Vol 52 Issue 2

October 9, 2015

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

Vol. 52, No. 2

From exuberant costumes to thunderous chants, super fans redefine what it means to show true Hawk pride.

PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPP

See page 10

Wall of Honor

Maine South adds two new inductees.

Page 4

Being Isis

Laugh it Off

Junior wrestles with the mis- Students prepare for the conceptions of her name. opening of “Candide.”

Page 6 Pages 8-9

Athletic TLC

A spotlight on the trainers’ daily routine.

Page 16

NEWS | October 9, 2015

Maine South recognized for student academic performance Will Brendza Staff Writer

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aine South has been awarded a spot on Newsweek’s “America’s Top High Schools 2015” list, one of only 500 schools across the nation to earn this honor. Maine South also made an appearance on two other national lists this year: the Washington Post has honored Maine South with a spot on its “Most Challenging Schools” list, and U.S. News gave it a “Best High Schools” silver medal. As a result, Maine South became the first District 207 school to receive all three awards in the same calendar year.

“I am extremely proud of the students and teachers of Maine South,” said Principal Shawn Messmer.

“We have fantastic students and fantastic teachers who work harder than anyone else at everything they do, so it is really no surprise that we have won these three awards.”

Maine South was one of 30 Illinois schools to earn a spot on Newsweek’s annual list. Maine South’s 96% graduation rate and 77.7 college readiness score was cited, as well as the fact that more than 90% of Maine South students will attend college.

Newsweek creates lists of the top schools in the country in terms of their standardized math and reading/ language arts test scores. They then analyze each school using a weighted “College Readiness Index” that factors in six different elements: college enrollment rate, graduation rate, weighted AP/IB/Dual Enrollment composite, weighted SAT/ACT composite, student retention, and counselor-to-student ratio. Based on these elements, Maine South was ranked as the 380th-best high school in the nation.

Maine South was also awarded a silver medal by U.S. News, and was ranked 24th in Illinois. Schools were assessed on student performance on state standardized testing.

PROPERLY DEFINING CHALLENGE The Southwords editorial board explores the importance of extracurricular involvement as indication of See page 5 challenge.

For the Washington Post’s designation as one of “America’s Most Challenging High Schools,” the criteria for this recognition was simple. The publication looks at the

number of AP, IB, and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given each year, and divides that by the number of seniors who graduated.

The list is intended to recognize schools across America that have succeeded in “persuading average students to take college-level courses and tests.”

In order to be featured as one of the most challenging high schools in the nation, an index score of 1.000 or higher must be achieved. Maine South achieved a score of 2.062 and has climbed 12 spots on the Illinois rankings since last year.

In the eyes of Principal Messmer, there is still room for improvement.

“What we can do now to stay

on the lists and to move up in the rankings is to ensure that our students have every opportunity to experience an AP course before leaving high school,” he said. “More than any award, that experience can help all of our students be college ready before they leave us and head off to the next step in their education.”

High-level student performance has enabled Maine South to win this award. “This is a great honor for Maine South and evidence of the improvements it has made in the past five years,” said District 207 superintendent Ken Wallace.

“The good news is that South still has great capacity for improvement, and that is exactly what we will work toward at Maine South and all of our high schools.”

Virtual Dean encourages student participation Counselors transition to

Lena Pontikes Staff Writer

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his year, a new scanning system, called the Virtual Dean, has been implemented at Maine South. The Virtual Dean is a set of brand new scanners and software that have been implemented in order to enhance student participation in spirit events and competitions throughout the year.

“The program is aimed to give students the ability to show off how spirited they are or show off how involved they are,” Mr. Berendt said.

“Not everybody’s going to be the football quarterback or the lead in the play, but everybody can support each other. It enhances everybody trying to appreciate all of the things that other people are doing by supporting them by going to events.”

The Virtual Dean was first utilized during the week of homecoming. When homecoming dress up events began, there were stations around the building and during all of the lunch periods where students could scan their IDs if they participated in spirit days. There was a station at the entrance to the A wing where members of Junior and Senior Class Council could be seen encouraging students to scan their IDs for points. Students who accumulated the most points were able to help their class win a pizza party.

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Aside from homecoming, the system will also be put to the test during the winter with Red Scare sports events. Students can also accumulate points by attending other events, such as the V-Show.

The system will work in tiers; the tier that each student lands on will be determined by how many points he or she collects. Student rankings will be monitored and accessible to induce friendly competition. Virtual Dean can also be used to track student participation during clubs and meetings and to check in and out of school dances.

The ultimate goal of the program is to create a better school environment for the teachers and students.

“With the students participating more, then you build a nice community, and the if the community is more positive, that’s kind of the goal, at least for me and for most of the teachers,” Mr. Dohr said.

Mr. Dohr became involved in the Virtual Dean project because he is earning his second masters in teacher leadership. He and Mr. Berendt met over the summer to get the program started.

Mr. Berendt encourages students to submit ideas for the system.

“There’s nothing written in stone,” he said. “If students have suggestions on cool events to do or ideas for things they earn or other ways to go about using the software, we’re all ears.”

electronic passes Lena Pontikes

Staff Writer ecently, the Maine South counselors, deans, and social workers have gotten rid of their colored paper passes that students usually received in either their first or third period class if they had a meeting that day.

In the past, passes were left in the teacher’s mailboxes and the teachers would distribute them to their students in the morning. Some of the major problems with this system were teachers forgetting to distribute the passes or students losing their paper passes.

This year, they have begun sending e-mails to students through Aspen or sending a reminder through Google Calendar to set up meetings.

“The system for making communication between counselors and students easier is still a work in progress,” Mr. Milano said. “Eliminating the involvement of the teacher seems to be effective and not too many students are missing their appointments at the moment.”

With the e-passes, students need to make sure that they are checking their e-mails regularly so that the communication is frequent and strong between students and their counselors, social workers, and deans.

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NEWS

| October 9, 2015

Catherine Coyle Staff Writer

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his year, Student Council decided to make a change in the 2015 homecoming court. Instead of just one senior girl being celebrated as the new homecoming queen, there was an entire court with representatives from each of the classes.

“The Court expanded this year because we wanted to include the entire school,” said Student Council sponsor, Mrs. Sherri Scorza.

“Freshmen, sophomores, or juniors, for example, were not necessarily interested in voting (or caring) who won if it was just a senior female up for the nomination.”

Underclassmen who did vote went by name recognition or by what their friends said. They did not vote based off of who they actually felt should win because they might not have known as many seniors.

“By opening the court to all levels, this allows each class some type of vested interest in being involved in the nomination and voting process, as well as it allows more students to be included,” said Mrs. Scorza.

This year’s Homecoming Court

had 8 members in total: a senior queen and king, and two male and female attendants from each grade level.

“The three other high schools where I have worked all have this arrangement—a court that includes underclassmen,” said Principal Shawn Messmer. “I think it is a nice change since it will be more inclusive of the underclassmen and that will hopefully translate into more participation on their part in the events of the week and the excitement of the assembly, football game, parade, and dance.”

At first, some students disagreed with the change because of its implications for other students, but now, most are happy with it.

“I don’t think this change was necessary to have because every grade level would eventually have their opportunity for their grade to be represented during their senior year,” said senior Kaylee Coyle. “But on the other hand, it does get all the grade levels involved in the homecoming festivities, which will be a positive change for the school.”

“While we have gotten some questions on it, overall, the reception

PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPP

Homecoming court expanded to include all grades

HOMECOMING ROYALTY

Seniors Katie Harper and Riley Dolan happily accept their titles as the 2015 Homecoming King and Queen. Although they were the only King and Queen crowned this year, there were also attendants crowned from each of the other classes.

to the change has been mostly positive,” said Mrs. Scorza. “I know the seniors were the ones who struggled the most with this new idea; however, once they saw that the title of ‘Homecoming Queen’ was not being removed, many were okay with the change.”

Though some students expressed some skepticism toward the change, many are very enthusiastic to be a part

of such a big, annual event, especially because there are opportunities for students of each grade level.

“I was so excited,” said freshman Ashley Reardon. “It was such an honor to be nominated.”

“I’m really, really happy to be a part of this new system in its first year, and I think that this is the perfect way to get high school started off on the right foot.”

The Acceptable Use Policy states that “students and staff should use District technology in a responsible, efficient, ethical, and legal manner in accordance with the District 207 mission [of supporting and enhancing learning and teaching that prepares students for success in an information society].”

Violation of this policy can result in punishment ranging from termination of network privileges to suspension or expulsion from school grounds.

“It’s not the technology that causes people to do bad things,” Dr. Thiele said. “Someone could write something just as mean on a piece of paper that they could write online.”

District 207 does not tolerate cyber-bullying, or bullying in general, due to the fact that it “disrupts the educational environment and violates the rights of others.”

According to the Maine South Student Handbook that each student receives at the start of a new school

year, all students using district computers, equipment, software, and/or networks must comply with the rules and regulations expressed in the Acceptable Use Policy and other relevant agreements.

It remains to be seen how much Facebook will actually help people learn, but it is clear that it poses no more threat to learning than any other website out there.

