October 16, 2009
1111 S. DEE ROAD • PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS 60068
VOL. 46, NO. 2
TURF
Photo by Miranda Kahrilas
Girls hit the
Alyssa Pollina and the rest of the junior team huddles during the Powder Puff game October 2.
Internet Drama
Internet bandwith is restored Page 3 Page 3
Olympic Bid
Rio ‘living their passion’’ in 2016 Page 5
‘Alice’ On Stage
MS version gives new edge to an old favorite Page 9
Capitalist Cafe
One solution to our cafeteria woes Page 12
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3) A suicide i id bomber b b iin Pakistan disguised himself as a security guard in order to gain access to a U.N food agency. He killed himself and five others agency workers in the bombing on Oct. 5.
2) Three American scientists received the Nobel Prize for their work in biology and genetics.
1) President Obama rules out cutting the number of troops in Afghanistan, or turning the war into an antiterrorism campaign.
4) France’s envoy to North Korea, Jack Lang, pushes for “real and concrete discussions” regarding North Korea’s nuclear programs.
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Stockholm 3
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Islamabad
Pyongyang
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Washington, D.C.
GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW ELLER
NEWS
OCTOBER 16, 2009
New Delhi 6
Padang 7
Rio de Janeiro 5
5) Rio de Janeiro was awarded the 2016 summer Olympics on Oct. 2. This is the first time that a South American country will have the Olympics.
Structural deficits plague District 207 finances Hope Tone STAFF WRITER
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ith the stock market dropping to record lows, the education system at Maine South has been affected. As more and more people lose their jobs, they lose the income to purchase homes, and less money is paid in property taxes. Until the economy improves, District 207 will be forced to cut some spending in order to fix the deficit in the budget, hence the need for budget metings for the district’s teachers. The State legislature has passed
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6) Monsoon season causes floods in India, leaving hundreds of people dead and over one million people homeless.
many laws in the past few years that directly effect the funding of public schools. One such of these laws capped the amount of money that a school district could receive but did not place a minimum on it. With the declining economy, schools are receiving less and less money than ever before making it increasingly difficult for anyone to balance their budgets. Since 2008, the expenditures of District 207 have exceeded the revenue creating a structural deficit in the budget. The decrease in funding is due to a decrease in state funding for bilingual and safety education as well as the fact that District’s investment dividends have decreased in value by $4 million in the past year. The increase in spending was due
7) Earthquakes in American Sumatra and Somoa, two islands in the South Pacific, caused the deaths of over 700 people between Sept. 30 and 31.
to necessary changes in employee salaries as well as improving school technology. Also, renovations were planned and carried through in the hopes of the economy rebounding before complete payment was due. Yet, a year after this crisis began, the economy still looks bleak with little chance of a rapid comeback. In 2009, District 207 overspent its budget by $10 million, even though it was estimated to only exceed the budget by $2-3 million. In order to eliminate the deficit in the budget, the district needs to eliminate unnecessary costs. District 207 spends $10 million each year to pay the tuition for students in the district being sent to other schools. Until the budget is balanced, the B oard must become more
economically savvy. For example, authorizing a free sports clinic may seem like it does not cost the schools anything, but, there will be custodians to clean up and open doors to be paid for such programs. These seemingly small and insignificant costs are adding up too quickly to be ignored. Without a solution to this drastic issue, District 207 will be forced to continue to draw money from its savings. Doing this digs the school district in to a financial hole that will erode its fund balance until they are forced to borrow money and pay interest on top of that. The district is working with the staff of Maine East, South, and West in order to create a plausible plan to be presented in January or February.
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OCTOBER 16, 2009
Red light cameras causing a stir in Park Ridge Austin Bryniarski STAFF WRITER
rogress is being made to install a red light enforcement camera at the intersection of Oakton and Northwest Highway in Park Ridge. A red light camera is a trafficcontrol device that monitors an intersection for drivers who break certain traffic laws. Speeding, illegal turning, stopping incompletely, and other violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code statute are monitored by the cameras to both ensure safety and generate income through ticketing. Section 11-305 of this statute says that “the driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device unless otherwise directed by a police officer, except in the case of a driver of an authorized emergency vehicle.” It also claims that it is unlawful for any person to leave the roadway and travel across private property
10 Crash Intersections” in Park Ridge according to the Park Ridge Police Department’s website. In the ranking, Dempster and Luther Lane, at Lutheran General Hospital, is number one, with Greenwood and Oakton ranked second. In a study by the Federal Highway Administration, the cameras reduced the number of right-angle crashes. Mr. Scott, Maine South’s Head Drivers’ Education Teacher, argues that the cameras do not improve or intend to improve the safety of drivers. “I think [the cameras are] a way for the city to make money: the ticket is $100 and does not go on your driving record if you pay the fine.” The cost and revenue of such cameras is being considered–with RedSpeed, the city would be charged a $1,500 monthly fee along with a certain percentage of ticket revenue. The tickets produce a great amount of revenue for both companies like RedSpeed and the cities that install the cameras. Schaumburg failed to see the
effect the cameras had on safety as well. While only having the cameras for a few months, the Schaumburg Police Department said that data pertaining to the number of crashes did not produce the result that it was supposed to. They found no need for the cameras, even after making hundreds of thousands of dollars, because they did not serve their original purpose, and eventually they got rid of most of them. Other costs need to be taken into account as well, when determining whether the red light cameras are worth the instalation costs. Costs such as infrastructure changes, particularly the purchasing of new traffic light LEDs, as required by the Illinois Department of Transportation, which is paid for in part by RedSpeed. According to RedSpeed, the intersections where the cameras are located lead to a decrease in violations, therefore cities look to relocate the cameras to other intersections in order to create even more revenue.
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in order to avoid an official traffic control device. Intersections must meet a certain criteria in order to have a red light camera installed at it. RedSpeed Illinois, a red light camera business based in Lombard, works with the Illinois Department of Safety and city governments to observe potential intersections by finding out the number of traffic violations made; using this data they decide whether or not the intersection needs a camera. “To determine if an intersection would benefit from the installation of a red light camera, we review crash data,” explains Commander Lou Jogmen of the Park Ridge Police Department. “If we determine that a significant number of turning crashes exist, we conduct a study to see how many red light violations occur. If the number of violations exceeds a certain threshold, we consider a red light camera.” Oakton and Northwest Highway ranks number 10 of the “ Top
Tech. department at Maine South fixes slow Internet STAFF WRITER
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he Internet pipeline, through which information is carried, was reduced at the beginning of the year, causing slow Internet, and frustrations for students and staff alike. Computers at Maine South are not directly connected to the Internet. Rather, they are connected to a series of wires, switches, and routers that travel through Maine East High School to a location in downtown Chicago, where the school’s service provider is located. This provider has multiple high speed connections that connect it to the internet. Maine South has a wide range of computers, each with various processing powers based on their internal hardware. The rate at which these computers can receive and process requests is based on the power of the computer; the more powerful the computer, the faster its processing speed. Computers acquire information from the internet in a sequence of ones and zeros called bits. How fast these bits can be sent and received
is limited by the size of the pipe that the information is flowing through. Maine South’s pipeline carries 100 million bits per second, or 100 Mbps. Yet, after traveling through Maine East to the Internet, information has to pass through a pipe that can only carry 21 Mbps. “This is where some of the slow down can occur. Your request to the Internet is being pushed through that pipe along with requests from everyone else. If more than 21 million bits arrive at that point at any single time, a backup occurs as bits
wait to go out or come back in. This traffic jam is what slows down the Internet,” explains Dr. Thiele, Maine Township District 207’s technology director. Dr. Thiele described a more effective solution to fixing the internet: “The best way to speed up your Internet experience is to increase the size of the smallest pipe that leads to the Internet so that less traffic jams occur. ” Because of limits determined by a government organization that supplies
GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW ELLER
Sarah Tarabey
internet to many public institutions in Illinois, Maine South is only allowed to have a pipe that can carry 21 Mbps. A special program had allowed the school a 47 Mbps pipe for the past few years. However, the bandwidth had to be reduced again to 21 Mbps due to budgetary limitations. Both students and faculty, felt the effects of the slow internet at Maine South. Erica Bosco, a sophomore, complained, “The slow Internet is really a bother when you’re trying to finish a research project or gathering information. It’s always been slow, but this year, there’s a significant difference. I’m sure I’m not the only student upset about the slow internet.” Junior Lisa Francis wholeheartedly agreed, adding, “When I’m looking for materials online, I enjoy tabbed browsing. It is something I’ve come to rely on in life, like rain and taxes. I find that the slow internet is a waste of my time that could be better spent in curing cancer or other leisure activities.” Their complaints, as well as those of many others, have certainly not gone unheard. In the end, the technolog y department was able to fix the slow internet and, hopefully, prevent any future problems.
