Vol 51 Issue 4 Southwords

December 19, 2014

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

Vol. 51, No. 4

Hawks make

KINDNESS COUNT

Freshmen Abigail Oyasu, Angelina Perrone, and Maggie Etchingham (left to right) demonstrate the power of kind words during the “Make Kindness Contagious” campaign.

PHOTO BY RHYANNE NOCHE

See page 2

Fresh Start

Maine South’s New Year’s resolutions.

Page 7

Fashion Police

Fashion offerings slated for reduction next school year.

Page 10

Year in Review

Students select the best entertainment of 2014.

Page 12

En Garde

A look into the life of one of the nation’s top fencers.

Page 16

NEWS | December 19, 2014

Student-driven Kindness campaign a success Alex Ellyin, Stephen Sakowicz, & Mariam Zaki

Editors-in-Chief & Staff Writer

O

n Nov. 19 and 20, many student leaders at Maine South launched the “Make Kindness Contagious” campaign aimed at making Maine South a more positive environment.

This new campaign was a response to negativity that was present on social media outlets, particularly on Yik Yak. Maine South students and staff banded together and used the opportunity to demonstrate the power of words and the impact of kindness.

Senior Nora Quinn, one of the leaders of the campaign, was determined to help change the sometimes-present negativity at Maine South.

“Our goals were to raise awareness of the problems that were impacting the student body,” Quinn said.

“We w ant e d the campaign to be more of a ‘pro’ day instead of an ‘anti’ day.”

Nov. 19 was the day that negativity was released by the students in preparation for the day of positivity on Nov. 20. Four students gave testimonials over the P.A. system throughout the school day about times when bullying affected them.

On Nov. 19, the A-Wing glass hallway was filled with sheets of paper

containing instances when students were bullied or felt negatively in their lives. The next day, all those negative sheets of paper were covered up by student responses with positive comments that had an impact on them, brightening up the glass hallway.

“It was a very uplifting day,” senior Kerry Foley said. “People seemed to be happier and had big smiles on their faces.”

At the beginning of the school day on Nov. 20, a group of students stood in a few spots of the building saying “free compliments” to everyone who walked by. Charlie Mann, one of the students who was delivering these complements to students, thought that the impact of the compliments were positive and effective.

“I feel that we were able to make an impact,” Mann said. “Although it may be slight, I think we were able to brighten up the days’ of students who were walking by and show that a simple act of kindness can mean a lot.”

Senior Caroline O ’ C o n n o r a ls o d el ive re d lcompliments that morning along with Mann and realized the impact of the campaign on the student body.

“I feel like it shouldn’t be just a chore to give out compliments,” she said. “Making someone else’s day is more important than you’d think.”

In addition to students delivering complements to each other, Hawk

Pride Leaders and Cheerleaders stood outside with picket signs that morning.

“It was really awesome. We got the opportunity to spread kindness amongst our peers by holding up signs outside of school,” junior and cheerleading captain Samantha Golbeck said. “What’s better than starting your day off with a smile?”

These signs included uplifting messages, such as “Build others up, not down” and “Thank you for your friendship.” They were designed to bring happiness into the lives’ of students passing by.

“It was great to see so many smiles from students and strangers when we were holding up our signs,” junior and Student Council President Sophie Miller said. “Not only did the

campaign impact Maine South, but also the community.”

“I appreciated the signs because it made me feel like everyone should be treated equally,” freshman Rahul Pithadia said.

After being greeted with positive remarks as students came to school on Nov. 20, students were greeted at their lockers with an individualized note card to continue their day of kindness.

These cards were posted by to the many volunteers of Student Council, Hawk Pride, President’s Club and Class Councils and included sayings like “You make Maine South a better place” and “You are an individual and can make a difference.”

The “Make Kindness Contagious” campaign was facilitated by Assistant Principal for Students, Mr. Berendt.

honors was in 1970.

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, out of C olumbia University in New York City, recognized the newspaper as a Gold Medalist Certificate publication, the

highest distinction offered.

The judge of the submissions c o mp l i m e nt e d S o u t hw o rd s’ “directness, discernment, and energy with which the staff presents coverage.”

S outhwords als o submitte d entries to the Kettle Moraine Press Association, in coordination with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

KEMPA gave Southwords an AllKempa rating, the highest distinction a high school publication can receive.

The critiquing judge described the newspaper as an “outstanding publication” and that “the 50th

anniversary edition sets a precedent for any school trying to do something similar.”

These awards follow Southwords being honored this past spring by the American Scholastic Press Association.

The ASPA evaluated over 250 publications, and Southwords was named one of the nation’s top high school newspapers of 2013-14, earning the distinction of First Place Newspaper with Special Merit as well as being one of the ten Most Outstanding High School Newspapers of 2013-14.

“Making someone else’s day is more important than you’d think.”

PHOTO BY RHYANNE NOCHE

PAY IT FORWARD On Nov. 20, the glass hallway in the A-wing was decorated to encourage positivity and move past the negativity of the previous day. The sheets of paper were testimonies of when positive remarks made by fellow students had an impact on them.

Southwords earns scholastic press honors

National recognition highlights accomplishments of 2013-2014 staff Alex Ellyin

Editor-in-Chief his fall, Southwords earned multiple awards from three different scholastic press associations.

The National Scholastic Press Association awarded Southwords its highest honor rating, the coveted AllAmerican Award. The only other time Southwords earned All-American

T

2 SouthwordS

December 19, 2014

| NEWS

Maine South says goodbye to Mr. Beese Jake Kay

News Editor

T

his December, one of Maine South’s longest-tenured and perhaps most overlooked staff members will be retiring: Mr. Edward Beese, Director of Building and Grounds.

As Mr. Beese prepares to say goodbye to the school, he fondly remembers the experiences he’s had here, as well as his post-retirement plans.

Mr. Beese’s career at Maine South started in the late eighties.

“In 1988, I started out as a second-shift custodian,” he said. “After three to four months, I was transferred to an assistant electrician position. I did that for a few months and then went on a boiler crew for approximately five years.”

It was during his time with the boiler crew that Mr. Beese refined his skill set and furthered his education in the field of maintenance.

“When I was on the boiler crew, I went to school and obtained my stationary engineering, refrigerational, and electrical licenses and went to training seminars for such things as

PHOTO BY RHYANNE NOCHE

UNSUNG HERO

Mr. Beese has been the Director of Building and Grounds at Maine South since 1997. He has overseen all of the recent physical changes to the school, including the addition of bleachers to the spectator gym.

chemical treatment for oiler lubes,” he said. “After that, I became a building electrician for five years until I took over my current position as Director of Building and Grounds in 1997.”

As Director of Building and Grounds, Mr. Beese has overseen many of the physical changes that Maine South has undergone in recent years.

“In 2009, turf and bleachers were added to the football stadium and a few years ago the spectator gym had bleachers added to it,” he said. “There have a been a bunch of changes that have come about.”

While many changes have occurred, Mr. Beese believes there is still much to be done without him.

“The biggest issue in the near future will probably be getting work

done this upcoming summer,” he said. “Since school is starting even earlier next year, the maintenance team will have less time to clean the school and get it ready for the 20152016 academic year.”

The people that Mr. Beese has met and interacted with on a daily basis at Maine South are what he will miss most after retiring.

“I’ve made a lot of friends over 27 years here, and when I walk into school, see all the teachers and students, and think to myself, ‘I’m not going to see these people anymore,’ it really makes it hard to leave,” he said. “[The people] are truly what I will miss the most.”

Upon retirement, Mr. Beese and his wife will either move to Florida or Wisconsin.

“My wife and I are a little up in the air, so we are going to stay where we are for a year and figure out where to move,” he said. “My wife wants to go to Florida, but I’m torn between that and moving to Wisconsin, because my son is a teacher up in Eau Claire.

So we may end up having a condo in each location, but as of right now we are just going to play it by ear.”

Moise Tamas Staff Writer

O

n Monday, Nov. 17, seniors Andrew Lazara and Julianna Bauer went with geology teacher Mrs. Allison Gest to the Glacier Canyon Lodge in the Wisconsin Dells and gave a presentation about Google Apps.

As a “Google School,” Maine South has recently introduced Google products, such as the Chromebook, into the curriculum, and the students demonstrated the benefits of these products to other schools.

Lazara and Bauer were chosen based on their eagerness to educate themselves and others.

“I was chosen because I am a frequent participator in class,” said Bauer. “Since I am very talkative, Mrs. Gest figured I would be good for the job.”

