Issue 1 2019-2020

THE

PROSPECTOR

801 WEST KENSINGTON ROAD, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056

THE VOICE OF PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1959

VOLUME 59, ISSUE 1 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Snap Decisions

Unannounced recording proves concerning for teachers, students Grace Givan Editor-in-Chief *name changed for confidentiality ccording to an anonymous survey of 202 Prospect students, 60% of students have recorded somebody without their permission and 42% of students have done that in school. In order to combat these numbers, the Teacher’s Union recommended teachers to encourage their students to keep their phones in their backpacks instead of on their desks. According to Tim Mcdermott,

A

an English teacher and building representative for the Teacher’s Union, this is, in part, to prevent students from filming teachers and each other without their permission, which could elicit negative consequences.

“Some kids just don’t know [not to record],” Principal Greg Minter said. “They don’t know that that’s not OK or that it’s illegal. [Bringing it up with the Teacher’s Union was] just [starting] a conversation about it.”

Illinois is a dual-consent state, meaning that, when recording a private conversation, both speakers must give their permission.

In a public setting — such as in a classroom — recording is legal, but, according to Mcdermott, filming others without their permission can have negative consequences on teachers and students, especially if taken out of context.

Senior Serena Polk* experienced this last December, and, while there were no serious consequences, she felt “disturbed” to have been filmed without her knowledge. She was going over her notes in study hall to prepare for an in-class essay the next period, and the study hall teacher took a Snapchat of her and sent it to the teacher she had next period. When she arrived in her next period class, the teacher showed Polk the Snapchat in a joking manner — a picture of Polk looking stressed with a caption that poked fun at her about it.

While Polk believes that there was no malicious intent in this situation, she felt that the teachers were exploiting her stress for personal enjoyment. Like Mcdermott, she emphasizes the importance of context and the relationship between the filmer and the subject. “[Being filmed] made me feel a little disrespected and ... violated,” Polk said. “It’s like if you found out that someone was gossiping about you; it makes you feel like, ‘woah, when did that happen?’ or ‘how did I not notice this?’”

Polk stated that her reaction would have been different if the same situation was recreated with a close friend, but, given that she was not very close with the teacher, this felt like an inva-

55% Of students keep their phones

Outside

of their backpacks

during class *according to an anonymous survey of 202 prospect students

Syllabus Security Tim Mcdermott, an English teacher and building representative for the Teacher’s Union, has proposed that all teachers include something in their syllabi that control technology use in their classes. His current syllabus contains as follows: “RECORDING ANYONE (TEACHER OR STUDENT) IN CLASS without that person’s knowledge is strictly forbidden unless directed by the instructor as part of a lesson. Any violation of these expectations will result in a discipline referral, a phone call home/parent conference, and possible legal action.”

sion of her privacy.

“It was very privatized [because] it was only between two people. So it didn’t really have many negative implications, but I just felt bad,” Polk said.

“But when it happens on a larger scale ... people could view you in a different way and it could affect your life just based on the scale.”

Polk believes that the destination of the recording is a factor in the gravity of its consequences, which is generally uncontrollable by the subject of a video.

As a preventative measure to situations similar to this, Mcdermott doesn’t allow iPads and phones out unless he explicitly says otherwise. He even put it on his syllabus (see “Syllabus Security”), and he has encouraged other teachers to do the same.

In Mcdermott’s classroom, he says that having to tell students to put technology away is a daily problem.

According to Mcdermott, other building representatives in the Education Association talk about this issue often. In fact, a D214 school has hung up posters that prohibit the use of recording devices in some areas of the school in response to this issue.

“On social media, you guys don’t realize how much trouble this can cause,” McDermott said.

“You may think ‘oh, this is just a friend; it’s funny.’ But it can actually lead to some pretty dangerous stuff. Things get misconstrued; it can ruin friendships.”

Specifically, Mcdermott points to a WPTV News story from 2015 where a Florida student recorded a teacher who she thought was bullying another student; however, when the recording got out, the student who recorded her actually got in trouble. In this situation, the school administrators said that the teacher had an “expectation of privacy” which deemed the recording illegal according to FOX31 News.

Mcdermott also points out the fact that sometimes teachers are set up — such as students egging them on and talking back — and then their retaliations are recorded.

“Students think they’re only joking around [and recording others] and [think] ‘this is going to be funny, let’s capture the teacher in a very animated situation,’” Mcdermott said. “But taken out of context, people can interpret it in many different ways, and the teacher can end up getting in trouble.”

Social Studies teacher Brad Rathe also emphasizes that there is a specific context when it is appropriate to record things. In contrast to Mcdermott, Rathe has created a more relaxed environment regarding technology as he

You see something funny on the internet and think ‘oh, somebody recorded that.’ So I feel like it’s apart of your mindset now [to record others] and kind of an instinct.” - Anonymous senior occasionally ducks his head into Snapchat pictures and allows students to record his lectures.

However, this does not mean that students are allowed to use technology freely.

Rathe would find it “shady” if a student recorded the beginning of class, as he likes to begin class by talking to individual students about their days; he would also find it suspicious if a student was trying to secretly record something. “[It becomes an issue] if you’re trying to catch an individual doing something and trying to make it public instead of doing it for academic means,” Rathe said.

With this issue gaining attention, the question of why people feel the need to film others is raised. Mcdermott uses a hypothetical situation of someone recording a fight as an example: “Your generation has an inclination to immediately think: ‘I’m going to take my phone out and video record this so I can post this, because this is going to be cool and I’m going to get a lot of likes,’” Mcdermott said. “[This is] instead of the moral obligation of ‘wait a minute, these kids are pummeling the snot out of each other somebody’s going to get hurt; maybe I should stop this.’”

Polk also believes that this is a generational tendency is because of students’ proximity to technology and how integrated it is into society. She suspects that it is a natural impulse that accompanies social media culture.

“You see something funny on the internet and think ‘oh, somebody recorded that.’ So I feel like it’s apart of your mindset now [to record others] and kind of an instinct,” Polk said.

Mcdermott sees technology’s connection to culture as both a way of escaping reality and “FOMO,” which stands for fear of missing out. This dependence on technology ingrains filming and recording into our interactions.

However, Polk believes that there are ways to counteract the actions that result from this mindset.

“Be conscious of what you do,” Polk said. “If you’re recording somebody, [think about] if this was popular on the internet and you saw yourself [in their shoes]. … You need to consider the implications and effect that it can have on their personal life, because it can gravely affect them in a negative way. You need to respect people’s privacy.”

2 NEWS

prospectornow.com

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

There’s a new sheriff (Schaps) in town RYAN KUPPERMAN Editor-in-Chief

L

isa Schaps, Prospect’s new Security Resource Officer (SRO), recalls getting a phone call at approximately four p.m. on Friday, May 17. She was at home with her two daughters, getting ready for an over-time detail at an AMC movie theater. On the other end of the line were the Division Heads of Student Success, Safety and Wellness, Nick Olson and Lisa Soukop, as well as Associate Principal Kara Kendrick.

On speaker phone, the three administrators informed Schaps that she had gotten the job as Prospect’s new SRO. In order to be eligible for an SRO position, an officer must have at least five years of experience doing police work, as well as be certified as a juvenile officer.

However, according to former SRO, seargant Rondeau, qualifications were not the sole basis of the job. When hiring an SRO, they also look for how the officer interacts with people and what kind of personality they have. For the job, they have to be able to work well with teenagers, interact with the community well and work by themselves with very little supervision because of how the position is detached from the police department.

“We call it a self-starter… someone who can go out and doesn’t need a lot of direction from supervision,” Rondeau said. “There’s a lot of trust and personal responsibility that needs to be with that person over at the school … For us, it’s a member of the department that’s out more in the community, so the way they act, and compose and handle themselves, has a strong impact on how the community sees the police department.”

Typically, an SRO is stationed at a high school for four years. However, Rondeau was promoted to Sergeant within the Mount Prospect Public Police Department after his third year. Thus, he left without completing his fourth and final year.

When it came to choosing his replacement, Rondeau felt that not only does Schaps have extensive professional experience as a police officer, but that he is also a very hard worker. Moreover, he felt that her being a parent within the district and the community could help more with understanding how to deal with and talk to high school students.

According to Schaps, she has been a Field Training Officer, a Drug Enforcement Officer, a Crime-free Housing Officer, an Evidence Technician and is a current member of the Honor Guard. In total, she has been an officer for 16 years.

In addition to her experience and credentials, Rondeau notes that Schaps had a lot of original ideas to mold the position into her own.

For example, Schaps points to the re-

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OFFICER FRIENDLY: New Security Resource Officer Lisa Schaps connects with a student outside the Cafe. After taking over for Rondeau at the end of the 2018-19 school year, Schaps has made a point of being in the hallways and interacting with students. (photo by Abby McKenna)

officers that rotate between areas.

“What’s cool about being here is that, long term, if there is a student that I get to interact with [who] needs guidance or resources, I get to be here for four years. I get to see those changes and see those connections made, versus me just coming in and out of a home.”

Schaps stresses that she is looking forward to establishing this type of connection with staff and students alike. During the teacher institute days before school, she took the time to introduce herself, as well as speak a little bit about her philosophy on police work, what she’s been trained in and what she has done and plans to do with her career.

She also made it clear to the administration that she wanted a couple of minutes during Prospect’s ‘One Prospect’ day to introduce herself to the freshmen. In addition, Schaps has established connections with staff members such as Law teacher Jay Heilman.

“I think it’s important that she has regular contact with at least my law students, because I know some of them may want to be police officers and it’s a good way to establish… connection and relationships,” Heilman said.

Heilman also stresses the importance of Schaps spontaneously stopping by no matter what is going on in his classroom.

“Sometimes learning happens at unexpected moments, and I don’t want to miss those unexpected moments and you never know when they happen. I also like to keep my teaching of [students] real, and so having a real police officer show their human side — their normal side — I think is important for students to see because that way I think they can imagine themselves being in that career when they see the normal interactions of a person who’s in that career.”

Schaps agrees, also prioritizing her interaction with students.

“Right now, it’s not the easiest time to be a police officer, and I’ve been a cop for 16 years, so to me, [these have] been some of the roughest years,” Schaps said. “It’s tough to go places when someone doesn’t like you.

They instantly don’t like me when they don’t even know me.”

With this concept in mind, Schaps expresses an overwhelming desire to connect with both staff and students on a personal level, which continues to be a major goal of hers as she settles into her job.

