Vol 50, Issue 3

Maine South’s student voice since 1964 See page 2

Vol.

, No. 3

Maine Township High School South, Park Ridge, Ill

November 15, 2013

VarietyofTalent

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

V-Show features numerous acts by students who don’t usually venture into the PA Wing.

‘GONNA BUILD A MOUNTAIN’

Students practice the V-show finale on stage during rehearsal. The number has been performed as the closing act since the show was first produced.

Coyote Ugly Exceptional Friends Students Deflated Golfing Glory

Decoys placed to reduce goose activity on campus Page 4

CEC Club promotes acceptance at Maine South Pages 8 and 9

Administration’s efforts Leia Atas drives to 12th misunderstood by students place at State Page 13 Page 16

50TH ANNIVERSARY

| November 15, 2013

years of

▼DRAWN BY HAND

From 1971 to 1974, Southwords featured the flags shown on the cover and below on all of its issues. These flags, created by the students themselves, appeared in volumes 8, 9, and 10.

►HITCHING A RIDE

Volume 9, Issue 12 ● Apr. 13, 1973

In 1973, many Maine South students faced the issue of ride availability. Their solution was hitchhiking. It was a fairly common occurrence, and both teachers and students alike admitted to picking up their pedestrian peers.

“In the past, I have given students a ride in severe weather,” said one anonymous foreign language teacher. “I drive them only between school and home. I would never consider driving them anyplace else.”

Although it was considered illegal, punishable by a $25 fine or being arrested, students risked the consequences without a second thought.

“I’ll pick up anybody,” a junior girl commented. “If I had a choice, I’d pick up a boy rather than a girl. But I won’t pick up anybody after 6 or 7 p.m. I never thought what I’d do in case a hiker tried to do something. I trust people too much to have a plan.”

Some students recognized the hazard and made sure they were prepared. “I usually carry a knife when I hitchhike,” a junior boy said. “You never know what you’ll run into.”

It seems as if the it’s-only-ParkRidge attitude has been a staple of the community for many years.

“I’ve always been picked up by guys,” said a second junior girl.

“They’re usually either older teenagers or middle-aged men. I don’t suppose it’s too safe, but I’ve never refused a ride.”

2 SouthwordS

▲MY NAME IS 24601

Volume 8, Issue 3 ● October 15, 1971

Back when Southwords used to actually get letters to the editor (we still accept these, by the way!), a lot of very important issues were addressed, including this one by “Inmate Number 15093,” also known as freshman Eileen Connor. She felt very distressed by the prison-like atmosphere of Maine South in the respect that students were only known by their ID numbers. However, her realization was not entirely bleak. “Impersonal as this school is, I was happy to see that one person at Maine South has not lost his identity,” she wrote. “I was glad to see that Dr. Watson had his name printed and not his Social Security number.” We’re also glad to know our principal as Mr. Messmer and not ***-**-****.

November 15, 2013

| NEWS

Maine South introduces big red couch Claudia Ferguson Contributor

I

n an effort to increase school spirit, Maine South students will have a chance to be a part of a random drawing to sit on the Big Red Couch for events, dances, and football games.

Junior Mike Gabel was first introduced to the couch when Lincoln Middle School implemented the idea.

The Big Red Couch is part of Maine South’s 50th anniversary celebration and will be featured at sporting events, school dances, and graduation ceremonies.

Gabel also hopes that he can get teachers, clubs and the orchestra involved.

“If someone wanted to use the Big Red Couch to ask someone to homecoming, maybe we could get the orchestra to play a song,” he said.

Junior Nora Quinn was instrumental in getting the Big Red Couch unveiled at the Homecoming foot-

ball game against Glenbrook South.

Senior Lauren Rubino was the winner of the raffle and chose friends seniors Emily Wolf and Hailey Schoneman to accompany her on the couch.

Mr. Messmer served the girls pizza and drinks.

They also had the option of spending time in the student section so they could, according to Quinn, have “the best of both worlds.”

“It was super cool seeing it from a ‘front row’ point of view,” Wolf said.

“It made you feel like you were a part of the game without having the fan section crowding you. [Watching the game] from a new perspective gave me an impression of how intense each play truly is.”

Other plans for the couch’s future use include students receiving some sort of special treatment when picked to sit on the couch.

“The foods class could make a meal or clubs can take turns sponsoring the couch for an event,” Gabel

said.

According to Quinn, some venues may provide a challenge regarding where to place the Big Red Couch, but “basketball games will be the best because you will be right on the court.”

More ideas about how to use the couch in the future are being formulated by Principal Messmer and the Principal’s Advisory Committee.

all grade levels learn a lesson from their designated leaders each month.

The main difference is how those lessons are planned and delivered to the Hawk Pride Leaders.

“Basically, the facilitators meet with Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott to brainstorm ideas for the lessons,” senior facilitator Jenna Galuska said.

“Scott and Deger are the ones actually formatting the lesson plans and writing the scripts, but the ideas and activities are all from us.

“In fact, Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott originally wanted to take the last lesson in an entirely different direction, but we thought it was more important to have an icebreaker-type lesson instead. From the feedback we’ve gotten, it seems like a lot of students liked the hands-on way this lesson was presented.”

The idea that students are making the lessons now is a very appealing part of the new system. Previously, Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott would create the lessons alone, based on what they thought students would respond well to.

“I think it’s better for the students to think of the plan because they know what interests us more,” junior Haley Marcin said. “They’ve been in a Hawk Pride class and know

what it’s like, so now they can make it more interesting for everyone.”

Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott would receive minimal feedback from leaders, thus making it hard to shape lesson plans for the future.

“Before, Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott would ask people how the lesson went, and they weren’t given good answers,” Sulek said. “They knew what the school needed to work on and the concepts they wanted the lessons to be about, but they didn’t know how to make them in order to get the best response from students.

“So, with the help of the facilitators, they now have guinea pigs.

They bounce ideas off of us to make a leap and deliver it to the groups.”

Because the system is new, there are different opinions on its effectiveness.

Mr. Scott and Mr. Deger have both stated the last lesson went smoothly, but because it was the first run, students noticed a few communication glitches.

“We lost our direct access with [Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott], who run the program,” senior Kristina Grandi said. “Because there is another level of people to go through, directions on the lesson are blurred, and communication to them takes longer.”

“We are still in the planning stages with this,” Mr. Messmer said. “The point is fun.”

Mr. Messmer and his advisory committee want the Big Red Couch to be closely tied to the “Hawks High Fives” program that encourages positive student behavior.

“The Big Red Couch is meant to be more of a symbol of school spirit,” Quinn said.

PHOTO by Michael deverman

TAKE A SEAT The new red couch will make appearances at many Maine South events. The couch was introduced to amp up school spirit.

Hawk Pride’s new system helps make things easier for leaders Kendra Suba Staff Writer

H

awk Pride has adopted a new system to help improve communication between students, leaders, and sponsors of the program.

A group of 20 students called “facilitators” have been selected to create and teach the lessons to other Hawk Pride Leaders.

Instead of going to the library the Tuesday before Hawk Pride, leaders will go to an assigned room, where they will meet with their facilitator and learn the lesson.

“We wanted to break down the big monthly training session,” Hawk Pride sponsor Mr. Scott said. “It is very difficult to keep 200 students focused and on task.”

The system was changed due to the limited effectiveness of the large group meetings in the library. Many of the facilitators agree with Mr. Scott that smaller groups will lead to more productive lessons.

“Before, people would come to the large meeting in the library, grab a sheet and walk out without understanding the entire concept,” senior facilitator Marissa Sulek said. “I was one of those people sometimes.”

The major concept of Hawk Pride remains the same, where students in

“It’s obviously easier to just throw everyone together in the library at once instead of breaking off into smaller groups, “ Galuska said. “Also, this way is much more centered on student feedback, which does involve more work for the leaders and for Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott. However, I definitely think it’ll be worth it in the long run, because we’ll hopefully be discussing topics that are actually important to Maine South students.”

