SOUTHWORDS Vol. 37b. Issue 16
Maine South Hish School • 1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge. IL 60068
May 11.2001
We the people NEWS Broadcasting Awards -p.2 Chess at nationals -p.2 Constitution Team -p. 3 Student of the month -p. 3 -
COMMENTARY
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Property of the editors -p. 4 An empty heart -p.4 Mission what? -p. 5 God's will -p.6
FEATURES Not an open and closed campus -p. 7 Freshmen: listen up -p.8 Sports fan's dream -p.8 Focus on Faculty: Mr Nordahl -p.9 The very first day -p. 9
SPORTS Girls' track-p. 10 Boys' tennis -p. JO M-Club takes on faculty -p. 11 Boys' volleyball -p. 12 Boys' track -p. 12
photos from the colicctum of Jorie Walsh The AP Hawks Constitution Team at the top ten competition on Capitol Hili in Washington D.C. by Meghan McCall Since the end of last school year when the Constitution Team was chosen, the 26 members have been working very hard toward the one ultimate goal: the national competition. The first hurdle was the state competition that would qualify the team to
advance to nationals. The Hawks worked very hard to get there and although the competition was not the most difficult, it gave the team the experience that would help them as they ventured into the untamed political wilderness of Washington DC for the National competi^'°"-
continued on page 3
2
Ne^vs
Broadcasting does well at contest by Lauren Hurley Two weeks ago marked the culmination of what 38 broadcasting students have worked for since early September—the S""" Annual Chicagoland High School Video Festival. The festival, which was sponsored by the Chicagoland Educator's Council and Columbia College, took place on Friday, April 27 at the Hoffman Estates campus of Northern Illinois University. The planning for this event began in early March when WMTH director and broadcasting teacher Mr. Francois selected 27 projects of high caliber to compete in the festival's twelve categories. This was the highest number of projects Maine South has ever sent to the festival. Of 38 students with projects entered in the festival, 20 attended the trip. Friday morning, those 20—dressed in Sunday's best— boarded a coach bus to Hoffman Estates. Upon arrival there was a presentation by keynote speaker, Frank Partipillo. Partipillo, a Jerry Springer cameraman, focused on the importance of different lighting techniques. Following the presentation, the gathered 400 students from 28 high schools were allowed to roam the screening rooms. At noon, the auditorium was filled again, this time to announce the winners. Maine South boasts the following awards: Scholarship Award: Tracy Krug. 3"" place, Music Video: "Eleanor Rigby" by Lauren Hurley. 3"" place. Documentary: "In Memory of Anna" by Tracy Krug. 3"" place. Public Service Announcement: "Drunk Driving" by Mark Manrose and Matt Manning. Platinum Awards: "The Boxer" by Dan Floriano, Matt Holihan, & Mark Seske; "In the End" by Nick Somerman, Dave Glusic, Jimmy Fay, &Wes Sularz; "The Matrix" by Matt Manning & Zach Reboletti; "The Next Episode" by Jamie Evans, Scott Baker, Tim Barabas, Tony Allegretti, Andy Donovan, and Joe Jarosch; "Eye of the Tiger" by Pat Sheehan & Jim Rosequist; and "The American Boy" by Sam Biardo. Gold Awards: "The 12th Man" by Matt Manning, Mark Manrose, Dave Thommes, & Kevin Sherlock; "Arcarsenal" by Tina Brionez; "Band-0-Rama 2000" by Nate
Chess claims 11'^ at nationals by Erik Maye Ever heard the crowd cheer at a chess tournament? No. Chess just happens to be the only sport where cheering is actually prohibited. It truly is war in peace: a battle of the minds between two individuals fighting for his respective team yet tranquil at once. In the midst of silence, the Maine South Chess Team was able to pull through, ending with a successful season. At the beginning of the year, last year's regime was still the best in the school; however, a group of experienced freshmen soon dominated the team. The talented newcomers had been playing competitively for nearly six years, winning numerous state and national championships. The transition was particularly rough for the freshmen—, yet under the guidance of veteran team members, they became accustomed to the high school routine. The new team performed well in the North Suburban Chess League, a league regarded to be the state's premier conference . With a record of 10-0, Maine South stunned the crowds as its outstanding record had not been predicted. At the playoffs, the team placed second, losing only to Niles North, a team with several international plyers. Playoffs were held the
weekend prior to the State Championship and served as preparation for the climax of the year. The State Team Tournament this year was held in Peoria on March 23"' and March 24*. After giving up a few days of their spring break, the Hawks were ready to compete with Illinois' best teams. Out of the seven matches held during Friday and Saturday, the Hawks won six and lost only one to the Evanston Wildkits, who would go on to claim their own second consecutive state championship. Pleased with Maine South's accomplishment. Coaches Jacobsen and Beer looked on toward the national tournament held in Kansas City during the weekend of April 28*. The team, lacking several of its better players, was able to steal the Elev enth place trophy in the country. Players Robber Riddle and Robbie Rasmussen opposed highly experienced chess masters. Other team members Brett Collins, Marek Rokita. John-Garrett Ptergalski, and Bill Bielski also played well, finishing with high scores for the level of competition faced. Eleventh place, while sounding low, is a rank to be proud of In the fall, the chess team will acquire a few more experienced players who have been playing since grade school.
Tumminello; "Digital Breakdown" by Matt Manning, Mark Manrose, and Nate Tumminello; "Living in Chaos" by Andy Swantek; "Flower Girl" by Tracy Krug; "Hawkettes 2000" by Michelle DeMonte and Dan Bush; "Lindsay and Jeri's Kitchen" by Jeri Weiner, Lindsay Bransen, and Ian Fidler; "Turn the Page" by Tony Allegretti, Tim Barabas, Scott Baker, Pat Griffith, and Greg Feireisel; "Silver Lining" by Dan Floriano and Matt Holihan; "Kevin Sullivan: Man or Myth?" by Nate Tumminello, Kevin Sullivan, and Zak
Kleiner; "V-Show 2001" by Lauren Gazzolo and Tracy Krug; "The Long Black Veil" by Matt Manning, Mark Manrose, Laura Bender, Dave Thommes, and Kevin Sherlock. Silver Awards: "Cold Day in July" by Lauren Gazzolo and Nora Sapieka; "Grape Drink" by Jamie Evans, Joe Jarosch, ana Andy Donovan; "Pre-Prom Tragedy" b ' Lauren Gazzolo and Nora Sapieka; "Court Propain" by Mark Manrose, Laura Bender, and Jamie Evans; "Tub Ring" by Nate Tumminello and Zak Kleiner.
