Issue 1 23-24

P ROSPECTOR THE

Bleeding Blue: PHS earns Ribbon

O’GRADY Editor-in-Chief

Principal Greg Minter announced on Wednesday, Sept. 20 that Prospect was honored as an “Exemplary High Performing National Blue Ribbon School” by the US Department of Education (ED). He explained that the Illinois State Board of Education nominated them for Prospect’s achievements during COVID-19.

“For students and staf during COVID it was really hard,” Minter said. “I mean it was really tough, so to maintain really high standards and really high performance through that really challenging time is signifcant.”

According to math and education teacher Mike Riedy, the pandemic proved to be discouraging. Consequently, winning the award because of the school’s eforts during COVID felt rewarding.

“I think it stems back to a lot of the hard work that we as faculty members did to try and ofer some form of normality during a simply hellacious time in our history,” Riedy said. “It wasn’t easy … there were a lot of times where I was like ‘Is this worth it? What am I doing? Why are we doing this?’ In hindsight I think all the hard work paid of …”

After submitting a bunch of details such as data, test scores, demographics, and extracurricular activities at Prospect, the ED selected PHS as a recipient of the award.

The prestige of this honor runs high, according to Minter, as only 52 high schools across the nation earned recognition for it this year. More specifcally, just four high schools in Illinois received it.

“It’s something schools across the country are very, very proud of,” Minter said. “It’s not easy to come by … this was not a self-nomination, this was something that was looked at and assessed by people outside of the school, our district, etc. and people said ‘Wow they’re doing some good stuf. We’re gonna submit them for the recognition by the US Department of Education.’”

As distinguished an honor as it is, this is the second time Prospect has won the award – the frst time being in 1993.

Riedy, who along with Spanish teacher Leigh Sapp were the only staf members to witness both Blue Ribbon awards, has been working at Prospect for 32 years; after all his years of teaching, he can now fnally appreciate the award.

PHS PRIDE: Prospect staff pose for a photo with their Blue Ribbon award. This is the second time PHS has won the award – the frst time being in 1993. (photo courtesy of District 214)

“When we frst won it I think I was too new to education to realize how impactful an award that is,” Riedy said. “ … Now I know exactly what it means and how signifcant it is and the impact that it has on us as a building, and the impact that we’ve had on students over the years …”

With all the school pride in mind, Minter said that they’ll be receiving a fag for the award in a couple of weeks and then afterwards they will most likely hold an assembly to recognize the big achievement.

Carrying a giant stick in the hallway, junior Ryan Foley could not help but fxate on the germ-ridden bathroom pass that he was forced to bring with him; he felt as if it was unsanitary for him and his classmates.

“It’s pretty gross if you ask me, that I [have] to bring the same stick that everyone else brings to the bathroom …,” Foley said.

Bathroom passes are just one rule that District 214 (D214) added over the course of the summer. Not only did the administration add bathroom and hallway passes, but D214 also established a number of new rules for the 2023-24 school year: changed verbiage in the cellphone use policy, “No Fly-Zones” during the frst and last 10 minutes of each block, scanners to enter the KLC, and cuts in classes after being late for 9 minutes or more.

The new rules were discussed by D214’s division heads on June 2 when they focused their energy on one of the most pressing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic — large declines in attendance. Prospect’s own version of the new district policies, EveryKnight Everyday, aims to keep students in the classroom for as many days as possible to curb the academic challenges that absences present.

EVERYDAY: Sir Kensington uses a lasso to ‘rein’ students into Prospect as a result of the new D214 rules and Prospect’s EveryKnight Everyday campaign. (art by Nicole Antczak) PJ

American Law and Psychology teacher Jay Heilman explained Prospect’s mission in simpler terms.

“[The school] over the course of the last couple of years, [has] kind of tried to adopt policies to make students understand that attendance is critical,” Heilman said. “ … [They are] trying to encourage kids to see how important it is just to show up.”

While the new rules may take some time to adjust to, Division Head of Student Success, Safety, and Wellness (SSSW) Adam Levin-

“I would just [like to] reiterate that this is an award that the entire school, students and staf should be proud of as well as parents and the community who supported [us],” Minter said. “So, everyone should be proud of it because everyone’s kind of played a role in us receiving this recognition.”

The assembly would serve as a ftting reminder of the whole school’s participation in the award, because according to Minter, everyone earned it.

New rules serve to ‘rein’ students back into class

son explains that the policies are in the students’ best interests academically.

For example, fyers posted around the school state that students who miss less than fve days of school during the whole school year have about a 99 percent chance of passing their classes. On the other hand, students who miss over 10 days of school can have a drop of about half a letter grade compared to what they should have received,

and on a larger scale, students who miss 20 days tend to drop a whole letter grade lower.

To add to that, according to an article by NPR, the effects of chronic absence – which is when a student misses 10 percent of school days – include a reduction in both a student’s GPA and in standardized test scores like the SAT or ACT. In correlation with a lowered GPA, being chronically absent increases the chances of a student’s dropout

rate. Unfortunately for the nation’s education system, attendance is on a major decline since COVID-19. In the same article by NPR, it said that 16 million students reached chronic absence during the spring of 2022. That number is about double the amount of students who were chronically absent before the pandemic. Another statistic, from an article by Fortune, stated that 25 percent of students were

chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year.

At Prospect, there were over 760 students with more than 10 parent excusals from last year, according to Levinson.

“The last two years have been awful [regarding attendance],” Levinson said. “[The years of] 20212022 [and 2022-2023] were very bad. There was a marked decline from, let’s just say 2019, before the pandemic. And you can see about a 1214 percent decrease in attendance, and that’s signifcant.”

Although Levinson said that there was not enough data to explain the exact reasons why students were missing school, Heilman believes that the post pandemic transition from nonchalant school rules to normalcy is to blame.

“School was optional,” Heilman said. “Teenagers don’t really necessarily like always being told what to do and during COVID they weren’t ... Trying to rein people back in [to school] is not always an easy process.”

To make up for that drop-off in attendance, PHS administration is working hard to make sure that students know that attendance matters. By plastering posters in the hallways with statistics about the effects of poor attendance, they hope that students can realize the importance of coming to school.

Heilman, who also stresses the importance of attendance, explains his key to excellence in the classroom.

“A big part of success is literally just walking through the door … just being present,” Heilman said. “Because if you’re not present, you’re left wondering what’s going on, what’s happening and you don’t really know … just being there is going to help you get a little closer to success and work on those things that you are struggling with.”

EVERYDAY: targeting student success

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

In order to aid each school’s Student Services, D214 decided to add a new SSSW, a new psychologist and a new social worker to each school; their efforts to increase staff in Student Services is intended to help students manage stress and added anxieties that school may impart on them — which is directly correlated to attendance, according to Levinson.

“[The frst person to talk to is] Student Services,” Levinson said. “[More specifcally] your counselor and they’re gonna direct you to their team, and they’re going to have a social worker and a psychologist that can help you simply talk out what’s going on, what’s bothering you, what stresses are you experiencing. [Additionally,] what strate-

passes, and the scanners when entering the KLC.

No-Fly Zones are a system where students are prohibited from walking through the hallways during the frst 10 minutes of the block and the last 10 minutes of the block.

The reasoning for the rule is to help teachers take attendance at the start of blocks by preventing students from accessing the hallways. During the end of the block, it stops students from going in the halls or leaving a class early to help clear up the building for security to manage.

Despite the benefts of the rule, Foley thinks that the 10 minute period for the No-Fly Zone seems to be too long. He said it could be shortened to fve minutes, because he thinks that’s enough time for teachers to get settled in and take care of addressing the class agenda.

bad behavior,” Heilman said.

On the other hand, Foley thinks that the bathroom passes are unnecessary and premature. He believes that students should only have to use a bathroom pass if, after a month or two, their behavior shows that they cannot handle going to the hallways or the bathrooms in a responsible manner.

Fortunately for Foley, he won’t have to deal with the issue of having to carry his “giant stick” to the bathroom anymore. To standardize the hall passes, they are shifting now from whatever item the teacher wants to use, to color-coded lanyards. This step helps organize hall passes much easier for security; Foley thinks that the implementation of lanyards is a much better idea rather than any item to be used as a pass.

Although the rules have only been around for a short amount of time, Levinson said that he’s already seen huge progress already. Namely, he observed that only a “handful” of students are walking in at 8:28 a.m., rather than last year when “hundreds” of students would walk in at that time.

“Teachers are feeling supported, cellphone policies are helping,” Levinson said. “The No-Fly Zones are helping. It’s just keeping kids more accountable, so it seems like everybody’s in a good place, and we are doing well.”

Along with the No-Fly-Zones, phone caddies (a storage for cell-phones with 30 numbered pockets) have gained more usage in classrooms for students to put their phones in. While the cell-phone policy hasn’t necessarily changed, the verbiage in the written policy has. The emphasis on proper phone

use in the classroom is yet another rule intending to maximize students’ presence in the classroom.

Even with the positive feedback from the rules, Levinson said that administration is open to any suggestions about possible rule changes. He expressed the importance of communication from the PHS community in the process.

“We will be able to look at and refect and adjust things if we need to help kids out or families,” Levinson said. “The biggest thing is communication; as long as we are having communication from families, we are always willing to work. It’s when that communication piece stalls out, that can be the problem.”

At the end of the day, the EveryKnight Everyday campaign seeks to get students in the building and back in the classroom where they can succeed. If students have trouble bouncing back from absences, both Levinson and Heilman recommend coming to school and working it out with Student Services or with their teachers. Overall, Levinson repeatedly emphasized that the intention is for each and every Knight to achieve their full potential.

