their major. At least in high school, there is more room for mistakes and no monetary stake involved if a student were to lose interest in a certain career path.

With this in mind, it’s important to re-

CHOICES, CHOICES: A student looks stressed in front of college flags. Students are encouraged by District 214 to pick career clusters as freshmen. (photo illustration by Abby Mckenna) member that it’s more than okay to go into senior year, or even college, undecided. According to studybreaks.com, an estimated 20 to 50 percent of students enter college as an undecided major, while 75% of students will change their major at least once before they graduate college.

Overall, encouraging underclassmen to hone in on a specific career is a solid plan but maybe not the most effective. I think it’s important for students to establish what their interests are, or whether they even want to attend college; however, those decisions come with time. If you’re a freshman already worrying about college, put the stress in your back pocket, and confide in counselors when you’re ready.

“We’re trying to force [career planning] a little bit so that maybe by the time you go to college, you’re less likely to feel like ‘I just have no idea what I want to do, and I don’t know where to start,’” said Bourn. “Hopefully you’ll be beyond that.”

6 IN-DEPTH

OCTOBER 4, 2019

prospectornow.com

Suffocating in Secret Recent deaths define vaping reputation BRENDAN BURKE Copy Editor *name changed for confidentiality

T

he vaping epidemic has reached a new low with the recent rise in vaping-related deaths. According to CNN, 13 people have died from a lung illness caused by the immense consumption of vape and e-cigarette products. With the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reporting that 530 people have been diagnosed with having lung illnesses linked to vapes, many students cannot help but worry if these symptoms will reach the student body.

Senior Izabela Budnik, a student who has always been against the vaping trend, believes that students who vape should take the rising death toll as a “wake up call” and put an end to their damaging habit. She hopes that government policies such as the 21-year-old age restriction on the purchase of vapes in Illinois and the Trump administration’s proposed ban on flavored e-ciga-

rettes will eliminate the epidemic amongst students.

The proposed ban was announced by President Donald Trump on Sept. 11 to remove all flavored e-cigarettes from the American market.

In light of the recent unexplained vaping deaths, the Trump administration deemed this new ban necessary as a form of protection for teenagers.

The fatal lung illness causes coughing, shortness of breath, nausea, chest pain, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever for the affected people. According to CNN, diagnosed people range from the ages of 17 to 67.

Sophomore *Lucas Andrews, a student who has vaped for the past year, was not phased by the recent deaths and continues to vape once or twice a week because he has not personally felt any of the alarming symptoms that the deceased or diagnosed were experiencing.

Although Andrews has had little problems linked to his vaping habit, he is well aware of the effects it can cause.

Budnik thinks that vaping is not seen

as dangerous because the sweet flavors fog young people’s images of what they are actually consuming. “[Vaping] is something that’s really scary,” Budnik said. “It seems like it’s harmless because of the flavors like watermelon and strawberry. In actuality, it’s just as harmful [as], if not worse than, actual smoking.”

Sophomore *George Taylor, a student who has been vaping for two years, believes that student vaping is so prevalent because of how much easier it is to obtain a vape underage than a regular cigarette.

“I started vaping because I had friends that did,” Taylor said. “It’s just so easy to get that I wasn’t really focusing on what it could do [to harm me].”

When Taylor heard about the proposed federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes, he agreed with the Trump administration because he understands that teenagers should not be exposing themselves to vapes.

Budnik believes that this ban is the only effective way to eliminate the teen use of vapes at school. She knows that the Prospect

administration struggles with students vaping on campus and knows that the problem would solve itself if students could no longer physically access e-cigarettes at stores.

Senior Kiley Whisler has vaped once before when she was prompted by a friend to try it. Whisler has not vaped since because she did not enjoy it and is a soccer player who wants to stay healthy for her activities. “[Prospect] does have a vaping problem,” Whisler said. “It’s not like [security guards] are going to start searching everyone’s backpacks because that would just cause a string of new problems. The ban is the only real method of getting the vapes away from students.”

Budnik and Whisler agree that many students have decided to turn a blind eye to the epidemic at hand because they have not been able to grasp the reality that their bad habits can actually be life-threatening.

“Just because [a vaping death] hasn’t happened [at Prospect] yet, it doesn’t mean that it won’t,” Budnik said. “I think [this] should open [students’] eyes to the reality that vaping could be bad for them.”

prospectornow.com

Q&A Q: A:

with the Division Heads of Student Success, Safety and Wellness

What is the school’s protocol if a student is caught vaping?

The purpose is to educate so they understand what it is, how it’s marketed towards a [teenage] age group, the negative impacts, like the science behind it... it’s more to prevent further use.

Nick Olson and Lisa Soukup

Q: A:

How is Prospect transitioning their protocol since the recent vaping deaths?

We’re working with LINK coalition, the village of Mount Prospect, the village of Arlington Heights and the police department ... as a team to be at the forefront of knowing what’s happening and ... we want to make sure that students are educated so they understand the danger and the harm from it.

-Olson

Q:

How many vaping cases would you say you’ve seen in the past month?

- Soukup

Q: A:

What measures is the school taking to decrease vaping within the student body?

There’s a lot of things [about the side effects of vaping] we don’t know, so we’re trying to stay at the forefront of understanding what it is and making sure that students and families stay educated. We’ve had parent informational nights before, we’re gonna be doing more of that this year.

At parent conferences this year, we’re going to have an education piece for parents and families to understand more [about vaping].

-Soukup

A:

12

-Olson

Q: A:

IN-DEPTH 7

OCTOBER 4, 2019

How does the current number of vaping cases compare to past years?

As the staff becomes more educated, I don’t think [the number of vaping cases] has been increasing, but just that we’re getting better at catching it.

-Soukup

Exploring behind the veil of vape retail Local vaping businesses benefit from illegally selling vapes to underage teens OLIVIA KIM Associate Online Editor-in-Chief *name changed for confidentiality Senior *Addison Berg stepped into local Des Plaines vape store Big Dog Vapes by herself for the first time during her junior year.

The small establishment appeared empty besides her and the one employee who was surrounded by glass shelves of vaping paraphernalia.

According to Berg, the man working there openly acknowledged that she was a high school student and, in a friendly manner, followed up with the question: “What do you want?” Berg and the man hastily completed the transaction and she went on her way.

“Honestly, this sounds bad, but [the employees at vape stores] know that kids are coming in,” Berg said. “So they know what [the customers] are going to get and everything. [The process of purchasing vape products] is very fast how they want [teens] to do it.”

Businesses — from the brick and mortar vape shops to vape manufacturers like Juul Labs, Inc. — have played a major role in the presence of vaping among teens. Even though legislative actions have pushed back against allowing teens to obtain vape products, vapes have been promoted to them through marketing strategies and vape accessibility in local stores according to USA Today.

Big Dog Vapes employee *Peter Reeves notices that minors enter the store trying to buy vapes daily. According to Reeves, the store does not sell vape products to people under 21 years old, and they check customers’ IDs “the second they walk in the door.”

