Vol. 54, Issue 4 Southwords

December 19, 2017

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

Vol. 54, No. 4

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL FRAZIER AND JUSTYNA LEPA

PHOTO BY JEN BECK

Parking sux

Despite the implementation of general parking, empty spots remain abundant.

See page 4

Mixing it Up

Select classes shift focus to blended learning.

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See the Light

Viral Vectors

A tour of Chicagoland’s most Physics teacher gains fame festive decorations. for instructional videos.

Pages 8-9 Page 12

Crew Chief

Senior rower climbs national rankings.

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NEWS | December 19, 2017

C-Team again wins state

Changes made to C-101 study

News Writer he Maine South Constitution Team competed at the state competition on Friday, Dec. 8 and won first place. The competition took place at Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago.

This year the team only has 24 people instead of the usual 30. “They are exceptionally bright and hardworking,” Mr. Trenkle said. “So far, the team has bonded very well this year.”

The team attributes their win to the feedback and encouragement they received from each other.

“My favorite part [of C-team] is the environment,” Unit Three member, senior Haley Crawford said.

“It is incredible to be around people so committed to learning."

The competition also recognizes the highest scoring unit from each school. This year, Unit Five won the top unit award. “We worked extremely well with each other, we knew the

News Writer arlier this month it was announced that freshmen were no longer allowed to go to C-101 during study periods.

“The main reason for this was because of overcrowded rooms," Dean Linda Borchew said. “The room is structured for blended learning and it got to a number of students that it was difficult for students to collaborate productively.

The goal of the C-101 renovation this year was to create an environment that gives students the best opportunity to learn and be innovative.

“I would describe this concept of students gathering together as being similar to a student union set up,” Dean Michael McGreevy said. “I hope the new energy of C-101 will give students a perfect opportunity to engage with one another.”

The administration felt that students would be more collaborative if they were able to speak freely during study periods.

“I went to a school with priests and nuns and we weren’t allowed to talk to our neighbor even if we had a

Michael Roche

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material, and every time we practiced we would be satisfied with nothing less than the best we could do,” Unit Five member, senior Serenity Torres said. “We also went out of our way to contact and meet with other community members that had the skill sets to help us.”

After winning the state competition, the team will move on to the national competition which takes place in the spring. " We s t a r t e d somewhat slow this ye ar b e c aus e we didn’t know exactly what to do,”Unit Four member, senior Jack Freeman said. “To prepare for nationals we’re going to ramp up our research once the questions are released.

The team is looking forward to competing at nationals.

“As a whole we are very strong,” Freeman said. “[We] have some of the brightest minds I have met.”

Nationals are in Washington D.C. at the end of April.

Jack Gorman

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legitimate reason for the discussion,” Dean McGreevy said. “I would have loved the [new] C-101 setup when I went to school.”

Chairs and couches are arranged around coffee tables to make the environment more informal.

“I envision a more comfortable setting,” Mr. Dagres said. “The environment in C-101 should be more relaxed for students during a stressful school day.”

The new arrangement in C-101 is also intended to benefit students who are in blended classes by providing a place to work.

S o far students have taken advantage of C-101’s informal setting.

“It is very convenient to be able to collaborate with my friends, sophomore Hussein Kadiri said.

“Especially to do projects and when I need help with homework.”

C-101 is the first room to undergo a renovation, but the administration hopes to emulate the transformation in the future.

“In the near future the traditional rows of desks will be scarce," Mr. Dagres said. "I want more high tables, chairs and couches [at Maine South]."

Lena Pontikes & Patrick Slojkowksi

News Writers aine South’s fall production of the 1982 comedic play, “Noises Off,” has been recently selected to perform two full shows at the annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival on Friday, Jan. 12.

“When I got the acceptance call, I was very relieved,” director of the fall play and drama and oral communications teacher, Mrs. Carrie Saurer said. “The next second I was jumping up and down in my kitchen like a little kid because I was so excited for everybody involved in "Noises Off " to get to have the experience that we’re about to have.”

The Illinois High School Theatre Festival, which takes place from Jan. 11 –13 at Illinois State University, is an annual non-competitive showcase of various school productions. This year features 11 full-length productions selected from submissions across the state.

Here, thousands of theatre students from all around the state take part in various workshops and receive the

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PHOTO COURTESY MRS. SAURER

Fall play selected for performances at Theatre Festival

‘NOISES OFF’ IS ON Cast members perform during a showing at Maine South.

Pictured are: Top row: Jon Luke Lassa, Lily Haugen, and Anna Hyslop. Bottom row: John Conradi, Vivi O'Shea, Gabe Ortiz, Claire Connolly, Emma Wonsowicz, Moise Tamas, Zech Papageorge, and Grace Goble.

opportunity to view the productions other schools have to showcase. This year, the ITF showcases “Big Fish” as the annual All-State production. The 2017 All-State musical features three Maine South students: senior Tommy Ortman in the cast, junior Jen Beck on props crew, and junior Grace Dziedzic in the pit.

The cast and crew are expected to fully assemble the set and tech the show in the new theatre in under

three hours, and take the entire set down again in one hour after the shows, necessitating more rehearsals and large amounts of planning before the show.

“Mr. Sanchez is assembling eight teams with eight leaders,” junior cast member, Jon Luke Lassa said. “These teams will then each assemble their assigned portion of the set. Then the group as a whole will spend the rest of the time quickly slotting these eight

large portions together into the whole set we all know and love.”

While the set is immensely important to the show, it was no easy task to build for Maine South’s stage crew. Despite this, they were able to finish before opening night.

“I was in charge of building the set, making it look good, and also [making it] safe,” senior construction crew head, Eliot Bontumasi said. “It took us something like three and a half to four weeks to build the set.

After coming in free periods and Saturdays though, we finished on time.”

The play has been a challenging but rewarding experience for everyone involved.

“If I had to describe this show in one word, it would be vibrant,” senior cast member Grace Goble said. “This process has been so crazy. We had a short time to put together one of the most difficult, draining, and hilarious shows we have ever done. When I think about the rehearsal process, I just think of a mix of bright colors, fun, energy, sweat, and everything in between.”

December 19, 2017 | NEWS

Blended learning classrooms trialed for 2017-18

Dimitri Speron

News Editor he newest trend in classrooms at Maine South is blended learning. Blended learning is a differentiated educational program that does not require students to attend class every day.

“Blended learning is a mixture of inperson classroom learning as well as using online resources as a supplement,” French teacher Mrs. Anna Serrano said.

When students are engag ing in supplemental assignments, they can sign out of their classes into study halls, lounge, or C-101.

C-101, the room that was formerly the freshman study hall, was redesigned for the new school year and renamed the Blended Learning Room.

Students are not, however, totally free from their class work in this environment. Utilizing applications such as Google Classroom, students are assigned work and notes via the internet. “[Not coming to class] means that you are able to work on [classwork] on your own and that you do not need the extra aid from me—that you can get it through an online source that I provide,” Mrs. Serrano said.

The French and Italian programs at Maine South are two of the first classes in District 207 to trial blended learning. “[French] is not the only class to integrate blended learning,” Mrs. Serrano said. “There are many different classes throughout the district that are implementing blended learning for the first time. This year is kind of a trial year."

Mrs. Amy Kladis has also adopted the blending learning format in her marketing classes this semester.

“Based on my experience and the formal and informal feedback that I’ve received from students, it has been a positive element of the course’s structure,” Mrs. Kladis said. “Most students feel as though the format allows for more flexibility in the learning process as well as allowing for more personalized attention and instruction in class.”

Students in the French class are generally supportive of the program.

“I think that blended learning is beneficial for our French class because it allows flexibility and gives you the opportunity to focus on other classes you might be struggling in over French and give more attention to that,” senior French student Melannie Kavanaugh said. “Blending learning allows you to put yourself on a mental scale in the class and see if you know the material well enough not to attend class.”

