Vol. 54, Issue 5 Southwords

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

PHOTO JEN BECK BY MICHAEL FRAZIER AND JUSTYNA LEPA PHOTO BY ILLUSTRATION

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February 2, 2018

Vol. 54, No. 5

Finsta

F R E N Z Y For many students, multiple Instagram

accounts is just a way of life. See page 9 Hawk Nation Save on V-day Tee Time

New spirit app to launch this month.

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Suggestions for a fun and Creativity shines at the inexpensive Valentine’s Day. annual senior panoramic.

Page 10 Page 7

Flipping Out

Boys’ gymnastics program pulled at South.

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NEWS | February 2, 2018

Renovations enlarge cafe and study spaces PAC plans

Elaine Smith

News Editor n preparation for next year's hybrid schedule, the open courtyard area adjacent to the Maine South Cafeteria will be undergoing a renovation over the summer.

The outdoor space will become an indoor addition to the existing cafeteria so that it can accommodate more students.

“The area where there is cement but an open sky is going to be turned into the additional part of the cafeteria,” Maine South Principal, Dr. Ben Collins said. “Then there is a food service line [the cafeteria door closest to the Field House] that is currently being used as general storage that’s going to be reconverted back into a food storage area to provide more space.”

The op en cour tyard sp ace currently contains tables for students to eat outside, but is left unused during the winter months.

“It already has walls so [the renovation] won’t be incredibly expensive," District 207 Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Ms. Mary Kalou, said.

Next year's hybrid schedule will result in a greater number of students eating lunch during lunch periods, especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when there are fewer lunch periods.

“We could do the hybrid schedule with six lunch periods, but I think it’s bad for the kids to only have a half a period to eat,” Ms. Kalou said. “By doing a cafeteria expansion, hopefully we can solve this issue.”

Maine South has the largest enrollment of all D207 schools but has the smallest cafeteria.

“No matter what, even if we weren’t going to a new schedule next year, our cafeteria is way too small to begin with,” Dr. Collins said. “For the size school we have, it should be huge.”

Currently the cafeteria seats about 500 students; the renovation will increase its capacity to around 700 students.

“I worked here in the '90s and even then we talked about how small the cafeteria was,” Ms. Kalou said. “I think that this is something that the school has needed for a long time. As we were moving to the hybrid schedule, I was like, ‘why don’t we take this as an opportunity to fix the cafeteria and give kids the

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new student culture survey Charlotte Geier

News Writer he Principal's Advisory Council will be releasing a student culture survey to the entire student body this upcoming February.

“The purpose [of the student culture survey] is to improve the school,” Principal Dr. Ben Collins said. “Our job is to provide [educaPHOTO BY ARDEN SASAK tion] to the highest level possible and UNDER COVER New plans to enclose the outdoor courtyard will be carried out this we need student voice to do that.” summer. The renovation aims to increase eating space for students.

The Principal’s Advisory Council opportunity to stay in there for a full The interior walls of rooms that has been composing this survey since period?”’ border the back of the library, such as the beginning of the school year.

“There are many things we should The interior English rooms in the the yearbook office, Chrome Depot back hallway behind the library will and tech offices, will also be knocked always be asking our students to help with because it’s their education,” Dr. also be reconfigured to make two down to create a third large area. larger study hall rooms that can serve “It's not so much that it’s unused Collins said. “The students wrote all as additional spaces for students to go [space], it’s more that it is just not used the questions around areas [of the during lunch. well,” Dr. Collins said. “Some of these school] they thought needed a lot of “The area is going to become a offices are storage closets right now improvement.”

The survey has undergone many quiet eating area for kids,” Ms. Kalou for stuff that we don’t [use] anymore. said. “It will be an option for students The new location for these offices revisions in order to accurately assess the life of a Maine South student in who want to grab lunch and then go has not yet been finalized. study for a little bit."

“We are going to have some regards to stress, social life, extracurOriginally, these classrooms were students join us and help us figure it riculars, and other factors.

“We want as many students as directly connected to the library but out," Dr. Collins said. those doors were walled off.

Administrators have not decided possible to respond,” sophomore “This renovation is really easy how specifically these new study PAC member, Georgia Fosse said. “At minimum 50% [of the student body], because all the walls are temporary spaces will be used. walls and drywall,” Ms. Kalou said.

“All of the areas won’t be eating in order to obtain the most accurate “They are going to knock out those spaces,” Dr. Collins said. “That is results.”

In addition to the initial survey, back room walls to open [the space] what we are still figuring out. I think up a little so that it seems bigger and it will just be one of the areas. We there will also be a time study that brighter.” are just going to have to get through will be conducted on a smaller group Under the current plan, C-141, each week and see what works and of students.

“At the end of the survey, you will C-142, C-140, and C-140A will what doesn’t.” become one study space. The second Plans for the project are supposed be asked if you are willing to particilarge study space will consist of rooms to be finalized later this month and pate in another survey that focuses C-137, C-136, and the larger C-134 construction is tentatively scheduled on study time,” Fosse said.

The survey will analyze lives of study hall area. to start in the early summer. “[The renovation] is effective “We have a preliminary budget for a selected variety of students. The because we are knocking down walls this project that is about 1.4 million group will fill out the survey daily, in areas that don’t make good use of dollars,” Ms. Kalou said. “We don’t over the course of the week. “You space,” Dr. Collins said. “We are losing know the [project] timeline exactly. will be asked questions on how you four classrooms, but gaining all of this We know that it will be done in time utilize your time through academics and extracurriculars at school,” Fosse other space.” for school to start next year.”

Plans have not yet been finalized The renovation was approved by said.

The council plans to analyze the regarding where the four English the School Board in November. classrooms will be relocated.

“When you come back to school data and implement lasting changes “Right now, all the Department you will just see a bigger cafeteria [and to the school.

“Once we receive the responses, Chairs are looking at room utilization new study spaces], it won’t feel like across the entire building,” Dr. Collins it’s that much of a change,” Dr. Collins we will decide which changes will be said. “There are a lot of classrooms said. “We still need to relocate the the most effective,” Fosse said. “We that aren’t used every single period four square courts—we know that’s will then discuss these changes with faculty.” in this building." a big deal.”

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February 2, 2018 | NEWS

New app seeks to increase student involvement

Mary Godley

News Editor he week of Feb. 12, Maine South will be launching a new app called Hawk Nation.

The app will have several features to increase participation in school events, including fine arts, sports, and other activities.

“It’s a way for students to register what organizations they are a part of or what sports they are a part of, and then any events that we put on the schedule, students will be able to check in to and earn points for attending them,” Mrs. Leslie Lettiere, Student Council’s Sponsor for School Spirit, said.

Hawk Nation operates on a points-based system, where students earn points for attending events. Rewards will be given out to students for their participation, but the specifics are still unknown.

“At a certain point, the school can decide when they give out prizes to the people with the most points,” junior Kevin McNulty said. “The prizes are yet to be determined—when we will give them out and what they will be.”

The school will be paying $2,500 a year to use Superfan inc. according to Mr. Dave Berendt, the Assistant Principal for Students. To minimize cost, the administrators are looking into finding sponsors and advertising space.

“We haven’t gone out and found sponsors yet, but eventually that’s what we hope to do," Mr. Berendt said.

“Because we are spending money on the actual app, the prizes will be modest," McNulty said.

"We may take donations from groups within the school and community so that there can be more substantial prizes."

McNulty is responsible for bringing the idea to Maine South.

“I got inspiration from a leadership conference,” McNulty said. “We go on a field trip every year through the Illinois Directors of Student Activities.

Carl Sandburg High School purchased the app from Superfan and they thought it was really effective.”

The app’s development has taken place over several months and with the help of several students and teachers.

“We've had a series of meetings over the past few months talking to our representative at Superfan and how we would get it up and running,” McNulty said.

Administrators of Hawk Nation have become involved at different steps of the process, but each has some management over the app. “[McNulty], myself, Mr. [Michael] Biondo, who is a Hawk Pride rep and pretty good with tech, and then Mrs. Lettiere, and Miss Hartney, my assistant, have access to control the app,” Berendt said.

Junior Anna Gerbich’s photographs are featured on the app.

“I’m good friends with [McNulty] so I knew about the app,” Gerbich said. “We wanted to do a yearbook spread on the app so I asked to take pictures at one of their meetings early on. Mr.

IMAGE COURTESY KEVIN MCNULTY

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HOME COURT ADVANTAGE Hawk Nation aims to increase student involvement in school activities. The app provides a schedule of events and rewards participants for their attendance.

