Vol 50 Issue 8

SOUTHWORDS Maine South’s student voice See page 2 since 1964

Vol.

, Issue 8

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

April 17, 2014

OUTH'S MAINE SOUTH'S PHOTO BY MICHAEL DEVERMAN

Students prepare for the Fine Arts department’s widely-anticipated production.

See page 12

Help me help you Positives of print

Science department creates peer tutoring program Page 4

Why paper reading is easier on our minds Page 7

Roomies?

Seniors navigate how to select a college roommate Pages 8 & 9

Boys’ water polo Senior Makai DeNeve-Arnam leads team to victory Page 15

50TH ANNIVERSARY

| April 17, 2014

►COMICALLY CUTE

Volume 42 Issue 4 ● Oct. 28, 2005 No newspaper is complete without a sampling of artwork. One of Southwords’ cartoonists, Gina Tingas (‘08), regularly contributed an anime-inspired comic that featured a very enthusiastic and cute character, Ryoki. The comic may have been called “Always Pointless,” but it definitely was always adorable.

FROM THE COVER

The flag featured on the cover is the 11th of Southwords’ many flags.

Introduced in 1997, it graced the cover until 2002.

years of

Southwords ◄TECH GENERATION

Volume 41 Issue 6 ● Dec. 3, 2004

Another talented Southwords’ cartoonist, Jonathan Markowski (‘05), was the mastermind behind this skillfully drawn comic. Not only was his artwork stellar, but he was a master at merging photos with art. Too cool for us mere mortals.

►LET’S GET CRITICAL

Volume 35 Issue 5 ● Oct. 30, 1998

“Spike,” a recurring comic in the 35th volume of Southwords, was created and drawn by Julie Motala (‘98). These little lizards provided commentary on everything from Homecoming woes to President Clinton’s scandalous affair.

2 SouthwordS

April 17, 2014

| NEWS

Vegan club encourages healthy eating Kendra Suba & Matt Weiss Staff Writers

V

egan-Vegetarian Club is the newest addition to the many clubs at Maine South, and this one is specifically geared towards healthy eating. The club had their first meeting right before Spring break. Students Nichole Piotrowicz, a vegan, and Monika Zmudzki, who is transitioning into pescetarianism, reached out to physical education teacher Ms. Sinclair and started it.

The club says that there is a lack of healthy cuisine at South and seeks to change this.

“We wanted to provide a community for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone else that has an interest in eating a healthy diet that is meat-free,” said Zmudzki.

While the club’s focus is on vegetarianism, they welcome non-vegetarians as well.

“A vegetarian basically omits meat from their diet,” said Piotrowicz, “While a vegan also omits any animal-derived food, such as dairy and eggs.”

One common misconception about going meatless is that vegetarians do not eat enough protein.

“The average American has way too much protein on a daily basis,” club sponsor Ms. Sinclair said.

A 120-pound student only requires about 80 grams of protein a day. You can determine your daily protein needs by taking your weight in pounds, dividing it by 2.2, and multiplying it by 1.5.

Students can fulfill their protein needs by eating protein-rich foods like beans, lentils, and quinoa. A cup of lentils has 18 grams of protein.

These foods are sold at grocery stores such as Whole Foods and Mariano’s.

Vegetarians note the health benefits that their diets provide.

“I firmly believe in the saying, ‘Put good in, get good out’,” said Piotrowicz, “And as a result of my nutritious, plant-based diet, I feel much more energetic, happier, and healthier.”

Ms. Sinclair is a dancer and has been a vegetarian most of her life.

“I move back and forth between a vegan diet and a vegetarian diet,” she said. “In times of heavy rehearsals

and performances, I go vegan.”

She decided to become a vegetarian while doing research for a piece of choreography about animals that are killed for food consumption.

“I discovered what was being injected into our food animals,” Ms. Sinclair said, “Growth hormones and antibiotics to name a few.”

Sinclair decided to stop eating meat not only for health purposes, but also ethical reasons.

“While health is definitely a factor in my decision making about what I fuel my body with, honestly, the inhumane practice in which we raise and kill our animals appalled me,” she said.

After becoming a vegetarian, Sinclair noticed positive changes in her life.

“The improvements in my energy level were drastic,” she said. “I had always considered myself a healthy eater, but was amazed at the difference in how I felt.”

Vegetarianism can help ward off cardiovascular disease because the diet contains less animal fat and cholesterol. It also tends to help keep one’s weight down. In addition,

switching from the average American diet to a vegetarian diet adds roughly thirteen years to one’s life.

It also builds strong bones, reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses, and provides the body with more energy.

In addition to these personal health benefits, vegetarianism helps reduce pollution and famine, spares animals, and avoids the use of toxic chemicals. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, chemical and animal waste is responsible for more than 173,000 miles of polluted rivers and streams.

The club meets once a month and has many ideas for activities, including movie screenings, volunteering and creating supply drives at animal shelters, bake sales to raise money, and adopting a farm animal.

Vegan-Vegetarian Club also wants to help influence the lunch lines at South. Ultimately, they want to make the school a more healthy environment all around.

The Vegan-Vegetarian Club’s next meeting will be held on April 29 in the dance room, which is located next to the back gym and across from the cafeteria.

Bike sale will be held at Maine Park Leisure Center Matt Weiss Staff Writer

T

he first annual “Pedals for the Parks” Bike and Trike exchange at Park Ridge’s Earth Day celebration will be hosted by the Park Ridge Friends of the Parks on Sat., May 3.

Students can purchase a used bike or donate one of their old ones at this new event. There will be adult and children’s bikes available for purchase.

The foundation’s junior Advisory Board includes three Maine South students: juniors Jessica Altman, Andrew Lazara, and Matt Weiss.

The idea of having a bike sale was envisioned by Altman.

“My family [was] cleaning out our garage, and we realized we all outgrew our bikes,” said Altman. “I started thinking of a place we could trade in our old bike for a bigger one and didn’t know of any places that did anything like that.”

The sale is the Foundation’s largest event so far.

“The Park Ridge Friends of

the Parks was started as the Park Ridge Park Foundation [and] we reorganized in 2013,” said Foundation President Claris Olson.

Their mission is accomplished in part by encouraging students and Park Ridge residents to bike more often. With spring and summer close at hand, the weather encourages students to bike to school more frequently.

According to the Park Ridge Friends of the Parks website, bike donations are tax-deductible and benefit the Park Ridge District’s 100 Trees program.

Students can e-mail pictures of their bikes to pedals4theparks@ gmail.com by May 1 to receive an additional 5% off.

The bike exchange also supports t h e re pl a c e m e nt of d i s e a s e d Park Ridge trees. Money from the purchased bikes will fund the planting of 100 new trees.

The bike sale will be another addition to Park Ridge’s Earth Day Fair. At the fair, there are exhibits, vendors, and a band playing at Maine

Park.

Bikes that are not sold will be donated to Working Bikes, a Chicago charity that gives bikes to the less fortunate in Latin America and Africa.

Whole Foods will be donating 5% of all purchases made from April 17 to the Friends of the Parks. The Friends

of the Parks hope to make this event annual.

Interested students can drop off their bikes May 1 from 1 to 7 p.m., May 2 from 2 to 6 p.m., or May 3 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Maine Park Leisure Center. The sale will be held at Maine Park in Park Ridge on Saturday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL DEVERMAN

BIKES ‘R’ US The “Pedals for the Parks” Bike and Trike exchange will be

held at the Maine Park Leisure Center, located on 2701 W. Sibley. The event will be organized by the Park Ridge Friends of the Parks in an effort to encourage people to bike more frequently.

SouthwordS 3

NEWS

| April 17, 2014

New tutoring program helps students with science Staff Writer

M

aine South students are nowable to gain peer assistance in their science courses through the new science tutoring program. The tutoring covers all science courses offered at Maine South, from transitional to AP classes.

The intent of the new arrangement is to provide help to students facing difficulties in their science subject, in order for them to succeed to the best of their abilities.

The tutoring program began on April 7, and will continue until the end of the year.

The fourth quarter is being used as a trial period in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, assess the demand for tutors, and work out any problems before the coming school year.

The hope is that the tutors will be available to help their fellow peers in challenges they face in their science subjects with homework, studying, or understanding scientific concepts.

The current Math Peer Tutor program is very successful and has helped over 100 students this year alone.

The hope is that the science peer tutoring have as much success as its mathematics counterpart.