Other students in blended classes have mixed opinions about the benefits of the program.

Skeptics argue that the programs have potential, but in their current form detract from the educational experience.

“Blended learning is good for you to do your homework and catch up in your other classes,”

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ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON MCGREEVY

senior Italian student Grace Mountin said. “But I feel like it takes away from the class that is blended because you are spending less time in that class.”

“I believe that there are many reasons for and against the new blended learning policy,” senior Italian student/teacher's assistant Eugene Caporale said. “If used correctly, it can be a great tool for time management and a way for struggling students to get more attention. The benefits that come from effective learning, in my opinion, are far greater than the defects found in the program.”

There are different levels of blended learning.

Only the virtual hybrid class integrates Google Classroom and outside-of-class work.

“French 5 AP is the only class in which I am using blended learning as a virtual hybrid, although I do blended learning with all of my other levels as well,” Mrs. Serrano said.

Students who remain in class during blended days will not have the same in-class activities that they do on normal days. “[Blended learning] allows for the teacher to get feedback on student progress,” Mrs. Kladis said. “The format provides opportunities for more individualized, in-person instruction for some and more out-of-class extension for others.”

A blended learning program requires students to take a great deal of initiative outside of the classroom, and thus the implementation can be difficult.

“I can see the potential in it and how it could possibly work, but in the end, it does not really help,” senior Italian student Marissa Trippiedi said.

“For the most part, everyone in my class still shows up except for a few select individuals. I know that if

I were to not come to class for one of the blended learning days, the work that is still expected out of me would not get done.”

A n i n c r e a s e d a m o u nt o f s t u d e nt accountability is required in order for students to be successful in the class. “[Students] need to be aware of the blended learning calendar,” Mrs. Kladis said. “Some students are more willing than others to take on this extra responsibility.”

Those participating in a blended classroom will typically not receive a greater workload than their peers who attend a traditional class.

“I think that the workload is about the same,” Mrs. Serrano said. “I try not to discourage students from taking part in the virtual hybrid by giving them more to do. If you are not coming to class, that means that you have grasped the material enough to work on it alone.”

Students who remain in the classroom during blended time will be given greater opportunities to review subject matter that they have been struggling with.

“In my AP Italian 4 class, I am seen as a person someone can call to for help because of my ability to speak the language fluently,” Caporale said.

“Therefore, whenever there is a blended learning day, Mrs. Modica and I are really able to sit down with many of the students who struggle in the class and help them better understand the material. Even if there are certain flaws in blended learning, I believe that it can be an outstanding tool for those who want to succeed in whatever class they take.”

The 2017-2018 school year is a trial year for many blended learning classrooms, and the concept may be expanded if found to be successful.

“I believe that [blended learning] will be expanded,” Mrs. Serrano said. “I think that we are on a really good path of integrating technology and education. More and more teachers are learning about it and getting a wide variety of different resources to use.”

Students report that blended learning has helped them cope better with the stress that they are under.

“I think that it helps me work at my own pace and not feel pressured,” senior Italian student Anna Laskowski said. “It is more relaxing. It helps prepare me for the atmosphere of college because it pushes me to be more self-sufficient.”

A study conducted by the SRI International for U.S. Department of Education in 2010 found that students who partook in blended learning outperformed their peers who participated in fully in-person classes.

This study and several others have focused mainly on the effects of blending learning at the collegiate level. Studies of blending learning for high school students are still in their early stages and have yet to reach conclusive results about the advantages and disadvantages of this class structure.

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NEWS

| December 19, 2017

New parking system still leaves seniors spot-less Riley Conway & Louise Macaraniag

Contributor & Commentary Editor espite the senior class size dropping from 626 last year to 603 this year, for the first time, not all seniors who applied for a parking permit received one.

Over 700 parking permits were issued to students and staff for the current year. In the past, all seniors who applied were able to receive a permit. This year, however, 24 seniors who applied were not issued one.

The deans cited that the demand for permits was higher than in the past.

One of the reasons for the lack of permits is that parking is needed for juniors who are part of the internship program.

“With limited spots available, we decided there would be 10 spots for the Internship Program,” Internship Program director Mrs. Catherine Schroeder said. “Students who received the spots met certain prerequisites. They must need to park here in order to get to their Internship on time, they must have a car, and they also need their dean’s approval.”

A certain number of spots are also reserved for teachers who teach at multiple District 207 buildings.

“Traveling teachers can be gone in the morning, but can come in the afternoon,” Dean Michael McGreevy said.

Staff members who travel in and out of school throughout the day also need reserved parking spots.

“Department chairs often have meetings at Maine West, Maine East, or other buildings throughout the area,” Mathematics Department Chair Mr. Kevin Wiland said. “It is very helpful to have a reserved spot when frequent travel is involved.

Otherwise, we would often be late for meetings or the classes we teach.”

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Part of student frustration stems Parking permits at nearby high schools from the perception that there are a lot of unused spots every day and that High School Who gets the permit Price the permits are not being issued fairly.

Seniors only & guaranteed $286/year “It is a bit annoying that there are Barrington so many spots left over and they have Elk Grove All juniors & seniors $190/year so many that are part of various raffles Seniors first, then juniors $300/year [as fundraisers] which is a bit unfair Glenbrook North to seniors,” senior Skylar Jaremek said. Hersey Seniors first, then lottery $380/year “They should only offer those after Highland Park Only seniors $360/year they make sure that all seniors who Maine South Only seniors $115/year apply for one get one.”

According to a count of empty Maine West Seniors first, then open to all $155/year spots on campus during the week of Only seniors $1,200/year Sept. 18 on four separate days during New Trier 5th period, empty spots certainly Ridgewood First come, first serve $100/year exist.

No lottery, as lots never fill $150/year On average, there were a total of Schaumburg “When winter comes, it’s a charges $360, and Glenbrook North 116 empty spaces, across all lots, per day on campus. The parking lot with different issue because [in warmer and South charge $300 per year.

Other methods are in consideration the largest number of empty spaces weather] maybe someone thinks ‘it’s was the A-wing parking lot, with an nice out,’ so they might want to walk including a potential app that has average of 73 empty spaces per day. or ride their bike to school rather than been proposed by students. “[With this app] when you know Some of these vacancies may have drive,” Dean Marta Hall said.

The Deans have acknowledged you’re going to be gone, you can sell been due to warm weather, as on Monday, Dec. 18, when temperature that there are problems with the your parking spot for a day,” Dean was below freezing, there were 40 system and are open to ideas that can Borchew said. “But the problem is that now there aren’t assigned spaces. available spots in the A-wing lot. Still, resolve the issues.

Last year, one of the methods It brings a whole other can of worms a large surplus of parking exists.

Some students wonder if there tried was assigning each individual to that thought.”

The app, called Hawklot, was should be revised requirements for a numbered spot. However, this method actually left created by current seniors Ryan receiving a permit. more spots open than Prendergast, Grant Miller, and Justin “I drive myself  SPOT CHECK Pinsky. It relied on assigned parking and my two brothers The Southwords editorial previous years.

“Every year we re- to function. to school every day, board discusses the needed In the past, students would park and there were kids changes to improve parking evaluate our parking p e r m it pro c e du re s in the Forest Preserve lot across Dee w ho got p ark i ng at Maine South.

See page 6 before we announce Rd. This has been a persistent conflict passes before me who t h e m a n d w e w i l l between students and deans. will drive to school “The forest preserve is off limits occasionally,,” senior Emilie Kracik continue to do so in the future,” Dean because you have to cross Dee Road, said. “I think people who will get the Linda Borchew said.

One way to limit students from which does not have a crosswalk,” most use out of a parking pass should be eligible to get a parking pass first.” getting a permit they do not need Dean Borchew said. “We want a Revisions to the permit process or plan to use is by raising the price. crosswalk there, but, it’s Chicago have been considered, but are Maine South’s parking permit cost property. And, Dee Road is a major complex. For example, the average of $115 per year is among the lowest street, not a side street.”