Berendt suggested for me to offer some of my pictures from events for it.”

In October, the purchase of the app was approved.

“The only process we had to go through was with our lawyers,” Mr. Berendt said. “There’s a contract that you have to sign so we had to get our tech people and our lawyer to look at our contract.

Our Superintendent for Business is the one who says yea or nay to contracts.”

“We’re going to be experimenting a lot,” McNulty said. “We think we can use Superfan for a lot more than just increasing participation at events.”

Administrators of Hawk Nation have experimented with ways to improve and individualize the app to make it specific to Maine South’s needs.

“There are six basic modules on the home screen of our version of the app: Events, Leaders, and Account came standard,” McNulty said. “We wanted to take it a step further, so we added a Social Feed. Right now it is just Maine South’s Twitter, but when we get it up and running, the administrators can decide what we want to appear on the Social Feed. There will also be Streaming which will be connected to Maine South’s Cube page.

Additionally, other club and organization leaders might gain administrative access to send out notifications for their group’s events.

“I think there is a possibility of more students being able to have access to control the app if they are an officer of a club or organization,” McNulty said.

Hawk Nation may also be used to raise money for the Huntington’s Disease fundraiser this year.

“The school-wide fundraiser is one of the big things Leadership Council has been working on for the past four or five years,” McNulty said. “So we have been brainstorming different ideas to draw attention to that from the app.”

On Jan. 18, Leadership Council held a meeting to introduce the app to a focus group.

“Mr. Berendt reached out to Leadership Council, which consists of twenty or twenty five kids who hold leadership positions in the different organizations at school,” McNulty said. “Anyone who wanted to test the app came to the meeting and now has it on their phone. They’re going to be trying out different features to see how it works.”

The administrators plan to address the concerns raised by the test group.

“We will be able to adjust accordingly before the launch date,” McNulty said. “We know how it needs to work, we just need to make sure that it does work and clean up a few other things prior to Feb. 16.”

Gerbich and other test group members already have ideas for prizes.

“A parking spot is always a good idea,” Gerbich said. “A hotdog at the concession stand would also be good, but I’m not sure if that would be too similar to the Athletic Boosters.”

Hawk Nation will be further developed as feedback is received. “ There’s obviously going to b e more experimenting because we don’t know how kids are going to react throughout the school,” McNulty said. “Some changes we need to make will have to go through Superfan, but if I want to send out a new event, I can do that myself through the dashboard.”

The app will be available to download for anyone with an iPhone or Android.

“It is absolutely free to download and should be available to download in both iPhone and Android formats,” Mrs. Lettiere said. “Community members, alumni, students, parents, and faculty will all be able to login and create profiles.”

The app is available for any school to use.

“Colleges and universities use [Superfan] as well,” McNulty said.

University of Michigan, Yale University, and Boston College are just a few schools who use Superfan.

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COMMENTARY

| February 2, 2018

STAFF EDITORIAL

Open campus, more responsibility W

ith the implementation of initiatives like blended learning, unassigned parking, and lounge areas, our current administration has focused on emphasizing the importance of student independence.

As students embrace this sense of maturity in the new hybrid schedule, we believe the next logical step is to give students the freedom to leave campus.

Next year’s lunch periods will be more than twice as long as they are this year. Revisions to the cafeteria will help alleviate congestion, though the space still can’t accommodate the entire student population. Administration is hoping that students will be spending their lunch periods in lounges or getting academic help. Our need for more space is a problem that will be worsened the new schedule and fewer lunch periods.

The idea of an open campus, or one where students are allowed to come and go as they please according to their class schedule, is a solution that some area schools, like York High School in Elmhurst, have adopted.

In order for such a system to work,

h o w e v e r, t h e school would need to establish clear rules about who can leave campus and when.

Similar to the late start or early release forms that seniors have the opportunity to complete, a parent release would prevent the school from being held responsible for students if they leave campus during their off periods.

The program should begin with seniors, as the majority have a car parked on campus. Of course there

should also be precautions put into place to assure that students do not abuse their free time and that learning is maximized.

The p olicies could require certain prerequisites to be allowed off campus, such as a clean behavioral record and a reasonable GPA. With an open campus comes the need for security precautions as wel l. C onsider ing that there are currently staff members that prevent students from leaving locations like the cafeteria hallway before the passing period bell rings, those same staff members could be securing designated doors for students leaving or returning during their off period. For our safety, it is important that we continue to monitor anyone who enters of exits the building.

As the school is headed towards an environment in which students are given more independence and responsibility, and with current space at a maximum, it is time to give students the ultimate freedom—an open campus.

How could they come out so flat, almost disinterested? Weeks later, I still wake up, hoping the game was a bad dream.

I’ve been a Steelers fan for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I watched countless documentaries and pored through media guides from the 1970s to the 2000s. At one point, I could recite what number each player wore.

I idolized all of the players and coaches—to me, Chuck Noll is basically Jesus Christ reincarnated.

When asked why I love the Steelers so much, the answer is simple: I root for winners (my mom also was born and raised in the Steel City).

However, loving any team comes at a cost. Steelers games either make or break the rest of my Sunday and often set the tone for the rest of the week. It is the single factor that either unites my family or tears us apart. If the Steelers trail by 20 with 2 minutes left in the game, you can bet there won’t be much talk at dinner.

Some may call this behavior dramatic. I, on the other hand, wouldn’t change a thing. Football is an intense game. If a 40-yard pick six doesn’t give you an adrenaline rush, then quite frankly, I don’t know what will.

I believe obsessing over and having a favorite team offers people the chance to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Last year, 111.3 million viewers watched Super Bowl 51. On one night, I shared the same interests with millions, which inevitably made the game more exciting to watch.

Super Bowl 52 is this Sunday. I sympathize with Eagles and Patriots fans (well, maybe not Patriots fans as much)—I can’t even begin to imagine the stress they are under. I’m pretty sure I developed an ulcer or two each time the Steelers were in the playoffs.

On second thought, if the Patriots were to win, that would mean they’d tie the Steelers in championships.

Uh-oh.

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Bleeding black and gold since youth

Christo Fosse Editor-in-Chief

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couldn’t believe it. With three minutes remaining in the game following a foolish onside kick, it became apparent the Pittsburgh Steelers would lose against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Playoff game—one of the biggest upsets of the year.

Shocked fans, including myself, streamed out of Heinz Field, trying to process the fact that the season was over. Instead of chanting, “here we go Steelers,” fans muttered (and in some cases, screamed) their frustrations, sarcastically questioning how the defense could not stop the “greatness” and “Joe Montana-like prowess” of Blake Bortles.

How could a team score 42 points, in a playoff game, no less, and lose?

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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

February 2, 2018 | COMMENTARY

President Donald Trump: a misrepresentation of the GOP George Dalianis

Commentary Writer hile there are many who would attribute President Donald Trump’s shocking election victory to an electorate that had lost faith in the government, after one year in office, Trump has caused even more Americans to lose faith.

Campaigning solely against the political establishment and “corrupt Washington elite,” Trump audaciously won the White House after a tumultuous election. Many people were excited for a bold, new president who was not afraid of being politically incorrect or unpresidential.

Well, the chaotic, unstable, experiment that is the Trump White House, has got to go. I am not an angry liberal writing to criticize Trump’s political beliefs; rather, I am a conser vative worried about the preservation of respectful discourse in the political sphere and also the future of the Republican Party.

As a novice politician, you learn that every single word leaving your mouth is heavily scrutinized by the media and public.

You learn how to answer piercing questions with neutral statements that can harm virtually no one.

You learn how to pick your battles.

Yet, President Trump is a “Washington outsider,” so he possesses absolutely no experience in doing this. Filming an intense episode of “The Apprentice” in Trump Tower is no match for answering a barrage of questions from reporters in the hallowed halls of the White House.

If Trump possessed even the slightest political experience, he would be able to articulate his strongly-held views in a calmer, more eloquent fashion without using Twitter.

Although, even outside Twitter, the president demonstrates a rash, offensive tone, reportedly referring to African countries as “sh*thole countries” in private meetings.

Additionally, some of his recent Twitter exploits include calling Lavar Ball, father of NBA rookie Lonzo Ball, an “ignorant fool,” and addressing Illinois state senator Dick Durbin as “Dicky Durbin.” The list of childish, playground insults is almost endless.

As bad as Trump has gotten, these antagonizing

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words are not just limited to him. It is commonplace now to see influential members of popular culture, such as Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, or Robert de Niro lash back at the President with obscenities and legitimate contempt.