According to Berg and sophomore *Charlie Llyod, another local vape shop iCloud Vape and Smoke is known for not carding people when they go in to purchase vape products. iCloud Vape and Smoke declined an interview for this story.

In efforts to combat vape accessibility to teens, Juul, the company that controls 73% of the e-cigarette market according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, pledged to implement their Retail Access Control System where participating stores must scan a valid ID upon Juul product purchase.

“People [under 21] try to purchase [vape products] all the time,”

7-Eleven employee *Alexis Heaton said. “We simply say ‘no.’”

However, Llyod believes that teens can get around this measure by getting a fake ID. “The ID scanning thing is [not effective] because I can be 21 in Ohio for $80,” Llyod said.

Another step that Juul Labs, Inc. took to resist teen vaping was ending their sales of fruit-flavored pods to retail stores back on Nov. 12, 2018. However, Berg said that she’s never noticed the removal of these pods when she has gone to purchase them because flavored Juul-compatible pods are still available in stores. Berg recalls only one time when she attempted to purchase vapes and the store, 7-Eleven, only carried the menthol and tobacco flavors in stock.

Teens are still willing to go through with vape purchases even though the process has to be somewhat secretive, according to Berg.

“Juuls are advertised for teens a lot,” Berg said. “That’s what you see most teens using. Every vape shop you pass has a Juul sign.”

Mentions of Juul are not only prevalent at physical stores — they are also online. Marketing through social media played a major part in getting the company off the ground, according to Times Magazine.

In a Forbes article, Juul said that more than 99% of all social media content related to the company is generated through “third-party users and accounts with no affiliation to our company.”

As Berg has scrolled through her VSCO feed over the past few years, she has seen countless posts of vape products. According to Berg, the routine occurrence of images of vape products being posted on social media is a way for teens to display themselves as “edgy”, but is also a great demonstration to show the power of Juul’s viral marketing spread.

“While Juul has halted its own [social media] posts, the viral peer-to-peer spread among teens the company initiated will live on indefinitely,” Dr. Robert Jackler, Stanford University Surgeon and co-founder of a group called Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising, said in an interview with Forbes.

As of Sept. 25, the company made the decision to terminate its U.S. advertising after receiving backlash from legislators according to BBC News.

Berg still thinks that restrictions on the vaping industry imposed by both the government and companies like Juul won’t blow the market’s sales. “[More regulations] probably won’t be effective,” Berg said.

“Kids and [shops] are always gonna find a way around it.”

Currently on our Instagram: @prospectornow

See a compilation of teenagers destroying their vapes as a way to end their habit.

Witness the trend of “Juul Chucking.”

8 FEATURES

Sexism in dance sparks discussion

SPOTLIGHT: Senior Alex Lasky introduces the spring musical “Chicago” as the narrator.

Lasky has developed a passion for dance that he would like to further pursue in his college minor, but this passion has sometimes been accompanied with criticism. “It doesn’t feel good to be torn down about something I like to do when I’m not tearing you down for doing what you love to do,” Lasky said. (photo by Tillie Pasternak)

ELIZABETH KEANE Copy Editor

“

Good Morning America” (GMA) reporter Lara Spencer spoke about some of Prince George’s favorite activities on Thursday, Aug. 22. When she got to the end of the list, saying that the six-year-old prince enjoys taking ballet classes, Spencer was overcome with laughter and said, “We’ll see how long that lasts.”

Spencer’s segment prompted the online trend #BoysDanceToo on social media. A few days later on the following Monday, Aug. 26, professional male dancers Travis Wall, Alex Wong and Robbie Fairchild led a ballet class in the middle of Times Square in a spot sure to be seen from the GMA studio. After receiving backlash from various groups of people all over social media, Spencer apologized and said, “We should all pursue our passion…

I have learned about the bravery it takes for a young boy to pursue a career in dance.”

Brian Hare is a Chicago-based dancer and choreographer who began dancing at age three at a recreational dance studio in Detroit. He has gained years of teaching, choreographing and performing experience since graduating from Columbia College with a minor in dance.

Hare originally began dancing because both of his sisters had an interest in pursuing it and his mom found it most convenient to drop them all off at the same building. However, Hare quit dance from fourth to fifth grade largely due to being surrounded by a stigma of it not being “cool” for boys to dance.

In sixth grade, he returned to his studio and joined the dance company where he was one of three boys in a team of about 80. “[With the GMA situation], it was largely male dancers my age who really took offense to it… Now, [male] dancers are viewed more as gods and athletes whereas in 1999, that was not the case. Dancing was still very much for girls [and we were told] ‘you’re a sissy boy,’” Hare said in an interview with the Prospector. “I think that’s part of why the backlash was so intense from male dancers of my age because we have seen that there’s been progress, and then when you hear something that can take you back, we don’t want that [same stigma] for male dancers coming up.”

prospectornow.com

OCTOBER 4, 2019

In middle school, Hare described being bullied for being a male dancer as the stereotypical bullying seen in movies — pencils were thrown at him, he was shoved into lockers and he was sent home from school early on three occasions because the administration couldn’t guarantee his safety. Hare spoke to his school about it, but as the problems persisted, his family moved out of the school district partly due to Hare being bullied.

“You don’t bully back a bully,” Hare said. “You’re not changing the world or [people’s] minds that way.”

According to Hare, in his school setting as a young male dancer, the stereotype of them was that they were effeminate or less manly. When Hare tells people that he’s a dancer today, he is met with responses like “That’s so cool that you’re living your dream” or “You’re in great shape.”

“It’s fascinating,” Hare said.

“The same thing that got me shoved into lockers at 13 garners me respect as a 33-year-old … I think that goes to show how minds change; I didn’t change.”

Hare believes that ignorant people lose their desire to bully once they mature and get a firm sense of self.

“There are still people who will think what they want and say what they want,” Hare said.

“But those voices are much quieter and rare [for me to encounter today].”

Senior Alex Lasky has been involved in musicals since the age of seven. Although this is the extent of his involvement in dance, he has developed a passion for it and has continually improved throughout the years. Lasky plans to minor in dance in college to further develop his skills. He said he has been picked on for not participating in sports as much as the other boys do.

“It doesn’t feel good to be torn down about something I like to do when I’m not tearing you down for doing what you love to do,” Lasky said.

According to Lasky, these types of comments used to affect him more last year and he took his anger out on people who didn’t always necessarily feel that way about him. Now, he experiences more acceptance of his passion from other people.

“In this day and age, it’s been getting a lot better …”

Lasky said. “It’s so weird for me to be a senior boy [involved in theater] with all of these really good friends that are liter-

ally on the football team.”

As for getting past any fears a boy may have about dancing, Hare advises them to do their research on the class or teacher beforehand. Furthermore, he says to ask a female friend who dances to accompany them to their dance class and have them stand next to you.

“You can gather a support system to make you comfortable [in dance] because at the end of the day … the sense of community amongst dancers is really strong and positive and we’re welcoming to anyone …”

Hare said. “We only get better by expanding how large the community is and the kind of people who are in it.”

This is why Hare enjoys teaching dance to kids, and according to him, dance is always influencing his mindset in both his professional and personal life.