“We are here to support students and make sure they are doing right by themselves and the way they are successful is by being here … if you’re just feeling a bit overwhelmed or a bit anxious, get here and we’ll take care of you,” Levinson said. “Forget about class, we’ll get you to the appropriate people so you can have some support and get some strategies to be able to make sure you are successful moving forward.”

Senior Andrew Astorino came out as pansexual in sixthth grade and gender fuid in ninth. Over time, they’ve become more comfortable with presenting themselves in a way that fnally fts them. As a result, they gradually became more open about their inclusion within the LGBTQ+ community.

To show their support, Astorino hung a pride fag outside their house to sym bolize both their support and, of course, their pride to others like them. Because of how hard it was to frst come out, Astorino thought it would help to make their support more visible to their neighborhood.

However, last year during June (Pride Month), a group of young men walked to their house, tore down the fag, and burned it on their lawn. At frst, Astorino had no idea how to respond. They were unsure of whether they should intervene or just let it happen. They soon decided to confront the group.

clothing store in Cedar Glen, California. Despite not being queer, Carleton was adamant in her support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Homophobia and transphobia are still major issues that cause the queer community a great amount of stress. To make it more difcult, this bigotry is also present within the legislature of other certain states.

Discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community isn’t an issue solely isolated within specifc regions. Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, and the surrounding towns are generally considered quite accepting of people within the community. However, this is far from saying that discrimination is completely gone.

Astorino has, on many accounts, been verbally attacked at school because of their openness to and connection with the LGBTQ+ community. In recent memory, they’ve been called slurs, most commonly being called “faggot,” as well as being called “not normal” by students in the locker room, lunchroom and classrooms. Despite this, Astorino has never had to deal with any physical assaults, leading to them remarking how they, thankfully, feel safe at school. Astorino is currently an avid member of the Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA, at Prospect.

Astorino’s close family is in complete support of them. When their sister came out as bisex-

“My mom and dad are very supportive of my sister and I,” Astorino said. “[My sister] came out as bisexual, and it inspired me to come out after that. It was hard at frst, since nobody knew what to call me. But I realized that it takes time for [some things] to change.”

English teacher Matt Love proudly hangs a pride fag in his class to show his support to the school and students.

“I want all my students in [my] room to feel safe, secure, and respected, no matter who they are,” Love said.

events, authors, and characters,” Love said. “Everyone wants to see themselves in the stories they read and the shows they watch.”

With Florida’s introduction of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the state government prohibits the teaching of topics pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community.

He mentioned how, in the past, students have come into his room and thanked him for being so open with his support, despite them not even taking his class. Additionally, He’s only had one student who was against the fag, saying it was against his religion. Love ofered to speak with him about it, which he said was a very respectful conversation. It’s a conversation that Love was happy to be able to have.

Love is thankful for Illinois’ stance on queer rights, as he doubts he could hang a pride fag in more restrictive states like Texas and Florida. He feels that such laws prohibit better understanding of literature, given his role as an English teacher and his tendency to analyze the characters and authors in works. “It would be really hard for me to fol-

According to CNN, even showing a movie with queer representation is enough to be put under fre, as is the case for the teacher who was put under investigation after showing her class the Disney movie “Strange World,” which had a queer character.

“[With those restrictions], students feel isolated,” Love said. “They think they’re the only ones. When you see [a refection] of yourself in storytelling, and it’s normalized, it’s a good thing.”

One way to help ensure this feeling of a community in Prospect is the GSA, which strives to create a safe space for queer students, but also to build strong connections with the rest of the school.

Astorino said that Erik Hodges, the teacher sponsor of the GSA, has done an incredible job in helping with this goal

“Our GSA community club was really helpful [when I came out],” Astorino said. “They made it better when I was in my darkest times.”

“I confronted them about it, saying ‘this isn’t right.” Astorino said. “This is my property.’ And they said that if I hung it up again, they would kill me and my family.”

Astorino’s parents were shaken by this, but in sisted on continuing to show their support.

“It was a vulnerable time for us.” Tina Astorino, Andrew’s mom, said. “For me to watch my kids be threatened makes me feel terrible as a parent. My job as a parent is to make my children as safe and happy as possible.”

Andrew, however, is still anxious about if it could happen to them again.

Homophobia and transphobia are still more than alive within the country. The most recent reminder in the United States came in the form of a senior citizen’s murder. According to NBC News and USA Today, on August 18, 66-year-old store owner Laura Ann Carleton was shot and killed because of her refusal to take down a pride fag in front of her

With last year’s GSA leader graduating, the club needed a new head, and Astorino happily took the role. They said that they wanted to help shape the club in a way that they see as more inclusive and benefcial to the school.

The main problem that Astorino feels should be fxed is the negative sentiment and infghting within the LGBTQ+ community. They mention that they commonly hear judgment towards bisexual individuals, being called “fake gay.”

At this moment, they are currently working on creating this year’s new club logo, which Astorino hopes students can connect to, and can create more visibility for any other queer students who are going through similar dark times that Astorino is now out of.

Astorino was very adamant on not being anonymous within this story. They specifcally asked to be mentioned by their real name in order to show the importance of acceptance for queer individuals.

“I don’t want to be anonymous [in this story],” Astorino said. “Because then people would have one less person to connect with.”

staff

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Mollie Kearns, PJ O’Grady

MANAGING EDITOR Amanda Feinberg

COPY EDITORS

Alex Bonnette, Stella Palm, Justin Peabody

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brooke Michalczyk

ASSOCIATE ONLINE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hoco ideas face scrutiny

Having worked hard on deciding this year’s football game themes, senior Blue Leader Brooke Runkle was disappointed to learn that most of the homecoming dress-up day themes had been changed, and that there were strict guidelines for what the leaders could name the football themes.

“Sometimes I’m a little frustrated,” Runkle said. “When we have to go through that extra step [of sending themes for approval] … sometimes I think it can get a little tedious.”

Having been decided in May by Associated Student Body (ASB) members and advisors, this year’s individual homecoming theme days such as “barbecue dad vs soccer moms,” “anything but a backpack” and “generations day” were much anticipated.

At the end of August, ASB advisor Kristen Ray sent the themes to administration for approval. To her surprise, administration emailed her back, disapproving of multiple themes. The decision was unanimous at the administration’s team meeting which included Principal Greg Minter and Associate Principal Frank Mirandola.

“This year the kids worked so hard,” Ray said. “They did research [on what themes they wanted, and] they had pictures of what they wanted to do … something diferent and something fun.”

Despite this, to both ASB and the Blue Leader’s shock, the original themes changed suddenly in the weeks leading up to homecoming. Ray was surprised when the themes were unapproved as her goal has always been to make the themes entertaining and special.

“We want [themes] that are going to be inclusive and that aren’t going to ... ofend people,” Minter said. “And you know … the main thing is to try to be as inclusive as possible so that as many people as

possible want to participate.”

The intended goal for all themes is for them to be easy for the students; both Ray and administration don’t want kids to have to go out and buy items, rather, she hopes all students can fnd something they already own.

Additionally, Ray and ASB’s leadership council wanted to create memorable, and unique themes for this year rather than more “tradi tional” themes such as class color day and big blue Friday that have been used before to increase par ticipation from students. However, the themes were seen as potentially ofensive by administrators, so ASB was asked to rethink their original ideas.

“I know there were a couple of themes this year that I asked Mr. Mirandola to talk with ASB about rethinking,” Minter said. “[Biker moms vs soccer moms] was one that kind of involved stereotyping people … who might be like that. That’s not really what we want to do … mock or stereotype people … I also thought that we could probably fnd things that more people

play on words, but was eventually rejected for this year.

“I can understand why [administration] doesn’t want to call it white out,” Runkle said. “So that’s why we had to come up with a unique name … we wanted to do a black theme but obviously we can’t call

“black out” so we came up with the idea to call it “midknight,” but still [administration] didn’t like that.”

Runkle recognizes that there could be potential issues with white and black paint on students’ faces, as well as stereotyping people within the proposed homecoming dress up days. She notes that the Blue Leaders had to be specific about what they wanted to call the football themes. For example, they weren’t allowed to say U.S.A. theme, instead they had to call it red, white and blue. Likewise, the popular Hawaiian theme was changed to tropical.

could participate in.”

Not only were the homecoming themes changed, but so did the names of the themes for football games. “White out,” a theme where students wear white at the homecoming game so they can throw blue powder on themselves, was changed to blank slate. Black out was reconsidered as “midknight,” a

When responding to student’s concerns over the changed themes, Minter wants students to think about the issues on a larger scale and how they can afect communities beyond only the students.

“I would just ask that students try to be refective … it’s kind of fun to dress up that way but to also think about it in the larger picture,” Minter said. “I would also [like to] focus on some of the real Prospect traditions that are more like the color day and the toga dressing. Those are the Prospect traditions,

not the other ones coming out.” While Minter believes that the student’s input is the most important in regards to themes, he also has to take into account what the school is representing when they go through with certain themes. The reputations of both the school and students are at the top of his priorities, and Minter does not want to misrepresent himself or the community.

“[Deciding the themes] should be the students’ thing and the ASB team working with those students,” Minter said. “But in the end, I’m kind of responsible for what is represented at our school, so when I see something that I’m not quite comfortable with, I need to express my concern.”

We, KnightMedia, believe that homecoming and football game themes should be decided within the ASB and their respective advisors as the students’ input can best represent the student body. The themes should continue to be sent to administration for approval; however, we believe that administration should be more open-minded when it comes to approving themes as well as accepting of ideas about newer themes instead of sticking to traditional ones.

