Issue 7 2020-2

THE

PROSPECTOR

801 WEST KENSINGTON ROAD, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS

THE VOICE OF PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1959

VOLUME 60, ISSUE 7

FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

FORMAL ON THE 50 YARD LINE ELIZABETH KEANE Editor-in-Chief

S

eniors were hit by a wave of relief as soon as they received word via email on Monday, March 8 that this year’s prom and graduation would be in-person.

“There wasn’t any assurance that we would have something, but then, when they came out with the email, [I was so excited],” senior Gabby Contreras said. “Of course, you don’t know exactly what either will look like, but it’s still really reassuring that we’re going to have … some end-of-the-year celebration.”

Graduation will take place on the evening of Wednesday, May 19 with prom only a few days later on May 22. If it happens to rain on May 22, the event can be pushed to the day after. Contreras is part of the prom planning committee, and, although it is not a “traditional” prom, she is appreciative of all the work she has seen the staff put into the event.

These teachers include Spanish teacher Chris Cirrincione, math teacher Alexandra Niedden, social science teacher Kristen Ray and Assistant Principal of Student Activities and Music Frank Mirandola.

Mirandola and Ray are looking forward to the outside-the-box approach they are taking toward prom this year, and they received feedback from a survey in which they asked seniors to rank what aspects are most important to them in a prom. Ray said that most people wanted to be with their friends, have music and dress in formal attire.

For starters starters, it will be set on the football field instead of the traditional banquet hall. There will be three large pop-up tents with lights strung inside them and areas to socialize, listen to music from the DJ, play games like mini golf and enjoy desserts from an “over-the-top” dessert bar complete with a chocolate fountain.

The DJ will be set on the 50 yard line — meaning that the entire event will take up half of the football field.

“You’re not just walking into the stadium — you’re walking into a moment,” Mirandola said.

This means that there will be no dinner served, and tickets will not be assigned to a specific table as they have been in the past. Ray feels that this year’s prom will be very engaging for all in attendance as there will be a multitude of activities to choose from throughout the evening.

Ray noted that if a person wants a more “typical”

prom experience without these extra activities, they would be able to sit at a table all evening and listen to music.

There will be multiple open spaces to allow for this, such as a tent where a senior slideshow will be playing on a large inflatable TV. Also, the event can be more accessible to every student due to the fact that ticket price dropped from the typical $75 to $45.

“We’re going to try to make it so that when you enter into the stadium … [it] feels like you’re entering into an event,” Ray said. “Obviously, you’re going to see the bleachers; we can’t hide those … but we just want kids to feel excited to be here.”

Even though they need to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions with mask-wearing and only allowing a certain number of people in, Mirandola knew that it was important for the senior class to experience prom with partners or friends who are outside of the Class of 2021.

Therefore, seniors will be able to bring dates outside of their class; since tickets will be purchased online this year, all information needed for separate guests will be entered at the time of ticket purchase.

Additionally, Mirandola noted that the Class of 2021 will be the first class that gets to experience their own firework show.

“It’s going to be way more engaging than a normal prom which traditionally is a meal, … music and that’s it,” Mirandola said.

Contreras added that for a typical prom, the most memorable parts come from getting ready and taking photos with friends beforehand, and she doesn’t think that aspect of it will change much.

“Coming together as a grade for the last time … to remember all that we’ve been through as a class these past four years,” Contreras said. “I think it’s really important and really special that we get to have a prom … So many other schools wish they would have this opportunity, so I think we [should] take advantage of it.”

Another unique aspect of this event is that they are planning to have a red carpet-esque entrance that will be livestreamed by underclassmen for others to watch.

According to KnightTV Live Sports Director and sophomore Luis Hernandez, there will be multiple “hosts” near the entrance who will be interviewing couples and seniors as they walk into the event.

“We’re really excited about being able to offer this opportunity and kind of reimagining a culminating prom experience … and we’re hoping to see positive things from this year that we can implement in years going forward,” Mirandola said.

illustration by Mara Nicolaie

2 NEWS

prospectornow.com

APRIL 16, 2021

Anonymous donation brings change CHARLIE DAHLGREN Executive News Editor

B

ob Frisk was the type of person who could change a life without even knowing it. As a talented prep sports writer for the Daily Herald, he wrote countless stories about District 214 athletics, helping community members stay informed and the athletes feel recognized. Frisk spent his career putting the spotlight on student athletes until he died on May 16, 2020 at the age of 83.

D214 is now able to honor Frisk’s life with the help of an anonymous donor who contributed $20,000 of seed money, which has been used to create the Bob Frisk Legacy Fund. The fund aims to benefit D214 journalism programs but has since expanded to aid programs in other districts that were impacted by Frisk’s time covering prep sports.

The district has also created a donation link on their website where additional patrons have further honored Frisk by donating over $5,000 in additional funds.

According to Erin Holmes, the executive director of the D214 Foundation and a former coworker of Frisk, the donation was made by a well-known benefactor to the district. This person has contributed more than $200,000 to the foundation in the past four years alone.

As a Prospect graduate and former student athlete, the donor was touched by Frisk’s commitment to student athletes, and within hours of his passing, contacted Holmes about the donation.

The donor left it up to the district to decide how the money would be spent, so Holmes and others in the foundation had an important decision to make. Some thought that the money should be allocated to the district’s athletic programs — given the love Frisk had for prep sports — but knowing Frisk personally and working alongside him for many years at the Daily Herald, Holmes thought that money should be put towards his true passion: journalism.

To make the final decision, Holmes reached out to Frisk’s family to ensure that the money would be going to a place that Frisk would be proud of if he were alive today. In a collaborative effort between the donor, foundation and family, a decision was made — the money would be used to benefit student journalists in the district.

Holmes often finds herself in similar situations of talking with family after one of their loved ones or a community member dies, and she finds it inspiring how much people want to give back to the district. The donation in Frisk’s name was different, how-

HONOREE: Bob Frisk stands before a Prospect basketball crowd while accepting the Distinguished Media Service Award. Frisk continues to be an essential part of Prospect, even after his passing earlier last year. (photo courtesy of Mark Welsh/Daily Herald) ever, due to her personal connection to Frisk and his family.

“When [Frisk] died ... it hit me very hard,” Holmes said. “He was my first mentor at the Daily Herald.”

Holmes recalls when she was assigned to cover Prospect football’s first state championship game in 2001. She wrote the lede, “Oh, what a Knight!” After publishing, Frisk stopped her in the hall and said enthusiastically, “That lede! Just ooh! I love it!” As a 21-year-old right out of college, Frisk’s kindness and encouragement really meant a lot to Holmes, who to this day remembers Frisk’s enthusiasm for his career.

“What I remember most is his smile. I feel like he was always smiling — which has to be impossible, but maybe not,” Holmes said.

“He just loved his job. When I talk to our students now I say … find something you love to do. I like to think that I’ve found that, but Bob lived it.”

Frisk believed in keeping journalism positive and enjoyable but also professional and honest. According to Holmes, “he did it the right way.”

“When I worked with him, many times people would say, ‘Why don’t you move on?

You’re good; you could cover professional sports,’ and he always said his heart is in prep sports,” Holmes said. “He loved high

currently on PROSPECTORNOW.COM...

Read about Spanish teacher Chris Cirrincione’s decision to leave Prospect for an Assistant Principal position at Palatine High School

school kids.”

The foundation is working to expand the Bob Frisk Legacy Fund even further, riding the kind actions of one donor and inspiring others to help.

“While [D]214, and maybe Prospect in particular, was his true love, he loved high school in general,” Holmes said.

The D214 Foundation reached out to Districts 220 and 211 to ask their foundations if they wanted to get involved. Now on the same donation link, you can pick which district you would like your money to go to.

“I am amazed at the number of alumni who want to give back. People really have been touched by this district or a teacher or a program,” Holmes said. “It’s so inspiring … Here are all these people giving $100 in this guy’s name probably because he wrote

a story about their kid, or maybe they were the kid. That’s pretty special.”

Knowing him personally, Holmes saw that the only thing that came close to Frisk’s talent and passion for journalism was his love and appreciation for prep sports athletes. Now, the man who impacted so many students over his career will continue to affect even more for years after he’s gone.

“He was a good enough journalist to have done a lot of stuff,” Holmes said. “He chose to cover prep sports because he loved it; he loved the coaches, he loved the kids and he loved the parents, and that came through in everything he did. I think when I see these donations, it makes me smile every time I see one come though because I think, ‘That’s one more person who was impacted by this man.’”

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APRIL 16, 2021

OPINION 3

Alternate prom breeds conflict the-year event” and not a traditional prom.

“Morally, it’s something that I’m going to struggle with as I’m trying to decide,” Lane said. “… Because I’ve been playing it so safe, While some seniors are looking forward and people are still extremely at risk, and to the Prospect prom that is scheduled for most people there probably won’t be vaccinated; it’s just very risky.”

May 22, it is not sufficient for others.

The organizers of the alternate prom “Let’s face it; it does not seem too promevent were contacted for this story, but they ising that a prom will happen through the district. If yes, masks and social distancing have declined to comment.

We, The Prospector, appreciate the dediwill probably be required. If you want your cation that the Prospect administration has teenager to have a somewhat normal prom, put into planning an in-person graduation without masks, this might be the way,” a ceremony and prom for the Class of 2021. We Facebook group’s post reads.

