Vol 52 Issue 4

December 16, 2015

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

Vol. 52, No. 4

Faithful to

force the

The ‘Star Wars’ resurgence electrifies students and teachers alike as generations of fans unite for the return of the popular saga.

PHOTO by Monica bielawiec

See pages 8-9

AP Availability Military Bound Carol Competition Fencing Master

Freshman AP courses boost challenge index.

Page 4

Emily Myers speaks about her future in the Air Force.

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Holiday classics rival their Nationally-ranked fencer modern counterparts. competes globally.

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NEWS | December 16, 2015

New severe weather guidelines establish school closure policy News Writer aine Township High School District 207 has worked with other nearby elementary school districts in order to create a more standard set of guidelines regarding school closings due to severe weather.

The policy is designed to ensure the safety of students and staff, including travel safety and the ability to maintain safe conditions at school facilities.

“These guidelines draw a clear line by closing schools when the National Weather Service issues a wind-chill warning and keeping schools open when we have a wind-chill advisory,” said Mr. Dave Beery, District 207’s Director of Communications.

A wind chill warning usually is given when the wind chill is -30 or colder, or the actual temperature is less than -15.

In case of a wind chill advisory, schools will remain open. A wind chill advisory typically occurs when the wind chill is -20 or colder.

These guidelines apply to schools from Elementary Districts Des Plaines 62, East Maine 63, Park Ridge-Niles 64, and Pennoyer 79, as well as District 207.

The newly-established protocol will help ensure that the schools in our area work together when making decisions about school closures.

This is beneficial to every district because it creates a more definitive and clear-cut plan regarding severe weather situations.

“District 207 has previously worked in cooperation with K-8 districts in the community in making these decisions,” said Mr. Beery.

“These guidelines represent a more formal set of shared guidelines for the districts.”

However, it is understood that a situation may arise in which one district needs to make an independent decision based on its own situation.

If, for example, one district has a school with

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heating or plumbing issues, they would need to make a decision on their own.

When making a decision on whether or not to close schools, District superintendents account for a number of factors, the most important being the safety of the students and staff.

The superintendents also take into account the severity and timing of the weather, as well as school

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA MIHALOPOULOS

Will Brendza

building conditions.

Finally, they monitor whether or not vehicles can safely travel to schools and if students are able to walk to and from school.

Several scenarios may occur, depending on the specific situation and previously mentioned factors.

School may either be cancelled or designated a late start or early dismissal day. The latter two options are more rare than a simple cancellation.

A late start or early dismissal day will only be used when the weather significantly improves or worsens during the day.

The most significant difference from past years are more established procedures on closing school because of wind chill.

The data and criteria for these closings are provided by the National Weather Service.

As in years past, an automated phone call and e-mail will be sent to students and parents if there is a closing.

The information is also available through school websites and social media pages, as well as the Emergency Closing Center website.

Students and parents should assume that school will be held unless they are notified otherwise.

More often than not, a decision to close schools will be made by 5:30 a.m. This allows superintendents to monitor the weather throughout the night in order to make the best possible decision.

In the case that school is in session, but a parent deems it unsafe to allow their child to attend, they are encouraged to contact the attendance office.

“Whether or not a student’s absence would be marked excused or unexcused would depend on the details and circumstances involved,” said Mr. Beery. “This is why we encourage parents to call and discuss with the attendance office.”

If the weather is deemed acceptable enough for school to be held, Pace buses are generally always in operation to transport students to and from school.

‘Make Kindness Contagious’ inspires positivity

Amna Sorbun

News Writer fter months of students’ hard work, Maine South held its second annual Make Kindness Contagious Day on Nov. 20. Students were encouraged to help each other contribute to a more positive social environment.

The program began last year in response to when students began using the app Yik Yak. Yik Yak is an app that students could download onto their phones and chat with people anonymously within a fivemile radius, connected by GPS. Many students had downloaded the app, and some had begun abusing it. People were harassed and hurt. A group of students and staff decided to step up and do something about it.

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“This year, Hawk Pride was really involved.” Says Mr. Berendt, Assistant Principal for Students. “They made most of the posters and locker signs.”

Student Council, Class Council, National Honor Society and Key Club also played a role by helping out with the setup for the big day.

I n 2 0 1 4 ’s M a k e K i n d n e s s Contagious day, students told their own stories on the school PA about a time when they were hurt or bullied.

This year, students wrote examples of times when they were bullied, or when they hurt someone else. The slips were then hung in the main hallway. “‘Your definition of kindness’ on Snapchat was new this year as well,” Mr. Berendt said.

As part of “Your definition of kindness,” students posted pictures on Snapchat saying what kindness meant to them.

On Thursday, a video was shown after the announcements about how bullying and mean words hurt others.

This acted as a setup for “Positive Friday,” in which students filled out the slips of paper about bullying.

“I really enjoyed myself outside,” said freshman Cindy Ren. “We were outside with posters cheering for people when they walked in. We had a lot of supporters inside cars who honked as they drove past.”

“I liked it because it made me feel warm inside and good about myself,” said freshman Phoebe Moore.

However, some students thought

the activities were over the top.

“I didn’t like that people were rude that week and said mean things,” Moore said, referring to her classmates.

“Some people were really negative about the events.”

Overall, Make Kindness Contagious day was a success. Students could be seen helping one another and sending out compliments, and a positive atmosphere could be felt in the halls.

“We would love to look for other ideas and other opportunities to put this in our daily lives,” said Mr. Berendt.

Students with ideas about how to make Maine South a better place can visit Mr. Berendt in his office or contact him via email.

PHOT

December 16, 2015

| NEWS

New York Times best-selling author visits LRC PHOTO BY ARDEN SASAK

Arden Sasak

children as she was unable to parent them due to her drug addiction.

“What you read in this book is a very honest portrayal of drug addiction.”

Hopkins has made the national list of being one of the most banned authors in 2012, 2010, and 2009.

“Crank” also made number four on the 2010 version of Top Ten Frequently Challenged Books Lists of the 21st Century.

“It is almost always at the top of banned books lists because there are

people that don’t want to admit that addiction happens,” Hopkins said.

“At every high school, in every family, maybe not meth addiction, but some kind of addiction happens.”

Another major detail about Hopkins’ books that make them unique is that she doesn’t write them in regular prose.

“I write my books in narrative verse, or verse that tells a story,” she said. “It’s an ancient art form. Homer, Shakespeare—they wrote in verse.

But now verse novels have become

a more contemporary form, so it’s a newer way of telling a story now.”

Hopkins’ passion for poetry however, began long before she published “Crank.”

“I published my first poem when I was nine, so I saw my name in print for the first time at nine years old,” she said. “I published poetry all the way through high school into college. ” Hopkins also did not just write poetry. She spent much of her life as a free-lance journalist and published many nonfiction novels for middle school-aged kids as well.

Even though “Crank” ended up in narrative verse, it wasn’t always like that.

“I started to write ‘Crank’ in prose,” Hopkins said. “I wanted to write first person from Kristina’s point of view, but in prose, it was my voice, not hers. So it was angry, it was judgemental, and that was not what I wanted. I wanted to get inside her head if I could. But I tried verse, and it really worked for this book.”

Hopkins currently has twelve young adult books out, along with her previous nonfiction books. Her new book is called “Traffick.”

Because she wanted to share her experiences, Hopkins founded the non-profit organization Ventana Sierra, which works to better the lives of disadvantaged youths.

but could only schedule room for it in one semester. Therefore, making these new art classes one semester long gives the opportunity to students, who wouldn’t have the opportunity otherwise be able to fit in their schedules.

Though the art classes have a new name, the content and curriculum remains the same.

“It’s pretty much the same exact material, but maybe the order might change,” said art teacher Ms. Tymkiw.

“The point is that if students are signed up, let’s say, for CTE classes or fashion, and they’re realizing that maybe they do want to pursue that, it really does help in a lot of different areas to be able to at least sketch and have the ability to show things visually.”

The Fine Arts Department hopes to recruit more students into taking any art class. They believe that, though a student may not be planning

on pursuing a career in art, art skills can be useful and valuable in the future and in other occupations such as engineering.

“Most students that go into the advanced level classes don’t go into high school thinking they’re going to take two or three or four years of art,” said Mr. Mastrolonardo.

“They just want to dabble in it and try different things, but they end up liking art and want to take it again, and before they know it, they are one of the serious art students in the upper-level classes.”

“My fear is that because it can be taken for a semester, they might not take it second semester because you register classes for a full year. They would have to wait until the second year to take the second semester and a third year before they can just move on to the second level,” he said.

With this said, it is very important for students to know that this class is

designed for a full year, even though it’s offered in semesters.

This change was decided upon by a team of current art teachers from each Maine Township school, including Ms. Tymkiw, who met over the summer.

“The change just came naturally and made sense with how as a district and a nation we are preparing kids for college and career so much these days,” said Ms. Tymkiw. “We are looking forward to the future, talking over what our major mission is, and ironing out the wrinkles in the plan.”

Teachers will analyze the success of the program later in the year. In the meantime, the faculty are working to finalize the change and make sure the transition runs smoothly.

“More teachers are going to have feedback in the spring,” said Mr. Mastrolonardo. “We still need to continue to refine the plan, specifically in how the course is going to run.”