“You spend this lifetime acquiring all of this knowledge and having all of these experiences …” Hare said. “I really love helping influence people’s kids’ abilities to decide who they are, what they want and how they’re going to do it.”

Both Lasky and Hare agree that being a male dancer comes with some exclusive benefits, one being encountering less competition.

“There are [less males in the dance world than girls], but that doesn’t mean we’re any less talented,” Lasky said.

Hare sees this in the professional world of getting jobs, and while competition amongst men is still “cutthroat,” he thinks that it’s not as intense for men as it is for women.

Furthermore, Hare believes that men are perceived as more valuable than women in terms of product in the dance world; he points to the observation that a majority of promotional work and posters for dance companies feature pictures of men.

Another benefit Hare recognizes is being allowed a sense of individuality — male dancers can have beards or wear their hair any way they like. With women, they are more restricted with their hair and makeup, being “used to look homogeneous.” Hare says that once all the hairspray is sprayed, all the women’s hair color looks the same anyway.

“I’m a dancer,” Hare said.

“It is inherently ingrained into the person that I’ve become, and I think everybody has their label … that’s where your heart is, that’s where you go.”

Veggie burgers go viral ADRIANA BRISCOE News Editor History teacher Jonathon Kaminsky freaked out at Kuma’s Corner, a restaurant in Chicago, when the waiter served him one of his first Impossible burgers.

“Did I screw up [my order]?” Kaminsky wondered. “Am I eating meat?”

Kaminsky became a vegetarian five years ago, and then became a vegan two and a half years ago. Although he hasn’t tried an Impossible Whopper from Burger King yet, he’s heard all about it because he follows vegan social media accounts such as @veganstreet on Instagram.

According to CBS News, Impossible Whoppers went nationwide at Burger King restaurants on Aug. 8. The patties are made using the recipe from Impossible Foods, the company that made the first Impossible burger. They’re soybased, made from soybeans and include heme: an iron rich substance that causes veggie patties to “bleed” like a meat patty would.

This trend at Burger King is nothing new, however, as Impossible Foods first released its Impossible burger in 2016, according to impossiblefoods.com.

There are other veggie burger options out there too, as junior Julia Pokorny discovered by trying veggie burgers from Beyond Meat, a company that makes meat substitutes from pea protein, and Boca: a brand from the Kraft Heinz company that makes veggie burgers with soy protein.

Pokorny was a vegetarian for health reasons for five and a half years, but recently stopped because she’s going on a trip to Italy for choir over spring break and doesn’t want to be restricted regarding what she can eat.

Pokorny wasn’t surprised when she first tried veggie burgers because she didn’t expect them to taste like meat, but she still likes them.

Kaminsky also likes veggie burgers, but he thinks that the experience of eating them is affected by where they’re purchased.

“If you buy them at a grocery store, they’re below average,” Kaminsky said.

“If you go to some of those specialty vegan places that almost make them for the purpose of making comfort food, those taste really good.”

One specialty vegan restaurant Ka-

minsky went to was Chicago Diner, and he said that the menu there looks like it could be from TGI Fridays because “It’s just so Americanized,”despite having vegan food.

Speaking of American culture, Pokorny mentioned that at typical American fast food restaurants, veggie burgers are sometimes the only option for vegetarians and vegans.

Because veggie burgers are convenient for Pokorny, she says that meat substitutes make up a lot of the protein in her diet. In addition to veggie burgers, she has tried vegan ground beef and chicken. Other times, her protein just comes from natural sources like peanut butter, nuts and beans.

Kaminsky also eats veggie burgers because of their convenience, but he only eats them occasionally because he

infographic by Grace Baldino prefers eating natural plant-based meals like stir fry. Yet, he thinks that veggie burgers are getting better as time goes on.

“If you had someone try the older ones they’d be like ‘this tastes like kale,’” Kaminsky said. “If you had them try the newer ones they’d be confused [as to whether they’re eating meat or not].”

While, according to Kaminsky, the companies that make veggie burgers seem to be aiming to improve taste, he believes that one of the main goals of creating meat substitutes is to encourage meat eaters to eat meals that are more eco-friendly. He thinks that because animal agriculture is taking up land and water, companies that make meat substitutes hope that their products will ease the transition to a meatless diet.

Kaminsky decided to go vegan to combat animal suffering, protect the environment and eat healthier. Although he has to pay extra attention to the nutrients he’s getting, he’s happy with the vegan lifestyle.

“It’s a little rougher to figure out [what to eat],” Kaminsky said. “But it’s something to learn.”

Currently On ProspectorNow.com...

Read a preview of Prospect Gives Back, the annual local community service event taking place on Oct. 5.

Read about the differences between American and European education systems, as well as the cultural and political systems that impact schooling in different countries.

Read a profile of class of ‘94 graduate Martha Villegas Miranda. She was recognized as Prospect’s distinguished alumnus of Homecoming 2019 for helping students pursue higher education.

prospectornow.com

FEATURES 9

OCTOBER 4, 2019

Teen tracking apps raise questions, worry RACHEL ZURBUCH Executive Features Editor

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enior Adam Barich, like any other teenager, enjoys hanging out with his friends. His regular Friday nights include football games, restaurants, hanging at his friends’ houses and more. Doing so, he’s bound to break a few rules, such as deciding to go somewhere on the whim when he didn’t initially tell his parents.

However, sometimes when he decides to do this, he gets the text: “Why did you go there?” from his parents.

How did his parents know this? Barich’s parents use the family networking app —or more commonly known to teens: the tracking app — Life360.

Life360 is an app that families download to keep tabs on each other’s locations; every family member can be registered, and, on the app, there is a map of the area with a pinpoint of everyone in the family registered.

The app has other features such as monitoring driving speed and battery percentage.

In a world full of technology, an app has been created for just about everything.

Life360 is one of the numerous examples of apps that parents can use to track their teens. Popularity of these apps has risen, as 18 million people use Life360, according to a 2018 report by the company itself.

I-SPY: Apps like Life360 have been created for parents to monitor their children’s whereabouts throughout the day. As popularity However, this brings teens to question the reason for these apps and why their par- of these apps rise, it raises objections by teens over the use of the app. (photo Illustration by Mara Nicolaie) ents feel the need for them. being like ‘Why were you here’ and ‘Why were in an emergency where they couldn’t out with friends and do other things indeBarich believes that the use of tracking were you there’ because sometimes I like to use their phone such as a car accident or an pendently,” Heilman said. “As a parent that apps is “100% an invasion of privacy” bedo things spontaneously.” area with no service. can be very unsettling because you’re alcause he is constantly monitored throughBarich wishes that he could look at the This is where Barich has seen a positive ways concerned: ‘Are they okay?’ ‘Are they out the entire day. location of his parents too, which is a feain the app. A year and a half ago, he got into going to be safe?’ This technology eases our “It seems like they ture on the app, but his parents don’t a car accident, and his parents were easily anxiety: ‘Yes they’re going to be okay; I can need a backup to my let him. able to find out where he was because of see where they’re at.’” own word,” BarOn the other hand, Prospect Life360.