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H1N1 Continues to be a Threat virus. While this may be good news for grandparents, these statistics don’t NEWS EDITOR do much for students. District 207 has been preparing he H1N1 virus, more frequently for a possible flu outbreak for “well termed “swine flu,” has made over a year,” according to Ms. Tomassi, headlines recently as a national health Maine South’s school nurse. The scare. In the spring of 2009, human nurses from all Maine schools have cases of H1N1 were confirmed in revised 207’s procedures and policies many states across the country. in the event of a pandemic. They also Contrary to popular belief however, have “requested H1N1 flu vaccines for the swine flu is not same virus that students and staff of District 207.” causes the influenza in pigs. The However, the swine flu has yet not H1N1 influenza is actually a flu strain proven to be much more severe than containing swine, avian and human any other seasonal influenza. H1N1 is genes. contagious. After the first outbreaks of Every year, seasonal flues affect the flu emerged earlier this year, the people across the nation and they all spread intensified to spread across vary in severity. On average in the several states. United States, there are 200,000 related The virus spreads like any typical hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths flu from person to person through due to flu-related complications. sneezing and coughing. People Swine flu differs from the normal infected with the H1N1 flu may seasonal flu in that it has caused be contagious before they develop greater infection in younger people symptoms of the flu. and its complications seem to increase The flu is not as severe as many preexisting medical conditions rather believe it to be. The pandemic has than lead to death. been labeled as ‘moderate’ with the According to the CDC, the H1N1 majority of patients having a full flu is causing a larger burden in recovery with mild symptoms and no children and young adults. Most need for medical treatment. known cases of swine flu have Since the outbreak in the U.S, more occurred in people ages 5 to 24. than one million Americans have Few cases and deaths have been been infected with the H1N1 virus. Of reported in those older than 60 and that number, five thousand have been it is believed that as many as 1/3 of hospitalized due to complications and these adults may carry an antibody 302 have died. protecting them against the It is not always the virus itself that proves harmful to its patients. When a virus infects the body, it attacks cells to multiply itself. A virus has no other desire but to use the body’s cells as a host; the way in which viruses attack the respiratory and digestive cells, killing or rendering them incapacitated, is what makes flues dangerous. Such is the case with the H1N1 virus: although the virus itself is not an illness, the actions of the H1N1 virus cause symptoms. The H1N1 virus has proven to be a respirator y illness “Cover your Cough” signs are posted around the and symptoms include school, reminding students to take precautions to those similar to any prevent the spread of germs. other seasonal f lu.
NEWS
Ali Niese
PHOTO BY ASHLEY KOZUBAL
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These symptoms most often include fever, headache, nausea, fatigue, muscle aches, coughing, sore throat, and lack of appetite. Most people who are infected with the swine flu are able to recover completely in one to two weeks. However this time period changes depending on each patient’s personal health and any underlying medical conditions. Because the swine flu is a new illness, scientists are still conducting tests to understand the virus and how exactly it transfers from person to person and if a person who has swine flu once can develop immunity for it. Typically, when a person is infected with influenza and then recovers, their immune systems develops certain antibodies protecting the body from another attack from the same virus. However, it is yet unknown whether or not the body can develop antibodies for swine flu. What is known, however, is that the swine flu virus can survive outside the body. On hard surfaces like plastic or metal, the virus can survive for up to 48 hours; on soft surfaces such as tissue or paper, the virus can survive less than 12 hours. Although these numbers are high, it is a relief to know that the swine flu can only infect people for up to 8 hours on hard surfaces after being deposited and only a few minutes for soft surfaces. While the swine flu should be taken seriously, as is true with all medical conditions, it is important not to be swept up in the hysteria surrounding the swine flu. By washing hands regularly and avoiding contact with the contagious persons, one can effectively lower their chances of contracting the swine flu. On average at Maine South, students touch at least seven infected door handles, get sneezed on by four passersby and sit in 10 desks co-inhabited by the DNA of their fellow Hawks each day. But what can a diligent student do to lower their risk of contracting the Swine Flu or other virus this season? Ms. Tomassi advises students to follow good hygiene practices. She tells students to wash their hands as much as possible. and “if you have flu symptoms, stay home and notify your doctor.” Students must stay home until they are fever-free for 24 hours. Ms. Tomassi suggests that people read the information and recommendations on the CDC website.
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 Anne Wave Caileen Bazarek News Editors Jackie Hazlett-Morris Ashley Kozubal Features Editors Joanna Madej Asha Kirchhoff Entertainment Editors Lydia Ramsey Tayler LaBellarte Commentary Editors Katie Hernandez Kaci Zimmerman Sports Editors Jimmy Loomos Michael Unti Charlie Vinopal Production Heads Matt Eller Ted Sherbin Graphic Designers Adrian Adamiec Marjo Pajaj Photographers Chris Anderson Abby Powell Miranda Kahrilas Josie Fioretto Adviser Mr. Stathakis
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OCTOBER 16, 2009
The Olympic torch passes by Chicago Asha Kirchhoff
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Games. Rio de Janeiro will be the first South American city to host the Olympic Games, a fact that their presentation centered on. Of 790 Maine South students surveyed, 91% ssaid that they believed it was w a factor in the IO IOC’s decision and 51% say it was a ‘significant c factor’. Rio de Janeiro Jane impressed also impress the IOC w with their bid pres entati entation and theme of “Live yo your
passion.” While Rio has never hosted the Olympic Games, Mayor Eduardo Paes clearly presented the city’s advantages: established athletic facilities, a solid economic base, and the success of the 2007 Pan-
American Games. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said prior to the selection of Rio, “Rio de Janeiro is ready body and soul to receive the 2016 Olympic Games... there is commitment from across the whole nation. We are ready to seize this opportunity.” While Rio de Janeiro celebrated, Chicago responded to the loss of the Olympics. Prior to the IOC’s decision, a Chicago 2016 survey reported that 72% of Chicago area residents supported the bid; the Tribune/ WGN’s independent survey of 701 Chicagoans revealed that only 47% supported the bid. Citizens voiced their varying reactions to the IOC’s decision, but most residents were baffled by Chicago’s early elimination. However, the IOC’s September review of Chicago’s bid voiced concerns over economic strength and transportation in the city. These factors, coupled with a poor presentation and weakness in the organization of the USOC, are thought to be the main reasons behind the failure of the bid. Mayor Richard Daley shook off the city’s loss. “We have a great city. These are great people. We have a future just as bright as anyone else,” he said. Now Chicagoans can look forward to “Living Their Passions” in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Features
showing the wrestling room, spectator gym, and field house. The bids of the three other n October 2, 2009, after three years of preparation, Chicago candidates – Tokyo, Japan, Rio de was eliminated as a candidate to host Jan e i ro, Br a z i l, and the 2016 Summer Olympics. After three rounds of run-off voting, the International Olympic Committee declared Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the city best suited to host the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) began the selection process by receiving Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Games. Chicago’s presentation consisted of speeches by the President of the US Olympic Committee (USOC) Larry Prost, Mayor Richard Daley, and Barack and Michelle Obama among others. Michelle Obama championed Chicago, giving an anecdote from her childhood about how sports unified her family. “Chicago’s vision for the Olympic and Paralympic movement is Madrid, about so much more than what we can S p a i n – ollowed, leading offer the Games...it’s about inspiring followed, o voting. While it had been widely this generation and building a lasting to speculated peculated that the decision would legacy for the next,” she said. Chicago, Chicago Chicago was shown as a welcoming be between Rio and Chicago city full of culture. During the received only 18 votes in the first promotional video shown, Chicago’s round of voting, and was eliminated characteristics were represented in a surprise upset. In the final round, as colors of the traditional 6-ring Rio de Janeiro received 66 votes to Olympic emblem. Shots of Maine trump Madrid’s 33 and become the South’s athletic facilities were used, host of the 2016 Summer Olympic FEATURES EDITOR
Chinese immersion a great new experience Lindsey Zawila
PHOTO COURTESY OF MS. HAIHONG SHI
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ast June five Maine South students met their teacher, Ms. Shi, at the O’Hare International Airport for a trip to China. These students embarked on what was probably one of the longest journeys of their lives. The first obstacle was a 13-hour plane ride to Shanghai. The great city of Shanghai is often compared to the vibrant U.S. city New York, and the similarities were evident. However, the students couldn’t stay long; they only spent one night staring at the beautiful skyline. Departing Shanghai, the students endured long car rides. Finally, they arrived in Suzhou and Hangzhou. In these cities, the students strolled through gorgeous gardens, sipped green tea, and witnessed silk being made before their eyes. Exotic foods such as chicken feet and fish eyes were also introduced to the students. After just a few days, the students departed for Anning, a suburb of the
From left to right, Maine South students Dylan Garbarini, Demetrios Pirpiris, Adam Yurkovic, Lindsey Zawila, and Taylor Dornik with teacher Ms. Shi in China city Kunming. There, the students shadowed local high school students. They spent almost a week together, taking classes that the Chinese
school offered, such as dance, music, calligraphy, martial arts, and table tennis. Unfortunately, the fun ended all too quickly.
