Vol. 54, Issue 2

Vol. 54, No. 2

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

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Sophmore Doni Gjoka prepares to return the ball during an 8th period game of four square.

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bounce Four square makes a comeback in the cafeteria courtyard.

See page 8

Hall of Fame

Two alumni inducted into the Wall of Honor Page 2

Unlocked

Revealing the truth behind locker usage Page 10

Dancing Hawks

Greek students embrace their culture through dance.

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Dig it

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL FRAZIER

October 13, 2017

Girls volleyball adjusts well with new coach.

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NEWS | October 13, 2017

Two prestigious alumni added to the Wall of Honor

Dimitri Speron

PHOTO CREDIT ROYAL SOCIETY

PHOTO BY JUSTYNA LEPA

News Editor wo alumni were added to Maine South’s Wall of Honor at a ceremony at Café La Cave on Sept.

21. The honorees were Dr. Susan Lindquist, PhD (‘67), and Dr. Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD (‘77).

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Dr. Susan Lindquist

Dr. Susan Lindquist, who passed away in October 2016, went to the University of Illinois at ChampaignUrbana, where she received her degree in microbiology. Dr. Lindquist was one of the first women to enter the biomedical field.

Dr. Lindquist completed her PhD in biology from Harvard University in 1976. Her post-doctoral fellowship was completed at the American Cancer Society.

She was then a professor at the University of Chicago for 23 years, until she was appointed the head of the Whitehead Institute at MIT in 2001. Dr. Lindquist concurrently served as the Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Dr. Lindquist’s most important contribution to her field was her ground-breaking discovery that people inherit proteins that can duplicate themselves. Proteins are structures that do a lot of different things in the body, and before Dr. Lindquist, many assumed that they could only be made by cells themselves. Dr. Lindquist’s research revealed that some proteins can be self-replicating and inherited.

Her work covered the implications of these proteins and their folding habits. Dr. Lindquist’s work provided the biochemical background to understand what occurs in the brain in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Mad-Cow Disease.

The work that she did also uncovered the relationships between the mechanisms in cells that restrict the expression of gene changes and thus restrict evolution. The connections between gene expression, which is the physical representation of a pattern in one’s DNA, and evolution in cancer cells were investigated by her laboratory.

During her time at Maine South, Dr. Lindquist was known for her passionate dedication to science at a time when even her parents assumed that she would be a housewife. She knew Hillary Clinton (‘65) during her time at Maine South.

“She was very proud of the fact

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HONORED HAWKS

Dr. Susan Lindquist (‘67) (left) earned her place on the Wall of Honor for her work in biology. Dr. Ravi Salgia (‘77) (right) was recognized for his achievements in cancer research.

that she was finally able to vote for a woman for president,” Dr. Lindquist’s brother said at the honorary dinner event.

Joh ns on and Joh ns on , t he company at which Dr. Lindquist was a board member, has created a new chair at MIT in her name.

The company donated $5 million to establish this chair.

T h e Ma i n e S o u t h Pa r e nt s Scholarship Fund has named a new scholarship after Dr. Lindquist. This scholarship will be awarded to female seniors at Maine South who are pursuing science.

Dr. Ravi Salgia Dr. Ravi Salgia immigrated from India to Park Ridge when he was only 12 years old, and he remembers his time at Maine South fondly.

“I took a lot of math and science classes: physics, chemistry, and biology,” Dr. Salgia said. “My most favorite class at Maine South was AP Biology. I liked that a lot.”

Dr. Salgia credits the school with imprinting upon him several key personality traits that led to his personal success.

“I absolutely believe that creativity can be learned and nurtured, which I saw firsthand at Maine South,” Dr. Salgia said.

After graduating from Maine South, Dr. Salgia attended Loyola

University at Chicago, where he received his undergraduate degrees in mathematics, biology, and chemistry, his Medical Doctorate, and his PhD. “[Maine South] really prepared me incredibly well,” Dr. Salgia said.

“I went to college from here at Loyola University, then I went to medical school and also graduate school at the same time. Then I went to work out east at an internship, residency, fellowship, and a career in medicine.”

Dr. Salgia attended his medical residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he met his wife.

After his residency in Baltimore, Dr. Salgia went to a fellowship in medical oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. During this time, he was also a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School, also in Boston.

His work at Harvard Medical School continued for 13 years. After living on the east coast, he attributes his move back to the Chicago area to his children.

“Because of the roots I had [in Park Ridge] and the amazing experience I had, I moved back to Park Ridge for our kids to go to Maine South,” Dr. Salgia said.

All three of his children, Sabrina, Meghan, and Nick, went to Maine South.

Upon moving back to Chicago, Dr. Salgia accepted a professorship at

the University of Chicago, where he worked for 13 years. During this time, Dr. Salgia pioneered new treatments for various different types of cancer.

Dr. Salgia now lives in Pasadena, California. “[After] I worked at Harvard for 13 years, and then I came back here and worked at the University of Chicago for 13 years, there was an opportunity to go to Southern California, to a place called City of Hope,” Dr. Salgia said. “What is special about City of Hope is that it is a free-standing cancer institute where we can actually take care of all cancer patients and focus on preventative care. What is important about City of Hope is that if you have an idea to, let’s say, develop new drugs, you can do so within the institution itself.”

The new treatments focus on personalizing drugs for the specific genes found in patient’s cancer cells.

These treatments are considerably more effective and unlike traditional therapies, do not have nearly as many negative effects on the patient’s own body. “[Drug development] is one of our biggest things [at City of Hope],” Dr. Salgia said. “They identify certain types of cancers that will respond to novel therapeutics. So, we develop targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and we try to implement those in our cancer therapies.”

October 13, 2017 | NEWS

Hawks plan a Day of Giving Back

Elaine Smith

News Editor he Day of Giving Back, taking place on Oct. 14, will feature several different community service projects for students to sign-up for.

Teams, clubs, and classrooms can sign-up to work on the same project together. Students are encouraged to bring friends and family with them to help as well.

The Day of Giving Back gives students a chance to better the local community.

“Maine South has a great tradition of giving back,” Mr. Berendt, the Assistant Principal for Students, said.

“This is a great opportunity for students and staff to come together and spend a little time and effort helping out with their hands and feet. It always feels great to give back.”

The idea for the Day of Giving Back came about after hearing that other high schools in the area had hosted similar events. The Day of Giving will consist of on- and offcampus volunteer opportunities.

There will be several clean-up projects taking place at Maine

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South. Students can volunteer to complete tasks like beautifying the school courtyard and painting trash cans. There will also be two different time-slots where students can signup to beautify the forest preserve across the street from Maine South.

Maine South Key Club will be leading two projects in the cafeteria.

“One will be making paracord bracelets for the troops, and the other is making chew toys out of old t-shirts for the dogs at Wright Way Rescue,” Key Club Co-President, Emma Wonsowicz said.

The paracord bracelets will be sent to troops through Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends out care packages to troops at boot camp and overseas.

“The bracelets are something new that we wanted to try,” Wonsowicz said. “We feel that homemade donations such as these add a personal touch to brighten the day of whoever receives it.”

Interact Club is also planning to make the paracord bracelets and chew toys for the dogs at Wright Way Rescue.

Senior girls win annual powderpuff game Charlotte Geier News Writer

he annual Powderpuff game resulted in a 35-18 victory for the seniors on Sept. 20.

This year, the Powderpuff teams had over seventy girls in total.

“I wanted to play last year when all the current seniors were talking about how much fun they had playing,” junior Anna Gerbich said.

Powderpuff is a no-cut activity and offers a wide spectrum of competition.

“It is really fun to see how seriously they [the senior team] take things,” senior team coach, Mr. Andrew Trenkle said. “[They] commit to it like it is a varsity sport.”

Powderpuff is also a social opportunity to make new friends.

“My favorite part [of Powderpuff] was just getting to know so many girls, all from different friend groups,” senior Hannah Northfell said.

From pasta parties to 6 a.m. practices, the girls became close with their peers. Although morning practices were tough, players agree it was

"As a democratic club, we voted for which event we wished to partake in and these two activities were a tie Mary Godley for first," senior Interact Club Presi- News Editor dent Noah Fishman said. his year, students celebrated On the Day of Giving Back, there homecoming week from Sept. are also opportunities for students to volunteer off-campus. The American 25-30 with some events returning Cancer Society is organizing a walk from past years and new events.

This year’s homecoming theme in Park Ridge tomorrow morning.

Volunteers are needed to help set was Dr. Seuss. Like years in the past, up and break down, register partici- each weekday had a related dress-up a theme. pants, and run different tents.

