THE
PROSPECTOR
801 WEST KENSINGTON ROAD, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056
THE VOICE OF PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1959
VOLUME 56, ISSUE 5
Bears take over Gattas Stadium
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017
Hoco dance, game earlier than ever BY RYAN KUPPERMAN Executive News Editor
Mirandola said. Working with Zickel, Mount Prospect Police Department Commander Bob Smith and Police Counselor Chris Rondeau worked out a plan for parking and security. They laid out comprehensive plans focused on ensuring player and fan security. Additional parking was set up at the Mount Prospect Village Hall and Randhurst Village. Mirandola and the Bears also worked with Ticketmaster to plan out the best places to scan tickets. “There’s a lot that you don’t see that goes into it that made the event a seamless experience for the fans,” Mirandola said. After multiple site visits and constant contact with the Bears, plans for the practice were laid out. Mirandola credits the efficiency of
The 2017-18 homecoming dance will be the earliest it has ever been at Prospect, taking place on Sept. 16. This means planning and preparation changes for students. According to Frank Mirandola, Assistant Principal of Student Activities, and Student Council sponsor Lyn Scolaro, selecting a homecoming date on the calendar is directly correlated to when and how many home football games there are. This year there are four home games, which lines up with the usual four or five home games in a school year. The home games all take place during weeks, two, four, six and eight of the football season. According to Scolaro, to properly decide the date, the assistant principals get together and look through various schedules of sports and activities and decide which week would work best for students and athletes. Mirandola thinks the earlier date is the best option because it gives way to opportunity for better weather while still being able to prepare for the dance. He also feels that the pros are worth whatever challenges may occur with the earlier date. According to Mirandola and Scolaro, weather played an influential role in deciding the homecoming date. “There have been times when we’ve had homecoming mid-October or that last home game of the season, and it’s brutal,” Scolaro said. “Who wants to be in the stadium on a Wednesday night while it’s freezing cold? You don’t enjoy yourself.” Scolaro believes that there are many other benefits to having the dance earlier. She thinks that at the at beginning of the school year there is a lot of energy, spirit and momentum from things like the Bears practice and the pep assembly. That momentum works to better incline students to attend the planned weekly activities, such as Color the Knight or the Backyard Bash, as well as homecoming. Junior Serena Zhang also believes the beginning of the year is better for the dance. “You get really hyped up at the beginning of the year, so that energy just keeps going [into homecoming],” Zhang said. Scolaro said that at the beginning of the year, kids are looking for things to get involved in, such as helping set up, plan or attend homecoming. Student Council Vice President senior Julia Drzewiecka believes another benefit of the early homecoming date for students is the slow pickup of homework compared to what the load would be in Oct. Although there are a variety of benefits, the challenges of having homecoming so early have included the amount of time students and
SEE BEARS, page 2
SEE HOMECOMING, page 2
FIRST ROUND PICK: Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky warms up in front of 4,713 fans at George Gattas Memorial Stadium on Aug. 17. Fans were able to watch a full practice and get a glimpse of the upcoming season starting on Sept. 10 when the Bears play the Atlanta Falcons. “[Hosting the practice] was also a point of pride to say, ‘We are good enough to host the Chicago Bears,’” said Frank Mirandola, assistant principal of student activities. (photo by Leo Garkisch)
BY JACK ANKONY Executive Sports Editor
S
enior football player Anthony Burkhardt sat with his teammates on the sidelines of George Gattas Memorial Stadium awaiting the arrival of the Chicago Bears. When the team finally ran onto the field, it was a surreal moment for Burkhardt. “It was amazing,” Burkhardt said. “I felt the little kid in me come out. … It was insane. Seeing them at our field was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Last year the Bears initiated Varsity Bears, a program in which the team would hold a public practice at a Chicagoland area high school. The inaugural program was held at Warren Township High School. This year, the team chose to practice at Prospect, attracting 4,713 fans on Aug. 17.
HANDS TEAM: Bears wide receiver Kevin White catches a pass during practice at Prospect High School. (photo by Amanda Stickels)
“It created one of those memorable experiences that is really probably one of the highlights in the over 100 year history of the district.” -Frank Mirandola, Assistant Principal According to Frank Mirandola, Assistant Principal of Student Activities, the event was a culmination of months of planning. In early May, Prospect received a call from the Bears to see if they were interested to be one of the schools considered to host the practice. Throughout May and June, Mirandola and members of the Bears’ staff discussed initial plans for the event. According to Chicago Bears Talent and Event Manager Katlin Zickel, Prospect’s facilities and proximity to Halas Hall were the primary factors that led them to choose Prospect over a list of other schools. “Knowing what our schedule was before and after that event, [Prospect] was a clear choice on our end,” Zickel said. “Prospect was willing to work with us and seemed excited overall for us to come in and take over.” In late June, Mirandola was notified of the Bears’ decision. Finally, in the first weeks of July, Mirandola, Zickel and a number of other Bears staff members worked on planning the event. A major step in the process was a site visit. Bears officials — including the head groundskeeper, head equipment manager, director
STARSTRUCK: Bears wide receiver Kendall Wright reaches out to catch a pass as the Prospect football team looks on in admiration. “It was insane,” Senior Anthony Burkhardt said Seeing them at our field was a once in a lifetime opportunity.” (photo by Amanda Stickels) of community events, vice president of operations and director of security — came to Prospect to examine the facilities. Efficiency and safety were paramount in figuring out how to get the Bears from Halas Hall to Prospect. Mirandola worked with Zickel and other members to plan out where to park the buses while ensuring that the players would be able to connect with the fans. The next step was for Bears Head Groundskeeper Ken Mrock to inspect Prospect’s football field. He examined the overall playing surface, the seams, the cushion, the type of turf and made sure it was the safest playing surface possible to play on. “He couldn’t have been more complimentary of our grounds staff — Miguel Rodriguez and Jose Gavina — and their maintenance,”