Production Editor

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cclaimed young adult author Ellen Hopkins spoke to multiple English and health classes in the LRC on Nov. 16. She discussed her books and how her life and experiences impacted them.

Hopkins’ books cover many topics that are often avoided by other authors, such as drug use, sex, and abuse.

This pattern started with her first book, “Crank,” which was published in 2004, and has over two million copies sold worldwide. It is about a teenage honor student named Kristina who, while visiting her dad, becomes addicted to crank, a form of methamphetamine. She also takes on the alter ego Bree when she is doing drugs.

“Crank,” along with its sequels, “Glass” and “Fallout,” were based on her daughter Crystal, who, like the character Kristina, was addicted to crank.

“For 20 years, my daughter has been dealing with addiction because of a choice she made when she was 17 years old,” said Hopkins. “Don’t make this a choice.”

Hopkins expressed that her daughter’s life was ruined by meth addiction. She also shared a powerful story of her adoption of her daughter’s

A CAUTIONARY TALE Ellen Hopkins reads an excerpt from her novel, “Crank.” She shared her personal experiences with addiction and warned students about the irreversible effects of drug use.

Painting a new art curriculum for students

Catherine Coyle

News Writer ext year, Maine South and the entire Maine Township District will be changing the art curriculum to “Art Foundations.”

Previously, students would sign up for Art class for an entire year and cover everything from artists to acrylics and sculpture to scratchboards. Next year, however, the traditional year-long art classes will be replaced with semesterlong courses called “Art Foundations” and “Art Applications.”

“It’s still designed to be taken for a full year like Art 1,” said art teacher Mr. Mastrolonardo, “but there will be the option to take it for only a single semester, unlike Art 1 where you had to take it for a full year. So the idea is to have Art Foundations in the first semester and Art Applications in second semester.”

It became apparent that students wanted to take some drawing classes

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NEWS

| December 16, 2015

D207 goal focuses on increasing AP numbers Marissa Scavelli

Contributor n an effort to increase the rigor of the academic experience, District 207 is pursuing an initiative to raise its Challenge Index Ratio to 3.0 by 2020. As part of the plan, Maine South is trying to encourage every student to take one AP class by the time they graduate and are creating a freshman World History AP course.

The Challenge Index, created

by Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews, is a method to measure the difficulty of the curriculum in high schools. The score is calculated by taking the total number of Advanced Placement, International B a c c a l au re at e a n d Ad v a n c e d International Certificate of Education tests taken by any student at the school divided by the number of seniors who graduated.

Schools that have as many tests taken as senior graduates are put on the national list of Most Challenging Schools. Maine South’s Challenge Index Ratio was 2.06 in 2015. In order to have reached the goal of 3.0 last year, Maine South would have needed to administer 1710 AP exams—428 more than were actually taken.

“Giftedness is rare, but talent is not,” said superintendent Dr. Ken Wallace. “Students who this district has typically thought could not be successful in advanced courses have proved time and time again that they can be. We can’t allow our fears to keep this district from challenging all students at the highest possible level.”

Mathews believes this goal is achievable.

“A school can reach a 3.0 ratio by having just 75 percent of its juniors and 75 percent of its seniors, which I sense [at a school like Maine South] is below the percent who go to college, take an average of two AP tests,” he said. “I imagine your hard charges will take more than that, and you will have some 10th and maybe 9th graders in AP, so other juniors and seniors could take just one each year and still have the school reach the 3.0 mark.”

According to Principal Shawn Messmer, the overall reasoning for having every student enrolled in an AP course is not to make the school look better—it’s for the benefit of the students. The school wants all students prepared to go to college.

“I don’t know if we are doing all we can do to prepare students for college if we are not helping students have the [college level] experience before they leave,” he said. “If you’re a kid and you get a C in an AP course as a senior, all the research says you’re

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still better off and more prepared for college than if you never took that class in the first place.”

Dr. Wallace agrees that the AP score is not the only criteria for success.

“If the worst thing to happen is that a student takes an AP course and pushes him or herself for an entire year and then gets a 2 on the AP exam, I still see that as a positive,” he said. “That student will still be more prepared to be successful in college for having that experience. And that is the worst case scenario.”

Another aspect of the school’s initiative is the plan to add a World History AP course for freshmen which would replace Accelerated World History. According to counselor Mr. Bill Milano, enrollment is expected to be similar to the current enrollment of 136 students in five sections of accelerated World History. Placement will be based on student’s MAP test scores and evaluations from junior high school teachers.

Mr. Don Kura, the current instructor of all sections of accelerated World History, has been involved in creating the new class.

“While I can tell you for sure that all 136 of my current students probably shouldn’t be in AP, I think it would be fair to say 40 definitely belong there, and another 25-30 could handle it,” he said. “It’s just really a question of whether or not they want to put in the time and effort.”

Although a poll of 502 students showed that 57% support the goal of having a freshman AP class and 64% support the goal to have every student take an AP course before they graduate, some are still concerned.

“Some students are not ready for this level of commitment,” said senior Fiona Gardiner, an AP student herself. “Forcing students who are in high school to try to keep up with a

(Total AP, IB, and AICE tests taken at a school, divided by the number of graduating seniors.)

college-level class will not go over well with those who are not prepared. This would also cause friction for those students who do feel prepared for the AP classes because there would then be students in class who do not want to be there and are not willing to put forth the necessary level of effort to succeed in the AP programs, compromising the class.”

Despite the doubts, there are students who take on a positive outlook on the future change.

“I think it is a good idea for everyone to experience an AP class as it better prepares you for the future and what college will be like,” said senior AP student Kelly Bauer. “It is also always good to challenge yourself, and many kids won’t do this on their own accord without a requirement.”

Sophomore Jack Freeman agrees.

“Kids here at Maine South tend to take the easiest road to whatever they want to do and never really challenge themselves,” he said. “At Maine South, trying at school is not a social norm and requiring students to challenge themselves a bit would be a really positive change.”

Politicians are also focusing on ways to encourage AP-level course

work by assuring that AP credit will be more broadly accepted.

“A good thing the state of Illinois has actually done is pass legislation where if you score a 3 or higher, public universities in the state of Illinois are required to give college credit,” said Mr. Milano.

The AP courses may also give students a better chance of getting into a college or university.

“AP tests are not used in the review process,” Nicole Horvath, an Admissions Counselor at University of Illinois said. “We do, however, look at the rigor of a student’s courses and therefore look favorably upon students taking AP courses.”

However, there are still other options for students who aren’t in AP classes.

“Part of the initiative is dual credit, where a course counts as both high school credit and credit at a community college,” said Mr. Milano.

“For some students, maybe AP is not a good fit, but perhaps dual credit would be great. That’s where you can get another taste of what college is like. And that’s the goal, to have students go to college as prepared as they possibly can be.”

IN A SURVEY OF 502 STUDENTS...

IN FAVOR OF | AGAINST

THE GOAL FOR EACH STUDENT TO TAKE ONE AP COURSE (ALL RESPONSES)

THE GOAL FOR EACH STUDENT TO TAKE ONE AP COURSE (CURRENT AP STUDENT RESPONSES)

THE CREATION OF A FRESHMAN AP COURSE (ALL RESPONSES)

December 16, 2015

STAFF EDITORIAL

The solution is right under our nose W

ith colder months approaching, students have begun their annual tradition of foraging for and stockpiling Kleenex in the tissuedesert known as Maine South. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Just like it is the responsibility of the district to provide essential hygienic products such as soap and toilet paper, it should also be their duty to supply tissues for the school.

Tissues are necessary not only to prevent illnesses from spreading— they can also help keep the focus on learning in the classroom.

During cold and flu season, the sound of sniffles distracts healthy students from the lesson and leaves “snifflers” suffering.

Furthermore, the opportunity for bacteria to spread to other students is increased when tissues are not available in each classroom. Studies show that tissue use can reduce the distribution of the common cold, the flu, and other viruses.

When tissues aren’t available, students try to prevent the dripping with the back of a hand or turn to the nearest cloth available—shirt sleeves.

Sure, the discomfort is temporarily

fixed, but now the bacteria has only This can provide boxes for the year, moved to your skin and will transfer but distorts grades. The purpose onto the desk, which eight other of extra credit is earning points for students will use during the day. completing additional academicWithout tissues to prevent this related assignments. With this system, cycle of contact and distribution, students are essentially purchasing seasons of illness in our school are their grades rather than earning them. lengthened.

The simple solution to this In the interest of preventing the problem is for the district to account spread of germs, students will often for classroom tissues in the yearly excuse themselves from class to get budget. If this proves too costly, toilet paper. However, in order to get another logical solution would be to the toilet paper, theses students miss work the cost of tissue boxes into the valuable minutes of class time. activity fee for students.

The absence of tissues shouldn’t If all else fails, the school could be a reason for the absence of host a tissue drive. With students. participation from students Without tissues present in each and faculty, Maine South classroom, contamination begins would be well stocked with to threaten the attendance tissues for the school year. of not only students but While we are not faculty members as well. ask ing for lot ionThe presence of tissues in i n f u s e d , t w o p l y, each class at Maine South can scented extravagance, decrease the number of sick tissues are a necessary teachers, thus in the long run, element of the school lowering the need for (and environment. As AK EN SAS cost of) substitute teachers. such, it should be the

BY ARD IC H P A R G Some teachers try to fix the responsibility of the district to supply lack of tissues by allowing students to what is needed for students to catch bring in tissue boxes for extra credit. their running noses.

