Vol 42 issue 5 by Southwords

NOVEMBER

10,2005

1111 S. DEE ROAD â&#x20AC;˘ PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS 60068

The seasons change, hut there's still work to do.

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FEATURES

VOL.

42. No. 5

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ENTERTAINMENT COMMENTARY

SPORTS

Adventures of adventure dbb

Report on "The Weatherman"

The KlCs on the next Commander in Chief

Girls' basketball gears up for a successful season

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page 7

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NEWS NOVEMBER

10, 2005 • VOL. 42, No. 5

2006 Variety Show: undead and loving it by Melissa Hansen While students may still be moaning over the loss of in-school costumes for Halloween, the Maine South variety show this year may have enough "terror" to compensate. The 2006 Maine South V-Show is aptly titled "The Night of the Living V-Show." Sponsored by student council, the V-Show is one of the best opportunities to showcase student talent on and off the stage. While faculty members Mr. Muszynski and Mr. Sanchez direct and technically direct, respectively, the show is actually run by many dedicated students. The student directors. Nick Cosgrove, Ellen Michalak, Keith Nelson, Brennan Roach, Daria Rudowsky, and Danielle Kapolnek oversee the acts' preparation so that every act hits perfection. Student musical directors Ryan Brown and Chelsie Zimny help manage the stage band, the omnipresent musical backing for every act.

"This year's V-Show has a variety of genres, such as rock, classical, and orchestral-written rock," states V-Show student council co-chair Kelley Hungerford, who, along with her cochair Emily Smith, helps make sure the entire production runs smoothly. In fact, the acts—although highly musical in nature, whether in dance or song—do have a lot of variety this year. While the faithful standby s of rock bands and vocal soloists will never disappear nor disappoint, some acts have taken the theme in creative ways to influence their V-Show acts. The varsity cheerleaders are presenting a routine to Michael Jackson's infamous "Thriller," where half of them will be playing the living dead. Dance 11 is taking a more humorous approach to Halloween dressup with their dance of "If I Only Had a Brain" from the film classic "The Wizard of Oz." Footlighters, the group of energetic students who run onto the stage as the show starts and sing and dance in order to pump up the audience, have been eagerly practicing their dance to "Ghost Busters."

Trunk, everybody's favorite comedy troupe, is taking no prisoners as their writing staff creates mini-skits to entertain and amuse the audience by inducing laugh attacks through their unbridled, random, and utterly effective humor. Trunk directors Grace Elderkin. Suzy Herman, and Adam Jepsen are making sure the punch-lines are perfectly timed and executed in order to have the audience rolling in the aisles. Stage crew has been committed to preparing for the show. The set. designed by Eileen Joyce, is a spooky haunted house. Also, special lights are rented for V-Show in order to enhance the presentation on-stage with rotating light patterns and changing colors. "I know it's going to be great," says stage manager Peter Costanza. The V-Show cast and crew will show off their skills on Thursday, November 17. Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Watson Auditorium. Tickets are S5. Tickets are known to sell fast, so buy them while you can by the cafeteria.

Student of the Month Driver's

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September 2005

'Briay-i T.nd'ers, 'Keith 'Patef

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Toreign

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Charlie Aufmann, 'Matt 'Frank, Jacquclijie Kefis. Jeff Mol'let. Lauren Taqone, Civmor Simmons

'Ajj^Ciecf "Arts and T'ecfinoCogy Jackson 'Fislier, 'Kerin Sweetman, 'Toa'Toter, 'Matthew Walsh

(Business Christopher Gjhoiz, 'hlancy Quida, 'Kmcj, Sainaiitha Ojeda

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l^icole 'Bertini, Yara 'Harrwi, Kefley '}{uncjerford, Lauren MicfiaCa^, Matthew Tomicli

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Julie Williams, Christovlier W'dliavis, Sasiia Johnson

Sj>eecfi and 'Drama Steve Siwe^, 'j/icole 'Hammerscfifaa, Andrew T'erfeciyj. 'Katldeen Carron, Joespfi Murray

Sociat Science 'Daniefla Amhrosino, Katie "Rose 'Brosnan, T-fizabctfi Clarke, 'Elizabeth Conneffy, 'Brittany Lee, Samantfxa Ojeda, Michaef liaines. Laura Sfieefian, Oskar Wiefqus QAatfi Lauren Aipert, Warda "Baid, Jennifer Cielinski. 'l^ick Cosgro\'e. Micfiaef Coyne, Anthony 'DiXalerio, Kiertsten Ffoilanif, Andrea Krofi, "Ryan Lynn. Chase 'Peyton, Micfiaef San(^abino, Brittany Schultz, 'Kristin T'ortoreflo

Science

Susan 'Berleth, Jessica Kohnen, Jessica Kunke, Mark Lesny, "Mark Mifazzo, Joanna 'Miscierev,'icz, Katfileen 'Morrisroe. 'Taxdina Topek, Michael Trasinos, (^abnela Sadowicz, •Kevin Seske, Carolyn 'Tallman, 'J^ick Virqilio, (Emify Wechter, '>faley Wiffiams, MattZycfi