The presentation was geared towards other schools that have implemented or are planning on implementing Google extensions, such

as Google Docs and Google Sheets, into their curriculum.

“We were hoping to teach other schools and teachers about Google Apps, and how useful it is for school work,” said Lazara.

“The presentation was about using Google Apps in a one-to-one classroom,” said Bauer. “It focused on how students would use it rather than how a teacher would use it.”

Teachers and students alike reacted positively to the students’ presentation.

“People at the Google Summit were excited about our specific presentation because we were the only kids who were presenting,” Bauer said. “The students in particular were excited because they got to see the apps used from their perspective.”

“Many different teachers believed that the presentation was worth their time,” said Lazara. “Though there aren’t any plans to do this kind of thing again in the near future, I hope the underclassmen will keep on giving these presentations.”

PHOTO COURTESY ANDREW LAZARA

Geology students give presentation in Wisconsin

GOOGLE-CON

Seniors Andrew Lazara (center) and Julianna Bauer (right) prepare for a presentation on Google Apps with geology teacher Mrs. Gest. The focus of the presentation was employing the web tools in a one-to-one educational setting.

Bauer found the experience to be both beneficial and meaningful.

“By making this presentation, I learned a lot about Google and web tools in general,” she said. “Many people use Google Apps almost every day in real life, and I thought that the presentation was a good way to show teachers that it is okay for students to use the Internet in their classes.”

Correction:

In the Volume 51, No. 3 article entitled “Maine South Ink,” it should have noted that students under the age of 18 in the state of Illinois cannot receive tattoos regardless of parental consent. We apologize for the error.

SouthwordS 3

NEWS

| December 19, 2014

D207 adds new Assistant Principals Kristin Camiliere

PHOTO BY KRISTIN CAMILIERE

News Editor

I

n addition to Principal Mr. Shawn Messmer, and Assistant Principals Mr. Berendt and Mr. Dagres, Maine South has added another Assistant Principal. Ms. Jill Geocaris is the Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning.

The purpose for adding another Assistant Principal is to have one person that focuses only on how teaching and learning is being executed in the field and here in our classrooms.

The decision to add this position was that of Superintendent Dr. Ken Wallace. This is a role that has been added to all three Maine schools.

Ms. Geocaris’s job is to support teachers and department chairs to provide the best possible education for students here. She also has to stay up to speed with the most current practices in the field, which also includes a lot of brain research.

Over the past couple of years, there has been more of a push to have learning targets in District 207 classes.

This year especially, learning targets are being used in every class from foods to dance.

Learning targets had become a priority before Geocaris arrived, but

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.

Staff Writer fter District 207 received negative feedback from school families regarding the initial schedule change, the Board of Education has approved a second revision to the 2015-2016 school calendar. The Board has also approved the calendars for the 2016-2017 and 20172018 school years.

According to the new calendar, the start of the next school year will be moved from Aug. 12 to Aug. 17, five days later than initially proposed. This will give students and teachers more time to enjoy the summer weather in August.

Columbus Day has been reinstated as a school holiday. This means that students and teachers will not attend school on Monday, Oct. 12.

First quarter will end on Thursday, Oct. 15, and Parent-Teacher Conferences will occur on Friday, Oct. 16.

A

4 SouthwordS

Scan this QR code to e-mail Southwords

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Ms. Jill Geocaris is the new Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning. She knew that she always wanted to be a teacher, but later realized how much she enjoyed helping both teachers and students.

they are something that she truly believes in, and she is trying to embed them in our educational system here.

“If we share learning targets with students, and they know what those goals are, then they can accomplish those goals,” said Ms. Geocaris. “It’s a lot easier for students to reach a destination if they know what it is.”

Prior to coming to Maine South, Ms. Geocaris was the Department Chair for Social Science at Downers Grove North. She was also a Social Studies teacher there for 14 years.

Even when she was young, Ms. Geocaris knew she wanted to pursue

a career in education.

“I was one of those kids who played school, and I just knew that I was going to be a teacher my entire life,” said Ms. Geocaris.

Ms. Geocaris attended Undergraduate school at Eastern Illinois University. She then attended Northern Illinois University and Concordia University where she earned her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Ms. Geocaris is enjoying her new role here.

“I love it here,” she said. “I can see myself here for a long time.”

Second time’s the charm Catherine Coyle

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

Thanksgiving Break will be shortened in the upcoming school year, lasting from Wednesday, Nov. 25 to Monday, Nov. 30.

First semester final exams have been moved back one day. They will now take place on Dec. 17, 19, and 21, a Thursday, Friday, and Monday, respectively.

Second semester will begin on Tuesday, January 5, instead of January 11. However, Winter Break will still remain a full two weeks for students, spanning Dec. 22, 2015 to Jan. 4, 2016.

A Teachers’ Institute day has been added on Friday, Feb. 12, the Friday before Presidents’ Day, which is on Monday, Feb. 15. This addition will allow for a four-day weekend for students in mid-February.

Spring Break will span Friday, March 25 through Monday, April 1, 2016. This is one day longer than initially planned, as the first calendar

change had Spring Break scheduled for Monday, March 28 to April 1, 2016.

The final day of school for students is scheduled for Friday, May 27, instead of Thursday, May 26.

However, the priority of ending the school year prior to Memorial Day will still be maintained.

In an e-mail sent to all District 207 staff members, Director of Communications, Mr. David Beery, outlined the positive aspects of the revisions to the change in schedule.

“With these changes in place, District 207 will still meet the key objective of ending the first semester before winter break and providing students with additional instructional days before AP and PARCC exams that students take in the spring,” he said. “At the same time, this calendar will enable sender districts to more effectively align their calendars with ours.”

Editors-in-Chief

Alex Ellyin Katie Krall Stephen Sakowicz

Production Editors Josh Larragoity Rhyanne Noche News Editors

Erin Clements Kristin Camiliere Jake Kay

Entertainment Editors Katie Kaminsky Kate Papciak Matt Weiss Features Editors Monica Bielawiec CJ Johnson Laney Kraus-Taddeo Commentary Editors

Annie Krall

Alex Ponder Sports Editors

Austin Derrick John Lavaccare Sam Tinaglia

Art/Production Team Basia Chruscinski Adviser

Mr. Stathakis

December 19, 2014

STAFF EDITORIAL

| COMMENTARY

Intramurals promote competition and camaraderie aine South is renowned for the quality of its sports teams.

Conference titles and playoff runs are commonplace and sometimes taken for granted. This type of success can bring pride and prestige to a school, but it also means that very qualified athletes have limited playing time.

For instance, a good varsity athlete may spend most of the season on the bench seeing little playing time if there is a slightly better player at her position. Intramurals would provide students with a competitive environment without the stressors of high school sports.

Intramurals are recreational sports organized within a school, and they are very popular at high schools such as Stevenson and Glenbrook North.

Five years ago, Maine South offered intramural sports like a bags league, ultimate frisbee, and softball.

They were led by a faculty member and held in the Field House, Spec Gym, and athletic fields. In order to avoid conflict with IHSA-sanctioned sports, the events often took place at night.

According to Maine S out h athletic director Mr. Steve Adams, student participation was low and the Athletic Department decided to use the intramural funds as stipends for teachers who stay after school to

monitor the fitness center. Mr. Adams said he is open to expanding Maine South’s intramural program, which currently contains only Powder Puff and handball, but he would need to see significant student interest.

Student interest for intramurals is displayed every fall when the Powder Puff flag football game pits junior and senior girls against one another. Six or seven practices are held on the field outside the cafeteria, which is not utilized by any of the fall sports. The senior girls unite against the common enemy of the underclassmen. As they run hail marys and QB sneaks, they bond over their love of sport and competition.

Powder Puff epitomizes team bu i l d i ng an d t he b e ne f it s of intramurals. This activity provides a setting for the girls to make new friends and costs the Athletic Department relatively little.

Handball is played in the Field House during fourth quarter after track and field has moved its practices outside. Its participants are entirely male. While the game is incredibly popular among Hawks, students need to demand viable alternatives for female athletes and a larger variety of intramural offerings.

On Saturday, Oct. 25, a three-onthree basketball Gym Jam tournament

was organized in honor of Sam Tinaglia, a sophomore diagnosed with leukemia. With more than 50 students participating from all classes and each team paying a $20 entrance fee, the proceeds raised from the event benefitted the Tinaglia family.

The Gym Jam showed that Maine South intramurals could charge a nominal entrance fee and students would have the added incentive of playing for the benefit of others. This charitable component could further increase intramural participation.

The three-on-three tournament also allowed students the opportunity to play against other Hawks and faculty members instead of a faceless

the holiday season.