Keeping up with the siblings Monica Bielawiec

Editor-in-Chief rom a young age, expectations were set pretty high. My brother excelled at basically everything he did—he got excellent grades in all the hardest classes, played sports, participated in a wide variety of clubs and was well liked by everyone who met him.

Naturally, being the second born, competition between the two of us quickly arose as I struggled to keep up with my brother’s successes and achievements. My attempts were recognized through an array of participation trophies and honorablemention certificates that lay meekly next to my brother’s first place trophies and student-of-the-year certificates.

Instead of giving in to the jealousy

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or the threat, I strived to prove myself and my capabilities, which in turn helped me find my passions.

As I took on more activities and difficult courses, I was faced with new struggles and challenges that inevitably came with big ambitions: classes got harder, the work load got bigger, and there were more meetings and tasks to accomplish.

It was then that my brother became a role model, teaching me the value of hard work, diligence, and persistence. He showed me how to deal with pressure and stress, how to take one thing at a time, and how to accept mistakes and failures as a learning experience.

Through years of stimulation and support, I learned about my limits and how to push past them, about working hard in the face of adversity, and about getting up when I fail. The person who once was a competitive adversary became my ultimate resource for success.

Our competition influenced my work ethic and moral code, and led

to the discovery of myself and my strengths in high school.

As I advance into the professional world, these lessons will continue to influence me. My brother instilled in me the confidence and determination that I needed to reach new heights, and as I pursue my future paths, I know I will be faced with new challenges and struggles that will require me to apply the skills I learned from my sibling.

I realize now that I am very grateful for our sibling rivalry. Without it, I would not have been shaped into the person I am today.

My brother encouraged me to exceed expectations. This encouragement nurtured my ability to follow my dreams with ambition and persistence.

I always believed that I was living in my brother’s shadow; in truth, he was helping me become the unique individual who found her own light.

Through his influence and inspiration, I developed the qualities I needed to create my own success.

| 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 the Southwords office, 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 | December 16, 2015

Why I chose the military after high school Emily Myers

Commentary Writer

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First things first: just because I am enlisting in the Air Force, that does not mean I will be flying planes. On the cover of a famous Air Force brochure it says “1% of the Air Force flies planes, come see what the other 99% do.”

Another thing people automatically think is that because I am enlisting I will automatically be placed on the front lines in Iraq as an untrained 17-year-old girl. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, of course there is always a possibility of warfare, and I do always have the risk of being deployed, but that is not directly what I am signing up for. I don’t actually know what I will be doing career-wise for another couple months; however, I will most likely be working in either the medical field or in intelligence operations—not the combat arms.

The Air Force is its own world.

Almost any job you can have in the outside world, you can have in the military. There are also doctors, teachers, psychiatrists, dentists, garbage men, engineers, newscasters, technicians, electricians, and pretty much anything else you can think of. The only difference is you will be working for the less than 1% of the population that joins the military.

When I swore into the Air Force, I signed on for four years of active duty. This means that for four years, I will be trained in a career field that I was able to narrow down from a list of what I qualified for (based on my medical history and test scores) and begin working on a military base.

Many people automatically picture “Full Metal Jacket” the second they

hear I will be going through 6-8 weeks of basic training—and they are right.

I’m going to hate it, but I will suffer through it.

I cannot wait to go through those eight weeks wishing I had filled out college apps to go into trillions of dollars of debt, and then a few grueling weeks later stand in front of my family and closest friends at my graduation and have something to finally be proud of. I am doing something so rare, particularly for women, and I couldn’t possibly be more excited.

This process all started one day when I told my dad that I wanted to join. He got more excited than I have ever seen him in my life. You have to understand, my dad is 6’4 and terrifying. He is one big guy and he is very intense, so seeing him this excited was something I will never forget.

An Air Force officer gave me the number of the recruiter for Maine South and other schools in the area, and I talked to him on the phone for a while so I could answer some basic questions: No, I had never done drugs.

I don’t have a child, and I’ve never been arrested. After multiple meetings with Sergeant Bauer, my recruiter, it was finally time for me to plan to take my ASVAB. The ASVAB is the entrance exam to see what you qualify for intellectually in the Air force. This test basically determined my entire future. After almost four hours of testing I finally finished and I ended up doing very well. My recruiter was obviously happy and told me I was going to qualify for almost everything.

PHOTO COURTESY EMILY MYERS

here are many questions people seem to ask you when you are a high school senior. “Where are you going to college?” “What are you going to do after high school?” “Do you know what you want to major in?”

All anybody wants to know is what comes next and where you are going.

Especially adults. If they can’t think of a conversation topic, they automatically decide that college is a good place to start. But here’s my problem. I’m not going to college—at least not right away. Last summer I made the decision to join the United States Air force and I have been fighting through misconceptions ever since.

Growing up in a town like Park Ridge with a school as well respected as Maine South, everyone is pretty much expected to go straight to college once they graduate. Community College is looked down upon and the military is never really mentioned as an option.

I grew up with two Army parents.

It is how my parents met and my father is actually still in today. He is a Lieutenant Colonel, a high-ranking officer position that is very difficult to reach. People always assume that the military is the option that is around for the kids that have no options, the people that are always getting in trouble. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

As a matter of fact, the military has an extremely extensive and thorough background check, a difficult testing process, as well as a lengthy medical examinations.

I was talking with another student I knew was considering joining the military and I made a joke about how when I say “military,” people automatically assure me I have other options and asked what I did to get into so much trouble. He completely understood what I was talking about and said he has experienced the same thing.

I am proud to say that many of us Americans aren’t afraid to show our appreciation for our troops, but what many people still don’t understand is that there is a large section of the military that works hard every day to prepare us for what lies ahead besides MAKING IT OFFICIAL Emily was sworn in this past month at the Chithose on the front lines. cago MEPS building. The induction is the beginning of her four-year process.

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From there, we set up an appointment for a medical, which is more extensive than one might think.

I had to stay in a hotel overnight with a bunch of other recruits from different branches. Of about 30 kids, I was one of six girls: one Army, two Air Force, and three Navy. I have never seen so much paperwork in my entire life. I had a lot less paperwork than some of the other recruits because I don’t have any tattoos. Thank goodness. We did your basic medical things like drug testing, eye exam, ear exam, height and weight check-in, colorblindness test, blood test, and a one-on-one interview with a doctor.

After all of that, I was given about 30 minutes and a list of jobs that I qualified for based on my test score and my medical history. I was able to pick my top five. Later, I met with an officer to pick a job field of interest if I wasn’t able to get any of my choices.

I have yet to find out what I will be training in. Yes, I am anxious, but I know that everything happens for a reason, and whatever I end up doing will help me later.

A great deal of people are still confused about what I will do after my four years, and that is ver y understandable. I will probably get out and transfer the two years of college credit I get while I’m enlisted for my four years in the Air Force (the Air Force is the only branch that offers this) and then go to the school of my choice with tuition paid. Also, I will have great first-hand job experience in a career field I’m interested in.

Despite what many may think, I don’t have my whole future planned.

I’ve never been the girl who had a dream college or who has planned her wedding since she was a little kid. I tend to let things happen as they happen. I love to be prepared; however, I also don’t want to look too far ahead into my future. I want to enjoy where I am in that moment and take in every last second of it.

I am proud to be able to say that I soon will be serving this great country that we live in. I am excited knowing that I am going to spend the rest of my life contributing to the protections of our freedoms so that we can all continue living the way we were meant to—as unique and free individuals. I am aware of the risks, and I am aware of the danger, but honestly, I cannot think of anything more honorable than to serve my country and fight for what I believe in. I can’t wait for what lies ahead.

December 16, 2015 | COMMENTARY

Scattered finals schedule adds to stress levels Caroline Coyle Commentary Writer

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aine South has made some big changes this school year, but arguably the biggest change made this year is shifting finals before winter break. Last year, Maine South students took first semester finals after winter break on Jan. 19, 20, and 21, a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

This year, finals will be on Thursday, Dec. 17; Friday, Dec. 18; and Monday Dec. 21, the week before Winter break.

This change is meant to be beneficial to students and is supposed to ensure a stress-free winter break; however, despite the fact that students will not need to study over break, this change will still affect the students in a negative way.

First, pre-break stress is at an all-time high, as teachers felt as if they were running out of time this semester and crammed in tests, quizzes and projects during the twoand-a-half short weeks in between Thanksgiving break and finals.

This also causes students to have

less time to prepare for finals, due to all the other studying they have to get done.

Maine S out h students fe el overwhelmed with the amount of work that is expected to be done because teachers needed to fit in the same amount of learning as they fit in last year, and they had five fewer instructional days to work with this year (last year, there were 86 instructional days before finals; this year there were 81).

Due to the tightened schedule, a number of teachers have had to cut out lessons that had

previously been taught last year during first semester. While some might say this content can be shifted to second semester, which is five days longer than the last year, the additional content might not fit well with second semester lessons, and it will lead to more stress and cramming later on.

