Vol 45 issue 2

OCTOBER 17, 2008

1111 S. DEE ROAD • PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS 60068

VOL. 45, NO. 2

Maine South students huddle outside of Wilson Field after being evacuated from the Homecoming dance.

NEWS

FEATURES

ENTERTAINMENT COMMENTARY SPORTS

2 4 7 9 12

A look at HomeBomb threat ruins Maine South coming through the ages.

Homecoming.

PAGE 2

PAGE 4

Dean vs. student music review.

Illinois tightens Tennis team playing strongly laws on this season. driving.

PAGE 7

PAGE 9

PAGE 12

2 Aloha

NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

bomb threat, goodbye homecoming

by Keely Patt acted to evacuate the dance.

According to Thetard, the evacuation plan On the night of October 4, a bomb threat led to the cancellation of the annual Homecoming went fairly smoothly. “The kids were great,” he said. “The gym was easily cleared within dance.

The dance was taken out to Wilson Field five minutes, and there were just under 1,500 after a 911 dispatcher notified Maine South that students in attendance.”

Thetard explained that no new security three calls had been made stating that a bomb was set to detonate in the school. When it was measures are being taken, but a lot was learned in terms of discovered that how to handle Cook County’s a situation explosive such as this, detection offering an canines were opportunity to located a do a few things significant differently distance from next time, if the school, the there is a next decision was time. made to cancel As to any the dance and to possible leads allow students about who was to leave the responsible campus and for the calls, continue on with T h e t a r d their nights. r e p l i e d , Belongings photo by Erin Klein “It’s being left inside of investigated.” the school were Students are evacuated from the gym.

The Park available for pickup the following morning. Neither the Ridge Police Department was unavailable to campus nor any of the roughly 1,500 students comment.

T h o u g h in attendance were they handled harmed during the the situation scare. exceedingly well, Maine South students did have parents were contacted a few grievances via a recorded phone regarding the message regarding the evacuation.

“I threat later into the didn’t like waiting night. in the bleachers, “In my fourteen it was really cold. years at Maine South, I went inside to we’ve had bomb threats grab my stuff here and there, but never because the door at a dance and never was unlocked but to this magnitude,” I didn’t even get Maine South dean, it because it was Lou Thetard, stated. so crazy,” said Thetard explained that sophomore, Matt on the night of October Saflarski.

4, three calls had Photo by Erin Klein Many students been placed to the Park Students are turned away as they try to spent the majority Ridge police department retrieve their belongings of their night in regarding a possible the great outdoors. bomb at Maine South; minutes after the calls were placed, the school Senior Jonathan Ross, said that he spent about resource office was contacted and they quickly ten minutes waiting in the ticket line and about

five minutes in the actual dance itself.

“My date’s dad came and picked us up when it was okay to go, but it took a while because of the huge line of cars.” When asked what he think should be done to make up for the cancelled dance, Ross said, “Another dance would be good, it doesn’t have to be formal or anything, just casual.”

After conversing with Principal Claypool, it seems like a silver lining is in sight after all.

Following his meetings with several groups of students, Mr. Claypool stated that “We have confirmed that we will host a dance Saturday, December 6th from 6:30 until 9:30 in the Spec Gym. KISS-FM will provide a DJ for us.”

SOUTHWORDS Maine South High School 1111 South Dee Road Park Ridge, IL 60068 Signed letters to the editor should be delivered to room V-131 or given to a member of the editorial staff. SOUTHWORDS reserves the right to edit material for clarity and brevity and to reject obscene/libelous submissions.

Editors-in-Chief

News Editors

Features Editors

Entertainment Editors

Commentary Editors

Sports Editors

Production Editors Photography Editor Staff Artists Adviser

Bess Featherstone Erin Klein Courtney Vinopal Ashley Kozubal Keely Patt Johnathan Stevens Tom Bielawiec Sarah Geraci Joanna Madej Tom Berg Lydia Ramsey Steven Wear Marissa Duric Xander Tapling Anne Wave Caileen Bazarek Patrick Mirski Lesia Witkowsky Matt Eller Ted Sherbin Jackie HazlettMorris Leah Artwick Mr. Stathakis

NEWS

OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

3

Maine South cracks down on attendance

by Ashley Kozubal and Jackie Hazlett-Morris According to the new attendance policy at Maine South, students are only allowed to be absent seven times in one semester and no more than twelve times in the whole year.

The new policy states that after the student has been absent for four days in a semester, a series of disciplinary consequences will be put into place. A letter will be sent home notifying the parents of the absences. A copy of the letter will also be sent to the student’s counselor, dean, nurse, teachers, and the Attendance Review Board coordinator.

When the student reaches six absences in a semester, the student and his or her guardian will be required to attend a meeting with members of the school personnel, which may include any of the aforementioned parties.

This meeting will be used to discuss reasons and contributing factors for the absences. The

meeting will also involve an intervention plan to improve attendance and set up an attendance contract. Various consequences will also be discussed, including the effects on the student’s grades and/or loss of privileges.

If the student reaches eight or more absences in a semester or a total of thirteen for the entire year, the Attendance Review Board coordinator will meet with the Executive Committee of the school, to determine the exact extent of the consequences. These consequences may include withdrawal from courses with low grades and a loss of credits.

When it comes to the new attendance policy there was a common theme among student reactions. Sophomore Katie Patterson said “I feel the attendance policy is inadequate. I work hard in school; I shouldn’t be punished if I get sick.”

“Seniors have a lot of colleges to visit and AP classes take a lot out of you,” said

Senior Rob Carskie. “Mental health days are necessary.”

Junior Bridget Laughran simply said “I think it’s baloney.”

On the other hand Ms. Crane, a foods and home economics teacher, said “I think it’s great that something is finally being put into place to stop students from missing a ton of days in one semester.”

Attendance may be authorized for the following reasons: student illness, death in the immediate family, observance of a religious holiday, family emergency, situations beyond the control of the student such as hospitalization or serious illness, and reasonable circumstances in which the parents fear for the safety of their child.

This new attendance policy creates the necessity for every student to learn and memorize the new rules and restrictions, and to keep track of their absences closely.

Pads location worries parents

by Nick Espevik Public Aid to Deliver Shelter, or PADS, is a homeless shelter organization that has been proposed to open in Park Ridge. It was initiated late last year by the Reverend Amity Carrubba of St. Mary’s Church and the Park Ridge Ministerial Association.

PADS is a rotating homeless shelter during the winter months that offers a warm place to stay with meals.

It is part of a program called Journeys, which helps people to get back on their feet.

The idea for PADS was born because in the winter, there are very few options for the homeless people in Park Ridge.

PADS has a strict policy that requires the people to be in by 7 p.m. and out by 7 a.m. People staying are required to register with the program in order to keep it organized and safe.

The Park Ridge Ministerial Association (a collection of local churches) and the Park Ridge Police Department have been supporters of the program from its conception.

However, there have been several concerns about the program. One of

photo by Ashley Kozubal

St. Paul of the Cross Church is a candidate for the PADS shelter.

the concerns is that the shelter would attract more homeless. According to the Rev. Amity Carrubba of St. Mary’s, “busing homeless people in is not the case.”

The idea was that the once-weekly PADS site in Park Ridge would be at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. Due to certain conflicts, it was then decided that St. Paul of the Cross would host it instead.

However many parents of children that attend the school there are still worried. According to one parent, “It is not the safe thing to do. It puts our children at risk.”

The city council is now making several decisions regarding PADS. One of these decisions is if a specialuse permit should be required for the building hosting the site. This would come with several restrictions, such as the space in which the people stay would have to be 500 feet from any school space. Supporters of the idea are trying to minimize or eliminate these restrictions, as there would be the possibility that they could ruin the chances to open the site if passed.

Tentatively, if it is allowed, it should open by winter 2009.

4

NEWS OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

Buckle up for the new rules of the road

by Jonathan Stevens In an effort to eliminate car accidents involving teenagers, the state of Illinois is upping the ante on the process of obtaining a license. Secretary of State Jesse White and the state government have put into effect a stricter and more rigorous system for obtaining one’s license. The Illinois Graduated Driver Licensing System is one of the longest and most demanding driving programs in the fifty states. The system calls for teen drivers to practice 50 hours of driving, including 10 hours of nighttime driving. Also, the system tripled the time in which the drivers must hold their permit, making it nine months rather than three before a teen can test for a license. Also, the new system has nighttime driving restrictions, forbidding teenagers to drive between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Sundays and weekdays, and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Earlier last month, Jesse White commented on the system and his support of the strict rules and regulations. Jesse White assured citizins that he greatly desires to continue to reduce the number of teenage driving accidents; he would not support raising the driving age.