It is extremely difficult to respect the office of the presidency when such disdainful rhetoric emerges daily from the White House.

Look at former President Barack Obama for example. Do I disagree with his decisions, appointments and beliefs? Absolutely—but he always handled himself with a level of class, respect, and sophistication which millions of Americans admired.

As a result of Trump’s scornful rhetoric, major news networks focus minimally on political decisions that are made in Washington, and they now report the latest offensive or absurd comment from a politician.

The circus of personal insults currently going on in Washington is so potent that media networks have now become political gossip networks.

What does this mean for the future of the Republican party?

Nothing good. In the 2016 election, Republicans won the Senate by a 52-48 margin and the house by a 241-194 margin. A little over a year has passed, and the 2018 midterm elections are this year.

There are already 29 open GOP seats in the House, and eight GOP house chairs have retired this year. If the struggling Republican party continues to follow the status quo until November, they are likely to lose the House of Representatives.

Additionally, in the unlikely scenario that impeachment charges are brought upon President Trump this year, the Republicans will lose even more credibility and voter turnout.

In 2016, powerful Republicans like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell yielded to the seeminglyunstoppable force that was the Trump campaign, and now those same Republicans are facing the harsh reality that they are on a speeding train bound to crash.

So, whether you are a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, young or old, you can acknowledge that we must restore a level of dignity in American politics.

The Trump administration is casting a negative light on the Republican party and the office of president as a whole. President Trump is alienating Republicans with his crude and haphazard behavior, and he does not represent core conservative values.

“WhetheryouareaDemocrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, young or old, you can acknowledge that we must restore a level of dignity in American politics.”

North Korean Olympic participation could lead to political cooperation and reunification

Athena Baharopoulos Commentary Writer orth and South Korea have been divided since falling under the control of Russia and America in 1945. In an unexpected turn of events, they both have joined forces and decided to march under a unified flag during the opening ceremonies in this year’s Winter Olympics.

Athletes from both countries have marched together before in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

However, not every North Korean athlete is allowed to compete. Whoever will compete is up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

After many meetings together at the North and South Korean border, they also suggested creating a joint women’s ice hockey team. But this plan hasn’t been finalized; it still has to be accepted by the IOC. A consolidated team doesn’t mean that North and South Korea will be fusing together as one nation. Both have been negotiating future unity, but nothing is certain, especially when North Korea poses many threats by constantly testing new missiles. A reunification of North and South Korea could take a lot of money, time, and especially cooperation from both sides. However, unity of Korea has benefits that outweigh the costs.

It’s a rare event that North Korea is allowing athletes to go to South Korea to compete; citizens of North Korea have very limited freedom of speech, movement, information, etc. Thus, a little bit of freedom for some Olympic athletes from North Korea could possibly result in an increase of freedom for the whole country.

In addtion, future unity with South Korea may lead to a positive change in the strict leadership and the various human rights violations that the regime commits on the North Korean people.

North Korea’s participation in the Olympics is also a step forward in the world of international relations. Partnership between North and South Korea could have a positive effect on North Korea’s foreign policy. The rest of the world, including America, could see the ability North Korea has to cooperate with others.

Forming a peaceful relationship with someone who is regularly testing weapons doesn’t sound very beneficial, but trust could be enforced between America and North Korea and the need for excessive weapons would disappear.

A unified team of North and South Korea is just a small, productive step towards a permanent reunification. This year’s Winter Olympics could be a test of North and South’s cooperation with each other; hopefully, war threats could diminish and a peaceful unity could arise.

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COMMENTARY

| February 2, 2018

Standardized tests should not determine college admission Commentary Editor high school senior has received seven report cards, 42 progress reports, and countless test scores by the time January of their last semester of high school rolls around. When these students have reached the coveted title of “second semester senior,” many are waiting to hear back from the various institutions to which they applied.

Students compile resumes littered with extracurricular activities, leadership roles, service trips, and academic accomplishments.

However, one of the most important aspects of a college application is not one that reflects years and years of dedication or hard work; instead, it is the reflection of a four hour standardized test.

It used to be that people took the ACT once, maybe twice, with no prep, and that was the end of that.

Nowadays, people are taking the ACT three or more times, and many are paying for tutors or prep classes to help improve their score.

The emphasis that colleges put on standardized testing causes students to stress over what their score is and causes parents to spend a lot of money on prep.

The stress and competitiveness of college has caused students to dread the day they take the ACT or SAT, and dread even more the day the

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When these testing agencies and tutors charge large sums of money while promising that scores will increase by a number of points, people are essentially paying for a higher test score.

This is unfair and restrictive to students who may work equally as hard but can’t afford to pay for prep classes.

The emphasis that college admissions departments place on students' standardized test scores does not only put low income students at a disadvantage. It also causes high-achieving students’ accomplishments, honors, and grades to be discarded if their scores are mediocre.

ILLUSTRATION BY JENNIFER NIKOLIC

Caroline Coyle

results come out. The mentality now is “if my score isn’t super high, I have to take it again.” This is not healthy, as some students are not strong test takers.

This is especially harmful to a student’s self esteem when they work hard in school and earn good grades, but are evaluated on their sub-par test score.

In a report from The National Association for College Admission Counseling, it was found that “colleges and universities might make “inappropriate” distinctions among applications based on small score differences, making even minimal test score gains potentially important in those decisions.”

I disagree with the idea that a student's ACT or SAT score is the most important aspect of a college application, because a student’s GPA, which reflects a student's curricular rigor and level of achievement, is much more indicative of a student's true character.

Aside from the stress standardized tests put on students, weighing tests such as the ACT and SAT as a primary factor in college acceptance puts low-income students at a dramatic disadvantage.

The ACT already costs $50, but in order to get the highest score possible, students must pay for extra test prep.

Companies like the Princeton Review which offer group classes, range in cost of $1,000 to $1,600.

While that might not be a problem for some families, others cannot afford to send their child to prep classes.

Iran ban on teaching English would detriment primary education

Louise Macaraniag

Commentary Editor ran has recently banned the teaching of English in primary schools and after-school educational institutions in order to prevent the early Westernization of children.

Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, views English as a “cultural invasion,” corrupting Iran’s traditional teachings. Iranian leaders blame Western influence for the recent violent protests that killed 21 civilians, claiming that Western values are causing political unrest in Iran.

However, removing the English language from the Iranian education system is not the best way to prevent future discord. The leaders of Iran should not govern the way schools teach nor should they restrain Western values from reaching the Iranian people.

This ban on English teaching is a step towards the isolation of Iran from the Western World, which may prove harmful to future Iranians. English is a fundamental language, one that connects the

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world because of its predominance. Without the opportunity to learn English in other countries, students’ knowledge of the world may be hindered.

In the same way, our knowledge would be limited if foreign languages were not offered in our school.

Additionally, Westernization should not be looked at negatively. Exposing people to other cultures, especially a culture that influences countries all over the world, is important for the educational development of children. Whether one wants to travel the world, learn about other cultures, or go into international careers, learning English is a valuable skill.

I was born and raised in the Philippines. In school, we had a required English language class. It was not an elective class, but rather one of our core classes. Though English was not the Philippines’ main language, it proved to be a vital part of my education, even if I had not ended up moving to America.

My knowledge of the English language has allowed me to read a variety of literature and has allowed me to have a better understanding of the world. This is not to say everyone needs to learn English in order to be knowledgeable. I speak two languages and both prove to be beneficial to me.

English is my tool to communicate with the majority, and Tagalog is my tool to connect back

to my culture. Learning English did not affect my culture and traditions. It made me appreciate the difference in mannerisms and traditions in the Philippines from Western culture.

Young Iranians should have the same opportunities for this reason. Teaching English does not interfere with the teaching of Iranian and Persian culture, but emboldens its uniqueness and value in the world.

This is the same reason students often take foreign language classes in school: for its educational, business, and cultural benefits.

Many students take Spanish to communicate with the growing Hispanic communities around the world, and some take it to know more about the culture. Many take Mandarin Chinese for its business benefits, for many companies and business bureaus are dominated by this language.

It is important to broaden one’s knowledge about the world, and learning a second or third language is a step towards that direction. Iran’s ban of teaching English in primary schools, when students learn and develop the most, may narrow the way students perceive the world.

English, just like many other languages, can benefit students by giving them more opportunities in the workforce and deepen their understanding of the world as a whole.