Giving back to communities and helping those in need should be of utmost importance during the holiday season. Contrary to the thinking of Buddy the Elf, there is much more to the holiday season than making snow angels for hours at a time, ice skating, and eating a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookie dough as fast as possible.

While spending time with siblings and grandparents in from out of town is a cherished tradition during winter break, spending time with the needy is equally as important. Remember that not everyone has a loved one around to spend the holiday season with. As overloaded and congested as I think my schedule may be, leaving space in my plans for helping others is something that should never be left out during this time of year.

A goal of mine this year was to

help bring sports into the lives of kids my age around the world during the holidays. Sports have always provided an outlet for me to relax, have fun, and enjoy playing alongside my friends, so I wanted to help give hope and opportunities to my peers in places where playing sports is a luxury.

As manager of the Park Ridge Youth Commission, I recently helped lead a sports equipment drive that collected over 5,000 pieces of equipment. Knowing these items will be delivered to kids in Africa and Central America this Christmas, I can say the feeling of improving the lives of others is second to nothing.

Donating a gift to Toys for Tots or serving at a local food pantry may seem like a simple, polite gesture, but the impact it has on people who you have never met before is tremendous.

We have all had our share of favorite

opponent, which is often the case in high school athletics. When athletes compete against people with whom they are familiar with, the competition becomes more fun and meaningful.

The athletic department has the necessary funds and is willing to work with students to expand and promote intramurals. What is truly holding us back is our unwillingness to step up and have a voice. The ball is in the students’ court.

Whether an intramural badminton league or a student-faculty soccer tournament, the students must be the catalysts. Once the necessary steps are taken, there will be plenty of fans cheering them on to greater fame.

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNE LONGMAN

M

Lend a hand during the holiday season

Stephen Sakowicz Editor-in-Chief

R

enowned novelist Edna Ferber once stated, “Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” The power of giving is the single greatest feeling in the world. It is commonly stated that giving is better than receiving, confirmed by the heart-softening feeling of making someone’s life better.

Whether it be shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor or offering to babysit your little cousins, I firmly believe that donating time and effort to helping the lives’ of family, friends, and strangers alike is the real magic of

Christmas gift memories, bursting into an almost painful smile after receiving an Xbox when we were ten or running over to Mom and Dad and almost tackling them while thanking them for your first bicycle. These same reactions take place beside the Christmas tree of the boy who received your old train set that you donated or the girl who now cherishes the Barbie collection you outgrew. A simple gesture can travel a long way during the season of giving.

No matter what you background is and what your current circumstances are, the feeling of love and hope should be shared by all during this time of year.

I challenge you venture outside of your comfort zone this holiday season and work to make someone else’s holiday season as great as yours.

SouthwordS 5

COMMENTARY | December 19, 2014

Reserving judgement promotes healthy school environment Adriana Sclafani Staff Writer

M

any of the words we say on a daily basis have the potential to offend others. We may observe harsh words being said, but we usually do not witness the emotional effect of those words on another person.

Walking through the Maine South hallways, students see many unfamiliar faces. However, they have no idea what their peers have experienced inside or outside of school. We have no right to judge those we don’t know.

On Nov. 5, freshmen and Hawk Pride leaders were invited to listen to Mike Donahue, a motivational speaker. Donahue used his comedic and enthusiastic personality to highlight the rather important and serious topic of judgement.

He spoke about the significance of refraining from judging others based on their appearance. In addition, he discussed the impact of derogatory words. Even slang words that are commonly used in society can be offensive. Donahue told various stories about students who were personally judged and the detrimental effects of such offensive language.

Donahue asked for a show of hands from the audience on questions relating to bullying or judgement. This allowed students to acknowledge their

behavior and recognize the effects of judgement on other students.

Donahue’s speech was successful because he spoke to students more as a friend than an adult. As students, we absorb more advice from people like Donahue who don’t criticize or judge us for our actions, but accept us for who we truly are. He understood that nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes, but that we have the power to correct these mistakes and learn from them.

This message was important for the freshmen because, as they become accustomed to high school, they may face situations dealing with judgement and need to know how to respond in a respectful manner. However, the importance and relevance of this message should be heard by not just

the freshmen, but the entire student body. We need to realize the power of words on others.

Since childhood, we have been taught that “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all.” Although this phrase may sound clichéd and elementary, it continues to apply to our everyday lives. Often, demeaning words slip out of our mouths.

If we disregard the emotional impact of our words, we could come across as critical and lessen someone’s self esteem. This common habit can be broken by being mindful about what we say, text, or post for that matter.

We can refrain from judgement by respecting the uniqueness of each student and choosing our words wisely.

process as well. There is so much more to a student than his or her GPA. Passions, personality, and work ethic truly define who these students are. Admissions officers can create a diverse student body by accepting people with a multitude of talents.

It is often the case that a diverse student body would not even be possible without the revenue that athletics bring in for many schools.

University of Alabama’s claim to fame is their prized “Crimson Tide” football team. The team brings in millions of dollars, and a large number of applicants each year.

According to ESPN, 19 football players at Alabama were admitted using special requirements from 2004 to 2006.

Universities will admit students because they believe they are a right fit. Their abilities on the field simply help to share a story of who the person is. Athletics are helpful in the college admission process, but then it is truly up to the student to succeed. Athletes that spend four hours a day on the field in the hopes of earning their Division 1 scholarship might not have perfect grades.

Students that dedicate their time to their sport deserve the bit of slack given to them from an admissions office. Universities are building a class when they admit students. The diverse talents that athletes bring to the table are essential in the makeup of a school, and test scores and a GPA are not the best measure of these students’ worth.

Lower admission requirements for athletes is unfair

If a student is granted entry into a school he or she would otherwise not have gotten into, then how will they be able to succeed in that environment?

Of course they will need to continue their sport in college in order to keep their scholarship. That, combined with the increased workload of college, would surely cause them to falter eventually.

In order to avoid this failure, basketball players at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were found to be taking fake classes where all they needed to do was write a legible 200-word essay. According to a CNN investigation, “The data obtained through open records requests also showed a staggering achievement gap between college athletes and their peers at the same institution.” At this college, academics are clearly perceived as secondary to sports.

If students continue to experience these double standards among athletes and non-athletes, then will that societal norm continue into their adult life? They have essentially graduated from a top-tier college while simply coasting academically as though it was some sort of game.

Employers will see their diploma and equate it with the student’s ability to succeed in the real world—a world they haven’t been living in because colleges insulate them from the true demands of our society. Colleges are giving student athletes unfair advantages and, ultimately, are doing them a disservice.

Should college admissions be relaxed for recruited athletes?

Athletes deserve lower admission requirements

Katie Kaminsky Entertainment Editor

I

have slid across a wooden gym floor in the pursuit of a volleyball. I have dived into a freezing cold pool at 6 a.m. at the age of eight. I have even thrown myself across home plate in front of a terrifying catcher.

Although I am not playing a sport in college, my participation in athletics has allowed me to understand why colleges lower admission requirements for their athletes.

It is difficult to juggle both the effort required to play at a Division 1 level and the strain of rigorous academics.

Admission officers are still going to look at a student from every angle.

They are going to consider whether or not the student will be successful at their institution, regardless of their athletic ability.

According to The Associated Press, there are only seven schools in this country that claim to not use special admissions on their campuses: the Air Force, Kansas State, Purdue, University of Connecticut, University of Tennessee, University of TexasAustin, and University of Virginia.

The special admissions process is not limited to academics. If a student is an artist or a musician, there is more flexibility in their decision

6 SouthwordS

Matt Weiss Entertainment Editor

B

y this time of the year, many athletes have either committed to a university or are waiting impatiently for their scholarship money to arrive.

They have devoted a large part of their life to their sport, and it is finally time for the hard work to pay off. But this payoff comes at the expense of their nonathletic peers when admission requirements are relaxed for athletes.

The common reasoning goes something like this: “But [insert sport name here] is my life.” They are missing the fact that non-athletes have spent just as much (or more) time doing [insert instrument, activity, or job here]. Non-athletes are expected to keep up their academics in addition to excelling in their activities.

Everyone has a passion. If students were all granted relaxed entrance due to the understanding that this passion may have affected their grades, then it would defeat the purpose of relaxed college entrance. Competitive schools are supposed to be hard to get into, and students who are admitted excel in every facet of their lives. They have succeeded in their passion as well as excelling in a host of other requirements. Relaxing the entrance requirements disfavors those who have gotten in on the merit of their entire application.