While the Facebook group itself is a pri- believe that this will be a worthwhile event vate account, information about this event is for seniors to attend.

However, the presence readily available on multiof this alternate prom has ple social media platforms created an awkward conto the Class of 2021. flict for seniors like Lane This alternate event who want to be cautious will be held on May 21 — and safe while still makthe day before Prospect’s ing memories with their prom. For some seniors friends, and we believe that like *Lillian Lane, this has the Prospect prom achieves created a conflict between that. which event, if not both, to We feel concerned that attend. a sizable number of seniors Lane’s group of friends Voting results of The plan to attend the alternate plans to go to the alternate prom where masks are not Prospector staff in prom, and she has been mandatory and will likely struggling with not want- regards to this editorial. not be worn. ing to be the only one there Although we do acknowledge that some wearing a mask while also not wanting to miss out on having a prom experience with students may be fully vaccinated at that point in time — meaning they would be ather friends. tending the event two weeks after receiving As of now, she believes that she will atthe last dose — there is no way to guarantee tend at least one of the events.

“I was looking into the … information that each person in attendance will be vaccinated and responsible for quarantining for about the alternate prom as I’m trying to decide,” Lane said. “It said [that] ‘Masks are two weeks following the event.

“This [pandemic] has been around for recommended, but they’re not mandatory,’ over a year now, and I’ve been playing it pretand that just makes me very nervous.”

Lane says that most of her friends are ty safe,” Lane said. “I don’t necessarily know if I want to throw that out the window … I drawn to the alternate prom because the don’t want to start the summer after senior school-sponsored one seems like an “end-ofyear off with COVID.”

Staff Editorial

3

Against

12

For

Although it is not technically a school-sponsored event, we feel that the photos and social media activity from the alternate prom will constitute a lasting impression of recklessness and selfishness for the Class of 2021.

“You’re still representing Prospect [at the other prom], and obviously they’re allowed to do whatever they want to do … [But] especially with Prospect doing something, I don’t really see a point to having their own maskless prom just to get that ‘normal’ experience,” senior Gabby Contreras said.

Lane also agrees that the photos from this event may stir some controversy among the community; she feels this way because she said the event is advertised for Prospect seniors and that there is even a Knight logo on the online posters.

Ultimately, this decision is completely up to the organizers of this event and seniors who are choosing to attend.

But we ask that they reconsider how much they are willing to risk just to have a “normal” prom experience. This editorial is not an attack on any one person’s character, but rather a request for some seniors to reevaluate their choice.

In the event that there is a COVID-19 outbreak following this event, it has the potential to have a significant impact on participation in summer athletics, students’ abilities to work summer jobs and the safety of other various summer activities.

Furthermore, this event has the potential to take away a senior’s sports season who does not even choose to attend due to Prospect’s contact tracing rules.

“We don’t control anything that goes on off campus, and we’re focused on creating the most dynamic and most inclusive and most engaging prom experience for our Class of 2021,” Assistant Principal of Student Activities and Music Frank Mirandola said. “That’s what we’re focusing on; we can control us.”

Spend each day like it’s your last knight

W

ell, the time was finally here.

With my new Vera Bradley backpack draped over my shoulders, I felt anxious at the thought of my first day at Prospect. I had documented my first-day fears in a colorful marble-print journal. On one of the first pages I detailed my feelings perfectly: “High school is coming soon and to be honest, I AM TERRIFIED. Terrified because I have no idea what to expect.”

I really did have no idea what to expect. I had no older siblings, and I felt that my parents were far too ancient to understand the “modern high school experience.”

As the days ticked down to the first day of class, I felt GENEVIEVE as if I was waiting at the start of a KARUTZ rollercoaster ride: all strapped in but Executive to what Opinion Editor oblivious the future holds.

Like the beginning of every other school year, I posed in the front yard as my parents gushed over “how grown-up I was” and took pictures of me with my backpack before I entered my new world.

Some of you might read this and wonder why I was so nervous for high school, so let me preface this: I hated middle school to the extent that my expectations could not have been lower for Prospect.

For me, middle school was like when your friend plays a song on the aux that makes you wonder, “When will this finally be over?”

So when I walked out of my middle school graduation, I never looked back.

Long story short, the second I started Prospect I absolutely loved it. I got involved in clubs and played volleyball. I met so many new people and felt happier than I had ever been before.

After my first month of high school, I wrote a lengthy entry in my journal titled: “FIRST MONTH OF SCHOOL DONE” with a smiley face messily drawn in the top right hand corner. The journal entry included such “invigorating” details as what I ate for

LIVE IN THE MOMENT: A sad student sits in the middle of the staircase as her classmates pass her by. Despite the fact that many students thrive in high school, some express negative feelings about their experiences, students should try to make the most of their high school careers. (photo illustration by Abby McKenna) breakfast every morning, but it also included this statement: “High school has let me be myself again. Nothing can sound as powerful as that sentence is to me right now.”

Prospect has been the best time of my life so far, but I have realized that many people feel differently. I have heard many students throw around phrases like “I hate Prospect” and are critical of the school in general.

Naturally, students seem more disinterested with Prospect as a whole ever since the pandemic. Besides students staying home for COVID-19 concerns, which is completely understandable, some students avoid coming to Prospect just because they “don’t like going to school.”

This apathetic attitude makes me concerned because I feel that many students are missing out on their high school experience and are hypercritical of Prospect because of ignorance, not legitimate reasons.

I’m about to say something that might make you cringe over how cliche it is. Ready?

OK. High school is what you make of it, and if you don’t try even a little, you’re in for a long, tedious four years.

I have noted how the pandemic has brought losses into everyone’s lives. It might have been a missed sports season, vacation or, in more extreme cases, the loss of a loved one.

Some people’s lives have completely been turned upside down. But regardless of what we have lost, I think one lesson the pandemic has taught me is the importance of cherishing what I have and making the most of every day and every experience that comes along with it.

After going in-person for school and attending club meetings in-person (and virtually), I have noticed the people around me feel the same way when it comes to making the most of what we have and staying optimistic. Despite the optimistic students and faculty I have been surrounding myself with, I feel that some students are more distant than ever. It really breaks my heart.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY

4 OPINION

prospectornow.com

APRIL 16, 2021

Calling timeout on time management L

ate on a gloomy Thursday night, I had an epiphany while working on my math homework. Not the kind that comes when you finally figure out a tricky problem, (those don’t exist) but instead a more fear-wrenching conclusion: I don’t have enough time.

I’ve always been the type of person to plan my time well. I know exactly what I should do, when I should do it, and while I, more often than not, underestimate the time I spend on my phone, the system generally works well enough to give it some credence.

But that night, I had no time. I had done everything right, and yet there I was, sitting there at 11 p.m., struggling on a word problem while knowing all too well I still had chemistry and HWLC assignKEVIN LYNCH ments that I needed to complete before Entertainment morning.

At that moment Editor I realized that what I was struggling with was a four-point math assignment that would probably never be graded for accuracy. A tiny, inconsequential assignment that had a roughly 20% chance of affecting my nowhere-near-borderline grade. Almost immediately, I turned off my iPad, went upstairs, forced myself to forget about my other homework, then promptly fell asleep.

Throughout our lives we’ve always been told that managing time well leads to greater happiness and success in life. It’s to the point where time management is seen in society as an unquestionable good, and those who aren’t very good at it are just “too lazy” for our exclusive club of success and prosperity.

To a point, I wholeheartedly agree that time management is key to success in many fields — high school included.

But is it really worth the trouble of adjusting your whole schedule and mindset to, cliche as it sounds, “fix what ain’t broke?” Why am I grinding out my homework two nights before it’s due simply because it makes me feel more productive? Why do people still push time management when most people are perfectly content with their lives? And, most importantly, how does one write about a topic like this without resorting to endless rhetorical questions?

World Religions teacher John Camardella said that he always uses a daily planner to schedule out his weeks — even having planned as far in advance as a year from now.

This is a skill he learned as a senior at Illinois Wesleyan University when his responsibilities included being captain of the basketball team, being a student teacher and being president of his fraternity in addition to his studies and responsibilities as a friend.

Now, as a teacher, he wants to see students succeed using those same skills and thus encourages them to use their time well. “[I] think of how many times … students didn’t do what they were supposed to do when they were supposed to do it, and then … it’s past due, they’re rushing it, it’s done poorly, then you get a bad grade; it’s a snowball,” Camardella said.

Camardella’s argument is one that students have undoubtedly heard before, and that’s almost assuredly because, well, he’s right. Students need to balance their time, avoid procrastination and use time constructively; it’s simply a good habit to have for life.

Additionally, according to LearningScientist, a website dedicated to educational psychology, time management is linked to multiple positive traits like self-control, self-confidence and conscientiousness, which are in turn connected to happiness, satisfaction and a host of other overtly positive traits.

Given such testimony, it’s clear time management is as necessary as everyone tends to say it is.

In fact, the only other things I can think of offhand that elicit such positive feelings are those that, unlike a planner, would be immediately confiscated if they were discovered in your backpack.

With this in mind, how could people not want to improve their time management skills when the results are so obviously positive?