Instead of the process of approval being separate, ASB should meet with administration to discuss the potential concerns surrounding a theme. Administration and ASB should meet in May when initial discussions about football game themes and dress up days are happening. This way both sides can express their viewpoints and hear each other’s stance instead of the decision being solely on administration.

“The ultimate goal is to have something that hopefully all students and staf feel like they can participate in and feel good about participating in, because the whole point of it is to be unifying,” Minter said.

New recruit: experiences of a Blue Leader

I heard The Underground theme song blasting down the hall along with cheering and chattering. The sounds got louder as the ruckus approached my dance class. I went out in the hallway to see what I assumed was a state sendof. Instead, the Knight mascot, Sir Kensington, was dancing his way over to me. Then it clicked. This was the day the 2023-24 Blue Leaders were being chosen!

EMILY TOROK Exec. Sports Editor

“Congratulations Emily! You are ofcially a Blue Leader at Prospect High School,” Cambria Myers said, one of the advisors for the Blue Leaders.

I couldn’t believe it. Every limb in my body was shaking. The month of mystery after applying was fnally over.

“I did it,” I said to myself.

According to Myers, 34 current seniors applied to be Blue Leaders, but only 12 were selected. The Blue Leaders are seniors who represent the student section by bringing energy and excitement to sporting events.

For my application, I had to give a few teacher references and write an essay on why I thought I’d be a good candidate. I wrote about my pride for being a student at Prospect and how I would carry that into being a Blue Leader.

Scan the QR code to learn more about the Blue Leaders

I applied because I admire the Blue Leaders and how they helped make The Underground student section a success. It enhanced my high school experience, and I wanted to give that experience back to others.

Myers explained the Blue Leaders were selected by reading all the applications, talking to applicants’ teacher references, and reviewing applicants’ contributions to ASB during their last three years at Prospect.

As exciting as it was to fnd out who the next Blue Leaders were for the incoming school year,

the excitement and energy that was felt leading up tothe frst Friday football game was unparalled. Senior Blue Leader Ashlyn Pomis recalled a memorable experience.

“It was 100 times better than I thought it was going to be,” Pomis said. “It’s even more fun to have everyone turn to us to be the people who are getting super hype [at sporting events] and for playing the music.”

Myers thinks the Blue Leaders have been doing a great job of promoting school spirit.

“I think that [they] are just genuinely excited about making school spirit fun and creating experiences and memories for people,” Myers said. “Their enthusiasm is infectious.”

Senior Blue Leader Colter Person has greatly enjoyed leading the student section and holds a special appreciation for The Underground.

“The way Prospect unites, whether it is through singing a song or doing a cheer, is just so cool to see,” Person said. “When I am on the track, I look up and see all these people participating in cheering, and it’s ... just so powerful.”

Blue Leaders do a lot of behind the scenes work that many people don’t know about. We meet each week before school to decide what each leader’s role is for the week. We choose who makes the commercials for the announcements, what to post on social media, who makes posters for the sporting events, and much more.

For homecoming, the Blue Leaders designed the powder toss shirt and helped plan and run the powder toss stations at the game. Their hard

work does not go unnoticed. Senior Skylar Splinter believes each Blue Leader has helped in their success in their own way.

“I think each one of them were picked because they all have diferent attributes,” Splinter said. “I think some Blue Leaders are great at getting each student in The Underground cheering and involved, and others are good at just bringing the energy they strive to create at each game. They are all just really fun people to be around.”

I think our team bonding has helped us create an electric environment at sporting events. We drive to the games together, but I most enjoy the barbecues we have on the weekends, which started the Sunday after our frst football game. During the barbecues, we all talked about what we were looking forward to most.

Myers believes this has played a huge role in us being such a strong group.

“I love the fact that [they] all got together at someone’s house at the beginning of the school year,” Myers said. “You guys have really tried to connect with each other even if you weren’t all super good friends to begin with, so that is noticeable.”

It has been so fun to lead the student section on Friday nights, but that is only the beginning. We strive to keep up school spirit all year round, supporting all athletic teams and giving them the credit they deserve.

“I’m most eager to see how far we can really go as a program,” Person said. “I hope that we can get the student section of the year again, defnitely would be an honor ... We have a lot of people who really cheer their hearts out, and I need to do my best to lead them and really represent what Prospect is all about.”

So far, I think we are heading in that direction. The student section has been electric, and the season is just getting started.

Splinter has enjoyed attending the games so far and thinks the Blue Leaders have done a great job leading The Underground.

“The sporting events have just been so fun,” Splinter said. “The Blue Leaders bring a lot of energy and make the games so enjoyable. [They] are always dancing, cheering, and just getting everyone excited and hyped up at the games with all the chants and cheers you guys do. I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”

U-RAH!: ASB Blue Leaders cheer on the Knights at the Friday night homecoming football game (photo courtesy of Nicole Antczak).

Hallway havoc

I dragged my feet down the crowded, odd smelling hallway on the way to my frst block class. It was biology, so I obviously wasn’t in any hurry.

The mob of my peers that surrounded me, like myself, were slowly shufing forward, waiting for the neverending line to the stairway to become less condensed.

All of the sudden, BAM! Some 200-pound, deodorant-less senior with airpods in his grimy, bacteria-flled ears slammed right into me, before disappearing into the crowd, doing the same to everyone else he walked past.

“What a jerk,” I muttered under my breath, likely voicing the thoughts of my fellow peers. As I continued “walking,” I saw a group of freshmen standing in the middle of the hall, creating an impenetrable gate of people.

“How inconsiderate,” I only thought to myself this time, as the people my sentence was referring to were only a few feet away from me, as well as airpod-less.

Finally, right before I entered hell (biology), I saw a close friend of mine walking in the opposite direction.

One of the guys I’ve been in school with since preschool.

sored*” status; they actually stem from something much bigger (unless you are one of those *censored* people, in which case you can go *censored* yourself*).

But before I blabber about why we have etiquette, we need to understand whatsaid etiquette is.

Despite being the #1 biggest “The Unspoken Rules of <fll in the blank>” writer, I believe senior Jack Mannion describes hallway etiquette simply and perfectly.

“Just be respectful of other people,” Mannion said. “Know [that] you’re not the only person in the hallways.” Mannion also had more specifc comments on not being a burden on others when traversing the halls.

XANDER ADKINS Executive Opinion Editor

A guy I have countless inside jokes and have spent some of my best ever memories with.

A guy I would trust my life with.

A guy that would NEVER ignore me when I greet him in the hallway before I step into my frst period biology class.

Take a guess what happened. It was scarring. It’s the type of thing that changes a man.

I walked over to him with an ear-toear smile on my face, not aware of how naive my optimism would soon feel.

I nodded my head and gave a solid “Sup?”, but to no avail. He walked right past me, with no acknowledgement of my presence. And then … oh,I can’t continue. Not only is it becoming too painful to recall, but all the tears on my keyboard are going to cause water damage to my laptop.

However (this is when I was still thinking clearly, before the heartbreak,) I remember the primary question in my head immediately after the incident.

“Why isn’t anybody following the rules?” “Rules?” I hear you question out loud to your paper, no doubt confusing the mentally stable people in the room. “What rules?”

Well, dear strawman, the kind of rules we all subconsciously follow. The kind that aren’t enforced, but not abiding to them make you look like a jerk.

“Just stay to the right side [when walking], and if you’re going to talk to people, get to the side of the hallways, don’t just stand in the middle … Don’t be too loud either,” Mannion said.

The best part of this advice, however, is who it’s coming from.

Mannion is: #1, A senior, the grade which is well known by underclassmen as the worst hallway walkers in the school (you know who you are). #2, A 6 ‘4, 210-pound athlete, meaning if he bumps into you you’re gonna feel it. And #3, Involved in a ton of extracurriculars, including baseball, ultimate frisbee and Knights Way, on top of being a Blue Leader, meaning he knows, what, everyone in the school?

Seriously though, everybody knows it’s good to kindly acknowledge people we know when we see them and know it’s bad to impolitely ignore those same people.

Passing someone you know in the hall is the most minor example of this, but the impact it can have is still monumental.

Psychology teacher Jay Heilman explains that minor interaction serves as a great reminder of the support of others. A simple greeting in the hallway is an example of this support.

“If it’s a student [that ignores me] I usually think ‘Okay maybe they have an earbud in,’” Heilman said. “Because students [are] still learning how to interact with adults, and not all students are good at that. Some students … might be a little overwhelmed by that and might just ignore them.”

It’s just as easy to make someone feel ignored as it is to make them feel acknowledged by … y’know, ignoring them.

If those three attributes aren’t the unholy trinity of horrifc hall usage I don’t know what are, but Mannion subverts this simply by being considerate. If he can do it, I’m fairly confdent you can too.

And that’s all I ask of anyone walking around the school. Nobody cares how much of a hurry you’re in or how funny that joke is that your friend just needs to hear rightnow, they just want to get to their class and maybe say “hi” to some friends on the way.

Just because you don’t care about being tardy doesn’t mean everybody else does too.

“Kindness goes a long way, even [if it is] just recognizing each other,” Heilman said. “Life is hard to go through by yourself … you want to acknowledge someone when you see them because that’s just being a kind human.”

A school hallway isn’t just some place to house these reminders, it’s the optimal location.

No other environment has the relatability and fast-paced nature that school halls during passing periods have, which make for a truly unique environment, even if most won’t realize that until they no longer experience it.

IT’S A GATHERING; A MEETING SPOT,”

Sure, I could individually list every single “rule” that I believe is “rule-worthy” on the sacred Declaration of Hall-dependance, but at the end of the day just don’t be thatguy.

- Jay Heilman, psychology teacher

“It’s a gathering; a meeting spot,” Heilman said.