December 19, 2014 | COMMENTARY

Emilie LeMieux Staff Writer

N

GRAPHIC BY RHYANNE NOCHE

ew Year’s resolutions get a bad rap. For those of us who do make resolutions, it seems nearly impossible to maintain them past mid-January.

Even though the difficulties can be numerous, with a little bit of willpower, they can be accomplished.

Making resolutions is more beneficial than we realize. Too often people disregard their hopes for the new year as soon as we start to put all of our Christmas decorations back in the attic.

Why is it that we never hear people celebrate the positive changes brought on by New Year’s resolutions?

We listen to them complain about the difficulty of keeping up with their resolutions, and by the time February rolls around, half of us don’t even remember our resolutions, and the other half are only clutching at remnants of them—if they even made them at all.

I confess to being in the latter group. Why bother to come up with a good idea that I won’t follow through on?

People use resolutions as a way to motivate positive changes in behavior, but many regress, giving in to their destructive habits throughout the year.

We are inundated with media

claiming that life-altering changes are the natural by-product of uncomplicated solutions to our problems—and that simply isn’t true.

So when we haven’t been “reinvented,” most of us become discouraged and revert back to the comfortable neural pathways of familiar behaviors.

To combat these lapses in our motivation, doctors have highlighted some basic elements for successful resolution-making. These tips for keeping to the goal you set for yourself are relatively easy and demand only subtle changes to your everyday life.

New Year’s resolutions must be specific and singular, realistic and attainable, gradual and encouraging.

One cannot focus on too many goals at one time.

Instead, one should set a plan in motion to make several smaller changes that gradually lead to a realistic, final goal. We’ve applied these guidelines and tailored some classic New Year’s resolutions specifically for Maine South students in the hopes that more of us will be successful in the coming year.

Typical resolution: To eat healthier and exercise. Maine South resolution: Join the PE Teachers in the fitness center after school two to three days a week. Not only will the abundant, top-of-the-line equipment help you get back into shape, but perhaps it could negate some of those pesky gym absences you’ve racked up over the year.

Typical resolution: Become more open-minded. Maine South resolution: Join a club. Drop by the V-wing and discover your artistic

ability in Art Club. Dedicate yourself to a non-cut school sport, such as track and field or cross country.

Audition for the stage band or a part in the school play. Come out and cheer on the Maine South Hawks during the basketball season. You could find yourself in the company of new friends and also be able to include some much-needed extracurricular on your college application when the time comes. Trust us, you’ll want these more than you know. Furthermore, you could unearth a talent or a passion you wouldn’t have otherwise known that you possessed.

Typical resolution: Reduce, reuse, and recycle more. Maine South Resolution: Use Maine South recycling bins correctly. Please refrain from throwing your apple core into a recycling bin. Maine South cannot recycle the contents of a bin if a non recyclable item was placed in it. Or if you are really serious, stop into an Ecology Club meeting and pick up some helpful tips to protect our environment.

Typical resolution: Earn some money. Maine South resolution: High school students are too focused on money. There should be more of an emphasis on volunteering. Jobs are not a viable option for all high school students. Freshmen are often too young and many students may be stretching themselves too thin as it is.

B u t t h e r e a r e s o m e g r e at opportunities to get practical work experience right here at Maine South.

Many students participate in the internship programs offered through the school. (See pages 8 and 9).

The internships allow students to work in a field of interest at local companies and get a feel for the job in a safe setting. Other students join Key Club to volunteer and get involved in the Park Ridge community. These opportunities allow students to gain valuable work experience.

With over 100 clubs and sports at Maine South, opportunities are extensive and are readily available for student use. They aren’t just “lame extracurriculars”; these are possible ways to expand your horizons and take the desired steps to improve your life.

Submit article ideas or write a letter to the editors!

Deliver signed letters to LRC1 or scan the QR code

on the top of page 4 to e-mail southwords@maine207.org

What do you hope to do at Maine South in the new year?

New Year’s resolutions any Hawk can do

“Break a school record in gymnastics. ” -Lauryn Rotonda ‘15

“I want to teach my dance class how to bop and start a meditation club.”

- Jelena Ostojic ‘16

“I actually want to get eight hours of sleep one night.”

- Peyton Turner ‘17

“To earn straight A’s and get further in the playoffs for football.”

- Jack Muno ‘18

SouthwordS 7

FEATURES | December 19, 2014

HAWKS

E

ven after nine hours of intensive and rigorous academic work, for many Maine South students, the work has only just begun. After school jobs can certainly add stress to a student’s life, but for those who choose to, working provides advantages that can’t be obtained in the classroom Many people might assume that it would be too hard for students to balance responsibilities and still get sleep. While it might be challenging to balance school work, friends, family commitments, and a job, many Maine South students find a way to work it all out. Along the way, they gain valuable real world experience that will help them after high school and as they look for work in the future.

One of the noted benefits of working is that it instills growth and maturity while also exposing teenagers to time management and dealing with different types of people. Working also can expose students to different fields of interest that can lead to jobs or other opportunities in the future.

Senior Anthony Alvizu works at Zia’s Trattoria in Edison Park. Alvizu works both weeknights and weekends, usually getting off of work around 9:30 after a five-hour shift. Although he works late and may have to stay up later due to homework or a project, Alvizu said that working has benefited him greatly.

“Working and being a student has not only helped my development with organization and prioritizing tasks, but also my growth as an individual,” said Alvizu. “I am more outgoing, efficient, and mature.”

Junior Maura Burke, who works at the Pickwick Theater, said, “I think that working and being a student could be very difficult if you don’t find the right job for you and your schedule, but I am

8 SouthworDS

NICA BIELAWIEC

Staff Writer & Features Editors

lucky enough to have a job where I can work and be focused on my studies at the same time.”

A job can help prepare students for the world after high school. There are many positive sides to a part time job that a student can benefit from.

Junior Lindsey Blandin has also had a positive experience with her job. Working with autistic children at HaveDreams in Park Ridge each Friday after school, Blandin plans on going into special education in the future.

Despite the demands on her time,

ILLUSTRATION BY MO

Marisa Owen, Christina Johnson & Monica Bielawiec

in the

WORK

FORCE

work

Blandin is pleased to be working, and claims that there are no disadvantages to it.

“I only benefit from [my job]. There’s no downside to it,” said Blandin.

Student work hours can vary from only a few hours a week to several longer shifts of six to seven hours each.

With already busy lives, some question whether students are able to balance their job and their school work along with social events and extracurricular activities. Finding the perfect balance between school and

work is key in being successful, but that sometimes requires a little bit of communication.

Burke, who works at the Pickwick Theater, is usually given the option of taking certain days off if she knows in advance that she’ll be busy.

Jobs around the Maine South area are generally flexible and employers understand that the daily life of a high school student can be stressful and busy.

Often times, students will complete school work during their shifts.

“It can be annoying if I’m studying

December 19, 2014 | FEATURES for a test or trying to do homework while at work,” said Burke. “But we have a lot of down time between movies that it makes getting my stuff done easy enough.”

“Though it can be stressful, having lots of money makes up for it,” said junior Emily Stevens who is employed at Tam Tennis/Fitness Center. She also has time to work on homework and other school-related things while at work, as long as they do not interfere with her work performance.

In most cases, students find jobs on their own or with the help of friends or family members. What many students don’t know is that there are lots of jobs and internships out there that can be found through the work program or internship program here at Maine South.

“Working can benefit young adults in many ways,” said Mrs. Heather Sinnott, one of the organizers of the work program. Mrs. Sinnott teaches a class connected to the work program where students learn time management skills, multi-tasking, punctuality, initiative skills, and balancing social life with school and work. The class

is offered to students in their third or fourth year of high school.

The work program is great for anyone because of the many diverse opportunities. For instance, Maine South students can work with kids at the Community Center or at an elementary school. There have also been students who have worked at McDonald’s, Jewel, Mariano’s, Target, the Park Ridge Park District, Home Depot, and other retail stores.

Usually, students work 12-15 hours a week, and they are paid for all of their hours.

“The work program experience can come in handy later in life,” said Mrs. Sinnott. Many students have noted that it is a very meaningful experience, and that it can teach you a lot about the real world that comes after high school.

Part of the class includes a unit on team building, which can help when dealing with different types of people in the work place. This class exposes students to a lot of what happens in life after high school and gives students a taste of what their parents have to do, like taxes and money management.

“A student’s work experience will tell others so much more about you than grades and school work,” said Mr. Thieme, another teacher who coordinates the work program.

