Maine South origins: from blueprint to building Mary Godley
PIONEER Nov. 22,1963
News Editor
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PHOTO BY ARDEN SASAK
he construction of Maine South, District 207’s third high school after Maine East and Maine West, was approved on Nov. 18, 1961. The referendum determined that Maine South would be constructed for $8,257,600 under a $8,800,000 bond. The referendum occurred after the district purchased the Talcott-Dee lot for $165,075 in March 1960. Two more parcels of land were purchased on Oct. 1, 1960 for a sum of $44,315. The land that Maine South is built upon once housed a tavern, a greenhouse, a quarry, a farm, a stable, and a landfill. The building was proposed as five interconnected structures with a capacity of 3,000 students. The center structure was the Library and Instructional Materials Building; to the north, the Vocational Arts and Services Building; to the east, the fieldhouse and gym; to the south, the Academic building; and to the northwest, the Performing Arts PIONEER PREMIER This Maine East newspaper article describes the students' first tour of Maine South in November of building. 1963. While the school was not yet complete, it was ultimately ready for opening day in Sept. '64. The process for adding additional buildings to Maine Township High “I was really at a loss as to what intend to voice my School district took more than eight years. The first proposal to add a new I could do to learn if this amount of vote of confidence school was the Maine West proposal money is really necessary to build a in a ‘job well done’ in 1957. Maine West was built in 1959 high school,” Galloway said. “I believe by our school board but was left incomplete, without a we can build a very good school with and vote YES for all necessary facilities for a lot less the Bond Issue on planned wing and a field house. Nov. 18.” The district was in desperate need money.” The Chief of School Housing , Mr. When casting of space, as schools would be over capacity in September 1962. During John L. Cameron responded to this the ballot, voters the 1962-63 school year, it would be citizen’s concerns in the same issue. were asked whether “For a high school of 3,000 pupils, or not to approve necessary to extend the school days at Maine East and Maine West by one it is likely that a minimum of 240,000 for an increase in period to accommodate an overload square feet of floor space will be t he e ducat iona l needed,” Cameron said. “School tax rate from 1.06 THE FOUNDERS The original architects, contractors, of approximately 800 students. The district had also added new construction in the Illinois area percent maximum and D207 board members are commemorated on a plaque outside of the administration center. “top-flight” college level courses that for that type of facility is currently t o a n e w 1 . 2 7 averaging about $14 a square foot.” percent maximum required additional classrooms. The Mayfair Construction Co. of Additional costs were due to in addition to the issue of the bond Chicago was the contractor for the Several options were available; a fourth wing could have been added architecture fees, equipment, site for Maine South. building. Voters approved the new school to Maine West, an addition could improvement, and other related Even when the school opened, and construction began in March, space was still an issue. have been constructed for Maine expenses. Opponents of the plan termed 1963. East, or a new school could have been Mr. Duane Kelly ('68), a current the campus a “country club” and It was not clear whether the school substitute at Maine South remembers constructed. Despite the need for additional advocated for the same plan but would be ready in time for the school the cramped environment. educational space, opposition arose under a single roof, rather than the year, but construction was complete “By the time I graduated, the by the first day of classes on Sept. freshman class was over 1,000 regarding the cost and design of the five building layout. Most voters, though, showed 8, 1964. new school. [students],” Kelly said. “We had five The building was designed by minutes to get to class also. It got a One Park Ridge resident, Mr. R.A. support for the proposal. In another Letter to the Editors Park Ridge architects, Caudill, little rough, so they changed it to six Galloway, expressed his concerns in a Nov. 16, 1961 letter to the Park Ridge from the same issue of The Advocate, Rowlett, Scott, McCaughey, Ericsson, minutes, but then they changed it Mrs. F.A. Bauer wrote “Be assured I Kristmann and Stillwaugh. Herald Advocate: back to five.”
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ENTERTAINMENT | December 19, 2017
RENOVATIONS in review
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Caroline Coyle & Louise Macaraniag Commentary Editors
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he structure of Maine South, especially its problem areas such as the outdoor walkways, rooms within rooms, and long glass halls, is often the subject of complaints among students and faculty. The proposed renovation plans may address some of these issues; however, since its opening in 1964, Maine South has continually tried to solve (and sometimes unintentionally created) problems through multiple additions and changes to its original plan.
