Issue 1 24-25

P ROSPECTOR THE

Rethinking AI reframes classes

AMANDA FEINBERG Editor-in-Chief

When designing her next vacation to Greece, Italy and Switzerland, Associate Principal for Instruction Dania Saleh plans to use ChatGPT — an artifcial intelligence (AI) chatbot — to help her compile a seven-day itinerary. In just seconds, the website gives her a plethora of activities and restaurants to choose from to help her decide how she wants to spend her trip.

“I can take that itinerary and modify it,” Saleh said. “At least it told me what train station and fights I can take, and that’s so helpful instead of me [having to go] down the rabbit hole of research.”

ChatGPT was frst released by OpenAI as a demo on Nov. 30, 2022, quickly gaining popularity across social media platforms due to its endless functions. ChatGPT is a large language model tool with knowledge from articles, textbooks and the internet. The program attempts to replicate human language in a process known as, “Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback,” according to Forbes.

Saleh’s impression of AI wasn’t always as positive as it is now. She recalls that when ChatGPT frst came out post-pandemic, she was working in Chicago Public Schools and didn’t have the opportunity to really learn about AI.

“[AI] was in this lens of ‘oh my goodness, all of these kids are going to use this device now … to write their papers for them,’” Saleh said.

The concerns over students using AI to cheat may stem from the ease and accessibility of the program. According to Forbes, ChatGPT had 1 million users within the frst fve days of being available. However, after working with ChatGPT as an Assistant Principal at Lake View High School, Saleh quickly grew fond of using the tool to support teachers in brainstorming lessons and fnding

more resources that aligned with the lesson.

Now, Saleh uses AI as a “stepping stone” to support her in brainstorming various types of projects. She recalls using AI multiple times to help her generate a list of sources that she was able to further explore on her own. Using AI technology, Saleh believes that teachers and students alike can save time on tasks that would traditionally be time-consuming, such as Googling sources or writing fake essays to use as examples.

“Time is crucial, and time is very valuable,” Saleh said. “… There’s a way that we can use ChatGPT to help teachers with lesson planning where you’re not doing all of that heavy lifting.”

One instructional strategy using AI that Saleh read about was generating examples of poorly written essays to have students correct. The teacher could then generate well-written essays to show as better examples, which exposes students to what artifcial writing looks like while also ofering a warning about plagiarism with AI.

“For us as educators, we have to make sure that we have students use [AI] as a tool, but then … just like with any tool, you have to be creative with how you’re using it,” Saleh said.

Once students develop the foundational skills of creativity, English teacher Jill Corr believes that they can use AI to help generate ideas.

“I think [students] need to know how to think frst, and that’s really important before you can determine how you want to use AI to do [other] things for you,” Corr said.

As the capabilities of AI become more advanced, the usage of the program has also been increasing. According to Pew Research, 55% of Americans regularly use AI for “email spam flters, answering customer service questions, using virtual assistance and responding to people via text or email.” According to Forbes, AI is expected to see an annual growth rate of 37.3% from 2023 to 2030, and the market size is predicted to hit $407 billion by 2027.

Due to the increasing capacity that AI has, Corr is partially uncertain as to how much or little she wants to incorporate the tool into her classroom.

“I don’t want kids to get a mixed message that [AI] is OK to use [in certain situations], but don’t use it [in other situations],” Corr said. “I think there’s a lot of gray area.”

Outside of the classroom, AI has been used in various felds including customer service, education, content creation, businesses and entertainment, according to Forbes. AI has also made strides in health care, including improvements in algorithms that can facilitate early disease detection and telemedicine—a telecommunications technology that can remotely diagnose and treat patients.

Saleh’s sister owns a public relations frm, and her job is to create various marketing campaigns to acquire clients. She has found AI to be helpful when creating her campaigns, as ChatGPT can give her templates and baselines for marketing tools, which she can edit to tailor to certain clients.

While AI has a great deal of infuence in real-world jobs, there remains a difcult debate as to what degree AI should be implemented in the classroom. According to Division Head of English and Fine Arts Debra Laskonis, the English department attempts to model their policies based on what colleges are doing.

AI’S INCREASING ROLE: An AI chatbot feeds into computers (top and bottom) through electronics. As AI’s presence continues to grow in society, questions over the allotted use of the program in classrooms have arisen in District 214 schools. (cartoon by Bel Le)

The ofcial AI policy created this past spring states that “using AI to help you generate a list of ideas, fnd sources of information, or to provide you with evidence (when cited), is acceptable” and that “if there are portions of your essay that we fnd to be AI-generated (through our own experience and expertise and through various AI plagiarism checkers) and the information is not cited, that is grounds for plagiarism.”

However, this brings into question the validity of a popular plagiarism checker, Turnitin.com, which was founded in 1998. The software scans the imported document and compares the text to their own database as well as online sources to check for academic dishonesty. However, with AI being able to generate entire essays, Turnitin has added a feature that checks for the use of AI.

According to the University of Kansas, Turnitin “walks a fne line between reliability and real-

ity.” The tool has been verifed in a controlled lab environment and produces scores with 98% confdence. However, the software has a 15% margin of error, meaning a score of 50% AI-generated could actually be between 35% and 65% AI.

In her own experience, Corr stated that Turnitin has caught portions of papers that the software believes to be AI-generated. The students accused of plagiarism were given a zero on the assignment but were able to redo the assignment for up to half credit.

Both Corr and English teacher Elizabeth Joiner emphasized that their years of experience with reading student papers have given them confdence in their ability to tell when a paper is AI-written.

Zero Hour changes benefit female athletes

MATTHEW PULVER Exec. Sports Editor

As now-junior Molly Beyna nervously walked into her freshman year Beginner Strength and Conditioning class, she hoped to see many other female athletes. As an athlete herself, she needs a weightlifting focused gym class to stay ft during the school year. Having many other female athletes would help provide Beyna with an environment in which she would feel comfortable lifting in. However, Beyna would soon learn that her expectations weren’t the case.

“It was like an all-guy class with only six girls, so I was like, ‘Oh, this is diferent,’” Beyna said. “Especially as a freshman, I was really scared.”

Now, having a gym class with almost no girls is no longer a problem for Beyna due to the changes to Zero Hour for the 24-25 school year. What started in 2018 as a class consisting mainly of football players has now been expanded to include girls.

Zero Hour is a before-school gym class that meets every weekday except Thursday from 7:20 to 8:10 a.m. In the class students, lift, do yoga and participate in plyometrics. Additionally, Zero Hour opens up another study hall in students’ schedules during the day when they would typically have Physical Education. The head of the physical education department, Seth

Hettel, made the change due to numerous requests from female athletes like Beyna.

“We had a lot of girls who expressed interest, but they also wanted an area they felt a little more comfortable for lifting in front of peers,” Hettel said.

Currently, there are 145 students enrolled in Zero Hour, 40 of them girls and 105 of them boys. If more interest is shown in the future, Hettel is open to creating more Zero Hour classes. Beyna was elated when Hettel made the change.

“When I heard there was an allgirls class, I got so excited,” Beyna said. “I was like ‘Oh my goodness it’s fnally happening.’”

Aside from making Beyna more comfortable in her gym class, Zero Hour has also helped her in softball by building chemistry with her coach and teammates.

“I’m in a space with all of my friends and all my classmates, and it’s nice to have that almost community in the class,” Beyna said.

Head softball coach and girls’ Zero Hour teacher Krystina Mackowiak appreciates how the class has helped the softball team become closer. Mackowiak urged many of the girls on the softball team to join Zero Hour due to the benefts she sees from the class.

“Any time that we are able to be together, even if it’s just in class, I think it helps our chemistry and helps us grow together,” Mackowiak said.

Head football coach and fellow Zero Hour teacher Dan DeBoeuf also sees the class’s advantages. Beyond improving the football team’s chemistry, DeBoeuf likes how Zero Hour helps build a morning routine for his students.

“It gives them a mental edge for their day,” DeBoeuf said. “They’re getting their exercise, their workout in to start their day, and then they are awake, ready to go.”

For Beyna, this rings true as she enjoys waking up and going to Zero Hour every day.

“All in all, it’s nice to have that early morning where you just wake up and go to the gym with all of your friends and are able to be in a space where all of you are wanting to work,” Beyna said.

Since Zero Hour is open to all athletes, it’s hard to plan workouts for all of the diferent sports. To combat this, the Zero Hour teachers use the same lifting workout set as Advanced

Two new associate principals welcomed

Smith could still see how people who weren’t educated on hearing loss would treat her sister diferently. Smith’s sister helped her see life through a diferent perspective, leading Smith to want to help multiple types of people.

As Mary Kate Smith excitedly arrived home from her interview for her dream job, Associate Principal for Student Services, she looked up at the garage where she saw a sign that said “fnally.” She chuckled as she realized that her husband had cut up a sign that had previously said “fnally 21” to make a sign for her. Her husband and daughter were excited to celebrate Smith’s achievement.

“This is my ultimate job, this is what I worked hard to do,” Smith said.

This year, two new associate principals joined Prospect’s staf: Smith and Associate Principal for Instruction Dania Saleh. Smith and Saleh fll the positions left by former associate principals Kara Kendrick and Joyce Kim. Kendrick is now the District 214 (D214) associate superintendent for student services, while Kim is the associate principal of teaching and learning at Glenbrook South High School.

Before joining Prospect, Smith worked at District 211 (D211) for 15 years, six as an assistant principal.

While Smith worked in D211, Saleh worked in the Chicago Public Schools. She spent eight years working as a frst, third and sixth-grade math teacher before moving to administration, where she was the assistant principal at Lake View High School for six years.

Smith became a teacher because she wanted to fnd a way to help people. During her years as a student at Palatine High School, Smith was heavily involved in activities with special education students, particularly in a group called Partners Club, which directly correlates with best buddies. Along with Partners Club, Smith was also part of an integrated gym class with special education students. In these classes, they would do multiple many diferent activities. For instance, if they were playing soccer, she would either help push people who used wheelchairs or go on a scooter to level the playing feld.

“I think [helping people] is just innately in me, I love helping people and helping them be fully included,” Smith said.

Smith could easily empathize with special education students because of her sister, who is deaf. Although her sister is very independent,

“Oftentimes people go through their life just in their own bubbles, their own perspective, and not recognizing that people around us are diferent, their functioning at diferent levels, and what may be normal to us is not normal for [them],” Smith explained.

All of these factors made her realize she wanted to help people, and her love of special education in particular helped lead to her career in education. Although she wanted to enter education, Smith did not initially plan to be a teacher. Most

after she had led a lesson, that it all clicked for her.