The school continues to seek new number of students using their in the area. New Trier tops the list at parking permit is difficult to predict $1,200 per year, Hersey and Prospect strategies for decreasing the number charge $380 per year, Highland Park of students that do not get spots. due to a variety of factors.

How can the school improve the parking system?

“I get to school at 6:45, so I get first pick of parking spots. It’s more convenient. I like this system better than last year’s numbered spots.”

Emily Hansen (‘18)

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“[Get rid of] the empty parking spots. If you’re going to have people paying for parking spots, at least fill them up. Sell all the spots and don’t keep them for raffles.”

Andre Caro (‘19)

“There are certain circumstances where people need parking spots and they should be allowed to park instead of automatically getting a ticket.”

Anna Giblin (‘20)

December 19, 2017

| COMMENTARY

What Hollywood sex scandals mean to Students should an aspiring female filmmaker know to clean up Jen Beck

Photo Editor ot even a year after the Bill Cosby case ended in a mistrial, the New Yorker’s groundbreaking exposé on the misconduct of disgraced media tycoon, Harvey Weinstein, has sparked a dominoeffect of men and women coming forward, sharing their own experiences of sexual assault by powerful figures in the film and television industries.

It seems as though every day our screens are plagued with more headlines regarding the most recent allegations about powerful men abusing their privilege by violating their relationships with colleagues.

It is difficult for me to wrap my head around all of it, maybe because I feel guilty, almost like I was somehow involved.

I am a teenage girl, who, like many, has followed the lives of characters in the iconic teen show “Gossip Girl," a show whose male lead, Ed Westwick, has recently been accused of multiple counts of rape.

I am a former reader of the highly-respected pop culture magazine, Rolling Stone, whose founder and publisher, Jann Wenner, has been accused of making sexual advances on a former employee.

I am a film enthusiast, who has, on numerous occasions, praised films like “Rain Man” and “All the President’s Men," two films that starred renowned actor, Dustin Hoffman, who has recently been accused of sexual harassment.

I am a student who, in a film/television class last year, watched, analyzed, and praised the 2015 film “Truth," a film produced by Brett Ratner, who has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by multiple women, including one of my personal favorite actresses, Olivia Munn, and “American Beauty," a film starring Hollywood A-lister, Kevin Spacey, accused of sexually abusing multiple underage boys.

I am also a young journalist, exploring a career in broadcast journalism, an industry in which one of the highest-rated cable news hosts, Bill O’Reilly, has a reputation of spending millions of dollars to pay for women’s silence about his own sexual misconduct.

I am also a viewer of ABC news, whose former political director and nationally-renowned political journalist, Mark Halperin, has been accused of harassing female employees under his leadership.

Although the heinous behavior of these men was unbeknownst to me when I was a viewer/ reader, I cannot help but feel that, in my naïveté, I

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legitimized their behavior by continuing to respect and support their work.

What is the appropriate response when people ask me—a young, ambitious female with Oscar/ Emmy aspirations—how I feel about the seemingly endless list of powerful men abusing their power, in the industry that I so deeply desire to be a part of?

Unfortunately, there is no response good enough that doesn’t include clichés regarding feminism and the importance of inclusion in Hollywood. No matter how sick people get of hearing it, it is still true that it is immensely important—no, absolutely crucial—that we use the deplorable actions of these vile men as examples to educate future generations of both male and female leaders.

We cannot allow the career and personal sacrifices that these women have made to be in vain.

Verbally condemning these actions is not enough.

Our ignorance and refusal to take any measurable action normalizes rape. We cannot treat this exposure of such abuse as a mere cautionary tale.

Wh at we d o w it h t h e knowledge that such evil is still so prevalent in our workplaces should and must determine how we go about life if we hope to bring any real change.

Now, more than ever, we must take down some of the biggest and oldest “boys’ clubs” in America by supporting our female filmmakers and journalists.

We must stop the victim-blaming and create a united front of individuals that will support each other, regardless of personal experience. We must be persistent in demanding that boys and men must do their part by calling their peers out and insisting that “locker room talk” isn’t just talk, but rather an instrument in the perpetuation of a culture of harassment and sexism.

We must hold abusive men accountable for their actions. We can do so by verbally showing support for victims, by boycotting companies or businesses until they cut ties with abusers, and by not idly standing by as witnesses to abusive/ predatory behavior.

We, as audience members, have a responsibility to not be enablers. By continuing to watch the films made by or starring these men, we are facilitating their actions.

As a prospective member of the two industries, the amount of abuse that has been tolerated thus far absolutely sickens me. I am fully aware that this issue will likely persist and continue to be an issue during my future career.

I am not naïve enough to assume that this institutional problem will be fixed overnight. I hope that my, and future generations, will put aside their differences and work together to tackle this monumental issue. Time and time again, women have proven that nevertheless, we persist.

We must stop the victimblaming and create a united front of individuals that will support each other, regardless of personal experience.

after themselves Louise Macaraniag

Commentary Editor very day during seventh period, I walk into the cafeteria to see the floor and the tables covered in wrappers, ketchup and barbecue stains, and spilled coffee or other indiscernible liquids. One day, I saw a table so dirty that I had to get up from my table to clean it. The table was drenched from when a group of students purposely sprayed water all over it. Additionally, there were food stains and granola bar wrappers everywhere.

It’s quite a revolting sight to see, but luckily for me, I only have to deal with it for 45 minutes a day. But the custodians have to touch, smell, scrub, mop, and clean the cafeteria—and every part of the school for that matter—every day, for hours on end, trying to maintain the school’s cleanliness and decency for the students to use.

I see students all around me throwing their garbage on the floor as if the trash can isn’t only four feet away from them. We are high school students who should be expected to be respectful and mature.

Cafeteria monitors even go out of their way to announce to students to clean up after themselves, even though it should already be an unspoken rule to do so.

This isn’t only apparent in the cafeteria but in the rest rooms as well. My male friends tell me that students make a mess, from leaving toilet paper on the floor to urinating on the walls. Students still proceed to commit these discourteous acts, even though we all benefit from treating these facilities with basic respect and civility.

Some students argue that “it’s the custodians’ job to clean it up.” This blatant disregard for others is outright disrespectful and obnoxious. Just because custodial duties include cleaning, doesn’t mean they are utterly responsible for students’ messes. They are not here at students’ disposal to clean up after them; they are here to maintain facilities and keep them functional and dignified.

While accidents may occur, it doesn’t mean an individual shouldn’t feel obliged to clean it up right after. Students should be held accountable, even for unintentional messes.

It takes seconds to throw something away. There are trash cans at every corner of the school, and they aren’t difficult to locate.

It’s not difficult to maintain a clean environment.

Students should be more conscious of their actions.

A cleaner school is a healthier and happier school.

This is beneficial for staff, school guests, and, ultimately, ourselves.

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December 19, 2017 | COMMENTARY

STAFF EDITORIAL

Our parking system needs revisions GRAPHIC BY YARA RUZHKOVSKA

Scan this QR code to e-mail Southwords

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his year, Maine S outh reimplemented general parking for students and staff following a one-year experiment with assigned parking.

Under the new parking guidelines, students can park in the A-wing Lot, North Lot, Café Lot, and Jock Lot. With the new system, the school hoped to eliminate the growing number of vacant spots and increase the number of spots offered— problems that were exacerbated with the assigned parking system.

However, if anything, these problems are now further amplified.

In a study conducted during the week of Sept. 18, there were a total of 116 empty spaces per day on average.

Additionally, despite the senior class size decreasing from last year, 24 seniors who applied for a permit did not receive one—the first time this has ever occurred.

We believe the current system needs to be adjusted so that more students can park on campus.