However, Barich believes that teens will Features on the app: ich said. parent Laura Parisi allows her Parisi explains that situations like Bar- just find a way to rebel from these apps by He explains kids to view her location on ich’s would never occur back when she was finding ways to shut it off, which happens that his parthe app. Her family also uses a teenager because of the simple reason that now, according to him.

- Current location status with map ents say Life360, and she believes smart phones didn’t exist.

Social Science teacher Qiana Drye feels - Home “circle” of what is considered their reason her kids enjoy the benefits When she was a teenager, Parisi would this is where the responsibility of a teen your house for the app of knowing her location if tell her parents where she was going and falls, which is part of the reason she doesn’t - Notifications when you go to a new is backup she’s ever picking them up who she was going with, and her parents use tracking apps currently. She might conplace security from a sports practice or a would give her a curfew. Because the rules sider it when they get older as things prog- Top speed and safety. theater rehearsal. were more lax then, she says that there was ress. That being said, she wouldn’t want her- Total time driving While he

This, she bemore freedom to deviate from the original self or other parents to overdo it.

- Number of times driven understands lieves, makes things more plan.

“Don’t let [tracking apps] consume you,” where they’re - Help alert & roadside assistance civil between her and her Social Science teacher Jay Heilman, who Drye said. “It’s the same way with Infinite coming from, kids because there’s no hasalso uses Life360 with his family, agrees that Campus or checking grades. ‘Do I need to he believes it sle of the “Where are you, teen independence was very different back check my kid’s grade every 10 minutes?’ No, doesn’t justify usMom?” text messages. when he was a teenager.

I can check my kid’s grade every week, get a ing the apps.

She also sees this “The first night I got my license I drove gauge how they’re doing, but, ultimately, the Because he somewhen she checks all the way up to Kenosha, Wisconsin and responsibility is on them.” times does things spontaMerrillive, Indiana the same neously, there have been times where he’s night because I had indepenlied to his parents not because he was doing dence … ” Heilman said. “If my something wrong, but because he wanted to their location. parents had known those things avoid all of the questioning of why he did it.

“If [my at the time, I’d imagine they’d He believes this “opens a whole other mess daughter] is going to be pretty upset with me.” of problems,” and that’s why he just wants town, I don’t have to text While Heilman knows that his parents to rely that he’s not doing someher every 15 minutes to ask he would’ve hated tracking apps thing they wouldn’t approve of. her: ‘Are you at Starbucks or like Life360 as a teen, he wants Junior Charlie Chengary doesn’t mind are you at the library?’” Parisi teens to understand the importracking apps, but has drawbacks similar to said. “I can just check the app, and tance of them to parents.

Barich when he goes places. if I’m fine with where she is; then I don’t text “It’s very difficult when we “It’s a little overbearing, and I wish that her and bug her.” are our child’s whole world as it wasn’t something that was hanging over That being said, the primary reason Pathey are growing up, and then my head,” Chengary said. “I wish somerisi uses the app is for safety, such as if they have them go to school and hang times I could just go places without them

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Senior Matthew Washco The Boyfriend

Senior Jessica Wiacek The Subject

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Senior Emily Connole The Best Friend

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Favorite food

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10 ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 4, 2019

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Ethnic paradox Isolation, hesitance caused by looking white, being Latina

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he only thing I can say in Spanish is, “Hola, cómo estás?” My eyes water uncontrollably after eating mild salsa. My skin is pale and my hair is dyed light blonde. So when I tell people I’m Latina, there are a few stages that they go through.

The first one is denial. They refuse to believe my ethnicity: “No, you’re not Mexican.” Then there’s the bargaining stage: “So you’re like 2% Mexican or something?”

Finally, they reach the stage of acceptance and give the inevitable: “You don’t look like a Mexican,” or even worse: “You don’t seem like a Mexican.”

The number of times my ethnicity has been questioned proves how it is a common stereotype that all Mexicans have dark skin, brown eyes and brunette hair.

The reality is that Mexicans, and Genevieve all ethnicities alike, Karutz vary widely in appearance. My dad is Executive Latino and my mom Opinion Editor is white, but clearly I hardly look like the stereotypical Mexican .

There is a lack of diversity in the portrayal of Latinxs (referring to all people of Latin American identity in the United States) in TV and film. This leads to the development of stereotypes for Latinxs.

Often times, I and other white Latinxs are unjustly disregarded or have our ethnicity questioned because of our looks. If I don’t look like Sofia Vergara, I can’t be Latina?

Additionally, many Latinxs are not fluent in their family’s native tongue. I have been told that because I don’t speak Spanish, I am “not really Mexican.” Gina Rodriguez, star of The CW’s “Jane The Virgin,” was recent-

ly criticized for her inability to understand Spanish. Some say that she cannot call herself a Latina because she doesn’t speak it.

“I’m like, when did this happen? When did we decide there are certain criteria that make you Latino enough?” Rodriguez, a second generation Puerto Rican raised with English as her first language, said to Huffington Post.

She later added: “I am as Latina as they come. And I am not defined by anybody’s definition of Latina.” It becomes annoying, constantly being told by society who is or is not Latinx enough.

Despite my frustrations, being a white Latina does protect me from discrimination, which makes me feel especially guilty.

There is a rise in hate towards

Mexican and Central American immigrants being called terms such as rapists and murderers as a result of disputes over illegal immigration.

According to a 2018 report by California State University, there was a 176% increase in Latinx targeted hate crimes during the first two weeks after the 2016 election.

This makes many people feel that it’s now socially acceptable to make offensive jokes and derogatory comments about Hispanics.

According to the Washington Post, 58% of Hispanic adults say they’ve experienced discrimination or have been treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity.

Sometimes I feel like an undercover agent. I occasionally hear comments that would most likely not be said around a girl who looks Mexican. One time someone said to me that they would never date a Mexican because she thought Mexicans weren’t attractive.

LATINITY CRISIS: Karutz (right) observes Latina celebrities Sofia Vergara (left) and Jennifer Lopez (center), both of which fit the physical stereotypes of a Latin American.

Because she appears white, Karutz finds herself struggling with her identity. (photo graphic by Mara Nicolaie).

Of course, people can have their own preferences, but it’s strange to hear opinions like this when I know that if I looked Mexican, I wouldn’t hear them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I often hear racist comments. But when I do, they cut even deeper because the guilt of not looking Mexican returns.

As of today, though it’s terrible, looking white as a Latinx offers greater protections.

In El Paso, Texas, a white man shot 22 people in an attempt to kill “as many Mexicans as possible,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

I am ashamed that after reading this news, my first thought was relief that I looked white. Brown Latinxs are in great jeopardy in today’s world, and they are being persecuted with increasing violence.

The safety I feel from not looking my ethnicity makes me sick with guilt. It makes me doubt my ethnicity, which makes me question myself about who I am.

I understand that I don’t have to endure the same challenges that Latinxs of color do.

Although I can acknowledge I benefit from white privilege, that should not deny me from being able to identify as a Latinx.