In elementary school, Saleh was bullied because she was a Muslim child growing up in the wake of 9/11. Bullying made her hate her elementary and middle school experiences. However, once she got into high school, she met more people like her and developed a new love for school. When she realized she wanted to be a teacher, teaching elementary school was an easy decision as she refected back on her own experiences.

“I knew I wanted to be an elementary school teacher because I didn’t want what happened to me to happen to any other kid,” Saleh said.

During her time at Prospect, Saleh hopes to implement systems that will help make tasks easier to complete throughout the school. At her previous school, she created an internal website to help distribute information to the staf and she hopes to do something similar at Prospect. However, before deciding to implement any goals, both Smith and Saleh want to take this frst year as a time to observe and brainstorm ideas.

“I don’t want to come in like a bulldozer,” Smith said. “I really want to learn what’s going well, then implement some of my other ideas.”

Strength and Conditioning. Another problem with having a diverse group of athletes is the diferent game schedules. On game days, Zero Hour athletes cut their reps in half in order to avoid unnecessary fatigue.

Whether it’s team chemistry, getting stronger or making the girls more comfortable, Mackowiak has seen all these benefts in Zero Hour. She hopes that Zero Hour can help all the girls in the class in their respective sports.

“It’s created a really cool environment where it’s not just one team of athletes, but it’s female athletes that are on a bunch of diferent teams now working together, cheering each other on and supporting each other,” Mackowiak said.

them to our team. [They are] fun to be around but very good at what they do.”

So far, both Smith and Saleh have enjoyed their experience at Prospect, as well as the people they have met. They are excited for what is next.

“The people are making [my job] feel like [Prospect is] a family rather than just a place of work; [they are] really supportive,” Smith said.

members of her family did not attend college; they would graduate high school and then go into the workforce. Instead of going directly into education, Smith got a license for hair through cosmetology school and eventually got a job at a salon. In the year she worked at the salon, Smith enjoyed the frequent visits of the salon owner’s son, who has Down syndrome. As Smith refected on the job, she realized that it wasn’t the career she wanted. Smith wanted to help people by becoming a teacher.

“I thought I would do the work route because that’s what was typical of my family [but I realized] that’s not for me; I love education,” Smith said. “It has always been [what I wanted to do]. I just had to take a diferent path to realize it.”

Similarly, Saleh hadn’t always planned on being a teacher. It wasn’t until her British Literature teacher told her that she needed to be a teacher,

Since arriving at Prospect, what stood out most to them was the school culture, specifcally through pep assemblies. Saleh, in particular, was surprised at the amount of school spirit Prospect has. After watching the 1Prospect pep assembly, Saleh immediately raved about the culture of The Underground.

“I told my friends that I felt like I was in High School Musical every day,” Saleh said. “It’s very diferent in the city; it’s not like that.”

Principal Greg Minter is grateful for Smith and Saleh because of the skills they bring to Prospect.

“Both of them bring a lot of new ideas, [and] they also have diferent skill sets that are benefcial to what we are trying to do [at Prospect],” Minter said.

Overall, both Minter and Associate Principal for Activities and Operations Frank Mirandola enjoy working with the new associate principals.

“They are great people,” Minter said. “Mr. Mirandola and I have enjoyed welcoming

KAIA MAVRADAS Features Reporter

LIFTING: Juniors Anna Zajac (left) and Alli Linke (second to right) lift weights before school in the ftness center during girls’ Zero Hour. (photo by Sarah George)

Dania Saleh

Mary Kate Smith

Bringing medical history to life

Heartbroken historian sits on Lister’s grave and writes a story.” That’s what the headlines said when Lindsay Fitzharris published her frst book, “The Butchering Art,” which was about Joseph Lister, a famous surgeon who created germ theory and traveled around the world making surgery cleaner.. Fitzharris, who was struggling with heartbreak at her lowest, turned to her newfound passion and began a journey that has inspired three books, a blog, a Smithsonian tv show and a new life for Fitzharris. All because she was inspired by Joseph Lister.

“I always say Joseph Lister saved more lives than anybody who ever lived, and he also saved my life, because I just ended up having this whole rebirth,” Fitzharris said. “I had this book, I had this new career and I love going around, telling people about medical history.”

Honored as a distinguished alumni during homecoming celebrations on September 13, Lindsay Fitzharris has had an interesting career since her graduation with the class of 2000.

Fitzharris frst went to school and got a bachelor of arts from Illinois Wesleyan University. Nothing was truly clicking for her as she originally wanted to be a lawyer in her undergrad and then a professor. Fitzharris found that, by the end of her degree, she felt burnt out. When she studied at Oxford in England she discovered a program for medical history. With her love of history and medicine, she carefully broached the idea of studying medical history full time. She had never heard of medical historians before because it was such a rare feld of study. Almost to her surprise, Fitzharris fell in love with medical history very quickly.

“I was really lucky that I just stumbled into it,” Fitzharris said. “I have to convince people it’s

a real job sometimes.”

That “real job” was the best of all worlds for Fitzharris as she was able to not only immerse herself in history, but also explore the medical side that she hadn’t necessarily considered before. She also describes herself as “a writer frst and foremost.” When she found herself looking to do something new and needing a break from school after receiving her PhD from Oxford, she started a blog.

“I thought maybe my family would read it,” Fitzharris said. “But it ended up really taking of for me and it inspired the next steps of my life.”

Her blog jump started her career as she began reaching more people and creating a community around her passion. This led her to do podcasts, publish articles and even work on a show with Smithsonian called “The Curious Life and Death of…”.

From her blog, however, she was able to conjure the idea to start writing a book. Writing had always been a passion of Fitzharris, so much so that at nine she entered a competition for her elementary school. She was even inspired by horror author Stephan King. Fitzharris recalls writing

parents.

him a letter as a freshman and saying that someday she would be a writer just like him. While Fitzharris acknowledges she doesn’t write horror, she still credits him for inspiration.

“I still send him a copy of my book every time I publish,” Fitzharris said. “He’s never replied to me but… when he used a very niche reference to Joseph Lister… I like to think he’s maybe picked up [my most recent book] and read it.”

Fitzharris never expected to be back at Prospect speaking as a distinguished alumni, but she’s grateful for everything she has gained from her experiences at Prospect. Fitzharris acknowledges that playing clarinet for conductor Dave Morrison taught her discipline, especially when she would spend long hours practicing. It trained her to stay focused and hard working even when things get difcult.

More importantly, however, was her English teacher, Barb Friesel, who helped teach her grammar rules. The red pen she used to grade was a fear of many Prospect students but ultimately helped Fitzharris to grow as a writer.

“She might not have infuenced me to go into medical history,” Fitzharris said. “But certainly,

Daggett also addressed how AI can be used in administration in terms of instruction, bus schedules, data systems, master schedules, hiring, teacher evaluations and drafts of budgets.

“I think when you’ve [read student papers] for a while you just know what kids sound like,” Corr said. “I’ve been reading essays for 25 years.”

In contrast, Vanderbilt University, one of the most prestigious universities in America, disabled the use of Turnitin’s AI detector in 2023.

When Turnitin claimed that their AI detection tool had a 1% false positive rate, questions over the validity of their plagiarism detection arose. According to Vanderbilt, students at the university submitted 75,000 papers to Turnitin in 2022. If, for example, Vanderbilt had used Turnitin, approximately 750 papers could have been incorrectly fagged as being partially AI-written.

Accusations of academic dishonesty are taken seriously at the collegiate level and can sometimes result in expulsion. According to Vanderbilt, “instances of false accusations of AI usage being leveled against students at other universities have been widely reported over the past few months, including multiple instances that involved Turnitin.”

To mitigate the efects of AI usage in the classroom, Vanderbilt encourages professors to have open discussions surrounding AI and what degree is acceptable in each class. According to Vanderbilt, “one key aspect to remember throughout all of this is to balance

the importance of mitigating inappropriate AI usage while also being mindful of AI’s benefts in the teaching and learning process.”

When addressing academic dishonesty in her classroom, Joiner believes that if a student’s work gets fagged as AI-written, the AI detector ultimately has the fnal say in terms of plagiarism.

“I mean, if [your paper comes back as AI-generated and] you’re really between a rock and a hard place … I don’t think you can do much,” Joiner said.

Furthermore, according to the University of Kansas, AI detectors are more likely to fag the work of non-native English speakers than the work of native speakers. Therefore, the university advises that the use of AI detectors should be “cautioned against” in educational settings, especially when assessing the work of non-native English speakers.

“I think [Vanderbilt is] being careful,” Corr said. “Obviously you don’t want to ruin some kid’s academic career and reputation for something that might not be all the way accurate. I can see that.”

In response to AI’s growing presence in society, District 214 had guest speaker Bill Daggett present on August 12 at Rolling Meadows. Daggett addressed numerous aspects of AI as well as technology’s increased presence in children’s lives. He recommended that AI can be a tool for teachers when creating curricula, lesson plans, assessments and in communicating with

No matter how advanced AI be comes, however, Dag gett’s slideshow enforced the belief that foundational skills such as literacy, creativity, adaptability, critical thinking, communication and problem-solving will outweigh anything that AI can do.

One of the slides on Daggett’s presentation stated that “the most connected generation has be come the least con nected generation,” alluding to the fact that the increased role technology plays in people’s lives has made them too com fortable with living be hind a screen.

she gave me the toolbox to be the writer I am today.”

Through all her experiences, Fitzharris has learned to use all the knowledge she has absorbed to inspire her. As Fitzharris explained, heartbreak can lead to best-selling books, academic burnout can lead to a blog that transforms your life and study abroad experiences can lead to a brand new passion and path. While it’s strange and unknown to a lot of people, Fitzharris loves teaching and sharing her expertise on medical history.

“I love connecting with people and getting them interested in medical history,” Fitzharris said. “Getting people excited about something they never really thought about is a great joy for me.”

More than that, she is excited to keep writing. Sharing the stories of medical history with the world has made her the happiest and with a new children’s book coming out soon, her best advice to everyone is to write about the things that bring them joy.

“You’ve got to just write. I know that sounds stupid, but you have to write even when you don’t want to write; you need to keep going.” Fitzharris said. “You have to fnd your voice.”

“It’s not a game of gotcha,” Joiner said. “I’m not reading papers suspecting plagiarism all the time … and I would say in many cases kids admit to it. … You want [students] to be ethical. You don’t want to nail them to the

Laskonis shares this perspective as her concerns around AI stem from students using the tool as a crutch rather than an aid.

“We’re trying to teach you how to think, not teach you to rely on something else all the time,” Laskonis said.

The general consensus among the English department is that teachers condone the use of AI to generate ideas or sources and condemn the use of AI to write any portion of a paper.

between ChatGPT and academics. Opportunities for teachers to have professional development surrounding AI are essential, according to Saleh, in understanding what AI is becoming.