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A-WING
he A-Wing, or academic wing, incorporates core classes such as science, math, social science, foreign language, and some English classes. “There were typing classrooms in the first floor of A-wing on the left side for English classes to use,” alumnus and retired english teacher Mr. Jim Lonergan (‘74) said. This particular building has always had three levels, but two major extensions have been added towards the east side of the A-Wing building. The first extension was added in 1969. This extension was planned for in the first blueprints; however, its construction didn’t take place until years after Maine South’s opening. “You can tell where they extended the A-Wing because there is a stairwell
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C-WING
he C-wing has gone through some changes over the past three years alone, but since Maine South’s opening in 1964, the C-wing has changed dramatically. The original C-wing was centered around the library with each classroom in the C-wing having a door that directly connected with the library. The C-wing in the 1960’s consisted of large homerooms, counselor offices, and lecture halls. In the early days of Maine South, students had to report to a homeroom first instead of just going straight to first period like they do now. These homerooms consisted of people in the same grade who shared a counselor. “We started at 8:15, and at that time, you went to homeroom which is in the center section all the way around. And, you had a teacher who took attendance, the announcements, then at 8:30, you went to your first class, but school lasted ’til 4:00,” alumnus and substitute Mr. Duane Kelly (‘68) said. As a result of homerooms being
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in the middle of the building which used to be at the end of the A-Wing,” Mr. Jim Lonergan said. The second extension that took place in 1997 was not originally intended by the building’s architects. The extension’s main purpose was to increase the district’s borrowing capacity, which is the most money the district is allowed to borrow from the bank at a time. “Just to get borrowing capacity, they built the addition in 1997, and so, Maine South got that addition for a million additional dollars worth of borrowing capacity,” Assistant Superintendent and former principal Mr. Messmer said. “While a million dollars might have been worth more back then, we as a district need like 10 million dollars
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nonexistent, these rooms now are large study halls, and the counselor’s old offices serve as closets for Orchesis and Hawkette costumes. Homerooms also acted as cafeterias because the dining hall, which is now C-101 and the CRC, was too small to fit all students. In addition to homerooms, the C-wing included four lecture-style classrooms that featured seating that resembled a college lecture hall. These lecture halls were used for classes to do demonstrations in, which prepared students for large-scale college classes. The lecture halls and homerooms were eventually replaced by English classes and underclass study halls. With Maine South transitioning into blended learning and a block schedule, the large study hall rooms are once again being changed, but this time into blended learning zones. C-101, once formally a freshmen quiet study hall, is now a place full of couches and collaborative tables where students can
Today
1963
PHOTO BY LUKE VAN DEN EEDEN
PHOTO COURTESY DISTRICT 207
EXTENSIONS The A-wing has always been three levels; however, it has undergone two extensions, increasing the number of classrooms in the campus. One can still tell where the additions were made by locating the metal bars on the floors and walls. worth of borrowing, which will enable us to do whatever we need to do to maintain and grow and change.” The A-Wing houses the most academic core classes; however, the large variety of classes yields a large crowd. PHOTO BY EYRIE 65’
“The A-Wing is probably the best set up portion of the school because everything has its own area and it’s all within close quarters of each other, but the A-Wing itself is just so far away from everything else,” junior Jon Luke Lassa said. PHOTO BY ARDEN SASAK
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t a s a e D b u o C-101 C-101 used to act as a dining hall for students before the cafeteria was built, and now, a
C-101 is a study hall/lounge. Next year, C-101 will serve as a blended learning facility where you will be able to eat in once again.
talk, study, and tutor. The direction that the C-wing is headed is to transform all of the large study hall rooms into collaborative learning zones. H o w e v e r, b e c a u s e o f t h e reconfiguring of the library and the
addition of the cafeteria, the C-wing has become a maze for some students. “[The C-Wing] is like a beehive,” junior Jon Luke Lassa said. “There are so many rooms inside of rooms, and they’re all like tiny carbon-copied boxes of each other.”
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he library resource center (LRC) has only undergone one large renovation since Maine South’s opening in 1964. However, it completely reconfigured the layout of the library and some C-Wing classes. According to Vol. 27 Issue 3 of Southwords, the first phase of the s library renovation took place during the summer of 1990, which included the removal of asbestos in the ceilings. The second phase included taking down half a dozen 10-foot pods used as study cubicles that lined the outside walls. “Each AP student was assigned a carrel and a drawer, and they went there instead of going to a study hall,” alumnus and former math teacher Mr. Mike Andrews (‘65) said. The removal of these pods made the LRC become more spacious. In addition, they also improved the lighting, acoustics, security, and supervision and added a Technology Center with an electronic card catalog. Before the Technology Center, there
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ORIGINAL LAYOUT PHILOSOPHY
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used to be an audio-visual (AV) center in the middle of the library where there would be electronic equipment students can use. The AV center also included VCRs and TVs for teachers to reserve and request. The AV staff would bring a TV with a VCR into a room when teachers needed one. Once the computers came into the library the AV area was removed. The LRC also had a second level for teachers which included a small loft for teachers that housed their professional collection. It was a small, quiet space for when teachers wanted to read or grade papers. After the renovation, this space was removed, explaining the heightened ceilings. Another section of the LRC that was removed was what people called the “pit” which was a slightly lowered, circular section of the library that provided a space for students to sit and read, similar to the Reading Rainbow. “[the pit] was a place where people
PHOTO BY ARDEN SASAK
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PHOTO COURTESY DISTRICT 207
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LIBRARY
TEACHERS’ LOUNGE In the ’60’s through ’80’s, the library had a mini
lounge for teachers which acted as a quiet space to grade, read, or look through the teacher’s professional collection. This space was removed during the renovation in 1990. could read and study, and it always librarian Mrs. Linda Ryan said, referring claimed by upperclassmen,” retired to the Reading Rainbow. English teacher Mr. Jim Lonergan One positive aspect of the renovation (‘74) said. is the space it provided for collaborative “There are some parents that come areas. In the past, students were not in and say ‘wow you have something allowed to talk, and only two students similar to the pit, but it’s over there,’” could be at one table at a time.
FIELD HOUSE Added in 1969, the field house was originally planned to be two floors with the track on the first level and the wrestling room and weight cage on the second level.