But it’s also possible to go too overboard and get their attention (along with everyone else’s) by yelling at them, which seems to be a lot of senior boys’ favorite pastime.

“You want to get their attention without embarrassing them … [others] being too loud and obnoxious can be annoying…” Mannion said, apparently forgetting he was a senior boy and was therefore required to do the same.

Obviously there aren’t a ton of times where someone is being intentionally ignored, or someone is screaming at the top of their lungs, but there are still an infnite amount of ways to be a burden to someone while doing the “passing” part in “passing period” (can you tell I’m running out of diferent ways to say “walking down the hall?”)

Y’know, thatguy. Who stands still on moving sidewalks in the airport, doesn’t use a turn signal half the time, the kind that makes you accidentally swear in front of your grandparents out of annoyance.

“It’s a common space that we share. Obviously it is just to get from one place to another, but why not have that happen while doing something else fun [like] catching up with friends and colleagues?”

But we are a bunch of teenagers after all, so you know things are immediately going to get messed up.

But there are also an infnite number of ways to make someone’s day a little better. Acknowledging someone is a little thing, sure, but it reminds that person of something much bigger: the support, respect, confdence and all of the other positive adjectives in the dictionary that you (probably) have for them.

I mean, don’t say “hi” to someone if you both immensely hate each other, but it never hurts to be friendly, even if it’s someone you don’t know well.

What do you mean I still sound insane?

Whether you think about it or not, there are decisions we all collectively make when walking to our classes. It doesn’t matter if you call them “unspoken rules,” “etiquette,” or whatever.

These acts we make go deeper than the “Well, I don’t want to be a *cen-

But why is that bad? Not the oddly specifc “swearing in front of Gram and Gramps” thing that 100% defnitely didn’t happen to me, but having no care for others around you?

It sounds like a stupid question, I know, but I’m also the guy talking about fake laws in a school hallway, so take that as you will.

With how popular wireless earbuds are, many students use them during passing periods, which unfortunately means they’re likely to accidentally ignore someone trying to get their attention.

Or don’t, y’know? It’s not like people are going to hold a grudge over such a small thing for such a long time, right?

And it’s not like that would cause that person to rethink your entire friendship, right?

Heilman explains how being social in the halls has changed from when he was in high school, mainly due to earbuds and possibly intimidated students.

And that person would NEVER do both of those things and then publicly vent about it in the newspaper, right?

No, I couldn’t imagine that.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: Students travel through chaotic crowds and intense situations to make it to their classes. (art by Colleen Karsten)

homecoming knights

diverse court dethrones tradition

TESSA TRYLOVICH Associate Online Editor-in-Chief

Every year since the beginning of Prospect’s Knightimes traditions in 1959, only two students were selected to represent the student body during the Knightimes homecoming celebration. However, in 2021, Prospect made a signifcant change to the school’s homecoming traditions.

The changes sprouted from a single meeting that revolutionized Prospect’s homecoming tradition. Kristen Ray, a social science teacher and an Associated Student Body (ASB) advisor, along with her co-advisors, went to a conference called the Illinois Directors of Student Activities (IDSA), in 2019, for ASB. The conference consists of ASB advisors from diferent schools sharing and creating ideas for student bodies. During the meeting, homecoming royalty was a big topic of conversation. After hearing that many schools were choosing to try a diferent format for their court,

Prospect decided to take a leap and change their tradition of selecting homecoming representatives.

“I think that it was something that we just were willing to try and [there’s] always room for improvement for things,” Ray said.

Instead of choosing two singular students, a King and a Queen, to represent the student body, Prospect decided to revamp it, calling the new format Homecoming Royalty. The process begins with extra-curricular advisors and coaches nominating one member to possibly represent their organization on Homecoming Court. This list then gets sent to every staf member. From

there, each of them chooses their top six students from each category, creating a court of 30 students — six from each of the fve diferent categories: girls’ athletics, boys’ athletics, academics, fne arts and activities. The fnal step in the process is when the seniors vote for one student from each group, which settles the fve royalty members. These fve categories led to anoth-

each boys’ and girls’ athletic team. This system completely excluded any students who didn’t play sports. According to Frank Mirandola, Associate Principal of Prospect, this previous tradition suggested that Prospect valued sports above all else, rather than highlighting the students in academia, fne arts and extracurriculars, which led to the change of incorporating a larger and more diverse Homecoming Court.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CELEBRATION OF HOMECOMING WAS REALLY REPRESENATIVE OF THE TOTAL STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT PROSPECT ,” - Frank Mirandola, Associate Principal

er recent change at the homecoming assembly. Previously Prospect had something known as Honor Guard, which had 30 members, one from

“We wanted to make sure that the celebration of Homecoming was really representative of the total student experience at Prospect,” Mirandola said.

One member of this year’s homecoming court, senior Julia Valentini is a representative of the Activities category. She was nominated for her in-

volvement in ASB. In Valentini’s eyes, being nominated was a huge honor to her, and she was looking forward to the assembly which took place on Friday, Sept. 22.

“I like the idea of having fve members of royalty instead of just two because I feel like it’s more inclusive, and it gives more opportunities for more students to be recognized for their activities,” Valentini said.

As part of the ASB, Valentini plays a big part in helping with the homecoming celebrations. She is also one of the Blue Leaders that help run the student section during football and basketball games.

“[It’s] our ASB students that really kind of give their voice to what we do, and share their ideas,” Mirandola said. “So I think that’s the thing I’m most proud about, is that we’re not stuck necessarily always doing the same thing. We have kind of done things diferently over the course of the last I’ll say fve plus years. We are doing diferent things, and I think what I love about it is that we are trying to really be refective of the student experience. We’re trying to celebrate EveryKnight.”

roll the credits: reminiscing on homecoming week

LET THE GAMES BEGIN: On Sept. 20, ASB hosted the Prospect Games in the Jean Walker Field House. In a series of challenges, classes competed against each other for victory. At the end of the night, the juniors took home the trophy, led by Blue Leaders Roman Demstrom, Niko Aleskic and Lilly Trylovich. (photos courtesy of Mollie Kearns)

SHOWCASE: The Kulieke Theater was flled to the brim with students celebrating their talents at Prospect’s Got Talent on Sept. 19.

(photos by Claire Wynkoop)

GO BIG OR GO HOME(COMING):

Before the football and powder toss festivities began at night, students gathered in the Jean Walker Field House after frst period to recognize the 2023 Homecoming Court. The assembly was tied together with a staff dance to various movie theme songs, a game of tug of war, and the crowning of homecoming royalty. (photos courtesy of Danielle Gerdes)

BIG Rolling Meadows the stadium lights shows their spirit courtesy of Danielle

knights shine like stars

"Ifeltproudofaccomplishing something and building up that leadership role enough to get me nominated ... i felt really supported[bymyteammates]...and i couldn't have done it without them. "

"I wasreallyexcitedwhen i first opened the envelope [andsawthatiwon].iwas just like, 'wow.' "

official 2023 knightimes homecoming royalty

"Istillhaven'tprocessed[evenbeing nominated]," zhangsaid."Itstill justfeelssosurreal[wheniwon] i was honestly convinced i had the wrong envelope. "

"Itwascool[towin]andseemy classmates support me. i never really expected to win."

"Itmeantalot[towin]honestly. [itwasspecial]tolearnthati'ma good representation of my grade and that people were willing to support me through the election."

knights to remember

Homecoming is always an exciting time of year, but almost more thrilling than the event itself is fnding out the theme. From A Knight Through Time all the way to Hollywood Knights, the creativity that sparks from homecoming is out of this world. Entertainment Reporter, Dylan Maye, and Features Reporter, Kaia Mavradas, take a stroll down memory lane and explore the best (and worst) of the past themes. Scan the QR code above to see their ranking of the past 10 years of homecoming. Below are Kaia and Dylan’s top 5 favorite themes throughout the years.

kayla sagendorph arts

belinda zhang girls athletics

cole chapman boys athletics

roman demstrom activities

uryah alexander academics

BLUE: The Knights beat the Meadows Mustangs 51-7 under lights while the student body spirit covered in blue. (photos Danielle Gerdes)

Traditional perspectives shifted

Students explore post secondary options that express their individual passions for the future

MARY ROBINSON

Features Reporter

Making a life changing decision like which college to go to can be scary for a lot of kids. Especially when you decide to go somewhere other than a four year college. Last year 74 percent of Prospect graduates attended a four year college. Despite that, there are several other options ofered to students for postsecondary education. Junior Emily Pawlak is an ofcer for the Navy Junior Reserve Ofcers Training Corp (NJROTC) program. Unlike a majority of her classmates, she plans to attend a military academy.

“I want to be helping people as actively as I can,” says Pawlak. “I can do that in the service branch.”

As a training ofcer, Pawlak is in charge of making sure that the cadets in her unit understand the fundamentals of being in NJROTC. Every cadet has to know the 11 general orders including to ‘report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce,’ the navy chain of command, the unit chain of command and ranks for the navy. She also helps with advancement testing which determines the ranks of the cadets in her unit.

Pawlak’s older brother, Dominick, class of 2023, was also a training ofcer in Prospect’s NJROTC program. When he graduated he became a cadet at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Additionally, Pawlak’s father and aunt also participated in the unit when they were in high school. Having family members who went through the same process allowed Pawlak to have more background information about how the class is structured and what goes on during the class, which most incoming freshmen don’t have.

Going into the program, Pawlak didn’t consid er joining the mil- itary as a career option. Once her brother had applied and gotten into the Coast Guard Academy, Pawlak realized attending the Coast Guard Academy was at tainable and there might be a chance of her being accepted as well.