NEWS NOVEMBER,

10. 2005 • VOL. 42, No. 5

District of Corruption Karl Rove) to testify. Judith Miller, however.îi^ spent 85 days in jail for refusing to testify. On * Corruption—it seems September 29, she was released after, to be a trend among receiving a waiver from I. Lewis Libby by James Mantas second term presidents. allowing her to testify. Regan had the IranOn October 28, after a two-year They need a Starbucks: At press time, Contra aflfair, Clinton had investigation, and countless testimonies the Canadian rescuers were digging out a family the Monica Lewinsky grand jury indicted I. Lewis Libby on the trapped in their home buried in snow. The affair, and now George Bush has the Valerie charges of obstruction of justice, perjury, and house is actually located in Iqalit. which Plame affair. making false statements to FBI agents. Libby receives eight and a half feet of snow a year. The current scandal began when Joseph resigned almost immediately following the And I thought it was boring to live in Park Wilson was asked by the CIA and Dick indictment. Ridge. But the name of that place is Road to Cheney's office to go to Niger to confirm a Despite the indictment, the question that Nowhere and it's three degrees latitude south report that Niger sold uranium to Iraq. When started the investigation still remains of the Arctic Circle. Mr. Wilson returned, he reported that he found unanswered: was the identity of a CIA officer no evidence of the uranium sales. illegally leaked by the White House? Then, on July 6.2003. Mr. Wilson published The indictment, however, does provide**£?* They should play on Valentine s Day: A man an article in The New York Times that stated, some answers. It states that Libby talked with named Bobby Valentine—former Mets "Based on my experience with the Tim Russert, Judith Miller, and Matthew^^** manager—and his Japanese team, the Chiba administration in the months leading up to the Cooper, and that he later lied about theiriîs3* Lotte Marines, just swept the Japanese war, I have little choice but to conclude that discussions. It also stated that Libby was World Series, and is calling for a real World some of the intelligence related to Iraq's advised by Dick Cheney that Wilson's wife Series, White Sox versus the Marines. nuclear weapons program was twisted to worked for the CIA. « ; 3 ^ Cubs fans, rejoice: we name our baseball exaggerate the Iraqi threat." It does not appear as though Karl Rove will^jqf* teams after footwear and they name theirs Later. I. Lewis Libby. Dick Cheney's chief be indicted, however, there still is a possibility."'"CT what we reserve for an arm of our military. of staff, and Karl Rove. George Bush's top Even if he is not indicted, some S e n a t e ^ ^ ^ A great series it could be, if the MLB isn't political advisor, both discussed Wilson and Democrats are recommending the Karl Rove too scared to get whipped. his wife with reporters. One resign for his role in the case. of those reporters was Senator Harry Reid o Robert Novak, who Nevada said that George $100,000,000,000: Exxon Mobil Corp. published an article on July Bush "should apologize, broke the record for the largest quarterly 14. 2003. stating that Joseph the vice president should"*"!!^ profit for a U.S. company ever when its Wilson's wife, Valerie apologize, they should profits surged 75 percent because of high Plame, was a CIA agent. come clean with the gas prices, and they reel in a hefty SI00 That article caused the American public." ^s^ billion in quarterly sales. Justice Department to begin Democrats are not t h e ^ ^ T I can't wait to see Huffy's quarterly profit an investigation to only ones urging the B u s h ^ ^ * surge when we all have to ride bikes to determine if the identity of administration to change. "* school. a CIA officer was leaked Many Republicans are illegally. The Justice advising the current Department appointed administration to hire new Yahow much?: Yahoo Inc. is going to Patrick Fitzgerald to be the people. "You should««cT* double the cost of its online music ptiittii t oum-i i of Associated Prtis special prosecutor in this always be looking for new subscription—one that renders your I. Lewis Libby was case. blood, new energy, downloaded mp3s unplayable once it indicted on October 28th. qualified staff, new people Patrick Fitzgerald's expires—to about S120 a year. investigation lead him to subpoena reporters in the administration," said Trent Lott, a With affordable prices like that, people Judith Miller, Tim Russert and Matthew Republican from Mississippi. However, it who/Jav for their music should be Cooper, to testify about their conversations seems like the Bush administration is not arrested. with certain government officials. In August going to take that advice. On October 31. Dick of 2004, Tim Russert testified before the grand Cheney promoted David S. Addington a n d ^ i ^ ^ jury, and was reportedly not asked to disclose John P. Hannah, two key members of the^HT^ Think you have what it takes to ^ 3 ^ any confidential sources. Although Judith administration, to replace Libby. write a "No Comment" blurb? Find Miller and Mathew Cooper both refused to We will have to wait and see if the Bush^c^* a recent weird news story and testify about their sources at first, Matthew administration and others to come will l e a m ^ ^ T submit it. Maybe, just maybe, we'll Cooper eventually received permission from from their mistakes or if corruption will^î* put it in. Maybe. his source (who has since been identified as continue to thrive in the oval office. ^^#by Annette Dean

EATURES NOVEMBER

10, 2005 • VOL. 42, No. 5

Adventure Club rolls on the Red

by Kevin Lim Before the sun rose on October 08, 2005, to a roaring fire. two guides, one sponsor and nine members of They wear wearing Adventure Club departed Maine South for the layers of clothing Red River in Wisconsin. They were embarking and were still on the fourth camping trip in club history. shivering from the When the club arrived at the river, the weather cold. Many of the were was a frigid 55 degrees; the water was a warmer members warmed, however, temperature of 60. This would be the third time that Adventure Club, with Hallenbeck by cups of hot Expeditions, had kayaked this particular stretch chocolate before the day's activities. of the Red. After warming This particular stretch of the Red River runs everyone up with a through the town of Red River, WI. The town pancake breakfast, itself is nearly 100 miles northwest of Green Bay. To get there, the Adventure Club trekked the club packed up for six hours through the heart of Wisconsin. and headed back phoKi L<nirlc\ While on the way up, the club recounted joyous towards the river. Adventure Club prepar ing to brave the Red River in Wisconsin. tales from previous trips. The journey to reach There, they spent the river was well-rewarded. After pushing off more time playing on each rapid. The club had braving the cold on the first day, to braving into the Red River, the club navigated the also formed an internal club, one for people the heights on the last, challenge is what pointy rocks that intermittently jut out of the who went over the rapids backwards, and they Adventure Club is all about. For more water. The sound of kayak on rock became very even had a competition for those who flipped information on this particular trip or about familiar. The first rapid encountered by the most. "This time, I did not have the most Adventure Club itself, check out the Adventure Adventure Club was First Drop. Here, the flips - thank goodness, because it was so cold," Club webpage. waterline dropped only two feet, but the recalls Adventure Club sponsor Cyndee SOUTHWORDS swirling water left over from the fall would Kawalek. After a day of fun on the river, the A student-produced newspaper of: then rush into several large waves. club departed for its second destination: Devil's Maine South High School After First Drop came Double Drop. Lake State Park. Monastery Falls, the Arriving after dark, 1111 South Dee Road Rock Gardens, and the club was treated to Park Ridge, IL 60068 Zimmer Falls. The a wonderful dinner, Signed letters to the editor should be delivlast was the most fiin, cooked under the ered to room V-131 or given to a member of and adrenaline direction of officer the editorial staff. SOUTHWORDS reserves pumped through the Sara Woppel. On the the right to edit material for clarity and breventire trip. After a third and final day of ity and to reject obscene/libelous submisfull day of kayaking the trip. Adventure sions. in the cold, the club Club climbed the Editors-in-Chief James Mantas finally had the Guillotine, a giant Greg Mitchell chance to set up rock wall inside News Editors Annette Dean camp at the Wolf Devil's Lake State Melissa Hansen River, Nicolet Forest Park. Although the Features Editors Atra Asdou Campground. It was actual climbing part of Bettina Chang a campground which the wall was only Entertainment Editors Marty Diamond embodied the spirit around 25 feet, the Ron Feiereisel of the Northwoods drop below the path Commentary Editors Kelsey Keith phiitii coiirr, •• ' • ' and allowed the club was around 250 feet. Anna Wolonciej Members of AC wading in the Red River. to get away from the With the height. Sports Editors Alexa Karas noise, lights, and stresses of suburban living, though, came the spectacular panoramic views Frank Lukes and be able to see and smell nature all around of Devil's Lake, the rocks, and campsite. With Production Editors Maxwell Hester them. four routes to climb, the Adventure Club had Joshua Sissman After a tasty dinner at a local cafe, the club "mountains" of fun for many hours, Photographer Katie Katz sat around a roaring campfire, regaling each challenging themselves to go higher and further Staff Artists Hannah Artwick other with stories, riddles, and jokes, an annual than they'd ever been. Gina Tingas tradition on Adventure Club camping trips. The From the beginning to the end. challenging Mr. Ellefson Advisors following day, the club awoke bright and early oneself was a common theme to this trip. From Mr. Stathakis

