Issue 9

Volume 54, Issue 9

Friday, May 1, 2015

801 West Kensington Road, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056

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Prospector Last year’s senior class of 481 students went to 117 colleges, each under their own unique circumstances. The class of 2015 will be finalizing their own decisions today, May 1, and each senior has their own story to tell.

Triplets travel to college together

By Mike Stanford

Executive News Editor When Mary, Theresa and Frances Ponicki transferred and faced a new elementary school, they did so together. When they each decided to pick up a guitar for the first time freshman year, they did so together.

So when the time came to select a college, the triplets did so in the way they know best: together.

Next fall, the triplets photo courtesy of Theresa Ponicki will all be majoring in general engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“Most people split up, but we have this dynamic where we do stuff together,” Theresa said. “We’ll go down [to college] together. We’ll be individuals.

We’ll do our own thing, but going down together [is] just kind of who we are.”

The Ponicki’s case is a rarity. According to USA Today, twins and triplets are usually encouraged to branch out and attend different universities.

At one point the triplets considered separating, but in the end, they decided they would be happier together based on advice from counselors and parents, including one story from former counselor Dustin Seeman about a set of twins who had recently graduated.

The twins had decided to go to different colleges, but after one semester, the twins could not stand being apart, so they transferred to the same school.

As the time to decide arrived, the triplets’ plan to major in the same area sealed the deal.

“We’re pretty close, and we do a lot of the same stuff,” Mary said. “We’re pretty much on the same path, so for us at this point it would be weird to be doing the same thing but in three different spots.”

While the Ponickis still think they will be close in college, they believe the dynamic might be different.

“You’re considered individuals, but [for] a lot of people who know you, they refer to you as the triplets first,” Theresa said. “Part of my identity is being a triplet, so it comes with a package, but when we go down there … we’ll be able to make more of a name for each of us.”

Follow ProspectorNow Check out on Snapchat to learn why students made the college decision they did. Scan this picture to follow ProspectorNow.

Couple takes on college

photo illustration by Caroline Binley and Cassidy Selep

I’m going to take my talents to ...

Student joins Marine Corps

Senior Eric Angerer sat Driving home from in a circle at his St. Rayschool with her boymond’s youth church group friend senior Nick Donthis April as his classmates zelli one day this winter, shared their college plans. senior Jess Motylewski As he heard their plans had a big announceto go to schools like the ment. She had been texUniversity of Wisconsinting him earlier, but the Madison and Illinois State news warranted being University, he knew the face-to-face. next four years of their Motylewski decided lives would be far different to attend the University than his. of Missouri (Mizzou) When it was Angerer’s for college next year, the photo courtesy of Jess Motylewski turn to share, his plans same school Donzelli dewere greeted by a round of clared in the fall. applause.

While Donzelli and Motylewski will be sharing Angerer decided in a campus next fall, their decisions were by coinciJanuary he would join dence rather than by design. photo courtesy of Eric Angerer the United States Marine Donzelli had little difficulty selecting Mizzou beCorps despite being acceptcause he was already familiar with the school beed by six colleges. cause his sister attended and could picture himself “I was really astonished by how big [college] pricon campus. Motylewski had a much more drawnes were and the cycle of debt people go through,” Anout college search but ultimately decided on Mizzou gerer said. “I didn’t want to be part of that. I wanted because she loved the campus and was looking for a something where I could have a good foundation … strong journalism program. and something where I could be set financially while While each decided separately, they have had difserving my country.” ficulty shedding the perception they only are going Angerer is still a minor at 17 years old, so he to Mizzou for each other. needed his parents to co-sign his forms. While An“I would make that assumption gerer was eager to sign, the decision if I didn’t know us,” Motylewski Top 10 colleges for for him to postpone college was not said. “I totally get it, [but] our as easy for his mother, Dorothea Anfriends and families know that’s Class of 2014 gerer. not the case whatsoever. That Harper College “She had this grand idea of me gowould be completely ridiculous. ing to college,” Eric said. “I basiI don’t think people should risk Illinois State cally blew this out of the water, their college life and everything U of I and she couldn’t handle that at … that goes into it based on anothLoyola first.” er person.”

UIC Eventually, she accepted College Counselor Diane his plans because he was confiBourn agrees people should Iowa dent in his plans and agreed not have more reason to select Iowa State to join the infantry, where he a college than just a high DePaul would have been on the front school romance. lines of war. “[College is] the one time Marquette Angerer will embark on a where you really have to be a Elmhurst College career in Aviation Supply where little selfish and really say, ‘This information courtesy of the College and he would stock the Marine Corps’ is all about me. This is my future, Career Center helicopters and airplanes following so I need to pick what’s really best *statistics for Class of 2015 not yet available boot camp this summer. Aviation for me,’” Bourn said.

Supply is one of the smallest units in the Marine Regardless, the rumors surrounding the couple’s Corps, so Angerer hopes he will have a quicker road decision do not bother them. to promotion.

“Anyone can judge anyone about whatever Although the Marine Corps may have been the they’re doing with their college career,” Motybest option for Angerer, Bourn says Prospect stulewski said. “This is just one of those things that if dents rarely enter the military directly after high people talk about it, they talk about it. I don’t really school. Most students instead try to attend a milicare. It doesn’t really faze me, and I know it doesn’t tary academy or with another school with an ROTC really faze Nick, either.” scholarship.

Although it comes as an unintended outcome, Angerer never seriously considered ROTC or an Motylewski and Donzelli are relieved they will be academy. He believes he has more to gain from divtaking their relationship to college. ing headfirst into a military environment. “[For] any senior couple that is splitting up next “[The Marines] will give me more confidence in year, I think they feel there’s a clock ticking down what I do and teach me that no matter what, if I put on their relationship,” Motylewski said. “I think my mind to something, I will succeed,” Angerer said. we kind of dodged a bullet because we can see how “I can learn how to be a good citizen of this country things play out between the two of us instead of and learn what [makes] the country great.” having to force it one way or another.”

2

May 1, 2015

Relay for Life adapts to changes

By Grace Berry

Executive News Editor School psychologist Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson diagnosed with leukemia eight years ago. The doctors told him they didn’t have a cure for the cancer. They only had a way of knocking it down for five years.

The day the doctors declared Kyp-Johnson cancer free he remembers texting his wife jokingly, “You’re going to have to live with me a little bit longer.”

Kyp-Johnson has been cancer free for eight years, nine in a week. To help other people, he started his Relay for Life team four years ago. Kyp-Johnson’s team is called “Doc’s Relay Team.” He helps his freshman baseball team sign up and encourages anyone else in the baseball program to join his team and raise money. “[The doctor said] if it had been 12 years earlier, we would have nothing we could do,” Kyp-Johnson said. “So I know that research makes a difference and that trying to find cures makes a difference because it made a difference for me.”

Relay for Life is a community fundraising walk to help raise money to find a cure and fight back against cancer. Prospect has been involved in a Relay for Life every year since the

mid 2000s.

Prospect and Wheeling High School’s Relay for Life events were combined last year. The host site alternates every year, with Wheeling hosting this year. The walk will also not be overnight, lasting from 4 to 11 p.m.

Service Club Coordinator Michelle Tantillo says these changes will not affect any of the activities or traditions of the walk like the Luminaria Ceremony or other small activities.

“I don’t think there is going to be a loss of anything because [the event] shrunk,” Tantillo said. “[The event] will actually probably be more entertaining because it will be one [activity] into the next instead of pauses and gaps.”

Tantillo explained the changes were made by the American Cancer Society to have bigger events with more community involvement. The American Cancer Society found less money was made overnight at some events, and they could make the same amount of money without having to provide entertainment and services for people staying overnight.

She believes the new hours will work to get more community involvement and has already seen it based on sign ups

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The stupidity behind the silence WALKING FOR A CURE: Senior Grant Miller walks at last years Relay for Life on Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson’s team. He started his team four years ago because of his battle with cancer. Now he has been cancer free for eight years. (photo courtesy of Michelle Tantillo) and since many community members are on the Relay for Life committee.

Senior Carolyn Mazurek goes to the committee meetings with Tantillo in which they help plan how the event will run. Since the event will be held at Wheeling, they have less work to do for the event, but one of their main jobs is to get people involved and excited about the event at Prospect.

They hosted a kick-off week in the commons from April 20 to 24 to get more students to join teams with activities like card-making for cancer survivors, luminaria decorating and a “Purple Out” contest to see

who could wear the most purple.

“I hope Prospect gets involved even though it’s at Wheeling so we can show our school pride and support,” Tantillo said.

Tantillo is excited for the event. She wants a lot of students to participate and to raise money. Last year the event raised over $34,000, and Tantillo hopes to generate even more this year. “[I’m most excited] to see the enthusiasm and excitement in terms of supporting a cause because it’s not an everyday thing,” Tantillo said.

Confusion cleared about recycling

The other 20 percent is a combination of non-recyclables and recyclable items that After hearing her Spanish have been contaminated with class talk about how they be- food.

“Especially in the cafeteria, lieve Prospect doesn’t recycle, sophomore Grace Taldone was the kids throw food in the blue recycling bins,” Acevedo said. convinced.

“If it’s contaminated, my “They put all the trash in custodians are not going one dumpster [and don’t to be [digging through separate the recycling it.] … We don’t have the out],” Taldone said. time.”

However, accordFast However, Acevedo ing to Building and facts has seen ProsGrounds Supervipect’s paper sor Oscar Acevedo, 544,000 usage decrease two of Prospect’s trees because the three dumpsters school adoptwould have labels ed iPads in be saved if that say “Re2012.

From cyclables every family in the 2011 to 2013, Only.”

U.S. replaced one students Prosroll of paper towrecycled pect has els with 100 per60 60-galbeen recent recycled ones. lon totes cycling 9 cubic yards worth since of paamount of landfill space 2010 per saved by recycling one ton when each Disof cardboard. year trict 214 on pushed locker all cleanout schools day. Last year, the numtoward recycling to be more earth-friendly. At that time, all ber was closer to 13 60-gallon three dumpsters were for gar- totes.

Acevedo would like to see bage.

The second- and third-shift this push toward recycling concustodial staffs empty out tinue.

“Our order for paper draclassroom recycling bins every day and hallway bins once a matically dropped, which is great because it’s more revweek after school.

According to Acevedo, 80 enue for other [school] propercent of everything Prospect grams,” Acevedo said. “The throws out is in recycling bins more trees we have, the better for all of us.” and gets recycled.

By Shreya Thakkar

Associate Editor-in-Chief

TOUCHDOWN: Junior leaders were practicing teaching the class football skills in the fall. The class focuses on leadership and team building skills to prepare to be senior leaders in P.E. (photo courtesy of Christen Sprenger)

Junior Leaders cut

By Rachel Parks Features Editor

The Junior Leaders gym class will be cut for the 20152016 school year due to declining enrollment. This year, around 21 students applied compared to the average of 50 applications in past years.

Junior Leader teacher Cristen Sprenger is disappointed about the change because she thinks the class teaches students skills applicable both inside and outside of school.

“It’s a special class kids can take not only to be a senior leader but to learn about themselves and learn about others,” Sprenger said.

One possible reason for the drop in enrollment is the increased number of students applying for gym waivers, including band members.