February 2, 2018 | FEATURES

Senior

Creativi-TEE

Kelly Lennon & Tommy O’Connor Features Editors

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aine South seniors gathered in the spectator gym on Jan. 17 to take the annual senior panoramic photo. It has become tradition for seniors to customize shirts for the event now that there are so many places to easily order them from. Some students even opted to buy multiple shirts. 20 groups of students created customized shirts for the event; here’s a closer look at six of the designs.

GOOD VIBES ONLY PEACE OUT MSHS

Throughout the years, many seniors have incorporated their graduation year into their shirts’ designs. This layout in particular caused some confusion.

“Despite some misunderstanding, ‘CYA’ does not mean ‘cover your [behind],’ and is actually just an abbreviation for ‘see ya,’” senior Grant Miller said.

STRANGER TEES

Inspired by the Netflix series “Stranger Things,” a group of seniors created this mock up of the recognizable title sequence.

“We wanted to do something unique instead of the typical word play with 2018,” senior Olivia Niziolek said. “‘Stranger Things’ is a show we all enjoy watching. Especially with the second season coming out this school year, it seemed like the perfect idea.”

In a sea of red, black, and white, this rainbow tie dye shirt stood out amongst the crowd.

“I just didn’t want it to be plain red, white or black,” senior Claire Connolly said. “I knew that would be the case for most of the shirts, and I wanted ours to be different. I was inspired by a bright pink senior shirt when I was scrolling through Instagram, and I knew that bright colors were the way to go. Also, its something we can wear in the summer.”

BAND OF BROTHERS

The tight-knit group of senior band members opted to design a shirt that commemorated their time together both in and out of class.

“Band is like a family to me, and [these shirts] symbolize that we are all together,” senior Andrew Failma said. “‘Banding’ time is something often said by our teacher, Mr. David Hutter.”

SNOOP HAWK

Sporting the phrase “Drop it like a Hawk” across the back of the shirt, this group of seniors decided to pay homage to the man who inspired this phrase, Snoop Dogg, on the front.

“Our group consists of a wide variety of people from different backgrounds who all come together and accept each other for who we are,” senior Melissa Correa said. “Snoop Dogg is someone who appreciates uniqueness and encourages it. We want to be able to drop it like a hawk and leave our mark.”

SUPREME SENIORS

Inspired by the clothing brand “Supreme” that has become a recent trend, two groups of seniors created shirts that mirrored the famous logo.

“It was a popular fashion trend, and we decided to follow it,” senior Arthur Siwek said.

“I ordered 42 shirts for $700 out of pocket.

When they finally came, three friends and I spent six hours delivering the shirts, which was a pretty daunting task.”

SouthwordS 7

| February 2, 2018

Keys to Success

Daniela Conforti Features Writer

B

ecoming a skilled musician requires extreme dedication, patience, and a lot of practice. Junior George Dalianis practices piano extensively each day. His hard work has gained him multiple national awards and a performance on the National Public Radio show, “From the Top.” “I began playing the piano when I was four years old,” junior George Dalianis said. “My mother started me on the piano, and we would practice together every day when I was first learning.”

Dalianis has been playing piano ever since and has been training with Katherine Lee at the Music Institute of Chicago for the past seven years of his career.

“Her high expectations and standards, along with unwavering patience and dedication, have kept me striving to reach my full potential,” Dalianis said.

In all of his years of playing piano, Dalianis has found inspiration in various pianists and composers that he listens to and learns from. “[I look up to] Evgeny Kissin, the famous Russian classical pianist,” Dalianis said. “He is especially known for his interpretations of the Romantic composers, such as Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt. These are

my favorite composers. I admire Kissin’s musicality, the depth and poetic quality of his interpretations, and his extraordinary virtuosity.

When I was 12 years old, I saw him perform live at Symphony Center. It was an unforgettable experience.”

His career took off when he won the 2016 Walgreens National Concerto Competition as well as the 2017 DePaul Concerto Competition.

From there, he was sought out to apply to get the opportunity to perform on “From the Top,” which spotlights young classical musicians. “‘From the Top’ selects participants through a competitive process involving several recordings, essays and a record of accomplishments,” Dalianis noted.

The host of “From the Top,” pianist Christopher O’Riley, journeys all over the country to host the show.

Dalianis felt ‘thrilled and honored’ once he found out that he had been selected to play on a nationallybroadcast show.

He recorded his performance on the nationally-broadcast show on Feb. 1, and the program will air during the week of Feb. 26.

The performance was recorded at a music school called Midwest Young Artists Conservatory located in Highwood, Illinois. “​I peformed Chopin’s Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, no. 1. [for the recording],” Dalianis said. “This is

PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE DALIANIS

FEATURES

PIANO MAN Junior George Dalianis sits behind a grand piano, an instrument

which he practices two hours daily. Dalianis draws inspiration from Russian classical pianist, Evgeny Kissin.

PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE DALIANIS

the first in a set of two nocturnes This has been my most significant written in 1841. Nocturne means performance to date.” ‘inspired by the night,’ and is a singleAlong his journey of becoming movement character piece written for such an established and skilled solo piano.” pianist, Dalianis has realized what is Since the time he found out he necessary in order to be prosperous. would be performing on “From the “There are three key factors to Top,” Dalianis has been rehearsing becoming a successful pianist: find as he always has been accustomed to. an intrinsic ‘spark’ or goal that keeps “I have been doing my usual you motivated, practice in a deliberate amount of practicing, which is two way each day, and find a rigorous hours per day,” he said. “I learned teacher who has high expectations,” the Nocturne last spring and made Dalianis said. a recording of last “It is important summer, so I know to have a ‘growth the piece well. Now mindset’: the belief “I would feel a I am polishing it that talent can be to get it back to developed through void without performance level. hard work and piano in my life.” dedication. When I This involves a lot of slow practice am trying to master and listening to a difficult passage, the balance of the I tr y different inner voices and the melody.” strategies until I find what works. Be Unsurprisingly, Dalianis’ “From resilient and keep moving forward, the Top” recording is not the first big even after a disappointing practice performance he has done, and most session or performance.” likely, not the last.

Being a pianist is something that “After winning the Walgreens has defined George Dalianis for nearly Concerto Competition last year, I his whole life, and he definitely plans played the Grieg Piano Concerto in to continue playing piano after high A minor (3rd movement) with the school and throughout college.

Midwest Young Artists Conservatory “S e veral of the colleges to Symphony Orchestra,” Dalianis which I am applying have piano said. “The performance took place ensembles,” Dalianis said.“I would feel TICKLING THE IVORIES Dalianis performs at the 2017 WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition in Davidson, North Carolina where his group, the Orion Trio, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on the a void without piano in my life. I will placed 2nd nationally. Dalianis will be appearing on the NPR show “From the Top” during the campus of Northwestern University. hopefully have time in my schedule week of Feb. 26.

The hall seats about 1,000 people. to continue taking private lessons.”

8 SouthwordS

February 2, 2018 |FEATURES

Finstant Gratification

christo_fosse editor_in_chief

A

fter a tough day at school, filled with tests, projects, and homework assignments, senior Elaina Bridich just wants to do one thing: complain.

“Whene ver s omet hing b ad happens to me at school, I go home, take a picture, put it on my finsta, and explain what happened,” Bridich said. “My friends then offer support and encouragement, which is always helpful.”

Bridich, whose finsta name is “elainaaaaaaaaaaaaa,” is one of many students at Maine South who have a finsta. “Finsta” is a portmanteau of “fake” and “Instagram,” and these accounts are created by users to post content not typically found on their real (“rinsta”) account.

“I just like having an outlet to rant or complain,” Bridich said.

“One time, I got scheduled to work on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas Eve, and it was nice to have a place to voice my frustrations.”

However, finsta content posted varies from person to person. While some opt to rant about problems on their finstas, others post different material.

Senior Claire Connolly likes posting videos on her f insta, “claireconnollyofficial,” because she gets a chance to “exaggerate” and be

her “true self.” number of likes on each of my posts.”