The week was filled with showThe Park Ridge Farmer’s Market needs volunteers to help with set- ings of school spirit. The annual ting up and organizing the Farmers window-decorating competition was Market and the Historic Methodist held and the Thespians were named Campground would like assistance the winners. The halls were also decwith fall cleanup of the grounds. orated in a Seuss-related way. To get Students would rake leaves, pick up in on the festivities, students were able to purchase themed t-shirts in sticks, and trim back plants.

The goal of the Day of Giving the bookstore.

On Friday, students packed into Back is to encourage students to conthe Spectator Gym to witness the tribute to their community.

“I hope students can take away assembly, which included a dancethat we can enact more change in our off, pies in the faces of teachers, communities when we work togeth- tug-of-war, and performances by er,” Wonsowicz said. “Volunteering is the marching band, Hawkettes, and more fun with friends and family by cheerleaders.

Due to the extreme heat your side.” throughout the week, the assembly was moved from its usual slot between seventh and eighth period to between third and fourth period.

The unusual weather also prompted the dance to be moved from the spectator gym to the field house.

At the end of the assembly, the senior homecoming court was announced.

Hannah Northfell was named homecoming queen and Christo Fosse was named king.

“At first, I didn’t realize that they called my name. Once it registered, I was very surprised and overwhelmed,” Northfell said of the honor.

The king and queen’s duties included attending the football game, the parade, and the dance.

“It was a cool experience and very memorable,” Northfell said.

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PHOTO BY JEN BECK

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Students partake in homecoming week festivites

POWDER-ING THROUGH THE OPPOSITION

Senior quarterback, Fiona Spuria, runs through the defense. The seniors scored seven touchdowns that night.

Corrections:

worth the wake up.

“It would be pitch black and foggy and then we would get to watch the sun rise, which was awesome,” Gerbich said.

Game day preparation included body paint and hair braiding

Also in the article entitled "Boys' XC looks to repeat as conference champs" it should have stated that Tommy Brady ran 825 miles instead of 530 miles.

“My favorite part of the game was hearing Hansen’s inspiring speech [that] he gave us,” Northfell said.

The seniors redeemed themselves from their loss as juniors in last year’s game, winning the title of 2017 Powderpuff champions.

In Volume 54, No. 1, the cover photo should have been credited to Sabrina Nash.

We apologize for the errors.

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NEWS

| October 13, 2017

Elaine Smith

News Editor his year, many students have complained about a perceived change in the D207 guest WiFi network. Students have experienced difficulties loading social media sites on their cellular devices as well as on laptops that are not their school Chromebooks.

“The guest Wifi is so slow,” senior Grace Goble. “It takes three times as long to load every website I open [on my MacBook].”

Currently Maine South has three WiFi networks —the guest network, the private network and the Chromebook network.

Students have access to the Chromebook network on their Chromebooks but are not able to access the private network on their personal laptops or cellular devices.

“Our [security] policy only allows students to connect to s207 ssid with authenticated machines, like [Chromebooks],” Mr. Urbanski said.

As a result, students who choose to use their personal laptops as opposed to Chromebooks must use the guest WiFi network.

“I use a MacBook rather than my Chromebook,” senior Jack Freeman said. “The guest network works about 50% of the time.”

The guest network is composed of three 250 megabit microwave circuits,

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so it has less bandwidth than the private networks. “ W h e n e v e r I h av e t o u s e Vocabulary.com or Socrative, I can’t load it and [I] have to use a paper copy to fill out quizzes,” Freeman said. “It isn’t fair that just because I don’t use the school computer [that] I can’t have full access to websites I need.”

“It takes a really long time for me to get onto websites for school,” Goble said. “My English class has to wait for me to finish Socrative assessments.”

Many students also connect to the guest network on their cellphones. “[The Wifi] is mostly a problem in between classes if I have to contact my parents quickly,” Goble said. “I’ll try to send a message at the beginning of passing period and it won’t be sent by the time that the next class is starting because of the Wifi.”

There are quality of service firewall rules on both the private and guest networks to ensure that as many people have access to the networks as possible.

“We do throttle how much bandwidth is allowed for Netflix or Snapchat [on all networks]” Mr. Urbanski said. “We are throttling that down so that [students or guests] can get to Google and things like that [and] to allow as many people on those networks as possible.”

This summer several upgrades were performed with the goal of

PHOTO BY MICHAEL FRAZIER

Slow guest WiFi network causes issues for students

HOLDING SERVE

This year, the existing firewall was replaced with a 10 gigabit firewall as the final stage in a project to connect all three of the district schools with fiber. Now students at each building are able to connect directly to the network.

increasing bandwidth available to all users.

“We did not make any changes to our policies that should have affected access to social media since last school year,” Chief Technology Office for District 207, Mr. Mark Ordonez said.

“If any of those changes have had any negative impact on access for any users, we are interested in knowing so that we can investigate those issues.”

The guest network has more total bandwidth this year than last year so despite student observations, it should not be slower.

“If [students] are noticing a slow down, it might be for sites like Netflix

and sites like Snapchat or possibly Twitter” Mr. Urbanski said. “They are allowed and not blocked but there is a limited amount of bandwidth that we allow to go through.”

While it may be difficult for students to access social media when connected to the guest network, they should be able to access more sites faster on their Chromebooks.

“The Chromebooks connect to our private network over the Chromebook SSID, and is not throttled the same way guest is,” Mr. Urbanski said.

“The best performance is available to students when they connect with their Chromebooks.”

New charity announced for school-wide fundraiser

Matthew Coyle News Writer

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n the past four years, Maine South has raised over $120,000 for different charitable organizations.

This year, as announced during the Homecoming Assembly, the school-wide fund raiser is going to benefit the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA).

According to the Mayo Clinic and the HDSA, Huntington’s Disease affects and breaks down the nerve cells in the brain. It slows a person’s physical and mental abilities during the prime working years of their life, thirties to fifties, and worsens over time. This can cause slurred speech, weight loss, forgetfulness, depression, and other symptoms.

These symptoms can prevent a person from leading a normal life and working a job.

Huntington’s Disease has been described as a combination of Parkinson’s, ALS, and Alzheimer’s.

This genetic disorder also has a 50% chance of being carried by the child of a parent with Huntington’s Disease. As of right now there are over 200,000 Americans at risk of getting it and 30,000 Americans who suffer through it.

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accepted how different our lives would be.”

Etchingham has learned a lot through her experience with Huntington’s Disease.

“The most important concept I realized was the gift of time,” she said. “Although this disease will take hold of my dad’s life, he will be around for a long while. It’s so important that we cherish the time that we do have with him.”

In recent years, though, promising progress has been made toward finding a cure. Drugs and therapy as of now have been the only thing working for fighting the symptoms. Donated money given to HDSA is put toward two causes: the research at HDSA and people suffering from Huntington’s Disease.

Maine South has several activities planned for the school wide fund raiser.

“We will be having some fun competitions to raise money at a playoff football game and a girls’ Senior Maggie Etchingham’s father was recently and boys’ basketball game,” Mrs. Laura Kirshner, diagnosed with the disease. head of the school-wide fund-raiser club, said. “We “When my dad was first diagnosed, my family will have a 3 on 3 basketball tournament in early and I had no idea what this disease was or the March, a Pizza Madness night on “Pi Day” 3/14, significant impact it would have on all of us,” Hawk Fest and the Color Run in the spring, food Etchingham said. “Over a long period of time, we trucks, among other new ideas this year.”

October 13, 2017

| COMMENTARY

The importance of senior class selection Nathaniel Cohen

Commentary Writer ast year, when I was selecting my senior coursework, my counselor told me that I only needed a quarter of a credit to graduate. If I wanted to, I could have gotten my diploma and been on my way after one summer.

I had the option of taking very few courses this year and graduating with a significantly lighter load on my shoulders. I thought, "why would I spend more time in classes when I’ve already put in a lot of hard work to graduate?" Yet I chose not to.

I took as many courses as I could without attempting to get a gym exemption. I did the most I could.

I think this was the best course of action for me and is the best course of action for others as well.

If you ask any gym teacher about running the mile, they’ll say to maintain speed right through the finish line, maybe even speed up.

The same philosophy applies to high school.

Colleges much prefer to see a student that keeps their momentum through senior year, as opposed to someone who slows down; they expect us to make the most of our years here at Maine South.

Colleges analyze people as much as they do students, and taking opportunities offered to us is something they’re looking for. Even if you’re not going to college, high school is free—for the most part. If you want to experiment by taking a class in a subject you’ve never done before, you have the chance to without the risk.

There are no tuition costs, and very minimal textbook costs. There are no extra semesters due to graduation requirements. The only thing you

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have to lose is a bit of your time, and the only thing you have to gain is more knowledge in a particular area or skill that could develop into a hobby or even a career.

