Issue 6 (2015-16)

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PROSPECTOR

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FOLLOW US ON: @PROSPECTORNOW prospectornow.com VOLUME 55, ISSUE 6

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

MONEY ON MY MIND

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

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Leo's year?

Challenging economic situations can put pressure on students socially and academically. To learn more, flip to ...

Class of ‘10 graduate Jimmy Gavin went from not playing high school varsity basketball to playing in Division I. To hear more about his story, go to ...

Biology teacher Jennifer Welter has climbed 12 mountains in the last seven years. To read about Welter’s high altitude exploits, turn to ...

Entertainment editor Garrett Strother and staff writer Kit Fitzgerald make their Academy Award predictions for Leonardo DiCaprio and more on ...

Pages 8-9

Page 15

focus

Page 10

integrity

productivity

Page 13

control

Playing the game Increased iPad integration provides challenges for students, staff members

BY MIKE STANFORD Copy Editor *Name changed for confidentiality

iPads by the numbers

33%

of students believe there would be less cheating without iPads.

66%

of students have used their iPads to send homework to friends.

39%

of students are distracted by their iPad in class more than four times a week.

Just under

half

of students are distracted by their iPad while doing homework more than four times a week.

information from a Prospector survey of 196 students

sky’s frustration. He also stresses tracted during class.

Dean of Students Lisa Soukup that cheating on homework does believes using school technology to not lead to positive results for stucheat on tests is not a widespread dents.

“Their grades problem.

How“Cheating is cheating no reflect those beever, technology can be used to matter how you’ve done haviors,” Hodges said. “I saw that receive answers it. People who have put happening when on homework as I was in high well, an activity in the work to do the before 66 percent of stuhomework shouldn’t just school any kind of iOS dents admitted to give that to someone device existed, doing in a Prospector survey of else and let them get off so kids always cheat.

Maybe 196 students. the easy way.” the iPads make According to it a little bit easEnglish teachNikki Matters, senior ier for them, but er and Division they’re cheating themselves ultiTechnology Coordinator Teri mately.”

Buczinsky, while copying homeSenior Nikki Matters agrees work has always been a problem, students can now get homework and often finds herself saying no from their friends electronically 24 to classmates who ask to copy her homework. hours a day.

“Cheating is cheating no matter Social studies teacher and fellow Division Technology Coordi- how you’ve done it,” Matters said. nator Erik Hodges shares BuczinSee IPADS. page 2

Making their ‘state’ment Prospect activities have started strong second semester. Cheer, speech, chess and dance teams have qualified for state. To read more about their postseason runs, be sure to ...

photos by Cassidy Selep, Riley Langefeld and Nick Olson

J

unior Tyler Young* wasn’t worried. He didn’t see any reason to be.

Until five days later when he was locked out of his school accounts and told he had to see the dean to have them reactivated.

“A lot of people were doing it, so it didn’t seem very risky, but upon further examination, it was a horrible idea,” Young said.

The dean met with Young in regards to an email chain he had received and forwarded to some of his friends. The email held answers to the Industrial Revolution test in AP U.S. History (APUSH) on Jan. 15.

A student took the test first

hour and hoped to help his friends in later periods by typing the answers in an email on his school account. According to Young, the email soon found its way into the inboxes of 40-50 students.

While discussing tests with

students in later periods is as old as school itself, Young believes the iPad’s ability to instantly send information facilitated this scandal.

The APUSH cheating incident is part of a growing challenge for teachers and administration. As the school continues to increase technology use in the classroom, iPads provide ways for students to take shortcuts and become dis-

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Sophomore Kayomi Hirano, cheerleading

Senior Andrew Pittman, speech team

Sophomore David Fang, chess team

Junior Dana Iverson, dance team

2

News

February 19, 2016

prospectornow.com

World religions class on new path Camardella collaborates improve nationwide religions curriculum

BY AMBER ALERTA News Editor

W

hen Benjamin Marcus, a Harvard Divinity graduate and research fellow at the Newseum in Washington D.C., heard about World Religions teacher John Camardella’s curriculum from Marcus’s mother, he was intrigued.

Marcus’s mother, a doctor, mentioned in a conversation with a patient that her son just

AROUND THE WORLD: Camardella stands in front of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the “Blue Mosque,” in Istanbul, Turkey, with his wife, Lindy. (photo courtesy of Camardella)

received a grant to distribute religious literacy lesson plans throughout public schools.

Coincidentally, that patient was the mother of a former student of Camardella’s, who remembered her child had taken Camardella’s class. After relaying the message that Camardella had a successful religion curriculum to Marcus, he found and contacted Camardella online about starting a project with him and Naperville Central High School World Religions teacher Seth Brady.

The project’s aim is to improve how world religions are taught in public schools and religious literacy across the country by taking Camardella and Brady’s curriculum and creating miniature lesson plans called modular lessons.

Debuting Apr. 14, these lessons will be put online for free and implemented into religions classes nation-wide.

“We’re just giving [lessons] away. We’re not looking to make money off it, [and] we’re not looking to sell it,” Camardella said. “The whole point of this is to help young Americans learn about the religions of other peo- FOLLOWING THE MIDDLE PATH: World Religions teacher John Camardella ple, whether it’s a fellow American, someone poses in front of a Daibutsu, or giant Buddha, in Kamakura, Japan. Camardella travels from another part of the country or [some- the world to experience the religions he teaches. (photo courtesy of Camardella) one in] another part of the world.” rai and live with Buddhist monks in their While Camardella’s World Religions sense of enlightenment is something to be monastery. class has received national attention due to proud of.

Next month, he, his wife and his two Because of this, he doesn’t get tired of his project, it is also very popular amongst repeating the same material multiple times daughters are going to Iceland to study ViProspect students. His class has grown from a day; having the oppor- king traditions. three to five sections in “My goal is to try to live amongst and in tunity to teach his stuthe past four years, be“The whole point of this dents about something the different religious traditions just to try coming the only class [project] is to help young and learn the authenticity of each faith, so I he loves is rewarding.

Camardella, who previ“I have two daugh- can teach it more fairly and more honestly,” ously taught other histoAmericans learn about the ters, and they’re both Camardella said. ry classes such as Amerreligions of other people, Camardella believes that in order for very different, and I love ican Studies, teaches at whether it’s a fellow teachers to be able and willing to teach a them the same. I sort of Prospect. look at my classes the religions class, they have to be passionate The course, a discusAmerican, someone from enough about the religions themselves, same way,” Camardella sion-based elective class, another part of the country said. “Whether the sun’s which contributes to the fact that Camardelis what Camardella describes as “a critical yet or [someone in] another part just coming up, or it’s la’s World Religions class is one of only five in the Chicagoland area. the end of the school day, respectful investigation of the world.”

This dedication to teaching religions is [I’m] still treating each of the world’s religions.” what landed Camardella and Brady their reclass for what it is and “The class is really trying to give them the ligious literacy project with Marcus; it aims philosophical, which is John Camardella, best educational experi- to educate more people about the world and something that we don’t World Religions teacher what it contains. ence [I] can.” really get from many “We all feel that more information is nevIn order to give the best educational expeother classes,” junior Maggie Porwit said.

“The class made me expand my mind and rience, Camardella makes it a point to travel er a bad thing,” Camardella said. “It’s good think about things in ways I never would the world and experience the religions that to improve your knowledge with regards to what is out there, and we feel [our project] is he teaches. Last July, Camardella and his have before.” a good step in the right direction.”

For Camardella, giving his students this wife traveled to Japan to train with a samu-

IPADS: Teachers cope with tech-distracted students CONTINUED from front page

behavior, she believes students need the chance to make this mistake.

“The healthiest thing is when there are “People who’ve put in the work to do the homework shouldn’t just give that to some- natural consequences for mismanaging your attention,” Buczinsky said. “[Students need one else and let them get off the easy way.” to] know that if [they] allow [themselves] Matters knows that her classmates can to be distracted when [they’re] supposed to easily get the homework from someone else, be paying attention to but she believes shirk“This is the world we have to [a lesson], then [they] ing homework will come can’t learn it, and then back to bite them in the prepare kids for. There are [they’re] going to do end. going to be drawbacks as poorly on the test.”

Sophomore Ekrem we go forward, but we can’t According to InnovaKoseli has firsthand experience dealing not go forward because we tive Technology Facilitator Matt Hamilton, the with the repercussions. would not be helping kids entire district embraces During his freshman with the world as it is.” that philosophy, and he year, Koseli frequentbelieves restricting iPly received homework ads would defeat their from his friends, and, Teri Buczinsky, purpose. as a result, he feels he “If we were to restrict did not learn the mateEnglish teacher the device and not allow rial as well as he could [students] to install anyhave and did not get the thing, then we’ve now inhibited [students’ grades he wanted.

At that point, he decided he needed to abilities] to create and innovate and really make a change for his sophomore cam- look into who [they] are as a person,” Hampaign, and he reaped the rewards by earning ilton said. “That’s a very important part of high school.” straight A’s first semester.

However, District 214 still takes steps to While Koseli is committed to doing homecontrol what happens at school. According work, he admits he still is frequently disto Hamilton, the district uses a filter on wi-fi tracted by his iPad in class. However, Koseli is not alone; in the same survey, 39 percent networks to censor certain websites, includof students admitted to getting off-task more ing Buzzfeed and Facebook, and Prospect will soon be able to use a new software called than four times a week.

Although Buczinsky disapproves of this Casper Focus, which would allow teachers to

control which apps students can access.

Prospect experimented with Casper Focus last year during PARCC testing, and the district is releasing it one school at a time.

Prospect teachers will be able to access the software sometime in February.

Hamilton believes Casper Focus will mainly be used for electronic tests and quizzes, but he says that some teachers in other districts have used the software to restrict students’ iPads during everyday classroom activities, an action both he and Buczinsky think would be harmful to students. “[Some teachers] want to take away the kids’ abilities to monitor themselves and [instead] do all the monitoring for them,” Buczinsky said. “In my opinion, that is a huge mistake because kids need to develop those skills on their own. … Where your attention goes is your life. If you can’t control it, that’s a huge problem and there are going to be consequences for that.”

Although she is unsure how she might use Casper Focus, special education teacher Rebecca Boorman also believes that self-regulation key. However, unlike Buczinsky, she has used restrictions on apps and the App Store to get students back on track.

Boorman only introduces constraints if students are distracted to the point where they are not able to complete assignments, and the ban is temporary.

“We reintroduce [the App Store] and say, ‘Remember when you didn’t have anything?

We don’t want it to be like that. We want you to be independent and have control over your own device,’” Boorman said.

Although Boorman sometimes sees students revert back to playing on their iPads during class, an App Store ban typically serves as a wake-up call. Regardless of the result, Boorman acknowledges that iPads can serve as an additional challenge for teachers.

However, despite challenges with cheating and distractions, Buczinsky believes it is important that Prospect continues to integrate technology in the classroom.

“This is the world we have to prepare kids for,” Buczinsky said. “There are going to be drawbacks as we go forward, but we can’t not go forward because we would not be helping kids with the world as it is.”

prospectornow.com

February 19, 2016

News

3

Orchesis dances onto the main stage Show includes changed schedule, strong leadership, increased guest choreography

called “Intuition.” With one show already done, the dancers are performing today at 7 p.m, as well as tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The group has been preparing for this show since September.

This year, Burton chose to start preparations a month earlier. This change was made largely because Burton is also the coach of the

BY RILEY LANGEFELD dance team, which takes up more Executive News Editor of her available rehearsal time.

According to Alberts, this change When senior Lauren Alberts has given the dancers more opporcame to Prospect four years ago, she made a decision that defined tunities to improve and perfect the show. the rest of her high school career.

At the beginning of the year, evShe tried out for Orchesis. ery dancer chooses music and cho“I was so excited. Entering as reographs at least one dance. To a freshman, I knew it was going to be a group where I would have choose the dances featured in the show, the team votes on the pieces. friends,” Alberts said. “It was re“Intuition” ally exciting for is comprised me to be a part of of 21 dances. something enterOf these, 13 are ing Prospect.”

For a full Orchesis Every year, photo gallery, head to choreographed by students. The the team works remaining eight to put on a show are created by featuring a vaguest choreograriety of dances phers. from different Through her experience with genres. Now, in her senior year, dance, Burton has become familAlberts is a student director for the iar with artists in Chicago and has team with senior Claire Marzolf. many connections to possible choAs a student director, she helps reographers. Additionally, several coordinate practices and make decisions about the show with alumni have returned to Prospect to create dances for the show.

Orchesis director Kristin Burton.

“I think [the guest dances] add Alberts and the other dancers have been preparing since September a new level of choreography in the show,” Alberts said. “It’s just a difto put on her second-to-last show,

prospectornow.com

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JUST DANCE: The dancers practice one of their pieces. They have been choreographing and rehearsing these dances since September. (photo by Riley Langefeld)

DANCING QUEENS: Members of the Orchesis team prepare for a dance during rehearsal on Feb. 13.

The dancers are performing their show “Intuition” in the theater tonight at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. (photo by Riley Langefeld) ferent dynamic. You can tell the layering on the dances is professionally choreographed. It adds a level above other schools that don’t have guest choreographers. We’re really lucky to have that.”

Burton shares this sentiment and believes that working with guests helps prepare the team for dance work later in their careers.

“If you are going to audition in the future or dance in college, you are going to be working with a lot of guests,” Burton said. “And I think it’s a wonderful experience to give them.”

According to Burton, “Intuition” has roughly two more guest pieces than the Orchesis shows typically have. One reason for this was the team’s intention to audition for the National High School Dance Festival (NHSDF), which will be held in early March in Pittsburgh. Burton hired three guest choreographers to create dances that would accompany two student pieces for the audition.

