Vol 58, Issue 4 Southwords

! e ds ag or ack p hw —­ b u t a tio n Soplic in ff Ap Joe Sta

Se

January 28, 2022

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

Vol. 56, No. 4

PHOTO BY EDEN WENING

T U O K KNOC

Sophomore Talia Halvorsen wins USA Boxing’s Youth Women’s Championship.

See page 14.

14.

Hawk Hustle

Updates to the tardy policy sweep the halls.

Page 2

Snow Way!

E-learning on emergency days calls for less school.

Page 6

We Are Family Students reflect on their big families.

Page 8

Spin to Win

Hawkettes place first at Conference.

Page 13

NEWS

| January 28, 2022

Ms. Coia to become a new associate principal News Editor

B

eginning July 1, Ms. Kyleen Coia will be switching positions from the Assistant Principal of Student Supports to the Associate Principal of Student and Family Services.

Ms. Coia replaces Dr. Melissa Pikul, who will become the principal of Maine East High School.

“This position oversees the entire student services department including counselors, social workers, psychologists, integrated career services, and the health office,” Ms. Coia said.

Her current role as Assistant Principal of Student Supports is focused around designing support for students.

“In this role we navigate student discipline, as well as integrating support into our work, restorative practices, and working with each of the teams to help discuss students who may be having struggles and ways in which we can design supports for them,” Ms. Coia said.

This year’s changes, including advisory, integrated career services, and social-emotional support

groups, are effects of the Student and Family Services role currently held

by Dr. Pikul.

“Changes in advisory is one of the ways that we are making sure students feel like we are supporting them and their post-secondary career,” Ms. Coia said. “We work with the career and college specialist and counselors so I think that students will see the direct impact in the building.”

This new program is designed to improve outreach to parents, the community, and students in the community.

“The transition will have a more global impact in the building, with the goal of making students feel supported,” Ms. Coia said.

Ms. Coia also looks forward to being able to work with the same team of people in her new position, including the student services department, in her new role.

“I feel really lucky because I have really good relationships with our student services department as well as individual students,” Ms. Coia said.

In this new role, Ms. Coia will

continue to build and develop relationships with students.

“My current position is unique in that we work closely with staff and students,” Ms. Coia said. “I think sometimes when you shift up the administrative ladder, there can be a disconnect with direct contact with students which drives me. I know that I have to intentionally make

efforts to continue my student contact.”

Because of Ms. Coia’s previous role, she looks forward to being able to continue developing relationships with students.

“I feel privileged to have been in this position first and to be able to transition into the new role,” Ms. Coia said.

“Most of the school is doing a great job with being on time, but we have a small group of students that this will affect more than others,” Dr. Collins said.

Additionally, informing students of these changes was an important part of carrying out the new plan.

“Making the system clear and explaining the policy will ensure that any punishment for being tardy is fair,” Dr. Collins said. “It’s not fair when you have to navigate the rules that are being made up in front of you.”

Along with students, teachers also have to adjust to the new tardy policy.

“The new system helps outline the role teachers play in tardies and what they are required to do when someone is late,” Dr. Collins said.

Some of the biggest changes come in the form of handling students late to first period.

“In the morning, teachers shut their doors when the bell rings and all the students will then have to go to one of the security guards or other staff members that will then scan them into school,” Dr. Collins said.

“This will probably only occur once or twice a week in the future, but for the first week of tardies, it occurred every day.”

Some students view the new tardy policy as an annoyance, especially students who are not chronically late.

“Last week, parking lot congestion caused me to walk in at 8:31,” senior Allie Zimmerman said. “I then had to wait in a line to get my ID scanned and didn’t end up getting to class until 8:40.”

Those who are late will need to scan into the building before heading to class.

“There are four locations for scanning in, but a fifth one was added to accommodate the large number of students,” Dr. Collins said. “We had one on the first floor of the A-wing and one on the second floor as well due to the huge group of kids coming in. There was one at door 63 and door 53, but there will also be one at door 3 in the circle drive.”

When students are more than ten minutes late, they will have to do more than scan in at an entrance.

“After 8:40, students have to go to

their SST office to get a pass before coming to class,” Dr. Collins said.

“This policy only applies to the first period of the day, so you don’t need to go to your SST if you’re late to your fifth period class.”

With scanning becoming more prevalent in our school, there have been discussions about the future of scanning into the building.

“Eventually, I’m hoping that students will just scan into the building itself if they are late or leaving school early to increase safety,” Dr. Collins said. “This practice is already in place at Glenbrook South and it just makes the school safer.”

Even with the large number of tardies distributed, the state of the school as a whole is still better off than it was two years ago.

“As bad as it was, two years ago before COVID, the situation was worse,” Dr. Collins said.

To avoid being late, one of the easiest changes to make is leaving a few minutes earlier than normal.

“If everybody left five minutes earlier, there would be fewer students being tardy,” Dr. Collins said.

PHOTO BY NATALIA KOWALEWSKA

Beth Kosiorek

MOVING ON UP

Ms. Coia will now be overseeing the entire student services department. This new role will allow her to impact even more students than before.

Two feet in the door, tardy policy finds its footing

Jake Snyder

News Editor econd semester of the 2021-2022 school year has brought clarity and consequences to the school’s tardy policies. One to two tardies results in a discussion with a teacher, while three to four tardies will result in an email or call home. After that, after school detention will be given to students with five or more tardies.

This is not the first time that Maine South has used a formal tardy policy.

“We used to have a consistent tardy policy that was relaxed with policy changes and the COVID-19 pandemic,” principal Dr. Ben Collins said. “We are trying to create a new policy that will hold people accountable for showing up to class.”

On the first day of the new policies, a large number of students were tardy to class.

“About 194 students did not show up to class on time for the first period on Jan. 10, and that was only students who were a part of the sweep from 8:30 to 8:40,” Dr. Collins said.

However, the tardy policy does not impact most students.

S

2 SouthwordS

January 28, 2022

| NEWS

In case of an emergency, school is virtual

Jake Snyder

News Editor ue to the accessibility of virtual learning, the future of emergency days has been altered to keep up with the increased opportunity to learn in a remote setting.

O r i g i n a l ly st ar t i ng w it h a small group of schools before the COVID-19 outbreak, many are now turning towards virtual learning as a way to avoid missing classes due to emergencies.

“Before COVID, a few school districts did this revolutionary thing where they announced that if there was ever a snow day that they would go online,” principal Dr. Ben Collins said.

District 207 is now one of the many to shift to this new system, despite our district already having built in snow days.

“For the state of Illinois, you have to have 176 days of attendance, but District 207 builds in 181 days,

D

so our school years are longer than required,” Assistant Superintendant of Curriculum and Innovation Dr. Shawn Messmer said.

However, there are no plans to remove these days from the calendar.

“We’ve never had a conversation about removing those five days from the school year,” Dr. Messmer said.

“The reason for this is that teachers already work those days into their plans for the year and wouldn’t be able to accommodate losing those days.”

Emergency days consist of more than just snow days. Any instance that disrupts in-person learning is covered by this new policy.

“Recently, there was a situation in Evanston where they had guns in the building, and they had two days of virtual learning so that the school could be checked,” Dr. Collins said.

“At my last school, there was a major gas leak and we had to evacuate immediately. Nobody was allowed back in the school for 48 hours as they

make it difficult for students to participate in a virtual day,” Dr. Messmer said. “We aren’t requiring students to be online all day like last year.”

Additionally, some students may avoid attending these days because they are being held in a virtual environment.

“Nobody wants to go online,” Dr.

Collins said. “This is for situations where we have to be in school and have no other way to meet.”

Instead, the new emergency plan will only require some class time on zoom.

“Teachers will have to check in with students during the first block period,” Dr. Messmer said. “After that check-in, teachers are allowed to choose whether or not they want to have class synchronously for the day.”

One of the major benefits of this was being able to keep up with our block day schedule.

“We won’t have to change an even day to an odd day to make up for missing a full day of school,” Dr. Messmer said.

Even though the plan implemented for emergency days makes snow days seem unlikely, there is still a possibility for a traditional snow day.

“There is always a chance that we would still take a day off in the event of a snow day,” Dr. Messmer said.

outside of class, while the meetings are like check-in mock hearings where they’re demonstrating that they’ve done the work we’ve asked them to do,” Mr. Trenkle said.

Each student researched two specific questions in preparation for State, ready to answer either one when it was asked. Since only one is actually asked, students have to learn not only to plan, but to adapt.