The students then headed to Kunming city. There they saw the Stone Forest. When viewed from above, the sight was truly breathtaking: an area of lush green trees replaced with massive silver stones. The final destination of the students was the globally famous city of Beijing. The students toured the Forbidden City, the home of the chinese emperors. They also headed to the site of the 2008 Olympics and saw the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube. The next day, they journeyed to the Great Wall, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The wall crawled along a mountain, and climbing the uneven stone steps was quite intimidating. However, the amazing experience of standing on the Great Wall made it well worth it. On the last day, the students spent time at the Silk Alley shopping area. After collecting last-minute souvenirs and gifts, they headed home—that is, after another thirteen-hour flight.
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New Powder Puff a great success prior to the event. There were no cuts, but that doesn’t mean that the girls FEATURES EDITOR didn’t work hard and give their best at every practice. “The girls were really dedicated, aine South takes pride in most of them made every practice and its students, activities, and were very enthusiastic,” said junior traditions. The things we do and the coach, Mr. Fallico. Each practice was way we do them here at South set us an hour and a half of hard work apart from other schools. And even Mr. Fallico and Mrs. Kirshner when something new is thrown at us, trained the junior girls. Since Mr. we can automatically succeed at it, or Fallico coaches the boys’ wrestling in this case, tackle it. team during the year, he had a good A new tradition has just found perspective on how different training its way into Maine South. Powder boys and girls is. “They were being so Puff football has been a part of many cute,” Mr. Fallico said about the girls schools’ activities for years and is now on his team, “they kept complimenting part of Hawk culture. me and saying things like ‘Very good The Powder Puff football game technique, coach,’ from day one. It was the brainchild of social science was adorable.” teacher Mrs. Scorza. “We decided M r. S c o t t and Mr. Disrude trained the senior girls. They also noticed the differences b e t w e e n training boys and girls. “ The big gest difference was that the girls did not have pads and helmets which changed football practice PHOTO BY MIRANDA KAHRILAS for me,” said The junior and senior Powder Puff teams girls scramble for the football, while senior Amanda social science Brait runs with it. t e a c h e r M r.
Joanna Madej
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to try and set up the Powder Puff game because we all had a good, fun experience in high school,” said Mrs. Scorza. It was truly an experiment, but it turned out to be one of the most successful undertakings at Maine South this year. It was also one of the most fun and exciting events that the junior and senior girls got to enjoy during their high school years so far. Training really hard for a few weeks and then doing their best while having fun in the field was not only exciting and rewarding, but it was also an innovative way of asserting girl power. Two teams, one composed of junior girls and the other of senior girls, trained hard for three weeks
Scott. He, too, was pleased with the way practices went. “The senior girls worked really hard,” he said. The juniors had practice six times a week before the game and the seniors only four. Both teams focused on technique and improving their game, some of them never having played football before. Some of them didn’t know each other very well. But they went from football novices and strangers to two closely-bonded teams, each girl growing athletically and mentally. The big game took place on the rainy afternoon of October 2 on the Maine South football field after the Homecoming Assembly. The seniors won 12-6, but considering the amount of dedication and enthusiasm both teams displayed, every girl on both teams was a winner that day. “It was challenging but fun at the same time,” said senior Erica Richards. “I think that the first word that comes to my mind is ‘Wow,’” said coach Fallico, “because the girls played with so much dedication. It was a close and exciting game.” The multiple traditions that Maine South has make it the great school it is. Hopefully, with the success that it was this year, Powder Puff football will make it not only to the long list of Homecoming activities and traditions, but also the as something that continues to take place and expand every year as a part of our school pride and what makes Hawks, Hawks.
Maine South’s newest clubs
intramurals are just a few of the started to create Frisbee leagues in fun and interesting things one can their schools in 1968. Due to student and teacher requests, a league has s another new year starts to become part of today. finally been formed at Maine South. grow here at Maine South, new The fall season has already ended opportunities arise. Not only do Irish Club students begin to learn new things Irish Club is all about getting to but students can keep it in mind for in the classroom, they also able to know Irish heritage and celebrating next year. become more involved in school Irish culture. Being Irish is not a activities. requirement, so all are invited to Bags League Each year, old clubs become join. The club participates in various Bean bags is a fairly easy sport. The stronger and new clubs take shape activities during the year, including player must attempt to throw the bean which gives students many activities window painting. If students have bags into the hole on a board to get to choose from. Students now also any questions, they can contact Mrs. points. He/she also gets points when the bags land on top of the board. have more opportunities in sports Braverman in the English office. Bag tournaments can get competitive, because of the growing number of but they are less stressful than other intramural leagues. By participating Ultimate Frisbee League in these leagues, students will become Ultimate Frisbee, usually called sports. Bags is a fall intramural so experienced players which may give Ultimate, is very similar to football. don’t wait to join if you want to play them an extra boost if they decide to The main differences are that one uses a nice simple sport. If interested play in similar leagues in college. a disc instead of a ball and it’s a non- in this, contact Mr. Stathakis in the T h e f o l l o w i n g c l u b s a n d contact sport. Students originally English office.
Kathy Wabiszczewicz
FEATURES WRITER
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Slow Pitch Softball League Slow pitch softball game is very similar to a regular softball game. The only difference is the ball, which is bigger and softer, making the game easier for some. Slow pitch softball is planned for the fall or spring so keep your ears open if you’re interested. Dodgeball League If anyone is a fan of playing Hawkball during gym class, then they should pay close attention to the intramural Dodgeball league. Dodgeball can be physically demanding, but it’s also exciting and a great way to rid oneself of some school-related stress. It will start in the fall or spring, so keep an eye out for announcements.
In vogue: the life of a recessionista Ayana Takizawa
Jimmy Loomos
FEATURES WRITER
SPORTS EDITOR
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Jones says she “found an awesome store called Crossroads, located in Wicker Park Downtown.” The store is only about 15 minutes away by Blue Line, and there are other unique thrift shops in the area where you can trade in your own clothes, as well as find new buys. Thrift stores are the place to find various treasures, from unique vintage pieces to designer brands. Noticeable trends this season are “anything plaid, and wearing more accessories paired with simple tops,” says Sophia Cho. Louise Yates suggests “plaids, high-waisted skirts, bleached jeans, boyfriend jeans, and graphic tees.” Heather Johnson goes through her house for old trinkets, as vintage jewelry is always a staple accessory. Kyle Johnson notes that “layering is a good thing to do because it gives you lots of different ways to wear an outfit. If you change it up next time you wear it, it can look like a completely different outfit!” Some, like Sara Phillip, make clothes of their own. Having a few casual daytime dresses could be one of the more key investments one can make. With the dress on its own, or paired with a cute jacket over it, you can dress it up or down, for any kind of weather. Dresses are a classic piece that have long epitomized féminité, and in the coming seasons, you can wear them over dark tights accented with a pair of boots. All in one, this little number will hold up against the ever changing trends as well as ridding the need to buy so many jeans and tops. The recession is no reason to not indulge on romance, so skip the expensive dates and use a few candles and a dinner made at home to set the mood. Manicure yourself with the O.P.I. long-lasting formula, and use generic makeup brands to for an attractive look at a low price. If one is going out, use public transportation or walk, and withdraw money only from your bank’s ATM. To make the best of the recession, look for the best bargains and reconsider if that “brewed to perfection” Starbucks is really a daily necessity. The list is simple and the dismal economy doesn’t serve an excuse for anyone to lapse, as being stylish with saving is timelessly trendy. Au revoir to the misery; bonjour, Recessionistas!
ur next stop lets off in the trendy neighborhood of Logan Square. Just seven stops from Cumberland heading towards Forest Park, Logan Square is sure to fulfill one’s expectations. Whether it’s shopping, eating, or sight seeing, it can all be done in this urban hotspot. If a great meal is on the agenda, then be sure to stop at Dunlays on the Square, 3137 W. Logan Blvd., (773-227-2400). This moderately priced Irish restaurant has everything from pizza to burgers, and even pig ears to take home to your furry friend. However, the menu’s hidden secret is the cookie skillet. This warm melted cookie topped with fresh vanilla ice cream and served in a cooking skillet is quite possibly the best dessert in the world. After devouring the cookie skillet, one will have to walk off the extra calories, so it is a great time to take in the history and architecture of Logan Square. Right off the “El” stop there is the Illinois Centennial Monument. This statue commemorates the 100th anniversary of Illinois’ statehood. Just a short walk away is the beautiful Minnekirke Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 2614 N. Kedzie Blvd. Not only is Minnekirke the last remaining Norwegian speaking church in Illinois, but it also boasts beautiful architecture done almost 100 years ago, modeled after a church in Oslo. If it begins to get chilly outside, be sure to stop in at one of Logan Square’s wonderful shops. G-Mart Comics, 2641 N. Kedzie Ave., (773-384-0400), sells antique comics and toys. Everyone will be sure to find something inside that appeals to them. Disco City Record #6 2630 N. Milwaukee Ave., (773-4861495), embraces the Latino flare of Logan Square, selling various Spanish music as well as salsa hits. If your lucky, you’ll be in Logan Square on the same day an event is taking place at the Logan Sqaure Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie Ave., (773252-6179). From various local artists to children’s plays, the Logan Sqaure Auditorium has it all. To end the day, stop at the cozy café, My House, 3304 W. Fullerton Ave., (773-656-7177). This café resembles a house and can make any outsider feel at home. Although they serve an array of foods, no one can resist the unique flavors of one of My House’s cheaply priced drinks. An added perk—free wifi and open mic nights. With endless possibilities no one cannot go wrong in Logan Square. Delicious deserts, savvy shops, and marvelous monuments are sure to keep you busy in this up-and-coming town. Jump on the “El” soon and experience one of the city’s many hidden gems at Logan Square.