W h i t e believes t h a t

art by Leah Artwick

“working to better prepare young drivers, regardless of their age, and increasing parental involvement,” in the permit process will solve the driving issues without further restricting the driving age.

In the other corner, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced its support to raise the driving age nationwide. They would condone a nationally mandated driving age of at least seventeen. It is the belief of the IIHS that the most effective way of stopping teen accidents is to reduce the number of teen drivers, by raising the age.

As of now, the GDL has reduced the number of teenage fatal crashes by 47% since it’s initiation on January 1, 2008. In the first seven months, this translates to 44 fewer deaths related to these crashes.

Fannie and Freddie need 700 billion

by Vanessa Hofer

Throughout the past several weeks, one story has consistently dominated news headlines: the $700 billion Wall Street bailout.

In spite of claims that this would stabilize the current economy, on September 29, the U.S. House of Representatives voted against the $700 billion rescue package. A revision of this bill was recently passed, but handing Wall Street such a large amount of taxpayer money is still being met with opposition.

This all began with the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2006. People with poor credit histories were able to get home loans. They acquired the loans with the false impression that their property would increase in value, and therefore could be sold back for a higher price.

During this period of time, housing developments sprung up everywhere.

Eventually supply exceeded demand and home values plummeted. This ended any hopes that sub-prime mortgage owners may have had of a property value increase, and monthly mortgage payments slowly became impossible.

As a result, 2.2 million sub prime loans have ended in foreclosures, totaling in a loss of $164 billion.

More problems started when mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (who own roughly $5 trillion in home loans) bought countless amounts of sub-prime mortgages. When the loans went bad, the

Federal Reserve was forced to bail them out for a grand total of $25 billion.

Not long afterward, Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers, two of Wall Street’s largest investment banks, also failed. Merrill Lynch was sold to Bank of America for $50 billion, and Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy.

Then, the bailout talks started. The main purpose of the original $700 billion rescue package was to purchase the bad loans and mortgages from the financial institutions in trouble. If all went well, the institutions that had sold their investments would use that cash to pay for their expenses, and eventually the economy would stabilize.

On September 24, President Bush addressed the nation sounding confident in the bailout.

He said, “It will help American consumers and businesses get credit to meet their daily needs and create jobs. And it will help send a signal to markets around the world that America’s financial system is back on track.”

President Bush also met with presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain to discuss the situation. In spite of his efforts, that plan just didn’t resonate with congress.

65 republicans and 140 democrats voted yes.

On the opposing side, 133 republicans and 95 democrats voted no.

Not long after the plan was rejected, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 777 points, the worst single-day fall in the Dow’s history.

This led to a loss of $1 trillion, second, the government began to create a new plan.

The new bailout plan involves numerous tax-cuts for both businesses and people. This was done mainly to appeal to the Republicans that rejected the original proposal. The length of the original bailout plan totaled only three pages. The new proposal is 451 pages long.

Instead of $700 billion, the new plan has a price tag of $805 billion. Apparently, those who voted “no” had a change of heart, and on October 3, the bailout was passed.

The bailout will help investors and banks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean well for the average American citizen. Most economic analysts say that a recession is not preventable.

We can expect to see many job cuts within the months to come as well as a decrease in consumer spending.

The American economy will still need to recover from its multi-billion dollar purge.

However, Barack Obama and John McCain have both said that they plan to establish significant tax-cuts if they are president.

The final major effect of the rescue package is that banks will be less eager to hand out loans.

When banks recover from their losses, loans will become more available.

Most economists say that we won’t be seeing a 1929-type depression soon. Americans will have to wait until we begin to see the effects of the bailout and the nation’s banks recover.

There will be no instant gratification. If all goes well, the economy will return to a stable state once again. Time is the only deciding factor.

FEATURES OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

5

The classic cultural clubs of Maine South

by Agatha Lewandowska Walking through the halls of Maine South High School, one’s attention is often drawn to the many colorful posters informing the students about the many different club events occurring. We’re seven weeks into school already; this is the perfect time to start thinking about becoming more involved at Maine South by joining one of the several fun clubs with your friends.

One of the biggest cultural clubs is Maine South’s Spanish club. With its numerous breakfasts and live entertainment by some of our very own Spanish teachers, Spanish club is the place to be. Every year, members look forward to the festive holiday dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Another tradition that they will continue this year is the annual “El Cinco de Mayo” feast with a colorful, candyfilled piñata. When Mr. Dutmers, one of the club sponsors, was asked about goals for the year, he stated, “we intend to spice up Spanish club a bit.” Something new to look forward to this year is a possible Spanish Karaoke Competition, so get your voices ready.

French club also has a lot to boast about this year. They are very proud of their stunning Napoleon-themed homecoming window that took second place in the competition.

Members of French club can look forward to croissant breakfasts, pétanque tournaments, and crêpe cooking lessons with a Cordon Bleu cook. All of the French club’s activities and

by Lesia Witkowsky Our next stop is located in a thrifty neighborhood on the corner of Belmont and Clark. To get there, simply ride the blue line to Jackson, where one can get off and switch to the red line. From there, simply ride the el towards Howard to Belmont.

One exciting place here is The Pick Me Up Café located on 3408 N Clark Street (773-2486613). Though the Pick Me Up is a red line stop, it’s just as easy to get to as anything off the blue line. The Pick Me Up Café is located just a small walk left of the red line exit.

accomplishments are highlighted on their very own website, www.mainesouthfrancais.com.

When asked about the club’s ambitions, Ms. Wood, the sponsor, stated, “We look forward this year to continuing the tradition of French club, showcasing our talented students and the fabulous francophone countries we are so passionate about.”

Another unique club to join is the Chinese club. They plan to host field trips to Chinatown or to view Chinese fine arts. Members of Chinese club will sell mouth-watering fortune cookies and rice candies again this year, as it was a huge success last year. There will be open movie nights to watch some action films with food provided. A few of the major Chinese holidays, such as Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, will be celebrated. Even if you do not take Chinese this year at school, you are more than welcome to join Chinese club.

Another fun club to look into this year is Maine South’s German club. One highlight of the year is the Oktoberfest at Edelweiss Restaurant. Members of German club also can take part in the annual trip to the Chirstkindlmarkt downtown at the Daley Plaza and visit an exhibition on German media.

Another thrilling activity planned for this year is to welcome 39 students from Germany who will be hosted by German club members for two weeks this month. In return, students from Maine South will stay in Germany for two weeks during the summer with these same 39

students. Mrs. Wolf, the German club sponsor comments, “…this will provide a great cultural opportunity for the students.” Members can also look forward to a possible ski trip this winter.

Willkommen und viel Spass! (Have fun!)

Italian club plans to host a traditional club breakfast and pizza parties to celebrate the holidays. A group of Italian students is visiting Chicago and coming to meet American students from Maine South soon. Members of Italian club also look forward to the Italian film showed during foreign language week. The club just finished a successful fundraiser selling Fannie Mae chocolate bars.

Another growing club is Maine South’s very own Polish club. For the second year now, Polish club will help out at the Polish Film Festival downtown. For their valued voluntary work at the art exhibit, they have the privilege of attending the opening screening of a new Polish film with several famous Polish actors and actresses. This year they will also work on new t-shirts. The main goal of the Polish club this year is to increase membership and to establish connections through social activities between students while absorbing Polish culture. Polish club welcomes new members to join at any time.

Maine South offers these and several other fascinating cultural clubs to its students. All of these clubs benefit the school by opening doors to a variety of cultures and connecting them to our everyday lives.

Though it might look deceiving from the outside, its flashy interior and food is nothing short of delicious. When walking in for the first ime, the multiple vegan choices and unique variety of pizzas, like BBQ Chicken, create and overwhelming sight. One might discover a new favorite meal when he or she finds out that a simple macaroni and cheese turns out to be a vegan mac and cheese with no cheese but vegan sauce instead. Wouldn’t it be great if all restaurants offered vegan meals? The Pick Me Up also has excellent vegan and non vegan milk shakes, along with delicious coffee and a variety of the restaurant’s homemade drinks. The service is also very funky yet friendly and you’re bound to have a good time.