High school students experience a lot of stress over the course of the school year, and breaks are vital for teens to catch up on sleep and relax. Shortening Thanksgiving break this year ;;;;;;;cut out

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time that busy teens had to spend with their families and friends.

Thanksgiving Break isn’t the only break being changed this school year. Because the new finals schedule begins on Thursday, Dec. 17th, and ends on Monday, Dec. 21, the break is two days shorter than previous years.

Having finals on Monday when Christmas Eve is that Thursday cuts into time spent with family and friends on the week leading up to Christmas and the holiday season.

While it’s nice that students come back to a four-day week, most students would rather go back to school on Monday, Jan. 4, and have finals start Wednesday, Dec. 16, cutting out the four-day week when we come back.

Although it is nice to be done with finals before the new year and to be able to have a stress-free winter break, for most students, it won’t make a difference. Many, including myself, didn’t think about finals during winter break last year, and were able to enjoy a stress-free break.

The new finals schedule is here to stay, and while next year we won’t have to return after a weekend to one day of final exams before winter break, we’re in for a stressful few weeks of studying for finals, and trying to make time for our last few assignments this year.

Wishing everyone ‘Happy Holidays’ Monica Bielawiec & Kate Papciak Editors-in-Chief

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here is a multitude of holidays that are celebrated during December­— Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, just to name a few.

Even so, the holiday season is predominantly associated with Christmas: stores are displaying their Christmas trees, houses and streets are decorated with Christmas lights, and Christmas music blares from radios.

Through all this, some claim that there is a “war on Christmas” perpetrated by those who wish to undermine the sanctity of the Christian holy day by wishing people

“Happy Holidays.”

While “Happy Holidays” is certainly less specific, it does nothing to harm Christmas.

If anything, it strengthens the Christmas spirit by recognizing that we can be more inclusive during this season of celebration.

The holiday season is celebrated by an array of holidays and religions. We should acknowledge those who are Muslim, Jewish, of African-American descent, and so forth by wishing a more appropriate season’s greeting, “Happy Holidays.”

Wit h p ar t i c u l ar t r a d it i ons representative of each unique holiday, each religion should be given the opportunity to be recognized and appreciated.

The phrase “Happy Holidays” recognizes the diversity that takes place during this time—it even works for those with no religious affiliation

as they celebrate the new year.

For those who don’t recognize this variety of holidays, consistently using the phrase “Merry Christmas” with those whom you aren’t sure celebrate the holiday displays a lack of awareness.

While you may be putting up your Christmas tree, someone else is setting up their Menorah. Just like you would like your holiday traditions to be respected, you should be mindful of others to the same degree.

Using the term “Happy Holidays” is not only a more considerate but a more accurate way to share your holiday salutations.

However, many argue that by exchanging the phrase “Happy Holidays,” we are also fueling the “War on Christmas” by emphasizing the secularity of the season. In reality, the true “War on Christmas” focuses on accentuating the materialistic facet

of Christmas rather than the spiritual one that is rooted in the original intention of the holiday.

Therefore, the phrase does not undermine or cheapen Christmas in any way—it simply allows for a season’s greetings without infringing on someone else’s religious privacy.

If you know someone who celebrates Christmas, by all means, wish them a “Merry Christmas”; but if you are unsure, or addressing a large group, remember to be respectful of those who don’t celebrate.

As the season unfolds, indulge in your holiday festivities. The holiday season is meant to be celebrated in a way that is meaningful to you— that is what makes it so special.

Celebrate the season how you wish, but be aware that for others, holidays may encompass something different than just Santa Claus, presents, and Christmas trees.

SouthwordS 7

the fans awaken

FEATURES | December 16, 2015

Haley Mech

Production Editor

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here’s no doubt that “Star Wars” can evoke a deep fanaticism out of people, which includes students and teachers at Maine South. Those who grew up with it are taken back to their childhood and brought closer to their families by the new film.

“When I was ten or so, my mom showed me the original trilogy, which is what every good parent should do,” said senior David Zei. Some “good” parents decided to make their children’s initial viewing a day to remember.

“My dad used a tarp and a projector to show all six movies on the wall,” said freshman Owen Mech.

Many teachers had the privilege of seeing the films in theatre for their original release. Years later, they certainly haven’t forgotten the way it made them feel.

“I will be embarrassingly dating myself to say that when I was around nine, my parents took us to see ‘A New Hope’,” said Mr. McArthur of his experience seeing the first film in 1977.

Whether that fateful day was 30 years ago or five, they fell in love with X-Wings, stormtroopers, and the mystical Jedi.

“I have been a part of other movies/shows/books fandoms, but looking back, those seem like ‘fads’ compared to Star Wars, which has just always been there,” said. Mrs. Kaye. Mrs. Kaye met her husband at a Star Wars convention and their wedding theme was inspired by the saga.

But there’s more to the story than just guns that shoot lasers and iconic bad guys. The story lines are intended to be relatable, even if the setting is rather unusual.

“It’s a story about growing up, finding out who you truly are, what you are supposed to be, meeting friends who will challenge and help you along the way, facing foes t,hat stand in your way, successes, failures, loss, joy, etc.,” said Mrs. Kaye. “Sure, these stories are told in a galaxy far, far away, but it is still a story about experiencing and living life.”

George Lucas, the father of the films, was also heavily inspired by historical events, tropes, and lore.

“‘Star Wars’ is mythology with technology,” said and into college,” said Mrs. Kaye. “I wanted the story Mr. Egan. “When I was a kid, I thought that this was to continue and reading the books was the only way just a story, but as I got older, I learned to appreciate for that to happen.” how much work had been based on mythology.”

The release of “The Force Awakens” has reopened Both the sci-fi action and the deeper meanings are an old divide among the fandom, though—the prequel what draw people into the Star Wars fandom and keep debate. Twenty years after the original trilogy came them watching the films over and over again. But if out, Lucas decided to revisit the saga with a set of three fans aren’t up for a whole two hour movie, video games prequels telling the story of how Anakin Skywalker are the next best pastime. became Darth Vader.

“I absolutely love ‘Star Wars Battlefront,’ a largeThere are two extremes of the “Star Wars” fan scale battle game based on all of the movies so far,” spectrum: prequel embracers and prequel shunners. said freshman Dan Tinaglia.

Embracers are usually younger fans that discovered Some enthusiasts didn’t have the games, so they “Star Wars” on their own or whose parents enjoyed made their own. the prequels.

“My brothers and I had 40-50 action figures which “I like how they added new twists to the overall are still at my mom’s house,” said Mr. McGowan. plot and characters, as well as bringing in higher Collecting is an obsessive hobby for die hards. quality special effects, which enhance the experience,” Some collector’s items never get to see the light of day said Mech. for their own preservation.

The special effects are one of the largest components “Han doesn’t leave the box,” Zei said of his of the debates. Some appreciate rare, pristine Han Solo action figure the new tech, while that lives in a gilded cage. others think they Some found more varied too value in actually mu c h f rom playing with the originals, the toys. which used “My favorite mainly small [action figure] is scale models for a Darth Vader that effects. my brother Chris Most fans are chewed the arm off somewhere in the so we could re-enact the middle of the debate, moment in the movie,” recognizing the flaws of pThE said Mr. McGowan. the new movies, while collEcTIon Senior Bookworms in the fandom still enjoying the series also satiate their hunger b y David Zei’s extensive “Star Wars” as a whole. learning more about the characters in comics collection includes these “The prequels are like chocolate comics shown, which are based the Expanded Universe. George Lucas’s off of George Lucas’ original chip cookies that you find out rule for the Expanded Universe was that script. Zei has about 20 “Star are actually full of raisins,” said anyone could publish a book taking Wars” comic books.

Tinaglia. “There are many good place in the “Star Wars” universe as long parts, but the films are not fantastic.” as it was consistent with the movies and no major Shunners, on the other hand, are more often the characters died. first generation of fans and their children, rather “I devoured the books when I was in high school than those of the second generation and on, whose

pInTERgAlAcTIc coUplE Social Science teachers Mrs. Kaye and her husband

walked through a lightsaber tunnel at their wedding reception. The two met on the way back from a “Star Wars” convention.

expectations for the prequels were not met.

“If you took all the prequels and mashed together the good scenes, honestly, you would have a good 30 minutes [out of the seven total hours],” said Zei, who’s closer to the “shun” end of the spectrum.

However, first generation fans were most disappointed with how different the style of the story was in the prequels compared to the originals.

“I liked the relatively cheerful simplicity of the good/evil story, and the clear characterizations in the first film,” said Mr. McArthur. “I thought [Lucas’s] historical similes were more heavy-handed [in the prequels].”

The Disney purchase of the “Star Wars” franchise has also raised questions relating to the quality of the upcoming movie. Disney has recently declared the majority of the Expanded Universe “legends,” meaning they are no longer officially a part of the story. There was much concern over how Disney would handle the franchise, but fans are just happy to see all the new merchandise Disney has produced.

“I feel like Disney buying [“Star Wars”] will give it a larger budget and amazing publicity,” said junior Erin Zeman.

Hope that multiple “Star Wars” spin-off movies will be filmed based on Marvel’s examples is all the more reason for fans take Disney’s transformation happily.