“It’s pretty hard to do completely off the cuff, so we encourage them to plan out what they’re going to say to the most likely questions,” Mr. Trenkle said. “That’s what our meetings are like; we try to challenge them and make things kind of hard so that they’re ready for the real deal.”

While the work may be difficult, Maheras speaks very positively of his experiences and time on the team.

“There is something to be said for surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who are constantly bettering you,” Maheras said.“I can’t place enough of an emphasis on how the ambition and work ethic of my peers motivate me to be the best I can be.”

Each of these dedicated students are chosen through a rigorous application process, with up to 30 members selected each year. The

selection process has several, often difficult, components.

“Broadly speaking, it’s based on their grades and the previous classes they’ve taken, but also we do an interview and an essay,” said Mr. Trenkle.

However, things were a little different this year, as the State competition was held virtually at the last minute when the Kent law school campus shut down due to the recent surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. “ We d i d n’t w a nt t o w e a r masks because it’s so important to communicate, and we didn’t have a location here at school where we could have our masks off, so we had to do it from home,” Mr. Trenkle said.

Luckily, the class has been left relatively unscathed by the pandemic, but the effect on competitions is a disappointing one.

“Outside of school, COVID hasn’t affected our unit collaboration at all, but with Nationals also being online for the foreseeable future, broaching the issues that come with an online competition is inevitable,” Maheras said.

After their success at State, the team will be moving on to Nationals, which is held in April.

had to make sure all the gas was out. If something of the sort takes place here, we would have something in place so that we still had school.”

One concern with these changes is the difference in attendance numbers between in-person and virtual classes.

“We know that there are some realities that students face that could  SNOW DAY COMMENTARY The Southwords editorial board weighs in on the new emergency day policy.

See page 6

Constitution team wins State virtually

VIRTUAL VICTORY

C-team members Elizabeth Ryser, Madeleine Riggs, Noah Ryken, Christo Maheras, and Claire Shaffer compete at state. Coach Trenkle observed as the team presented their arguments.

Olivia Das Gupta

News Writer aine South’s Constitution Team attended the Illinois State Championship on Jan. 6, which has earned them a spot for the upcoming Nationals this April. Constitution Team, colloquially known as C-Team, is a history class available to juniors and seniors at Maine South.

“It’s a class and an extracurricular,” Mr. Andrew Trenkle, C-Team coach and U.S. history teacher, said. “The students in class study a curriculum from the Center for Civic Education, called the ‘We The People’ curriculum.

It’s basically like AP Government, except there’s also a performance aspect to it.”

M

In preparation for debates and competitions, students are assigned topics relating to historical events, current events, and legal matters.

“Each unit spent close to four months preparing speeches and practicing free-response questions to the point that a Constitutional citation or a court case was as easy to integrate into a conversation as the word ‘and’,” C-Team member Christo Maheras said.

With studying being done outside the classroom, the bulk of practicing is done in class with the aid of guest judges and experienced teachers.

“The expectation is that they’re practicing and doing research

SouthwordS 3

NEWS

| January 28, 2022

Illinois government implements mental health days for students Cece Tecu News Writer

T

he start of 2022 has brought a new privilege for students in Illinois.

Governor J.B. Pritzker approved a new law stating that students are allowed five mental health days per school year.

These mental health days will be excused absences, and a doctor’s note is not deemed necessary. Work can be made up, and teachers must allow their students to do so.

“It relieves stress for students,” senior Emily Voyls said. “It doesn’t force the students to go to school every day, and doesn’t push the expectation that you need to be prepared for everything all the time when you are struggling.”

There is some concern that missing school will lead to more stress due to missing assignments, lectures, and tests.

“I think that now, especially in this day and age, that it [mental health days] is a really important thing,” senior Sam Hecker said. “Teachers need to be able to understand what is happening and not pile on the work of the student missing and make it worse.”

The new law has also come with some work for school administrators.

A presentation was given by principal Dr. Ben Collins during the Second Cup of Coffee meeting on Jan. 11. This time was used to set the ground rules and address the new law as it relates to Maine South.

“In the law, it says you get three [mental health] days, and then taking a fourth day off will trigger the school getting a psychologist involved,” Dr. Collins said.

School administrators and staff have been working to provide a safe environment for students and to improve the general mental health of those who are in our community.

“The implementation of mental health days greatly helps in reducing the stigma against mental illness,” school psychologist Ms. Jennifer Weber said. “We all need to take care of our mental health in the same way as our physical health. This new legislation reminds students, families, and school staff of the importance of that.”

4 SouthwordS

Roma brought joy and energy to the field Beth Kosiorek News Editor

O

n Jan. 16, Maine South lost a devoted softball coach, Ms. Cheryl Roma. As a former Hawk, Coach Roma was a dedicated member of the community.

“She was a fierce competitor with a heart of gold,” softball coach Ms. Emilia Pasier said.

Coach Roma’s commitment to softball was something that will be missed.

“I was fortunate enough to watch her, learn from her, and then play with her,” Coach Pasier said. “I was beyond lucky when she agreed to come on staff and continue to mentor a new generation of Hawk softball players.”

Her energetic and lively personality is something that will always be remembered by her athletes.

“She has been such an asset to

anyone and everyone that she had contact with,” Coach Pasier said. “Her lessons on and off the field will live on with her athletes and fellow workers as well as opponents.”

Coach Roma will be missed by the

entire softball program.

“Coach Roma was very impactful on my softball experience,” junior Libby Stewart said. “She taught us to take pride within ourselves on and off the field, demonstrate leadership, and of course have fun while doing it.”

She also went above and beyond for the softball team.

“One of my favorite memories of Coach Roma is that every year on Easter she would go early on a Saturday and hide dozens of Easter eggs all around the softball field for all of the girls to find,” senior Pasier Lohens said.

The softball program plans to celebrate Coach Roma during the season.

“Later in the Spring we will have a celebration on our field to honor Coach Roma,” Coach Pasier said.

“Coach Roma will forever hold a very special place in our hearts,” Stewart said.

Human Performance Lab opens for students Elizabeth Handley News Editor

W

hile there is still ongoing construction, one of the newly finished areas for students to utilize is the Human Performance Lab (HPL), commonly known as the fitness center.

One of the many things that helped improve the HPL is the equipment.

“It’s all brand new,” Coach David Inserra said. “We didn’t bring anything from the other weight cage in here. The equipment itself is phenomenal, especially the racks and the bridge that allows for crossfit training. Everything is up to date, and it’s going to challenge a lot of colleges in both the looks and how it’s going to be used.”

Student athletes have also found the new HPL equipment to be superior.

“I love it—it’s way better,” sophomore Teddy Flores said. “The new pulldown and fly machines are really effective. It’s a lot nicer to know how much you’re actually lifting, especially with the resistance that comes with the newer machinery, because the old weights were off.”

Junior Bennett Smith appreciates t he i mprove me nt of t he ne w equipment.

“My favorite equipment is the new racks,” Smith said. “All the new

PHOTO BY EDEN WENING

THE WEIGHT IS OVER Construction on the new Human Performance Lab is finally finished. Much of the new equipment is branded with Hawk logos.

weights have been helpful for our training and are higher grade than the old ones.”

Additionally, the new location proves to be a more effective place to train.

“The new location is much better,” Smith said. “It’s separated from the other sports now, so there’s no fieldhouse or other athletes training for sports. It has made practices better as we have our own water fountain, which is easier to access.”

Where the HPL now stands in the building is more conveniently located and brings together elements of the weight cage and the old Fitness Center that were previously separated.

“It’s better that it is closer to everything in the middle of the school, for P.E. purposes,” Coach Inserra said. “It’s changed preseason and practices because it gives us more

space. With more racks, more people can fit in it. And it doesn’t interfere with the Fieldhouse when both track teams start to practice, so we won’t be trying to work around them and they won’t have to work around us.”

While the HPL is already in use, there are still some final projects to be completed.

“Some future plans for the new Human Performance Lab include a couple more machines coming in,” Coach Inserra said. “New leg machines, finalizing the bridge with our Hawk logo, putting the Hawk logo on all the benches, and some finishing touches.”

However, the HPL is already benefiting the student body.

“It’s nice to have new equipment and I think it will improve the Maine South athletics program as a whole,” Flores said.