In addition to that, if you’re looking for a fun way to brighten a gloomy morning, Belmont and Clark is home to more to do than just grab a bite at the Pick Me Up… and who doesn’t love thrift shopping? If you are looking for a unique style, or just some cheaper clothing, shops such

as Ragstock (812 W Belmont Ave, (773-8689263) are sure to satisfy your style. Ragstock also sells unique shoes and accessories.

Ragstock is also stocked with items that are hard to find anywhere else, such as cheetah print tape or sweet belts and suspenders. One can’t walk into Ragstock without coming across Halloween costumes that are really quirky and cheap. That might come in handy, especially this month. Another thrift store, The Alley (3228 N Clark), will also be sure to eat up some of your time. Even walking near The Alley will intrigue you, as its walls are painted with murals and outlandish decorations. Also, similar to the Damen stop, Belmont and Clark is scattered with cool used book stores, such as the Gallery Bookstore, right outside the el stop.

If you’re looking to try some delicious, new food, hunt for cheap thrift store finds, or just enjoy a day downtown, be sure to pay Belmont and Clark a visit.

6

FEATURES OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

Medal of Courage awarded to best friends

by Bess Featherstone “Success is never final and failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”

– Jules Ellinger The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is home to many national and Olympic wrestling champions. This year, a Maine South alum, Brett Harman, and Maine South Counselor Mr. McCann’s son, Kevin McCann, will also be members of the Hall in the Illinois Chapter for receiving the Medal of Courage.

As best friends, All-Conference, State Qualifiers, Team USA representatives, and many more title holders, the two were both exceptional wrestlers in their time.

“Brett turned things around here,” said father of Kevin and Maine South counselor and wrestling and football coach, Dennis McCann.

Harman set and held all wrestling records while he was at Maine South and McCann led his wrestling team at Notre Dame High School.

While life until college was full of leadership and success on the mats, both Harman and McCann continued wrestling after high school, but also went on to pursue further adventures.

Harman enrolled in the Marine Corps while McCann attended the University of WisconsinWhitewater to study business, but worked

his college summers at Maine South as a custodian.

Harman was scheduled to leave for Iraq in

photo courtesy Mr. McCann

McCann and Harman were both remarkable wrestlers in their time.

2004 as a Marine Lieutenant when McCann and other friends visited him in North Carolina.

It was then that the two childhood friends and well-known wrestlers displayed their leadership one last time. In an act of courage, the two sacrificed their own lives in order to protect the hundreds of others around them Recently, Coach McCann received a call from Joe Pederson, a board member on the Illinois

Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Pederson had heard Brett and Kevin’s story and recognized it as being one of great courage. He asked for Mr. McCann’s permission to give the men the award, leaving Mr. McCann in tears, as the award is an insurmountable honor that will keep their memories alive.

The Medal of Courage is described by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an award given to a wrestler who “has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, which may be physical, mental or other handicaps that make their achievements all the more uplifting.”

“The world is a lesser place without them… they were really special guys and I know that everyone knew that,” said Mr. McCann.

To display the appreciation and remembrance that still exists for Harman and McCann, Maine South and Notre Dame have an annual meet in honor of the two.

Through this meet, the title and plaque that hang above the Maine South wrestling room, and their new place in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Brett Harman and Kevin McCann’s legacies will be remembered and honored for years to come.

MS Homecoming throughout the ages

by Erin Klein

Homecoming has been a tradition throughout Maine South history, and this year’s “Board Games” spirit week, and “Aloha Homecoming” dance are just a continuation of years past. The football game and school dance have always been staples, but many homecoming traditions have changed over the years.

The tradition of Homecoming began in 1964 with a dedication theme “Mainly Monsters” and a dance themed “Monster Mash.” Other exciting past themes have included “South’s Super Heroes” in 1967, “Once upon a Homecoming” in 1966, “Patriotic Melodies” in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial, and “Dream On” in 1994.

From Maine South’s beginning until 1975, the Field House hosted a week of float building for the parade. The school offered prizes for the best floats, and anyone was allowed to help build. In 1976, however, the school began to decorate cars instead because the cost was high and participation was low.

Beginning in 1976, Maine South sponsored a carnival to celebrate Homecoming in the Field House starting after school and lasting

into the evening. School clubs sponsored different booths, including a jailhouse, can-can dancers, a dunk tank and even a pillow-fighting ring. The carnival was replaced in 1993 with a Street Dance, but it didn’t last long.

It’s been a while since anyone’s officially “come home” on Homecoming weekend, as the title insinuates. Up until the ‘90’s, Maine South hosted an Alumni Breakfast in the school cafeteria.

The tradition of window painting began during the ‘80s, and continues here today.

During Mr. Lonergan’s time here as a student, lockers were located where the Homecoming windows now stand and the school was unable to paint those windows.

Up until the ‘90s, the school hosted a Firelight pep rally the Friday before the game.

During the early ‘80s, the Pep Band would play, and a school-wide bonfire took place starting somewhere between 9 and 10 p.m. Friday evening. By 1995, however, participation was low, safety and security were major issues, and the bonfire was discontinued.

Maine South English teacher Mrs. Headley attended Maine South while the Firelight

rally still took place. When asked if there was anything she wished to see back at school, Mrs. Headley said the bonfire would be it.

Dance after-parties have changed quite a bit since just 2000, when Maine South English teacher Mr. Fechner graduated. “People were really into decorating for the parade, going to the parade and of course, going to the dance. Afterwards we went to fancy restaurants usually downtown. Everyone drove themselves, though. I know my dad dropped me and my date off freshman year.”

“When I was here,” said Mrs. Headley, “we only had limos for prom. Sometimes we’d go out to eat before. I remember one time going to play laser tag after a dance.”

“There wasn’t this gluttonous display when I was here,” said recent graduate and teacher, Mr. Trenkle.

Not only have the events themselves changed, but the prices have too. In 1964, the cost of attending the Homecoming dance was $1.50 per couple.

As Homecoming continues to evolve through the ages, the excitement and school spirit that encompasses it remains the same.

FEATURES OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

7

‘Gossip Girl’ holds its own in the world of fashion atop her perfectly-curled head of hair. Blair to explore new possibilities, such as dating

By Courtney Vinopal Blair Waldorf is fabulous.Not because is not one to sport the same headband every outside her social circle. Serena’s personality of her fierce attitude, her uncanny ability to time, either. Every episode brings a new, is also reflected in her clothing. Although manipulate people right behind their backs, dramatic hair adornment, whether it’s a huge she must wear a uniform to school like Blair, or her capability to stay strong without any bow or a turban-style wrap. Blair’s everyday she styles it in a completely different way. style can best be described as Blair often wears her shirts tucked out of her man by her side. Ms. Waldorf is traditionally preppy with a twist. skirts, with a tie casually thrown on as a mere the most fashionable character Whatever she wears, no matter afterthought. Serena’s style is nowhere near that television has seen in a very how typical, it’s rest assured as straight-laced as Blair; it’s quintessentially long time. For those of you who that she will work it. The way Bohemian with an urban edge. Some of do not worship the soapy telethat Blair dresses emphasizes Serena’s favorite pieces include flat boots, vision kingdom that is the CW, her role as the Queen Bee of her oversize sweaters, high-heeled ankle boots, Blair Waldorf is one of the main high school. Although some of vests, and sequined dresses for a night out on characters on the hit show ‘Gossip the uniform attire that she wears the town. Although the clothes that Serena Girl,” which chronicles rich New may look similar to that of the wears sometimes evoke a sense of Blair York City teens attending an elite other girls at the school, the way Waldorf, she wears Blair’s essentials, such as private school in Manhattan. One headbands and classic coats, in of the most captivating elements Photo courtesy CW.com she wears it must completely different ways. look the best. Not of “Gossip Girl” is the clothes that “Gossip Girl” is so packed the characters wear. Every actor or actress on only does Blair treat every day at with fashion that it can’t all be the show has his or her own sense of personal school like it’s a fashion show, addressed in one article: there style, and this adds to the personalities of the she also seriously brings out the will have to be another piece that glamour for parties. Although characters. focuses on the stylish actors on Blair is your typical WASP, and this shows often more demure than her “Gossip Girl” (hint: Chuck Bass in her clothing. She often wears traditional best friend and fashion foil comes out the fashion winner private-school attire, such as a-line skirts, Serena van der Woodsen, Blair’s among the guys). Half of the fun oxford shirts, and blazers. Although Blair’s evening fashion always makes of watching “Gossip Girl” isn’t style is admittedly classic, she is not one to a statement. Whether she’s Photo courtesy CW.com watching the juicy storylines get lost in a crowd. Whenever she dresses dressed in a white Marc Jacobs unfold, but rather observing the in her school uniform, she accessorizes it minidress or a floor-length gown way in which every character brings his or perfectly with a glamorous bag, colored tights, from her mother, Eleanor Waldorf’s, clothing her style to the table. So if you’ve never seen or a bold coat. Blair’s most notable accessory line, Blair chooses rich materials and colors the show before, watch it, even if it’s purely is definitely the headband. You would be for big events in the Big Apple. for research purposes. Trust me: you won’t Serena van der Woodsen is everything that hard-pressed to find an episode in which she regret it. doesn’t sport this embellishment perched Blair Waldorf isn’t: a free spirit who’s willing

Scary real estate: Haunted houses of Chicago

by Julie O’Leary Halloween is a festivity of thrills and chills.