In the future, Pawlak wants to be come a commissioned ofcer for the coast guard. For anyone, participat ing in NJROTC is an elective class that students district-wide have the option to take every Wednesday at Wheeling High School. Pawlak’s instructor Lieutenant Colonel Byers has continued to encourage Pawlak to pursue her path in attending the coast guard academy.

Another student following a diferent postsecondary pathway is Jadyn Cathey, who is currently enrolled in a cosmetology program to become a hairstylist. When Cathey was around 7 or 8 years old her grandmother taught her how to braid for her Halloween costume. Cathey enjoyed learning how to braid hair and this piqued her interest in hair.

Going into her junior year Cathey enrolled in a cosmetology internship through Capelli Salon Academy. Cathey had a connection to the owner of Capelli who said that they could do internships. At the salon Cathey does an hour or two of book

work. After that if there are clients that come in she will do the clients or practice on a mannequin. Even though she didn’t fnd out about the program through the school, the College and Career Center was a great resource for her to be able to apply for this internship.

“[I] wanted to get as much information as I could and every single question I had they answered,” Cathey said. “There was no like ‘oh that is a dumb question’ they really really helped me along the way.”

At the end of the day, postsecondary career counselor Colleen Carroll wants to help students fnd which schools best ft each student. Her goal is to help students fnd their own path after graduating high school.

“We are really open about saying that not everyone goes to college,” Carroll said. “That’s OK and we accept it all the way up to our administration.”

One alternative option to a traditional four year college is attending a community college. Prospect partners with Harper Community College in Palatine to provide another post-secondary option for students including being able to take a certifcate program instead of going to an all four year college. The college ofers over 60 certifcate programs including early childhood education, hotel management, medical assistance, bread and pastry arts and more. They also ofer apprenticeship programs where students can be hired by companies and are able to earn salaries while the company pays for the schooling required for that job.

For students looking to learn more about universities, the College and Career Center hosts representatives from 111 diferent colleges to come and speak to students about their school. In addition, they have a military week where representatives from a variety of branches of the military come in and talk about the options that are available to students. So far, the Marines and Naval Academy have signed up to come, and this year, military week is November 7-10th. To cater towards students of aspirations in a trade, District 214 hosts an annual trade fair this year in April where students can come and learn about 60 diferent trades that they would be interested in.

The bottomline is that attending a four year college isn’t for everyone. Going to a vocational training school or military academies are also great options for students, according to Carroll.

“Our goal is to help kids fnd their path,” Carroll said. “Not necessarily the path that I think is best because I don’t know, whatever they think is best and help them fnd that.”

Another option out of high school is attending a trade school; Prospect ofers a variety of trade schools that students can apply to like cosmetology, culinary arts and automotive. Last year, 20 percent of graduates from Prospect went to a two year college and only six percent went to somewhere that wasn’t a two or four year college.

AT EASE: Junior Emily Pawlak stands, stoic and prepared, at a Junior Reserve Offcers’ Training Corps (JROTC) event. (photo courtesy of Kiko Yang)

Photo coutesy of Jadyn Cathey

Samp races into new opporunities

with students

MOLLIE KEARNS Editor-in-Chief New dean shares unique hobbies

Standing on the stage of the 2017 Autocross Winter Gala, Division Head for Student Success, Safety, and Wellness (SSSW) Jenna Samp graciously accepted the award for her victory in Autocross car racing that year, with it being only her second season in the sport. For that season, Samp had won her division, which is decided on by the racer’s gender and car they drive, which for Samp is a Porsche Cayman. “Getting up there, everyone was so supportive and they were so excited,” Samp said. “I had earned it, but I think having all [those] eyes on you … it had reassured all my hard work and [I was] just enjoying what I was doing through a great network of people.”

As Prospect’s newly-added SSSW, or what is more commonly known as a dean, Samp has been able to combine her years of experience as a PE teacher, health teacher and administrator, along with her active lifestyle, to bring new perspectives to the administration.

The most active element of Samp’s lifestyle is her passion for racing cars. Samp credits her start in car racing to her father. As a member of the Porsche Club, a non-proft organization for Porsche owners in North America, since his college years, he passed down his love for cars to Samp and her brother. Samp said because of her dad, she grew up learning how to fx, respect, and take care of cars.

However, it took un til six years ago for her appreciation of cars to f nally rope her into the sport of car-racing. To do this, Samp went to “Autocross School” where she learned the basics of acceleration, proper braking techniques, skid pads (used to test the car’s control) and blazing around cones. Most importantly, Samp was instructed to trust her car.

get an instructor to help her feel more confdent in her abilities when going around the track. Despite her stubbornness to ask for help from the instructor, Samp believes it was one of the best decisions she could have made to become a better competitor given that she had a professional beside her for the frst couple of rounds she had raced in the car.

“[The instructors] were nothing but nice and super helpful,” Samp said. “When you frst look at the track that they set up, it’s a bunch of cones out there so it’s overwhelming [thinking] ‘what if I get lost, what if I don’t know what to do.’ It’s nice to have that confdence knowing that I could do the course and have a little instruction.”

Samp’s lack of experience in her frst competition didn’t stop her from making a statement; her ability to learn quickly was showcased as she beat both her dad and her brother at that race. To this day, Samp said that her dad hasn’t outraced her even in his own vehicle. Even though she is no longer a rookie, Samp still experiences the butterfies in her stomach on each race day and compares being in a high-speed car to a roller coaster.

“The car is moving fast, [and] you’re moving fast,” Samp said. ”You’re making reactions quickly and you’re also having to react to how the car reacts. “I know the car but every single time you get back in it’s a diferent track, it’s not like it’s set up the same. The funny thing is that even after my frst run in the morning … I’m always shaking after, but it’s in a good way because it’s that adrenaline rush. I think that’s the addiction part of it because it’s so exciting, and at the same time, you know you’re going fast.”

Given that car racing is a male dominated sport, Samp was hesitant at frst. This gender gap is seen even more at the professional levels of motorsport; in NASCAR, the last time a woman drove in the Daytona 500 was in 2018 with Danica Patrick, according to CNN. In Formula 1, the last time a woman has started in a Grand Prix was in 1976 by Lella Lombardi, according to The Guardian.

fast facts about ms. samp

• Has a golden retriver named bella

• played collegiate soccer at the university of wisconsin-whitewater

• her favorite racing drivers are lewis hamilton and max verstappen

• favorite song is “iris” by the goo goo dolls

• attended the univeristy of wisconsin-whitewater, elmhurst univeristy and concordia university

“Once I did [these lessons], I realized this is actually really fun and kind of addicting because you get that adrenaline rush,” Samp said. “You realize there’s quite a bit of precision, and [it’s] not just stepping on the pedal and racing down the street.”

In preparation for her frst Autocross competition six years ago, Samp’s father advised her to

However, by realizing that she was talented at the sport, Samp made it a priority to encourage other females to not feel intimidated by standing out and going after their aspirations.

“Honestly, I would love to see more female representation,” Samp said. “You don’t have to drive a Porsche to be a part of this, you can drive any car … what I feel like I can also bring is empowering females to go out and do things they thought they couldn’t do.”

Despite being new to PHS, Samp hopes that her unique hobbies can encourage students to open up to her. Walking into Samp’s ofce, the walls are decked with Porsche posters and images of her playing soccer at The University of

Wisconsin-Whitewater.

“The things you see up in my ofce is another way to open the door [for connections with students],” Samp said. “Maybe I’m not your normal female [since] I love cars and racing, but I think it is another great way to connect with kids no matter their orientation, race, or religion.”

Associate Principal for Student Services Kara Kendrick, who oversees the three Division Heads for Student Success, Safety, and Wellness, recognizes the impact Samp can make on Prospect’s female population.

“As a female administrator, I’m a huge advocate to bring in female leaders because I think girls often underestimate what they are capable of,” Kendrick said. “I think everytime we hire someone who is an example for our female students, that’s great. I think she’s a perfect example of someone who when you have a dream and you go after something that you can make it happen if you work hard for it.”

Before joining the Prospect staf, Samp’s previous jobs have always involved being with kids, ranging from being a PE teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School to serving as a dean at Lake Zurich High School. At these schools, Samp gained the experience to work with kids of all needs and ages, whether it be behavioral, emotional, or physical. When she taught health and PE at York High School, Samp was instrumental in their yoga ftness class, which helped her see how she could aid students in gaining the tools needed to combat anxiety and the stressors of being a teenager.

Kendrick noted that Samp’s experience serving in an administrative role at Lake Zurich was one of the numerous ways she stood out during the hiring process, in addition to her personality and student frst mentality.

“[Being at Lake Zurich] was certainly appealing … this would be a hard job to walk into at this point in time brand new,” Kendrick said. “Her experience was worth a lot, and we always

like to see someone from another space who has diferent experiences they can bring to the table.”

While she has only been in the building with students for a handful of months, Samp has felt the support of the Prospect community and her fellow staf. What she calls the “Prospect feels” has made her feel extremely welcomed.

“Even with me being new, I had some senior leaders during freshman orientation day, and they still say hi to me in the halls,” Samp said. “Our whole admin team has been great and saying ‘you’re doing great’ or ‘is there anything else you need.’ People have just been so supportive and you feel it all around the school, and there’s something to be said for that.”

Ultimately, Samp feels it is her mission to make student success a priority. As she has been supported by the Prospect community since her arrival, she hopes to do the same in return for her students. Samp expresses that her ofce is always a safe space for those who are having a bad day, needing to take a deep breath, or wanting to talk through stressful situations that occur from being a high school student.