Many students face circumstances

which make parking at Maine South necessary. Some students live far away from the school, suffer from illnesses and injuries, or have afterschool jobs and internships. While all of these situations should merit a permit, we recognize the difficulty in accommodating all students.

Therefore, the school should create more parking options for students, ensuring those with such conditions have another choice besides parking at the nearby Maine Cemetery.

One way the school can solve this problem is to approach it like the airlines do.

Airlines sell more seats than are available to avoid flying with empty seats. They calculate how many seats to oversell based on algorithms which estimate how many passengers are likely to miss a flight.

Similarly, on any given day, a number of students and teachers will not drive to school, whether it's due to illness or carpooling. Why should these spots remain vacant?

S e l l i n g m o re s p o t s w o u l d

compensate for the vacancies in all of the lots.

Furthermore, we believe the school should offer temporary passes to provide an option for students who need to park on campus—whether it's for an injury or a one-time after school commitment. To solve this, the school can designate a lot, like the area next to the softball field, for students with temporary passes.

Stu d e nt s c an p ar k i n t h i s designated lot and then register their vehicles with their respective SST offices. Students will then pay a sum decided by the school and receive a placard to hang inside their cars. This not only creates a source of income for the school, but an option for students who didn’t receive a permit during the beginning-of-the-year lottery.

The new parking system does not achieve its original goal: to decrease the number of vacant spots. While it's unrealistic to think the problem can be completely fixed, these solutions can help make the system work for everyone.

What do

YOU think?

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

Deliver signed letters to the Southwords office or scan the QR code on the masthead to e-mail southwords@maine207.org 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

COMMENTARY

| December 19, 2017

Big game hunting is illegal and should stay that way

Editor-in-Chief ith news cycles devoted to potentially transformative political acts, many are keeping watch on taxes, international relations, or President Donald Trump's next scandalous tweet.

However, the conservation of endangered species has gone largely overlooked.

Under the Obama administration, elephanthunting trophies from Namibia and South Africa were allowed to enter the country, but those hunted in Zimbabwe were not due to the unreliability of the Zimbabwe government in giving sufficient elephant population statics. Trump, however, is considering a change to this policy to allow for trophies hunted in Zimbabwe to also enter the country.

Regardless of the country, hunting trips can cost upwards of $50,000. Ironically, the money spent on these luxury hunting trips goes back towards

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regulations are not enforced.

This time before the final decision is made is crucial in protecting not only the African Elephant, but so many other endangered species that could be decimated in the future should this decision become law.

gangs to murder people. But one of the largest sports that people use guns for is still hunting.

Hunting may seem primitive but compared to a slaughterhouse, hunting is humane. Hunters can miss or can be spotted. A deer has a chance to run away and live another day. A cow in a slaughterhouse was born and raised to become a hamburger. Hunters need effective firearms to kill the animal humanely.

Firearms are not only weapons, they are also tools. Those who see firearms as only weapons tend to assign them terms based on their lack of knowledge and fear.

"Assault weapon" is a varying term that describes a semi-automatic firearm with characteristics of military weapons. Let’s get something straight, though: because a gun is black and scary looking, that does not mean it is more deadly.

This is part of the fear. An AR-15 is not functionally different from any other semi automatic firearm.

They shoot one shot every trigger squeeze. So ban all semi-autos, right? Even if all semi automatic firearms were banned, mass shootings would still exist.

In 1966 Charles Whitman used a Remington 700 bolt action rifle to shoot 49 people from a tower at the University of Texas.

In 2013 Aaron Alexis used a Remington 870 pump action shotgun to shoot 20 people at the Washington Naval Base. The Remington 700 and 870 are some of the most popular hunting firearms in the US. Semi-automatics are still necessary for self defense. There is not time for accurate, well placed single shots in a firefight.

But the guns that are designed for self defense, also happen to work very well for offense. A semiautomatic handgun that someone might carry to protect themselves, can be concealed and also used to attack someone.

There is no easy answer to the gun debate. Despite the simplicity that people imply, there is none. When push comes to shove, nothing short of banning every single gun would ever stop all gun violence or even dramatically reduce it. However, even if all guns were banned, someone hell bent on killing would still find a way: cars, arson, knives, or even an illegal gun.

Banning types of guns is only treating the symptoms of this violence epidemic. We need to address the root causes: poverty, gangs, lack of respect for firearms, and mental health. But this doesn’t mean that I don’t support gun control.

Destructive devices, fully automatic firearms and things like bump stocks should be strictly regulated.

I support an education, licensing, and registration program for firearms similar to the program in place for cars. That would reduce almost 1,000 accidental gun deaths per year and make sure gun owners in America know how to be safe.

Guns are a dividing, complicated, and controversial topic. Simple answers and fear-based generalizations will not solve our problem.

Knowledge, research, and logic are the way to find solutions that will actually work. There is a way to reduce gun violence in America; we just haven’t found it yet.

— Ted Wyshel ('18)

Letter to the editors

Fear based generalizations won't solve our gun problems

Dear Editors, I would like to comment on your recent article about gun control [Vol.54, Issue 3, "Policy and change"]. I spend hundreds of hours per year around firearms and shooting sports: 8 weeks out of my summer is spent teaching Boy Scouts how to be safe around, and have fun with firearms.

To many people, guns are unfamiliar. I will be the first to admit, guns can be scary. They were originally designed as a weapon of war to kill people quickly and efficiently.

My first demo in the rifle merit badge is designed to show scouts that guns can kill: I blow up an orange with a .22 rifle. Firearms need respect. This is not "Call of Duty": there are no redos with a gun.

However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be safe.

Safety is my number one priority when I am holding a gun. The three gun safety rules are ingrained into my very being: “Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire. Always keep the action open and the gun unloaded until you are ready to fire.”

I use firearms for sport with an emphasis on safety. For many people, guns are a sport and a hobby, not a weapon. In the Olympics, there are 15 individual shooting events. Those guns are specifically designed for sport. A 12 gauge Browning Citori Trap or Beretta DT11 Shotgun is not going to be used by

ILLUSTRATION BY YARA RUZHKOVSKA

Christina Johnson

conservation efforts to protect the same animals that are hunted.

Such conservation efforts attempt to protect the animals from poachers with similar intentions but without a license.

Elephants certainly need protection now more than ever because of their vulnerability from legal and illegal hunters, though. The importation of elephant trophies to the US only encourages the pointless killing and further species endangerment.

If President Trump did open up this opportunity for hunters, there would be larger loopholes for legal hunters with illegal intentions, such as smugglers selling ivory on the black market. There would be a shorter time frame and less opportunity to catch those selling their kill illegally.

Although there are still over 400,000 African Elephants left in the wild, if the US were to allow opportunities for hunters to bring back this big-game animal, that number would diminish.

Extinction levels of big-game animals could exceed the point of no return if

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ENTERTAINMENT | December 19, 2017

Merry&Bright Luke Bechtel & Jenny Blasius Entertainment Editors

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2656 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago

PHOTO BY LUKE BECHTEL

he holiday season is known to many as a month-long celebration of joy and merriment. While many families decorate their homes with a simple tree and lights, some families show their cheer with more extravagance. The Grant-Grusecki house on Engel Boulevard and their efforts to raise money for our troops through their holiday light show are highly regarded around the Park Ridge area. Southwords sought to find other houses of the same caliber within the Chicagoland area that have a record of going the extra mile in decorating.

PHOTO BY JENNY BLASIUS

Located conveniently four blocks west of the Kennedy Expressway and just north of Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, this home’s intricate, elaborate light setup is a true standout among the more drab decorations featured in the rest of the homes nearby. Seemingly every inch of this building is covered in beautiful lights, from the front porch to the garage attached to the back of the house. Uniquely charming is a flock of white, majestically luminescent reindeer scattered all around the front yard that add personality and life to the otherwise overwhelming display. The fenced-in front yard culminates in a cast-iron arch adorned with lights, a welcoming lens through which spectators can view the larger-than-life exhibit. Because this home is located in a more crowded, urban area, finding parking is a necessary evil; be prepared to walk a few blocks to get a peek at the spectacular setup.