FEATURE' NOVEMBER

10, 2005 VOL. 42, ISSUE 5

No lounging in lounge by Joanna Mikosz

Senior John Custo has a lot on his mind. He"s tired from worrying about homework, college applications, home-life, work, his girlfriend and his friends- all at the same time. He has to juggle these elements everyday, while going to school five days a week from 7:45 am to ."^i 15 pm Now. John has even less time because he must serve detentions for being late to first period lounge. Is it fair? John tries hard to maintain a balanced schedule within his life. To him. lounge could be great thing. It could relieve his stress to be able to come to school a little later, but he can"t and has to waste time with what is inconvenient for him. Is it necessary to give him detentions for tardiness to further consume his time? Students say no. "Lounge isn't a class, and you shouldn't have to be there," says senior Greg Pressling. Many agree, calling it "a waste of time." Extra time in the mornings and getting out early would be treasured. This year, it is mandatory for students who have first or ninth period lounge to sign in within the first and last 10 minutes to assure their attendance for that period. Attendance

is not taken in lounge during periods two through eight. According to Dean Mrs. Kendrick. "While we would like to have attendance taken secondeigth period, the large numbers of students don't allow it in the 20 minute time periods." Most students who have places to be agree that it's much more convenient to arrive late or leave early. Students with jobs that were not fortunate enough to get work program feel that they should leave lounge early as well, saying that they need more sleep and more time to get to work. Students feel that they need to hustle, and having to stay at lounge causes them unneeded stress and takes up precious time. Anne Mikolajewicz also disagrees with this attendance, pointly stating, "Why bother? Think about how many kids don't listen anyway or find ways to get around it." With students disagreeing with the school rules, both students and teachers agree that a possible solution to this problem would be to have a permission slip for lounge students, which if signed by a parent will allow the child to leave early or come late to school. This would eliminate problems with the school being responsible after the children leave.

Lobotomy Pop! .^^OJ I have found recently that internet "lingo," as many people C A j ^ â&#x20AC;˘^ call it, is slowly taking over our very lives. Being snobbishly too ' literate for this, I ask you to attempt to read the following with ^f ^ t h e utmost seriousness: [lyk OMG i cant bleve he did dat! 2 b '^ â&#x20AC;˘" honest its bs an w/e, jus ignore it kkthx! :)] I know, as hard to digest as a Thoreau reading. OUR VERY LITERACY IS AT STAKE! The time it takes one to discover a way to abbreviate a SINGLE word, he could have typed out the entire word as it should be and been done with it. Really, there are better ways to emulate the caterpillar of Alice in Wonderland...

"I strongly believe attendance should be taken in first and ninth period lounge," says Dean Mrs. Kendrick. "We are responsible for students for the entire school day...this includes lounge." Mrs. Kendrick also says, "As far as the late arrival or early dismissal, this is not a decision that we can make. This would have to be approved on a district level and by the Board of Education." However, some faculty members agree that attendance is unnecessary, and feel that they should cut us some slack. "It shouldn't be taken as long as the parents of the kids agree," says Mr. Deger. who supports the idea of the permission slip. Some say that it's just too much work. "It's a harder administrative task that the benefits that come from it- the bad outweighs the good," says Mr. Poskozim, who also supports the slip. If the permission slip idea is passed, students might have it easier. Scheduling their busy lives with a little extra time and less stress could make a big difference. Maybe John wouldn't be so busy all of the time then; he could finish high school without all of that unwanted drama.

by Hannah Artwick

NOVEMBER

10, 2005 • VOL. 42, ISSUE 5

The late-arrival epidemic by Luka Dukich If someone walked in to school on the most recent late-arrival collaboration day five or ten minutes after the bell rang, she may have noticed a huge line of kids in front of the attendance office—a line snaking through the entire front hallway, full of students that had come in late. Is it the students' fault or is the timing of the new late arrival days to blame? In previous years, on collaboration days, students were dismissed at 2:05 instead of the usual 3:15. This year, school ends at the normal time but instead starts at 9:40 in the morning. With the old schedule, students who participated in a sport would be inconvenienced because they have to stay at school waiting for practice to begin. Practices always started at the regular time (around 3:30) because the teachers/coaches needed to attend the collaboration meetings after classes.

Unfortunately, while the school has fixed the problem for athletes, they have inconvenienced others instead. Some students, especially the underclassmen who get dropped off at school by their parents, have to come at the normal time because their parents have to go to work, so they arrive at school at 7:30 and lounge around until class starts a couple hours later. The other big problem with the new latearrival schedule is the number of students that are coming late to school. With most hall monitors sending students to the attendance office if they are late, the buildup of kids at the attendance office has been massive. According to attendance officer Mary Lane, the average number of students late to school every day is 70. While that number may seem high in itself, the number skyrocketed to 254 kids on the October 19 collaboration day. "When 250 kids come in late, it's ridiculous," says Mrs. Lane. "What annoys me most is [students] standing in my line eating McDonald's. If you go out to eat before

school and come in late, it's not my fault. Students need to start taking responsibility for their own actions." Although a good percentage of students consistently come in late for late-arrival days, most students still prefer them to the early dismissals. "I like it," says senior Kevin Florentine. "We basically get another two hours of sleep, and our classes are way shorter." Since late arrival days make for shorter classes and a quicker day, most students are not complaining. And because you can't make everyone happy, whether it is early dismissal or late arrival, this will be an ongoing problem. Students love to go out to eat before school and that won't change. The number of kids coming in late may not change either, which would mean if you are the 254th student in line, you will probably miss your entire first class. Although this is an obvious problem, no one knows really what to do about it. Certainly no student would vote to abolish collaboration days, so right now everybody, both teachers and students, will have to deal with it.

New Maine South staff: Part II by Nicky Priovolos For the upperclassmen who are still confusedly staring at unfamiliar adults in this school, here is some more background on the new teachers at our home away from home. Mr. Michael Boyle is Maine South's new music teacher. Mr. Boyle teaches Guitar I and II, Music Theory, and Girls Glee Choir. He attended The University of Illinois at Chicago and received an undergraduate degree. At Vandercook College of Music, Mr. Boyle received his Masters in Music Education. Before joining the Hawk team, Mr. Boyle student taught at Wheaton-Warrenville High School and Lincoln Middle School. His hobbies include music, golfing, and going to museums. Mr. Boyle also enjoys attending music theater performances. Currently, Mr. Boyle is engaged to a wonderful Celtic singer, Jennifer Lennon. In his free time, he loves to watch "The Simpsons," and listen to his favorite song, "One" by U2. One of his favorite things about working at Maine South is that

he has the honor of working with such great Mr. Fee attended college at the University of students. Wisconsin - Madison. Mr. Fee's interests are Mr. Jeff Kochikaran is a new teacher in sports, computers, and movies. His favorite the Science Department at South. He sports to coach and play are track and field, attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, football, and fitness in general. Mr. Fee is a and National Louis University. Before MSHS alum and graduated in 2000. His favorite becoming a Hawk, he student taught at Niles television show is "Family Guy." North. At Maine South, Mr. Kochikaran teaches Physics. In his free time, Mr. UDELFDBE Kochikaran enjoys going out to eat and NNNACYU working out. He spends Sunday Another great word not nights watching his LUTIFE used nearly enough on favorite television r... J AIM: show "Grey's SERE RE PV Anatomy." Mr. Brian Fee recently became a EDMLPOI Physical Education teacher here at Maine Answers to last issue: CELL PHONE COATS CARDS South. Before WALKMANS Puzzle:HALLOWEEN our excellent group