January 28, 2022

| COMMENTARY

PHOTO BY NATALIE COLLETTI

Expanding cheerleading to other sports Sophia Pop

Commentary Writer

S

ideline cheerleading has been around for decades and is integral to the typical high school sports game experience. Cheerleaders simultaneously enthuse the crowd and inspire the team to victory. They are responsible for motivating the spectators, who in turn encourage the athletes and drive them to greater heights and victories.

Their contribution to a dynamic atmosphere enhances everyone’s enjoyment of a sports game. Our cheerleaders perform at every football and boys’ basketball game; however, they are not present at any of the girls’ games or other boys’ events.

It is understandable that the cheerleaders are busy. Not only must they cheer at sporting events, but they also have a rigorous training schedule for competitions.

The cheerleaders practice everyday after school until 5:30 or 6:30 p.m. and compete one to two times per week. On top of this, they will typically cheer at one of the boys’ basketball games each week.

But even with a schedule as strenu- sible to require cheerleaders to attend ous as theirs, varsity cheerleader every sporting event, since the events Micah Shannon would like to expand could coincide. Plus, the cheerleading her audience. team may not be able to balance their “Having the opportunity to cheer competition schedule if they go to at other sporting events, including every game. girls’ basketball, would be a fun exA more realistic solution could perience for us as well as the players,” include splitting the team up to attend twice as many events. In this case, they Shannon said.

Through advisory circle groups would be able to cheer for more teams and school-improvement surveys, and cover events that may take place Maine South is striving to better at the same time.

Alternatively, the cheerleaders represent the entire student body.

Furthermore, Hawk P.R.I.D.E. posters could create a schedule in which they are on display in nearly every class- designate their time to cheer for a room as a omnipresent reminder of different sports team each week. This would allow the our school’s core team to stick values. together, while Expanding “It is unfair and nonalso ensuring the reach of reflective of the P.R.I.D.E. every team gets cheerleaders to underrepresentframework that cheerleaders some support throughout the ed sports would only go to select boys’ year. further project The events the Hawk mesgames.” the cheerleaders sage of inclusivity. attend could be It is unfair and non-reflective promoted by the school and increase of the P.R.I.D.E framework that the fan turnout.

Cheerleaders are undoubtedly imcheerleaders only go to select boys’ games. Sports teams that do not pactful. Not only are they incredibly have cheerleader support may feel motivating, but they also entertain underappreciated, as they have fewer the crowd when the athletes are not fans in attendance at their games and actively playing, and keep the fans’ are not being treated equally to some spirits up throughout the sporting events. boys’ sports.

However, it is seemingly imposFar more people attend the boys’

games compared to the girls’ games.

One could argue that this disparity is caused by the lack of extra entertainment at the girls’ games. The cheerleaders are able to entertain the crowds and make the games interesting and exciting for everyone.

Senior Emily Pape, captain of the girls’ basketball team, would appreciate the presence of the cheerleaders.

“I think cheerleaders would benefit us because they would energy to the whole atmosphere of the gym,” Pape said. “It would also a variety of people to come and watch us as well.”

As a school that prides itself on inclusivity, Maine South should make a difference in the athletics department.

The problem of specific boys’ sports being more popular and receiving more praise compared to those of girls and other teams, goes far beyond just this school.

Male athletes and sporting events are always more favored than female athletic events. For ages now, women in sports have been fighting for equality and justice. Maine South needs to change for the better, and support boys and girls sports equally.

From announcements to pamphlets in the bathrooms, P.R.I.D.E is everywhere. Giving cheerleaders the opportunity to support more sports could be another important step in the direction of inclusivity for our Hawk community.

SouthwordS 5

COMMENTARY

| January 28, 2022 ILLUSTRATION BY NATALIA KOWALEWSKA

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

Scan this QR code to e-mail Southwords

PIC

Caption.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Remote-learning snow days call for a shorter school year

W

hether it be sleeping with their pajamas on inside out and backwards or sticking a spoon under their pillow, students will take absurd measures to pursue one thing: a snow day.

Having a day to cozy up by the fire or build snowmen without the lingering worry of schoolwork always comes as a pleasant surprise to students.

However, we may no longer be gifted with these “free” days after a large snowfall. District 207 administration is implementing a new remote learning guidance for emergency days which was sent to staff in an email.

The capabilities of modern technology allow students to tune into their teachers’ lessons remotely with ease, adding versatility to learning options. Now, despite the fact that the magical gift of a snow day is something no student (or teacher) wants to give up, the benefits of going virtual on an emergency day are worth exploring.

There is good motivation as to why the school would hold emergency days remotely, and the student body should recognize this. However, administration should eliminate the five built in emergency days that add now-unnecessary length to the school year.

By implementing the virtual

6 SouthwordS

learning days, students would inevitably be attending more school days than they actually need to.

The state requires 176 school days for students. As a buffer for unavoidable snow days or other emergencies, District 207 schedules 181 days per school year.

Because e-learning days would fulfill the required number of school days, administration should carefully rethink the current schedule.

Since students would be e-learning on emergency days, the five additional days in our schedule are unnecessary and should be eliminated.

The removal of these school days could actually be beneficial to the school, as it would limit the use of costly resources including paper, electricity, cleaning, and food service.

Once the calendar is addressed, it is crucial that remote learning procedures create the most effective school day.

Synchronous learning should not be required for the full duration of each class period, but students should have to check in with their teachers on a brief video call. This would ensure access to adult support if a student faces any issues throughout the day.

It is unreasonable, though, to expect full attendance to these check-ins. On emergency days, many students have family duties such as caring for younger siblings, shoveling

snow, and maintaining the house.

Flexibility within the virtual learning plan is essential to accommodate for these unique circumstances.

It is in the best interests of the students to hold most of the class asynchronously, as this would allow students to fulfill their household responsibilities.

Since lesson plans tend to be less intense and student engagement would decrease online, some argue that it is not worthwhile to conduct e-learning on emergency days.

However, considering the current five-day block schedule, missing even one day of school can create an obstacle for teachers to keep pace with rigorous AP-level coursework.

Furthermore, missing one day of class would skew the even/odd block rotation for the remainder of the week.

By implementing virtual learning on emergency non-attendance days when possible, these inconveniences could be limited.

To best support the needs of students, administration should carefully structure e-learning days.

In response to the additional class time brought on by e-learning, the school calendar should be adjusted appropriately at the end of the year.

While students may be deprived of the chance to play in the snow, at the very least, their plans to play in the sand can be augmented.

S outhw ord s i s a stu 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 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

John Biagi Lillian Niziolek Elizabeth Ryser

News Editors Elizabeth Handley Beth Kosiorek Jake Snyder Commentary Editors Darin Cheng Jacob Mascort Andjela Trkulja Features Editors

Finley Roland Lilien Schirazi Molly Shanahan

Entertainment Editors Julia Gryczko Jenna Marchuk Andrea Smith Sports Editors Madison Basquin Hayden Bower Matthew Moskal Production Editors Natalia Kowalewska Eden Wening Adviser

Mr. Stathakis

January 28, 2022

| COMMENTARY

Overcoming the pressure to persevere John Biagi Editor-In-Chief ongratulations! You’ve made it seven pages into this issue of Southwords. Are you feeling unproductive, overwhelmed by the black and white text, or maybe distracted by other thoughts? If so, I encourage you to delicately place this publication down and go for a walk.

I’ve realized that boundaries—any limits you set for yourself—provide structure for a productive working environment.

Many boundaries I have built focus on my academic and study habits. However, deciding not to go out with friends or waiting to answer

C

a text are other boundaries I stick to when I’m overwhelmed with other obligations.

Academia rewards perseverance and grit yet doesn’t recognize the setting of boundaries as a comparably impressive skill. Students are often expected to stay up late into the night hours to prepare for exams or finish assignments. Passing scores and praise for being a “model student” reinforce this behavior.

However, students don’t receive the same approval when they stop studying to prioritize their mental health or other needs. Instead, they face academic consequences and often gain an unfair reputation of laziness.

Taking a small step back is usually misunderstood as giving up. In reality, taking that step back is temporary and not an indication of failure or disinterest; it’s simply a break.

Whether it be a lengthy lab report for science class, a call from a friend who needs comforting, or an article in Southwords, stepping away to recenter yourself is admirable.

Noticing when you’ve slumped below the threshold of productivity is crucial in doing meaningful work.

I used to be a “stay up late, I need to finish this” student. Not anymore.

I appreciate the great value in delaying work until I’m in a productive state.