The exact subject of those extra courses aren’t of grand importance, either. While I support the furthering of math, science, history, and language education, not everyone is exactly right for advanced study in those fields.

People have different strengths; however, I don’t think this is an excuse to not join at least one extracurricular activity, if not more.

During sophomore year, I decided to take my American history course over the summer. Part of the reason for this was to get a class out of the way.

Another situation that presented itself was that I would have a free period available to me that year. I chose to take fashion. I had never touched a sewing machine, nor did I know what a hem was. I recognized my boundaries, but in the process I diversified my interests and found something I truly liked.

Classes all across the spectrum— even AP classes like Comp Sci—teach those who know little, if anything, about the subject. Even if it doesn't relate to your major, take that programming, culinary, or art class.

It’ll open doors.

Luke Bechtel

Entertainment Editor

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tarting off my senior year, I had high hopes that this final goaround would be academically lighter than the previous years, such that I would have time to allocate toward more specialized, career-oriented work than the typical core-classgrind.

However, the first week of school was a rude awakening when I realized that senior year’s pressures are simply a new species in the same genus of debilitating academic stress.

Naturally, as a seaman would attempt to jettison the least important materials in a sinking ship, I sought after a class drop within the first week of school in order to lighten my workload.

In retrospect, my first mistake was assuming that this request would be straightforward in any sense. Instead of the school administration allowing me to drop my elective Spanish class for a free period, I was entangled in weeks’ worth of e-mails and meetings and bureaucracy that ended in my counselor letting me know that my request had been denied.

The process for dropping classes

Seniors who are taking a fourth year of math and science:

Advice from college admissions offices:

"More than anything, we con- "We encourage students to go sider cumulative GPA and the beyond what is required and fact that students have met all we review academic perforrequired coursework for their mance in additional courses major." as well."

- Illinois State University, -University of Wisconsin, Normal, IL Madison,WI

"It's preferable for students to fill course schedules with a majority of core academic courses each marking period."

- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

is far too complex, dated, and inflexible, discouraging students from persevering in their own learning and working to create a schedule that works best for them.

As any student who carefully scans their report cards knows, “College and Career Readiness” is one of the top priorities for District 207.

The fact that the administration has policies in place that prevents students from fully pursuing those readiness goals defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.

Seniors, after having passed the hurdle of the rigorous workload and countless important standardized tests of junior year, should have the opportunity to pursue more specialized classes in their field rather than being subjected to the same process as years prior.

In preparation for college and beyond, students would benefit greatly from a foundation of experience that differs from the nine-period norm.

A school administrator informed me that program changes pose a financial burden on the respective academic departments, as the department chairs must budget their teachers in accordance with the projected attendance in each classroom. However, the financial interests of the district should take a backseat to health and education of students.

Instead of forcing students into committing to courses they have yet to experience, there should be a “trial period” for the first or second week of the year. After this period, students could adjust their courses as long as they had valid reasoning. This would allow for the flexibility that every student could use more of.

If the district is to keep the students’ interests, growth, and wellbeing their top priority, they should seriously consider adjusting the archaic policies that are currently in place for program changes.

"Senior year course selection is important, particularly if it’s the first year the student has taken a more challenging curriculum."

- Purdue University, Lafayette, IN

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COMMENTARY

| October 13, 2017

College recruiting process harms student athletes Katie Dingle Commentary Writer or student athletes, college recruiting is an essential part of the high school experience.

Although most of it takes place during junior and senior year, it begins as soon as the athlete starts competing. From that point on, performance statistics are being kept and the road to being recruited begins.

Sadly, that road isn’t exactly the easiest one; college recruiting can be complicated, competitive, and confusing.

The way colleges recruit athletes is far from perfect. From the invasive way they communicate with athletes to their unnecessary persuasion tactics, the process is too intense.

Although I don’t have much first-hand experience with it, I’ve seen what the process can do to a high school athlete through my recently- graduated sister, Madeline. She’s currently running crosscountry at a division-one college and has faced the positive and negative sides of college sports recruiting.

I lost track of how many family dinners were interrupted by incessant calls from college coaches. It felt like our home phone was ringing nonstop. Whenever I answered the phone and threw them the general “she can’t come to the phone right now,” they would still ask questions and try

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to schedule another call even if my sister showed no interest in the school.

With the calls, came texts about the calls, e-mails about the texts, and letters about the emails. It was too much.

Many of my sister’s and teammates’ comments regarding the added stress and the confusing system as a whole mirrored my own. What impacted me the most however, was when Madeline told me that they kept trying to decrease her worth.

The coaches brought up her worst races and worked to downplay her achievements while they remained vague and made excuses for their team’s shortcomings. They discussed other, “better” recruits and told her she was “lucky to be meeting with them.”

Along with the invasive communication, the process brought about an insane amount of pressure. And that’s exactly what juniors and seniors don't need—more pressure. They are already having to decide what they want to do with their lives and where they want to live for the next four years.

The recruiting process adds a whole new level to that terrifying reality. I’ve seen what this stress does to a person, and it’s detrimental to a high schooler.

One of the greatest faults of the recruiting process is that so little is known about it.

Student athletes are unprepared to deal with the overwhelming responsibility that goes along with this decades-old practice. Most don’t know how to handle it.

Being recruited to play sports in college is an

amazing opportunity. It could mean scholarships and other perks like superior athletic facilities, healthier food choices, extra academic support services, and sometimes even first-pick of things like classes and housing. Although recruiting offers benefits that would otherwise be out-of-reach for students, the negative effects in high school overshadow the advantages in college.

College recruiting is most often conducted in this excessively complicated and competitive way.

The broken recruitment system is in vital need of transformation. It isn’t practical to demand a complete restructuring, but it’s clear that both parties would benefit from a more honest and consistent approach.

Until then, athletes will continue to be taken advantage of by establishments that see them as no more than pawns in the game of college athletics.

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNE LONGMAN

North Korea poses a larger threat than ISIS George Dalianis Commentary Writer ver the past decade, as the world has diverted its attention to attacks by radical extremists like ISIS and Al Qaeda, North Korea has evolved into a formidable nuclear threat.

A nuclear-armed North Korea poses the single greatest threat to global security, even more so than the terrorist groups populating the Middle East.

On Sept. 3, North Korea claimed that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb for use on its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system.

This is the country’s sixth test of a nuclear weapon and the first since President Trump came to office.

Most recently, North Korea tested an ICBM on July 4, 2017, threatening the U.S. territory of Guam, and Alaska

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and Hawaii.

2009). North Korea is contributing This is an immediate threat to to the terrorism caused by Middle the United States, and could have Eastern extremist groups, while our a direct impact on civilian lives. leaders continue to treat the unstable With American lives at stake, it is nation as a secondary priority. vital that the U.S. Although a c k n ow l e d g e s "A nuclear-armed North r a d i c a l and acts on xtremist Korea poses the single eg roup North Korea's s such greatest threat to global as ISIS and Al belligerence.

North Korea security, even more so Qaeda continue strengthens the to carr y out United States’ than the terrorist groups terrorist attacks enemies in the populating the Middle East." t h r o u g h o u t Middle East, and Europe, North makes them more dangerous, by Africa, and South Asia, these groups providing them with weapons. In are currently in decline. intelligence circles, North Korea is Mo s t n o t a b l y, I S I S’s s e l f known as “missiles R us," which is proclaimed “caliphate” has lost 73% very alarming. of people under its control since In 2010, Iran received a supply of 2014. With the loss of its following, it long-range missiles, 19 of which were difficult for ISIS to remain a legitimate from North Korea. threat.

Not only did North Korea sell With the threats in the Middle missiles to Iran, but to Syria (in 2007), East decreasing, the U.S. should focus Pakistan (in 2013), and the extremist on the North Korean threat. Instead, groups Hamas and Hezbollah (in President Trump sardonically labels

the North Korean leader as "rocket man," and he prefers to engage in a futile war of words with North Korea instead of serving as an assertive and vigilant role model for other countries to follow.

President Trump should recognize that America posses an influential voice in global affairs, and direct global efforts toward containing North Korea.

T h e U. S . g o v e r n m e nt h a s vehemently responded to past radical religious terrorism attacks by implementing security increases and travel bans. This same fervor should guide U.S. policy on the Korean peninsula, and the U.S. must demand greater involvement from China in the denuclearization of North Korea.

North Korea is a menace to the international community because it possesses a nuclear arsenal controlled by an unyielding ruler. It emboldens enemies of the U.S., and so it should have no place in this world to harm others.

October 13, 2017 | COMMENTARY

STAFF EDITORIAL

I pledge to respect beliefs and ideals W

ith the recent kneeling protests that have taken place in the NFL and other professional sports, respect for the flag and patriotism in general are at the forefront of our national conversation. While we might seem somewhat removed from this

GRAPHIC BY YARA RUZHKOVSKA

conversation, at Maine South, we actually witness something far worse on a daily basis.