While I have the utmost respect for people like Camardella, the idea of constantly improving your time management, though

CHRONOLOGICAL CONUNDRUM: Over zealous time management advice can suffocate any chance students have of relaxation and can cause them to feel guilty even when they are taking a much-needed break. While some can still benefit from improving time management, those who do not need extra improvement should not be made to feel behind even when they are caught up. (cartoon by Grace He) admirable, just isn’t a practical or necessary solution for many high school students.

Even if I had micromanaged my day into the ground, it wouldn’t have fixed my schedule enough to prevent situations like that one late night; time management is useful for a lot of things, but it can’t solve tricky math problems. Even if it had prevented me from barely sleeping that night, would it have been worth the trouble?

One could make the argument that I’m preparing myself for college or a career by learning how to stop wasting time, but do those people really have such little faith in me that they think I won’t be able to adapt once I get there?

There’s a big difference between having skills and employing them constantly even when the situation doesn’t demand them.

“Wasting your time” itself is an idea so general and particular to each person that it’s hard to narrow down, but in theory, wasting your time describes activities that don’t benefit you in any way, either through enjoying it, learning something practical or doing something you’re obligated to do.

While there are plenty of confusing semantics, the true meaning of wasting your time isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things; only you can really say whether you’re wasting your time. It is, after all, your time, not anyone else’s.

Besides, it’s not as though all time not spent at maximum productivity is wasted time; you’ll almost never see someone shamed for eating or sleeping, even though neither is especially productive.

Wasting time in the traditional sense can be as beneficial to the aforementioned activities, simply in that it provides a reprieve from constant work and stress — even if its health benefits are less tangible.

The problem comes when others presume to know the best way to spend your time, something that isn’t a problem with well-meaning people like Camardella, but rather with those who like to set others to unnecessarily high standards.

For example, time management is often forced upon high school students as if it’s the only antidote for our ignorance; I mean, God knows teenagers can’t be trusted to remember things, so just buy them a planner, and then they can fend for themselves.

Teenagers wasting time is a trope much akin to the idea of girls being smarter than boys: something we’d like to say isn’t true if only the evidence wasn’t so stacked against us.

We whippersnappers know full well we spend far too much time on our “TikToks” and “Snapchats” and whatnot, but if you’re reading this, I sincerely doubt hellfire is raging from the skies because of it.

I go to bed thinking I should cut down on

that sort of stuff, and yet deep down, I know for a fact that watching a half-hour-long retrospective on “The Hobbit” is actually not going to make the difference between an A and an A+, and even if it did, I’ve had to grapple with the fact that, in the grand scheme of things, both are good grades; one is just far more painful to achieve than the other.

This is especially true when not much of what m o s t consider productive falls under the category of “fun,” or even “remotely enjoyable” for that matter, but this is America after all, where the climate surrounding productivity doesn’t feel so much “dog-eat-dog” as much as it does “dog-eatanything-insight.”

The need to constantly improve and stay productive is about as American as it gets, and everyone seems quite keen on reminding others of this.

Try looking up “time management,” and after scrolling through the Google-mandated definition, you’ll come upon nothing but endless lists and tutorials that all desperately cry out, “Hey, you’re an abysmal failure. Now click this link, so I can get some ad revenue and make you feel worse.”

It’s like society is hell-bent on telling me that time is all that matters, but when I wake up at 7 a.m. with nothing to do for three

hours because I pounded out all my work the previous night, I don’t feel proud or accomplished; I feel like I cheated myself.

While some people can clearly still benefit from improving their time management, for myself and many others, when time management is the topic of conversation between many adults and I, I’ve learned to more or less tune it out.

I’ve just realized that if I’m happy with my grades and my social life, why bother listening to the people telling me to improve?

Sure, Prospect is a rigorous academic environment, and we’re always supposed to push ourselves, and yet everyone has to plateau at some point.

It feels at the moment like I’ve finally accelerated into a comfortable speed on the proverbial highway while everything around me is trying to push me into making my life a “Fast and Furious” movie.

But by doing that, wouldn’t I whiz past all of the things that supposedly make my teenage years “the best years of my life?”

While there is a fine line between not managing your time and not always trying to improve, it’s a line that’s worth walking — especially for students like myself who feel that over planning causes them to miss out on what’s most important.

While that something is a little different for everyone, I can tell you for a fact it’s not in a tiny box in your planner.

There’s always the argument that life is too short and you need to make the most of your time, but it’s also worth asking: am I making the most of my time or is my time making the most of me?

81.4%

of students responded that they felt the need to improve their time management skills in a Prospector survey of 188 students

but only

30.8% of students rated their time management skills a five or below on a scale of one to 10

If most students believe that they have adequate time management skills, why do so many also feel the need to improve?

prospectornow.com

OPINION 5

APRIL 16, 2021

Blurred lines between racial identity Multiracial teens find difficulty in solidifying their self-perception

T

he first time I was introduced to the concept of race was during preschool in Omaha, Neb. when my peers bullied me for having less eurocentric features and excluded me just on the basis of my looks. They were constantly questioning me on why I looked the way I did, to which I had no answer. I remember various occasions up through kindergarten where I went crying to my Korean dad telling him that I was done “looking Chinese.”

My dad responded by telling me that I would never look Chinese because I am Korean.

But, when my peers were telling me that I was Chinese with such conviction, I was sure they must be right — especially when the OLIVIA KIM concepts of race and ethnicity were Copy Editor so unclear to me at that young age.

Even after my dad told me I was half Korean, I still had questions. Disappointed with my dad’s response, I turned to my white mom with more questions. I asked her, “So if I’m half Korean, which half of me is Korean?”

There were a lot of questions and feelings, most of which lacked clear answers. It seems that even as I grew older and came to understand the definition of terms such as race, ethnicity and ancestry, there are even more gray areas that lead people to argue over what they identify themselves as and what the world perceives them to be.

Racial identity is two fold; the first being, “How do others perceive me?” and the next is “How do I perceive myself ?” This is where it gets complicated because I can’t even count the number of times people have assumed that I was Latina. On more than one occasion in the past year alone, people have exclaimed, “Olivia, are you Mexican?” and “Olivia, I thought you were Hispanic.”

Obviously, I don’t blame them for not knowing because being biracial usually leads to looking ethnically ambiguous, and biracial people don’t have just one “look” to them. However, it just makes things more confusing for me and for others when labeling myself.

It’s hard for me to be introspective and even answer that second question: how do you perceive yourself ? I, like many mixed people, feel a sense of displacement because to some, I’m too Asian, and to others, I’m not Asian enough.

People like President Barack

MIXED SIGNALS: Prospector editor Olivia Kim contemplates which boxes to fill out to specify which race she is. While labels can provide a sense of belonging, they can also create a disconnect between the way one perceives themselves and how others see them. (photo illustration by Abby McKenna and Olivia Kim) Obama and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, both half white and half Black people, have been criticized for not understanding racism in America — essentially describing them as “not Black enough.”

When I was just learning how to count, I also learned to hate my tan skin, my dark hair, my dark eyes and my flat nose. Now, as a junior in high school trying to discover and solidify who I am, I want to be able to proudly claim my Korean heritage, but the disconnect that I worked so hard to enforce as a child is so deeply rooted in my present self.

Whenever I go to a Korean restaurant and try to order a dish in its Korean name, I am not understood by the wait staff because of my heavy American accent. The embarrassment makes my face red and only widens that gap between myself and my Korean identity. When I go back, I order with the English translation so that I don’t look like I’m trying to appear Korean.

It’s easy for me to get frustrated with these labels and to just dismiss them as stupid. I want to tell people that it isn’t important, but it is — especially when you’re growing up and trying to construct your identity as a teen.

According to Act for Youth, “Identity development, the growth of a strong and stable sense of self across a range of identity dimensions, is central to adolescent development.” The process of coming about this identity is one determined by introspection, community, upbringing, family, friends and more, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

As a junior, the time to apply for colleges and scholarships leans near. What I keep being told to share with colleges is what makes me unique and who I am. Not only do colleges want to

Discover how educators at Prospect High School have adapted to a constantly changing environment

Discover how one Arlington Heights gardener is uplifting his community

ask for my race for this uniqueness, but they also want it for admissions.

Scholarships and affirmative action programs can be extremely helpful to those who earn or need them for college. Many of which are awarded to people of color in an attempt to compensate for a lack of opportunities that arise from systemic racism.

Some people apply for these scholarships believing they qualify purely based on their genetics. However, the purpose of those scholarships isn’t really about what is in your blood, it’s about life experiences. If people choose to identify themselves with good intentions and with honesty, then I wouldn’t be writing this story, but it doesn’t always happen that way.

Still, I’m not even sure if I would have an advantage through affirmative action because even though I have felt hardship because of my race, I don’t believe that I have missed out on as many opportunities as other people of color have. Even searching “how does being biracial impact college admissions” to include information in this story felt dirty to me.

The first article in my search results said, “Columbia [University] is an institution that supports affirmative action. Because of this, many mixed-race applicants prefer to identify themselves with the most underrepresented minority group on the Common Application.” Just reading this fueled my anger and sadness because people are just trying to play up a system that they might not have ever felt any challenge from while others are genuinely suffering from that same system.