“Being open to just exploring ChatGPT and not being afraid to see what it can generate for you [is important],” Saleh said. “Those of us who did not grow up with a lot of technology … are sometimes trained [to think] that fnding information needs to take

time, and that’s how our brains have been wired. … I think with generation [Z, information doesn’t] need to take a long time for us to get. Teachers [should be open] to not feeling guilty that it doesn’t need to take that long to fnd the information.”

While Saleh recognizes the assistance that AI provides, she also believes that AI shouldn’t undermine the importance of developing critical thinking skills.

“[Generation Z], in my opinion, is wired to get information very quickly,” Saleh said. “But sometimes when you get information really quickly you don’t critically think, or you don’t examine the information you’re getting. I think that’s the thing I would want kids to be very mindful of.” Laskonis and the English department continuously re-evaluate their curricula to make sure that students are as prepared for their post-secondary plans as possible.

As AI continues to root itself in peoples’ lives, Laskonis is open to changing policies and adapting to what many colleges are doing.

“Learning how to use AI is important because it’s there, it’s not going away,” Laskonis said. “We understand that it’s partly our responsibility to guide students to use it appropriately and correctly. We want to prepare students for the expectations in college. When the department pulled together their policy last year, they looked at what colleges and universities are doing because it’s our responsibility to help our students to be prepared for what universities are currently expecting. Because AI is changing and shifting, we want to be as responsive to that as we possibly can.”

ALUMNI: On September 13, Prospect hosted three distinguished alumni including (from left to right) Colonel Timothy Ward, Dr. Anne Barkawitz Simon, and Lindsey Fitzharris at their annual homecoming assembly. Fitzharris, class of 2000, shared her rare career in medical history. (photo by Alyssa Kowols )

Colonel Timothy Ward

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To many students, missing a few days of school may as well be a death sentence. Makeup work can be overwhelming as you try to cram dozens of classes’ work into a few days, while simultaneously keeping up with the new material those classes teach.

Missing just one or two school days can cause a student to fall behind, meaning excessive absences can be detrimental. Dean of students Adam Levinson outlines how missing even a single day of school can cause a student to fall behind.

“Figure you have an 85-minute block, and let’s say you have two to three classes in a day … cutting one period [can lead] to a lot of missed class … [and] it only adds up over time,” Levinson said.

The COVID-19 pandemic and electronic learning shifted students’ views on many aspects of school, including attendance. According to illinoisreportcard.com, Prospect’s attendance rate dropped from 97.1 percent in 2021 to 94.2 percent in 2022.

“Because of the shift in [in-person] learning from remote learning back, a lot of kids had a challenging time transitioning … [‘EveryKnight EveryDay’] regarded getting those kids back to school,” Levinson said.

Introduced at the start of the 2023-24 school year by the Student Services Department (SSD) as a result of District 214 (D214) superintendency shining a light on the issue, the “EveryKnight EveryDay” program improves upon student attendance with a new, favorable approach to confronting absences. Levinson outlines the mindset behind the EveryKnight EveryDay program.

selors, therapists, deans and Mary Kate Smith, the associate principal for Student Services; all who work in supporting students in getting adjusted to attending classes regularly.

“We [apply] positive programs [and] restorative practices; making things out from a healthy level, not from a consequential level,” Levinson said.

“EveryKnight Everyday” difers from other dean-enforced attendance policies in that it takes a friendly and sympathetic approach to the issue of attendance. To get help, all students need to do is enter the school.

“The biggest thing I can say to any student struggling with getting to school, whether they’re anxious or not feeling great, [is to] just get in the door. Forget about the classes … just get in the door, and we’ll work on things,” Levinson said.

The “EveryKnight Everyday” program is run by the SSD, which is made up of Prospect coun-

I wheezed in exhaustion as I meandered through Elmhurst Street’s pathetic excuse for a sidewalk. Wherever I looked, there were cars. Behind me? Yep. In front of me? Sure. Above me? Why not? At this point, I wouldn’t have been

In addition to helping struggling students, the SSD fnds it important to reward those who have consistently shown up to classes through minor yet genuine incentives. Such incentives include a candy cart that visits classes bimonthly to deliver candy to students with good attendance, premier parking and merchandise giveaways.

“Instead of focusing on punishments, [we] focus [on the fact] that you made it in. We’re proud of that wellness,” Levinson said.

The program worked tremendously well, increasing student attendance by around 6 percent from the 2022-23 to 2023-24 school years. PHS has around 2,250 students, meaning the program helped around 135 students attend more classes.

by several hundreds [of] kids,” Levinson said. “Not only are we number one [in attendance], but we also have the best improvement … that’s a big feat.”

Additionally, teachers noticed a shift in attendance since the SSD introduced the program.

“Overall, I thought attendance got better,” English teacher Tim McDermott said. “The overall students who were here on a daily basis improved.”

We, KnightMedia, believe that “EveryKnight Everyday” is a bold and successful program that has helped reduce absences and adjust students back to in-person routines in a post-COVID pandemic world. The deans’ focus on helping absentees instead of punishing them shows their compassion towards the student body, breaking any negative stereotypes students may hold for them.

“EveryKnight EveryDay” was founded on the idea that a student’s wellness is much more valuable than their academic abilities. While grades, attendance and state test scores are important, the mental and physical states of students is the higher priority of the program.

- Adam Levinson, Dean of Students

As a result of the “EveryKnight EveryDay” program, Prospect is currently the highest-ranking high school in D214 in terms of attendance. This feat is harder to accomplish due to Prospect’s student body being much larger than other schools.

“We have the largest school [in the district]

squinting at my GPS like a boomer trying to rotate a PDF. Sickening questions spun through my head: Where was I? How late would I be? And — most dreadful of all — did they fnish the breadsticks without me?

This tragedy occurred when I had a KnightMedia Executive Board meeting at Panera, which Google Maps claimed was an 11 minute bike ride away. Needless to say … it lied.

I got lost time and time again, feeling mystifed whenever a sidewalk vanished from existence or the app directed me to cross the street without a crosswalk. And when there was a crosswalk, each walk signal

“What’s most important is taking care of yourself,” Levinson said. “You can’t get to where you want to go if you’re not feeling your best self. It’s all part of the physiology of sleep, eating right, exercising and, of course, your brain taking care of your emotional well-being as well. That all leads to success in the classroom.”

— glowing faceless white guys taunting me with their carefree strolls — seemed to be competing for who could make me wait the longest. It didn’t help that it was searingly hot and I was wearing all black from a band camp theme day. Any driver passing me probably thought, “Huh. It looks like that girl is going to a funeral for her own will to endure.” And honestly? They were right.

But this incident isn’t just a funny story. The truth is, American suburbs are all but outright hostile to anyone trying to get anywhere without a car. They’re built that way. And this doesn’t only plague a few Panera-going cyclists like me — it’s one of the foremost culprits behind America’s undeniably massive environmental destruction.

Consumption inflated by media

It all started with a Christmas gift way back in 2019. The “VSCO era” of scrunchies and seashell jewelry was coming to a close, but I fnally got the water bottle I had seen marketed to me for months. The 20 ounce hot pink Hydro Flask was a very interesting choice for a water bottle, but I fnally had it. The water bottle I had seen trending on YouTube was fnally mine.

Fast forward a month later and I lost the water bottle conveniently at the same time everyone else lost interest in being a “VSCO girl”. I would proceed to buy and lose several more Hydro Flasks before I lost interest in the brand altogether. However, a few years later I began to see more and more videos on the popular app TikTok expressing how perfect these Stanley water bottles were.

They were the baseline for all the new looks and aesthetics. The ones I saw fash across my TikTok for you page (FYP) countless times. My favorite creators couldn’t stop praising how the water bottle made them feel and how it completed their aesthetic. As someone who was still searching for her own vibe, I thought that this water bottle would solve all of my problems. I never even thought twice about buying one.

I never once even considered asking myself how this might impact the world around me. What happens when we extract precious metals from the Earth to make the stainless steel that winds up in your beloved Stanley cup?

Can you really blame me though? Look around, people! Everyone has either a Hydro Flask, a Stanley or an Owala. 55.2% of Prospect students have bought something of social media to participate in a trend, according to a KnightMedia survey of 299 students.

We are all basic people following the trends as they come and go, and we’ve never questioned this before? You are absolutely right; we haven’t, because we’ve never needed to worry about social media until now.

Time out, hold your horses, take ten, get a drink of water and let’s talk. I know what you are thinking, these kinds of microtrends happen all the time. Ask your parents if they ever had a perm and watch what face they make; it should be the face of regret. Yes, but the point is that we are consuming more now than ever before.

The Guardian found that we are consuming Earth’s resources 1.7 times faster than it can regenerate them; essentially, we need another 1.7 Earths to sustain our current level of consumption.

Psychology teacher Daria Schafeld points out the diferences between how her generation handled trends versus how we handle them now, as a generation consumed by technology.

“The idea of things being trendy, or adolescents doing a certain thing, isn’t new,” Schafed said. “The transmission of information … [that’s] new.”

Now you’re probably thinking, “Facebook has been around since 2003. It’s the only social media all age groups can comprehend, so why hasn’t that platform driven consumption up?” Well, it has, just not in the way TikTok has.

Imagine this: it’s

2023, you own a fairly young social media platform with 150 million users in the U.S. and notice that older platforms are adding more features related to online shopping directly in their apps. But you also notice that these platforms are failing to get the numbers to make the efort worthwhile. What would you do?

That’s the question Nico Le Bourgeois was facing with TikTok. He is one of two executives that oversee the new TikTok Shop in the U.S. The New York Times found that TikTok’s shop aimed to place a shop button on users’ FYP that pops up when certain products are displayed in a video.

If Amazon and TikTok had a baby, TikTok Shop would be it. You still want to believe this app hasn’t evolved into a place to shop and advertise? I mean, Le Bourgeois literally said it himself.

“We have a very aggressive plan to make a splash in the industry and make sure that people out there understand that TikTok is a place for shopping,” Le Bourgeois said in an interview with the Times in September, 2023.

Schafeld also mentions that TikTok already has a tool to aid in engagement.

“There is some algorithm that they know about you,” Schafeld said. “[They know] when you check your phone … [and then] distribute your likes to keep you coming back more often”

The algorithm is what makes TikTok so great. It’s why I love my FYP and can trust that my videos will be good and of interest to me. You know what really makes us buy things? Infuencers.

I know for a fact we have all heard our favorite infuencers say the most cringy, most heartbreaking line of, “Click the link in my description and use code, ‘youvebeeninfuenced,’ to get 20% of your purchase!”