“For me, the most important thing [of me] being here is to make sure the students who go to Prospect can humanize and personalize a relationship with a police officer, because I’m just a person,” Schaps said. “[So] what I’m doing is making sure I am out in the hallways, saying hello.”

modeling of the SRO office (within the at— not to mention that it comes in handy for tendance office) to make it more comfortany off-campus tasks that may arise. able. Specifically, she For Schaps, becomrepainted the walls and ing an SRO was all about Juvenile law rearranged the desk and finding the right time in chairs in such a manner both her professional and -In order to become a juvenile that she feels will allow personal life. When she officer, an officer must pass a weekfor more discussion and was in high school, she connection, rather than remembers the SRO at long, 40- hour course. a student feeling like they her school and how cool were being looked down of a guy he seemed to be.

-When being questioned for a upon.

From then on, Schaps misdemeanor crime,it is procedure “I was thinking, ‘well says that it always for a minor to have a second, uningosh if I have to go talk seemed like a really cool volved juvenile officer who hears to the school resource idea to be an SRO, and the facts of the case and advocates officer, that wouldn’t after becoming an officer, for a fair punishment. be very comfortable,’” she knew it was going to Schaps said. “It’s a hapbe in her future.

-The amount of time juveniles can pier place to be, I think.” “[Being an SRO has] be in custody is dependent on Moreover, she startactually always been the crime. While in detainment, ed live-streaming up to something that I wanted nine security cameras they also must be checked up on to do in my career — pretthroughout the building ty much from the get-go,” frequently. directly to her office, so Schaps said. even when she is not out However, Schaps says in the halls interacting with students, she that she didn’t think being an SRO would can still monitor things. Plus, she created a be appropriate with multiple of her own lost and found form where students can file kids within the district. Now, having had a report over lost items and she can conduct two kids graduate from Buffalo Grove High small investigations to help find them.

School, one kid currently attending and anIn an attempt to familiarize the school other attending Cooper Middle School, she with local enforcement, Schaps had walked felt that, since Rondeau was promoted, this the local fire department staff, as well as year would be a great opportunity. multiple police officers, through the school Despite waiting until now, Schaps also over the summer. Her reasoning is that, in believes that having a child within the discase of an emergency, the fire and the potrict is beneficial to the new position, as she lice department would have a better idea of is familiar with how the schools and the diswhere the exits were, as well as the general trict works as a whole. For examlayout of the building. ple, she says that she already Lastly, according to Schaps, it was estabknows the student handbook. lished since the beginning of SROs in the 70s According to Schaps, that SROs would drive their personal her favorite aspect about Follow our Instagram car to school and receive a reimthe job is working with @prospectornow to view bursement for gas afterwards. the staff and students by However, Schaps says that the being in the building. photo galleries of students problem with this is that someSchaps says that if she was and staff during times they would have to conanswering a 911 call as a Homecoming week!

Follow our Snapchat duct police business out of their regular officer, she could ofpersonal cars which could prove fer all the resources and guid@prospectornow tedious or inefficient. When she ance she can, but the odds of her took over, she decided that there getting to follow up with those peoshould a squad car at the school so ple are slim, as there are many shifts and people would know that police were present

View a photo gallery from the visuals team covering the Hoffman Estates vs. Prospect game on 9/6.

Each of the District 214 schools will be getting boys’ and girls’ lacrosse programs in the 202021 school year. Read more on prospectornow.com.

On ProspectorNow.com...

Follow us @phsProspectorNow to see team updates, links and exclusive photo albums.

Listen to how the sports section breaks down the rise of bandwagon fans in one of our new podcasts.

Read about varsity girls’ volleyball coach Laura Gerber taking over as the new Aquatics Assistant for the Prospect pool, taking over for Bob Riebel’s former job once he moved to Forest View.

prospectornow.com

staff 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.

OPINION 3

Open campus policy needs addressing Every day, senior Bobby Tortorello leaves Prospect at fifth period because he takes college courses provided by Arizona State University at Forest View Education Center.

However, Tortorello has trouble getting clearance to leave the school because he has a 2.7 GPA and goes to Forest View during a lunch period. It took Tortorello over three weeks to finally have the security guards understand his situation and allow him to leave campus without having to explain that he was not a student trying to cheat the system and leave for lunch.

Not only was this a nuisance for Tortorello, it also embarrassed him.

Tortorello is finally happy that he can leave school without any problems and understands that his situation is very circumstantial. However, Tortorello and many other students have been wanting change to this open campus policy because of its drastic requirements and lack of fairness to students that have a borderline GPA. “Open campus is a good thing for students,” Tortorello said. “It lets them get out and not be so restricted. [I feel like] they should have a system where people with a low GPA can go out some days of the week in order to keep the privilege there for all students.”

Even though many students want this open campus policy altered, Principal Greg Minter wants it to be clear that the open campus changes are demanded by the district at all six District 214 high

schools, not by Prospect administration.

Minter said that students are only allowed to leave with a 2.8 GPA because it is tied to D214’s “Redefining Ready” initiative.

Minter said that if one graduates with a 2.8 GPA or higher, it is shown to have a “strong correlation to college success.”

The purpose of taking away open campus from students that have a low GPA is the district’s way of hoping that they will seek help for the classes they are struggling in if they cannot leave school.

Minter said that students who have a GPA lower than 2.8 and show a strong effort at improving their grades, they have flexibility when it comes to the open campus rules.

However, Tortorello finds this policy unfair because the school uses the student GPA from the previous semester when deciding if they get to leave campus during their lunch periods. He thinks that the old GPA should not matter because the “student may have a far better GPA currently.”

If a student were to be currently receiving a 3.2 GPA but had a 2.7 at the end of last year, they are not eligible to leave for open campus until the second semester of this year. Not only is this unfair, it does not reward students for their hard work towards meeting the district’s requirements. Minter does state that there is flexibility with this policy, but they should not be required to get permission from their principal when they follow and respect the district’s rules.

We, the Prospector, feel that the open campus policy is unfair towards students that have a borderline GPA or have a better GPA than the previous semester and requires change. The goal of this policy is to make students succeed academically by requiring them to work for a beloved privilege. However, the rule does not honor students that try their best to succeed. The policy needs to change by implementing a new system that allows students to have a certain number of days with open campus privileges based on their GPA. This new policy would allow students to still care for their academics while also giving them a privilege that allows them to have a relaxing break during their day.

Each and every student deserves to have an opportunity to relieve stress during the day by being given the chance to leave campus during their lunch period. For most students, their lunch period is the only part of the day that allows them to take a break from their immense schoolwork.

Although Prospect and D214 have a strong record of academic success amongst students, they are using an imbalanced system that forces students to work towards improving their GPA, only to wait for a semester to get their privileges back. It is for these reasons that we request a change to the open campus policy.

Staff Editorial

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Grace Givan Ryan Kupperman

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Socratic seminars stir up stress, struggles

T

he period was going to end in five minutes, and I had to speak one more time in my freshman year HWOC class to receive full credit for the discussion we were having. I was annoyed because some people had spoken more than twice, earning point after point of extra credit with each comment, yet I still hadn’t spoken a second time. As my eyes scanned the assignment we had prepared the night before for the discussion, I kept preparing an answer in my head for the question we were currently discussing, but then as I was about to speak, we moved on to the next question.

It didn’t help that some students kept cutting me off as I was about to share something either. Before I knew it, the bell had rung, and I had lost my chance to get the points I needed.

DRAINING DISCUSSIONS: A student covers her ears, overwhelmed during a We were doing a socratic seminar, which socratic seminars. Both the system and grading policy for socratic seminars add a lot is a discussion based on a text where stuof pressure on students.( photo illustration by Mara Nicolaie) dents respond to open-ended questions the ing their participation points, so they ended assertiveness. When I did my first socratic teacher asks. seminar about “To Kill a Mockingbird” in Socratic seminars have many benefits: up cutting me (and other people) off.

Teachers are not required to use socratic HWOC, I definitely realized that I had to they teach students how to communicate and listen effectively, they provide students seminars, but Sherwin uses them because be assertive. I learned that no one is going to lend you your chance to speak—you just the opportunity to share their opinions, she finds that students tend to be driven by and they’re a great way to apply the knowl- things that have a point value attached to it. have to get in there.

“The hard part about Socratics is getting edge learned from the topic that’s being I definitely feel motivated to speak in class if I know I’m being graded on it, but speaking in. It teaches you that you have to advocate discussed. However, the grading policy for Socratic seminars is often unfair because under a time limit is not a method I prefer. for yourself and make your voice heard even students are typically graded solely on how Sherwin mentioned that it’s hard to find a when it’s hard, even if you don’t want to,” good method to teaching oral Sherwin said. many times they speak. This communication.

Socratic seminars can be disappointing, can be a problem because some “I’m conflicted, to be honest. however, when students don’t contribute to students may feel uncomfortable Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the discussion. Sherwin noticed that when doing that. Furthermore, it’s it at all, if [Socratic seminars] people don’t have anything to say in the dishard to get into the discussion are something we should even cussion, it takes the learning and enjoyment when other students are trying do,” Sherwin said. out of it. to speak and earn their points.

Although Socratic seminars In my sophomore year HWLC class, a lot The way socratic seminars can be stressful, the ideas that of the students were more quiet, so the disare graded is entirely teachstudents get the opportunity to cussion went by really slowly. There were er-driven.

English teacher discuss can make Socratic sem- many awkward pauses, which was a good Heather Sherwin said that for inars more enjoyable, as soph- thing for me because I was given the time Socratic seminars, she typicalomore Trevor Lundrick discov- to speak up and get full credit. However, the ly makes them worth 10 points, ADRIANA ered when he took HWOC. class’ silences didn’t help when it came to and you have to speak twice. Stu“I think Socratic seminars preparing for the essay on the book Night, as dents get a 0/10 if they don’t talk BRISCOE are a lot better [than other speak- the pauses slowed us down. Consequently, at all, a 7/10 if they talk once, a News Editor ing assignments] because [they we didn’t get the time to discuss some more 10/10 if they speak twice, and offer] a different way of look- ideas that could have been useful for the paextra credit if they speak more times. She gives a 7/10 to students who talk ing at things. Because there’s not one set of per. answers like there is in math, so it’s really Discussions should be focused on learnonce for trying, so that students don’t fail the helpful to hear separate answers [from your ing new ideas and concepts, not earning assignment by getting a 5/10. own],” Lundrick said. grades. Because later in life, is it going to In contrast, English teacher Lori Amedeo Another benefit that seminars offer is matter what grade I got on a 10-point Socratalks with students after class if they didn’t speak at all. Then, she usually gives them a gaining communication skills that are help- tic seminar? For me, what will matter are ful in college. the skills and knowledge I’ve picked up from second chance by having them either start “When I went to college I never talked in learning how to share my thoughts and lisnext time, or plan out what they’re going to say; this allows them to get their points back. school, I never raised my hand, and in col- ten to others’ opinions. It won’t matter what grades students get if they fail to truly learn.