In the class, students build leadership and teamwork skills. Sprenger teaches students not only how the P.E. de-

partment works but also teaches them about honesty, trust, leadership, and teamwork.

Bajkowski agrees and says the class improved her leadership skills.

“We’ve done activities that have taught me how to step out of my comfort zone,” Bajkowski said.

Sprenger hopes the program will make a comeback in the future because of what she believes students can learn from it.

“I hope that it does come back in the future because it is a special class,” Sprenger said.

“I am disappointed that it’s not going to be around next year.”

Bajkowski agrees and worries about the effect losing the Junior Leaders Program might leave on the school. “[Without the program], the school might lose some leaders,” Bajkowski said. “The class teaches you how to step up and be a leader and treat everybody with respect.”

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May 1, 2015

News

3

New coaches, same traditions New poms coaches promise to continue team rituals

By Jack Ryan News Editor

Junior Gabby Ives boarded a plane March 21 and was off to Italy. While she was there, Ives received news that shook the poms team: former coach Courtney Fleeka had been let go. She texted her poms teammates right away to see if the news was true.

During that time, all Ives thought about was how she was going to miss Fleeka and her influence on Ives’s dance career at Prospect.

“I was definitely upset because Fleeka was like a second mom to us, and I’m really going to miss that,” Ives said. “But I know that [new coach Kristin Burton] will make sure that the squad is still fun for us, and I’m really excited for next year.”

The poms team will be heading into a new era with new coahces for the 2015-16 school year.

Orchesis director and Competitive Dance team coach Kristin Burton and assistant Competitive Dance team coach Shirley Kiratsous were handed this new opportunity to coach the poms team from Associate Principal Greg Minter.

Back at school that same day, Ives’s other teammates went to talk to Minter to confirm the news. The girls shared their feelings on how they were

upset and surprised regarding Fleeka’s exit because, according to Ives, the whole poms team loved her.

Ives was not as shocked as the rest of her teammates because a similar situation took place last year.

Minter kept the Competitive Dance and poms teams separate last year because having multiple coaches for multiple dance teams was not ideal, and it was not consistent with how the district uses the stipend.

According to him, all the other schools in District 214 have one team coached by one person, so this year he wanted to revamp the program.

In doing so, Burton and Kiratsous became coaches by default because they are members of the National Education Association, an organization that advances public education, and have previous coaching experience in dance.

“At all of the other schools it’s one position. There’s one poms dance person,” Minter said. “We kind of split it last year, but it wasn’t consistent with how the district uses the stipend, so what I did is make us consistent with all the other schools since that is my job to the educational associations, to make these jobs equal.”

As Burton and Kiratsous step into their new positions, they plan to keep the traditions of the team around.

DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION: The poms team circles up at the homecoming football

game Sept. 26 before their performance. This is one of the many traditions the team plans to keep as Orchesis Director and Competitive Dance team coach Kristin Burton and Assistant Competitive Dance team coach Shirley Kiratsous take over the poms team. “We want [this experience] to be what the kids want it to be,” Burton said. “We’re really supportive of holding onto those traditions and ideas they have had in the past.” (photo courtesy of Gabby Ives) According to Burton, the girls speak highly of the poms program while also having a wonderful time with it. As a result, the two coaches will keep the team’s traditions so the girls have a similar experience.

They plan to run practices as in previous years, have team bonding sleepovers after performances at athletic events and have a spirit circle where

photo courtesy of Bhavin Patel

Q&A with dance coach Shirley Kiratsous Q: What got you into dancing and coaching at Prospect?

A: I was on the Meadows Poms team when I went to high school at Meadows, so when a [coaching] position opened up [at Meadows], ... it seemed like a fun thing to do [because I was right out of college]. I got hooked and kept doing it.

Q: What was your reaction when you found out you would be the assistant coach of the Poms Shirley Kiratsous team?

A: I thought to myself, ‘When am I ever going to have to time to do everything?’ This will be fun [though] since I have been doing Poms for a while, and I really like that part of going to the games and being able to hang out with the girls.

Q: Was it a big transition to switch from coaching at Meadows to Prospect?

A: It was hard leaving the girls because I left Meadows saying that I was done coaching ... because I was going to grad school and it [would] be too much. Then I fell into it and saw there was an opening and got sucked into [coaching], seeing it was the school I [taught] at.

Q: Did you dance in college?

A: I went to the University of Kansas and was more a part of a hip hop dance thing. I didn’t study dance.

each girl positively reflects on the season.

“We want [this experience] to be what the kids want it to be,” Burton said. “We’re really supportive of holding onto those traditions and ideas they have had in the past.”

Burton, Kiratsous and Ives are adapting to changes, and they all share the same goal for poms.

“[We want] to really keep up the energy of the student section since it was so great this year that we really keep that up the following year too,” Ives said. “[We want] to keep the same ideas of the poms squad in the recent years, really keep in mind the close knit group of friends that we all are and to improve ourselves as dancers and people.”

May 1, 2015

Staff Editorial

4

prospectornow.com

Opinion

Be proud of college decision achieved during their time at Prospect and to flaunt their final decision. Meanwhile, there are others who are overcome with sudden judgment and shame.

Often, someone going to Harper or choosing to not go to college at all is seen as inferior to someone going to a four-year university.

While college counselors reassure students that going to Harper for a year or two is nothing to be ashamed of, there are students who feel the exact opposite and are

For the class of 2015, the day they have worked so hard for for the past four years of their lives is finally here: decision day.

From the day we enter high school, college is burned into our brains as the Holy Grail that we are trying to achieve.

Every activity we’re involved in, every sport we try out for and every class is just a piece of a puzzle with college being the final product.

For many, this is a day to celebrate all they have

judged by their peers.

Even though attending Harper for a few years is said to not be as prestigious as going to a university, it is nothing to be ashamed of.

There could be a multitude of reasons why a student could choose Harper or even to work full-time instead of going to college.

With that being said, the students attending a university are not encouraged to gloat their decision today in any way.

This day is to celebrate

every student in the class of 2015 and to recognize how they will use their past accomplishments to further their future choices in whatever path they decide.

We, the Prospector, believe that on this decision day, every student should embrace their decision with pride.

Whatever this new chapter in life holds for these seniors, it should be one to honor and praise without judgment, advertisement or focused affirmation.

Countless numbers of stu-

dents make their decision based on income and finances.

Others choose an alternative to college because it is just not a right fit for them.

Either way, it is not any person’s place to judge or to rid someone of their dignity.

Today, take the time to congratulate your fellow seniors on their accomplishments and stimulate a motivational environment to have before they venture off into new beginnings.

Scars leave marks but shouldn’t be damaging How living with a scar has given me a more positive perspective

I was born with a ventricular septal defect, or in layman’s terms, a hole in my heart.

The only way to correct this medical condition was for me to have open heart surgery, so the docFlynn Geraghty tors cut me open Features Editor and sewed up the hole. Because I was only 1 year old at the time, my family was worried that the surgery could be life-threatening. The doctors even said it might be up to six weeks before I started feeling better.

Despite this prognosis, I only spent five days in the hospital. The second I got home, I was so happy I started dancing around the living room in my PJs, shaking my booty every which way. It was clear I was going to be just fine.

I don’t remember a single thing about the events surrounding my surgery. My surgery hasn’t really affected my day-to-day life. Except, of course, for

The Staff EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Ellen Siefke Kelly Schoessling MANAGING EDITOR Aungelina Dahm COPY EDITORS Caroline Binley Krzys Chwala ASSOCIATE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shreya Thakkar ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jack McDermott

my two scars.

One of them is eight inches long and splits me in half, from the top of my chest down my stomach. The other is a tiny, half-inch indent on my stomach where the surgeons inserted a tube during the operation.

I love my scars. I consider them a sign of my strength. They show that even my own body can’t stop me.

However, I’ve noticed others see them more as a sign of weakness.

I’ve always felt comfortable discussing my scars.

I remember showing them off to my kindergarten classmates at Kid’s Corner, much to the chagrin of our supervisors, who watched in horror as I revealed my undeveloped breasts to a group of boys.

I came up with stories which made my scars seem more interesting. Instead of telling people

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Beth Clifford ONLINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR-INCHIEF Lauren Miller ONLINE EXECUTIVE EDITORS Eva Schacht Mary Kate Moloney Molly Mueller ONLINE EDITOR Spencer Ball BROADCAST EDITOR Alyssa Duetsch NEWS EDITORS Grace Berry Mike Stanford

there had been a tube in my stomach, I told people I had two bellybuttons. The other kids loved seeing them. I was fun at parties.

But, as I got older, people didn’t appreciate me lifting up my shirt in public places and showing off my two “bellybuttons.” I know, what was their problem?

Now, whenever the subject of my scar comes up, people seem to dance around it. They approach the topic with the utmost delicacy, as if my scars will open up and bite their head off. After I tell them how I got my scar, they get quiet, nod and find another topic to talk about.

I understand why people ap-

Jack Gabriel Jack Ryan OPINION EDITOR Elai Kobayashi-Solomon FEATURES EDITORS Flynn Geraghty Rachel Parks IN-DEPTH EDITORS Diana Leane Shannon Smith Katy Ryan ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Abby Sunu Isabelle Rogers Garrett Strother Marci Kiszkiel SPORTS EDITORS

For more body positivity stories, head on over to the In-Depth section! proach me the way they do. Some people are really sensitive about their scars because they got them from unpleasant experiences. That’s why creams and lotions like Palmer’s Advanced Scar Serum, which can be applied to scars to aid the healing process of the skin, are helpful for people who would like to avoid people asking them about their scars.

However, I don’t want to hide my scars. They aren’t stopping me from wearing things like bikinis (not that I would ever want to flaunt my “business” in public). I wouldn’t dream of getting rid of them. They show what I’ve been through and what I’ve survived.

I’m not asking anyone to adore the idea of scars or praise people for having them. And I’m also not telling anyone with a scar to flaunt it. What I’m asking you to do is to not consider scars as a deformity or an imperfection. Even if you don’t want to show them to others, your scars are a part of you. They tell stories of both your triumphs and your troubles. Scars show that through everything, you are still here and the world will not take you down.

Devin Prasad Ryan Molini Peter Fusilero VISUALS EDITOR Cassidy Selep PHOTOGRAPHERS Amanda Downar Gianna Honcharuk 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.

Advertising For ad rates, call (847) 718-5376 (ask for Aungelina Dahm), fax (847) 718-5306 e-mail or write the Prospector, 801 West Kensington Rd., Mount Prospect, IL 60056, prospectornow@gmail.com.

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.

prospectornow.com

May 1, 2015

Opinion

5

Live confidently, not humbly

Confidence comes with benefits for happiness, health and quality of life

By Marci Kiszkiel

Entertainment Editor There’s one memory that I’ve never really been able to shake off. It was an average day in first grade, which meant I was 10 minutes late to class because I couldn’t decide which headband went against my school’s uniform policy the best — I had to rebel against the system at all costs.

When I finally did get to school, silver, glittery headband and all, my friend told me how pretty I looked in it. She quickly followed with, “But you’d be prettier if you were skinny.” Little did she know, she’d just been the first to utter the one phrase that friends, family and strangers would be reminding me of for the rest of my life.