“I think the biggest thing for me is that what some would consider our most challenging kids are the kids I enjoy working with the most,” Samp said. “If you have someone [like a] trusted friend or trusted adult and can connect with them, and have someone believe in you, you can do great things. For me, that’s my passion, because being able to connect with those kids and see them do great things is so much more rewarding than anything.”

Weston aims to create student-teacher relationships

STELLA PALM Copy Editor

Katie Weston is Prospect’s new Division Head of Social Science and World Language. Although Weston just started at Prospect, she has already immersed herself in its community. Since she heard many positive things about the students and staf at Prospect, Weston was drawn to the school.

Having grown up near Ann Arbor, Michigan, Weston describes her hometown to having a similar vibe as Prospect does.

“After meeting some of the students and teachers here, I felt like this could be my new home,” Weston said.

Weston attended Michigan State University where she would receive a major in international relations, comparative cultures and politics as well as an economics minor.

Weston has a passion for debate and was involved in competitive debate in college. This passion helped her obtain her job at Niles North High School where she went on to coach the debate team as well as more nationally successful programs. Weston taught social studies for 12 years at Niles North.

As the Division Head of Social Science and World Language, Weston manages the entire division and teachers in the two departments. Additionally, she also helps oversee the courses and curriculum within the division.

However, this role goes beyond just overseeing the department. Considering she’s only spent a couple months at Prospect, Weston has already established how she wants to connect with the staf and students.

with families and students in case they need any additional support. One way Weston has built relationships with staf and students is by getting to know what those people are involved in outside of school.

fast facts about mrs. weston

• her favorite food is tacos

• favorite book is “the Alchemist”

• went to taylor swift: the eras tour over the summer attended michigan state univeristy Involved in competitve debate in college

“I kind of view this role as supporting teachers and students, just in another way,” Weston said. “[This] gives me an opportunity to work more directly with teachers and to really support students and families.”

While she’s been in her position, Weston highlights that she’s done her best to check in

“For my students, my priority, not just in the beginning of the school year, but throughout the year, is to focus on community building,” Weston said. “Getting to know each other as people and not just a teacher/student capacity.” To improve her relationships with staf members, Weston has implemented an open door policy for her ofce. This allows her to participate in conversations with staf members during lunch hours.

“I think it’s important to, just like I mentioned, get to know each other as humans and individuals and not just co-workers,” Weston said.

Although Weston makes a conscious efort to build relationships in the workplace, she isn’t the only one building these relationships. She notes that the staf and students at Prospect have been very welcoming to her. Coming from a diferent school, it was inevitable that Weston would need some guidance at the start.

“I got lost a lot in the beginning, and I still do,” Weston said. “[But] just being able to ask people silly questions like, ‘Where is this room?’ [has been nice].”

Associate Principal for Instruction Joyce Kim acknowledges that Weston has already left a lasting impact on her co-workers and students.

“She came in feeding people ... with breakfast bars and just popping into classrooms.” Kim said. “She has really tried to care for her teachers.”

Kim makes it clear that she is eager to see what Weston continues to add to the program.

“She is an incredible addition to our admin team. I’m so fortunate to be working on her team and to learn and grow from her,” Kim said.

VROOM: Division Head for Student, Success, Safety and Wellness Jenna Samp smiles in her Porsche Cayman at one of her Autocross competitions. Samp started racing competitivley in 2017. (Photo courtesy of Jenna Samp)

Scan here to read Q&A’s with Prospect’s 2023-24 new staff

Barbie breaks gender barriers

Movie’s deeper message keeps audiences talking

KELLY JORDAN Executive Arts and Entertainment Editor

All dolled up, dressed in pink, millions of people prepared to sit in a dark, sticky space for 2 hours to watch the Barbie movie. When Junior Isa Gaby saw the movie the second day it opened at roughly 12:25 in the morning, she completely fell in love with it. While watching, she felt a feeling of nostalgia for her childhood.

“I would go to my grandmas house growing up and just see all these Barbie’s from diferent eras [and] seeing the movie just re- minded me of how I grew up,” Gaby said.

The Barbie movie has made over $1.38 million within its frst few months of release. While scrolling through the TikTok For You page, it’s no wonder how many people were excited to see the movie.

Yet, not many expected to have such a deep connection shared with the movie. No matter what gender, race or age the audience may be, there are multiple messages that everyone should listen to.

Senior Tyler Schickerling, saw the movie twice with his girlfriend.

“I thought it was a good movie.. it was good casting [and] good comedy, but [it] addressed real problems,” Schickerling said.

hears the names of movies such as “Toy Story” or “Bratz” that are based on dolls, it is automatically believed that these movies are supposed to be lighthearted, yet Barbie broke this stereotype.

English Teacher, Michael Piccoli, is known to be a huge movie nerd. Piccoli, along with his English major, took flm classes while studying at the University of Illinois. Piccoli had high expectations going into the movie. With such a great cast, such as Margot Robbie (who has been cast as Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey & Suicide Squad ; Tonya in I, Tonya) and Ryan Gosling (who played Noah in The Notebook and Sebastian in La La Land), directed by Greta Gerwig (Little Women,Lady Bird) he had extremely high expectations.

Prior to seeing the movie, Gaby expected it was just simply about toys, not as in depth as she saw it was. One message that really struck out to her was the relationship between a mother and daughter from a mother’s perspective.

“Most people tend to not realize how our parents were our age once too,” Gaby said. “Before going into the movie I didn’t expect to feel a deep connection to my mom, to realize that she was is a girl just like me.”

I HOPE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND TO LOOK AT THEMSELVES AND SEE THAT NOBODY’S PERFECT,”

- Michael Piccoli, English Teacher

Schickerling, who had no prior background knowledge walking into the movie, expected it to be a comedy. Yet, he didn’t expect it to address problems within society. When someone

Some critics believe that the movie showed a message of “anti-men.” The Daily Mail called it “uneven and disjointed,” and the New York Times saying it was “very pretty but not very deep.” People believed that the Barbie movie was pushing the idea that men are the single problem within the world today. Yet, Schickerling saw a perspective from both sides.

“I think the movie showed struggles of all people, but it defnitely did show more of women’s struggles over others,” Schickerling said.

Piccoli saw a sense of humor with the ideas that the Barbie movie was presenting on the topic of gender power within society. He did not believe in any way that the movie was too woke or political, as critics say.

“I loved the way it poked fun at men in the real world with Ken bring obsessed with horses and discovered [the] patriarchy,” Piccoli said.

With the topic of gender on social media, many women across the world felt heard by this movie. Written by Eszter Szabó on the website LazyWomen written on July 31, she has seen some misogynistic claims that the movie is probably feminist propaganda. She believes although the Barbie doll has always been seen as what perfection should be, women believe that the movie showed a great sense of what the real world is. Gaby felt has similar beliefs to article.

“I felt really seen by the movie, it did an

amazing job of expressing emotions that women go through,” Gaby said. “It was important for me and other women to see some else struggling with these shared experiences before overcoming them.” Piccoli feels that no matter one’s beliefs on the political stance of the movie, viewers should recognize the message of seeing one’s faults.

“I hope people understand to look at themselves and see that nobody’s perfect, the social media way of looking at ourselves isn’t how life works,” said Piccoli.

of Prospect viewers agreed with the messages in “Barbie”

‘The Sound of Freedom’ raises safety questions

Film about child traffcking hidden for fve years

Major showing delays, faulty theater thermostats and fve years of something called “production limbo.” “The Sound of Freedom” has seemingly been pushed away from the public’s eyes.

In Mount Prospect, you can expect a generally low crime rate and strong sense of community. This leads to peace of mind, and it’s incredibly nice to know that you can go about your daily life without the constant worry of staying safe. Teens are out through the midst hours of the night, little kids bike through town past dark and parents trust their neighbors as they would trust an old friend. Yet, just about 30 miles southeast from our cozy little town is a city that many would consider to be the most dangerous in America.

flmed in 2018 yet not released to theaters until July 4, 2023. Movie enthusiast and college student Alexis Floyd was in the theaters the instant the flm was released.

“I don’t think I saw a single person walk out of the theater without either tears in their eyes or a look of complete shock,” Floyd said.

Regardless of the producer’s low budget, the flm seemed to encapsulate the raw emotions surrounding child trafcking and the extremity of the situation so many children are in. Floyd described her experience in the theater as “eye-opening” and “life-changing.”

“The night after I saw the flm I struggled to sleep,” Floyd said. “I stayed up for hours thinking about the children in danger right now and thinking about my future kids. I don’t know how to ensure they will ever be fully safe in this world.”

Similarly, Google reviews rate the movie 4.9 out of fve stars and I noticed that nearly every other comment used the expression “eye-opening.” This flm is considered one of the most infuential flms of the past decade. Additionally, it is described as a culture shock and a piece that must be watched by all.

Despite the fact that we are in a relatively safe and stable envi- ronment majority of the time, we still are at a very unique position with society; still being a kid yet having the same opportunities that adults are given.

Many high schoolers carry around self-defense pepper spray or take self-defense classes, while others just don’t think much into their own well-being. There is a large variety in people’s concern levels. Is it more concerning for a student to be hyper-aware and overthink? Or is that the safer way to go about your safety?

at night, let someone know where you are at all times, keep self defense knick knacks if you feel you need it. Thankfully, Prospect students have grown up in an environment where they are informed on how to stay safe.

- Alexis Floyd, movie lover

The flm “The Sound of Freedom,” directed and co-written by Alejandro Monteverde, was based on the real story of Tim Ballard. It was

Though the flm’s primary purpose was to inform the viewers on the horrors of child trafcking, it peeled away some naive mindsets on the dangers we all face. High school students consist of some of the most targeted and vulnerable ages.