“I like posting a lot of different Likewise, senior Savina videos, like what I got for Christmas Mihalopoulos created a finsta with or when I’m hanging out with my some of her AP Biology classmates to friends,” Connolly said. “Although I educate and entertain her class. do rant every now and then, I like “Since AP classes can be rough posting vlogs more.” and challenging, we thought that it Senior Shea Walters likes posting would be fun to make memes and pictures of food on her finsta, “shea. jokes about the things we learned in butter26.” class,” Mihalopoulos said. “So when “I eat a lot of great food, so why our classmates or just plain biology not share it with all of my friends?” lovers scroll through our Instagram, Walters said. “I post any food, from they can be entertained.” tacos to burgers and A key part of fries. I don’t like “If I wanted my creating a finsta is seeing ranting posts deciding who can about school. I’m parents to see what and can’t follow the a second semester I posted on my account. s e n i o r. W h a t ’s let my finsta, I’d just create c l o“Is e only stress?” st friends S o m e o t h e r another Facebook follow,” Bridich s t u d e n t s h a v e account.” said. “If I’m gonna created finstas for be talking about classes, clubs, and organizations. my personal life, why would I want Sophomore Maddie Kaltz made a anyone besides my friends to see it?” finsta for band, “bandmemes2k17,” “I know some people are very when she was only in the eighth grade. picky about who they allow to follow Kaltz said she has “way too much their finsta,” Connolly said. “But I love” for band and wanted to create think if you follow my rinsta, you can a finsta to share “relatable” memes follow me.” about band.

Most students, however, said “I usually post once or twice their parents do not know they have a week,” Kaltz said. “I try to keep a finsta. the memes relevant to what we are Walters said her finsta is “her own learning in band. I get a decent private information,” and her parents

shouldn’t be able to see it.

“If I wanted my parents to see what I posted on my finsta, I’d just create another Facebook account,” Walters said. “Obviously, I don’t have intentions of doing that.”

While most finstas are on private mode, Dean Michael McGreevy said students have received disciplinary consequences for content posted on their accounts in the past.

“We have seen cases of bullying on fake Instagrams,” Dean McGreevy said. “We have seen fights break out because of material posted on finstas too.”

Just because the account is private doesn’t exempt the student from consequences such as the 24/7 violation policy.

“I would encourage everyone to use social media properly,” Dean McGreevy said. “Anything illegal posted on social media and brought to our attention will result in punishments. If you have any doubts about what you are posting, take a day to think about it.”

Despite this, students appreciate the opportunity to express themselves on their finstas.

“At first, I didn’t want to make one,” Connolly said. “But I really like expressing myself and showing the ‘real me.’”

G

Liked by bandmemes2k17, shea.butter26 and 2,399 others christo_fosse A deeper look into Maine South High School’s ‘finstagram’ subculture SouthwordS 9

ENTERTAINMENT

| February 2, 2018

Valentine’s Day on a BUDGET

Victoria Pontikes

Entertainment Writer

Valentine’s Day presents the perfect opportunity to show a significant other how much you care, whether that be through an expensive dinner or a simple box of chocolates. However, doing so can be difficult on a tight budget.

Luckily, Southwords has compiled a list of date ideas that will ensure an affordable and amusing night.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JUSTYNA LEPA

DOWNTOWN

Amid the luminous city lights and exhilarating nightlife, downtown Chicago emanates excitement and love. With endless attractions, the date possibilities can be overwhelming, so here are a few romantic possibilities.

Ice Skating at Maggie Daley Park Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Chicago skyline while skating through Maggie Daley Park. The unique ribbon-shaped rink and free admission make skating here a prime destination. Southwords recommends bringing your own skates, but if you don’t own a pair, the park offers skate rentals— $12 Monday-Thursday and $14 Friday-Sunday.

Downtown Museums Chicago features a plethora of cultural, historical, and scientific museums, each with their own allure.

Cozy up underneath the star-speckled sky at the Adler Planetarium Skywatch, be enchanted by aquamarine seascapes and exotic marine life at the Shedd Aquarium, or admire the rich flora and fauna of the Garfield Park Conservatory. The possibilities for date night are infinite, and money proves to be no hindrance to inhibit a night of perfection. Each museum sets aside specific days where Illinois residents are allowed to museum access for free, as long as you show a valid Illinois ID for proof of residency. These free days vary according to each respective museum, and specifics can be found on each museum’s website.

IL

AT HOME

Staying in for a cozy, low-key Valentine’s Day grants one an escape from a hectic daily life and the frigid February weather. Spending the night in also fosters a more casual and relaxed evening.

Indoor Picnic Even though the winter weather doesn’t lend itself well to outdoor experiences, a picnic is never out of the question. An indoor picnic can be made just as easily as an outdoor one, simply grab a blanket and set snacks down on it. You and your significant other can cuddle up next to a fire and enjoy your favorite foods, whether that be takeout or home-cooked, in the comfort of each other and your own home.

Homemade Dinner To create and amplify a romantic mood, make dinner for your partner. If you really want to show them you care, this thoughtful gesture does so perfectly. To augment the intimate atmosphere, set the table with candles and eat dinner while the sun sets.

Binge Watch a Favorite Series An ideal yet low-stress way to spend quality time with your significant other is to bond over a TV series or movie. Binge-watching hit shows allows for an enjoyable and comfortable night and eliminates the monetary worry that usually troubles a date.

LUS TRA Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop TION

BY Y What would Valentine’s Day be without chocolate?

ARA RUZ HKO Located along Michigan Avenue, the shopping VSK A heart of the city, Ghirardelli boasts lavish chocolate and mouthwatering desserts. The decadence of Board Games/Game Night the chocolate and ice cream radiates romance and Game nights are a classic staple of a night-in. From makes the Ghirardelli shop a Valentine’s Day must. card games to board games, there are countless All menu items, with the exception of a heaping games to play. A game night offers deliverance ice cream sundae meant to serve four, are under from the stereotypical and often cheesy norms of $15, offering a low-cost yet satisfying experience. Valentine’s Day.

10 SouthwordS

LOCAL

Although not as extravagant as the city or as cozy as staying in, going local lets couples stay in a familiar environment but still has the numerous options that downtown does. Below are the best romantic and inexpensive hotspots in close range.

Pickwick As the historic nucleus of uptown and a Park Ridge trademark, the Pickwick is the go-to place for a local, cheap movie fix. All movies before 5 p.m. cost $6 for admission, and all movies after 5 p.m. cost $8. Additionally, the surrounding restaurants and shops add to the Pickwick’s charm, creating the ideal environment for a night out in uptown.

Chicago Botanic Gardens For the nature-loving couples who yearn for liberation from a winter freeze, the Chicago Botanic Gardens’ greenhouses serve as a gateway to warmer climates through an array of tropical plants. On par with the Garfield Park Conservatory, the Botanic Gardens allows for romance to bloom among the colorful flora.

Sledding For those w h o c a n’t g e t enough of the February weather, sledding on local hills is a great way to spend time with your significant other while enjoying the crisp air.

Heart-Shaped Pizza Heart-shaped pizza is a Valentine’s Day staple and a tasty way to end a romantic night. Lou Malnati’s offers these 9 inch pizzas and makes them as thin crust or deep dish pizzas, and the toppings are customizable. Prices for each pizza vary based on toppings and whether it is deep dish or thin crust.

February 2, 2018 | ENTERTAINMENT

Everything's PEACHY

“Playing a boy isn’t that hard,” junior Haley Croke, who plays James Henry Trotter, said. “I played a boy in the musical last year. You just have to act a little more childish than usual.

The best part about playing James is growing closer to the cast members.

We have a lot of new cast members who haven’t been in shows before, and they’re all so talented.”

“It’s a very light-hearted, fun story,” Director Ms. Lauri McCleneghan said. “Everybody loves Roald Dahl.

Kids grew up reading all of those books and to come and see it in live action is delightful. The language is fun, and technically it’s a cool show.

When you have theatre for young

audiences there’s always a lot of cool tech because you have to have the magic of it.”

In order to bring this story to life, the crew faces the challenge of not only creating the iconic giant peach, but also showing its creation and growth onstage.

“The peach is going to be a double layer, revolving set,” Technical Director Mr. Patrick Sanchez said.

“It’s actually only a quarter of a peach, and when it revolves, we can see the inside. Upstage of the peach there will be a city cut out of New York with an opening in the middle so we can do shadow puppets behind it to show the peach growing from the tree.”

Having recently returned from bringing the fall play to Illinois High School Theatre Festival, the crew faces the additional pressure of having an extremely small window of time to get the show’s complex set completed.

“We have a week and a half to build this set, and it’s gonna get done because it has to,” senior construction crew head Eliot Bontumasi said. “It’ll be a challenge to do it, but no matter how ridiculous the time frame is, we do always seem to pull through.”