C-WING The C-Wing was originally made up of the dining hall, homerooms, lecture halls, and study halls.
typical high school is large, tall, and looming—Maine South is the opposite. As such, Maine South looks LIBRARY remarkably different than its two sister The Library Resource schools. Center (LRC) used to The design is puzzling to many. Why be larger, extending are there outdoor hallways? Why is the through the center of glass hallway too small? the entire C-Wing with Why are there rooms CAFETERIA all homerooms leading inside of rooms? The student cafeteria into it. “The current strucwas added in 1969. ture of the building is not Previously, students A-WING adequate for what the used to eat either in The A-Wing has underschool is called to do in their homerooms or at gone two major renovaa 21st century learning the dining hall located tions—one in 1969 environment,” Principal where C-101 and the and the other 1997. Dr. Collins said. “The CRC are now. Both were extensions building does not allow us to do what other area schools and GROUNDED Maine South’s original layout in 1964 was based around a “300 Plan,” which focused on the towards the east side of the school. other schools I’ve worked at previously C-wing. The retention pond in front prevented water from the previous quarry from undermining the building. are capable of.” The layout of Maine South is not plan for many new high schools built the beauty of the community and the innovative but now contributes to the seen as logical for a school this large in the 1960s. glass walls and hallways throughout the confusing layout of the center of Maine due to its few hallways and spread out South. The 300 Plan’s main idea was to focus school is evidence of this. layout, and new students or teachers on creating a system that was centered “It’s not adequate,” Principal Dr. The homerooms were all attached often refer to it as “ the maze”; however, around counselors and homerooms. to the library originally; however, Ben Collins said when asked about in the 1960s, when Maine South was Students were divided into groups of growth and change over time led to the structure of Maine South. “It’s very d built, the layout made perfect sense. around 300 and each group would have the expansion of the classrooms and difficult to move in and out of rooms s The original layout was called the a home base and all share a counselor. reduction of the size of the library. that are too small and built inside of “300 Plan” and it was a mainstream This plan was designed to enhance The layout of the “300 Plan” was once one another.”
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Remnants past of the
Tommy O’Connor Features Editor
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PHOTO BY JUSTYNA LEPA
PHOTO BY JUSTYNA LEPA
uilt more than 50 years ago, the building at 1111 South Dee Road has seen its fair share of changes. To some returning alumni, the school may even seem unrecognizable, but to the keen observer, there are lingering remnants that give us a glimpse into the building’s past. These artifacts give us clues as to how Maine South used to function. The circle drive has been the face of Maine South since the day the school opened. There have been very few changes since 1964, but there is still some evidence of adaptation over the years. Perhaps most notably, door six, the entrance outside of the main office, is labeled with an old address. 1131 South Dee Road was the address of the district offices that used to be located within Maine South. Currently, the entire lot is under the same 1111 South Dee Road address. Also, to the right of this door is an old bus schedule attached to the wall. While it is undated, it appears to have been typed on a typewriter. The long stretch of glass and doors in the front of the building is bland with the exception of the occasional garbage can. It wasn’t always this way, though a careful eye can discern the facade’s past. Rusty remains of bolts in the cracked sidewalk mark the spots where benches
used to be situated. When the building was built, benches lined the drive for those either waiting for the bus or just looking for a place to sit. Without them, the face of the building looks quite barren. The C-Wing also c ont a i n s re m n ant s of the past. Many of the classrooms that surround the library and make up the C-wing have remained in the same location PHOTO BY JUSTYNA LEPA throughout the years, BRICK HOUSE What was once an actual entrance to the field house, now houses a bike rack. The enbut the interior layout trance was covered up to make room for the weight cage addition to the fieldhouse. The misleading entrance signage has changed drastically. above, however, remains. Evidence of the building’s old layout that students could look into the directly between classrooms and the is prominent, especially in the C135 homeroom from their class to listen to main office. Also underneath these through C143 back classrooms. Each counselors make announcements from intercoms are closed-caption TV of these rooms used to have doors that a microphone. When the privacy of a jacks that would be used so that the opened to the LRC. Those have since classroom was needed, curtains were announcements could be seen over a been drywalled over, but the floor tiles drawn over the windows. Since we no classroom TV. From the start, it was clear that still have holes from the doorstops longer have everyday home rooms, that used to be there. Because so many permanent sound-proof padding was technical difficulties would impede rooms were connected to the library, it added to the walls to create a completely the system’s functionality. As we have separate classroom. learned from those who were around at felt like the central hub of the school. One thing that has remained the opening of the school, call buttons The large glass walls now covered with bulletin board material that constant throughout the years is our became obsolete fairly quickly as the separate these classrooms and the clock and speaker systems. A lot of telephones in each room were used adjacent study halls have been there rooms still have the now-unusable instead. If you take a trip down to the since the opening of the buildings. intercom system that was thought Instead of study halls, these large rooms to be state of the art when they were C-Wing, you’ll notice that on most implemented. In theory they would doors hangs a small metal clip. These were homerooms. The glass walls were there so have been used for communication clips are a sign of the pre-Aspen
THE LAST STOP
An old bus schedule (left) remains posted outside in the circle drive. The current bus schedule at Maine South has different routes and times.
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OOPS The entrance nearest the main
office bears an incorrect address. The district offices that used to be located in the building previously used this now-defunct address.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TOMMY O’CONNOR
RUSTY REMINDERS Regularly-spaced rusty bolts are visible in the original sidewalk in the front of the building. Benches like the one illustrated below, once lined the sidewalk of the circle drive.
PHOTO BY JENNY BLASIUS
JACKED UP Underneath the clocks
in some classrooms, these metal plates were installed to serve as an intercom to the main office, and a TV jack to broadcast live announcements. Due to technical difficulties these were severely under-utilized.
PHOTO BY JUSTYNA LEPA
attendance system. Teachers would take attendance on Scantron-type sheets and hang these sheets on the clip outside their door. Attendance runners after every period would then go around collecting these sheets to feed them through a system that would record the attendance. Signs of structural change are also still evident. Students who ride their bike to school have the option to lock up their bike at the rack in front of a brick wall in the jock lot. However, many do not know that where they’re stashing their bike used to be another entrance into the building. There used to be a door here instead of a bike rack that served as an entrance directly into the field house. This entrance was bricked over when room in the field house was needed for the weight cage addition. Instead of sealing the outside, the extra space was repurposed for a bike rack.