However, I slightly struggled with the transition to this new way of thinking at first. I’d tell myself, “I’ll finish this assignment when I’m able to,” exploiting my newfound need for a productive mindset as a procrastination tactic.

Postponing work until the right mindset is achieved isn’t always possible or efficient. Deadlines and other outside factors make taking

breaks more difficult. I had to refine my time management skills to ensure that the time I spent on tasks was used purposefully.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the proverb, “fall down seven times and stand up eight.” I never understood it. Not only for it’s obvious-yet-somehowwidely-accepted miscalculation, but also because it perpetuates the need for immediate and unyielding perseverance.

I encourage you to consider my revision to the cliche: Fall down once, realize you’re not able to get up at that moment, take a little break, then stand up.

The pressure to persevere is intense, but respecting your boundaries by taking breaks from overwhelming environments will ultimately increase your productivity, and, more importantly, your happiness.

Raising a‘wear’ness: lack of storage for coats Jacob Mascort Commentary Editor s temperatures plummet to the single digits, many students are told by parents and guardians to wear a warm winter jacket when outdoors.

However, at Maine South, most of the student body arrives without a winter jacket.

This is popular amongst students due to the lack of access to lockers.

The nuisance of a burly coat is enough to deter students from carrying them around.

While jackets protect people from cold temperatures and frigid winds, they can also be a hassle to fit into a backpack; especially when people already have to deal with carrying tons and tons of homework and notes to and from school every day.

Additionally, lockers are starting to disappear around the school in the C-wing, V-wing, and PA-wing, due to their inconvenient locations and lack of usage.

Why should I waste time walking to my locker to get my materials for my next class on the opposite side of the building? Despite having the perfect amount of space for storing jackets during the wintertime, the poor

A

placements of lockers discouraged students from using them.

Roughly 2,500 students attend Maine South, and there is nowhere near enough space to place lockers for every student in a manner that suits their schedules.

Some solutions that have been used by students include stuffing jackets into their backpacks or simply lugging them around and placing them on the backs of their chairs during class.

While these solutions are simple and efficient, some students lack the room in their backpacks to carry puffy jackets or already have way too many things to carry to and from classes.

What other possible options are there for students? Leaving items in a certain teacher’s classroom all day and picking them up after school?

Supplying coat racks in certain classes to get them out of the way during class time?

Speaking from experience, most teenagers are forgetful and will end up leaving their belongings anywhere and everywhere in the building.

Several students would rather leave their jackets at the school than suffer the hassle of retrieving them before dismissal.

Jackets and coats are not the only clothing used by students during the wintertime. Many students also use hats, scarves, gloves, and earmuffs;

PHOTO BY EDEN WENING

JAM PACKED

Students struggle to add jackets to already-filled backpacks. They are forced to make a tough decision: lug it around all day or not wear it to school at all.

however, they are portable items, requiring far less space to stow away compared to a puffy jacket.

Despite Maine South's very large physical campus, it lacks adequate individual student storage. The issue is undoubtedly complicated, as adding more lockers may not be a viable solution. Additional lockers will eat up hallway space and congest heavilytrafficked areas like the A-wing.

Reducing the number or size of physical items required in core classes may help make additional room for jackets in backpacks, increasing the viability of a current student practice. Creating dedicated spaces around classrooms in the school

to store jackets and coats during a given period may also increase the number of students who wear jackets.

Adopting both changes would address many of the inconveniences that current students who wear winter jackets and coats experience.

Perhaps a coat check at the entrances most frequently used by students could serve as a fun addition and fundraiser for students.

Implementing any one of these improvements would encourage students who under-dress to start wearing winter clothes and allow students to stay healthy by adequately protecting themselves from the harsh, unforgiving winter weather.

SouthwordS 7

FEATURES

| January 28, 2022

The

MoRe MeRRieR

Maine South students with many siblings find added joy and excitement in life

The

Lilien Schirazi & Finley Roland Features Editors

M

ost people think living with two siblings is difficult, but imagine having to live with three to four times that amount. Picture the Kardashians, the “Home Alone” Family, or even the “Brady Bunch,” living with five to six kids in one household.

This is a reality for a number of students at Maine South. The Kubis Family, for instance, has eight kids ranging from ages 10 to 24, including junior Bart Kubis, sophomore Veronika Kubisova, and freshman Kristyna Kubisova.

You would think a family with eight kids may be hard to manage and keep in line, but the parents of the Kubis Family believe otherwise “I don’t think it’s hard for my parents to manage eight kids,” Veronika Kubisova said.“They established rules and systems.

Every sibling helps out in some way, whether it’s washing the laundry, cleaning the dishes, driving each other to extracurricular activities, or helping each other with homework.”

These siblings are very close and have a special bond because of their shared interests.“All of my siblings and I have done swimming when we were younger,” Veronika Kubisova said. “My brothers and I continued to swim in high school. All of my siblings and I play at least one instrument—flute, guitar, trumpet, saxophone, drums, or piano.”

Although having to grow up with seven other kids in the same house may have been frustrating, Veronika Kubisova wouldn’t change it for

8 SouthwordS

anything.

Having a large family with a lot “I always had someone to hang of kids can make vacations difficult out with and life was never boring,” especially with the costs of airplane Veronika Kubisova said. “Every tickets and hotel rooms. argument or quarrel somehow The Naughtons believe that even always ended with an apology with the difficult process of organizing or hug. It was a really amazing everything, vacations were extremely childhood and I wouldn’t change exciting in their large family. it one bit.”

“Being with all my siblings Living with a large family could on vacation was one of the best be tiring and irritating at times, but things about my childhood,” Kaitlyn Veronika Kubisova feels that life with Naughton said. “We did so many numerous siblings is a gift. fun things together and it made us “I’ve never wished to be an only so close.” child,” she said. “Being in a big family As she and her siblings grew older, is such a blessing and has taught vacations became more entertaining me so much about friendship and as they all shared similar interests. generosity. Having many siblings has “Vacation now is also very fun taught me to not because we all have only think about grown up together myself, but to “Being in a big family is and are able to do consider others’ such a blessing and has the same things.” needs. I don’t taught me so much Freshman Jack think I would about friendship and Staunton is the like to be an only generosity.” oldest out of six c h i l d b e c au s e -Veronika Kubisova (‘24) kids. As the oldthen I wouldn’t est, he has a larger have other kids share of the reto talk to at home and the spotlight sponsibility, but that doesn’t mean he would always be on me.” can’t find the joy in being the oldest The Kubises are not the only large brother.“It is really fun because when family here at Maine South; in fact, my mom leaves, I am in charge and the Naughton Family is even larger we always have fun in the house,” Jack with nine kids.

Staunton said.

Many p eople wonder why Like Veronika Kubisova, Jack parents choose to have so many Staunton cherished growing up with kids; the Naughtons have a unique many siblings and he appreciated reason why.“My parents always being able to find friendship in wanted a girl so they tried until they his own home.“It was a lot of fun had me! I am the seventh, they then because my siblings were also like wanted another girl and tried two my friends, especially my younger more times, but ended up with only brother, Martin,” he said. me!” senior Kaitlyn Naughton said.

While large families may not “I’m glad this happened because my currently be the norm, parents often family is amazing.” choose to have many kids because of

the positive experiences they had in their own families growing up.

“My mom and dad both came from families of ten kids,” Jack Staunton said.

Unlike Staunton, senior Aidan Donahue, is the youngest out of five kids. As the youngest, Donahue felt that there wasn’t always as much time for him because of his siblings.

“I felt overshadowed,” Aidan Donahue said. “There was always tons of commotion going on and it was just all-around loud. My parents couldn’t focus on all five all the time.”

Having four older siblings, Donahue developed school spirit earlier than most.

“I get hand-me-down clothes from my brothers—especially Maine South and college attire,” he said.

With such a large family, having a space to himself was never an option.

“I had to share a room with the two of them until I was ten, and then just one of them until he left for college.”

Life in a large family can be chaotic, but as siblings grow up and move out, there is a noticeable void.

“It was hard for my parents to manage when everyone was at home and we were younger, but now everyone is either moved out or finishing college, so it’s nice and calm,” Aidan Donahue said.“No matter how hectic my large family can be, I realize now how grateful I am to be a part of it.”

All these families appreciate and love living with numerous siblings.

“I never wish I had fewer siblings.

I’ve found the big family life so rewarding; I can’t imagine my life to be any better if I had fewer siblings,” Veronika Kubisova said.