“James and the Giant Peach” also features original music co-composed by seniors JJ Butler and John Conradi that will be performed live by a tenpiece pit orchestra. “ The draf t ing pro cess was miraculous,” senior JJ Butler said. “I popped in one day to John’s small but mighty recording studio with a few good ideas, and five hours later every major section that had to be scored was in musical instrument digital interface files and ready to be turned into sheet music.”

The pit’s primary purpose in the show is to underscore the rhymes written by Roald Dahl and adapted for the play, but the composed music also includes themes, transition music, and an overture.

“James and the Giant Peach” will run Feb. 8, 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Watson Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased for $7 at the door.

Spielberg, having multiple projects on his plate does little to hamper his attention to detail. Indeed, “The Post” is a dense film that explores poignant themes, including the limits of freedom of speech and the role of women in an ever-evolving workforce.

“The Post” expresses its drama through an ensemble cast, spearheaded

by Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Post publisher Katharine Graham and Tom Hanks’ interpretation of senior editor Ben Bradlee.

Other major players include journalists and associates portrayed by the likes of Bob Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Matthew Rhys, and Bruce Greenwood, the latter of which plays a rather convincing Vietnamera Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

However, not all of the film’s performances captivate the audience; some of Streep’s dialogue, for example, came across as stale, wooden, and almost unsophisticated in tone. Her signature poise appeared dull at times, despite the plot’s heavy reliance on her character's development for drama and carrying the story forward.

Another performance worthy of criticism is Curzon Dobell’s faceless depiction of President Richard Nixon. Spielberg’s decision to only photograph Nixon from behind through the perspective of the Oval office’s windows feels distractingly unnatural, worsened by the poor synchronization between the actor’s mouth motions and the telephone recordings of Nixon’s actual voice.

Joining forces once again with long-

term collaborator Janusz Kamiński, Spielberg excels in creating a visual world that feels purely and wholly 1970s. Kamiński’s manipulation of muted gray, yellow, and green tones brings a signature ‘70s warmth that, while not innovative, is undoubtedly appropriate.

Another collaborator of note is the legendary composer John Williams (“Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), whose score delivers his typically powerful—if not, at this point, monotonous—musical backdrop.

“The Post,” while not completely shattering expectations, proves a commendable and worthy addition to Spielberg’s formidable filmography; it still works for the masses as a compelling political thriller.

Jenny Blasius

Entertainment Editor

very four years, Maine South works with District 64 to put on a children’s show for the winter play. This February, the Fine Arts Department will bring mystical tale of “James and the Giant Peach” to the stage.

The purpose of the collaboration is to tie in the third grade students’ learning and understanding of the book with the live production, sparking conversation on the differences between them. All of the third grade students in District 64 read the book in class and will come to Maine South for “Teach the Peach Day.” The day will include 25-minute workshops in art, music, broadcasting, and drama, as well as a showing of the play.

The play tells the story of James Henry Trotter, a young boy who is forced to live with his evil aunts after his parents are tragically killed by a rhinoceros.

His adventures begin when he accidentally drops some magic crystals by an old peach tree, causing a peach in the tree to grow to the size of a house. When the peach begins to roll away with James and his new oversized insect friends in it, he is sent off on an unexpected journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

PHOTO BY JEN BECK

E

PEACH PIT

The orchestra, conducted by senior JJ Butler, rehearses for the show.

It features a viola, piano, clarinet, bass clarinet, two flutes, two violins, and synthesizers.

Spielberg's "The Post" treads familiar ground, yet succeeds

Luke Bechtel

Entertainment Editor

S

teven Spielberg's latest film, “The Post,” is a tastefully-crafted, dramatized retelling of the Nixon-era scandal surrounding The Washington Post’s controversial publication of the then-classified Pentagon Papers.

Although the prospect of a 39th Spielberg film might incite worry in some, "The Post" proves that his creative visions, while not entirely innovative, haven't lost their impact.

Mirroring the simultaneous production of Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Jurassic Park,” “The Post” was produced alongside Spielberg’s upcoming fantasy film “Ready Player One.” However, evidently for

SouthwordS 11

SPORTS

| February 2, 2018

CSL Conference realignment not imminent Kevin McNulty

Sports Editor n article published in the Northbrook Star, a division of the Chicago Tribune, claiming the Central Suburban League would be realigning its divisions prior to the 2019-20 school year has turned out not to be true, according to Maine South Athletic Director, Andy Turner. The article suggested there would be a statistical decision made over the summer to create a “competitive balance” in the league, but Mr. Turner says that the plan was merely discussed.

“At this time, there has not been a formal decision made,” Mr. Turner said. “There are a lot of things that will need to take place before realigning.”

The CSL divisions had previously been strictly based on school enrollment, with the larger schools in the South and smaller schools in the North. However, after the departure of Waukegan High School from the conference in 2016, the athletic directors have noticed significant irregularity within the divisions, meaning a lot of blowouts in games and matches.

“Success among the different sports is something that needs to be taken into consideration,” Mr. Turner said.

The plan outlined in the article made alignment decisions based on success across all 20 sports the conference has to offer. If the plan is eventually put into place, Maine South would likely stay in the South division because of athletic success over the past two years.

As for the advancement of any realignment plan, the conference is in no hurry to change, and not everyone is in favor of statistics-based realignment.

“There was a straw poll taken among the 12 AD’s to see who would be in favor of the hypothetical plan," Mr. Turner said. "It passed only by a 7-5 margin.“ Realignment also sparks a debate over whether schools should be divided based on past athletic success, especially if one sport drives up success of an entire school. However, it is possible that the CSL would divide into an "A" and "B" division when a decision is made.

12 SouthwordS

PHOTO BY MICHAEL FRAZIER

A

GROUNDED

Senior Eugene Lee pins his Niles West opponent in a match on Jan. 6 at Maine South. Lee won the CSL individual wrestling title at 138 pounds on Jan. 20 at the Conference Championship.

Wrestling wins conference title Kevin Naughton

Sports Writer he varsity wrestling team is enjoying a run of hard-earned success. With a record of 19-2 and a CSL conference title under their belt, the boys are ready for Regionals.

After disappointment down state last year, Coach Kevin Hansen is looking forward to the upcoming regional tournament; he is excited to see what his wrestlers can do this year compared to last.

“Last year we were close: we lost to Evanston by 1, and we lost to New Trier by 6,” Coach Hansen said. “This year, however, we changed the culture in the room to overcome these near losses.”

The change in attitude is evident in the results this year, as the Hawks were able to overcome many of the struggles they encountered last year.

Of the two losses the Hawks took this season, St. Jacobs was one of them. With football season still in season at the time, many wrestlers were absent, so Coach Hansen knew that winning would be a challenge, but he also knew that it was not impossible. Unfortunately, the team came up just short to the Golden Eagles, losing by only a few points.

A year ago, Maine South Wrestling had three state qualifiers: junior Johnny Halverson, senior Eugene Lee, and Mike Milito ('17). Unfor-

T

tunately, none of them qualified as a place winner. This year, however, Coach Hansen believes that any one of his varsity wrestlers can place at state.

Not only has Coach Hansen set high standards, the wrestlers themselves have their minds set on where they want to be by the end of this season.

“The state finals is what I’m aiming for this year,” Halverson said.

Both Halverson and Lee acknowledge the difficulty of their goals, and both are determined to reach them.

“All along, my goal has been to be on the podium by placing in the top six at state,” Lee said.

Wrestling requires a lot of physical fitness, and although many people don’t think so, it also requires some serious mental fitness.

“The physical part is the easy part,” Coach Hansen said. “But being able to stay in a hard fought match for six minutes can be tough, and that’s where your mentality comes in.”

This season, the Hawks have tried to keep their mental fitness at the highest level in order to perform to a high caliber.

“We have to be able to keep our head in the game for the entire match, or things could go downhill quickly,” said junior Jimmy Bartell.

As a result of the efforts put forth on the mat, Coach Hansen is confident his wrestlers can build on their past accomplishments.

Three standouts this year include Lee, Bartell, and Halverson. Both Bartell and Halverson have only one loss on the year, and all three placed first at the Batavia Tournament.

Illness set the team back for a few weeks, but the team did not quit. As the season comes to an end, there are only a couple injured or ill wrestlers, with Regionals just around the corner.

The team is looking forward to the IHSA State series later this month, after beating New Trier, Glenbrook South, Glenbrook North, Niles North, and Evanston.

“The last few years, New Trier has gotten the better of us, so beating them was one of our priorities this year, and we were successful when the time came,” Hansen said.

At the CSL South Conference on Jan. 20, the team came in first place with two individual winners, Lee winning at 138 pounds and Halvorsen winning at 182 pounds.