Principal Greg Minter stated that the school is constantly worried about every individual student’s safety. And for that reason, they have supervisors at every school event. However, he mentioned that they cannot ensure 24-hour supervision to the students, which can be a little overwhelming when you think too much about it.

“We want everyone to be comfortable but still very cautious,” Minter said.

Minter explained that as a principal he is responsible for the general view of the school. He has a big commitment to making sure that his students and co-workers view the community as a safe spot. He mentioned the normal advice that most teens are given: don’t go anywhere alone

The comfort levels that Minter mentioned bring up a diferent side of the safety conversation. Eight percent of Prospect students admit to always leaving the house with self defense items and according to mind.org, people that overstress their safety are more likely to develop depression and anxiety. In general, people need to fnd a happy-medium. The Sound of Freedom ofered education on a hard topic that opened the eyes of many. We must come together as a community to improve conversations on safety but maintain comfortable environments.

Scan the qr code to read a review of olivia rodrigo’s new album, “guts”

PINK PALOOZA: The Barbie movie has sparks not only self-love, but also controversy about gender. (cartoon by Colleen Karsten)

Girls’ golf grows up

Coach Rathe looks forward to potential of young team

MATTHEW PULVER Sports Reporter

After losing seven seniors from year’s team, girls’ golf is trying to compete at the same level as last year, but with a much younger team. This year’s varsity roster has two seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen who have occasionally been asked to compete with varsity. Head coach Brad Rathe thinks the key to success for his young team is to be persistent and determined to improve their game.

Boys’ golf shoots for redemption

DREW TERPINS Sports Reporter

The boys’ golf team went into the season looking to avenge their sectional loss from last year. Led by seniors Luke Kruger and Patrick Raupp, coach James Hamann is attempting to rally team morale and push for the desired outcome: a state championship.

“We’ve seen fashes of [our potential] but we need to stay consistent,” Kruger said.

Kruger (16th in state last year) is heading to Butler University, and Raupp (seventh in state last year) is heading to play at Northern Illinois University With one of them winning nearly every invite, the pressure of performing week after week to solidify their rank among Illinois’ best golfers is tiresome.

“Every day is a grind,” Kruger said. “It’s always a mental battle on the course and I try to take it one step at a time.”

Coach Hamann, a former Division One golfer at Eastern Illinois University, knows how stressed the team can get during the season.

“The boys do feel pressure because they are constantly competing against each other to earn spots in the lineup,” Hamann said.

Kruger and Raupp are always in the lineup, along with Junior Cole Bielecki. The three remaining spots are fought for among the rest of the members of the team during practice. The competition on playing time is stressful for the golfers, but it mentally prepares them for the meets.

“The hope is that you have some grit and some fght, you know, to just keep trying to get better,” Rathe said.

The team showed that determination at the conference meet at Makray Memorial Golf Club on Sept. 20. They placed third behind Fremd by only six strokes. Pouring rain made it hard for the golfers to compete at the highest level. Rathe remembers how challenging it was to play in such inclement weather.

“We were slopping around in water. We were walking in actual standing water. The ball you hit, it just stops. It takes some perseverance to do that for fve and a half hours,” Rathe said.

So far this season, varsity’s record before conference was 11-2, with the only losses being to Barrington and Fremd, both of which are quality teams. Fremd has a record of 10-1 in conference play, and Barrington has fnished in the top fve in state the last three years.

“I do feel a little pressure,” Raupp said. “[Hamann] has put me into many situations in practice where I know I have what it takes to compete with anyone.”

Hamann tests Raupp every day. Whether it is having him practice long putts or thread the needle between two trees, it prepares him for real challenges he could face during matches. Similar to Raupp, Kruger feels the demand to perform well to help the team succeed.

He fnds himself overwhelmed with pressure before meets, so he turns to music to help him relax. Kruger typically listens to country or his favorite artist, Gunna. During the meet, Kruger does not listen to music, so he takes some of his teammates’ advice.

Raupp, who holds the record for best score on an 18 hole course (66 at Arlington Lakes Golf Club) and recently broke the lowest nine hole score, with a score of 29, at Mount Prospect Golf Course (MPGC), has given Kruger and other members of the team some of his tricks on how to deal with pressure after a bad shot.

“I ... give myself two seconds to be mad and then I have to forget about it and just stay in the present as much as I can,” Raupp said.

With all the physical and mental preparation they have done, the team understands the potential they have to compete against the best schools in the state, like New Trier, Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South. They have already won their regional competition, with Kruger fring a 68 and Raupp shooting an even-par 70 at Old Orchard Country Club on Sept. 27. With their win, they advanced to sectionals which took place at MPGC on Oct. 2 after the Prospector went to press.

For higher-stakes matches like these, Hamann leaves the team with a motto to help them stay mentally focused and avoid caving in to the pressure.

“The most important shot is the next shot,” Hamann said.

In golf meets, six golfers compete, but only the best four of the scores are counted. So to have a great outing as a team, the four scores have to total to a lower amount. Rathe has seen the team struggle to get to that level this year. Rathe says his team needs to improve on their putting and shots within 100 yards of the hole to consistently get four good scores during competitions. However, he is confdent that they will achieve that success before the end of the season.

“We’ve had a lot of days where we had two or three good scores. All four is sort of the goal, and I’m optimistic that we can get there,” Rathe said.

Since the team leans more into the young side, Rathe has to be more involved as a coach to help his younger players get accustomed to the varsity level. Rathe is less hands on with his older players because they have more experience. One way he helps the younger players is by commenting on all of their shots, saying what they could have done better or how they

should plan their next hole.

“I like to talk about shot selection, what club, how high are you hitting this, where are you trying to hit this,” Rathe said. “You know, just trying to be as vocal as I can while they play.”

Sophomore Allison Warnement, a new varsity player this year, is glad she gets to compete at a higher level, even if it comes with an increase in diffculty.

“It’s really exciting to be on varsity this year. It’s a lot more competition, but it’s defnitely a lot more rewarding when you score well,” said Warnement, whose best score this year was 88 on Aug. 26.

To perform to the best of her ability in a match, Warnement tries to stay relaxed and focused. She has better success when she is less stressed while on the course.

One of the people who helps her achieve this is Rathe. He pushes her to play to the best of her abilities and helps her improve her overall game.

“He really helps me focus on things I need to get better at and he tries and teaches me as we go, but he also encourages me to do my best,” Warnement said.

Maintaining focus throughout a match is very important. If that focus is lost on the course, it can end poorly for

players. Rathe believes this is the most challenging thing about golf.

“You’ve got to keep your focus for four and a half hours straight,” Rathe said. “That’s the hardest part, the mental challenge.”

One part of the mental challenge of golf is overcoming a bad score on a hole, which can lead to frustration and can negatively affect the rest of the match. When this happens, Rathe tries to calm his players down.

“Take fve steps [back]. Try and clear your head from what just happened and focus on the next shot,” Rathe said.

Warnement thinks keeping composure after having a bad hole is one of the hardest parts about golf. As the players become more experienced in gameplay, they fnd out how to overcome this immense diffculty.

“You have to learn how to do better the next hole and not get in a bad state in your mind,” Warnement said.

The golf team means a lot to Rathe. He loves the bond he and his players have built together, and he wants to continue that this year and for years to come.

“I’ve become pretty close with a lot of the kids. We spend a lot of time together during this part of the season, so I just want them to have the success that we’ve had in the past because I know it’s a lot of fun,” Rathe said.

Both the boys’ and girls’ golf teams competed at the sectional golf meets on Monday, Oct. 2, after the Prospector went to press. For full postseason golf coverage, follow the QR code to ProspectorNow.com.

Read about a Prospect alum who came back to coach cross country.

Look back on photos from Prospect’s win over Glenbrook South.

Learn about why ultimate frisbee is so popular and what makes it so fun.

COMMITTED: Seniors Luke Kruger (left) and Patrick Raupp (right) meet on the green at Mount Prospect Golf Course in a match against Lake Park on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Raupp committed to play golf at Northern Illinois University on Sept. 20 and Kruger committed to Butler University on Sept. 21. (photo courtesy of Roman Demstrom)

ANALYZE: Head Coach Brad Rathe (left) watches as junior Faye Zinzer (right) hits one of her shots. Rathe likes to analyze his players’ shots and tell them how they can improve or continue their strategies for the rest of the meet. (photo courtesy of Kenneth Munao Jr.)

CURRENTLY ON PROSPECTORNOW.COM...

The varsity soccer team has a lot of young talent and is rising up the ranks in the MSL East. Scan the QR Code to read the full story!

Palcho goes from PHS to the pros SPORTS

PETER RADOSH

KnightTV News/Features Director

When Alex Palczewski frst walked through the doors of Prospect High School in 2013, nobody would have expected him to become an NFL player. In fact, Palczewski was quite the opposite from the child prodigy most would expect a future Denver Bronco to be.

“I wasn’t talented at all,” Palczewski said. “I was on the B team squad freshman year. I really didn’t know if I even wanted to play. I liked wrestling, and I started with water polo in the spring [of] my freshman and sophomore year.”

Even with his uncertainty, Palczewski would continue playing football, eventually making it to the biggest stage in the world, but his journey wasn’t easy. Palczewski’s route to the top was riddled with uphill battles, the frst of which happened right before the start of his junior season at Prospect.

During a normal practice session, Palczewski started to feel like his neck was weak. As a result, he went to the trainers, who took him to the hospital. At the hospital, Palczewski learned that his C6 vertebrae was fractured.

“It’s always tough when you hear that you’re done for the season,” Palczewski said. “It’s a time that gets robbed away from you.”