Students agree that, with time, it will be easier to see whether the system truly runs better, keeps the lessons interesting, and opens the levels of communication for all of those involved with the program.

“I think it’s a change everyone will have to get used to,” Sulek said.

“It may seem pointless now, but if we keep up with the small meetings, attendance will be better, and the leaders will know the material more thoroughly as well.”

Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott have yet to receive actual feedback on how the new system worked for this past lesson.

They are currently scheduling a day to meet with all facilitators in addition to creating a survey required to be filled out by all Hawk Pride Leaders.

SouthwordS 3

NEWS

| November 15, 2013

swans protect the pond and fields from the increasing goose population

Maura Burke

Staff Writer n the last few weeks, the school has been attempting to solve a prominent problem on Maine South grounds: the large goose population.

“We have kids going outside for gym and others for sports and clubs while the geese leave behind—well, a big mess,” Mr. Messmer said.

There seem to be more geese this year than in years past.

“I think we must be in an ideal spot for them,” Mr. Messmer said.

“The forest preserves surround us and our pond and all of our open fields are perfect spots for them. I think that their migration [at this time of year] may be leading to the large number of geese, too.”

After complaints from students and concerned parents, Mr. Messmer and Mr. Beese, the Director of Building and Grounds for Maine South, sat down together and discussed their options for repelling these birds.

After a lot of research, several options were considered. The plan the school chose was to place decoys, each costing around $59, strategically around the school.

I

The decoys selected were swans and coyotes. The swans have been placed in the pond because geese and swans are territorial and will fight each other over their land.

The coyotes were purchased because they are natural predators to the geese. The coyotes are moved around school grounds to keep the geese away from different areas.

Geese are smart animals, and unless the coyotes appear to be alive and moving, the geese will know that they are not real and continue to use the land.

While school administration had high hopes for the decoys, they weren’t as effective as anticipated. “[The coyotes] are working fairly well as long as they are continuously moved around,” Mr. Beese said. “The swans aren’t doing as well because they have to be moved around several times a day.”

Several other options were considered. One idea was to run thin wire along the top of the pond’s surface so the geese would not be able to land.

This idea was rejected because while it might clear the pond, it would probably move geese into the fields.

Another option considered was to have a trained dog herd the geese away.

According to the The Humane Society of the United States, this is

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

Maine South posts new pets on school grounds Decoy coyotes and

the most effective way to scare geese away safely. However, due to Illinois State Law, the dog would need a handler, and these handlers can cost up to $500 a month.

Another system considered was a lawn treatment which makes the lawn appear reflective to the geese, causing the geese to avoid landing on the lawn. The lawn would not be harmed and would be safe for human use.

These treatments, however, cost $6,000 to apply, and the school fields would need to be treated three times per year.

These two options, while they have been shown to be most effective

in keeping geese out, are very expensive to maintain.

“The money for these treatments wasn’t put into the budget this year, so maybe in the following years we can find a source in order to purchase these things,” Mr. Beese said.

In determining which method to use to solve the problem, administration looked to the budget. The budget, already determined for the year, didn’t allow for the more expensive solutions.

“If I could rearrange money to pay for these solutions, I may be taking money away from things the students need and that’s not something I want to do,” Mr. Messmer said.

food, including Mexican, Italian, deli sandwiches, and fast food.

Line five serves healthy options, and lets students customize their food.

The most popular of the new foods is the stir-fry station, where students can choose, among other things, between white rice, fried rice, or angel hair pasta.

The stir fry station, along with the baked potato bar, deli, and chopped salad station, gives students the chance to customize their orders, which is one of Quest’s goals.

“I like to focus on fresh and made to order,” Mr. Puzzolo said.

Everything is made using a batch cooking system, where meals are prepared in small quantities, multiple times a day, instead of all at once in the morning.

This ensures that the leftover piz-

za from lunch period four isn’t what gets served to students who have lunch seventh period. Quest is committed to serving students and staff the freshest possible food.

Mr. Puzzolo is also in the process of training his staff to begin making their own bread.

Samples of the vegetable breads were given out with other purchases in the new lines, where they received a positive reaction from the faculty.

In Mr. Puzzolo’s words, “It was nothing before, and now there’s constant business.”

Line five has received an overall positive reaction from students.

“I love getting the stir fry with a bunch of vegetables and chicken,” said freshman Emily Donahue.

For junior Michael Harris, the new line is really helpful.

“I’ve been getting smoothies with

spinach and banana, and they’re helping to alleviate my iron deficiency,” he said.

Junior Leah Donahue was also happy with the chopped salad bar because she had wished the cafeteria sold more food for vegetarians.

“It’s really nice to have the option to not put meat in the salad, and still have all the other toppings so you’re not just eating a bunch of lettuce,” Donahue said.

According to Mr. Puzzolo, the kitchen staff is very involved in coming up with the ideas behind the food served.

“Sophie came up with the idea to make panini, and Sheryl makes all the soups homemade, from scratch,” Mr. Puzzolo said.

“I’d rather eat food prepared by Quest than by a chain. Here I know what goes into it is quality and fresh.”

PLASTIC PREDATOR One of the new coyotes perpetually bares his teeth to scare away geese. Coyotes are natural predators to geese, and these decoys are periodically moved to keep geese away from different areas on school grounds.

‘The Lighter Side’ lunch line brings health and variety

Ellen Longman Staff Writer

T

his fall, Quest Food Services opened a fifth lunch line, “The Lighter Side,” which serves chopped salads, baked potatoes, soups, chili, and stir fry.

“It was created because we had this extra space that wasn’t being used,” said Quest Food Services Director Tony Puzzolo. “Everyone always just goes through the first line.”

By offering the students new options, Quest hopes the students will find something else they like in another line. This will help spread out the lunch line traffic so students won’t have to wait so long for their meal.

The opening of line five is part of a bigger effort from Quest to give students a variety of dining options.

Each row serves a different type of

4 SouthwordS

November 15, 2013

| NEWS

New balloon shop will open to solve latex issue Monica Bielawiec & Jenna Galuska Staff Writers

A

ccording to a recent update in school policy, Maine South students are no longer allowed to bring balloons to school.

Although some students do not support the decision, balloons were banned due to the increase in latex allergies in the school. The action was taken solely for safety purposes and the comfort of all students.

“In reviewing our policies and working with parents, it was discovered that our practice of allowing latex balloons in the building was inadvertently placing some of our students at risk,” said Mr. Messmer.

“We had taken latex out of all other aspects of our program (lab gloves, etc.), but latex entering the building from the outside in the form of balloons was not addressed and we needed to secure the safety of all of our students.”

Administration decided that the only way to acknowledge this growing issue was to ban balloons altogether.

If a student enters the building with a balloon, it will be confiscated and held in the deans’ office until the end of the day.

Some students believe the ban makes birthday celebrations less fun and unique.

“Now that we can’t have balloons, [celebrating special occasions is] not as special,” said sophomore Jenny Ciupinski.

Although some students were not happy with the latex ban, others understood the decision.

“If it could harm someone, I don’t think it’s worth it,” said sophomore Melis Ozkan. “That’s the whole reason behind the latex ban in the first place.”

Some students argue that the school should permit balloons made out of mylar or plastic. However, the school stated that it would be too difficult for the staff to sort between mylar and latex-free balloons.

To solve this problem, the NHS is setting up a shop where students can buy latex-free balloons for $3 each.

The shop, located at the concession stand across from the spectator gym, will be open every morning, starting in the second week of December.

The students will vote on charities to which the proceeds will be donated. The charity will change every month.

Each balloon sold will be marked with a special NHS sticker, which means that teachers and staff will easily be able to tell which balloons

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

FUTURE BALLOON STAND

This concession stand across from the spectator gym is the location for the balloon stand that is set to open in December.

The latex-free balloons will be sold at a cost of $3 each.

are approved.

Senior Maddy Schulze, secretary of National Honor Society, says she first proposed this idea to the Principal’s Advisory Council last year, after being inspired by a similar business being run at Maine West.

“With the new policy being passed, this year was the perfect opportunity to finally make it happen,” Schulze said.