However, she wasn’t the first one to remind me of how fat-phobic the world around me is. Whether it was the people in weight loss commercials telling me about how awful their lives were before they got six-packs or my aunt shaking her head in disapproval when she saw me eating, it seemed like everyone was intent on destroying my self-esteem before I even had it.

Well, it worked. About half way through middle school, I used any and every excuse to miss school and escape unwanted attention. I’d be free from the reminders that everyone hates fat people, and I wouldn’t have to look at myself in the mirror every time I used the bathroom, if only for a day.

Whatever default confidence I’d started out with was long gone. The worst part was probably the fact that I didn’t want to be confident, either.

I was afraid of being considered stuck up. So, in a vain attempt to have people like me, I told myself I had to be humble because my weight was offending people as it was, and I didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire.

However, this only made life harder. A lack of confidence can have serious consequences on mental health, making everyday life seem like an obstacle course with no end in sight.

According to SuccessConsciousness.org, “confidence and health go hand in hand.” Having confi-

What’s your guilty pleasure?

“My guilty pleasure is food.

My favorite is brownies.”

-sophomore Tarang Shah

“My guilty pleasure is Macklemore. When it comes on my iPod, I like the beat. It makes me feel cooler than I actually am,” -sophomore Grace Peisker

“Ice cream.

When I eat ice cream, I eat half the carton at a time.”

-sophomore Jack Jones

dence in yourself allows you to set and follow through on realistic goals. Achieving those goals then gives you more confidence in your abilities, allowing you to pursue personal success.

Low self-esteem can lead to eating disorders, selfharm and suicidal tendencies. A lack of confidence can also make recovery from these problems all the more difficult.

Still, for some reason, society is intimidated by self-love and confidence. When’s the last time a cheesy high school flick’s standard popular girl was the hero of the story? Why are we so afraid of people who look in the mirror and like what they see? Noticing this pattern, along with the stigma around fat people, is what kick-started my skepticism on my poor body image all these years.

During my freshman year, I began to realize that all the hate I’d been taught to have for my body was wrong. Advertisers for products from weight loss programs to acne clearing cleansers purposefully exploit our insecurities and then give us hope that their magic products will fix all of our “problems.”

However, fat is not a bad word. It took a while to unlearn the idea that the opposite of beautiful is fat, but as I did, life gradually improved. I stopped looking at life and thinking “all of this would be better if I was thin.”

The issue isn’t my weight. It’s people trying to force me to fit their standards in order to be considered a valid human being.

Loving myself also made me a better person in general. I stopped comparing myself to others and shaming other girls for looking or dressing a certain way. I realized that the presence of someone else’s beauty and happiness is not the absence of my own, and I never want someone to go through what I did.

Once I found myself in a position where I could proudly say that I loved my body, I realized that happiness and health zaare far more important than people being intimidated by confidence.

After wasting the majority of my life hating myself, I can’t care less if someone is offended by my unapologetic confidence.

Listening to what others had to say about me was exactly what destroyed me when I was 7, and I refuse to break myself down again at 17. All just so that people who “care about my health” can be comftorable.

(I’d like to point out that if you say this you don’t care about my health or anyone else’s, you’re a jerk trying to justify being a jerk.) I’m fat, and I’m beautiful. That fact isn’t up for debate.

KILLER CONFIDENCE: I stand in front of a mirror with words that used to be a major drain on my self-esteem crossed out with lipstick and replaced with positive terms I refer to myself now. A lack of confidence can lead to mental illness and eating disorders, whereas good self-esteem can drastically improve health and life. (photo

by Cassidy Selep)

Taking the guilty out of guilty pleasure All right, it’s confession time. A few or so and laugh at Rob Lowe’s terrible days ago, I was driving and listening accents.

Then there’s “Dance Moms.” to the radio when a One I know it’s terrible television, Direction song came on ... and I should stop supporting and I liked it. I turned it it, but it’s just too good. Plus, I up like it was the newest want Brooke and Peyton’s mom T-Swift album. to come back and reunite with If you’re still reading, you Abby, despite the awkwardness should know that once the from that court order. Am I song finished, I felt a huge right? sense of embarrassment. I I’ve also held back from talking started reminding myself about what I’m passionate that I don’t even like the about. When I was in middle band. I just enjoyed one Kelly Schoessling school, my class read “The song.

Outsiders.” To this day, it’s one Somewhere in the middle Editor-In-Chief of my favorite books. I loved of this existential crisis, I the characters, I loved the story, and it realized something: who cares?

Maybe it’s the senioritis talking, was the first book that made me realize but I’ve come to a point where I don’t I want to write professionally.

I can’t say my classmates felt the understand the value we put in other same. In fact, outside of class, all anyone people’s opinions.

I’ll be the first to admit that the would do was bash the book and call it opinions of others have always meant stupid. So I kept my passion private.

So why do we do this? Why are others’ a lot to me. I’m a people-pleaser. That doesn’t mean I should conform for the opinions powerful enough to make us hide the things that make us happy? purpose of making other people happy.

Most of us use the term “guilty There are a lot of different layers to pleasure” to describe something we’re that answer, but the main component is ashamed of liking. But there’s no conformity.

Conformity is defined as behavior actual reason to feel guilty about the entertainment that make us happy. in accordance with socially accepted Guilty pleasures like music, TV and conventions or standards. If you’ve ever movies typically aren’t hurting anyone. taken a psychology class, you’ll also Here’s a second confession for you: know that conformity is “shockingly” when I’m super stressed out, I watch powerful.

In an experiment testing conformity, LifeTime. Those TV movies give me a chance to stop thinking for an hour subjects were asked to read off a list of

words for a second subject to memorize.

If that subject didn’t recall the correct words, the teacher in the experiment asked the first subject to push a button with increasingly high levels of electric shock. It was named the Milgram experiment.

In the end, 65 percent of the subjects delivered 450 volts to the other participant just because someone told them to. For those of you who aren’t familiar with voltage, 450 is a dangerously painful shock. While, the subjects were not administering real shocks, they were under the impression that their partners were in real pain.

The basis of the experiment was to test whether or not people would choose to rebel against the roles they were given or follow the instructions of a superior figure.

The truth is none of this information truly matters. It doesn’t matter that I like watching “Dance Moms,” or that you enjoy “Honey Boo Boo” marathons more than you should. What matters here is that we’ve taken the opinions of others too far.

You like that song? Blast it. You thought that movie was fantastic? Rave about it. You manage your schedule around that one television show? Don’t be embarrassed by it.

Enjoy the music you want to listen to. Watch movies that are terrible from start to finish. Read unpopular books out in the open for everyone to see. And when you do it, do it unapologetically.

6

May 1, 2015

prospectornow.com

Opinion

Creativity? I’d rather get an A

rated the participants into two groups.

Here’s a quick question.

Let’s say a man brings you into a He told one group that he would time room and gives you a candle, some how long it took them to solve the canmatches and a box of thumbtacks. dle problem simply to establish the av“Your job,” he’d say, “is to attach the erage time it takes to solve this sort of candle to the wall so the wax doesn’t problem. To the other group, he promised rewards: if you were in the fastest drip onto the floor.”

25 percent, you would get $5, and if you What would you do?

To start off, maybe you’d try thumb- were the fastest out of everyone tested, tacking the candle directly onto the you would get $20.

So here’s another queswall, which does nothing tion: which group solved the more than make a mess. candle problem faster?

After a couple of failed atIt’s a dumb question, a tempts, maybe you’d come complete no-brainer. This up with the ingenious plan is America we’re talking of lighting the match, meltabout. Competition is the ing the side of the candle driving force of our great naand trying to adhere it to the tion. And we all love getting wall. It’s a brilliant idea, but rewarded; whether it be a you’d find that this doesn’t bonus or a chance to get prowork either. moted, extrinsic motivators After five or 10 minutes, Elai Kobayashigive us drive to rise above though, you would probably our competition. It’s a simcome up with the correct Solomon ilar situation in school. But solution: to empty the box of Opinion Editor instead of having to attach thumbtacks, put the candle into the box, use the thumbtacks to nail a candle to a wall, we have to solve a the box with the candle in it to the wall difficult math problem, analyze a line from Macbeth or think about the relaand light the candle with the match.

It turns out the scenario described tion between time and space. And our above was an actual behavioral experi- incentive doesn’t come in the form of ment conducted in 1945 by German psy- a few extra bucks; instead, we compete chologist Karl Duncker. Dubbed “the against our classmates and are rewardcandle problem,” the trick is to over- ed A’s on our transcripts.

The answer is obvious: it would only come something called functional fixedness; many people look at the box and make sense that those provided with see it only as a container for the tacks, the extrinsic motivator solved the canbut in fact, it can be used as a platform dle problem faster.

Only this wasn’t the case. The particfor the candle.

At this point, you’re probably think- ipants offered the monetary incentive ing, “So what? That’s interesting, but didn’t solve the problem faster; in fact, there aren’t any candles at Prospect, they solved it an average of three and and I should probably be working on a half minutes slower. Providing an inmy math homework.” While Duncker’s centive designed to accelerate creativexperiment may not apply to your life, ity and sharpen thinking actually had another experiment using the candle the opposite effect: it blocked creativity problem conducted by psychologist Sam and dulled thinking.

Glucksberg’s experiment has been Glucksberg shows the problem with America’s one-dimensional approach replicated many times, always with to education which overemphasizes test the same result. The more the participants focused on achieving the reward, scores, grades and competition.

In his experiment, Glucksberg sepa- the less they were able to think cre-

The education showdown: Finland vs. U.S.A. The U.S. is consistently outperformed by Finland on international assessments such as the PISA. Although we’re a country of winners, America is far from ranking first in any subject out of the 65 countries tested. Here are the results of the most recent PISA results from 2012: Reading

Science

Math

5th

6th

12th

17th

20th

27th

cartoon by Veronica Holloway

atively about how to solve the problem.

Because that’s exactly what rewards are meant to do: they’re supposed to narrow our focus and concentrate our minds. So for simple tasks with a set of rules and a clear destination, providing incentives and rewards work very well.

However, for the candle problem, the solution isn’t immediately clear, and the rules aren’t necessarily set in stone; in fact, the trick is to think outside of the box and approach the problem from a different angle.

Modern society mirrors the candle problem. No longer are assembly-line thinkers, capable only of memorizing formulas and solving simplistic problems, needed; instead, as countless education reformers have stressed over the years, the skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly globalized era are more along the lines of innovation and creativity.

But with its overemphasis on extrinsic motivators and rewards, American schools teach us the exact opposite. Our success in a class is determined by how well we do on a test. Our ability to go to a good college depends on whether we can get more questions right than the kid sitting next to us. There’s no point trying to approach a chemistry problem from a different, unique perspective; that could cost you precious points.

There’s no point in trying to understand how political and social lessons learned during the Vietnam War apply to our daily lives — not unless it’s going to be on the next test, anyway.

We Americans love to be winners, and our education system just provides another opportunity to do so. But

what’s a little laughable is that is that with all of it’s emphasis on competition and test scores, compared to the rest of the world, there’s something that America is a clear loser in: education.