For me, I check off “Asian” and “white” or “multiracial” if I have to. Neither one or the other. But, that’s where my conflict circles back. Am I really Asian? Am I really white? Multiracial is good, but it’s too vague.

Sometimes I feel as if being made fun of for my appearance on the basis of my race in elementary school or even being told that I have coronavirus because of my race just last year is enough to call myself a person of color. But, then I just go back to thinking that

Listen to stories of students, but their name isn’t revealed until the end

that isn’t as bad as what other people might experience like being physically assaulted purely based on their race, so I am lost.

If subjective comparisons aren’t enough for me to build my identity, then maybe looking at numbers would be. The only quantitative data I could have to possibly prove my background is a DNA test. I took one just a few years ago, but it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. However, at the time, I was so excited to take it and receive my results. I just wanted reinforcement of the idea that I really am half white and half Korean.

Further flaws of DNA testing are pointed out by Roots Humanities teacher Michael Andrews; he notes that these programs work by comparing your DNA to others because they can’t just pinpoint exact percentages of your DNA to a location.

Another misconception that Andrews sees is that once people find out they have possible ancestors from one area through a genealogy database or DNA testing, they allow themselves to appropriate culture. He specifically referenced an Ancestry commercial where a man does some research and finds out that he is mostly Scottish instead of German like he had thought, and he “trades in his lederhosen for a kilt.”

While I don’t often see people picking up traditional clothing of a culture they were not raised with just because a website told them they could, this misconception that DNA is synonymous with culture, family and experiences is harmful.

Because my decision of what to identify as has the potential to have negative consequences, it makes me reluctant to be confident in my choice. I don’t want to consider myself something that I feel that I am not, but like any teenager, I just want to feel that sense of belonging to a group.

I never officially stated what I identify as in this story because I don’t know if me saying that I’m “white” or “Asian” is more than just regurgitation of what my parents clearly are.

My answer to “what race are you” will always have a “but.”

Learn about the importance of self defense and how teens can be more cautious about their safety

STAYING SAFE AND EN

6 IN-DEPTH

Worries around vaccine decrease in community CHARLIE DAHLGREN Executive News Editor *name changed for confidentiality Junior *Leslie Kowalski’s grandpa had a dream: to one day retire and return to his hometown in Poland to rebuild his family home.

He brought the topic up once again while sitting at the head of Kowalski’s dining table early Easter Morning.

Over the table covered with eggs, sandwiches, ham and traditional dishes such as Zurek and Babka, Kowalski’s mom brought up that the government probably wouldn’t let him enter Poland without being vaccinated.

Her grandpa shrugged it off as though it didn’t matter and then dropped the news – he had already gotten vaccinated.

The room immediately went quiet as Kowalski’s family turned to him in disbelief.

“It was a shock to all of us,” Kowalski said.

At the time, Kowalski described her parents as highly skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Growing up in Communist Poland, healthcare was hard to come by. Additionally, Kowalski’s family grew up in a rural part of the country where the nearest doctor was more than an hour away.

Their distrust for healthcare maintained when they immigrated to the United States in the mid-’90s at the age of 16 and was further influenced by online misinformation.

For example, Kowalski’s mom loves Facebook and she is drawn in by groups of “Polish people passive aggressively roasting each other” and sometimes spreading that misinformation.

Because of this, Kowalski often fact checks things that her mom says she saw online.

But Kowalski now sees this shocking moment as a turning point in her parents’ beliefs. Even her mom recently started talking about getting vaccinated herself.

Although no dates are scheduled at this point, Kowalski thinks they will eventually get the vaccine.

Kowalski has a firsthand experience of the impact COVID-19 can have. She works at Northwest Community Hospital, making food and delivering it to patients’ rooms.

Kowalski and her coworker junior Ellie Foster had to struggle through the new restrictions put on hospital staff.

Foster took countless measures to ensure that she was keeping her friends and family safe including changing clothes in the basement everyday when she got home from work and isolating from her friends and extended family for almost six months.

“Luckily, I had my coworkers,” Foster said. “So, it was okay; I didn’t go crazy.”

Foster was at Northwest Community Hospital when they received their first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine last December.

The shipment was originally intended to be administered to frontline doctors and nurses only, but when Foster got the news that they had extra does available to other hospital staff, she was first in line to get the shot.

Foster waited in line for around 15 minutes before it was her turn.

Since she was the first person under 18 to get the shot at Northwest Community Hospital and her parents weren’t present, she had to do a ton of paperwork before the hospital could even decide if they could give it to her or not.

Finally, she was cleared and received her first dose.

She was more excited than she was nervous, and her only concerns were the side effects she had heard about others getting.

After getting the shot, she sat in an observation room for 35 minutes and then was cleared to leave.

Foster did suffer from some of the dreaded side effects including a fever, muscle aches, joint pain, chills, nausea and headaches, but she feels that it was more than worth it.

“It’s not about protecting yourself; it’s about protecting other people. I’d rather get the vaccine and feel those side effects for 14 hours than get the virus and feel those side effects for the rest of my life,” Foster said.

Unlike Foster, Kowalski was unable to get a dose that day but looks forward to getting her vaccine whenever one becomes available.

They both look forward to returning to a more normal life after more of their friends and family get vaccinated.

Foster has already become more comfortable in everyday life knowing that she is now a much lower risk to her friends and family.

“It’s definitely worth it,” Foster said.

“Because now I feel safer going to school, [and] I feel safer doing things with my friends.”

Student views on the COVID-19 vaccine

20.8%

are not planning to get the vaccine

79.2%

are planning to get the vaccine

prospectornow.com

APRIL 16, 2021

53.3% 30.5% are hesitant 69.5% about getting

are not hesitant about getting the vaccine

information according to a survey of 222 Prospect students

painting by Ondine Cella

the vaccinE

What are students excited for t

Luke Brown, junior

Giahan Tran, Senior

“I can’t wait to hopefully have a full band camp over the summer. It’s a really great time to make ... music and meet new people, and we didn’t get that experience last year.”

“I have a lot of friends that live up in Wisconsin, so I’m hoping to ... see them again. ... I want to take a break, go camping or just somewhere away from society, as a refresher before college.”

Lally Coleman, sophomore

Josh Diluia, junior

“[I’m looking forward to] being stress-free and spending a lot of time with my friends.”

“I’m most excited to travel with my friends over the summer and go to places such as the beach and national parks.”

“ h c

M

“ t i p o f w

NJOYING THE BREAK prospectornow.com

this summer?

IN-DEPTH 7

APRIL 16, 2021

ALUM PICKS FOR FOOD IN PHS AREA Instagram foodie and ‘19 Prospect alum Marissa Provenzale shares her picks for food in the PHS area

Clayton Kamp, junior

“I’m excited to travel and have a football summer camp again.”

Maria Anazloitti, Sophomore

“I’m really looking forward to getting a job and making a lot of money. Well, I probably won’t make a lot of money because, let’s face it, I’m a minimum wage worker at most.”

BUDGET: SCOOBY’S RED HOTS Order: Chicago style hot dog, fresh cut fries and strawberry milkshake

“Serving the area’s best Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian Beef and more.” - Skooby’s Red Hots website

CULTURAL: ALTTHAI Order: tofu pad Thai and Thai iced tea

“Tastfully delicious and modern Thai restaurant that has contemporary feel.” - altThai’s website

NEW: SCRATCHBOARD KITCHEN Order: pimento cheese fried chicken sandwhich and honey latte

“A breakfast and lunch restaurant delivering scratch-made food and drink using locally sourced ingredients” - Scratchboard’ kitchen’s website

To see more food recomendations follow

@midwesterngirleats

interview by Alyssa Schulz, photos courtasy of Marissa Provenzale

PHS camps expected to take place this summer RACHEL ZURBUCH Executive Features Editor This summer with COVID-19 vaccines rolling out and cases going down, more things are opening back up and going back to “normal.” One of these things is the Prospect summer activities.

Prospect normally hosts a variety of sports, fine arts and activity camps and events throughout the summer. Because of COVID-19, this was put on hold last summer as many events were modified or cancelled.

However, this summer Assistant Principal of Student Activities and Music Frank Mirandola explains that Prospect is trying to do as much as possible for summer events.

Prospect will be hosting their sports camps again, but they will not be offering camps to elementary and middle school students.

The reason they cannot offer these is because they want to be able to spread out Prospect’s camps and make sure they are following the IHSA guidelines of social distancing and wearing masks.

Some sports will also be moved to Forest View Educational Center so they can properly social distance.

The summer camps are also going to start a little later than regular years.

This is because there are multiple sports finishing their season in the summer; baseball, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, girls’

soccer, softball, boys’ tennis, boys’ and girls’ track, boys ’volleyball and wrestling will end on June 19. Therefore, the summer camps start June 21 as opposed to earlier in June.

Mirandola explains that one of the reasons they had the summer sports go so late is because the IHSA wants the teams to be able to do state series for the traditional spring sports that got cancelled last year. In comparison, some winter and spring sports will not be doing a post season.

Band camp will be operating regularly, and D214 will be doing their summer musical of Descendants. Summer 2021 also has construction taking place; there will be new windows in the academic areas and updated painting and sanding inside the fieldhouse.

