Air Conditioning System Ready For Use In Dec. To ensure that Maine South is kept in good condition, many new improvements have been made over the past few months. These imorovements are termed "preventive maintenance." Each year a certain amount of work is done where the attention is needed. This prevents the school from becoming run-down and helps to keep it looking its best. Perhaps the most awaited improvement is the air conditioning unit now being installed across from the north end of the building. The unit will be large enough to alternately cool the centers complex and the practical arts area consisting of the auditorium and the surrounding area. The decision that the centers complex needed air conditioning came from the Life Safety Code an Illinois State office that regulates health standards for public places. Difficulty in obtaining steel, a concrete workers' strike, and bad weather delayed the completion of the project. Planned for initial operation in June of 1974, actual implementation of the system is now scheduled for sometime in December when it should be in working order. During an interview with Dr. Watson, principal, he stated his hopes for a cooler A-wing. Although not immediately, "hopefully the rest of the building will be air conditioned in the future."
For the sports oriented. Wilson Field is being refinished because of sinking ground due to settling. The baseball diamonds have all been resurfaced, resodded, and reconditioned in the past few months. The refinishing of the bicycle racks area is paving the way for more needed bike racks. The entire north-east parking lot has been resurfaced and retarred oved the summer. The replacement of concrete in front of the building is also on the list of the many improvements that have been added to Maine South, Another third of the library has been carpeted, and next year the remaining section will have new carpeting. Carpeting will also be new in the administrative offices of the building by mid-October of this year. To complete the list of improvements, the entire school has had a complete cleaning to ensure that Maine South is in excellent condition. Maine South's efficient maintenance crew intends to keep the school in the state it is in now. Dr. Watson has described them as '"one of the finest maintenance staffs in the country." He also thanks the students who take pride in the school and says he "appreciates the cooperation from the students and staff."
Vol. 11, No. 1
Maine Township High School South, Park Ridge, I I I . 60068
AFS Student Comments on U.S. Life While the foreign exchange students in the past three years were from Brazil, Portugal, and Italy, Maine South's AFS student this year is from Sweden. Seventeen-year-old Susanne 01sson is from Karlskrona, which is in the southeast comer of Sweden. Susanne arrived in the U.S. four weeks ago and is now living in Park Ridge with the Hetlands.
Susanne Olsson, A F S student f r o m Sweden, poses in front of her new school.
Councilwords
Student Council Column Makes Debut Carol Tomer With the establishment of this column. Student Council hopes • to receive Southwords coverage to an extent reminiscent of three years ago. The goals of this column are not only to call attention to council activities and projects, but also to present an abridged summary of the proceedings of past meetings, thus reinforcing the supposedly existent homeroom reports by representatives and complex leaders. Before school started. Student - Council was already busy. Tours of Maine South were offered to . freshmen during the two days that they picked up books. Tours 'Chairman Carol Tomer and a committee of Council members gave group tours of the entire school to a total of 232 students and parents. This is the second year that Council has given frosh tours, and it proved to be even more successful tnan the year before. The success of the project can be attributed to the number of Council members that offered their time to help with the tours. Incidental comment — A question that was asked by a few parents and students who had just been showered with expensive books and fees, seemed to reflect on
our society today. When asked if they'd like to take a guided tour of Maine South, they inquired, "How much does it cost?" Council appropriated money to send six students this summer to the Illinois Association of Student Councils (lASC) Summer Workshops at McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois. The workshops were held July 29August 2 and August 5-9 and were attended by students from studMit councils all over Illinois. Maine South sent three people to both weeks. Those who went were Gini Barklow, Julie Baudendistel, Steve Shaull, Geri Smith, Carol Tomer, and Mary Walsh. The workshop was basically oriented toward leadership training. Role playing, group interaction, valuable exchange of ideas between schools and the chance to meet many new people all contributed to making the workshop the tremendous experience that it was. Also held this summer was the second meeting of the SC Executive Board made up of four officers: Dan McGrath, president; Bobbi Inserra, vicepresident; Sharon Beckman, secretary; and Carol Tomer, trea surer. After previously meeting with last year's officers, t h e
Arena Show Underway The Drama Department's first production of the year. Dark of the Moon, should set the mood for Halloween. The play, written by Howard Richardson and William Berney, involves witchcraft and romance. Set in the Smoky Mountains, the arena play concerns a warlock who falls in love with a beautiful mortal. Unfortunately, the couple's joy is marred by the meddling townspeople who are resentful of this "mixed" relationship. Complications arise causing much sorrow for the two at the end of the story. The dialect of the Smoky Mountains gives the play a folk ballad quality. Although this play deals with •withcraft, the mood is warm and intimate.
The main characters will be portrayed by John Vinopal '76 as John, Sue Tortorella '75 as Barbara Allen, Fred Johnston '7G as Conjur Man, and Cathy Walsh '76 as Conjur Woman. Other roles include Roz Baudenistel '76 as Mrs. Allen, Jane Howard '76 as the Fair Witch, and Padmaja Pillai '76 as the Dark Witch. Major jobs on stage crew are Stage Manager (Clarmarie Keenan '76). Student Director (Kim Fritz '75), and Student Technical Director {Andra Larson '76). The play will be shown on Oct. 17. 18, 19, and Oct. 24, 25, and 26. All performances wiU start at 8:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale in early October.