PHOTO BY HALEY HECH
TARDY TREASURE On most
C-Wing doors, useless clips hang. These clips were once used to post daily attendance.
INFOGRAPHIC BY JUSTYNA LEPA
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More sports, few changes Colleen Johnson & Kevin McNulty Sports Editors
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Spectator Gym
Pool
Girls’ Gym
Wrestling
Boys’ locker room
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Girls’ locker room ORIGINAL
The original school layout did not include a field house or a fitness center. The field house was added in 1969, and the fitness center is currently located in what used to be a part of the girls’ locker room.
Field house
Boys’ locker room
Spectator Gym
Pool
Back Gym
Dance
ver the 54-year history of Maine South High School, athletic programs have represented the school well. With 10 state championships and over 200 conference titles, Maine South is a powerhouse in many sports. However, while the teams are growing bigger and better, the athletic facilities have remained largely the same. However in it’s first year, Maine South didn’t even have a football field. They instead played on the Maine East field. The first change to outdoor facilities was adding the football field. The football field opened in 1965, in the school’s second year, and was not named Wilson Field until the 1990s. Prior to the 1965 season, football players were forced to clean up the field which used to be the site of a trash dump. “[The football players] used to walk along the field and pick up garbage that was sticking up out of the ground,” alumnus and substitute teacher Mr. Duane Kelly (‘68) said. Since then, lights and artificial turf were added in 2009, and many sports take advantage of the weatherproof field. The turf can be very helpful on rainy days because it is a lot more durable than grass, and it requires less upkeep. “You can see so many sports day after day using the field,” head football coach, P.E. teacher, and alumnus Mr. David Inserra (‘85) said. “Also P.E. classes, band, and youth sports from Park Ridge utilize it, too.” Before the synthetic rubber track was put in during the ‘70s, the track was made out of cinders, a byproduct of coal-fired furnaces. The cinders had to be replaced frequently because they would wear down and create potholes. Students sometimes went to get more cinders for the track. “We went over to pick up some cinders from the army base on Higgins and Mannheim,” alumnus and retired teacher Mr. Jim Lonergan (‘74) said. “They told us we couldn’t take any because they had traces of radioactivity. Shortly after, Maine South put in the rubber track.”
Fitness Girls’ locker room Center CURRENT
The current plan features both the field house and fitness center, which were not a part of the original plan. Even with those additions, athletic space seems crowded today given the number of sports.
Additionally, when Maine South was founded, the field house did not exist. The current space was just another parking lot, but the demand for a field house was felt right away. As a result, Maine South’s field house was added in 1969. Over the years, a few changes were made, including a new floor in 2008. There was also an extension to the weight cage 25 ft from the current
entrance toward the boys’ locker room, in the early 1990s. Coach Inserra graduated from Maine South in 1985 and started teaching in 1990, so he always had the privilege of using the football field and field house. Furthermore, he has witnessed the evolution of girls’ sports since his older sisters attended school in the 1970s. “Female sports really grew when
my sisters were here,” Coach Inserra said. “Even since the ‘70s they’ve added at least 15 more sports. The facilities haven’t changed all that much, but the number of sports have.” At many points throughout the history of Maine South, the need has been felt for reconfiguration of existing athletic space. The school population has decreased greatly since the mid1970s, when student enrollment was up to 3,600. With the decrease in students, athletic space has been converted. This includes the fitness center, which used to be a part of the girls’ locker room, but was built because the locker room space wasn’t needed. The boys’ locker room has also been modified since the founding of Maine South. When enrollment dipped under 2,000 in the early 1990s, a corner of the boys’ locker room was repurposed into the trainer’s room. Most athletic space hasn’t changed in size since that time, but more sports are using the spaces, making it more crowded. When the school opened, there were only eight boys’ sports, and now there are a total of thirty boys’ and girls’ sports. Another venue for Maine South athletics are the outdoor facilities south of the A-Wing. The tennis courts and the varsity softball field were built out there after the founding of the school. “In the original drawings, the tennis courts were supposed to be where the houses are just east of the football field,” P.E. Department Chair Mr. Don Lee said. “So, those homes on Hamlin Avenue were supposed to be the tennis courts.” According to Maine South legend, the JV softball field wasn’t supposed to be in its current spot. When new dirt arrived for the baseball field, the softball coach at the time, Don Kerr, told them to drop it near the north parking lot. Thus, creating the JV softball field. “He commandeered the trucks toward the current site of the field, and that became the softball diamond,” Lonergan said. Eventually, softball moved the varsity diamond on the other side of campus.
How well do you know
Maine South?
LAYOUT BY ARDEN SASAK
Find these six locations around Maine South and take a selfie of yourself at each location. The first person to send us all six pictures on this page will win a Southwords t-shirt! Email your submissions to southwords@maine207.org. Good luck!
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Proposed renovations seek to improve infrastructure and security
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The cafeteria would be moved to the area across from the kitchen.
The outside walkway would be enclosed and turned into a hallway.
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A new secure entrance vestibule would be built in the main hallway.
RENOVATION IMPLEMENTATION “Plan A” is one of two proposed renovation plans for Maine South and includes an
expanded dining area, aesthetic upgrades, and classroom improvements. Plan A has an estimated cost of $48.9 million dollars, while plan B (not pictured) has an estimated cost of $31.1 million. Both plans target improving building security, but plan B excludes auditorium, pool, CTE, and many classroom upgrades, like new paint, flooring, and doors.