“For a kid who doesn’t talk in a Socratic lege discussion days in class were kind of like a Socratic seminar,” Amedeo said. “Ev- Simply learning from others can be a reseminar, I won’t let it tank their grade beerybody just got in a circle and talked, and I warding experience, according to Lundrick. cause I can empathize with them not wantwasn’t really prepared for that.” “[I liked] hearing everyone’s opinions ing to jump in,” Amedeo said.

Because of this experience, Amedeo be- [in the socratic seminar] because it’s like a I would always get a 7/10 in my HWOC Socratic seminars because I only spoke once. lieves that it’s good for students to get used different perspective,” Lundrick said. “Some to participating in class, even if they don’t people are just so tunnel minded that they I tried to speak a second time for every queslike it. think their way is the only right way, but [in tion following the one I answered, but it just Sherwin also mentioned that learning a discussion] they get to hear other people’s got more and more difficult as the period to jump into discussions can teach students perspectives.” went on because people felt rushed into earn-

4 FEATURES

prospectornow.com

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Anti-vax belief spikes student worries BRENDAN BURKE Copy Editor

I

K

n 1998, former British doctor Andrew Wakefield published a paper in the Lancet medical journal claiming that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has a direct link to causing autism. This statement has since been debunked by many scientists due to a lack of evidence. This caused Wakefield to lose his medical license in the United Kingdom six months after his claims and ignited a growing anti-vaccination belief that has since led to immense numbers of people against vaccination, including Prospect families.

Besides the required vaccines needed to attend Prospect such as the MMR, Polio and Hepatitis B vaccines, some Prospect students choose not to get vaccinated for illnesses such as influenza or human papillomavirus (HPV). According to the New York Times, this has led to a major controversy and debate within the United States concerning the topic of whether all students should be completely vaccinated regardless of religious or personal beliefs.

Sophomore Jacob Siciliano, a student who is not completely vaccinated, has never received a flu shot and is not vaccinated for HPV — a virus that can lead to cancer or genital warts if it enters the body. “[My parents and I] have a belief that sometimes it is better to have your body fight these diseases,” Siciliano said. “[It’s better] than having everything taken care of [by a vaccine].”

In order to attend Prospect, students must have six vaccinations that are required

by Illinois state law (see “Vax Facts”). Having witnessed the effects of these viruses first hand, School Nurse Cheryl Novak is a keen supporter of vaccination.

The effects Novak is referring to are caused by having meningitis, which is protected by the required MCV4 vaccine.

During her time as a nurse at Loyola Uni-

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POKE OR PRAYER? A student hesitates to choose whether or not he should be vaccinated. In 2019, over 700 cases of measles were reported across 22 states compared to only 50 reported in 2009. The religious exemption process for vaccines is only allowed in 31 states in the U.S. (cartoon by Mara Nicolaie) versity Medical Center, she saw a threeyear-old child diagnosed with meningitis have their fingertips and legs amputated due to necrosis of the limbs. This child was too young to receive the MCV4 vaccine because a person must be at least 11 years old in order to receive it.

“No person, especially a young child, should ever have to suffer like that,” Novak said. “It breaks my heart to think that a vac-

Senior Jack Friedrichs The Boyfriend

cine is out there to keep the disease away from young, [exposed] children and yet it still gets to them.”

Even though vaccines like MCV4 are required for Prospect’s students, Novak states that there is a legal form that a parent can fill out if they choose not to immunize their children due to religious beliefs. Novak estimates that 20-25 Prospect students are using this exemption process currently.

According to the National Center of Biotechnology Information, the main concern of religious followers is that vaccines such as MMR require the use of cells of aborted embryos in order to function properly. Similar to why many religions do not believe in abortion, religious people do not follow procedures that include the death of any form of a living cell.

World Religions teacher John Camardella refers to a sect within Christianity known as Christian Scientists when it comes to how religion plays into this issue. Followers of this sect do not vaccinate or give medicine to their children because they prefer to let God and the natural world heal their children through prayer.

Students using the religious exemption option can be removed from school when an illness spreads that could put the lives of other students in danger because they are non-immunized.

Seniors Zoe Meier and Brianna Rider-Leiner, the leaders of the health carebased extracurricular activity Scrubs Club, believe that this removal policy is fair for students who are not fully vaccinated. “[Students] should be vaccinated,” Rid-

Mr. Collins

My closet

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er-Leiner said. “I [understand] religious beliefs, but they are putting other people’s lives on the line.”

Siciliano believes that the spread of diseases by people against vaccination is not a terrible problem because he said that people who have vaccinations will not get the disease if it is spread. Honors Biology teacher Jennifer Welter states that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) describes this phenomenon as herd immunity.

However, Meier and Rider-Leiner still believe that the effects of herd immunity should not be an excuse for people to skip out on vaccination because it “only takes one sick person to spread a disease.”

Meier believes that many anti-vaccination children are being exposed to false data and that they are not being given an equal say over what they want for themselves medically.

“If my parents were anti-vax, I would have [made sure] that I was vaccinated by now,” Meier said.

Siciliano believes that the debate should end by giving people a choice to do what they want with their own bodies because “they are human beings, they have their own beliefs.

“Vaccines have saved the world in all different ways,” Meier said. “Sometimes it is difficult to decide whether the safety of others or the [freedom of religion] is more important. However, I don’t think we are looking at this for what it is: an issue that must be properly addressed with a civil conversation.”

Portillo’s

Passion tea lemonade w/ light ice

Moana

P

P

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Favorite clothing store?

Favorite fast food place?

Starbucks Order?

Senior Michelle Kies

Favorite teacher?

The Subject

Mr. Collins

Gucci

Portillo’s

Passion tea lemonade w/ light ice

Mr. Collins

Hollister

Starbucks

Passion Tea Lemonade

Senior Ashley Zieminianin The Best Friend

P

W I N N E R

Favorite movie?

Moana

Moana

P

X

prospectornow.com

FEATURES 5

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Passes, parking spaces, budgets, oh my!

RYAN BARICH Executive News Editor *name changed for confidentiality

F

or the last five years, 190 dollars has been the default price for a spot in the Prospect High School parking lot, and every year, students come to school bright and early to purchase theirs.

With the parking passes still fresh in everybody’s minds, one question has remained prevalent amongst the student body: What does the parking pass money go towards?

When speaking to Assistant Principal of Student Activities Frank Mirandola, he helped bring light to this question by going over the allocation process. The first thing he made clear was that not all of the funds stay with Prospect.

Around 50% of the parking pass money is given to the district office.

The district releases a budget report after every school year and each report is public information accessible through the District 214 website.

In the annual budget report for the 2018-2019 school year, there is a section explaining the Capital Projects Program (CPP). The CPP’s main purpose is to hold on to funds meant for spending on large expenditure projects such as renovations.

Some of these projects listed in the report include renovation of facilities and parking lots.

Therefore, the district sends its portion of the parking pass funds to the branch of the CPP meant for renovation of the parking lot as stated by Superintendent for Finances and Operations, Cathy Johnson, and further confirmed by Principal Greg Minter.

Now, let’s bring the focus back to Prospect’s half of the cash. This is the percentage that the administration has control over; specifi-

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY: As students continuously pay for their right to park in the school parking lot, the question of what their money is going towards becomes more popular. (photo illustration by Abby McKenna)

cally, it’s the percentage that Lisa Soukop and Nick Olson, the Division Heads of Student Success, Safety and Wellness, oversee.

Soukop and Olson were unavailable to speak on the subject; however, when speaking with Minter, it was affirmed that a large majority of the funds are sent to a student activities account.

Mirandola works directly with multiple student activities accounts and offered some insight into the one account the pass money goes to.

“Student wellness and drug prevention; it’s all about student wellness,” Mirandola said. “We’re trying to make sure [that Prospect] is a place [where] people can grow in a safe environment.”

The programs that Mirandola is referring to mainly include: any speaker the school brings in on substance abuse, the company Interquest that handles the drug detection dogs and even drug abuse

counseling centers.

One of those centers is the Families and Adolescents in Recovery (FAIR) center that has reported Prospect as a benefactor.

The FAIR center serves as a comprehensive and research-based support provider for adolescents, young adults and their families.

“There is a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that we hope continues to make [Prospect’s] safe, social environment a reality,” Mirandola said.

That should be the end of it. The schools sends money to give support to students struggling with substance abuse and to create a drug-free environment on campus.

However, when Senior *Peter Raine heard this, he became irritated and confused over why the school would stay so “close-lipped” about a decision that is beneficial to the student body.

“It’s a great cause, so I just wonder why they have never communicated that information to

us,” Raine said. “It’s frustrating at times.”

Without that knowledge initially, some students see the pricing of their parking spots as unfair or meaningless. There are even students, such as Raine that believe that without the proper information, there is only one way to see the parking pass price: as “a ripoff.”

“Sometimes you can park in the lot [without a pass] and nobody’s going to catch you,” Raine said.

“If that wasn’t the case, I’d be okay [with the price], but that’s not how it is... so what’s the point in the end?”

With Raine and other students, they seek trust and openness from the administration.

“If I knew what the money was going towards, I would be more comfortable with paying nearly 200 dollars, but I don’t,” Raine said. “I feel cheated out of my money.”

From this missing information,

multiple theories arise and multiple theories also fall. For instance, Raine shared a belief that the pass money went straight into teacher salaries — a belief refuted by Johnson. According to Johnson, teacher salaries come from 77% of the district’s expenditures and those expenditures come primarily from long term investments.

Another theory that Raine believes is about the district using the money to make investments on their behalf. Even though there is a district treasurer in charge of investing all funds, Johnson again affirmed that the district’s long term investments, the ones the treasurer looks over, do not include parking pass money.

The reason for the confidentiality around this topic is out of the school’s control. In matters concerning an individual’s health and safety information falls under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

This law ensures that an individual’s health information is properly protected while also allowing the flow of information to promote health and safety.