Much to the delight of the team, one of the guest pieces was accepted, so the team will be attending the festival this year. According to sophomore Grace Lannert, this is

“My decision to do Orchesis has been the best decision I’ve made at Prospect ... I’ve learned so much as a dancer and a person, especially the things [Burton] has taught us, like discipline and respect for my peers and working as a team and being a leader. I would never regret joining Orchesis.”

Lauren Alberts, senior a major honor for the team, especially considering that 95 percent of the accepted schools are performing arts high schools, where students can focus more time and resources on dance.

“The fact that we got chosen is a really high honor for these girls,” Burton said. “I’m just very proud.

It makes all of our hard work worth it.”

Much of the team’s success comes from the close-knit relationships that they have built with each other through their hard work, and Lannert considers her teammates to be her sisters.

“We’re all really close,” Lannert said. “We spend four hours a day with each other during the season. We’re all best friends; everyone talks to everyone.”

Burton agrees and also says that this team is different in this respect from other groups that she has coached.

“The girls are just nice girls,” Burton said. “They are so dedicated, and they work so hard for me.

And that’s why I do what I do and spend the amount of time that I do – because the girls want to be here and want to make the show as best as possible.”

The dancers hope that the show is successful, but their main goals are to enjoy the process and to make sure that their work pays off.

“We just want to be proud of the product that we create as a show,” Alberts said. “In the end, it’s knowing that we did well and we reached our full potential during the year.”

Staff member prepares to depart, administration shifts

BY JACK GABRIEL News Editor After five years of working as the Assistant Principal of Student Services, Luke Pavone is excited for the next step in his career. Pavone will be moving to California in June because his husband, Brad, got promoted to executive producer at Oprah’s new Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) studio in West Hollywood.

Associate Principal Greg Minter will be taking over Pavone’s Student Services responsibilities and will no longer be in charge of student activities.

Prospect will be hiring someone else to become the Assistant Principal of Student Activities. According to Principal MiL uk chelle Dowling, the new Ase Pavone sistant Principal should be student focused, organized, approachable and makes students excited for school.

“We know that when kids are involved in activities or athletics, they perform better in school and feel connected to it,” Dowling said. “We are looking for someone who can attract kids to programs, and for kids to be

comfortable saying, ‘Hey, I am not involved in anything, help me find something,’ and someone who can get programs up and running that kids can be excited about.”

While Pavone has enjoyed his job and helping kids find niches, he is looking forward toward a new adventure in California.

“I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to work in a community that really believes in education,” Pavone said. “Since my first administrative job as a high school principal [in 1997], the students in this building have been the most pleasant to be around, and it’s going to be tough to leave [Prospect’s] atmosphere, but I’m hoping to find something like that in California.”

At Prospect, Pavone has been able to help implement a lot of programs. According to Pavone, one of the biggest changes that Student Services has accomplished during his tenure was the incorporation of iPads and technology into the core curriculum.

Within Pavone’s five years, Student Services also brought Junie, Prospect’s therapy dog, on board. Prospect was one of the first high schools in the nation to have a therapy dog program, and Pavone has helped other schools in the district start their own therapy dog programs.

During his time as Assistant Principal

of Student Services, Pavone enjoyed working on the core curriculum, LINK, Knights’ Way, the Signs of Suicide presentation and last year’s school-wide presentation of “Bully.”

“While academics are a given in a high school, with Student Services, we really try to focus on the social and emotional aspect of students,” Pavone said. “There’s so much pressure on students right now, so we really do have to take a step back and make sure that their social and emotional well-being is taken care of.”

While Pavone will be leaving at the end of the school year, he thinks that Minter will be perfect for the role. Minter will be keeping his position as Associate Principal, but he will now be focusing on Student Services as opposed to the student activities.

“Having [Minter] fill this role lends itself seamlessly because he knows the students, the community and the staff, so while it’s new responsibilities for him, I think it is a really wise choice to have [Minter] working in Student Services,” Pavone said.

Minter worked in Student Services 12 years ago when he lived in Seattle, but he believes he has a lot to learn.

“I am excited for the change. When I was approached by Dowling, I didn’t even have to think about it,” Minter said. “I like what I am doing, but at the same time, I think it is important for people to take some opportunities when they present themselves to learn something new, challenge themselves [and] embrace change.”

Both Dowling and Minter agree that Pavone will be missed by the administration.

“We will definitely miss [Pavone] on our administrative team because he is a fun guy to be around,” Minter said. “He is very knowledgeable and has worked at a bunch of different schools, so he brings a wealth of experience and expertise that will definitely be missed.”

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4

Opinion

February 19, 2016

prospectornow.com

Staff Editorial

Learning when to use iPads staff Editors-in-Chief Krzys Chwala Shreya Thakkar Copy Editors Diana Leane Mike Stanford Associate Editors-in-Chief Grace Berry Marci Kiszkiel Online Editor-in-Chief Caroline Binley ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Alyssa Duetsch Online NEWS Editor Molly Mueller Online A&E Editor Anna Indelli Broadcast Editors Lauren Miller Erin Schultz News Editors Riley Langefeld Amber Alerta Jack Gabriel Opinion Editors Bridgette Jasinski Features Editors Flynn Geraghty Jess Darcy Caley Griebenow In-Depth Editors Jack Ryan Kelsey Philippe Rachel Parks Entertainment Editors Isabelle Rogers Cassidy Delahunty Garrett Strother Kit Fitzgerald Sports Editors Devin Prasad Jack Ankony Ben Dojutrek Ryan Molini Visuals Editor Cassidy Selep Adviser Jason Block Mission Statement The primary purpose of the Prospect High School Prospector is to report news as well as explain its meaning and significance to our readers and the community.

We, the Prospector, hope to inform, entertain and provide a school forum for the unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions.

The Prospector is published by students in Journalistic Writing courses. Some material is courtesy of MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

“This iPad is useless.”

“I prefer my notebook.”

“I’d rather play this video game.”

Students’ complaints regarding iPads take over classrooms daily.

Although in many cases their distaste is exaggerated, they hold certain problematic truths.

Frankly, not every class lends itself to iPad use. Nevertheless, many teachers attempt to use them out of obligation.

We, the Prospector, do not expect each and every class to use iPads; moreover, those that do should use them only when they are the correct tool to enhance learning.

Changing tools from notebooks to Notability isn’t integrating technology in the classroom. In fact, this can even be detrimental.

According to the Association for Psychological Science, students who write out their notes by hand actually learn more than those who

type their notes.

This isn’t the only lackluster way to incorporate tech in the classroom. Students are often asked to download apps like Socrative and Nearpod, but they’re seldom used — an unfair payoff for the time spent downloading it and the iPad storage it eats up.

These methods are poor, forced attempts to replace the adequate “traditional” teaching methods.

If a teacher does not wish to use an iPad in their course, they should not have to. In these cases, Innovative Technology Facilitator Matt Hamilton agrees that it’s best to simply put technology aside.

“There’s nothing wrong with that at all,” Hamilton said. “[Teachers] have different methods. They have different styles. Some people embrace the iPad and technology in general, and some people don’t.

Both of them [can] be very effective

integration has been exemplified in many of the foreign language courses.

French teacher Kathryn Wilkens elaborates on the benefits she has found to this technological resource.

“Having immediate access to authentic sources, especially for foreign language acquisition, is critical to have as much immersion as possible through the aid of technology,” Wilkens said.

The iPads can be excellent resources when integrated smoothly into a class. They’re great organization tools, with calendars, Schoology and digital textbooks.

They give immediate access to research, videos, notes and assignments, among a plethora of other resources.

While it has its benefits, the iPad is a multi-purpose, not all-purpose, tool.

Hungry for perfection: my experience with anorexia nervosa nightmare, as according It really all started in middle to eatingdisorders.org, 1 school, and it continued to hinder in 200 Americans suffer my mind well into high school. The from Anorexia alone. beast of insecurity consumed me, As time went like my own personal Dementor. on, my conThis disease of sorts dition worswas eating me alive, as I ened. “Mystopped eating.

FitnessPal” I used to wear a rubwas my go-to berband on my wrist, app, and I used the stretchy brown kind. it religiously. I I wore it as my ally. I would use it to needed it to keep myself starving. I would lift it BY BRIDGETTE JASINSKI document absoup and snap it against Executive Opinion Editor lutely anything I ate. I would take my wrist habitually, alout measuring lowing the sting from cups and measure my food, the band on my red wrist to distract making sure everyday that I from my growling stomach. was staying under the 1,000 calThis was my sophomore year, orie mark. and nobody knew I was doing it.

There were some weeks where I used to run five miles every I would go days without consuming day. Most would find that a stupenfood and then “reward” myself with dous habit, but I assure you, it’s not a cup of yogurt. when all you’re eating is an apple My ribs were visible and my that you sliced into four pieces. cheeks grew sunken in. My jeans One for breakfast, one for lunch, were loose, and I could fit into my one for dinner and one for a snack.

10-year-old sister’s clothes as if they I worked out like I had ambitions were mine, but I still didn’t see it to become the next Ronda Rousey. when I looked in the mirror.

It was almost an obsession. I had I knew I was losing weight each this seemingly unattainable image time I took my daily step on the of perfection in my mind, and I rescale, but I seemed to plateau at 98 fused to eat like a normal human pounds. Every time I took a look in being until I reached that point. the mirror I saw someone hideous, It is painful to write on the subunlovable and undesirable. My ject of such an experience, but I thighs were too big, my midsection am doing so to call on others who wasn’t flat enough and my calves have been considering putting were too defined. themselves through this emotional

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Letters to the Editor Drop off letters to the Prospector in the box in the library, in Rm. 216 or email letters to prospectornow@ gmail.com. All letters must be signed. Limit letters to 400 words.

The Prospector reserves the right to edit letters for style and length.

teachers. It’s just another tool in their toolbox.”

For all the misuse and lackluster results, this is a tool that teachers are well-instructed in using.

District 214 teachers have gone through training courses, as well as a university course called “Teaching with the iPad.” Teachers are taught to use the SAMR model, which stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition. This model traces their development as teachers, from merely using the device as a substitute (S) for a book or notebook, all the way up to redefining (R) the way they teach and we learn.

It seems as if most students are stuck in the substitution stage, without a clear path towards redefinition.

If a teacher has an inventive way to build curriculum around the iPad, they should go for it. This

Graphic by Flynn Geraghty

Photo illustration by Riley Langefeld and Bridgette Jasinski That’s how my life was for me for three years. It truly all began out of my concern to look like those who are defined as “beautiful” by the media. The twiggy stars like Emma Watson, or Taylor Swift made me feel grossly oversized. I would compare myself to them, wishing in misery that I could just rid myself of the body I had and replace it with something that society would deem as “beautiful.”

Though I finally managed to force myself out of this mindset, and this is the first year of high school where I have not attempted to starve myself. I have consumed food on a daily basis, and although I sometimes feel guilty for letting myself eat after so many years of convincing myself food was bad, I still feel better than I ever did when I was 98 lbs.

I am 5-foot-1, 120 pounds, which is actually healthy – something I was not for a very long while. That’s what happens when your body goes into starvation mode.

“Starvation mode,” in simplest terms, is the slowing down of your body’s metabolism as it stores the very limited nutrients and fats that you are giving it. It is your body’s way of fighting to help you survive. Then, when you finally begin to consume food normally again, your body loses the need to store excess, and it is released and shown through weight gain.

When you have an eating disor-

der, you don’t ponder the lasting effects it will have on your body.

You only think about the unceasing sentiment that you will finally be “thin” or “beautiful.”

That is not the case. It’s a lot of suffering.

Ultimately, yes, you’ll get thin and lose weight, but you won’t become any less insecure. You’ll cry in the shower a lot because that’s where nobody can hear you. You can’t have anyone hear you because they’ll ask what’s wrong, and you can’t just tell them about your mind-numbing insecurities that have led you to become an anorexic.

If there is a lesson that I have learned through all of this, it’s that the pain you will cause yourself, both mentally and physically, is exhausting and depressing. I can promise you that no confidence is derived from starving yourself in order to feel you are “beautiful.”

Ultimately, beauty is not derived from your appearance. Your body is only a vessel to something far more valuable. You are not what you see in the mirror. You are a human being with thoughts and a personality. You cannot see that beauty, for it is felt by those around you and them alone. It took me a painfully long time to permit myself the admission of such a sentiment, but as time has passed, and with each delicious bite of orange chicken, cheesecake and cereal, the stronger I hold this sentiment to be true.

prospectornow.com

February 19, 2016

Opinion

Carrying the weight of her faith Muslim freshman feels pressure to represent religion well in face of political climate

erful divine being. And I’m pretty sure Atlas was too busy holding up the sky to be involved in speech team and debate.

But like the statue in front of the Rockefeller Center, an immense weight rests on Eldes’ shoulders.

It is there when she trudges up the crowded main stairway in the morning. It is there when she sits down at her desk to take a math f you’ve ever been to Mantest. It is there when she is preparhattan, you may have come ing an argument for debate team. across the massive, bronze It is something that, according to statue that stands guard over the Eldes, “will be a part of me until Rockefeller Center. Against a the day I die.” backdrop of cold, gray skyscrapIt isn’t the weight of the sky. ers, the giant, half-naked man is She’s referring to the weight of her an imposing sight. religion.

Roughly four stories Eldes is one of roughtall, he grimly looks ly 3.3 million Muslims down upon tens of currently living in the thousands of New United States. She wears Yorkers making their a hijab to school every morning commute. day.