145 Evergreen Ln., Winnetka While many homes with elaborate light displays play music to enrich the experience, this house on Evergreen Lane in Winnetka takes it a few steps further with a light show tuned into its own radio station. Located in a roundabout, the animated light display has been designed and choreographed every year since 2012 by New Trier senior Christian Tingle. Now consisting of over 75,000 lights, creating this show requires months of preparation. Building begins in the summer, and the lights are set up and synchronized to the music throughout October and November. The display is also used as a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois. At the front of the house there is a festive donation box for visitors, and since 2013, the house has collected over $20,000 for the foundation. The house hopes to keep their flow of donations steadily increasing this holiday season, as the show runs nightly through Jan. 7th.

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December 19, 2017 | ENTERTAINMENT PHOTO BY JENNY BLASIUS

6601 N. Leroy Ave., Lincolnwood Tucked into a cozy Lincolnwood neighborhood off of Devon, the Noonan family residence has a 30-year track record for putting up a detailed, breathtaking Christmas light exhibition. The centerpiece of the spectacle is a massive Christmas tree split into three sections, arranged in the windows such that it appears the tree pierces through the floors of the two-story home. “We bought a big tree the first year, and we cut the top off, and put the second tree on top. I said ‘next year, I’m going through the roof,’” said Mr. Noonan, owner of the home and father of six children. He enlists their help every year to help put up the enormous amount of decorations. “This was a big neighborhood for decorations. Everybody did it—it was three times more 30 years ago. It was bumper-to-bumper traffic every day. Now, there’s hardly as much traffic,” said Noonan. Regardless, he still fails to grow tired of expressing his Christmas cheer every year; “This’ll be about the 30th year,” he said. “A real long time. The only way to stop [decorating my home] will be to sell the house or burn the house.”

PHOTO BY LUKE BECHTEL

915 Franklin Ave., River Forest More closely resembling a church or castle than a traditional home, this residence in River Forest has it all: light-up “Feliz Navidad” and “Merry Christmas” signs, an animatronic Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, a full-size sleigh and reindeer, and multiple fully-lit Christmas trees— not to mention, inumerable yet organized strings of colorful lights.

The merry, animatronic Santa Claus spends his winter days waving at passersby through a glass case; this contributes a lively, spirited atmosphere to the display. Luckily, the home is easily accessible via major motorways, and parking is a breeze. Plus, there are plenty of different striking angles with which to view the beyond-impressive display, whose footprint stretches across nearly the whole block.

Topped with a glimmering star and outlined in warm amber light, this home amazes residents and sightseers alike.

18 Devonshire Dr., Oak Brook Guarded by a row of plastic toy soldiers, this house’s display incorporates a complete nativity scene topped with angels and a holiday soundtrack to immerse viewers in holiday cheer. The most notable feature of the house is its impressive roof set up with illuminated stars, candy canes, and a massive Christmas tree at the center. Inspired by the meaning of Christmas, the home’s owner, James Giandonato, seeks to spread Christmas spirit to everyone through his display. “This is the 23rd straight year of decorating my home,” Giandonato said. “I’d like to try to make it to 25 years, but don’t know if it’s possible. The whole project, up & down takes an unbelievable amount of time & energy, as I’m the only person doing it for the most part. Keeping everything working is difficult with the elements.” However, the energy pays off, as the comparatively small house packs a powerful holiday punch that attracts visitors from all around the Chicagoland area.

PHOTO BY LUKE BECHTEL

SouthworDS 9

December 19, 2017 | ENTERTAINMENT

Franco's love letter to flawed cinema soars Entertainment Writer & Editor

"The Disaster Artist"

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ames Franco’s comedy-drama “The Disaster Artist” is a film exploring the true story behind enigmatic director Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 film “The Room,” infamously dubbed the “greatest bad movie ever made,” and often referred to as “the ‘Citizen Kane’ of bad movies.”

Co-starring James Franco as the mysterious filmmaker Tommy Wiseau and Dave Franco as aspiring actor Greg Sestero, the film follows their quest to make their dreams a reality in the competitive field of Hollywood acting.

Focusing on the dynamic between Wiseau and Sestero, the film begins in San Francisco where the duo meet in amateur improvisation classes and cultivate a friendship.

After moving to Los Angeles, Wiseau grows frustrated toward his lack of attention and ridicule at the hand of casting directors and agents; subsequently, a seething Wiseau takes the jump to write, direct, and star in his own “all-American” film, called “The Room.”

“The Disaster Artist” acts as James Franco's love letter to Wiseau's selfdescribed "black comedy," following a fictionalized Wiseau through the creation of his epic motion picture.

The film highlights the misunderstood

it manifests in the film’s plotline and behind-the-scenes inception.

Rationalizing his exorbitant and irrational spending as necessary to create a “real Hollywood movie,” Wiseau’s pitfalls as a clueless director craft hilarious moments of comedy digestible by both fans of “The Room” and audiences new to the legendary film.

Wiseau’s peculiar, borderlineridiculous nature is portrayed expertly

by James Franco, spearheading a colorful cast that includes the likes of Seth Rogen, Josh Hutcherson, and Zac Efron. Franco’s performance highlights the most interesting in Wiseau, from his mysteriously ambiguous age and national origin to his questionably massive financial assets with which he used to fund “The Room.”

Dave Franco portrays Greg Sestero, an “everyman” counterpart to Wiseau, acting as a foil to Tommy’s quirks and embodying the reactions of the audience. His performance as a deuteragonist excellently backs up the unforgettable depiction of Wiseau.

“The Disaster Artist” is a film which finds its success primarily by parodying the unintentionally comedic effects of “The Room.”

Impressively detailed recreations of scenes from its source material provide comedy through recognition, and Franco’s performance as Wiseau is the primary vehicle for the film’s relentless humor.

Salty Jenny by Jennifer Nikolic

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PHOTO CREDIT A24 FILMS

Aaron Lazara & Luke Bechtel ar t ist ' s e c c e nt r i c it y and how

RECIPE FOR DISASTER

Co-stars and real-life brothers Dave and James Franco portray "The Room" stars Greg Sestero and Tommy Wiseau, respectively. "The Disaster Artist" marks the first time the two brothers have crossed paths on an acting project.

The film’s absurdity allows for audiences unfamiliar with Wiseau’s original to enjoy this behind-thescenes look and get a taste of Wiseaubranded ironic comedy.

Almost ever y interaction writer-director-star Wiseau has in “The Disaster Artist” contains an outlandish line or detail that never fails to incite both laughs and confusion simultaneously. While the movie is enthralling throughout, it is most compelling when it satirizes the reality of Tommy Wiseau.

The film is oddly brilliant in that it paints Wiseau, who is objectively a narcissistic, controlling lunatic, as a lovable, yet flawed, “all-American hero.” His desperation and drive to boldly make his dreams a reality produce him as extremely easy to empathize with, oddities aside.

While “The Disaster Artist” is, on

its surface, the story of the “best bad movie ever made,” digging deeper reveals weighty critiques of the often wrongly-idolized Hollywood machine.

Instead of the story reaching its happy-ending crux through the unrealistic success of Wiseau and Sestero, the film veers closer to realism by demonstrating the duo’s relentless and hilarious failures in trying to accomplish their dreams.

It’s a b e au t i f u l , e n d l e s s l y humorous, and inspiring tale about a movie that teeters so far off the edge of atrocious that it becomes great. “ The Disaster Ar tist” is unconditionally recommended, even to audiences unfamiliar with Wiseau’s original masterpiece. Franco’s biopic is deliberately and refreshingly crafted, one deserving of critical attention this awards season.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

FEATURES

| December 19, 2017

Physics Tommy O’Connor Features Editor

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lown alarm clocks, doctor’s appointments, field trips, illness— there are many reasons a student may be absent from class. Even if a student is physically present, there is a chance their brain is elsewhere for that 70-minute block. Students are left with gaps in knowledge that can be difficult to fill.