Mirandola is just happy to be offering more events for students. The summer camps allow for more students to build relationships with each other, especially for the incoming freshman.

“The more we get people on campus, the more we can develop those relationships,” Mirandola said. “It then comes into the classrooms and the academic setting where there’s a sense of belonging and safety. And when students feel like they belong and they’re safe, they feel like they’re the best version of themselves in the classroom. It’s a collection of experiences that really create the total student experience for every Knight here at Prospect.”

8 FEATURES

prospectornow.com

APRIL 16, 2021

Kyp-Johnson prepares for retirement KAILIE FOLEY Features Editor

A

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younger version of school psychologist Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson could often be found next to his mom digging in the ground, tending to their garden of roses, one of the only activities Kyp-Johnson ever did with his mom.

Although Kyp-Johnson does not have a physical garden to tend to on school grounds, he has nurtured the lives of many students through being a psychologist, coach and sponsor of numerous clubs. Film Club, Creative Writing Club, Guitar Club, Turkish Club, freshmen boys’ baseball, varsity girls’ softball, varsity girls’ basketball and freshmen girls’ basketball are just some of the activities he has been a part of in his 14 years at Prospect. Kyp-Johnson has also been a Knights’ Way leader for 11 years.

Kyp-Johnson hopes that after he leaves, Prospect continues to “give kids a place to shine” even when they “don’t get awards for it.”

Living through that same mentality four years ago, he decided to sponsor Turkish Club. The students who voiced that they wanted to start Turkish Club had been refugees that were forced to move to the area after escaping the severe circumstances of their country.

The students did not know how they would be treated at school and were unsure if they would be accepted, but the club was a place for them to connect. “[It was] such a great thing to know that people around the world — even from different circumstances — were not that different,” Kyp-Johnson said.

Another club that Kyp-Johnson has sponsored that has significantly impacted students has been Film Club.

Film Club has allowed sophomore Ethan Stone to branch out and meet new people. The atmosphere Kyp-Johnson created for Film Club welcomed him with comfort and acceptance. “[Kyp-Johnson] is very relaxed; he really allows you to be creative,” Stone said. “He doesn’t put [many] restrictions on what we’re making … while we’re in Film Club. [He] ... kind of just lets us do our thing; it’s nice.”

Since Kyp-Johnson enjoyed sponsoring activities that allowed students to showcase their passion for the arts, he decided to dive into the realm of being more creative by starting Creative Writing Club.

With hot chocolate, fruit snacks and busy hands, students often

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wrote as Kyp-Johnson played the guitar for them. He was excited to see students express themselves, and this led him to become involved with open mic nights.

“We have a lot of students here who are very, very talented artists both musically and literally,” Kyp-Johnson said. “... They really never got a lot of showcasing before that ... so that’s been great.”

Kyp-Johnson also valued sponsoring Guitar Club for about 10 years. Hosting benefit concerts helped display student talent outside of academics.

“It was wonderful for staff ... to see,” Kyp-Johnson said. “…

You might have a kid in class who wasn’t the greatest statistician in the world, but if you heard him play guitar on the weekend, you would just say, ‘Oh my god this guy’s ... already a professional guitar player!’”

Along with sponsoring clubs, Kyp-Johnson also enjoyed celebrating big victories with the sports teams that he coached.

When varsity girls’ softball won the regional championship, the team dumped a water jug on him, and that was a moment he’ll never forget.

A couple of years ago, he was happy to receive a letter from one of the varsity girls’ basketball players thanking Kyp-Johnson for teaching her how to do a hook shot.

Kyp-Johnson didn’t stop at helping students pursue their athletic passions even when he was diagnosed with leukemia 10 years ago and managed to coach varsity girls’ basketball and varsity girls’ softball for two seasons.

Kyp-Johnson has not only impacted students. School counselor Todd Soderwall met Kyp-Johnson 11 years ago when he first started working at Prospect.

Soderwall has noticed that Kyp-Johnson has a personality that allows him to get along with others, and he recognizes that Kyp-Johnson is in the human services profession because he wants to connect with other people. Additionally, Soderwall really values that Kyp-Johnson has a diverse set of experiences.

For example, Kyp-Johnson worked at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital as a family therapist and alcohol and drug counselor. He also worked at hospitals and a daycare while taking medical classes at the University of Illinois Springfield and volunteered his time to work at a women’s shelter.

Prospect is also not his first education job; he worked for Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization, Glenbard West High School and Maine South High School.

HEADING OUT: School psychologist Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson poses near his desk with a bobble head of neurologist Sigmund Freud. Kyp-Johnson will retire at the end of this year after his 14th year at Prospect of giving students an enviornment for self-expression. "I'm trying to say goodbye to being a therapist so that I can just live my own life," Kyp-Johnson said. (photo courtesy of Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson) “That’s just not anything you can substitute,” Soderwall said.

“That kind of wisdom, that kind of experience [only] comes up every so often, and it’s really valuable to have that expertise.”

Soderwall has been teamed up with Kyp-Johnson for three years, and he appreciates that they are able to laugh together even when it feels like they are stuck in an emotional trench.

“Working with families and different situations [can] sometimes can be a little bit of a drain,” Soderwall said. “But when you have a teammate who can help pick you up with ... a little bit of humor or ... a kind word here or there, it really goes a long way.”

Soderwall views Kyp-Johnson as someone who thinks from a “global perspective” about how to improve a situation. He believes this even shines through at Prospect, considering that he has made such a significant impact on the school.

“He always puts the needs of the student first, and he always tries to find the good in a situation,” Soderwall said. “... I can’t remember a time when I’ve heard him really just get bogged down with negativity.”

Being a coach, mentor, sponsor, psychologist and teacher, Kyp-Johnson has had a rich, varied career from Soderwall’s perspective. Wishing Kyp-Johnson all the best, Soderwall knows that he will have a rich life beyond his working life based on his knowledge and interest of what happens

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A quote that reflects Kyp-Johnson’s attention to thoughts inside and outside of his practice represents how he overcomes difficult situations.

“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives,” naturalist Henry David Thoreau said.

Becoming a therapist early in life taught him how to be a healthy thinker through difficult times.

“Fortunately, I was my own good therapist,” Kyp-Johnson said. “... I kept my head above water, and I kept doing things that were good.”

After retirement, Kyp-Johnson will no longer be anyone’s therapist. He thinks it will likely feel odd for someone to not ring him up as he is sleeping the middle of the week and ask for his help.

“I’m trying to say goodbye to being a therapist so that I can just live my own life,” Kyp-Johnson said.

He spent so much time helping other people for a living that he wonders what it will feel like as soon as that changes in a single moment.

Kyp-Johnson wanted to help people for a living because when he grew up, he did not discuss his emotions with his parents.

“What I had really learned was

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‘Don’t go to anyone ... Don’t share how you feel with anybody,’ and that was [really] bad for me personally,” Kyp-Johnson said.

Due to concealing his emotions inside, Kyp-Johnson began to question how people changed and learned to understand what they were going through in life.

When Kyp-Johnson was providing therapy to people, he realized that not all families had the money to pay for the help that they were receiving. Kyp-Johnson wanted to find a way to provide care for people who did not need to pay him directly because he understands that not everyone can meet the financial needs for help with mental health.

“High school stuff was the perfect place for me,” Kyp-Johnson said. “... That was kind of like my mission in life was to be there for other people because there really wasn’t anybody there for me.”

He recalled that as he walked through the doors of Prospect for the first time, he felt a “tremendous synergy” to be where he desired to be. Now as he prepares himself to walk out of the doors of Prospect, he is trying to shape his own life after years of working with others.

“Most people go through their life with a pretty narrow experience of people and of life in general ... ” Kyp-Johnson said. “A way my life is different is I’ve seen a lot of different people and, in a way, seen what they’ve seen, and I would like to find a way to legitimately pass that on to other people so that their world widens up a little bit.”

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prospectornow.com

ENTERTAINMENT 9

APRIL 16, 2021

Speaking out from a Full House Exposing kids to mature TV allows for easier mental development, cultural awareness

What I always found funny about the logic along with plenty of ways to reach a state of that I was not alone in the problems I was of many of these parents was that they did body positivity. This is not confined to “Full facing in my life and made dealing with them not want their children “corrupted,” so they House,” and other TV shows not meant for that much easier. barred them from watching TV shows like kids such as “black-ish” and “Modern FamiSeeing the supposedly perfect TV sitcom “Full House,” but then their kids would not ly” cover these kinds of matters as well. family going through the same day-to-day understand issues that can affect their own Furthermore, the writers of “Full House” struggles as you normalizes all of the tough mental health and safety. also took the risk to base an entire episode parts of life that are so often obscured away I know it strictly from children’s television. sounds crazy, a r o u n d Do not get me wrong, I understand that but the way eating dis“Full House” is a show that is considered an“Full House” orders and cient among the current generation of chilbody image dren, but the sentiments described throughwas never the kid with an “ideal” body covers a pleth— a subject out this story apply to many other shows type. I have always been the scrawny, ora of subjects that is of— including Netflix’s “Fuller House.” skinny kid. Because of this, I constant- was crucial to developten not disFirst released in 2016, “Fuller House” is a ly had trouble being comfortable with how I my cussed with modernized carbon copy of the original sitlooked growing up. Sure, being able to go to ment and upyoung chilcom, and yet it is given a rating three years Portillo’s and order a double cheeseburger, bringing.