Despite having to wear a neck brace and not being able to play, Palczewski stayed active in the team. Prospect ofensive line coach Tim Beishir recalls Palczewski’s character during that season.

“It’s a lonely place to be injured, and a lot of guys sort of fade away, and they come to practice a couple times a week or show up on Friday night just for the games,” Beishir said. “But [Alex] is running around practice in a neck collar with water bottles, giving water to the guys practicing, just trying to do anything possible to be helpful.”

While Palczewski never wanted to sit out and be injured, the camaraderie aspect of the game was what kept him going.

“It’s easy to fall into those bad thoughts of, if I’m ever going to play again, but being around the team, being around your friends, that was my favorite part … and that was what got me through it,” Palczewski said.

Despite having his entire junior season stolen from him, the ordeal Palczewski went through would end up improving him. In turn, he found a new appreciation for the privilege to play football.

“Nothing is ever guaranteed … and this life, it can be taken away at any moment,” Palczewski said. “Just really appreciating [life] and taking advantage of every day you have here.”

With a new mindset, Palczewski worked even harder to prepare for his senior season. By doing both wrestling and track, Palczewski was able to stay active in the ofseason. Additionally, these sports helped develop Palczewski’s athleticism and sharpen a competitive edge over his peers.

Fortunately for him, his hard work would eventually pay of. Palczewski fnally got his frst varsity start as a senior, and would go on to play all nine games that year, with Prospect barely missing the playofs.

Although Palczewski’s freshman and sophomore years were unremarkable, after his neck injury and mindset switch, Beishir started to notice something in Palczewski which set him apart from other players.

“When you combine his physical gifts of size, his fuidity of movement, which is not a usual combination with somebody that big, and his unparalleled willingness to prepare and do everything he can to maximize his potential, then I started to think [he] could be special,” Beishir said.

Making it his mission, Beishir wanted to do everything in his power to get Palczewski playing at the next level. However, since he didn’t have any junior year flm, it was extremely diffcult to fnd a college who would even agree to watch the flm that Beishir and Palczewski put together. Colleges felt that if Palczewski was re-

2008

Palcho's Path

ally something, they would have known about him before his senior year.

But Palczewski needed to get to college. He needed to get a scholarship to help his parents out.

“My parents, they immigrated here from Poland, and college wasn’t really in the books,” Palczewski said. “I might’ve gone, but honestly, I know that if I could’ve gotten a scholarship and taken that fnancial burden of of my parents it would’ve [been] something huge that I could make them proud of.”

In order to get a scholarship, Palczewski needed to get recruited. For most players and coaches, recruiting is a 12 to 18 month process, but Beishir and Palczewski did it in around 10 weeks.

“It was sort of a sprint amount of effort, constantly trying to email people, contact them on social media, trying to mine phone numbers to try to get people on the phone, just to get somebody to watch the flm,” Beishir said.

With all the efort he put into it, Beishir was confdent that once coaches watched the flm, Palczewski would be considered. In total, Beishir estimates that both him and Palczewski attempted to contact around 100 coaches.

left foot.

“Going from being an all Big 10 player to not being able to walk for 12 weeks was very tough mentally,” Palczewski said.

Fortunately, Palczewski bounced back and played the 2021 season for the Illini, but he entered thinking that 2021 was his last year at UIUC. So, he signed with an agent and started training to get ready for the NFL combine.

However, Palczewski learned that he could gain another year of eligibility due to an NCAA rule stating that a player can participate in up to four games without using their redshirt. Palczewski had torn his ACL in the fourth game of the 2020 season. Thus, Palczewski placed his redshirt on the 2020 season and was granted another year of eligibility.

The University of Wisconsin was the frst college that agreed to watch Palczewski’s flm. Sequentially, more and more conversations with other coaches happened, then visits, then fnally the funnel would narrow down to ofers.

Eventually, Palczewski would be given ofers from Vanderbilt, Syracuse, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). In the end, he would end up committing to the Illini. Palczewski’s time at Illinois was instrumental in forming who he is today. The jump from IHSA football to Big 10 football was a large one; the pace of play was faster, and the players were bigger.

Take for example, his undersized nature during his time at UIUC. He weighed 260 pounds his senior year at Prospect, and put on another 10 pounds before arriving at Illinois. Having said that, that still left him around 40 pounds lighter than most of the other ofensive linemen, who had been lifting in a college strength program. Appropriately, immediately after joining, he had to bulk up. By the time Palczewski left Champaign, he weighed 310 pounds.

Palczewski also sufered his fair share of injuries while at UIUC. In 2020 and 2021, Palczewski tore his right ACL and the lisfranc in his

Starts playing football after fnding inspiration from his older brother Begins his time at Prospect and is placed of the Freshmen B squad

Palczewski took this extra year of eligibility to help boost his draft stock and make himself more appealing to NFL teams. It was during this year that Palczewski would make his 65th start for the Illini, breaking the Big Ten record and tying the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record for most career starts. After his sixth and fnal year at UIUC, Palczewski decided to fnally enter into the draft. In preparation for the looming moment, Palczewski did everything in his power to maximize his chances of being drafted, such as participating in the 2023 NFL Combine.

Then the 2023 NFL Draft came, but it wouldn’t go as planned for Palczewski. If a player is drafted, they automatically make the team, but Palczewski went undrafted, meaning he could pick whichever team he wanted to join on the condition that they ofered him a contract. However, there was no guarantee that he’d be granted a spot on an active roster once the season started.

Luckily for Palczewski, multiple teams were interested in him. After a bit of thinking, Palczewski’s choices narrowed down to two teams: the Denver Broncos or the Chicago Bears. Whichever contract he would sign would decide whether he moves 1000 miles from home or down the street to Soldier Field.

“That [decision] was probably the most stressful hour of my life,” Palczewski said.

Ultimately, Palczewski ended up signing with the Denver Broncos. He had to take a lot of factors into consideration when making this decision, one of which being the likelihood of him making the active roster. As training camp started, Palczewski would learn that the jump from Big 10 football to NFL football would be

one of his greatest challenges yet.

While before, size was the biggest diference separating high school and college football, Palczewski learned that in the NFL, skill and technique are the deciding factors.

“In the NFL, everybody’s good,” Palczewski said. “There’s a reason the person you’re going up against is on the team. It was awesome to just see that there’s a whole other level to all of this, in the technique and the preparation … it’s truly a job now.”

As training camp came to a close and preseason started, Palczewski would know within a few weeks whether he would make an active NFL roster. This, in turn, was a nerve-racking time for Palczewski. To further complicate matters, the Broncos decided to change the way they do cuts.

In years past, the Broncos would start out with 90 players, and after each preseason game, they’d make a few cuts. However, all 90 players were kept on the roster for all three preseason games this year. After the last game, they planned to cut 37 players. For Palczewski, it seemed like a long shot for him to make it on the roster.

To help support Palczewski, Beishir decided to take a trip to Phoenix with Prospect P.E. teacher and Palczewski’s former teammate Vince Shields to watch him play in a preseason game against the Cardinals.

“I couldn’t believe how good he looked,” Beishir said. It's a big challenge; you know he’s on the biggest stage in the world versus the best players in the world, and he just looked so good. His pass set looked really fast and fuid … I just knew that then, he belongs.”

As preseason came to a close, Palczewski’s day of reckoning would come.

“You just have to wait, and if you get a call, it usually means that you’re getting cut,” Palczewski said. “So you’re kind of praying that your phone stays silent.”

Luckily enough for Palczewski, his phone would stay silent. A little while later, Palczewski would receive a call from his ofensive line coach confrming that he had, in fact, made the 53man roster.

Visiting Mount Evans, a mountain around 40 miles from Denver, Palczewski’s parents weren't with him when he received the news.

“I had to call [my parents] 4 or 5 times because reception kept on dropping, but I fnally got to them and just was able to tell them ‘Hey I made it’, then the call failed,” Palczewski said.

For Palczewski, this moment served as the ultimate refection on all the injuries and adversity he went through, from Prospect’s Freshmen B Squad to the Denver Broncos. According to Palczewzki, there are 1,696 NFL players in the world, and to be able to say that he’s one of them was monumental. Palczewski’s hard work had fnally paid of.

“I would not be here if it wasn’t for Beish,” Palczewski said. “He was able to push me in all the right directions, and get me to the that next level, and instill in me the work ethic that I needed,” Palczewski said

“‘It’s just focusing on the process and not the results.' Beish always said that, because if you focus on the results you’ll never get there. But if you focus on what you can do each and every day, just to work towards that, that was the biggest thing he was able to instill in me.”

Palczewski believes that this mentality was what allowed him to make it to the NFL. The mentality of taking advantage of each of the 24 hours he has in a day was Palczewski’s key to improving. Even now in the locker room of the Denver Broncos, Palczewski has noticed that the players who have been there the longest are the ones who have worked the hardest.

Although it’s been six years since he last walked through the halls of Prospect, he still remembers his time here.

“Thank you to all the people at Prospect who were able to help guide me in the right direction: obviously Beish, Coach Sebestyen, every single other person, if it was a teacher, custodian, a coach, every single person who has helped me,” Palczewski said. “This is not my journey. This is just a testimony to how much that they have helped me get here.”

Alumnus Alex Palczewski (center) is fanked by his high school teammate Vince Shields (left) and his high school offensive line coach Tim Beishir (right) after the Broncos' preseason game against the Cardinals in Arizona. (photo courtesy of Tim Beishir)

RECORD BREAKER: Palczewski and the rest of his team, following their 26-9 win in Lincoln, Nebraska, celebrate Palczewski breaking the record for most career starts in Big 10 history. Later that season, he would tie the FBS record for most career starts. (photo courtesy of the UIUC).