“It is a good representation of how you get along in a work environment, how well you cooperate with others, and how reliable you are in the work setting. It looks good on a college application when you receive a letter of recommendation from a manager or boss who is able to comment about you as an employee in a way that a teacher or counselor cannot.”

Employer recommendations shed light on how you perform in the work environment and the skills that you demonstrate. Qualities such as these and more are often looked upon favorably by universities and colleges.

The work program is also a very good way for one to be exposed to jobs and careers that they might wish to pursue in the future. Experiences like this can give you a taste of what the workplace is like and if what you are interested in doing is the right career path for you.

Internships are another possibility for students who wish to work and possibly try out a job that they are interested in.

Ms. Patricia Zelikoff facilitates internships for students after she finds out what their interests are or what career path they might want to pursue. Internships give students an

opportunity to work in a professional field that usually requires post-graduate work.

For example, student interns from Maine South work in the pharmacy at Walgreen’s and at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. Other students have worked with the Illinois State Police and the Park Ridge Police Department. Also a number of students interested in b e coming p h y s i c a l therapists have interned at physical therapy facilities such as Athletico, and those who wish to become teachers have interned at Washington Elementary School.

Ms. Zelikoff believes that the internships really help students figure out whether they like a certain kind of job or not. Either way, it is valuable for the student to find out. Sometimes they are paid and sometimes they are unpaid, but money is secondary to the experience.

“The internship makes them stand out compared to someone who hasn’t done one,” Ms. Zelikoff said.

All in all, there are many different job opportunities for students inside

and outside of Park Ridge. Both Mr. Thieme and Ms. Zelikoff believe that many students aren’t aware of the options they have to participate in the work program or get an internship.

Both teachers recommend that if a student is interested in getting involved with either the work or the internship programs, they begin by speaking with their counselors.

Whether you find a job on your own, or take advantage of the work opp or tu n it i e s Maine South provides, taking on a job or i nt e r n s h ip during your high school years can be a very valuable undertaking.

Earning a profit for your hard work comes as an added benefit to the process.

While balancing responsibilities in the workplace and at school can be difficult, with the right amount of commitment and time management, one can undoubtedly find success and prosperity.

One of the most important advantages of employment, however, is that having a job instills characteristics that no class can.

“A student’s work experience will tell others so much more about you than grades and school work.”

Employment opportunities exist for younger students, too

F

or students that are under the age of 16, attaining a job is a tougher, but not impossible challenge.

The first step for freshman and sophomore students is to obtain a worker’s permit application, which can be found in the Student Personnel Services (SPS). To begin the worker’s permit process, the student must first acquire a position of employment. Once this is completed, the student may begin to fill out the application, which consists of four short and simple sections for the student, employer, parent/guardian, and physician to complete. The application asks for basic information such as name, birth date, and social security number as well as ensures that the student is in good health to perform the job.

Once the application is turned in, it is approved and a certificate is issued for the student, parents/guardians, and employer.

Finding a position tends to pose greater challenge for younger teens.

Many locations have age restrictions

or necessary qualifications that need to be met before getting hired for the job. Often times, high-end stores such as Pink or Forever 21 require workers over the age of 18.

Babysitting is a great option for those under the age of 16. Babysitting does not require a worker’s permit, and oftentimes, hours are flexible. Wages vary drastically and can be negotiated with the hiring family.

Before beginning work as a babysitter, it is recommended to complete the babysitting course offered at the Park Ridge Public Library, which teaches the skills of childcare, safety, and finding clients.

Those looking for work can advertise on public posting boards in places such as Panera or the Park Ridge Public Library. One can also contact friends or neighbors with small children and offer their services to them These jobs may require simply watching the children for a few hours on request, or it can follow a regular daily schedule.

SouthworDS 9

FEATURES

| December 19, 2014

Fashion program faces alterations Sarah Asson & Laney Kraus-Taddeo

Staff Writer & Features Editor

S

ILLUS

TRAT IO

N BY

BASIA

CHRU

SCIN

SKI

tarting next year, students will notice some differences in Maine South’s fashion course offerings. Two electives, Fashion Merchandising and Interior Design, will no longer be available beginning in the 20152016 school year. In addition, the department is looking at making Fashion 1 a year-long c l a s s complemente d only by a semester-long, combined-level class that will replace Fashion 2, Fashion 3, and

10 SouthwordS

Fashion 4. The latter change is not yet set in stone, but if it happens, it could take effect as soon as the 20162017 school year.

According to fashion teacher Mrs. Stephanie Inserra, Fashion Merchandising and Interior Design are being cut because the number of students taking these classes was down this year.

“This is sad for me,” Mrs. Inserra said. “I’ve seen a lot of classes over the years take a dip once in a while and come back. It’s nice to have all these different options available to students.”

Kristie Guercio, a freshman currently taking Fashion 1, was also saddened by the decision.

“I wanted to take Fashion Merchandising after taking this design class so I could see both sides of fashion,” she said. “But now that we can’t see both sides, we won’t have as solid of a background in the field, and we won’t be as prepared for fashion classes in college.” “[The classes lay] a foundation to get into almost any fashion-related career, from journalism to marketing to making patterns and fabrics,” Mrs. Inserra said. “There are so many avenues of fashion besides just construction.”

Many fashion students are involved in these classes because they plan on pursuing the career in the future.

“I’m thinking about going into fashion, but if there are fewer classes available, it will be harder to explore the possibility,” said sophomore Danielle Jurczak.

The possible new structure of the fashion design classes will likely present some enrollment obstacles. “It’s going to be a challenge,” said Mrs. Inserra.

“But I’m always willing to do whatever it takes to keep kids in the classes.”

In the past, Fashion 3 and 4 classes have been combined, just as upper level Fine Arts classes are combined.

“Last year, we had about nine Additionally, this year is the first year that Fashion 1 and 2 were combined people go to state,” said senior Christina Barone. “We’re a school to beat. into one class.

“I’ve never had levels 2, 3, and But I don’t think that we’ll be as suc4 mixed together, so that will be cessful if we have less class time to different,” Mrs. Inserra said. “It’s hard sew.”

With the change in schedule, for teachers, but we do it because we love what we teach. It will be a lot of the time students have to make organization and keeping track of their award-winning pieces could who is taking the class during which be reduced from one year to one semester, and at what level they semester. “[Students] won’t have the time should be working.”

The combination class will also they used to have to create these awesome projects be difficult for students. “[The classes lay] a to compete with,” “If they combine Fashion 2, 3, and 4, foundation to get into said Mrs. Inserra. “ T h e r e’s a l w a y s it will be harder for almost any fashiont ime b efore and everyone to do their after school, but it’s best,” said sophomore related career.” in class where they Alexis Luedke. “There will be so many projects going on, learn the skills.”

Despite the changes, fashion and it will be tough for the teacher to students seem to remain passionate help everyone.”

According to Mrs. Inserra, the about the classes.

“I wanted to take fashion all four changes are not due to a budgeting years, and I still will, even though issue.

“It was probably more of an the class structure is changing,” said enrollment concern,” she said. “They freshman Rosa Guagliardo.

Senior Stephanie Roombos credits are happy to add more sections if the the fashion classes with helping her program grows.”

Fashion Club will still exist and to decide what she wants to do after will continue to complete community high school.

“I’ve been interested in fashion service projects just as it does now.

The club recently finished making ever since I was a kid,” she said. “I pillowcase dresses for girls in third- loved dressing up and going shopping. world countries, and is now teaming When I found out there was a fashion up with Mary Seat of Wisdom Church class, I decided to give it a shot and see how it went. After that I just loved to make blankets for the homeless.

Competitions through Family, it. Now I work as a sales associate at Career, and Community Leaders of Nordstrom, and I’ve decided that I America (FCCLA), will also still be want to major in fashion.”

The fashion classes teach skills that an option for fashion students.

The departmental changes will go beyond creating the perfect outfit.

“I think a lot of techniques and make it slightly more difficult for students who want to compete. things we learn in this class are great The higher-level fashion class will life skills” junior Cara Nastali said. combine three different skill levels “For example, it can be very expensive into one class that will only be a to get something hemmed, but you’d be surprised at how easy it is to do on semester long. “[The district] is looking at mak- your own. All the things that we do in ing the class repeatable, but the ques- here are very useful.”

Gender, age, and skill level are tion is how many times can students repeat it—most likely just once,” not requirements needed to enroll in Mrs. Inserra said. “So we’re looking these courses.

“Fashion is a fun class, and you at something once offered four years to now two years, maybe two and a learn a lot of skill, even in just the first level,” Mrs. Inserra said. “It’s a half.”