School Psychologist Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson believes that beyond genetics, it’s a person’s choice whether or not they celebrate certain parts of their heritage or whether they choose not to. He believes that how others perceive one’s ethnicity should not matter.

“It’s a battle between, ‘How much do I determine my own self’ as opposed to ‘How much people determine that for me,’” Kyp-Johnson said.

These uncertainties remain within me, but I am connected to the Mexican American experience like a brown-skinned Latina is. I embrace this part of my heritage.

From my grandmother, whom I called Abuelita, I have inherited an independent mindset and a strong work ethic.

Growing up incredibly poor in America, she instilled in her sons the importance of achieving straight A’s in school, attending top colleges and attaining better lives than their parents had.

Those lessons have been passed down to me, and I am proud to continue her legacy and say that I am a Latina-American.

Minecraft blocks Fortnite, reclaims video game crown Tommy Carrico

Executive Entertainment Editor “Minecraft” celebrated its tenth anniversary in May; “Fortnite” turned two in July.

But despite this age gap, “Minecraft” hit an unexpected stride this summer, as its related search history rocketed past a declining “Fortnite,” according to a recent Google Trends graph.

According to Paul Tassi of Forbes, interest in “Fortnite” is fading; “Fortnite” videos that used to earn millions of views earn around only 100,000 now.

At the same time, according to a May tweet from Mojang’s Aubrey Norris, views on Minecraft YouTube videos were up 8% from the prior year.

This shift in power was quite unexpected, especially after the free-to-play “Fortnite” made over a billion dollars in 2018 entirely out of in-game purchases.

“There [are] definitely some big-name streamers who [didn’t like] the way “Fortnite” is moving, so they got off,” senior Garrett Murphy, who once held an unofficial world record for kills in one round of “Fortnite,” said. “You take away the big streamers, and their whole fan base wanes off in a certain period of time.”

Murphy believes the dying off of “Fortnite” comes as a result of its economic pursuits. “‘Fortnite’ is a company, and they have to appeal to their biggest fan base. There [are] a lot of casual nine to 12-year-olds, and [Epic Games] lowered the skill ceiling to appeal to people who are really bad,” Murphy said.

“The people who are above average catch the back end of that, and it was just not for me anymore after that.”

Meanwhile, teacher John Meyers, who has run Prospect’s video game club for over a decade, argues that “Fortnite” can be similarly unfair to inexperienced players. “‘Fortnite’ has big-money tournaments, but those are really just for the best players,” Meyers said. “There’s not anything to really

encourage a mediocre or poor player to keep playing.”

According to Meyers, the biggest way “Minecraft” differentiates from games like “Fortnite” is the way it provides fun regardless of skill level.

“Even if you’re not the best [‘Minecraft’] player in the world, you can still have an enjoyable experience,” Meyers said. “Whereas, if you’re not very good at ‘Fortnite,’ you just get shot in the head a lot.”

However, it seems the inclusive playstyle in “Minecraft” isn’t the only contributor to its rise in popularity; the game has significant support across the internet. For example, in 2017, Forbes named DanTDM, a “Minecraft” YouTuber, the top earner on the platform.

PewDiePie, who passed 100 million subscribers in August, started a “Minecraft” series in June. With the first 15 episodes of this series sharing over 254 million views, it’s safe to say “Minecraft” is making a valiant return to the YouTube spotlight.

“The meme community contributed to [the return of ‘Minecraft’]. There are some memes about ‘Minecraft’ that made it kick off, and all of a sudden, everyone’s playing it again,” Murphy said. “If the internet was not a thing, [‘Minecraft’] would not be as big as it is now.”

Regardless of what the future holds, students seem to come to a consensus: “Minecraft” isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“I think ‘Minecraft’ is a rare occurrence,” Groharing said. “It is one of very few games that [has] such [a] wide variety in things you can do, and it’s not a usual thing for a game to have such flexibility in what you can do in it.”

Read the EXTENDED story on Prospectornow.com

RETURN TO LOBBY: Steve from “Minecraft” delivers the finishing blow after defeating a “Fortnite” default skin. Recently, “Minecraft” has seen an unexpected skyrocket in popularity, surpassing “Fortnite” all over the internet. (cartoon by Mara Nicolaie)

prospectornow.com

OCTOBER 4, 2019

SPORTS 11

Veteran coach leaves legacy on XC team CAMERON SULLIVAN Sports Editor

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ver the summer, the varsity boys’ cross country went to Flagstaff, Arizona for a team outing. They got to hike some of Arizona’s highest peaks while running and sightseeing at Sedona and the Grand Canyon. While the altitude was difficult to run in, they still pushed through.

Each year, the top 12 runners on the team get to go on a trip, and their past destinations have included Baraboo Hills, Wisconsin and Livingston, Montana the year before. When they weren’t running on these trips, they were team-bonding.

According to senior Erik Snell, the highlight of his summer was being able to bond with his teammates.

The team has had a strong season, with senior Tom Walter running a personal best of a 15:37 for three miles against Hersey on Sept. 17. Their record is currently 1-1, and last year they were 2-2.

Some of Prospect’s top runners this year are seniors Walter, Snell and Logan Mertes.

Aside from the senior leaders, some younger runners, such as juniors Jack DeChoudens and JT Bautista and sophomores TJ Garland and Sean Kura, have stepped up.

With the returning seniors and up-andcoming underclassmen, Prospect had a big win this year against Hoffman Estates on Sept. 3.

“These guys [got] me my 185th win,” Head Coach Mike Stokes said. “That was nice of them.”

Stokes, who has taught for 34 years and coached at Prospect for 29 years, will be retiring at the end of this season. His record at Prospect is 167-44, accounting for the majority of his 185-51 overall record.

He didn’t only work at Prospect in his 34 year run — he also worked at Putnam High School from 1986-87 and his former school, Andrew High School, from 1987-90. He got a coaching job at Bremen High School while working at Andrew High School, and he coached there for a season to earn his first conference title win.

Stokes got into coaching by developing a passion for the sport; he ran in high school and in college at Monmouth. Being captain of the team, he would write all the workouts,

STOKE(D): Head Boys’ Cross Country Coach Mike Stokes (left) shows a course to seniors Tom Walter (middle) and Erik Snell (right). This is also Stokes’ final year coaching. (photo by Abby Mckenna) which prepared him for coaching and provided the experience he has today.

One thing Stokes hopes to leave with the program after he retires is his mantra of “do your best.”

“You put everything into it, then you see what happens,” Stokes said.

Assistant Coach Jay Renaud also added that Stokes will leave a huge legacy in terms of competitiveness. Prospect wasn’t competitive enough in their conference to make it to state until he started coaching.

“He will leave a lasting legacy; I mean he has a track meet named after him,” Renaud

said.

The Stogie Relays was a surprise to Stokes, as he didn’t name it himself. Previously known as the Prospect Relays, former Track and Field coach Michael Kamedula named it after Stokes.

“He’s definitely left a legacy, there are so many people I know he has impacted in his time as head coach; He has kind of set up this culture around cross country in Prospect,” Walter said.