This minddren. For higher than “Full House.” fries, onion rings and a large drink without set of pareninstance, This is due to a culture that deems everygaining weight is nice, but wanting to gain this was thing that is outside the typical kid platform weight and being unable to is one of the most tal control of media is danthe first too “mature” for them to handle. The reality aggravating things in the world. time I ever is that many children like DJ are experiencI know it seems that my problem is a stu- gerous, and it is important learned ing body image issues, and they may turn pid one, but growing about anto practices like skipping meals if they are up being compared to understand that alloworexia and unaware of the numerous dangers it entails. to a skeleton being children bulimia — These topics are not “too mature” for kids’ cause of my bony SHAPE UP: DJ Tanner from the 90s sitcom “Full experience yet the rattelevision to handle — they are vital issues arms and pale skin to House” passes out at the gym because she starved “outings system that need to be talked about with young age along with people content herself for three days in an attempt to lose weight. insists that groups. repeatedly telling side their age I was too Mental health issues are problems that me to eat more can group” — with- Viewing this “controversial” episode at a young age young to impact so many people, and since no mentalreally take a toll on in reason — can allowed Prospector editor Brendan Burke to learn infinitely about eating disorders and help his body insecurity. learn about ly ill child can physically see their injuries, a person’s self-es- be beneficial to them. what are they supposed to do when they are teem.

The ratings system, which is run by the experiencing symptoms for illnesses like deBody insecuri- their development. I am not saying that kids BRENDAN ty is something all should be watching movies with excessive vi- Motion Picture Association of America as pression or anxiety? How will they be able to know that their feelings are normal and they people — no matter olence and adult scenes, but letting them see a means of telling parents what their kids BURKE are not alone? their gender — are entertainment meant for teenagers should should be watching, could not be more wrong. be no problem.

At that point of my life, learning about the The world can be a very scary place, and affected by.

Body Associate Take for example the aforementioned prevalence of body insecurity proved to be pretending for kids that it is not does no one positivity is a mindEditor-in-Chief set that takes im- “controversial” episode of “Full House.” desperately needed. I will never forget going any good. I am not saying that we need to be After not eating for three days, Tanner pre- to school the day after I viewed that episode having in-depth discussions with children mense time and efabout every fort to reach, and the ways in which people dictably passes out at the gym. Then, her and asking my unhealthy lifestyle is exposed to her family friends if they heavy probget there — if they ever can — varies. after her younger sister tells their father, had ever seen lem in the Personally, I achieved it when I was eight “Full House” world, but years old while I was watching the 90s sitcom Danny, that DJ is not eating.

The episode then closes off with Danny and if they we do need “Full House.” At this age group, it is recomand DJ having a heavy conversation about knew about to make mended by most parents, through outlets thing sure that like Common Sense Media parent reviews, the dangers of skipping meals due to the “this called anorexthey are that children should only be watching “Full increased chance of developing eating disoraware the House” or the reboot show “Fuller House” ders. Danny takes it even further than this ia.” As eightyear-olds, they problems under parental supervision. The particular and also shares with his daughter his own had no clue exist. The episode I was watching has also fallen victim personal experiences with body positivity.

“Heck, when I was a kid, I wished I what anorexia best way to to controversy arising from complaints that could’ve been more like that guy on ‘The was, and some do this is by the show “oversimplified” a serious issue.

Incredible Hulk’ … He was just nice and av- of them actuhaving kids The specific episode — released Nov. 9, come upon 1990 and called “Shape Up” — was focused erage,” Danny said. “He wasn’t too tall, [he] ally wanted to wasn’t too skinny and he didn’t stick out like watch “Full the issues around the character DJ Tanner and her I thought I did.”

House,” but themselves journey to lose weight in order to like the way Before Danny said this, the message was their parents and ask she looked in a bathing suit. In an attempt to insisted that their own lose weight as fast as possible, Tanner resort- not hitting me. DJ thought that she looked SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN: Uncle Jesse and too heavy — an insecurity that I always had the show was questions. ed to skipping meals and doing strenuous exStephanie Tanner from the sitcom “Full House” are “too adult” for In short, we ercises. The only reason I was watching this the exact opposite of. However, Danny made having a heart-to-heart after discussing child abuse. them. need to see “controversial” episode so young is because it clear that body image concerns affect peoFrom the In this episode, one of Tanner’s classmates has an past ratings I am the youngest of five children. Living ple of all shapes and sizes, and the way the show ended really made me feel comfortable youngest age, abusive father and does not know who to tell. This and expose in a house with four older siblings — espein my own skin for the first time.

I was learn- episode is a learning experience for all young viewers. children to cially when the oldest is 11 years older than According to Screen Rant, an online en- ing and askshows such me — allowed me to experience different TV ing questions about body insecurity, child as “Full House” that introduce these heavy shows, films and books outside of my age tertainment news website, the eating disorder episode is the most hurtful one from abuse, bullying, Obsessive-compulsive distopics in simplistic ways. range consistently.

“Full House” and does not age well because order, Post-traumatic stress disorder, underWe need to stop acting like the world is all For exof the “ofage drinking and smoking, distracted and sunshine and rainbows because the longer it ample, I was fensive” epdrunken driving, gender stereotypes, untakes kids to realize this fact, the harder it is reading Steisodes that conventional families and many other topics for them to adapt to it. phen King’s the show has. that the show discusses. It is true that all of At eight years old, I was insanely insecure “Carrie” (for They arthese episodes do not exceed 30 minutes and about my body and had no idea what I was ages 11 and gue this is are merely scratching the surface with all of going through. If I did not have that “conup), watchbecause “eatthese heavy issues, but that short introduc- troversial” episode of “Full House,” I would ing “How ing disorders tion to tiny fourth grade Brendan opened up have succumbed to practices that I was unI Met Your are far more my mind to numerous questions that I need- aware were dangerous.

Mother” (for serious than ed the answers to.

I would have become DJ. ages 14 and this episode Having parents and older siblings that up) and viewdepicts them were willing to take the ing “Goodfelto be, and the time to answer my queslas” (for ages reductionist tions and really teach 18 and up) treatment me the vitality of these all before is honestly matters made me underthe end of quite offenstand the importance elementary sive.” of communication from school.

GIRLS WILL BE BOYS: Michelle Tanner (center) Criticisms a young age. It is also My conlike this are funny to me that many sumption of stands with her two friends dressed as a boy so she comof the same people who more mature can fit in. In this “Full House” episode, Tanner is left out quite mon for “Full criticize “Full House” for material as a from playing because she is a girl. This episode dives House” conoversimplifying problems young elemen- deep into why she should not have to conform to sidering the are the same individuals tary school gender stereotypes and allows young viewers who are show covers who teach kids about sex student is an heavy topics using the “birds and the act that is still dealing with the same issue normalize their feelings. bees” analogy. I mean, frowned upon today, and most parent groups within a 30-minute time period, but these seriously, do they really concerned with the ratings on certain TV critics are not looking at the greater picture shows, movies and video games all talk about when it comes to the importance this show have the audacity to talk THE TROUBLE WITH DANNY: Danny Tanner (right) holds. about oversimplification? the importance of keeping mature content silently stresses out as his refrigerator is made dirty.

Yes, DJ did go from having immense body What I learned from away from young kids.

The plot of this “Full House” episode shows Tanner image issues to feeling totally fine in the span the show not only made photos courtesy of IMDb of one episode, but the show took the time me more communicative, struggling with symptoms of OCD and will open up to explain the dangers of eating disorders it also allowed me to see cartoons by Mara Nicolaie kids’ eyes to mental illnesses they never knew of.

I

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10 SPORTS

APRIL 16, 2021

prospectornow.com

Water polo thrives with new strategy ELIZABETH KEANE Editor-in-Chief

S

enior varsity girls’ water polo captains Caitlin Bauer and Kenzie Woodland got a taste of normalcy at their first mini tournament of the season on Saturday, April 3.

They competed against Palatine High School and Maine West High School, and in between games they were able to hang out outside as a team.

“It was just something we probably wouldn’t have done in the past, but … it was really nice. We had a whole team picnic,” Woodland said.

After spending the day at the pool, the team visited Capannari’s in downtown Mount Prospect to get ice cream. The shop has a special connection to their coaches Meg and Gracie Dix, whose family owns it.

“Growing up, it was our second home,” Meg said. “... So it’s fun to be able to share that part of our lives with them outside of the pool.”

Both Meg and Gracie are Prospect alumni of 2011 and 2017 respectively and used to play water polo as well. This is Meg’s first season coaching this team other than the single game they had last year pre-pandemic. Her sister Gracie is finishing up her last year of college asynchronously, so it worked out for her to take on the role of assistant coach.

“We really utilize our conditioning; we swam a lot which made us a fourth-quarter team,” Gracie said. “... [We’re] just trying to make sure that they are as strong in the fourth quarter as they are in the first quarter.”

Bauer and Woodland agree that having former water polo players as their coaches really helps the team as a whole.

Meg played water polo in California in college after her time at Prospect, and her main goal is to teach the team the different style of water polo she learned there.