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onjour, ladies! Meet le miserable, La Récession. It seems everyone has felt the strain of this economic downturn in recent times: Ms. Swieger “carpools to school, eats at home, and no longer goes to the mall weekly,” Katie McNamee says there are “fewer babysitting jobs available which means less money,” and Jaclyn Barker even noticed that “you only get four chicken nuggets for a dollar at Wendy’s when you used to get five!” But don’t fret – amidst this economic downturn, there are new icons for the new austerity. They are the “angels who wear Prada,” the former flashy fashionistas who are now the everyday “Recessionistas.” Their avant-garde name is a derivative of ‘recession chic’, and refers to the à la mode-mavens who stay stylish and sufficient, even in these trying times of personal cutbacks. With school is back in season, it is a common endeavor among Maine South students to be looking for the best way to be smart with money. With a bit of effort, a Recessionista can be found in everyone: Louise Yates says she has “stopped buying water bottles from school, but instead brings a reusable water bottle from home now.” Besides being money-saving, she is eco-friendly. Fantastique! To have the same good time going out without having to spend as much as before, you just need to know the tricks of the trade. Jaclyn Barker “goes to early movies to get the Early Bird Discount,” and Heather Johnson says she “doesn’t go to ‘sit-down’ restaurants as often, so that we don’t have to pay the tip anymore.” Brillant! Ms. Swieger seems to reign as the sovereign of saving. She doesn’t use credit cards but rather pays with cash only, brings lunch to school, recycles, and saves aluminum. She also made little adjustments to her life that go a long way: indulging on Peanut M&M’s instead of expensive Fanny May chocolates and opting for Suave brand hair products instead of Redkin to keep her hair looking fabulous as ever, despite getting it cut and styled less frequently. Magnifique! As for shopping, Ashley Sanks says she has “stopped buying pointless school stuff, like mini-staplers, 6 highlighters, etc. It’s unnecessary and saves me money.” Katie McNamee says she has stopped buying things that weren’t on sale, especially if they fit in the “unnecessary luxuries” categories of makeup, hair, and clothes. Bravo to these smart savers! Among these Recessionistas’ favorite stores for their fabulous finds, Forever 21 came up often enough for their “cheap yet fashion-forward pieces.” Others include the Salvation Army, Plato’s Closet, Loehmann’s, TJ Maxx, and Outlet Malls. Kyle
OCTOBER 16, 2009
GRAPHIC BY MATT ELLER
VOL. 46, NO. 2
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VOL. 46, NO. 2 Music:
Illegally downloading music? Think again
Max Mallory
STAFF WRITER
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ENTERTAINMENT
llegally downloaded music has existed for more than ten years now, ever since the rise and decline of Napster and other “peer-topeer” programs in the early 2000s. The death of Napster proved that downloading music illegally could result in consequences, but in 2009, does that still hold true? The answer isn’t quite clear to anyone at this point. For most people, the worst they will get is a letter telling them to stop infringing on copyright, and even that is somewhat rare. Some get it worse. Take the case of Joel Tenenbaum, who was fined $675,000 for sharing a grand total of…30 songs. That ends up being a fine of $22,500 a song. Compare that to the average price of $1 a song and Joel could’ve purchased 22,500 songs instead of sharing one. Excessive punishment is an understatement here. Another example is Jammie Thomas-Rasset, a Minnesota mother of four, who was sued a whopping $1.29 million for sharing 24 songs, or $80,000 a song.
But who’s suing these people? The corporation that represents 85% of legitimate sound recordings, called The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), is. The RIAA’s actions are reasonable to a degree. Some think that the lawsuits they imposed are necessary, and some do not. But the amount of money they want in return is probably pushing the limit. The RIAA claims that piracy is killing the music industry, but the music is doing just fine. Some artists don’t care, and have even publicly announced for people to download their music. 46% of students at Maine South agree that artists do not lose anything by kids downloading music. Most local bands build a fan base by giving out copies of their songs at gigs, or at their school. There are many ways for unsigned bands to promote their music and make a little money at the same time, and the most popular way right now is the Internet. Sites like Facebook and MySpace let the fans come to an artist’s page and listen to their music online. The website Last.fm gives artists royalties based on how many times people
listen to their songs. YouTube lets artists put up music videos. Cdbaby will even sell music for artists. There are countless ways to promote, but for every band that sells their music independently, there’s a record label that could have made money off of them. The more music that is shared, the less control the record labels have over the music industry. What do the students and faculty of Maine South have to say about illegally downloading music? “It’s cheaper and easier to get than a CD, and why buy something if you can get it for free?” one Maine South student said. According to a school survey of 783 Maine South students, 56.5% of Maine South students illegally download music. And 60.9% of those same students say less than 25% of the music on their computer was dowloaded illegally. Piracy has always existed in one form or another, and people will adapt to the change. It seems that no matter what the RIAA does, songs will always be shared. “Downloading illegally is like doing anything else that is illegal- like breaking the speed limit. You can commit it, but if you get caught, you
will pay the price just like anyone else,” said Mr. Krause, an applied technology teacher here at Maine South. A big reason minors are the main pirates is because they aren’t liable—their parents are. If they are caught selling pirated music, their parents will be the ones blamed, and while the minor will still get in legal trouble, the parents will likely get in more. “Musicians are paid enough for what they do, and it doesn’t seem fair for people to have to buy their CDs and see their concerts and buy their merch, so music should be shared” states senior Drew Pruett. Just because people download music doesn’t mean that they don’t make up for it in other ways. Some buy merchandise and concert tickets instead. In fact, a study showed that those who said they download illegal music for free bought 10 times more legal music than those who never download music illegally. By law, copyright infringement is illegal. However, it’s up to you whether you download or not; just be careful and consider the consequences. Misc:
Ten random things you need to know about Josh Timm STAFF WRITER
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ver the years, pop culture has changed. Fads have come and gone. Everybody remembers the Livestrong bracelets, but few look back fondly on the Gwen Stefani song “Hollaback Girl.” Even though there have been a lot of fads over the years, there are always great things that people miss, things that the average person has never heard of, but should have. There are ten things that stand out as things that everyone should know about, because not only are each of these incredibly entertaining, but they are also great to share with friends. 1. First on the list is Tinyurl.com. The site is very incredibly useful, and easy to use. When one is assigned a project that requires the use of long URLs, it can be difficult to write out 25 characters with forward slashes, brackets, and dashes galore. The website turns long URLs into a sim-
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ple, easy-to-write-out URLs. 2. “Stadaffe,” an entire album of German rap, by Peter Fox, is an incredibly catchy album. The lyrics to the song are entirely in German, but it doesn’t stop the songs from being fantastic or catchy. The song “Alles Neu” on the album is a favorite of most. 3. “Flight of the Conchords.” This band is a hilarious folk duo. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are the two musicians from New Zealand that make up the band. The duo mainly play guitar, but occasionally they switch to other instruments. They have a show on HBO and two seasons of the show are available on DVD as well as on a number of hilarious albums. 4.Howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com. This website lists a simple number of how many people are on the International Space Station right now. It also links to videos of all thinks aeronautics, including the docking of space craft to the ISS.
5.“Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” This is a 45-minute musical starring Felicia Day, Nathan Fillion, and Neal Patrick Harris. Harris was the host of this year’s Emmy Awards. The plot of the musical is about the rivalry between Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer, and the awkward love of Dr. Horrrible and Penny. The musical is a must-watch because it is witty, entertaining, and hilarious. 6. Imdb.com. If you’ve ever wondered what a certain movie was called or every single actor/actress that was involved in it, Imdb.com is the perfect website for you. Just typing in the name of an actor or actress brings up everything he or she has done. 7. Funnyordie.com. This website is host to a large amount of sidesplitting videos, including exclusive videos of celebrities. Will Ferrell and Jack Black make appearances on the site’s videos from time to time. 8. Hulu.com. Ever since YouTube removed TV episodes because
of copyright infringement, Hulu has been the best source to get recent episodes of TV shows for free. TV shows like “Heroes,” “The Biggest Loser,” and “Saturday Night Live” are all on Hulu for free. 9. “Garden State.” The movie has an incredibly interesting story. It stars Zach Braff of “Scrubs” renown, and Natalie Portman. The plot signifies the expression, “to the world, you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world.” The story is about how one person can change somebody else’s life so drastically. 10.“The Royal Tenenbaums.” This movie is written by Owen Wilson, and starring Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, and Bill Murphy. The movie is incredible. While depressing and hilarious at the same time, skipping this movie might be the biggest mistake in your life.