“Our job is to prepare students for the real world, and Facebook and websites like it are an increasingly large part of the world that we live in today,” said Dr. Thiele.

Facebook status updated to ‘unblocked’

Dimitri Speron Staff Writer

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or the first time in many years, Facebook is no longer being blocked in District 207 and is now accessible from devices connected to the school’s network.

Citing Facebook’s capability to be used as a legitimate learning resource and the upgraded bandwidth now available to the schools, Dr. Hank Thiele, the Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Learning for District 207, revealed the change to teachers on Sept. 10.

Since many students and their parents have Facebook accounts, the school has recognized that Facebook is, for some, a vital communication tool.

Lack of access to Facebook made it difficult to access information about some businesses and organizations that lack a website or update their websites infrequently.

“M a ny o r g a n i z a t i o n s u s e Facebook in place of a traditional

website, and at times, people need to access that information,” said Dr. Thiele.

The unblocking of Facebook makes it considerably easier to communicate and to find relevant information on the Internet. At the same time, one can also see how the new unrestricted access to Facebook could impede the abilities of students to get their work done and focus.

One of the original reasons for the blocking of Facebook, along with its bandwidth consumption, was the fact that its use was primarily a distraction. The administration was worried that students would spend time during their classes and study halls on it instead of paying attention.

Though the use and access of Facebook may pose a distraction to students, online discipline is not a major concern, according to Dr. Thiele. However, anyone who breaks any rules on Facebook will receive the same disciplinary action they would otherwise.

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NEWS

| October 9, 2015

Wall of Honor gains two new members News Editor n Sept. 30, two Maine South alumni were added to the Wall of Honor, which recognizes graduates for outstanding contributions to society through significant career accomplishments and community service. These alumni, Mark Filip (‘84) and Ray Ozzie (‘73), will be joining 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Patricia Callahan, and environmental researcher Nathan Hultman on the Wall of Honor.

After graduating from Maine South in 1984, Mark Filip attended the University of Illinois and Oxford University, where he received degrees in economics, history, and jurisprudence. He went to Harvard Law School and became the editor of the Harvard Law Review before graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1992. He served as a law clerk for Judge Stephen F. Williams in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, then for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. In his position as U.S. Assistant Attorney, Filip received the U.S. Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance.

In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Filip to become a United States District Court Judge. During his time as a judge, he presided over many cases involving major crime, anti-trust, securities fraud, and immigration. Four years later, he was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Deputy Attorney General.

In this position, he was second-in-command of the justice department and oversaw all of its criminal and civil enforcement efforts. He represented the department in interactions with Congress, the White House, and other cabinetlevel departments, as well as with numerous foreign governments throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

He also served as the Acting Attorney General of the United States during the period of transition before Barack Obama became President.

Filip has given back extensively to the Maine South community.

“I have many memories of Mark Filip as a leader of our student council, but I think most people would appreciate hearing what he did for our Constitution Team years after he graduated,” said Mr. Pat Feichter at a recognition dinner held on Sept. 30 at the Park Ridge Country Club.

“By the mid 1990s, Mark had already finished Oxford University and Harvard, and was clerking for Antonin Scalia at the Supreme Court when I told him about the Constitution Team. They were going to Washington for the national finals, and I asked Mark if he could meet with them. He said he could do better than that—he would arrange for the team to meet Antonin Scalia at the court.

“On the day of the meeting, the students were brought into a room where Justice Scalia welcomed them and spent nearly an hour telling them about his judicial philosophy. This was a truly wonderful and unique experience for all of the students. They still talk about it today.”

PHOTO BY RHYANNE NOCHE

Anastasia Dalianis

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AWARD ACCEPTED Mark Filip takes the

podium at the recognition dinner after being introduced by Mr. Messmer. He expressed his thanks for the award and offered advice to Maine South students.

“While serving as Deputy Attorney General in 2008, Mr. Filip again hosted a group of students in Washington and gave them an inside look at the justice department,” Mr. Trenkle recalled.

“I knew it was no light feat, considering the security of the building and the hectic schedule he most certainly had that day. My students were deeply grateful for the time and respect that he gave to their questions about constitution and government. Many remarked that this was one of the best experiences that they had. It was quite an honor to see another Hawk serving our country in such an important way. Mr. Filip spent an hour taking questions, from the lighthearted to the more philosophical—a true Wall of Honor act.”

In his acceptance speech, Filip commented on his time at Maine South, and offered advice and encouragement for students.

“I think the thing about Maine South that was really special was that it was a place where people taught you to be unafraid to try your best, and to try to succeed,” he said.

“At the same time, it taught you that for every success you’re going to fail multiple times, but that it’s okay—you’ll dust yourself off, get back up, and move forward,” he said.

“The last thing that I’ll always remember about Maine South —and I hope that people can still do this in the present age in a public school environment—is that it was a place where people were unafraid to convey the moral necessity of acting in an honorable, honest way,” Filip noted.

“To be patriotic, to care about your fellow person— it wasn’t partisan, it wasn’t political, but it was unashamedly committed to the idea that you have a moral duty to help your community and to help other people in the world.

“At the end of the day, when you’re a grown-up, you don’t sort people based on what grade they got in school. What really differentiates people is whether they’re a good teammate, and whether

they’re an honorable leader, and whether they stand for something, something inspiring that people can believe in.”

Ray Ozzie’s first experience using a computer was at Maine South in 1969. He graduated in 1973 and attended the University of Illinois, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Entering a nascent computer industry, Ozzie worked on early microcomputer operating systems at Data General, one of the first of many computer firms.

He moved on to work at Software Arts, where he helped to develop VisiCalc, the very first electronic spreadsheet. From there, Ozzie joined Lotus Development and helped create Lotus 1-2-3, the forerunner to Microsoft Excel.

In 1984 Ozzie started his own company, Iris Associates, and created Lotus Notes, which was among the first software providing the ability for users to integrate messaging, databases, calendars, and communication. His company was acquired by Lotus and then by IBM, where he worked before transferring to Groove Networks.

Groove Networks was one of the first companies to develop file-sharing, and in 2005, it was purchased by Microsoft. In 2006, he took over Bill Gates’s position as Chief Software Architect of Microsoft. In 2012, he founded Talko, a software development company focusing on mobile team communications.

He is currently the director of the HewlettPackard company and a principal in Safecast.

Safecast was conceived in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. It provides freely available data gathered from networks of sensors mapping radiation levels. The goal of Safecast is to monitor the global environment.

Ray Ozzie was not able to attend the recognition dinner, but he filmed a video for Maine South students, encouraging them to explore and take new opportunities.

“I probably owe my entire career to the persistence of the various Maine South counselors who kept telling me to get up and to explore something that I’d never tried in the past,” he said.

“By exploring, I learned what I was good at.

By exploring, I got to know people. I started to recognize the characteristics of a great leader, someone I might want to follow, or someone I might want to be. By exploring, I ultimately learned to understand myself. Over the course of my entire career, I’ve been fortunate enough to have done five startups, whose products have been used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

“The single most important piece of advice that I can give to you as students is to take your futures into your own hands and begin to explore now. First and foremost, you can do this, as I did, by taking advantage of the incredible diversity of course and activity options available to you at Maine South.

It’s important to work hard and do well in your classes. But you need to become an explorer to learn about who you’ll want to be and how you will change the world.”

October 9, 2015

STAFF EDITORIAL

The correct definition of ‘challenging’

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ased on the large number of AP tests taken by students, Maine South earned a spot on Washington Post’s list of “The Most Challenging Schools.”

While it’s nice to receive this national recognition, this narrow view of challenge ignores the importance of extracurricular activity. In fact, student involvement is a much more accurate indication of being challenged.

Before 7:45 a.m. and after 3:15 p.m., students committed to clubs or sports devote additional time to the responsibilities of their social organization. There is no doubt that these students suffer a great deal of stress from balancing school assignments with extracurriculars.

Although being involved is a major time strain, it shapes students into becoming exceptional adults.

Simply put, these students know how to manage their time because they have to.

Managing your time can be

stressful; however, a student’s devotion to an extracurricular makes this obstacle worthwhile.

Students’ dedication to clubs, sports, or student organizations not only reveals an aspect of his/her character, but it can have a substantial influence a student’s future endeavors.

Extracurriculars have a great influence on which career path we take. Whether it was the Constitution team that stimulated a student’s desire to become a politician or the varsity soccer team that inspired another to work for a spot on Chicago Fire, extracurriculars guide students to discover their passions in life.

Although they are demanding, extracurriculars give students the opportunity to have something to be proud of. Whether it is winning a state championship or exceeding the goal for a fundraiser, a sense of accomplishment can make facing these challenges worthwhile.

The assumption that the only way to challenge yourself is academically

could not be more inaccurate. In actuality, challenge applies to those who devote their time and energy to an extracurricular.

Maine South has an array of extracurriculars, ranging from Harry Potter Club to Science Olympiad, each filled with devoted members and time-consuming agendas. With all the options, Maine South makes it challenging not to find a club, sport, or student organization that fits a student’s interest.

T he re c e nt Ac t iv it i e s Fai r showcased the countless originations that students can devote their time to.