The program began when junior Brian Gentile saw a need for science tutoring and worked to get the program started with the help of the Science department chair, Mrs. Biewenga.

Starting in December 2013, the idea of a science peer tutor program was fleshed out as a possible asset to the school in order to help all students succeed.

Getting the program jump-started took several months and then, finally, with the help of other teachers and technology support, the program began after spring break.

“I felt the program was needed because I knew a bunch of people who were having trouble in my science classes this year,” said Gentile.

The program’s sign up is online, with a link to the webpage from the Science Department homepage.

Once on the website, the student can pick which course he or she is currently struggling with. Once a student clicks into their class, they are guided to a page with every peer

4 SouthwordS

tutor available for that subject, with each tutor’s available periods to tutor.

Once a tutor is matched with a tutee, a form e-mail is sent requesting to meet for a particular topic during a set time.

The tutor will receive the e-mail and respond within 24 hours of notification to confirm or deny the student based on their competence teaching the subject, free time or any other factors that would inhibit their ability to be the best tutor for the stu-

SCHOOL-WIDE TUTORING PROGRAM? Southwords editors suggest reinstating COACH, a peer tutoring system in place at Maine East and West which spans all subjects.

See page 6 dent in need.

This allows students to choose peer tutors based on the subject and available times, instead of randomly pairing students together in the hopes the two people will be compatible.

The tutors themselves were selected by a panel of 17 science teachers who together the reviewed applications of the students interested in

becoming a peer tutor.

Students were chosen based on their past classes, grade history in science and math courses, and their response to why they wanted to be a part of the program.

Based on the answers and the recommendations they received from their current and past science teachers, around 50 students were selected to be science peer tutors.

The tutors were chosen to be helpful, reliable, and committed in order to ensure that peers seeking assistance improve in the subject. All tutoring will remain confidential.

In the coming months, the website will be tested and the program will be put into action in order to see how well the peers and tutors interact.

The leader of the program, Mrs. Biewenga, has some concerns that she is looking out for as the trial period plays out.

“My concerns would be that students won’t be selected evenly, and the first person on the list will be chosen out of convenience. I also wonder how high of a demand there will be as the program begins,” said Mrs. Biewenga.

Mrs. Biewenga is also interested

to see how well the website system will work.

“This will be different because the students are connecting directly with the tutor [of their choosing],” said Mrs. Biewenga.

“While the website is new and therefore opens up many possible causes of problems, it makes setting up meetings with tutors easier and more comfortable for both the tutor and tutee.”

Gentile believes the new program will be beneficial for both the tutor and the tutee. He recognizes the difficulty of many science classes at Maine South and looks forward to many students getting help.

“I guess the idea behind peer tutoring is that you now have a friend who is willing to study with you and a friend who knows what they’re doing,” said Gentile.

“I know that’s been my experience with tutoring every time, and it’s a comforting feeling knowing someone’s got your back when you’re facing something as hard as Mr. Downing’s physics class.”

To access the tutoring website, students can go to the science department page on the school website, and locate the peer tutoring link.

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

Maura Burke

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Junior Brian Gentile, student founder of the Science Peer Tutor program, tutors junior Jason Pinsky and junior Laney Kraus-Taddeo. Gentile founded the program after helping out some of his friends in science subjects and realizing there was a need for a peer academic assistance program.

April 17, 2014

| NEWS

New school tardy policy proves popular Kristina Hesseln & Rebecca Streightiff

Guest Writers ue to the large number of tardies in the morning and the amount of time spent getting a pass from the attendance office, District 207 implemented a new tardy policy on April 7.

The new policy will have students go directly to class if they arrive late to school. The teacher will then mark them tardy from the classroom.

“The bottom line is to get the kids to class,” said Dean Thetard. “They could miss the entire class [waiting for a pass], even if they’re only a couple minutes late.”

After their first two tardies, a student will be warned about being late to class. The next two times a student is tardy, a detention will be served with the teacher, and an automated phone call home will be placed. On the fifth tardy, the deans will be notified, and the student will face consequences.

Being 20 minutes late or more without an

D

appropriate reason will result in the student being marked absent with a cut from first period.

Appropriate reasons include being sick, having a doctor’s appointment, having to go to court, and family emergencies. Sleeping in, car problems, and bus schedules do not count as legitimate excuses.

Many teachers who have a first period class agree with the new policy.

“It makes a lot of sense,” said English teacher Dr. Jones, “It saves time, so students are able to be in first period class. I think it’s a good policy because I think it does help the class time issue.

To be honest, what happens when you go to the deans’ office is they give you a slip of paper and you go to class. There’s not really a consequence until the classroom teacher follows through with it. So now, it just cuts out that process and gets the kids to class faster.”

Student attitude towards the policy is also generally positive. Some students find the new policy to be much more convenient.

“I prefer the new tardy policy over the old one,” said junior Ernest Mato. “It is a lot more sensible and less time-consuming. I have first period orchestra, so we have flap and have to be in class at 7:25 on regular days, so, in that sense, it’s better.

It’s easier since you don’t have to go and get a pass, and you’re not wasting as much class time.”

“I have a science class first period, and I like the new policy because it allows you to stay in class, even if you are getting a detention,” said junior Luke Iraci. “So, even though you are still getting punished, you aren’t missing class time for it.”

Other students state that the new tardy system is more successful at accomplishing its intended goal.

“I think it’s smart because students are allowed more time to learn in class and don’t have to waste any time,” said senior Mark Pazik.

In the future, teachers will be able to fill out behavior reports through Aspen to make the system even more effective. This will also eliminate much of the paperwork that the deans have to deal with.

District purchase aims to centralize student services Lizzie Porter

News Editor n April 7, the Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education made the decision to purchase the TMA building, located just south of the Maine South campus.

The building, which was previously owned by District 207 until the 1980s, was originally used to house administrative offices. The District 207 Board decided to buy it due to a need for administrative and Alternative Resource Center space.

Once reconfigured, most District PICTURE BY HANNAH SIMPSON PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

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207 administrators, such as the superintendent and payroll employees, will be moving their offices to the TMA building, along with the Alternative Resource Center, which will also move to this location.

According to a press release from District 207, “The District sold the structure in the early 1980s and moved administrative offices and the board room to a section of Maine South, which at the time had the District’s smallest enrollment, while today it has the largest.”

District 207 had been talking with TMA over the past few months

OFF THE MARKET

The Tooling and Manufacturing Association Building, located at 1177 South Dee Road, has been purchased by District 207. The district will use this space for administrative offices and to house the Alternative Resource Center.

to gauge their interest in selling, and the school board approved the purchase at the meeting on April 7th.

It will cost the district $2.1 million to buy the building. The district is making the purchase with funds from the sales of Maine North and the TMA building in the early 1980s.

Maine South is hoping to utilize the current administrative space to centralize student support services and promote collaboration.

“We think that some reconfiguration can be done that will better support the delivery of student services or student support services in general,” said Mr. Beery, Director of Communications for District 207.

“Currently, counselor offices, social worker offices, and other student support offices are scattered throughout Maine South,” he said.

“For a while there has been a realization that we would like to reconfigure some space at Maine South and it would be easier to have a large block of space. “[The centralized offices] will be more conducive to teamwork and collaboration that we are trying to do with student support services.”

At Maine East and Maine West, student support services are better able to work together with their centralized offices.

The change in space at Maine South will possibly allow the quality of student support services to improve as well.

According to a District 207 press release, “In their new facility, ARC staff and students will benefit from being able to interact more easily with staff and resources at Maine South, which will further save on overhead of the program.”

As administration moves over to the TMA building, Maine South staff plans the reconfiguration to start in fall 2014.

“We will start to work on some ideas now, but we will begin in earnest in the fall to define and mock-up what the new space may look like,” Mr. Messmer said.

Mr. Messmer stressed that much of the work on the new space in Maine South was still in the early stages, but he was optimistic about what the next two years will bring for the added area.

“While we are still very early in the processes, we will be working with our architects to evaluate our current space, as well as that of the District Office, to determine the best configuration to meet the changing needs of our school building,” said Mr. Messmer.

The new building will be occupied by the TMA company for most of 2014, with the administration hoping to move into the building around winter break (late 2014 early 2015).

South hopes to have the existing administrative space in the school reconfigured by the 2015-2016 school year.