January 28, 2022 |FEATURES

Bringing ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ out of the dark Katelyn Whitlock

Entertainment Writer ungeons and Dragons,” more commonly known as “D&D,” is a tabletop role-playing game that has found a significant following since its creation in 1974. The role-playing game allows players to wander around a fantastical world and essentially be and do whatever they’d like.

The role-playing game can be anything the organizer of the game, or the “dungeon master,” wants it to be, and the job of the dungeon master is to oversee and narrate the campaign. A campaign in “Dungeons and Dragons” is essentially a storyline, and this storyline is flexible and often changes depending upon the choices of the players.

Some students became interested in “D&D” from the Netflix series “Stranger Things,” which centers around a group of high school kids in the ‘80s who enjoy playing the fantasy game.

“I heard about [‘Dungeons and Dragons’] before, but then I watched ‘Stranger Things’ and they played it in that show,” sophomore Tyler Demott said. “I was like, ‘oh that would be kind of cool, this seems like something I’d be interested in.’”

During the early months of the pandemic, many were searching desperately for something to do, some form of escape from everything going on in our world.

Escapism became a big focus for a lot of people.

Many found forms of escape in television and streaming, creative projects, exercise, or reading. However, the pandemic is what brought some people into “Dungeons and Dragons,” allowing them to use their imaginations and cure their boredom.

Sophomore Joseph Russell developed an interest in the game through social media, especially throughout the pandemic.

“I had an interest in ‘D&D’ from a few YouTube channels that played it,” Russell said. “And then COVID happened, and I needed something to watch for a while, so I was watching ‘D&D’ playthroughs. And then we started playing ‘D&D’ with some friends.”

It takes a lot of dedication to continue with a “Dungeons and Drag-

“D

ILLUSTRATION BY JOE DICOLA

ons” campaign, seeing as campaigns can last upwards of years, with individual sessions of playing a campaign lasting at least a few hours.

Despite how time consuming “D&D” can be, many players of the role-playing game continue to play time and time again, finding motivation to continue on with their campaign.

For a lot of people, the creativity and freedom players have are what make the game appealing.

“I like the creative aspect of it, like creating your own character, having a lot of control,” Russell said. “It’s really fun to do. Also the role play gives you a lot of ways to be creative.”

For others, the concept of worldbuilding is a factor that draws them to the role-playing game. Demott emphasized his enjoyment of building a world, mentioning the Forgotten Realms campaign setting and attributing its versatility to furthering the world-building process.

“I feel like it’s a pretty good tem-

plate,” Demott said. “There are a lot of things you can change, twist to make your own myths to suit the story. And it’s a good default fantasy world.”

Russell also agreed that worldbuilding was a big part of the “D&D” experience and was one of the things that interested him in “Dungeons and Dragons” in the first place.

“I read a lot of fantasy books, so I’m really interested in world-building,” Russell said. “So I started reading and watching videos about this Forgotten Realms world and started getting really into it.”

Besides the creative aspect and the world-building aspect of “Dungeons and Dragons,” the social aspect continues to be a huge motivator for many who have gotten into “D&D.” “For me, the biggest aspect would be social,” Demott said.

“Not just, ‘let’s hang out,’ but ‘let’s play D&D’. For me it’s easier to schedule something where it’s a recurring thing. It’s nice to have a set time to be social, the same reason you’d go to play basketball or do something else.”

The social aspect is a huge part

of what “Dungeons and Dragons” is all about: working together with others to fight monsters and adventure across the world.

One may think that this cooperative experience leads to the building of new friendships, and for many people that might be the case. However, Demott had a different experience.

“Everyone we play ‘D&D’ with we’ve known for a while and we’ve known pretty well,” he said. “But I feel like I’ve really gotten to know people better. Even Joseph—we were friends before, but I feel like we know each other better now with ‘D&D’ than we did before. So maybe it’s not about making new friends as much as it is getting to know old ones better.”

Russell and Demott both agreed that “D&D” has a positive impact on socialization.

“It helps develop already-existing friendships,” Russell said.

“But if you meet someone who’s interested in ‘D&D,’ I think that’s a pretty good conversation starter.”

SouthwordS 9

FEATURES | January 28, 2022

New music classes offered for ‘22-‘23 school year

Olivia Killian

Entertainment Writer or the first time, the music department is offering new courses titled “String Project” and “Band Quick Start.”

As students begin selecting courses for next school year, they are presented with an extensive number of elective options. Many band and orchestra classes, however, primarily appeal only to students who have been a part of these programs since their early elementary days.

Band Director Mr. David Hutter and Orchestra Director Mr. Matthew Nix wanted to change that this year and are aiming to provide any student with the opportunity to learn a new instrument, join orchestra or band, and become involved in music.

“I’ve always received interest from students who wanted to be in band but didn’t know how to play an instrument, and I didn’t have the course or structure to give them proper beginner instruction,” Mr. Hutter said.

Traditionally, young musicians enter band or orchestra in fourth or fifth grade. The quick progression of these students leaves little room for those who did not immediately become involved to do so, and many don't have the opportunity to join.

F

Students have also had to quit their instrument due to various conflicts, but many found themselves wanting to rejoin. For those already involved in band or orchestra classes, this new course is a great chance to learn a second instrument.

String Project is a course for those who have always wanted to learn an orchestra instrument such as the violin, viola, cello, or bass.

Not only does this course aim to reach students who have not formerly been in orchestra, but also students who left the program in middle school or entering high school.

After reviewing data on the number of students enrolled in orchestra programs beginning in fourth grade, Nix noticed drastic drops in involvement when entering sixth grade and freshman year.

“I really want all of the Maine South student body to have the opportunity to learn and perform one of these instruments if they have ever had an interest,” Mr. Nix said.

“Stringed instruments like the violin, viola, cello, and double bass are found in concert halls around the world playing all genres: pop, rock, hip-hop, blues, classical, jazz—you name the genre and I guarantee you can find someone playing a stringed instrument.”

FINE TUNING

PHOTO BY NATALIA KOWALEWSKA

Students practice their instrumental skills in Symphonic Orchestra.

Next year, new classes will offer novice musicians symphonic and band opportunities.

Band Quick Start similarly aims to give students an opportunity to rejoin band or learn a band instrument for the first time. A variety of instruments are offered, including woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Students can expect to learn the basics of their instrument as well as reading music and rhythm work.

Music classes are a great way to relieve stress during a school day that can be filled with other stressful and rigorous courses. Instrument players also exhibit improved memory, creativity, patience, and confidence.

In addition to teaching students how to play an instrument, this course can also prepare students to enjoy an ensemble in the following years. Prior

to the availability of these two classes, students wishing to join ensembles would have to seek outside-of-school private lessons and would not be able to receive course credit.

The existing band and orchestra ensembles create strong bonds between students and foster an environment where students get to express themselves and enjoy music. Musicians get to know their classmates on a personal level and share experiences with them.

Students interested in joining either of these courses should contact their counselor to register. These courses are open to all students. Any questions about these classes can also be directed to Mr. Hutter or Mr. Nix.

hangout with my friends that I usually cannot see. Now that these events are cancelled, I feel like I don't have any winter events to look forward to.”

Although the traditional in-person assembly was cancelled, it will be replaced with a virtual assembly that will be watched during the weekly advisory sessions. A parade will accompany the virtual assembly.

While it is disappointing that these events were cancelled, some students see it as a necessary step to prevent COVID to spread even further in the school.

“Even though I’m disappointed that the assembly was moved to a virtual format, I know that it’s very important for the school to keep everyone safe with COVID on the rise,” senior Annie Middendorf said. “I’m glad that even though it’s virtual, my gymnastics team can still be showcased on Zoom.”

While many see Spring Fling getting postponed as a loss, junior

Campbell Micek points out the bright side of the situation as a member of Junior Class Council (JCC).

“As of right now, Junior Prom is happening and will still require planning from this committee; however, in lieu of needing to plan and prepare for Spring Fling, Junior Class Council will have more time to plan some extra service events and activities,” Micek said.

Micek also noted that JCC is going to continue with their usual winter activities.

“Junior Class Council held various service projects, holiday events, and general assembly meetings during the first semester,” Micek said. “All of these events will carry on into the second semester. Junior Class Council has four committees in charge of different activities that JCC participates in.”

Students will continue to receive communication about any future events being cancelled or postponed.

COVID cancellations cause chaos Molly Shanahan

Features Editor s students come back from their relaxing winter break, many find themselves trapped in the infamous “Third Quarter Slump.” Typically this period is made more bearable by school dances, assemblies, and other festive plans.