“Disney has done a great job with recent properties like Marvel and the Avengers,” said Zei. “The Force Awakens” also has a new director—JJ Abrams. Abrams has recently worked on films such as “Super 8” and “Star Trek.”

“JJ Abrams has a good eye for things and is a huge ‘Star Wars’ fan,” said Mrs. Kaye. “I don’t think that he will let himself or his fellow fans down. I wish he was a bit less controlling on spoilers though. Come on! He can’t tell us one thing about Luke in the next film? Nothing?”

The fact that Abrams has been entrusted with two of the most famous sci-fi series is disconcerting to some fans. His controversial work on the latest Star Trek has triggered an inflammatory discussion.

“I am also a huge ‘Star Trek’ fan, and I was disappointed with what he did with those films,” said

pSpAcE vIllAIn Freshman Owen Mech tries on his

Darth Maul-inspired makeup in preparation for the upcoming “Star Wars: the Force Awakens” premiere. Mech has been a fan of the series since his early childhood.

Mr. Egan. “Still, I am willing to give him a chance.”

Much to fans’ delight, musical director John Williams, who has written the score for the six existing films, has returned to work on “The Force Awakens.”

His talent for creating notorious melodies has never faltered, and fans can’t wait to hear the next chapter.

“The inclusion of the epic classic music in the trailers really sealed the deal for me,” said Tinaglia.

“I listened to John Williams’s music on vinyl over and over and over. I wore out my soundtrack album and had to replace it,” said Mr. McArthur.

Regardless of their views on the prequels or Disney’s involvement, there is a nervous excitement surrounding “The Force Awakens.” This could be the icing on the cake, a saving grace, a prequel debate repeat, or a complete disaster.

“What I most want is some kind of satisfactory resolution of the stories of the original characters,” said Mr. McArthur.

Just because George Lucas told the Expanded Universe writers not to kill Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca doesn’t mean Abrams is required to follow the protocol.

The growing anticipation has made the Internet a dangerous place for fans to get information about the upcoming movies. Alleged spoilers, intensive analyses of the trailers, and crazed fans are making conclusions about the movie as insane as the resurrection of Darth Vader.

“I have read so many ‘possible spoilers’ because I am a spoilers hound that I don’t feel comfortable about making predictions about the new film,” said Mrs. Kaye.

Fans are still optimistic and ready for whatever comes in the new movie, be it good or bad. They are preparing to deck themselves out for the big event.

“I bought out the ‘Star Wars’ collection at Forever 21,” said junior Liv Harter, shamelessly.

“I will be going in costume,” s aid Mech, who will

be attending the earliest showing with Zei, Tinaglia, Zeman, and others. Mech will be arriving dressed as Darth Maul, an intimidating alien appearing in “The Phantom Menace.”

The countdown to “The Force Awakens” inspires an unparalleled affection and enthusiasm for the series. It’s been ten years since the last film, and it’s time for the series to live on. The third generation of fans is about to be born.

▼chEwbAccA And hIS comIcS Senior David Zei is dressed as “Star Wars” character Chewbacca while reading one of his “Star Wars” comic books and holding an Ewok named Little Mikie.

Zei has an extensive “Star Wars” comic book collection.

photo by haley mech

photo courtesy mrs.kaye

photo by haley mech

December 16, 2015 | FEATURES

SouthworDS 9

FEATURES

| December 16, 2015

ne location...

MANYRound CELEBRATIONS Sweet Luck rewards

Margaret Cahill & Christina Johnson

Features Editors any of the New Year’s traditions that we take for granted were created in ancient times, some dating back to 2300 BC. Countries and cultures have participated in a great deal of New Year’s traditions to bring luck, wealth, and more. And though there are a variety of New Year’s traditions and customs, the new year is celebrated enthusiastically everywhere.

To most people, the new year signifies a new beginning and a chance to shrug off the past year’s worries, conflicts, and mistakes and start over. The chance of wealth and good fortune are riding on the hope that the new year could be better than the last.

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Filipino custom

Many of us have family traditions that may not make sense to most outsiders. However, these traditions have a special place in our families because of their symbolism and presence throughout multiple generations. The new year in the Philippines is one of the biggest and most exciting festivals of the entire year. However, to ensure that this hearty celebration is followed by an equally exciting year, many Filipino people partake in many traditions on New Year’s Eve they believe will bring luck and prosperity.

“My grandma, my mom, and all my aunts are obsessed with collecting eight pieces of eight different types of circular foods like oranges or grapes or even lifesavers to put on the table on New Year’s Eve,” says junior Nicole Pagliari. “They believe it symbolizes abundance and good luck in the New Year.”

In addition to these preparations before the clock strikes 12, many Filipino families have tricks that can only work at midnight.

“They also make my cousins and I jump with them when the clock strikes midnight because supposedly it will make you grow,” says Pagliari, “Although, for an adult who hasn’t topped 5’1 in 30 years, I don’t know what good my mom thinks it will do for her.”

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In America, New Year’s Eve is largely celebrated at the beginning of the Gregorian calendar, but in many other cultures, the New Year begins with the “rebirth” of the Earth in spring time. The Persian New Year, called Norouz, takes place on the Spring Solstice (March 21) and is celebrated with many traditions that serve to ensure prosperity and honor the earth.

“So for New Year’s we have this thing called ‘Haft Seen,’ which means ‘Seven S’s’ in Persian,” said junior Tara Faraji.

“We have a table and we have seven items that begin with ‘s’ in Persian.

This includes an apple, which symbolizes wisdom and beauty; garlic, which symbolizes health; wheatgrass sprouts, which symbolize growth and life; a Persian spice called somagh, which symbolizes sunrise; dried fruit from a lotus tree which symbolize love; and sweet pudding which symbolizes affluence. All of these serve to bring growth and life during the rebirth of mother nature.”

Luck from home

In Madrid, Spain, thousands of people gather in a plaza called “Puerta del Sol” (meaning “Gate of the Sun” in Spanish) to watch the clock count down to midnight, much like Americans do in New York. Even though these two cities are over four thousand miles apart, their celebrations remain similar, with only a few modifications.

“Along with a bottle of champagne, everyone in the plaza brings a bag with twelve grapes,” said Spanish teacher Mr. Francisco Barbas. “For every ring of the bell, you must eat a grape; twelve in all. People around the country watch this on television and do likewise.”

Being away from family during the holidays can be difficult, but celebrating familiar traditions can be a way to make anywhere seem like home.

“I must confess that, although I am far away from home, I still eat my twelve grapes right at midnight,” Mr. Barbas said.

“It would feel strange not to do so. Thanks to modern technology, I can also watch my fellow countrymen and women celebrating in Plaza del Sol and still eat my grapes with them.”

Different cultures sometimes bear various religious traditions, even with what seems like a worldly, secular holiday like New Year’s Day. For devoted Greek Orthodox followers, the holiday is celebratory and interlaces with their religion.

“We make a cake, put a coin inside it, and when the year changes, we cut it up,” said sophomore Savina Mihalopoulos.

“The first piece is for god, thanking him for the year, the second piece is for the man of the house, and the rest of the pieces are for the rest of the family. The order you eat it in goes from oldest to youngest.”

With any great New Year’s tradition comes the promise of something better for the upcoming year.

“Wh o e ve r ge t s t h e coin in their piece of cake will have luck all the next year,” said Mihalopoulos.

Chinese symbols

When most people think of the Chinese New Year, they’ll think of giant dragons, parades, and fireworks. But behind the traditional chinese celebration lies many culturally meaningful ideas.

The date of the chinese New Year isn’t Jan. 1. People who celebrate the Chinese New Year base their celebration on the lunar calendar, with celebrations traditionally spanning over a month, usually between January and February. This tradition is one of the longest-lasting celebrations in the world.

In Chinese culture, symbolism is used often, and honoring the new year is no exception.

“All kinds of foods have different symbolism,” said sophomore Elizabeth Lou. “Tangerines or hotpot means unity.

Fish means gaining and gaining every year...in terms of luck.”

The rest of the year can also bring luck, or misfortune, depending on your birth year.

“There’s a tradition where if it’s your animal’s year, you have to wear red all year to drive away bad luck,” said Lou.

Films

Mark Toledano

named ‘star wars’ to see this break

December 16, 2015 | ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment Writer s the next installment of the unfathomably-successful “Star Wars” franchise hits box offices this month, comic book fanatics and Star Wars lovers alike will flock to their local theatres to witness the event. But where does that leave the average Maine South student or faculty member? If you don’t want to hop on the commercial bandwagon, Southwords has your back. Here are our picks for the top movies other than “Star Wars” worth your time this Holiday season.

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6. “Chi Raq”

5. Youth

A modern day interpretation of Aristophanes’ play “Lysistrata,” “Chi-Raq” had critics in a frenzy over its controversial name. But first, a history lesson: the Greek philosopher Aristophanes wrote the comedy “Lysistrata” as a form of satire to criticize the Peloponnesian war between ancient Athens and Sparta.

“Chi-Raq” is this same story, except it takes place in present day Chicago, and the war is between street gangs.

“Chi-Raq” is already in theatres so be sure to check it out this winter break.

By far the most controversial movie in our countdown, our list continues with this romantic comedy from Italian director Paolo Sorrentino. Premiered at the world famous Cannes Film Festival in France, “Youth” had half of the critics in the theatre reeling, and the other half giving a standing ovation. The story of an aging musician drawn out of retirement by the grief of his unvisited past, “Youth” could be the feel-good movie of the season that makes your winter more bearable.