Building administrators have been working with the district to determine what the plan’s main focus should be. “My first goal is to have a more safe and secure building for all the students and for all the staff members,” Dr. Collins said. “Number two is a building that is better for learning so you can move about it easier and have acDr. Ben Collins cess to people and resources in better ways.” Student input has been taken into consideration as these plans develop. “Last winter we sent out a survey to students and we asked them what they
“My first goal is to have a more safe and secure building for all the students and for all the staff members.” -
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The current cafeteria and four square courtyard would be remodeled into a new weight cage, fitness center and dance studio. ◄
BLUEPRINTS COURTESY DISTRICT 207
News Editor ecent security concerns along with growing building infrastructure problems have prompted new renovation plans for all Maine 207 buildings. The proposed changes are in addition to the existing plans to improve the building this summer. “The only thing that is going to happen over the summer is enclosing the patio of the cafeteria to make it part of the existing cafeteria and knocking out some walls in the study rooms and English classrooms,” Maine South principal, Dr. Ben Collins said. For renovations beyond the summer, there are currently two proposed plans. Plan A has an estimated cost of $48.9 million dollars. Plan B which excludes some of the more minor renovations has an estimated cost of $31.1 million dollars. “Cost is the main difference between the plans,” Dr. Collins said. “South is a big dominos game. If you want to change something like, say, the cafeteria, then you have to move other things around. The big question is what is going to stay in each plan and what things can you take out while keeping [important improvements]. The current master plan continues to be revised as new ideas are added. “The plan is going to change every week,” Dr. Collins said. “There are so many factors that will impact it. Once you get into the construction, the plan will change even more.” Maine South’s master renovation plan addresses several different concerns. “There are three aspects [to the project],” District 207 Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Ms. Mary Kalou said. “The first category is infrastructure. That’s the stuff students never see like the plumbing, the electrical, and the heating systems. Then there’s security, and then there’s accessibility.”
Proposed renovation Plan A
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Elaine Smith
Practice basketball courts would be added to the fieldhouse.
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District 207 looks to improve all three high schools with building upgrades
thought about their spaces,” Ms. Kalou said. “We didn’t ask students about security and infrastructure, but those are givens. We heard the students talk about the dining and common experience.” Currently, the building cannot be fully secured because students walk outside to get to and from certain classes. “Most of the time, students seem to be fairly evenly split between the A-wing and the rest of the school,” senior Braedon Giblin said. “This causes high amounts of traffic in single, narrow hallway connecting the A-wing to the school. This is partially mitigated by students walking outside of the school.” Walking outside can be inconvenient and the open walkway poses potential security threats. “If we bought this property, we
would never have designed a school like this,” Dr. Collins said. “We shouldn’t have to go outside in the winter to walk from class to class.” To make Maine South more secure while meeting the needs of students, a hallway from the west side of the A-wing to the Cafeteria will be added onto the existing building. “The plan is to enclose the back hallway so that it’s more secure,” Dr. Collins said. “It would be a very big hallway similar to the main hallway now.” The multiple entrances in the front hallway also pose security concerns and will be addressed. “They are going to build a big, secure main entrance,” Dr. Collins said. “We want to make the whole main hallway much more safe and secure.” In addition to making the building safer, the cafeteria and food serving
lines will be relocated. Under the current plan, the cafeteria will be moved to the area across from the kitchen in the space currently occupied by fashion, preschool and art classrooms. “The proposed changes right now are that we do something different with the cafeteria,” Dr. Collins said. “The priority would be building a cafeteria that can double as a common space. Students could eat outside in the [nearby] courtyard as well.” The existing layout of the building is difficult for students to navigate. “Currently I think that the space is pretty big but is not used well,” sophomore Daniella Marin said. “One thing I would change about the layout is to make it more manageable is relocate PHOTO BY ARDEN SASAK certain classes so that they are closer DANGER ZONE The current main entrance door and security desk poses potential together. Some of my passing periods security threats. A secure vestibule will be constructed to make the building safer along with are from the A-wing to the V-wing and enclosing the back hallway. I’m always late to class.” but it will stay relatively in the same The other two schools don’t have that To address student concerns, the place,” Dr. Collins said. “We have level of unreliability so their system renovation plan attempts to increase talked about adding a coffee shop and improvements are part of their master the building’s accessibility. vending machines.” plans.” “We want to try and get some betMuch of the building’s infrastrucCommunity members, a districtter classroom space,” Dr. Collins said. ture has not been updated since the hired community engagement firm, “A lot of classroom space for CTE, Fine school was first built in 1964. The plans the school board, and administrators Arts, Special Education and English target the school’s aging infrastructure. are working together to finalize the will be reworked. There will also be a “A big chunk of this plan involves plan. Starting last month, community new student support center so that it’s stuff that won’t ever be seen,” Ms. members began taking part in coma lot easier to get academic support Kalou said. “There are things called air munity engagement sessions. for classes and handling units, “A lot of different community the student serthat control the members from the entire township vice areas will ventilation for a from every walk of life will come tobe right by the given area. These gether multiple times from the end of cafeteria so that have a useful life February through the summer,” Dr. it’s easier to visit of 25 years if they Collins said. “Their job, along with your counselor.” are indoors. We the community engagement firm, is to The renovahave some units figure out what the community wants tion plan also that are at 50 as part of their buildings and how the -Ms. Mary Kalou years.” attempts to imcommunity is willing to make that prove the buildOriginal pip- happen.” ing aesthetically. ing will also be On March 15, the community en“They are looking to remodel pret- replaced throughout the building as gagement committee toured Maine ty much the entire A-wing,” Dr. Collins part of the renovation. South. said. “New lighting and new flooring All three schools also need new fire “The committee has talked about [will also] be installed throughout the alarm systems. the need for a better school, how the whole building.” “The Maine South fire alarm sys- building can be safer, how it can be The library, which was previously tem is unreliable,” Ms. Kalou said. difficult to walk around the building renovated in 1991, will not be relo- “There are a lot of false alarms due to and about what upgrades need to be cated. a fault in the wiring since it’s so old. made,” Dr. Collins said. “The feedback “Eventually, the LRC will be altered This summer we are replacing that. from the school board has [also] been
“A big chunk of this plan involves stuff that won’t ever be seen.”