SouthwordS 5

COMMENTARY

| April 17, 2014

STAFF EDITORIAL

Time to bring COACH back to South M

aine South has a reputation for being a school with a high rate of academic achievement.

This reputation is marked by the individualized attention students here can easily receive when it comes to their education. Peer tutoring has become an important aspect of almost every Maine South student’s educational experience—evident by the multitude of tutoring programs that are available. This tutoring experience could be much better, however, if a centralized tutoring center with all subjects were created.

Currently, several departments have their own p eer tutoring programs, including Math, Foreign Language, and now Science. The Math department runs their peer tutoring program out of the Math Lab, which also provides support from teachers, while the other two work by matching students with peer tutors who have excelled in that language or science discipline.

There are several other opportunities for academic support.

The English department has teachers stationed in the writing lab to help students write and revise papers and assignments. Students can also receive peer tutoring from National Honor Society student tutors who volunteer their free periods to benefit the Maine South community.

While help is certainly available to students who are willing to look for it, it would be much easier to provide this support if Maine South created a peer tutoring center for all subjects. This would centralize the multiple programs that offer tutoring for individual subjects by allowing for a common space where questions for any subject could be addressed. There could be teachers there to supervise and instruct tutors in addition to the student tutors themselves.

Both Maine East and Maine West offer the COACH program for Cooperative Achievement, which offers course credit and up to three hours of pay a week to student tutors nominated by their teachers. The program provides free tutoring to

students before and after school in an array of subjects and is funded by the district.

Maine South used to have the COACH program as well, but it was dissolved in recent years, perhaps replaced over the years by these individual tutoring services that each department is responsible for running. This is an inefficient and lessorganized way to provide the support that students need. One center, where students can be instructed in all subjects, is the option most conducive to productive learning.

If Maine South has a designated, centralized tutoring center, there would also be no excuse for students to avoid seeking help. Peer tutors qualified in a variety of subjects would always be on hand to help students. Students could also set up appointments with a specific peer tutor in the center if they wanted to.

It all comes down to a matter of efficiency. The current system isn’t necessarily broken, but it could use this beneficial update.

broadcasting class, or putting together an issue of Southwords, I thoroughly enjoy each and every one of these. It’s when I’m trying to balance everything at once along with school, work, and my own sanity that I start to regret ever leaving my room that morning.

I’m someone who doesn’t know how to say no to things that I enjoy. I’ll owe people favors that I committed myself to because I thought, “Hey, I like doing this; it’s not really a big deal. I’ll totally be able to handle it.”

And as I’m trying to cram for my next math test while putting together that something that I owe someone, I realize that I really do have a problem.

As much as I’d like to blame the system, the extrinsic push to participate in extracurriculars isn’t all that extreme. Yes, there’s an emphasis, but most of the pressure is definitely from within. My desire to be involved in every single thing I enjoy has caused me to stop enjoying all those things I joined. I’m overstressed, and as a result, quite poorly dressed.

I’ve tried to delude myself into thinking that if it makes me happy, it’s worth it. But when I’m up at midnight

just starting my homework, and my parents haven’t seen me at the dinner table in over a week, it’s clear that it’s really not all that worth it.

And that’s where I, and maybe even others out there, have a major dilemma: what do I do next? I don’t really want to stop doing any of these activities. But continuing will just send me further down this rabbit hole of anxiety and stress. Is it possible that I’m running away from the stress of school and life itself by immersing myself in various extracurriculars?

Probably.

I don’t plan on quitting anything; I’m just going to be more conscious of what I commit to. Life is all about balance, and too much of anything will send you crashing and burning in flaming fury. Hopefully not literally.

So if you’re someone like myself who’s always busy with no end in sight, just remember: the stress will pass, but that doesn’t mean you need to keep succumbing to it in this vicious cycle. We all need to learn to balance.

Now if only I could learn to take my own advice.

Too much of a good thing Dora Bialy

Editor-in-Chief ne of the things you always hear when talking about high school, or even college, is the importance of getting involved. Everyone and anyone who went through their four years will preach about getting involved, and how it will either make or break your entire scholastic experience—that not getting involved will be the one thing you’ll regret for the rest of your adult life. To some extent, this may be true; however as it is with most things in life, there comes a point where too much of a good thing becomes quite toxic.

The issue isn’t about not getting involved in the right extracurriculars; it’s a matter of committing yourself to so many that they consume your life.

At least, that’s what happened to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all the things I do after school—whether it’s going to dance, helping out at crew, working on a project for my

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6 SouthwordS

Maine South High School 1111 South Dee Road Park Ridge, IL 60068 http://www.southwords.org

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.

Scan this QR code to e-mail Southwords Editors-in-Chief

Hope Allchin Dora Bialy

Production Editors Michael Deverman Hannah Simpson News Editors

Chloe Bryniarski Jake Kay Lizzie Porter

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 Anna Campbell Basia Chruscinski-Ramos Cecelia Cortés Luke Giambrone Josh Larragoity Adviser

Mr. Stathakis

April 17, 2014

| COMMENTARY

Printed books should not be forgotten Marisa Sclafani

Commentary Editor

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n a society that is becoming more digital by the day, e-books have captured the interest of students and adults alike, leaving paperbacks and hardcovers on the library shelves.

With the one-touch accessibility of almost any book on the market, it is easy to see why Nooks and Kindles have become a popular trend. Instant access, however, does not equate to instant retention. Studies dating as far back as the 1980s have shown how our minds prefer printed text over digital pixels. We cannot dismiss the value that traditional books bring to the learning environment.

Why is text remembered more easily in print? The underlying reason lies in the tangible essence of a paper book. First, consider a cognitive perspective on how the brain perceives words: as physical objects.

Since we were not born with the incredible ability to read, we must

use other skills such as vision, touch, and movement to understand the human language. Scientific American describes this process as creating a mental map through interacting with the text that we read. Printed text, that is.

Early childhood is where this process begins, when tiny hands flip through the pages of a Dr. Suess book or Disney classic. Making contact with letters and pages allows the spatial recognition of words to be ingrained into our minds.

If the threedimensional quality of a book seems irrelevant to you, think GRAPHIC BY JOSH LARRAGOITY about the phenomenon that occurs when you are looking for a quote in English class and remember where on the page it is located.

You find yourself skimming through pages, eyes focused on the right side of the page, bottom left corner. The layout of an open book— four corners and two pages—is a very useful guideline that contributes to one’s focus.

Now, imagine trying to find a phrase in an e-book. The scroll bar is of little help, as an e-book appears as just one screen that continues forever.

Okay, so maybe it’s not forever, but it sure does feel like it when there is no physical reminder of how far in the book you have traveled. In contrast, printed books display progress of reading through the thickness of pages read compared to pages unread.

The beginning of a new page is more concrete; turn the page and bam!

You move a step forward into the story.

While I am impressed that e-books have been designed t o a l l ow f or a n n ot at i n g a n d highlighting, I am skeptical that this would match the effectiveness of marking up a print book.

With one screen as the guideline, the motion of highlighting with digital ink is very repetitive. And knowing that the book does not exist in a physical form, it is as though the words carry less purpose. They fly by, one after another, leaving the screen

and our minds.

Our informal approach to virtual reading may also contribute to difficulty in retaining text off e-books.

There is no doubt that students have been exposed to more virtual reading than ever before, especially through social media. As a result, we have become accustomed to skimming through text on screens.

Cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf distinguishes this electronic reading as a “superficial” type of reading that counters the deeper reading we learned through print books.

Just as we scroll through our News Feeds on Facebook, stopping at whatever may capture our interest, the digital nature of an e-book can cause similar, care-free behavior.

There is a need for more long-term studies on exactly how our brain interprets text in print and on screens.

Understanding the most effective way to read would impact not only students, but society as a whole.

One thing is for sure: The experience of sitting down with a uniquely-sized, paper book cannot be replaced. Technology has become a lifestyle for most, but books are one aspect that should be kept traditional.

For our sake, and our brain’s.

The Modern Mystery: Malaysian Plane Vanishing Act Vicki Tanquary

Staff Writer n March 8, 2014, tragedy hit as a plane from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia flying to Beijing seemingly vanished. Signals eventually picked up on an estimated location in the Indian Ocean, somewhere near Australia and Indonesia.

Aside from some photographs of a door (which may or may not be real), nothing has been found. However, a search ship has recently picked up signals from the plane’s black box (an almost indestructible electronic recording device placed in an aircraft, used in cases of aviation accidents).