4. “The Hateful Eight”

3. “The Finest Hours”

Whether or not you approve of Quentin Tarantino’s extremely violent movies, it is difficult to deny the director’s influence. His past works, such as “Django: Unchained” (2012), “Kill Bill” (2003), and “Pulp Fiction” (1994) are examples of acclaimed writing/directing and controversial content. You can expect nothing different in his latest film. Heads will roll and bullets will fly as “The Hateful Eight” marches into theatres on Christmas Day. Tarantino’s cause is helped by the fact that the movie was shot on 70- millimeter film.

Scared of water? This movie might not be for you. Based on an incredible true story, The “Finest Hours” is the story of a capsized oil tanker, a crumbling relationship, and the most daring rescue in United States Coast Guard history. With crewmen stranded on an overturned ship out on the ocean in the midst of a colossal storm, “The Finest Hours” tells the story of the unbreakable courage of a small group of sailors that defy all odds to assist their fellow brethren.

“The Finest Hours” splashes into theatres this January.

2. “Anomalisa”

1. “Hail, Caesar!”

The only animated film on our list, “Anomalisa” is the story of a man at an exotic hotel for people with a rare mental condition. These people look and sound identical, making it a dreary place to be. Even stranger, the film only stars three voice actors, and is rated R, which is rare for animated films. Called “a puppet movie for adults,” Anomalisa promises to be an insightful wake up call on love, life, relationships, and what it means to be human. The directors, Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman prove their creativity in this film. The film will be showing in select theatres on Dec. 30.

Topping off our list is the muchanticipated release from the acclaimed directing duo Joel and Ethan Coen.

The brains behind past hits “Fargo” (1996), “O Brother Where Art Thou” (2000), and “The Big Lebowski” (1998), the highly successful Coen brothers unite again to deliver their quirky sense of humor audiences have come to love. With an all-star cast lined up, including Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes, and Tilda Swinton, “Hail Caesar!” is one fun ride you are not going to want to miss.

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ENTERTAINMENT | December 16, 2015

Chicago rises into the new year Entertainment Writer he most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner, and with it comes a new year. This year, Chicago will be hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration to rival New York’s annual festivities. Planned by the City of Chicago and several other sponsors, the new tradition is called “Chi-Town Rising.”

The festival will be an exciting new event that has the potential to draw in more tourists during the winter, and encourage locals to enjoy the beautiful downtown area. Since the prime time for tourism of Chicago is in the spring and summertime, the Chi-Town Rising team believes that this event will make Chicago much more marketable for year-round travel.

The event is expected to draw more than 7,000 people downtown and make Chicago a top destination for the holidays. The festivities will begin at 7 p.m. between Michigan Avenue & Columbus Drive. There will

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be fireworks, performances from local provoking, funny, outrageous or deals will be available online at the bands and DJs, a family countdown and free ice skating at Millennium Park, with more activities to be announced. They will be centered around the achievements of Chicago.

Chi-Town Rising is currently calling for local bands and DJs to perform, along with local artists to submit art that is “thought-

sentimental,” and “inspire those experiencing the art to take action.”

The event will be broadcast on NBC 5, starting at 11 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. So far, the performers of “Best Day of My Life,” American Authors and Grammy-winning band “Chicago” will be playing during the TV broadcast. Tickets and package

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA MIHALOPOULOS

Julia Jann

Chi-Town Rising official website.

Similar to the ball drop in New York City, Chi-Town Rising will use a star rising up the Hyatt Regency tower to represent Chicago rising up to the New Year and preparing to face its challenges.

Sophomore Kelly Lennon believes that this new celebration will help Chicago become more prominent and will put the city in the world’s spotlight.

“I think it’s really exciting that the city of Chicago is stepping up their game this year,” she said. “New Year’s Eve has always been a festive time, and it will be even better knowing we live so close to such a large celebration.

While Chicago may be known as the second city, we don’t have to take a back seat to New York City in celebrating the New Year.”

Although this is the first year, it is already predicted to be a success and become a new Chicago tradition. For more information, visit www.chitownrising.com. ­

Celebrate the holidays with technology Entertainment Writer

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t’s that time of year again when ever yone is running around frantically trying to finish their Christmas shopping for others.

However, it’s also important to make sure that we know what to ask for this holiday season. These tech gifts should be at the top of your list.

Smartwatches

classic, etc.) is recommended. It is extremely simple, inexpensive, has a battery life of up to a week, and does the basics of receiving notifications and playing games.

Sonos Speaker Price: Starts at $199

having to charge the battery pack itself. Save your phone, save yourself.

Olloclip Lens Price: $25-$80

Do you love taking pictures of yourself and others? This Olloclip lens comes in versions for all types of phones so that you can get the most crystal clear shots possible from your phone.

Video Streaming Device

If you’re at home after a long day of school and you know you need to get homework done, a Sonos wireless speaker can help you. Although this speaker is pricey, it is the most reliable Price: $35-$199 Price: $50-$350 Students frequently look at their and has a the best sound.

Turn any TV with an HDMI port phones in class and miss what the Google Cardboard into a smart TV. A video-streaming teacher is saying. A smartwatch Price: <$20 device such as the Apple T V, As silly as it sounds, Google Chromecast, Roku TV, or Amazon will allow them to quickly view or respond to text messages from their cardboard is a gateway to another Fire TV includes your favorite video wrists without missing class time. reality. Place your phone in the streaming services such as Netflix, If you have an iPhone 5 or above, cardboard and download apps to Hulu Plus, HBO Now, Sling TV, the Apple Watch is recommended. experience the world of virtual reality. ESPN, MLB at Bat, Spotify, and more.

Although it’s the most expensive, You can ride roller coasters, watch 3D Tylt Energi Backpack + you get an easy interface, and lots of movies, and play games all from your Battery Price: $100 useful functions (plus you feel like room.

With over 1,450 cubic inches James Bond). If you have an Android Anker 2nd-Gen Astro E3 of space, six storage areas, and a phone, the Samsung Galaxy Gear S2 Battery built in battery pack, this is the is recommended. The stylish watch Price: $22 How many times have you or ultimate backpack for anybody, includes many watch faces and more.

It is also rumored that it will soon get somebody else run out of battery tech savvy or not. It features metal iOS support. If you are looking for a on your phone? This high-capacity zippers, dedicated tablet and laptop cross-platform smartwatch, a Pebble (10,000 mAh) battery pack will charge compartments, and a NFC tag in the of any type (round, stainless steel, your phone multiple times without strap. It’s also airport friendly.

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ILLUSTRATION BY BASIA CHRUSCINSKI

Jack Timperley

SandiskUltraFit64GBFlashDrive Price: $25

Need some extra storage space for your files at a cheap price? This USB 3.0 flash drive by Sandisk packs 64GB ideal for connecting to a TV or stereo system but can be used for anything.

This is useful because you can transfer the files to and from any computer whether you are online or offline.

Bonus Tip:

Watch out for AT&T gigapower fiber to the house that’s supposed to be rolling out up to 1000Mbs Internet speeds that will make most of the items above even better.

December 16, 2015 | ENTERTAINMENT

Clash of the Christmas carols Liam Conlon

Entertainment Writer s the holiday season approaches, radios all over the world are tuning in to Christmas music featuring musicians of years past alongside singers of the current era. The debate between classic and modern is put to the test when Christmas anthems old and new are compared.

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“SILENT NIGHT”

“WHITE CHRISTMAS” “LAST CHRISTMAS”

Frank Sinatra’s 1948 version of “Silent Night” is enjoyable for all, with his unmatched tone and musical merit. With a strong lower register, Sinatra’s “Silent Night” is enough to get into the head of any Christmas enthusiast.

A true classic, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is unavoidable during the holiday season. “White Christmas” is a simple song about the universal hope for a happy, snowy Christmas. Soothing vocals with upbeat instrumentation create a festive atmosphere for the season.

FRANK SINATRA

JUSTIN BIEBER

A track that screams “80’s” with the use of a keytar and extremely emotional vocals, “Last Christmas” is one of the few modern holiday songs to become a classic. This song, originally created

by Wham!, has been a mainstay in the holiday soundtracks of thousands since its debut in 1984.

The story of a heartbroken lover redeeming him/ herself the next year may not seem like a jolly tale of Christmas cheer, but Wham! managed to put it to a catchy beat that fits right in with the yuletide spirit.

TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor Swift breathed new life into Wham!’s original, all while putting in her own style to it. She gave the song a new and infectious sound as a part of her understated holiday album that topped music charts during the holiday season. Swift’s version of “Last Christmas” gave a renaissance to the song WINNER: DRAW that’s sure to get stuck in the heads of anyone who While Bing Crosby listens to it this holiday season. may set the example for WINNER: TAYLOR SWIFT an excellent Christmas song, While Wham! may have originally created “Last Michael Bublé took Crosby’s Christmas,” Taylor Swift gave the tune a harmonic melody and created a catchy and edge that invigorated the dated Wham! melody. modern tune without straying too Swift made “Last Christmas” enjoyable to a far far from the classic sound. wider range of listeners, and not just of ‘80s pop fans.