VOL. 46, NO. 2
OCTOBER 16, 2009
Theatre spins its own ‘Wonderland’ Danielle Soldat
STAFF WRITER
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or many years, the Maine South Fine Arts Department has been considering performing “Alice in Wonderland.” Many may remember the Disney version of this story, released in 1951, that included unbirthday parties, games of flamingo croquet with the red queen, and other quite absurd and hilarious scenarios. However, that Disney movie is far off from the original context of “Alice.” The play performed here at Maine
South is based off the book “Through the Looking Glass,” by Lewis Carrol. “Through the Looking Glass” is a lot creepier compared to the Disney film, and a lot less child-friendly. “Alice in Wonderland” seems to be increasing in popularity; Tim Burton is set to release his own film version in eary March, 2010. The film promises to be dark like most of his works, and includes talent like Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Ann Hathaway. Here at Maine South, “Alice” has
stressful, and can be a challenge. There were so many students interested in being a part of the fall play, but only 20 people were chosen for roles in the cast for “Alice in Wonderland.” Mr. Muszynski and the audition staff are very happy with the actors that they chose to portray the unique characters in this play, and believe the actors and actresses they selected are doing a great job. In this production, the character of Lewis Carroll is being played by Matt Hamielic, and Alice is played by Annie Hoeg. These two actors are the only characters that have only one role. The other 18 actors are playing two or more characters throughout the play. All of these roles are figments of Carroll’s imagination. The actors have to become whatever that may be. Lewis could need a table, and one of those 18 actors will become that table. So when watching, one will see the actors playing mushrooms, birds, grass, pudding, guards, and so much more. For these actors, it is not normal or easy to become these strange objects. However, it is not easy for the two who have just one role either. Some may recognize senior Matt Hamielic from other productions at Maine South. “I am always the fun, outgoing guy in a show, but now this tests me to show my more subtle and reserved side that only comes out when I am alone,” he explains. The main goal of the cast and crew is to create a show unlike Disney’s version. The set designers have a very interesting and creative approach to the set. They are incorporating a little-known historical fact about Lewis Carroll; the author had taken many pictures of real people in the 1850s and then based his characters on these photos. The set is designed around these photos from the 1850s. Even the costumes will have a different feel than the ones seen in the movie. The Performing Arts Department invites ever yone to come and experience “Alice in Wonderland” on the weekend of October 22. Tickets are available at the box office or at the door. Everyone involved in the production raves about what is to be seen. Senior Shannon Armstrong shares, “It is a really great show that anybody can relate to. Whether you are a child or you are 100 years old. Everybody has dreams and nightmares.”
SOUTHWORDS
Entertainment
indeed become a story of its own unlike any other any other adaptation. While people will still be able to recognize favorite characters like the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and the Red Queen, there will be new characters many may not have heard of such as the Mock Turtle or the Griffin. This play will have Maine South’s own interpretation of the story and many will be surprised by how the story is told. The author of “Alice,” Lewis Carroll, is actually portrayed as Alice’s uncle. So, unlike the Disney movie and every story that people have heard, Lewis Carroll is actually a character in this play. Lewis Carroll tells everything that is happening through Alice’s eyes; every character on stage is made out of Lewis’ imagination. According t o d i r e c t o r, M r. Muszynski, the fine arts department was waiting for the right time and lo oking for the right script to perform this daring play. Many p l ay w r i g ht s h av e written versions of it, but finding the right version was a difficult task. One of the things that will make Maine South’s production of “Alice and Wonderland” extra special is that the department has decided to pick several different versions and combine them. “This production is going to be completely different than anybody has ever seen” says Mr. Muszynski. “It is not going to be a child’s play. We are creating our own world, not the world Disney created.” At Maine South there is a lot of talent, generating a great deal of competition. Auditions can be very
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VOL. 46, NO. 2 Movies:
Mickey Mouse takes over Marvel Comics reassured established Marvel fans about their beloved characters, saying “Disney is a good home for our upcoming features. Their resources will help Think about this set of words: ds: classic, beloved, us to make the top-quality movies we always want p r o v i d e .” Luckily, he is childhood, Mickey Mouse. Now w think about these: to corporate, monopoly, business gi gian giant. a t. These words now all belong to the same company. ompany. The Walt Disney Company, the creators off the iconic Mickey Mouse and all of our beloved d classic animated films, is also a corporate giant, and it has purchased Marvel Comics. Marvel, which was in danger ger of d for closing in 1998 when it filed bankruptcy, has been saved by the making of the superhero movies vies like “Spider-Man” that we all know today. With the comic ic o book industry not immune to the recession, and The Waltt Disney Company looking to expand its empire, Disney bought Marvel for a deal worth $4 billion in cash and stock. Disney cited that while they’ve had enormous success with Disney channel and ABC showss d like “Hannah Montana” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” and rides thee enormous box office sales on n their “High School Musical”” al films, these all only really appeal to women. vel, With the purchase of Marvel, Disney hopes to release a new wave mographic of entertainment for men, a demographic which has eluded them for years. No one should be worried about seeing a “The ne” movie, Jonas Brothers meets Wolverine” though. Marvel chairmen Mort Hendel
ENTERTAINMENT
STAFF WRITER
correct, in a way. Disney is blocked from acquiring the rights to characters already bought by studios. For instance, Paramount Pictures still holds the rights to Iron Man. Fox still holds Spider-Man and the X-Men. But it does leave up to question whether or not this will be good for the other characters in Marvel’s lineup. On the one hand, since this about reaching a demographic, Disney could just target 12-year- old boys, which is the simplest audience, and put out watered-down “kiddie” versions of Marvel’s edgy characters. Or, hopefully, they will treat Marvel’s catalogue with respect, and use their massive funds to create great movies. Imagine if the writers at Pixar teamed up with the writers of Marvel to create something with the wit and heart of the “The Incredibles” and the depth and story development of “Spider-Man.” Disney’s attempts at making darker, more mature movies targeted at males has paid off in “Pirates of the Caribbean” and failed miserably in “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Whichever way you look at it, the deal seems to make sense financially. Marvel will have more money to make its movies, which will it allow it to compete better with DC Comics, owned by Warner Bros. And Disney gets to own the rights to one of the most popular comic book companies around. We can all only hope that Disney gives Marvel a chance to be creative and do what they are best at. This means Disney provides the money while they leave the story to Marvel’s writers. If they want to try to appeal to men, the best move for them to is to not change a thing. While the future of the Marvel catalogue looks uncertain, we can all be glad that there’s no plan for Donald Duck to join the X-Men. IMAGE BY ADRIAN ADAMIEC
Max Mielecki
High quality shows on a low budget Dylan O’Reilly STAFF WRITER
hollywood undead
all time low
the sounds
the swell season
Chicago is home to so many musical venues and Feeling slightly angry? This concert might just All you pop-punk lovers will be in heaven for tons of musical talent that cost little more than a be for you. It has a rap/ heavy alternative rock vibe. this. They are playing two shows; twice as nice! ticket to the movies. Here’s a few of the many bands Heavy moshing should be expected. When: Monday November 23 & Tuesday planning to come to the Windy City this fall. When: Friday November 6, 6:30 p.m. November 24, 5:30 p.m. Where: Aragon Ballroom Where: House of Blues Price: $23.00 Price: $19.00
noah and the whale
Really wanting to go overseas? This Swedish You might just know their song “5 Years Time” If there’s more cash in your wallet, the next show from the Saturn commercials, but they have a great alternative rock band might satisfy your craving may be worth pushing the budget. for a little while. Their lead signer has a very folk/indie sound. The Oscar winning artists for their song “Falling interesting voice. When: Thursday October 29, 8:00 p.m. Slowly,” and the main characters in the movie When: Saturday November 7, 7:30 p.m. Where:Lakeshore Theater “Once.” Where: Vic Theatre Price: $15.00 When: Thursday December 3, 8:00 PM Price: $18.00 Where: Auditorium Theatre Price: $30.50-$38.00
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VOL. 46, NO. 2
OCTOBER 16, 2009
Kick back and relax, Maine South Teddy Sherbin
PRODUCTION HEAD
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student, I have found many ways to deal with these stressors. Television is a very important part of our society and this is for a very good reason: sometimes it is the most relaxing thing you can do. Television is something for people to connect with and relax. I ll love l t come home h M d nights i ht tto personally to Monday
watch a good episode of “House.” Dramatic shows put stresses in perspective. Comedies put stresses out of mind. I really recommend finding a good TV show if you haven’t yet. Reading is another good way of dealing with stress. From time to time, getting lost in a good book is my favorite thing to do. The world goes away and all I can think about is what is coming out of the page. Who in the entire school could live without music? I listen to music at almost al all times: while doing my homework, watching TV, playing videogames, etc. I love all genres and there t is always a song that will make you happy no matter how stressed out you are. Stresses seem minimal m when the brain is stimulated with the steady stead beat in the bass and the beautiful melody of the guitar. Video games get no credit in our society. so If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard that th they “melt your mind,” I’d be a millionaire. Many video games – note: not all – are mentally stimulat stimulating and really force the player to think. They are li like interactive and visual books. Strategy games for force a player to think about the best way to handle a particular situation. Role playing games thro throw the player into another world that the player can control, ge me wrong, manipulate, and enjoy. Don’t get n o t h i n g sometimes there’s m more stressR f r e e than T ELLE T A M Y HIC B GRAP mindlessly s shooting at y your friends in a Bond game. Should all else fail, the best solution to all stresses s is to sleep. Find a night where you have a little homework and hit the sack at 8:00 iif you have to. If you can’t find a good night, then m make it a good night for sleeping. If you have no tim time to sleep and the stresses of life become almost unbe unbearable, forget u homework. Your well-being is more m important your than your grades, no matter who you are. So don’t let school stress you out an anymore, if you are the type of person to stress out. IIf you aren’t – Well, I’d love to hear how you do it.