Haunted houses are probably some of the best places to celebrate the fright of the occasion.

Luckily, there are several locations within Illinois that can take you to “the dark side.”

One of the top-rated haunted houses is the Statesville Haunted Prison located in Crest Hill, Illinois. At Statesville, you will encounter over two hundred monsters within the prison cells. Characters such as Hannibal the Cannibal, The Clown, Dr. Vierhof, and the Demon of Darkness await your arrival. However, be forewarned, due to the intensity of Stateville’s content, those who suffer from seizures and claustrophobia are advised to stay home.

Another place that can provide a similar experience can be found in Mazon Illinois under the name of The Dungeon of Terror.

Strange whispers and visions of a woman are common encounters at this site. The

history of its location involves the murder of a young woman and her lover. Therefore, the Dungeon of Terror genuinely promotes fear.

If you are seeking a haunted house that is closer to Park Ridge, the Eleventh Hour is known to creatively provoke fear. Located in Elk Grove Village, the Eleventh Hour consists of three haunted exhibits united into one.

Ranging from eighteen to thirty-five dollars, you and your friends can enjoy a night of fright.

Another reasonably priced Halloween event is The Trail of Terror. Sponsored by the Chicago Park District, those who love the outdoors will be intrigued by its ghostly charm. The trail begins at 5801 N. Pulaski Road and showcases several scary Halloween scenes like: the Hospital, Morgue, Cemetery, Voodoo Hut, and Monster Hall of Fame.

Along with Trail of Terror, Chicago provides a Haunted Sanitarium for those

who seek a night of horror. The event takes place near Lake Michigan, and is located in the original Children’s Sanitarium. Consisting of fifteen rooms and a Creepy Café with concessions and movies, all visitors will be faced with surprise. At a price of ten dollars with student discounts available, The Sanitarium is a perfect way to spend a Hallowed Eve. For those who would rather seek delight, the Chicago Haunting Tour is a benign way to be a part of the holiday spirit. The tour chronicles the paranormal of the early 19 th century into present-day. The ghost tour bus begins at 600 N. Clark St, and continues throughout downtown Chicago.

Clearly, there are numerous opportunities to enjoy the ghostly month of October.

Whether you visit Statesville Prison or take a tour of the paranormal, you are guaranteed a spine-tingling experience.

8 Sam and Mo’s “Top Ten” Tivo ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

By Sam Iorio and Mo Kaitis

10. “Heroes:” An interesting story line about ordinary people with supernatural powers. The last two seasons has been focused on the heroes’ harnessing their powers. This upcoming season is action packed filled with reading minds, eating brains, and choosing sides. Bottom line: if you’re willing to commit then this is the show for you.

9. “Grey’s Anatomy:” Many of the same juicy storylines in season five that are the previous seasons of Grey’s. Lesbian hookups, “resting“ in the break room and more Mer-Der drama than you can handle. All in a days work at Seattle Grace Hospital. Bottom line: sit back and relax and let the Docs take care of you.

8. “Lost:” Where to begin? Where’s the island? Is this in the future? Or is this in the past? Where are they? This show leaves you with more questions than answers. Bottom line: so addicting you always come back for more….?

7. “Desperate Housewives:” First season: scandalous. Next three seasons barely “scan”. Too much skin, too little plot line. A fiveyear jump adds that “-dalous” and then some.

Bottom line: We hope that better writing is moving in; otherwise we’re tuning out.

6. “House:” A show centered about the life of Dr. House: a witty, sarcastic and grumpy cripple. This show is highly underrated and

Photo Courtesy NBC.com Rainn Wilson of “The Office“ hard at work. extremely entertaining. Bottom line: a solid show.

5. “Gossip Girl:” A staple in every girl’s Tuesday lunch table conversation. This is not your average day in high school; unless it entails cougars, catfights, and crazy couture.

Bottom line: text talk is all the rage.

4. “30 Rock:” A critic favorite. Starring comedic dream team of Tina Fey, Alec

Baldwin, and numerous others, this wacky show is so funny it will leave you lightheaded with laughter. Bottom line : come on, it’s Tina Fey, need we say anymore?

3. “Chuck:” Each episode of Chuck brings some new crisis that our poor Chuck has to solve. With the help of Casey and Sarah, whom Chuck has a cute but nerdy relationship with, he gets by with only a couple of near death experiences per episode. Bottom line: action + romance X comedy = Chuck.

2. “The Office:” The daily grind of the nine-to-five job is tough. Especially when you have bosses and coworkers that are fit to be in a mental hospital. Steve Carell is hilarious playing the infamous Michael Scott. He will leave you satisfied and smiling. Bottom line: Where else would you get your stapler JellO-ed?

1. “Pushing Daises:” A whimsical story about an unlikely hero with an unlikely gift; he is able to bring people back to life. Much to the dismay of Ned’s business partner, he falls in love with his newly revived deceased childhood sweetheart Chuck (real name Charlotte). The best thing about this show is that it has something for everyone. Thespians will adore the random outbursts of show tunes, while hopeless romantics will be enamored

by Chuck and Ned. Football players will love Kristen Chenoweth’s cleavage. Bottom line: Wednesdays 7:00 ABC.

New ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season Begins

By Mary Ruscitti With the new fall season, surprises are right around the corner. Reality TV is a surprise in itself. This season’s “Dancing with the Stars” looks like it is going to be no exception.

So far this season, Kim Kardashian, Jeff Ross, and Ted McGinley have already been eliminated. Misty May- Treanor, a volleyball player, broke a bone in her leg during practice, which means she won’t continue with the competition.

Fortunately, there are some great couples still standing. Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer have dual dance experience. Bass was in N*SYNC and Schwimmer got first place in a US National Youth Latin Championship. They add a twist to the original dances and make it their own different style. They have very good foot placement, and may be the best so far.

Corky Ballas and Cloris Leachman are by far the funniest couple. She is the oldest competitor ever on the show. The couple use random dance

moves and have a lot of fun with their dances.

Leachman flirts with the judges and even bribed them to get a good score.

Cheryl Burke and Maurice Greene have a lot of talent. Burke is a two time champion and Greene is an Olympic track star. Their great posture has been a key to this couple’s success.

Tony Dovolani and Susan Lucci are another pair competing in this competitioin. Lucci is known for her role on the soap “All My Children” and Dovolani is the current United States Open Rhythm Champion. Lucci tends to be a little bit wobbly, but she puts in a lot of effort.

Derek Hough and Brooke Burke are the next couple still standing their ground. Burke is known for her work as a famous model/ actress. Burke works really hard and her dance technique is almost perfect.

Julianne Hough and Cody Linley seem like a very excellent pair. Hough is a two-time

champion on this show and Linley is known for his character on “Hannah Montana”. They have a fun and romantic style of dance. Both seem to be pulling thier weight well in this competition.

Kym Johnson and Warren Sapp are the most improved couple on this show. Sapp, a football player, was very clumsy at first, but he has really improved on his technique.

Alex Mazo and Toni Braxton are the next couple to grace the stage on the show. Braxton is a singer and a Broadway actress. They have fun and crazy costumes and tend to stick more to original dance.