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Frank Sinatra’s voice had the perfect softness and tone for a song like “Silent Night,” and Bieber’s lack of originality makes it hard to set apart from many other versions.

Michael Bublé’s Christmas album is one of the most popular holiday sound tracks around the world, becoming a household staple.

Bublé’s recording of “White Christmas” offers samples from ‘40-style music and harmonies to Shania Twain to get any listener into the holiday spirit.

WHAM!

TION

WINNER: FRANK SINATRA

MICHAEL BUBLE

STRA ILLU

Justin Bieber took a classic ballad “Silent Night” and put his own voice to it, w it h out mu c h altering of the original. This nod to classic in a world of change in mu s i c c a n b e taken as either a sign of respect or unoriginality.

Nevertheless, Bieber’s “Silent Night” remains a pleasant tune.

BING CROSBY

Jill Steffen

Entertainment Writer he ever-pleasant thought of seasonal baked goods fills the minds of many as the irresistable aroma of warm baked goods fills the air during the cold winter months. Different cultures contribute their own signature baked goods that are traditionally made each holiday season.

Traveling to Italy is on many people’s bucket lists, but it’s not hard to bring a little bit of Italy to your own kitchen. Pizzelle are traditional waffle cookies made not in an oven, but in a waffle iron that can imprint beautiful snowflake-esque designs in the delicate dessert. The crisp cookie thins are made from a batter of flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and anise flavoring that is substituted for lemon or vanilla as well. Pizelles are celebratory desserts especially baked for religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter in Italian families.

Iran is your next stop in the kitchen, and junior Tara Faraji loves having Zulbia during the holidays. “It is a mixture of two different types of desserts,” she said. “It’s

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honey and caramel based. Some would call it a mixture between a doughnut and fried pastry.

This is generally made for New Year’s.” These tasty treats can be enjoyed hot or cold. No temperature extreme can diminish the sweet crystallized sugar coating the outside of this scrumptious delight.

Fried dough covered in a sweet sugar coating is the recipe for any delicious food.

Every Polish family knows the one dessert accompanying every dinner during the holiday season. The essence of kolaczki includes a buttery, flakey crust with a sweet jam of any flavor. Junior Nicole Skora knows these treats well. “My family always makes kolaczki during Christmastime,” she said. The possibilities for these cookies are endless. They can be shaped like a circle, square, or even a diamond. These cookies have sported many different flavors: poppyseed, apricot, strawberry, lemon, blueberry, even prune. At first glance, kolaczki may seem too plain for a holiday dinner, but the exotic flavors make quite a delight that will be impossible to forget.

Another festive Greek treat is Koulourakia. According to

junior Maria Iatrides, “Koulourakia can be made into different shapes and topped with egg wash. They are really soft and doughy.”

Ko u l o u r a k i a are usually curled into small snakel i k e s h a p e s . T h e s e small snakes were worshipped by the Minoans, an ancient civilization, because they are known for their healing powers.

While these cultural treats are a taste of the holidays, it’s the baking that brings family members together that makes the season special. A bit of creativity with a sweet treat puts a smile on every face.

ILLUSTRATION BY BASIA CHRUSCINSKI

Sugar, spice, and everything cookies

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SPORTS

| December 16, 2015

Maine hockey looking to playoffs Julia Sirvinskas

Staff Writer t the beginning of each new season, most sports teams set a goal to improve upon their previous season’s performance. For the 2015-2016 Maine Hockey team, this means earning a state championship trophy.

Coming off of their close second-place finish in State last year, the boys are hungry to claim the championship as theirs. The team is coached by Mr. Greg Mrofcza and led by senior captain Jeremy Starzec and alternate senior captains Jeff Galiotto and Nick Porto.

Coach Mrofcza, who grew up playing hockey in the western suburbs and eventually played for Robert Morris College, came to the Maine organization three seasons ago, but has been coaching Illinois high school hockey for 11 years.

Starzec and Porto return for their third varsity season, Galiotto for his second. Although the most important goal for the team is making it back to the United Center and winning the state championship, one point of emphasis for the team is chemistry.

“Working together and forming bonds and connections as a team is huge for us to be successful this season,” said Galiotto.

As an organization that combines students from all three schools in District 207, some may see camaraderie as a challenge, but it only adds to

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the skaters’ strengths.

“A large portion of our team played together last year, and those who didn’t have had no troubles assimilating with everyone else,” Starzec said.

Despite the large number of returning varsity players, Coach Mrofcza is still looking for this year’s team to make a name for itself.

“I really don’t like to compare teams year over year,” he said. “As with every season, my coaches and I will try to guide our team’s development, but at the same time, let the players work to build their own identity,” said Coach Mrofcza.

With this in mind, last year’s second-place finish is used not for comparison, but for motivation.

Starzec notes that the biggest difference between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 teams is the increased drive to get back to the United Center.

“Knowing that we can definitely get back to the state championship stays in the back of all our minds every time we step out on that ice,” said Starzec.

This sentiment is also echoed by Mr. Mrofcza, who believes the team has the desire to make a run.

“I’ve spoken often about our finish last season with our players, and the players that were on the team last season have talked openly to the entire team about their desire to make it back to the state championship game,” Mr. Mrofcza said.

The team’s win percentage thus far is near 0.500, but Porto believes it does not reflect how well the team has actually played.

“We have had some bad games, but we have also played good games as a team, but still lost due to a strong opposing goaltender and other factors,” said Porto.

Twenty of the best teams in Illinois will be at the Blackhawks Charity Christmas tournament coming up, at which the team expects to perform well. Although it will not be easy, Starzec believes the team has a legitimate chance to make it far in the tournament.

The highly-anticipated rivalry series against Notre Dame will occur in January as well, which is always hotly contested and will be a good test for the Maine Hockey team. With solid experience like this behind them by the time playoffs roll around, the team feels they will be prepared to make a deep run.

“We strongly believe that we will start picking up wins in every game that we play,” Porto said.

Coach Mrofcza is hoping that the sting of coming up short last season will be avenged by a state championship this year.

“The goal of reaching the state championship game again has served as a great motivator this season and it is never far from our team’s mind,” said Mr. Mrofcza.

Wrestlers use team chemistry to find success Staff Writer ith four varsity starters returning and many young wrestlers stepping up, there are high hopes for the Maine South boys’ wrestling program.

While the team hopes to have a successful season, they are missing some key members of the team from last season.

“We did well last year—almost won conference, but we did lose a couple of key seniors,” senior captain Jake Bess said.

The program produced three AllConference athletes, including two of this season’s captains: Kyle Cacciatore and Ibrahim Nasir.

Despite losing key seniors, the boys feel prepared due to their experience and ample preseason training.

“We did a lot of off-season practice at Team Poeta and a lot of preseason lifting,” said Bess. “As a team, we went to Oak Park River Forest’s week-long camp. Team Poeta is a training center in Lake Forest.”

The preseason also allowed another Hawks captain to prepare ex-

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tensively for this season, where he worked to attain a big personal goal.

“Personally, I did spring GrecoRoman wrestling, a different style of wrestling, and worked to qualify for nationals,” said Cacciatore. “Unfortunately, injury kept me from that.”

The 2015-2016 team is quite ambitious. Unfortunately, several injuries may inhibit the team from reaching their dreams as Cacciatore and senior Matt Dilfer have concussions.

“The key to success is to stay healthy and focused, but I can’t wait to get back as soon as my concussion clears up,” Cacciatore said.

Maine South wrestling uses the values of hard work and team chemistry in order to find success, whether it is in practice or at a meet.

“The team chemistry is very strong we always have a good time together off the mat, but we all still do very well when we do step on the mat,” Bess said. “We also are there for one another and help each other out.

Most importantly we always have fun.”

This statement is echoed by Bess’s

teammates, who feel that they have always had great chemistry in and out of practice.

“Maine South Wrestling team chemistry has always been very good, and this year is no exception,” Cacciatore said. “It’s long days and hard work, but we find a way to have fun one way or another.”

The boys have the most fun when they are goofing off with their team-

mates—whether they are telling jokes before practice or celebrating on the bus ride home from winning a duel meet.

In order to meet their high expectations and take first place in the Central Suburban League, the Hawks must defeat many strong teams. One of those teams will be New Trier, one of their biggest rivals in the conference.

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PHOTO BY PATRICIA SMYRSKI

Sophie Miller

MASTER OF THE MAT

Senior captain Jake Bess participates in a takedown drill during practice. Bess is one of the three senior captains leading the team.

December 16, 2015 | SPORTS

Boys’ basketball starts season in perfection Mike Greco Sports Editor

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consistent, high-powered offense along with a stifling defense has led to an undefeated start to the season for the boys’ basketball team.

The team has gone on a convincing early run going 6-0 over the course of the first month of the season, while also proving many doubters wrong.

The Hawks played their first game of the season on Nov. 23 against the Chicago Math and Science Academy Titans at the start of the Maine West Tournament. The Hawks won easily 51-28 and were led in scoring by senior guard Tommy Digan, who had 17 points in the game.

Over the course of the tournament, the Hawks had several dominating wins including a 60-42 win against Prosser where senior center Brad Perry had 13 points and 15 rebounds, and a 60-41 win against Libertyville where senior guard Jonathan Arenas led the way with 18 points.