Commentary
s a very active student, I’ve always assumed that everybody at Maine South was just as stressed as me. My friends are mostly students who are taking five AP classes (making me feel insufficient) and are the presidents and leaders of half the school organizations. I have seen them pulling their hair out over the thought that they might not get into a good enough school. chool. I thought that everyone in this school was as stressed out as they are. Little did I know, I was very wrong. ong. After talking with a series of students, udents, I found that students in every grade were plenty relaxed. Most students have an average of sixx classes. I didn’t talk to a single student that felt that at his backpack was too heavy. Most students didn’t dn’t even have more than two hours of homework. k. When asked how many hours of homework he had, one student responded, “Hours?” This got me thinking: Why is it that hat I have talked to so many people that are always ys complaining about school and being stressed or tired? The variables that affect stress levell fall in a few categories: Extracurriculars: Probably thee most critical part of most students’ stresses fall under this category. While some students made de it clear that they wanted no part of Maine South’s many clubs or any other extracurricular cular activity, most students spend anywhere here from 5 to 30 hours every week on their heir extracurricular activities. Students ents participating in sports seemed to bee hit the most. Members of cross country ry and football tend to spend the majority of their day at school. eem relatively Academics: While students seem relaxed about their classes, almostt every student that I talked to said that they felt thee most stressed when dealing with tests, projects, and essays. The knowledge that one project could make or break a ot of students. grade is something that gets to a lot Stress on Grade Level: It is a fact that some heir grades than students place more emphasis on their others. While most students would be thrilled with st dents that a B on a paper, there are plenty of students
would hate an 89. The more students value their grades, the more stressed they tend to be. Year in School: The student’s year in school also has some influence on their stress level. Almost all of the freshmen and sophomores that I have talked to are relatively low on stress. Juniors on the other hand tend to be pulling their hair out no matter how the other factors are. Junior year is stressful due to so many causes. Students have to take the ACTs and SATs. Some are experiencing their first foray into the world of AP classes. Seniors fall into two categories. Some seniors are in the “We’re seniors – Why would we do work?”category, while others are in the “COLLEGE?!”category. As a stressed
What’s the best way to ask or be asked to HC?
“I rowed a boat with a sign down her flooded street.” -Justin Tworek ‘10
“He wrote it with candles “I wrote it with chalk at outside my room.” her block party.” -Kaitlyn Whittinghill ‘11
-Jacob Aynessazian ‘13
“He gave me flowers and a poem.” -Katie Cottrell ’10
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OCTOBER 16, 2009
VOL. 46, NO. 1
‘Healthier’ options leave no choice STAFF WRITER
COMMENTARY
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f you have gone into our school cafeteria of late, you will notice a change. It’s not new food: that nauseating smell is still lurking among the lines. Starting this school year, our cafeteria has ceased selling regular soda—or any beverage for that matter—and replaced them with their diet or sugarless versions. This is due to the new agreement between the three largest soft-drink companies and the Alliance for Healthier Generation. This agreement states that only low-calorie, diet, or sugar-free drinks limited to 12 oz. will be allowed in schools. Before this settlement was reached, other health groups were talking of suing the soda companies, which is why they decided to agree to the terms set by the Alliance for Healthier Generation. I’m not one to go against being healthy. I commend them for working to clean up our youth’s health. On the other hand, there are a few problems with their approach. Is diet really the better option? The have been speculations about diet drinks being linked to cancer. Upon further investigation an eightyear experiment at the University of Texas Health Science Center that
stated while regular soft drink users were at risk of obesity, those who were drinking diet soft drinks were at an even higher risk for obesity. The chemical used in diet drinks— aspartame—is 180 times sweeter then sugar. So instead of being sold regular Pepsi, we are being sold Diet containing a chemical sweeter than sugar that has been linked to brain tumors. Awesome. For example, the school also offers low-cal and sugar free Vitamin Water. The problem with that is that adding extra vitamins and minerals to an already unhealthy drink is simply an advertising tactic to get consumers to think they are choosing the healthier beverage. Here’s the kicker. They have made an effort by eliminating sodas and replacing them with diet sodas. However, a beverage won’t make a difference when someone is scoffing down a Double Hawk Burger: two greasy beef patties, melted cheese, strips of fat soaked bacon, between two buns. If you have ever seen this beast of a burger, you’d think they also dipped it in the cooking grease. How can we claim we are trying to help the problem of obesity in our youth by substituting diet drinks for regular when there are people shoveling in a single leaf of salad totally engulfed in a heaping mound of dressing? Let’s
nacks like Pop-Tarts, not forget that snacks hips, cookies, bags of chips, and candy are still available to us. The vending machines and lunch line offer little to no food that would be deemed worthy. But wait: now that we are only being offered diet many are just brown baggingg it and bringingg their own sodas.. We found a wayy around it! But the reall problem here is ’t that they don’t e. give us the choice. ng Instead of taking s, away our options, ke leave us to make the choice for ours elves. It is n i nt r u s i v e up on students’ right of choice. ust Oh, and just so you know, the faculty can stilll get regular soda.
GRAPHIC BY MATT ELLER
Marco Malusa
Competition would solve crisis in the cafe Andrew Abtahi STAFF WRITER TER
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ot so long ago, o, I was checking up on the good old Fa c e b o o k , a n d I got a group request. “Boycott Maine South’s Cafeteria” was its name, e, and like most unworthy hy group requests, I denied ed it, but it captivated my curiosity, riosity, so I took a quick look at what it was all about. Claiming that Maine South cafeteria food only consists of greasy, overpriced, and unhealthy food, the group’s description doesn’t point out anything I don’t know. The food has always been unhealthy. And prices have gone up over the years, but so has the price of everything so it’s not too logical to complain about that. But
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history ttells you that when i one institution controls the market, consumers’ d demands will not be met. Maine South’s food system is currently set in stone and nothing is going to change the fact that Sodexho is going to b plopping that same be my mystery meat on your Y TO B NANDEZ o plate of nachos for years to O H P HER KATIE come. B But it’s always nice to compared provide some ideal situations for to other dining facilities, the Maine Maine South, even though it might South Café does offer food that we be futile. should expect at a lower price, because The best way to bring in cheaper, the making and distributing of the healthier food is by opening up the food all comes from one place, getting cafeteria to competition. Instead of rid of the cost and involvement allowing Sodexho to control all the of a middleman. Right now it’s a lines, Maine South should have a monopoly and a basic knowledge of bidding system to restaurants, like
Subway or Noodles & Company, that are interested in the 2,400-student market that is the Maine South cafeteria. Companies would bid on one of the five lines, causing Maine South to profit from this plan. After this payment for the year, the restaurants would set up shop and start selling their products. Not wanting customers to go to other lines, these restaurants would provide the best price and best quality to maintain their customer base and keep its profit. When Spuntino’s comes to Maine South on Hawk Pride Days, it shows how the current system could never handle outside competition, and I’m sure outside restaurants would love to tap the market that the cafeteria holds. But in the end, dreams of an Adam Smith-type cafeteria will never occur and free market capitalism will never be upheld at Maine South.