Students taking the Fashion 2 structured class, but it doesn’t have the class or above may enter their de- pressure or the stress of some other signs in the state competition. In pre- classes that kids have. I love what I vious years, students have used their teach. I’m really passionate about it, pieces to win state competitions and and I would love to see any student come in and try a class.” even national competitions.

December 19, 2014 | ENTERTAINMENT

Two Hawks land roles in ITF’s “Pippin” Elena Sasso

Entertainment Writer very year, the top high school theater performers and technicians from across the state come together to put on the annual Illinois All-State Production. Over 200 high schools send up to 7 students to interview for the crew or audition to be in the cast of the show. This year, Maine South will have two students participating. Junior Kiara Irizarry will be in charge of props on the crew and junior Jack Cahill-Lemme will be playing the title role of Pippin in this year’s production of “Pippin.”

“Pippin” tells the story of a group of traveling actors who come into a new town each night and perform the life story of the first born son of Charlemagne and his various attempts and failures in finding his purpose in life.

“It’s probably the most challenging role I’ve ever had to take on,” said Cahill-Lemme. “With the show’s circus theme I’ve had to learn things like aerial silks, juggling, ball-walking, weight sharing, and all kinds of other intricate gymnastics and circus tricks. Not to mention having to sing throughout the entire show, as well as learning to play the guitar and recorder. It’s kind of like a theatrical marathon.”

The All-State production will be performed at the annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival, the oldest high school theater festival in the world.

“I feel the All State process is valuable for theater students,” said Mr. Muszynski. “It gives them the chance to audition/interview in a wider pool, experience the wide range of talents in the state, and work under the direction of other theatre professionals. It’s also a wonderful resume point and a ton of fun.”

This year, the festival will take place at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and will be attended by over four thousand students from across the state, all of whom will be seeing the All-State show.

“My favorite part about All-State is working

PHOTO BY JOSH LARRAGOITY

E

PROP QUEEN

Kiara Irizarry manages the prop room by organizing it and making sure each prop is perfect condition. Her experience with props helped her earn a position on the crew for “Pippin.”

PHOTO BY JOSH LARRAGOITY

CAPTIVATING THE AUDIENCE

Jack Cahill-Lemme practices on stage in preparation for his big debut in “Pippin.” He has been involved in many Maine South productions, but this is his first time preforming at the Illinois Theater Festival.

with really talented people who are so passionate about theater and who make the task of bringing this show to life such a fun and unique experience,” said Irizarry. “It’s not work, it’s more of a hobby that you get to do just for the fun of it. You never have to worry about someone messing it up because you know that it’s going to be amazing.”

The Illinois Theatre Association, a board of high school theater directors, chooses an executive director for the theatre festival every year. That director will choose the theme for the festival as well as the director of the production. From there, the director can assemble a team of tech directors, costume designers, music directors, etc. from other high schools that will help the production reach its fullest potential.

“I was really honored just to be asked by Mr. Muszynski to audition for the show,” said CahillLemme. “No matter what happened, I thought auditioning would be a great experience and was happy to be able to represent Maine South. To be honest, I was a little discouraged by the fact that I was only a junior, so when I got the callback for Pippin, I was absolutely elated.”

“Maine South has always had student participation in the All-State Production,” said Mr. Muszynski. “Each year we send some of our most talented and dedicated theatre students to audition for roles or interview for crew positions in the All-State Play. I am extremely proud to have both Jack and Kiara involved in this year’s production of Pippin.”

Depending on the director, auditions and crew interviews last for roughly three days and are usually held at multiple high schools throughout Illinois.

This way, students auditioning/interviewing will not have to travel as far. However, due to the smaller

number of students, callbacks for the show are held at one specific school.

After the show has been cast, the rehearsals take place at the director’s high school. Due to the fact that some students may have a commute of six hours or more, the show only rehearses every six weeks. All rehearsals take place on three-day weekends and run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The cast rehearses in the dance studio and choir room while the crew works on the set in the auditorium.

This year, the show will be rehearsing right here in Park Ridge at Maine East High School and will be directed by their director, Karen Hall.

The crew uses the first two days of rehearsal to build the set, and the third day to take it all down and store it somewhere in the high school. Once the set is complete, the crew will take it apart, load it into various trucks, and bring it down to the Krannart Center’s Festival Theater at U of I and reassemble it on the stage.

“Since the beginning of freshman year, I always knew that I wanted to do something related to theatre, but after being able to experience the theatre world in a more professional environment, it made me realize that being a part of making the magic of each show in a technical aspect is something I want to pursue in the future,” said Irizarry.

Since late October, Cahill-Lemme and Irazarry have put in countless hours of energy into preparing “Pippin.” Being in the lead role, Cahill-Lemme has to memorize over 200 lines as well as several dance numbers. Meanwhile, Irazarry has helped to create the entire set while organizing the 155 props needed for the production. Cahill-Lemme and Irazarry are eager to represent Maine South’s Fine Arts Department.

SouthwordS 11

ENTERTAINMENT | December 19, 2014

An Entertaining Year Katie Kaminsky, Kate Papciak & Matt Weiss Entertainment Editors

As the end of the calendar year approaches, it is time to determine the best entertainment of 2014. Maine South students were asked to select their top choices from lists of bands, songs, actors, TV shows, radio stations, books, and movies. 717 students took this voluntary e-mail survey, and the results are in.

Actor of the Year:

1. Leonardo DiCaprio (40%) 2. Matthew McConnaughey (16%) 3. Chris Pratt (14%) 4. Brad Pitt (10%) 5. Will Arnett (2%)

TV Comedy of the Year:

1. “Modern Family” (38%) 2. “The Big Bang Theory” (19%) 3. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (10%) 4. “Parks and Recreation” (9%) 5. “New Girl” (8%)

Late Night Host of the Year:

1. Jimmy Fallon (63%) 2. Stephen Colbert (10%) 3. Conan O’Brien (6%) 4. Seth Myers (4%) 5. Jimmy Kimmel (4%)

Band of the year:

1. Maroon 5 (23%) 2. OneRepublic (15%) 3. 5 Seconds of Summer (12%) 4. Hozier (11%) 5. One Direction (10%)

Song of the Year:

1. “Shake it off” by Taylor Swift (24%) 2. “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne (23%) 3. “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry (7%) 4. “Happy” by Pharrell Williams (7%) 5. “Timber” by Pitbull ft. Ke$ha (6%)

12 SouthwordS

Movie of the Year:

1. “22 Jump Street” (31%) 2. “The Fault in our Stars” (26%) 3. “Gaurdians of the Galaxy” (11%) 4. “The Lego Movie” (6%) 5. “Interstellar” (6%)

Actress of the Year:

1. Jennifer Lawrence (54%) 2. Emma Stone (14%) 3. Shailene Woodley (12%) 4. Angelina Jolie (6%) 5. Meryl Streep (3%)

TV Drama of the Year:

1. “Pretty Little Liars” (17%) 2. “The Walking Dead” (17%) 3. “Orange is the New Black” (15%) 4. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (6%) 5. “Game of Thrones” (5%)

Book of the Year:

1. “If I Stay” (22%) 2. “The Book Thief” (21%) 3. “Looking For Alaska” (14%) 4. “Paper Towns” (17%) 5. “Where She Went” (<1%)

Artist of Year:

1. Taylor Swift (19%) 2. Ed Sheeran (17%) 3. Sam Smith (16%) 4. Iggy Azalea (11%) 5. Meghan Trainor (6%)

Music Festival of Year:

1. Lollapalooza (49%) 2. Country Thunder (18%) 3. Riot Fest (6%) 4. Spring Awakening (6%) 5. Northcoast (2%)

December 19, 2014 | ENTERTAINMENT

Artists not on a high note with Spotify

Matt Weiss

Entertainment Editor u r c u r re nt ge ne r at i on is fortunate to have many options for listening to music. Songs are available at the tap of a button on YouTube, Spotify, and Pandora. These services are great for students who want to feed their insatiable appetite for Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass.” However, these music outlets are negatively impacting the artists themselves, and will soon result in a decline of the overall quality of music.

The music industry is not the same as it was in 2000. Before Apple released the iPod in 2001, customers had to go to the store and purchase CDs to get their music. Spotify is now putting the same strain on Apple’s empire that Apple once put on the CD industry. Nielsen Entertainment and Billboard’s mid-year music industry report found that “sales of albums were down 14.9 percent vs. the first six months of 2013.” This number will continue to trend down as Spotify continues its monopoly of the music industry. Less choices of music services means trouble for both consumers and artists. Not only will artists be forced into licensing their music to Spotify, but neither consumers nor artists will be able to influence the costs of Spotify.