Published in 1892 in a children’s magazine, the Pledge of Allegiance was written to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus discovering North America. The original pledge was as follows: “I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Francis Bellamy, the writer of the pledge, composed it for any country to use. When the United States adopted it, the phrase “under God” was added.

There are a plethora of reasons why students, teachers or administrators might choose not to stand for the pledge—from being dissatisfied with political or social issues, to being unwilling to pledge allegiance to a flag. These people have every right to protest by not standing,

and exercising their first amendment right is admirable.

However, for the majority of those who ignore, interrupt, or distract others during the pledge, the lack of intent makes this a disrespectful act.

Distractions, whether it be a side conversation, a YouTube clip, or lastminute homework assignment, are disrespectful to both those who stand for the pledge and to those exercising their right to protest it.

The significance of both sides is lost when other students are carelessly disrespectful. Measures should be taken by school administrators and teachers to assure that everyone is silent during this portion of announcements.

This will not only preser ve nationalistic integrity, but also secure the respect needed for all parties to believe and act as they see fit in a comfortable environment.

A comfortable and accepting environment is something that every high school should ensure. Respect, especially for others beliefs and ideals, is necessary for this to happen.

‘Never forget’ cannot be forgotten Christo Fosse Editor-in-Chief

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was just over a year old when 9/11 happened. While I was learning how to walk, the world was changing around me. I have no recollection of the day— the only images I can piece together in my mind are the ones which come from articles, textbooks, and documentaries.

D u r i n g t h e r e c e nt 1 6 - y e a r anniversary, I prepared myself for a moment of silence to honor the victims after the Pledge of Allegiance.

That moment never came. Following announcements of homecoming, Spanish Club, and the golf team’s success, it became apparent that 9/11 would not be mentioned.

I was also surprised that none of my teachers even referred to the tragic day and its significance during their lessons. More surprising, it seemed as if most students didn’t notice the apparent disregard of the issue. After

mentioning this to a friend, he responded, “I didn’t even realize today was September 11.”

In my life, 9/11 hits close to home. My aunt worked in the World Trade Center complex and happened to be in the north tower when the first plane struck. She survived. For hours, my family prayed for her safe return as she walked the seven miles from the inferno to her home in Astoria, Queens.

On each anniversary, I call my aunt, telling her how grateful I am to have her in my life. New York City commemorates the 2,753 victims who died in the towers every year by reading their names at the memorial.

While Maine South does not need to do as large of a gesture, our school should make a stronger effort to pay tribute to the day—even if it’s just a moment of silence.

I understand we are a busy school with many things to cover during announcements. I understand how virtually all of the students here have no memory of that day. I understand how, as citizens of Illinois, we were not immediately

affected by the tragedy. But, as Americans, it’s important to recognize the significance of the largest attack on our home soil and remember the nearly 3,000 civilians who perished.

9/11 has changed the way we live, more so than other attacks like Pearl Harbor and the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombings.

According to the Washington Post, more than 263 government organizations were either created or reorganized after 9/11, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Our country operates in a post9/11 world, accepting less privacy through the use of full-body scanners in airports and metal detectors at professional events. America’s current conflicts in the Middle East, especially with ISIS, have roots in 9/11. The attacks have affected our daily lives unlike anything else in America’s past.

Our school needs to ensure that each anniversary is treated with the utmost respect and the gravity of that day is recognized—or else we risk it becoming another footnote in history.

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

Scan this QR code to e-mail Southwords S outhw ord s i s a s tu d e nt - r u n publication designed as a public forum for student opinion and balanced reporting on topics relevant to the Maine South community.

Unsigned staff editorials represent the consensus opinion of the Southwords Editorial Board. Personal commentaries represent the opinion of the author alone and do not represent the opinions of the publication nor District 207.

Stu d e nt p ar t i c ip at i on i n t h e newspaper, whether through readership, submitting articles, or voicing comments or concerns, is encouraged.

Signed letters to the editor can be delivered to the Southwords office (next to the testing center), 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.

Editors-in-Chief

Christo Fosse Christina Johnson

News Editors

Mary Godley Elaine Smith Dimitri Speron

Entertainment Editors Luke Bechtel Jenny Blasius Victoria Pontikes Features Editors

Kelly Lennon Erin Martin Tommy O’Connor

Commentary Editors Caroline Coyle Louise Macaraniag Sports Editors Art Editor

Colleen Johnson Kevin McNulty

Yara Ruzhkovska

Photography Editors

Jen Beck Michael Frazier

Production Editors Justyna Lepa Arden Sasak Adviser

Mr. Stathakis

SouthwordS 7

FEATURES | OctOber 13, 2017

◄ HALLWAY HAZE Students hur untouched. Passing periods are only five minutes locker stop given how far classes can be from one

PHOTO BY MICHAEL FRAZIER

Locked Out Caroline Tully Features Writer

L

ockers once were the staple of social life in high school. Now, most lay dormant as students rush from class to class.

Even though Maine South lockers are half the size of most schools’ lockers, they still were a hub of activity for many years here.

English teacher Mrs. Laura Kirshner (‘99) and the rest of her class used and hung out near the lockers more frequently than students do today.

“When I went to Maine South, we had homeroom every day,” Mrs. Kirshner said. “The location of our lockers was based on what room we were in, and a lot of my friends were in my homeroom. Therefore, our lockers were all near each other, so before and after school we would always hang out there.”

Because lockers were a social center students were able to use them in creative ways.

“I got asked to homecoming one year by a guy who found out my locker combo and decorated my locker,” Mrs. Kirshner said. “I know [the students] don’t do stuff like that anymore— it’s

8 SOuthwOrdS

usually a poster with a pun nowadays.”

Since Mrs. Kirshner has graduated, Maine South locker usage has changed drastically. Now, lots of students at Maine South seem to hardly ever visit their lockers, and some are even unsure where their locker is located.

Senior Melissa Belmont never visits her locker during the school day and did not use it often during her four years at Maine South.

“My locker is out of the way [from my classes], and there is not enough time to switch out books and still be on time [for each class],” she said. “If there was a longer amount of time between passing periods or a designated time frame to stop by my locker, I would like to be able to use it more.”

Sophomores Brennan Keeley and Cami Wesselkamper agree that it is hard to find an appropriate time to stop by their lockers if they want to arrive on time for their classes.

“Although it is a pain carrying everything in my backpack, I have gotten used to it and I know everything I would possibly need for a class will be with me,” Keeley said.

“I stop by my locker a couple times a day to get my lunch bag and put it away, but if the lockers weren’t there

it wouldn’t matter too much to me,” Wesselkamper said. “Lunch is the only time when I can stop by my locker, because I have to get to class. I think they are still nice to have though.”

A minority of students still frequent their lockers throughout the school day. Junior Anastasia Lisova visits her locker up to three times a day.

“I think that lockers are really important to have,” Lisova said. “My backpack gets really heavy, because of all my binders and books, so I don’t want to have to carry all my stuff throughout the whole day. Also, in the winter, I need to have a place to put my jacket.”

Though some students may wish to use their lockers, the limited amount of space provided inhibits them from doing so.

“I struggle to fit my binders, which my teachers require me to have, in the small space,” sophomore Taylor Muno said.

Students at other high schools in the Chicagoland area have varying amounts of usage of their lockers.

Freshman Caroline Mitchell, who attends Loyola Academy, says that she, along with most of the student body, rarely use their lockers for the same

reason as students at Maine South do not use theirs.

“I feel like [the lockers] could be put to good use if they had a better location, were larger, and/or we had more time to stop at them,” Mitchell said.

A junior at Saint Ignatius, Libby Horak, feels that lockers are only somewhat important to have at her school.

“I use mine in the winter to store my coat, but not very often during any other season since we carry our backpacks with us to our different classes,” Horak said. “I think [the lockers] are nice to have to put bags in for sports and other activities, because we don’t have athletic lockers at Saint Ignatius.”

Although she doesn’t feel like she uses her locker a lot, Horak admits that she and other students at her school like having lockers, because they like the “personal aspect” of them.

At some schools, such as Hinsdale South, students tend to utilize their lockers to a greater degree.

“The majority of kids use their lockers,” said senior Carlos Lopez. “I

Do not visit Do not their locker know the on a daily location of their locker basis

78.9% 4.72%

S

outhwords received 848 student respons er usage. The responses are summarize

OctOber 13, 2017 | FEATURES

think people use their lockers because it makes their backpack lighter and is convenient to store things. For the people that don’t use them, they do it mainly because their locker might not be in the best spot in relation to their classes.”