Juniors and s eniors mig ht remember reading a book called “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell.

Then again, it was summer reading,

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so maybe not. Anyhow, for those of you who haven’t yet picked up a copy or don’t plan on it, Gladwell believes that plane crashes occur as a result of a collection of little (or more catastrophic) mistakes—not just one.

Gladwell’s theory holds true here.

There is no way that this aircraft simply vanished on account of a singular mishap. The Malaysian plane incident probably occurred as a result of a series of little mistakes all rolling into one big mess.

But what was the deciding mistake? How did a plane that was supposed to be flying to Beijing end up going the other way?

There are several theories, one of them being terrorist activity.

Although there were two passengers w i t h d u b i o u s i d e nt i f i c at i o n , authorities have thought them to be illegal immigrants and dismissed the terrorism option.

I’m just glad that nobody has brought up aliens...oh wait, of course they have.

Obviously, human error could have contributed to this disappearance.

But—let’s be honest, this is the twenty-first century. Advancing technology has infiltrated our daily lives to an extreme. I use my phone to do everything from watching obnoxious music videos (thank you Miley) to navigating through downtown Chicago with amazing precision.

So how can an entire plane disappear when my phone can tell me the exact location of each picture I have taken? Shouldn’t airlines have better technology?

Airlines are probably going to take extra safety precautions like making already rigorous pilot training even more so. Additionally, longer battery life for the black boxes or stronger and clearer signals seem to be in order.

This also seems to be a call to action for better international airline regulations. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a branch of the United Nations charged

with standardization of international air navigation, such as f light inspection or airline infrastructure.

There is now doubt as to whether or not these regulations are enough to protect passengers.

But the ICAO isn’t completely to blame for the loss of this plane; in fact, it made valiant attempts to find the plane while the search was still taking place.

A new major concern should be the lack of communication between nations concerning airplanes. The ability to find a plane no matter if it is on the border of China or Tibet, regardless of politics, is essential.

The world is changing and humans must adapt. Nowadays it seems that instances as seemingly normal as boarding a plane can change your life.

But don’t let this tragic accident deter you from ever taking a flight again.

For now, all we can do is hope that technological experts and diplomats will take the initiative to make sure this trajedy never happens again.

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FEATURES

| April 17, 2014

Seniors find their m Des Mustafa Features Editor

F

inding a roommate can be a stressful part of the college experience—especially when all a student hears are roommate horror stories. These horror stories are only more exaggerated by the media. For example, in the 2011 movie, “The Roommate,” the main character’s roomie turns out to be a murderer. Ridiculously extreme portrayals of horrible roommates like this only increase the anxiety students feel about going to college, when in reality, the process of getting a roommate can be fairly easy.

At Maine South, students generally tend to find a roommate through their college’s Facebook page by matching similar characteristics.

“I was on the Drake University Facebook page,” senior Emily Petrowski said. “My roommate posted an introduction about herself and I saw that we had the same major. I messaged her and we hit it off, starting a conversation about our interests.

The conversation took off. It felt like speed dating.”

Senior Carolyn Sims is moving to Colorado this summer and will attend college at Colorado State University. She also found a roommate through Facebook.

“This girl posted something about herself, and I found that we had a lot in common,” said Sims. “I messaged her, and we started talking. After a couple of days, we figured out that we are basically the same person. We decided that we would get along really well together as roommates, so we both requested

8 SouthwordS

each other. She lives in Nevada, so I’ve never met her, but we are planning to meet up in the summer.

I didn’t find the whole process all that stressful.”

Facebook can be an essential tool when looking for a potential roommate. For senior Ryan Dysart, finding more than one possible roommate wasn’t too difficult.

“I’m doing suite-style-private housing,” said Dysart. “I have the option to select a room and see the people already signed up to live in it. We exchanged a few Facebook messages, but there’s only so much you get to know about a person, so I’m still waiting for an interesting experience.”

Other students may choose to “go random.”

These students usually take a quick personality test that allows the college or university to match them up with another student with similar likes and dislikes.

“I feel like if you commit to someone, you’re kind of stuck being their friend,” senior Jessica Rossi said. “If you do random, you still have freedom to meet other people. Part of the fun is having crazy roommate stories.”

Senior Kian Khalili feels the same.

“I went random because even though a ton of Maine South students attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, I’ll already know them,” said Khalili. “My goal in college is to meet as many people as possible, and having a random roommate is conducive to that process. Being social

is definitely the key to transitioning from high school to college.”

Sometimes students have an advantage when looking for a roomie—they are lucky enough to attend the same college as one of their best friends.

This is the case of Tigi Bucaro, a senior who will be attending DePaul next year.

“I found out my friend Kaitlin is going to attend DePaul as well,” said Bucaro. “We both want to live in the same building, so we picked each other as roommates. However, there are four total roommates that will be living in our room, and I only get to pick one roommate. The other two roommates will be picked randomly. I’m not really nervous about it. Overall, I’m excited to meet new people.”

Before committing to a roommate, some students choose to meet with their potential roommate in person as a final compatibility test.

“I met my roommate on the Saint Louis University page,” said senior Nell Kristie. “We are meeting on Saturday for a roommate date. It’s like dating, but you skip all the steps and just start living together. It’s scary!”

Maine South alumna Gianna Carrozza (‘13), currently lives with a roommate at the University of Illinois at Chicago, whom she was randomly placed with.

“It was random and she never answered my Facebook message when I tried to contact her,”

April 17, 2014 | FEATURES

match

said Carrozza. “She showed up two weeks late, her boyfriend is 31 years old, and she talks on the phone in the bathroom. She chews with her mouth open, which is my biggest pet peeve.”

Maine South alumna, Ally Stevens (‘12) also chose to randomly receive a roommate and does not regret her decision.

“I am definitely not the kind of person who will be best friends with my college roommates in 20 years,” said Stevens.

“But because I’ve been up front about things, I wasn’t completely miserable. My friends and I all chose to live on the same floor this year, in different rooms, and it’s been great. Never room with someone you’re already friends with. You will lose all of your privacy and grow to hate even the sound of each other’s shoes.”

Despite the potential for disaster, Harlan Cohen, author of the book “The Naked Roommate” and recent speaker at Maine South, emphasizes that living with an incompatible roommate is okay.

“If you get a horrible roommate, that’s great,” said Cohen. “That’s life—it’s getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

The college experience is not about whom a person lives with, but about how the person chooses to take advantage of the many opportunities on college campuses.

“Who you live with is a small part of college,” said Cohen. “Most of life happens out of the dorm.”

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“My roommate and her boyfriend used to work out in my dorm room all the time. I would come back from class and they would be doing push-ups and sit-ups.”

-Mrs. O’Halloran

“The day before spring break my sophomore year I became involved in a verbal altercation with my former roommate. He slammed the door in my face and as I opened it back up my thumb became stuck. The tip of my thumb was stuck in the door. My thumb has been slightly shorter ever since.”

-Mr. Hamann

“My roommates were incredibly sloppy. They had so many things on their beds that they would have to sit on mine. The dorm room overflowed with stuff.”

-Dr. Ford

“At Penn State my roommate was obsessed with vampires.

He would stay up all night when there was a full moon and stare out of the window.”

-Mr. McGreevy

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SouthwordS 9

| April 17, 2014

PHOTOS AND ART COURTESY MARIA BENIARIS

FEATURES

Designing

a fashionable future Amanda Svachula Features Editor

M

aine S outh senior Maria Beniaris has had a passion for fashion since she was five years old.

Even as a kindergartener, she had a distinct sense of style.

“In kindergarten, my mom wanted to put me in this little cherry outfit for school pictures and I hated it,” said Beniaris. “I remember throwing this dramatic tantrum saying, ‘No, Mom, I don’t want to wear that.’ I’ve always loved clothes. I used to sketch clothes in first grade—little dresses with glitter on them.”

Twelve years have passed, and Beniaris still has a special place in her heart for fashion. At Maine South, she has pursued this passion in a multitude of ways, as a participant in Maine South’s fashion and fine arts programs, and as head of costume crew for Maine South theater productions.

“Fashion is my form of art,” said Beniaris. “Some people draw, some people paint, and I like to do that too, but I have a connection to fashion.”

Beniaris first learned how to sew in middle school. Being a part of the Maine South fashion program and costume crew further enhanced these skills.