Students will have the chance to give their friends balloons at a variety of events, including birthdays, opening nights, sports events, and graduation ceremonies. The balloons can also be customized with person-

alized messages.

NHS members are looking forward to the sales at the Spec Gym concession stand.

“I’m really, really excited about this idea,” says President of NHS, Sarah Householder.

Student opinions regarding the balloon shop are also positive.

“I think it’s a really good idea, and I’m glad we were able to find a way to compromise,” says junior Isabelle Elderkin.

The new balloon shop will effectively serve as both a solution to the latex issue and a source of school spirit.

A-Wing table home to new attendance station Chloe Bryniarski & Jake Kay

News Editors new attendance station has been set up in the A-Wing. Students are sent to it if they are late to first period. The station consists of a teacher who sits at a table in the first floor of the A-Wing and hands out tardy passes to students.

The new attendance station was implemented to cut down the time it takes students to get tardy passes.

Instead of going to the attendance office to receive passes, if they are in the A-Wing, students can go to the table to receive them. On average, the attendance office in the C-Wing handles about fifty unexcused tardies every day, according to the office workers.

The system was thought of by Mr. Messmer, who came up with the idea after noticing that a large number of students were spending an excessive

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

A

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

The new attendance station is located in front of the entrance to the A-Wing on the first floor. Social Science teacher Mr. Trenkle occupies the station during first period.

amount of time going down to the attendance office to receive a tardy pass. He realized that these students were missing the first five to ten minutes of their classes as a result of their trip to the attendance office.

The new attendance station was created in order to catch any students who were attempting to sneak

into school by using the doors in the A-Wing.

At 8:15, a list of tardy students is sent to the attendance office from the A-Wing. Any students who have excessive tardies are then called down to the deans’ office during one of their free periods, so that they are not missing class time.

On average, only four students are written up for tardiness at the new A-Wing table each day. The attendance office is no less crowded as a result of the new station. Because students have to go to the attendance office if they are called in by parents, the attendance office remains crowded.

First period is the only period during the school day in which students have to go down to the attendance office when tardy. This is because students are considered late to school, as opposed to late to class, and the students need to go to the attendance office in order to excuse their tardy.

The new A-Wing attendance table that operates during first period has yet to lessen the crowds in the main attendance office. However, the time that it takes to get a tardy pass, provided the student has a class in the A-Wing, is minimized.

SouthwordS 5

NEWS

| November 15, 2013

Hawks on time APUSH students re-enact Jackson trial Student-designed

Johnson for the defense. Each side then got to call four witnesses, who Editor-in-Chief were questioned under direct examin Oct. 17, Mrs. Kaye’s and Mr. nation by their own side and under McArthur’s junior AP United cross examination by the opposing States history classes participated class.

Using witnesses John Calhoun, in a mock trial of President Jackson, with Mrs. Kaye’s class playing Henry Clay, John Marshall, and John the role of the prosecution and Mr. Ross, the prosecution attempted to McArthur’s class playing the role of show that Jackson abused his power the defense. Mr. Kura presided as by blocking nullification, ignoring the rulings of the Supreme Court, judge over the opposing sides.

During the two-period trial, and disrespecting the Indian tribes. the goal of the prosecution was to The defense then called John Eaton, prove without a reasonable doubt Roger Taney, Martin van Buren, and that Jackson was guilty of abusing Jackson himself up to the witness his political office, while the defense stand to argue that Jackson’s actions were within the realm of presidential needed to refute this claim.

The trial began with opening power.

“I thought that Mrs. Kaye’s witstatements, delivered by Tommy Deeter for the prosecution and Sarah nesses were well-prepared,” Mr. McArthur said. “I was really impressed and amused by the strategy my class developed of having Martin van Buren claim that everything was more or less his fault. I also thought the cross examiner of Andrew Jackson probably could have won the case if he’d really felt like going for the throat.”

After all witnesses testified, the students who read the opening statements issued closing statements, both sides using evidence from the trial to convince Judge Kura to side with his or her class. After several minutes of deliberation, Judge Kura ruled that President Jackson was not guilty.

“The outcome was definitely a huge victory for our team because we believed the whole time CASE CLOSED Junior Tommy Deeter that we had the tougher side of delivers his closing statement for the prosecu- the case to prove,” said Matt tion team. Deeter, along with his prosecution Houck, who played the role of Martin van Buren. “It was nice team, proved the president not guilty. seeing our hard work pay off.”

Hope Allchin

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

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“I agree that our side had a couple of flaws and it was obvious we were given less time to prepare than the defense, but I thought we made clear the ills of Jackson,” said Valerie Asimacopoulos, a lawyer for the prosecution. “Maybe our argument wasn’t as well-supported as we would have liked, but I thought the defense had many more stumbles.”

Whether or not the students agreed with Judge Kura’s decision, they thought the trial was a positive learning experience.

“As opposed to textbook reading, the trial really made me feel like I was living in the early 1800s when Jackson was around,” said Deeter. “It helped me understand the material better, as I could sense the emotions from the witnesses.”

Savannah Theil, a defense lawyer, agreed.

“I would love to do it again,” she said. “In fact, I loved it so much that I joined the mock trial team.”

According to Mr. McArthur, the goal of the trial was to find a fun way to teach students about the Jacksonian era and to help them develop the skills of making and evaluating argument, especially regarding constitutional limits on power, a theme that often appears in modern politics.

“I thought the students in both classes did a great job, and I really enjoyed watching both sides,” said Mr. McArthur. “I was proud of how everyone did. I’ll be doing trials with my own classes whenever I have APUSH, and as long as the schedule and the administration allow Mrs. Kaye and me to do this together, I hope that will continue, too.”

The two classes will go headto-head again in the spring when the APUSH students put Franklin Roosevelt on trial for similar crimes against the Constitution.

2013 graduate top ten NSPA finalist Lizzie Porter

News Editor ast year when Anne Marie Pavlis wrote a news article for her journalism class, she never thought she would gain more than a good grade from her hard work on it.

Pavlis, a 2013 graduate who now attends University of Dayton, was selected as a top ten finalist among 750 entries for the NSPA(National Scholastic Press Association) “Story

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6 SouthwordS

of the Year” competiton.

“I had no idea the award even existed when I wrote it,” Pavlis said. “I was in shock when I found out.”

Pavlis wrote the article for her journalism class, taught by Mr. McGowan.

“I wrote the article just hoping to get a good grade in my journalism class. Mr. McGowan is the reason it was good enough to win the award,” Pavlis said.

Pavlis wrote the article last year, about District 207’s transition to 1:1 computing. Pavlis reported on the district’s decision to introduce the Chromebooks for the class of 2016 and 2017.

According to the NSPA press release, finalists are chosen by criteria of value, importance or worth of a story, adherence to copyright laws, quality of writing and editing, and credibility and leadership.

website keeps students on schedule Lizzie Porter

News Editor or Lucian Bontumasi, the schoolwide confusion over the Hawk Pride schedule wasn’t just a source of annoyance, it was a catalyst for change. One day in late September, he thought of a solution.

“After sitting in the writing lab every day and constantly hearing people ask ‘What time do we get out of here?’ and then seeing the teachers look it up on the paper schedule every time, it suddenly occured to me that I could create a website that automates this process,” Bontumasi said.

The site, Hawktime.org, features a tiled design with squares for what time it is, which period it is, and how much time is left for both the period and half-period.

Bontumasi created the site to be “mobile friendly,” since Chromebooks and smart phones make up most of the website’s traffic.

After thinking of the idea, Bontumasi began working on the site and had it up and running in a matter of days.

“I started writing some basic code that would allow me to recognize the class period with a given time of day,” Bontumasi said.

“I worked on the code for the next three to four days, and by that time I had a working prototype of HawkTime. I really started working on it on the weekend of October 5th and 6th, the week between that weekend and Columbus Day weekend I field tested it.”

Bontumasi went on to register the domain name, and the site was live on Oct 14.

The site gained popularity through word of mouth, and by an email sent by staff to all parents.