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ENTERTAINMENT NOVEMBER

10, 2005 • Vou 42, No. 5

No stormclouds for "The Weather Man" hy Ron Feiereisel

There's something about seeing Nicholas Cage get pegged by fast food that makes everything seem right in the world, at least for a second. There's a lot more than that to "The Weather Man," but that running gag works well simply because it seems so random. Now, I know what you're thinking—two Nicholas Cage movies in one year? Isn't there anything better to see at the movies? No. not really. I didn't want to go .see "Saw 11" because everyone else saw that. "The Weather Man" opens with a simple visual of ice chunks shifting on top of the waves Lake Michigan. which really speaks for the cinematography of the whole film. Director Gore Verbinski (responsible for such "classics" as "The Ring" and "Mousehunt") captures the dreary, gray Chicago winter almost perfectly. The city has a slushy feel to it. and the suburbs have a slightly more pristine look to them. Everything is cleanly shoveled; it's not gray and dreary like the city is. In the film, the suburbs are a happy place, even though Cage's life is falling apart. It's the foil to the city. But I suppose recommending this movie simply because it accurately captures a snowy Chicago is futile, seeing that a real one is right around the comer. The rest of the movie is pretty much run-of-themill camerawork, but every once in a while, something looks great, like the slow motion fast food attacks or an arrow slamming into a frozen target. So it's hit or miss. Cage plays a quirky (surprise) and successful weatherman David Spritz. who is offered a job with the morning show "Hello America." While the promotion looks good, his outside life is less than perfect. He's divorced, his kids have their own problems, and his father, Robert, (Michael Caine), has only a few months left to live. David is a jerk, but it's really not his fault, because life's been kicking him around more than usual lately. Cage does a great job playing an oftenconfused, emotional father who is out of the

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loop with his family most of the time. It's interesting to watch his character come to terms with his life. Spritz rationalizes his crumbling life through voice-over, but it's not excessive and it's usually very funny, because the weatherman beats himself up about the goofy things that he does. The very best example of the Spritz's thought process and the voice work is the "Tartar Sauce" flashback, in which Cage pins the root of all his family's problems to the oversight of tartar sauce during dinner He's walking to get the food, thinking, "Tartar sauce, tartar sauce," when he's distracted at a red light by a pretty woman. From there, his thought process begins to whip around to all

directed well, and they are both very hard to understand. The son's is about how Don (Gil Bellows), his counselor from a rehab program likes him a little too much, and something bad happens—I'm not entirely sure what. It involves a car and Mike getting arrested, even though it wasn't his fault. It's ju.st not presented well enough. There are scenes that set up thiit Don is bad. but don't show the incdent that would have really strung the whole suh-plot together. The daughter's sub plot, which for most of the film I figured was about her smoking, apparently isn't. She is getting made fun of so she takes up the habit because of that. The problem here is that Cage never confronts Shelly about the smoking; instead, he takes a different route in solving her problem. In the end, the sub-plot works, but it ultimately does a great job of showcasing the weatherman's bad parenting, which I guess is a point in it.self. "The Weather Man" is a good movie. Cage proves yet again that he can play an iasecure, adult male character. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. He's funny ju.st because he's so pathetic, and he knows it. And seeing him walking down the sidewalk with a huge bow and a quiver full of arrows, or slapping his wife's new boyfriend with a pair of leather gloves is priceless, or at least worth the matinee price of admission.

Ron & Marty's DV D picks for November Ron: "Family Guy Volume y

Don't mess with David Sprirz. sorts of odd tangents until he completely forgets about the tartar .sauce. The great part about Cage's voice work is that he reacts to his thoughts, nodding in agreement about something he likes, or shaking his head when what he's thinking doesn't make sense. The rest of the cast's acting is serviceable, but Cage gives the standout performance. The children's subplots aren't nearly as interesting as the overall story. They just aren't

Is there anything more to say? It's the funniest animated show on television, hands down. Great writing and incredibly twisted humor make all of the episodes endlessly watchable. "Family Guy" is definately worth it's weight in gold. Available 11 -29-05. •:, .~- Marty: "Scrubs: Season 2" T t t i ^ ^ l Season 2 oi iliis lilu^iriuus comA | ^ I edy e.'tpanded upon the JS_jiBLj groundbreaking comedy of the first season. Zach Braff's comic timing and deliveries arc unsurprisingly spot-on. Of course he is also supponed by an amazing cast, including Sarah Chaike and John C. McGinley. Available 11-.S-05.

8' The video revolution is nigh .NrERTAINMENT

NOVEMBER

by Jesse Busiamanre Apple, the company that never cea.ses to astound, has already pulled something new from up its sleeve. Only one month ago, the iPod Nano hit shelves and shocked the public with its small yet durable size. The Nano came in 2 gigabyte and four gigabyte models. The Nano was a great mp3 player. It even had the ability to display photos, but something was missing. Then, without warning. Apple released the iPod with video. I purchased this product and havehad plenty of time to test it and see what flaws it may possess. When you first see the box itself, you're impressed, it's a skinny, small and sleek box that goes great w ith the product. The packaging was great as well. However, the real splendor of the iPod is its design. It is about the same size as a normal iPod. only it's 33 percent skinnier. The iPod also features a bright 2.5 inch, 320 x 240 pixel display. The old iPod screens don't even compare to the screen resolution on the iPod. Another great thing about the new iPod is that it doesn't just play home movies on your computer. You can buy episodes of hit T.V. shows like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives." for only S1.99 an episode. With the iPod. you can carry an enormous digital music library as well as Eva Longoria. in your pocket. The iPod features a lithium-ion battery.

The lithium-ion battery is a rechargeable battery that can play music for up to 14 hours on a full charge (30 gigabyte version). The battery usage for video playback is another story. When you watch your first movie on the iPod. the picture quality is amazing. The audio even soimds like a regular song file. However, once you're done watching the episode, one look at the battery will make you cringe. Sometimes on a full charge the battery indicator will show half battery left after only one episode. Luckily, once you exit the video screen and return to your regular music library the battery indicator goes back up a little. The battery indicator changes depending on what you're doing with the iPod. After about a week of owning the iPod. I have found that it can play video for just under than three hours and music for almost 20 hours. Not bad for Apple's first tp. and a video player. Now for information you've been waiting for: the price. The 30 gigabyte model costs S299 and the 60 gigabyte model costs S399. It's a pretty fair deal considering all the storage space and quality. The only real drawback to the iPod is the erratic battery life, which is about 14 hours for audio playback on the 30 gigabyte model and 20 hours on the 60 gigabyte model. Video is a huge drain on the battery life with the 30 gigabyte model capping out at two hours and the 60 gigabyte model capping out at three hours.