Fortunately for physics students, help is a click away.

Under the username “lasseviren1,” Maine South Physics teacher Mr. Jack Marino has posted 209 educational videos and amassed over 11,561,750 views on YouTube.

“It was a five-second decision to pick a name,” said Mr. Marino.

“Lasse Viren was the Michael Jordan of running when I was growing up.”

Students who are in Mr. Marino’s physics class augment their learning with his videos.

“I think Marino is a really good teacher, and his videos explain stuff very well,” senior physics student Grant Miller said. “He goes through specific examples on how to do

problems and it’s pretty helpful.”

“You can watch it when you want to in a nice comfortable environment,” Mr. Marino said of his video lectures.

“Repeat it as many times as needed.

Speed it up. Slow it down.”

With some videos reaching over 400,000 views, it is clear they have reached an audience far beyond the halls of Maine South. Students from other high schools, colleges, and even other parts of the world watch Mr. Marino’s lectures. However, students were not Mr. Marino’s original target audience.

“I had a couple friends who were just beginning to teach AP Physics C and were asking questions so I just started making videos for them,” Mr. Marino said.

Drawing out equations and diagrams on paper, while providing some commentary is Mr. Marino’s signature style. His videos usually consist of his hands, a pen, and plenty of paper. “[The videos] were all done in the first take,” Mr. Marino said. “I would take just a textbook, see how they would lay it out, and I would give the same layout as that in video form.”

OnDemand

DELIBERATION ON INTEGRATION

Mr. Marino draws out one of his signature problems in a YouTube video from 2009. Almost all the videos on his channel follow this simple format.

Technology has made the process very streamlined, and recording has never been much of an issue.

“I use about the easiest camera— the flip camera,” Mr. Marino said.

“It’s just a button you hit and you’re ready to go. You can see, through the flip camera, what you’re writing on the paper.”

Due to limits set by YouTube in 2009, when most of the videos were recorded and uploaded, Marino’s videos are never more than ten minutes long. If a lecture is not quite complete in this time frame, then an additional video on the subject is needed.

As is the same with a classroom setting, many questions arise during these lectures. Viewers often post them in the comments of videos, or message Mr. Marino directly.

“I get people from all over the world who will e-mail me,” Mr. Marino said. “Sometimes I even get messages in languages I don’t understand.”

Viewer interaction is something Mr. Marino has tried to maintain.

However, with school almost every weekday, this can be a difficult task.

“I started to reply to the comments in the very beginning,” Mr. Marino said. “I can’t get to all of them, but if they’re asking for more description, I try to respond. It mostly depends on when they get me.”

COPIOUS COMMENTS Many viewers express gratitude, as well as frustraOf course every comment can’t be tion in the comment sections of Mr. Marino’s videos. Errors made in videos are typically identitaken seriously and many are off topic, fied by viewers with a comment and corrected by Mr. Marino with video annotations.

12 SouthwordS

but some include very interesting insight.

“Thank you so much,” posted one user. “You just made sense out of three class periods in 10 minutes.

What the heck are we paying so much for at these institutions of higher learning?”

M a i n e S o u t h i s c u r r e nt l y experimenting with select subjects the idea of a blended learning classroom.

This system is slowly being integrated into our educational system, and, as a teacher who already has some experience in this area, Mr. Marino provided some insight. “[Videos] are not good to use as your number one resource because if students don’t watch them, then you have nothing,” Mr. Marino said. “For the right student, it would be almost as good, but there’s nothing that can match a classroom discussion.”

Mr. Marino will be retiring after next school year and the fate of his videos still hangs in the air.

Improvements in technology over the last eight years have actually made upkeep of the videos a troublesome task.

“The problem that I run into now is that I made mistakes,” Mr. Marino said. “I used to use annotations to correct them, but recently I learned that if you’re watching on a phone you don’t get annotations. Most of [the videos] are watched via phone, and I don’t want them to be misleading.

They may stay, they may not.”

Maine South’s

December 19, 2017 |FEATURES

All-Pro Team

Erin Martin

Features Editor ith numerous state championships in a wide range of athletic activities, Maine South has gained a reputation as a sports powerhouse.

These successes would not be possible, though,without the student athletes that dedicate their time to their sports, coaches, teammates, and academics.

While some of these athletes’ careers ended in high school, quite a few have gone on to achieve success at the professional level.

To honor these elite athletes English teacher and assistant varsity volleyball coach Mr. Garrett Fechner, proposed an idea: to dedicate a wall showcasing alumni athletic achievements through memorabilia representing them and their sport.

Earlier in the year, Mr. Fechner was approached by athletic director Mr. Andrew Turner, who was debating what to do with a bit of empty space near the Spectator Gym. “Years ago we had something similar, a wall dedicated to former students who are now elite athletes,” Mr. Fechner said.

Mr. Fechner felt that it was important to honor these athletes.

“I reached out to a few people who got a hold of the athletes and I heard back from quite a few,” Mr. Fechner said. “I’ve collected things such as signed bats, baseballs, and jerseys.”

Many of the items collected are game used or autographed. For example, Brian Schlitter (‘05), former Cubs player, sent in a game-used jersey to be viewed on the wall of fame.

Brian Schlitter began pitching for the Chicago Cubs in 2010 and played seven games that season. He did not pitch in the 2011 season due an elbow injury that led to surgery. Schlitter is now a relief pitcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Jim Walewander (‘80), who contributed a game-used bat, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1983 MLB amateur draft.

Throughout his career in the major league he also played for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, California Angels, and Florida Marlins. Walewander also had quite a few successes while attending Maine South. In 1980, he was voted as the school’s athlete of the year. That same year, his Maine South baseball team came in third in the state.

Adam Rosales is another MLB player who hails from Maine South. During his professional career, Rosales has played for

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the Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, and most recently the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He played as a shortstop and infielder. Currently Rosales is a free agent.

Another Major League Baseball player who will be showcased is Jim Rushford (‘91), who played outfield for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Maine South has a history of NFL players as well. Boris Shlapak (‘68) was a place kicker with the Baltimore Colts in 1972.

Dave Butz (‘69) joined the NFL soon after. In his college career he played for Purdue and later went on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Redskins. Butz had a 16-year career from 1973 to 1988 in the NFL. He went on to win two Super Bowls with the Redskins and was elected into the College Hall of Fame in 2014.

In addition to pro athletes, some alumni have competed in the Olympics. The Olympic athletes that will be showcased at Maine South include speed skaters Mark Greenwald (‘86) and Nancy Swider-Peltz (‘74). Gold medalist and captain of the USA volleyball team, Tom Hoff (‘91), will also be featured.

Swider-Peltz is one of many highlytalented woman that is tied to Maine South High School. Her career as an Olympic speed skater took off in 1976 and she was the first United States Olympian to compete in four different winter Olympics. She held the world record in the 3,000 meter skate her first year at the games and was later inducted into the National Speed Skating Hall of Fame.

Mr. Turner has enlisted a professional to help create backgrounds and layout for the display.

“It is admirable that these former students have dedicated their time to be at that elite level in their sport,” Mr. Fechner said. He wants to be sure that this wall of fame honors these athletes in a respectable way.

The collection, however, is not yet complete, as Mr. Fechner is relying on the athletes to donate memorabilia.

“These people are all over the country,” Mr. Fechner said, “as time goes on, things continue to trickle in.”

Mr. Fechner hopes that the display will be ready by the fall of 2018 and will be located at the west entrance of the Spectator Gym. “We have heard back from a lot of people and they are really excited about it,” Mr. Fechner said. “They are proud Maine South alums.”