After creating the site completely independently, Bontumasi was contacted by the school’s technology department.

“We discussed possible improvements to Hawk Time, and the future of it,” Bontumasi stated.

For now, Hawktime.org recognizes regular days, collaboration days, and Hawk Pride days.

Soon, the site will include some of the unusual bell schedules, such as assembly schedules, and testing days.

F

FEATURES

| November 15, 2013

Celebrating

differences in the

company Amanda Svachula & Des Mustafa Features Editors

T

emple Grandin, listed in 2010 as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, is a 66- year-old woman with autism and a professor at Colorado State University.

Grandin recently wrote a book entitled “Different...Not Less.” The book tells success stories of those with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. It’s title, “Different...Not Less” represents what Maine South’s Council for Exceptional Children, a club that connects students with special gifts and other students, is all about.

“We are all different in some way,” said Mrs. Williams, one of the two CEC Club sponsors.

“We all have quirks and special things that make us who we are.

It doesn’t mean we are anything less than anybody else, just different.”

CEC Club focuses on the acceptance of differences in a friendly, social environment. “[The CEC club] is a national organization that looks to provide support to children with exceptional gifts in school,” said Mrs.Williams.

Mrs. Sanchez, who is the other sponsor, describes the club as “an environment for friendship and academics.”

“We provide tutoring if necessary,” Mrs. Sanchez said. “Mostly, in our club, we [focus on the building of] friendship and social skills.”

The club, consisting of around 65 to 75 Maine South students, was established about ten years ago by two teachers at Maine South, Mrs. Staunton and Mrs. Smith. It was started because of the desire to give students with special needs the ability to form relationships with their peers.

The organization is similar to Best

8 SouthwordS

of

friends

Buddies in its message. The difference is that each student is not assigned with one friend, but is simply a part of the larger club body. There are around three peers for every special friend in the club. This allows flexibility for students who can’t make it to every one of CEC’s activities.

“We are a club that welcomes anybody at anytime,” Mrs. Sanchez said.

“We usually work in families, so one special friend might be assigned with

school events such as theater productions or football games. “‘Legally Blonde’ was wonderful last year,” Mrs. Sanchez said. “[Everyone in the club] loves the musicals. The Orchesis Show is always a huge favorite one too.”

The club has a seasonal party for each major holiday. Most recently, they had a Halloween party. The club also tries to hold activities over school breaks.

“We all have quirks and special things that make us who we are. It doesn’t mean we are anything less than anybody else, just different.”

-Mrs. Williams

two or three peers.”

CEC Club holds around three activities per month during the school year. The activities focus on creating a comfortable social environment for peers and special friends to interact, and stress the importance of awareness of different special needs.

“There’s also a teaching component [to the club],” Mrs. Sanchez said. “We always try to make people aware of different disabilities. We’ve had other people give presentations on Tourette Syndrome and Cystic Fibrosis. We try to educate the community as well as students.”

The club often has game days and movie days. It also goes on outings to

“We’re going bowling during both Thanksgiving and Christmas break,” Mrs. Sanchez said. “We’re also going to Zoolights and will probably have another movie night. If we have snow, we plan on going sledding or having a cocoa and movie kind of thing. We’ve had cookouts and we’ve gone to concerts in the park in the summer.”

One of the biggest events that the club participates in during the year is the Autism Walk in Downtown Chicago. The Autism Walk occurs in May. Students take a bus to Soldier Field and participate. Last year the club had a bake sale to donate to the walk.

“We had a bake sale to raise funds for the walk,” said Mrs. Williams. “We

raised over $500 in just three days.”

Another major event that CEC participates in is the Special Needs Prom, held at Maine West. It is one of most unique events that the club engages in.

“We’ve had a Special Needs Prom for two years now,” Mrs. Williams said. “Maine West’s sophomore class, who were freshmen at the time, took it upon themselves to fundraise and throw a Special Education Prom.

Maine West sponsors it and they invite all three [District 207] schools to come over to do it. It’s always the Friday before Memorial day.”

At the Prom, geared towards students in Special Education, students dress up in accordance to some sort of theme. Peers in CEC go with their special friends as dance partners. At the dance there are many different activities to suit each student. From bag toss games, to face painting, to movies, there is something for everyone. The first year the theme was a carnival theme, and there was a magician at the dance who did magic tricks.

Since the club offers a multitude of activities continuously throughout the school year and even during breaks, over time, students foster powerful friendships. Maddi Wethall, senior and Co-President of CEC Club, appreciates the friends she has gained through the club.

“I’ve been in CEC Club for three years now,” Wethall said. “I’ve had a great experience all three years because it’s just a very unique club. You get to work with all these different kids and see them grow and change and it’s a really cool thing. It is not only ben-

November 15, 2013

| FEATURES

▼HALLOWEEN FUN

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE CUCINELLA

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE CUCINELLA

CEC holds game days and movie nights. There is a party for each major holiday. Most recently, the Club held a Halloween party, filled with games, music, and creative costumes.

eficial for them, but for me. They can always put a smile on my face.”

The club’s comfortable social environment also offers opportunities for students to make a difference with acts of community service.

“We do support other clubs within the building,” Mrs. Williams said. “Key club had a fundraiser at a miniature golf place, so CEC club participated with the fundraiser. We always try to do some sort of community outreach.”

“We’ve sent school supplies to Iraq and Afghanistan,” Mrs. Sanchez said.

“One of the things we’ve toyed with is going to a soup kitchen.”

CEC’s motto of acceptance and friendship has become an integral part of many different Maine South activities.

“I do know that a lot of special friends have joined the chess club, are doing footlighters, and are starting to participate in many of the other clubs that are much more accepting than ever before,” Mrs. William’s said. “I think it’s because many CEC members are part of these clubs and [spread its message].”

For students looking to join CEC, it’s never too late to join.

“We want you to take the gifts you have and share them with our students,” Mrs. Williams said. “If that means you can only share them about two or three times a year, then that’s okay. CEC Club is all about meeting different people because that’s how we learn and grow.”

▲BEST BUDDIES

Paige Karlson (top) and Kirsti Zimmerman at this year’s CEC Halloween party. The different events that the club holds offer opportunities for powerful friendships to be formed.

◄PARADE PALS

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE CUCINELLA

Danny Svachula (left) and Maddi Wethall at this year’s Homecoming parade. The club participates in the Homecoming parade, creates a Homecoming Window, and attends the Homecoming dance.

Besides Homecoming, one of the main events the club attends is the Special Needs Prom, held at Maine West.

SAY CHEESE►

CEC Club participates in a multitude of activities throughout the entire year. One important event the club goes to each year is the Autism Walk, held at Soldier Field in May. The walk benefits the Autism Speaks Foundation.

PHOTO COURTESY MRS. SANCHEZ

SouthwordS

9

ENTERTAINMENT | November 15, 2013

Freshman stars in ‘The Goldbergs’ PHOTO CREDIT: ABC

Alex Korzynski

Entertainment Editor

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10 SouthwordS

MISCHIEVOUS Adam Goldberg, played by freshman Sean Giambrone, does everything he can to pester his family.

He constantly records his family­­—even their fights—on his VHS video camera. “The Goldbergs” airs Tuesdays on ABC at 8 p.m.

role] Friday, and then I started filming Monday.”

Giambrone plays the youngest son, Adam, the 11-year-old version of the show’s creator, Adam Goldberg. Adam is a proud geek and loves family fights. To his amusement, he records these arguments on his video camera and directs his family instead of trying to help.

“My favorite part is being able to re-create a person that I see regularly, because [Adam Goldberg] is the creator of the show,” Giambrone said.

After working on set with his coactors, Giambrone has gotten inspiration from a great number of people in a short period of time during his stay in California.

“I admire the actors that I work with on the show—Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jeff Garlin, Troy Gentile, Hayley Orrantia, and George Segal,” said Giambrone. “It’s one thing to see them on TV, but being behind the scenes with them, you get to see how their personalities change to become their roles. That’s why I look up to them the most. It’s like another family.”