While lockers are still a part of our culture and administration has no plans to remove them, some students already have ideas of what we could do with the extra space if they were removed. Many students advocated for wider hallways in order to maximize walking space, while others were more creative in their solutions.

“It depends on how much room there is, but when I was a junior, sophomore, and freshman there was not really a good collaborative work space for students. It would be nice to have space for that,” senior Kate Halm suggested. Other students suggested using the space for charging stations, artwork, or grab and go food stations.

However, for some, parting with their lockers is not an option. “Lockers are what make high school,” said senior Serenity Torres.

C O U RT YA R D F U N . . .

SQUARED

McClain Clancy Features Writer

W

hile the game four square may evoke memories of second grade recess for some, increasingly it has taken on a new meaning for the dozens of students who play it in the cafeteria courtyard during lunch and lounge periods.

Over the past few years, the popularity of four square has grown tremendously. Sophomore Peter Zdrzalka has observed the growing number of students playing this game.

“The number of kids who play has almost doubled this year,” Zdrzalka said. “Last year I would play with about five other kids. Now, there are about ten other guys that I play with during third period.”

Use their Believe This is a game that consists of P.E locker locker four squares, each constructed out instead of space could of a block of sidewalk outside of r their regu- be used in a the cafeteria. The names of the lar locker better way squares are King, Queen, Jack, and Potty Water.

Determining the square in which each person will play can happen in two ways. The first is the classic “calling of the square,” whoever calls that square first, plays there.

The second way to claim your s quare is by standing in it b efore anyone else.

The rest of the students wait in a line for their opportunity to play.

The objective of the game is to get the other players out by having the ball bounce in their square and then have them not return it. Unlike elementary school recess, students at Maine South are not provided with equipment to play four square. Instead, someone who plays the game is in charge of bringing the preferred ball.

Sophomore Brennan Dombro, was given this special responsibility for the nses to an e-mail survey regarding their lock- period 8b. “Sometimes it can be a lot zed above. of pressure. I forgot once and everyone

was pretty mad about it. Everyone takes the game really seriously,” Dombro said.

The structure of the game allows for use of a variety of balls. Tennis or Lacrosse balls are used most often at Maine South.

“Lacrosse balls are easiest to carry around throughout the school day and make the game harder due to the small size of the ball,” Dombro said.

One of the m o s t

INFOGRAPHIC BY ARDEN SASAK

29.5% 40.1%

“It can get really competitive, which is funny to see kids so into a game of four square.”

Dombro and sophomore Jensen Genyk both enjoy the game as well.

“It isn’t a game to most of us, it is a lifestyle” Dombro said.

“A day I did not play four square is a day of my life that I did not live up to my fullest potential” Jensen added.

While some students eagerly jump into a game during their off periods, others would rather stay on the sidelines.

“I think this game is distracting and should be banned from Maine South,” junior Alex Pavlov said. Alex strongly believes that this game can be dangerous to other students, especially those trying to enjoy the outdoor courtyard. Other students share his beliefs.

“The game can be fun as long as they are respectful to other students, which they rarely are,” said one senior who preferred not to be named.

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urry along to their next class, leaving their lockers s, and many students find it difficult to make a ne another.

l

Sophomore Philipo Mistrata stretches for the ball during a well-attended 8th period game of four square. Students play the game in the cafeteria courtyard rain or shine

crucial rules of the game is no spiking. This is when students intentionally hit the ball with force so that others can not return it. When disputes break out due to disagreement about who is out, majority rules or there will be a face off. The face off consists of a one-on-one game between the two players. The winner of the face off wins said argument.

Students of all grades partake in the game. Freshman Luke Leongas, plays four square during sixth period on occasion.

“I like playing when I finish my lunch with my friends,” Leongas said.

This perceived danger has not gone unfounded as a few incidents have occurred.

“I was eating my lunch in the courtyard, enjoying my meal, when I was hit with a ball and then yelled at to throw it back,” junior Anna Hyslop said. “I think four square at Maine South is definitely a problem.”

Students have brought four square back into style at Maine South. Although four square may remind most students of their days on the elementary school playground, it has made its comeback in the cafeteria courtyard.

SOuthwOrdS 9

FEATURES

| October 13, 2017

BEHIND THE

SCREENS

Kevin McNulty Sports Editor

I

t is often a dream of certain students to internship in their career of interest, but on Sept. 1, an internship came to the students for a night.

WCIU “The U” has broadcast the Hawks home football opener the past two seasons, and this year, the network invited Maine South’s award winning broadcasting program, WMTH, to join them. WMTH students were able to assist the professionals, and watch how a live broadcast is conducted.

WCIU has become familiar with Maine South over the past couple of years, featuring the band, Hawkettes, and Constitution Team on its morning show, and it was decided that the Sept.

1 football match up against Lincoln Way East would be featured as its “Game of the Week.”

WCIU producer Fred Weintraub believes Maine South is the perfect place to put on a telecast.

“With high school sports, there is always a story to tell on top of the game,” Weintraub said. “Maine South has all kinds of festivities going on around the school, which contributed to our decision to come here for a game.”

WMTH is always interested in telling a good story. Each spring, the organization showcases several short films and documentaries at the Midwest Media Educators Ascociation Film Fest, taking home numerous awards last year. These films are required to be simple and to-the-point, just like a live football broadcast.

The main goal of the night was for the students to learn from

10

SouthwordS

experience. Since WMTH covers at least four home football games per year, learning the skills necessary for a successful TV broadcast was the primary focus.

“I learned a lot about communication, which is needed to keep things running during a professional broadcast,” freshman Ellie Compton said.

Every student present was able to walk away with something different, something they could incorporate into a WMTH production in the future. Junior Kevin Corcoran found helpfulness beyond just communication.

“I learned how much effort goes prestigious broadcasting program, into a production before it is shown, they jumped at the opportunity to with ads, music, and interviews all show them the ropes. ready to go,” Corcoran said.

“I love students and being able to As for how the broadcast was show them what this business is all actually executed, WCIU had a team of about,” Weintraub said. nearly 25 crew members out at Wilson The Hawks went on to lose 28-26, Field. Each member was required to in a game that lasted nearly two and have a script outline throughout the a half hours. Although the one-night broadcast, something that has since internship came on the night of Maine been adopted by WMTH. Some pre- South’s only loss of the season, each recorded segments embedded into the student enjoyed their first experience broadcast included a piece with Mrs. with a professional TV crew.

Ball’s math classes and an interview “I loved seeing how many people with head football coach, Mr. David could fit inside the TV truck,” Inserra.

Compton said. “There was a fair “I’ll be at the school two to three amount of equipment too, including times before the game, so it can buttons, switches, and monitors, all go as smooth as live television can with different purposes.” go,” Weintraub added. “We like to Students felt the night was feature the coaches, players, and other helpful, thoughtful, and all-around festivities like the national anthem.” fun. Participants also reflected an WCIU was launched in 1964, overwhelming sense of pride with the primarily as an entertainment and telecast’s success. news television We i n t r a u b station, but acknowledged that branched out to “I love students and when he has a job high school sports to complete, there being able to show 13 years ago. In is a lways ro om addition to the them what this busifor the younger “G a m e o f t h e ness is all about.” generation to come Week,” WCIU’s and p er us e t he -Fred Weintraub s i s t e r s t at i o n , operation. Citing the U Too, will that the television broadcast all indust r y is not Chicago Sky and Chicago Wolves always as luxurious as it seems, he games. As a professional broadcasting hopes the students recieved plenty of station, they offer an exclusive useful information. glimpse into the industry for student “I hope the student broadcasters broadcasters. learned that television is a team When Weintraub and company sport, and we always work as a unit.” first heard about Maine South’s Weintraub said.

PHOTO BY JEN BECK

QUALI-TV WCIU producer Fred Weintraub familiarizes broadcasting students with studio equipment in the truck outside of Wilson Field on Sept. 1. Weintraub was one of 25 WCIU crew members that covered the game.

October 13, 2017 | ENTERTAINMENT

V-S how by the numbers

54

Number of years Maine South has hosted a VShow. The first V-Show, "Spirit of '65," occurred in Feb. 1965.

PHOTO BY JEN BECK

BEAT IT

Members of Drumline rehearse their act in front of director Mrs. Carrie Saurer and stage manager senior Daniel Grib. The title of Drumline's act this year is "Murder on Dee Street."

How to get away with one less V-Show Samantha Mayer

Entertainment Writer

F

or years, Maine South's V-Show has had three performances running from Thursday night to Saturday night. This year, however, the Fine Arts department has decided to trim the performances down to two, eliminating the typical Thursday opening night.

“When we looked at the audience size over the past few years, we realized that the trend was a small house for the Thursday evening performance, and about half full for the Friday performance,” Mrs. Teralyn Keith, the Fine Arts department chair, said.