IT’S IN THE GAME

Memorabilia for the pro athletes display include a Brian Schlitter (‘05) game-used jersey and collector’s card, a gameused Jim Rushford (‘91) baseball, and a game-used Jim Walewander (‘80) bat. These items, along with many others, will be displayed near the Spec Gym in the fall of 2018.

SouthwordS 13

SPORTS

| December 19, 2017

Girls’ hockey already ahead of last year’s pace Maura O’Driscoll

Sports Writer aine Girls’ Hockey is focused on having fun and enjoying the season, while still staying very competitive.

With a tough season last year, the team is looking to improve from the previous year; however, it is not only about wins, it is about improvement and growth in each player. The girls have already started this process.

“We have scored more goals in nine games this season than we did all last year,” Coach Tony Szapielak said.

Hockey is different than other sports because it is composed of Maine East, Maine West, Maine South, Taft, Leyden, and Resurrection students.

Since the sport is not sponsored by IHSA, they need a lot of support from the schools.

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The players believe hockey is a good way to meet new people while playing a sport they love.

“It’s really enjoyable to meet new people that you wouldn’t necessarily meet at school,” All-State sophomore Elizabeth Ahne said. “The team has allowed me, and other girls, to make new friends that we probably would’ve never met if we didn’t play with this team.”

Many of the girls on the team have become close friends because of how closely they work together on the ice.

These connections serve the girls well, though, both on and off the ice.

Hockey is also a great way to build character. Many of the practices are physically demanding, but that only results in more competitive games.

The team is ver y proud of their fight against defending state

champions, Glenbrook, with a 3-2 loss. They are looking forward to stepping up their aggression in future games against high level teams like Glenbrook.

“Although we haven’t recorded a lot of victories, we have been very competitive this year with a lot of onegoal defeats,” Coach Szapielak said.

The team this year is a very close group of girls. The true leaders of the team are the 2017 All-State players, Ahne and senior Jessie Krawitz. They are the team leaders in goals scored, and they attempt to bring together the team through many hardships and successes.

“One of the best things about the team is the bond that we all have,” Ahne said. “There are no cliques on this team and everyone is friends with everyone. The bond between

the girls has truly helped the team be successful on and off the ice.

“Our program is focused on improving everyone’s game play and everyone having fun,” Krawitz said.

“It is really set apart by our coach focusing on helping every player, not just the stronger ones.”

This has really helped the team improve because of the combined dedication of the coaches and players.

The girls’ hockey team has proved that they can have fun by growing and competing together.

“I have seen over the years that teams that have better team bonding actually perform better, and Maine Girls’ Hockey is a great example of that,” Ahne said.

The team is currently preparing for their end-of-year tournament in South Bend, Indiana on Dec. 28-30.

Hockey captains have high hopes for new league Liliana D’Alesio

Sports Writer nlike other sports at Maine South, the Maine Boys’ hockey team is composed of students from all schools in District 207: Maine South, Maine East, and Maine West.

Although the team consists of mostly South students, the players from different schools are able to positively interact with each other through hockey.

Some of the players on the varsity squad have been on the team for multiple seasons, so they know what to expect. However, there are a handful of first-year varsity players on the team as well. These new players will not transition overnight, but Head Coach Greg Mrofcza hopes to see them progress and strive for improvement as the season continues.

Mrofcza credits senior leadership for allowing other talented players to grow in the program.

“All the players get along very well with one another,” Coach Mrofcza said. “We’ve got some veteran leadership in our locker room and some talented younger players as well.

They are all committed to getting better as individuals and as a team.”

Within the past few years, the varsity team has been developing their game by continuing to play more advanced teams. The schedule this year composed of teams like York and Oak Park-River Forest, which makes for a more challenging, yet beneficial

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PHOTO BY MICHAEL FRAZIER

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ON ICE

Senior captain Josh Wydra shoots a wrist shot that is blocked by the Lincoln Way goalie. Wydra leads Maine in goals scored since Oct. 29.

season.

In high school hockey, a team’s success is dependent on the league they play in. Maine recently made the move into the West High School Hockey League.

“I would say that our team has improved our complete level of play because of our move into the West High School Hockey League,” senior forward Jake Gatz said. “We’ve had to play teams that are better than teams we played in our old league.”

By scheduling games against smaller teams like Sandburg and Lake Park, Maine also allows other players to get adequate playing time along with the captains.

With a team full of boys of different ages coming from different schools, it

is sometimes difficult for the coach to change the team’s mentality. That is why Coach Mrofcza has one team captain and three assistant captains; as captain and assistant captain, seniors Josh Wydra and Pat Gillespie are in charge of the team when the coach isn’t present and are the coach’s eyes and ears.

“As a team captain, kids look up to you and how you play, not just what you say,” Wydra said.

Wydra tries to lead by example for the sake of his teammates. He believes this is the best way to provide motivation for a team that hasn’t quite performed up to expectations.

“The things I say motivate the players to do the best they can. It’s not always about what you say; it’s about

your attitude,” Wydra said. “If you are down it brings the team down. So the most important thing I always say to my players is to keep your heads up and never stop pushing yourself.”

The boys have most of their practices at Niles Ice Rink, even though most of their games are played at Oakton Ice Arena. Many of the games are played late at night, which creates a unique atmosphere for the players.

Although it is different from other Maine South sports, boys’ hockey is still a big part of student culture. On some Friday nights, students support their varsity team by cheering in the stands at Oakton.

“The things I am going to miss the most about high school hockey are the late night practices with the boys and the Friday night games at Oakton where the stands are packed and you hear the crowd chanting the whole game,” Wydra said.

With a 7-7 start, the team has struggled to pull out wins against some exceptional teams in the area, such as Glenbard. However, the team is excited to have a second chance against them on Dec. 30.

Wydra, Gatz, and other goal scorers have improved their offensive play, which has included a ten goal affair against Plainfield on Dec. 3.

Maine’s season will not conclude until Jan. 28, so they have ample time to perfect the skills they have put into place.

December 19, 2017 | SPORTS

Girls’ basketball credits success to experience Girls’ swimming content with State results

Katie Carmichael

Sports Writer irls’ basketball is off to a strong start with wins against Highland Park and Niles North, and a secondplace finish at the Buffalo Grove Bison Invite. Coach Mark Smith attributes the impressive record to the team’s strengths of experience and speed.

“Our veteran leadership has been instrumental to our fast start,” Coach Smith said.

In addition to experience, the Hawks’ transition game and speed forces other teams to catch up to their pace. Despite their height disadvantage, the team has been able to defeat some highly-ranked teams.

The leadership from four veteran captains—seniors Hayley Semple and Fiona Spuria, and juniors Sophia Albano and Nicole Scales—have been key for the 2017-2018 squad.

A captain and three-year varsity player, Semple believes that captain leadership is instrumental to a team’s chemistry.

“The captains of the previous two years were a very crucial part of the team’s success and we try to mimic them as much as possible,” Semple said.

Coach Smith gives a lot of the credit to the four captains for the early success. Their extensive knowledge and experience in the program has rubbed off on the other players too.

“Our captains all lead in different ways," Smith said. "Some are vocal leaders, others lead by example.

Collectively, they have played countless games in our complex system and have taken many of our younger players in our program under their wing and helped them improve.”

Fiona Spuria, a three year varsity player, leads the team by instilling a culture of determination.

“I have brought leadership qualities to our team by starting practice, initiating drills, and most importantly, encouraging my teammates to do better,” Spuria said.

The captains all expressed ease in transitioning into the 2017-18 year after a successful season last year.

“This year, we returned four of our five starters which made for a very easy transition from last season,” Semple said. “Within the first couple days of practice, we were already focused on the more specific and detailed things rather than learning plays and drills.”

The Hawks’ impressive speed is the

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Julianna Moore Sports Writer

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READY POSITION

PHOTO BY JUSTYNA LEPA

Senior Hayley Semple stops to catch a pass during a game against New Trier on Dec. 5. Semple will be playing basketball at Washington University in St. Louis next year.

key physical factor that allows them to defeat some very tall, physical teams.