He has found a way to make the team care deeply about running and one another, according to Walter. He thinks that the players will be affected by losing their coach but believes they will be in good hands and find a way to adapt.

“I don’t think I could ask for a better coach that I had over my four years here,” Snell stated.

For his last season, Stokes’ goal for this year is to have everyone run as fast as they can and get five guys under 15:50, 10 guys under 16:20 and 12 guys under 16:30.

Runners under 16:30 for the 3-mile are in what Stokes calls the “dark force.” It was named this back in 2001 when an alum gave it the name.

There are many team members in this “dark force” already, including Snell and Walter who have run well under 16:30. Walter also has his personal goal of going to state and breaking 15:10. He plans to achieve this goal by putting in the hard work and hours of practice. Snell also thinks that they are being underestimated this year since they have overcome some injuries.

Several runners on the current roster have suffered injuries in the past few years.

Walter had a problem with both of his Achilles’ and had to sit out his junior year. He developed tendinitis from overuse, but he did eventually overcome it after hours of cross training and physical therapy.

Although he missed most of his junior year, Walter is happy to have had the chance to learn from him for the past four years.

Both Walter and Snell are proud to be part of Stokes’ final team.

“I think there is some pressure, since it is his last year, but obviously that’s a good responsibility,” Snell said. “When you’re an athlete, you want to look for that pressure and be able to overcome it and in the end do well.”

Sophomores lead girls’ tennis to undefeated season ALYSSA SCHULZ

Executive Sports Editor Sophomore Katherine Doyle didn’t even know her doubles partner, sophomore Natalie Katsaros, until a little more than a year ago. When Coach Michael McColaugh paired them together, Doyle didn’t know what to expect.

When they began to play together, Doyle said something just “clicked” for them; their chemistry and communication led them to an amazing first year — especially because they were just freshmen on varsity.

Even though Doyle and Katsaros did well for their age, they still lost in the meet that would have earned them a spot at state. Instead of dwelling on this loss, Doyle said she and Katsaros have tried to move forward from this by working even harder during practice and focusing on winning the important matches.

This method has worked, as Doyle and Katsaros have no losses with a record of 13-0 so far this year. The girls’ tennis team is making a statement with also having an

undefeated record (13-0).

Aside from the number one doubles pair of Doyle and Katsaros, sophomore Nicole Zakrzewski, the number one singles player on Prospect, has made a large impact as well with a record of 11-2.

Because of how well Doyle and all of the sophomores did last year, she thinks they do feel a little pressure when competing.

“You have to do your own thing, but your scores also count for your team, so it’s really stressful,” Doyle said.

Despite this, McColaugh has high hopes for the team and thinks they will finish off the year just as well or even better than last year. However, as Doyle, Katsaros and Zakrzewski are all struggling with minor injuries, the team has had some readjusting to do.

Senior Jolene Neuhalfen said that filling the spots has not been a problem though, and in fact, it has given some players the opportunity to play at a more competitive level.

“We have so many talented players on our team and we have such a deep team that if someone is hurt or sick, there’s plenty of players to fill in,” Neuhalfen said.

SWING: Senior Jolene Neuhalfen hits a tennis ball in a match on Sept. 24 against Rolling Meadows. They won this match and the MSL. (photo by Alexis Esparza) position and we are playing well, so there really is no reason why we can’t [win],” McColaugh said.

Conference Meet Preview Oct. 10-12

Sophomore Natalie Katsaros

Despite the minor injuries of the three sophomores, Doyle said that she expects herself and Katsaros to be back playing doubles when it is time for the MSL matches.

In addition to the success of the number one doubles team, this year McColaugh has driven the team to a second straight MSL East win.

Because of Doyle, Katsaros and Zakrzewski, last year the girls’ tennis team was able to win the MSL East meet for the first time since 2004. McColaugh hopes to make winning this event an even more regular occurrence, and he thinks they can do that in the years to come if the team stays focused.

“The hardest part [of tennis] is mental because you have to be mentally tough when you are playing,” Neuhalfen said. “If you lose one game you can’t let that determine the rest of the match.”

With the amount of skilled players, experience and determination on the team, there is potential to improve their record from last year.

“We have put ourselves in a really good

“Our team is as strong as we ever have been. I really believe that the girls can be succcesful at conference and take home some hardware,” Assistant Coach Amanda Stickels said.

12 SPORTS

OCTOBER 4, 2019

prospectornow.com

Team chemistry leads to swim success Broz also feels like having a bond with people of other ages is important because they could be a major contribution to the Sports Editor team.

“Some of these sophomores have realn the bus ride home from the Saint ly stepped up and helped our team grow.

Viator invitational, the Girls’ VarThey’re a key part to this team,” Lopez said. sity Swim team had “some of the With a new lineup, everyone has to make best memories,” according to senior Girls’ adjustments. Broz has adjusted to some of Varsity swimmer Caitlin Broz. the new sophomores and freshmen by mak“After winning a meet, it’s all fun and ing them comfortable. She was a former games,” Broz said. “We are always singing, freshman on varsity, so she knows how they laughing, dancing and all just having fun.” feel and how she can help them socialize According to Broz, these are the memmore. ories she is going to think back and miss; Losing seniors is hard for some teams, she’s going to miss being this close with a and Lopez thinks that although they acteam. counted for a lot of the varsity “We’re basically sislineup, the sophomores have ters and I love it,” Broz already stepped up and taken said. the unfilled spots.

However, there Adjusting to a new lineis still a lot of time up, for Misner, has been left in the season. easy.

AccordThe team currenting to Misner, ly has a 2-1 dual she is closer to meet record, takthe sophomores ing second (out than the seniors of eight--Seniors which could help teams) at the Saint them have a good Viator invitational bond in the fuand winning their first ture. battle royale meet at Pros“I may be clospect. The Knights have er to my sophocome together so far and more friends, but look to keep winning. seniors have - Alfonso Lopez, Girls’ Varsity the Something that people definitely helped see with a lot of teams is Swim and Dive Coach me and are very the relationship between close to me,” Misthe swimmers. ner said.

Girls’ Varsity Swim and Dive Coach AlMost varsity athletes have goals for fonso Lopez believes that you need to have themselves, and a lot of them are different. a good relationship with players, especial“My goals are to practice harder so I can ly the older and younger ones. Sophomore compete better at a higher level, and I want Girls’ Varsity diver Macy Misner thinks that to stay confident with myself,” Misner said. forming good relationships helps her a lot.

“I want to work on bringing myself up, not “Upperclassmen always push me to do down.” my best,” Misner said. “I really look up to According to Broz, the team goals are to them because they are older and more expework together, stay focused, support eachorienced.”

JAKE TERPINS

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Some of these sophomores have really stepped up and helped our team grow.”

SNAPSHOT! Senior Girls’ Varsity swimmer Caitlin Broz takes a picture of the sophomores and pool during the battle royale meet on Sept. 19. Broz likes to be a leader and help the sophomores grow and prepare for varsity. (photo by Abby McKenna) ther and have fun. She plans to help the team by being vocal and making sure that she’s talking to and helping everyone on the team.