10,2005 â&#x20AC;˘ VOL. 42, No. 5

PHE B R E A K D O W N Packaging -lO.'lO - Good quality packaging comes with the basics. Headphones, USB cable, software disc, a 1-year warranty, and a soft case. Durability - 8.5/10 -1 haven't had much chance to test how durable the product is, hui it has been dropped several times with and without the case and still looks pretty much like new. It's one solid piece, so nothing can break off. There is a couple of scratches on the screen and the iPod itself, the device looks fine. Audio - 10 10 - r ve never had a problem with the quality of music on the iPod, and 1 didn't have one this time either The iPod is a solid mp3 player. Photos - 9' 10 - The screen is big already and has greai resolution. Some pictures are scaled down and don't take up the whole screen because of their dimensions, but the pictures still look great. Video - 8 10 - Vidt'ii quality i> excellent. and the large screen makes it easy for several people to watch at once. Overall-9/10

Learning from the past: why game plots don't matter hy Marty Diamond "Super Mario Brothers." "The Legend of Zelda." "Pac-Man." When you think of the stories of these legendar>' games, you get a plumber with mushrooms, a kid with a sword, and a guy who eats ghosts. These aren't the strongest plots in the world. But they are some of the most fun games of all time. Why is this? Why are games with plots weaker than "Van Helsing" better than many of today's high budget games? The answer lies in the gameplay. Let's face it. There's just something fun about jumping on turtle things (we nerds call them Koopas). It doesn't matter that you're an

Italian plumber because you're enjoying being that horrible stereotype. In today's games, the story is favored over gameplay in such titles as "Halo". But when trying to juggle story, graphics and gameplay at the same time, game developers tend to put the latter last on the ladder of importance. This leads to games such as "Hunter: The Reckoning." The camera angle and control layout were just horrid and led to an unfulfiUing experience. Games like "Katamari Damacy" on the other hand, where the .story is about rolling things into a ball, are so simple and fun because the gameplay is so refined. Story is important in Hollywood. And with movies like "Alien vs. Predator," 1 really don't think they care about story either.

But a good plot isn't important in the gaming world. When I start playing "Halo 2." I don't care about the religion of the aliens that I'm killing. I just want to wipe their race off the face of the planet. It's about the way the game plays. It has always been about the gameplay. From "Super Mario Bros." to "God of War." games that leave the focus on their mechanics will alwavs win.

The Maine South Computer Club presents:

Bunch Of Computers IV TTie best LAN party...ever. November 12 from 10 A.M. to 10 P.M. $20 at the door. Contact Mr. Hurlev in A-123 for details.

NOVEMBER

COMMENfAR^

10, 2005 â&#x20AC;˘ VOL. 42, No. 5

Politics ain't ambidextrous: left vs. right by James Manias

Democratic Nominee It's definitely a possibility: for the first time in American history, the majority of voters say that they would vote for an unspecified woman for president in 2008. Everyone knows Hillary is a threat. It's obvious: Bush's numbers are the lowest there have been since numbers were invented. I've seen Hillary '08 pins and Hillary hasn't even announced she's running yet. People who don't even like Clinton will vote for her because of her husband and the legacy he had. And to top it all off, people like patterns, and the Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton deal sounds sweet. After nearly a decade of an incredibly illfated and generally terrible Conservative majority in Washington, it's finally time to undo the damage George W. has wreaked on America. I don't ever want to read about another foreign affair for the rest of my life, and with Clinton's internal agenda in mind, at least I'll get a bit of temporary relief. by Greg Mitchell

Republican Nominee After two straight Republican terms in the White House by a guy named George, why not elect a conservative with possibly the coolest name ever: Mitt. Even liberals can agree that Mitt would be a great catch. Mitt Romney, the Republican governor of Massachusetts since 2003, has been around politics his entire life, as his father, George Romney. was governor of Michigan. Romney is a family man as well, and his 36 year marriage to his wife Ann and his six children show his high sense of commitment and loyalty. Educationally, Romney's credentials are superb. He received his BA with highest honors from Brigham Young University, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Also, if there's any hope for a balanced government at all, a liberal chief executive

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an ideal man to tackle these issues. He has had a lot of experience dealing with each one. especially same-sex marriage, in which his state became the central battleground for the

Some may argue that Hillary squeezed her way into power via her husband's presidency, but in fact, Clinton was once a powerful lawyer, one who helped convict President Nixon. She would have gotten involved in politics sooner or later, being the kind of person that she is; the Clinton presidency was simply a shortcut into the nation's spotlight. I can't say how she's going to fare as a leader, because as of now, she's only ever been a lawyer and Senator; but I can say what she consistently fights for could take America in a bold new directionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for the better. Lastly, I think everyone has forgotten what diplomacy is. Women are more diplomatic by nature, and that's the kind of leader we need to make sure WWIII isn't, well, our fault. I see people wearing Hillary "08 pins and it's still 2005, so I'm not worried about Illinois; but I'd have to be pretty ignorant to think that the upcoming election isn't going to be one of the greatest in history. Go ahead, be different and vote Republican; Illinois is going to the Democrats anyway. Just don't forget to tape-record the election this time around. issue. He has been hardened to the radical actions and emotions that come out from either side. He has shown his ability to compromise on such sensitive issues; although he is "prolife," he has also expressed his desire to keep abortion, "safe and legal in this country." Romney is also an ideal candidate for the presidency, with the country not being in the greatest economic condition. He was the CEO of Bain & Company, and he turned a fledgling private equity firm into a corporation with 25 offices worldwide and 2000 employees. Most impressively, however, Romney virtually single-handedly saved the 2002 Winter Olympics, which were in Salt Lake City. With the Olympics in the shadow of September 11, and facing a potential financial disaster, Romney volunteered to become the President and CEO of the organizing committee. He erased a 379 million dollar operation debt and organized 23,000 volunteers. He also organized the mobilizaton of a very large and complex security force, and consequently led one of the most successful Olympics in U.S. history.

COMMENTARY NOVEMBER

10, 2005 • VOL. 42. No. 5

Hypocrisy in Democracy by James Manias The Constitution is not the highest law, as it's supposed to be. In corporations and in the workplace, employees surrender their inalienable rights—that's called an oxymoron—in order to do their job most efiTiciently and get paid. Unfortunately there is a double-digit percentage of the United States' population left entirely out of the Constitution: teens. We have no representation in Congress and I don't care how ridiculous that sounds. It's natural, then, that because we have no say, our rights are constantly violated. In school, we're punished for talking. We're expelled for rebelling. We're taught to believe the same values. Call me radical, but those don't sound like American principles. In fact, we should be learning a little more about what makes America different fi-om the rest of the world to combat the fanatical idealism of those thousands who wish to destroy what we used to stand for. When one looks back on the history of every single country, there have always been uprisings and rebellions; the need to express one's grievances, in whatever way one can make the most impact, is the single most important and wonderful aspect of human nature. In even their most oppressed form, people fight back in whatever way they can. Every day, we express ourselves. We fight with our parents on a regular basis. We spend hours a day speaking our minds. So why did only six people get suspended on Halloween? I'm not saying everyone should have; I'm simply asking why. Why is it that hundreds, if not thousands, of students—who, as bogus as this seems to be, can very much think for themselves—could complain endlessly about how stupid and general and contradictory this new ban on costumes was and then not do a thing to rebel against it? Hundreds of years ago. a group of revolutionaries called the Sons of Liberty dumped so much British tea in the Boston Harbor that it turned the water to bad tea to rebel against an ignorable tax.