The wrestling team will try to continue their season at Regionals on Feb. 4. Then they will have the opportunity to move on to IHSA Sectionals on Feb. 10 and State on Feb.16.

February 2, 2018 | SPORTS

Long practices help out boys' swimming team Tyler Houck Sports Writer

W

ith hard work and determination come great results. That has been the case for the boys’ swimming team this year. With a new coach at the helm for the boys this year, there is a much different mindset for each competition.

“As a group, we have been working hard and we can see it across the entire team and their scores,” said sophomore Alex Ostrowski.

The team has been thorough about expectations for each team member. They even frequently practice twice a day.

“It was hard at the start,” said Ostrowski. “It is tough waking up and to be motivated. Also, knowing you have another practice at the end of the day is something we all think about.”

The workouts often consist of lap swimming, a focus on individual strokes, and lifting as a team.

The boys often will be in the weight cages before school and then back in the pool again after their studies.

These workouts combined with the daily toll school has on a student can be grueling, but the swimmers are performing well in their balancing act.

On Jan. 5 in a dual meet with Niles West, junior Luke Wagner and freshman Brendan Forrest finished as the top two in their 200-yard freestyle event. Another strong performance by sophomore Daniel Young led him to a second place finish in the lengthy 500-yard freestyle event. Many of them base their success upon the new found sense of determination.

A head coaching change gave a boost to many boys this year. Multiple members of the team stated

PHOTO BY SOPHIE LAWRENCE

MAKE A SPLASH

Junior Luke Wagner dives into pool during a relay at the Jan. 19 meet against New Trier.

The team has three meets in February remaining prior to Sectionals on Feb. 17.

that they are motivated under Coach Christopher Deger and are willing to go the extra mile for their own improvement, for their teammates, and for their coach, who is putting his time in to improve each of them. “[Coach Deger] is way different in his approach on how we should be practicing," senior captain Everett Ebling said. "He believes that the more work, the better we will be. That’s why we practice so often. He really wants us to focus on the details.”

The team is willing to push through their fatigue and grind for a strong finish to the winter season.

With a chance to improve their individual and team

times in the upcoming meets against other schools like New Trier, the boys are dedicated to the team and putting in the maximum effort.

After a relay win for the team of Ostrowski, junior Josef Kubis, sophomore Logan Nielson, and Young in a meet against Niles West, this group is looking to improve on their 1:45.44 time in the pool. This proves that the underclassmen have emerged as new leaders on the team.

After all the hard work and practice the team feels a sense of pride.

"Really, it is all worth it in the end when we see our results,” Ostrowski said.

ourselves to the limit in order to achieve our goals,” junior Morgan Lasso said.

Many of the cheerleaders have been competing fter a third-place finish at the CSL Conference Competition, the cheerleading team's season together since elementary school, which is apparent came to an end with an eighth-place finish at at competitions. Talent is something that comes along with hours of practice and hard work.

Sectionals on Jan. 27.

The confidence of the team helps them perform "Sectionals was the highest we've scored all season, but there were five really good teams who and compete at their top level during tough competitions. That confidence got to go to State," senior captain “This year, and for is facilitated by each and every Maggie Pawlowski said.

In a team sport, especially years to come, we want member of the team.

“On our team, we are all cheerleading, teamwork is pretty outgoing so we bring a a major factor in how they to give Maine South lot of personality to the mat,” perform. Although they did not cheerleading a new Lasso said. move on to State, it was not due reputation."

The personality helps to a lack of team chemistry.

"After four years on the team, -Morgan Lasso ('19) the performances be more entertaining, which helps I could not ask for a better way to go out," Pawlowski said. "I'm so proud of my when it comes to pep rallies, assemblies, and competitions. teammates."

Their success this season could not be done Since the team had been practicing together since the summer, they built a strong foundation without the help of head coach Kelly Nessling.

Nessling has experience as a cheerleader herself, that they can continue to use in the future.

“We plan on working hard and pushing and attempts to communicate her expertise to the

girls. The team has always appreciated the help from their coach.

“Our coach puts in everything to this team," senior captain Catie Fabiano said. "She cares a lot for our team and will do anything to help us succeed.”

Having a supportive coach makes both competitions and practices easier. With support, the girls can feel less pressure and more confidence going into training and stressful situations.

Many times, people only view success as how much the team has won in recent years, but that doesn't always tell the full story. Teams grow so much in just a season, and people have to ignore the past and focus on where the team is heading.

With all the hard work put in this year, the girls had high hopes for the last month of the season.

Unfortunately, the team was not able to compete at the state competition, but that was not their only goal this season.

"We really want more people to see us for our talent,” Lasso said. "This year, and for years to come we want to give Maine South cheerleading a new name."

Cheerleading falls just short at Sectionals Elizabeth Ahne Sports Writer

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SPORTS

| February 2, 2018

Girls’ gymnastics builds on the past Maura O’Driscoll

Sports Writer urrently in the final leg of their season, girls gymnastics is taking what they learned from past competitions, and putting it to work.

At their conference meet on Jan. 27, the team placed third overall behind New Trier and Glenbrook South. Together, they hope to build off that as the season continues.

On an individual level, the girls’ last year had tremendous success at State. Junior Caleigh Pistorius, along with teammates, junior Cristina DeFilippis, sophomore Collette Roth, and senior Jessie Saul qualified. The team has been working hard to repeat at State again this year.

The girls practice every day with cardio, strength conditioning, stretching and practicing their events.

“Every girl on the team is really in their best shape right now, so we really motivate each other to be the best each of us can be,” Pistorius explained.

This year, they have shifted their focus from individual-based training to team based training. Their goal for this season is to qualify for State as a team.

“We would be the first team in Maine South history to qualify as a team, and it has been something we have been shooting for since last year,” DeFilippis explained.

“Each girl is doing all she can to bring her routine to be the best it possibly can be so the team can go to state together,” Pistorius said.

The team takes time at each practice to go over past score sheets and fix anything that needs to be fixed. They have been working to improve on all four events since the beginning of the season by focusing on the feedback they received through score sheets. The team’s mindset is on improvement this year and focusing on what is to come.

“It is incredible how much every girl on the team has improved from last year,” DeFilippis said. “Even though we lost some very talented seniors last year, we came back really strong this year and have the capability to do really great this season, and I am just really excited to see how this year turns out.”

Teams need to connect and get along with each other in order to be successful. The team does a lot of team bonding including sleepovers, pasta parties and gift exchanges.

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14 SouthwordS

School board disbands boys’ gymnastics Kevin McNulty Sports Editor

PHOTO BY JUSTYNA LEPA

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UPSIDE DOWN

Junior Caleigh Pistorius competes on the uneven bars in a meet against New Trier on Jan. 18. Pistorius tied for first on beam at State last year.

“Team bonding is so much fun this year,” Pistorius said. “Our team has never been closer. We always hang out outside of practice and everyone is like a sister to each other. I have never been on such an amazing team before.”

Part of doing well at meets is providing support to teammates. The team has been able to excel because of how close they are.

“My favorite thing about Maine South girls’ gymnastics is definitely the team itself,” senior Natalie Triffo said.

“Our team is super close and we all really are there to support and push each other, which is part of the reason why I think we are such a strong team this year,” DeFilippis said.

Gymnastics is a stressful sport with rigorous training, which can intimidate freshmen. It can be overwhelming, nerve-racking, and scary, but not for Susie Currey.

“I am just lucky to have so many

girls to look up to,” Currey said.

A significant part of the sport is getting to know other teams’ athletes and having healthy competition with them.

Many girls train outside of school, so they know girls from many other schools and all enjoy getting to compete against them.

“I will miss the opportunity to compete at the high school level with my teammates,” said Triffo, who has been on the team for four years. “I love the program because I know gymnasts and coaches from other schools and I will miss seeing them and competitions. Maine South gymnastics is an outlet for me, and I will miss the adventures I had with my amazing team.”

The team is prepared for Regionals and beyond, and they can’t wait to showcase all of their routines.

“I’m really excited to see what every girl will bring to the table in those big meets,” Pistorius said.

ast week, the decision was made to disband the boys’ gymnastics program at Maine South. Citing a lack of participation in the program, the school board decided the program did not meet requirements set for Maine South sports.

Coach Bryan Pracko and the team saw the change coming, despite a successful season last year.

“I feel very bad for the boys from last year’s team because we had an up and coming team of all freshmen, who could have developed into a very competitive team in two or three years,” Coach Pracko said. “However, the district school board decided last summer that since we are not able to field a team of at least ten gymnasts, they would cut the program.”