“We can’t go around talking about student diagnosis,” Mirandola said. “Student privacy takes the utmost importance because it’s important to us to respect the individual.”

His biggest hope with these programs is that they will lead to the culture of the school improving as a whole — that by giving the opportunity for students to better themselves and feel like they belong, it will bring us all together.

The first step comes from the parking pass money. Every cent of it goes straight into this specific activities account for the benefit of the ailing student body, and subsequently, Mirandola hopes it will be for the benefit of all students.

“When students feel like they belong, it allows them to be the best version of themselves in all facets,” Mirandola said. “It may not seem like it, but [the passes] make that a reality in the bigger picture.”

Higdon achieves life-long teaching dream MANISHA PANTHEE Features Editor In June 2017, an opportunity arose for new teacher Michael Higdon to spend the better part of a month in Iceland to study how the country self-sustained its power.

For a week, he and others in the study abroad program through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, went camping in the Icelandic countryside to enjoy the nature. He specifically recalls packing for an entire day’s hike and ascending up a mountain. From the top, he sat on the edge of a cliff and saw the residual rocky plains left from the wake of a glacier moving through long ago. “[The mountain was] the capstone of the trip,” Higdon said. “It’s a memory that always reminds me how beautiful Iceland is. [We enjoyed] nature while studying how to best preserve this awesome world we live in.”

With a year’s worth of student teaching experience at Round Lake High School, Higdon now teaches regular chemistry and physics classes at Prospect. Although he was offered a position to teach at Round Lake, he ultimately chose Prospect due to the opportunity for a change in environment. Throughout his first few weeks teaching, Higdon feels that the support from

2019-20 New Staff

Kristen Anzalone, College & Career Assistant Gretchen Constantine, Data Processor Timothy Franklin, Counselor Seth Hettel, Health/DE/PE/CTE/Art Division Head Emma Dazzo, Instr. Assistant Sheryl Lintner, Instr. Assistant Christine O’Grady, Instr. Assistant Delaney Schneider, Instr. Assistant Anne Marie Tatchoum, Instr. Assistant his fellow teachers have been great.

“I feel like I’m already apart of the family,” Higdon said. “The chem and physics teams are incredible and welcomed me with open arms.”

As a teacher with limited teaching experience, Higdon has support from friends who are also teachers and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with him. In fact, his best friend since first grade, Brandon Murchison, is a physics teacher at Barrington High School, and they are able to bounce ideas off of each other.

When meeting, they often catch up, talk physics and play board games. They went to the same elementary, middle and high schools together. Due to their strong bond and history, Higdon considers Murchison one of his biggest influencers.

Although he majored in physics, Higdon switched majors and received his master’s degree in education; this switch from rigorous science and math classes to education classes was a smooth transition. While he and Murchison were talking about the respective fields they were going into during their fourth year of college, Murchison mentioned that they both already had many relevant credits and that they could get a master’s in education in a year and a half.

“That night we both decided [that] we wanted to be teachers,” Higdon said, “I guess I always had the fantasy of teaching in the back of my head since high school.”

After deciding that he wanted to be a teacher, Higdon’s first and foremost goal was to mentor students and get them interested in the sciences. He once had an English teacher “who really taught him how to think,” and that is something he hopes to achieve for his students.

“I want all my students to be successful,” Higdon said. “I like the direct impact of teaching.”

When hiring teachers, Prospect looks for more than just general knowledge in a subject area according to Math and Science Division Head, Keith Bellof.

“What we expect of all new teachers is that they won’t come in and ride the coattails of the other teachers,” Bellof said.

“We expect that they will bring in their new ideas and be an active participant from the [beginning].”

While visiting Higdon’s classes, Bellof has noticed that not only has he met expectations, but he has also made great connections with students.

Junior Cate Felde, who is in Higdon’s physics class, believes that his casual teaching style helps students feel more comfortable in participating during class and asking for help. “[Higdon] makes a nicer classroom environment for everybody,” Felde said.

While out of the classroom, Higdon catches up on the online publication Science News and plays volleyball in his free time which he picked up during the summer of 2018. Although he played baseball as a child, Higdon quit and focused on marching band and jazz band in high school. One of his talents included playing the saxophone. Although he still has the instrument, he lost the mouth muscles he built up playing in high school once he

ICELAND: Higdon (right) and an Australian friend plant trees in ashy soil left over from a volcanic eruption. Higdon’s love for travel is only matched by his love for teaching. (photo courtesy of Michael Higdon) stopped practicing as often.

Baking bread is another one of Higdon’s hobbies. During the Christmas of 2017, he bought a Dutch oven and it took off from there. He has made rye, wheat and white bread and is getting started with sour dough, although he has yet to get one successfully growing due to the difficulty of the recipe.

Although it’s only been a few weeks since he started teaching at Prospect, Higdon’s favorite part has been the student body and how amicable they can be. Even on the first day of school, he was pleasantly surprised with how well-behaved his students were.

“When I get a thank you at the end of class, that’s awesome,” Higdon said.

If all goes well, he is hoping to settle closer in the area, as he currently lives in Mundelein. For now, he is slowly strengthening his teaching style and figuring out Prospect’s staircases to make it to his classes on time.

“The stairs are almost impossible,” Higdon said. “I honestly don’t know how you guys do it.”

6 IN-DEPTH

prospectornow.com

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Climate change causes new anxiety diagnosis A

t nine years old, change than ever before. my list of worThe most popular one ries included: I’ve seen, however, is a my cat’s lifespan, my math meme of spiderman givhomework’s due date and ing a presentation that the upcoming apocalypse. says “This is not a meme!

Would it Spread awarebe aliens, as I ness that we learned from need to stop late night marclimate change athons of “Annow or we won’t cient Aliens”? live past 2050.”

Or maybe it This meme cites would be zoma statement bies, judgment from the UN, day or nuclear and unlike a lot war, as I’d seen content found JENNA KOCH of all over pop culonline, that Associate ture. All of these statement was were scenarios Editor-In-Chief not fabricated that kept me or taken out of up at night, but at the top context. of my list was a ‘climate’ The UN’s 2018 climate apocalypse. report predicts a climate I played over scenes of crisis by at least 2040, and a drowning world choked that the world must be by pollution and heat. But carbon neutral by 2030 in how do I live now knowing order to limit a global temI was right? That world I perature increase to 1.5 defeared is now my reality grees celsius. and I am paralyzed by that Basically, the entire every day. world needs to stop releasThis fear came from a ing carbon dioxide into the combination of internet atmosphere now. Or, prefdeep dives and watching erably, 20 years ago.

“WALL-E” over and over I was taught in elemenas a kid. I thought as I got tary school to take shorter older and more rational, it showers to help the planet. would go away. However, Now I can’t help but laugh that rationality is exactly at how futile that seems. why climate change fear According to Global Agstill accounts for a good riculture, a sustainable portion of my anxiety. farming website, 69% of Psychologists have freshwater withdrawals dubbed this specific fear are due to the agriculture “eco-anxiety.” However, it industry, 19% goes to the differs from other types of industrial sector and 12% anxiety in the fact that in is used for household activmost cases, this fear is raities. tional.

I feel so helpless being Take social anxiety, for a consumer with no sort example. Realistically, no of influence over others. one really notices others Sure I can advocate for the small actions in public, environment, but to what but someone with social audience? I’m screaming anxiety will irrationally at a brick wall that’s not perceive that all eyes are only not listening, but also on them. throwing bricks at me with “We have to ask, is “It’s a personal choice” and it more pathological for “I’m here for a good time, someone to be so worried not a long time,” written about climate change or on them. is it actually more pathoEven though 70% of logical that people are not Americans are worried more worried about it?” about climate change, Psychologist David Ausaccording to a Yale surtern said in an interview vey, it feels like no one is with Live Science. willing to actually change Within the past year, their lifestyle to fix climate I’ve seen more and more change. posts on Tumblr, InstaEven people in far left gram and other social mecircles who chant “eat the dia platforms about climate rich” don’t seem to grasp

the fact that overthrowing capitalism in the name of climate and social justice would require drastic changes to everyday life.

Humans aren’t “saving” the planet from faceless, nameless entities such as pollution, agriculture or rising temperatures; we’re saving it from ourselves.

The scope of the problem, along with admitting that it’s my own species fault, is a lot to process.

Coping with eco anxiety is like nothing I’ve ever dealt with before. This fear has almost always been with me. Distraction seems like the best and only course of action here.

I tell myself, I’ll focus on my grades, get into college, have a career and live a life of my own.

Those goals always come crashing down when I remember the future I’m preparing for is bleak. Optimistic nihilism has always been my go-to coping mechanism, but it’s so easy to fall into solely nihilism when thinking about the future of this planet. The future of Earth is going to affect my plans whether I like it or not.

I sit with it and accept my fate, or the fate of the planet. I decide to just keep living, but living is difficult without caffeine.

So, I get an iced coffee with almond milk and a paper straw.

Sure, the almond milk tends to water it down, and the paper gets soggy after 20 minutes, but this iced coffee reminds me of the ongoing, consumer-driven movement happening all around me.

I see more and more teenagers at Goodwill every time I go. I notice so called “VSCO girls” walking around with reusable cups. I visit Loyola University and use their eco-friendly soap in the campus bathrooms. I get that spiderman climate change meme in my feed every few days.

Whether these are merely trends to appear “woke” to others is irrelevant.

Awareness and change must be fostered in whatever way the majority

of people can process best.

As of May 2019, Starbucks has started using compostable paper cups with a biodegradable liner instead of plastic and new plastic cups that can be used sans straw, according to CNN. This means enough consumers spoke out to affect a corporation. This movement, along with many others, has turned my fear into anger, hope and action.

A few years back, the vegan movement, along with my worsening lactose intolerance, turned me into an almond milk drinker overnight.

According to Forbes, 12% of millenials are vegetarian or vegan, and gen z buys the most vegan food out of all other generations.

The effects of agriculture on animals, the environment and most importantly, its workers, made my blood boil, but it seems that I’m not alone.

I’ve also seen climate change action in more than just lifestyle changes. In March 2018, 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg began protesting for climate change laws in front of the Swedish Parliament on Fridays instead of going to school and sparked a movement among teen activists to do the same in their cities.

Thunberg’s activism, along with the recent wave of teen activism, made me realize the only way to relieve my eco-anxiety is to conquer it from its source.

I refuse to look away, or to placate myself with conspiracy theories or false reassurance. It’s not that this situation will improve, it merely has the possibility to.