Giambrone also enjoys testing his capabilities, and fitting into his character. According to him, there are a few similarities and differences between his character and himself.

“The difference is his wanting to

pester his family as much as he does,” he said. “I don’t pester my family like that, so trying to get that [trait] out is difficult for me, but I’ve been working on it.”

“However, my character is just like me in the way that he’s just a happy kid that likes life.”

Giambrone has a busy schedule, and is responsible for filming the show for a given number of weeks, but his actual hours range according to how much his character shows up in the episode.

“We film an episode a week,” said Giambrone. “But the hours vary by how much I’m in an episode. We have three weeks of shooting, and

then one week off.”

It is Sean’s first time away from home for such a long period of time.

Along with him, his parents and brother, Luke, who will be attending Maine South as a sophomore, moved to California for the duration of the season’s filming.

While acting is something Giambrone likes to do, he is keeping his eyes open for other paths in life as well.

“I’m kind of just along with the ride. I’m just seeing what happens,” Giambrone said “I’ll try my best to make my [acting career] work. For my future plans, I’d like to go to college, but I’ll just see what comes.”

HAPPY FAMILY Giambrone, bottom left, plays the youngest son. He has gotten so close to his co-stars that he considers them a second family.

PHOTO CREDIT: ABC

he average freshman is usually focused on adjusting to the differences between middle school and high school and fitting into the new environment. But freshman Sean Giambrone has an entirely different focus as the star of ABC’s new show, “The Goldbergs.”

At age nine, Giambrone developed an interest in acting and decided to pursue it as a career shortly thereafter.

“I started to become interested in acting with the V-show at Roosevelt Elementary School,” he said. “I did [an acting part] in 5th grade and I really enjoyed it, so [my family] found an agency for me to be sponsored by.

They sent out auditions that led to a commercial for Sea World, which got me noticed by a manager out in California. That led me to get an agent out here as well.”

One of Giambrone’s first roles was a commercial for Friendly’s, a food chain in Ohio. In it, he persuades his mom to take him and his sister to Friendly’s for dinner.

Despite his busy workload, Giambrone is still enrolled at Maine South. Being a student and taking on a full-time acting role requires a lot of scheduling and time management.

Because Giambrone does not want to fall behind in his classes, he has a tutor in California that keeps him up on his schoolwork.

“I have a tutor on set and I’m on the same curriculum as my classes at Maine South,” said Giambrone. “[My tutor] helps me make sure I understand everything so when I come back I’ll be up to par with the students. If everything works out, I should be coming back in six months.”

Giambrone was in California when he found out about the auditions for “The Goldbergs.” The audition process was fast-paced so he didn’t have time to think of what was to be expected of his auditions.

“I was here for a voice-over job that I have for a tv show called ‘Clarence’ on Cartoon Network,” said Giambrone. “My agent wanted me to get to know more casting places in Los Angeles, so I ended up trying out for “The Goldbergs.” It was so fast because I tried out Wednesday and Thursday, got picked up [for the

November 15, 2013

| ENTERTAINMENT

return to Maine South has a ‘Mid-Life Crisis’ Alumni Fine Arts roots for 50th Anniversary Concert Matt Weiss

Staff Writer aine South’s Fine Arts Department is celebrating 50 years of excellence this year with its 50th celebration concert. Notable musical alumni will be performing alongside current students in the concert this December.

“Our preparation for the 50th concert entails this concert being structured in full, mass ensembles,” said Mrs. Keith, Fine Arts Department chair. “All of our high school students will perform as one large ensemble with band, orchestra, and choir, along with our alumni.”

The band will bring back alumni from every graduation class, from 2013 back to 1965. Two pieces have been specifically chosen for these mass ensembles to play at the concert.

“At the end, every performer will play the Alma Mater and play "Tribute of Carols,’” said Mr. Matter, director of bands.

Maine South’s music education program has helped students find their calling. One particular alumnus is now a director for a University band across the country. The notable band director Joe Hermann (class of 1967) was a student here and now leads the Tennessee Tech University Band.

In addition, Walter Fleschig, the school’s first choir director, will be there, as well as Irwin Bell, the school’s first orchestra director.

Also, retired Choir Director David Dankwart will be present at the 50th Anniversary Concert. He is currently a freelance musician in Minnesota.

John Hughes, who graduated in 2003, is now a Doctor of Musical Arts Candidate at University of Iowa.

For current musically-inclined students, there is still time to sign up to be a part of this 50th anniversary concert. Mrs. Keith urges all interested students to fill out this Google Form to become involved: http:// tinyurl.com/50thConcertForm/. Alternatively, students may also email the Fine Arts office.

The concert is in the Spec. Gym Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. Admission is free; however, donations are greatly appreciated.

Photo by HANNAH SIMPSON

M

Katrina Iorio Staff Writer

T

his year’s annual variety show is dedicated to the 50 years Maine South has been a high school. The 2014 V-show, “Mid-Life Crisis,” showcases students with a wide variety of talent who would not usually be a part of a fine arts department production.

“When the student directors met over the summer, they decided they wanted to connect the theme to the anniversary, while still remaining true to the traditional V-Show,” said Mr. Muszynski. “‘Mid-Life Crisis’ seemed to fit this criteria.”

This year’s V-Show includes solo vocal acts as well as vocal groups.

For example, Rohini Venkat and Neiv Hans will be singing Rihanna’s popular ballad, “Stay,” along with piano and harmonies.

“Anyone can audition and is given an equal opportunity,” said senior Alyssa LaTragna. “Even if you’re not in the arts, you can still have a part in V-Show.”

This show highlights the talent of the many dance groups at Maine South. Each group will showcase a different style of dance. V-Show gives the opportunity for different types of dancers to be incorporated in a school production.

Orchesis will perform a contemporary piece with the help of some members of the orchestra.

Senior Hawkettes will perform their own piece to the song “I Will Wait”

by Mumford & Sons. Advanced Dance will perform jazz-oriented piece in the style of Bob Fosse.

A very interesting aspect of V-Show is the fact that every song

 DYNAMIC DUO Sophmore Mason Patt accompanies freshman Megan Wilcox on the piano as they rehearse their duet for V-Show. In the upcoming V-Show, they will be singing ‘Everything has Changed’ by Ed Sheeran. incorporates live music, even the dances. The music for the dances is usually provided by the Stage Band, who remain on stage for most of the show. V-Show gives musicians a chance to play together in a unique setting.

Band groups and instrumental solos are also highlighted in this year’s show. Maine South’s Drumline will perform, but their act is different than anything they have done before.

“The show has a lot of new twists on old favorites, which I think will please the audience,” said Mr. Muszynski.

Not every act features a singer or dance group. Kamille Garst, and three other Maine South students are performing their interpretation of the poem “OCD.” The poem is acted out, instead of simply read, and has a different dynamic than the other acts.

At the beginning of the show, Footlighters will sing the famous Hairspray tune, “You Can’t Stop the Beat.” The Footlighters are the show’s annual opener, consisting of a group of students ranging from freshmen to seniors, who sing and dance to a song related to the show’s theme.

“Footlighters is a fun environment where anyone and everyone can come and learn an easy song and dance,” said LaTragna. “There’s no audition or anything, so there’s no pressure.

Everyone just comes to have fun and be a part of the show.”

Between acts, Trunk, the show’s comedy group, fills the act transitions with short bits of humor regarding

Maine South. Trunk is a unique opportunity to have an important part in the production.

“We try to make V-Show relatable, and our main goal is to get people to laugh,” said sophomore Elena Sasso.

“With the help of our writing staff, we write all of our own sketches, making jokes about Maine South.”

A component that the audience doesn’t see is the people that make the show run smoothly, the crew.

Although they don’t get to share the spotlight, crew essentially makes the magic happen behind stage. Crew members are extremely dedicated in putting the pieces together to make a show work. Whether it’s doing lights, sound, or painting, the crew works out the tedious details in order to make the show a success.

“There’s a really hard-working, amazing group of students that work backstage in crew,” said senior Maria Beniaris. “They make the show work so well.”