good so far.” Students will continue to play a role in designing a better school. “We are thinking about having some student sessions, and possibly some presentations during lunch and class periods to introduce the idea,” Dr. Collins said. “We want people to walk in this school and feel pride. We want alumni to come back and say this is our building and be proud of it.” The final plan will eventually need to be approved by the school board. “No matter what plan gets approved, we know we have more needs than what’s in those plans,” Ms. Kalou said. “We will always try and stretch our dollars to try and take care of more of the needs of each building. We know we still have more work to do and will continue to that work, even if certain changes don’t make it into the first round. We have a lot of infrastructure and security changes to make, but once that’s done then we should have available funds to do other things.” Each of the three high schools has its own unique renovation plan. “All along, we have wanted everything to be fair,” Mrs. Kalou said. “I think where we are going to land is that fair doesn’t mean equal dollars; fair means that we address [each school’s] primary needs and we give the schools the primary improvements they need.” There are several different ways a project of this magnitude can be funded. “The district is exploring funding based on what the community will identify as their desired plan,” Dr. Collins said. “That funding can be a combination of reserves and new funding, like raising bonds, and we’re looking into a few different ways that could work. In one current option, the district would put a larger percentage of their reserves forward. The final percentage of how this is funded will ultimately be decided by the school board based on the feedback process of the community. There’s no set number right now—we’re just exploring multiple options.”
What would you like changed about our school building? “I think our school is stuck in the 1970s. There is too much wood paneling, and I hate the glass blocks so much. The lighting is also outdated.”
Emma Ferstel (‘20)
“I think there is not enough space for sports teams to practice. We never have a gym, so we need more space for after-school activities.”
Ally Van Pelt (‘19)
“The building is gross, especially with the cockroach problem. The building could definitely be better.”
Michael Belford (‘18)
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SPORTS
| March 23, 2018
Girls’ track builds on cross country season Katie Roche
Sports Writer irls’ track is using their indoor season to prepare for the outdoor season coming up at the end of March. At their home invite on Feb. 16, the team placed second. The indoor season stretches from January through the end of March. After spring break, the outdoor season starts and lasts until late May, if the team qualifies for State. “It is nice to report that we have had many nice performances across the various track and field events,” Coach Jeff Downing said. “In the past, we may have been supported mainly by distance runners or hurdlers, but we have been impressed by the fact that we have scored points in the sprints, jumps, and throws as well.” The positive team mentality cannot be executed without healthy athletes. “The hope is that if we have everyone healthy at the end of the season, we should have a nice opportunity to compete for spots in several events at the state finals,” Coach Downing said. This season, junior Katie Dingle has led the team in both hurdles and high jump. Last season, Dingle qualified for state in both events.
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She also holds the Maine South record for the 50-yard low hurdles with a time of 7.5 seconds and the high jump with a height of 5’3”. She recently broke the 50-meter high hurdle and the 50-meter low hurdle school records. Dingle’s goals for the season include qualifying for the state meet in high jump, the 300-meter low hurdles, and the 100-meter high hurdles. She’ll also attempt to place in the top nine in the 300 hurdles. Her goals have increased the longer she has been on track, making this year harder than the past. “My goals are obviously much higher this year since I feel more and more comfortable competing in faster heats and in bigger, more competitive meets,” Dingle said. Junior Anna Gerbich has shown the ability to lead the team in the shot put in those more competitive meets. “My goals for both indoor and outdoor are to make it to state and to throw over 38 feet,” Gerbich said. So far, she has been making great strides to complete this goal, where recently she has thrown between 34 and 38 feet. This season, she has only finished outside of the top two once, when she got fifth at an invite with over 90 girls. Gerbich received
a medal in that invite. Though shot put is extremely technical, this season she has worked hard to improve her strength and technique through lifting and many other exercises in practice. She collaborates with junior Cassandra Soto, who also throws shot. With an increased number of girls competing in shot put, Gerbich and Soto need to be leaders. “They both threw very well last weekend, with two of the top ten throws in our school history,” Coach Downing said. “Anna currently sits fourth all-time indoor for the shot.” Senior Olivia Nizolek continues to lead the team following her success last year in both track and cross country. Her specialty is the 1,600-meter and is working towards breaking her PR of 5:03.41. Despite suffering from some injuries this season, she is maintaining a leadership role by encouraging others and working hard towards her own goals. “Many underclassmen and girls who have stepped up since last season are looking strong so far this year, which makes me excited for the rest of this season,” Nizolek said. “I’m especially optimistic for the success of the program in the years after my own graduation.”