“The fashion program here has

10 SouthwordS

obviously improved my sewing skills and has allowed me to make my creations real,” said Beniaris. “But the biggest thing [that has helped me] is costume crew. ” Beniaris has been on costume crew for ten Maine South theater productions. She has been head of this crew for eight of these shows.

“Making costumes is a little more restrictive than fashion, but it’s a different way of approaching it and got me to sew more, which helped me improve my skills really fast,” said Beniaris. “It has helped me with my fashion because I can do more with my ideas.”

The sewing skills Beniaris has mastered over the past four years have allowed her to further experiment with fashion design. She now either alters sewing patterns or makes her own, and is constantly working on different fashion projects.

“I love looking at magazines for inspiration [for my designs],” said Beniaris. “I also have history fashion books because I like looking at [clothing from] past decades. [For example], over the summer I loved the 1950s, so I designed a lot of stuff that was ‘50s-inspired. I also look at runways online and try to keep up with designers and trends. I sketch a ton. I’m always randomly making sketches.”

RUNWAY

Senior Maria Beniaris (left) has loved fashion her entire life. Next year she will attend the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, pursuing a degree in fashion design. Senior Elizabeth Porter (right) models one of Beniaris’ designs, influenced by the structure of a skeleton, above.

This year, Beniaris realized that in order to pursue fashion design in college, she would need to explore its artistic side. She is currently enrolled in Art 1.

“Over the summer, when I visited colleges, they were all talking about drawing and art skills,” said Beniaris.

“My whole summer was me freaking out thinking I wasn’t going to get into college. There were times when I felt so defeated because I had focused so much on fashion and hadn’t realized I had to focus on art skills.

I took classes during summer at the Evanston Art Center and at the Art Institute of Chicago, and I just practiced.”

The practice paid off, and with her new artistic skills, Beniaris was able to put together a fashion portfolio, complete with intricate sketches of her clothing designs. She will now be attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the fall, starting as a fashion design student during her sophomore year. But before Beniaris leaves Maine South, she will compete in the Fashion Design Star Event at the FCCLA competition in Springfield. “[For the competition] I put together a portfolio, with a brand and inspiration,” said Beniaris. “I made six different sketches and illustrations and I made one into a garment.

Then you do price points, and pick who would be the customer of the product. So it’s kind of the business side of fashion, but I like that I still got to mix in the art side.”

Beniaris has competed in the annual FCCLA competition before, specifically in the Fashion Proficiency events. Though she hopes the best for this year’s competition, Beniaris has mainly focused on the creation of costumes for this year’s spring musical, “Spamalot.”

“My whole life is ‘Spamalot’ right now—I’m really throwing myself into it,” said Beniaris. “It’s the hardest show I’ve done because there are a lot of costumes, and I want to make it the best.”

As for the future, Beniaris hopes to someday have her own fashion label.

She is excited to go off to college and is willing to work hard to get where she wants to be as a fashion designer.

“I’ll miss Maine South theater and fashion and the teachers who inspired me,” said Beniaris. “But I’m excited to move on and grow and be challenged more in art school. I’ve gotten really comfortable in crew, and I know how to deal with it and do a show. It’s still hard, but I can handle it.

“Art school scares me, but that’s a good thing. Fear motivates me—if I’m scared of something, I want to overcome it.”

April 17, 2014 | ENTERTAINMENT

Maine South senior tours with rapper

Entertainment Editor hroughout his high school career, Maine South senior Steve Matiasek has been working his way up the ranks of Hollywood’s video editing industry, working with big names like Khalifa and Shwayze, and most recently going on tour with Chicago-based musician: Chance the Rapper.

Matiasek, who also goes by alias Johnny TwoTimes, left for tour with Chance the Rapper on Oct. 26.

Joe Esquivel, a.k.a. GL Joe, a long time friend of Matiasek, shares many of the same interests with him, including filming and editing.

When Esquivel got a job working on Chance’s tour and found out they needed extra help, he encouraged Matiasek to join the tour.

“That’s when I told GL Joe I’d have to figure everything out with my family and here at school,” said Matiasek.

Matiasek then proceeded to write several letters to Maine South’s administration outlining his future goals and why he should be allowed to go on tour with Chance.

“I talked to Mrs. Clarke, my counselor, and she knew this was a great opportunity for me and something that would come around once in a lifetime,” said Matiasek. “So [Mrs. Clarke] talked to Mr. Messmer and let him know. Then Mr. Messmer talked to the board. Once [the board] read my letter, they understood I was given a great opportunity. Mr. Messmer then called my mom and my mom okayed it and I went on tour and had the best time of my life.”

Steve’s official job title on tour was ‘lighting and effects coordinator,’ but much more than that was expected of him.

“My job was to set up the stage, but I also had to film and document everything on my camera,” said Matiasek. “When I wasn’t filming during the concerts, I’d be in the tour bus editing all day.”

The tour was not all work, however, as the crew got to enjoy much of the nightlife and after parties that went on after Chance’s concerts.

“Concerts would end at about twelve and then we’d all be in a hurry to clean up because there would always be something going on after,” said Matiasek. “It would depend on

PHOTO BY STEVE MATIASEK

Yavor Todorov

T

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION As an official photographer for Chance the Rapper, senior Steve Matiasek took this photo during the “Social Experiment Tour.” Matiasek was on tour with Chance for four weeks. how productive we were, but the crew and I would usually clean up quickly and go out with Chance. We hit a lot of colleges, so there were always frat parties going on, I even saw a Maine South student when I was in Pennsylvania and once I found out he was a big fan, I got him past our body guard so he could meet Chance.”

Although Steve did have fun, he and the rest of the crew knew they were there to work. Chance certainly made it clear that making sure the tour went well was their top priority.

“At the beginning of the tour, Chance told us, ‘This could be everybody’s time of your lives, just know that you have a job to do, and if you [mess] it up, you’re out,’” said Matisek.

Luckily, Matiasek did not let his emotions get in the way of such a big opportunity.

“At times, it was hard to pass up on the fun things going around because I knew I had a job to do, but that was yet another lesson for me to learn on tour,” he said.

Matiasek’s nationwide tour with Chance came to an abrupt halt when the two weeks he had arranged to miss from school were up. Matiasek had to come back to school in the middle of the tour, just two weeks before winter break.

“After I got back from those first two weeks, I felt like I learned ten times more than I did my whole high school career,” said Matiasek. “I

wouldn’t say I did actual learning in terms of books and reading, but I got to experience so much, like socializing with people, forming relationships, and just learning about different parts of the life that I would have never learned in school, ever.”

Having gone through a twoweek, life-changing experience, Matiasek also learned more about himself and his goals.

“I came back to school and I was feeling confused, but really, I was realizing that this is what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

Although Matiasek didn’t initially think coming back to school in the middle of the tour was a good idea, he ended up gaining a lot from it.

“I got to step back from everything that was happening and got to take a look at everything that did happen and everything that I needed to improve on.”

After an introspective two weeks back at school, and right before Winter Break was about to start, Matiasek knew that he had to get on the tour bus again.

“I wanted to go on again for three more weeks, but before I did that, I had to talk to the principal. Mr. Messmer seemed pretty understanding when I left his office, but there were times when I thought ‘even if he doesn’t okay it, I’m going.’”

Matiasek got okayed to go back on tour for the last three weeks of the tour, two of which fell under winter break.

“From there, we went all over the country, from L.A. and New York City to Idaho and Montana. I’d say 90% of the shows were completely sold out, so there was never a time when the shows weren’t crazy. That’s when it really hit me that Chance was way bigger than I had thought and that the work we were doing there and the video I was filming affected way more people than just me.”

Matiasek stayed on tour with Chance the Rapper until Chance’s largest and final show in L.A’s Nokia Club, which included over 2,000 eager fans. Matiasek is now back in school with a lot of new friends and experiences under his belt.

“I hardly knew anybody before I went on tour, but at the end, we felt like family, they just treated me like I was their little brother, and I still talk to all of them daily.”

Matiasek is excited and hopeful for his future in the filming and video editing industry.

“The next tour is in the spring of 2015, and all I can say is that I hope I continue to work with Chance, because he’s going nowhere but up, that’s for sure.

“Chance has more energy than three or four people put together. He seems to be happy almost all of the time, enjoying what he has going for him. He’s also very smart and knows exactly what he is looking for as far as marketing himself and the direction he is trying to go in. This twenty-year-old kid has it all figured out.”