An aspect of V-Show that makes it enjoyable year after year are the different talents that are showcased.

“It’s important to keep some tradition each year like our finale number,” said Beniaris. “But every year the acts are completely unique so each V-Show has an element of nostalgia and surprise.”

This year’s V-Show will include some faculty members that open the show, but how they will be incorporated is a surprise. The V-show runs at 7 p.m. from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23 and is $7 a ticket.

SouthwordS 11

COMMENTARY

| November 15, 2013

STAFF EDITORIAL

Tardiness takes too much time istrict policy currently states that a student must be sent to the attendance office if he or she arrives late to first period. Both students and teachers alike have found this aspect of the attendance policy to be unreasonable and inefficient.

Regardless of whether a student is five minutes late to class or merely thirty seconds, the ten-minute trek to and from the attendance office, although mandated, is completely unnecessary.

This flawed policy results in students missing a considerable amount of class time, especially if they are traveling all the way from the Awing. The student’s late arrival already disrupts the class by distracting from the lesson and interrupting the teacher’s instruction. Because teachers are expected to enforce this policy, they have to spend valuable class time sending tardy students down and then checking them back in, causing not just one distraction, but two. This essentially makes one student’s inability to get to class on time a consequence for the teacher, the student, and the entire class.

Since teachers are already required to take attendance for the period and can mark a student as tardy at any other point during the day, why can’t they mark a student as late to first period?

If teachers were able to do this, kids late to first period could be accounted for within seconds with as little disruption as possible. This would require no extra work for the teacher, as they already have a legal obligation to keep accurate attendance records.

It would also maximize the amount of time a student would be in class. Late students would only miss the class time they themselves were responsible for missing, rather than the extra 10 to 20 minutes it can take to check in at the attendance office.

Some teachers, when faced with the choice of upholding the current policy or ensuring a maximized educational experience for students, choose to overlook sending their students to the attendance office when they are only a few minutes late in the first place. If the policy were changed, staff would not be required to choose between instructional val-

12 SouthwordS

ue and adhering to inefficient policies.

Decreasing the number of students sent to the attendance office would allow the staff there to focus on other concerns in the morning, such as documenting students who are significantly late to school and taking calls from the plethora of students called in by their parents.

The reason students are required to check in at the attendance office is because they are considered late to school rather than late to class.

Currently, these have different consequences. Tardies to school result in an evaluation of the situation by the deans. Being late to class, however, warrants action taken by the teacher, which can take the form of a detention and a call home.

The way the policy stands now, being late to class and late to school are treated separately. However, in a school where it takes at least five minutes to get from one end of the building to the other, a student can technically be on-time to school, but

still late to class.

In an effort to ease up traffic at the attendance office and waste less class time, a new policy was recently implemented that allows students to receive a pass at the safety monitor’s table at the A-Wing doors.

Although this alleviates some of the problems associated with the policy, it simply isn’t as effective as changing it.

In order for the policy to be amended, all three schools in the district would have to agree to the change. However, with Maine East’s tardy rates being much higher than Maine South’s, and all three schools having attendance offices far from many of their classrooms, it appears as if this would, in fact, be a beneficial change for the entire district.

The deans are in favor of amending the policy, agreeing that the current system in place is flawed. The district needs to recognize that enforcing an outdated and ineffective policy is not worth losing valuable in-class instruction. illustration by cecilia cortTÉs

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Maine South High School 1111 South Dee Road Park Ridge, IL 60068

Signed letters to the editor should be delivered to LRC1, given to a member of the editorial staff, or e-mailed to southwords@maine207. org. Southwords reserves the right to edit material for clarity and brevity and to reject obscene/libelous submissions.

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Editors-in-Chief

Hope Allchin Dora Bialy

Production Editors Michael Deverman Hannah Simpson News Editors

Chloe Bryniarski Jake Kay Lizzie Porter Kristyn Tarpey

Entertainment Editors Alex Korzynski Anna Laskaris Yavor Todorov Features Editors

Katie Krall Des Mustafa Amanda Svachula

Commentary Editors

Annie Krall

Marisa Sclafani

Lauren Smith Sports Editors

Alex Ellyin Brendan Ploen Stephen Sakowicz Kay Thursby

Art/Production Team Basia Chruscinski-Ramos Cecelia Cortés Josh Larragoity Adviser

Mr. Stathakis

| COMMENTARY

Strangers to sympathy November 15, 2013

Staff Writer

I

’ve carried around my fair share of balloons on my birthday, and I think it’s safe to say that a majority of the female student body was disappointed with the new policy banning all balloons on campus.

Of course, the policy is completely necessary—student safety is obviously far more important than an innocent tradition.

According to the National Institute of Health, latex allergies are on the rise, possibly because of the increased use of latex in our everyday lives. If banning balloons at school could potentially save students’ lives, then it’s the right thing to do.

This time of year, it seems that we are overwhelmed by rules and regulations. You can’t wear costumes on Halloween, you can’t wear a jacket in your freezing biology class, and now you can’t carry celebratory globes through Maine South’s hallways. Are you feeling sad? Don’t. Because I may

With this mindset, it is easy to forget about those at risk without these safety bans in place.

The truth is, bans can be the most efficient way to keep all students safe at school.

Although an inconvenience for some of us, the administration makes these types of rules so that we may all e nj oy a qu a l it y education. And while the banning of balloons was implemented rather quickly and unexpectedly, it was necess ar y for the safety of students.

C ont i nu i ng a tradition that could be life threatening just isn’t an option.

Yes, it’s unfortunate that we can’t celebrate special occasions in the way we used to, but the well being of each student is more important.

I u n d e rst an d t h at s tu d e nt freedoms are restricted in the school setting, but it is for a good purpose.

Rather than complain about our limitations at school, we can respond productively.

After all, celebrations, such as birthdays, can be expressed in so many other effective ways. Students should see this ban not as a barrier, but as an opportunity for their creativity. Instead of bringing latex balloons, challenge yourself to come up with a personalized gift for your friend on her birthday.

There are times when risks are appropriate, like taking a chance on an English class essay or signing up for a new club where you don’t know everybody. But there is a line that cannot be crossed. The administration was not going to risk putting others’ lives in danger so that you could parade through school with balloons in hand on your birthday.

So the next time you get an e-mail restricting your freedom at school a little more, go ahead and groan to your friend. But keep in mind that that rule just might be saving her life.

essays in general, is stressful, not just because you want them to be entertaining to read and showcase your skills as a writer, but because you probably want to make yourself sound really awesome. It’s pretty hard to sound cultured and interesting when the most exciting thing to ever happen to you is that one time a D-List celebrity favorited a tweet you happened to mention him in.

Finding something to write about isn’t the only tough part. There’s also the struggle of finding the balance between sounding intelligent and staying true to your own voice. How casual is too casual? Can I say that I think the school is rad, or is that a little informal? Maybe if I discuss the plethora of genuinely phenomenal and highly innovative programs that will subsequently further my journey towards my most desired and quintessential career, then I’ll be

a shoe-in?

So what do colleges even want?

They want us to tell them about ourselves. Okay, then let’s leave these questions a little more open-ended.

Ask us how we’re doing. There are plenty of kids who could write you a thousand and four words about how they’re doing. Ask us what we care about. That’ll tell you a lot about a person. Ask us why we think we’re a perfect match for the school of our dreams. You’ll make us cry.

Why we want to go to a certain school and why we want to major in whatever it is we think we want to major in are two of the most ridiculous and downright uninsightful questions a college could ask. It’s like they’re begging us to spit out a cookie-cutter answer. Sure there are kids out there who have something interesting to say regarding their major or dream school, but as for the majority of us,

just let us tell you what we care about.

This generation is regarded as notorious for its apathy. But that’s not necessarily a true sentiment. What appears like apathy is in actuality a sharper focus on things that we find genuinely important to us. Everyone cares about something. Whether it’s a sport, a band, or even a social movement, ask high school students what they truly care about, and they could fill up a novel telling you all about it. If you listen carefully enough, it might even give you some valuable insight.