VOL. 46, NO. 2
OCTOBER 16, 2009
Healthcare problem seems insolvable STAFF WRITER
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Caileen Bazarek EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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ver the past four years, Homecomings have always proven to be ver y memorable weekends. Whether you go with a date or a group of friends, you are bound to have fun. Going to the parade, watching the game, pictures, the dance, dinner—it’s all great. For the girls, shopping for the perfect dress—or borrowing one from a friend—and becoming enemies with all of those people who decided to leave their “no” dresses thrown around messily is a normal part of this process. Sometimes girls go and get their hair, nails, and make-up done, too. And what girl doesn’t like
going out feeling 100% put together and confident? Now, the boys on the other hand, might not have that build up of excitement that the girls do, and there’s a reason for it. It’s because they can’t simply walk up to the girl they want to go with and say, “Hey, do you want to go to homecoming?” Why? Because that’s not cute enough. Instead—while the girl is sitting at home waiting for somebody to ask her—the boy is at home strategizing the cutest way to ask. Some ask with flowers, others with sweets, others with signs—I have even heard of someone kidnapping his girlfriend to be unique. So, during the last week of September, everyone starts freaking out. Girl is still sitting at home, on the phone with her best friend, wondering why she’s not being asked. Boy is still sitting at home, wondering why the
same friend keeps randomly texting him, asking him who he is asking, because she is “just wondering.” At the same time, he’s strategizing his way to ask. Every class a student walks into, there’s some cute message written on the board asking someone. You see random people walking down the halls—that have lockers with big “Homecoming?” signs on them—with their roses. Not only can you channel into every conversation going on in the hallway about who is asking who, but you run into your favorite teacher, and they start telling you who asked who in their class. But as I was hanging out with my friends during the weeks before the dance, I realized that more of them would go with a date if the pressure of doing something “cute” to ask was off. “Is asking in a cute way too much? Yes. Because I don’t have any creativity,” says Senior Nick Longo.
My question for people is: wouldn’t it be easier if it was just a question, not a huge deal? “Someone saran wrapped my cousin’s car to go to homecoming. The whole entire car. I think it was a little over the top,” says Senior Erin Self. I for one don’t see a problem with friends just deciding to go to homecoming together to get to spend the nights with the rest of their friends, especially seniors, since it was the last one. I’m sure a girl would just be happy to be asked to the dance if they weren’t expecting to go. How many people don’t go just because they can’t find a way to ask? And how many people put off asking because it’s so complicated? Usually the asking gets pushed off, so then everything is rushed—finding a dress, restaurant, and making plans with friends. Just stop stressing about the asking process and focus on having fun once you’re there.
Commentary
ne of the most talked ed about issues in politics today is health care reform. The US stands out as one of the countries without a nationalized health care system, and President esident Obama and most Democrats ocrats in Congress are vying to change ange that. Indeed, the health care system needs to be fixed. No one can deny that our health care isn’t perfect, but nationalizing alizing our health care system would ld only add to our problems. It would cause severe economic problems blems n to a by increasing $800 billion at has never-shrinking deficit that exploded in the last decade. nalized Supporters of a nationalized health care system argue thatt there are ple living “47 million uninsured people in the US.” They say that people die nsurance. because they have no health insurance. le also die But do they realize that people with health insurance? It’s not some nt deaths. magic dust that can prevent o cures. Sadly, many diseases have no If the US nationalizes its health nsurance care system, the private insurance et’s face it: companies will be gone. Let’s ccessfully no private companies can successfully compete against the government because the government gets its money from taxes, which can be increased for
ye each year. President Obama repeats h will not sign any health that he care legislation that adds to the fed federal deficit, but how can we believe that? Clearly there are billions of dollars in waste in government, but not enough politicians have the will to do what is right any anymore. O Obama says that health care refo reform must come quickly, but wh what’s the rush? The system isn’t cru crumbling. And anyway, none of th the bills come into effect until 2012 or 2013. Why is there such a sc scramble to get the bill passed in Congress, when it won’t take eff effect until four years in the fut future? Yes, reform is needed, but it must be the right reform. Na Nationalizing our health system is ttoo dramatic of a change. One solution is preventing ins insurance companies f rom denying coverage because a person over denyin and all will has a medical condition that the everyone whether they’re company does not want to cover. No be well. But compa rich or poor. Lately, the a ny pro g r a m person should be denied coverage government seems to the government because they have diabetes or a certain not care about the deficit, touches carries a cancer. That is absolutely morally and private companies must unacceptable. massive deficit, and deficit unacce stay out of the danger zone if It w will take both Democrats and spending is a key to the health they are to compete with the Republ Republicans to come together and care reform issue issue. government. The US spends more money fix what is broken. The solutions Apparently, with a nationalized per person on health care than any are in front of them, but the will to system, the government would take other country, and costs increase collaborate is not. GRAPHIC BY MATT ELLER
Anthony Eugenis
SOUTHWORDS 13
OCTOBER 16, 2009
VOL. 46, NO. 2
Hawks’ golf soars to begin season Charlie Vinopal
SPORTS EDITOR
G
PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. HAMANN
SPPORTS
Senior Rachel Oberheide drives deep in the Conference Meet on October 1. She finished in third place, and the team finished fourth.
Southwords quick pick Southwords’ picks ks ffor fantasy success.
Q Brett Farve (Min) QB 8 TD, 837 YDS, 104.6 RTG RB Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC) 0 FUM, 296 YDS, 5 TD WR Andre Johnson 20 REC, 336 YDS, 2 TD
14 SOUTHWORDS
QB Brady Quinn (CLE) 3 INT, 1 TD, 62.9 RTG Lost starting spot RB Reggie Bush (NO) 3 FUM, 1 TD, 148 YDS, 1 TD WR Terrell Owens 8 REC, 158 YDS, 1 TD No receptions last game
irls’ golf has soared off to their best start in years. Their first true test of the season came September 19 at Rockford. The girls’ squad played an invite there and staged some impressive numbers. In the end, the team finished in eighth place out of the 26 teams in contention. Rachel Oberheide led the team; she shot a very low 78. Mary Daly also contributed by shooting an 86, her personal best. Perhaps even better than all of the great individual scores were the four girls playing within the tournament (Oberheide, Daly, Whitney Mann and Meredith Machon). Combined, they scored a total of 355; this shattered the record for the girls’ golf team to date at Maine South. The positive numbers really are the product of the great chemistry that the team has. Coach Hamann said, “The players are always there to pick each other up.” Many of the girls also credit their success to great chemistry. “We get along well and always have a good time when we are together. We help each other practice, we support each other, and we know how to pick someone up after a bad round,” adds Machon. “I basically love this team.” T h e n e x t tou r n am e nt t hat the Hawks played in was held on Saturday, September 26 in Galesburg, Illinois. The girls once again played extraordinarily well. They finished fourth out of ten teams, with a total score totaling to 360. Alex Depkon and Machon both shot notable 102s, while Mann shot a 93 and Daly shot a 90. Oberheide once again surpassed all expectations. She shot a 75, a great score, even by her standards. Even mor more impressive was the fact that this scor score put Oberheide atop the leader boar board for the tournament. In reaction to winning w the big tournament, Obe Oberheide said, “My coach, Mr. H said ‘go win this tournament,’ and th then I said, ‘Yeah, no problem.’ My thoughts before I started the round were basically just to have fun, take a deep breath and just play.” As for medaling, it’s definitely not a new feeling for Oberheide, “I’ve played there [Galesburg] three years now, and have medaled every time.” She is the true leader of this team. Not only with her fantastic scores, but the motivation she gives each player, and
her ability and willingness to compete inspires all teammates. “Rachel’s success definitely inspires me to keep going. Rachel has her bad rounds, but then she comes back the next day and can shoot a personal best,” says Machon. That is basically what Rachel did on October 1 at the CSL Conference Championships. She did not have a personal best, but was able to push the Hawks’ to a third place finish and win herself fourth place. Other notable scores include 91, 94, and 95, by Daly, Machon, and Mann respectively. Regarding the conference meet, Machon said, “We are definitely capable of playing better, but what we shot were definitely not bad scores.” The girls hope to bounce back in the coming days as the schedule toughens with regional, sectional, and possibly state meets coming up. A truly gracious athlete, Oberheide wants credit given to her teammates as well. “We all accomplish our goals, some big some small. Mine are always noticed more, but don’t forget about the others,” says Oberheide. “Meredith is a sophomore playing on varsity, and just last year she was on JV playing number three and four. She improved so much over the summer. Mary shot a personal best, which really shows the potential she has.” Even off of the competitive circuit, the Hawks have been succeeding. On Thursday September 24, Depkon shot a hole in one, the first in program history. This year the team is elated to have been doing so well, given that last year’s success looked almost unsurpassable. Although the Hawks have had a brilliant start to their season, they are still very much looking forward to what lies ahead. Coach Hamann would like to see a third straight sectional title and possibly a run towards state. The girls’ would like to keep the mindset positive and not get down after a bad shot because, as Coach Hamann says, “The most important shot is the next shot.” The Hawks hope that through consistent play, hard work, and great team chemistry they will be able to capture another sectional title. They feel that if they play at the top of their game and keep a positive mindset, that they can not only compete with every team in Illinois, but also come out victorious.