Alyssa Barber is a TikToker with 367,600 followers that also works with EcoTalk as their Head of Content Strategy — more on that later. She helps de-infuence people when it comes to buying products. She points out that almost every creator gets positive feedback when promoting ads that — one way or another — bring attention to their account.

“If you talk to a lot of infuencers … when they mention products, even if they’re not a product focused page, it tends to do really well for them,” Barber said.“The apps [themselves] promote it as well and will push their content to convince people to shop.”

I understand that infuencers need money — let’s be honest, who doesn’t — but I also believe there’s a line that can easily be crossed. Someone genuinely being excited to promote something and someone just doing it for the money are two very diferent things. Unfortunately, a lot of people can’t tell the diference because they’ve grown so close to these relatable infuencers.

If the person you look up to is using or wearing a certain product, it seems like the logical choice to also buy that product. Psychology Today found that 61% of consumers ages 18 to 34 stated that an infuencer has infuenced their decision—making in purchasing a product.

They also found that, “... social norms refect the perceptions of what other people think and do. The more we believe that other people, especially other people like us, engage in a given behavior, the more we are likely to also do it.”

Which brings us to the age-old debate of if this is just a case of peer pressure. To an extent, it honestly is.

Barber herself is willing to admit that infuencers can’t bear all the blame on this complex issue.

“Another reason [for overconsumption] is really peer pressure, having the next best thing,

RECORDING IN PROCESS: According to the Digital Marketing Institute, companies can earn anywhere from $5.78 to $18 for every dollar they invest in these infuencers. (Art by Cora Richer)

Jocelyn Farina

[having] fear of judgment [and] wanting to ft in. All of those things are really natural to humans in general, and now we have another outlet for it, which can look like shopping for products,” Barber said.

Schafeld made a very good point that I never even considered. When you put your phone away for class — I know some of you don’t, but I won’t say names — what is the frst thing you do when you get it back?

Be honest with yourself; it’s okay, I won’t judge you just this one time. Acceptance is the frst step.

If you answered, ‘checking your phone to see what things you missed in the time frame of 85 minutes,’ you are right on. Schafed points out that our fear of missing out (FOMO) has simply increased with technology. Just like I mentioned the similarities of our generations, Schafeld remembers experiencing similar feelings.

“I would get to school on a Monday morning in high school as a student, not really knowing what I missed out on the weekend, right? ... There wasn’t FOMO until you got there the next day … whereas you guys could have live updates as to what you’re missing out [on], literally in real time,” Schafeld said.

Thus, Schafeld said we feel more inclined to always stay on top of the trends. Which, in this day and age, changes really fast. By the time this article comes out, “demure” might as well be a foreign word.

Now, how does this trend of continual consumption impact our world? Well, to make all of your Owalas or UGGs, companies need raw materials. Oftentimes, these raw materials are non—renewable. Basically, once you use it, you use it. When you are done with it, you are done with it. There’s no way to repurpose the product.

According to The Guardian, a mere 20% of people on Earth use 80% of Earth’s resources. They also found that in North America, the average person is likely to consume 10 times the amount of resources than that of someone in Africa.

10 times! 10 times the clothes, 10 times the plastic, 10 times the amount of resources for products we likely don’t need.

I get it, I buy stuf that I don’t need too. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t too late to stop the path we are on.

Senior Adeline Walker found herself participating in trends during the pandemic, but when she started her sophomore year of high school she began to feel more conficted over her spendings.

“I kind of realized … it’s better to have your own sense of style … you don’t want to waste your money on something [that’s not] sustainable in your wardrobe,” Walker said.

Barber explained that there are so many things that teens can do to help. The organization she works for, EcoTalk (See? I told you we would get back to this), is aimed at informing young

SCAN HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT TIKTOK’S EFFECT ON TEENS

people about conscious consumption: thinking before buying.

Barber mentions that a part of that can look like de-infuencing, which is when infuencers encourage people to not buy products. She says that this movement can help people think twice before buying a product. Schafeld warns though, that de-infuencing can quickly be turned on its head.

“So you might be inspired by that infuencer or that de-infuencer … But let’s be honest, de-infuencing is just infuencing, but just the opposite,” Schafeld said.

Of course, we don’t have to be infuenced to have a positive impact. Walker mentions that donating is still an efective option for getting rid of clothes in a sustainable way, but it also allows people to shop for clothes in a sustainable way.

“People will fnd uses for something that you may think is really terrible if you [decide to] donate it,” Walker said. “I know [that] I found things that people have donated that I’ve really loved, even though … they didn’t like it anymore.”

Barber adds that you will know if you are consciously consuming if you are about to stay happy throughout the process.

“Sustainability should be rooted in joy,” Barber said. “It should be good for people and the planet, so you should be having a good time while participating [in sustainable practices].”

Schafeld also shared a similar motto about conscious consumption, which I personally think is the best piece of advice for anxious teenagers.

“So you might be inspired by that infuencer or that de-infuencer, but have your own brain,” Schafeld said. “Do your own research and make your own decision on it.”

JOCELYN FARINA Copy Editor

Graphic Art by

Students lead school through spirit

STELLA PALM AND MEG IMHERR ManagingEditor-in-ChiefEditor and Executive In-Depth Editor

At the annual Prospect fall “Scrimmage Knight,” senior Maddie Bronder was ecstatic to make her debut as one of the 2024-25 Prospect Blue Leaders. For the frst time, Bronder wasn’t looking out to the football feld, but instead looking up into the entire student section.

“[I remember] I just kept saying, ‘I’m just taking it all in,’” Bronder said. “It was kind of like a ‘we’re here’ moment.”

Standing next to her best friend since freshman year and fellow Blue Leader Neve Pomis, Bronder let all the emotions sink in.

“Neve, we’re Blue Leaders,” Bronder said. “We’re seniors [now]. Where did all the time go? Let’s enjoy [this] … and make this year the best that we have.”

39.7% of students say they would want to become a BLue LEader

Most activities and clubs at Prospect are not complete without student leaders. Blue Leaders, Associated Student Body (ASB) leaders, Knights’ Way leaders and student emcees are only a few notable examples. While these programs may seem similar to an outsider, they each have their own goals and attributes that set them apart.

Franklin send out a form to all teachers to provide feedback about the applicants.

Some students, like Bronder, were eager to become a Blue Leader from the moment they entered Prospect. Being one of only six students coming to Prospect from Holmes Middle School, she remembers feeling so welcomed in such an unknown environment for her.

“I kind of felt so small, and I wanted to work my way up to be that … [role model] for other kids,” Bronder said.

Similar to the Blue Leader applications, Knights’ Way uses teacher recommendations to select their leaders. Knights’ Way advisers are social science teachers Jay Heilman and Qiana Drye. According to Heilman, Knights’ Way is a program led by the school’s “army of reliable student volunteers.”

out and noticed that her friend Lucy Neumann had left her a multitude of missed calls.

When she answered her phone, Bronder found out that she was selected to be a Blue Leader.

“I was so excited because, like I said, nothing’s ever guaranteed,” Bronder said. “And a lot of people who really wanted to be a Blue Leader didn’t get it. [So being chosen] is something I’m really grateful for.”

Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky. Myers describes that choosing Blue Leaders is not always an easy task.

“The most difcult part is that everyone who applies so genuinely wants it, and you’re going to break some hearts. It sucks,” Myers said.

Blue Leader, emcee and Knights’ Way Leader Matthew Fouch explains his emotions before leading The Underground during Scrimmage Knight.

“Being a Blue Leader, you defnitely feel a little self conscious being up there in front of everyone else,” Fouch said. “So being able to put that behind you and be yourself in that atmosphere has long term positive implications.”

Additionally, Fouch and Bronder want all students to feel encouraged to participate in school spirit.

*According to a KnightMedia survey of 297 students

Blue Leaders are responsible for leading The Underground (Prospect’s student section) at sporting events and assemblies. This year, the group is coordinated by English teacher Cambria Myers and school counselor Timothy Franklin. Though Myers has been involved in ASB and helping out with The Underground for 15 years, this is Franklin’s frst year being a coordinator.

Part of being a Blue Leader coordinator is selecting the leaders each year. This past year, application details were posted to the rising senior Schoology page. If a student wanted to apply, they must have submitted a video answering the questions on the application. Some of the questions included, “Why do you want to become a Blue Leader?”, “What do you think that you bring to the table?” and “What role do you want to take on?”

Myers acknowledges that the video applications gave her and Franklin a better understanding of an applicant’s presence, opposed to the written applications of previous years.

“I felt like we were able to get a sense of people’s … communication, but also their energy and their vibe,” Myers said. “It’s not like we were looking for crazy energy in every video necessarily, but it just helped us. That was an important adjustment.”

Another part of the Blue Leader selection process is a teacher recommendation. Myers and

Every quarter, these students are assigned to diferent classrooms to deliver a presentation that focuses on one specifc aspect of character. These themes can vary from friendship to forgiveness. The topics of these presentations change every quarter, but, according to Heilman, have the same goal in mind all year. “[We want to] maintain the established culture of Prospect High School as being a place where kids are kind to one another [and] where we have integrity,” Heilman said. “[There are] all the diferent kinds … of pillars of character that we want to make sure are highlighted, and that all students are informed, and [are] aware [of] … the behavioral expectations of a Prospect student.”

To become a Knights’ Way leader, rising juniors and seniors nominate themselves through a Google Form that is sent out in early May. Then, a form is released to all teachers asking them to rank students on a scale from “highly recommend and do not recommend.” Once Heilman gets the results back, he takes the value of peoples scores and makes a cut to keep the top students. In the end, Heilman usually ends up with 120 senior leaders and 80 junior leaders.

However, not all student leaders get to self-nominate themselves or submit an application. Prospect emcees are all seniors, entirely chosen by staf members and past emcees. Associate Principal for Activities and Operations Frank Mirandola gives the past emcees an outline of what traits the new emcees should have. Mirandola thinks all emcees should be inclusive, engaging, empowering and involved.

Once Mirandola is set on a roster, he contacts each student individually and gives them the opportunity to become an emcee.

When she was chosen to be a Blue Leader, Bronder was thrilled. The 2024-25 Blue Leaders were ofcially selected at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Prospect’s mascot, Sir Kensington, would “Knight” each Blue Leader during class by presenting them with a blue feathered boa.

However, Bronder’s Blue Leader announcement was a little diferent from the traditional “Knighting.” During the day of the announcements, Bronder was on a vacation in South Carolina. After soaking up the sun in the pool, she got

Myers also explains that there are a variety of specifc qualities that they want Blue Leaders to embody. They try to have fve to six people with loud, hype personalities, some people who have skills in media/tech and three to four people who are already in ASB. She acknowledges that it’s also important to have leaders who understand the sports game they attend.