The defining American ideals are so five minutes ago that a single high school student body can't come together to begin to rebel against an unfair and overly general decision that directly restricted their ability to demonstrate their uniqueness. Yes, something that small and pointless; it's called principle. I don't think any reason to defend your individuality is stupid because we are defending that which makes us worth anything at all. If there were 2,700 clones of the same person, wouldn't you only need one of us? That's why it disappoints me to watch the news. Where are the marches, the riots? Why is Washington always empty? Why is the pinnacle of the free world eerily silent? Democracy is said to exist in America, but in Iraq, men are dying for what they believe in, even though their sacrifices usually do little to nothing. I can't help but feel that these men seem more american than we are—we don't dress in costume to avoid an insignificant suspension while other men die for nothing. Freedom isn't free. I'd hate to be any more dramatic than I'm already sounding, but the late Rosa Parks did something equally small years ago and indirectly brought on a great change in the way America operates. And yet we, as American students, accept the fact that every day we are suppressed; even on Halloween, when one of our favorite days out of the year is forced to become just like any other mediocre day. Every single person who loves Halloween should have dressed in costume. I dressed in only half of my costume in an attempt to stay in school, simply to record the war I completely expected to occur that day for all the student body to read. At the end of my article, I expected to be able to say that Halloween did not die without a fight. I expected to say that my brothers and sisters, my classmates, my fellow Americans stood up for what they thought should be, knowing they could not win, knowing what would happen to them, but accepting it as those men across the globe did when they wired explosives in their cars, or as those men, women, and children did years ago in the civil rights movement when they went to jail willingly to simply make a point. But I can't.

"Turkey with gravy." -Chris Williams '08

"Mashed potatoes." -Melissa Cubert '09

H u o "Pumpkin pie." -Marv Poliwka '07

O c/3 "I really don't like Thanksgiving." -Alex lorio '07

COMMENTARY NOVEMBER

10, 2005 • VOL. 42, No. 5

Homework overload causing problems by Kevin Seske Ding. Ding, Ding. The school bell loudly echoes throughout the hallways of various high schools scattered all over the United States. Multiple ear piercing noises are heard from chairs scraping the tiled floors of classrooms as students scramble to their lockers. When they reach into their backpacks to pull out their assignment notebooks, their bodies sag like a dying flower without water as they are reminded of the large amount of homework they are responsible for completing that night. Without a doubt, students all over the U.S. are being assigned too much homework from their teachers. A parent of a student who attends a high school in New York states her opinion about homework at the present time stating, "On average, it's a lot more than I used to get." Typically, students in high school now spend an average of four to five hours each night working on homework. In addition to sports and other extracurricular activities that a student may participate in each day after school, the daily schedule is packed. With the overload of homework, students do not have a chance to spend time with their families and friends whom they care the most about. How would parents feel if their child returned from school one day saying that they could not afford to spend time with them because they had too much homework to finish? How would

a student's friend respond to being ignored for many weeks due to the large quantity of work the one they care about has received? Homework should not be something that hinders a student's personal life. Certainly, young adults have much to learn from their social experiences in addition to formal resources, such as books in school. As many people say, "You only live once," so why should students have to spend the majority of their lives working on homework? According to Dr. Mary Carskadon, pediatric council chair for the Sleep Foundation, most teenagers need between nine to nine and a half hours of sleep each night. However, surveys show that many teenagers get only six to seven hours due to excessive amounts of homework. If students stay up until late hours of the night struggling to finish a long homework assignment, they won't receive the proper amount of rest they need to recover from that day's activities. It is proven that if the average person doesn't sleep for the appropriate amount of time, their immune system's resistance to diseases will weaken the next day. Furthermore, a hard-working student who's dedicated to earning outstanding grades in her classes won't be capable of doing so since their brain can't function properly from a lack of sleep. Observations made by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation found that teenagers who got a greater amount of sleep earned more A's and B's, whereas teens who got less sleep received more C's and D's. Obviously, if the time

span for finishing homework assignments interferes with one of the necessities of life, then students are definitely being assigned too much homework to complete in a single night. The course of action that teachers should take to solve this serious problem is to estimate the amount of time each homework assignment will require before they assign it to their students. They should also collaborate with their fellow teachers so that more than one teacher doesn't give a large assignment on the same night. By doing this, they will take into account of the lives each of their students have outside of school and how a long homework assignment affects them. In addition, parents need to act upon this issue by monitoring their children's school habits to determine if they spend more time on homework than on anything else they are devoted to in their lives. If this is true, then the parent should notify the teachers of the unnecessarily large amounts of homework they are assigning to their children. Hartis Cooper, PhD, chair of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia, states, "The ballet classes, the soccer practice, general playtime, homework-it's all important. What's important is that kids lead a balanced life." As one can see, teachers must recognize that students need to have a properly balanced life. As a result, it is imperative that they limit the amount of homework assigned each day so that a student can perform what is important to her.

March to your own musical beat by Will Pierce Music—from Mozart to Miles Davis to Metallica~is something that everyone can, and does, enjoy. But nowadays, my fellow teens seem to be using their musical tastes more as social leverage than for pure enjoyment. I'm referring to the type of teenager that lets QlOl tell him what music to listen to. This kind of person is always wearing a t-shirt bearing the emblem of the latest "emo" band. They refuse to accept or even sample diverse types of music, believing them to be uncool. I believe music is the purest form of artistic expression and entertainment. Music can convey almost any sentiment, and frequently does so without words. It is also one of the most di-

verse forms of entertainment. Making a statement like "I just don't like jazz" is like saying "I just don't like poetry." Both poetry and jazz are incredibly varied and it is as unlikely for someone to be able to say they like no poems as it is for them to be able to say they like no jazz. The same can be said for all genres and types of music. I understand that it is Joe Shmo's prerogative to listen to only Fall Out Boy and Led Zeppelin. However, 1 think it would be in Joe's best interests to expand beyond what the FM waves. I also think that in some cases similar to Joe's, the subject is listening to popular bands only because Jane Smith and Frank Shmo—no relation—are listening to them. That is a shame because that may not be what Joe Schmoe truly desires in music, popular music being only an

infinitesimally small snippet of all the music available. I'm not claiming to be the most musically enlightened person ever. I even own a handful of band t-shirts myself And yes, I do like to show off and promote the music that 1 listen to. I am not saying everybody should listen to the music I listen to. I'm not saying everyone but me listens to bad music. I'm not even saying that today's popular music is bad. I'm only saying that music today is being unappreciated and abused. I'm not advocating my peers throw out their radios and become musical ascetics. I'm merely suggesting that if they truly love music, then they should heed this Dave Matthews lyric: "If you hold on tight / to what you think is your thing / you may find you're missing all the rest".