So as deadlines approach and our anxiety levels reach new and soaring heights, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone in your excruciating writer’s block. I mean, look at me. I just spent a good 500 words complaining about college essays when I could’ve just written one. Harvard, here I come.

GRAPHIC BY BASIA CHRUSCINSKI RAMOS

Jenna Galuska

confuse that sadness with a lack of sympathy towards the kids who can’t breathe when you wave a balloon down the hall.

It’s unsympathetic to the students who don’t want to see a gaggle of freshman girls giggling down the hallway in french maid costumes. It’s unsympathetic to the students who are uncomfortable sitting next to the guy wearing a giant North Face hiding who knows what i n h i s p o cke t s . It’s u ns y mp at h e t i c t o the students who are medically threatened by latex balloons f loating around the hallway.

Often, when confronted with a changing policy, we combat the enforced rule.

We focus more on the flaws of the plan and how our personal, pleasurable experiences are being limited.

Asking all the wrong questions Dora Bialy

Editor-in-Chief

H

aving to write about yourself is the worst. Maybe it’s not as bad as writing about the cause of the Balkan Wars, but it comes pretty gosh dang close. With college application season nearing its end in the next couple months, I’ll be thrilled to never again have to explain how a single experience distinguishes me as an individual. Or explain a background story so central to my existence that not sharing it would make my whole world incomplete. Because, in all honesty, my life isn’t that interesting.

Writing college essays, or personal

SouthwordS 13

SPORTS

| November 14, 2013

Underclassmen step up at state tennis tournament

Kay Thursby Sports Editor

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he Maine South varsity girls’ tennis team had three members go downstate this past season. Experience playing tennis outside of Maine South prepared sophomore Leigh Friedman and freshmen Marti Wind and Kamila Czosnyka for the State tennis tournament.

Freshmen doubles partners Marti Wind and Kamila Czosnyka, made their first trip downstate, fulfilling their expectations for this past season.

“I was really hoping to go to State as a freshman,” Wind said. “I knew it would be hard to get there, but we tried very hard and were able to pull it out. I’m very proud of us.”

Coach Tisler knew of Friedman’s talent from the previous season, and was also excited to realize what the two freshmen had in store for the Hawks.

“I knew Leigh from last season and she went to State last year, so I

thought she would make it to state again this year and hopefully do better since she worked hard throughout the year,” Coach Tisler said. “I heard that we were going to have two talented freshmen coming in this year, but I did not know what to expect.

“They both played singles so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they worked well together on the court and made up a strong doubles team. This year they played number one for us, took second in Sectionals, and won three rounds in the main draw of the state tournament.”

Friedman, Wind, and Czosnyka all play for the USTA (United States Tennis Association) during their offseason, helping to prepare them for their high school season.

“Our USTA training in the summer helped us to prepare for harder matches this season,” Wind said.

“There are many tough players in USTA, so I think playing them got us ready for the challenges this season.”

Friedman also trained over the

summer, and the results were clear to her during her high school season while training for State.

“During the summer, I devoted much of my time to tennis practice and USTA tournaments,” Friedman said. “I believe this immensely impacted my performance during this high school tennis season because it allowed me to take last year’s obstacles and overcome them. Without the commitment that I made to train, I would have never been able to improve as much as I did from last year.”

With Czosnkya and Wind as doubles partners during their high school seasons, they are given the opportunity to play singles during their off-seasons.

“In USTA, you are on your own to make your own points and work hard to get your ranking up, but in high school you have your team to help you and always be by your side,” Czosnyka said.

The Hawks had tough competition during their entire season,

which made them more prepared for State as well.

“You never know what draw you will get and what new players emerge from the schools we play,” Coach Tisler said. “We are in a tough conference and sectional with New Trier, Glenbrook South, and Glenbrook North. But I believe that their [Friedman, Wind, and Czosnyka] potential could be endless as long as they stay on track and keep working hard on and off season.”

Coach Tisler realizes the positive aspects of having a young team, especially with three state-bound players returning for next season.

“Having a young team helps so that we can work hard and come back strong next season,” Coach Tisler said. “Since they have played in the state tournament this year, they will know what to expect for next year and work harder off-season.”

Czosnyka, Friedman, and Wind received All-Conference honors this past season, and Friedman received team MVP.

Turnaround leads Hawks to five seed in playoffs John Lavaccare

Staff Writer he Maine South varsity football team seems to be peaking at its usual time: when the days get shorter and the practices become more intense.

After a slow 0-2 start, the Hawks have gone on a meteoric rise similar to that of the 2010 season. Heading into the playoffs, the team is on a seven-game win streak, sweeping the CSL in the process.

However, as great as this streak has been, it hasn’t come without adversity.

The team has stepped up as a unit to overcome fatigue and injuries. Some players have even fought through challenging injuries including senior lineman Brendan Brosnan and junior linebacker Telly Karabatsos.

The Hawks who have fought through injuries have made key contributions to the team, both in skilled play and in team chemistry.

Brosnan, who is key to the Hawks offense, played with a cast at the start of the season. He showed his dedication to the team by playing when he could have sat out.

“There was no way I was going to miss a game,” he said. “My team needed me and I needed to play or

T

14 SouthwordS

Photo BY:mIchael dEVERMAN

SATURDAY NIGHT LINEUP The Maine South offense lines up

in the Hawks’ first round playoff game against Niles West. The Hawks have had to overcome many injuries this season.

it would have driven me nuts not playing after the long offseason. While I wasn’t at 100 percent, I still felt ready to compete.”

“What caused me to make that sacrifice is my love for my teammates,” junior Telly Karabatsos said. “They are like brothers to me and I would do anything to keep playing with them.”

While injury has plagued the Hawks, they still have found new ways to motivate each other in the latter stages of the season.

“I don’t think anybody works harder in the off-season,” Coach Inserra said. “I know nobody works harder as a team.”

Fighting through injury has been

the standard for a football team that has always been known to have a bluecollar work ethic. “ The two things we always promise our kids is that we will play football in November, and that they will play hurt,” said Coach Inserra.

“We may not have a ton of bluecollar guys, but we definitely have a blue-collar work ethic, which is so important when the season is winding down.”

The resolve and drive of the Hawks has led them to a number five seed in the state playoffs. Though this seed may not be as high as previous years, the team has still set high goals.

Brosnan said that the team has the

loftiest playoff goal possible.

“If we can take it one game at a time and prepare for every game like it is our last, there is no reason why we can’t reach DeKalb,” Brosnan said.

The Maine South squad has many unique skills that will help it against the playoff competition it is about to face. 8A is often considered the strongest class in the state.

When asked what the team’s biggest strength would be for the playoffs, Karabatsos emphasized solid chemistry, which he believes could be the x-factor in determining the Hawks playoff success.

“One of our major strengths is the tenacity of our defense, with key seniors coming back from injury,” Karabatsos said. “Another major strength we have is our ability to keep fighting and never quit, grinding out teams until the very last whistle.”

The Hawks football team is heading into the playoffs focusing on using its strengths to achieve its goals.

The Maine South varsity football team is taking advantage of the toughness of its players and its many strengths on the field to try and pull off a major playoff run this season and make Hawk history.

Swimmers prepare for postseason Alex Ellyin Sports Editor

T

he end of the season for the girls’ swimming team involves a process that isn’t clear to many outsiders. This process is known as tapering.

Tapering for the team means only swimming after school and having less yardage at practice, but that doesn’t allow for smooth-sailing.

“During taper, we do stretch-out swims and long warm-ups and cooldowns to make sure that we are loose,” senior captain and three-time State qualifier Jenna Zitkus said. “We cut down on the amount of yardage we do so that we’re not working as hard in practice, allowing for us to rest.”

“Tapering is probably the most important time of the year,” senior captain Giles Molloy said. “It’s where we begin to relax our muscles and mind, and start to focus more on our goals for our Conference and Sectional meets.”

“They are feeling soreness because the muscles are starting to recover,” Coach Don Kura said. “Their body just isn’t accustomed to having this much rest, which allows for a greater opportunity for their muscles to recover and heal.”