Nevv^s
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3
AP Hawks fourth in nation
' continued from page I
The team worked very well together in each of the six units, which are composed of four or five people, and also as a whole team despite the many distractions such as the Hawaiian girls that they shared a bus with. The way that the competition is structured is as follows. Each unit studies a different component of the Constitution, such as the founding fathers, the Bill of Rights, or the citizens' role in democracy. In February, three multipronged questions were dispensed to each of the six units in every state and Washington D.C. The groups researched the questions and prepared a four-minute .response to reach question. At the competition, each unit reads their prepared presentation to whichever question the three judges decide to ask them for that round. Then, the judges will ask the group a series of follow-up questions that are tangentially or directly related to the question that they answered with the presentation. After the performance, scores are given to the group. This is what took place on Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22, for the AP Hawks. After these rounds, a dance is held
in a local mall where the top ten teams are announced. This is a very prestigious honor for any team to receive and was considered by the Hawks as the first goal to reach in Washington. That night, the Illinois team started the dance party off being the first team to get on the floor and ended the night by being the second to last team of the top ten to be announced, a very suspenseful and extremely exciting experience. After this, the team rushed back to the hotel to get started on studying for the top ten competition that would be held on Capitol Hill the following day. Unfortunately, a couple very key items were left behind: Mr. Feichter and Mrs. Canova. After a long series of desperate apologies, everyone went back to their last night of preparation. On Monday afternoon, the team performed very well in the top ten competition. To determine the winner, all scores from the first two days are erased and the top ten positions are a result of the last day's score alone. On Monday night, a formal banquet was held where all the awards were given. The AP Hawks did not make the top three.
but did end up at number four in the nation, quite an accomplishment. After the team returned back to O'Hare and the competition was behind them, the things that stood out were the wonderful experience they all had in Washington, meeting with Hillary Clinton and other important political figures, as well as the memories that they made together throughout the trip. The team thanks Mr. Feichter and Mrs. Canova for all their incredible dedication and hard work on this, their very last year coaching the dynasty of the AP Hawks Constitution Team, which will hopefully continue next year after they are gone.
photos from the collections of Tim Moran andJorie Walsh
Students of the Month
Physical Education: Claire Forde, Katherine Waller, Carolina Radziszewski. Brenda Berg. Rebecca Desmond, Rebecca Klauck, John Pomagier, Chris Mitchell, Cristina Curcio. Vince Natali, Tom Cabaj Health: Donna Liu, Robert Mosson Family/Cosumer Sciences: Joanne Rinaldi. Sylvia Marciniec. Anita Michalec, Megan Liggett Technology: Joe Evola, Victoria Schaefer, Tom Walczak, Tom Gonzalez Business: Caroline Kochmit, JIK Pagliari, Scoit Lesko Math: Matt Balogh, Shea Barrett. Kim Chalupa, Lauren Hapeman, Laura Martini,
Meg Nakamura. Max Ortega, Amanda PekicCarolyn Radziszewski. Amanda Raz, Lcanne Rotter, Jennifer Sentowski, Ashley Stopa, Ryan Weslman Science: Michael Andersen, Matt Bochenek, Moira Fisher. Emily Haak, Katie Husar, Sharon Jaffe, Dan Krugler, A.J. LeBeau, Sebastian Madura, Claire Mulbrandon, Elizabeth Rawicki, Mark Seske. James Suriano, Jennifer Szaflarski. Jack Wlezien English: Stephanie Bailey. Megen Briars, Danielle Chamoun. Sean Forrest, Anna Jablonowski, Kathleen Joyce, Kori Krischke, Tanja Martic, Lauren Mathisen,
Josh Palicki. Nick Paxson, Jackie Pikul Christina Pilati. Robbie Rasmussen. Erin Sexton, Dan Smart. Karolina Stawarz. Rebecca Swobtxla. Megan Thorsen. Mike Verre Foreign Language: Malgorzata Bursakowska, Laura Garofalo, Traci Leslie, Sebastian Madura. Alexander Markovic, Nicole Penn. Lisa Simoncelli. Laura Marie Szymanski, Jason Villega Social Science: Dan Archer. Bart Baron. Connie Brewster. Hiram Fenjac. Paul Hryniewiecki, Laura Jacox. Nicole Meihofer, Shawna Ohm. Tim Sapieka, Rebecca Swoboda, Scott Wojteczko
4 Commentary Property oi
An empty heart Hanging by a moment The Editors
by Megan Gibbons
by Sam Fuller Well, this year I have dyed my hair, pierced my ear, competed in Washington D.C. for a National Championship with the Constitution Team, and even relaxed on the beaches of Florida during my spring break. Similar experiences have occurred during my freshman, .sophomore, and junior years here at Maine South. So then 1 ask myself: will these truly be the best four years of my life that so many people have reassured me they would be? Looking back on it, my high school career was indeed fast and at times frantic. The social gatherings with my friends, the relationships with my teachers, and in particular the homework assignments I have completed won't soon be forgotten. Yet still, are these the best four years of my life? I hope not. Not to sound offensive, but I look forward to moving away from Maine South. If these truly are the best four years of my life, what is the point of stressing through college and careers only to come to the realization that I should have never left high school. I fail to come to any understanding, but maybe those of us who remain in high school an extended amount of time are finding an important concept from the majority. Staying on course, if 1 am indeed aligned on one, 1 hope that each senior is able to move on to bigger and better things following graduation June S"*. Although these last few years may seem unbeatable, I know there will be "celebrities" and successful adults coming out of the class who truly strive to maintain the excitement and ambition that existed during high school. In closing, I remember as a freshman ]cx:)king at the seniors and trying to visualize myself in four years and to be honest, I am possibly the farthest thing from what I envisioned. 1 also know that everything else I expect from life will not go according to what I have planned, and that is what should make the rest of life .so enjoyable. These last four years will be enjoyable to joke and laugh about, but the years to come are what alter the view of high school.