SPORTS NOVEMBER

10, 2005 â&#x20AC;˘ VOL. 42, No. 5

Ozzie: the W i n d y City wizard by Nick Ryter â&#x20AC;˘Grinder Ball Rule 1: Win or Die Trying." In 2005. the White Sox not only proved that they were a serious contender in Chicago and the nation, but also that Chicago is no longer the second city it always was. We had the Bulls for six rings, but people would always say," They had Jordan." We had reason to win night in and night out. But looking back on this season, you have to ask, who did the Sox have? If you look at their lineup, the highest batting average was by Posednik, who slugged zero homeruns in the regular season at .290. The World Series MVP only batted .274 on the year, and two of their pitchers shared the league lead with 20 wild pitches. The third baseman batted .252 in the regular season and was in danger of being cut after he broke his hand. The catcher was involved in all of the controversial calls in the post-season, and the manager doesn't know what he's talking about. Had they given in to Cleveland when they were two and a half games back, all of the above would've mattered to us. But there's only one thing that matters in October: win or go home. Win or die trying. And that's what they did. They showed they had power by slugging 200 home runs during the season, one

more than the Red Sox. They showed they had the pitching. The starting pitcher of the All Star game, Mark Buehrle, wasn't even the game one starter in the post-season: Jose Contreras was. And they showed they had heart. Of the three surprise division leaders on June 15, the White Sox were the only team who was there when the dust settled in one of the wildest endings to a season ever When it came to the playoffs, though, fans in Chicago held their breath. No Chicago team had won a post-season series since 1917. Right off the bat, they had to go up against the powerful lineup of the world champion Red Sox. But in a surprising outburst from their own offense, they shelled Boston for 14 runs in Game 1. Scott Podsednik added to the surprise by coming through with his first homerun in 507 at-bats in the regular season in Game 1. After another win at home in Game 2, it was on to Beantown, where Orlando Hernandez kept the Red Sox hitters down through three intense innings in Game 3. The final result: White Sox, 3to0. Next were the Angels, who were back in the ALCS after winning the World Series back in 2002. Again, people doubted the Sox. especially after Garret Anderson took the wind out of their sails in Game 1. But in a true display of Ozzie Guillen's trademark "smart ball," A.J. Pierzynski ran out a drop third strike

call that let Joe Crede drive in the winning run on a double to left field. The Sox never looked back after Pierzynski's heads-up play, winning eight of their last nine games on their way to a World Series sweep of the Houston Astros. In that series, Podsednik again came through with a huge hit. His second homer of his season came in the bottom of the ninth with his team tied 66. As the ball soared out of the park, the Sox celebrated the game-winning home run. Podsednik got mobbed at home plate, pushing the Sox to a 2-0 series lead. The momentum was supposed to shift when we were again underdogs in Minute Maid Park. But after 14 innings, in which the Sox pitchers allowed no hits from the fourth inning on, Geoff" Blum, a reserve outfielder, hit a liner over the right field wall for another dramatic victory. After Freddy Garcia took the hill for the Sox in Game 4 , they were World Series champions. Fans watched as the team celebrated its improbable season, a year in which the team was brought together under one common goal. The team celebrated on the field in Houstan and later, in the parade on the streets of Chicago. The players blue collar style was amazing to watch under the leadership of the lovable Ozzie Guillen. He's just one uncommon man. Guillen brought a title back to a lot of common men in a city no longer known for it's common failures.

Boys' cross country Hnishes a successful season by Greg Mitchell Since the waning moments of the spring, the Maine South Boys' Cross Country has been logging 1.000 miles a person. With the taste of the state track meet fresh in their minds, the leaders of the team, Pat O'Hara, Greg Udzielak. and Kyle Schriener would guide the team through a lengthy and demanding schedule. Last season, the Hawks only had one senior within the top seven, and thus fielded a very young team. This experience paid off. as the Hawks started four seniors for the majority of the year. The leadership this provided was extremely valuable. These four seniors included Pat O'Hara. Greg Udzielak. Kyle Schriener, and Dan Martin. The rest of the top seven was rounded out by juniors Brett

Beaugureau and Karl Karrasch, and sophomore Tim O'Hara. Pat O'Hara led the way the Hawks for the entire year, placing first for Maine South in every meet, except the Regional meet, in which Udzielak edged him out. O'Hara finished sixth overall at the prestigious Lyons Invitational at the beginning of the season, and was also the District 207 champ. Udzielak was close behind him all year, and the two became a powerful 1-2 punch. Sophomore Tim O'Hara turned in very impressive races at the Peoria NotreDame Invitational and Palatine Invitational, in which he placed second in the sophomore level at both. During the middle of the season, the Hawks endured a grueling stretch in which they had five meets in fifteen days. Though they lost some close meets during this stretch, the race experience paid off come the postseason. The Central Suburban League South conference

meet was held at Maine South this year and was operated very smoothly. The Hawks, however, did not fare so well on their home course and tied for third with Glenbrook South. Pat O'Hara and Udzielak garnered AllConference honors, finishing third and fifth, respectively. The Hawks finest meet of the entire year was the Regional, where they placed third out of twelve teams after finishing fifth last year. Udzielak finished second overall with a time of 15:30, with O'Hara close behind in third with a time of 15:32. The Hawks then advanced to the hardest Sectional in the state, which includes powerhouse teams such as Hersey, Propect, and Palatine. On a slow and demanding course, they finished twelfth out 20 teams, an improvement from eightenth last year. The chemistry on the team this year was excellent, as every athlete enjoyed the experience.

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10, 2005 â&#x20AC;˘ VOL. 42, No. 5

Senior night has good results for Hawks by Frank Lukes

The girls' swim team has had a solid season thus far. With their dual meet season over, the girls are hoping to do well in Conference and qualify some swimmers for the state meet. In their last two dual meets of the regular season, the team was dealt a tough blow by Evanston, but then came back to send Waukegan home. "The past two weeks have been interesting." said Coach Deger. In the first meet against Evanston, the girls knew it was going to be a rough day. They gave it their all, however, and although they lost 120-65, there were some excellent times. Maine South came away from the meet with three first places-Lauren Zillmer in both the 50 and 100 freestyle and Colleen Muszynski in the 100 breaststroke. "We did have some festive swims to cheer us up a bit," commented Deger. Hannah Artwick came away with second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:28.41. Lauren Zitkus took a third in the 500 free with a time of 5:45.11. as well as a second in the 100 backstroke with a 1:10.04 time. Another

second came from the 200 free relay team of Muszynski. Sarah Walsh, Laura Boysen, and Zillmer, with a time of 1:47.86. Muszynski earned her first with a time of 1:12.21. "Colleen edged out her opponent by .16 of a second. [She had] a solid swim for the meet." stated Deger. Zillmer's two firsts were earned with a 25.37 in the 50 free, and a 55.35 in the 100 free. The best result from the meet, however, came from the 400 freestyle relay. Boysen, Walsh, Zitkus, and Zillmer hit a season-best with a time of 3:53.60. earning themselves a second place. Seven days later, Waukegan didn't know what hit them. The girls were pumped for Senior Night, and they rolled over the Bulldogs 131 -42. The girls dominated, taking eleven of the twelve events. The times are as follows: in the 200 medley relay, Boysen, Muszynski, Zillmer, and Leah Artwick, had a 2:03.79; in the 200 free, Zillmer had a 2:05.26; in the 50 free, Boysen had a 28.18; in the 100 fly, Zillmer had a 1:06.79; in the 100 free, Muszynski had a 1:00.32; in the 500 free, Zitkus had a 5:48.49; in the 200 free relay, H. Artwick, Walsh, Williams, and Stacy Vucich had a time of 1:54.39: in the 100 backstroke. Bovsen had a

time of 1:10.20; in the 100 breast, H. Artwick had a time of 1:19.36; in the 400 free relay Zillmer, Vucich, Williams, and Boysen had at time of 4:00.62; and in diving Rachael Fuller earned a 118.25. Overall in the season, before the Conference met, the girls went 6-4 in dual meets, with a 14 record against conference opponents.