Broz wants what is best for the team and she said that she is always ready to help the

sophomores and be the best teammate she can be.

“I think we will be more successful as a whole if we stay united and work together to achieve our goals,” Broz said.

prospectornow.com

SPORTS 13

OCTOBER 4, 2019

Ultimate frisbee feud comes to an end RYAN BARICH Executive News Editor

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ocial science teacher John Camardella started the ultimate frisbee club 17 years ago during his first year of teaching. Camardella, being an avid player of the sport, was more than happy to help jump-start this new club, as he fondly remembered the stress-relieving fun ultimate frisbee brought him and his friends.

In those 17 years, the ultimate frisbee club has grown past Camardella’s wildest dreams and has amassed a more than popular following. From the outside, a person might not even see it as a club; Camaradella feels that it has grown to resemble a fully organized athletic organization.

This year alone the club contains 19 teams with a total of over 300 students. The club sees male, female and co-ed teams battle it out in a sport that requires physicality, strategy and a whole lot of teamwork.

However, for the past four years, there have been two teams that have remained the center of attention because of a heated rivalry that started the first day these teams set foot on the same field.

Now, in their senior year, Fantasy Frisbee and The Benchwarmers face the end of their frisbee feud. Both teams want desperately to be the senior team that takes the trophy home and leaves their high school lives behind as true champions of the 2020 class.

To understand the importance of the end though, it’s important to revisit the beginning of this popular bout from the perspective of the two teams.

Matthew McAleer, a senior player for Fantasy Frisbee, remembers the first time they ever competed against The Benchwarmers four years ago. McAleer attests that the major reason the rivalry started was from The Benchwarmers’ alleged dirty play that day. Apparently, The Benchwarmer players would call foul after foul on “clean” plays and try to overturn certain touchdowns, at some points not even counting them as points. “[The Benchwarmers] cheap shot us, not all the time, but just a few times,”

THE FACE-OFF: Casey Trebswether (left),John Mollenkamp, Mike Murawski, Patrick Thompson (right) appear on the day of the Friday Flyover. These two teams have been competing for all of their highschool careers. (photos by Abby McKenna) McAleer said. “They curve the rules to give themselves advantages and we won’t put up with that.”

For senior Jonathan Podzcerwinski, a player on The Benchwarmers for the last four years, the rivalry between his team and Fantasy Frisbee started before the two teams even shared the same field.

He felt that with them being the two “most dominant” teams of the 2020 class, a friendly rivalry was going to naturally arise.

“It’s our friend group against their friend group, both filled with top athletes. Of course this was going to happen,”

Podzcerwinski said. “We just bash each other with trash talk and banter.”

Podzcerwinski recognizes that even though this is seen as a primarily friendly rivalry, there have been a fair share of heated exchanges between the two teams.

Fantasy Frisbee and The Benchwarmers would partake in heated shouting matches over the rules and would sometimes have to restrain certain players before something was taken too far.

“We’ve never physically fought, but we’ve gotten close to it with people bumping chests and clearing the bench,” Podczerwinski said. “Nothing too bad to where [Camardella] has to step in.”

The rivalry isn’t confined to the field though, as both teams have called the other out through social media outlets such as Twitter and Snapchat.

One such incident was when Fantasy Frisbee tweeted out that “Bench would be out of the power rankings after this week” when the team had fallen to the sixth spot in the standings. However, as of Sept. 24, they have been sitting in second place with 13 wins and two losses, with the team ahead of them being Fantasy Frisbee with 16 wins and zero losses.

The Twitter war sees no end in sight for the two teams, and it actually seems to be getting more and more heated. Fantasy Frisbee’s coach senior Tom Knauss tweeted out “We have no rivalry with Benchwarmers. They are beneath us. Period. Bench sucks.”

The Benchwarmers in retaliation would tweet to them a laughing clown face to signify how sorry Fantasy was going to be in the coming match. That week though, Fantasy Frisbee beat The Benchwarmers. “[Senior] Steve Mack runs our Twitter and he thinks it’s hilarious to get Benchwarmers all mad through our tweets,” McAleer said.

While an outsider would think these blatant attacks might frustrate Camardella, he actually loves to see this.

Camardella feels that good rivalry and solid competitive spirit creates a good energy within the club as long as it is kept in check. He loves seeing this so much that he even partakes in the fun as well, admitting that he gave The Benchwarmers a tough first week to mess with them a bit and even writing “This team is just better than everyone right now” about Fantasy Frisbee in the power rankings.

“I’m pushing buttons and making some people happy and others upset with the power rankings on twitter,” Camardella said. “[I’m] just trying to create interest and energy in the club.”

Even with moments of aggravation and intense challenge, when the two teams walk outside those white lines, they go back to what they were hours before: civil.

POWER RANKINGS (as of Sept. 27)

1. Fantasy

15 - 0

2. Benchwarmers

13 - 2

3. Juice

13 - 1

4. Cobras

13 - 1

5. Freeze

11 - 4

6. OTS

9-5

7. XX Chrome

8-5

8. Mintberry Pop

7-6

9. Dill Pickles

9-5

10. Atomic Frisbee

8-6

Members from both teams end up hanging out together in their personal lives, working together in school and even having each others’ backs in sports, since a lot of them play in other intramurals and IHSA sports together.

Senior Matthew Woloch is a prime example of this. He is close friends with most of the Benchwarmers’ players and most of Fantasy Frisbee’s players. He even played for The Benchwarmers for three years, until this year when he decided to make the move to Fantasy Frisbee.

“I have a lot of buddies on both sides, but I had to do what’s best for me,” Woloch said. “[I’ve] got to chase that ring.”

Woloch leaving The Benchwarmers added a new factor into the rivalry as he was the first player in the rivalry to ever switch sides.

“This year [Woloch] became a traitor, but we of course wish him luck, but he’s going to miss out on a great year,” Podzcerwinski said.

A good year is what both teams wish for as both big name clubs look forward to postseason glory. When these two teams are on the field, it is a no holds barred competition for dominance. When playoffs come around, both teams will need to step it up to be crowned the true frisbee champions. “[Our] biggest goal: destroy Fantasy, destroy Juice and obliterate any other team,” Podczerwinski said.

“We’re working towards a championship run, this will be our year,” McAleer said.

14

Currently on Prospectornow.COM...

Want to hear more about the newest big man on campus? Check out Ryan’s original breaking news story on Sahakian’s team of the week selection.

SPORTS Octoboer 4, 2019

From halftime shows to 4th quarters Sahakian makes leap from band to football team RYAN BARICH Executive News Editor

T

he bell had rung, the hallways were clearing and Micah Sahakian was late to class. It sounds like an insignificant event, but it was the only time in his whole junior year that he would be late. In fact, this would be the first class he had ever been late for as he was homeschooled before coming to Prospect for his junior year.

It was there, in the middle of the hall, during his mad dash to class that head football coach Dan Deboeuf saw him for the first time. Deboeuf saw his massive 6’6 stature, his obvious strength he possessed and his potential to be a top tier athlete. It was there that Deboeuf asked him a simple question that turned an insignificant event into an extraordinary turning point.