A survey of 718 Maine South students revealed that 57 percent of students prefer streaming music services over downloading (25 percent), Radio (7 percent), or buying

O

GRAPHIC BY RYAN KOVACIN

CD’s (2 percent). Consumers just see the “free” music that is continuously pumped through their speakers, and not what happens behind the scenes.

Spotify offers a free-to-play option with ads and a premium plan with no ads at $10 a month. They promise that as more users purchase their premium subscription, the increased revenue will run downstream to the artists. It is difficult to get customers used to paying for their music again.

The intermittent ads do not bother consumers enough to cough up the $10 a month for the premium service.

According to Spotify’s press page, there are over 50 million active users, with only 12.5 million of those as paying customers, or about 25 percent of Spotify’s user base. Spotify’s Artist website explains that “Once they are using our free tier, we drive users to our premium subscription tier, at least doubling the amount that they

spend on music...from less than $5 per month to $9.99 per month for Spotify.” With these abysmal premium subscription rates, Spotify is missing the revenue that they anticipated to be handed onto record labels and artists.

Based on data from Rolling Stone Magazine, YouTube paid Taylor Swift an estimated 1 million dollars through their Partners Program that pays channels based on advertisements.

This figure is based on the revenue Taylor Swift made from the two music videos that she posted in 2014, “Shake it Off ” and “Blank Space.” In comparison, Spotify, which used to stream 133 Taylor Swift songs from 13 albums, claims to have paid 2 million dollars to her music label Big Machine Records in the past year. Swift is left with quite a bit less after the record label takes their cut, about half a million dollars, according to Business Insider. Artists with a smaller fanbase

that release their music on Spotify have a much tougher time making a living with Spotify’s low dividend.

According to Today.com, Spotify pays artists an average of $0.007 per listen. In comparison, artists who price their songs at $0.99 on iTunes typically receive $0.50 when someone downloads their song. A Spotify user would have to listen to the same song almost 72 times in order to equal the payout of someone who downloaded the song from iTunes. Artists are never going to get the same revenue from streaming music that they did from music downloads or CDs. Spotif y’s business model is inherently flawed. According to a report by Generator Research and Andrew Sheehy, “no current music subscription service...can ever be profitable, even if they execute perfectly.” Spotify licenses the music from record labels, so if the volume of streaming increases, then the royalties Spotify has to pay also increases. To date, Spotify has never turned a profit.

Free is never really free, and in this case, the artists providing the audio content to record labels are continually left the short end of the stick. Artists who deal with both Spotify and record labels are discouraged from making music and are belittled in today’s music economy.

As long as Spotify and other streaming services continue to underpay bands, the future of the music industry is bleak.

‘Winterspell’: a new Nutcracker

Anastasia Dalianis Entertainment Writer

A

uthor Claire Legrand’s twist on “The Nutcracker,” “Winterspell,” is perfect for the holiday season.

S e v e nt e e n - y e a r- o l d Clara Stole is not the average New York City teenager. She is forced to deal with the stress of leading a double life. Most people see her as the mayor’s polished and refined daughter. But she is also secretly dealing with her mother’s gruesome murder by training in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer, her godfather. The plot intensifies when disaster strikes on Christmas Eve at the Stole household. Her father is kidnapped and her home is ransacked. Clara’s journey to find her

father begins as she travels to the desolate land of Cane. There, she cautiously befriends the cursed and uncrowned Prince Nicholas. Clara’s caution increases when she finds that the wicked faerie queen, Anise, is hunting them down. Clara’s plan for a simple rescue quickly turns into a hazardous chase.

Inspired by the classic Christmas tale, “The Nutcracker,” the author of “Winterspell,” Claire Legrand, further explores the darkness and sensuality of the original “Nutcracker” story.

“Winterspell” delves deeper into the world of the Sugar Plum Fairy and all the delights given to the kingdom.

The 1920 version of New York City that Clara lives in is only loosely based in reality. The setting was very dark and gritty, much like the Big Apple, but there was a mystical science fiction element as well. The original whimsical aspects of “The Nutcracker,” such as the beautiful fairies, were altered to fit the mold of the chromatic city. The

faeries in “Winterspell” were not pretty and effervescent—they were malevolent and territorial.

The book also included clockwork robots and other steampunk technology to keep tabs on the kingdom.

The traditional characters such as Clara, Drosselmeyer, and the Sugar Plum Fairy are featured in the story, however their roles were altered from the original tale. Clara was a very realistic character—she was determined to master her future and save her family. She was strong but not invulnerable, and she could not be discouraged.

Prince Nicholas was the one character that felt like an annoying cardboard cutout. He didn’t have a distinct personality, and his relationship with Clara was strange—he was fascinated by her, and she was obsessed with him, but there did not seem to be any real love between them.

Legrand’s haunting retelling of “The Nutcracker” provides a story of both action and romance.

“Winterspell” is both a thrilling and creative read.

SouthwordS 13

SPORTS

| December 19, 2014

Staff Writer ith the 2014-2015 girls’ gymnastics season underway, the team has high hopes for the year. Every season, the girls make a list of goals they hope to accomplish by the end of the season.

It has always been an ambition to beat New Trier, but one of their main focuses this year is to move the team to Sectionals.

To do so, they must first get their group to Regionals. In years past, they have been successful in sending individuals to Regionals and Sectionals, but never the whole team. This year is the time the girls believe they can change that.

This year’s varsity team is extremely young in the fact that it consists of one senior, one junior, four sophomores, and two freshmen. This could be seen as a rebuilding year for the Hawks, but this group has high expectations for itself.

“We have one of the strongest teams that Maine South has had in many years,” senior captain Lauryn Rotonda said. “Of course, we have some room for improvement, but we are looking very promising.”

Last season, the team suffered many injuries that hurt the team and made for a disappointing season.

This included Rotonda, who had chronic shoulder instability that kept her out for the entire season.

In hopes of preventing another injury-filled year, the girls are putting a spotlight on conditioning.

Being physically fit is one of the toughest parts of the sport and can be the difference between a successful team or not, so the team is focusing highly on endurance. They do so by running, tumbling for ten minutes continuously, and doing multiple routines in a row.

Conditioning mentally is almost as important as physically for the girls. To prepare themselves mentally, they continuously visualize their routines so it becomes second nature. It is important that

PHOTO BY JOSH LARRAGOITY

ON THE EDGE

Senior Captain Lauryn Rotonda performs her routine during the Hawks’ meet versus Niles North. Rotonda looks to lead this young team to a Sectionals berth.

Elizabeth Skoronski Davis Neilands

Meghan Villano

Jon Ramoska

What is your favorite holiday movie?

“Elf”

“Rudolph The RedNosed Reindeer”

“Elf”

“Elf”

What is the best holiday gift you’ve ever recieved?

My Computer

Sperrys

iPod

PS3

If you could create a spirit day, what would it be?

Pajama Day

Tank Top Day

Groutfit Day

Big Nose Day

What is your favorite winter song?

“All I Want For Christmas Is You”

by Mariah Carey

Jingle Bells

PHOYO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

W

they feel confident with every piece of their routine, even the simplest steps.

“It takes a lot of guts to throw yourself backwards on a four inch piece of wood that is four feet off the ground,” Rotonda said.

Gymnastics competitions consist of two types of meets: duals and invites. Duals have only two teams competing, with the team score being very important because it determines a win or loss.

At invites, however, the number of teams can range from five to twenty, and the focus is not only on the team score but also the individual score. Invites are a chance for individual Hawks to showcase their talents to many teams.

The sport contains four different events at each competition. These include the vault, bars, beam, and floor.

At the varsity level, five girls typically compete in each event, and each girl has the opportunity to compete in multiple.

There’s usually one judge per event during the regular season, but when Regionals and Sectionals come around, two judges are present, and the scores are averaged.

Individual competitors are scored out of 10.0 and must build their score up from zero. The number is based off of multiple components, including the difficulty of a skill and how well that skill is performed.

Also, points can be deducted from the score for different reasons.

“We do get points taken off for crazy things such as undergarments showing, messy hair, and excessive use of chalk, braces, and cheering,” sophomore Alyssa Chiovatero said.