Boys’ track rallies behind two State athletes
Sam Corbett Sports Writer
enior Brandon Christopher ran cross country during the fall season, and the mental toughness he gained through three-mile cross country runs is something he will use to help him on track team this spring. He says training for cross country helps in his preparation for track, because the running and lifting are similar for the two sports. “Having tough mental endurance can help push you even harder in races that are much shorter,” Christopher said. Many athletes run both cross country and track, so it helps the team build a strong bond. Christopher has been friends with the other senior runners since the fall of freshman year, and he has big plans for his final track season at Maine South. He’ll look to qualify for the Illinois Top Times meet over spring break for the mile, with his goal being 4:20 mile or less. This is coming off of a year where Christopher had to sit out the most of the season due to a stress tear in his right calf. At the conference race after his recovery, he was able to run a 4:29 mile, finishing second to former Maine South runner Reese Jordan (‘17). Christopher knows it’s a tough road, and he acknowledges that schools throughout Illinois have top runners like him. “There’s a lot of great talent throughout the state, so I have to really push myself during all of my training and especially during the meets,”
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PHOTO BY LAUREN VAUGHN
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ZOOM ZOOM
Senior Nathan Kotowski, junior Ian Spears, and sophomore Joey Kasch race during their meet against Vernon Hills on Feb. 8. Kasch’s fastest 1,600-meter is 4:40.61, which he ran on April 22.
Christopher said. Christopher will continue his running career at the University of Dayton next year. Meanwhile, junior Brian Brown plans to go far in the state meets, just like last year. Brown runs high hurdles, throws discus, and high jumps. Brown qualified for the upcoming State indoor competition in high hurdles, and senior Michael Ribuado qualified for low hurdles. Brown knows all about the event, because it is the same event he qualified for last year, as a sophomore. Brown was also named All-Conference last year, so he is used to the success. Brown also knows the
work it takes to go to State two years in a row. When asked about his training, he says he always sprints everywhere during practice to put him in the right mindset and to get him in a good condition for the meets. “I am putting my mind to it and I really practice hard, so I have what it takes to compete at a higher level,” Brown said. To go along with sprinting, Brown says his form and technique, as well as his overall strength, have improved greatly in the past year. He says that his work ethic last year wasn’t as great as it should have been, but he knows how important it is this year.
March 23, 2018 | SPORTS
Special Olympians bring home fourteen medals Aidan Herguth
Sports Writer he Special Olympians here at Maine South had their own Olympics this winter, as the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang closed a few weeks ago. In Ga lena, IL, t he Sp e ci a l Olympians competed in a wide variety of snowshoe events on Chestnut Mountain. Snowshoeing is basically cross-country skiing but on different “shoes,” which have shorter and thicker skis. The Special Olympic athletes competed in snowshoe events including the 50-, 100-, 200-, 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter single races, a 4x100 meter relay, and alpine skiing. The eight competitors included junior Matt Dinkel, senior Siobhan C oakley, senior Ryan Tazioli, junior Chris Gordon, sophomore Kacper Jakubowski, junior Nicole S e n i s e an d f re s h m a n S op h i a Vasilakopoulos. They represented Maine South well against other schools in Illinois and other Special Rec associations in heats based on skill. Their practices on Mondays during the fall paid off, resulting in fourteen medals and four additional ribbons. Mrs. Dwyer, the coach of the Special Olympics team, spends a lot of time with the athletes. She is
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also a Special Education teacher, a Vocational Coordinator, and a Hawk Pals sponsor. “The coolest thing in the world is to win a gold medal,” Mrs. Dwyer said. “Our athletes just truly enjoy the aspect of the whole experience.” Not only is there a competition, but there’s a huge parade in downtown Galena. The Olympians march through the streets with banners, like Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics. “It’s something that is so unique, and then to have Special Olympic athletes doing it makes it even more unique and pretty cool,” Mrs. Dwyer said. Special Olympics also offers housing in a hotel, meals, a dance with the competitors, and swimming at the hotel, making for jam-packed days. Special Olympics is enjoyed by both the peers and the athletes. "My favorite part was swimming in the pool," Coakley said. Junior Sarah King is heavily involved with the Special Education department as an officer of Hawk Pals and as a Special Olympics coach. She also goes to their classes during study and to their P.E. class. King commented on how much this meant to her and the Olympians. “Special Olympics is one of my favorite events of the entire year, and it means so much to all of us involved,”
SNOWSHOEING
PHOTO COURTESY MICHELLE DWYER
Senior Ryan Tazlioli, sophomore Kacper Jakubowski, junior Chris Gordon, junior Nicole Senise, freshman Sophia Vasilakopoulos and junior Matt Dinkel compete at the Special Olympics on Feb. 7. The Olympians will compete in their annual bowling event this upcoming spring.
King said. “Our athletes, from the moment we get there to the moment we leave, have the biggest smiles.” King believes the atmosphere at a Special Olympics event is unlike anything else in sports. Something revered by everyone is the treatment of the athletes; if one competitor was to fall, then someone would be there immediately to help them up. “It’s a huge honor to be able to see the athletes cross the finish line,” King said. “Everybody cheers everybody on.”
Students can help out the Special Olympians with other Special Olympics sports at Maine South, like soccer with peers, bowling, and possibly bocce this coming fall. Special Olympics provides yearround training for students to give them opportunities to participate in sports that they normally wouldn't be able to. They always try to win, while still enjoying this great experience. "The races are so fun," said Senise. "I got three medals: two golds and a silver."