This event redefines “challenge” as an accomplishment that also applies to those who invest their time, effort, and energy into after-school activities.

Academic dif f iculty and extracurricular engagement are both measurable indicators of challenge and should be recognized as such.

But the voluntary commitment of an extracurricular demonstrates the true spirit of being challenged.

Maybe you don’t have to choose Monica Bielawiec

Editor-in-Chief ollow your dreams. We’ve heard that phrase repeated over and over, seen it plastered on posters on classroom walls, been advised to follow it by our friends and families—but let’s be real: that advice is oftentimes misguided. If it wasn’t, we would need a lot more jobs for professional athletes, astronauts, musicians, and other selective professions.

It is true that a small percentage of people make it in these soughtafter career paths as well as get paid (handsomely) for doing something they love. But because it’s such a risk, I’m agonizing over whether I should pursue my dreams, or a path that will provide financial stability.

Do I pursue my dream career in communications, a direction with uncertain destinations? Or do I settle for something much more solid and financially promising, like business marketing, and risk a life stuck in

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cubicles or doing tasks I have no interest in?

Society has dictated that there are two paths in our world today: one of them being logical and the other unreasonable. We are taught that there is only one correct path for a good future, and the other is a waste of time and money.

I don’t agree with that. I believe that both paths are equally feasible, and with the right components, we can have the best of both worlds.

Don’t limit yourself if you’re willing to put in the work. Society makes us feel like we have to choose the right path—which may not be the one that would make us the happiest.

We i g h i n g m y o p t i o n s , I understand that by choosing to pursue my passions, I am going to hit unexpected challenges and struggles.

I can’t guarantee my future—I can’t guarantee that I’ll have a well-paying job, a stable life, and live each day without worry. And that scares me.

At the same time, I am ready to commit my time, effort, and resources to produce and shape my future. You only have the opportunities that you create, and the right path is the one that offers

the right opportunities and the right experiences.

We’re blessed to live in a world that offers such an abundance of opportunity. Colleges and universities allow dreams to change, and offer programs that accommodate any needs.

There are several viable paths, and it’s all a matter of research, and finding what works best for you.

In my case, I found schools that offer both a good communications program as well as certificates in integrated marketing communications. These schools also offer a variety of internships and work programs that will immerse me in the industry and open up doors for bigger opportunities.

If all else fails, I’ll still have a solid background in business to get me back on my feet.

Although I want to tell you all to dream big and chase those dreams, I also encourage you to be honest, just like I’ve been honest with myself.

Remember that chasing dreams is not always easy and not always successful.

But it is possible.

After all, happiness is a matter of our own creation.

| COMMENTARY

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 Monica Bielawiec Kate Papciak News Editors Anastasia Dalianis Rhyanne Noche Entertainment Editors Laura Cash Lauren Papp Olivia Post Features Editors Margaret Cahill Christina Johnson Bridget Yagihashi Commentary Editors John Sullivan

Mariam Zaki Sports Editors

Art Editor

Mike Greco Sam Tinaglia

Basia Chruscinski

Production Editors

Haley Mech Arden Sasak

Adviser

Mr. Stathakis

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COMMENTARY | October 6, 2015

The value of my name Isis Zaki

Commentary Writer name typically doesn’t invoke much of a conversation, but in my case, it usually sparks something like this: “I’m sorry, what was that?

Did you say your name is Isis? Like the…?”

Yes, my name is Isis. No, I am not a terrorist.

My father is Egyptian, so to him the name is associated with the Egyptian goddess, Isis, who is a symbol of love. Although the name is largely uncommon here in the United States, it is common in Egypt and parts of the Middle East.

Little did my loving, Christian parents know that 16 years after deciding to name their fourth child Isis, a notorious Islamic extremist group would emerge under the same name.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, more commonly known as ISIS or ISIL, is a jihadist extremist militant group, infamously known for committing extremely violent and horrific acts of terror against anyone who rejects their beliefs. They are known for their unjustified cruelty upon the minority groups that fail to conform to their extremist values.

Their dominion in areas of the Middle East has forced many people to flee, especially the Christian p opu l at i on w h o are u n d e r a serious threat. They have claimed responsibility for major attacks on the innocent people of the region.

The group also has destroyed priceless ancient artifacts in the region and claim it all to be in the name of their religion. This group and their actions go against every one of my values.

So, especially in light of recent events, it is evident how being associated with such a group can be hard, to say the least.

My name had never really caused me much trouble, outside of the usual pronunciation errors. (Just a side note: you’d think a four-letter, twosyllable name wouldn’t be too hard to pronounce, but you’d be surprised at the things I’ve heard.) The trouble began at the beginning of last school

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year when this group began to make headlines around the world.

After hearing my name repeated continuously on CNN alongside words like “execution” and “bombing,” I began to consider changing my name. My family—especially my father—all supported this option.

He would say that despite his love for my name, he didn’t want me to be associated with such a horrible organization in any way.

For a while, I thought maybe it would be fun to change my name.

I could choose any name I wanted.

After all, it’s just a name.

If I felt like I would be losing so I began to reason with myself, much, then what I could possibly gain trying to rationalize this major from changing my name? decision. I kept thinking that if Regardless of what my name I changed my name, I wouldn’t means to me and all the people that have to deal with all the negative know me, to the world, my name will connotations. It would be nice to not forever be associated with this group have to explain myself to everyone and—not only the group, but all of the that I met. Also, I would be able to terrible and evil things they have done choose any name that I wanted. over the past few years.

When I was younger, I used I’m not going to act like it’s not to be so proud of my name and unfortunate that my name has taken its uniqueness. I had never met on a new meaning, but I’m also not another Isis and I thought that was going to let that define me. the coolest thing ever, as if the name Everyone who knows me is aware was exclusively mine. that I am not a terrorist, so why should My name belongs to me, not a I let something out of my control terrorist group. It is—and always will define me? Although changing my be—a defining part of who I am. name might prevent some negative When I take time to think about associations, I came to the conclusion it, I realize just how much value that my name was just too important a name holds. to me.

Just think of all My f r i e n d s “ My name belongs to me, the memories we make jokes and associate with our not a terrorist group. It is— take jabs at my names. and always will be—a defin- n a m e a l l t h e To this day, I time. If anything, ing part of who I am.” can still hear the i t ’s a q u a l i t y way my grandma conversation used to call out starter. my name from her kitchen. Her I actually find it amusing the way accent would make it sound as if the different people react to hearing my first “s” was a “z,” like “Izis.” name for the first time. One of the I think back to when I won awards most amusing reactions to my name and the triumph of hearing my name was from a teacher, who after first being announced. Or the way my little reading it off the roster on the first day sister, as a six-year-old, used to drag of school, waited a few seconds before out my name when she was frustrated saying, “well, that’s unfortunate” in an with me. amazingly blunt tone, acknowledging I thought the best way to make a the obvious thought everyone else was decision would be to consider what I too scared to say out loud. would lose if I gave up my name. And I have to admit, I was shocked. Most I realized I would be giving up a huge people choose not to acknowledge the piece of my identity. I would lose the unfortunate nature of sharing a name pride of having such an authentically with a terrorist group. But I genuinely Egyptian name. was not offended, instead; I could not

ILLUSTRATION BY BASIA CHRUSCINSKI

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNE LONGMAN

stop laughing.

Despite what most people would think, I am not bothered when people comment on my name. I was raised to be confident in who I am and the way that I live my life. I feel like I have the power to distinguish myself from any other group or person that shares my name.

I h av e h e a rd hu n d re d s of comments like this and I am sure I will keep on hearing them, but I know not to take them to heart. I know the value that my name holds, and, in the end, that is all that matters to me.

So yes, it may seem trivial to cling to my name in spite of all the negative connotations, especially since I know that people change their names all the time. I am also well aware that a name does not define who I am. But it is a part of me that I don’t want to let go of.

In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” Juliet asks, “What’s in a name?

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

A rose by a different name would still be a rose, but that doesn’t diminish the importance of the name.

Something is not beautiful simply because of its name—but it’s actually quite the opposite.

A name is beautiful simply because the thing or person it represents is beautiful.

I strive to live a meaningful life and to be someone worthy of respect.

However I choose to live my life, my name will encompass all that I am. So I’m not going to change it.

Even if that means putting up with all of the awkward introductions and having to clarify that I’m not actually a terrorist.

My name is Isis, and I’m proud of that.

October 9, 2015 | COMMENTARY

Should college athletes be compensated?

College athletes deserve financial compensation

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s an avid sports fan, I like to have an amazing, blood-pumping experience each and every time I sit down to watch a game.

Whether it is a professional or college game, I love to watch the upper echelon talent in sports go head-to-head in competition.

Although professionals are very exciting to watch, they make millions upon millions of dollars, which, for some, means the sport is merely a way to make money.

But what about the college athletes that are not compensated for their athletics, who strictly play for the love of the game?

C ollege athletes must be compensated for the time and effort

Tara Faraji Commentary Writer

College athletes are already well compensated

F

or countless years, sports have been a vital part of American society. Sundays are reserved for football games, and training begins at an early age.