His name is AtFor Eldes, her hijab las. Condemned to is an integral part of her bear the weight of identity. On one hand, it the heavens upon his represents her faith in

BY ELAI KOBAYASHIshoulders, the statue Islam: a religion which, SOLOMAN of the Greek Titan Eldes says, preaches the holds a gigantic, hol- Guest Columnist importance of education, low metal sphere over tolerance and peace. But his head. His gaze is it’s also a symbol of the resilient. Defiant. incredible pressure that she feels, I’ve only seen the statue once in day in and day out, to portray her my life, back when I lived in New religion in a good light.

Jersey. But I was reminded of the “I can’t do things that most othstory of Atlas a couple days ago er people do,” Eldes said. “Whatevwhen I sat down across a commons er I do in my life, I have to think table from freshman Ayse Eldes. before I do anything. As a Muslim, For those that know Eldes or I have to always represent my relihave seen her walking through gion in the best way possible.” the halls, this may sound a little America certainly doesn’t strange. Ayse? The girl with glassmake this easy. Along with selfie es and a purple backpack? A regusticks, Islamophobia is the new lar student by day and a massive, fad spreading across the nation, immortal deity by night? Ridicuaccelerated by politicians and melous. dia corporations alike. A report I’ll admit. They’d have a point.

by NBC found that in the past five At first glance, Eldes seems to have years, there have been roughly virtually nothing in common with 760 hate crimes, ranging from the the giant Titan. She isn’t Greek. desecration of mosques to physical She was born in Bangladesh and assault, committed against Amermoved to the Chicago when she ican Muslims. And the numbers was in third grade. Her dad is an only continue to rise. international educator, not a powSo Eldes fights against the

I

fear-mongering and discrimination in the only way she can: through her everyday actions. When she takes a test for school, Eldes says she must perform well in order to prove that Islam is a religion which values knowledge. When she grows older, Eldes won’t be able to accompany her friends to a local bar because she has a duty to show that Islam is a religion which values modesty.

Even when she participates in activities for personal enjoyment, the need to reflect the virtues of her religion lurks constantly in the back of her mind.

“Representing [Islam] is the most noble cause in my life,” she said. “When I die, I want to know that at least in one person’s mind I represented my religion correctly.”

Eldes refers to this as a responsibility or an obligation, but I’m not quite sure these words do her justice. Taking out the trash in the morning is a responsibility. Paying for a lost textbook is an obligation. But having to live every day of your life worried about whether your actions positively portray a 1400-year-old ideology?

I’d take Atlas’ job any day of the week.

As many of you are probably aware, the presidential election is approaching.

Regard-

less of who you support, I think we can all agree that this one has been a bit of a mess. When you have a reality-TV show host, a Canadian and a so-called socialist running to become the ruler of the free world, it’s almost impossible to tell who is going to walk away with the keys to the White House.

But here’s something that I do know: a couple of the campaigns are running on clear platforms of discrimination and fear. Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has referred to Mexican immigrants as “criminals” and “rapists” and suggested that Muslims should be banned from entering the United States.

Republican Ted Cruz promised on NPR that opposition to gay marriage would be “front and center” of his 2016 campaign.

Look. I’m not trying to tell you who to vote for.

It’s fine if you like a candidate’s hair, the way they talk or their macho attitude their thoughts on healthcare.

But remember this: Eldes

5

Election Dates March 8, 2016 Illinois Presidential and State Primary Election November 8, 2016 Illinois General Election

Visit prospectornow. com to see poll results of which candidates students support. isn’t the only American struggling under the weight of bigotry and misrepresentation.

In fact, if you look carefully enough, you may begin to notice the millions of everyday Atlas’s scattered across America. Maybe it’s the little Hispanic girl next door who can’t fall asleep because she’s worried that the police will come take her Mom away. Maybe it’s the black teen who gets cold, unfriendly looks as he gets on the subway on his way to school. Maybe it’s the homosexual boy who has been told his entire life that his existence is fundamentally wrong and evil.

Intolerance exists in many forms, but no matter how it manifests itself, you can be sure that there will be those who must spend every single waking moment carrying the burden of prejudice.

So take a moment to think before you favorite another Trump tweet. Because if you support a campaign of bigotry, you are purposefully adding a cruel, extra weight on the shoulders of those like Eldes who are desperately trying to replace ignorance and fear with tolerance and peace.

Weakness and defenseless are not interchangeable I am not strong.

The website also includes the syllabus, You might even saying that they wish to cover defending say I’m weak. In re- an attacker standing, kneeling, sitting, or sponse to my phys- from the ground, as well as defense against a ical fragility, my whole range of weapons such as short stick, mom started taking knife, handgun and rifle. Sounds like a lot to me to a Tae Kwon cover and task that would certainly need at Do place near our the minimum months of training. house about 4 years The class also uses methods that are emBY DAVID FANG ago, and it took ployed to train NATO special forces. The about 3 years for methods that are used to train responders Staff Writer me to get my black in humanitarian and military crises are belt. I stopped doing most likely not suitable for the average high Tae Kwon Do very recently thanks to the schooler. hectic high school life, but my self-defense Granted, the goal of such the class is not skills are a far cry from the UFC level. You to turn girls into killing machines, Chuck wouldn’t need to fear of some WWE-style Norris or even a black belt. In fact, the class move out of me. at Prospect only covers getting away from an In fact, my black belt attacker. However, if the was no extraordinary goal is trying to give girls achievement. Choi Hong the power to fend off an Girls Who Fight Hi, a South Korean army attacker on a whim, then When: Feb. 22, 7-8:30pm general, often described once or twice a year is not as the “founder of Tae going to cut it.

Where: Forest View EducaKwon Do”, states that getThere exist many postional Center ting a black belt is proof itives for an introductory What: A 90-minute program self-defense session, but that you have mastered only the basics and that if not followed through, addressing women’s safety traditionally, black belt negatives may arise. and self-defense may take in the range of One isolated class Who: Students, parents/ 5 - 7 years. may instill a false sense How then does the of security. That is not guardians, and staff (D214 Prospect Fight Like a say that confidence and a and female ONLY) Girl program wish to be pugnacious spirit are negeffective in a time span ative. But just because of only an afternoon? The you know how to block a answer: it isn’t. In order punch in training doesn’t to see long term success with the program, it mean you will be able to utilize it in a sponneeds to held far more frequently. taneous, real life situation.

According to physical education teachProponents of Fight Like a Girl echo this er Aaron Marnstein, Fight Like a Girl was idea. Adori Bubble, the head of the Fight brought to Prospect after their self defense Like a Girl Program in Melbourne, said in program was cut from the curriculum 5 the Martial Arts Magazine Blitz, “No matter years ago. what techniques you know, if you aren’t preIn order for such training to be effective, pared to use them or you cannot use them unIt has to be mastered and perfected over der pressure, they’re of no use to you in a real years. The Fight Like a Girl website says it attack. The dynamics of an attack can be comis recommended to train 2 times a WEEK. plex, especially if you know your attacker. “ Bruce Lee didn’t stroll into kung fu school Statistics show that the abuse of women for one day and afterwards decide: “Eh, I is way too common to be ignored and for a think I got this.” preventative program to be exclusive. Ac-

cartoon by Veronica Holloway cording to Marnstein, 1 in 4 college age women will be a victim of a sexual assault. Looking at the high school spectrum, one in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.

Thankfully, the program is on the verge of being expanded, according to Marnstein, as they are trying to work around scheduling conflicts.

Fight Like a Girl takes great strides in an issue that has gone unaddressed for too long.

However, for Fight Like a Girl to be more effective in attaining their goal, they need to take steps to expand and be offered on a consistent basis. I think Bruce Lee would approve.

How then does the Prospect Fight Like a Girl program wish to be effective in a time span of only an afternoon? The answer: it isn’t. In order to see long term success with the program, it needs to held far more frequently than it is currently.

6

Features

February 19, 2016

BY FLYNN GERAGHTY Executive Features Editor

F

lying planes has given Colin Heisler the ability to see the world from a different point of view. A few weeks ago, as he was flying west over Lake in the Hills, he noticed the clouds were particularly low. Heisler began to fly higher, cutting through the overcast sky that surrounded him. Heisler continued ascending until he was 2,500 feet above the world. At this height, Heisler could no longer see the ground. He could only the clouds and the bright blue sky.

“I had never [seen anything like that] before,” Heisler said. “It was just mother nature doing its thing.”

While other students are getting hours for their driver’s licenses, Heisler is training for his pilot’s license. Heisler has been taking weekly flying lessons at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling since his junior year, and he plans to enter a career in aviation.

Heisler’s interest in flying started during his sophomore year when he visited Southern Illinois University (SIU) for a career day. His father, Jeff Heisler, had been there before for presentations and suggested Colin go to see what he could learn. Colin figured he would give it a shot.

At SIU, Colin listened to aviation alumni, and he even went up in an airplane. Despite being “stuck in the back seat,” the flight was enjoyable because Heisler was able to watch the pilot and “see how it was done.”

Around six months after his trip to SIU, Colin took up flight lessons. His father wasn’t sure his son was going to stick to it.

“I wasn’t sure he was actually going to enjoy [flight lessons],” Jeff said. “I figured he would get up in the plane and say, ‘Okay, this is scary. I’m not going to do it.’”

Despite his father’s prediction, Colin began taking lessons. However, his first lesson

prospectornow.com

left him a bit uneasy. His instructor, Jim Kwasek, had Colin perform a touch-andgo, in which he had to land the plane down the runway, take off again and then land the plane once more. Colin had flown a few times before, but he had never been the one landing it.

“It was really intimidating at first,” Colin said. “You’re getting really close to the ground really quick. You feel like you’re going to crash, but I’m still here, so I guess I did OK with it.”

As he continued taking lessons, flying came more naturally to him. Colin also began learning new skills like navigation and taking longer flights of more than 50 miles.

As Colin continues to strengthen his skills, he is working towards his pilot’s license. According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the largest aviation association in the world, the minimum amount of training to receive a pilot’s license is 40 hours. Currently, Colin has about 30 hours under his wing, and he hopes to get his pilot’s license before graduation. As soon as he gets his license, Colin wants to take his friends and family up for a ride.

“The whole journey so far has been shared with them, so it would be a great experience to be able to take them up with me,” Colin said.

Colin believes aviation has especially strengthened his relationship with his father. Jeff has been an airplane mechanic for almost 30 years, and Colin’s interest in flying has given them something to bond over.

For three years, he and Colin have been going to Experimental Aviation Association “AirVenture” Oshkosh, which is the largest aviation convention in the world. Here, aviation enthusiasts are able to look at the newest models, go to workshops and watch air shows.

“I think the joy of aviation is something we share,” Jeff said.

SKY HIGH: Senior Colin Heisler celebrates after having successfully performed his first solo flight. Heisler has been taking flying lessons since junior year and plans to persue a career in aviation. (photo courtesy of Colin Heisler) While his father has made a career out of repairing commercial planes, Colin plans to study aviation at SIU to fly these planes.

However, Heisler would also feel comfortable flying for the military, a private enterprise or the flight school that he might open one day.

“I could honestly see myself doing anything with [flying] because it’s so much fun,”

Colin said.

Colin says that even if he couldn’t fly for a career, he would continue it as a hobby. He plans to eventually buy a Cessna 172, a fourseat, single-engine plane. “[Flying] is just really calming,” Colin said. “There’s nothing else that matters at the time. It’s just you and the airplane, and you’re flying.”

Modern Family: adopted students reflect on process

BY SHREYA THAKKAR Editor-in-Chief Sophomore Anna Cooper’s parents never kept her adoption a secret. They couldn’t, even if they wanted to, because she looked different from them. Cooper’s parents, who are white, adopted her from Seoul, South Korea when she was five months old.

Cooper has known that she and her older sister, junior Katie Cooper, were adopted for as long as she can remember. Her family used to pray together in their parents’ room after dinner every night, and her parents made a point to thank God for their adopted family.

“For us, it was just part of a routine, [but] … I’m really proud of how open my parents are about it,” Cooper said. “Every time I asked a question, they answered.”

Like Cooper, freshman Amanda Stickels, who is Chinese, is proud that her mother, who is white, has always been open about her adoption. For both Cooper and Stickels, despite questions about their first months and biological families, being adopted and looking different than their family has never been a big deal, and often they forget about it.

“To me, I don’t even think of [Amanda] as being adopted. I just don’t, and I never have,” Amanda’s mother Kimberly Stickels said. “It’s like you forget [that] she’s Asian [and] I’m Caucasian, and you don’t even think about it. I couldn’t imagine life without her.”

Although every once in awhile when in public with her mother, Amanda wonders what strangers think seeing an “American lady with a Chinese child,” but most of the time she forgets that they don’t look alike.

“Family is love, not blood,”

PICTURE PERFECT: Junior Katie Cooper and sophomore Anna Cooper sit with their parents and hold a photo of them as kids. Both Katie and Anna were adopted from South Korea when they were a few months old and appreciate their parents’ openness about the process. (photo courtesy of Anna Cooper) Amanda said. “[Believing that has] really helped me in my life because if I didn’t believe that, I’d be like an angry, bitter, Asian child.”

In addition to her mother, Amanda is also very close to her grandparents, who live close by.

“Amanda actually had three parents for a while. She had me, her grandfather – she called him papa – and my mom, but we lost my mom three years ago,” Kimberly said. “My dad is the best male role model you could ever have. He’s a very positive, encouraging, kind, wonderful person, and so that’s who I’d want to pick for a male role model anyway.”

For Cooper, she grew up across the street from a family with two adopted kids from Korea, so she never thought her family stood out until she got to Prospect.

“I didn’t really know that it was

so different in our community to be adopted and to have two white parents who have two Asian girls,” Cooper said. “[But] it’s made me more appreciative of how different my family is … [including] the fact that my parents decided to move here and didn’t care if anyone thought differently of us because we were a modernized family.”