Each judge likes to see different things out of a routine, so it can be hard to please them all, but the team believes their preparation will aid them in doing so this season.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You”

by Mariah Carey

“Shot Me Down”

by David Guetta

14 SouthwordS

PHOTO COURTESY LEIA ATAS

Alyssa Darlak

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

Senior leadership vaults team to success

December 19, 2014 | SPORTS

Maine Hockey skating well through season Michael Greco Staff Writer

T

he Maine Hockey season has started once again. This year, the team is looking to avenge their losses in both the divisional tournament and state playoffs.

While most winter sports started practicing in November, the Maine Hockey team has been playing since their 4-1 win in an exhibition game against Evanston on Sept. 7.

The team has posted a record of 10-10-10 in the North Central Division. They have had multiple key victories, including a six-goal explosion against Fenwick Oct. 26, in which senior Jeremy Carey had a hat trick.

After seeing the kind of team they have, the players expect this to be a special season.

“We expect to compete for our division championship and the state championship at the end of the season,” junior forward Austin

Sanetra said.

While this team is confident, they must overcome obstacles, such as late practices and a long season, in order to be successful. Hockey is different from other school sports because practices are often held late at night, but players do not seem to be affected by it.

“We’re okay with late-night practices because we have been having them for a long time,” junior forward Nick Porto said.

Another problem the team will face is exhaustion from the long season. While the season’s length may be viewed as a negative, the Maine Hockey varsity coach Greg Mrofcza sees it as an opportunity.

“We will play close to 60 games in that span of time, resulting in our team being on the ice roughly 5 times per week during our season,” Coach Mrofcza said. “The long season fosters both great athleticism as well as mental fortitude.”

These positive thoughts allow

POWER PLAY

PHOTO BY RHYANNE NOCHE PHOTO BY RYANNE NOCHE

Three Maine Hockey players skate up the ice during a game versus St. Ignatius. The team currently has a record of 10 wins, 10 losses, and 10 ties.

C oach Mrofcza to have great expectations for the rest of the season.

“I feel we are a very competitive team,” he said. “We have aspirations of competing for both our league championship and a state

championship for our division.”

That competitiveness has allowed this team to be successful up to this point in their season. The team hopes to match the great expectations they have for this season.

“Our team motto this year is ‘one mat, one team, one dream,’” senior any students and fans are used captain Natalie Nuzzo said. “We are to seeing the cheerleaders on a family and we work together on the field or court cheering on differthings we’re unsure about.” ent Hawks’ teams. However, the beWith this motto in mind, the girls ginning of winter marks the start of have been working harder than ever competition season for them. and stressing the point of improveWith a 2 minute and 30 second ment.

“Hopefully the mistakes made PHOTO BY RYANNE NOCHE before will help motivate us to practice efficiently, and come together as a team to achieve our goals,” senior captain MaryGrace Sharp said.

With their competitions just beginning, practices have gotten more vigorous and intense. The competitions are very close to each other, thus each practice is important.

The team’s goals include trying to get an 8.5 out of 10 or higher in each of the ten categories and placing within the top 3 at each competition. This requires their routines to be clean, sharp, and full of energy.

“We spend countless hours with one another and become suMAT STARS Maine South cheerleaders work on their routine during practice per close,” junior captain Samantha last week. The team finished third in their first competition at Sandburg and look to Golbeck said. “We learn together, continue their success at the Rolling Meadows Invite. crash and burn together, and grow

together.”

With that in mind, all the girls stressed the importance of their coach, Pati Coy, and how much effort and support she gives.

“Our coaches are a huge part of the team we are,” said Golbeck.

“They put in countless hours watching film and thinking of ways to improve our scores.”

The team has been practicing on nine mats instead of the usual seven, and the team thinks that extra preparation will pay off.

“I believe that if we focus, accomplish our goals, have a positive attitude, and work hard, we can beat any team out there,” junior captain Maddie Rupick said.

During their first competition at Carl Sandburg High School on Dec. 6, the Hawks finished in third place out of 12 schools, and they’re hoping to build on that success throughout the rest of the season.

The team has eight competitions before Sectionals on Jan. 31. If the team is successful at Sectionals, they’ll compete at the state meet on Feb. 5 & 6 in Bloomington, IL.

Cheerleading takes talents to the mats

Emily Stevens Staff Writer

M

FOLLOW

routine full of flips, cheers, dances, and stunts, the cheerleaders begin their journey.

With 13 seniors leaving the program last year, the team is calling upon both upper- and underclassmen to step up and fill the shoes of their fellow teammates and prepare for a successful season.

@S out hwords Sp or t

ON TWITTER fo r HAWK SPORTS U PDAT ES

SouthwordS 15

HOCKEY | GIRLS’GYMNASTICS | BOYS’ SWIMMING | BASKETBALL | CHEERLEADING | HAWKETTES | WRESTLING

Fencer Alexa Laskaris doesn’t let her guard down

Sports Editors

N

ot everyone is familiar with fencing, but for Maine South junior Alexa Laskaris, it’s a way of life.

Since age 10, Laskaris has been a nationallyranked fencer. Because Maine South does not offer fencing as a sport, she fences for both the Maine West team and a club team that is based out of Park Ridge.

With Maine West, she won the conference and state championships for her division and finished eighth in Nationals.

Laskaris’ interest in such a unique sport developed while watching the best of the best compete on the international stage.

“I started fencing when I was seven years old because my mom was watching the Olympics and she thought fencing looked cool,” Laskaris said.

The first thing Laskaris had to learn as a young, aspiring fencer was the rules of the sport. Fencing bouts are finished either when three minutes have passed, or when one player scores five points.

If the bout is still continuing at three minutes, the higher point scorer wins the bout. Points are acquired by hitting the other player with their weapon. The weapon can either be a foil, saber, or épée. Laskaris uses a foil, the most traditional of the three.

Fencing tournaments can be local or national, and Laskaris has had a lot of experience with both.

Tournaments consist of anywhere from 10 to 200 competitors, and they are divided into pools for round-robin bouts.

The tournaments are similar to the style of the World Cup for soccer. The competitions start in small pools of four to six fencers, and then the winners of those pools advance to a single-elimination bracket in which fencers face off in best-of-three bouts.

Each fencer is ranked every year nationally, and this helps determine what pools they are put into.

The pools are balanced between higher- and lowerranked fencers in order to try and ensure good match ups in the elimination rounds.

Fencing can look simple on television, as the goal is just to touch the opponent with your weapon. However, fencing is not a skill that can be easily acquired. Many different components are necessary in order to be a fencer. Footwork, handeye coordination, and conditioning are key elements great fencers possess.

With all the gear that is worn during bouts, stamina is a very important detail for success. Taking lessons for eight years now has helped Laskaris become as talented as she is. She has poured many hours into it with different coaches.

“My first coach was in Mt. Prospect, and she was a phenomenal footwork coach,” said Laskaris. “I

My present coach is in Park Ridge, which makes the commute much shorter. I still get two to three lessons a week plus training anywhere from two to three hours a night at least four to five times a week.”

With that practice schedule, not to mention the multitude of meets she attends on weekends, Laskaris has limited time to do schoolwork, but she has been able to make it work.

“I try to get as much homework done at school as I can so I won’t have to stay up as late,” Laskaris said. “The busiest time for me is definitely the winter when I’m committed to both Maine West and my club. In between Maine West and my club fencing, I have about an hour break to complete as much homework as I can. After my club, I come home and finish the rest of my homework.”

Her busy schedule has also included many interesting experiences nationally. Laskaris has visited most major cities in America for national tournaments.

She finished in the top 8 at Nationals when she was 12 years old, which got her invited to an Olympic coach’s camp in San Francisco. This helped her become recognized nationally in the rankings and in different national tournaments.

Laskaris also visited an all-sport competition hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Columbus, Ohio, and was handed awards and medals by him.

She has met many of the top fencers around the world, and even had the chance to meet the Olympic fencer who was the flag bearer for the 2012 United States Olympic team.

Laskaris is looking to continue her fencing career after high school. Fencing is offered competitively

PHOTO COURTESY ALEXA LASKARIS

John Lavaccare & Austin Derrick trained with her for 5 years, at least twice a week.

TIME OUT

Junior Alexa Laskaris, right, speaks to her Canadian coach in between bouts. She competes both locally and nationally.

through the NCAA in about 25 universities, so only the best get opportunities to fence in college. Others opt to fence in clubs in college, though those are just individual bouts.

Laskaris’ focus is not just on fencing, however.

She desires a great education as well.

“My goal is to be on a college fencing team that offers great academics and competitive fencing,” she said.

PHOTO COURTESY ALEXA LASKARIS

QUICK ON THE DRAW

Laskaris, left, advances towards her opponent during a recent tournament. She looks to continue her fencing career at the college level.