“I really do look forward to the winter activities,” senior Nicolette Mayer said. “Through all the craziness and chaos of winter, it is something to look forward to, something to be excited about. It was very rewarding.”

The COVID pandemic and new variants have continued to postpone or cancel typical school events.

In addition to the assembly, Illinois Theater Festival (ITF) was canceled for the second year in a row due to COVID. “It was really sad to not have it [ITF] this year,” senior Taylor Truckenbrod said. “But, I am really

A

10 SouthwordS

happy and fortunate that I went my sophomore year.”

Spring Fling, formerly known as Girls’ Choice, is another winter event that has been cancelled this year due to COVID. Students are frustrated with the lack of student and school-organized events, especially seniors who were looking forward to these events as we entered this year back in person.

“As a senior especially, I will say I am upset that these events are canceled,” Mayer said. “Last year, we did not have these events either so I was hoping we would be able to do so because I had no idea sophomore year would be my last Spring Fling. It’s sad but in our circumstances, it’s hard to make big decisions such as this one.”

Freshman Grace Jerger expressed similar sentiments.

“I am sad that Spring Fling and the Winter Assembly got canceled,” Jerger said. “I was really looking forward to being able to see and

January 28, 2022 | ENTERTAINMENT

Winter Play returns live with ‘Three Sisters’

Julia Gryczko, Jenna Marchuk, & Andrea Smith

Entertainment Editors his year’s Winter Play is “Three Sisters” by Anton Chekhov. Unlike last year’s Winter Play, which was recorded and streamed, this year’s play will be performed in-person.

The play examines a family as they struggle to find joy and meaning in the present while they find themselves looking to the longing nostalgia of the past and the anxious uncertainty of the future.

“The three sisters’ father has just recently passed and they want to go back to what they know, Moscow,” senior Nicolette Mayer, who plays youngest sister Irina, said. “Soon they realize that they need to progress forward in their lives and understand that they still have one another.”

The play is still relevant given that feelings of anxiety and longing for the past will always be part of the emotional human experience.

“Three Sisters was written over 120 years ago but it’s incredible how resonant the themes and PHOTO BY BRIDGET PISTORIUS ideas presented in the play are still NAILED IT! Senior Mia Parangalan, junior Caroline Keely, junior Maggie Hershey, and senior Nick Urquhart (left to exceptionally resonant in our right) work on the set. The co-director, Parangalan, collaborates with stage crew members to design sets. culture in this current moment,” Director Brennan The masks, however, make the actors work performance/movement and communicate Roach said. with our bodies. I initially found it double time with their diction.

However, given that “The biggest adjustment working with masks difficult to loosen up like that and the play was written so move so freely, but I’ve started to is to really put more energy into articulation to long ago, it presents learn to become comfortable being ensure that the text is heard and being understood,” some challenges. so vulnerable in front of my cast Mr. Roach said.

“The biggest chalAs of right now, no new precautions are being mates. Memorizing lines has also lenge has been underbeen a bit of a struggle as there’s taken despite the rise of the new Omicron variant. standing the complexity However, there is a Zoom rehearsal option for a lot of dialogue in the play.” of this show,” Mayer said.

Working with different students who need to stay home.

“Three Sisters was developed “The cast makes it a priority to wear masks directors yields different a while ago, but its messages correctly, stay distanced when eating, use hand experiences. are still prominent in everyday “I’ve had a delighted sanitizer, keep up with hand washing, and continue society today. As this show protime working on this their safety precautions outside of rehearsal,” junior gresses, we uncover new informashows, but it is definitely Madison Beyer, who plays Olga, said. “Similarly, tion we have not yet discovered a different process than if an actor is sick, they are excused from rehearsal before. It has been difficult conwhat I’ve been used until they are no longer contagious and until they necting these themes from years to in the past,” Mia feel that they will not risk spreading sickness ago to current events.”

Parangalan, co-student around the cast.”

Another challenge has been with A few additional adjustments have been made director who also the complex nature of the play and the directed ‘Shakespeare in to keep the actors safe. rehearsal process.

“We are not able to do a lot of the stuff written Love’ her sophomore year, “We’ve been balancing working said. “Mr. Roach uses a lot in the script such as hugging and kissing,” Mayer through the play by running acts of movement exercises and is said. “We still find a way to show the connection and doing viewpoints,” senior very go with the flow, making things between the characters without physical contact, Merisa Kraja, who plays Natasha, though.” sometimes chaotic, but endlessly fun.” said. “Viewpoints involve Mr. Roach applauds his students and urges While COVID has posed a threat moving around the space to many other fine arts productions in others see the show in recognition of their hard we’re given based on shape, the last two years, the department has work. tempo, spatial awareness, “People should see this play simply because well-adapted to the threat through other repetition, gesture, and the act of creating in this collective moment is a performances. kinesthetic response.

“Once we get to performance week, feat of wonder,” Mr. Roach said. “The courage and This allows the cast to we’ll transition over to using clear the strength of these young artists to accept the connect and heighten plastic masks that have become pretty challenge of bringing this story to life in spite of our awareness of our standard for high school theatre all the everyday challenges we all face right now is around the country,” Mr. Roach something truly beautiful and inspiring.”

MOVIN’ IN MOSCOW Sophomore DaniThe winter play will take place on Feb. 17-19 said. “These are the same type ella Rescigno does movement exercises during rehearsals.

These movements will also be seen on during the show, and of mask we used in the fall for and tickets will be sold at the auditorium door allow the actors to understand their relationship to the space. for $7.

‘Charlotte’s Web.’”

T

Y TO B

PHO

GET

BRID

S

ORIU PIST

SouthwordS 11

SPORTS

| January 28, 2022

PHOTO BY NATALIA KOWALEWSKA

LINED UP FOR SUCCESS a winning season.

The Hawkettes perform at a fall football game before the competition season starts. Their pre-competition performances prepare the girls for

Hawkettes earn first place at CSL Conference

Hawkettes seek to earn gold at both State and Nationals this season Madison Basquin Sports Editor

T

he Maine South Hawkettes transitioned from halftime performances to conference competitions this season. In the fall season, the team practiced almost daily, but now they are putting their dedication to the test in their competitive season.

“Monday we have team technique from 5-8, where we work on turns, jumps, skills, and break down certain sections of our routine with our technique coach,” senior Allyson Nelles said. “Tuesday, we have ballet from 6-7:10 a.m., then practice from 3:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday also all consist of practice 3:30-7 p.m., sometimes later.”

All of the weekday practices are in preparation for their weekend performances. “ T h e w e e k e n d s c on s i s t of competitions, and we have one every weekend in January,” Nelles said.

“There is quite literally no time for a social life, school, or sleep during January.”

The Hawkettes have established many goals that they’re working toward this season. Their main goal has become quite clear: win.

“Our expectations are to win Nationals in Kick, State in pom or kick (depending on which one we

12 SouthwordS

bring), and placing in the top 5 for pom at Nationals,” sophomore Sofia Sclafani said. “This year our team is really pushing to win because these past two years we have not won the major competitions and we have such a strong team this year.”

The team’s hard work has yielded in their current performance results.

On Jan. 5, the Hawkettes took home first place at the CSL conference meet. “ Wa l k i n g a w a y f r o m o u r conference win, we felt encouraged and ready to keep a win streak,” Nelles said. “We received good feedback from the judges, and knew what changes needed to be made before our next IHSA competition. We are hopeful for what the rest of the season will bring.”

The win at conference not only excited the team, but also allowed them to focus more on some of the bigger competitions.

“Do not get me wrong—I am so grateful for our win at Conference,” said senior Kathryn Yesko. “However, as a team, we have a much bigger goal in mind: Nationals, Nationals, Nationals. I am excited that we won to get on a good foot for Nationals. I am eager to read the judge’s feedback, change our routine accordingly, and hopefully continue to be successful this year.”

Last season, the Hawkettes lost in the State finals due to a technicality with their music.

“Unfortunately, at the IHSA State championship last year, one point was deducted for our music being too short,” Yesko said. “Without that deduction, we would have won State.

Winning State was a goal we desired so badly last year, and to lose because of something out of our control was frustrating to say the least.”

The upperclassmen are able to share their past experiences with the team so they can learn from previous mistakes and go even further this season.