However, for both Cooper and Stickels, the question marks of their first months occasionally cross their minds.

“You’re always going to wonder, ‘What does my [birth] mom look like? What does my [birth] dad look like? What features did I get from them? Why am I short? Why am I artistic?’” Amanda said. “It’s kind of always there in the back of your mind.”

However, she tries to mostly focus on what she has from her

family.

“I am a lot like my mom and my grandfather and my grandmother,” Amanda said. “Because if you worry about the ‘What if’s?’ or the ‘I wish I knew’s,’ it’s just going to end up being a big circle of ‘Why did this happen?’ and I just don’t want focus on that.”

That’s why when Kimberly surprised Amanda with a tour of China called a “Heritage Tour” that they’ll go on this summer, Amanda had mixed emotions because it also included a visit to Amanda’s old orphanage in the Guangdong province.

“At first I was really hesitant because I know a lot of my adopted friends are really into their culture, and I’ve never been one of those people,” Amanda said. “I’m just American.”

But then she realized it was a

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that includes touring the Great Wall of China, seeing the terracotta warriors and holding pandas. 64 other families with adopted children will be taking the all-expenses-paid tour through Chinese Children Adoption International.

However, both Amanda and Kimberly are trying not to get their hopes up for the orphanage visit because sometimes the orphanage remembers the child and throws a celebration, and sometimes they don’t.

“For her, I know it’s going to be very emotional to just absorb, ‘This is where I was. My mom left me here,’” Kimberly said. “When I try to talk to her sometimes, I think she might even be angry and be upset about it, but I always try to tell her even though we don’t know who her biological parents are, that her mom did a very brave thing, and it was the only thing she could do to ensure [Amanda] had a good life because of the [One-Child Policy] over there.”

In fact, on Amanda’s birthday Kimberly always reminds her that “Your mom thinks of you on your birthday. She thinks of you all the time. Even though I’m your mom, she hasn’t forgotten you.”

The Coopers have been planning a trip to South Korea, too, but Cooper has decided that for now she does not want to contact her birth parents. “[My decision] is out of fear of rejection because you go through that whole process, and it’s so much money and stress, and then when you [finally] do meet them, [you have no idea] how it’s going to go,” Cooper said. “Also right now, I [can] think my birth parents could be anyone. They could be super, super cool, and I’d like to leave that kind of a mystery.”

prospectornow.com

54

February 19, 2016

Features

Every

percent less

7

52 minutes

high school students drink and drive than in 1991

someone dies in a drunk driving accident

10 percent

There were

underage arrests 710 in 2014

of drivers are underaged, yet they are involved in

17 percent

of alcohol-related crashes

There are over

10,000

Teens who drink and drive are more likely

alcohol-related crashes each year in the United States

52

to cause harm than the average sober driver

photo illustration by Krzys Chwala

Despite not being prevalent at Prospect, drunk driving impacts community

BY KRZYS CHWALA Editor-in-Chief

bing his eyes, blinded by glass.

As he was taken into the ambulance, Doughty remembers it was *name changed for confidentiality “like looking at a war zone.”

They were all taken to differunior Jackson Doughty ent hospitals because no hospital sat in the middle row of could take 8 injuries at once. As he his family SUV, with his sat alone in the hospital, he startparents in the front, two brothers to his left and their two friends in ed asking himself, “Am I going to have to bury my family? Am I the the back seats as only one who made they drove to anothit?” er friend’s grandfaTo his relief, ther’s wake in 2011. his sister, who was As he gazed out not in the crash, the window waitcalled him that ing at a red light, night, telling him he tried to clear his everyone survived mind with his first the near-fatal incibasketball game dent. Nevertheless, with his new team he “didn’t sleep a the next evening. wink” because the The light switched scene kept replaygreen, and they proing in his head. ceeded to move forThe next mornward. ing, the crash made A drunk driver, its way to newspaflying through the pers. Doughty reintersection, hit – juniorJackson Doughty members looking them from the side. at the pictures and Their car flipped thinking, “I was over three times and then landed upright. In the midst of this all, in [that car]. I was almost just crushed in this giant metal tomb.” they lost consciousness.

Drunk driving doesn’t affect all Doughty was the first to wake.

Prospect students directly, and 87 An older woman was reaching percent of students prefer to stay through his shattered window, sober in the first place according to holding a towel to his head. His a school-wide survey conducted by first reaction was to check on his the Illinois Youth Survey last year. brothers.

However, when students partake They regained consciousness a few seconds after him. When they in drunk driving, they are 52 times more likely to cause harm than the did, one grabbed a hold of his broaverage sober driver, according to ken nose. The other started rubthe National Highway Traffic Safe-

J

‘‘

Iwas[thatin car]

I was almost just in this

.

Crushed

metal

Giant

tomb.‘‘

ty Administration (NHTSA).

Senior Courtney Blane* took that risk when she celebrated her 18th birthday at a bar with her friend and older sister. They needed to return home by midnight on that school night to avoid consequences from their parents. As their celebrations came to a close, they proceeded to designate Blane, who was the “least drunk,” as the driver.

“I squinted and told myself, ‘Don’t die,’” Blane said. “It wasn’t a great decision, and I’m not proud of it.”

According to the NHTSA, squinting and other concentration techniques do not improve driving when drunk.

Luckily, the three returned home safely. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 10,000 drunk drivers annually in the United States are not as lucky.

In 2014, there were 710 underage arrests related to drunk driving, 29 of which occurred within a 16mile radius of Arlington Heights.

(See “Illinois alcohol regulation” for more on laws on drunk driving and how they affect teenagers differently.)

According to a study by the University of Texas at San Antonio, vision is reduced by 32 percent and reaction times decrease by 25 percent at as low as a .02 blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) for adults.

This is typically reached after consuming one alcoholic beverage.

According to the National Institutes of Health, major areas of teens’ brains undergo reconstruction and aren’t fully developed, which amplifies the effects. Blane attests to the difficulty.

“When you’re sober, [driving]

information courtesy of CDC, NHTSA, NIH and Secretary of State

is stress-free and fun,” Blane said. for a ride, though they are obligat“But when you’re driving drunk, ed to talk to the parents. you’re like, ‘OK, I have to get there Now when Blane goes out and in one piece. How can I do that?’” knows she might drink, she tries According to to plan her transFive-O Driving portation beforeRegulations vary School instructor hand by either not for teen drivers and former police having access to officer Bill GoldAccording to Five-O driv- her car or using a en, the best way service like Uber. ing instructor Bill Goldto do that is to Golden becall someone who lieves the solution en, most of his students loves them, like is simple: never are unaware of how laws a parent or other drive under the affect them differently family member, influence.

Acfor a ride. cording to Goldthan adults.

Blane, howeven, driving drunk The laws are as follows: er, thinks a big not only risks a reason kids don’t driver’s license • Zero-tolerance policy: reach out to parrevocation, but Anyone under age 21 ents is they fear also freedom in with alcohol in their sysconsequences. general because a “We live in student would be tem can be charged. the modern day,” tried as an adult.

Blane said. “ParAs such, the ar• Driving under the ents should realrest would make influence (DUI): Many of ize that [drinking its way onto a perhis students are familiar is] going to hapmanent record, pen.” which is checked with the .08 blood-alcoRegardless, when applying to hol concentration (BAC) Golden believes colleges and then “limit.” However, one responsibility is jobs. most important in According to can still be charged with these situations. both Golden and a DUI with a lower BAC “[Calling Doughty, getting when reckless driving someone] is probbehind the wheel ably one of the after drinking is is present. According to most mature not worth the risk Golden, this is signifithings you can of putting everycant because alcohol has ever do in your one else in jeoplife,” Golden said. ardy. greater effects on teens According to “I have a hard at lower blood-alcohol Golden, there are time when peoconcentrations. a plethora of safple call [drinking er alternatives to and driving] an driving drunk. In addition to famaccident when you do everything ily and friends, there are taxi ser- people tell you not to do,” Doughty vices and even calling the police said.

Future Knights get early taste of high school math

BY JESSICA DARCY Features Editor For sophomore Gabby Plata, coming into high school as an eighth grader was very stressful. She was worried that she and her fellow eighth graders would be messed with and targeted by the older students. She quickly realized that although it could be difficult at times, the high schoolers didn’t want any hostility with the eighth graders.

“We didn’t get picked on for being eighth graders.” Plata said. “It was a little awkward at times, like [on] color day we didn’t know what to wear, but the freshmen always helped us if we didn’t know where to go or what to do. …Half of them we saw at Lincoln the year before [anyway], so it wasn’t that hard to blend in.”

Eighth grader Brennan Woodle is one of two eighth graders who drive to Prospect from Lincoln for their first period Accelerated Honors Advanced Algebra class. They take Algebra with the freshmen and sophomores and will go into pre-calculus next year if they have already taken Geometry.

However, according to past students, the program does have some flaws.

Woodle is in the same Algebra course Plata took two years ago. Woodle said it was intimidating in the beginning, but he quickly realized he didn’t mind being around the high schoolers and believes it was nice to meet new people.

Freshman Tillie Pasternak, who came to Prospect for math during eighth grade at Lincoln Middle School, believes that it was

hard to miss out on the experiences that all the other eighth graders got to share.

“I didn’t get to see the pep assemblies, and I didn’t get to go to Advisory at all,” Pasternak said. “I didn’t get a lot of bonding time with the kids [at my] middle school.”

Plata had a similar issue. The hardest part for her was missing out on after-school activities at Lincoln. She wanted to do sports like track and newspaper, but Prospect busses dropped her off too late. She got home 40-45 minutes after school, and after that she was unable to find transportation back to Lincoln.

Also, Plata experienced high stress because of her advanced placement.

“The worst part about [being in the advanced class] is now I feel like I’m so far ahead, [so] I have to keep going forward,” Plata said. “There are times where [the class] will go over something [difficult], and I’ll [think], ‘Oh, why did I do this?’ It almost puts me on this pedestal, and I have to keep achieving more and more, and I have to keep being smart,” However, Woodle’s biggest challenge is finals, and he is jealous his fellow eighth graders don’t have to face them.

While finals were frustrating for Woodle, Pasternak and Plata consider it one of the many benefits of coming to Prospect a year early.

“I thought it was really nice because on my first day of freshman year I could come in and I knew where [everything I needed was],” Pasternak said. “I wasn’t as nervous

A CHANGE IN SCENERY: Two eighth graders, Max Ward (left) and Brennan Woodle (right), come to Prospect for Accelerated Honors Advanced Algebra from Lincoln Middle School. Woodle says although his relationships with the high schoolers seem more mature and fleeting, he still enjoys the class and being a part of the program. (photo by Isabelle Rogers) for what finals were, [and] I knew how to transition from studying for regular classes to studying for a giant final.”

Woodle says math just comes easy to him, and that’s the reason why he’s in the class.

He may want to go into a math-based career, and the curriculum and more mature environment will better help him find the path for him.

Plata isn’t sure if she wants to go into a math-based field, but because of her early introduction to Prospect, Plata already knew the ropes of high school. She knew how to maneuver the halls, deal with the homework load and work with iPads when she started her freshman year.

She also enjoyed seeing her fellow

eighth-graders look to her for math help.

After coming to Prospect last year as an eighth grader, Pasternak found that even though the age difference could make students seem intimidating, she still called Prospect her home. “[Being in a high school class] was extremely nerve-wracking,” Pasternak said.

“Especially towards the beginning, when you had all these little [eighth graders] who all felt scared towards these seniors and juniors. But as we [began] to come [to Prospect] every day, … we felt … more accepted even though we weren’t [completely] a part of the school yet. It was just really nice to see a glimpse of [high school] and how nice [Prospect] really is.”

8

In-Depth

February 19, 2016

Making cents of investments in activities

O

ne day after softball practice, s omore Carly King* got a phone from her dad. He told her no worry, but that he had taken $1,000 out of savings account to pay for that month’s insurance.

King was shocked and worried. She di know what was going on because her par weren’t very clear about their financial ation, which caused King stress.

King’s father has five jobs, and King self has three jobs and works over 20 ho per week. She always knew her family

Brea the

Kaitlyn Sattley, sophomore

ay e + ar er we ek

ike Gambino

5p

7a

66

$3

Executive In-Depth Editor *Name changed for confidentiality

Sophomore M

$

$27

r yea + k wee e p r a 800

BY RACHEL PARKS

Thiel

Senior Lilian Hermes

Facing change, again

“My parents only mind the expense when I’m skipping practice,” Sattley said. “They obviously mind because club is expensive, but they’re not mad, it’s just a bill that we pay now. They think it’s worth it. Our whole thought process is that the more you practice, the better you become.”

Junior Paige

yea

r

When senior Lilian Hermes began playing clarinet in her thirdgrade school band, the only cost was renting and eventually buying her first clarinet for $1,200. Now, she says the cost of one season to play her bass clarinet in marching band costs over $800, and this does not include the nearly $1000 for their trip every other year.

Part of the overall cost included the payment for competitions, instrument repairs and uniform rental.

Even though the price of band was a bit shocking at first to her family, she says the

00

In-Depth Editor

leges and scholarships.

“Playing can get you a lot of exposure to colleges through your coaches,” Thiel said. “It’s going to benefit me for college [scholarship opportunities], but right now it’s teaching me to work with new people.”

S o p h o more Mike Gambino has experienced similar growth and team bonding through M i x e d Company.

In addition to the growth he experiences though s h o w c h o i r, Gambino also takes private voice lessons at Hersey High School.

While some might not considered this too financially burdening at a price of $25 for each 30 minute weekly session, Gambino says he also faces around $800 in other costs associated with Mixed Company.