A warm and sunny April afternoon filled with birds chirping and a warm breeze blowing was destroyed in seconds by a single man: Timothy McVeigh, a man with a heart of stone and a paper thin conscience. As cries echoed in the distance and sirens sounded for days, Timothy McVeigh walked the streets with amazing satisfaction, content with his "accomplishments." Despite the fact that he has destroyed thousands of families, not to mention a nation, he feels he has done no wrong, committed no crime. Guilt is something we all find ourselves filled with at the onset of one of our own downfalls or mistakes, yet it is a foreign sensation to this man of emptiness. This young man who thought nothing of sending a massive explosion through a busy building, filled with mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, sees no wrong. He feels no remorse. He was quoted saying, "I understand what they're going through in Oklahoma City, and I feel no sympathy for them." He feels absolutely no sorrow for the families who have no mothers, or the communities who have lost pastors, teachers and loved ones. So the question remains, what is it that sets Timothy McVeigh from the rest of us? Why is it that he devastates millions of people, but won't have to live a lifetime of an eroding remorse, and instead, will die on May 16, 2001, with a clean conscience? He will leave this earth, never knowing the pain he caused so many. As a direct result of the horror this man filled his mind with, so many lives have been changed. Whether they have lost a loved one or simply can't lose the image they saw so very often on thefi-ontpages of newspapers, hearts will never be the same. He has changed the course of so many; the destruction is incalcuable. Imagine the young boys who wake up with excited thoughts of their mother each morning, and then upon entering the kitchen realize that she is no longer there. Instead, simply an empty chair where she used to wait for them reading the newspaper. Try to visualize the pain in a loving parent's eyes as they look into the room of what should be their sleeping child, but instead find a bed made up just the way it was
that dreadful day in April, with her favorite outfit still laid over the chair. Now know that the man who caused all of this pain sits in a prison cell somewhere feeling completely pleased, with absolutely no thoughts for those who are suffering because of him. There are few things right in this scenario. Think for a moment of the guilt that must surround this horrific day for so many involved. Perhaps a young mother decided she was going to send her child to day care that day, just so she could finally get that crazy kid out of her hair for a few hours while she did her shopping. When she returned her son was lost, simply another victim. Try to conceive the guilt that must fester within the soul of this mother who has not only lost her beloved child but also blames herself for his loss. Or perhaps a couple headed for work that day, and had a fight in the car, didn't say "goodbye" or "I love you," and simply slammed the car doors and went t h e j ^ ^ separate ways. Suddenly at nine o'clock t h a ^ ^ same morning everything had changed and one left this world with a heart filled not with her husband's love, but rather his anger. One cannot even begin to speculate at the guilt that must hold grip on this husband's heart. Instead of living happy lives and moving on, these lives will forever be lived with a blanket of guilt clouding out all possible moments of happiness. Not a second will go by without a pang of remorse in their core. Why is it that Timothy McVeigh is oblivious to all of this pain? Why does he get to escape the guilt that can be so heavy it weighs down a heart? What makes him so superior to all others that he evades all the painful feelings of remorse? The answers are simple. It takes a man with a heart and soul filled with absolutely nothing but emptiness to hold such appalling feelings. When the question of why is it that he gets to avoid so very much pain, while so many others lives will forever be barren is raised, the answer can be found by looking at his soul. The dwellings of hi soul are anything but complex, it is filla with nothingness. Nothing can fill it, and in a great travesty of society, Timothy McVeigh will be leaving this earth knowing nothing of the hurt he filled it with.
Commentary 5
Our mission is to improve learning
by Britt Frederiksen There seem to be a lot of people profiting off my "education." Between the number of people writing the Prarie State Assessment Exams (PSAEs), those writing up statistics on the PSAEs, those analyzing the results, and those proctoring the tests, there is a rather large percentage of people I have never met who have control over my future and the future of my school. According to Maine South's mission statement, this school's goal is "to improve learning." What learning was improved two weeks ago during the standardized testing festival '01? Zero. I took a "real" ACT (American College Test) which does not count under various circumstances and a lengthy assessment exam that is supposed to tell these faceless actuaries who I am. Congratulations, Illinois Board of Education, you successfully wasted two days of the very precious time of every student and teacher in the state. The state has also stamped out the diversity and creativity in ' education as the numbers of teachers forced to teach to specific tests increases daily so even more time is wasted every year. One of the rules of the PS AE is that students cannot memorize the questions - seriously. So, even if I wanted to, I could not recount anything from it or divulge to readers how mundane the questions really were. A passage of the same caliber as those found on the exams would be: "George Washington owned a white horse." A follow up question of the same caliber from the reading comprehension would be: "What color was George Washington's white horse? A) blue B) he did not own a horse C) too little information D) why are you wasting my time?" My testing room actually filled with laughter upon reading the first question. The proctors then looked for the cause of the "irregularity" and joined in for the chuckling. For some unknown reason Illinois voters elected Glenn W. McGee to the position of State Superintendent, therefore allowing him to flood the state school system with meaningless standardized tests. The new |philosophy? Schools should churn out clones. Schools are literally expected to take the tests and show a specific amount of improvement within a specific amount of time or have programs or classes ousted and altered. The whole idea? Show, in writing, in
numbers, on paper, the value of a school. As if that was possible. Tests with redundant names like CAT, IGAP, IS AT, PSAE emerged. That was just the beginning -corporations like ETS (Educational Testing Service) and The College Board emerged and created more standardized exams, this time national. The SAT, PSAT, SSAT, ACT, GMAT, MCAT, LCAT, APs, etc. are all products of this, the era of the brave new school. The acronyms continue odd infinitum. For each test someone invents a class to prepare students taking the test, thus taking hours of students' time from studying actual, worthwhile content and obviously changing the overall focus of education. These tests all supposedly measure the achievements of students in America so politicians can point to them and say, "Look how far this state has come now that I've been here!" They then can be re-elected and have more power, and eventually get paid more. Today, a mass of people are employed in some area affecting standardized tests. What these tests and humans actually measure is pretty far beyond anyone's comprehension. Statistics say that schools x, y and z did better than schools a, b and c on a given day, a given time, with a given number of students taking the test and a given number of teachers teaching to the test. There are too many variables in this equation to reveal any answers, as any calculus teacher will explain - provided they are not teaching to the AP/BC test in which case, they may simply defend the state's rights to label Maine South as above, below, or simply average. Another big problem with standardized tests is that the only people who take them seriously are those who decide we should take them. No parent gets the IGAP scores back and wonders how their kid measures up. The sheets are completely unintelligible anyway - they read something like this: "your child is in the upper middle quarter of the top 10% of the number of white students taking the test from your socio-economic background but is only in the lower middle quarter of the top 10% of the total number of students in the nation taking the test from your socio-economic background . . ." The envelopes are opened, parents shrug and