In fact, American students have consistently produced relatively poor results on international academic assessments such as the PISA which focus on critical thinking skills and real-life application problems. And what annoys American educators is the fact we’re outperformed by countries such as Finland, which, apart from one test for college, have no mandated standardized tests, no rankings and no competition between students, schools or regions.

Saying that the U.S. should emphasize and operate based on these test results would go against everything I’ve said so far. But one thing seems to be clear: the American education system is being left behind by the rest of the world.

Our government has attempted to remedy this problem by introducing more standardization and more competition in the form of programs such as Race to the Top, which invites states to compete for federal dollars using test scores.

But reinforcing a system that overemphasizes grades, test scores and competition at the expense of creative and innovative thought will do us a lot more harm than good. Perhaps it’s time we take a couple hundred pages out of Finland’s book and, as Pasi Sahlberg, member of Finland’s Ministry of Education told the Smithsonian, “teach students to learn how to learn, not how to take a test.”

Which AP test is the hardest?

junior Michael Schwingbeck

“AP U.S. History is the hardest because you assume you know all about it, but there’s so much information that you actually don’t know.”

“AP Lang is the hardest because it’s really openended, and [unlike] math or science tests, there aren’t any formulas to memorize.”

“AP Chemistry is the hardest AP test because it was impossible and there were a lot of conceptual [questions].”

senior Ruchika Darapaneni

senior Ben Szafarz

“AP Chemistry is the hardest test because you have to work through a lot of equations, and you have to show all of your work.”

senior Alex Johnson

prospectornow.com

May 1, 2015

Features

7

Diversity defines leadership English/Fine arts Division Head shares eclectic taste

By Ellen Siefke Editor-in-Chief

English/Fine Arts Division Head Adam Levinson has a busy May ahead, with three concerts lined up. He will see Faith No More, Godsmack, and Anthrax and Volbeat. One month later, he’ll see the Foo Fighters.

An avid concert-goer, Levinson’s musical interests have evolved since his high school garage band days to include all genres, from classic rock to country.

Varied musical taste represents one of Levinson’s diverse passions.

Though Levinson’s various interests ranging from baseball to debate to music, have been constant throughout his life, his career in the English department was not always set in stone.

Growing up in Buffalo Grove, he planned to become a writer. But an experience working at a group home for developmentally disabled kids while studying at Illinois State University changed that plan.

“I was an immature, teenage punk kid, and I fell in love with [the kids],” Levinson said. “I was cooking. I was cleaning. I remember making Thanksgiving dinners a couple years I was there. … I was teaching them life skills, but I didn’t know I had the ability to do [that]. It was kind of this random thing that I fell into and loved it.”

After observing him, his supervisor suggested he start working with kids more, a prospect Levinson had never even considered. His supervisor then called his academic advisor, and after discussing possibilities, Levinson opted for a fifth year of college to receive his education degree.

“I’ve always loved to write and the idea of literary criticism,” Levinson said. “I realized that [teaching was] a really cool avenue I [hadn’t] explored, so why not go for it?”

After a preliminary position as a Language Arts and reading teacher at South Middle School, he moved to Rolling Meadows High School for five years.

There, he met English teacher Cambria Myers, who student-taught for him. She recalls her first impression of him be-

ROCK ON: English/Fine Arts Division Head Adam Levinson enjoys a variety of musical styles and regularly attends concerts. Musical taste constitutes just one of his many interests that have shaped him as a leader. (photo by Cassidy Selep) Now in his fourth year as department ing that he had a lot of energy and was head, he continues to involve himself in very intense about his job.

“Teaching with him was such a good a variety of activities — “outlets” that experience,” Myers said. “I think [he] he enjoys exploring.

One of his most significant outlets is was very supportive. He’s a great listener, and he was always around, even music. Growing up, he listened to clasmore than he really technically had to sic rock and metal and even sang for a be. He’s just a really caring, genuinely high school garage band called Green Eggs and Ham good person.” while proudFrom Rollly sporting a ing Meadows, “It’s kind of nice to be dynamic, mullet.

Levinson “I rememjourneyed and it kind of gets you away ber listening to Elk Grove from the stress of everything. to Guns N’ for six years.

Roses until There, he led my tape wore a group of It’s cool to have different outlets out,” LevinWorld Lit- and releases.” son said. “I erature and Adam Levinson, remember Composition teachers and English and Fine Arts Division Head the ‘Ride the Lightning’ mixed in a bit album from of American Metallica [and] all those early bands. I Literature and Composition classes.

When an opening came for the En- couldn’t wait to get out of school, and I glish/Fine Arts Division Head at Pros- would listen to them for hours.”

His band did several gigs and covpect, Levinson decided to apply for it, knowing it would mean taking a step ered groups like Metallica and Poison.

“We were awful, but you don’t care back from the classroom.

“When I got [the job], it was like, then,” Levinson said. “It wasn’t pretty, ‘Well, here’s a new challenge for me, and but it was fun.”

Now, he stays updated on all genres let’s see how well I do,’” Levinson said.

“I was looking for a change of pace, and of music and says “there’s nothing” he I thought I could help other teachers get won’t listen to. He enjoys going to concerts of older bands like the Foo Fightbetter at their craft as well.”

ers that he grew up with.

On the academic side, he has coached debate for 11 years, inspired by his high school experience at Buffalo Grove.

Working alongside social science teacher Dave Schnell, Levinson explains he likes to coach because of the interaction with the students.

“It’s another aspect to work with kids, more involved away from the academic side,” Levinson said. “It’s more of an activity that kids want to participate in and not classroom-based.”

Levinson also coached baseball for four years, again inspired by childhood — he played during elementary, middle and high school.

“I got into [baseball] because I wanted to do something a little different and get into the athletic side of things,” Levinson said.

Myers explains that Levinson’s varied interests and passions help him better lead the English department because he reminds teachers of their lives outside the classroom and acts to ensure their well-being. For example, she says he tries to place teachers in classes they want and play to their strengths.

“He always tries to think about his teachers first,” Myers said. “He tries to think about what’s best for students, but figuring out and handling what’s best for student from a standpoint of ‘how can I support my teachers?’ He listens to his staff and then makes decisions accordingly.”

With diverging interests and leadership roles comes a balancing act, but Levinson says he has never been one to back down.

“There’s a lot of challenges, and I enjoy problem-solving,” Levinson said. “I love teaching kids. That’s the bread and butter of my job, and I like to take care of my teachers. I really enjoy that aspect of it, knowing I can help them out in various ways.”

Despite taking a step back from the classroom, he stills finds time to teach one class, jumping in where necessary.

Now, his favorite part of the job is seeing his teachers thrive and his department function at a high level. Four years in, he feels he has gotten over the learning curve of the job and has a grasp of its needs and its future. He continues to be amazed by his staff and thoroughly enjoys seeing them daily.

“I have 29 of the best teachers in the business, and they’re amazing,” Levinson said. “It’s crazy I’m their supervisor.”

Who Knows You Better?

Favorite lunch destination?

Prom dress color last year?

Where will she go to college?

Junior Eddie Brown

Chipotle

Navy blue

Webster University

The Boyfriend

4

4

Chipotle

Navy blue

Chipotle

4

The subjects

Senior Maggie Martarano

Favorite movie?

Favorite singer?

Arctic Monkeys

Peter Pan

Don’t know

4

4

Webster University

Arctic Monkeys

Peter Pan

Aaron Tveit

Navy blue

Webster University

Arctic Monkeys

Peter Pan

Aaron Tveit

4

4

4

4

4

4

Favorite concert?

The results

x

The Subject

Senior Marc Ford The Best Friend

Winner

8

May 1, 2015

prospectornow.com

In-Depth

One body, two bodies,

Music casts light on body image

By Shannon Smith

Executive In-Depth Editor

All About That Bass Meghan Trainor

“I‘m bringing booty back Go ahead and tell them skinny b****es that No I’m just playing I know you think you’re fat But I’m here to tell you that Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top”

Jessi Sell, senior

It brings attention to the fact that it isn’t bad to not be super skinny, but I also think that there is a negative connotation towards being smaller. It has gone to far to the other extreme from everyone wanting to be super skinny to her saying, ‘Yeah it’s good to not be skinny but then it’s bad to be skinny.’”

Pretty Hurts Beyoncé “Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever’s worst Perfection is a disease of a nation, pretty hurts, pretty hurts Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever’s worst We try to fix something but you can’t fix what you can’t see It’s the soul that needs the surgery” I think that’s interesting because I feel like in general the media and everything focuses on physical attractiveness. The point of [the song]is [to show] really how destructive that is, and I think that she does a really good job of putting a spotlight on it.

Anaconda Nicki Minaj “Yeah, this one is for my b****es with a fat a** in the [explitive] club I said, where my fat a** big b****es in the club? [explitive] the skinny b****es, [explitive] the skinny b****es in the club” “[Anaconda] shows the reality of skinny shaming and that it is a problem. Not everyone is born with a big [butt] and huge boobs, and that’s how women are expected to look half the time now.”

Molly Keane, Junior Try Colbie Callait “Get your shopping on, at the mall, max your credit cards You don’t have to choose, buy it all, so they like you Do they like you?”

[Try] is really practical when it comes to most girls trying so hard just to fit in and giving everything they have no matter what, and still being being rejected from the “in crowd” or even just feeling like they aren’t good enough.

Both males, f

All genders experience different struggles, pressures with body image

By Abby Sunu

Executive Entertainment Editor “It’s addicting--it took over my life for six months,” senior Carly Bergman said. “I was basically a burden to be with...

All you think about is what are you going to eat for lunch, when are you going to work out, how you look in the mirror.”

This is what a life with anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder based on an intense fear of gaining weight while maintaining an abnormally low body weight and having distorted perception of their appearance, is like.

Bergman struggled with this eating disorder last year, and according to the National Association of anorexia nervosa and Associated Disorders, Bergman falls in the one percent of female adolescents that experience this condition. In addition, over one-half of teenage girls struggle with body image and use other unhealthy weight control methods.

While the exact cause for this disorder is unknown, Mayo Clinic suggests that along with psychological and biological factors, one of the leading causes for anorexia is, “modern western culture [emphasizing] thinness. Success and worth are often equated with being thin. Peer pressure may help fuel the desire to be thin, particularly among young girls.”

Bergman agrees that such environmental factors influenced her disorder as she felt the need to achieve a perfect body image.

“I never was the girl to look through a magazine and be like, ‘I need that hair,’ or ‘I need that girls body,’” Bergman said. “I felt pressure when I was with friends, and they had a feature I thought I didn’t have. I ruined friendships because my jealousy turned into a negative competition. I seriously had the mindset that you need to be pretty in order for boys, or people in general, to like you. I was pretty shallow.”