We, the younger generations, did not choose to get into this crisis, but we have the power to get out of it.

Don’t merely applaud other’s actions, be a part of the action. If not for the oceans, the land, and all the people on this earth, do it for me.

Do something, anything, to help the planet so I don’t have to be put on Zoloft again.

THe activist's viewpoint:

5 ways to help the environment 1. Eat local Buying local produce reduces greenhouse gas emissions that come from vehicles used to transport them 2. Eat less animal products Becoming vegan, vegetarian, or simply cutting down your meat intake is one of the most effective ways of reducing carbon emissions and biodiversity destruction 3. Reduce plastic waste Buy reusable containers and try to cut back on single use plastic such as plastic cups, utentisles, and bags 4. Get informed Keep yourself updated on the recent news in the environ-

Q: Do you often think about ways you can help the

environment?

ly-friendly habits to our local community?

Hanafee LaPlante’s goal is to speak with the MPPD and AHPD to see if they’re willing to switch to a more natural turf-management system.

Students, community members reduce impacts o

SENIOR JOE INDelli

Q: How do you want to bring more environmentause because a lot of people don’t know that harmful chemicals are being used on the grounds in both Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights. Every year, toddlers and kids are playing [on those grounds]... [pesticides] also harm our water and make it unsafe to drink. We have Lake Michigan right there, so it’s really important that we try to preserve that drinking water.

change doesn’t co

THe 'Average joe's' viewpoint:

junior Mary Catherine Hanafee LaPlante

A: One thing I’m really focusing on right now is pesticide

Photo graphic by Mara Nicolaie

A:

to be too late.

Yes… I see the problems that the environment is having; we need to do something now or it’s going

Q: What do you personally do to stay environmentally-conscious?

A: I try to use as little plastic as I possibly can and as little gas as I can.

prospectornow.com

IN-DEPTH 7

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Environmental issues motivate student, business involvement RACHEL ZURBUCH Executive Features Editor Senior Olivia Holowinski wouldn’t call herself a VSCO girl, but she does believe in helping the environment.

Along with being a vegetarian, she also uses reusable containers, utensils and straws daily.

Even with her friends, she talks about helping the environment from time to time, and she and them even convinced Holowinski’s mom to buy a Brita Filter instead of using disposable water bottles.

This even extended to Holowinski’s coworkers at McAlister’s - Bridget Deli, where she works. senior She would occasionally talk about having reusable cups and other products to her managers and consequently, for their summer edition, they did have reusable tumblers. “[Getting reusable tumblers] was perfect timing,” Holowinski said. “It felt like my workplace was moving towards reusable things and more environmentally friendly products.”

Then a little later in the year, McAlister’s took it a step further and made more environmental changes such as having biodegradable to-go boxes and switching from plastic to paper bags.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in 2015, Americans generated 262.4 million tons of municipal solid waste. An average restaurant produces 100,000 pounds of garbage per year, according to the Green Restaurant Association.

This large amount of waste brings awareness for restaurants around America, such as local ones here in Mount Prospect, to start environmentally friendly practices.

McAlister’s General Manager Katie Pino said that it took a few months to transition into these environmentally-friendly practices, especially since the box factory was overseas.

Holowinski said that there was a push from customers for these changes, and they definitely noticed the change.

“Guests would come in and say ‘oh you’re using paper bags; that’s so nice,’” Holowinski said. “I know we’ve gotten a lot of compliments.”

Pino explains that packaging paper supplies, water and straws at restaurants help towards a more sustainable earth program, which is what restaurants need to do since she believes they generate a “huge amount of waste.” However, she also believes that there is only a 50/50 split

of restaurants that try to do so.

“We need to entrust our environment and focus on our environment so that our kids can be here,” Pino said.

Menchie’s store manager Marissa Cinks, on the other hand, thinks it’s more common nowadays for restaurants to be environmentally conscious.

According to Cinks, everything at Menchie’s that’s plastic is recycled, and their spoons are also reusable, getting at least five uses out of them.

“Anything we can do to have less waste and less plastic [we do]. [The company] is always updating us when they do Kowalczyk, find better alternatives,” Cinks said.

Restaurants such as Panera and Nothing Bundt Cakes carry out environmentally friendly practices as well. According to manager Felicia Dvorak, Panera recycles their cardboard and donates their leftover bread so they don’t have to throw it out. They also have new water nozzles so less water comes out, and every day the power shuts off automatically at 11:40 P.M. and turns back on at 5 A.M. Dvoark notices the recent trends of decreasing straw usage and thinks that it does affect restaurants.

This is seen within the local chain Nothing Bundt Cakes who have stopped offering forks and spoons in order to reduce their plastic use, according to Prospect alum and Nothing Bundt Cakes employee Abby Gonzalez.

This ties into what Holowinski believes that society needs to reduce their dependence on single use items.

“Why would you order takeout and have silverware that’s plastic in the bag delivered to your home when you live at home and have silverware?” Holowinski said. “That’s just a waste.”

She finds that more people from before are taking the environment more seriously, even though it’s still a “half and half” split in her opinion.

Holowinski also believes that when there’s fake news circulating damages the environmental cause.

Junior Gracie Muehlenbeck also does everything she can to help the environment, such as recycling, picking up garbage when she can, using reusable straws and water bottles and more.

“The world is not a place you can throw garbage away in, and it’s something we all have to take care of because it’s not doing good right now,” Muehlenbeck said.

It’s not even just about the turtles. It’s about all wildlife and the global warming that [correlates].”

ome over-‘knight’ take small but crucial steps to f global warming mental world and the changes that occur. Read and learn from influential people and research organizations working to help the environment.

5. Watch what you buy Buy from thrift stores or environmentally conscious clothing stores to reduce clothing waste. This encourages companies to produce things in a more sustainable way.

*Info courtesy of wwf.org

THe ENVIRONMENT viewpoint:

THe government viewpoint:

AP environmental science teacher kurt trenkle

AP GOVernment Teacher tim beishir

Q: How do you go about discussing environmental

Q: How do you feel about the way our current gov-

A: We do a little bit… [environmental science is]

A: It’s consistent; they’re definitely just not wanting

ernment is handling environmental issues?

issues in your classroom?

more about the resource end of it. You learn where our resources go, how they’re moved around and how energy is used to do that.”

Q: What advice would you give to students who are trying to

implement more environmentally-friendly habits?

Think about the things you buy, the things you eat [and] where they’re coming from… People can do little things that will add up over time.

A:

Senior Bridget Kowalczyk became a vegetarian three years ago partly because of the greenhouse gases released from producing and eating meat; this helps her reduce her personal carbon emissions.

All three of them own the most popular social media environmental trend : a metal straw.

In a Prospector survey of 215 students, 71% said they have seen environmental trends on social media multiple times. ‘Save The Turtles’ is a trend in using metal straws so that plastic straws don’t pollute the ocean, causing turtles to eat them and die because of the plastic intake.

Holowinski initially bought one because a YouTuber she follows was jokingly selling them, but she found it helpful. She even brings it around to restaurants when she can. She finds that the trend is more like an aesthetic than about helping the environment, especially VSCO girls.

Kowalczyk believes that social media environmental trends are not accurately describing how using plastic-free products can help this environmental crisis.

“It’s not even just about the turtles,” Kowalczyk said. “It’s about all wildlife, and the global warming that [correlates].”

Muehlenbeck has similar views, and believes that even when people buy metal straws, they aren’t true to their word.

“They think, ‘I’m going to use a metal straw,’ but then they don’t and they don’t really care,” Muehlenbeck said. “They don’t look at the bigger picture.”

Another popular environmental trend on social media is the use of hydro flasks: reusable water bottles that range from around $40-50 and are made of stainless steel.

Kowalczyk finds them dumb because of how expensive they are, and how people just buy them to jump on the “bandwagon,” like metal straws.

She explains that you can still use reusable water bottles, even if it’s not a hydro flask, and have the same effect of helping the environment. Muehlenbeck feels similarly.

Even as these environmental trends circuit social media and are often joked around by students, Holowinski, Kowalczyk and Muehlenbeck want people to realize the importance of helping the environment even with small things.

“Everything starts from something small,” Holowinski said. “Even if it is a metal straw, that can lead towards reusable bottles and because you put your reusable straw in your reusable bottle, then you’ll start carrying your own bags to stores; it’s like a chain reaction …. It starts somewhere to spread out into bigger things.”

to engage in the climate change debate. They’re corporatist… climate change [will mean] tax increases, and that’s not what their base wants to hear.

Q:

What do you think PHS could do to be more environmentally friendly?

A: There’s some solar panels in the fieldhouse. We can expand on

that ... in the summer, there’s days where [PHS just turns] the power off … kids are playing for summer athletic camps they’re like “it’s dark in here,” well, sorry.

8 ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

prospectornow.com

Artists make statements, not safe bets O

ne Friday night, my “Once Upon a Time in Hollyfriend and I wanted to wood,” Quentin Tarantino’s ninth see a movie. Of course, film, has been described many I suggested “Once Upon a Time in times by the filmmaker as a “love Hollywood,” the new Tarantino letter” to the 1960s film industry. film featuring my longtime celebIt’s an aesthetically beautiful film, rity crush Leonardo DiCaprio. with every minute steeped in nosLucky for me, my friend was dying talgia. Despite the widespread to see it as well, since she wanted positive reception and Oscar buzz, to see her longtime celebrity crush critics of the film have condemned Brad Pitt.

Tarantino for controversies such I was probably the most excited as the lack of lines and screen time I’ve ever been to see a film since given to the female characters, and “Hannah Montana: The Movie” in an arguably racist portrayal of mi2009. As a fan of “Pulp norities.

Fiction” and “Kill Bill,” While the two are it felt surreal to sit down not exactly comparable, in a packed theater and and a Tarantino movsee a Tarantino movie ie isn’t the best source on the big screen. of historical accuracy, After two hours and other works of histori40 minutes that went cal fiction, like novels by too fast, the movie such as “The Advencame to a close. I had tures of Huckleberry full confidence that it Finn,” received similar was the best movie I had criticisms as they atMADISON ever seen, and I already tempted to recreate a couldn’t wait to go back MANCZKO time in history with a and see it again. During Opinion Editor lot of cultural tensions. the drive home, I was What separates these practically crying to my two controversial pieces friend over what I had just witof art, however, is that Tarantino’s nessed, and she was too. primary purpose for making his Later that night, I was getting film was to entertain, while Mark ready for bed and decided to check Twain wrote “The Adventures of Twitter to see if everyone else loved Huckleberry Finn” to educate. the movie as much as I did. Except, With this in mind, it’s importon Twitter the movie wasn’t visuant to realize that while viewers ally beautiful, entertaining, or funshould be educated about the conny. On Twitter it was racist, offentroversial aspects of a piece of art, sive and misogynistic. when it comes to political correctI felt like a horrible person. How ness, the purpose of the art should did I miss this? Was I so in awe by be considered before reprimandTarantino or Leonardo DiCaprio ing it for being insensitive. that I failed to notice these issues?