Mrs. Keith and the V-Show directors feel that the event would benefit from two full audiences rather than the three less-packed audiences.

Some students have expressed their conditional support of the change.

“I cer tainly think that the audiences will be fuller," junior and Trunk head Jon Luke Lassa said.

"But, it also makes me a little upset because we don’t get to perform as much. V-Show is so much fun and I love being able to perform for it.

Hopefully, enough people will show up so we can perform for three days like it has been in past years.”

Other V-Show performers have expressed more confidence in the

change.

“I think it was a solid move," said senior Andrew Pridmore, keyboardist for The Hustle, a Maine South rock band. "Usually Friday and Saturday sell out, but the Thursday show is always undersold and has lower energy. Hopefully cutting a day will make tickets a hot commodity and might be better for the performers.”

The Hustle is no stranger to the long-running variety show, as this will be their third year shaking up the Watson stage.

This new performance schedule will be subject to reconsideration if the two-day format doesn’t pan out or if complications arise.

In addition, the V-Show dates have been pushed up a month earlier, with the show debuting in early November compared to last year's December opening.

"Because we were able to move the fall play earlier in the school year and AP exams fall a bit later this year, we moved the V-Show back to November like it used to be. We also thought it might help should there be any inclement weather in December," Mrs. Keith said regarding the change.

Even though the earlier date has cut down student preparation time by a month, it has not hurt student morale.

"Trunk faces the challenge of having considerably less time than usual to write and practice our

sketches," senior and Trunk head Emma Wonsowicz said. "But, despite the time constraints, I think our work will still be as funny as previous years, if not more so."

For this year's show, the V-Show student directors and faculty chose the theme "How to Get Away With V-Show," parodying the popular television series.

"In my tenure at Maine South, we've never done a murder mysterythemed V-Show," said Mr. Mason Strom, film teacher and head of the V-Show opening video. "There are always some acts and things you will see that are in direct relation to the theme like the opening video, the marching band, all of the songs at the beginning that Footlighters do, and the set design."

This year's video follows the attempted murder of Harley the Hawk, and his struggle to remember the culprit. Suspects include the V-Show student directors, Assistant Principal for Students Mr. Dave Berendt, and Principal Dr. Ben Collins.

The video takes cues from classic film noir and creates a suspensefilled night for the audience, only revealing the criminal live at the end of the show.

The V-Show runs at the Watson Theatre Nov. 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available via the SeatYourself link on the school website.

201

Number of students involved in the show. This includes students in the acts, stage band, crew, Footlighters, and Trunk.

33

Number of acts that auditioned for this year's V-Show. Many students spent hours preparing their auditions.

17

Number of acts accepted into this year's show.

2 Bands 5 Singing

4 Dances 6 Variety

SouthwordS 11

ENTERTAINMENT

| October 13, 2017

OPA! Students embrace their Greek heritage Georgia Fosse

Entertainment Writer

W

h i l e m o s t Mai n e S out h students are quite familiar with forms of modern dance, a different kind of dance plays an influential role in the lives of sophomore Athena Baharopoulos and juniors Pauletta Ioannidis and Themi Bournias.

Every Thursday, Baharopoulos, Ioannidis, and Bournias devote hours toward what they love the most— Greek dancing. For them, this is not just a hobby; it is a competition. They are tirelessly working towards the ultimate goal of attending nationals at the end of January.

B our nias, Ioannidis, and Baharopoulos are members of the Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society, a Greek dance and music group comprised of 30 dancers. All three hail from Greek backgrounds, and have been experts on Greek dancing from a young age.

Greek dance has many distinct qualities that make it different from other types of dance.

“There is usually a leader at the front of the line that the other dancers can use as a reference if they lose the step,” Bournias said. “Some dances are done in couples, where there are two dancers doing the dance within a large group of other couples dancing.”

Unlike contemporary forms of dance, Greek dancing has held on to the spirit of its origin.

“Greek dancing doesn’t have a lot of room for changes because these

PHOTO BY ARDEN SASAK

SAY “FETA!” Juniors Themi Bournias and Pauletta Ioannidis share a partner dance for the Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society. The dance, Antikristos, is a couple-oriented dance, with pairs of opposite genders meeting up in the middle and then dancing in a larger group.

dances originated hundreds of years ago,” Baharopoulos said. “There’s not much room to improvise.”

For these three, the competitive season begins in late August, and ends in January. The early season is marked by learning new dances and weekly practices, following a pattern in order to learn the routine.

“When we first start learning a dance, the instructors show us

Salty Jenny by Jennifer Nikolic

12 SouthwordS

the steps and how to do them,” Ioannidis said. “After everyone has the steps down, we add music and start practicing the steps as a group. Once the group has a good understanding of the dance, we add variations that make the dance come to life.”

The team logs in many hours preparing for competition season.

When performances near, more practices are added to ensure they will

be successful and present themselves in the best possible light.

Currently, the dance troupe attends the Midwest Hellenic Dance Festival.

Last year, they won first place within the “Nea Genia” and competitive adult categories. In addition, they were awarded a platinum medal in the 15-21 age division.

At the end of their season, the Orpheus troupe journeys to the Southern United States, where they face off against around 50 other dance troupes. The competition lasts two days, with the numerous group performances spread out on both days. Entries are divided by skill level and age to ensure proper judgement.

“Each day, groups do one set of dances and songs, and their performance is judged by a selected group of judges who have a strong knowledge on the different Greek dances,” Bournias said. Last year, the team clinched the first place title at nationals.

As the season is only beginning, the team has high hopes and looks forward to continued success at competitions and nationals.

However, competitive spirit is not the only factor propelling their dedication to the art.

“Greek dancing is so much more than it looks like,” Baharopoulos said.

“It can bring strangers together and unite them like family.”

Bournias added, “Greek dancing, like any other type of dancing, is a way to express joy and happiness.”

PERSPECTIVE

October 13, 2017 | ENTERTAINMENT

One-man band Wavehouse makes ripples Luke Bechtel

Entertainment Editor

“'S

A: I pull a ton of inspiration from all my favorite artists, whether it be Tyler, the Creator, Tame Impala, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Aphex Twin, etc. My main inspiration is Tyler, the Creator; after hearing his album “Wolf ” in 2013, I l it e r a l l y G o o g l e d “What software does Tyler, the Creator use to make music?” and found the software that I still use to this day, called Reason.

PHOTO COURTESY JOHN CONRADI

wirl World’ is an audial representation of what it sounds like to be alone,” senior John Conradi notes about his debut album, which was officially released Sept. 2 through Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud, and through his website.

The release came in conjunction with a music video for his song "Winners Club," available on YouTube.

High-schooler by day and music producer by night, Conradi, A.K.A. Wavehouse, has been tirelessly finetuning the 47-minute psychedelic rap record for more than a year.

"Southwords" had a chance to sit down and talk to him about the Q: How d i d development of his grand debut, and t h i s a l b u m about his future plans. come to be?

A: I’ve Q: When did you start making music? w a n t e d t o A: I’ve been a musician—mainly a make an album ever guitar player—for around 10 years. since around grade seven. I’ve I always wanted to make music, but actually written five albums over five my very specific and controlling years, but “Swirl World” was the first personality would always dissuade me one that I’ve felt was “good enough.” from joining a band. So, producing or “Swirl World” has had probably 30making/composing music entirely on 40 previous titles, and it has been my own was a very attractive option completely reshaped about 12 times. to me.

The evolution mirrors how I’ve felt I’ve evolved as a person, especially Q: How would you describe your throughout high school; its original current music to someone who’s never runtime was over an hour, but I cut heard it before? it down to a slimmer 47 minutes. The A: I would describe my music as the title describes the “swirling” sounds soundtrack to a bike ride through & effects that occur throughout the space. album (achieved by the audial effect of panning). The musical themes are Q: Sounds awesome. So, what are your very psychedelic in execution. The influences and inspirations? album “came to be” through my basic

IN THE ZONE

Senior John Conradi processes live drums with effects through his computer program, Reason. He built up his collection of professional studio equipment by selling rap instrumentals.

record for free, since not everyone has money to buy an album. Along with the album, I released my site, a photography page, music video, and merchandise store. Along w it h mu s i c , I’ve always been extremely interested in film and fashion, so I saw that releasing the album was my perfect opportunity to direct and conceptualize my first real “film” as well as design some of my first “real” clothing pieces to promote the project.

desire to show the world what my brain sounds like.

Q: What are your near and distant plans for your music and overall future?