In this girls aren Nearly on healthy w dissatisfac Accord (NEDA), o satisfied w However, order beca an’s disea Althou ing disord vironmen Munao’s f pearance a While t ions to M ments reg Depend respond d laugh it of one he did feel hurt. fected him feel the n cause of i “Hones cure abou see a need because I care abou “Just beca ger than m that is, bu things peo While struggle w cular. In fa from the 1 resentatio

prospectornow.com

In-Depth

, big body, small body

May 1, 2015

9

Junior Chrissy Savaiano’s daily diet, exercise schedule Unhealthy lifestyle

Healthy lifestyle

Breakfast: a muffin

Breakfast: an orange, banana or granola bar

Lunch: a sandwich and chips

Lunch: cheese and turkey wrap, tomatoes, peas or grapes

Dinner: depended on what her mom cooked – usually included a potato

Dinner: depends on what her mom cooks – usually eats grilled chicken

Exercise: didn’t go to the

Exercise: goes to LA Fitness around 7 p.m. to work out

gym

and vegetables

Go to Prospectornow. com to read about Jack McDermott’s experiences maintaining weight as a wrestler.

photo by Lauren Miller

Turn to page 4 to read about Prospector’s own Flynn Geraghty’s struggle with accepting her scar from open heart surgery.

females stress about the scales

s case, Bergman’s mindset is common. However, and muscular body type is the same as females trying to n’t the only ones who struggle with body image. achieve a Barbie dolls thin image. ne-third of adolescent males also use other unThis disorder known as muscle dysmorphic disorder, or weight control behaviors due to eating disorders or bigorexia, is actually the opposite of anorexia. Instead, people with this disorder obsess over being “underdeveloped” ction with their bodies. ding to the National Eating Disorders Association as they strive to gain more muscle mass to appear “bigger.”

The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness states that over the past 30 years the percent of men being diswith their bodies has jumped from 15 to 43 percent. about 10 percent of males who are obsessive gym-goers men are less likely to seek help for an eating dis- suffer from this disorder. Symptoms can include following ause they perceive and consider this to be a “wom- a strict, typically high-protein and low-fat diets, using steroids and other supplements, maintaining extreme workout ase.” ugh junior Mikey Munao did not suffer from an eat- methods and perceiving their body to not being muscular der, he has dealt with the pressures and other en- enough.

Senior Dominik Tasiemski frequently works out and ntal factors that go along with body image. During freshman year, he felt self conscious about his ap- lifts since his sophomore year and started to take it more seriously his junior year. Throughout his experience, he has around his friends. they may have not directly expressed their opin- seen others affected by bigorexia.

“When someone asks me [about lifting] I try to tell them Munao’s face, he still overheard their hurtful comdon’t get too involved because you’re going to literally fry garding his weight. ding on who said these comments, Munao would your brain,” Tasiemski said. “It’s something to enjoy... Feel differently. If it was someone he knew, he would good, look good. Don’t get too attached to it.”

Tasiemski would spend a deff, but if it was somecent amount of time working out dn’t know, he would . This treatment af- “I ruined my friendships because my and dieting, until he realized he didn’t want this lifestyle to conm; however, he didn’t need to change be- jealousy turned into a negative com- sume his life.

“Ever since then I’ve been manit. aging both [social and bodybuildstly, I’m a little inse- petition.” lifestyles] and enjoying them ut myself, but I don’t Carly Bergman, senior ing both.” Tasiemski said. “I feel like d to change [myself] the more I don’t think about it, the I have people who more I get better results out of it. ut me.” Munao said.

It’s not like I’m pressured to do ause I’m a little bigmost people, I don’t see what the big deal about something, it’s more of a hobby than something I have to ut obviously I’m still a little insecure after hearing accomplish.”

Tasiemski didn’t allow the environmental pressures ople say about me.” many women strive to look skinny, many men from being at the gym affect him, just as Munao didn’t let with a different body image issue of looking mus- the harsh comments and judgment from others get to him.

Even though Bergman handled her experience differentact, NEDA claims that there has been an increase 1970s to 1990s for the ideal muscular male body rep- ly, she still feels she gained a better understanding of what ons. Men trying to achieve this unattainably large it’s like to struggle with body image.

Use Aurasma on this picture to see Dominik Tasiemski weightlift.

SUNS OUT, GUNS OUT: All genders experience

body image insecurities. Bigorexia is associated with guys and anorexia is associated with girls, yet both genders experience both pressures. (photos by Cassidy Selep)

“I have learned so much from this experience and it has 100 percent made me a better person,” Bergman said. “I would not wish this on my worst enemy, but it was a huge stepping stone to me and made me realize my purpose on this journey.”

10

May 1, 2015

Features

prospectornow.com

Under the hijab cial studies courses, the lecture barely scratches the surface, according to Ahmed. Many In Lahore, Pakistan, sopho- people are still not sure what more Kanwal (KUH-val) Ahmed the religion is founded on. As and her family were busy plac- Ahmed has discovered, ignoing jewelry and flower crowns rance can lead to cruelty.

On the first day of freshonto a woman’s head, voices hushed with excitement. They man gym class, Ahmed stepped were celebrating Nika, the sec- into the gyms wearing a long ond of three days in an Islamic sleeved shirt under her gym wedding. The rest of the night uniform. A group of other girls was filled with traditional Is- in the class gathered in a circle, whispering and pointing at her. lamic music, dancOver ing and food, all to time, some congratulate the “I knew they did not girls bebride and groom.

Over the sum- understand me or came more welcommer, when she Some wasn’t attend- my religion but that ing. would talk ing the wedding didn’t excuse them.” to Ahmed extravaganza, and include Ahmed said most her in the of the time spent Kanwal Ahmed, games they is catching up with sophomore played, but her many relatives. other girls “I sometimes refused to feel like half the city is my famacknowledge her presence. ily,” Ahmed said.

“They ignored me. They Ahmed says attending the wedding was her favorite part treated me as if I was an alien from another planet, and it reof the summer, as it is a rare occasion that she can see so many ally got to me,” Ahmed said.

Being bullied for her relimembers of her family. In Pakistan, almost everyone is Mus- gion is something Ahmed has dealt with since she was young. lim, which provides a sense of familiarity. That is something When she was in elementary Ahmed does not always feel school at Robert Frost, kids would laugh at her for having while attending school.

Unlike the majority of Pros- traditional Islamic food prepect students, Ahmed is a mem- pared by her mother for lunch.

A boy went so far as to try and ber of the Islamic community.

Islam is based on five pillars: pull her scarf off of her head. declaring Allah is the one and Another boy threw paint on only God and Mohammed is his her scarf.

“I knew they didn’t unmessenger, praying five times a day, giving Zakat, or money, to derstand me or my religion, those in need, fasting, and the but that didn’t excuse them,” pilgrimage to Mecca. While Is- Ahmed said.

She believes walking lam is slightly touched on in sothrough the hallways was dif-

By Caley Griebenow Staff Writer

ficult but something she had to get used to.

“I’ll see people looking at me weird, like, ‘what is she doing here? Why is she dressed like that?’” Ahmed said. “It’s really overwhelming to constantly feel different.”

Ahmed says as time goes on, people get used to her by walking past her in the halls, and they stop casting mean looks her way. But this summer, she will have a new student body to become familiar with; Ahmed’s family is moving to Texas. It marks her twelfth time moving.

Thinking about what she’ll miss most at Prospect, Ahmed smiled and said the library.

“It’s a place I come to and feel welcomed,” Ahmed said.

“Mrs. Sylvester is always there to listen.”

However Ahmed is no stranger to change. She can speak English, French from her time in Montreal, Arabic with her father, and a different dialect with her mother. She plans on joining activities like FCCLA at her new school.

“I really encourage her to join FCCLA in Texas, she’s always brought new ideas to the team,” FCCLA mentor Amy Collins said. “She found her niche here. I wish her luck.”

With moving all the time, being judged and feeling different than everyone else, Ahmed could easily be overwhelmed.

But she knows her family will always be there to support her.

“My dad always reminds me, when times get tough, ‘Go with the flow Kanwal,” Ahmed said. “Live for right now.’ He’ll say it just like that. ‘Go with the flow.’”

MISUNDERSTOOD: Sophomore Kanwal Ahmed (not pictured) feels different from her peers while wearing a hijab. Feeling different is something she has always had to deal with. (Photo illustration by Cassidy Selep)

prospectornow.com

Taking the high road

May 1, 2015

Features

11

Lack of awareness leads to increase in high drivers

By Jack McDermott

Online Editor-in-Chief *Name changed for confidentiality While walking into the door of his first party, senior John Crane had already decided he wasn’t going to get high or drunk because he was responsible for driving all his friends home that night. Upon arrival, Crane noticed the counter stacked with booze, a table for beer pong and the bathroom filled with people throwing-up.

However, what sticks out most in Crane’s mind was the bong prominently displayed.

As the night went on, Crane remained sober but was constantly stopped by friends who cared about him enough to make sure he wasn’t drinking.

Simultaneously, those same friends encouraged him to take his first hit. What Crane didn’t know upon walking into the party was that although both alcohol and marijuana leave the user under the influence, marijuana is socially acceptable to use before getting behind a wheel, a reality that his “caring” friends made very clear.

Crane gave into the pressure that night by smoking for the first time, only to then drive all of his drunk friends home.

The irony in the situation is obvious, but the friends probably did truly have Crane’s best interests in mind. Unlike with alcohol, students are left to come up with their own con-

clusions on whether or not it is safe to drive high. Furthermore, the non-existent campaign against doing so leads students to believe it is OK, regardless of the severe danger associated with the action.

“If you get behind the wheel of a car and you are high on marijuana, you are asking for a death sentence,” driving instructor Tim Lazzarotto said.

“What marijuana does is it significantly lowers your coordination, judgment, and most significantly, reaction time.”

Junior Ryan Adams has made the decision to drive high many times but would never drive drunk. Coincidentally, he has been warned of the dangers of drunk driving but has never been told about the dangers of driving high.

The coping mechanism of driving slower is what causes many high schoolers to believe that they are better drivers when they are high. However, the National Institute of Drug Abuse found that 6.8 percent of all drivers involved in an accident tested positive for THC, the active chemical found in marijuana. Furthermore, one in nine drivers involved in a fatal accident tests positive for marijuana.

Coupled with the already increased number of accidents in the teen population, the concept of driving high is a severe problem. Although students are making the right decision to not drive drunk, the issue remains in the lack of education against driving under any influence, including marijuana.

HIGHWAY: Although both alcohol and marijuana both leave the user under the influence, some students believe it is socially acceptable to drive high. (photo by Cassidy Selep) “[Teens] are getting behind a 2000 pound vehicle, and when they are not completely attentive bad things are going to happen,” Mount Prospect Police Officer Gregory Sill said.

Senior Laura Brown has come to the false conclusion that she could drive high after experiencing a marijuana-induced high five times and now drives under the influence regularly.

“I’ve never had a close call where I would get caught or I would harm myself or others, so I haven’t really had a reason to start worrying,” Brown said.

However, Brown does admit to having a slower reaction time and zoning out frequently while high. According to the High Times, the effects of marijuana also include a decrease in peripheral vision. To counteract this, Brown drives slower and is conscious about how she needs to be more careful.

Even while driving slower, the risk for driver is just as great, according to Lazzarotto.

“If they are on Rand Road

and the speed limit is 40 miles an hour and they are going 30, that is just as much as a hazard as if you were going the speed limit,” Lazzarotto said. “Traffic will need to pass you on the right which is very dangerous, and in terms of someone changing lanes at that slow of a speed, it is going to be very dangerous.”

Many high schoolers choose to drive high because of the popular belief that it is harder for the police to arrest drivers under the influence of marijuana compared to a drunk driver. While drunk drivers have many tell-tale signs such as swerving, speeding, and a breathalyzer test, according to Sill, police can just as easily detect high drivers.