“They actually get in, and … they play with us. I feel like it’s a much better experience, and I have a lot of respect for them as coaches since I know they can do it too,” Woodland said.

The coaches know that it is important for them to get into the water because it’s quite difficult to make corrections and teach moves if they’re not treading in the water themselves.

IN THE AIR: Senior girls' water polo captain Kenzie Woodland makes a pass in the game against Fremd High School on Saturday, April 10. Woodland has enjoyed her coaches' challenging methods this season and plans to join a club team at McGill University in the fall. (photo by Alexis Esparza)

BLOCKED: Senior girls' water polo captain Caitlin Bauer blocks a pass at a game against the Fremd Vikings on Saturday, April 10. Bauer is currently leading in assists and blocks on the team. "[Within some teams], there's a lot of hate, and I just don't see it with this team," assistant coach Gracie Dix said. "They're all really great kids that really just want to play water polo and get better." (photo by Alexis Esparza) “[Within some teams], there’s a lot of hate, and I just don’t see it with this team,” Gracie said. “They’re all really great kids that really just want to play water polo and get better.”

As the season goes on, both Woodland and Bauer are trying to live in the moment and savor every game and every practice they have remaining. Both coaches have noticed an immense sense of positivity and desire to learn new techniques this season, and they think that this positivity is the team’s greatest asset. “[With] most teams, if they’re losing, they’re getting on each other and blaming everyone else. [On] our team, they recognize what they’re doing wrong, and they fix it,” Meg said. “I’ve never seen a team or been on a team like this.”

One interesting aspect of water polo is that it is labeled as medium-risk for COVID-19 — something that both captains were surprised to hear because they expected it to be higher risk. This is because they cannot wear masks in the water while they’re playing.

Woodland personally does not get too concerned about this because she is fully vaccinated, but she suspects that it is classified as medium-risk due to the chlorine in the pool.

However, she does note that the team wears masks whenever they’re on the bench or out of the water.

The coaches’ proudest moment this season is seeing the newer players to the sport implementing all of the new techniques from practice, and the JV team showcased it this past weekend on April 10 when they won against Fremd High School by one point.

Meg’s proudest moment of the varsity team has been the entire season where she has seen this small team of seven play entire games with only one girl on the bench to rotate in, and “they do it with a smile.” Junior Jackie Royal is currently leading in scoring, Bauer is leading in blocks and assists and junior Nora Wagner is leading in goals from the perimeter.

“We’re getting a glimpse of what we missed, and we’re only getting it for one year, but I’m glad that we’re getting it at all,” Bauer said. “[The coaches] make the team so much more fun because they’ve gone through it.”

Looking forward, none of the seniors are pursuing water polo formally in college, but some may try out for club teams.

Woodland plans to do so at McGill University in the fall, and Bauer will likely attend the University of Tennessee.

According to Meg, Gracie’s been “good cop” this season.

Meg noted that she is a very competitive person, so her goals for the team are to win the MSL East and the sectionals game as well while Gracie’s goal is to make sure the entire team has fun. “[The seniors] coming in with the attitudes that they have is just really impressive,” Meg said. “… They came in like, ‘This is the season, and we’re going to take full advantage of it.’”

current STATS: JUNIOR Jackie royal - 13 goals SENIOR CAITLIN BAUER - 18 ASSISTS JUNIOR NORA WAGNER - 20 GOALS FROM PERIMETER

3 WINS, 4 LOSSES

Currently on Knight MEDIA...

Senior quarterback Gary Moeller won the Chicago Bears High Learn about being Watch as friends, School All-Star award a referee and how coaches, players for his big game Listen to a Watch a broadcast the job has changed and peers share against the Hersey podcast to recap of a season overduring the COVID-19 about retiring boys’ the highlights from Huskies. Read about view of this year’s pandemic. basketball coach the March Madness the Knights’ 49-29 boys’ soccer season.

John Camardella. victory. tournament.

prospectornow.com

APRIL 16, 2021

SPORTS 11

Could Da Bears move to the suburbs?

Selling of Arlington Park brings exciting new opportunities

9

4 years after it opened, horse racing at Arlington International Racecourse is coming to a close. On Feb. 23, Churchill Downs, the owner of Arlington Park, announced its intent to sell the property. The 2021 season, running from April 30 to Sept. 25, will be the final racing season at the course. The course opened in 1927 in front of 20,000 spectators, and in 1981, it became home to the first horse race to offer a purse of $1 million known as the Arlington Million.

Aside from its storied history, Arlington Park has played an important role in the economy of the surrounding area, including District 214. In 2019 alone, property taxes from the course generated $3.5 milRICK LYTLE lion — some of which went to D214 Editor-in-Chief although the exact amount has not been calculated by the district. Additionally, when racing is in season, Arlington Park is the largest employer in Arlington Heights with 4,500 employees.

With this large of an economic impact on both D214 and Arlington Heights, who will buy the property and what will they do with it is an important question that remains unanswered. Rumors have swirled about everything from the Chicago Bears to residential housing. So, why is this such an attractive property to buy?

The largest selling point for Churchill Downs is the location and the sheer amount of land available. The location has its own train station that is on the Metra train line connecting to downtown Chicago. Additionally, the location is near major highways and is just a 20-minute drive from O’Hare International Airport. And, according to CBRE — the group hired by Churchill Downs to sell the property — 5.5 million people live within a one-hour drive of Arlington Park.

The easy-access location combined with the 336 available acres makes for an attractive property. According to Tony Petrillo, the President of Arlington International Racecourse, “you could take Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, Guaranteed Rate Field and

HOME STRETCH: The original Grandstand at Arlington Park was built in 1927 but was burned beyond repair in a fire on July 31, 1985. The current Grandstand, pictured here, was completed and fully re-opened in 1989. (photo by Mara Nicolaie) Bridgeview Stadium, put them all inside the Arlington [Park] property, and still have enough room for parking.”

There have been rumors of the Chicago Bears relocating to the Arlington Heights property for decades. With a capacity of just 61,500 people, Soldier Field is the smallest stadium in the NFL despite being in the third-largest city in the United States.

While no location will ever be as iconic for the Bears as the coastline of Lake Michigan, the reality is that Soldier Field is a pain to get to and from on game days and is years — if not decades — behind many more modern NFL stadiums.

The Bears would be far from the first team to relocate to the suburbs and build a new stadium. For example, in 2009, the Dallas Cowboys built a new $1.15 billion stadium in Arlington, Texas that seats over 100,000 fans.

The arguments of “Bears Weather” and “it’s not really the Chicago Bears if they play in the suburbs” need to be left in the past.

Would anyone really miss the frigid December wind blowing in off Lake Michigan if it meant the Bears could host the Super Bowl in their new 85,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof?

Arlington Heights seems to be ready to make a push to attract the Bears or another sports team to the property at Arlington Park.

“We’re doing all we can to reach out and see if there’s any interest in that, and I think

that would be something that would be very, very exciting for the community,” Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said of the potential of the Bears moving to the property. “... That’s certainly a possibility, but I have nothing definite to report about that at this point.”

Obviously there are drawbacks to the idea. The main ones are the lease the Bears have with Chicago for Soldier Field that runs through 2033 and the immense cost of building a new stadium. Any new stadium would easily be in the hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars, and the McCaskeys who own the Bears would have to burn the $6.3 million per year they owe Chicago until 2033.

Other potential sports stadium options include the Chicago Fire or an NFL expansion team. The Chicago Fire, Chicago’s Major League Soccer team, recently left their stadium in Bridgeview for Soldier Field.

However, they are only under a three-year lease for Soldier Field and could potentially benefit from a stadium only they call home.

An NFL expansion team is another possibility as both New York City and Los Angeles now have two NFL teams. However, any possible team would run into similar problems as the Bears with having to foot a potentially billion-dollar bill to build a new state-of-the-art stadium and also have to get the NFL on board with wanting an expansion team which hasn’t happened since 2002 with the Houston Texans.

Whatever happens at Arlington Park most likely won’t be without the Village of Arlington Heights’s stamp of approval due to regulatory and zoning powers, and the development of the new property will most likely happen slowly.

According to Petrillo, his estimate for the timeline of development for the new buyer is that “maybe by 2028, you might start to see a shovel go in the ground.” However, more insight into potential buyers could be available soon with the bidding for the property closing sometime in June, according to Petrillo.

Regardless of the outcome for the property, generations of residents in the area will be able to take memories of days at Arlington Park with them long after the days of horse racing at the course are over.

“People will say that their grandfather brought them [to Arlington Park] and now they’re there, or they’ve been there with their kids or they’re bringing their grandchildren now,” Petrillo said. “... [Arlington Park] has a nostalgic value and generational value to many, many people.”

Hayes is similarly sad about the closing of Arlington Park but excited for the future that the property holds.

“We do anticipate because it is such a unique piece of property given its location and access to transportation and the sheer size of it that it’s going to be something very exciting,” Hayes said.

Booming sports card market: picks and advice Legendary New York Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle is known as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Mantle is a 16-time all star and three-time MVP who has 536 home runs with 18 of those home runs coming in the World Series — the most ever.

You would think that a gameused bat or a signed baseball would be the most expensive, untouchable memorabilia you could find from him.

But that is not an accurate assumption.