Karina Smirnoff and Rocco DiSpirito are the final duo in this competition. DiSpirito is a famous chef and Smirnoff is currently dating Mario Lopez, a former contestant on DWTS. DiSpirito uses ingredients to represent each step of the dance they are learning which is unique.

Tune in on Mondays and Tuesdays on ABC to find out who makes it to the top.

ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

9

Student Versus Dean: “Appeal to Reason”

by Dean George Dagres When I was given the assignment to review the CD “Appeal to Reason” by Rise Against, I had no idea what to expect. In fact, I had never heard of the group. So, I did some research online at their official website: www.riseagainst.com. Here’s a brief background: Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago that was formed in 1999. I was a little worried when the album was classified under “Punk.” I was never a fan of punk style of music. I’m more of a Metallica and AC/DC fan. The band consists of Tim McIlrath (vocals, guitar), Joe Prinipe (bass guitar), Brandon Barnes (drums) and Zach Blair (guitar). They have released five albums, the most recent “Appeal Reason” released on October 7, 2008.

In my doing some research online (wikipedia), I learned some interesting facts about the group. All of the group members are strict vegetarians and active supporters of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). In their video for the single “Ready to Fall,” it addresses environmental degradation and its effect on animals, as well as animal cruelty inherent in factory farming and sport hunting.

I then decided to use an online music review, www.musicianforums. com and read what others had to say. Here’s what some people said: “A generally great record, featuring some of the best songs Rise Against have written, with perhaps a little too much filler.”

“The songs may not rock as hard as they once did, but that does not make them any less worthy. In fact, Rise Against has shown a remarkable maturity as a band. With its latest release the band has taken an opportunity to branch out and attempt new things musically, socially and politically...”

Well, I played the CD and figured I would listen to each track for about 10-15 seconds in order to get a feel for the CD. I was dreadfully preparing to hear music similar to Green Day. To my surprise, I listened to most of the songs in their entirety the first time through. I didn’t read or pay attention to the lyrics; I focused primarily on the in-

ey

rtn

ou yC

sb

oto

Ph

strumentation.

I do agree with some of the online reviews, which suggest that the album “starts off strong, pulling back a little through the middle.” Also, I agree that there are too many “mid-tempo songs.”

The CD does provide an upbeat and at times a heavymetal style of music.

Overall score (ranging from 1 = awful to 5 = classic), I gave it a 3 = good. l

pa

o Vin

by Tom Berg The first thirty seconds of Rise Against’s newest CD, “Appeal to Reason,” tells the listener exactly what to expect from the rest of the album: punchy, cutthroat, in-your-face punk rock that doesn’t know the definition of ‘politically correct.’ The album is a very blunt message from the left side of the political spectrum, but at the same time, it also manages to create some spectacular music.

Many might recognize Rise Against from their song in “Guitar Hero 3,” “Prayer of the Refugee.” Rest assured, there is more guitar-shredding action to be found in their new album. For starters, the third track, “Re-Education (Through Labor)” has made the set list of “Guitar Hero: World Tour,” and other songs like “Entertainment” and “Kotov Syndrome” are more than worthy of Guitar Hero status.

The vocal quality of “Appeal to Reason” is surprisingly high. The common image of a punk band is one headed by a Blink-182-esque singer who ends up doing more shouting than actual singing, but Rise Against’s vocal styling is more tasteful than that. The very tasteful use of harmony in songs such as “Audience of One” and “Hairline Fracture” are particularly impressive. And for those who aren’t very fond of screamsingers found in most metal bands, this CD has a minimal amount of screaming, but it’s still present on songs like “Whereabouts Unknown.”

One of the very cool things about this CD is how easy it is to hear this band’s influences in some of the tracks. The fourth track, “The Dirt Whispered,” with its intriguing intro section and the plethora of power chords, is clearly a shout-out to the old Green Day, and the seventh track, “The Strength to Go On,” and its meter changes, shows the influence of System of a Down on the band. This helps make the CD a pleasure to listen to if you’re familiar with some punk rock or metal bands, as for a listener, you can pick up on some of these familiarities as you listen, and it shows how the band really respects those influences.

Something that all political bands have to look out for, though, is that the political message can’t get too entrenched in the music and overpower it. Rise Against does a good job of avoiding this fate by mix- ing up the message; while the album as a whole is still very political, the song lyrics range from oppression to lost love. This was a great choice by the musicians, because if a listener isn’t as fanatically left as the band is, an entirely political album can scare them a w a y.

The exception to this trend, however, is the tenth track, “Hero of War.” An acoustic track that speaks bluntly and passionately about the prison scandal in Abu Ghraib, the message and the vocals really don’t mix the instrumentation, which leads to an awkward song and a confused listener.

“Appeal to Reason” is definitely a fiery, action-packed roller coaster of a CD. On a scale from one to five, I would give “Appeal to Reason” a resounding four.

10

ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO.2

“Spore” among the fittest A “Playlist” to remember

by Max Mielecki A few weeks ago, “The Sims” creator Will Wright released “Spore,” a hugely anticipated PC game. The basic premise is, you create a new species and lead it through it’s evolution from an ameba in the tide pool to a highly intelligent race with an interstellar Empire.

The game starts with the Cell Stage. A meteor will crash onto your planet and your little creature will crawl out. The game randomly generates what your cell will look like depending on whether you chose Herbivore or Carnivore (Although later in the Stage you can unlock a mouth that allows you to eat both meat and plants). The object of the cell stage is to continually eat and eat until you get enough DNA points to evolve legs and leave the tide pool, while avoiding becoming eaten yourself. The stage flows very well and the evolutions are easy to do. And if you do die, there’s plenty more where that came from. No matter how many times you die in the game, you always get to continue.

Once you gain the DNA points to evolve legs, you’ll enter the Creature Creator. Now you can change your creature to look any way you want. You have nearly absolute control.

It requires some skill, though, so you may have to practice until you get the creature you want. As you use the creator more, you can create more detailed and intricate creatures.

In the Creature Phase, your life is that of an animal. You must accomplish objectives such as hunting or socializing with other animals to advance. Then you can return to your nest to evolve. There are lots and lots of new parts to be discovered around your planet, but they depend mostly on the choices you made in the cell stage. For instance, if you were a carnivore in the cell stage, then the mouths you unlock have a lot of teeth and fangs and such.

After you either hunt or socialize your way to intelligence, you enter the Tribal Stage. At this point, your creature’s look is finalized for all time, and you instead get to choose the tribal attire for your species. In the tribal phase, it plays a lot like a strategy game. You build a village, and you can go to war or ally with other tribes. It is short, though, so don’t expect a long, rich, game of tactics. Again, the choices you make here affect the next stages.

Once you conquer (or ally with) all the other tribes, you enter the Civilization Stage.

This is another short strategy game-like stage.

You are, however, now given the Structure Creator, which allows you to create all of the buildings and vehicles used by your Species.

This is fun and all but sometimes becomes a tad tedious when you must design everything, especially when there are cars, boats, and planes, and three types of each. However, there is a setting which uses buildings and vehicles that you’ve already created. Within the Civilization and Tribal Stages, you won’t find a complete strategy game on par with “Starcraft” or “Company of Heroes,” but you’ll find a nice taste of what that genre has to offer.

This is nice to have if you are new to strategy or games in general. Unfortunately, there isn’t much for veteran strategy players here.

After conquering all the cities in the civilization stage, you move up to the Space Stage. Now, your entire planet is united and you build a spaceship. Once you earn your wings and take off, the game begins to start a small storyline, which has you searching for, and then battling an Alien race. The gameplay itself in the space stage is similar to an open-world game such as “World of Warcraft.” You fly around the galaxy doing missions, increasing your rank, and collecting power-ups and money. You can also now build colonies on other planets, and farther off you gain the power to shape planets.

You can raise mountains, create valleys; you’re the master of the world. You can even change the atmosphere’s color. Or you can go the other way and blow up a planet, “Star-Wars” style. All in all, the space stage ends when you reach the final rank and your ship reaches the center of the galaxy. The game doesn’t end there, though.

You can continue to run about the galaxy with your species, or return to any stage with them “Spore” also has a number of online features, such as all of the species players create are uploaded to a massive online database, and your game instantly downloads them into your world. It is cool to see yourself dealing with creatures made by other people. It also uploads information on every species to the “Sporepedia,” which allows you to see what people write about their creations.