Sill spots high drivers based on the relaxed mood of the driver or the slow speed of a car. He will even pull drivers over for stopping after the line for a stop sign, possibly caused by the slowed reaction time as a side-effect of marijuana.

Upon closer inspection, Sill looks for red eyes, any remain-

ing traces of substance or the smell of cannabis.

“Those would be indicators that would give us the ability to get them out of a car and perform some field sobriety tests to then potentially determine whether they are under the influence and if they are unfit to drive safely,” Sill said.

If determined unfit to drive safely, Sill will arrest them and bring them back to the station to do chemical testing for any intoxicating substances in their body.

“You see a lot more marketing and ads about not driving under the influence of alcohol, and so I think that is a perception,” Sill said. “But that doesn’t mean officers are not looking for people under the influence of drugs.”

Until the curriculum against driving high is enhanced, teenagers may remain ignorant to the dangers of driving high.

“Why anyone would chose to drive [high and be] under such conditions is beyond me,” Lazzarotto said.

Comic relief essential for classroom environment

By Krzys Chwala

“Some people have arts and music. I have comedy.”

Chris Haddad, junior

Copy Editor

When junior Chris Haddad walked into his AP U.S. History class and saw he had a substitute teacher, he knew he had a perfect moment to shine.

As the substitute passed out a worksheet, Haddad notified her that he had a daughter. She took a five-second pause and returned to passing out the worksheets, realizing Haddad was just another class clown.

Such comments are not unusual for Haddad. He makes a comedic comment at least once per class period.

Haddad’s entire family values comedy. His brother was also a class clown and now is in the improv club at Indiana University.

Because of his constant exposure to comedy, Haddad finds being funny natural. He believes comedy is a perfect way to ease a situation.

“If there’s an opportunity where I can make the class more enjoyable for everyone by trying to be funny, I’ll take it,” Haddad said.

Freshman Jessica Chowaniec appreciates class clowns for exactly this reason. She particularly values their humor when the class is intensely studying a topic because a funny comment allows them to “take a break” from the material.

However, not all students share Chowaniec’s appreciation.

Sophomore Jimmy Vegetabile often sees no purpose to their comments.

“Some of the jokes are just unnecessary,” Vegetabile said. “It’s one of those things that doesn’t need to be said.”

Teachers, too, react differently to class clowns. Haddad has never got-

JOKES: Class clown junior Chris Haddad models in full clown garb in front of his math class. Haddad tries to make at least one joke per day in order to lighten the mood in his classes. (photo by Cassidy Selep) ten into serious trouble for cracking jokes, but he has gotten pulled into the hallway and told to take his comments down a notch.

Math and physics teacher Michael Grasse appreciates the humor, but he sometimes finds it excessive. “[Sometimes I have to say], ‘Look, if you were at a seven, you’d be great, entertaining and breaking up the class.

But you’re at a 10. Dial it down a bit,’” Grasse said.

Grasse acknowledges that other teachers may not be so open to the humor. He sees it as beneficial because it makes students more comfortable, but he is cautious of it going too far.

“When it gets to distract from what we’re trying to do, then I start to feel like we are spinning our wheels and

wasting our time,” Grasse said. “So I put a damper on it and go on. It’s really just a balance.”

He tries to use a punishment approach as little as possible, although he does need to pull a student into the hall at least once a year.

“I try to get them to work with me,” Grasse said. “They know what I’m trying to do, so help me. Work with me. … Most people are pretty reasonable around here. If you can appeal to their reason on why I’m trying to do what I do, it almost always works.”

However, Grasse wouldn’t want to see that humor disappear.

“I certainly love to joke around enough as it is, so I think it’s be really bad if I’m allowed to tell a joke once in a while and no one else,” Grasse said.

“Students make me laugh all the time,

so I wouldn’t want to lose that either.”

He particularly remembers one April Fools’ Day when he entered the class to see two students “fighting.” They pretended to swing punches at each other and even used ketchup as fake blood.

At first, Grasse was concerned, but as he got closer, the smell of ketchup gave away the act.

“That took maybe five minutes of class time. I loved it,” Grasse said. “We had a good laugh and it was over. If I would’ve come down and said, ‘Hey, this isn’t math,’ it would’ve taken more than five minutes. This was fun, it worked, and we got our math done.”

Haddad enjoys playing jokes on teachers because it makes them more approachable.

“They’re the authority figure,” Haddad said. “When I make them kind of look stupid, they come down to our level.”

Haddad thinks other students sometimes take his humor too seriously.

“Just take a joke,” Haddad said.

“They should learn to just take a chill pill.”

Haddad cannot envision a day without being a class clown.

“I wouldn’t know what to do,” Haddad said. “I can’t handle silence. I can’t do it. It feels so wrong. … It’s really all I have. Some people have arts and music.

I have comedy.”

12

May 1, 2015

prospectornow.com

Entertainment

Sequels worth seeking out Toy Story 2

Garrett Strother

Entertainment editor In an age of box office cash grabs, sequels often take a dive in quality and appeal to the lowest common denominator. Here is a look back at sequels that continued their stories properly and are actually better than their predecessors.

Shrek 2 Plot: Ogres Shrek and Fiona are living happily and, except for an Eddie Murphy-voiced Donkey, quietly in their swamp home. This, much to Shrek’s dismay, all changes when Fiona’s parents, the king and queen of the land of Far Far Away, send for the two to visit. Her parents are, not surprisingly, less than thrilled to find her married to a grotesque ogre. Instead of focusing solely on these family squabbles, the movie launches deep into a political conspiracy between a whole slew of iconic fairy tale characters all vying for power in the kingdom.

What makes it better: Three words: Puss in Boots. The introduction of Puss in Boots exemplifies everything that makes “Shrek 2” better than the first. Puss in Boots is a great character on his own, but the way he plays off the established characters adds additional layers to their characters and to his. Throughout the entire movie, from Prince Charming to the Fairy Godmother, every new fairy tale character adds depth to the story while not creating useless clutter. The characters from the first movie are allowed to grow and develop, and this is actually aided, not hindered, by the introduction of these new characters.

Terminator 2 Plot: Without getting into too many of the confusing time paradoxes the franchise creates, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is the story of a boy named John Connor, who one day will save humanity from a robot uprising. (Get it? His initials are J.C., just like a certain other savior of humankind. Gee, James Cameron sure is good at that subtlety!) A killer robot from the future, known as a Terminator, is sent back in time to kill the nine-year-old Connor. He and his mother must outsmart the machine to save the entire human race.

What makes it better: “Terminator 2” tops its predecessor in just about every way. The special effects, pioneered by the geniuses at Industrial Light and Magic, almost entirely hold up today after 20 years.

These breathtaking effects paired with incredible action sequences are a match made in heaven. On top of all of this spectacle, tension is built up even more by how high the stakes really are. The Connors are not just fighting for their lives. They are fighting for all of humanity. After seeing what the machines can do to the world, the audience roots for their success in avoiding the titular “Judgment Day” that much more.

Plot: After forging their friendship and escaping the evil clutches of crazy neighbor Sid in the first film, toys Buzz and Woody are reunited with their owner Andy and enjoy countless hours of playtime. However, after a misunderstanding at a yard sale at the beginning of the second film, Woody is now under the ownership of crazy toy collector Al. As Woody meets Al’s other toys, Buzz forms a team to go save Woody.

What made it better: The first “Toy Story” is undeniably fantastic and a cinematic milestone, which makes the sequel’s quality even more impressive. As the toys adventure out of suburban homes and into the bigger world around them, it seems just as new and exciting to the audience as it is to the toys. They take established and beloved characters and continue their stories, as opposed to the trap that most sequels fall into of resetting the characters and recycling the characters’ developments from the first film. This taposes Andy’s Buzz and one right out of the box, heart-wrenching moments Woody learns more about his origins and finally makes the audience that much more invested in Buzz’s odyssey to find Woody.

juxas

The Empire Strikes Back Plot: After blowing up the evil Galactic Empire’s space weapon of mass destruction (a “Death Star” if you will), Luke Skywalker and the rest of his rebel alliance wage war against the Empire to restore peace to the mythical energy known as the Force. All the while, they try to outsmart the sinister Darth Vader, the military head of the Empire, with a vendetta against Luke.

What makes it better: This film is not only the best “Star Wars” film, but one of the best movies of all time. It raises questions of morality, violence, prejudice and even the nature of self-understanding. Luke’s growth is the natural progression of his character. He deals with loss and his own torn feelings between the dark and light side of the Force that all culminate in the final reveal of Luke’s true origins. It’s dialogue is less clunky, its scope is bigger and every action every character takes makes the stakes bigger.

Career inspiration STEMs from TV

By Caroline Binley Copy Editor

In eighth grade, Dana Iverson started to love something her classmates hated: math. While others saw it as boring, repetitive or otherwise frustrating, Iverson saw the creativity she would have in higher-level math.

As a result, she started her path to choosing a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career. Now a sophomore, Iverson plans on going into biology or biomedical engineering, inspired by her sister-inlaw who just finished her fourth year of medical school.

Few women who want to pursue STEM come to that realization because of television. However, seeing women in STEM on TV can be a positive reinforcement of their goals.

“I’ve always been really interested in science, whether or not I watch TV shows,” junior Zoe Neff, who hopes to pursue STEM at University of Chicago, said. “Watching [TV] just makes me realize how important it is that I go into science because it needs to become more acceptable for women to do that and less expected for men to be the ones that are going to be scientists.”

According to US News, only 24 percent of STEM jobs are held by women, and only 20 percent of jobs are STEM-related to begin with.

“If I did decide to go into the more engineering perspective, I would obviously expect to be a minority in the group,” Iverson said. “I at least hope

that going into medicine in general, I wouldn’t have to face any sexism.”

Some of her greatest inspiration comes from “Rizzoli and Isles,” a detective show featuring the strong, independent medical examiner Maura Isles.

“You would think like, ‘Oh, medical examiner, what a gross job,’” Iverson said. “‘What a bad job for women. They would be too squirmy around blood and too weak to do that job.’ But she just takes it in stride. When I think of strong women in the media, I think of [Isles] because she portrays what I think women in STEM should be like: confident.”

Neff ’s TV favorites include “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’s” biochemist Jemma Simmons and “Orphan Black’s” geneticist slash clone Cosima Niehaus.

Women in STEM club sponsor Katie Page is happy to see students following STEM role models of any kind.

“I think the more role models they come in contact with, the better,” Page said. “They see that, ‘Oh yeah, people like me can do what I’m interested in.

It’s not just boys who are the scientists or just boys who are doing the hard thinking.’”

However, junior Marisa Romanelli, who plans to major in physics, has gained no inspiration from TV. “I think if you’re not sure, it might be easier to influence you … because it’s so easy to default to, ‘I don’t know what to do, but other people probably know what I should do,’” Romanelli said. “But I feel like when you’re not willing to default to other peoples’ perceptions of you, it’s harder to be influenced by the

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE PHUN: Sophomore Dana Iverson

(bottom right), junior Zoe Neff (middle) and junior Marisa Romanelli (top left) participate in a Women in STEM club meeting. (photo by Katie Page)

media.”

Moreover, the media rarely gets women in STEM exactly right.