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ENTERTAINMENT | April 17, 2014

‘Spamalot’ presents a comical approach to theatre

Greta Ramsey Staff Writer

F

rom cows to coconuts to cancan dancers, the Maine South spring production of “Spamalot” has strayed away from profound themes and hidden messages and is focused instead on humor.

Adapted from the 1975 Britishcomedy film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” “Spamalot” follows the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table on their quest to find the Holy Grail in a whole new way.

“Spamalot” features many classic jokes from the TV show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” and is ripped off from the motion picture “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

Eric Idle, the writer of “Spamalot” and one of the original Pythons, took bits of well known sketches and scenes and put them together to create his own production. “‘Spamalot’ is a show that is pure fun and comedy,” said Mr. Muszynski, director and Monty Python fanatic. “‘Spamalot’ is a lot different than previous plays at South because there is literally no message or purpose; that is, except, to make people laugh,” said senior Sarah Householder, who plays the role of King Arthur’s minion, Patsy. “You can’t help laughing at the ridiculousness, and you don’t have to be a ‘Monty Python’ fan to get the jokes. While ‘Spamalot’ has a lot of the well-loved set-ups, it adds on a new level of humor making fun of musical theater itself.”

There are challenges that come with doing such a comedically-oriented piece.

“The comedy in this show can either be perfect or it could flop, so it is sometimes difficult to really hit the joke perfectly to get the right laugh,” says senior Alyssa LaTragna, who plays the Lady of the Lake.

“Spamalot” has made Maine South’s cast step into unknown territory that may have otherwise never been ventured into.

“Cast members have to really put themselves out there with the comedy in this production,” said Mr. Muszynski. “Being free enough to take the silliness to a level that audience members see it is a key element in the humor of the musical.”

There are many challenges that

12 SouthwordS

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL DEVERMAN

BEHIND THE SCENES Cast members rehearse the musical number “Find Your Grail” from “Spamalot.” The song “Find your Grail” is the beginning of the journey for the Knights to find the Holy grail.

come with performing a comedy successfully.

“One of the biggest challenges is the dialects,” said Muszynski. “There are five major dialects used in this show and every cast member must perform using at least one of these.”

“This show has been particularly challenging for me because I’m playing a traditionally-male character,” says Householder of her character Patsy. “I’ve had to work a lot on staying true to the character while creating a personality that’s real for the audience.”

Although the cast has to face many obstacles to make their characters from Camelot believable, the crew behind-the-scenes has to overcome equally as many challenges. “‘Spamalot’ is definitely the most difficult show I’ve worked on,” said senior costume-head Maria Beniaris. “It’s a big show. There are a lot of costume changes because the ensemble always returns as completely different characters. Because of this, organization is really important for this show.”

Maine South is known for having unique stage setups and costumes, but ‘Spamalot’ brings them to a whole new level.

“It’s a mix of staying true to a classic film and creating our own take on an awesome show,” Beniaris said. “It’s such a fun show. It’s an opportunity to be big and silly with

qAGENT OF SHIELD Freshman Jack Timberland works behind the

scenes to create the perfect shield. This shield will be used by one of the Knights in the search for ‘The Holy Grail.”

costumes.”

The role music plays in “Spamlot” is significant because it helps the audience get the feel of the time period and adds on to the lighthearted show.

“There’s a little bit of role reversal where [the cast] is leading tempos, whereas in our orchestras and bands we listen to each other, but we’re all guided by one conductor,” said pit orchestra director Mr. Matter. “This has a little bit of a renaissance feel at times, so it covers a wider range of music. It goes from renaissance to jazz to disco. It’s all over the place, musically. All for the sake of comedy.”

“This show is great,” said sopho-

more student director Elena Sasso.

“Every rehearsal I find myself laughing at a new little thing I notice someone doing. I think people will love the humor of this show and will be very entertained.”

“I know the entire community is not only going to laugh their heads off at this show, but they’re also going to be dazzled by the talent and the tech that went into [it].” said sophomore Jack Cahill-Lemme, who plays the lead role of King Arthur.

“It’s really not your average musical comedy.”

“Spamalot” runs April 25 and 26, and May 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m., and April 27 at 2:00 p.m. in the Watson Auditorium.

April 17, 2014

| ENTERTAINMENT

Students hope to make their mark with music

Julia Koza Staff Writer

S

everal Maine South students have taken on the responsibilities that come along with becoming music artists. They all share a common dream: making it big. These students are part of aspiring music groups that are working to make their mark.

The different genres played by these students range from classic rock to folk to rap. Some of these artists also perform covers and originals.

One student-run band is The Common Place.

The band consists of five juniors including Ryan Finn on lead vocals, Jake Kay on lead guitar, Luke Paoletti on lead and rhythm guitar, Chris Neri on bass guitar, and Cameron Wolters on drums.

There are many challenges that come with being in a band while in high school. These students have to figure out how to balance their time efficiently.

“We try to manage our time between school and other activities by scheduling certain times each week to practice and working around all of the other things we have to do throughout the week,” said Wolters. “It is hard to find good times to practice because we all are so busy with other things such as sports and jobs, but we work our best to meet at least once or twice week.”

The Common Place is known for covering classic and alternative rock songs, but the band has also written a few original songs.

“Our covers consist mainly of alternative rock such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Strokes, as well as some classic rock,” said Wolters. “We have some original songs right now, and our hit single ‘Way Out’ can be found on iTunes.”

Another student-run band is The White Gorillas, composed of seniors Patrick Hartmanis and Matthew Canizares. The White Gorillas are known for their selection of electronic music.

“It started off me producing and creating my own sounds and blending and composing my own music,” said Hartmanis. “Later, I purchased a turntable to mix my music and create podcast episodes to release on different house music blog spots around the U.S.” “We love house music, electro house, progres-

MARYROSEPRO

PHOTO COURTESY MARY ROSE PROVINZANO

Junior Mary Rose Provinzano, known as MaryRosePro, raps with her personal producer, J-Runner Beatz. Provinzano has a SoundCloud with her original tracks.

sive house, big room house, tech house, and deep house,” said Hartmanis. “Our main genre comes out of Electro House though.”

Many student artists began their musical journey at a young age.

“I started singing when I was about two, and people are always shocked when I tell them, but my mom would always turn on the radio and I would hum along with the song,” said Cummins.

“My mom always tells me that I sang before I talked. I didn’t know how to actually talk until I was about five but I started humming along to songs at the age of two.”

Another student, junior Mary Rose Provinzano, began her music career in a way that many children learn—by observing and replicating what she saw.

“I first became interested in music by watching DVDs of underground artists from New York,” said Provinzano. “I always would play the guitar as a little girl in my basement by myself and write in a notebook to whatever I was playing. After watching those artists rhyme and battle, I started writing with that kind of style. I began rhyming and creating metaphors and punch lines.

“As a sophomore, I auditioned for ‘Americas Got Talent,’” said Provinzano. “When I was fifteen, I had my first show downtown with other underground artists. I’ve been asked by many underground groups/labels/etc to join their team, and also have had the opportunity to meet some great artists in Chicago and record a few tracks and features for and with them. I’ve also had the great opportunity to meet and work with my own personal producer, J-Runner Beatz. I’ve also have had artists and producers contact me via Twitter with beats for me to work on and artists asking to collaborate with me.”

A few lucky artists get the opportunity to show their talent at professional sports events that can PHOTO COURTESY NOAH CUMMINS hold over 40,000 people.

“When I was about eight years old, I sang the National Anthem at Wrigley Field, and it was to help raise awareness of Autism in April,” said Cummins, who is diagnosed with autism. “I also sang the anthem at U.S Cellular, and the United Center for the Bulls. I used to perform with my choir when I was younger in New York at the United Nations, and I did some rock shows at bars.”

Most bands, though start by playing in smaller local venues.

“The Common Place has performed in a lot of different venues, such as bars in Chicago, the Taste of Park Ridge, Menchies, carnivals, and various parties,” said Wolters. “Our most memorable show was at The Emerald Isle in Edison Park because we had over 120 people come see us. We plan on playing anywhere and everywhere for the duration of high school, and maybe even play here at Maine South.”

Because The White Gorillas are a different genre of music, they have had the privilege to perform at many clubs around the city.

PHOTO COURTESY NOAH CUMMINS

OH SAY CAN YOU SING?