“Only 10 of us were on the team in 2020 when we lost nationals by 0.1 (points), but we have educated our underclassmen on what happened and how heartbreaking it was,” Nelles said.

The team works hard to make sure previous failures don’t repeat themselves.

“We even gave [underclassmen] a presentation on why you don’t want to lose Nationals,” Nelles said. “Some made the score sheet from 2020 their screensaver, showing our loss by 0.1.

More of us, myself included, made the picture of our competitors holding the 1st place trophy our screensaver. Little things like this help keep us motivated and remind us of our goals, even when times are tough.”

Since the Hawks haven’t won Nationals in recent years, they are focusing their energy on breaking the pattern.

“We have been robbed of wins for the last two seasons and we are hungrier than ever to win,” Nelles said. “Win Sectionals, win State, win Nationals. Ending my senior year with a national championship win would be the best thing to ever happen to me, considering my previous three years as a Hawkette have all fallen short.”

The team is especially excited for

Nationals this year because it was not in-person last season due to COVID. “I am most looking forward to Nationals and State because we weren’t able to compete in-person during those competitions last year, and it has been a few years since I personally have been to Nationals (with my old studio),” Sclafani said.

“I am also excited to room with my teammates and bond more with them over this month before our season is over.”

Seeing as the team spends hours every day with one another, they are quite close, despite there being dancers from each grade on the Varsity team.

“12 of our 22 team members are underclassmen, so it’s definitely been a challenge for us upperclassmen to successfully assimilate everyone into the program,” Nelles said.

Nelles credits times where the team lightens the mood to bond them together.

“Something that always keeps us together is our humor,” Nelles said. “I like to think that the shared trauma of long practices and our bodies deteriorating makes us funnier and gives us something to relate to with each other. We are all so entertaining and there truly is never a dull moment with this team.”

A sport like dance, which involves replicating the same routines and performances at each competition, can be very stressful. The team takes comfort in being able to go through the competition season with their teammates and remains hopeful about the remainder of the season.

January 28, 2022 | SPORTS

Varsity cheer makes the transition into competition

Matthew Moskal

Sports Editor ith the start of the new year, the varsity cheerleading team is flipping into competition season.

After performing during the sideline season, which is held throughout the boys’ varsity football season, the team is looking ahead to taking on the challenge of a new focus.

“Transitioning into competition season is always hard,” senior Kaitlyn Naughton said. “During game season we start to stunt and figure out who works best with each other, but when it comes to competition season, it’s crunch time.”

The team learned their choreography shortly after their tryouts in late October.

“Practices are very hard, especially in the beginning. We get our routine, have to learn it quickly, and then do full-out after full-out every day.”

The girls participated in their first meet of competition season on Jan. 8, where they finished in 9th place with an overall routine score of 80 points.

W

Although the score was not what the girls hoped for, it provides a good learning opportunity for the team going forward.

“We knew going into the competition that because we only had four days following winter break to pull our routine back together, it would be a challenge to compete,” junior Makala Wilson said.

“Our first competition performance wasn’t our best, but it was definitely a good starting point for our season. We want to be in a position where we continue to improve every competition leading up to State, and this performance is a good place to work up from. We just need to keep running our routine and focusing on even the small details so that we can peak at the right time.”

Coming off the first meet, the girls have already started to improve.

The team placed second at their first conference meet and then proceeded to finish fourth out of 13 teams in a competition that was held at Niles West High School. At this competition, the girls were able to

improve their routine score by a total of 8 points when compared to their first competition of the season.

“Our team put a lot of effort into our routine after getting second place at conference. We knew we had to do everything we could to hit zero at our next competition,” Naughton said.

“Hitting zero means not dropping any stunts and doing everything correctly in the routine. We worked together and executed our routine almost perfectly.”

The girls are committed to bettering their routines and believe that a good start will help the team grow and improve.

“We added eight points to our overall score, and now it’s only up from here. As long as we all believe in ourselves, we can score higher than a 90. I believe in our team, and I believe we can do it,” said Naughton.

The team will look to continue building their routine at their practices and as they compete throughout the season and work towards a few of their ambitious goals.

“Throughout the season, we’ve

PHOTO BY NATALIE COLLETI

RISING TO THE TOP

Junior Gabby Fisher’s stunt group holds her up in an extension during practice in the fieldhouse. The girls practice five times a week.

set a lot of goals for ourselves but the priority is qualifying for state in February. We’ve also talked about wanting to make it to the second day of state, which is the top 10 teams,” said Naughton.

Girls’ gymnastics bounces back after varsity injuries

Kelly Caroll

Sports Writer he start of the girls’ varsity gymnastics has already seen the team appear in eight competitions, including both invites and conference meets.

Tryouts were held on Oct. 28, and teams were officially announced just over a week later.

A majority of the sports at Maine South have a pre-season, but gymnastics only had a few open gym dates leading up to tryouts.

This didn’t give the team much time before their first competition on Dec. 2. Some of the gymnasts were feeling unprepared in the beginning, but with more practice, they improved.

“We have definitely been getting stronger since the start of the season, which you can tell from our scores getting higher and hitting in the nines,” sophomore Anastasia Gritsonis said.

Each event in gymnastics is scored out of ten by a panel of judges, and then each score is averaged out. It can be quite difficult to score in the nines, as there are a variety of checkpoints the judges look for in each event.

The school’s place in the conference

PHOTO BY GRACE BECKMAN

T

EARNING A LEG UP

Sophomore Anastasia Gritsonis competes on beam in an invitational against Glenbrook North on 1/19. The team competes in their Conference competition tonight at Glenbrook South.

and state division is based on the gymnast’s individual performances.

“We have a great group of girls on the team this year and we continue to grow as the season goes on,” senior co-captain Bridget Pistorious said.

When the gymnasts compete, they are required to have a certain number of gymnasts compete in all events.

Most gymnasts focus their time on specific events but some excel in all events.

“We are led by an all-arounder, Anastasia Gritsonis, who always performs well and has a great attitude,” said Coach Heidi Bowben.

Gritsonis competes in all four events each competition, bringing quite the reputation to Maine South.

“I compete all around, and feel that I do the best on vault, floor, and beam because those were the three out of four events that I had scored at least a nine in,” Gritsonis said.

“I hope that we will be able to make it to State because it would be such a fun thing to experience.”

The remainder of the team mainly competes in one or two events, which they devote most of their focus and time to.

“Personally, I usually compete

on beam and bars,” Pistorious said.

“I have back problems which makes it hard to compete floor and vault sometimes. However, I really enjoy competing in the two events that I do.”

All of the team has been working hard on their events, and with the hard work come some injuries.

“At the beginning of the season it was rough,” Coach Bowbin said.

“I hate seeing any athlete get injured. Junior Silvia Buti and sophomore Eleni Gritsonis were two varsity gymnasts that we were counting on in the line up this year.”

Eleni Gritsonis was one of the allaround gymnasts and Buti was very talented in beam.

“We pulled some girls up from the JV team like Ariana Hirsh who now does floor and vault for varsity, and I have been competing beam in place of Silvia,” Pistorious said The team builds off of each other’s success and they are always looking to support one another.

“My hope for the rest of the season is that our team or even some of our girls individually make it to Sectionals,” Pistorious said. “I’m excited to finish out my senior season with such a great team.”

SouthwordS 13

SPORTS

| January 28, 2022

Talia Halvorsen wins national boxing championship PHOTO COURTESY TALIA HALVORSEN

Declan Colleran

Sports Writer ophomore Ta lia Ha lvors en recently won the USA Boxing Youth Women’s Championship for her division on Dec. 11, 2021. Her journey to the top of the national rankings was not easy, and quite frankly, wasn’t even a journey she planned on making.

As a kid, Halvorsen grew up as the youngest of four children.

“I have two older brothers who were always super into boxing, wrestling, and UFC,” Halvorsen said.

“My older brothers always kind of had me surrounded by it.”

Their interests eventually rubbed off onto Talia, and she ended up going to their boxing gym. Though she just planned to use the space to improve her fitness, her interest in the sport increased.

“As I became more familiar with my gym and with the sport, then it just turned into sparring at my gym with other people,” Halvorsen said.

Her proficiency in the sport came quickly. By August of 2020, she had competed in, and won her first fight.

The COVID-19 pandemic suspended her fights for a year and a half, but

S

SPECIAL DELIVERY Sophomore Talia Halvorsen (right) delivers a right hook

towards her opponent at the Gregory Box invite in Rosemont on Nov. 23, 2021. This was shortly before her national victory on Dec. 11, 2021.

she spent the time fine-tuning her skills. Getting back into the ring after restrictions were lifted, her coaches placed her in the more advanced “open division.”