According to Gambino, everything is worth it in the end. When he pays this much to be in a club, he pays for the experiences that accompany being a part of a large group.

From his point of view, Mixed Company teaches students to be like a family and to interact well with others. Through this interaction, members learn dedication and how to push themselves and others to be better performers. “[Mixed Company is] a good chunk out of your paycheck, but in the long run, [I] don’t see a financial effect,” Gambino said. “From all the experiences you get and opportunities, it’s worth it.”

$2

BY KELSEY PHILIPPE

cost is worth it considering all the experiences she gained.

Despite the financial investment required, Hermes knew she would stay involved with band because of the passion it has instilled in her, so much that she is now considering a minor in music when she enters college.

In order to participate in activities such as band at Prospect, Hermes must pay an annual $50 district fee. However, extracurricular activities have varying additional costs ranging from $0 to $800.

For an additional cost, students can choose to participate in club sports outside of school, which helps them stay in shape and continue honing their skills year-round.

Sophomore Kaitlin Sattley, a swimmer, understands the value of continuous practice year round.

Each club swim season costs about $940 for the basic costs of using the facilities and being part of the team, but this does not include the costs of all the suits and entry money needed to compete.

“My parents only mind the expense when I’m skipping practice,” Sattley said.

“They obviously mind because club is expensive, but they’re not mad. It’s just a bill that we pay now. They think it’s worth it. Our whole thought process is that the more you practice, the better you become.”

Similarly, junior Paige Thiel knows the expenses that come with playing a club sport. She participates in club soccer, which costs $2,500 per season.

In addition, since Thiel is a goalie, she also must purchase $60 gloves every three to four months.

Thiel hopes all of the money that she is investing will benefit her next year when applying for col-

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Students learn to deal with expenses of extracurriculars

Financia

photos by Cassidy Selep

1990-2000 Security Features are put on bill. One feature is security thread.

This is a hidden strip that glows orange under ultraviolet (UV) lights to make sure the bill is not counterfeit.

Secretary Treasurer Jack Lew and the United States Treasury Department decided in June 2015 that the face of the $10 bill will be changed to a woman in 2020.

Reason for change: Not only will the United States Treasury change the face of the $10 bill, but Lew and his office will also be “redesigning the other bills in this new series” like the $1, $5, $20, $50 and $100. All the new faces, which won’t all be women, will represent the democracy of the United States.

These changes will help deter counterfeiters.

20

Why change it in 2020?: 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment regarding women’s suffrage.

1929-1990

1914-1929 The Federal Reserve creates the $10 bill along with the rest of the American currency. President Andrew Jackson was originally the face on the bill, and the back was a farmer who represented the expansion of the U.S.

Secretary of Treas ander Hamilton (p day face of bill) is the $10 bill. The fro bill changed to Hami the back became the States Treasury, whi sented the restoratio and power of the Am economy because the Depression had just

February 19, 2016

In-Depth

9

al restraints prove stressful but rewarding

sophe call ot to f her s car

idn’t rents situ-

herours was

struggling financially, but at first she didn’t realize the true depth of it. When she started working, her parents would start borrowing $10 from her and paying her back later.

Eventually it became $20, then $100 and then she got the phone call saying her dad took $1,000 to pay for their insurance. Now, most of her money goes toward paying insurance for the car she and her father share.

Although many people keep it private, some feel they’ve had to grow up fast in order to help their families financially. However, according to school psychologist Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson, District 214 has more assistance for students who are struggling now more than ever.

Students below a certain annual in-

come based on household size, ranging from $15,301 for a family of one to $53,157 for a family of eight, are eligible for free breakfasts, lunches and books. At Prospect, 10 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced breakfast and lunch.

Out of 2179 students, 195 qualify for free lunch and 16 qualify for reduced lunch. Students are also referred to an organization called Northwest Compass, which provides food, supplies and financial counseling for families.

Due to the recession of 2008, senior Hannah Green* and her family almost lost their house. Since then, her family has struggled financially.

Green had to get a job when she was

aking bank Eight years after the 2008 Recession, many Prospect families still face ecnomic burdens, forcing them to “break the bank” to stay afloat.

photo by Riley Langefeld

16. With the money she earns, she pays for all her own clothes, school activities and other things, such as going out to eat.

King does the same; in fact, she and her brother often loan each other money to buy things that they want. So when her parents first asked her to loan them some money, she thought it was no big deal because she was used to loaning her brother money.

Although King says her parents always try to pay her back, she doesn’t mind helping them.

“I don’t regret it,” King said, “and I don’t get angry at all about it because I know it’s not their fault. I’d rather make a sacrifice than complain about it.”

Green feels similarly; in fact, she is grateful to have learned how to manage her own money. She now thinks before she purchases something, such as a pair of shoes, in terms of how many hours it took her to earn the money she would spend.

This makes her more mindful of her purchases and discourages impulse buys.

Besides being grateful for learning how to manage money, she’s also grateful for the independence work brings her.

“Independence is a very freeing feeling, and knowing that you’re accomplishing things on your own is a different form of pride that I think is more meaningful,” Green said.

However, working so much cuts away from both Green’s and King’s social time.

Green has to budget time more and has limited freetime with friends, although her friends visit her at work.

Most of her free time is devoted to school. Green, used to feel sorry for herself that her friends were out having fun while she had to work.

“It doesn’t upset me anymore if I have to miss something for work,” Green said. “I know it’s what I have to do. It’s as simple as that.”

However, not everyone understands why Green and King work so much. King prefers to keep the real reason she works private, aside from her closest friends. Some of her friends get angry at her when she has to cancel plans because of work, but she doesn’t mind.

“I don’t give it thought because if they don’t understand what I have to do for my family, then they’re not really my closest friends,” King said. “I always put my family first.”

Due to her family’s busy schedules, they rarely see each other for more than an hour.

sury Alexpresent s put on ont of the ilton and e United ich repreon of faith merican e Great begun.

• 195 Prospect students receive free lunches • 10 percent of 2179 Prospect students receive reduced priced or free lunches • 224 D214 students receive reduced priced lunches • 2469 D214 students receive free lunches • 23 percent of D214 students receive reduced priced or free lunches • Under 100 students take advantage of free breakfest, free lunches and reduced priced lunches daily information courtesy of Disitrct 214 However, King thinks this brings her family closer together because they are all working for the same cause; their family.

King is closest with her 13-year-old brother because they understand each other due to their family dynamic, and they take care of each other. Since their parents aren’t usually home, they spend a lot of time with each other. If one of them is coming home late, the other will cook dinner and wait until they can eat together.

However, both King and Green’s parents wish their children didn’t have to work. In fact, sometimes Green’s parents get frustrated that she works so much.

“It’s more like it makes them feel bad because they’ve done everything they can, and it’s just that things haven’t worked out,” Green said. “It’s not their fault at all, so they just feel guilty not being able to give me all that they wish they could.”

Although Green has to make sacrifices to support herself and help her family, at the end of the day, she thinks it’s worth it.

“It is what it is, and I don’t think I’d be any happier if my family was well off,” Green said. “I have good friends, I like my job, and I do well in school. If I had nicer shoes, I don’t think it would make a huge difference.”

Eleanor Roosevelt Harriet Tubman

000-2006 Watermark and Color Shifting are put on bill. The bill has a bigger face of Hamilton, and the design of the number 10 and the words “The United States of America” are put on the right side of Hamilton.

2006-Present

Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees • 16 Prospect students receive reduced priced lunches

Clara Barton

Rosa Parks

2020?

Symbols of Freedom are put on bill. The background color of the bill is changed from green to a mixture of orange, yellow and red, the Statue of Liberty’s torch is added on and the bill also now has “We the people” from the Constitution on it.

? information courtesy of thenew10treasury.gov

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Features

February 19, 2016

prospectornow.com

Into thin air Jennifer Welter climbs mountains, sees world

BY CALEY GRIEBENOW Features Editor

I

nstead of planning a party for her 30th birthday back in 2009, science teacher Jennifer Welter had something else in mind. She enlisted the help of her best friend from high school, Jean Dahm, and together they planned a trip to climb Mount Whitney in California.

Welter and Dahm climbed with a company called the Sierra Mountain Center, which offered the necessary training, including cardio and weightlifting, and their gear. In a small group of other climbers and guides, they ventured on a three day roundtrip trek up the side of the mountain.

Of course, the trip was not without challenges. When Welter first reached base camp, where the climbers prepare for their climb, she looked up at the mountain and thought, ‘I have to climb that?’ After reaching the summit, Welter took a step back and was in awe of what she had accomplished.

Welter and Dahm both describe reaching the summit as “spectacular.” “[The view] was far as they eye could see, and you could see the whole mountain range,” Welter said. “There was this feeling of being free and a deep appreciation for nature.”

For Welter, climbing Mount Whitney was just the beginning. She has been climbing mountains across the

t no Ain’

globe for the past seven years, including 12 major climbs in places like Alaska, Argentina and Nepal.

Welter knew she wanted to find a way to stay active after college, but her schedule did not match up with intramural sports like soccer. Since she loves the outdoors and enjoys a challenge, mountain climbing proved to be the best of both worlds.

One of the most challenging trips for Welter was climbing Denali. The Alaskan peak is the tallest in North America. Even more so than when she climbed Mount Whitney, Welter truly learned the meaning of perseverance. She carried a 50-pound backpack and pulled a sled for six to eight hours of the day, making the climb even more strenuous.

“I was beyond fatigued,” Welter said.

“It was the absolute most exhausting thing I’ve ever done. But you can’t think, ‘Oh, I have another two or three hours to go.’ You have to just go, ‘left foot, right foot.’”

Welter is often the only woman in the group of

mountain high enou gh

Here are few mountains that Jennifer Welter has climbed.

Aconcagua 22,841 feet Climbed in 2012

Denali 20,322 feet Climbed in 2013

Mount Whitney 14,505 feet Climbed in 2009

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Graphic by Flynn Geraghty

o h Wws no

Junior Caitlin Anderlik The Girlfriend

Junior Joe Passmore The Subject

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etYto u er?

MIGHTY MOUNTAINS: Science teacher Jennifer Welter (left) scales Denali in Alaska. Welter has been climbing mountains since 2009. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Welter) climbers. However, her fellow climbers and guides have never been rude or condescending. She believes there is a sense of equality on the mountain.

“One of my guides once told me, ‘The altitude is a great equalizer,’ and that really stuck with me,” Welter said. “No matter who you are, man or woman, at some point, the altitude equalizes everyone.”

This point was proven when Welter climbed Aconcagua in Argentina. The whole team of climbers came down with altitude sickness, which is caused by difficulty adjusting to lower oxygen pressure.

One climber had to be taken back to camp with a guide because he was experiencing double-vision, but the rest of the team continued to climb. Summiting became more nerve-racking than usual because the team was not performing at its best. The team was also down to only one guide, which meant if one more person were to get sick, the whole team would have to turn back. “[Being in situations like that] really makes you gage your limits,” Welter said.

“You have to be able to ask yourself, ‘Do I have enough gas in the tank?’”

One of Welter’s most frightening experiences, and also one of her favorite stories to tell, is traveling to Nepal to climb the mountain Lobuche. To get there, Welter had to fly into one of the most dangerous airports in the world: Lukla airport. This airport has notoriously short runways, and the planes are small enough that colliding with a flock of birds could be fatal. This scared Welter even more than climbing the mountain itself.

“I remember sitting on the plane, and as it began to descend, I thought, ‘Where is the runway? Where are we going?’” Welter said. “‘If they miss the runway, it’s game over.’”

After landing safely, Welter made her way to base camp, where there were

Favorite book?

climbers from all over the world. Some people were climbing Lobuche and others were tackling the neighboring Mount Everest.

However, Welter has no desire to climb Everest. She has known people who have gotten seriously injured while climbing it, and did not want to take that risk.

At base camp, which Welter describes as a small village, there were also dozens of tents set up. She became closer with her fellow climbers, as she spent several weeks with them. She considers the people she climbed with to be some of her closest friends today.

One person who has never climbed with Welter is her husband and fellow science teacher Mark Welter. Mark has never climbed a mountain because heights are not his forte, but he believes Jennifer brings a sense of positivity to any group of climbers she joins.

“I’m excited for her whenever she climbs,” Mark said. “She’s very mentally strong.”

When Jennifer is gone for a couple weeks at a time, she and Mark communicate via satellite phone, and he can see any pictures they post on the guides’ website.

Jennifer doesn’t have any particular mountains she wants to climb in the future.

She would, however, like to experience a one-on-one trip with a guide, so she can learn how to rely less on other climbers.

Jennifer believes mountain climbing has taught her not only about herself, but it has made her more aware of the world around her. “[Climbing] made me more aware of my abilities, and how it’s important to get out of your comfort zone but not ability zone,” Welter said. “I feel incredibly grateful to have had these experiences. Some people choose to see the world through food tours or traveling. I choose to see it through mountains.”

4th period class?

Favorite movie?

Curfew?

Cats or Dogs?

Game of Thrones

Sociology

Pulp Fiction

11 p.m.

Dogs

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Game of Thrones

A Song of Ice Junior and Fire Jake Murray The Best Friend

Sociology

Inglorious Bastards

11 p.m.

Dogs

APUSH

Guardians of the Galaxy

11:30 p.m.

Dogs

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W I N N E R

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prospectornow.com

IT’S Victims of sexual assault turn to family, friends for love, support

February 19, 2016

NOT

situation, so she believed it was safe to see her perpetrator alone.

Chamberlin now realizes that her decision was dangerous, both physically and emotionally.

“It’s much easier to blame yourself than it is to actually have that much anger towards somebody,” Chamberlin said. “It really took me a long time to figure out

BY LAUREN MILLER AND ISABELLE ROGERS it wasn’t my fault and to accept Online Editor and Entertainment Editor what happened.”