“There are a lot of people who are like, ‘I love school spirit …’ but they don’t even know how a football game works,” Myers said.

Generally, they want responsible, committed people who also have respect and rapport among the Prospect community.

Additionally, some expectations between Blue Leaders and emcees can go hand in hand. Mirandola says, having emcees run assemblies shows the trust of the staf to turn over control to students in a large venue.

“[Emcees] really kind of allow us to have the student experience front and center [at assemblies], and allow us to highlight what it means to be a ‘Knight,’” Mirandola said. “[It] also [allows] for everyone to kind of see themselves in someone that’s on the foor at that time.”

Emcee Amy Xu thinks that having student emcees opposed to staf members helps bridge the connection between students and emcees in a way that is relatable and comforting.

Xu recalls being exposed to a multitude of Prospect cultural experiences her freshman year. She specifcally remembers the senior emcees that spoke during assemblies.

“I feel like we all have that moment, freshman year, seeing all the emcees [and thinking], ‘Oh my god. Like, seniors are so cool, right? They’re so hyped [up] and everything,’” Xu said. “I remember freshman year, [emcee] Hannah Mekky (‘22) … seeing her out of COVID-19, she was just so confdent. I remember just thinking about her before I did my [1 Prospect skit], just … to get some confdence and energy from her.”

1Prospect is an all day welcome event for freshmen that takes place the frst Friday of the school year to teach them about the culture and behavioral expectations of a Prospect student.

At the end of the day, there is a school-wide assembly; for the emcees, this is their introduction to students at the start of the year. Despite Xu being an avid public speaker from her involvement in speech, she acknowledges that she has never spoken in front of a crowd of those num bers.

“It’s very nerve wracking at frst, for sure, and I think a lot of people don’t realize it’s the same for [almost all emcees],” Xu said. “No matter how outgoing you are … [you’re] still at a very vulnerable position being there [when] the entire school’s attention is on you.”

Xu wasn’t the only one that faced some men tal challenges before leading one of her frst events.

“You don’t have to just be big in sports stuf to get involved in school spirit things,” Fouch said. “You can also have a balance between being a good student in the classroom and then being very involved in other extracurricular activities around Prospect.”

Bronder’s advice for students who might be hesitant on school spirit is to “surround yourself with people who match your energy … you’re gonna make memories for yourself, you’re gonna have fun and if you lead by example people will likely follow.”

Leaders at Prospect contribute to so much more than hyping up crowds or creating social media posts. Mirandola thinks that the leadership opportunities place students in a unique position to be able to represent EveryKnight.

“Having students lead is incredibly empowering, because oftentimes teenagers don’t see themselves as leaders,” Mirandola said. “But when someone believes in them and someone gives them the tools to guide, mentor and inspire others, anything is possi ble.”

Building

ONE KNIGHT

DEBUT: Senior emcee Amy Xu speaks at the 2024 Spotlight Assembly on May 1. This is her frst time emceeing in front of the whole school.

Photos by Cora Richer and Alyssa Kowols

Senior year Timeline

Old senior traditions continue making new memories

ALYSSA KOWOLS AND LEANNA KEWARKIS

OnlineEditor-in-ChiefAssociate Editorin-Chief and Executive Features Editor

Students gathered in the stands at George Gattas Memorial Stadium to cheer on the Knights in the homecoming game against New Trier High School on September 13, 2024. Students were covered in navy and columbia blue powder, shouting, “LGK!”, “Let’s go Knights!”

With 5:36 left in the frst quarter, senior Nicky Carlucci received a pass in the end zone from senior and quarterback Jack Skoog. The score was 6-0, with Prospect in the lead.

The students of Prospect High School erupted in cheer. The Blue Leaders fred of confetti cannons, sprinkling The Underground with co-

The seniors danced and shouted to soak in their last homecoming game as Knights

A tradition seniors do every Friday is sit in the stands closest to the football feld. It’s activities like these that students look forward to their senior year. Other popular senior traditions include senior backpacks, “last frst day” photos, senior sunrise, car decorating, senior assassin, senior barbecue and graduation pictures.

Senior year, although exciting, comes quicker for some students than others, such as senior Michael Casaletto.

“It’s surreal because it’s my last year with all the kids I’ve been with … since kindergarten and freshman year,” Casaletto said. “It’s the last hoo rah. I feel like [I] need to make the most of it.”

While senior year comes with the added stressors of college applications, senior Sebastian Parks shares a positive mindset that will help him succeed during his last year.

“[My plan is to] fnish strong, to make sure I keep up my grades and to focus,” Parks said.

SENIOR BACKPACKS

Senior backpacks are one of the newer tra ditions that seniors look forward to. The senior class buys children backpacks oftentimes with characters on them. It allows them to take a glimpse back to their childhood and remember where their journeys all started.

According to USAtoday, the trend started in 2021-2022 and is popular across many states such as Texas, California, Arizona, Florida and North and South Carolina.

This tradition is one of the senior classes’ favorites, as 80.8% of seniors have enjoyed the senior backpacks more than other traditions this school year, according to a Knightmedia survey of 104 seniors.

Senior Wiki Andrzejewska was one of the seniors who was completely onboard with this trend.

Associate Principal of Activities and Operations

Frank Mirandola believes that the tradition is deeper than it seems.

“It peels back a layer into a seniors’ personality that we as staf or other students don’t really know about,” Mirandola said.

CAR DECORATING/PARKING SPOTS

After the senior sunrise, many seniors got chalk markers and drew on the windows of their cars. Most of them wrote things like “class of 2025” or “2enio5”. They used many diferent colors and most of the drawings were on the rear

rant in Gurnee with ski masks on and water guns that resembled real guns. The people there thought it was real guns and that it was a real threat. After the situation calmed down, the community realized how dangerous this game can really get.

According to Dean of Students Jenna Samp, outside of high school students and staf, many communities are not aware of the game seniors are playing and it’s not possible for schools to contact the entire community regarding the activity.

“I love [it],” Andrzejewska said. “I was always waiting for that moment … when summer came along I was already thinking about what backpack to choose.”

Andrzejewska chose a Monster High backpack, as she wanted something unique and authentic to what she watched growing up.

Senior Mary Laba also wanted a backpack that refected her childhood. She chose Tinkerbell because she and her mom used to watch it together.

“I think it’s really fun because we used to watch these shows as kids and now it’s a senior tradition that we can wear backpacks [of those shows] ... I think it’s really cute and nostalgic,” Laba said.

According to Mirandola and Samp, this game is not afliated with or supported by Prospect

54%ofseniorsatphslook forwardtoseniorassassinthe mostoutofallsenioractivities

*AccordingtoaKnightMedia surveyof109students

support Senior Class activities and events.”

According to Mirandola, Prospect doesn’t let seniors paint their parking spots because it costs a lot of money to resurface the parking lot every year. If seniors were to paint spots, the rest of the parking lot would have to be assigned too. That comes with problems as well.

Despite this concern, 71.8% out of 156 parking pass recipients said they would paint their parking spot if it was allowed, according to a KnightMedia survey. If Andrzejewska were to paint her spot, it would be something “High School Musical” or Disney related.

SENIOR ASSASSIN

A tradition that comes later in the year is senior assassin. While a lot of seniors look forward to this one the most, last year one game little too far. AccordingGO, there was an incident with somening into -

“My advice is do not participate because that’s the only 100% guarantee that you will not get in trouble with the police or the school,” Samp said.

Each senior has their own choice as to whether they would like to take part in the game or not, and it is up to the seniors only how this game gets played. One of the main rules is that the game cannot be played on any school grounds including other school cam-

Even though Prospect does not encourage playing, many seniors choose to participate as it has been one of the most popular senior tradi-

“I’m nervous and excited … Overall I think it’s going to be worth it. I think just [for] the experience and the hype I’m excited for it,” Andrzejewska said.

Senior assassin also provides a monetary prize to whoever wins. Parks is determined to win the game and take home this prize.

“I’m really excited for [senior assassin], actually that’s probably the biggest thing I’m looking forward to this year … [it’s] my main goal [to win],” Parks said.

SENIOR BARBEQUE

The day before graduation, the seniors always have a barbeque in the George Gattas Memorial Stadium to show their accomplishments from high school. There are hot dogs and hamburgers, and seniors receive their yearbook, senior superlatives and their senior issue of The Prospector. Typically, many seniors wear their college or military attire.

Bookkeeper, ASB Adviser, Student Activities Assistant and Prospect alumnus Kirsten Anzalone helped plan the event last year and loves getting to see the seniors enjoy the event.

“It’s the seniors that make it special,” Anzalone said. “[The seniors] are the party, [they] bring the fun to it. The stress of planning this event fades away because it’s [them] that make it memorable.”

Anzalone graduated in 2002 and remembers her experience at senior barbecue, diferent from how seniors experience it now.

“In my day we didn’t have social media and we didn’t have cell phones and so this was our last opportunity to take everyone in,” Anzalone said. “I feel like my generation really appreciated that moment and shared it together because we knew it would probably have been one of the last times we would be [at Prospect] as a class.”

According to Mirandola, many teachers and staf show up to spend time with the seniors as it is an open invitation for the staf.

“[The seniors] are on [their] way out. It’s fun to reconnect and really refect on [their] four year journey,” Mirandola said.

From their last frst day of school to their high school graduation, seniors experience a memorable year that they will never forget. All of these traditions celebrate seniors, but more importantly, the ending of high school.

“It is so inspiring to see the end of the four year journey and just to see everyone coming together one last time as the Prospect class of 2025,” Mirandola said.

BACKPACK: (Left to right) Seniors Sophie Fransen, Ava Collins, Ireland Wildhart and Mary Laba pose together on the frst day of school with their childhoodthemed backpacks.

Photos courtesy of @knightsofphs on Instagram, Mary Laba, Brigid Gross, Wiktoria Andrzejewska, Lilly Trylovich, Mollie Kearns, Angelina Falls and Pryncess Butler

Concert threats provoke changes

Taylor Swift concert threats

cause concern

TESSA TRYLOVICH

Managing Editor

After coming home from being out one summer day, senior Frenchie Neach’s mom told her about the news of Taylor Swift’s shows in Vienna, Austria, being canceled due to a planned terrorist attack. This news afected how the Neach’s felt about their tickets to her show in London on August 19, giving them a new anxiety about those shows being canceled as well.

“When I frst heard about Vienna, I was a little bit scared and I knew my mom was,” Neach said. “We knew that it would get canceled if they didn’t think it was safe, but once I was there I felt completely safe.”

The second to last city of the European leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was Vienna, Austria. On August 7, Swift posted to her Instagram an announcement ofcially canceling all three shows in Vienna.