raise Johnny's allowance. No standardized test can accurately measure the abilities of any student or any school, and no test will ever be able to do so. Maine South is not a statistic. Neither am I, and neither is any student here. Yet time and time again the school is treated as a number and its students percentages. Test scores decide if budgets are cut or raised and what programs get to stay available and stay funded. Budgets tell what teachers stay and what teachers go. Budgets control curriculum, textbooks, and class sizes. Budgets govern what is taught in high school. That must be improving learning. Who pays for these budgets? We do. Where does the money go? Some goes to the tangible items we have - the teachers, the desks, and the building. Some feeds the wallets of those who pretend that we are nothing more than statistics. These people are paid to tell people we have never met and never will meet how we measure up against the rest of the state. We are paying people to stamp numbers on our foreheads. Students show up, get numbered, bubble in their names for the fifth time that week and read question after question. They are trained to respond to questions in class not with the real answer but with the multiplechoice letters. A typical exchange: "How many peppers did Peter Piper pick? Sally?" "C." Tests are sent to some mysterious grading site where people are paid to feed them through machines, people are paid to repair and maintain the machines, people are paid to take the material from the machines and put it through a mechanical analysis. Then, elected officials like Glenn W. McVee are paid to smile and say "Congratulations, Maine South - you've successfully survived the machine education has become." I am not a number. I am a person. I deserve an education focused on the idea that I am an individual human being. Every student in the state does. No one has the right to label me as student number 307736 and forget what lies behind that. No one has the right to forget that there is more to me than test scores. The underlying issue? There seem to be a lot of people profiting off'my "education."
Comnieritary
God's \A/ill
by Lauren Hurley
It's almost been a year now. I'd like to say that I can hardly remember it, that last year's Memorial Day weekend and the events that followed are just a blur. But I do, and nothing about those days is hazy. I remember everything. I remember that Saturday night my friends decided to go driving around town out of boredom. I had a curfew, so they dropped me off early into the evening. One of my male friends who was at the wheel had had a history with reckless driving. As the car full of some of my dearest friends screeched away, I felt uneasy. But the feel ing passed quickly as I thought in the back of my mind, "Oh what could happen, re ally?" The next day I came home from work late. As I pulled into my driveway, my brother told me that some Maine South kids "were in an accident last night. Pretty serious injuries." The sickening feeling returned subtly. A half-hour later, my mother told me that one of our neighbors said someone was dead. My heart stopped. Was one of my friends who I had just seen last night... was one of them really dead? A moment later, I received a phone call. The Caller ID indicated that it was from my friend Katie's, but when I picked up the phone, the voice I heard belonged to my other friend, Martha. I instantly thought Katie was the one in the accident. Before I made any more assumptions, Martha said, "Lauren, Will Dushek died..." I felt relieved, at first, that it had not been one of my close friends. Immediately after, I felt guilty and disgusted at my self for such an inappropriate emotion at the time. Never once in the conversation that ensued did I feel that he was really gone. I understood what Marta was saying, but somehow these words carried no association with an event in real life. He couldn't be dead. He's seventeen. He has finals next week, and a whole senior year to look forward to. Monday morning at school, the flag flew at half-mast. Ten minutes into 1" period. Dr. Cachur made the announcement that "this past weekend, one of our students. Will Dushek died..." For some, the announcement served as a small bit of closure. For others, this was the first they'd heard of it, and went into shock.
During Junior Leaders, we shared stories about this wonderful person. Years from now, kids will still here about the time Will swung his golf club too hard and had to jump a fence to retrieve it. Although it seemed hortatory, being a Leader really did bring all of us together. The group interaction lead to many memories that I will always be able to look back at and smile. The rest of the day was quiet except for a few mournful sobs that seemed to originate from nowhere and everywhere at once. It was unnerving to hear a school cry; I never knew it could.
doing. Their eyes attempted to hide the pain of being a friend's pallbearer. It was a somber service. At one point. Will's uncle. Bill, spoke. He said that many believed death was the will of God. Mr. Dushek's next words still echo in my mind, "It was not God's will for him to die at seventeen." He said the death was an accident. Accidents can be avoided. The mourners sat conflicted, but ultimately overcome with grief. When the service let out, it had begun to rain. I was reminded of the final scene from Romeo and Juliet. "The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head. Go hence and talk more of these sad things..." Eventually the procession ended at the cemetery. As the casket was lowered into the ground, the world was quiet. It was truly the end. As weeks passed the collective anguish of the Class of 2001 decreased. School started again in August and life went on. The Senior Leaders received a small black| oval patch that had Will's initials embroidered on it. In addition to the one I wear on The wake and funeral were surreal. As I my uniform, there's one on the visor in my waited in line around the Nelson Park Fu- car. It's not there to tell me not to drink and neral Home, I was amazed at the gathering drive, because that's not what his death was of so many people. Will had touched every about. single one of them in some way, and that's The patch reminds me everyday that there how he was remembered, as a popular, kind are no guarantees in life. person. None of us can really understand exactly what happened in that car that night, and for Music drifted through the wake. The some, it would be too hard to even imagine. music playing was dreary and lifeless. Once We can only hope that we will live to see again I was reminded of the oddness of tomorrow, or past a fight with a friend. We Will's death. Will had been an award-winall expect the ability to take back harsh ning composer, who was so full of spirit, and words, or the eventual opportunity to fulfill this montage of sorrowful notes, this soour dreams, but these hopes are in vain, becalled music, did not suit him. It didn't feel cause everything is uncertain. We wake up right, but I guess none of it did. every morning without doubting that we'll I remember the caravan towards Mary wake up the next, too. We have these beSeat of Wisdom for the funeral was a sunny liefs that we'll grow up, go to college, have one. The sky was ironically bright and clear. a career, get married, have kids, but that's The parking lot was completely filled with just what they are-beliefs. Every moment minor mourners. Again the turn out was we breathe we take for granted. We huge. I felt that everyone I knew was in that shouldn't, though, because nothing is for church at that time. As the casket passed by sure.. .nothing is guaranteed. So, carpe diemj our pew, carried by some of Will's best friends and some of the finest students Maine Will's death was hard and touched many South had to offer, I understood the strength people, from his best friend to a girl he once that these young men required. Their eyes, held the door open for. Yet, if we can learn a clear now from days of stoic tears, focused lesson through this hardship, there is a silforward in an effort not to see what they were ver lining.