Another cool feature is “SporeCast,” which lets you take video of your game and upload it straight to a site like YouTube. Unfortunately, “Spore” lacks the one feature that really would have been nice: actual online competition.

All that aside, “Spore” is an amazing game that gives you the best of all worlds, it seems. And bringing a species from cell to interstellar is surprisingly addictive. The game is a massive, unique world that there is simply no substitute for, and has so many features no single review could adequately contain them.

“Spore” is definitely worth the $60 price tag.

by Floy Laverty “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is the must-see movie of the fall. Michael Cera, who played Nick in this movie, did a fantastic job portraying his role. He plays a teenage boy who has recently been dumped

by Tris, his girlfriend of six months. While Nick is mending his broken heart he meets Norah, played by Kat Dennings. Dennings, who hasn’t been in as many hit movies as Michael Cera, performed as well as he did.

In this movie, she is a college bound teenager who has never known what she’s truly wanted in life. Nick and Norah have nothing in common except for the same taste in music. The two of them are forced to spend the night roaming Brooklyn together, looking for her best friend, Caroline, played by Ari Graynor. Graynor did a fabulous job playing a funny, loopy girl who just loves to have fun.

Every scene she was in made the crowd laugh.

While still looking for Caroline, they also start searching for where their favorite band, “Where’s Fluffy?” is playing. They run into Nick’s ex who seems to want him back after seeing him hanging out with Norah. Now Nick has to make a decision. Does he want to go back to his ex who has wrongfully treated him, or take a chance with Norah?

This entire movie never had a dull moment. It was full of laughs, tears, excitement, and most importantly, it kept the audience on the edge of their seats.

This movie isn’t one that you see in theatres and say to yourself, “It was good, but I don’t need to own it.” This is a movie that you could watch over and over again and have the same excitement you had when you first saw it.

Since this movie is about music and people’s love for it, it’s easy to see that the music fits perfectly throughout the whole movie. Billy Joel, Modest Mouse, Hot Chocolate, and even Spice Girls are just a few of the many bands that are a part of this movie’s playlist. It was clear to see that the music fit the mood perfectly and helped the movies chemistry with the audience.

If you love Indie Rock music, great romantic comedies, and are a fan of Michael Cera you’ll love this film. Not only does this movie show teenagers that it’s okay to be different, but also that it’s okay to chase after your dreams. This movie came out on October 3, and is rated PG-13.

11

COMMENTARY

Parting is such sweet sorrow

by Anne Wave As the new school year arrives, summer is turning to autumn, fashions are coming in and out, and the TV shows that have been on pause for the summer vacation are resuming.

Everybody knows that each coming year will be different from the previous one. How it will change, however, is only evident in the weeks following the first day of school.

This past year, I lost my older sister to higher education. Along with hundreds of other graduated students from Maine South, she decided to further her career as a student by attending the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. In the last weeks of my summer vacation, I tried to put the reality of her leaving out of my head. So when the morning of her departure arrived, I was a bit shocked. And since that day, she has been home for a grand total of 24 hours.

As would be predicted, the tone of my household has taken a turn. Living in a family of four minus one has presented unexpected challenges. The focus has shifted from her college application process to my own. My school nights are spent being nagged on by my parents to finish homework – the lack of a second child to fuss with has made my

parents obsessive about the one they have left.

Although my grades have been improving, the point is that during pre-college days, my sister and I were close. We used to bond on the weekends and complain about school together during the week. Now that she lives over one-hundred miles away, our relationship has suffered and we are slowly drifting apart.

It’s a fact of life that when siblings leave, connections change. It happens to everybody but is also different for everyone. It was difficult because we were so close and now we are not. It’s a sad reality, but it’s the real one.

Meanwhile, my sister is away doing whatever it is that you do at college and my parents and I spend our nights watching political TV, eating dinners for an odd number of three, and receiving the sporadic phone call for my estranged, college-attending sister. It’s a different life – a bit dismal many times. I visited my sister last weekend and the final parting was difficult for me. As the bus idled, I sat behind dark, shaded windows watching her walk back to her college life – the life that she has started that doesn’t include me anymore.

She didn’t look back.

College recruitment madness

by Monica Grabijas L e a d e r s h i p , c h a r a c t e r, a c a d e m i c s , volunteering, and a generally well-rounded youth are all thing that colleges are looking for these days. Having phenomenal grades isn’t good enough anymore, and the demands of the average student are continuing to rise.

One would think that junior and senior years are suitable times to begin the process, but our society has started a trend subjecting sophomores, and at times freshmen, to the college madness. More universities are seeking students that go beyond just academics; so the question is, how far do we have to go to impress the school admissions officers?

After taking the PSAT during my sophomore year, I was bombarded with an overwhelming torrent of messages and letters from colleges eager to rope me in. All of this mail led me to wonder why students can’t just be allowed to enjoy the last fleeting moments of their youth without worrying about their futures. I believe 15 or 16 years on Earth is not enough time to decipher your life ambitions.

Pressure from colleges is not only coming at a younger age, but it is also becoming more

intense. It seems that everything we do in high school is to impress strangers that read our applications. Extra-curricular activities and service hours are now becoming widely expected. Not only do students have to ace all their AP or accelerated classes thrown at them, they have to play a sport or join a club at the same time. Schoolwork isn’t enough anymore. A graph of admissions to Washington University in St. Louis on the family connection website describes one student who had a 36 on the ACT and a 4.7 GPA that was wait-listed.

This person had a phenomenal grade point average and ACT score. How much more could he possibly have done? I wonder how “well-rounded” a person can make themselves seem when they spend so much time working for those high grades in academics.

With all of the expectations this generation has to live up to, it seems like college is just adding to this already gigantic demand. They push potential students at younger ages and ask for near perfection. In generations to come, how much more intense is the college process going to become? How much further can students be pushed until they break?

What are you most looking forward to about college?

OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

“Living on my own.”

-Kristin McGuire ‘09

“Sororities.”

-Courtney O’Keefe‘10

“Being independent.”

-Jeff Simkowski ‘10

“Chicks.”

-P.J. Weisheit ‘09

12

COMMENTARY OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

“License and aggravation, please”

by Xander Tapling

As if a failing economy and a seeminglyperpetual war on international terrorism weren’t enough, a new controversy has developed around the age of new drivers in the U.S. and, most importantly in our case, Illinois.

On September 9, 2008, the Insurance Institute for Highway safety made public its unwavering support for raising the national driving age to 17 or, at most, 18.

This comes on top of recent motions pushed

by Illinois lawmakers to raise the number of driving hours needed in order for teens to get their licenses. Anyone who can drive at Maine South already knows that there are tremendous hoops we have to jump through to obtain a license in the first place: the 50 hours of driving, 10 of which are required to take place at night, having a permit for six months before going to get a license at age 16 or older, and, to top it all off, a random spot-check at the DMV that could get you into an hour-and-a-half of testing.

To those who are afraid of Illinois adding insult to injury, so to speak, never fear; Jesse White, the Secretary of State for Illinois, has been opposing the movement, saying in a

press release back on September 9 that his new teen driver safety laws (enacted on January 1, 2008) “gives Illinois one of the strongest graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs in the nation.” With complete confidence in his previous policies, despite outcries by critics that he has been unfair toward teens trying to get their licenses, Secretary White continues to defend his licensing policies while resisting age restrictions.

In all fairness to Mr. White, he has taken a large amount of undeserved criticism and anger with regard to Illinois’ new qualifications for young drivers. While many teens see these measures as just another series of ways to keep teens off the roads, the initiatives have been astoundingly successful, lowering the teen driver death rate by an extraordinary 47%. As difficult as it may be to swallow for a large number of teenagers, Secretary White has been, and continues to be, on their side through his strong opposition to the new measure to raise the driving age, which he sees as a superfluous measure to be compounded on Illinois’ alreadystringent system.

While there may be differing opinions among teens on whether the requirements for a driver’s license in Illinois are fair, let there be no doubt that Secretary White is putting the safety and convenience of teen drivers and their families before all else. One key factor that the proponents of raising the driving age have not taken into account is that it’s not simply age that determines how many accidents a driver has, but it’s the amount of experience they have. If we postpone giving people their licenses, we limit the amount of experience they get behind the wheel, which will only raise the number of accidents to an age bracket over 17 years old, simply because they are inexperienced drivers. Raising the driving age in order to lower the number of accidents experienced by teen drivers is like putting a band aid on a broken arm; it is a flashy gesture but, in the end, completely fails at fixing the bones. Secretary White’s regulations, as draconian as many teenagers view them as, are the stiff splint that is needed to mend the bones and make the roads in Illinois a safer place to drive.