Once she realized this and conenior Kirsten Chambertinued to receive inappropriate lin had always been open comments from her assaulter, she with senior John Tworek, distanced herself. Chamberlin her boyfriend of two and a half understands that taking an asyears. But when he called her sault to the police is a viable opfrom a band competition in Octotion for many assault victims, but ber, she could not tell him what personally, she did not want to go had just happened to her. through the stress and relive the “That night, I left the place, trauma in court throughout her and I went home, and I basically senior year of high school. told myself it didn’t happen to me, Another factor that plays a that it was just a dream,” Chamrole in a berlin said. victim not It was not until the next morncoming foring that Chamberlin realized the ward is the severity of her situation. The previctim’s revious day, Chamberlin had been lationship sexually assaulted by a long-term with their friend. Though she repeatedly assaulter. said no and tried to kick her asAccording saulter off, she still felt she was to to RAINN, blame. approxiIn fact, she thought she had mately 80 cheated on Tworek. Though she percent of was scared of Tworek’s reaction, sexual asthe next day she called him and a saults are friend over to talk about what had committed happened. They immediately let by someone Chamberlin know she had done the victim nothing wrong. k n o w s .

“It can happen to anybody,” This factor Chamberlin said. “I have been in was part of a long-term relationship. I do not the reason party. I do not drink. And it still Chamberlin did not report her happened to me.” assault. Even though she is not In fact, according to the Rape, friends with her assaulter anyAbuse and Incest National Netmore, she also did not want to work (RAINN), one in six women drag him into legal trouble and and one in 33 men will be sexually potentially ruin his future. assaulted in their lifetime.

“Most sexual assaults are beAccording to the United States ing committed by people they Department of Justice, “sexual asknow ... so [the victim] already sault is any type of sexual contact has a pre-existing relationship or behavior that occurs without with [their assaulter] and it is ofthe explicit consent of the recipiten difficult to speak out against ent. Falling under the definition them because in some form or of sexual assault are sexual activianother they are still emotionally ties as forced intercourse, forcible tied to this person,” said Perez. sodomy, child molestation, incest, “When [the victim speaks] out, fondling and attempted rape.” there are going to be some conseBeing sexually assaulted can quences that individual will have leave both physical and mental to go through.” lasting effects on the victim. These According to RAINN, 68 perinclude depression, post-traumatcent of sexual assaults are not ic stress reported disorder “It can happen to anybody. to law en(PTSD) and forcement. sexually I have been in When vica long-term transmitted tims do infections relationship. I do not party. I do come for( S T I s ) . ward, it Moreover, not drink.

And can be very it still happened to victims ofdifficult ten do not me.” for them to understand navigate that they the medical have been and legal Kirsten Chamberlin, senior sexually assystems. saulted.

Often, According to Magdalena Perez, victims do not have access to the a clinical psychologist in Arlingsupport and services they need, ton Heights, there are a multitude like the extended rape examinaof factors that can impact how the tions some organizations offer. victim views their assault, and According to Dorothy Kozathese challenges can make it more kowski, founder of nonprofit ordifficult for the victim to start the ganization Pathways To Healing, healing process. only eight pediatric nurses in the “A lot of times the victim feels state of Illinois are certified to like they are responsible for the physically and emotionally treat sexual assault,” said Perez. “So juveniles after the sexual assault. they often won’t speak out at all.”

There are only 26 qualified nurses This was the case for Chamfor adults in Illinois. berlin’s assault. Weeks after the Kozakowski is one of the eight attack, she still felt guilty, like nurses trained to give the psychoshe did not do enough to stop the logically supportive 8-hour examattack, so she spent time with her inations to the victims as opposed attacker to discuss what had hapto the relatively short exams givpened. Her guilt created an inabilen by uncertified nurses. These ity to realize the severity of the

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T L U A YOUR F

highly detailed exams focus on both the physical and mental aspects of the attacks.

While this lack of access to proper medical care can inhibit a victim’s recovery, nonprofit organizations like Pathways To Healing are dedicated to helping improve and expand victims’ access to medical and legal care.

“A lot of the emergency medical needs [assault victims] have are psychological,” Kozakowski said. “They need to know they are okay. They need to understand the risk factors for pregnancy and STDs. They need to understand there is a safety plan.”

Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault (Northwest CASA), another local organization for victims of sexual assault, also provides free services to victims, friends and family. These services include counseling, a 24-hour hotline, and advocacy in the hospital and legal systems.

Northwest CASA also sends volunteers to educate high school students about sexual asTworek and my dad,” Chamberlin I don’t want this person to affect sault. said. “Those are the only two men me any longer. I don’t want to T h e y I trust. I’ve had faith in men after think about them any longer, and come to Pros[the assault.] [They have] shown I don’t think [the assaulter] would pect twice me that men can actually be good, be satisfied about it, but I don’t each year. decent human beings.” want to give them any satisfacCourtney Along with mistrust and psytion.”

Kuczaj, Volunteer Coordinator chological trauma, sexual assault Chamberlin wants to use her and Medical Legal Advocate at can also make the victims feel that newfound voice to be an advocate Northwest CASA, hopes to edthey are voiceless. Oftentimes, for other sexual assault victims to ucate students through Northpeople associate their bodies with show them that they have nothwest CASA’s Clothesline Project. having control. When people are ing to be ashamed of or feel guilty Through t-shirts pinned to clothessexually assaulted they feel that about. lines, it displays the thoughts and control has been taken away, ren“I hope that people can see stories of sexual assault victims. dering them voiceless. The goal of that it can happen to anybody, Although the stories shared can Northwest CASA is to provide vicand just because you think that be triggering for victims, it gives tims with the opportunity to gain you’re taking precautions doesn’t them the chance to reach out and their voice back and encourage mean that it still can’t happen to establish closure. them to heal. you,” Chamberlin said. “I hope “[Teaching high schoolers “We understand that sexual asthat you can see that girls that do about sexual assault] is importsault is never the victim’s fault. … get sexually assaulted aren’t sluts ant because high schoolers are Sexual assault is taking away the ... They can be anybody. To people the up and coming generation,” victim’s voice in that situation,” that have been sexually assaulted, said Kuczaj. “We want to make an Kuczaj said. “What [Northwest I hope that they can start healing impact and change the way that CASA] wants to do is give them and start understanding how to history sees sexual assault and their voice back and empower heal from my situation.” sexual violence … The Clothesline them to make the decision that is Project is an extremely powerful right for them. … At the end of the exhibit, and I think it brings valday, the only person that is going idations to a lot of individuals out to have to [live] through [the asthere.” sault] is the survivor.”

After senior Beyond organized support for For Chamberlin, regaining her Kirsten sexual assault victims, it is imvoice means moving past her anportant for victims to be supportger.

Chamberlin was ed by family and friends.

“I think I’m already startassaulted, she “One of the main reasons peoing to heal,” Chamberlin followed these ple do not speak out early enough said. “I have already is because they feel like they come to terms with it, steps to recover. do not have the support of their so I think that it’s friends and family,” said Perez. not going to affect 1.) Denial “By having a very strong family me in the long and peer support, it helps empowrun, and I er the person and strengthen that don’t want person to speak up and to help it to be2.) Acceptance them recover.” cause For Chamberlin, her support came from her friends, boyfriend and family. When Chamberlin has 3.) Anger nightmares about the assault, she can go to her 14-year-old sister for comfort.

Every day, Chamber4.) Understanding the attacker lin is reminded of the trustworthy people in her life and how much they have helped her re5.) Forgiving the attacker store her trust in others.

“The only two men I love in this 6.) Making the best out of a bad situation world are John

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Entertainment

February 19, 2016

prospectornow.com

Now playing across seas Despite all the options for streaming movies and TV shows, it can feel like there is never anything to watch. If you’ve already checked off everything on your Netflix queue, check out some of the most popular and successful foreign films below.

Amélie Amélie, a French waitress, tries her best to improve the lives of the people around her while dealing with her own struggles of loneliness and isolation. To this day, it is the highest grossing French film released in the United States. It is available on Netflix.

Country: France Genre: Romantic comedy Release date: Apr. 21, 2001 Box Office: With a $10 million budget, the film made $173.9 million.

Awards: Amélie’s awards include Best Film from the European Film Awards, four César Awards (including Best Film and Best Director), two BAFTAs and five Academy Awards nominations.

Photo courtesy of the New York Film Academy blog.

DIRECTED BY MARCI KISZKIEL Associate Editor-In-Chief

Ida Set in 1962, an orphaned Polish future nun is ready to take her vows, but she finds out from her only known living relative that her birth-parents were Jewish and killed during WWII. With this new information, she decides to embark on a journey to learn about her family’s past. Although the film isn’t on Netflix, you can buy it on Amazon with subtitles for $14.99 or rent it for $3.99.

Country: Poland Genre: Drama Released: Sept. 11, 2013 Box Office: The film earned $11.1 million overall.

Awards: “Ida” won the 2015 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, making it the first Polish film to do so. The film was also named Best Film of 2014 by the European Film Academy and Best Film Not in the English Language of 2014 by BAFTA.

Old Boy The movie begins in 1988 when businessman Oh Dae-Su is kidnapped and held captive without any contact from the outside world for 15 years.

When he suddenly wakes up free from his prison in 2003, the year in which the movie was released, he receives a disturbing phone call from his captor and finds that his torment isn’t over yet. In 2010, the film was ranked #18 in Empire magazine’s “The 100 Best Films of World Cinema.” The film is also available on Netflix.

Country: South Korea Genre: Thriller Released: Nov. 21, 2003 Box-office: The film earned $15 million overall.

Awards: The film has won Best Film for the Korean Film Awards, Grand Prix from both the Cannes Film Festival and the Belgian Film Critics Association, as well as Best Film at the Sitges Film Festival.

Volver Actress Penélope Cruz plays a woman struggling to do the right thing for her 14-year-old daughter and finds it all the more difficult when her deceased mother returns from the grave to complete some unfinished business she couldn’t take care of during her life. The film is available on Netflix.

Country: Spain Genre: Drama Released: Mar. 21, 2006 Box office: With a budget of $9.4 million, the film made $85,585,177.

Awards: “Volver” won the Palme d’Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, and Penélope Cruz was nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first Spanish woman ever to be nominated in that category.

Makeup proves beneficial for increasing confidence

BY CASSIDY DELAHUNTY Entertainment Editor During the summer between seventh and eighth grade, sophomore Kaileigh Boggs discovered the section of YouTube filled with makeup tutorials and beauty how-tos. When Boggs saw the girls in the videos using makeup as a way to express their creativity, she was inspired.

Lacking an outlet for her own creativity, Boggs started her own makeup-centric YouTube channel.

Even though Boggs took down the channel, she still enjoys makeup greatly. “[Makeup] helped me love who I was and develop a lot of confidence in myself,” Boggs said.

Despite the enjoyment makeup gave Boggs, delving deep into the world of makeup had some negative effects.

“A lot of people knew me as [the girl who does makeup],” Boggs said. “Whenever I wouldn’t wear makeup, I would feel really insecure.”

Boggs isn’t the only one who has had less than glamorous experiences with makeup.

Some experts say that girls start wearing makeup at such

a young age to cover up insecurities given to them by the makeup industry.

According to a study by the Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorder Treatment, 65 percent of girls who wear makeup start doing so between the ages of eight and 13. Out of these girls, 27 percent hardly ever leave the house without wearing makeup.

Only 5 percent of girls feel more confident when wearing no makeup at all.

According to Adrienne Ressler, National Training Director for the Renfrew Center Foundation, in an interview with PR Newswire, girls who start wearing makeup at a young age may be showing signs of early self-image issues or may be starting a habit that is difficult to break.

For Junior Sarah Ellstrand, these statistics are a reflection of her personal experience. After wearing makeup every day during her freshman year, Ellstrand began to develop a dependence.

“When I didn’t wear [makeup], I felt like my face was naked,” Ellstrand said. “[But] I realized that no one else noticed. I realized that I wasn’t doing it for me. I was doing it because I thought I needed to.”

For Ellstrand, not wearing makeup boosts her confidence. While she realizes

that this might open the door for others to be judgmental, she believes the benefits of not doing so are well worth the risks.

“If you wanted a boyfriend, and he only liked you when you wore makeup, … he’s going to see you without makeup [eventually],” Ellstrand said.

Sophomore Emily Lasky has felt similar pressures to wear makeup.

After not wearing makeup to school one day, some fellow students called Lasky out, questioning why she wasn’t wearing makeup. While Lasky was not personally offended, the comment brought about a realization.

“I didn’t even realize that people noticed when I didn’t wear makeup,” Lasky said.

“Obviously I knew and my close friends knew, but I didn’t realize that it had become such a stereotype that I had to fill.”

According to Lasky, the expectation to wear makeup is a double standard. Lasky found a common joke on the internet where men say they have trust issues because they cannot tell what a girl looks like underneath her makeup. Lasky dislikes these jokes because she feels they assume a girl won’t be as pretty when she is not wearing makeup.

“Makeup is just an accessory. It is not who anybody is,” Lasky said. “If your only opinion on [someone] is of what they physically look like, then don’t even bother saying anything. … You wouldn’t make fun of somebody for not playing soccer.

Why would you make fun

of them for not wearing makeup?”

Despite these negative experiences, Lasky still enjoys wearing makeup. However, after realizing that other people had come to expect Lasky to wear makeup, some of her friends told her she should stop. Even with this added pressure, Lasky refused.

“I [said] no because that was kind of like giving in to [the people who called me out],” Lasky said. “I didn’t wear makeup for them, and I’m not going to [stop wearing] makeup for them, either.”