Features 7
Not an open and closed campus by Tony AUegretti and Tim Barabas Students today are asking for more freedom to do what they want, yet they still want to be students. So is allowing students an open campus a possibility? Does an open campus allow students the freedom they deserve, or is it a serious problem for the school? Open campuses were originally designed for adult students that were attending high school to get their GED. It was established to provide a flexible education option for them to complete their high school diploma. Today, teenage students feel this option should be available to them even though they are still minors. At Maine South this idea has been brought up countless times over the years in response to surrounding high schools that have an open campus. "I don't think an open campus would work. There is no need for it, it's not like we don't have food here and there are always weather and traffic problems for the stuents," says TR Kerth, a Maine South English teacher. The students of M.S. seem to look at an open campus as a way to prepare them for college and relying on themselves to manage their own time. "Yeah, I think it would work fine. It's your own fault if you screw up. They don't care if you ditch in college," said Mark Gallas, a M.S. senior. John Porter, a principal at T.C. Williams High School in Virginia, does see some good that could come out of an open campus. "One of the advantages, I think, is that when kids leave for college it's like 'Oh my God, I've got freedom!' There's a little better understanding of scheduling your time and making sure you're in certain spots at certain times," Mr. Porter said. The question of the lower grades and attendance is one of the dilemmas in this situation. Danielle Pallasch does not think grades will be a problem. "Maybe attendance would be affected, but not grades. You still have to eventually go to class." Yet some students do not trust themselves if they were given the freedom to leave. "Personally I would be late getting back, I probably then would not even come back," says Nick Mohar. One of the other concerns to the school
is the safety of the students who would be driving to and from school during the day. The traffic around Maine South, especially on Dee Road, can be hazardous during lunch hours. ABC News reports that students are only getting 30 to 35 minutes for lunch, which force students to race to and from school. Where as Maine South only has twenty minute lunches. Also, the possibility of using drugs and alcohol during these times could be a liability because the school is essentially responsible for the students from 8 a.m. until 2:50 p.m. But for many schools around the nation an open campus system would be a solution to overcrowding of cafeterias as the population of the school increases. If an open campus is not used the other solutions would be to start lunch as early as 9:30 in the morning, or expensive renovations that could cost millions of dollars. Miami-Dade's principal Fraind disagrees with an open campus policy. "The responsibility that they learn is to follow the rules, and drive the car to and from school and to go to work after school. It is not to race from point A to point B with a limited amount of time, that's not teaching anyone responsibility." One parent, Tom Barabas, believes that an open campus is fine. "I trust my son and his friends to be responsible. We've taught them how to be safe and now it's time to see if it worked. I do think there should be rules on it, but it should be seriously considered." There are ideas for a 'middle of the road' type of campus. Some people seem to think that open campus should be a privilege, like the Hawk Honor Card. "You'd have to earn it if you come into freshmen year knowing you could get open campus, I think you would be more apt to do better," said Pallasch. "You could have a sticker on your ID and only be allowed to leave those periods and then come back five minutes before class," said Mark Gallas. ABC News also found that parents would be in favor of only allowing seniors open campus privileges. Another type of an open campus idea was in effect here at M.S. If a student had either a first or eighth period lounge, he could opt
to come to school late or early, depending on the study. This however, had downfalls. "When we had early dismissal the problem was everyone wanted eighth period study, and that caused problems in classes. In the morning the class size would be in the thirties and in the afternoon it would be in the teens," said Kerth. Parents, teachers, and students all have very stem opinions on the question of open campuses. While students feel an open campus would make them more responsible, others feel that this is too much freedom and could not be handled. This is a big question and must be handled delicately. There are both positives and negatives issues with an open campus. In the end it's up to both sides to talk and prepare a path for the future generations.