This divisional promotion put Halvorsen on a path to the USA Boxing Youth Women’s Competition in December of last year. Her training

regimen was certainly complemented by the expertise of her training partner.

“The stars kind of aligned for that fight because my training partner, Julianna Peña, UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, found out she was fighting on Dec. 11, the same night as my fight,” Halvorsen said.

Her first fight upon arriving at the tournament in Louisiana was against Genesis Garcia, a fighter out of California. She describes that fight as being, “The hardest fight I’ve ever had. She [Garcia] was very good.”

Halvorsen prevailed courtesy of a split-decision by the judges. The following night, Halvorsen found herself in the championship round, and she dominated her opponent to win by unanimous decision.

Although Halvorsen’s career is just getting started, she is already looking ahead and setting goals.

“My ultimate goal would be the Olympics,” Halvorsen said.

“My ultimate dream is to be a gold medalist.”

Upon reaching the age of 18, boxers such as Halvorsen will enter the elite division. Here, their performances in tournaments will give them points towards their national rankings. These rankings are the main driving force behind Olympic team selection.

Even feats as prestigious as Olympic team selection don’t seem out of reach for Halvorsen.

“When passion meets hard work, that’s when dreams are achieved,” Halvorsen said.

Varsity boys’ swimming dives into their season Hayden Bower

Sports Editor he boys’ varsity swim team has gotten off to a fast start, beginning the season with an undefeated record and ranking first in conference for the first time since the 1960s.

The team finished second in their invite on Jan. 15 at Sandburg High School. Senior Evan Simpson attributes the team’s overall success to a combination of natural talent and a collective sense of dedication.

“The team spirit and the speed we all have has been incredibly significant to our recent success,” Simpson said.

Senior Lukas Nielson agrees that teamwork is crucial to success.

“Looking out for each other has always been a focal point,” Nielson said. “Whether it’s in the pool or outside of school, knowing that we all can depend on one another has helped us connect and subsequently resulted in our current success.”

That dependability is built on a foundation of hard work.

“The practices are hard,” Simpson

T

14 SouthwordS

said. “It’s a lot of sprinting yards.

We do days where we work on one thing like a kick technique. It keeps us in shape; however, it’s an immense amount of demanding cardio.”

A common tradition of varsity swimmers is the yearly ritual of bleaching their hair. However, many are unaware of the true significance of this tradition. The tradition stems from the swimmers’ constant exposure to the chemical chlorine in the pool water, the primary chemical found in bleach. As a result of this consistent exposure, swimmers’ hair is often naturally being stripped of its color on a regular basis.

Coach Donald Kura believes this tradition may be on it’s last legs, “It was more of a tradition when guys were shaving their head, so I’m not quite sure how many guys plan to do that this year since no one on the team wants bleached hair,” Coach Kura said. “At one time, it was a tradition, I even participated in it when I swam here. But, I think that might be something that’s starting to fall by the wayside.”

PHOTO BY MOLLY SHANAHAN

DIVE RIGHT IN Boys’ swim lines up on their blocks at the Jan. 19 meet. Their swift swimming has led them to the top of the conference.

This year, Simpson is hopeful the team can continue the bleaching tradition.

“Yes, it’s a t radit ion we’ve consistently followed the last four years, and it’s currently something we still plan to do,” said Simpson.

The whole team seems satisfied with the way their current season is unfolding.

“We’ve been clicking on all levels, and I’m really excited for what the

remainder of the season will entail,” senior captain Zack Wagner said.

“We’re projected to be the best in our conference, and we’re focused on making that a reality,” Simpson said.

Coach Kura believes the best performance is yet to come.

“I don’t think we’ve swum well from start to finish in every event, so I think we have our best performance out there,” Coad Kura said. “But, so far they’ve performed really well.”

What does it take to be on the Southwords staff ?

T

he back page of this newspaper is the application for the 20222023 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 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. No other staff members are enrolled in this class.

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.

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.

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 way possible.

News The News section covers developing stories about timely issues that directly affect students, both inside and outside the school.

News writers need to be informed about school and national issues and must be able to develop interview questions along with being comfortable interviewing people. They must also be able to write objectively and with finesse. Editors must also be ready to fact-check articles.

News editors must be organized and demonstrate flexibility, as news frequently occurs right before publication.

Features The Features section contains the widest variety of articles. Features focuses on issues of student interest, both in and out of school. Features articles are usually longer in nature, and delve more deeply into topics than news articles would. Also, these articles are less reliant on timeliness and instead focus on relevance and interest.

Features writers must be inventive; finding an interesting topic to report about can sometimes be challenging, as the most interesting topics are often ones that have not been previously written about.

Features editors must be wellrounded and able to create interesting angles for stories. Fact-checking Editor-in-chief is necessary, but the most emphasis Editor-in-chief is a position is placed on relevance. only open to returning editors. The editor-in-chief ultimately guides the Entertainment vision of the entire paper and must The Entertainment section conbe familiar with the editing process, tains reviews and articles related to

art, music, video games, literature, restaurants, and anything else that might be considered entertainment.

Entertainment writers must be well-informed of the school’s fine art events. Unique to the entertainment section, writers specializing in a specific genre (music, TV, etc.) are welcome.

Entertainment editors need to be knowledgeable about popular events and recreational activities (including restaurants, concerts, festivals, etc.) and open to writing and reading about different topics.

Commentary The Commentary section is the voice of the students at Maine South.

Commentary writers need to be creative and opinionated. They must be able to present an issue about which they are passionate, avoiding ranting and remaining professional.

Commentary editors must be extremely careful, because editing opinions can be problematic. Editors must also be open-minded, because a wide variety of opinions will always exist in their section.

Sports The Sports section covers all sports at Maine South.

Sports writers need to be up-todate on all sports at Maine South.

Sports writers should be creative in their reporting on events. Accurate reporting is crucial.

Sports editors are responsible for making sure that each sport is covered once during its season.

Sports editors must be aware of varsity sports happenings, as well as other sports included at school.

A deep knowledge of sports—within the school and outside of the school—is a necessary component of being an editor for the Sports section.

to learn to use these programs more proficiently and offer help whenever necessary.

The production editor should attend every paste-up—when the final components of the paper are added together—to provide the editors with technical 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.

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining Southwords, visit http://apply.southwords.org

Then, if you are a new staff member or would like to be an editor, sign up for an interview at tinyurl.com/SouthwordsSignUp by Production To help with the technical aspects Wednesday, Feb. 2. of putting together a newspaper, a Interviews begin Wed., Feb. 2, production editor must be knowl- in the Southwords office, C28 edgeable in the operation of PC com- (around the corner from the bookputers, a Windows operating system, store in the cafeteria). as well as have skill in InDesign and Photoshop. Most importantly, production editors must be willing

Due Wed., Feb. 2

ALL STAFF MUST SUBMIT AN APPLICATION Staff

Application

PLEASE NOTE: See the reverse side of this sheet for job descriptions, and feel free to contact Mr. Stathakis or any current editors with any questions.

ONLINE: APPLICATION

Please visit http://apply.southwords.org or scan the QR code to the right. Your application will not be processed until you have also signed up for an interview at https://tinyurl.com/SouthwordsSignUp. Current staff members do not need to sign up for an interview unless applying to move up to an editorial position.

Staff positions:

Editorial positions:

Open to current and prospective staff members. Use this work- Open to current and prospective staff members. ALL editors must take Newspaper Practicum (likely 6th period), which will earn you sheet to rank your interest in the following positions: ­­_____News writer ­­_____Features writer _____Entertainment writer _____Commentary writer ­­_____Sports writer ­­_____Photographer* ­­_____Artist/Cartoonist* _____Graphic Design team*

an elective English credit.

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

*For returning staff members only. All Editorin-Chief candidates must contact Mr. Stathakis.

*Please bring portfolio/samples to interview

CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER: SOUTHWORDS EDITION! PRODUCTION TEAM

STAFF WRITER

Art Photography Graphic design

News, Commentary, Features, Entertainment, & Sports

EDITOR

your you’re

If you have any questions, please see Mr. Stathakis in C28 (the Southwords office).

TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION, YOU MUST SIGN UP FOR AN INTERVIEW at https://tinyurl.com/SouthwordsSignUp by WED., FEB 2