If a child is talented enough to continue playing at a collegiate level, they receive benefits that many other students cannot, such as scholarships.

Among these benefits may be a scholarship, free housing, and a stipend which some college athletes receive, to go towards food and other such resources.

Also, if athletes are passionate enough about their sport, they will eventually get paid when playing professionally.

Another complication which colleges will run into is how to

Not only must college athletes be paid for their hard work, but also for the exploitation of their names for profit by their individual schools and the NCAA as a company.

Each year, throughout the many college sports, the NCAA makes money by marketing the tournaments, broadcasting the games, and selling tickets to the events in which these athletes partake.

Colleges take advantage of their young stars as well, selling jerseys with a player’s name on the back.

The colleges in the NCAA make a large amount of money off these types of retail items, while the athletes receive none of the profit.

Athletes in professional sports often receive money for their names being used in marketing or the selling of products, so the same should be done for college athletes.

At least fifteen percent of the profit on each item using an individual athlete’s name should go directly to the athlete to use for school- related expenses or other needs.

For many people who choose to participate in

determine the pay of students in different classes of programs.

For example, even though both Division I and Division III athletes dedicate the same amount of time and practice to their sports, if colleges are allowed to recruit students by the amount of money they can offer, sports will no longer be just a fun hobby but a dangerous game of monopoly.

Colleges can award scholarships for many different reasons; those who excel in music or academics along with sports are eligible for these scholarships.

Why is it, though, that the a c a d e m i c a l ly t a l e nte d or t he artistically talented students do not get paid but the athletes do?

If musicians dedicate the same amount of time and effort as athletes, then musicians should get paid as well.

Those who are in the marching bands at their college have the same amount of practice but no benefits; cheerleaders devote the same amount of practice, however, they are also left penniless.

To resolve this conflict, colleges could either pay all of its students who are involved in time-consuming

extracurricular activities, in which case, the college would be bankrupt after one semester, or not pay any activity and keep providing scholarships for the academically, artistically, and athletically talented.

Since Division I athletes are often more competitive and advanced, they usually receive a higher-paying scholarships, even though the hours of practice are the same for both teams.

Athletes who put in the same amount of work deserve to be awarded the same scholarship.

Finally, even though offering athletes full-ride scholarships and other college benefits is a huge part of the recruitment process, if colleges added a competition to offer the highest monthly salary on top of that, college sports would no longer be about an athletic competition, but a game of who can earn the most money.

college athletics, the chance to be compensated for their hard work and to stop their exploitation is yet to come.

Unfortunately, it seems, it will be a long time before college athletes are compensated for their athletic ability and the entertainment that they bring to the fans.

The exploitation of these studentathletes is horrendous, and a big change must be made in the very near future.

As sports fans we not only must stay loyal to our favorite colleges, but to the athletes as well.

The time has come for every sports fan to take a stand and end the exploitation of these young athletes who have worked their whole lives, just to have the NCAA take the only payment that many of them will ever see.

ILLUSTRATION BY BASIA CHRUSCINSKI

Mike Greco Sports Editor

that they put into their athletic careers at school.

Each athlete in college has worked his or her entire life just to reach this level of competition, which, for many young athletes will be the pinnacle of their athletic careers.

These so-called student-athletes often put in more hours of work than the average laborer in the United States for much less of a payoff.

Although these athletes may receive high-paying scholarships, the money that they could have earned working internships or part-time jobs must be made up for, as most of their time is taken up by their sport Every time they take the field, these athletes are not only risking injury to themselves by overtraining, but missing out on time to learn in class and time to spend with family and friends.

Allowing athletes to make even a small amount of money for the work that they have put in would validate their efforts.

It also can aid those athletes who have become injured and can no longer play so their hard work in college athletics was not wasted.

SouthwordS 7

FEATURES | OctOber 9, 2015

Margaret Cahill & Christina Johnson Features Editors

O

ne of the most integral parts of American culture when it comes to Halloween is telling ghost stories.

Some of these stories are silly and made for fun—not frights. However (once in a super moon, if you will), a ghastly tale will come along that can make our hair stand on end months after the annual holiday spooks have left us.

Many of the tales that stand out the most to us are ones that are told and experienced by people we know. When we hear a story that occurs so close to our own doorsteps, it makes these stories seem much more real, and so much more frightening.

When we hear these stories, our entire perspective of our town can be transformed.

Haunted Hamlet Anyone who has been backstage during the weeks leading up to a show, or has walked the halls of the PA wing during the boisterous, music-filled hours of the day can attest to the overwhelming feeling of life and energy present.

But many who frequent these areas could also tell you of a different energy in this wing of our school.

Her name is Hamlet. She has been a subject of fascination for Maine South fine arts students for generations.

Twelve years old and dressed in a long white nightgown, nobody seems to know how this apparition came to roam our halls, though many guess.

“We have no idea if she maybe died in a house nearby, or was buried in the cemetery or in a garbage dump—we aren’t sure which,” stage crew leader Mr. Sanchez said. “She has no idea why she’s here, but she likes hanging out [backstage] because of all the kids, so they’re not allowed to try to get rid of her or anything like that… She’s not a bad ghost and doesn’t do anything harmful, so we just let her hang out.”

Hamlet has created quite the reputation for being Maine South students’ savior in times of need.

“She keeps an eye on people and has a tendency to do things like turn the lights on and off,” said Mr.Sanchez.

“When there’s an emergency, she’ll do something like turn the lights on. This happened during ‘Titanic’ one time when there was a set piece that fell apart and everybody was screaming for the lights to turn on and they did; but

8 SOuthwOrdS

nobody could figure out why because there was nobody near the lights. All the work lights backstage came on.”

This event caused Maine South students to become so infatuated with the idea of a Maine South ghost that a few of them even attempted to conduct a seance to try to learn about the spirit.

The student who was supposed to act as the “medium” then reported that Hamlet just went to sleep one night and woke up in the auditorium with no idea what was going on.

Although she is considered a “good ghost,” there are stories to suggest that Hamlet does not like to be disrespected.

“One time, we were rehearsing for ‘Arabian Nights’ last year, and the lights went out because they were doing something with the generator,” said senior Sarah Biggins. “All of the crew kind of gathered in the center of the stage to tell ghost stories and we were talking about Hamlet when [junior] Liam Finn, one of our painting crew members, said ‘Hamlet is a stupid name.’

Then the emergency lights, which aren’t

supposed to go out, just went out! We all started screaming, ‘Liam you have to take it back!’ so he apologized,” said senior Sarah Biggins.

“It was really scary,” said Finn.

This incident aside, the overall consensus of the backstage crew is that Hamlet is not a spirit to be feared. It is said that sometimes you can feel her presence backstage but it is not a feeling of impending doom—rather, one of peaceful company.

Friel’s fright Senior Chrissy Friel has had more than her fair share of spooky encounters.

Her house, rumored to be on an old cemetery or Indian burial ground, has been the setting of countless events that would send shivers down the spines of even the most skeptical.

“One time I was sleeping in my room and the lights were off and the door was closed and somebody started poking me

in the back, so I turned around, and no one was there,” said Friel. She also told spine-tingling accounts of beds shaking, dogs barking at nothing, and her sister’s phone being mysteriously placed in her hand when the alarm went off.

“There was a time when I was standing in front of my dresser, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw my chair get pushed into a shelf and then a can of pencils just flew out everywhere, all over the floor,” said Friel. “That was pretty traumatizing.”

Not only is her house rumored to have been built on a cemetery, but Friel’s parents are also funeral directors.

Her mom does removals and Friel says that she uses their van to transport the bodies.

“Sometimes the spirits come home with her from the funeral home because apparently they cling on the nice people,” said Friel. “So we’ll have random ghosts in our house.”

And it’s not just Friel and her family who have experienced this. Everyone from neighbors to construction workers

have reported feeling the unsettling presence in the house.

“Construction wakes up the dead, and the time it was the worst was when we were having construction done in our attic and the guys who were working on the house said our house felt more haunted than places in Mexico where there have been big massacres…they were excited to leave,” said Friel.

Even though the Friels believe the ghosts are just looking for a “good scare” and don’t really mean any harm, they still had their house blessed in order to try to prevent these paranormal occurrences. But after many years in this house, Friel says that even though she still doesn’t like to be home alone, she’s gotten somewhat used to the haunts. “[I] just say, ‘I don’t want to hear you or see you!’ and they usually respect that,” says Friel.

One of Friel’s biggest concerns, however, is that people will be skeptical of her stories. Because of her experiences, Friel fears that people will label her as “crazy” and dismiss her concerns.

“I never tell people about ghosts because I don’t know what they think and it’s a weirdly controversial subject which doesn’t make sense because...

I know that they’re there and if they weren’t there, we wouldn’t be having this discussion,” said Friel.

upstairs door slam. She went upstairs to see what the problem was and when she opened the door, no one was there. So standing right outside that doorway, she called my dad and asked if he was home.

He wasn’t. She said that she thought she heard a door slam, then the door right behind her slams shut. She thought someone was in the house so she ran outside and called 911. When the police came to my house they looked around and were like, there’s nobody here.”