A: In terms of future plans, I have a lot of them. I intend on releasing another full-length album by Spring 2018, with a completely different sound than “Swirl World.” I also have started a few different collaborative projects with some other artists from around the country. Aside from music, I plan on starting a full-blown clothing brand in 2018, as well as creating more visual media, like film. I would like to make a limited run of physical CDs for “Swirl World,” as well as possibly host a photography exhibit/art show involving the album in some way at a rental space in the city. In terms of the distant future, my “dream” career is one similar to the likes of Pharrell Williams or Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. I would like to produce material alongside other artists, record and release my own, score films, design clothing, and more. I have one main goal in terms of my entire career: for people that I have never met—complete strangers—to be sad when I’m dead.

Q: Summarize the themes and sounds of “Swirl World.”

A: I wanted to make an album focused on me, and how I feel, but represented through a fictional character known as “Wavy Dave.” The album follows Wavy Dave’s life and opinions. I wanted to focus on central themes of loneliness, feeling ostracized or “misfitted,” death, sexuality, and all the doubts that a teenager has in the forces that are supposed to be protecting him. All of those themes are very important to me, thus I chose to expand on them through lyrics.

In terms of actual sound, I wanted to make "Swirl World" sound very ambient and beautiful, while still maintaining a certain punch and grittiness. I wanted it to explore the mind of a frustrated introvert, while also sounding very melodic and cavernous. I tried to achieve a strange contradiction between the Major-sounding chord progressions Conradi's long-labored debut and darker lyrics. rap offering “Swirl World” is available now for purchase through Q: How did you go about releasing iTunes, streaming through Spotify the album? and SoundCloud, and download A: I released the album through a through www.imwavehouse.com. The distributor for purchase on all major website contains information about services and platforms. I also created his fashion, music, and film releases my own website where I released the to come.

SouthwordS 13

SPORTS

| October 13, 2017

Senior captains lead by example for girls’ golf Katie Carmichael

Sports Writer he Maine South girls’ golf team has had a very successful year with an undefeated record on their home course. However, something more important has stood out to varsity coach Kayla Hansen. The leadership from senior co-captains Emilie Kracik and Sarah Hoffman has instilled a culture in the team of positivity, discipline, and determination.

“Sarah and Emilie really emulate the values of a true team captain,” Coach Kayla Hansen said.

“Their work ethic, encouragement of others, and devotion to the team are all reasons why we have been successful this season.”

Junior Sophia Albano was quick to second those comments when speaking about her captains.

“Sarah and Emilie have led our team to success by really emphasizing that we need to be a team,” Albano said.

In addition to Hoffman’s and Kracik’s leadership on the course, their leadership off the course has

T

been a key to the team’s chemistry and success this season.

“The team has become really close this year, and the whole season we have been building each other up,” Kracik said. “As the season is coming to close, we are making an effort to maintain that team bond, because we know that sets us apart from our competition.”

The varsity team has bonded over van rides and pasta parties this year in order to build stronger relationships and friendships within the team. All players acknowledge that the tight-knit culture of this year’s team is an important aspect of their success.

“Even though golf may seem [like an] individual [sport], it’s extremely important to be a team if success is going to be present,” Albano said.

As the girls move into their post-season, Hoffman has her eyes on the prize.

“Our goal is to keep everyone focused on the big picture, Sectionals,” Hoffman said. “We want to make sure everyone is working hard towards our

goal for this season individually and as a team.”

Hoffman and her co-captain Kracik lead by example when it comes to working hard toward a goal. Coach Hansen spoke reverently about her captains’ work ethic.

“Sarah and Emilie are the first to arrive for practice, and the last to leave. They push themselves to their limits to get in one more swing, or one more putt,” she said.

Hoffman and Kracik undoubtedly have been vital to the team’s current success, but they also hope to leave a legacy of unmatched work ethic.

Kracik hopes to inspire younger players.

“I hope to show future players that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to,” said Kracik.

Hoffman and Kracik are sure to leave a lasting impression on the golf program for many years to come.

“We are known to be fun girls with no drama who work hard [and] I want to make sure that that stays the same,” said Hoffman.

Boys’ golf relies on seniors heading into state Kevin Naughton Sports Writer

PHOTO COURTESY STEVE SCHOLL

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oys’ golf has had an inconsistent season, both for individuals and the team as a whole. After terrific play during the end of the regular season, the team had high expectations going into Sectionals last Monday.

At Sectionals, senior Jimmy Horkavi was the lone Hawk to move on to the state meet.

Golf requires a lot of mental fitness, which can be acquired while playing the game. Golfers have to be able to keep their head in the game for the entire round, or things could go downhill quickly. This season, the Hawks tried to keep their mental fitness at the highest level, in order to perform to the same caliber.

“You must have a good thought process because one bad hole can ruin your entire round,” junior Patchy O’Malley said.

Practices have been held at the Golf Center in Des Plaines for many years. Varsity usually practices three to four times a week for about a hour and a half, depending on the ninehole meets that they have during the week.

Each practice can be individualized to help the part of the game a golfer is struggling with, and by doing so, coaches and players believe there is more success to be had as a team.

“These practices really help our team improve their game which will

14 SouthwordS

HOLE IN ONE

Seniors Brendan Ahlbeck, Jack Curcio, Joe Tonioni, Michael George, and junior Connor Buggy pose with plaque after placing 3rd at the Zee Bee Invite.

help us in achieving our goals for the year,” junior Connor Buggy said.

The Hawks lost only two seniors last year, and there are currently six talented seniors on the roster.

Consequently, the varsity team is much more experienced in 2017, but that also means expectations were higher during the IHSA playoffs.

The team’s postseason goal was very similar to last year’s goal: to keep the same number of players throughout the state playoffs. This season, there were seven regional qualifiers, and ideally there would

have been seven state qualifiers.

“The postseason goal for the team have always been the same,” Horkavi said. “The 2017 season is no different.”

This season, more than any other, had a theme of improvement. For many golfers, improvement was made at some point in the season.

Specifically, Connor Buggy was a member of the Sectional squad last year, and he made it a goal to improve upon his score of an 87.

“There was a lot more on the line this year,” Buggy said. “I couldn’t

afford to mess up. I had one of worst rounds of my career last year. So I used that as motivation this year.”

Buggy went on to shoot a 79 in the sectional match on Oct. 9. Senior Brendan Ahlbeck also showed growth by shooting an 81, but above all, Jimmy Horkavi shot 76 to move on to the IHSA State Final.

A year ago, they had two state qualifiers, seniors Jack Curcio and Joe Tonioni. This year, it will only be Horkavi participating, but the team has confidence in him to represent the Maine South well in Bloomington.

Beyond Horkavi, it was very much a team effort to have success this season. With a match record over .500 this season, the Hawks were well prepared for the state playoffs.

The team placed second in the CSL Conference Championship behind New Trier, which was an important step forward heading into State.

“We shot one stroke shy of a school record, and we almost beat New Trier for the first time in 20 years,” said Horkavi.

The boys were second to New Trier by only three strokes, and the loss came down to the last few holes.

The Hawks had to quickly let go of the Conference loss and move onto the postseason goals.

The team has appreciated the improved play of their seniors, but looking ahead to the state match, they are excited to see what Jimmy Horkavi can do.

October 13, 2017 | SPORTS

Girls' tennis comes together for successful 2017 season

Girls' volleyball adjusts nicely under new head coach

Sports Writer

Sports Writer he girls' volleyball program has a new varsity coach, Mrs.Kathleen Durkin.

Coach Durkin is a social science teacher at Maine South, and this isn’t her first year in girls' volleyball. She was a volleyball coach for girls and boys at Maine South until she gave it up to start a family.

Coach Durkin played volleyball at both the high school and college level, and those will help her as she works with the players.

She wants her girls to give maximum effort, work as hard as they can, and live up to their potential, just like any other volleyball coach would.

“The approach is to have fun,"Coach Durkin said. "A lot of girls are putting pressure on themselves and I’m trying to make them realize that you’ve got to have fun while playing volleyball.”

L o s i ng on ly s i x graduating seniors from last year, Maine South is coming back with familiar, but remarkable talent. The three seniors on the team this year have emerged as leaders in 2017.

S e n i o r S o p h i a “ Z o” Galassini is going to miss a lot about her volleyball career at Maine South.

“I’ l l m i s s t h e ov e r a l l tightness of the program, how all of the teams look out for each other, and the sense of camaraderie that we all feel as a team,” Galassini said.

Volleyball has a few rising stars this year. Junior libero Maddie Werdell’s job on the court is to get low and keep the ball in the air. At varsity level play, digging is one of the hardest tasks on the court.

Along with Werdell, juniors Katie Carmichael and Francesca Faraci are also key contributors. Carmichael has been on varsity since freshman year, and her game play is only getting stronger. Faraci has stepped into a starting spot in her first year on varsity. She thanks her experience playing goalkeeper in soccer for her fast defense on the court.