“I think [female characters are] more respected as human beings in ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,’” Neff said. “But in other shows, [when] they portray women scientists and women soldiers, they’re often portrayed as single-minded and more masculine than anything. They don’t show anything about their femininity or who they are other than what they’re doing in the moment.”

For example, Neff has noticed that “Bones” forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is given little personality beyond her awkwardness and geekiness, traits stereotypically associated with science. According to Romanelli, shows like “Big Bang Theory” rely just as heavily on stereotypes.

Though Page agrees, she is happy with one thing.

“On the ‘Big Bang Theory,’ they do use a lot of real formulas and real science, which I think is great,” Page said.

“They have actual science advisors on the show that help with them with that sort of thing.”

This isn’t the case for all shows, though. Especially on shows like “CSI,” the time lines and constraints of STEM professions are often thrown to the wayside.

“Obviously, they exaggerate a lot of things for dramatic effect … especially with ‘House MD,’ every single episode, someone’s on the brink of dying,” Iverson said. “Every single episode they’re saving a person’s life. Every single episode, it’s very fast paced and dramatic.

So I don’t think that everyday life is going to be facing problems like they do.”

Even with these flaws, they’ve seen positive trends in STEM, both real and televised.

“I suppose you do see a lot more females, even on cop shows and stuff,” Page said. “You’re seeing more women. They tend to be models, but I don’t know, maybe that’s at least a step in the right direction.”

prospectornow.com

May 1, 2015

Entertainment

13

Character does count What impression have our favorite characters had on our own personality?

By Kelly Schoessling Editor-in-Chief

It’s 2011. I’m sitting in a movie theater for the last Harry Potter film.

The credits finished five minutes ago, and I’m still ugly-crying.

One of the poor theater employees is debating whether he should start cleaning up around me or come back later.

Now you might think that was an overreaction on my part, but I should explain something first: I grew up with Harry Potter.

My parents both work full-time jobs, and my older siblings were all heavily involved in sports.

A lot of times, through no fault of my parents, I had to be left home alone.

But I never really felt alone.

In case you haven’t read my previous work, I’m not an athlete.

But I loved stories. I used to escape through books, movies, television shows and music.

On days when my parents had to work and my siblings were away, I connected with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

After the series ended and I was left in that movie theater distraught, I couldn’t help but wonder: those characters had made such an impression on me during such a critical point in

my life.

How much of my personality came from them?

In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I’ve realized how much of my personality contains pieces of the characters I fell in love with.

Growing up, I always looked up to Hermione because she was intelligent.

She always knew what to say and how to save the day.

As someone who would fully admit to not being a genius, I realized that I wanted to be as well-read and intelligent as I could be.

I used to get paralyzed with anxiety whenever something went wrong, but then I met Jack Shepherd from “LOST.” He accidentally ripped open a teenager’s dural sac at the end of an operation and was frozen with fear, but then he revealed something.

“The fear was so real, and I knew I had to deal with it,” Shepherd said in the show. “So I made a choice. I let the fear in. I let it take over and do its thing, but only for five seconds.

That was all I was going to give it. So I started to count, one, two, three, four, five. And I fixed her.”

To this day, I count to five when I’m frozen with fear.

When I read “Bridge to Terabithia” in fifth grade and Leslie told Jess he has to, “Close his eyes and keep his

mind wide open,” I vowed that I would never be stubborn to a point where I’m close minded.

I started listening rather than speaking over my brother and sister during arguments.

I made a conscious choice to stop automatically judging points-of-view I didn’t understand, and I ultimately learned what it means to be perceptive.

Each character had its own lesson and implemented itself into my personality in its own way.

Uncle Ben from “Spider-man” made me realize the importance of responsibility.

Baloo from “The Jungle Book” taught me that all that matters are the bare necessities.

Katniss from “The Hunger Games” encouraged me to stand up and defend myself.

Walter White from “Breaking Bad” taught me to make — I’m just kidding.

The point is that we’re changing, learning and growing up every day, and the characters we meet along the way do matter.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Our fingerprints never fade from the lives we touch.” photos courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter and Imdb

Who is your favorite character of all time?

Chandler from “Friends.” He’s just enjoyable and funny to watch.”

“Sherlock Holmes because I like Robert Downey Jr. as an actor.”

-sophomore Alex Podkopal

-sophomore Daniela Legowski

MJ

“Harvey Specter from the TV show ‘Suits.’ He’s very dedicated to his job.”

-f r e s h m a n Chris Macko

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Everybody loves a bad guy: antiheroes at a glance

By Kelly Schoessling Editor-in-Chief

Some of today’s most famous characters are actually villains.

They may not be role models, but they are entertaining.

What do “Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Girls,” “American Horror Story” and “The Sopranos” all have in common? They all feature some of the most famous anti-heroes in television history. They’re also all Emmy nominated.

That’s right, superheroes may be dominating the big screen in the film industry but when it comes to television, we have a soft spot for the bad guys/ girls.

So why do we watch them? For some people, these anti-heroes are a chance to ditch the idea of a squeaky clean image.

For others, anti-heroes are simply more entertaining. Plots such as “Breaking Bad” and “Girls” feature complicated characters looking for fortune, love and even redemption.

Anti-heroes may not have the reputation or action figures that regular protagonists have, but they are realistic.

Superheroes may be a timeless trope, but it’s the bad guys who are keeping us watching.

photos courtesy of Imdb and Entertainment Weekly

14

May 1, 2015

prospectornow.com

Sports

Soccer overcomes early adversity

By Devin Prasad

Varsity Starting Roster Shows Youth

Executive Sports Editor Coming into the season, senior Marika Maggos knew it would be a developmental year for girls’ soccer. Although the team has started with a record of 3-10 as of April 27, she feels the instruction that younger players on the team received is all starting to come together.

The team faced a tough schedule in the initial part of the season. New Trier and Lake Zurich finished in the top four of the Pepsi Challenge, one of the best tournaments in the state, according to head coach Tom Froats. Froats believes that the tough challenges early on “will pay off dividends” later on in the season.

Froats feels another reason why the team did not see much success early on is due to the overall youth of the team. Of the 11 starters on varsity, only two are seniors and only five are juniors. To overcome the lack of varsity experience, Maggos felt it would be important to learn how each girl played in the beginning of the season. For example, it was crucial to learn where they liked to receive passes on goal chances.

As a senior, she also felt it was important to help the girls bond. Maggos was able to come up with different activities in practices in order to help the players get to know each other better.

With few seniors on the team, Froats and Maggos have seen underclassmen step up as leaders. Of the Knights’ three captains, only Maggie Sullivan

Name Grade Natalie Marfilius Fr. Grace Johannesen So.

FIGHTING FOR POSITION: Junior Andi Marfilius battles for the ball against a Hersey defender in an away game on April 22. Marfilius is one of three team captains and has been able to help younger girls become accustomed to the team. “It’s more like [your teammates are] your little sister,” Marfilius said.

“You take care of them.” (photo by Calla Flanagan) is a senior. The other two captains, Andi Marfilius and Martina Kowalczuk, are juniors.

“One of the things a coach hopes for is that all of your players become leaders in their own way,” Froats said.

“We have leaders who show us through their athleticism and their hard work that they’re leaders. We have leaders that

are great teammates and show care and concern about each other.”

Froats says the team has put in a lot of work. In the offseason, the team tried to get in the weight room as much as possible to improve their strength and fitness. Froats also implemented many speed and agility drills to make the most of the

time off the field.

The main area of focus for the team at the start of outdoor practice was to make the most of their touches and goal scoring opportunities. The Knights have been working hard to be efficient when they get a chance to score. Froats has seen the speed of play increase and hopes to soon be able to

Grace Taldone Paige Thiel

So. So.

Michelle Haaning Martina Kowalczuk Andi Marfilius

Jr. Jr. Jr.

Taylor Sliwa Kathryn Szukalla

Jr. Jr.

Jenna Leane Maggie Sullivan

Sr. Sr.

reap the benefits of the goal scoring practice. Marfilius also feels the team worked a lot on preventing other teams from scoring as they gave up many goals early on.

Froats believes that the team has just been unlucky in a lot of respects. He feels as though there is an imaginary wall in front of the goal that, so far, has been tough.

Both Maggos and Froats hope that that “wall” can be broken down in their May 1 and 2 Glenwood Soccer Tournament near Springfield and later on in bigger games like conference. “[The girls] are positive, realizing that we are young,” Froats said. “[They are] realizing that all the adversity we’re going through this early in the season will hopefully make us stronger and more steeled for the end of the season and the playoff run.”

Returning to high school Teachers relive sports as coaches Davis said. “We still talk and reminisce about the bus rides or parties, and just the experiWhen teacher and softball ence was something very imcoach Ellysa Cassier was a portant and incredible.”

Even though their love for freshman, she was selected as one of the leaders of the Whea- the sport is still alive, they beton North softball team. She lieve coaching the sport is diffelt ecstatic and respected by ferent than actually playing it. “[The transition] is so her coach. As a softball coach, Cassier wants to give this same hard,” Davis said. “At first it’s like, ‘I just want to get out there feeling to other girls.

“I still love being around the and play!’”

Cassisport,” Cassier said that er said. “And I coaching the love being able sport is a to help girls “As I’ve coached great experiwho play the sport, contin- more and more, I feel ence, but you never get out ue to play the more involved with of the player sport, love the mentality. sport and have the game. I feel like “It’s hard a [lifetime] of because after physical activ- I’m in control of the being on the ity from the moves my players field for 13 sport.” years, I want Like Cassi- make and I’m a real to be out there er, girls’ basdoing it inpart of it.” ketball and stead of helpgirls’ soccer Dominque Davis, ing others coach Domiplay the posinique Davis also agrees soccer, basketball coach tions,” Cassier said. that the On the love for the other hand, sport has not changed as she became old- football coach and previous er. They are among the many football player Brock Collins current Prospect coaches who thought the transition was fairalso played their sports as high ly easy.

“I always planned on being a schoolers. These coaches tend to agree that their experienc- coach so I had that in the back of my mind,” Collins said. es as players have made them Coaches have seen a large more effective coaches. “[My favorite memory] was differance in the game nowadefinitely the friends I made,” days and when they played.

By Kaitlyn Rouse Staff Writer

“It’s more of a mentality difference than how the game is actually played,” Cassier said.

“I’ve noticed that girls are encouraged to complain more to their coaches instead of biting the bullet.”

Davis has recognized there seems to be a more professional side to what they’re doing and how they’re playing than when she played.

Also, Cassier has noticed how practices and games feel shortened.

She understands this because of how much students have to juggle school work, rest, sports and life outside of school.

She’s been through these challenges before and uses her experiences as an athlete to help her coach.

All the coaches understand and enforce that grades have to come first.

They make sure time management is not an issue and make sure the girls aren’t working themselves too hard.

“Yes, practicing is important, but so is school work,” Davis said. “It’s expected that each athlete is to be at practice each day and also that they maintain their grades. It’s a difficult thing to do, but not impossible.”

Coaching has proved more than just a sport to them but a lifetime commitment.

“You have to put yourself out there,” Collins said. “You have to tell people you’re interested [in coaching] just like with any other goal in your life; you have to actively pursue it.”