Many strange and unexplainable things have happened in their house, but never seemed to be violent—maybe even helpful in some cases.

“I was sewing once and I left my tape measure on my hockey table while I was sewing off to the side,” she said. “When I needed my tape measure, and I knew I left it on the table because I didn’t need it yet and when I got up to get it, I saw that it was right next to my sewing machine.”

This s enior wasn’t t he on ly family member to experience some unexplained things before they moved, but maybe during their 12-year stay, they weren’t the only residents.

“My sister said it was like 3 o’clock in the morning and she couldn’t sleep,” she said. “Her door was a little open and when she looked in the doorway, she saw a black hand on her door and something looking in.”

Some bizarre things have happened in this Maine South senior’s house, but they learned to accept the unexplainable and move on.

An anonymous account Supernatural In the case of one senior who wishes to remain anonymous, ghost stories are vs. science better left in the past and unexplained.

“The most recent one, before we moved, was when me and my dad were in the sitting room and my mom was in the kitchen making dinner,” she said. “Right above the sitting room was my bedroom and my sister’s bedroom, then across the hall was my parents’ bedroom. My dad and I were just talking when we heard something jump off my bed, run across the floor into my parents’ room and then jump onto the bed. I thought that it was my dog until he came trotting in from the dining room next to us.”

Unfortunately, strange noises weren’t the only unusual things happening in her home.

“My mom came home from work one day when I was still at school and my dad was still at work and she heard an upstairs door slam,” she said. “She thought that my dad was home, so she took my dog outside, and when she came back inside, she heard another

Although some may want to believe in ghost hauntings and spirits roaming the halls of Maine South and Park Ridge, many believe that hauntings can simply be that a figment of your imagination.

There are many physiological effects of being in a “creepy” place where you have been told there has been paranormal activity.

A part of the reason why people are usually on high alert in “spooky” situations is because of a part of your brain called the amygdala.

“Humans have this sort of fear of the unknown,” said Mr. Deger, the psychology teacher here at Maine South. “It triggers the amygdala in your brain so you start thinking, ‘Wait a second, this is kind of spooky.’ When you go into that kind of situation, more often than not, you’re on a higher alert.

The human brain also likes to find an explanation right away.”

If your amygdala is very active, you

ILLUSTRATION BY BASIA CHRUSCINSKI

OctOber 9, 2015 | FEATURES

are more likely to pick up on clues and jump to conclusions so that your mind is satisfied with some sort of explanation as to what is happening.

“The problem is that our causeseeking mechanisms aren’t usually the best because the brain is also kind of lazy,” said Mr. Deger. “Oftentimes, it’ll jump to a cause that answers it so you can move on.”

When you get scared, your body turns on what’s called the sympathetic nervous system which gives you a rush of adrenaline. This also triggers a release of dopamine into your brain, which gives you a rush.

“What makes haunted houses so interesting is the fact that a person going into it is in sort of a controlled scare, so they’re not going into it absolutely fearing for their lives,” said Mr. Deger.

Much of why people may fear places or things is because of what they have heard or seen from media or rumors.

“People tend to remember stuff that they were told as opposed to scientific evidence,” said Mr. Deger. “Humans are really kind of interesting because they will take something that someone has told them more as fact, as opposed to data. So with haunted places, the main thing that’s going is reputation. That kind of primes you for some mysterious

stuff that might happen.”

However, science has yet to to verify the existence of life after death.

“There have been times when spirit orbs have been created by dust,” said Mr. Deger. “A lot of times people bring photographic evidence, which can be tampered or set up.”

Yet according to Mr. Deger, the idea that spirits exist isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“Certain cultures say once you’re dead that’s it, but we obviously don’t know,” said Mr. Deger. “The idea that ghosts and spirits exist basically flexes the idea of immortality which is kind of comforting for a lot of people.”

If there are spirits that truly haunt us after they have passed, the main question that would be asked is ‘why?’

“What makes it tough is that if you’re talking about something supernatural, by definition, it doesn’t necessarily abide by natural laws,” said Mr. Deger.

Though most people would like to know what happens after death, the only way to know the truth is to experience it for yourself.

“That fear of the unknown, that idea that there are ghosts and spirits, which I’m not saying that there aren’t or are, the problem is that it’s not science,” said Mr. Deger.

SOuthwOrdS 9

FEATURES

| October 9, 2015

Behind becoming a super fan Features Writer & Features Editor typical fall Friday night for a lot of Maine South students means attending a Hawks football game as a player, trainer, cheerleader, Hawkette, band member, or just a fan.

But there is another group of students that attend not only football games, but almost every sporting event you can name. These students are known as super fans.

“A super fan is one who has the ultimate desire for Maine South to be number one in every athletic competition they compete in,” said senior super fan Austin Derrick.

Having desire alone, though, is not enough to be considered a member of this elite group. Many responsibilities come with the title.

“They must do anything and everything possible to give the Hawks motivation from the stands,” Derrick said.

One of the main duties of the super fans is to dress themselves in the colors of the game’s theme. Most of the events that these fans attend have a theme designated for them by the “Mother Hawkers” Facebook page.

“A super fan must cover his/her self with clothes associated with that theme,” said Derrick. So much so

PHOTO

BY LAUREN PHOTO COURTESY FRAUPAPP WOLF

Tommy O’Connor & Bridget Yagihashi

A

PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPP

HAIL TO THE HAWKS

Senior Marisa Owen waves a flag above the student section, riling up the enthusiastic fans.

10 SouthwordS

WILD IN THE CROWD

Students celebrate in the stands following a Hawks touchdown during the Sept. 4 game versus Loyola. Many of the fans dressed in camouflage to support the team.

that, “no skin should be showing.”

However, this is no easy task. After all, not many people own enough camouflage to be covered head to toe.

Yet, this kind of challenge will not stop a motivated super fan.

“When there was a fun theme like camo, I had most of my outfit, but needed to go out and buy a little to complete it,” said senior super fan Heather Wind.

Camouflage is one of the many themes that has been sported by the Maine South student section.

“The first ideas usually come from the color of the uniform of the Hawks, whether it’s white, red, or black,” said Derrick. “Those are primarily saved for the big games, as everyone can participate in those easily and it looks more uniform and fierce. Then it defers to themes going on in school or in society, like the pink out for breast cancer or the Homecoming theme. A USA theme always has to be mixed in of course.”

The USA theme was exhausted at an away football game at Deerfield earlier in the month. Eagles and American flags littered the stands. Super fans even brought out red, white, and blue face paint to make sure they were in theme from head to toe. Although it is a big part of the position, the role of a super fan extends beyond dressing up in goofy clothes.

“A super fan must try to get the crowd, especially underclassmen, rowdy for the game,” said Wind.

“We need to support our team and show them that we care.”

Derrick had a list of requirements that must be met for one to be considered a true super fan.

“A super fan must cheer almost the whole game; however, they need to understand the timings of the cheers,” said Derrick. “An uneducated fan of the sport cannot be considered a super fan.”

The super fan’s influence does not stop at football games. They are found at nearly every sport that Maine South takes part in.

“Football is great, obviously, because the ability to lead so many people is amazing,” Derrick said.

“But I love to go to all sports. I have attended everything from a boys’ water polo match to girls’ volleyball.”

Being a super fan takes a lot of time and effort, and in some cases, money. Each super fan has his/her own reason for going further than just throwing on a red Hawks shirt, going to the football game, and calling it a day.

“I go all-out for games because it is the last opportunity for me to cheer on people that I personally know out there competing,” said

Derrick. “I feel a sense of pride as well as duty to carry on the tradition of having the best student section in the state.”

Though there are clear responsibilities for super fans, it is a role that most relish.

“Anyone can be a super fan—they just have to get up, get rowdy, and have fun,” said Wind.

Derrick describes the journey to becoming a super-fan as easy.

“Follow the lead of those ahead of you, and cheer as much as you can,” he said. “Go all out for the theme, it gets noticed very easily and is appreciated. Become educated in whichever sporting event you go to, no one likes a wrong cheer at the wrong time. Most importantly, have fun and have pride in Maine South, whatever the end result.”

The super fans’ hard work and commitment does not go unnoticed.

The teams that receive the support from the super fans appreciate and rejoice in the enthusiasm displayed by the loyal student section.

“It warms my heart to see so many people supporting my team,” said varsity football player and junior Emmett Zima. “The student section gets me fired up and makes the atmosphere of the hawks nest ten times better when everyone is going crazy and showing their support.”

October 9, 2015 | ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment Writer his October, the Maine South Fine Arts Department presents a modern interpretation of Voltaire’s “Candide.” Students of all talents have come together to execute the humorous essence of the play. The play consists of a new director and hardworking cast members.

Maine South will be presenting the adapted version of “Candide”

by Scott Hunter. The cast consists of over 30 students, not including the stage crew and percussionists. The wide set of characters, settings, and situations allows for the entertaining atmosphere that surrounds the play.

“There are a lot of different perspectives with a lot of different actors playing multiple parts within the play,” senior student director Chrissy Friel said. “That lets us make the show very different and also very humorous. The play breaks the fourth wall a lot, so that also adds to the sense of humor. It all makes this production seem very different from ones we’ve done in the past.”