Presidential Throwdown

by Anthony Eugenis On September 26, Jim Lehrer moderated the first of three presidential debates between Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, hosted at the University of Mississippi.

The main issues at hand were foreign policy and national security, but issues on the economy were also largely debated.

The first question dealt with the bailout plan, of which both candidates voted “yea” on. The two went back and forth on the issue and ultimately agreed that more responsibility needs to be taken in the future. During this discussion, McCain kept saying that he had a “fundamental belief” in our country. It appeared as though he was avoiding questions and rather decided to talk about beliefs. This is a situation which he cannot just “hope” goes away or fixes itself.

The next issues brought up were earmarks and oil. Obama criticized McCain for his proposal that would give $300 million in tax cuts to the rich. McCain fired back by saying Obama wants to spend $800 million on new

programs. Obama repeated that McCain wants to give $4 billion to oil companies. McCain responded with an energy bill that had tax breaks for oil companies, which he voted against and Obama voted for. Both candidates, however, had made factual errors; Obama said he is giving tax cuts for 95% of American households, when it is really about 80%.

McCain also said earmarks have tripled in the past year, when they have actually fallen.

The disagreements began to grow as questions about the lessons from Iraq came up.

McCain said the U.S. had immediate success, but from then on, the war was mishandled.

Obama agreed, but an argument was started about Obama’s lack of support for the surge.

The most important question of the night was “What is your reading on the threat to Iran right now to the security of the U.S.?”

Both candidates agreed that Iran is a threat, but Obama was more insistent on diplomacy and negotiations. McCain responded that he would “sit down with anybody, but there’s got to be preconditions.” Diplomacy works well with persuasive people, but there are

certain people that will not negotiate, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is one of them. The combination of the words “negotiations” and “Ahmadinejad” in the same sentence is scary; one may think back to Neville Chamberlain and his appeasement to Hitler.

John McCain came out on top at the conclusion of the debate. Supporters of McCain had to be worried during the economy questions; they are very hard questions for him to answer. Luckily for him, the debate revolved around foreign policy and national security, which are McCain’s two strongest issues. When asked about Iran, he was clear and concise in that he would not negotiate without preconditions. He refuses to take it any other way, which is exactly what he needed to do. He was consistently strong in his beliefs and never contradicted himself during the debate.

McCain looked good towards the end of the debate, while Obama simply wanted to “move on” to some follow up questions. While he stared into the camera more, McCain’s message was very clear: I am ready to be your next president.

13

COMMENTARY OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

Friendly fire or friend turned foe?

by Andrew Abtahi The United States’ greatest ally in the War on Terror isn’t Britain or Australia, but Pakistan.

The Muslim nation of more then 160 million people not only has gotten into shoot-outs with terrorists but has brought in more then 800 suspected Al Qaeda members and some of the top members of the militant organization. But all of a sudden this ally is sharply turning into a not so subservient country to America’s exact wants.

The recent shoot out between Pakistani border guards and American troops is most likely the cause of a misunderstanding of a border that is not clearly defined and not over recent disputes between the two governments.

The tensions between America and our democratic Muslim ally have been growing ever since Pervez Musharaf lost his iron grip on Pakistan when elections on February 3 put Yousaf Raza Gillani at the seat of Prime Minister. Musharaf resigned on August 18 of this year to avoid impeachment proceedings and Asif Ali Zardari was elected into office.

The U.S. was allowed to do missions in Pakistan during Musharaf’s rule but that is not the case for the new government according to the foreign minister. This is a major shift in how American policy will have to deal

by Erin Klein I’ll be the first to admit it: “Gossip Girl,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “90210,” “One Tree Hill,”—I cannot get enough. Every Monday night at 7 p.m. I put my phone on silent, log off Facebook, and refuse to be disturbed until the entire episode of “Gossip Girl” has been aired.

And like many other teenagers, I can’t resist picking up tabloids and reading about Britney Spears unpacking her groceries, Blake Lively dining in New York with pals, or how Jessica Alba got her body back after a baby.

It seems to me that we live in a Hollywoodobsessed world. And in many ways, this isn’t such a healthy thing. Taking a look at the shows I’ve rattled off, how many of them have a leading actress who could possibly wear over a size two?

In September, Us magazine reported that the co-stars of 90210, Jessica Stroup, 21, and

with the very real threat of Al Qaeda residing in the Hindu Kush Mountains in Pakistan.

The Pakistani government won’t allow Americans inside their borders with guns and helicopters. Pakistan might be an ally of the U.S. but like most of the Muslim world, they are weary of an American foreign policy that seems to them as imperialistic. America had supported Musharaf, a man who came to power through a military coup and was about to suspend elections if not for the protest from the people.

While the U.S. would like to be seen as the biggest sponsor of democracy, in Pakistan a majority of the population views America as a country only out to fulfill its own selfinterest. Not only that, but since its alignment with the American War on Terror, Pakistan has been faced with many terrorist attacks since its major crackdown on terror groups. Along with the border disputes with the U.S., the new government has seriously been thinking of stopping support for the War on Terror.

The two candidates for president have different views on this issue. Barack Obama wants more oversight of the $10 billion given in aide to Pakistan and has suggested sending in American troops into Pakistan to hunt down Al Qaeda operatives even without Pakistan’s permission. Pakistan has responded

by saying his remarks are “irresponsible.”

The odd thing is that Obama is straying toward the Bush Doctrine more than his republican rival. McCain would keep funding Pakistan and feels that a War on Terror without Pakistan’s help would be detrimental to the America’s goals. Even though his running mate Sarah Palin made a statement on September 28th supporting Obama’s plan for dealing with terrorist in Pakistan, it was a statement that McCain had to retract.

Pakistan is a democratic Muslim nation, which is rare these days. There is instability in the country especially in the tribal regions of the mountainous northwest but there is still a strong belief in democracy in the country as the large protest against Musharaf showed.

Pakistan was recently turned upside down and as it is trying to balance itself. An invasion of Pakistan would lead to anti-American sentiment never seen in the country and would lead to more problems between the U.S. and Pakistan.

The region is vital to hunting down Al Qaeda members. If war does break out, fighting against Al Qaeda, Pakistani troops, and the tribes in that region is not a war the U.S. can win. The U.S. needs to maintain a strong and healthy alliance with Pakistan if we don’t want to add to the problems we face in that region.

Shenae Grimes, 18, stand at 5-foot-8 and 100 pounds, and 5-foot-3 and merely 90 pounds, respectively. That puts each girls B.M.I under 16 (18.5-25 is considered “normal”), which leaves them at risk for osteoporosis and a weakened immune system.

With emaciated girls starring on shows aimed for teenage viewing, I have to wonder, what is the media trying to tell us? Is this artificially thin image beautiful? How far must one go to attain “beauty”?

In 2004, Dove beauty products launched a global campaign to make more women feel beautiful every day by widening stereotypical views of beauty. The Dove campaign for Real Beauty was inspired by a major global study, The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report, which found that the definition of beauty had become extremely narrow and virtually unattainable.

Dove saw the profound effect this was having on the self-esteem of women around the world—only 2 percent of women describe themselves as beautiful—and wanted to make

a difference. Their studies found that 7 out of 10 girls believe they are not good enough, or do not measure up in some way.

The harmful effects of low self esteem in women can be seen in the number of girls suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Experts suggest that 1% of female adolescents suffer from anorexia, and that 4% of college age women suffer from bulimia, according to America Family Physician.

Dove has joined together with the entertainment industry to help girls see what is real vs. what is Hollywood by providing self-esteem workshops. The goal is to help girls realize what they see in movies and magazines represents an unrealistic standard of beauty.

Thus far, Dove has already helped 2 million girls through the self-esteem fund, and hopes to reach 5 million by 2010.

By helping to widen the definition of beauty and aiding women of all ages to accept their beauty, Dove is officially breaking down the illusions put up by Hollywood and returning a healthy dose of reality to everyday life.

14

SPORTS OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

Lady hawks play with lots of dignity

By Caileen Bazarek With an impressive total record of 96 wins to 32 losses, the Maine South girls’ varsity tennis team is approaching the end of their season.