In January AIDAN MURRAY 2021, a Mantle 1952 rookie card Executive Online Topps graded 9 out of 10 Sports Editor (PSA), sold for $5.2 million. It is crazy to think that a little piece of cardboard sold for so much money that whoever sold it could retire on the spot.

“I don’t think people understand that sports cards are about to become a cultural phenomenon again...” entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck said. “... If you’ve been watching, the market has been moving pretty aggressively for the last year.”

However, this is not a rare occurrence in sports cards because numerous cards have reached six figures such as a 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Mike Trout Superfractor Autograph ($3.9 million), Lebron James 2003-04 Exquisite Rookie Patch Autograph ($1.8 million) and 2013-14 National Treasures Giannis

Antetokounmpo Logoman Autograph ($1.8 million).

Since 2019, the sports card market on eBay alone has gone up 142%. Along with that, eBay’s sports memorabilia proprietor made $50 million alone last year.

When looking for cards that are valuable for each sport, it is important to remember the card brands that hold value for each sport. For baseball, it is Topps. For basketball and football, it is Panini. For hockey, it is Upper Deck. These brands all have a marketing deal with each of their respec-

RISING STAR: Luis Robert had a solid 2020 and is one of the most talked about young talents in baseball. He was even called a “six-tool player” by White Sox legend Frank Thomas. With Bowman chrome cards being so valuable, and Robert having such high potential, this card is definitely worth the buy. (photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

tive sports that allows the cards to show the team’s logos on the players’ jerseys.

“From an investment standpoint, that’s a really big deal,” sports card investor Jeff Wilson said. “You only want to be buying cards that have the official logo on the card, or otherwise they’re not going to be worth as much.”

Although these specific brands match up with their respective sport, there have been times where cards from other brands go for much more than expected. A good example includes Michael Jordan’s 1986 Fleer rookie card.

Along with this, cards that generally hold the most value are rookie cards. The idea of this card being a player’s first card and from their first year makes the card much more special than other seasons they play in. Autographs and cards of a numbered set also hold great value in the sports card world.

Some of the highest sold cards have been either rookie or numbered cards.

While it may seem simple and harmless to go and buy a bunch of boxes of cards and take the chances of pulling an expensive card, there are plenty of disappointments in trying out the sports market.

“Similar to collecting cards, if you are not brutally honest with your profit margins and what you’re actually spending versus what you’re getting back, you will lose faster than you can ever imagine winning,” card collector George Wiley said.

I, along with many other sports card investors, have made the mistake of being too impatient which ended up costing me money. Just like Wiley said, without being careful and acknowledging your limits, the

HIGH VALUE: Anthony Edwards is averaging 17.9 PPG (as of April 12) in the 2021 season. Adding onto his stats, the fact that he was a lottery pick in the draft keeps his card value high at all times. If he has a solid career, I truly believe his rookie card can go for a lot. (photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) market may take your money quicker than it can reward you.

Unfortunately, being impatient is not the only factor that will contribute to losing money in the market. The player actually has to perform at a high standard before their card skyrockets. The sad part is, it may never happen, so it is a risky business to get into.

With plenty of pros and cons to the sport card market, it is ultimately up to the individual on how deep they want to get into it.

However, one thing is for sure — the card market is on the rise again, and it is certainly not going down anytime soon.

12

Currently on Knight Voices...

Prospect boys’ basketball just found themself a new head coach in the form of the former assitant coach: Brad Rathe.

Click the photo to listen to a special edition of Prospect Sports Weekly with Rathe.

SPORTS APRIL 16, 2021

Raised stakes, how they affect football CAMERON SULLIVAN Executive Sports Editor

I

n a typical year, the Prospect football team would go up to the University of Wisconsin Whitewater and stay the weekend over the summer. The team usually spends time practicing on the university field. Just like a full nine-game season, this trip is one of the many activities the team has missed out on this school year.

“Taking it week by week is tough with only six weeks,” senior defensive back Wes Neumann said. “You’re kind of counting down the days, and you don’t want to have that mentality where you’re thinking about where the end is instead of enjoying the moment … It’s been a big priority of mine to enjoy the present and enjoy the guys around me.”

This year is different for many reasons aside from a shortened season. For instance, instead of a normal state series, there will be a MSL championship game at the end of the season where the winner of the East plays the winner of the West.

With such a different season — especially since it is in the spring rather than the fall — the team’s goals have shifted slightly from what they would’ve been in a regular season. “[Our goal is just] trying to enjoy the whole thing,” head coach Dan Deboeuf said.

“There are a lot of football teams that are shut down right now, so [our goal is] just being able to play and being together.”

That’s not the only thing the team is trying to achieve; according to Neumann, the goal as a team overall is to go 6-0 while winning the MSL conference championship.

Neumann further says that practices have been as intense as always with the shortened season, and, if anything, they’re much more focused.

The team had three weeks of preparation before the season, and they didn’t have time to mess around. Some of the younger players had to mature more quickly than usual too. Aside from this limited preparation, this season also looks much more like a college football season.

“In a normal season we can afford as many as four losses and still be in the playoffs,” said senior quarterback Gary Moeller, who had 2,341 passing yards, 34 total touch-

STIFF-ARM: Senior quarterback Gary Moeller scrambles against Elk Grove High School. The Knights went on to beat the Grenadiers 49-38 and Moeller threw for 178 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. (photo by Alexis Esparza) downs and was All-Conference and All-Area last year and already has 740 yards and 12 total touchdowns this year. “But now if we lose once, in all likelihood, we’ll be out of this championship game we have the opportunity to play in.”

Due to the fact that only four teams make the college football playoffs, losses are much more impactful. Prospect is in a very similar boat here, with the MSL championship being their National Championship — just not set to the same scale.

Deboeuf added that the team has much less time to try and peak and get to a high level. He believes they took a big step in week three and looks to continue that throughout the season. In the week three matchup against the previously unbeaten John Hersey High School they had a strong

49-29 victory.

The team is confident in their talent and their ability to win the championship, especially Moeller.

“We’re going to win it all,” Moeller said.

The odds may be slightly in Prospect’s favor, as they have been one of the top teams this year after starting out 4-0. Prospect is taking on the 4-0 Buffalo Grove and the winner will head to the MSL conference championship game. A large part of their success is the returning players.

Senior running back Luke Zardzin, who was an All-Conference, All-Area and AllState honorable mention last year, already has 524 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is set to play football at Northern Illinois University next year.

Others are senior wide receivers Noah

Marx, who is committed to play football at Illinois Wesleyan University and was All-Conference last year, and Tyson Splinter who is committed to play football at Colorado Mesa University.

“It’s nice to be able to lean on that experience and that leadership in kind of a funky year,” Deboeuf said.

With this many starters returning, it creates pressure on a team and high expectations. All players deal with it differently, but most haven’t let it get to them.

“Obviously, it’s pressure when you have that many eyes on you and those high expectations,” Moeller said. “You know we agree with [the expectations], and we’re one of the best teams in the state … so it’s not too much pressure; it doesn’t hurt us.”

Like Neumann, Deboeuf has similar views on what that pressure is like.

“I don’t think it’s pressure; I think it’s exciting,” Deboeuf said. “The ability to be a really tough team makes it really fun, and I know that the guys are really excited to try to win all the games, and we’re using that as a motivator.”

It’s a little different on the defensive side as they have lost seven starters.

“It’s cool to watch the offense because they all know what they’re doing, bunch of returners, bunch of high football IQs on the offense, so they’re excelling at a quick pace,” Neumann said. “But then on the defensive side of things ... it’s been weird being that senior ‘dad’ of the defense trying to teach these kids … I think we got to play with that confidence because we do belong there.”

However, some of the returning starters on the defensive side of the ball are senior defensive backs Jake Winski and Neumann, along with junior linebackers Jacob Grzesiak and Peyton Burgh.

The defense has played well this year as they were able to lock down the high powered Hersey offense and hold them to a season low of 29 points where they also forced four turnovers.

Even if there are only two seniors on defense, it is so important for all the seniors on the team to have this final season even though it’s an odd year. According to Neumann, there’s one aspect that separates this team from the rest.

“We’re killers,” Neumann said.

Get to know the knights’ captains #2 Quarterback Gary Moeller Year: Senior

Stat: 60.3% completion percentage on the year. #24 Running back Luke Zardzin Year: Senior

Stat: Averages 10.3 yards per carry on 51 carries for the year.

#22 Wide receiver Noah Marx Year: Senior

Stat: Averages 10.4 yards a catch on 13 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. #75 Offensive line Christo Nicolau

Year: Senior Favorite moment: “Beating Hersey in the last home game of our season.”

#77 Offensive line Matt Pankauskas

Year: Senior Favorite moment: “We had a full hitting practice and [the weather] was [in] the 80s and we had good music playing ... it felt really nostalgic.”

#9 Defensive back Wes Neumann

Year: Senior Favorite moment: “Watching Frank [Covey] score his third touchdown and ... [counting] his fingers ... at that point I knew we put away Hersey.”

#10 Defenisve back Jake Winski Year: Senior Favorite moment: “Beating Hersey by 20.”

#54 Linebacker Jacob Grzesiak Year: Junior Favorite moment: “The Hersey game because it was a bounce back week ... everyone thought that game would be a shootout.

Also we were just having a blast.”