“Our team was able to work really in Florida; dancing against teams that well together, so when we practice, the Hawkettes don’t usually compete our motivation helps us get through against helps them in numerous ways. hard practices which then pays off “We are able to see other teams’ when we compete,” Breslin said. strengths and weaknesses and we A typical Hawkette practice starts are also able to see how our routine with about 30 minutes of stretching, scores against the others,” said then they go Breslin. “We come t h r o u g h e a c h “Competing in Florida adds back and try to make routine, clarifying to the excitement of the their weaknesses our the choreography performance, since we are strengths.” and working on against our biggest It also helps them timing. b e caus e t he y are The girls end competitors.” then able to see their the practice by -Hannah Kreger ('19) competition prior to doing each dance the main event. a few times. The amount of detail and Kreger sees other clear benefits to precision that goes into each routine competing in Florida. is evident in each performance and “Competing in Florida adds to competition. the excitement of the performance, This winter, Nationals took place since we are against our biggest in Florida and teams from all over competitors, which helps us dance the country came to compete. The our best,” Kreger said. team usually qualifies for Nationals The Hawkettes have continued
their success from last year at competitions this season. Last year the team won nationals and got third at state. But before all of these high-level competitions, the Hawkettes perform in the fall at football games. The performances at the football games are extremely different than the performances in competition. “Performing in the fall is all fun routines, which help us get prepared for competition season,” Kreger says. “Competing in the winter is with much harder routines, and is much more stressful.” However, helping to get them prepared for the season isn’t the only benefit to the fall performance. “We see [the fall performances] as a warm up for competition season," Breslin said. "Our endurance improves in the fall so we are ready for the competition season.”
Hawkettes place second at State and Nationals
Elizabeth Ahne Sports Writer
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fter a second-place finish at both State and Nationals, the Hawkettes attribute their recent success to the work ethic and chemistry that the team has. “The most important qualities that our team has are discipline and a good work ethic,” junior Hannah Kreger said. “This makes our team successful because we listen to each other and are motivated to work hard in every practice.” Success isn’t only measured in how hard you work in practice. “We are successful because we don’t let obstacles stop us and we grow stronger from them,” senior Meghan Breslin said. Breslin also explains how the hard work and motivation in practice leads to not only a better team, but also better performances.
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HOCKEY | GIRLS’GYMNASTICS | BOYS’ SWIMMING | BASKETBALL | CHEERLEADING | HAWKETTES | WRESTLING
Boys’ basketball finishes unforgettable season Liliana D’Alesio Sports Writer he boys’ basketball team has had an unforgettable season. Unlike in many other years, the Central Suburban League was arguably the best conference in the state, making for a very difficult schedule. Playing against some of the most talented teams in Illinois, including Niles North, Evanston, and New Trier, prepared them for playoffs. Despite extremely close games including two buzzer beaters against those three schools, Maine South compiled a record of 2-4, with both victories coming over Niles North. “Our ability to play against teams in our conference that play different styles allowed us to have success in the postseason,” Coach Tony Lavorato said. For most of the year, the Hawks were ranked in the top 15 teams in Illinois. They finished the regular season ranked 8th, according to the Chicago Tribune; the rank came after a 50-46 win over Highland Park. Finishing with a record of 22-8, the Hawks had some heartbreaking losses; however, since they had been playing against the best teams in the state, it prepared them better for the postseason. The Hawks strived for a number of different goals this season. The players believed that if they worked hard enough every single day, they would end up with more wins than losses. “We try to be the best we possibly can, get better every day, and be a tightknit unit. That was the number one goal that we had,” Coach Lavorato said. With a large team of 14 boys, the team needed constant engagement from every player, so team chemistry was a huge goal for the players. Coach Lavorato worked to lead all of his players in the right direction, whether they were part of the starting five or sitting on the bench supporting their teammates. “We believe we are a basketball family, where we need to look out for each other and make sure we know how each other is feeling,” Coach Lavorato said.
PHOTO BY MELANIE PARANGALAN
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Senior Tommy Gardiner walks onto the court at the game against New Trier on Feb. 13. Gardiner averaged 9.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season.
The team chemistry and togetherness wasn’t the only thing that led them to play well against some of the best teams in the area. The team won most of their games because of both physical and mental abilities. The players are capable of moving the ball around very well and keeping possession for a long period of time. They made it a priority to utilize the abilities of their forwards against the other strong defenses from around the conference. The team was constantly reevaluating themselves so they could be the best team they could possibly be. They were always adjusting, setting, and maintaining their goals for the season. Another major goal for the boys was to advance deep into the state playoffs. With only one State championship in its history, boys’ basketball aimed for another opportunity. “We haven’t been there since 1979 and we were looking to make a big playoff push and take it one game at a time,” junior Essam Hamwi said. “Limiting turnovers and playing good
defense played a big factor on how far we go.” Defense was one of the team’s strengths all season long, totaling 201 steals and 117 blocks. Unfortunately, their season ended with a tough 48-29 loss against Loyola Academy in the regional final. The Hawks shot just 23 percent from the field, well below their season average of 51 percent. The players produced success on the basketball court together, as a team, and also individually. Senior captain Grant Miller will be continuing his basketball career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall. “I am really looking forward to playing at MIT because it’s not only a great school but also a great program,” Miller said. “After meeting some of my teammates last fall, I realized that it was a place where I would fit in and make strong friendships.” Miller’s 6’7” height and 7.7 rebounds per game was desired by MIT. Additionally, Miller will bring the Maine South basketball attitude with
him to MIT, which should serve him well. “I have been playing with a similar team for almost my whole basketball career, so it will be an interesting experience to start hooping with people I have never played with,” Miller said. Throug hout t he s e as on, t he varsity squad has developed fraternal relationships. The comfort and tightness of this group of boys is the number one aspect that continuously led them to a successful season. The chemistry of the boys allowed them to be a solid team on and off the floor. “We have to make sure that we laugh with each other and we cry with each other,” Coach Lavorato said. “We’ve been able to do that, this year, better than any crew I’ve had in the last 15 years.” This year, the Hawks are losing five graduating seniors: point guard Michael George, centers Grant Miller and Lucas D’Alesio, power forward Tommy Gardiner, and film director Arthur Siwek.