The girls have practiced very hard to earn their record of 10 wins and 5 losses. Not only do the girls work on a variety of drills focusing on footwork, volleys, shot placement, and power, but according to head coach Ms. Barb Rizzi, “Assistant coach Leslie Young and I wanted to focus on endurance; the girls run a mile before each practice.”

The Hawks were led throughout their successful season by their team captains, senior Julie DeMarke and junior Sabrina Salgia.

Together, the girls have a record of 9 wins, 9 losses. The success of freshman Audrey and Haley O’Connor has also been crucial to the success of the Maine South Hawks.

Audrey O’Connor has already won second place in the Hawk invite, and has a record of 16-2. Haley O’Connor is currently undefeated with a record of 17-0, and took first in the Hawk invite, helping the varsity Hawks get second place in the Hawk invite, which included schools such as Glenbard West High School, Niles North High School, Oswego East High School, Woodlands Academy, and Fenwick High School.

While the girls are excited about the way they dominated at the Lake Park Quad by

Photo by Jackie Hazlett-Morris

Sami Niese is still practicing hard even though the Hawks are at the end of their season. losing only two of the 27 matches played that in a game or match, we tell the girls to maintain day, they stay modest. According to Coach their composure rather than lose their dignity.”

Rizzi, “We want to instill the idea and purpose She also said, “Both of us are proud of the girls; of team with the girls. No matter what happens they make the team fun to coach.”

According to Jackie Hazlett-Morris, “Our coaches make us work hard, but in the end, realizing you have accomplished your goals and knowing that you have played to your full potential makes the challenges all worth while.”

Their upcoming conference meet next Friday and Saturday will end their very successful season.

The lady Hawks are expecting to do well.

Photo by Jackie Hazlett-Morris

Allie Sackowitz watches as her teammate Monica Janeczek returns a volley.

15 Waukegan suffers a blackout SPORTS

OCTOBER 17, 2008 • VOL. 45, NO. 2

By Jimmy Loomos

The heavily favored Hawks routed the Waukegan Bulldogs 48-0 in an impressive performance by Maine South quarterback Charlie Goro. Goro led the Hawks with two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns.

Also contributing to the win were starting wide receiver Brendan Cronin, who caught many passes from Goro including a 34-yard touchdown pass, and junior running back Matt Perez whose highlight was a 12-yard rushing touchdown.

Not only did the offense dominate, the defense also held their own, keeping Waukegan on their own side of the field for the majority of the game and forcing four turnovers. One reason for the success was the play of senior linebacker Corby Ryan.

This game was a “no contest” from the

beginning when the Hawks forced an early turnover that led to a Maine South touchdown.

With this convincing victory, the Hawks showed why they are the number-one team in the state and the eightieth team in the nation.

The homecoming game was just a glimpse of what Maine South has done this year. Now with a 5-0 record, the Hawks have beaten their opponents by double-digits every game, with three of the games being by over 40 points.

Their toughest challenge this year was against the Warren Blue Devils, who are 4-1, only having lost to the Hawks. The game was close until the very end, with the Hawks only leading by seven late in the 4th quarter. The Hawks got a first down and then scored soon after sealing the victory.

Winning those tight games isn’t just sheer luck. The players on the football team went through 128 off-season workouts to get to

where they are now, and with their hard work they could easily become the state champions.

Coach Inserra gives all the credit to the athletes saying, “The reason for our success is all the time the kids have put in…these boys want to be coached and are willing to push themselves. They take pride in the little things to over prepare.”

The Hawks use their practices to push each other to the limit, realizing that they may not have been challenged much this year. But they have some tough games coming up, on the schedule the Hawks have circled two games, Glenbrook South on October 10, and New Trier on October 18.

If the Hawks can overcome these tough challenges, they will surely be on their way to a state title. Try to make it to these games to root on your Hawks and show your school spirit.

Hawk Calendar October

19

20

21

22

JV B Football vs.

New Trier (A) 4:30PM

F(A & B)-S-V G Volleyball vs Glenbrook South (H) 5:00 PM

V B Soccer IHSA Regional

23 F(A&B)-S-V G Volleyball vs.

New Trier (H) 5:00 PM V G IHSA State Final

26

27

28 V B Soccer IHSA Sectional

29 V G Volleyball IHSA Regional

24

25

JV G Volleyball vs. Evanston (A) 5:00 PM

ALL B Football vs. Niles West (H) 8:30 AM

F-JV-V G Swimming vs.

New Trier (H) 5:30 PM

F G Volleyball vs. New Trier (A) 9:00 AM

30

31

1

V B Soccer IHSA Sectional

F_JV_V G Swimming vs Glenbrook South (A) 5:30 PM

F G Swimming vs New Trier Invite (A) 1:00 PM V B & G Cross Country IHSA Sectional

BOYS’ GOLF • GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL • GIRLS’ GOLF • GIRLS ’ SWIMMING • GIRLS’ TENNIS • FOOTBALL • CROSS COUNTRY • BOYS’ SOCCER

Hawks make a splash

by Jimmy Loomos

Senior and backstroke specialist Lauren at practice,” said head coach Mr. Kura. He The Maine South Hawks Girls’ Swim Zitkus said regarding the teams expectations hopes that girls grow together as a team and Team is looking strong this year. They have this year, “We want to do the best we can. understand what it really takes to be successful a 4-2 record in dual meets, which in swimming. is very good considering the “We lost some key swimmers competition they have played. As from last year” said senior Erin a team they have also competed Klein. “Sarah Walsh, who was in three invitationals, including a state qualifying breaststroker, the Hoffman Estates Invite graduated, as long as many of our where they placed first, and even solid 50 and 100 freestylers.” won every ones favorite race: the Tonight the Hawks are facing Apple Relay. The Apple Relay Niles West at home, which should consists of all members on the be an intense meet. The Hawks team swimming a 25 yard sprint. defeated Wolves by scarcely Whoever finishes first wins two points last year. Tomorrow apples which are thrown at them is Hawk Relays, Maine South’s by the host team. invitational.

This year the team competed The toughest competition at for the first team in the Palatine this meet for the Hawks will be College Events meet, and they York. The Hawk’s took first at faired very well. The varsity, JV Hawk Relay’s last year, but their photo courtesy of Nikki Vidal and freshman team all competed, victory came down to the final The Hawks take a break from swimming at one of their meets to enjoy relay. Seniors Leah Artwick, Klein and the girls took third overall. their apple relay.

The team still has many meets and Zitkus are all looking forward to to come, including ones against another victory.

Glenbrook South and New Trier, who are both We are looking pretty strong, and are looking Although swimming may not be the most ranked very high in the state. Both should be forward to doing well in our conference.” popular sport to watch, the meets are a ton of tough battles, but these girls are determined “One of my keys to success is that we show fun to see. The intensity level is high and the to win. up to work the best of our ability everyday races are a lot of fun.

Boys’ soccer kicks off

by Gabby Whittinghill Even through tough games versus high ranked teams such as Hersey, Glenbrook South, New Trier, Evanston, boys soccer still manages to play together as a team.

Currently, their record is 7-5-4. Though they have had some hard-hitting and unlucky losses, the varsity boy’s soccer team continues to work hard and play well together. They players are trying hard and hope to overcome their previous loses. By bettering themselves, the team is confident that it’ll be able to beat its future rivals.

This year’s team lost many players from last year including their star forward Nick Kulas and goal keeper John Michael Kulnig. However, there are many key returning members of the 2007 season such as senior Frank Marchiori, junior Kamil Laszczkowski and senior captains Patrick Holmes, Kyle Hannon and Pj Weisheit.

The captains are hoping to lead their team to solid finish end the 2008 season on a good note.

“We’re looking forward to the playoffs this year, with regionals being at home. Hopefully we’ll get a chance for revenge against New Trier in the sectional final!” Hannon commented. The

boys are training harder in order to improve so they can retaliate against New Trier. Having lost many players throurghout the diration of the season due to injury, the hawks finally starting to get these players bacvk on their feet and into the game.

With the return of the team in full, the hawks are looking forward to a fantasitc finish to the season. There is a lot of potential in each individual, therfore the team as a whole will seem unstoppable. If the hawks are able to continue to play well together, there is no doubt that they will finish this season strong the way they wanted.