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Last year, Zo Galassini was a middle hitter with senior Hayley Semple. This year, she is an outside hitter.

Even with a different position, Galassini is still able to consistently put the ball down on the other side of the court.

The girls have many goals for this season.

“I think we are definitely looking forward to making it past the regional final this year," Carmichael said.

"We haven’t done that in a couple of years, so I think we’re really looking forward to play some good competition in the postseason.”

To p l a y w e l l i n t h e postseason, the team has to get through the regular season first. With a record of 11-8, as of Oct. 2, the Hawks struggled somewhat, losing to teams like Niles West, Evanston, and Maine East. However, the team beat rival Glenbrook South and pulled out a win against Niles North.

“We usually have a pretty tough practice the day before a match to physically prepare for it,” junior outside hitter Alexa Milkowski said.

“At the end of practice, Coach Durkin pumps us up for the game with a really motivational pep talk. We try to stay away from conditioning the day before and focus more on skills and game play.”

For any Maine South team, defeating rivals Evanston and New Trier is a perennial goal for the team. The team succeeded in taking down Evanston on Oct. 2, avenging a loss from earlier in the season.

“We can compete against really good teams, but we have to be playing at our best,” Coach Durkin said.

"We are working really well together, and there’s a lot of positive feedback that is upping our game,” Werdell said.

No matter what, the girls are confident in their ability to have success in the remainder of the season. They will be participating in the Maine West Pumpkin Invite this weekend. in their final two regular season games, they'll take on Glenbrook South and Niles North.

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Nawara added that an important factor in improving is when their "coach works with us on various skills that we can utilize in a match."

Working on what the team needs help with most allows each player to develop skills that will give them an advantage for upcoming games.

The varsity girls' tennis team recently took part in the Lake Park Quad and won first place.

Coach Smith attributes the team’s recent wins to its family-like atmosphere and the support that members give one another.

Throughout the season, Coach Smith’s goal for the girls is to “improve every day” whether it’s at a game or a practice. With a positive and family atmosphere, the team can have more motivation to want to better, not just for themselves, but also for their teammates.

“I want our team to practice like we’ve never won a game, but play like we’ve never lost a game,” Coach Smith said.

So far, that strategy has paid off as the team continues to rack up successes this season.

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eams that form bonds with each other tend to perform well during their season, and this is truly evident with the girls' varsity tennis team.

“Our key [to winning games] is the team bond that we have,” senior Julia Benbenek explained. “We maintain unity and prioritize our team as a family rather than a sport in which we focus on winning.”

Another important factor of being a successful team is to “stay positive," according to senior Cali Dobosz. Dobosz states that everyone “gets along well” which allows for the team’s bond to grow stronger each day.

“First and foremost, we have to support each other on the court,” Coach Gerald Smith said.

Supporting each other in practice carries over to the games. The more support that a team has, the better the team does because the mindset of the players is more positive.

“I love playing on this team,” junior Julia Nawara said. “I have been on this team since freshman year...and these girls are like my tennis sisters."

Even though it is an individual sport, the girls' tennis program has always put emphasis on team camaraderie. Julia B enbenek understands the importance of getting to know her team.

“I have gotten so close to these girls,” Benbenek said. "The most enjoyable part of tennis is spending time with my teammates."

But of course, simply supporting your teammates can only go so far.

Hard work during practice is also critical to the team’s success.

"We work hard in practice, and our hard work shows through senior leadership," Coach Smith said.

During the team’s practices, they work on conditioning, strength development, doubles techniques,

single strategies, and match and situation-type play.

“It’s always good practice against strong competitors, like New Trier,” Benbenek said. "If the team is never challenged, then the team can never get better."

The players are thankful for the work Coach Smith puts in to benefit them. The natural skills they possess are magnified under the leadership of Coach Smith.

"Coach always calls us over, and he works on specific techniques that we need help with," Nawara said.

SouthwordS 15

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

Niziolek sets high standard for girls’ XC

Julianna Moore

Sports Writer fter qualifying for the state competition last year, the girls’ cross country team has been preparing all year to return. They’re looking for another shot, and hopefully a win, at State.

The girls have been preparing for each of their meets with various types of exercises such as tempo runs, which are runs that are ran at various speeds. The team has to do a lot of physical training, endurance work, like increasing the volume of their practice runs, and mentally preparing, not only as a group but also individually.

“In order to get the results we want to see on race day, practices must be taken seriously,” senior Olivia Niziolek said. “When we put forth our best effort each day at practice, and use our recovery days wisely, we will be better prepared to compete.”

Niziolek tries to stay in shape mentally as well as physically.

“Cross Country requires just as much mental preparation as it does physical preparation,” Niziolek said. “Mental toughness is necessary, and going into a race with positive attitude and a little self-confidence can make the world of a difference.”

“The team is focused on accomplishing our goal

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of qualifying to the state championship,” Niziolek explained. “Working together and pushing ourselves each day at practice and during races will help each person on the team to be successful and set some personal records at the end of the season, when it matters most.”

The team typically prepares for such meets by going on forest runs and pushing each other to meet their goals.

“The girls on the team are very encouraging,”

Niziolek said. “I believe that we genuinely want each other to do the best that we can. We are united towards a common goal, and are willing to put in the work to achieve it. To be a part of such a dedicated, hard-working, and fun group of people is a very special thing.”

Not only does she express how supportive each of her teammates are, she also explains how talented they are. She said that this year is very different from last year because of this season’s “wolfpack mentality.”

Senior captain Anne Longman believes that this mentality is very important.

“We encourage one another to push ourselves and always have each other’s backs,” Longman stated.

“Even though we are split into three training groups, everyone gets along well and spreads the message of hard work and positivity.”

As an individual, Niziolek hopes to improve from last year’s state meet, saying that a new personal record is every runner’s goal. Each runner knows and understands how difficult running can be at times, which explains why the team is so supportive of each other and gives each other positive feedback.

Niziolek and the team have been focused on preparing for tomorrow’s conference meet, but they have their ultimate goal of success at the state meet.

Boys’ soccer set and ready for state playoffs Tyler Houck

and seniors has brought life to the field.

“I think our playoff run has the Sports Writer ith a strong 2017 season, boys’ potential to be one of our better runs soccer is building off of key wins in the past couple years,” senior Szymon heading into the postseason.

Laczak stated.

The competitive and successful This year’s squad wants to be season last year has the team very known as a great team, feared by many opt i m i s t i c ab out teams in the CSL. their chances this With a group full of year to compete in “I think our playoff run well-conditioned, the playoffs. They are has the potential to be one experienced players, looking to avenge these Hawks are ready of our better runs in the last year’s tough loss for the challenges to New Trier in the past couple years.” ahead.

-Szymon Laczak (‘18) regional final.

The team has had Sophomore an up and down start for ward Giuliano to the season out of Corrazina has become one of the most conference, but the team has become a dominant players on the team this year. cohesive unit. They have strung together “I feel like we will go far this year,” wins against Deerfield, Glenbrook Corrazina said. “Right now we have North, and Kelly among others. been winning and shutting out teams “As a team, we have come together so I think we have a really good shot.” since the beginning of the season,” This positive attitude is one that Corrazina said. “At first, we really didn’t resonates throughout the team. Not know how to play with each other and only are they riding last year’s wave, what type of play each person favored. but the energy of many eager juniors But now we know each other on the

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field and off the field.”

This fraternal atmosphere has contributed greatly to the team’s chemistry and success. The group feels very close and it is shown on the field with seamless passing and a knack for finding each other effortlessly.

Not only are they coming together on the field, but the little things off the field are helping the team create a strong bond.

With the aggressive yet composed style of play that has been successful in past seasons, the team looks to attack their opponents with the skill of senior forward Alessandro Corrazina and senior midfielder Szymon Glab, and have a solid back end with senior goalkeeper Joe Gable and senior center defenseman Szymon Laczak.

The team attributes a lot of their success to their work ethic and skill set.

“During practice, we go into a scrimmage and do drills to practice shutting down our opponent’s biggest strengths,” said Guiliano Corrazina.

Their practices consist of many

skill drills with a great deal of scrimmaging to create a game-like atmosphere.

Many of the players spend their own time working with each other or with trainers to keep improving and make the whole team a greater unit. The team is excited to be going into this year’s state playoffs with momentum from wins against Niles West and Glenbrook South.

With playoffs nearing, the team is taking a different approach to the last leg of the season.

“We are just looking at one game at a time and trying to play the best team game as we can leading into playoffs,” junior Michael Byron said.

With a record over .500, the team is trying to redeem themselves by aiming to win their regional final. The team has lost this game the past three years.

“I believe we had a solid team this year, but we had a hard time performing well every game,” Laczak stated. “Our performances as a team were very unstable.”