“Filmmakers have lots of difWas I actually a terrible, culturally ferent agendas for what they’re insensitive human being for thinkdoing,” psychologist Dr. Jay ing this movie was a work of art?

Kyp-Johnson said, who is the head The truth is, no, I wasn’t. of film club at Prospect. “I don’t

think Tarantino’s agenda has anything to do with accuracy or even social justice.”

It may seem strange to compare The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Tarantino’s newest movie, as the two pieces of art fulfill two completely different purposes.

However, they are similar in that in many cases, audiences fail to get over the controversial aspects of the art and miss the artists’ points as a whole.

Mark Twain’s famous novel was very controversial when it was published in 1885, and still is today but for different reasons.

While the racial slurs used in the book were commonly used in 1885, they hold so much weight nowadays that some American school districts banned the book entirely.

“The point isn’t so much the language,” said AP English teacher Matt Love, “the point is the attitude, the racist attitude that generates the language, it’s the thoughts behind it. The language is a symptom.”

The “N-word” is used 219 times in the book. Obviously the word is extremely offensive and derogatory. However, in this instance as well, the author’s purpose must be considered, as there’s a difference between being offended by the word itself and the book as a whole.

“It’s satirical and it’s critical of a lot of aspects of America,” Love said.“So I think not pulling his punches and using the original language is a way to make the criticism sharper. So the book does criticize institutional racism. It criticizes racists and bigots as being ignoramuses. If you soften the language you lose some of the criticism.”

Twain’s purpose, as Love said,

TRUE COLORS: Quentin Tarantino is painting Bruce Lee and Sharon Tate. Artists like Tarantino should be able to take creative liberty in their work. (cartoon by Mara Nicolaie) is to criticize institutional racism.

It’s also apparent that reading or discussing the book in class causes a lot of discomfort for both the students and teachers.

“I actually don’t read Huck out loud a lot,” said Elizabeth Joiner, another AP English teacher at Prospect. “Or I read a lot of times, because I know how to comfortably substitute. I feel like for some students, especially when you’re reading in class and you’re just a little nervous doing that anyway, maybe you don’t substitute and say something you don’t want to say. I don’t want to make kids feel that way.”

It’s clear that Twain wanted his audience to feel uncomfortable when reading the book. Some schools have run away from this discomfort by banning the book entirely. Doing this, however, is

throwing away an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past, as banning the book because of the slur ignores Twain’s entire purpose of the novel.

“It speaks to his purpose,” said Joiner, “like he wants you to face it. Like that’s what America’s like.”

Maybe Tarantino’s portrayal of Bruce Lee was spot-on. Maybe it was offensive. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn there is someone out there who can probably argue that Twain didn’t need to use the “N-word” 219 times to make his point. Who are we to say? There’s no rule book when it comes to art, and art is not our moral compass.

Whether the purpose of a piece of art is to entertain or educate, it should never be to conform, and we need to stop expecting it will.

prospectornow.com

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT 9

‘Stranger Things’ makes Netflix history W

herever I go, “Stranger Things” merchandise surrounds me. I shopped in the frozen food aisle of Jewel, and there was an Eggo waffle box saying: “fortified with Eleven’s vitamins,” as El’s picture is in the corner. The next week at T.J. Maxx, I saw a demogorgon staring at me on a black t-shirt. Even happy meals at McDonald’s were designed with the cast of this Netflix original.

There’s no doubt that “Stranger Things” has become a huge Netflix success, as seen in the show’s growing participation in the mass market. As it goes into its fourth season, the viewership continues to grow more and more. I started watching the show last year, never thinking that it would become such a huge success, but now I can finally see the appeal. This show intrigues me on so many levels due to the fact that it is within the thriller genre, yet also has a bit of drama, romance and mystery.

“Stranger Things” has brought many unique concepts to the table. With its ability to grab the attention of a wide age range, from teenagers to adults, this series will definitely be known as one of the most successful thriller TV shows on Netflix or any other cable network. John Koblin, a writer REVIEWS DON’T LIE: A fan of “Stranger Things” watches its opening sequence. for the New York Times, stated in an article The show has continued to receive rave reviews. (photo illustration by Mara Nicolaie) that within the first three days of showing “Stranger Things,” 15.8 million people were ing what it is like in the life of a teenager. said. “I like how it can bounce from being watching, compared to HBO’s “Game of Senior Madeleine Flanagan usually has scary to the modern life of a teenager, espeThrones” season finale getting 14.8 million a different opinion from her peers when it cially [in] season three when they dove into viewers within three days of its broadcast. comes to entertainment, and she was very teenage romance, but then in the next scene, According to CNBC, season three of surprised when others around her started they’re fighting off monsters.”

“Stranger Things” broke the Netflix record liking “Stranger Things” just as much as Making the show set in the 80s was by far for most-viewed series in the first four days she did. The one thing she was not surprised one of the best ideas that the Duffer brothers of showing. Netflix says that 40.7 million about was the impact that the cast had on the had for the show. This time setting is the reahouseholds had watched the third season viewers. son this show can appeal to modern teenagof “Stranger Things” by July 11, having hit “I liked that they used child actors to ers and adults who were teenagers in the 80s. the streaming platform on July 4. This is play children,” Flanagan said. “I really liked Honors Biology and Chemistry teacher why it’s astonishing that Matt that the concept itself was a little Kathleen Brej and many of her fellow science and Ross Duffer, the creators of different,” … “Stranger Things” teachers are huge fans of “Stranger Things.”

“Stranger Things,” had trouble introduced a little bit of a new dy- Even though Brej was not fully a teenager by finding a network to air their namic.” the 80s, she remembers what it was like beshow.

This “new dynamic” that Flaing a kid in that decade and thinks that the The Duffer brothers told Rollnagan describes is shown through show does a good job of portraying that. ing Stone in 2016 that the show the show’s constant turn of events.

“Even the way they do the intro music is was initially rejected by 15 to 20 For example, in the first season, accurate. That synthetic sound sounds very networks, according to CNBC. viewers are introduced to this 80s to me,” Brej said. “The clothing, and the The brothers were just about to strange creature called a “de- phrases and the words that they use [are] give up until Netflix agreed to mogorgon.” Then, you find out very well written. You can tell the writers air their idea of a new sci-fi sethat there is an entrance to a dark were clearly alive during that time.”

SHANNON ries, with teenagers as their tarparallel universe nearby. FinalEven though I never grew up in the 80s, get audience.

MCGOVERN ly, the third season opens with a the show is still able to appeal to me in ways The one thing that caught my Copy Editor group of Russians trying to take that other teen dramas can’t. Kids like me attention the most about this over this parallel universe. There can agree that without this particular time show was the characters. The is never a time where you’re not on setting, the whole concept of how the kids cast is more relatable since actual teenagers the edge of your seat. interact with one another and band together are playing their age. Most of the shows I Sophomore Josh DiLuia, who is also a to defeat the demogorgons would never have watch consist of “Gossip Girl,” “Riverdale” big fan of the show, started watching it after worked. and “Pretty Little Liars,” and I always think, hearing about it from his friends. He also Flanagan describes the 80s as “funky, “this is not what high schoolers are like at thinks that this show has its own unique- fun and fresh,” and I totally agree. The 80’s all.” However, the Duffer brothers were able ness. theme is a key element in the success of this to add originality to their show, truly depict“I like the contrast in moods,” DiLuia very well-known TV show.

As for the future of this show, “Stranger Things” is looking like it is heading into its fourth and final season. According to TVLine, Netflix has yet to order the fourth season of “Stranger Things,” but there’s no doubt that the show is coming back. The only question is: should season four be its last season?

I, as well as many other students at Prospect all agree that the series should end after this upcoming season. As good as the show is, it’s time for it to come to an end before it starts lacking the originality that has attracted so much of its audience in the first place.

“Some of the [romantic] development with El and Mike were off the plot and it kind of set off what was going on in the story,” sophomore Noah Pirsch said.

The third season did come out with a few new story arcs that disappointed fans, but I think that the Duffer brothers will bring back what everyone is hoping for when it comes to the fourth season. From what I’ve seen in the past, the creators of this show are very talented and know how to entertain a wide range of viewers.

No minor disappointment in the third season can change the fact that this show brought so many unique angles to a Netflix original series, especially when no one was expecting the show to make it in the first place.

“I watched it when it first came out, and a few weeks later, I saw the hype and was like: ‘wow, people understand my taste for once,” Flanagan said. “When I watched it, I knew it was really good … it’s hard for a show to have a good plot and good actors, but this show I really liked.”

Strange Product Placement Top 3 brands advertised in “Stranger Things” season 3

(according to American Marketing Association)

Streaming services promise future for superhero TV JOEY DELAHUNTY Entertainment Editor On Nov. 12, Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, will come out, and it’s expected to have over 7,000 television episodes and 500 films on launch. Among the most anticipated of this content are the many new TV shows that take place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Forbes and many other news sources say that streaming services are the future of television, but this new move by Marvel has some fans wondering if the movie industry is moving to streaming as well.

Disney+, however, isn’t the first to get into superhero TV. Back in November 2016, CBR, a comic news website, reported that DC made $1 billion off of their TV shows that year. The announcement of Disney+ came out right after the cancellation of Netflix’s Marvel shows: “Iron Fist,” “Daredevil,” “Luke Cage,” “Jessica Jones” and “The Defenders.” DC also has its ever-expanding Arrowverse, or all of the shows that are in the same world as their show “Arrow.” With all the existing shows, plus the new ones coming constantly, it makes it seem like TV is the future of superhero content. But what brought this sudden change to this major part of our culture, and what does it mean for the common fan?

Despite Marvel shows already existing, these new ones are a big turn, mainly because they exist within the same universe as the MCU. Past shows, like “Luke Cage” or “Daredevil,” although based on Marvel comics, weren’t actually within the same universe as the movies. Some shows would occasionally react to the movies, like ABC’s “Agents of Shield” or “Agent Carter,” but also were technically unrelated to the movies, so they had the freedom to choose what to run with. “Agents of Shield,” for example, interacted directly with “The Winter Soldier,” but completely ignored Thanos’s snap.