Senior Noah Cummins sings the National Anthem at a home football game. Cummins has sung in multiple professional sports venues.

“I got the opportunity to play at some bars around the Midwest on a mini tour with the band FOUL PLAY,” said Hartmanis. “Matthew and I have a show at the Empty Bottle in Chicago coming up and many bars and clubs in the area. In the summer, we plan to play at over fifteen venues.

That’s our goal and we want to achieve it.”

Most musicians also have strong hopes to keep performing after high school.

“As far as playing in college goes, we will definitely try to keep performing as a band,” says Wolters.

“Matthew and I both got into many schools in the Chicago area,” said Hartmanis. “Staying in Chicago would be pretty good for our music because of the amazing atmosphere and crazy amount of venues here. Music is up in the air for us.”

“My future for singing is first go to college because that was my dream, and a lot of kids who have autism don’t go to college,” said Cummins.

“I am majoring in recording and performing arts.”

Although college and school is a first priority, Cummins is also making sure music is involved in his life.

“I am working on my first album, and its a lot harder than I thought. Currently, I have about five to six songs on the album, and the album is called ‘The 5th Coming.’ The meaning behind that name is that I am the youngest of five boys in my family and Coming part is for Cummins. I recorded my first song in a recording studio, and the title of the song is ‘My New Found Day.’” “I want to see how far and where I can take my music, and where it can take me,” said Provinzano.

I don’t want to rush anything. However, I do have plans on working on a mix tape this summer and releasing new tracks and videos. I would love for something great to spring out of my music, but I’m letting time run its course and see where it will take me.”

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S

SPORTS

| April 17, 2014

Boys’ lacrosse hopeful for future John Lavacarre

Staff Writer he Maine South boys’ lacrosse team is using a number of methods to start fresh and put the past behind them. Being one of the newest teams at Maine South, the lacrosse team has had many obstacles to overcome, but they are hopeful for the future.

“We tried to add more discipline to the program,” said Coach Camerin Staffel.

As the y lo ok ahead to the upcoming season, the squad envisions increased success this year. “ T h is ye ar’s te am is more experienced than they have ever been before,” said Coach Staffel.

“As more and more players start playing in middle school, they are more experienced in the sport by the time they get to the varsity level.”

“This is the year we will put our team on the map,” said junior Vinnie

PHOYO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

T

ON THE RUN

Junior John Cawley spins away from a Bartlett defender. The Hawks are hoping to compete for a conference title this season.

Paradiso.

The team has had some tough times since they play in one of the toughest conferences in the state.

While Maine South, being a newer program, is in the B division, many of its conference opponents are in the A division, including the top two lacrosse teams in the state: New Trier and Loyola.

However, the team hopes to

compete with this top-level conference in the future.

“Competing in this conference is a goal for a few years down the road,” said Coach Staffel.

“Right now, we’re on the road to becoming a contending program.”

One of the biggest goals for the Hawks is to have an in-conference win. With such tough opponents, the program looks to make school history

girls year round, so we know each others’ strengths and weaknesses, and we are really close.”

This has been the case for many of the girls on the team, who have gone to outside sources for extra practice in lacrosse. As lacrosse has gained more popularity not only at Maine South but also at many other local high schools, more resources have become available for those interested in lacrosse.

“I got into lacrosse because I thought it would be fun to do a sport that wasn’t popular in our area,” said sophomore returning varsity player Maggie Grabowski. “It was a great experience trying something I had

never seen before, and it ended up being the perfect fit for me. After playing a couple seasons with the park district, I signed up for summer camps and club leagues and it took off from there.”

The Hawks have also gained a handful of players from other sports.

“Our coach likes having girls who have played other sports because of their athletic ability,” said Hendry.

This mix of athleticism, dedication, and a hard work ethic has enabled the team to surpass obstacles such as low temperatures and poor field conditions.

“We don't let the cold or field

and win their first conference game.

Another goal is going far in the B division playoffs.

“I know our team is capable of going far in the playoffs; they’ve just got to believe in themselves,” said Coach Staffel.

The Hawks are also looking to gain more attention, not only from the teams they play, but also from Maine South students.

“We hope to gain recognition by the school and a good fan base,” said junior goalie Chase Christie.

“We hope to get as much respect as a good team from as many schools around the state as possible,” said Paradiso.

The team recently had a 11-0 win against Montini. The win against Montini was a major confidence builder for the team.

“This game was a great stepping stone for future success,” said Paradiso.

Julia Sirvinskas

Staff Writer ven though the girls’ lacrosse program is still considered a club, the coaches and members of the team still work just as hard as any “team” out there.

“Someday it will be a sport, but unfortunately I won’t be a part of that,” said senior captain Lauren Hendry. “Every year the program gets better and that is all that matters.”

The optimistic outlook and search for improvement has brought the Hawks much success, both on and off the field.

“Although our season is just starting, there has been such an improvement in this last year alone,” said returning varsity player Katie Harper.

“Yes, we have new players, but they are quickly adapting to the way we run as a team. I am very much looking forward to this season.”

Something that has played a major role in the team’s success has been their chemistry and ability to mesh with one another.

“We are like family,” said sophomore Nicole De Meo. “We have many team bonding experiences, and even outside of season we hang out. I’ve played with most of these

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PHOYO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

Girls’ lacrosse overcoming obstacles

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

Senior Patricia Kogut goes for a ground ball against Regina on April 9. The Hawks won the game 17-0.

space stop us from practicing,” said Harper. “We have worked in the halls as well as parking lots just as hard as we would on the turf space. In order to get field space we have some early and late practices, but our team is committed to the growth of this program.”

Due to multiple games being cancelled because of weather-related issues, the Hawks have only competed in two games thus far, in which they defeated Deerfield 15-5 and Regina 17-0. However, the girls are ready to take on the challenges of the bad weather they have been facing.

“The weather should not affect games that we win or lose,” said Hendry. “Whatever weather conditions we play in, the other team is playing in too. It’s just a matter of who can handle it.”

Moving on in the season, the squad looks to win Conference and move up in the Central Suburban League rankings.

“Our goals are to improve individually, work better as a team, and challenge strong competitors,” said returning varsity player Christina Karlson.

“Whether we win or lose, one of our goals is to work our hardest every game,” said Grabowksi. “We can

April 17, 2014 | SPORTS

Boys’ water polo contends for conference crown

Alyssa Darlak

Staff Writer efore the water polo season even began, teams across the area knew Makai DeNeve-Arnam was a player to watch out for. According to Illpolo. com, DeNeve-Arnam was a pre-season second team All-State selection.

With the records he has set for Maine South water polo, it is no surprise that he and his teammates are a threat to many teams this season.

“The season is going pretty well,” said DeNeveArnam. “We lost two key games to New Trier and Niles West, but otherwise, we’ve had a great start with 15 wins.”

As of April 7, DeNeve-Arnam leads the team in points with 479, in goals with 201, and is second in assists with 77.

“At this point, he will probably snag the All-Conference nod and also a place on the AllSectional Team,” said Coach Deger.

Since the program’s inception in 2010, the Hawks have improved quickly and are now consistently ranked in the top 25 in the state. In DeNeve-Arnam’s freshman year, the team went 17-5. This was the first season that the water polo team had experienced a season above 500.

As a sophomore and a junior, the team ended the season with a record of 23-7.

The rapid development of the program has been astonishing to watch. From seemingly out of nowhere, the Hawks have become a local powerhouse, and DeNeve-Arnam has been the driving force behind their success.

“I just try to do my best, but I really could not be this successful without my teammates,” said two-

PHOYO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

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The Maine South water polo team defends against New Trier on April 8. The Hawks lost the game 14-12 bur remain in the hunt for a conference championship.

time all sectional player, DeNeve-Arnam.

“I have seen massive improvements from Jimmy Gardiner and Phil Wachowski game by game, and season by season.”

This year, the CSL South is one of the strongest conferences in the state, featuring four teams in the top 25 in the state. Deneve-Arnam believes that it will be a challenge, but the team is looking forward to it.

“It is a very evened-out conference, and with teams like Glenbrook South, New Trier, Niles West, and us, it’s definitely going to be a dogfight.”

The team replaced eight seniors this year, which was difficult, but the team has fared well against

stiff competition.

“I played with the seniors for three seasons, and this year, we brought up a lot of guys from the JV team,” said DeNeve-Arnam.

“The transition took some time to get used to for all of us, but once everyone got used to playing at a higher level, we became more confidant and now we’re playing really well.”