The cancellation was devastating for many fans due to the fact that they spent hours making bracelets, picking out outfts and looking forward to the concert. These fans are fortunate, though, because they could have been victims of a planned terrorist attack. Swift came out about the incident on her Instagram, writing “ ... The reason for the cancellations flled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives … ”

Neach felt alike to Swift.

“I was just in shock,” Neach said. “I would never expect [that to happen because] so many young girls go [and there’s] little kids and families [there]. It’s just a single person [performing].”

After Swift’s cancellation announcement came out on her Instagram story, she didn’t post anything else until after her Wembley shows in England.

In her post, Swift said, “I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows. In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was fnishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.”

In London, Swift also increased her security and worked with the British authorities to make sure that everybody was safe. Neach took note of the

CONCERTS CONTINUE: Taylor Swift was forced to cancel her Vienna shows after the Austrian police notifed her of a planned terrorist attack (art by Sage Gilliland)

strict security and compared it to going through TSA at an airport.

“There were police ofcers everywhere and there was a lot of security. You had to go through metal detectors twice and they checked every bag,”

Neach said. “I [felt super] safe and they did [a] good [job] for what just happened.”

According to an article from USA Today, fans with foor tickets were not allowed to camp overnight in the hopes of getting a spot closer to the stage, and Swifties can no longer “Taylor-gate” outside of the stadium if they don’t have tickets.

“Taylor-gate” or “Tay-gating” is very popular amongst fans who weren’t able to get tickets or aford them. According to CNN, authorities expected around 65,000 audience members at each of Swift’s Vienna shows, and another 15,00020,000 fans outside the stadium.

Although not not quite the size as one of Swift’s shows, Prospect has large attendance at their football games, but that also makes it difcult for staf to keep students safe. According to Students Resources Ofcer (SRO), Tyler Johnson, once a month, administration at Prospect has security meetings to discuss the points of entry, the size of

the crowd and the amount of security they would need at games. At the home football games, there are ofcers at each entrance, in the stands and in squad cars in the parking lot.

At a football game last school year, at New Trier, some students from New Trier came to Prospect’s side of the stands to start some trouble. Unfortunately, one of the students from New Trier decided to pull out a knife scaring many Prospect students. Fortunately, no one was harmed and the students only intent was to upset others. According to Johnson, the deans attend the away football games, but the opposing school needs to supply their own ofcers. Due to the fact that many of the games are in diferent towns and suburbs, Johnson isn’t allowed to be on-duty there.

In order to keep students from other schools out of Prospect’s student section, Johnson and the other security guards keep a good look out during the games.

“[If] I see a crowd of four boys wearing orange and brown, we go ‘Hey guys you gotta sit over there,’” Johnson said.

Although the security guards can not legally force them to leave, they do

continue to ask the students to leave until they do.

Neach is also a cheerleader at Prospect and is highly aware of her surroundings at the football games.

“I feel like always being cautious going anywhere with a big crowd is the best thing to do [to be safe],” Neach said.

Keeping students safe in school is the administration’s top priotiry. At Prospect, there are security guards at each of the main doors, the cafeteria, the library and the hallways by the gyms. During school hours, students are only allowed to enter and exit through doors 6 and 30, and they have to scan their student ID’s. Students are also not permitted to let anyone in through any door as the school needs to track who enters and exits.

“I don’t want to throw the students under the bus, but you guys are so kind in general, and you think you’re helping out a friend [by holding the door open for them]… and then someone standing outside and they go, ‘Oh hold the door’ and you guys hold the door without thinking twice,” Johnson said. All of the entrance and exit doors at Prospect are checked daily to make sure they are shutting properly, and if an unauthorized person is let into the building it is addressed immediately. Johnson lends his advice to students to help keep them safe at Prospect.

“Don’t open doors for strangers,” Johnson said. “Follow the rules, don’t bring vapes to school, follow curfew, don’t record or post silly, stupid things. ... Stop recording what you’re doing and just make good, smart decisions.”

Fabulous Las Vegas Knights

s Juniors Sara Conway and Lea Biwer writes the homecoming week schedule on Prospect’s chalkboard wall.

s Security guard Sarah Milstein and Dean Jenna Samp pose with their jerseys for the frst dress up day of the week. (left to right)

s Junior Maria Hristeva quickly writes down her answer before the time runs out at Trivia Knight.

t “The U” cheers on the girls’ fag football team during their game against Whitney Young.

s Seniors Kate Kremer, Charlotte Stolzer, Ellie Rosean and Micheal Anzalotti (left to right) wear bright orange for class color day.

s Freshman Luigi Noe lifts up his hands to start bouncy house race.

s The girls’ fag football team lines up for a play.

s Social science teacher Tim Beishir’s kids, Ben and Brooke, and French teacher Jenna Sandstead’s kids, Smith and Wells walk the crown and the sash across the Jean Walker feldhouse.

s Associate Principal Frank Mirandola shakes alumnus Annie Simons’ hand.

s The 2024 Homecoming Royalty in the Jean Walker Fieldhouse: Colleen Shute, Lucy Neumann, Alex Styka, JT Zei and Cam Lobacz. (left to right)

s Senior boys throw up blue powder for the annual homecoming powder toss.

s The Prospect student section holds up “The U.”

s Junior Joe Lobue gets ready for a play.

s The Prospect dance team performs their homecoming routine.

s The Prospect Cheer Team holds up “The U” in a stunt.

s Senior girls wears their Togas for “Toga Tuesday” as part of one of the homecoming dress up days.

Photos by KnightMedia staff members Tessa Trylovich, Alyssa Kowols and Cora Richer

Domestic violence

tions on platforms like TikTok and Instagram seem to lean more negative, with few defending the movie.

Trigger Warning: Discussions of domestic violence and other possibly triggering topics appear in the story.

hen junior Ava Brown walked into the theater with her friend to watch

“It Ends With Us,” she expected to see a sad but lighthearted rom-com. Instead, she found out that this movie would actually be one of the darker ones she’d watch all year.

“When he frst hit her in the eye, I kind of gasped [and] I looked at [my friend] and went ‘Oh my god,’” Brown said.

“It Ends With Us” is a romance novel written by Colleen Hoover in 2016 that was adapted into a movie on August 9, 2024, by director and actor Justin Baldoni and actress Blake Lively. “It Ends With Us” attempts to discuss the heavy topics of domestic violence and how it impacts the victim’s relationships and mentality. Baldoni, whom Hoover herself chose, told Variety that he “was sobbing real snot and tears.”

“I was very protective of this book,” Hoover told Variety. “I felt like [Baldoni] understood the book and … the importance of people needing to see it on-screen.”

Much like how the movie faced criticism upon release, the book was also hit with much talk when it released. Many of the book’s initial readers from 2016 thought the book didn’t handle the subject matter well either. This has led many readers to feel conficted about the story even years later. According to Glamour writer Stephanie McNeal, many fans and readers over the years have “clashed” with the way the book has been perceived by the media.

that the book didn’t do the domestic violence discussion justice.

Rooks and Carroll were freshmen when the club was formed, having experienced what happened during homecoming 2021 and the aftermath of the situation.

Project walk.

During homecoming in 2021, a number of alleged sexual assaults and non-consensual touches were reported on the football feld where it was held. Several students banded together to spread awareness and educate the student body about sexual and domestic violence in the form of a club: Knights for Consent.

“['It Ends With Us'] made me very uncomfortable,” senior Ella Carroll said.

Carroll, who is a leader for Knights for Consent, read the book her freshman year and felt conficted about it.

“What’s troubling to me is [how the book] was written,” Carroll said. “Young girls can perceive [toxic relationships] as a desire.”

The story itself is about forist Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) falling in love with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). The story takes the reader through the subtle descent into the relationship's toxicity and Bloom’s ability to escape.

Lively, who portrays Bloom in the flm, chose to market the movie on the ofcial TikTok page as “one for the girls,” and encouraged people to “grab [their] friends, wear [their] forals, and head out to see it.”

Online, reactions were very poor in response to this casual approach, with The Guardian’s Arwa Mahdawi calling much of the marketing “breezy at best” and “wildly inappropriate at worst.”

On top of the marketing criticism, many did not like the movie itself. Some online critics, like those at Common Sense Media, called the flm “harmful and misleading,” saying that it “glorifes domestic violence.”

Despite some positive reactions from sites like Rotten Tomatoes, the majority of the reac-

Hoover, however, disagrees with the negative perceptions of the movie and book, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I see the book and the flm as [completely separate] things … I’m happy with [the movie] adaptation.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, “It Ends With Us” was written based on Hoover’s own abusive father and the memories of his violence against her mother when Hoover was little. Hoover’s main intent for the book was to educate readers on what domestic violence can look like both in and out of a relationship, and how it can start and end, as well as focus on ending the cycle of domestic abuse.

According to the National Institute of Health, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the United States experience some form of intimate violence from their partners, with 5 million acts of domestic abuse inficted on women annually and 3 million on men annually. Only about 42% of cases are reported, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

“It Ends With Us” specifcally depicts a scene that details the attempted rape of Bloom by Kincaid, which results in their inevitable divorce and split custody of their child.

According to a recent survey, nearly 17% of students know someone who has been impacted by domestic violence, or have been impacted themselves. This is another reason for why the club exists.

Although there’s only less than 15 members left, as opposed to over 20 at its peak, current members continue to spread awareness and push resources and education in health classes.

The education of sexual consent and domestic violence has become a nation-wide law since Prospect frst implemented presentations from the Northwest Center Against Sexual Assaults (CASAs), which is an Illinois Northwest suburb non-proft organization. Additionally, Erin’s Law, named after Erin Merryn, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and an advocate for survivors, has been implemented in Illinois

At Prospect, the health class that sophomores take includes a short unit on domestic violence. Students are shown a presentation about domestic violence and are given resources to get help from CASAs. They also set up a very powerful silent t-shirt walk through The Clothesline Project, where students can write and read color-coded shirts with real stories written by real people about experiences regarding domestic violence and assault, some of them being their own classmates.

“[The attempted rape scene] made me want to put [the book down] and walk away,” Carroll said.

Senior and Knights for Consent leader Taryn Rooks has a more complicated opinion on the way it was handled. Both Rooks and Carroll agreed that the handling of domestic violence was poor in the movie, but that the book’s detailed descriptions did a better job at portraying domestic violence. However, Rooks still believes

In the background of The Clothesline Project shirt walk, a gong is struck to indicate an assault, a whistle is blown to indicate a rape report and a bell is rung to indicate a death due to a violent attack. Each sound plays to refect the frequency of each attack, which is only a few seconds in between all of them.