The fall play not only allows for students to test their skills and be involved in a large-scale production, it also provides an environment where new students can meet people with similar interests. This allows them to become familiar with some of the different activities Maine South has to offer.

“Meeting new people is the biggest thing for me,” said freshman Zech Pappageorge. The sense of community, friendship, and happiness that can be observed among the actors at the rehearsals will easily transfer the play.

PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPP

T

Maine South students and faculty said goodbye to their long time teacher and director, Mr. Muszynski, last year. He was a huge part of the Maine South Fine Arts Department for 25 years before he took his final bow after last year’s production of “Shrek, the Musical.”

The mark he left on Maine South is one that will not be forgotten.

However, Mrs. Saurer, the new director of the fall play, has picked up where Mr. Muszynski left off.

Mrs. Saurer gives the rehearsals a very enthusiastic and friendly atmosphere that excites the actors.

Mrs. Saurer herself has stated that she is truly excited to be working with the cast she has, and that she is happy with the way the play is developing.

“I would say that what makes this show so appealing to direct is the fact that it is one of literature’s great satires, and this adaptation lends itself so easily to invention and creativity,” she said.

Grace Murphy, a senior involved in the play this year, is happy to have Mrs. Saurer as her new director.

“Her directing style is definitely similar to that which we’ve had before,” said Grace, “She does a good job of making being a part of the play fun and comfortable. She has definitely exceeded our expectations as a director.”

Actors and directors aside, there are other crew members to be recognized in this production. A storyline with this many different scenes and moods needs a fast and efficient backstage crew to switch props and backgrounds almost

NO MONKEY BUSINESS

Senior Eamon Hurd rehearses his role as Candide. He has just shot and killed a bunch of monkeys.

‘CANDIDE’ CANDID

Senior Grace Murphy portrays the character Old Woman who only has one buttock. Here the setting is in the African jungle.

instantaneously while the actors prepare to engage in the next act. The crew isn’t all about the visual aspects of the play, either.

The costumes were made by Mrs. McCleneghan. Senior Eamon Hurd has a very elaborate costume that has many layers to it, including a shirt, vest, knickers, and high socks. Most of the costumes have an old England look.

The percussionist for “Candide,” junior Katie Daehler, is a vital part in creating the atmosphere that the directors are looking for through audio effects and music All of this movement and activity backstage shows how complicated this undertaking is and how difficult it is to coordinate and pull it all together, especially in such a short amount of time.

“Candide” follows the misadventures of the main character, Candide, in his search for his childhood sweetheart. This journey takes him through nine different countries and countless outlandish situations. Between battles with Bulgarian soldiers, and scenes in In qu i s it i on - c ont ro l l e d , p o s t earthquake Portugal, Candide is dragged through over the top and unfamiliar territory. These situations create a plot line that can captivate and charm any audience, especially the student body at Maine South.

In the past, the Maine South theater community has produced its fair share of classic plays, all while giving them a modern twist. As serious as “Candide” may seem, its

upcoming production will be light and easy to watch.

“Working with such a wonderful group of talented and funny students makes directing this show a truly collaborative endeavor; we share ideas in the rehearsal room, and the show is richer. In fourteen years of directing, I have never laughed this much in rehearsal. Come and see “Candide;” I can absolutely promise that you will laugh, too,” said Mrs. Saurer.

Certain aspects of the play, such as direct references to the crowd and to the play itself, and a dance scene, are sure to make seeing this play well worth the price of the ticket.

The play will be performed in Watson Auditorium on Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 17 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $7 for general admission.

PHOTO BY KATE PAPCIAK

Liam Conlon

PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPP

Laugh your buttock off with ‘Candide’

LOOKING SHARP

Senior Eamon Hurd dresses in full costume during a costume fitting. Putting on the many layers of his costume makes putting on his costume a very long process.

SouthwordS 11

ENTERTAINMENT | October 9, 2015

Students can save big with their IDs Julia Klages

Entertainment Writer

W

hile most students think that the primary purpose of an ID is to scan into a study, it actually can be used for a whole lot more. From buying tickets to Blackhawks games, to buying the newest iPhone, your ID can get you the best discounts in town.

MOVIES Even though a movie ticket is reasonable in price, people may decide to buy candy, popcorn, and a drink. All of these things can definitely add up in price.

AMC offers deals on certain days such as Thursdays, in which students can show their IDs and get better prices.

TRAVEL PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPP

Many Maine South students look forward to winter, spring, and summer breaks to visit popular vacationing spots. From going to the beach, to hiking on the mountains, vacationing is filled to the brim with activities. But, when all expenses are included, this could be a very hefty price to pay. Luckily, certain flights, hotels, and train rides include discount package deals with a student ID. Ventra and Metra services offer student discounts if you take the train to and from school. “I got almost $2.00 off of my last train ride by using my ID,” said junior Grace Janes.

“Even though that does not sound like much, it adds up, and over time, you will end up saving a lot of money”.

FASHION It’s hard to stay up to date with the latest fashions when you do not want to spend a lot of money. Luckily, certain places, such as Banana

12 SouthwordS

Republic, have 15-20% off on certain items if you have your student ID, and Levis has a discount of about 10% off. offers different student specials on different days of the week, so be sure to call ahead to find out what they are.

RESTAURANTS Students must bring their ID in order What is better than going out to receive the discount of they day. to eat with a couple of friends on a Friday Night? Well, now it can be a lot more affordable. Spuntino’s INSURANCE offers a 10% discount if you have your For many high school students student ID. car insurance can be the biggest Junior Kara Wolinski said, “I go monthly expense. But, with a license out to eat with my friends regularly. comes the necessity of insurance.

The fact that I can save some money Certain insurance companies include next time I can go out is really nice.” a discount if you have a school ID. Another restaurant that offers a Companies like 21st Century include variety of student discount programs discounts if a student has a B average is Buffalo Wild Wings. “Bdubs” or higher. Allstate gives up to 10%

LOP O MIHA TINA

MUSEUMS

BY C

HRIS

The Art Institute is one of the biggest and most popular museums in Chicago.

It contains world-renowned pieces of art and is a great place to visit if you are ever downtown.

Unfortunately, it is a bit expensive for a high school budget. However, if you bring your student ID you save $6.

“It’s smart of the Art Institute to offer this discount, because if students want to major in art then they will be able to visit all sorts of art at affordable costs,” said Junior Kamila Kazmierczak.

The Field Museum offers free basic admission for students. A discovery pass admits students for $9, and an all access pass is offered to students for $16.

The Shedd Aquarium offers $5 admission price to students who have their ID. The Goodman Theater, also downtown Chicago, allows students who have IDs to buy tickets for $10 the day of a show.

ILLU STR ATIO N

Apple is known for high-quality technology, but that high quality often comes at high prices. Fortunately, they offer discounts for students with school IDs. Incoming college students can receive $200 off a laptop, and regular high school students can get up to $100 off. “My brother recently graduated from Maine South last year,” Junior Jill Steffen said. “If he knew he could have gotten $200 off of a laptop just by using a student ID, he would have definitely bought one.”

ULO

S

APPLE

off car insurance if a teen completes a Teen Smart drivers ed program, and State Farm offers up to 20% if the student has good grades.

MUSIC

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is a renowned orchestra encompassing the art of music and talent. Many students don’t get the chance to listen to it because tickets are normally on the pricier side. But, with the use of a student ID, students can buy general admission tickets for $15.

Ravinia allows students to access tickets as low as $10. Junior Caroline Dudlak said, “It’s a good idea because it gives students a reason to try listening to other genres of music.

Now younger kids will be able to listen to new types of music.”

There are a variety of different places and events with student discounts that can be beneficial to students and their wallets.

October 9, 2015 | ENTERTAINMENT

Ed and his one man band Kate Papciak

Editor-In-Chief ritish singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran wowed audience memb ers wit h underst ated staging and a performance that featured no backing musicians at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater on Sept. 16.

The 2015 Ed Sheeran tour has already traveled to countless cities across North America and has only a few shows left before concluding the tour in New Zealand. Christina Perri kicked off the evening concert with a few songs, including her hit “A Thousand Years.” She also joined Sheeran on stage to perform their collaboration song, “Be My Forever.” Following Perri, Passenger took the stage as the second opening act.

In the span of two and half hours, Sheeran performed songs from his debut album “+,” his second album “X,” as well as a tribute to Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made to Love Her.” While most artists perform with a band or back-up dancers, Sheeran stays true to his simplistic self by being accompanied on stage with only his microphone, guitar, and loop pedal. Sheeran’s famous loop pedal records sounds live then plays the sound back for a set number of repetitions.

This device makes it possible for Sheeran to create musical depth and rhythm during his performance by utilizing just his guitar and voice.

It takes talent to sing the correct lyrics, play the

PHOTO BY MONICA BIELAWIEC

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BRITISH INVASION

Ed Sheeran is rarely seen without a guitar on stage or during media appearances. Not only does Sheeran play the acoustic and electric guitar, but he also creates a unique musical experience with his signature loop pedal.

correct notes, work the loop pedal, and keep the audience entertained all at the same time; and yet Sheeran executed this with flying colors.