Boggs agrees that the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to makeup.

“The beauty community is … a very positive place,” Boggs said. “[Makeup is] about expressing who you are and really projecting your personality. … When I do wear makeup, I feel confident. Like I can go out and conquer the world.”

Lasky agrees and says that makeup is like a hobby for her.

“I’ve always been really into art,” Lasky said. “I feel like [makeup is] a way to incorporate that into your everyday life.”

Despite the statistics, Boggs disagrees that makeup is only used by those who have poor self-esteem. While her interest with makeup did begin with a desire to cover her insecurities, it has led her to develop confidence and feel comfortable in her own skin.

“As I’ve grown, I’ve come to love [wearing makeup],” Boggs said. “You can change it up every day and people may judge you, but you can just take it off at the end of the day and be who you want to be. … Makeup is about embracing who you are. It’s not about being a different person.”

prospectornow.com

February 19, 2016

And the Oscar goes to ...

BY KIT FITZGERALD Staff Writer

With the Academy Awards approaching on Feb. 28, study up with summaries of all the nominees for Best Picture, look to the sides for the Prospector’s picks for the major categories. For more of Garrett and Kit’s thoughts on the nominees, check out their Movie Knight on prospectornow.com

“Spotlight” stayed with me for days after watching it. This story is so impactful that my stomach was in knots. I could go on about the acting, which was realistic and emotional, or the writing, which unfolded the story simply and respectfully.

In the grand scheme of things, that’s not what matters to me. It matters to me that it’s been two months since I’ve seen “Spotlight,” and I’m still thinking about the final scene.

THE BIG SHORT

BRIDGE OF SPIES

When an economic savant predicts the 2008 bubble burst, he finds a way to bet against the market, meaning that an economic crash would make him rich.

At the height of the Cold War, an insurance lawyer is recruited by the government to work between the USSR and the United States.

BEST ACTRESS: BRIE LARSON A group of investigative journalists from The Boston Globe dig into reports of sexual abuse (and subsequent cover-ups) in the Catholic Church in the early 2000s.

BEST DIRECTOR: GEORGE MILLER

THE MARTIAN

George Miller is my pick for best director because of the incredible amount meaning and art that he squeezed into what essentially is an action movie. This year is a great year for directors, and George Miller could be considered the underdog in the director category, as his style is unique and chaotic directing style is not what the Academy would traditionally acknowledge.

BEST ACTOR: LEONARDO DICAPRIO Leo is my pick for best actor because the depth of pain he displayed time and time again through “The Revenant.” Leo has been better in other movies during past years. However, out of all of the nominees, Leo played the most demanding role. His character only experiences pain, and Leo hardly shows any type of acting other than intense pain. That being said, he does it really really well.

“U” are the Academy With the Oscars on the way, you have the chance to predict the winners. Circle a nominee for each category, then turn in the ballot by Feb. 26 to room 216 to enter to win an AMC movie pass.

NAME: ________________

BEST PICTURE: SPOTLIGHT A well of good performances and snappy dialogue, “Spotlight” has the romance of print journalism neatly tied with overtones of faith (religious and otherwise) that are both timely and timeless.

It’s not the most revolutionary film in the roster, but it is the one that reaches the most amount of people and holds up a mirror to the world around us.

BEST ACTRESS:

Brie Larson has a hab- BRIE LARSON it of turning up in groundbreaking movies. From Edgar Wright’s genre-bending neo-classic “Scott Pilgrim vs the World” to the harsh look at teenage recklessness in “The Spectacular Now,” she knows how to pick a good film. However, those performances don’t hold a candle to the tour de force she presents in “Room.”

Not only is she tasked with carrying the immense weight of her character’s emotional turmoil, she also has to keep the audience captivated. Nothing feels like acting, and she owns the whole film.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

SPOTLIGHT

The complexity of Brie Larson’s character’s situation calls for emotions no average person could comprehend. What Larson brought to the table has never been done before, and she did so with compassion, ferocity, and an incredible amount of empathy.

When making a routine run for oil in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, a group of prisoners and disillusioned workers attempt to escape their tyrannical warlord, leading to the longest car chase in film history.

THE REVENANT

After an expedition to Mars goes wrong, the crew abandons the planet and one of their own. Alone on a hostile planet without a way to contact Earth, Mark Watney must find a way to survive until help comes.

In the 1820s American wilderness, frontiersman Hugh Glass must try to survive against the freezing temperatures, hostile natives, ill-tempered bears and even his own men.

ROOM

BROOKLYN

A mother and her young son, held captive in a small room for years on end, deal with the time their lives were locked away and with what the world outside might hold.

An Irish immigrant travels to 1950s Brooklyn, where she is caught in a whirlwind of excitement and romance. However, she must choose between this new world and her old one.

BEST DIRECTOR: From the ALEjANDRO opening shot of Revenant,” GONzáLEz “The Iñárritu has his IñáRRITU fingerprints all over the film. From his trademark tracking shots to a fixation on water and other symbols, the film has a direction entirely its own. George Miller may have put a unique spin on the post-apocalypse in “Mad Max,” but Iñárritu has created a truly individual film.

BEST ACTOR:

Wheel out the LEONARDO stupid meme and DICAPRIO get ready to retire it, because this is the year that Leonardo DiCaprio should finally get that Oscar.

As much as I hate to give the internet the satisfaction, he deserves it. Story has it that Leo, as well as the rest of “The Revenant” cast, nearly died while in the tundric conditions. That sacrifice brilliantly paid off, and the audience feels all the pain and cold that his character (and Leo in real life) is going through.

Best Actor

Best Supporting Actor

13

BY GARRETT STROTHER Entertainment Editor

BEST PICTURE NOMINEES

BEST PICTURE: SPOTLIGHT

Entertainment

Best Director

•

Mark Rylance - “Bridge of Spies”

•

Eddie Redmayne - “The Danish Girl”

•

Lenny Abrahamson - “Room”

•

Christian Bale - “The Big Short”

•

Matt Damon - “The Martian”

•

Adam McKay - “The Big Short”

•

Sylvester Stallone - “Creed”

•

Bryan Cranston - “Trumbo”

•

Tom McCarthy - “Spotlight”

•

Mark Ruffalo - “Spotlight”

•

Leonardo DiCaprio - “The Revenant”

•

Alejandro González Iñárritu - “The Revenant”

•

Tom Hardy - “The Revenant”

•

Michael Fassbender - “Steve Jobs”

•

George Miller - “Mad Max”

Best Supporting Actress

Best Actress

•

Kate Winslet - “Steve Jobs”

•

Saoirse Ronan - “Brooklyn”

•

Rooney Mara - “Carol”

•

Cate Blanchett - “Carol”

•

Alicia Vikander - “The Danish Girl”

•

Brie Larson - “Room”

•

Jennifer Jason Leigh - “The Hateful Eight

•

Charlotte Rampling - “45 Years”

•

Rachel McAdams - “Spotlight”

•

Jennifer Lawrence - “Joy”

Best Picture •

The Martian

•

Bridge of Spies

•

Brooklyn

•

The Big Short

•

Mad Max

•

Spotlight

•

The Revenant

•

Room

14

Sports

February 19, 2016

prospectornow.com

Wrestling retains dominance in MSL

BY BEN DOJUTREK Sports Editor

smooth start. At the end of the first quarter of the season, the team was 3-8 in dual meets.

Although the start was rough, they cort the MSL Conference Champirected course at a tri-meet against Grant and onship on Jan. 30, junior Matt St. Pat’s on Dec. 23. After losing to Grant in Wroblewski was faced off against the first match by a margin of four points, conference rival and friend Tony Vezzetti the team beat St. Pat’s by 57 points. from the Saxons of Schaumburg.

The Knights then proceeded to win every Both are state-ranked wrestlers, with match for the rest of the Wroblewski as No. 4 (36regular season by a mar0) and Vezzetti at No. 5.

State-bound gin of at least 16 points, A loss at this juncture culminating with an would take the Knights During sectionals the 80-0 beatdown of the Elk out of contention to bewrestling team broke the Grove Grens. come co-MSL ConferProspect record by having The momentum carence Champions. a total of six wrestlers indiried into the conference “They know each othmeet and regionals, er,” senior Bobby Jarosz vidualy qualify for state. where the Knights came said. “It’s a match the away with three individteam looks forward to.

So. Angel Romero-132 lbs ual regional titles and We know that those guys Jr. Alex Koczwara-195 the overall team title. are going wrestle their Jr. Matt Wroblewski-182 The individual chambest.”

Sr. Tanner Strobel-152 pions were junior Al Wroblewski was Sr. Bobby Jarosz-160 Koczwara, Wroblewski down 3-2 with only 10 and Jarosz. seconds left in the third Sr. Andrew Baysingar-106 Six individuals will round. In a desperate head to state on Feb. 18 move, Wroblewski was able to pin Vezzeti, forcing the match into with confidence after a record breaking performance at sectionals (see “State-bound”). overtime.

They hope to bring their success to the Wroblewski ultimately prevailed by a team state series at the end of February. score of 5-3, making the Knights co-MSL When looking back at the overall acChampions with Barrington.

“I wrestled how I was supposed to wres- complishments of the team, Whalen is most tle,” Wroblewski said. “Every regional and proud of the depth.

The Knights have tapped into this depth then sectional is going to have tougher as they have battled injuries, including the match ups.”

The conference meet was a success, and losses of seniors Alex Preissing and Tanner Strobel. Their deep reserves have allowed it highlighted a banner year for the Knights. the team to keep moving forward.

The Knights have gone 19-6 in dual meets “We had a lot of JV kids who stepped up and won the MSL East and the DeKalb and big,” Jarosz said. “Any one of those guys Dundee Crown tournaments. could wrestle for varsity.”

However, the season did not get off to a

A

HEADLOCKED: Senior Bobby Jarosz practices his wrestling moves against senior Frank Mazur. This year, the team has continued their success in the MSL, going 19-6 in dual meets and coming in second at the MSL. “While practice can be a drag, the feeling of the ref raising your hand in victory – it feels like being on top of the world,” Jarosz said. (photo by Riley Langefeld)

“We had a lot of JV kids who stepped up big. Any one of those guys could wrestle for varsity.”

Bobby Jarosz, senior Jarosz credits people like junior Stu Isteefanos, who, according to Jarosz, didn’t waver under pressure.

In addition to having a deep roster, Whalen believes hard work has enabled the team’s success.

He believes the team does not make excuses. They work consistently and make steady progress in their skills and teamwork. The team also benefits from intense preparation between meets.

“Practice is always high paced,” Jarosz said. “You are only going to get time if you put in time.”

While these practices are challenging, Jarosz believes the end justifies the mean.

“While practice can be a drag, the feeling of the ref raising your hand in victory – it feels like being on top of the world,” Jarosz said.

prospectornow.com

February 19, 2016

15

Sports

W he re ar et Career statistics: he y Winthrop 2015-2016

Rocky Road to Rock Hill 2010 graduate Jimmy Gavin never played varsity basketball but is now proving doubters wrong at Winthrop

high school, and physically there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Sports Editors During his senior year, Jimmy halfheartedly tried out for the basimmy Gavin was the starting point guard at Pros- ketball team because his passion pect on then-freshman for the game was still there, but whether he would make the team basketball coach John Camardelwas in question. la’s freshman-A team. According Watching the try out was difto Camardella, Gavin looked to ficult for Camardella because he be a special talent from the start. feels the disease took away JimDuring cermy’s chance tain games, be a conGavin would What is Crohn’s disease? to tributor on find ways to the varsity score, once level and neveven knock• Crohn’s disease is a chronic er gave him ing down six inflammatory bowel disease an honest shot three-pointat making the that affects the lining of the ers, and was a team. leader on the digestive tract.

“He was a team. shell of his for“He had a • When someone has Crohn’s mer self,” Cahuge career in mardella who front of him,” disease they don’t absorb was named Camardella enough nutrients, such as the varsity said. head coach in iron, which can cause the That cathe summer reer soon beperson to get sick and often of 2007 said. gan to take very tired.

“You could many twists tell his body and turns, but could not do after overcom• Approximately 1.6 million what he wanting obstacles Americans have Crohn’s ed it to.” throughout Although disease. Symptoms include high school Jimmy wasn’t and college, fever, weight loss, loss of able to play Gavin is playappetite, fatigue and night basketball at ing basketball Prospect, he sweats. at Winthrop still loved the University, a game.

Division I proInfo courtesy of Susan Gavin During his gram in Rock junior and seand ccfa.org Hill, S.C. nior year, he E v e r y played AHYthing changed BA, St. Mark’s Gavin’s sophomore year. He began to slow down on the court, and he league and pick-up basketball could not keep up with the game. games at the RecPlex and Pioneer Park.

He also got sick on a regular ba“In Saint Mark’s league sis. He went to the doctor multiple [games], he usually lit us up in a times, but they didn’t see anything number of ways,” Thomas said. wrong. However, after a trip to the “He was basically the go-to guy.” chiropractor, he was diagnosed Though he had potential to play with Crohn’s disease. (See “What throughout high school and even is Crohn’s disease?”) “[Jimmy] looked so tired and into college, Jimmy did not see basketball in his future. He first thin. That’s when I knew someattended Mississippi State and fothing was wrong,” his mother cused on a future that did not inSusan Gavin said. “He would get home from practice, and he would volve the hardwood.

The person who many considbe so exhausted. It was brutal.” ered a promising player was now Brian Thomas, a high school friend and teammate of Jimmy, just like any other student.

During explains freshman that even year, Jimmy though Jimhad a surmy wasn’t gery to rethe most athverse some of letic player the effects of sophomore the Crohn’s year while disease. He he was batalso found tling Crohn’s ways to work disease, he his diet and always gave lifestyle 110 percent around the effort. disease.