In 2017, the team consisted of just four boys, and the district determined those numbers couldn’t justify the cost of the program.

The participation issues stemmed from the decision to disband the coop team of Maine East, Maine West, and Maine South a few years ago.

This forced the team to travel at their own expense to Maine East for practices and home meets because Maine South no longer had the equipment to support them.

Maine South gymnasts believe a combined team would be worth the trouble, if it preserved the viability of the program.

“I think instead of suspension, we should’ve continued to do gymnastics at Maine East,” sophomore gymnast Adrian Mustafa said. “The equipment was all at Maine East, and the school should have paid for the bus over there.”

The gymnasts and Coach Pracko firmly assert that suspension of the sport at Maine South does not mean the end of their work in the sport.

“I won’t compete elsewhere because I wanted to represent Maine South,” sophomore Brandon Mei said.

“I don’t want to be with gymnasts outside of our school.”

Coach Pracko will continue to advocate for Boys’ Gymnastics at Maine South and coach at Sokol USA Gymnastics in Chicago.

What does it take to be on the Southwords staff ?

T

he back page of this newspaper is the application for the 20182019 Southwords staff. Please look below for a job description for each position on staff.

The Southwords staff consists of editors-in-chief, news editors, features editors, entertainment editors, commentary editors, sports editors, production editors, graphic designers, artists and photographers, as well as several staff writers and freelance writers for each section.

It is necessary for editors to have strong proofreading skills and be able to work with students collaboratively.

Editors must always be approachable and never condescending. Editors should be familiar with Adobe products. As part of the Southwords editorial board, editors will come to a consensus on a topic in one well-written opinion piece that represents the newspaper’s view as a whole. Editors must be enrolled in Newspaper Practicum for the entire year, because this is where the paper is created.

All positions require enthusiasm and consistent contributions; students applying must be willing to spend time and put forth a great deal of effort on their work. Also, staff must also be able to work in a timely manner, as meeting deadlines is vital to being on a newspaper staff.

For more information on any staff position, feel free to e-mail an editor-in-chief or the faculty adviser, Mr. Stathakis.

Editor-in-chief Editor-in-chief is a position only open to returning editors. The editor-in-chief ultimately guides the vision of the entire paper and must be familiar with the editing process, as well as Adobe products, such as InDesign and Photoshop.

This position is also responsible for writing “Property of the Editors,” a column in Commentary section.

The editor-in-chief is also responsible for the cover page, so he/she must have knowledge of what will be published in the other sections of the paper.

The editor-in-chief must be in attendance at all extra paste-up

hours and offer assistance in any different topics. The Entertainment way possible. staff also creates or assembles any games featured in the newspaper.

News T h e N e w s s e c t i o n c o v e r s Commentary developing stories about timely The Commentary section is the issues that directly affect students, voice of the students at Maine both inside and outside the school. South.

News writers need to be informed Commentary writers need to about school and national issues and be creative and opinionated. They must be comfortable interviewing must be able to present an issue people. Staff and freelance writers about which they are passionate, alike must be able to write objectively avoiding ranting and remaining and with finesse. professional.

News editors must be up-to-date Commentary editors must be on news inside and outside of school. extremely careful, because editing Editors must also be ready to fact- opinions can be problematic. Editors check articles. must also be open-minded, because a wide variety of opinions will always Features exist in their section.

The Features section contains the widest variety of articles. Features Sports focuses on issues that directly affect The Sports section covers all students, both in and out of school. sports at Maine South.

Features articles are usually longer Sports writers need to be up-toin nature, and delve more deeply date on all sports at Maine South. into topics than news articles would. Sports writers should be creative in Also, these articles are less reliant their reporting on events. Accurate on timeliness and instead focus on reporting is crucial. relevance and interest.

Sports editors are responsible F e a t u r e s w r i t e r s m u s t b e for making sure that each Maine inventive; finding an interesting topic South sport is covered during a given to report about can sometimes be season. challenging, as the most interesting Sports editors must be aware of topics are often ones that have not varsity sports happenings, as well as been previously written about. other sports included at school. A Features editors must be well- deep knowledge of sports—within the rounded and ready to condense and school and outside of the school—is edit articles fairly. Fact-checking is a necessary component of being an necessary, but the most emphasis is editor for the Sports section. placed on relevance.

Production Entertainment To help with the technical aspects The Entertainment section of putting together a newspaper, contains reviews and articles a production editor must be related to art, music, video games, knowledgeable in the operation of literature, restaurants, and anything PC computers, a Windows operating else that might be considered system, as well as have skill in entertainment.

InDesign and Photoshop. Most Entertainment writers must be importantly, the production editor well-informed of the school’s fine art must be willing to learn to use these events. Unique to the entertainment programs more proficiently and offer section, writers specializing in a help whenever necessary. specific genre (music, TV, etc.) are The production editor should welcome. attend every meeting and pasteEntertainment editors need to up—when the final components of be knowledgeable about popular the paper are added together—to events and recreational activities and provide the editors with technical open to writing and reading about assistance.

Graphic Designers Graphic designers are responsible for improving the layout of the paper and assisting the editors-in-chief and section editors with the aesthetics of the paper. They should be familiar with Photoshop and/or InDesign software.

Artists/Cartoonists Artists and cartoonists should be able to produce realistic and creative illustrations to accompany articles on a variety of topics. It is helpful for an artist to be familiar with Photoshop software, scanner software, and InDesign (or be willing to learn the software and hardware). Often, illustrations must be produced quickly and on demand.

Photographers Photographers should be comfortable with taking photos and skilled in doing so. Photographers must be ready to take pictures at any time and to take specific pictures by a set deadline.

Photographers must also have flexible schedules, since they may have to attend away-from-school events. Owning a digital camera is preferred but not required.

Staff Writers All writers must have a good grasp of grammar and be able to write concisely. Because writers aren’t in the Newspaper Practicum class, it is important that writers communicate frequently with editors. Staff writers should have the time necessary to complete their articles; they need to be consistent and dedicated to their work.

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining Southwords, visit http://apply.southwords.org, and sign up for an interview outside of C130 (the English workroom) by Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Interviews begin Thursday, Feb. 8.

Due Wednesday, February 7

ALL STAFF MUST SUBMIT AN APPLICATION Staff

Application

There are two ways to apply for the 2018-2019 Southwords staff. PLEASE NOTE: online application is preferred, so please use the paper application below only as a worksheet to prepare for the online application. See the reverse side of this sheet for job descriptions, and feel free to contact Mr. Stathakis with any questions.

ONLINE: APPLICATION PAPER:

WORKSHEET

The easiest way to apply is to visit http://apply.southwords.org or to scan the QR code to the right. Your application will not be processed until you have also signed up for an interview outside the English office, C130. Current staff members do not need to sign up for an interview unless applying to move up to an editorial position.

Use the form below as a worksheet to prepare for the online application.

Name:___________________________________________________________ Class of 20______ E-mail address:____________________________________________________________________ Freshman year English teacher:

My cumulative GPA is _______. My most recent semester GPA is_______. Sophomore year English teacher: Extracurricular activities I will be involved with next year:

Junior year English teacher: Art/Computer design teacher (if applicable):

Staff application:

Open to current and prospective staff members

Returning staff members must complete this form.

Please indicate your order of preference by numbering your choices (1st & 2nd). Select no more than two, but you may select only one if that’s your only section of interest.

Editor application:

Open to current and prospective staff members

ALL editors must take Newspaper Practicum (likely 7th period next year), which will earn you an elective English credit.

Please indicate your order of preference by numbering your choices (1st & 2nd). Select no more than two, but you may select only one if that’s your only section of interest.

­­_____News writer ­­_____Features writer _____Entertainment writer _____Commentary writer ­­_____Sports writer ­­_____Photographer* ­­_____Artist/Cartoonist* _____Graphic Design team*

*Please bring portfolio/samples to interview, if possible.

­­_____News editor ­­_____Features editor _____Entertainment editor ­­_____Commentary editor _____Sports editor ­­_____Production/Design editor _____Editor-in-Chief

(For returning staff members only. All Editor-in-Chief candidates must contact Mr. Stathakis.)

If you have any questions, please see Mr. Stathakis in C130 (the English Workroom).

TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION, YOU MUST SIGN UP FOR AN INTERVIEW ON THE SCHEDULE OUTSIDE C130 by WED., FEB 7