“You Need Me I Don’t Need You,” the first encore song from “+,” was one of the most powerfully presented songs of the night because of Sheeran’s rapping skills as well as the crescendo of sounds using the notorious loop pedal.

Another crowd favorite surfaced when Sheeran slowed down the tempo with his performance of “Kiss Me” that transitions into his hit single “Thinking Out Loud.” Every high-energy, upbeat song was followed by a slow, calming song, which was great to give the audience a break from dancing between songs.

Sheeran united his audience by stating it was a “judge free zone,” thus allowing his fans to dance as they please. The audience had a chance to help out Sheeran with the vocals in some songs such as, the final song of the night, “Sing.” Sheeran had the audience continue the song until he slyly departed from the stage.

Not only did he write all of his music, but Sheeran amazed the audience with his live performance— sounding even better than his album recordings.

Ed Sheeran has the unique ability to earn several Grammy nominations, sell out tours in a matter of minutes, and make even a Wednesday evening feel like a Friday night.

Haunted happenings for Halloween Maggie Carey

Entertainment Writer

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ith October already in full swing, it’s time to get into the Halloween spirit. Since Oct. 31 falls on a Saturday this year, we have a great opportunity to make all 24 hours of this Halloween count.

You can start your day with the Chicago Monster Dash. Runners have the option of a chip-timed half marathon, 10k, or a 5k fun-run.

The course is set along Lake Michigan and will start in Grant Park. The best part of this is all the runners wear costumes. One hour prior to the race, participants are invited to the costume contest where there will be prizes for all ages and even a group contest. The winners will be announced after the race, and finishers earn race medals, along with a Chicago Monster Dash jacket.

If running isn’t your thing, have no fear because there’s always Fright Fest. At Six Flags Great America this October, you can expect to see your favorite attractions, as well as some that are making their debut. This year, Six Flags has opened the a six- stop haunted house route. These six experiences all lead up to the “House of Torment,” the final stop on the blood-curdling tour. Another addition is a Fright Fest Freak Show which is sure to make you squirm. Lastly, they have added an LED light show around the carousel at the entrance of the park.

However, be sure not to get too distracted because vampires and construction workers will be lurking and looking for unsuspecting spectators.

When you’ve gone on enough rides, you can head over to the Glessner House Museum for a haunted tour of the oldest building in Chicago.

The Glessner House Museum is composed of two houses ­— one built in 1886 and one in 1836.

Haunted tours are offered Oct. 30 and 31 only, and these are anything but your average museum tour.

Visitors will hear tales of mysterious deaths of former owners and unexplainable events that have occurred inside.

All of this is happening while the lights are off. A set of windows are known to shake violently for no reason, and no one can figure out why. By the end of the night, y o u m i g ht j u s t believe that there is more in the Glessner House than just fancy architecture; perhaps even the ghost of a former owner?

If you’re looking for some interactive Halloween fun, head on over to Room Escape Adventures located on Michigan Ave. After getting locked in a room with a zombie, you and your team of up to 12 have to solve a series of riddles, puzzles, and challenges to try to find the antidote and escape the zombie. But beware—every five minutes the zombie’s chain gets a foot longer. You have 60 minutes to the find clues, solve the puzzles, unlock the door and escape the room without . getting eaten!

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNE LONGMAN

SouthwordS 13

SPORTS

| October 9, 2015

Eight pack of runners lead girls’ cross country Sam Tinaglia Sports Editor

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ith senior captains Casey Bomrad, Kalina Gardiner, and Julia Sirvinskas, the girls’ cross country team is looking forward to another successful season. Led by Coach Downing, the team has a strong bunch of runners that have lofty goals for the season.

“We have had in the past teams that were led by a standout runner,” said coach Downing. “This year is all about the pack of eight runners that run together in races.”

“Along with the three captains, the rest of the varsity squad, which includes juniors Olivia Holmes, Maura Lally, Maddie Dingle, Olivia Niziolek and sophomore Kathleen Glockner, have shown great leadership and are all great role models for the younger and less experienced runners,” said Gardiner.

“We try to make everyone feel important and included in the team and try to provide a good example for other,” said Bomrad. “Unlike some other teams, we don’t have one person who is significantly better than everyone else, so everyone on varsity is a leader in some respects.”

The team also knows that practice is important for improving, which will gradually help them in every meet or event.

“We have workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays girls’ cross country teams in Maine South history. and distance runs four other days of the week,” said With the teams wins in big invites, they are looking Sirvinskas. “Each practice includes a warm-up, forward to a few more meets down the road. cool-down, and strength training. We sometimes “Everyone is excited to make the trip down to swim in the mornings when the Community Center Peoria for the Richard Spring Invite,” said Gardiner. pool is available.”

“Not many people get a chance to run on the State “With lots of practice in the course before the State meet, Our goal is to place at so we are very excited to race books for the team, the team has showed their excellence early. and do well there.” all or almost all of our “We are already a lot better Going to State fosters an meets, and hopefully to than we were last year,” Gardiner extreme sense of excitement said. “A lot of girls have already for many members of the place in the top five to run their fastest time for three team. Which allows the ten teams at State miles, and we have only had team to have high hopes two races. We won our district - Casey Bomrad for State. meet against Maine East and “I personally am very Maine West and got third at the Lake Park Harvey excited for Sectionals,” said Gardiner. “I really like Braus Invite.” the course and I’m excited to see how well we can “We have had our best summer of training do. I think everyone is excited for State. Also not under our belts, and we are continuing to increase many girls on the team have ever raced in a state the intensity of our practices,” said Sirvinskas. meet, so they are all very hopeful and excited to The captains think they have the group to win, possibly have the opportunity to race at state this and have big goals for this season. year.”

“Our goal is to place at all or almost all of our Most of all, the girls want to stick with their meets, and hopefully to place in the top five to ten goals and make strides to reach them. teams at State,” said Bomrad.

“Once we get to State, our goals will be set high,” If they can be one of the top five track teams said Gardiner. “A top-10 team finish would be nice, in the state, that would make them one of the top but everyone wants to do better than that. Our eyes

“

”

Staff Writer

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et another successful girls’ tennis season is underway with three returning state qualifiers, intense practices, and ambitious players.

A common goal among teammates is moving up in the conference standings, as they finished in third place while finding success in the state tournament.

“I would love to make top five this year for singles at state,” senior captain Leigh Friedman said. “This will be really difficult to accomplish due to the high concentration of solid tennis players in Illinois, but it’s been an aspiration of mine since freshman year.”

Friedman has made a deep run in the state tournament her first three years of high school, so she is setting her goals high.

The other returning state qualifiers strive to improve on last year’s results too. Juniors Marti Wind and Kamila Czosnyka, a doubles team, placed seventh last year in the state tournament.

“We sort of relied on our previous experience from playing singles,

14 SouthwordS

but I know that this year we are mastering our doubles game,” Wind said.

Additionally, senior captain Adriana Sclafani hopes to qualify for state with her junior doubles partner Amanda Marino.

“I think we have learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which we can use to our advantage in match play,” Sclafani said. “We have developed a great friendship on and off the court, and I think that has helped us grow tremendously as a team.”

Sclafani and Marino have been partners for the past two Maine South seasons.

As in the case with seemingly every Maine South team, the biggest competition this year will be New Trier.

“I believe that our team can do well against them, as we are up for the challenge,” said Sclafani.

Other tough teams this year include Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South.

To beat these teams, not only is experience needed, but also great team chemistry.

“Whether it be on or off the court the girls are always making an effort

PHOTO BY PATRICIA SMYRSKI PHOTO BY PATRICIA SMYRSKI

Girls’ tennis season starts strong

Sophie Miller

IN THE ZONE

Girls’ tennis captain Leigh Friedman gets ready to make a play on the ball. Through team chemistry, she hopes to lead the her team to State.

to get to know everyone,” Sclafani said. “This positive atmosphere fuels better performance.”

Whenever they are goofing around at a pasta party, hanging out on the bus, or cheering on teammates while they play, the team comes together like a small family.

However, in order to keep their spot on top the team must play their best. To find out who is where in the lineup, the girls participate in challenge matches. These matches can be stressful.

“The lineup is constantly chang-

ing, so we always have to be prepared to fight for a good position,” Wind said.

A successful season is marked by ambitious players, hard-fought victories, and silly memories with teammates.

“Balancing intensity and fun is difficult, but somehow we do it,” said Freidman.

Under the leadership of Friedman, the girls’ varsity tennis players strive to improve their game while developing a greater love for the sport.

October 9, 2015 | SPORTS

Girls’ swimming ready to start with a splash

Julia Sirvinskas Staff Writer

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he girls’ varsity swim team, coached by Mr. Kura and led by seniors Cassie Anderson and Keanan Bender, is off to a successful start to the season.

Due to a summer filled with club swimming and overall conditioning, the girls are already on the path to attaining better times than last year.

“The season has been a little up and down,” said Coach Kura. “We’ve had a couple of good meets and a meet or two where we didn’t perform very well. Some of that is to be expected at this time of the year because we are working really hard in practice.”