However, “Jimmy his afflicis impeccation began ble about his to take its diet,” Susan toll. Jimmy said. “He is was discourso commitaged to the ted.” point where After Jimbasketball my began wasn’t a prito heal from ority.

Crohn’s, “It was he was hit very diffiwith a chalcult,” Jim- THROWBACK: Jimmy Gavin poses lenge that, my said.

“There was for a picture as a freshman. Gavin was according to a point in only able to play basketball his first two him, was the he time where I years at Prospect because of his disease. hardest ever faced. just kind of (photo courtesy of Susan Gavin) On March 24, avoided bas2011, Jimmy ketball altogether. I didn’t want to got a call that his younger brother, watch it on television or even play Jack, was killed in a car accident. it. I don’t know if I would even play “Losing a brother was a pain at open gym.” that nobody can prepare you for,” High school was a challenging Jimmy said. “It was very surreal at time in Jimmy’s life. He dealt with the beginning. I would say I probsickness and fatigue on a daily baably went through every emotion sis. Not being able to play sports that you could have, from anger to anymore was very frustrating for confusion [to] resentment. It’s realhim since he had to sit out the ly difficult to put into words what sport he had played his whole life. it’s like to lose a brother.” “[Not being able to play] was Jimmy went home to be with heartbreaking,” Susan said. “In his family during the grieving proAHYBA growing up, he was alcess and later went back to Missisways the top kid, and now he’s in sippi State to finish off his fresh-

JIMMY GAVIN

17.2 ppg

BY JACK ANKONY AND DEVIN PRASAD

J

#44

• 17.2 ppg, 49% fg, 41% 3pt fg 83% ft, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg

no w ?

• Plays 32.4 minutes per game • Best game - 38 points vs. NC State Univ. Wisconsin-Parkside 2014-2015 • 14.0 ppg, 41% fg, 33% 3pt fg • Played 30.0 minutes per game • 2.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2-2 ft Info courtesy of espn.com

“Often times it’s in the hardest experiences that we grow the most. I’ve definitely had my share of tough times, but in those tough times, I have learned a lot about who I am and what I want to stand for.”

‘JIM’ RAT: Winthrop University senior guard Jimmy Gavin drives the lane against Hampton University on Nov. 14. Gavin’s journey to play Division I basketball was uncommon, as he transferred from Bradley University to University of Wisconsin-Parkside and finally now to Winthrop. (photo courtesy of Winthrop University) man year.

“Something like that just takes everyone out at the knees,” Susan said. “There’s nothing in life that would ever prepare anyone for that loss.”

After Jimmy’s brother died, Thomas explains that he and Jimmy became close friends again, and he helped Jimmy deal with the loss.

“Our class kind of took a hit [when Jimmy’s brother passed away],” Thomas said. “We all rallied around him, especially when he came [home] to see his friends.”

Jimmy came home for the summer after freshman year and still felt the pain of his brother’s loss.

“Basketball wasn’t even a priority for him at this point,” Thomas said. “He had a period where he just mourned his brother.

Lucky for him, he turned to basketball when he was home, and it [changed] his life.”

After encouragement from his friends, Jimmy began to pick up the game and enjoyed the process.

“I knew I still loved basketball again, and it was under [the] help of close friends who said it would be good to get something that I loved back into my life,” Jimmy said. “Once I began practicing and playing again, I definitely used my brother as a source of inspiration and guidance. So I owe a lot of it to him.”

Jimmy still uses the death of his brother as motivation on the court.

“I pray all the time for guidance and wisdom,” Jimmy said. “I can’t do anything to bring him back, so on a day-to-day basis I just try to live in a way that honors him.

That’s one of my biggest motivations.”

That summer, Jimmy trained with the founder of Full Package Athletics, Steve Pratt. Pratt trains players for the NBA draft every summer, and Jimmy began to really fall in love with the game again.

“It was a lot of fun really,” Jimmy said. “I was just very eager to learn and improve. That was really the main thing I felt. It was exciting to be playing again. It just felt like that was what I was supposed

to be doing.”

Pratt saw Jimmy’s athleticism and drive to get better as his best assets on the court that could earn him a scholarship in the future.

Jimmy first kicked off his collegiate basketball career at Bradley University, a Division I program in Peoria, Ill. as a walk-on after transferring from Mississippi State. After attending Bradley for one season, he transferred to University of Wisconsin-Parkside, a Division II program, where he played for two seasons.

There he averaged 17.4 points per game in his second year and was named first team all-conference.

“He got a scholarship to Wisconsin-Parkside and he continued to progress from there,” Pratt said.

“He worked his way to be the best player on that team and then once he got his degree, he wanted to go

to a higher level.”

At Winthrop, Jimmy is currently averaging 17.3 points per game as one of the team’s starting guards.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Jimmy has made a significant jump in his size and strength compared to his sophomore year at Prospect when he was 5-foot-4 and 90 pounds.

Jimmy’s younger brother Grant, who graduated Prospect in 2015, believes that playing at University of Wisconsin-Parkside helped Jimmy build a resume for Division I coaches to look at since he did not play varsity basketball in high school.

Grant feels that Jimmy “broke a barrier” by competing at such a high level in college but never playing in high school.

In a way, Jimmy is happy that he did not compete in high school because he had no hype surrounding him when he reached the college level. He was able to fly under the radar and work on his own game rather than have to worry about factors out of his control.

Jimmy hopes to break another barrier following this season. He is striving to get drafted in the NBA — a goal that his family and friends think is reachable.

“All you can do is just continue to put the work in and continue to have faith in yourself,” Jimmy said. “Normally the truth has a way of coming to light I think. So if you put that work in and you truly believe in yourself, the universe usually figures out a way to make it happen.”

According to Thomas, people have doubted Jimmy his entire life, but that has not stopped him yet.

“In my experience you don’t bet against Jimmy Gavin,” Thomas said. “There have been people who say he has no shot at the NBA, but the same people also said he had no shot of playing college basketball.

So for me or anyone to say that now is a moot point. He has already proved so many people wrong, so why can’t he do it again?”

BROTHERLY LOVE: Brothers Jimmy (left), Jack (center) and Grant Gavin (right) smile for a picture in Sept. 2010. The loss of Jack in a car accident during his sophomore year of high school left Jimmy devastated, but has become an inspiration for him. “Once I began practicing and playing again, I definitely used my brother as a source of inspiration and guidance. So I owe a lot of it to him.” (photo courtesy of Susan Gavin)

SPORTS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

Early NFL players retire

Read about sports editor Ryan Molini’s opinion on the most recent and well-known retirements in the NFL and whether or not they made the right decision. prospectornow.com

Swedura’s speed stumps conference competition Even with the lack of experience in title games from the players, the program as a whole is no stranger to MSL title games. They he varsity boys’ basketball team opened up their have played in six of the last eight under Camardella’s coaching. The conference season with last was in 2014. a home game against Hersey on As of Feb. 19, the team only has Dec. 4 . The contest not only filled the Jean Walker Field House to two conference losses. However, most on the team feels they could its brink but also gave the fans a very easily be undefeated because nail biter. Junior guard Frankie their only losses came to Wheeling Mack sealed the victory with a (9-15, 2-6) and Elk Grove (14-9, 7-2). game-winning drive to the basket According to Szuba, the team with under nine seconds remainwants to win the MSL East for the ing. A last second free throw from junior forward Matt Szuba extend- seniors.

Szuba’s remark comes after ed the Knights’ lead to 49-47 and many fans and even the Daily Herkicked off the Knights’ conference ald saw this year as a building year season with a win. for the Knights.

The Knights (13-9, 7-2) more re“Prospect might be a year cently put the Huskies (10-12, 5-4) away,” the Daily Herald said in out of the conference title race in a their annual preseason roundup. packed Carter Gym at Hersey beatSenior guard Liam Benson dising them 60-54 Feb. 5 to improve agrees with the their East Division record to Young scoring leaders critics of this year’s seniors 7-1. However, a and team. loss to Elk Grove Jr. Frankie Mack 16.1 ppg “Prospect on the road Feb. So. David Swedura 9.6 ppg basketball is 12 extends the about winning division race to Jr. Matt Szuba 9.0 rpg the East. Espetonight.

Sr. Dan Marshall 4.9 rpg cially for the If the Knights seniors, we’ve beat Buffalo doubtGrove tonight So. David Swedura 30 steals been ed since day at home, they Jr. Matt Szuba 15 steals one,” Benson clinch the East said.

“Finally, division and *stats as of Feb. 11 [it is] our time play in the MSL to prove them championship wrong.” game next Wednesday, Feb. 24 on The team plays Buffalo Grove the road.

Friday, Feb. 19 for their last East The Knights are a young team. game. A win against them would In fact, 86.2 percent of their scoring clinch the MSL East and send them comes from non-seniors as well as to the conference championship on 78.8 percent of their rebounds. This Feb. 24. season also marks the first since For sophomore David Swedu2007 when the team has not had a member who has played in an MSL ra, the assurance his coaches and teammates have in him as a starttitle game. ing varsity point guard has built “[Winning the east] is not the up his confidence on the court as end all, be all,” head coach John Camardella said. “It’s not the end he averages 9.6 ppg. “[Being a varsity point guard] goal, but it’s the first goal.” is an unbelievable feeling that For the Knights, the first chamI’ve been waiting awhile for now,” pionship they can win is the MSL just before they take their shot at Swedura said. “As a little kid, [I] watched the [varsity] players [and the IHSA playoffs.

BY RYAN MOLINI Executive Sports Editor

T

teams play].”

Freshman year he played up on the sophomore team as the team’s starting point guard to gain some high level experience.

Camardella noted that Swedura’s skills and abilities have slipped under other teams’ radar because of their focus on Mack.

Mack took advantage of a similar situation last year as a sophomore with a team led by then-senior Kyle Beyak. The focus was on Beyak, so Mack stepped up offensively and later on received all-conference honors.

Swedura has taken mental notes on Mack’s game just from playing and practicing with him this season.

“I look up to [Mack] all the time just to see what I can improve on my game,” Swedura said.

Swedura even follows Mack on the stat sheet (see “Young scoring leaders”).

Not only does Swedura shine on the stat sheet, but his teammates are big fans of him too.

“I can’t say enough good things about [Swedura],” Benson said.

“That kid is a special player. It’s mind-boggling [to be] a sophomore and have that much success [on varsity] already.”

Swedura has impressed many including Szuba just based off the fact that he still has two more years playing high school basketball.

“He’s been playing really well.

It doesn’t even seem like he’s a sophomore, [and] he’s just going to keep on getting better and better,” Szuba said.

According to his teammates and coaches, it is Swedura’s speed and athleticism that allow him to succeed at the varsity level.

“He’s one of the fastest I’ve ever coached,” Camardella said. “It doesn’t matter that he’s a sophomore … He’s lightning.”

Swedura is one of many guys who have stepped up this season for a team that has dealt with their fair share of injuries including seniors Luke Wrede (shoulder) and Dan Marshall (shoulder) and

Athlete: Arie Upshaw Year: Junior Sport: Bowling Best score: 298

College Athletes Seven of Prospect’s athletes will be continuing their athletic careers in college next year including runner Matt Cozine at Drake University. prospectornow.com

BREAKING THE PRESS: Sophomore David Swedura brings the ball up the court against Hersey during the Knights’ home opener on Dec 4. Swedura’s 9.6 ppg has helped lead the Knights to a 13-9 overall and 7-2 in conference (photo by Cassidy Selep). juniors Antonio Gardner (concussion), Frankie Mack (foot) and Michael Ritchie (foot). All but Marshall have returned to the team and are healthy.

“It’s been tough,” Benson said.

“I think we’ve had two games where our entire team has been healthy, but [we’re] looking for the silver lining in the situation.”

Both Szuba and Swedura feel the loss of Marshall has been an especially devastating loss for the team.

Marshall’s role was to lock down one of the other team’s offensive threats and play at the top of the one-three-one defense the team implements at various times during games. Benson has had the opportunity to replace Marshall as one of the key defenders.

According to Camardella, the team has gotten through their injuries because the Knights have a deep depth chart and players have stepped up when the team has

needed them most.

Camardella was especially impressed by the team’s depth in one of their conference wins against Buffalo Grove where 14 of the 15 guys scored in the game.

“The [part of this team] I didn’t see coming was just how much production we would get from different spots on the team,” Camardella said. “It’s very rare [to have a team] where a guy coming off the bench is your leading scorer or a guy that comes off the bench [is] your top defender.”

Benson agrees with Camardella and feels every one of the team knows their role as a player and will put the team before themselves.

“We [have] a lot of young talent,” Benson said. “There [are] a lot of guys on this team that will do whatever it takes to win … It doesn’t matter how much time you play. If you get in you’re bustin’ ass to do whatever it takes to win.”

Q. Had you always known you were an above average bowler?

When I started I was just in it for fun and to be with friends. Then, I got older my coach told me there were scholarships for girls for A . ascollege and that a lot of girls he coached got full rides so I decided to take the sport more seriously and I found the passion for it.

Q. board?

My freshman year I wanted to be the first freshman on varsity to after I broke that, my goal was by senior year I wanted to A . anchor, break the records on the board in the field house. So, I was really

Coming into high school, did you set a goal to be up on the record

age did you start bowling Q. Atandwhat why? down the street needed A . neighbor someone on the team so she just I started when I was ten. My

talked to me and I ended up joining. From there on it has grown.

content with breaking it this year. still another season left, how you look to build off of this Q. With year? still keep the same goals. I still want to beat the 3 game and 6 A . Igame high series [records]. And I still want to be Prospect’s first 300, but you just got [to] come in with the passion for the sport and the will to get better.