New shows like “Wandavision” or “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” will have to directly interact with and match other movies in the franchise, something that Marvel has never done before.

Producer Kevin Feige, known for producing “Iron Man” and “Black Panther,” said in a press release that “the opportunities that Disney+ is bringing to the MCU to grow and to evolve … are tremendous.”

The TV format also allows something that movies don’t, which is, in short, more time. Many fans will tell you that the MCU is a massive interconnected saga, but there are really only around 48 hours of movies to watch. That may seem like a lot, but compare that to the Arrowverse’s 150+ hours. The extended time allows the creators of these shows to get into plots that are much more complex than those in the movies, which,

WATCH NOW: A couple sits down to watch a Marvel TV show. Disney’s streaming service is set to have a few new shows within the MCU. (cartoon by Grace He) according to superhero fan and sophomore Kevin Klister, can go really well or really poorly.

“I think with Marvel, they have really good character development, [but] I feel like with DC shows, it’s just a little … repetitive.”

Despite his disappointment with the cancellation of “Daredevil,” Klister is excited to see what Disney+ has to offer. He, like many others, is looking forward to seeing Marvel’s new shows. Even so, he doesn’t see this as the future of superhero cinema. When it comes to superhero shows, Klister thinks “there [are] probably enough as it is.”

However, that won’t stop him from buying a subscription to this new service. When it comes out, Disney+ will cost $6.99 per month and also be available through a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+, which will cost $12.99 a month. Disney’s move deeper into streaming is not surprising, and the bene-

fits to the company are clear. A consistent, repeating stream of income is better than rolling the dice every time they make a new piece of media. Historically, the MCU movies are incredibly profitable, with “Avengers: Endgame” becoming the highest grossing movie of all time, making $2,796,255,402 worldwide according to Box Office Mojo.

Disney+ is expecting a huge viewership upon launch, and many online are speculating that it may lead to the fall of Netflix, which is reportedly over $12 million in debt according to TechCrunch, an online technology and business magazine.

With how much excitement is stirring around these new shows, this new service will probably be a big player in the streaming business. So even if Disney+ isn’t going to change the face of superhero movies, it might just change the face of streaming.

10 ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

prospectornow.com

CGI techniques fall short of success

TOMMY CARRICO Executive Entertainment Editor

W

hen I walked into AMC Theatres on a Saturday afternoon, I didn’t know what to expect from John Favreau’s “The Lion King.” From everyone I had asked, there seemed to be two different opinions:; either the film was a stunning remaster of the original, or the computer-generated imagery (CGI) was a failure simply because the technology can’t offer felines the same facial expressions that cartoons can.

The recent divide in opinion over “The TOMMY CARRICO Lion King” has raised a numExecutive ber of more Entertainment encompassing questions. Are Editor there some film ideas that just can’t successfully be made real through CGI? Can CGI technology be further improved, and if so, will our favorite franchises today, like “The Avengers,” get left behind?

The near future of CGI doesn’t seem particularly bright. The YouTube trailer for “Sonic the Hedgehog,” which was originally set for a 2018 release, holds 403,000 likes and 712,000 dislikes, a response so harsh that the developers have decided to revamp Sonic’s design entirely, pushing its release back another year.

“Don’t get me wrong; I love the franchise,” said senior Sean Spenner, who has played the Sonic games since the GameCube era, said. “But I think there’s a fine line to

walk when making a movie about a video game character. [It’s] hit or miss; fans either like it or they don’t.”

Even more recent is the YouTube trailer for “Cats,” a movie set to come out Dec. 20 of this year, which, as of Sept. 7, has received 43,000 likes and 125,000 dislikes. “‘“Cats’” [is] a Broadway show. On Broadway, they don’t use CGI,” said sophomore Mia Petillo, who’s involved in Prospect’s theater, choir, and speech team, said.

“It isn’t necessary, and it’s terrifying.”

However, fans seem to agree that when necessary, CGI is vital to the modern film industry.

“I think the CGI we’re talking about in 2019 is akin to when sound arrived in films decades ago,” Psychology teacher Daria Schaffeld said.

The problems only start to arise when producers use CGI just for the sake of using it, making otherwise successful franchises into gimmicky cash grabs. “I’m a big “Lord of the Rings” fan, for example, and they needed to [use] CGI [in] some of it. It made the characters better than if they had been green screened with an actor in a suit,” Schaffeld said.

“Like many

things in life, it’s all a b o u t moderation.”

A s for films lacking human charac-

YOU BELONG WITH ME(OW): Although a slight exaggeration, this photoshopped image of “Cats” star Taylor Swift is not a far cry from her horrific CGI portrayal. Since the release of its trailer on YouTube, “Cats” has faced harsh backlash all over the Internet. (photo graphic

by Mara Nicolaie)

ters like “The Jungle Book” and “The Lion King,” an abundance of CGI is still welcomed, as these films rely on it appropriately.

“With some things like “[The] Lion King”, you can’t bring in actual lions to do it, so I do think it is necessary,” Petillo said.

“It just needs to be done well.”

Because a vital aspect to “The Lion King” is its inhuman characters, fans accept the remake’s use of CGI; the reason “Cats” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” were so poorly received is that their inclusion of CGI is both grotesque and unnecessary.

In 2019, CGI technology is reaching levels never seen reached before: bringing actors back from the dead. The recent “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker” trailer features our first look of CGI Princess Leia, formerly played by the late Carrie Fisher, raising a significant moral controversy.

“I think it’s kind of weird. I don’t want to say it’s disrespectful, I don’t think it’s that far,” Spenner said. “[I think] out of respect for the family. I don’t know if I’d want to see a dead relative back in the movies.”

However, other “Star Wars” fans defend the inclusion of CGI Leia.

“I hope she’s not a main character [in] CGI,” Schaffeld said. “[But] if they do that to continue the plot and to tell the story that they wanted to tell despite her untimely death, I think that’s OK okay.”

De-aging, when done correctly, can earn considerable crowd appeal. For example, young Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” and Samuel L. Jackson in “Captain Marvel” were both subtle enough details to showcase computer technology without breaking morals.

CGI being used to reincarnate

Currently on prospectornow.com... read Tommy’s review of “The Lion King” dead passed actors is acceptable to the extent at which it’s been used so far, but if this technology goes much further, the lives of our favorite actors could very well become expendable. We go to the movies to see the performance of real actors, not just computer programmers.

We are currently at a cinematic threshold, and it’s hard to say what the future holds for CGI. With this year’s “Avengers: Endgame” becoming the highest-grossing film of all time and its predecessor “Avatar” arguably starting the CGI trend in the first place, I can’t help but wonder: as computer technology gets better and better, will our favorite movies get left behind? Fortunately, according to Petillo, as cinematography improves, modern favorites will not be forgotten.

“I think that the movies that are coming out now with CGI are a good base point for the future,” Petillo said. “[In] the future, you can look back at them and see where we came from.”

Fortunately, it seems while some movies like “Justice League” and “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” have been deemed by critics as having laughably bad CGI, these movies are considered as bad now as they were at the time of their releases. On the other hand, the special effects of classics such as “Jurassic Park” continue to draw in fans the same way they did years ago. If classics like “Back to the Future,” “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” are any indication, a great movie today will continue to be great in 20 years.

“That’s just the evolution of entertainment; I don’t think it’s bad,” Schaffeld said.

“But am I still showing my son the classics?

Yeah, he watched “[The] Goonies” the other day.”

Cancel culture imposes thought-provoking conflicts ELIZABETH KEANE Copy Editor Senior social media user Katie Draffkorn enjoys following her favorite influencers such as David Dobrik and the Vlog Squad on YouTube and Instagram, but she acknowledges that the social media world can sometimes be complete with hateful comments about race and religion, intense drama between influencers or even death threats.

With this drama comes cancel culture or “call-out” culture: a form of boycott in which someone (a celebrity or influencer) who has shared a questionable opinion or has had problematic behavior is “cancelled” by their fans and other social media users. “[Cancel culture] makes light of attacking people and ganging up on people,” Draffkorn said. “I don’t personally like it.”

Additionally, Draffkorn feels that there is never a time where sending someone death threats is an appropriate response to a situation. According to her, people often do not know both sides of the story and tend to not investigate for further information when they hear or see drama on the internet.

She assumes that influencers know how easily they could be cancelled if they do something or say something wrong. This pressure could make an influencer feel like they have to hold back or restrain what they say through extensive editing of their videos. According to Draffkorn, this constant need to censor their actions could take a toll on the influencers’ mental health, as they are unable to stay true to their real personalities on their YouTube channels or other social media platforms. Nevertheless, Draffkorn believes that there is one exception when it is appropriate to “cancel” someone.

“If someone is spreading pure hate, then

I think that’s an okay time for them to be removed from the internet,” Draffkorn said.

According to Media Analysis teacher Cambria Myers, cancel culture relates heavily to confirmation bias, or the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs.

“When we encounter information that runs counter to our existing beliefs and opinions, it makes us uncomfortable,” Myers said. “[Confirmation bias] causes people to think that [opposing] information isn’t valid, [to think] that their opinion is more valid or to just deliberately dismiss the info altogether.”

This dismissal of information has become extremely easy to do while receiving news on platforms like Twitter — if you don’t like what they post, you don’t follow them. Myers especially notices Facebook users doing this around election time; people will block or mute each other in order to avoid seeing posts about the other side that they don’t agree with.

Myers concludes that practices like these contribute further to echo chambers, which are an environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own. This makes it so that the person’s existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered.

“Cancel culture is connected to [echo chambers] because it’s this idea of ‘I don’t like it, and therefore I’m just going to completely remove it from my reality,’” Myers said.

An example of this was shown through the TV show “Roseanne,” a popular 90’s sitcom that students of Media Analysis view an episode of each year. This show ran over nine seasons from 1988 to 1997, and it was rebooted in March 2018 for a tenth season starring the same actress, Roseanne Barr.

However, this new season did not last

WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE: An angry mob lets a wheel choose its next victim to cancel. Because of the massive audiences at the disposal of social media influencers, it can be easy to unite crowds against a common enemy. (cartoon by Grace He) very long, and the show was cancelled from ABC in May 2018 after Barr tweeted a comment referring to former Obama aid Valerie Jarrett as the offspring of the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes.” Although Barr was fired from the show, the spinoff was renewed for a second season called “The Conners” in which the story of the same family continued after Roseanne was killed off.