Scales, who has been on varsity since her freshman year, sees how her team can capitalize on their strengths. She is also aware of how their strengths and weaknesses affect they play of the team.

“Although we don’t appear very intimidating due to our lack of height, we prove teams wrong time and time again," Scales said. "We are very fast, this allows us to run make and miss transition and also press teams.”

T h e t e am i s p e r s i s t e nt i n addressing skills that they struggle with. For example, some skills are harder for the team because they are such a short team compared to other schools.

“A weakness that we have gradually improved on is rebounding,” Albano said.

The team is dedicated to holding themselves to a high standard to improve their game and their physicality.

Moving forward in the season, the team hopes to get to the level of being one of the best teams in their

sectional. Even though wins and losses are obviously a big part of the season, Coach Smith wants the girls to be well rounded and succeed on and off the basketball court.

“Every year, we strive to be “beyond super,” on the floor, in the classroom, and throughout the community,” Coach Smith stated.

The team has been working hard. to prepare for individual games and for tournaments like the upcoming Dundee-Crown Charger Tournament on Dec. 26. The team hopes to do just as well or better in this tournament as they did in the Buffalo Grove Bison Invite.

The team is proud of their tough play so far, with all of their talent and experience. Their early wins and a tough OT loss to New Trier prove that they can compete with top schools.

Despite their loss to New Trier, the Hawks showed how they can come back stronger and focus on what’s ahead. Having been through this before, the captains hope to continue to utilize their experience to help the team come together and refocus on their goals.

he girls' swimming team had a successful end to the season at the IHSA State Meet.

Sophomores Annika Wagner and Natalie Bryant, and juniors Amna Sorbun and Margaret Edsey qualified as swimmers for the 400 free relay.

Wagner, who competed at State last year, also qualified individually for 200 IM and 100 Free. She finished second in 200 IM and fifth in 100 Free. Sophomores Riley Bond and Bronwyn Bond qualified for diving.

“Preparing mentally for State, in my opinion, was harder than preparing physically,” Bryant said.

"I had to prepare my mind for the amount of pain I was going to be in, and believe in myself that I could go faster. Preparing physically was also a challenge, but I had my teammates around me helping me push farther and faster, to what I did not think was possible.”

Before and after the State meet, the girls have always been supportive of each other.

“The team prepared for state every day at practice," Wagner said. "We worked really hard and it really paid off especially for the relay at the end of the season. Coach Kura helps us all get physically and mentally ready, especially with his pep talks.”

Wagner is a star swimmer who was the only swimmer to make it to the finals at state. She has broken multiple school records this year, some of which were her own.

Wagner knew it was an incredible honor to be in the finals at State, and tried to soak it all in while competing.

“It is really exciting," Wagner said. "The crowd goes wild and the spirit on deck is something I’ll never forget. The races are hard but that’s what we’ve worked for all season and it’s fun to finally go fast at the end of the season.”

Wagner says that each year, she hopes to drop more time off of her relays and just have fun with the team.

“We finally got a relay to qualify, so it would be nice to see us get two relays, at least, and maybe even make top 12 so we all get all-state," Wagner said. "This is a bit of a stretch but may be possible.”

SouthwordS 15

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

Senior rower Wojcieszak competes at national level

Colleen Johnson

PHOTO COURTESY JAKUB WOJCIESZAK

Sports Editor

S

enior Jakub Wojcieszak excels in a sport that few other Maine South students are even aware of: rowing.

Wojcieszak is a part of the Chicago Rowing Foundation, a club in Clark Park along the Chicago River.

Wojcieszak has been rowing since his freshman year, and has become very successful in his short time in the sport.

He travels all around the country for competitions including Florida last year for Nationals, where they finished 20th, and he will be traveling to California for Nationals this year. His first time going to Nationals was his sophomore year.

Wojcieszak competes in multiple boat sizes, including the boat of eight and the boat of four. In the eight, he sits in the six or eight seat, and in the four, in the four seat.

When the weather cooperates, the club practices on the river, but when they are unable to be outside, they practice in the WMS Boathouse, just a short walk from the river.

“In the summer, spring and fall we’re on the water, and then the winter [we do] indoor training like lifting and stuff like that,” Wojcieszak said.

One thing that they use to train is the erg, which is an indoor rowing machine where they work out and test for times. Wojcieszak’s best time for two kilometers on the machine is 6:18.

“Training is Monday through Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30, and then when we can go out on boats,” Wojcieszak said. “We just do technique work and then some kind of work out, and it’ll either be 3x10 minute or 6x5 minute. It’s a bunch of different interval stuff.”

Wojcieszak sacrifices a lot of his time for his sport because round trip travel to Clark Park is nearly two hours.

Despite the travel time, Wojcieszak knows how beneficial the sport is for him, and he feels accomplished because of all his hard work.

“There are physical benefits—I stay healthy and in shape—and I also got recruited to many prestigious schools, and get recognized well in the rowing community,” Wojcieszak said. “But

GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM

Senior Jakub Wojcieszak, second from the bottom, celebrates with his team after winning the Youth Regional Challenge. Wojcieszak will be rowing at the University of Pennsylvania next year.

then there are the benefits that aren’t so obvious, like the friendships I’ve created.”

In the winter, there is only one competition, an indoor competition.

In the fall, they compete about four times, and in the spring they compete more often because it’s the main season.

Competitions are called regattas.

They start in fall, but they aren’t that important until later in Spring. At the regional regatta, each region of the country competes against every team in the region, and the top three in each event go to Nationals. Last year, they placed third in the eight, and third in the four, sending them to Nationals.

However, you are only able to take one boat, so he competed in the eight at Nationals last spring.

“[Nationals] is the most important [race] for us as a team and is what we have our eyes set on all year,” Wojcieszak said. “We have to practice as hard as we can all year to make sure we stay ahead of our competition.”

Wojcieszak also just competed in the Youth Regional Challenge, an event that took place in September in Sarasota, Florida during the World Championship. It was a competition for under-19 teams across all six regions in the U.S. The Midwest won the competition.

Wojcieszak disclosed that travel for the sport is extensive; however it is worth it because of the opportunities rowing presents.

“In the spring it’s pretty much every weekend, for at least a six-week period.”

Wojcieszak notes that his work ethic as critical to his success. To this point, all of his effort has resulted in numerous accolades.

“I really enjoy having fun and going out with friends, but I have my priorities and make sure that everything I need to do is completed to the best of my abilities before I do anything else,” Wojcieszak said.

Wojcieszak has to put in a lot of extra work to be able to compete in rowing because it is not a Maine South sport.

It’s a different type of commitment, but he is grateful to be a part of something so exceptional.

“Competing in a sport that is not offered at the school, and also is not very well known in the Midwest in general, is very interesting and can be frustrating at times,” Wojcieszak said.

“People do not know what the sport entails: how much time, dedication, and hard work it takes, which leads to some to mock it. However, I do not really let this bother me.”

Wojcieszak got recruited to row in college by Berkeley, Yale, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton and Dartmouth. He is going to attend the University of Pennsylvania at the Wharton School of Business where he’ll be rowing there.

Before moving on to college rowing, Wojcieszak will continue to compete in national and world competitions.

However, he does not plan on training for the Olympic Games. Rowing has plenty of other competitions that compete at just as high of a level, and these are the events that Wojcieszak is most likely to explore.

“This summer, and in the future, I’m going to try and qualify for Junior Worlds, it’s like the World Championships.”

As he moves onto college studies and rowing, Wojcieszak will hang onto his memories from the Chicago Rowing Foundation.

“I have created many very strong friendships through the sport, many of which I believe will last a lifetime, because we bonded over a sport that not many people understand how much physical and especially mental strength it takes,” Wojcieszak said.