CASAs has been coming to school to educate Prospect students about sexual assault and consent for nearly 15 years. According to health teachers Cristen Sprenger and Michele Burnett, both are in full support of the cause and both feel the impact of the presentations and Clothesline

“The frst time I saw CASA’s [Clothesline Project], I was in shock,” Burnett said.

The Clothesline Project walk has helped many students come out and speak about their experiences through the shirts. On average, fve or six students a semester write their own shirts. Burnett believes that the t-shirt walk has had a positive impact on many students because it has helped them speak out about their experiences.

“This is the frst time [that the survivors told anyone], [it’s] the frst time [they] didn’t feel alone anymore,” Burnett said.

Sprenger and Burnett feel that education on this topic at a young age is crucial to preventing and supporting those going through domestic violence. They especially appreciate this kind of education when it’s done in a way that allows students to interact with the experiences that others have gone through.

“You can hear statistics all day long,” Rooks said. “But living through a small portion of [the assault] will have a much bigger impact.”

cartoon by Nora Fallon

Boys’ golf goes for another ace

Looking to repeat last year’s success with a new lineup

LUKE ROBINSON AND KADEN CHUNG Sports Reporters

Only half way through the season, the boys’ golf team is currently 6-3 in the MSL and they are continuing to live up to the expectations set by last year’s team that was a state contender. However, their new varsity lineup will have to face the challenge of inexperience.

Coach Jim Hamann, for one, has faith in his team, maintaining that plenty of golfers will step up.

“What I am most excited for this season is our seniors this year,” Hamman said, “because as juniors, they didn’t get to compete in many events.”

The boys’ golf team is coming of of a historic season after placing third at the state meet — their frst state trophy since 1976. However, the team lost their two senior leaders, Luke Kruger and Patrick Raupp, who were both all-state last year.

This year, a new “big two” have emerged in Cole Bielecki and Ryan Murray. Bielecki won the sectional and also placed 25th at state last year, making him the only returning state medalist.

Bielecki has averaged 37.3 for his last three 36-par 9-hole matches and Murray has averaged 38.3. Murray was a freshman on varsity and is looking to continue to build on last year’s success this year, he is also ranked fourth in the MidAmerican Junior Golf Tour for 14-15 year olds.

The pressure is palpable to repeat last year’s success, which is why it’s crucial for the new varsity golfers to step up. This will allow the boys’ golf team to continue to soar above their competitors across the state.

As a freshman on varsity, Eamon Walsh sometimes feels like he shouldn’t be on varsity

DRIVE: Senior Cole Bielecki taking a practice swing on the range with his driver. Bielecki is coming off of a season where he placed frst at sectionals and 25th at state. (photo by Cora Richer)

because he doesn’t play as well as his older teammates. Having a positive mindset while playing a match in golf is very challenging, but Walsh always tries to persevere and never get his emotions mixed up.

“I usually try to stay calm by just having a short memory and just thinking about the next shot after I hit a bad one,” Walsh said. Walsh is ranked 228 in the Mid- American Junior Golf Tour for 14-15 year olds.

es a ton of pressure, and Hamann knows that. Hamann said Bielecki doesn’t show any stress, saying he always keeps a cool and calm demeanor. During the summer he showed this when he tied for second place at the Mid- American Junior Golf Tour on July 14.

THERE’S DEFINITELY A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE FOR US TO PLAY GOOD, BUT I WOULDN’T SAY TO WIN STATE OR DO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR,”

“There is defnitely some pressure in stepping up for my teammates,” Walsh said, “but I know that if I let it get to me I will always play worse so I try to just forget it and focus on my game.”

A team coming of a state trophy always fac-

PTen mentality builds friendship

CLAIRE WYNKOOP

Online

Editor-in-Chief

Taking the long bus ride to Addison on September 12, the girls tennis team prepared for the biggest competition of their lives. They strategized and zoned in on the biggest moment of their season.

When they pulled up and saw the Conant girls’ tennis team waiting, they knew that all their

SERVING UP SUCCESS:

preparation led up to this moment: the laser tag battle. Led into battle by the seniors, the girls’ tennis team proceeded to have the time of their lives, not just because of laser tag but because they were with each other.

“It was really fun,” senior Niki Gusic said. “We lost both rounds, but it’s just fun… because they’re like my best friends.”

Prospect girls’ tennis isn’t just a sport for this year’s seniors. For Gusic, senior Kara Pescaru and senior Anna Lizama, the team wouldn’t be what it is without the culture they work so hard to build. From pasta parties and going out for food after practice, to just hanging out and doing homework, the team culture is something that is treasured.

“We have been told by other teams that they are envious of how close we are,” Pescaru, who has played varsity for four years, said. “They’re not even just my teammates at this point. They’ve really become my best friends.”

Gusic, Pescaru and Lizama all described their teammates as far more than teammates This, according to Gusic, comes from their PTen mentality.

“PTen stands for prospect tennis and for me it’s about a group of girls and not tennis at all,” Gusic said. “It’s just a team that’s always been there for me and always will be.”

This positive mentality and team spirit is what gets Gusic and other members through long practices or hard matches. “Fun Friday’s,” where the team dresses up based on a theme, is one of their favorite things to do. Little things that bring the team closer together is what all the seniors hope to leave behind as they graduate. The unwavering positivity, especially for Pescaru, is something she hopes the underclassmen learn and carry with them after she graduates.

“When I was in my toxic club environment, I just wished I had someone who welcomed me,” Pescaru said, “and that’s the person I have tried to be for the past four years.”

That efort doesn’t go unnoticed by her friends and teammates either, as both Lizama and Gusic identifed Pescaru as someone they would consider a role model.

“Kara has been on the team for four years and she just always spreads positivity,” Gusic said. “Even when her matches are so hard sometimes… she just always keeps her head up.”

Lizama, who played doubles with Pescaru for a short time, also said that she is inspired by her

- Cole Bielecki, senior

“You never really know how he’s playing, which is a good thing,” Hamann said. “He doesn’t get nervous [when he’s playing] well, [and] he doesn’t get frustrated when playing bad.” Bielecki agrees with this, saying that even in the thick of the game he never really feels like there is a lot of pressure on the team.

“There’s defnitely a little bit of pressure for us to play good, but I wouldn’t say to win state or do what we did last year,” Bielecki said.

Considering that Hamann said Prospect always has a target on its back, as it’s consistently one the top teams in the conference. He thinks there is a lot of pressure because the new golfers need to build confdence. However, he still believes that the power of Bielecki’s practice ethic and his own commitment to believing in his players can make the team fourish.

“They have the ability to just go out and do it,” Hamann said.

Murray believes that the team needs everyone to come together and play well, because as high school golfers, they aren’t just counting three scores – they need four scores too.

Some JV golfers have been looking promising lately, especially Luke Ginsberg and Amogh Jadala. Helping the team get frst place in the Rolling Meadows JV invite meet on August 31, they won by eight strokes putting them in a positive light. Both are looking to move up to varsity.

Walsh has been able to help out the JV players because he’s had a strong experience being on varsity and relates to them, as they are all also on the younger side.

“Always focus on your game,” Walsh said. “Don’t focus on what other kids think of how you play and just really try your hardest to play well and success will come from it.”

Hamann noted that players need to play with confdence just like Bielecki: when he steps on the tee, Bielecki believes he can beat anybody, and not everyone thinks that way. Bielecki needs to step up as a leader, teaching them during practice or even helping them around the course if they have never played it.

“The guys that we have on varsity now have to play with more confdence, and they got to believe in themselves because I believe in them and know what they’re capable of,” Hamann said.

Murray stated one freshman, Walsh, and two sophomores, Connor Freudenberger and Ginsberg, on varsity are striving to develop so they can maintain varsity-level skill.

“We [Prospect boys’ golfers] always have a target on our back. I mean, it’s because we’re very successful, one of the most successful programs in the state — but everyone wants to beat us,” Hamann said. “But we’re fne with that. We’re used to it.”

BUILDING BONDS: The varsity girls’ tennis team prepares themselves for their laser tag competition against Conant on September 12. “[Laser tag] was really just so fun,” senior Niki Gusic said. “We lost both rounds, but it’s just fun… because [my teammates] are like my best friends.” (photo courtesy of Kara Pescaru)

and how positive she is, but also how determined she is on the court.

“She keeps team spirits up all the time but when she’s really playing tennis she’s just so locked in and focused,” Lizama said. “She really inspires me because she just doesn’t give up, even when things are hard.”

Pescaru, however, believes that her older sister, a PTen alum, is her biggest inspiration. This is because her sister helped her not only be a better tennis player and welcomed her to the team when Pescaru was a freshman, but also helped her become the positive person she is on the team today.

Pescaru also believes that, other than her sisters, one of the people who supported her was her former coach Mike McCullough, who retired at the end of last school year.

“McCullough was my coach for three years and he’s supported me on and of the court,” Pescaru said. “The best way I can describe him is tough love. He’s really motivated me to be focused and determined.”

Lizama described McCullough as “the dad of the team”, corroborating the tough love idea Pescaru found inspiring.

“He’s just blunt and focused,” Lizama said. “But outside the court he’d check on us and our academics too… he’s just a really nice person.”

Lizama also says that current head coach Patrick Weber is less blunt, but just as kind and supportive, making sure no one is overwhelmed and everyone is working to play their best.

The main goal of the team is not the wins and losses, but the team culture and the PTen mentality that keeps the team a close knit group of girls.

Most of all, as there are 12 girls graduating this year, the seniors expressed how sad it is to know they won’t get to play together again. Of all of the accomplishments and growth, the hardest part is stepping back and leaving the supportive environment they have built. But Pescaru, Lizama and Gusic all expressed how grateful they are to have the team as their friends because they know they’ll see them even after the season. It’s still hard, as Pescaru explains, to leave the family they have made.

“Being a senior, I’m ready for college academically, but as far as tennis, it hasn’t set in yet because we don’t talk about how it’s the end,” Pescaru said. “When I really think about it makes me so sad, and I’m really going to miss my team and my friends.”

Senior Erin Coleman winds up to serve in her doubles match against Barrington. (photo by Cora Richer)

September 23, 2024

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From alumnus to Paris Olympian

PETER RADOSH Associate Editor-in-Chief

As 2014 Prospect alumnus Erin Reese stepped into the hammer throw ring in front of a packed crowd at the Stade de France during the 2024 Olympic Games, she was in awe. Although, in the past, she has had trouble with confdence before meets, during her biggest one, she felt diferent.

“You would think I would be really nervous, but I really wasn’t; I felt at ease,” Reese said. “I looked around, and I just soaked it all in, and I was like, ‘This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done.’”

Reese’s throwing career had an unexpected start; she joined the track team during her freshman year at Prospect after the girls’ head track coach, Dave Wurster, suggested she try out. Reese originally had no plans of throwing or even doing track.