Every swimmer describes tapering to be as much a mental game as it is a physical one.

“When you taper, you don’t feel good in the water,” Zitkus said.

“Everything is sore, but you have to make sure that you don’t let your mind keep thinking that you are feeling slower.”

Her fellow captain, senior Hannah Ferstel agrees.

“It’s not magic that happens in the last few weeks of the season, but instead a reflection of all the hard work that has been put in throughout the entire season. If you have done the work, then you will see the results.”

This year’s squad has only six upperclassmen, a smaller number than in previous years. The underclassmen outnumber their elders by more than two to one.

Having three senior captains who have gone through taper before is crucial to the team’s success late in the season.

“All of my upperclassmen have done a really good job of making sure that they are practicing as well

as they can,” Coach Kura said. “The young swimmers have no choice but to follow when the upperclassmen do what they are supposed to do.”

“I try and constantly remind the younger swimmers that if they have worked hard, they will go fast,” Ferstel said. “You have to believe in yourself and your abilities. If you lose the mental confidence, it is so easy for everything you’ve worked for to slip away.”

Tapering involves more than just reduced workload at the pool, it involves an amount of trust placed on the girls outside of their sport.

“The taper process also translates to activities outside the pool as well,” Ferstel said. “You must stay hydrated, healthy, get lots of sleep and eat lots of healthy food.”

Although tapering is difficult for the girls because of the increased amount of rest, they look forward to it all season.

“Despite how serious taper may seem, it is basically like Christmas for swimmers,” Ferstel said. “We look forward to it all year and have tons of energy. It is the only time that we ever get a break from the huge amounts of physical strain that this sport puts on us.”

“This year, our group of girls have put in so much effort, and this tapering process is well-deserved after working so hard this season,” Molloy said.

Along with tapering as the season comes to a close, the girls purchase technical suits, helping to drop their times even more.

“These suits are very expensive suits that are made out of a material that is water repellent and is made to make you more buoyant in the water,” Zitkus said.

Purchasing a technical suit isn’t only a strain on the wallet, ranging anywhere from $100-600, but also a strain to put on.

“You have to make sure you get the right size suit,” Zitkus said. “It could take you about 20 minutes to get it on for it to be the right size. It has to be as tight as you can get it.”

These suits are especially expensive due to the fact that they only have a limited use.

“Most people say you can only use these suits for 10-15 races before the material is no longer water resistant,” Zitkus said.

Photo by hannah simpson

November 15, 2013 | SPORTS

GETTING TECHNICAL

Senior Giles Molloy prepares to enter the water at practice, where the team doesn’t wear their technical suits. Some girls have knee-length suits while others feel more comfortable with suits that are normal length. These suits range from $100-600 and have a limited use for the swimmers.

Using technical suits positively impacts the girls mentally as well as physically.

“The suit also helps mentally because you automatically know you will go faster with it on and it makes you feel more confident,” Zitkus said.

“Just putting the suit on alone makes you feel fast, so together with taper, you feel like you are flying through the water.”

“When you combine the tech suit with feeling more rested, it creates a sensation for the swimmer where not only are they swimming faster, but they feel like they can go even faster than they are actually going,” Coach Kura said. “They can reach back and get that extra energy or that extra push to go ahead and try to go faster.”

Tapering and wearing technical suits help the swimmers prepare for the postseason.

“What I know is that based on the work they have done, they have the ability to be fast and have a really good conclusion to the season,” Coach Kura said.

The team has experienced success already this season, placing second at the twelve-team Hersey Jamboree on Oct. 12 and placing fourth at the six-team Downers Grove North Invite on Sept. 28.

The squad hosted the annual Hawk Relays on Oct. 19, where they took third out of six teams. Maine South also hosted a meet with Lane Tech and Palatine on Sept. 21.

The Central Suburban League Conference meet took place on Sat. Nov. 9 at Niles West and Sectionals take place tomorrow at Glenbrook South.

The State meet will be at New Trier on Fri. Nov. 22 and Sat. Nov. 23.

SouthwordS 15

CROSS COUNTRY | FOOTBALL | GIRLS’TENNIS | GOLF | BOYS’SOCCER | GIRLS’SWIMMING | GIRLS’VOLLEYBALL

Atas takes 12th in State Sports Editor laying in the state tournament is nothing new to junior girls’ golfer Leia Atas, who took 12th individually this year.

Moving up 87 spots from her 99thplace finish a year ago, Atas took her commitment to golf to the next level.

Countless hours on the range and playing in tournaments in the offseason helped improve her physical game, but the most improved part of her game came on the mental side.

Coming away from last year’s state tournament, Atas felt that she could compete with and beat the top female golfers in the state.

“My goal this year was just to make it to State, and being top 15 was just the icing on the cake,” Atas said. “After my first day in Decatur, I began to realize that I had the potential to do something big.”

During the first day of State, played at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur, Atas fired a 79. Tied for 31st place, Atas had yet to play her best golf of the finals. She came back the next day to put up a 76, her 3rd consecutive round under 80 in the State playoffs dating back to Sectionals. That round was the fourth-best of the day among all competitors. She secured a strong 12th-place finish, the highest finish ever for Maine South girls’ golf.

Although Maine South did not qualify as a team, Atas had the support of her teammates throughout the competition.

“Playing downstate by myself this year was a totally different experience,” Atas said. “It was weird having my team in the gallery rather than having them play along side me, but it was amazing to have them cheer me on.”

Head coach Jeff Hamann has seen major improvement from Atas along

P

with the rest of the girls’ golf team.

“Each of the past three seasons, the girls’ golf team has been making history,” Mr. Hamann said. “This year’s team was no exception. We finished undefeated (7-0) in conference dual meets this season for the first time in school history, which allowed us to win a share of our first-ever Conference Championship.”

Highlighting their record was a win over New Trier on Sept. 16 at Indian Boundary Golf Course. Maine South’s 141 bested the Trevians 146. This was a signature win for the program, being the first win over the Trevians in girls’ golf history.

This season brought Atas a new sense of confidence and approach on

the course, but her rituals and traditions off the course have remained the same for Atas since she started playing at the age of nine.

“I have to lay my clothes out the night before, and I must have mismatched tie-dyed socks when I play,” Atas said.

Her superstitions also include using the same ladybug ball marker on her hat each and every round along with being the first to the next tee box after finishing a hole.

“I hustle to every tee box because I think I strike the ball better if I tee off first.”

Looking ahead to next year, the Hawks will seek to improve upon their achievements during the 2013

Photo courtesy leia atas

Stephen Sakowicz

IT’S A PEACH Junior Leia Atas hits an approach shot at the green during the State tournament, held at Hickory Point Golf Course. Atas fired a 76 on Day 2 of State helping her secure a 12th-place finish.

campaign and play at an elite level consistently.

“Next year’s team will probably be the most experienced team in the state,” Coach Hamann said.

The Hawks will be returning five of the top six players from the 2013 varsity team, having a combined 10 years of varsity experience between them.

Three of the returnees, Leia Atas, Annie Krall, and Katie Krall, are returning AllConference players.

The girls’ golf team hopes to break out and make a splash during the playoffs next year. This year was their proving ground where they not only competed with, but beat the top teams in their conference that had once dominated them. The goals that the team have set for next year are focused on capitalizing on their collective experience and top-tier level of talent.

“Besides having fun each day and enjoying the moment, we have high hopes of competing for another conference championship and making a deep run in the State tournament,” Coach Hamann said.

Atas concurs, setting her own sights high as well.

“We want to not only make it to State, but we want to come back with a trophy in our hands and some records broken. My personal goals are to be All-State and to have my season average under 40. After this season, I think I’m capable.”

“We were 12-3 overall in dual meets, which is the most dual meet wins in school history,” Coach Hamann said.

“We were IHSA Regional Champions for the second year in a row and broke the school 18-hole team score on the last day of the season at the Sectional with a 330.”

Atas and the Hawks look to return to state next year, poised to do damage on both the individual and team levels.

Follow @SouthwordsSport for updates on Hawks sporting events