S OUTH WORnS A student-produced newspaper of:
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8 Features
Freshmen: listen up
by Nicole Penn It's that time of year again; time to walk down the hallways and see if the fi-eshmen still look like freshmen or if they have blended into the Maine South system. I like to call the game "Spot the freshmen." I just look for the kids with their schoolbooks covered in brown grocery-bag paper (even though it's May 11!) I spotted a freshman the other day asking a teacher for a pass to the bathroom and then he actually went to the bathroom. Then later I saw the same freshman in class awake and paying attention while the teacher was showing a video to the class. But I'm not here to make fun. It's almost the end of the year and soon the freshmen will have graduated into the next lower life form: sophomores. So I've written a dictionary to help everyone (not just the freshmen, I know seniors to this day that do not understand what 'going to C147' means) understand what is going on here. Detention This involves sitting quietly in CI47 where one gets to witness all the punks come up with new ways to annoy the teachers. Students usually get detentions for breaking really bad rules (i.e. buying a new ID). However, detention is not that bad, it can almost be as fun as...REO (also known as reassign-
ment) This is like a time out except it's made for high school students if they've become too out of control. It's supposed to be a punishment but in reality it's a place where you can catch up on writing notes to buds, or just chiU out and relax. Suspension When a couple of days of REO have been enjoyed, one might get a more serious punishment- a few days vacation from school. The bad news is missing stuff like pop quizzes and filmstrips. The good news is being able to catch up on all the talk shows and then sell the plots to your firiends. Attention Span This is the length of time a student will stay interested in the lesson being taught. It can only be measured using a watch with a second hand, unless the subject is sex education. Report Cards Good grades indicate genius. Bad grades indicate a genius who is bored with school. Average grades indicated the student sits behind the humungous shoulders of one of the football players. The teacher has no idea who he or she is. Teacher's Pet This is the kid who gets picked to write
| names on the blackboard when the teacher has to leave the room. No one wants to be a teacher's pet. Teacher's pets are usually invited out to the circle drive after school for a baptizing in the pond. Self Control Only teachers use this word. It does not belong in a student's vocabulary. It should be erased from all students' minds. Officer Kitty and Co. This is Maine South's personal cop. The 'Co.' refers to the numerous other officers M.S. has 'rented' over the years. So far Officer Kitty is the only one who has survived. He does a great job of making the halls safe. He'll also ticket cars without permits, issue detentions if ID's are not worn on the official M.S. chain, and is guaranteed to pronounce any name wrong every time. Well, I hope this dictionary helps. To all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, good luck at Maine South next year. It really is a wonderful place. I know the freshmen are looking forward to not being f r e s h m e ^ ^ sophomores are looking forward to p a r l ^ ^ ing legally, and juniors are looking forward to being seniors. Finally though, I would like to leave M.S. with one last wish to all: please make sure to give all freshmen a good taste of Hawk Pride.
A sports fan's dream by Joe Madden Imagine the possible circus that would occur if both teams reached the World Series- in the same year. The idea of an all Chicago World Series has surfaced with this past year's "Subway Series." The idea of an all Chicago World Series would have Chicago baseball fans clamoring. "Could you imagine the Sox coming into Wrigley or the Cubs going to Comiskey to play a series in late October, think about it, it would be extraordinary," says long time bar owner. Bill Harms. "Of course the Cubs would come out on top," Harms says with a laugh. A Chicago World Series would obviously have a great impact on Chicago sports culture, but a greater impact could be felt on
what it would do for the city as a whole. "We would have mobs of media from all over the country, from all over the world for that matter," says Bob Schenwald, a former employee of the Mayor's office of special events. "It would be great for our city, world wide exposure, I'm sure it would generate millions in revenue towards the city." According to Schenwald no matter who won the series, it would be a win-win situation for the city. With a great rivalry as the Cubs and Sox have (mainly the rivalry between the two groups of fans) it would make for very interesting atmospheres around respective ballparks. "I have been to two-team-towns before and Chicago baseball fans are the most ruth-
less towards each other," says Harms. The fall classic surely would bring up some animated conversation between Cubs and Sox fans during the series. "Sox fans see themselves as the working class fans and they see Cubs fans as more of the yuppie type, which causes great resentment by the Sox fans towards the Cubs fans, that could make things very ini teresting during a championship game. But rivalry is what sports is about," says Harms. continued on page 9
Features 9
^ocus
on Faculty
Next year, Mr. Greg Nordahl will be a Chemistry AP teacher and a Chemistry 1 teacher. He has been a chemistry teacher at Maine South since he started here three years ago. He previously taught for a year at Stagg High School. He also taught simimer school at Homewood-Flossmor High School. He then went to Lake Zurich High School for four years. Mr. Nordahl attended both York and Timothy Christian high schools. He was on the cross-country team, basketball team, and track team. He also was involved in the drama department. He played a reverend in the school's play "Arsenic and Old Lace." He was the co-editor of the school newspaper and his class's vice president. When talking about college, Mr. Nordahl only says, "I could have worked harder." He went to Wake Forest University. Then he got his teaching certificate at Elmhurst College and an MBA at Illinois Benedictine University. "I really didn't know what I wanted to
by Eileen Collins
do. I went into college wanted to be what everyone wants to be—a doctor. Then I wanted to be a writer. I was always waiting
for that one thing to pop out at me. Nothing really hit me on the head. That's when I de-
The very first day by Kara Kreznor There are some memories from high school that will never be forgotten. No matter what type of high school experience a * person has, they are sure to walk away with many memories. As diverse as the memories may be, everyone will remember at least one common event: the trauma of his or her first day. "My first day was horrible," recalls Katie. 'The school seemed huge and I didn't know my way around. I remember all the Peers Reaching Out who were trying to help us find our way around school. But I was too embarrassed to ask them. I was afraid they'd laugh at me." "My first day was worse than that," says Alexandra. "I wanted to look really nice so I wore a skirt and curled my hair. All I remember was that when I got to school, ev^ ^ r y o n e seemed to be in pajamas, especially ^ ^ p i e juniors and seniors. I hid in the bathroom between classes so nobody would notice me." These experiences may seem bad, but H they are really only common anxieties
among freshmen. For others, their first day was a lot worse. "I got to school, took about three steps in the door, and then I threw up," Jim laughs. "I was so sick, but my mom thought I was faking it in order to miss school. The nurse ended up sending me home anyway. Talk about making a first impression." "I tripped on the back of someone's foot." says Trisha. "I went to apologize, but the girl had already turned around and started yelling at me. I said I was sorry a second time and the girl muttered something about me being a stupid freshman. As silly as it seems, I had to hold back tears." Just like everybody, these high school kids undoubtedly had a rough first day of school. A horrible first day has become something close to a prerequisite. Although millions of students will face the trauma of their fu-st day every school year, jeep in mind that it is only one six hour day. For seniors, good luck at your first day of college. Remember, the day after will be better.
Greg Nordahl cided to be a teacher." Right out of college, Mr. Nordahl was at a chemical sales job. He was laid off but then got a job in roofing construction while he was going on interviews. When he hurt his eye in a roofing accident, he decided to change careers. "I decided I didn't like construction anymore. And I didn't like business because you had a boss. I didn't feel like I was doing anything good, except earning money—and that's kind of pathetic. I became a teacher because I could help others and do some good." Mr. Nordahl is also the girls' track hurdling and quarter-mile coach and the boys' frosh-soph cross-country coach. "I wanted to do something outside of school. I don't think you truly get to know smdents inside a classroom. After school you can be more laid-back and have fun." Mr. Nordahl also leads an active life outside of Maine South. He likes to fish, golf, camp, and "just do the normal stuff." 'Sports' continued from page 8 To say the least, the dream match-up of a Cubs and Sox world series is merely that, a dream, but it gives Chicago a chance to ponder as they watch the regular season games between the Cubs and the Sox.