“[On the day of tryouts], we were trying all the other events, and nothing was really that good, then [Coach Lussow] gave me a discus, and it kind of came very naturally,” Reese said. “[It] rolled of my fngers very easily, so then I just stuck with it ever since.”

Reese competed in both shot put and discus during her career at Prospect. Under the coaching of Nick Lussow, she won state for discus during her senior year. Additionally, Reese set the Prospect record for shot put and discus at 13.28 meters and 45.72 meters, respectively. Reese’s success at Prospect got her an ofer from the University of Dayton, where she eventually committed.

At the University of Dayton, Reese met Coach Brandan Bettenhausen, who introduced her to the hammer throw. Throughout her fveyear college career at the University of Dayton and Indiana State University (ISU), Reese qualifed six times for regionals, the stage before nationals. She qualifed three times in the hammer throw, twice in the discus and once in the shot put.

She only advanced to nationals during her fnal season, qualifying in discus and hammer throw. After Reese placed second at nationals for hammer throw during her senior season, she decided to pursue a post-collegiate throwing career.

cylinders anymore; you’re defnitely tired because of what you just did,” Reese said. “Going into that second day, I was just tired. Everything I had was on that frst day.”

Reese ended up fnishing in seventh, missing out on the Olympics.

“I felt defeated, but then, at the same time, knew that I had a lot of time to keep going, so I didn’t want to give up,” Reese said.

Reese felt that her wind-up was what was holding her back.

“At the time, I was doing three [rotations],” Reese said. “A lot of people at the elite level don’t; they do four.”

To Reese, the four-turn was the solution to what had held her back during the Olympic trials in 2021; it would help her build up more speed, even if she was tired. So, immediately after the 2021 Olympic trials, Reese asked Bettenhausen to help her learn the four-turn. Bettenhausen initially felt that it was a bit late in Reese’s track career to make a major technique change, but after a few thorough conversations, he decided to work on the four-turn with Reese.

While Reese initially picked up the technique well, a few minor injuries set her back. The fourturn soon began to fall apart, afecting her marks in the 2022 season.

“In 2022, I didn’t have a single throw over 70 meters,” Reese said. “That was hard [on me].”

Reese’s performance made the season difcult for Bettenhausen as well.

EIFFEL TOWER: Erin Reese and her coach, Brandan Bettenhausen, take a selfe below the Eiffel Tower during the Olympics. "It was borderline unbelievable," Bettenhausen said. "It was truly an opportunity of a lifetime." (photo courtesy of Erin Reese)

Reese graduated from ISU in 2019 as a psychology major. Post-collegiate athletes must fnancially support themselves, so Reese is a full-time mental health caseworker to support herself and her athletic career. Reese also became an assistant throws coach at ISU so she could use their training facilities.

However, during Reese’s frst year out of college, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the ISU training facilities. So, to continue training, Reese and Bettenhausen had to improvise.

“Me and my coach found this concrete surface in an abandoned junkyard,” Reese said. “We painted a circle on there, and I threw of of it.”

Reese trained in the junkyard for the frst month of the lockdown. But, her year took a turn for the worse when, one day, while she was doing some light running drills, she tripped over a piece of garbage and broke her foot. Despite her injury, Reese did the best she could to keep training. She continued to lift, and her broken foot healed in a few months, leaving her with enough time to prepare for the United States Olympic hammer throw trials held on June 24-25, 2021.

The trials take place over two days. The top 12 throwers on the frst day advance to the fnal on the second day. To qualify for Team USA, a hammer thrower must be ranked in the top 32 in the world and place in the top three at the Olympic trials.

Reese was at her peak during the frst day of the trials. She placed in the top four and set a personal record of 72.53 meters. However, as a single-event athlete, it was hard for Reese to maintain her peak for both days.

“Once you [peak] … you’re not fring from all

LOCKED IN: Erin Reese winds up during her runner-up performance at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. “It felt like the most technically perfect throw that I have ever had,” Reese said. (photo courtesy of Indiana State Athletics)

talking.”

“It was frustrating because part of me was thinking, ‘Maybe I made a mistake,’” Bettenhausen said. “It was a bit of an internal struggle, just trying to keep the focus on the bigger picture, which is, ultimately, my role in our coach-athlete relationship.”

Nonetheless, Bettenhausen continued to help Reese with her strength and technique.

As the months passed, Reese began mastering the four-turn and started throwing consistently again.

“In 2023, I had fve meets [where I threw] over 70,” Reese said.

“After that, I felt pretty confdent about the four turn; [I] was in a good place,”

She started 2024 well, competing at the USATF Indoor Championships, the national indoor track and feld championship.

At the meet, Reese won frst place, throwing the second furthest women’s weight throw in world history, at 25.73 meters.

“It was a surreal moment,” Reese said. “I had never won any elite meet before, so I actually felt a sense of belonging … For me, it felt really, really cool to have done something like that.”

Although he couldn’t be there due to an ISU meet, Bettenhausen recalls how he felt as he watched the livestream of Reese winning.

“It was extremely nerve-wracking because I felt like … I couldn’t help her,” Bettenhausen said. “That’s why I was so proud of her for that accomplishment. It felt like this moment where she proved like, ‘Hey, I’m a true professional.’”

The win in the indoor national championship quantifed the efort she had put in over the past two years, and as the June 21 date rolled around, Reese was self-assured. Reese was calm when she stepped into the ring on the frst day of the 2024 Olympic trials.

“In that frst group, I [just thought] ‘You just [need] a good consistent throw, and that will get you to the next round,’” Reese said.

On the frst day, Reese’s furthest throw was 70.82 meters. Although, for Reese, the throw wasn’t special, it was enough.

“I wasn’t really thrilled because it wasn’t one of my best throws,” Reese said. “But it made me sixth going into the fnal day, so I was okay with that.”

For Reese, the atmosphere around the second day of the 2024 Olympic hammer throw trials can only be described as abnormally quiet.

“All the girls were really tense and weren’t talking to each other,” Reese said. “We’re usually pretty goofy and talk and laugh, but nobody was

While most of the fnal 12 competitors sat silently, Reese stayed with Bettenhausen and her husband, Joseph Barnes. They talked, as Reese tried to treat it like any other meet. Reese believes that this helped her perform better.

“I think I had the upper leg on some people just because I kept my mental state normal,” Reese said. “I think some of the girls put too much pressure on themselves.”

Going into her last throw of the day, Reese’s furthest throw was around 69 meters. It wasn’t enough for Reese to place third. However, she kept a cool head and threw 71.25 meters, putting her in third.

Although Reese had placed third at the trials, she still hadn’t made the Olympics. Reese needed a further throw to get enough world ranking points to be within the top 32. While the other athletes knew they had booked their ticket to Paris, Reese had to fgure out how she could get a higher world ranking.

“They got to live in the moment and just know immediately that they don’t have to do anything else,” Reese said. “Me and my coach are scrambling, doing all sorts of equations to fgure what distance I need to get to make it and what other meets I need to go to. So we didn’t really have time to celebrate it.”

Bettenhausen also felt the stress put on by the requirement for Reese to be in the top 32.

“We were calling in favors all across the country, trying to fnd opportunities for her to compete again,” Bettenhausen said. “It was just a whirlwind for 48 hours.”

Reese and Bettenhausen eventually found a meet in Kelowna, a city in Canada. The meet would count for world ranking points, and soon enough, they made their way to Canada. As the meet began, it was a sort of beall, end-all moment for Reese. On June 30, as she stepped into the ring, Reese knew she had to win the meet and throw over 72 meters to get enough world ranking points.

team and asking for an address to send the Olympic kit. Once everything was fnalized, after two weeks of a training camp, Reese was en route to Paris. It would be her frst time traveling outside of the United States and Canada.

“It was kind of terrifying; I don’t really like fying, but I was excited about experiencing everything in a new country,” Reese said.

While in Paris, Reese slept in the Olympic Village and trained in a separate location rented out by Team USA. As Reese saw all the other competitors at the games, the magnitude of the Olympics dawned on her.

“It really didn’t hit me until I saw some of the people that I’ve had posters on my wall of,” Reese said. “I remember watching the discus, and I just started tearing up because there was a girl that I had been watching on TV since I was a freshman in college.”

For Bettenhausen, the facilities were a coach’s dream. They were much diferent than what is usually available to Bettenhausen when coaching Reese.

“Athletic training services, dedicated nutrition services, great training facilities, we had the world at our fngertips for a couple weeks,” Bettenhausen said.

Reese prepared the best she could, and once the August 4 meet rolled around, she was ready for her Olympic debut. Similar to the US Olympic trials, in the Olympics, the top 12 hammer throwers in the qualifying round make it to the fnal. As Reese warmed up, more than anything, she was excited.

Reese’s furthest throw that day was 70.23 meters. Her throw placed her 7th in her group. Reese knew she wasn’t in a great position to make the fnal, and she had to wait for the second group to fnish to fnd out where she stood.

IT REALLY DIDN'T HIT ME UNTIL I SAW SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE HAD POSTERS ON MY WALL OF.”

“It was a lot of pressure,” Reese said. “But at the same time, it was an all or nothing situation. I knew I had to do it, and if it was meant to be, it would be.”

On her frst throw, Reese threw 72.10 meters. Neither of her other throws went further.

Despite one other competitor at the meet also competing for world ranking points to make the Olympics, Reese’s frst throw was enough to end with her in frst place at the meet. The win put Reese in an excellent position to become an Olympian, but she still had to wait around a week for other meets to fnish before the rankings were fnalized.

“That was like the longest week of my life; I just waited and waited,” Reese said. “I was having all these doubts and just waiting for someone to give me some clarifcation on it.”

That clarifcation would come in the form of a text congratulating her for making the Olympic

- Erin Reese, Olympian

“As we were watching, my hope got up … I was so close to making it when I really didn’t think I was going to,” Reese said. “Then the last two throwers knocked me out, and it all hit me all at once, all the emotions. I just wanted to throw there again.” Despite not making it to the fnal, Reese still views the Olympics as a positive experience. It’s helped her build confdence and has shown her that she can compete at the highest level.

“Everything is a stepping stone,” Reese said. “I had never been to a meet like this before, so I’ll take everything I learned from it and apply it to the next one.”

Reese feels that it has been this way throughout her career, and it gives her hope.

“Going back to Prospect, I had made it to state multiple times, but it wasn’t until my last year that I won state,” Reese said. “[In] college, I had been to regionals so many times, but it wasn’t until my last year that I got second at nationals. I feel like maybe it won’t be until my last year of my post-collegiate life that I’ll do something really cool. I just keep that in my head.”