The team is not overly concerned about these few meets in which they have not performed up to their expectations, because they feel confident that the shape they are in right

now speaks louder than their performances.

“People are getting times they got last year at Sectionals, which is a huge improvement,” said Bender.

“Everyone on the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams has been working their butts off in practice and really been working hard.”

Because a majority of the girls trained hard over the summer, the team has had more time in practice to focus on technical corrections, as opposed to spending time getting back into shape. With practices not only after school, but also occasionally in the mornings, the girls have an intense training schedule to keep up with.

Senior Cassie Anderson believes that the summer helps the swimmers to push through practices.

“It is important to swim over the summer, because you don’t want to come into a season not in shape at

all,” said Anderson.

Although there are only five seniors on the varsity team, many varsity swimmers have returned this season and are helping some of the younger varsity swimmers improve.

“Our experience level varies from person to person, but we are all helping each other understand how high school meets flow and showing them the ropes,” said Bender.

“All upperclassmen help the underclassmen in any way we can.”

This unity among the team has developed a “second family” type of atmosphere.

“We all really connect and push each other, as well as keep everything in perspective,” Bender said.

The team got a chance to display this fun side in one of their most anticipated meets of the season, the Hersey Jamboree, held on Oct. 3.

The Jamboree is an event where the entire team dresses up in costumes

and prepares a dance that is voted upon by Hersey High School’s homecoming court. After last year’s loss, the girls were eager for redemption.

Another important meet will be the Hawk Relays, hosted on Oct. 17 at Maine South.

With only a handful of invites left before playoffs begin, the team is looking to achieve a great number of goals.

“All of the girls have established goal times for the end of the season and I want each girl to achieve every one of the goals they have set,” Mr. Kura said.

Once they begin their taper as well as the road to state, the girls hope all of their hard work will pay off.

“We have a lot of talented swimmers this year and I really am excited to see what is going to happen at Sectionals in November,” said Anderson.

Bangit said. “The four categories are divided into campus captains that help maintain other players’ school life. Culture captains enforce communication among the teammates.

Social captains are in charge of “lightening” up the team, and competitive captains help keep the team focused and on track,” Overall, this helps create a strong sense of unity on the team which is essential for winning games.

Senior right side hitter Sophie Miller says the team bonds in other ways as well.

“We have pasta parties, and we always goof around and bond during them.”

Miller breaks down the team’s goals into three different items: “Win Conference. Win Regionals.

Win Sectionals.”

This goal is realistic given the countless number of hours the Hawks’ put into improving their volleyball skills by participating in the Maine South summer volleyball camp in addition to the many months of playing on a club volleyball team.

Luckily for the Hawks this year, Coach Bangit can proudly say that the team’s strength is also the team’s

weakness.

“We are deep in almost all positions,” said Coach Bangit. “A volleyball team usually has twelve or thirteen players. I have seventeen players. It can be a problem, but it is a good problem as well. It can be hard trying to gel one solid lineup, but on the other hand, we are deep.

I have someone on the bench that I can put out on the court at any given moment.”

Taking a look at the remainder of the regular season, the Hawks’ next game is a conference game against Niles West. Regionals are on Oct. 29, and Sectionals are on Nov. 5.

So far in the season, the Hawks are currently 2-2 in their conference. But with the team’s persistence and talent, the Hawks are looking to get their next three conference wins against Waukegan, New Trier, and Glenbrook South.

In addition to these games, the Hawks look to improve their record at the Maine West Pumpkin Invite.

The volleyball team has historically not played well at this tournament, but with a third-place finish at the Maine East invite, the squad looks to improve.

The Hawks will use a strong com-

bination of talent and team unity as they hope to achieve their goals over the course of the season.

Girls’ volleyball has high expectations Staff Writer

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his year’s girls’ volleyball team is one of the largest and most experienced in recent memory. The team has 17 players, many of whom have had club experience.

However, this year has a slightly different feel without star middle hitters Nora Quinn (‘15), who went on to play at Fairfield University, and Natalie Kasznia (‘15) on the court.

Despite this, first-year coach Mr. Joe Bangit maintains that the team has adjusted well to the change.

“We’ve adjusted quite fine [to losing Quinn and Kasznia],” Coach Bangit said. “Senior player Olivia Post was already on varsity, and she has played every single match this year. Another middle hitter, junior Olivia Latreille, was invited to varsity for the postseason last year, and she has had a lot of court presence.”

Unlike other sports teams at Maine South, the volleyball team has eight different captains due to the team’s larger size.

“From a student-player perspective, having two different captains in four different categories would help manage the team a lot better,” Coach

FOLLOW

@ S out hwords Sp or t

BATTLE CRY

Varsity volleyball player Taylor Krueger celebrates a point during a game against Niles West.

The team is hoping for a successful season behind their experienced players.

PHOTO BY HALEY MECH

Christo Fosse

ON TWITTER fo r HAWK SPORTS U PDAT ES

SouthwordS 15

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

Student trainers’ hard work goes unnoticed PHOTO LAUREN PAPP PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPP

Mike Greco Sports Editor

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very day, students travel in and out of the cafeteria for lunch and lounge. However, unknown to most of the student body, a select group of students access a room right across the hall to help the athletes of Maine South.

The student athletic trainer’s club is run by Mr. Jerry Bornhoff, the head athletic trainer, who has been helping students at Maine South for the last 17 years.

As the head of the club, Mr. Bornhoff is tasked with teaching the student trainers about sports medicine while also helping the many athletes that see him each day.

Unlike other clubs around the school that only meet once per month, Mr. Bornhoff and his staff of student trainers work six days per week to ensure the health and safety of each athlete at Maine South.

“My work week spans anywhere from 45 to 55 hours per week,” Mr. Bornhoff said, “while we have two tiers of student trainers where the lower tier works about six hours per week, or two days, and the upper tier works eleven hours per week.”

The training staff agrees that the work week can be hard to handle.

“The work week can be rough for each individual trainer,” said senior lead trainer Alicia Gubarev.

While spending a large amount of the time helping the hurt athletes at Maine South, it can be hard for Mr. Bornhoff to have time to keep track of the needs of each individual athlete during different points of the workday.

He accomplishes this by having lead trainers whom he can trust.

“Mr. Bornhoff places a lot of trust in us with handling the money and helping the athletes,” said Gubarev.

Even though Mr. Bornhoff has an entire staff of student trainers, certain individuals have stepped up to lead.

“Senior Alicia Gubarev acts as the leader,” said Mr. Bornhoff. “She has been great as a leader to start this year.

[Gubarev] has been here for three years and knows the whole daily routine to the point that she can help direct younger trainers.”

A HELPING HAND

Head student trainer senior Alicia Gubarev helps varsity football player Matt Kaufman with his shoulder. She is one of the many trainers who learn from Mr. Bornhoff.

Most of the time, being a leader can come with a large amount of stress. This is especially true when an individual is tasked with leading a younger group.

“There is definitely a lot of stress that comes with being the leader,” said Gubarev. “But it’s a good stress because it is nice to watch the younger kids learn and grow in this field.”

Once a leader leaves, there must be a person or a group of people who are ready and willing to step up, help, and eventually become the new leader.

Accordingly there are many younger students at Maine South who are prime candidates to become the next lead student trainer. “ [ Ju n i or ] E m m a B au e r a n d [sophomore] Sean O’ Driscoll are our younger trainers that I believe have the potential to lead in the future,” said Bornhoff.

Through their work after school, the students in the trainer’s office have learned a lot about sports medicine.

This knowledge can be attributed to their constant mentorship from Mr. Bornhoff.

“Mr. Bornhoff does a great job of

helping the younger, newer trainers,” said Gubarev.

All of the trainers on Mr. Bornhoff ’s staff have been selected through an application process. Just like every other club in school, anybody can sign up by simply completing a form and being available at least two days per week.

Although anybody that signs up can become a trainer, Mr. Bornhoff still looks for particular characteristics in his new trainers.

“We’re just like any other club in school, people can just sign up if they would like to become a member of the staff,” Mr. Bornhoff said.“But we are really looking for people who are willing to give their time to help others when they sign up.”

When an individual signs up to become a new member of the staff they start of becoming a trainer by completing basic tasks, such as making an ice pack and filling coolers.

Many students choose to stay at the basic level, but Mr. Bornhoff has a program for students who would like to progress and pursue a career in sports medicine or athletic training in

the future.

“We have two lectures per month and tests to help them progress in this field if they want to go into it,” said Mr. Bornhoff.

The knowledge given to student trainers has not only helped them to learn, but has also built the foundation for many careers.

“We have three doctors and four physical therapists who have come from our program,” said Mr. Bornhoff.

“They were given the base knowledge to succeed here and they took that knowledge and used it to create careers for themselves.”

Despite working long hours each week, helping the athletes of Maine South, and attending classes at the same time, the hard work of the training staff often goes unnoticed. But the staff members are not looking for recognition.

“As long as a game goes well and all the athletes are healthy, we have done our job,” said Gubarev. “Although people don’t always notice our hard work, we know that our work is always appreciated.”