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lO sports Hawk tennis "Come on!" by Al Sipkovsky Just a few weeks into the season, the Hawks are off to a 6-1 dual meet record with impressive wins over state-ranked teams like Deerfield and Glenbrook South. When asked for comments on this amazing start, the soft-spoken number one singles player Luke Lasota said, "Well, I only won my last match 6-0,6-1. I thought I could have done better." Don't worry Luke, you'll play better next time. Sometimes their great record even impresses their own teammates who make it look so easy on the court. An example of this is Scott Roebuck, the number two singles player, who commented by saying, "We're 6-1! THAT'S SO GOOD!!!" However, the start of the season is just that, the start. Some are never satisfied. Steffen Mirsky is looking forward to his future matches in the conference and sectional tournament. He was quoted arrogantly as saying about his upcoming opponents, "I know
Winding down by Katrina Kloess As the season comes to a close the final meets become more critical for the girls' track team. Finding the weather cool and windy, the Hawks struggled through undesirable conditions. At the Glenbrook South Invite, the Hawks had a handful of varsity team members absent due to injury and school activities. The team came away with some impressive standings despite lacking a full team. Liz White received first place with a time of 64.1 in the 400 meter dash and earned herself an Athlete of the Week nomination in the Park Ridge Herald Advocate. Jermy Begich also received first place in the 400 M. The 4-by-200 relay team placed second, while the mile relay team placed fourth. Maine South was not only represented on the track, but also in the field. At the same invite, Jaime McKenzie received an impreseeive second place in the triple jump with a personal best jump. The 4-by-200 relay team of Ann Niski, Sarah Anderson, Natalie Rubino, and Susie Logsdon placed second. Finally the mile relay team of Niski, White, Katrina Kloess, and Rubino received fourth place. The Hawks look to sectionals to qualify for State in May. Returning qualifiers Logsdon, Kloess, Rubino, and Niski hope to see themselves in Charleston.
them. Well, I don't know, know, know, know, know them Butl/biowl can beat them." Contrary to popular belief, the team is more than just the top players on the team dominating their opponents day in and day out. Role players like number three doubles players J.R Allen and Aaron Hilyard are picking up wins against teams that have more talent, but far less hustle and emotion on the court. When informed about the record, their only comment was "COME ON!" Apparently, their emotion doesn't leave the court. This season has been full of good memories for all of us. However, there is one thing that all of the players will take away fi'om this season: "In the game of life, the lines are good, baby!" So, if the team even surprises itself, imagine the reaction the fans would have. Unfortunately, the fans the team doesn "t have were unavailable for comment.
South Stats 1:59.5 Top half-mile time by a Maine South runner in the past decade, ran by Adam Wolf.
64.1 First place finishing time achieved by Liz White at the GBS Invite.
boys' track continued... team took this meet as a chance to compete against each other, battling in relays and ending up winning every single event. Key performances were found when sophomores Johnson and Marcinek dominated the open 400 meter run with blazing times of 50.7 and 50.9 seconds, less than a second away from state-qualifying standards. Then. Adam Wolf t(X)k matters into his own hands when he ran a sub-two half-mile performance of 1:59.9, winning the race by an estimated 100 meters. When asked to comment on his half-mile. Wolf said, "I guess I ran OK, but I wanted to run sub-1:59 and beat my time from Lyons, but just wait for the four by four!" What Wolf was referring to was his 1: 59.5 half-mile time at the LT Invite two weeks ago where he became the first Maine South runner in the past decade to run sub-two minutes for the half-mile run. The highlight of the day, though, occurred when the Maine South mile relay teams raced against each other. The event had Maine South relays composed of distance runners, sophomores, and one composed of the varsity upper classmen. The sophomore team stunned the crowd as they came out on top of the upper-class varsity relay, even though it came down to a footrace between Marcinek and Tomassi in the final leg. Now it is on to conference and sectionals.
6-1
"
Record of the Maine South boys' varsity tennis team.
35-29 Margin of victory achieved by the M-Club over the faculty in the taco eating contest.
15-9,15-10 Score of the most recent trouncing of New Trier by i the Hawks boys' volleyball team.
Sports Hh
•Club succumbs to faculty 2-1 by John Jacobsen
'Twas the day before the M-Club game, and all through the school, not a student was silent, except for the fools. The students were pumped, giving teachers "the stare," in hope that a victory soon would be theirs. The tickets were being sold, the jerseys were bought, onto the spec gym, where the battle was to be fought. The kids were ready, the faculty alone, "let the games begin," and the whistle was blown... Before all the blood, sweat, and tears were strewn on the spectator gym floor, festivities began early as the faculty matched up against the M-Club in a taco eating contest. Seven men versus seven boys, the faculty proved the latter as they were literally "handed their ^ lunch" in a 35 to 29 taco de- ^y^" " A feat. PE teacher Mr. / ^ j / ^ ^ ^ M N a u g h t o n c o m -!k\ ' ^"-"'^minted, "I ifellyouifitl^J ' / ^ ^ w a s chalupas or jnchirritos^—""''^ instead of these wussy soft shell tacos, the faculty would have destroyed the students." After the indigestion settled in, it was onto the real competition. So the following night the faculty team and M-Club superstars took the court at 6:30 PM for the second classic duel, volleyball.