“I saw this behemoth of a man and asked him, ‘why the heck aren’t you playing football,’” Deboeuf said.

Today, Sahakian is a starting right guard for the offensive line of the varsity football team. He has been named to Friday Night Drive’s team of the week and was also invited by the University of Illinois to check out their football program on September 21. All this after only playing four weeks of high school football — his first four weeks ever playing football.

Before meeting Deboeuf, Sahakian had never played a day of football in his life and didn’t even know how to set up in an offensive lineman stance. Prior to football, he actually was a prominent saxophone player in the school’s marching band.

The transition was originally seen as very challenging because of this. Without a real background in athletics, Deboeuf and the coaching staff were worried about building Sahakian into a proper lineman.

There was also the fact of his previous homeschooling that worried them. With football being the center of high school life, they were concerned about how he would handle himself in this extremely new environment.

“You never really know with someone who’s never had pads on before,” Deboeuf said.

Football has never been foreign to Sahakian, he has been a proud Green Bay Packers fan for his whole life thanks to his grandfather, who immigrated to America from Lebanon and initially fell in love with the sport and the Packers so much he wanted to share that with his family.

“Football has always been a big part of my childhood,” Sahakian said. “Some of my finest memories are of me and my grandfather sitting together on Sunday to watch our Packers.”

Football served as a medium for bonding in his family and from those joyous moments

THE DIRTY WORK: Micah Sahakian (left) blocks Hoffman Estates linebacker Nate Fisher to protect his quarterback. Sahakian loves the physicallity of his position (Photo by Abby McKenna) he shared with them, he was able to learn more and more about the game.

Watching these games gave Sahakian dreams of one day playing football. He knew that his size would be at an advantage, but being the homeschooled student he was, the opportunity never arose.

“Debouef opened the door for me and I was ecstatic. It was a sick feeling,” Sahakian said.

Sahakian had a lot of catching up to do when it came to where the other football players were at physically. Prior to joining the team, Sahakian barely made any trips to the weight room, but the day Debouef talked him into joining the team, he was there ready to lift.

That first day, Debouef started Sahakian on an extensive workout routine that he had designed specifically for him. To his surprise, the kid who had rarely lifted weights before in his life took to weight lifting with ease and soon found him working out in the weight room for two hours every day of the week.

This work ethic and drive to catch up with the other players and become a true player is what originally caught the eye of offensive line coordinator Tim Beishir.

Meet Micah Height: 6’6 Weight: 285 lbs Position: Offensive lineman Class: 2020 Other talents: Saxophone and piano player Photo by Mara Nicolaie

“There were a lot of hurdles in the beginning that Micah had to clear to do what he’s doing now, and he was doing more than what we were expecting,” Beishir said.

“I was super impressed with that; the man is a workhorse.”

Sahakian was originally being eyed for a spot on the defensive line, but after the team’s liftathon, Beishir knew he had to have him on the offensive line.

The liftathon is a combination of a fundraiser and an evaluation of the players’ progress in their weight training. It takes place in the spring and players are meant to display their offseason work through completing three lifts: bench press, back squat and power clean.

“Sahakian went in and power cleaned 265 pounds and I was immediately like ‘alright, you’re mine,’” Beishir said.

However strong Sahakian proved to be, though, both Debouef and Beishir knew there were other factors he needed to be the lineman he is today.

Physicality is a trait that any lineman needs in order to succeed in football. Whether defensive or offensive, if you can’t hit with a fury then you’re hitting the bench.

Beishir worked very closely with Sahakian on this skill when practices began. When a new player comes onto the field, Beishir finds that these really big guys tend to lack agility and flexibility in the beginning, but that was not the case with Sahakian.

Beishir had expected Sahakian to struggle with the lineman stance at first, originally thinking he’d be too rigid. Proving him wrong, Sahakian got in the stance easily and assumed the position perfectly.

From there, Beishir could tell that this kid was ready to hit.

“You watch his highlight tapes and [Sahakian] is laying some guys out and it’s so fun to watch,” Debouef said.

Something Beishir and Debouef would come to realize about Sahakian is that the man loves to hit. He has had this competitive spirit in him even when he was a saxophone player.

“I love winning; I’ve always wanted to compete like this and I love being the guy that gets to block and hit others for the sake of my team,” Sahakian said.

Earning the favor of the coaching staff is one thing, but earning the favor and a spot within the

team is another. Captain of the offensive line and center Armen Surenian liked to define the offensive line as a team within a team, stating that it really is a close family in a way.

Upon meeting Sahakian for the first time, it became clear to Surenian that just based on his size, he could be a valuable member.

“My first impression of him was ‘holy cow, this kid is huge,’” Surenian said.

Putting size to the side, Surenian began getting to know Sahakian more and more as a player and person, which brought Surenian to the realization that he does belong here.

Surenian took note of just how fast Sahakian was able to understand and then execute their plays after only starting to play last spring.

“I don’t know how [Sahakian] learned all the plays that fast. It was super impressive, and I am so proud of him,” Surenian said.

Even if Sahakian did waver,

Surenian and the rest of the offensive line were there to help. Surenian spoke about how the line and himself would coach Sahakian on what to expect on the road and the mindset he needed going into big games.

Sahakian found that the offensive line and the rest of the team were more than welcoming and more than happy to teach him.

He recalled his first day in the weight room, not knowing how to do half of his assigned workouts, and how wide receiver Brian Doherty came up instantly to show Sahakian the basics of their everyday leg workouts.

“It was Brian Doherty who showed me the ropes for leg day, and I have to say that was the sorest I’ve ever been,” Sahakian said.

Surenian and the rest of the offensive line now see Sahakian as one of their best players out there, and more importantly, they see him as family.

“We’re basically all brothers, everyone who plays offensive line, and that’s because you have this trust with them, and I definitely have that trust with [Sahakian],” Surenian said.

Moving forward, football is now something Sahakian wants to pursue more than ever in his future.

He even has been invited to many college campuses such as Illinois State, Eastern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University and the aforementioned University of Illinois.

However enticing college may be, though, Sahakian is looking forward to those friday night lights more than anything. He wants nothing more than to go out onto George Gattas Memorial Field and bring home a winning season alongside the men he’s come to call his brothers.

“They’re all my family now and they’re all just great guys,” Sahakian said. “I’m thankful for what the coaching staff has done for me and I just want to thank God for giving me this opportunity.”

Water Break Athlete: Kenzie Woodland Year: Junior Sport: Diving

Q A Q A Q A

What made you want to pursue diving?

I was a swimmer when I was younger and watched the divers and I thought it looked like more fun, so I started taking lessons.

How do you feel you’re progressing this season after dedicating your spring to playing water polo?

The beginning of this season was about getting my harder dives back, and now I’m back to focusing on improving each dive.

What is the goal for you and the rest of the team going forward?

The upperclassmen have been focusing on making a tighter team bond as we continue.

(Photo by Abby McKenna, Interview by Ryan Barich)