The cancel culture becomes evident here; Barr tweeted something offensive in her per-

sonal life, but this caused her to lose her job on an otherwise widely-celebrated TV show because the network did not want her to be associated with them and bring down the ratings or overall opinion of the show.

“People are more conscious of what they’re posting and what’s going to be most liked by people,” Myers said. “It’s more [about] popularity and appealing to the masses.”

prospectornow.com

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

SPORTS 11

Consistency is key with boys’ soccer CAMERON SULLIVAN Sports Editor

E

ager. That is what the boys’ soccer team is after their devastating loss to Loyola in the regional round of the playoffs last year. They played tough and kept the game tied 1-1 throughout the game, but it came down to the wire, and they lost in penalty kicks.

This year however, they plan on working harder to stay consistent for the full 80 minutes in order to win more games.

“There’s a lot of players that are hungry for wins and we’re going to make that happen this year,” senior captain Jonny Keane said.

Last year, the boys’ soccer team went 9-7-2 and this year they are 2-2-1 (as of Sep. 5). They are led by senior captains Keane, Szymon Mocarski and Bryan Morrison. This year, Morrison and Keane already have two goals.

According to Keane and head coach Michael Andrews, in order for them to get more wins this year, they have to gain more experience and become tougher. From this experience, they will become familiar with how varsity games are.

“I’m focused on building the toughest team I can possibly build,” Andrews stated.

Andrews plans on building a mentality throughout practices in order to do this. He expects that each player acts like each and every practice is a game. He wants them to play the same from the first time the whistle blows to the very end. Andrews said that last year they would have great games but have a 10 minute period where they don’t play as hard and lose.

“If we train like it is a championship, results are going to come in games,” Andrews said.

Some practices he will purposely call bad calls or have one team with a few less players as a form of preparation. Andrews does this so they can experience game type situations and be mentally prepared for games.

He says that he wants them to be focused the whole time, even during warm-ups.

Not only does Andrews expect them to

DEFENSE! Senior Colin Sand (left) and Jonny Keane (right) play defense on a player on St. Patrick’s. This game took place on August 28, 2019. (photo by Mara Nicolaie) have a game mentality throughout, but he also expects them to be the most sportsmanship like team. Saying he expects it would be an understatement, Andrews demands that they are the most respectful players.

“If they are not representing us well off the field, it does not matter how good they are, they will not play for me,” Andrews stated.

Mocarski also added that Andrews has a no swearing policy, and they have punishments if they do swear, such as doing 50 push ups and 50 sit ups.

Also, Andrews states that last year’s team was very heavy with seniors, as almost half

of the team graduated.

He added that in the past they had lots of physically bigger players scoring goals. He thinks that this year they will need to score more creatively and find new ways to create shots.

Most of the seniors play defense like Keane (who also plays some midfield) and Mocarski, who is the goal keeper. Almost all of the attack graduated, and 100% of last years scoring came from the class of 2019.

Since all of these scoring players were lost, some juniors and sophomores had to step up. One sophomore that has stepped up is Steven Lopez, who already has one goal and one assist in the season, and junior

Aedon Wesselink, who has three goals and three assists so far. Lopez and Wesselink both play forward, which will help the lack of offensive players.

“They don’t have as much varsity experience [and] it will be a lot more of a learning process to start off, but there is a lot of potential,” Keane stated.

Some things that they need help with is the speed of the game. According to Keane, varsity games move a lot faster than JV games. However, he said once they play a few games and get used to the speed, they should be fine.

Aside from juniors and sophomores who have had to rise to the occasion, senior captains have also taken responsibility.

“We now have a new group of leaders filling [the former seniors] shoes,” Andrews said.

Mocarski has said that he has stepped up by communicating. He communicates with his teammates during the games and helps them by telling them what to do when he needs to.

“Being a captain has allowed more leadership for me and brings more leadership out of me because I want to [bring] the team to [victory],” Mocarski stated.

Mocarski also thinks that this team is underrated because of the lack of experience.

Thats why have so much potential: they’re young and people would not expect them to be as good as they plan to be.

“We are underrated, the program in general is underrated at this school and I feel like we’ll come out and win big this year,” Mocarski stated.

Currently on Prospectornow.com...

Read about the soccer team’s fight against Hersey on Sept. 5th

Girls’ volleyball looks to “set” up a conference championship JAKE TERPINS Sports Editor Coming off a 19-18 season, the girls’ volleyball team looks to win conference and perform well in regionals.

Last year they were 6-4 in conference and placed third. They look to improve through hard work on and off the court.

Grace Cacini, who plays outside hitter, does a lot of work outside of practice like getting extra lessons and playing club during the off-season. With that, the team thinks that they can be a very competitive team with the talent they have.

This team also has some strengths and weaknesses according to Coach Laura Gerber.

“They’re a very quiet team, which is different from last year, but our hitters are very aggressive, which is good,” Gerber stated.

Junior Jenna Coffey, who also plays outside hitter, feels like having a quiet team is a weakness and looks to take steps up on varsity.

“Since I’m not the tallest, and it’s my first year playing varsity, I’m going to have to try and be very vocal,” Coffey stated.

According to Gerber, the team is excited to see the juniors grow into better players and see what potential they have playing varsity this year. Coffey feels that the juniors need to bond with the senior varsity players.

Cacini, for example, believes that bonds between players can help because it makes the team more comfortable with each other.

They will probably be more talkative and nice to each other if they know each other more.

“I always need to be there for my team when they’re doing good or bad,” Coffey said. “I have to stay strong and be a good teammate so we can be a very good team.”

The volleyball team has set goals, along with the players setting personal goals. Caci-

ni has been looking at a record on the board that she wants to break. She wants to get the most kills in a single season, (spikes that end up being the hitter’s point) meaning she will have to average eight kills per game. Alum Sarah Hunt currently holds that record with 642 kills.

“We’re hoping to go deep in regionals, I feel like we really have the talent,” Cacini said.

Currently on Prospectornow.com...

See how the girls’ volleyball team did against Fremd on September 10th

12

CURRENTLY ON PROSPECTORNOW.COM...

Brad Rathe stepped in as the new varsity girls' golf coach after Jim Hamann left to coach the boys' varsity golf team.

Visit prospectornow.com to hear from Rathe and the team about the changes and their success this season.

SPORTS SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Hamann driving boys to state standard ALYSSA SCHULZ

Jim Hamann's accomplishments as varsity girls' golf coach

Executive Sports Editor

173-19

I

Water Break

CA Golf Hall of Fame Inductee. Midwestern Coach of the Year. Coach of two state champion teams. This and more describes the accomplishments that Jim Hamann has achieved as varsity girls’ golf coach at Prospect.

But after 15 years of hard work, Hamann has decided to try something new by leaving girls' golf. So this year, he’s adding a new title under his belt: boys’ varsity golf coach.

Though coaching the boys is new territory for Hamann, the team is already off to a good start with a record of 5-1 this year (as of Sept. 4).

Sure, Hamann and the boys are having a lot of success so far, but that doesn’t mean he has turned his back on the girls.

“Even though I’m coaching the boys, I hope all the girls know that I’m willing to help them whenever they need it,” Hamann said.

Senior Ben Hitesman also thinks that the transition has gone well, and like most of the varsity players, he is excited to have a Hall of Fame inductee as a coach.

Although Hitesman said both Hamann and the previous coach, Tom Martindale, have the same values of working hard, he thinks what really sets the two coaches apart is how Hamann will often play with the boys.

Even though Hitesman is a senior, he says he has become a better golfer just by watching Hamann. Hamann has also helped Hitesman become more forgiving of himself, and to stop beating himself up when he does poorly in a meet.

“I’ve learned to move on fast, recover fast and to keep a positive attitude when you play,” Hitesman said.

Similar to Hitesman, the varsity seniors have been very receptive to Hamann’s style of coaching, despite the change of leadership on their last year of playing.

“They had a positive experience in the past and they are having a positive experience now,” Hamann said.

Another player who has found the transition smooth is sophomore Ryan Heany because it’s hard for him to tell that this is Hamann’s first year as the boys’ golf coach.

Dual match record overall

2

State Championships

7

MSL Championships

3

Sectional Championships

5

Regional Championships

SWINGING FOR SUCCESS: Jim Hamann walks with junior Adam Valentini as the new varsity boys' golf coach. Hamann hopes to bring both girls' and boys' golf teams together this season. "We told everybody that it's Prospect golf," Hamann said.

"Not Prospect boys' golf or Prospect girls' golf." (photo by Mara Nicolaie) Like Hitesman, he is very excited to be working with a Hall of Fame coach, and Heany says that even though he is a sophomore, Hamann has still been spending time with him by perfecting his swing.

“Whether it’s putting or on the range, he’s always there for you,” Heany said.

Heany isn’t the only one Hamann has been working closely with, as Hamann says that at least once a day he is communicating with the new girls’ golf coach, Brad Rathe.

As this is Rathe’s first year coaching a golf team, Hamann talks with both Rathe and the girls often to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

But the coaching changes aren’t the only thing this program

is doing differently; both Hamann and Rathe have a new vision for the teams this year.

“We told everybody that it’s Prospect golf,” Hamann said.

“Not Prospect boys’ golf or Prospect girls’ golf.”

This means that this year, both the boys and the girls are practicing together and learning from each other.

Rathe and Hamann are also trying to coach collaboratively together more to give the players the benefit of having more coaches, more eyes and more attention.

With these changes to the program, Hamann is sure that the Prospect golf teams will benefit and continue to improve.

“I’m really excited about what all of us can accomplish together,” Hamann said.

Athlete: Matt Meyer Year: Senior Sport: football POSITION: WIDE RECEIVER Stats: 3 receptions, 87 yards, 1 TD in a 46-28 win over st. Viator on august 30

HOLE-IN-ONE: Junior Colin Votzmeyer works on his swing before a meet. This year, Votzmeyer is working under the new coach Hamann. (photo

by Mara Nicolaie)

Q A Q A Q A

What inspired you to play?

My dad pushed me to play and I absolutely do not regret joining.

What motivates you to keep playing football?

Football is really the only thing I got 'cause I'm not really good with school, so if I keep playing football it keeps my mind engaged in school. I don't know where I'd be without it.

What is it like being part of this team?

We are all just a bunch of goofy boys and we are all tight like brothers. We get to screw around and go to war together. photo and interview by Abby McKenna