photo hy Kline Kar:

Boysen. Zillmer, Artwick, and Muszynski pose after placing first.

Fast balls just got a lot slower by Graham Stapleton Throughout its history, baseball has remained one of America's favorite pastimes. Even as the sport has evolved into the milliondollar slugfest, the game has remained as fair as possible. Umpires are calling games in a consistent manner, but technology is revealing umpiring mistakes and disgruntled fans are calling for instant replay. Instant replay, however, would ruin the game of baseball and turn every game into a marathon. Many close games have been won or lost by a good or bad call at the plate. This is what makes the game so great; baseball is only as fair as a human can be: It is in this uncertain element of perception that a close pitch can be a strike or a ball, an out or a run. Without this gray area, baseball would become a rigid and boring game, ruled by cameras on the sidelines. Furthermore, with instant replay, the games would take much longer and the uncertainty of the game would be gone. On every questionable play, a manager would ask for the call to be reviewed. It would take a minute or two to decide if the call was called correctly

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or not. Then, the umpire would have to correct the call and deal with other arguing players. Imagine sitting through five to ten of these plays every game. Already long games would take a lifetime to finish; fans might as well go to Soldier Field. Besides bringing about longer games, instant replay would take away some of the risk involved in baseball. Every call would be precise, so runners would be more tentative about stealing or going for an extra base. Umpires would be eliminated; they would only interfere with the omnipresent camera lens. Baseball would no longer be a game of hard work and heroes, but the spawn of a modem day technological monster. Baseball fans cannot sit idly on the roadside and wait to see if baseball adopts a policy where instant replay is allowed. They should complain, moan and fight to the end to prevent a game that so many love from being ruined. Baseball great Bob Lemon once said that baseball was made for kids, and grown-ups only screw it up. Hopefully, that won't happen anytime soon. Baseball fans love it the way it is- controversial calls and all.

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Girls basketball gears up for a successful season hy Ale.xa Karas

game play. Held every day, excluding Sundays. drills include ball handling, passing, offensive This year's girls' and defensive plays, and plenty of running. basketball team started The team also acquired a new film-editing preparing for the winter system that will help coaches and the players season over the summer scout other during a camp at the teams. It University of Michigan. They went 8-0 and will also defeated last year's rival. Wheeling, in help the overtime in the championship match. They Hawks see put up a strong, united front, and began what they forming the bonds of friendship and teamwork have to that will be beneficial to the season. improve on Returning seniors Christina Solari, and watch Stephanie Zipp, and Jessica DifiFendal plan on what has continuing previous Varsity success. Solari worked well made the third all-state team last season; key in the past. junior components Ashley Tomzik and Nikki Coach Wnek are experienced with this being their Smith plans third and second years, respectively, on the on making Varsity squad. Finishing up the season as one the transition of the best guards, Tomzik made the fourth all- f r o m Jessica Diffendai warms up. state team and had 60 percent success from assistant to the three-point line. Other possible starters are head coach as smooth as possible. He got to junior Angle Rieger and sophomore Karen know the girls well over the summer during Solari. camps at Maine South and the University of Practices will be kept on a strict schedule Michigan. "[It will] feel like our second season alternating between rigorous fitness and actual because this summer I coached," commented

Coach Smith. "The only difference will be the regular season and getting used to [things like] the bus." The motto this year is "Build on." The Hawks feel they have built a strong basketball foundation beneath them and do not want to neglect the effort and passion of previous seasons. It took many years to build Maine South's reputation, which Coach Deines managed with great care for many years. Instead of starting new and knocking down the structure already standing, the Hawks plan to add a new addition-they want to build on. "We don't want to destroy the house. It is built on too much tradition, character, [and] pride," said Smith. The biggest rivals this season remain New Trier and Evanston. Over the past three years, the Hawks have gone 0-12 against the two teams combined. Last year, the girls finished \\ ith an overall record of 22-9. Their main tocus is beating New Trier and Evanston. However, the season is a marathon, not a sprint, and the girls look to the first game against Wheeling with excitement. "[We are] focused on the journey instead of the destination. We are not taking anyone lightly," concluded Smith.

Comeback just short in soccer Sectionals by Danielle Divito On Tuesday, October 25, at 5 pm, the Maine South soccer team lost to number-one ranked Lake Park in an Illinois State Sectional match 2-0. Most of the game was scoreless. With five minutes left in the first half. Lake Park's defenders cleared the ball past all of South's team, including their last defender. Lake Park shot on sophomore goalkeeper John Michael Kulnig. Diving to the left of the goal, Kulnig had a grip on the ball when Lake Park poked it in, giving Lake Park a 1-0 lead. "John Michael [Kulnig] wasn't really challenged the whole game. The other team just took advantage of the few mistakes we made," said senior defenseman Eric Weisheit. Kicking off the second half, Maine South was mainly in control of the ball. "In the

second half, it was the same rough play, but we began to dominate," said senior midfielder Jon Woo. With seventeen minutes left in the game. Lake Park's forward dribbled through all of South's players. "We all thought that he could be stopped, but he was so fast. My midfielders and I couldn't keep up with him," said junior midfielder Dan Gerrits. Senior defender Kasey Zwolinski fouled Lake Park in South's penalty box, leading to a successful penalty shot, making the score 2-0. The referee told Kulnig to stay on the end line until the ball was kicked, disregarding the 2003 IHSA rules allowing a goalie to go for the ball as soon as the whistle is blown. Senior forward Greg Pressling spit at the referee for a "bad call," and received a yellow card.

Earlier in the game, senior midfielder Cullen McChristian was cornered on Lake Park's side. McChristian had two men on him. Beating both defenders, McChistian shot on goal. McChristian, with 15 goals and eight assists this season, missed because he was heavily guarded. Senior defender Tony Kolev. dribbled the ball up field, beating five of Lake Park's players. Kolev had one goal all season, but he took his chance and missed. The score remained 2-0. "We played a strong game, but like our coach told us 'the defense had to be perfect to win.' We made a few mistakes. Good teams make you pay for mistakes," said Weisheit. Lake Park brought Maine South's season to an end, but next year's team is ready to win state.