^S) ^^^^
The faculty pulled out all the tricks, includ- what would be a memorable contest. The ing All-American Mr. Granell, back row spe- intimidating array of traps, zones, and man cialist Mrs. Markworth, soft hands Ms. defense played by the M-Club shocked the faculty in the beginning. Torosian, and the always Both teams traded baskets amazing Mr. Romes. After and at halftime the M-Club splitting thefirsttwo games, trailed by only two. Facthe faculty side began to ulty coach Mr. Inserra sweat the rising M-Club. stated, "They're playing Ms. Torosian pointed out, defense like white on "At that point I had to slip rice." M-Club head Coach the official some extra John Vigna responded, money. The M-Club was "Hey...if you can't keep just too good." Despite the up with the big dogs, then head official claiming to stay on the porch." have received no bribes and Largely due to the efforts in addition crucial plays by of M-Club MVP Anthony Tim Sapieka, Mike Schittino, the athletes reTedeschi, and Tim Moran, mained close, but the fithe faculty narrowly nal buzzer signaled ansqueaked out the victory in Coach Granell uses height to his other victory for the the the third game 15 to 13. advantage against Tim Sapieka. faculty 47-40. PE departAlthough tension remained photo courtesy of Mr. Inserra ment chairman Mr. Lee between the two sides, hands were shaken, pictures were taken, and reported after the game, "We gave the students an ultimatum: if they won, tfiey all kisses were blown. Now that the competitions were tied, failed gym class and had to retake it in sumtacos for the M-Club and volleyball for the mer school. I wouldn't call it a threat...! faculty, basketball would be the sole factor think more appropriately a negotiation." in deciding the ultimate champion. After a This is quite possibly the reason for the Mbeautiful rendition of our national anthem Club's defeat. One is left to ponder... Regardless, a thank you goes out to all. by Dina Bosco, both sides took the court for
HcLwh 5/11
5/12
Highlights 5/14
Boys' Volleyball
5/16 @ Niles West 5:00 PM
@ New Trier Conference
Boys' Tennis Track and Field
5/15 vs. New Trier 5 PM
ConferenceNiles West
Girls' Soccer Girls' Badminton Boys' Gymnastics
State Finals State Finals
1 Baseball
@ Maine West 11AM
Softball
vs. Warren 10 AM
vs. GBS 4:30 PM vs. GBN 4:30 PM
vs. Maine West
SOUTHWORDS
Spring
Baseball • Softball • Badminton • Outdoor Track • Soccer • Tennis • Volleyball
Progressing speed toward conference by Chris Mitchell As the week progresses in time, the boys' track team is progressing in speed. The team and its coaches are preparing for the conference and sectional meets, looking forward to yet another rematch against rival New Trier. The previous time the two teams encoimtered each other, at the Glenbrook North Spartan Relay Invitational, New Trier defeated the Hawks, and the track team decided that it will not happen again. Even though disappointed, Maine South placed an impressive second often teams and showed some great performances throughout the meet. In the field events. Coach Lonergan's high jumpers and pole-vaulters both took home surprisingfirst-placefinishes.The 800 meter relay consisting of Dan Tomassi, Corey Norman, Mike Psaltis, and Paul Lewkowski took first with a photo-finish anchor leg ran by Lewkowski. "That has to be the best finish of any race this year!" exclaimed Tony Marcinek after Lewkowski crossed the finish line with his arms spread sideways. Then it came to the final race of the evening, the mile relay. As the gun shot off Dave Skiba burst out of the blocks and into
the lead, nmning a blistering split of 51.9 seconds. Next came sophomore Kenny Johnson who expanded the Hawks' lead over the second place Tevian relay. The team.
.•\dam VVoif kicks down the straightaway as he runs a sub-lwo minute half-mile. photo by Dcannii Olcske Standing on the side of the track cheering, didn't think that the relay could get any better, but it did when third leg Dan Tomassi sprinted the top relay split and a season personal best 51.3 second quarter mile. Anchoring the wiiming relay was Marcinek who
kept the 40 meter lead gained by his teammates, and brought the meet to an end. Early next morning the team could be found entering a bus headed for the Morton Invitational. Even though most track teams never have the opportunity to participate in back to back meets, the Hawks did, and capitalized. At Morton the Hawks found the competition to be slim to say the least, so they spent the day breaking meet records and achieving personal best performances. In the dominating sophomore mile relay which included Neil Sherlock, Zach Lynn, Kenny Johnson, and Marcinek crushed the old meet record by four seconds sprinting a 3:34 relay. Meanwhile, Norman could be found at the pole vault where he achieved a personal-best and state-qualifying 13'6 vault. Maine South entered and left the i ^ ^ vitational champions, almost doubKng t i ^ ^ points of 2"^ place Morton with a staggering 408 combined sophomore and varsity level points. As the team handed out awards. Coach Dreiman informed the team, 'That was by far the most points we have ever scored as a team at Morton." Then it was back to Maine South for a re-scheduled duel against St. Ignatious. The continued on page 10
Let's go Trevians by John Jacobsen So maybe their drinking water is more highly purified, their school has four floors, their mascot is a strange troll-like creature, and their unleaded gasoline prices are a bit higher, but what truly is there to fear about the New Trier athletes? Is it their irridescent blue and green uniforms? Is it their grotesque countenances, noses held high up in the air? Or is it their rambunctious parents, screaming ferociously at the opposition and the referees, when they truly know litde to nothing about the game? Actually, the only thing difference about New Trier athletes is that they've become accustomed to losing to Maine South in nu-
merous sports, but expecially on the volleyball court. Having lost to the dominant Hawks' volleyball squad four consecutive times over the past two years, spirit at New Trier is at an all-time low. Mike Mazur noted after the most recent 15-9, 15-10 Hawk's victory, "Parents left the game crying, fans dropped their heads in embarassment, and the Trevian players slumped their shoulders in disappointment, I mean honestly now, they should remove us from their schedule. If you're lactose intolerant, you wouldn't drink milk." The Hawks' slaughter of the Trevians was a continuation of the previous week's success. After losing to a fourth-ranked
Naperville North the Friday before, the Hawks stormed the Downers Grove South tournament and swept four matches to win the Silver Division Championship. In addition to the championship plaque, the Hawks received the grand prize of three boxes of twinkies. Sophomore ace Scottie Wojteczko stated, "I've eaten twinkies before, but these were real fresh and creamy. A definite bonus!" The Hawks will continue on a b u ^ ^ ^ schedule facing Niles North, Evanston, a t l ^ ^ fierce opponents in the Waukegan Tournament. With victories in these matches, as Paul Popovich said, "I think we can say we're pretty good."