The Hawks stayed undefeated on Dec. 4 against Loyola in the anthroughout the tournament, beating nual Chicago Elite Classic.

This series of games involves the Maine West at home 66-49. Perry led the Hawks with 15 points and col- best high school basketball teams in lected a school record 21 rebounds the Chicago area competing headin the game. Except, the record is not to-head at the UIC Pavilion.

Maine South was able to pull what motivates Perry.

“Getting the record was great,” away with a 42-40 victory as junior said Perry. “But it’s one of those forward Milos Ljiljak knocked down things that’s in the background, a three-pointer with three seconds where having the record just makes left on the game clock.

“Milos’s shot me want to beat was great because it.” it gave us the win,” Winning at “ The next game that said head coach Mr. the Maine West Anthony Lavorato.

To u r n a m e n t we play is always the “Except the real reanot only made hardest game” son we won was bethe Hawks bet- Coach Lavorato cause our guys out ter, but put their there decided that great chemistry they weren’t going as a team on to lose.” display.

A large amount of the success “The tournament was a great foundation for our team,” said Are- the team has had has been because nas. “It allowed us to keep building of their great chemistry, but senior our chemistry as a team so that we leadership has been key in order for the Hawks to stay the course of the can continue to be successful.”

Many of the games played by the season. “ [Senior] Austin Derrick and Jon team this year have been important, but none had been as big as the game Arenas are the leaders of the team,

and they do a great job with the guys,” said Coach Lavorato. “They’re a part of a great returning nucleus of experienced players.”

While seniors have been big for the team early on, younger players such as Milos Liljak have been important for the Hawks.

“Our young guys like Milos, [junior] Nick Foldvary, [junior] Jack Scales, and [junior] Ryan Coffey have been giving us great minutes,” Coach Lavorato said. “Also, Tommy Gardiner and Grant Miller are sophomores who are helping us out a lot.”

Leadership and chemistry have been important for the team, but many of the players are a product of playing and training in the system for many years.

“Working with the same coaches each year, each summer has motivated me and everyone else to be successful every year, and especially this year,” Perry said.

The Hawks will play many tough games over the course of the season.

“The next game that we play is always the hardest game,” said Coach Lavorato.

Girls’ basketball wins with teamwork James Bednarz Staff Writer

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s winter approaches, the girls’ basketball team is using their team chemistry to find success.

There are high hopes for the team this year; 11 seniors have returned to the team this year, and they look to lead their fellow Hawks to a successful season.

“We are all committed to one another and to our Hawk Pride,” said senior shooting guard Jackie Ostojic. “The upperclassmen understand and appreciate the rich tradition of Maine South Girls Basketball.”

The seniors lead the rest of the squad both on and off the court. Part of their job as the leaders is to bring the rest of the team together, and they have done a great job of creating a strong team chemistry that will help them to play as a unit.

“The team chemistry is great this year,” said junior forward Olivia Latreille. “Everybody connects on the court, we do so many things together outside of games in practices, it re-

ally helps to bring us together.”

This statement is echoed by the seniors as they believe success is only found through team chemistry.

“Our team chemistry this year is amazing, and that’s the key to success,” said senior shooting guard Anna Kons. “If we aren’t playing well together, then we aren’t playing well at all.”

After a 3-3 start, the Hawks look to use their experience to keep putting wins on the board going forward in the season.

“We have high expectations for this group since we returned 12 players from last year’s regional championship team,” said head coach Mr. Mark Smith.

The seniors are expected to lead the program to success through their long-term experience.

“Our 11 seniors are basically in their 8th season in our program including summers, and know our expectations related to execution,” Coach Smith said. “As a result, in terms of teaching the system, we are ahead of where we have been in past

seasons.”

Coach Smith had been leading the girls’ varsity basketball team for the last 11 years, and he plans to continue to use his expertise to steer his girls to success.

“Success for our group is [dependent on] limiting turnovers and paying attention to the small but important details that have always been a trademark of our program,” Mr. Smith said.

The basketball knowledge on the part of the players will also help to lead the girls to victory.

“Our key to success is to communicate on and off the court,” said senior guard Arlena Rinaldi. “Defense is something we put a lot emphasize on. We play a 2-3 zone defense which forces us to communicate with the players on the floor, players on the bench and our coaches.”

According to the seniors, rebounding will be key for the Hawks to find success this year.

“If we rebound, execute our plays, and nonstop communicate on defense, we will be a successful team,”

said senior Sophie Miller.

The Hawks believe that in order for them to find success during the season, they must having a hardworking and tough mindset.

“We know that our mentality, heart, and hustle is what will win games-not raw talent,” said senior Julia Sirvinskas. “We keep reminding ourselves that in order to succeed, we need to play tough.”

Last year, the Hawks were ranked fifth in the sectional rankings, and they look to improve their position from last year. The team has many goals this season, such as being one of the top 20 teams in Illinois, to be placed third in the sectional seeding, and to end the season with a record over .500.

While this will be the last season for the eleven seniors on the team, the girls are looking to make their last season the best they have ever had.

“I love every girl and can’t wait to make my last season the best and most successful one I’ve had,” said senior Kate Nedza.

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

Freshman fencer rises in world rankings

Christo Fosse Staff Writer

hile most of America obsesses over popular sports such as football, basketball, and baseball, for freshman Filip Dolegiewicz, fencing is a way of life.

At 15 years old, he is currently ranked as one of the top three fencers in the nation for his age. Dolegiewicz is constantly fencing at the national and international level, and he travels around the country and the world for fencing competitions.

Dolegiewicz’s interest in the unique sport of fencing originated when he was very young.

“My older brother inspired me to become a fencer,” Dolegiewicz said. “He was the first one in my family to start fencing and seeing the sport appealed to me as a little kid. My older brother now fences for the Penn State Fencing Team in college, and he recently won a national competition.”

With the busy lifestyle of going to tournaments both internationally and nationally, Dolegiewicz’s fencing career involves a large time commitment.

“The time commitment for a fencer all depends on what level you fence at,” he said. “Fencers who compete nationally, like myself, usually train every day of the week for around two hours. Fencing for me is a huge time commitment.”

Dolegiewicz trains at the Midwest Fencing Club in Chicago. At the Fencing Club, he currently works with coach Ian Farr. Farr was previously the fencing coach at the University of Notre Dame.

The first thing that has to be learned from any aspiring fencer are the rules of the sport. Fencing is made up of bouts which are finished when three minutes have elapsed, or one player scores five points.

If the bout is still continuing after three minutes, the higher point scorer wins the bout. Points are earned by hitting the other player with the weapon.

The three weapons of fencing can be a foil, saber, or an épée. Dolegiewicz uses a saber, the most physical of the weapons.

“Saber is the fastest and most physical weapon, and it allows you

PHOTO BY LAUREN PAPP

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LUNGING TO SUCCESS

Freshman fencer Filip Dolegiewicz (left) trains at the Midwest Fencing Club in Chicago for his upcoming competitions. He currently fences in many tournaments both in the United States and over seas and has aspirations of one day fencing for one of the top colleges in the United States.

slash and poke your opponent,” he said.

“In my opinion this is the best weapon.”

All fencers have a very rigorous training routine. The most common training routine for a fencer is to do a warmup, footwork, fencing drills, and then bout with other fencers. Fencers who train nationally like Dolegiewicz usually train year-round and go to competitions.

With this intensive training routine, Dolegiewicz has set many high goals for himself for this and next year’s fencing season.

“My goal is to make the U.S Cadet National Team (17 and under),” he said.

“To achieve this goal, I would have to be ranked in the top three of the nation. If I were to make the national team, I would go to the World Championships where the best fencers from around the world compete in a tournament.”

“Other than that, I will be working hard to improve my technique and blade work.”

Wi t h t h e s e g o a l s i n m i n d ,

Dolegiewicz has set a plan in order to be successful and achieve his goals.

“To achieve my goals this season, I plan on working extremely hard,” he said. “I will be focusing a lot on improving my footwork, blade work, and technique so that I can become a better fencer.”

Besides the large amount of training, there is also a mental aspect that allows many fencers to be successful.

“I will also be concentrating on my mental game because thinking is extremely important in fencing.”

Even after sustaining a recent injury, Dolegiewicz is still focused on achieving his goals.

“Right now, I am recovering from an injury to the hip [avulsion fracture], and this injury has been very frustrating.

Because of this, I recently have been concentrating on my blade work and technique because I have to take it easy on my leg,” said Dolegiewicz.

Despite being just a freshman, Dolegiewicz has already enjoyed

some major accomplishments. These accomplishments include earning fifth place at the World Cup in Poland this past year, earning a second-place finish at the summer nationals in San Jose, and winning a national competition in Milwaukee this past April.

Dolegiewicz is looking forward to a World Cup in Germany and Junior Olympics in Cleveland this February.

With his many achievements and consistent training, Dolegiewicz sees a bright future for himself in the sport of fencing.

“My possibilities as a fencer are to make a college fencing team and possibly earn a scholarship,” he said.

“Many of the best universities in the United States have fencing teams and I am hoping to fence for one of those teams.”

Dolegiewicz plans on using his combination of experience and training to achieve his goals for the remainder of the season and for the rest of his fencing career.