THROWBACK: Then freshman, Dominque Davis drives the lane for her former school, Johnsburg High. Davis is one of many Prospect teachers who has been able to continue being involved with the sports she loves as a coach. (photo courtesy of Dominique Davis)

prospectornow.com

Sports

GROUP CHAT: The varsity softball team calls a timeout to strategize against the Hersey Huskies this past Friday, April 24. Freshman Alyssa Cacini (centered middle with pitcher’s mask), who is one of two freshmen chosen to play varsity, has proved her capabilities on the mound and in the batter’s box. (photo by Calla Flanagan)

Young and fearless Seniors work to help freshmen adjust to varsity softball level ouly.”

Playing against Hersey April 24, Lenski broke the single season home run record set in 1989. LensIn freshman Alyssa Cacini’s ki hit her sixth and seventh home first varsity softball game, she runs in the Knights’ 21-4 victory had a big role. Cacini batted lead- over the Huskies. off and was the starting pitcher According to Adair, Lenski against St. Viator March 17. helps out with equipment as she “That’s a lot of pressure for provides a good model for the your first varsity game,” head team when they are not between coach Jim Adair said. “And she the lines. did well … and ended up [pitching] “[Lenski] has been getting the three scoreless innings.” team together and welcoming [me Cacini also had three hits at the and Lauren Caldrone] as freshplate. men,” Cacini said. “[Being sucWith seniors cessful early] was connecting freshdefinitely somemen to the team, thing that I wanted “So what we want Adair feels varsity to do,” Cacini said. can end the season to do is play well Adair feels the with a winning reunderclassmen on and worry about cord and play for varsity still have the chance to win some adjusting to the outcome later.” a regional champido, but they are onship.

Jim Adair, coach ahead of their age “We’d like to group due to their [win] the [Mid-Subtravel experience. urban] East [con“They still make mistakes. ference]. There [are] good teams They have a long way to go,” Adair out there. We set pretty high said. “[But they] are a little ahead goals,” Adair said. “Having a winof typical freshmen.” ning record would be really nice Cacini has adjusted to the level to get [us] a good seed [for regionof play under the leadership of se- als].” niors like Casey Lenski.

Senior pitcher Jenny Krengiel “She has not only performed at believes Adair’s strong leadership the plate and on the field, but she and good intentions have set a new has set a good example for other mentality of putting the team first kids,” Adair said. “She’s work- and helping out others along the ing hard at all times [and] taking way. games and practices very seri“[Adair is] always trying to

By Ryan Molini Sports Editor

SLUGGER: Senior Ally Schuldt gets a hit April 24 against Hersey. Schuldt is one of the many seniors who have helped the freshmen adjust to the varsity level. (photo by Calla Flanagan)

Senior Casey Lenski broke the softball single season home run record April 24 against Hersey.

Lenski hit a home r u n during the first inning to tie the record of six home runs and Casey Lenski t h e n had a grand slam to left field during the third inning to break the 26-yearold record.

“Since it’s been so long, it means a lot because it was a hard record to break,” Lenski said. “I’m going to carry it through life and never forget it.

It’s one of my biggest accomplishments.”

Lenski also hit a home run April 27 game against Rolling Meadows to bring the current total to eight home runs in a single season. help me be a stronger leader and a stronger player,” Krengiel said.

“When I don’t get something, he always tries to help me get it right.”

Krengiel would like to continue being a leader on the team and contribute on the mound pitching for the Knights. She has already developed a close relationship with some of the younger girls who are the future of the program.

“I’m really close to all the girls on [the] JV and freshman [teams] to help them adjust to the program,” Krengiel said. “We always try to help [Caldrone and Cacini] and encourage them because being a freshman, it is hard to be on varsity.”

The Knights are off to a 5-7 start as of April 25, and Adair tries to keep the game simple to focus on winning.

“There [are] only four possible outcomes of the game after the first pitch is thrown,” Adair said.

“Play well and win, play well and lose, play poorly and win or play poorly and lose. So what we want to do is play well and worry about the outcome later.”

May 1, 2015

15

My final words: Have a passion, chase dreams So, this is it. It’s the last one. It’s the last column

by Lit Fuse.

These are the final words I will type as a member of the Prospector staff.

It’s hard to believe my high school journalism career has come to an end. It’s been an amazing ride. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today today if it wasn’t for this class up here in room 216.

More importantly, I wouldn’t be the journalist I am today if it wasn’t for my journalism advisor, Jason Block.

He’s been a mentor. He’s been a friend. He’s been my number one critic.

For four years, he’s guided me through the process and helped me understand what it means to be a journalist.

Because of the lessons learned early in my high school career, I was able to see my progression during my four years at Prospect.

I was fortunate enough to win awards on every level from local to national, but a certificate or medal could never come close to some of the moments I’ve been able to experience.

Here are just a few of the highlights: As a freshman, I witnessed and covered ‘12 graduate Mike LaTulip breaking the all-time scoring record.

Sophomore year, I was able to document my experiences at the United Center covering both the Prospect-Lyons and the Bulls-Suns games.

Junior year, I helped complete an in-depth pull-out spread for our state champion girls’ golf team.

This year, I was able to write some of my favorite back page stories, along with my second Prospector video story, which commemorated Taylor Will breaking the all-time scoring record.

Yep, it took only four years for LaTulip’s record to be broken.

It’s crazy what can happen in such a short amount of time.

That’s how I feel about my high school career. I feel like all my experiences happened so fast.

Those four years will feel like a blur when you look back at it, so don’t miss out on all of the opportunities presented in front of you.

Even though I was a journalist for the Prospector, I still played in the Prospect basketball program, and I don’t regret a single second of it.

Sports are my passion. Basketball is my passion.

I knew I was never going to the NBA, but why not strive to be involved with that elite industry someday.

That’s the dream. I dream to have a career in the media that’s heavily involved with the best basketball on the planet. Whether that’s as a print journalist, broadcaster or video editor, it all works for me.

It’s a dream that I am working towards, and I trust that God has a big plan in store.

For those who have followed me along the way, I want to thank you for the kind words and feedback. I want to thank you for putting up with my tweets and Instagram posts. And lastly, I want to thank everyone who took the time to read an article or click on my Youtube channel to watch a video. It truly means the world to me.

I feel like I haven’t done anything major yet, but I do believe that I have scratched the surface.

Moving forward, I hope I can be an example for all kids who dream of making it in this industry.

For future journalists, this is my advice for you: It’s all about who you know in this world, so you might as well get to know everybody.

Connections are crucial.

Be versatile. Have faith. Report the news.

Oh, also don’t forget to be special ... and light the fuse.

SPORTS Friday, May 1, 2015

On ProspectorNow.com ...

Senior badminton players Stephanie Venturelli and Jessica Hirsch took home a first place finish in first doubles on April 18 at the New Trier Featherfest. Read more online about the team’s performance at the meet.

Baseball brings home success

After 4-0 spring break trip to Florida, close knit team looks to bring momentum back home

By Peter Fusilero Sports Editor

They may argue over who has the best sunflower seeds.

They might have the occasional debate over who has the best walk up song. And they will definitely contend over who has the best hair on the team.

But there is one thing the varsity baseball team can agree on.

They love to win.

“I don’t think people really understand how close we are with each other,” senior pitcher Sean Blatz said.

According to head coach Ross Giusti, that chemistry has been crucial thus far in the season.

“These kids really support each other,” Giusti said. “No matter what lineup we put up on the board, each day, the kids’ attitudes are positive.

There’s never been any selfish attitudes out here.”

The first glimpse of that selfless attitude started when the team took a trip to Florida to take part in a spring break round robin.

“The trip itself was a perfect bonding experience for all of us,” senior center fielder Tyler Damasky said. “Doing well down there really brought a lot of confidence for this team. We just wanted to carry that success back home.”

Standing at 15-4 as of April 27, the Knights have shown that success.

Even though the team has gotten off to a good start, they believe they can do even better.

“We feel as a team we haven’t played our best baseball yet,” Giusti said. “Each kid on this team, even our coaching staff, knows we have something to work at and strive for. … We have to continue to get better no matter what our record is.”

Going into the season, the team wasn’t ranked, but Giusti never saw that as the team’s focus. They are currently ranked 12th. “[Being ranked] means absolutely nothing,” Giusti said.

GET DIRTY: Senior left fielder and second baseman Matt Nadler (right) dives back to first base on a pick-off attempt against Hoffman Estates as senior pitcher Justin Placko (left) threw seven scoreless innings in the Knights’ 4-0 victory on April 24. The Knights (15-4, 5-1) sit tied for first with Elk Grove for a share of the MSL east lead. (photos by Amanda Downar) “All that matters is where you are at the end of the year.

Those things are skewed.

Those things are not really researched well. Honestly, this team could care less what ranking they are at right now.”

However, the team cares about the next game on their schedule. They don’t take any opponent for granted.

“We have to take it one game at a time,” Blatz said. “We can’t think about [other games ahead].”

The non-conference teams are not the only opponents who are giving the Knights a run for their money.

“As you look around the

MSL, everybody is playing tough,” Giusti said. “In our league, there’s really no one that we wouldn’t play against as hard as we could. … We really try to build the toughest schedule possible.”

Despite not thinking about future opponents, the team has set their goals for where they want to be at the end of the season.

“Before the season, we wanted to win games, but we wanted to win the little things in the game,” Damasky said.

“Our main goal is to make it to state.”

Giusti believes a trip down state would be very special, es-

pecially for the seniors.

“It would be awesome, and it would be a great thing for them,” Giusti said. “This is the type of group that I would love to see experience [state].

They are really committed to baseball. They are passionate, and they care about each other.

A number of them went down to watch the state tournament last year, and I asked them to go do that.

“You can’t have a goal to go do something and not see what it’s really all about. … To play in front of two or three thousand people would be something they would remember for the rest of their lives.”

WATER BREAK WITH MAYA MASON Year: Junior Sport: Track Events: Sprints and Hurdles

Q. What was it like for you to be so successful in the indoor season?

A. It was crazy honestly. I didn’t expect to beat all of the school records or anything. I just kind of wanted it and I went for it. It was the 4 by 200 meter, the 4 by 160 meter, the 200 meter and 55 meter high hurdles.

Q. Where have you seen your improvements in your track career at Prospect?

A. When I first started track, I was really bad at accelerating. I was never able to do hurdles freshman year.

In the summer I See FLU, page 2 worked as hard as I could, and I was able to get three steps in between [my hurdles].

That’s how I was able to place at state.

Q. How do you guys motivate each other in practice? Which teammate is your biggest competitor?

A. Well I feel like once one person gets a personal record, everyone gets in the mood and they want to work as hard as they can to get a personal record as well. I think my biggest competitor in hurdles is [junior] Brenda Kendziera.

Q. What are your individual goals? Where do you expect to see yourself at the end of the season?

A. My goal individually for this season is to go to state for more than one event and to place in more than one event. Next year I want to be a state champion in the 100 hurdles. I think I can really do it.

Maya Mason

Q. Who has been influential in your track career?

A. It’s Melissa Jones. She’s our volunteer coach, and she use to hurdle here at Prospect. She went to state, and I feel her being here pushes me to do better because she was an awesome athlete. It kind of makes me want to show her that I can be as good as she was.