Sept. 20, 1974
group will be meeting on a regular basis to work together coordinating plans throughout the year. Council held its first meetings this year September 11 and 13. Meetings are held on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 to 8:25 in the cafeteria. At the first meeting on Wednesday, it was asked that complex leaders poll their homerooms as to whether there should be a Homecoming King this year. The next meeting brought forth a generally negative consensus. Also at the first meeting, an announcement was mase that Council is planning to issue a written monthly commimique to the faculty in an effort to foster better relations and inform the teachers of Council activities. Busy Signal, the all-school student phonebook, has beem compiled and sent to the printers. It should be coming out in the near future. A new office has been obtained to serve as Council headquarters. Plans have been made to organize it and make it functional as a base for all SC operations. A freshman activities assembly was held Tuesday, Sept. 10 in the auditorium. Speaking at the program were Assemblies Chairman Clar Keenan and the four SC officers. The purpose of the assembly was to inform freshmen of the numerous activities offered at South. At last Friday's meeting, a theme was selected for Homecoming. An election was held on five possibilities: "Shakespeare Respirited," "Song Titles," "Song Titles From t h e Past 30 Years," "Movies," and an open theme. The theme that was chosen was "Song Titles From the Past 30 Years." That title was subsequently renamed "Nostalgic Tunes." Quad Council delegates were also elected at Friday's meeting. Quad Council is composed of student council delegates from the four Maine schools. Each school is allowed four delegates plus their SC president.
In Sweden, Susanne attends a school of 2000 people. When she returns home, she will have two more years of Gymnasium (a school between high school and college, for 16, 17, and 18-yearolds). She speaks English very well since she has studied it for seven years in Sweden. Her speech is interesting to listen to; she speaks with a British accent, having been taught Oxford English in school. She also took French in Sweden and is in French IV here. Of all the classes that she is taking at Maine South, Susanne says that she likes Music Theory the best. She has played the piano for four years and the flute for two years. She also plays the guitar. Susanne likes the fact that there is such a choice of classes here. In Sweden, combinations of classes are together in the schedules — somewhat like a package deal. Consequently, she has most of the same people in all of her classes there. As far as her reactions to Ma'ne South go, Susanne said, "We don't have so many rules at home. Also, here the students have no responsibilities. There is nothing they have to do on their own." She also commented, "I think six minutes is not enough time between classes. In Sweden we have ten minutes." When discussing the subject of our 20-minute lunch periods, she said, "There is enough time to eat, but there should be time to do other things." She is ac-
customed to a 50-minute lunch period. Speaking of food, Susanne was very emphatic about our American coffee. "It's awful! It's too weak; it's nothing." In Sweden, 18 is the legal age to drive. Susanne explained, "We don't need cars so much. We have buses and trains everywhere." Her favorite sport to watch is ice hockey. Other interests include journalism, writing, and student government. She is secreatary of the student government organization at her school where the council has established a rule prohibiting homework from Friday to Monday. Speaking of student council, she said, "I'm interested in that. There's always problems, and you can do something — no big revolutions, but you can take care of the little things." Susanne explained what she felt was the real difference between Sweden and the U.S. "The only thing that's not like Sweden is the people," she commented. "In Sweden, it's more difficult to make friends. But when you get a friend, they are a real friend. Here, you are a friend, but not a close friend." For the past two summers, Susanne has worked at a shop and restaurant en an island 140 miles away from home. She has never been to the U.S. before, but she has been to Denmark and Germany. Perceptively anticipating the next question, she added, "And no, I've never seen the midnight sun!"
UPI Teletype MachineNew Attraction at South The second floor in the AWing has a new attraction. It's a United Press International teletype machine which prints the current news throughout the day. According to Mr. Ken Beatty, English teacher, reporters from everywhere send their stories to New York where they are relayed to all teletype subscribers including newspapers. The machine can also print out photos and cartoons as well as news. Currently, the machine is being used by the journalism and current affairs classes. Mr. Beatty stated, "It's an extremely useful teaching device." The printed sheets are used to teach the student to write and edit stories. Mr. Otto Kohler, social science department chairman, concluded that it is used "to get on top of the news as well as in-
depth news." Maine South wiU have the "A" line, which is for national and international news, for the remainder of the year. Also, Norman Bartek '75 is working our own teletype with Mr. Kohler. In the future, plans are set to put the machine in the hallway or lounge so that the students can read about events as soon as they happen. .An optional idea would be to post the sheets in one of the showcases in the halls.
Bulletin T h e '74-'75 It's Academic team was announced Sept. 17, and the show will be taped Oct. 23. Dorothy Chung, Alan Robandt, and Sally Zilla compose tlie team. Alternates are Tom Crowe, Larry Keller, and Bill Windsor.
Editors Maureen Buckley, Ellen Bush, and Carrie Reckert examine fresh news off the U P I machine.