DeNeve-Arnam and his teammates are looking to make waves in the pool as they are in the hunt for their first ever conference and sectional championship. The team is proud of their remarkable upbringing, and come playoffs, they hope to make program history.

Boys’ gymnastics heading in the right direction

Brendan Ploen

Sports Editor n their fourth season, Maine gymnastics has been on a steady incline since the schools have combined in 2010. As each season passed, the chemistry gradually rose, and this spring, the team is closer than ever.

This year, however, Maine has been plagued by the injury bug.

Although the team has been fighting through it, many key individuals have been hurt.

Out of the six Hawks gymnasts, three have been injured and are out of action for quite some time. Even though some are injured, a new member of the squad from Canada, senior Nico Mikhail, has been a nice addition to the team.

Among the injured is junior Steve Mei, and although it has been a frustrating start for the team, he sees promise down the stretch.

“The season hasn’t gotten off to

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the good start that we hoped for,” said Mei. “I hurt my shoulder, another teammate got a concussion, and yet another member ripped some muscles in his foot.”

“It’s tough to look from the bench, but the team has stepped up and performed well at the tournaments and individual meets,” continued Mei. “Hopefully, we can make some noise in conference and have some momentum going into the playoffs.”

One would think that it would be a challenge to have a team with good chemistry coming from three different schools, but so far, the team has not had any difficulties.

The g ymnasts have enjoyed practicing with the other schools because it creates a competitive atmosphere.

“The chemistry among the schools is very strong,” said junior Luke Paoletti. “We all get along and we help each other out and teach each other.

It’s just a good overall environment.”

“In fact, at the meets we compete with each other to see which schools get the higher scores, which makes it a little more fun.”

The team has some returning veterans, but some fresh faces as well.

Comprised of mostly juniors, the team is young and still has plenty of time for improvement. Junior Luke Paoletti has enjoyed the experience and he hopes to make great strides in his first season.

“It is exciting to be on a team like this,” said Paoletti. “Since this is my first year, I have tried different events such as the floor event and the pommel horse. Right now, my goal is to start scoring in every event, and that goal carries through conference.”

With spring break occurring in the early part of the season, Maine used the time to get some much needed practice in before the conference season kicks off.

Maine got 15th place with a score of 79.25 at the John Burkel Invite at

Niles West on March 18, and 14th with a score of 74.10 at the Leyden Invite. The team hopes to improve the scores as the season progresses.

As the season progresses and the injured gymnasts return to the mat, Maine is looking forward to the pressure and good competition that awaits them in the playoffs.

“We are definitely heading in the right direction. A lot of kids have improved significantly, and I think we can have a few members make it to the sectional final meet, and maybe even State,” said Mei. “In the meantime, we just need to keep working hard, believe in each other, and most importantly, stay healthy, because this season really can be a stepping stone for the future of Maine gymnastics.”

The team competes in two important meets before playoffs.

Maine travels to the Niles North invite on April 25, and the CSL conference championship meet on May 1.

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BASEBALL | BADMINTON | LACROSSE | BOYS’GYMNASTICS | GIRLS’SOCCER | TRACK | BOYS’TENNIS | SOFTBALL | WATER POLO | BOYS’VOLLEYBALL

Junior goalie leads girls’ water polo Alex Ellyin

Evanston on April 24, to whom they lost 10 to 1. However, three of their starters were not present at that game, so the Hawks are looking forward to the rematch.

“After watching film, we have a better awareness of their strengths and weaknesses,” Bender said. “I’m looking forward to facing them again.

“They have grown the past few years into an incredibly developed team. They are a great challenge for us.”

One of the keys to the Hawks’ success has been Bender. She took over in goal midway through last year and now is an important leader for the team.

“Kalin has worked very hard on her goalie skills with her club team, North Beach Water Polo, this winter,” senior Giles Molloy said. “This has been very beneficial to our team. She calls the shots during the game and gives directions to us when we are in need.

“She’s the extra pair of eyes that sees opportunities and problems during the game.”

The team will be prepared for the postseason, because of the conference they participate in. Evanston, ranked 11th in the State, along with New Trier, pose challenging matchups for the Hawks.

“It’s a bit intimidating at times [being in our conference], but mentally, we are a very strong team and like the challenge,” Molloy said.

Although the team has lost to both squads already this season, they know that time is their friend as they approach the conference tournament and Sectionals.

“As of this year, we have had many new girls join our team, so the only challenge is showing them the basics of the sport,” Molloy said. “We feel like, as a team, the more playing time, the more we learn.”

The Hawks will compete in the CSL tournament on April 9 and will battle for a Sectional title the following week at Glenbrook South.

Last year, the team was in the same sectional with the top team in the state, the Fenwick Friars. This year, the team’s top competitors at the State-qualifying tournament will be New Trier and Loyola.

“It will be a good Sectional,” Bender said. “The title is up in the air right now. It would be amazing if we made it to State for the first time in Maine South history.”

Club to work on their game while the courts are unplayable.

The loss of the two state qualifiers from a year ago, Dragan Trivanovic and Patrick Daliedon, left this year’s team with a need for leadership. Senior Peter Bruno expects to fill that role along with junior Nick Salgia. Bruno hopes to continue the success of Maine South singles players and qualify for state this year.

“Along with qualifying for State, it is my goal to beat some of the top teams in our conference such as New Trier and Glenbrook South,” Bruno said.

“I’ve improved my game by working on conditioning and hitting my shots deep in the court.”

Bruno will step up to play the role of number one singles while Nick Salgia will play in the number two slot.

Salgia, an experienced varsity player,

spent much of his off-season competing against some of the best singles players in the state.

“I’ve done much of my training in Oak Park with nationally-ranked players, which served as a great experience and helped raise my game to another level,” Salgia said.

Salgia feels that his off-season training at the singles level will help comfort his transition.

“I’ve played doubles the last two years, so I am looking forward to the opportunity to play singles for at least part of the year,” Salgia said.

The Hawks’ top line consists of other players such as junior Dominik Spalinski and freshman Colin Wesselkamper. Wesselkamper’s transition to the varsity level has been eased by the strong junior and senior presence lending a helping hand.

“All of the older guys attempt to pitch in and helped the younger guys learn the game,” Spalinski said.

Coach Greg Young is optimistic that the Hawks can battle with powerhouse teams such as Glenbrook South and Evanston within the CSL South. Young hopes to build off of last year’s successes and an impressive showing at the Sectional, placing second as a team.

Four of the six players on the Sectional squad from a year ago were lost to graduation.

“Our success this season comes down to controlling the things we can control and not losing because of mental mistakes and conditioning,” Young said.

The team will seek to defend their homecourt at the Hawk Invite on Saturday while conference play begins next Tuesday versus Niles North.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL DEVERMAN

Sports Editor he Maine South Girls’ Water Polo team lost four starting seniors from last year’s roster and many questioned the ability of the team to have a strong season.

After ending their season last year at the Sectional semifinals against eventual quarterfinalist Fenwick, the team hopes to go further this season in pursuit of a state title.

The team began their season with a tough loss at Stevenson, but rebounded following this defeat. The following week they took down CSL rival Maine East in a 9-8 thriller.

The most heralded matchup of the season so far was on the Hawks’ CSL South opener on April 8 in a battle of Top-25 teams. As of April 7, Maine South was ranked 25th and New Trier 14th according to Illpolo.com.

At New Trier, the Trevians defeated the Hawks 8 to 2. The team still found positives about the game, though.

“They have some excellent players on the squad,” junior goalie Kalin Bender said. “Our team knows what we have to work on.”

The team will have a rematch against

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Junior Kalin Bender saves a goal against Glenbrook South on April 10. As of press time, the team was ranked in the top 25 in state.

Boys’ tennis swings into form Stephen Sakowicz

Sports Editor espite the formidable weather conditions to begin the season, the boys’ tennis team has been keeping up with workouts and conditioning. The team started its season last week versus Palatine, yet playing outdoors has not been the trend for the Hawks due to the cold and rain in March.

Fully utilizing the fitness center has been necessary for the team while the courts outside remained unplayable.

Fitness will not be an issue for this squad as many practices before Spring Break were dedicated to improving cardio through the use of jump ropes, treadmills, bikes, and even organized basketball games.

Along with the facilities at Maine South, players have been utilizing indoor courts at River Trails Tennis

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