VOL. 46, NO. 2
OCTOBER 16, 2009
Girls’ tennis stifles competition SPORTS WRITER
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fter losing the top three singles players from last year, none of which were seniors, the Hawks have filled the void with veteran players who have improved their games. Of the 14 girls on varsity, 10 are seniors; their leadership thus far has propelled the team to an excellent season. The Hawks, led by first singles Sabrina Salgia, have an overall record of seven wins and five losses. They are 2 and 2 in conference with their only losses coming against Glenbrook South and New Trier, two of the top teams in state. The Hawks started off extremely well with a victory over Prospect which ended a losing streak against the Knights. The girls followed that up with a win over brother school Maine West before taking 8th out of 16 at the New Trier Invite. Along with Salgia, the Hawks are anchored by a strong group of seniors: second singles Ania Aniol, first doubles partners Abby Amelse and Jennifer Roeslmeier, second doubles Abby Christiansen and Tamara Dukich, fourth doubles Emily Armato and Bea Gatti, and fifth doubles Meghan Mountin and
Morgan Gaede. These seniors have created strong team chemistry, after playing together for years, and have led the Hawks to where they currently stand. Accompanying the seniors are juniors Dena Minaglia at fourth singles, and Sami Niese at third doubles. Sophomores Allie Sakowicz, at third singles, and Lauren Krone, at third doubles, have played a key role in the Hawks success. Rizzi added, “The girls have always been a great group to work with, and it is amazing to watch them push each other as teammates.” And with a second place showing at their own Hawk Invite and another runner-up spot at the Jacobs Invite, the team appears to have some momentum heading into the end of the season. Coach Rizzi is hoping for a strong showing at conference, and then another strong performance at sectionals the week after. Both of which will be held at Maine South. Coach Rizzi, as well as the girls, believes that if they work to their greatest potential, practice hard, and support each other, many of the girls Junior Annie Grizzell serves in a doubles match against Evanston. Grizzell, will be able to qualify for state. and partner Jackie Hazlett-Morris, went on to win 6-0, 6-0. PHOTO BY MIRANDA KARHILAS
Kevin Hemphill
Challenges ahead for girls’swim team Daniella Kroschel SPORTS WRITER
Molly Machala helps the Hawks to victory over Waukegan on October 2, in her first breaststroke event. overall, while varsity tied for second. contest. They are now looking to bounce At their most prestigious event, the Downers Grove Invite, they placed back, but face a tough conference fourth, competing against some of schedule, including dual meets against three of the state’s top five Illinois’ top teams. In their dual meets, the girls teams. However, Coach Kura still are also doing well. They handily has high expectations for the team beat Maine East and Niles North but is concentrating most on the to account for their wins, but lost sectional meet. “We try not to think about too to Maine West in their most recent
Sports
un in the sun and relaxing poolside is no longer an option. For the girls’ swim team at Maine South, it’s all about hard work. The girls’ swim team has been off to a great start, with many underclassmen joining to swim for the varsity squad. The varsity team is the youngest it has been in years, with four freshmen on varsity. Along with the many freshmen, varsity swimmers are back to push Maine South towards the playoffs. The combination of young and veteran players has positive effects on the team: “We have a relatively young team, over half consisting of freshman and sophomores. They are a nice, funny, and hardworking group of girls and we are all looking forward to swimming the rest of the season with them,” says Captain Sabrina Buszydlo. The team’s natural talent has raised expectations for the team. Recently, at the Palatine College Events Meet, the junior varsity team placed first
PHOTO BY JOSIE FIORETTO
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much until later in the season. Instead we focus on working hard, practicing and competing the right way at all times, and taking things one practice and one meet at a time,” says Coach Kura. In addition to varsity, the junior varsity squad, coached by Mr. Kura as well, has gone undefeated thus far, with personal bests from many of the sophomores. “We are working really hard, and there is a lot of improvement,” adds sophomore Meg Glavey regarding the junior varsity team. With meets against Waukegan, Niles West and New Trier on the horizon, the girls are swimming harder than ever. They are sure to push themselves in practice and achieve their goals during meets. The extraordinary talent has led both varsity and junior varsity teams to great seasons. Now, they look ahead to continue their dominance with the season intensifying and more competition to come in a very difficult schedule.
SOUTHWORDS 15
GIRLS’ TENNIS• GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL • GIRLS’ GOLF • GIRLS ’ SWIMMING • BOYS’ GOLF • BOYS’ SOCCER • FOOTBALL • CROSS COUNTRY
On the road to repeat in ‘09 SPORTS WRITER
H
ere is a quiz for all you Maine South Football fans: What haven’t the Hawks done in nineteen games? If you answered, “lost a game,” then you are correct. The Hawks have been on a rampage, tearing through opposing competition and setting a school record for consecutive games won. The team doesn’t seem to be worried about the records at the moment, all they seem to care about is getting back to the state championships. The Hawks started their recordsetting season strong, with a solid 64-35 win over Schaumburg, and then geared up to play the then-number one team in the state, Wheaton-Warrenville South Tigers. “It is exciting, with Nike being here and all the hype that the game is getting,” said Head Coach David Inserra, “but we got to stay focused; if we worry about the unimportant stuff, we will get beat.” T h e Haw k s f o u g ht o f f t h e distractions of Nike’s ‘Five Days 2 Friday’ program as the spotlight focused on them and their 27-9 “upset” over the tigers. “A lot of people were questioning our defense,” said running back and defensive end Matt Perez. Even the newspapers wondered whether Maine South’s defense fell into the same category as their highpowered offense that has earned them their astonishing reputation. “After tonight’s performance,” Matt Perez noted, “I think we answered some questions.” Looking at the schedule, the next two weeks appeared to be easier ones for the Hawks. They first traveled up to Highland Park, and ultimately trumped the Giants 50-12. The victory was not as much of a breeze, though, as some might have expected. The Hawks got off to a sluggish start, resulting in a 13-6 score at halftime. “I sent the wrong message to the team,” said Coach Inserra. “We got too complacent, and they took advantage of our mistakes.” After the near upset at Highland Park, the Hawks came back to close the non-
PHOTO BY CHRIS ANDERSSON
Julian Douglass
Senior Matt Perez rushes for some of his 124 rushing yards in the October 3 Homecoming Game. The Hawks beat Evanston 30-2 in the annual event. conference season with a shut-out put the wolves away outscoring them beat-down of Maine West, 63-0. 14-7 in the half, making the final score The Hawks then turned their 56-21. attention to the conference opener The offense was sufficient. Benz against Niles West. The Hawks, was 15 for 21 with 208-yards with who have never finished second in three touchdowns. Perez rushed for conference under Inserra, looked 142-yards and three touchdowns and to start the season strong. The team receiving three passes for 36 yards. started out like they did the past eight Connor Doherty led the receiving years, strong and efficient. core with two catches for 55-yards. After two three-and-outs by the Senior receiver Sean Zingsheim had a Hawks, it was like the Highland 27-yard touchdown reception. Juniors Park game all over again, until Matt Luke Mottley and Will Krug also had Perez created a one-play, 60-yard receptions for touchdowns. touchdown run to give the Hawks the After the game, the Hawks felt like first score. The Hawks ran the score up they could repeat for the state title. to 28-0 before two turnovers turned “Even though this is the ‘half-way’ in to 14 points, including a 95-yard point of the season” Coach Inserra interception return for a touchdown. said to the team on Monday after the The Hawks then got back on track game, “Our half-way point is week with two quick scores of their own, seven, because we expect to be playing with the biggest play being a 15-yard in the state championship game during fumble recovery by defensive lineman week fourteen.” Mike Zimmerman. The Hawks carried Next up was the homecoming the momentum from the first half into game, “We are very fortunate to be a the second half where Maine South great, great school, which has a great
homecoming weekend,” says Inserra. The Hawks had more motivation, after the Evanston scouting reports called the team ‘‘spoiled wimps,” in nicer terms. “I know that Evanston is a tough team, and I respect that,” said linebacker/kicker Marcus Nelli,.“We all respect their toughness, but we know we’re a lot tougher and we are going to come out and show them that.” As the game started, the Hawks came out firing on all cylinders executing a perfect opening 80-yard drive that ended in a 35-yard touchdown catch by junior receiver Luke Mottley. After that, though, sloppy drives plagued the Hawks who were fortunate to be leading 14-2 at halftime. The only points Evanston scored were on a safety early in the second quarter after pinning the Hawks on their own one yard line. “We had our backs against the wall a couple of times, and we stuffed them,” said Coach Inserra, commenting on the sloppy play by the offense. “It was a total defensive team effort. The offense isn’t always going to be clicking, and [the defense] picked it up today.” The Hawks defense wanted to play, especially when long time assistant coach, Rick Magsmen, was being inducted into the Maine South Athletic Hall of Fame. “We came out so inspired because coach Magsmen was going into the Hall of Fame” said running back Matt Perez. “There’s nothing worse than when the defensive coordinator goes into the hall of fame and they get 20 points. So we wanted the shutout.” The Hawks did not get the shutout, but letting up two points on a safety was a pretty good second. The offensive numbers were decent. Perez ran for 124-yards and two touchdowns the main highlight of the game. “Our O-line needs to get better,” said Coach Inserra, Monday at film. “Once we start to play tougher competition, and get into the playoffs, if we don’t turn around the line, well be heading home early.” The Hawks hope to continue their run and carry their momentum into the state playoffs.