Vol 48 issue 1

September 16, 2011

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

Vol. 48, No. 1

adam allchin • alexa allchin • hope allchin • rebecca blazek • timothy blazek • emma carrico • michelle carrico • matthew deroeck •megan deroeck • fabiola gonzalez • paola gonzalez • amanS ES da hoff • sarah hoff • adrianna ET IPL S T LT U U M O lorusso • michael loOF S E N MAI russo • rosario lorusso O R C D E DR • abigail L R O W mcaleer • S K shane mcaleer • daniel mcdill • lindsey mcdill • jonathan nieder • nicole nieder Sophomores • kevin nugent (and triple)• daniel the • olivia nugent • double brendan o’leary o’leary • jake pedrelli • kevin • andrewrecord palucki fun, pedrelli break Guinness • john palucki • brendanfor ploen erin ploenin• mary ploen • jenmost• multiples a single grade nifer polgar • paige polgar • shannon rose • thomas rose • angela talarico • anthony talarico • alissa warchol • samantha warchol H

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Rock radio meets demise Is personalized music taking over?

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South students travel the world

Point/ Counterpoint

Maine South explored the New collab. schedule globe this summer. sparks controversy.

Pages 9,10 Page 11

Baseball has hot summer South gets third place in state tournament.

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September 16, 2011

Vol. 48, No. 1

Heated Headlines of Summer ‘11

News

Think the weather was hot? Check out these news bits.

Sarah Tarabey & Austin Bryniarski news editor & managing editor

London Riots Put Spotlight on Troubled, Unemployed Youths in Britain New York Times, 8/9

An estimated 12 million people are in urgent need of food, water, and general aid in what is thought to be East Africa’s worst drought in 60 years.

Hundreds are dying daily and the UN warns that it will only get worse unless drastic action is taken.

Somalia Famine: UN warns of 750,000 deaths BBC, 9/5

Millions of Muggles Propel Potter Film at Box Office

New York Times, 7/17

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) resigned from his post after lewd pictures of him appeared on Twitter.

While he technically didn’t do anything illegal, the severe public scrutiny that he faced, only worsened by his initial denials of any wrongdoing, led to his resignation from Congress.

The Economist, 8/13

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Huffington Post, 6/16

Africa officially has a new country: South Sudan. It officially voted for independence in January, splitting from the north in July. Amidst all the cheer from Southern Sudanese, though, conflict over currency and the abundance of oil in Southern Sudan is already causing controversy.

U.K. Hacking Scandal! Read All About It! (But Not in the News of the World)

A weird and disastrous US weather year: tornadoes, drought, flooding, Irene, quakes Chicago Tribune, 9/3

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With the advent of the final installment of the “Harry Potter” series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two,” came serious cash flow as the flick nabbed multiple box-office records, including biggest opening weekend in history.

Many teens, South students included, lamented the end of a significant staple of their childhoods.

Anthony Weiner Resigns: Congressman Announces Resignation At Press Conference

The two Sudans: After the divorce “News of the World” and other British tabloids were accused of going to extreme and illegal measures (phone hacking, police bribery, etc) to gather info for their stories. While prior investigations claimed that the main targets were big names, new evidence has connected these tabloids to more criminal activity. “News of the World” was forced to end after 168 years of publication.

From August 6-10, a number of boroughs and districts in northern London were victim to rioting, looting, and arson. The cause: a policeman shooting local citizen Mark Duggan. Along with the torching of several stores and cars, over 3,100 were arrested, many of them unemployed.

Time, 7/7

2011 as a whole has been a conglomeration of wacky weather, and this summer was no different. Droughts in Texas, abnormally high temperatures, mass floodings, earthquakes, and of course, the series of incoming hurricanes (notably Irene) have made for one of the most costly and destructive years in recent US history.

Vol. 48, No. 1

September 16, 2011

Des Plaines hits jackpot with Rivers Casino staff writer

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n June 18, the new Rivers Casino of Des Plaines made its opening after years of political struggle. With $18 million in adjusted gross receipts racked up in its first two weeks, according to the Illinois Gaming Board, it is already projecting up to $400 million in annual revenue.

Investors spent $450 million before its opening, but the casino is already reaping a profit. Most proponents of the casino industry are now pointing to Rivers Casino in response to skeptics to show that there is still profit to be made.

These advocates argue that the expansion of the local economy is beneficial. Still, opponents raise questions of morality: the money flowing into the economy must be contributed from citizens, who could lose significant sums or descend into gambling addiction. Recent casino bankruptcies have also prompted debate over its potential profitability.

“I am happy ab out Rivers

PHOTOS BY AISLING ROWLAND

John Novak

Casino in Des Plaines. If it will generate revenue for the surrounding communities, then I’m all for it,” junior Matt Buckley said.

The larger effect on the community, however, has yet to be determined.

Locally, traffic and business for hotel owners have been on the rise. Nearby restaurants and gas stations have experienced a surge in customers because of Rivers Casino.

Hosting its grand opening earlier this summer, the casino welcomed approximately 270,000 people within its first two weeks of business. As a result, its parking lots have been packed daily. Interested in maximizing parking availability to customers, Rivers Casino was previously interested in using the Maine South parking lot for its employees during the weekends. This plan has since fallen through and the casino is now looking for other places to rent parking.

Rivers Casino is built on 6 to 12 inches of water, a so-called “boatin-moat,” to comply with Illinois riverboat regulations. It is one of many that have recently opened or are being developed in the Chicago– northwest Indiana market, currently third in casino earnings throughout the entire nation.

Junior Jake Morask notes, “It is a

News

Summer opening attracts thousands

 A large sign indicating casino graces the street. Besides slots, there are restaurants, retail shops, and other facilities inside the 43,000 square foot casino.

good thing for the economy of Des Plaines and Rosemont. It does not affect me very much because I’m obviously not old enough to enter Rivers Casino. So overall, I’m fine with it.” (As in most states, Illinois requires patrons to be 21 years of age to enter.)

Others feel differently. “I live near the casino, and I’d say it’s been kind of disruptive. It’s led to construction, traffic, and now drunk driving checkpoints,” said senior Peter O’Connor.

At this point, it may be too early to tell if Rivers Casino will have a

long-term effect on surrounding business’ and the community; for now, it is seems to be improving the economies of Des Plaines, Rosemont, and even Park Ridge.While it cannot be labeled a permanent success quite yet, believers in the casinos will be quick to remind you that the house always wins.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is currently campaigning the idea of a city-owned casino in Chicago. But the Chicago area is not generally known for gambling, a reason why some think Governor Pat Quinn will not pass the bill for a Chicago casino.

New year, new tech at Maine South

Website gets a facelift, computers cleaned and revamped Alex Heyde staff writer

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his year, there are many changes underfoot at Maine South. Some of the most prominent changes affect the school’s technology systems.

Regular visitors to the Maine South website will immediately notice that the site has been graphically overhauled this summer, and many new features have been added.

“Our Technology staff have been welcoming and studying feedback over the past year from all of District 207’s stakeholders – staff, students, parents and other community members,” District 207 superintendent Dr. Ken Wallace said in a message on the District website. “We have utilized that feedback and information to improve the Web site experience for our visitors.”

Changes to the homepage include the addition of a new “Quicklinks” feature and a Google calendar to display upcoming school events. In addition, staff directories have been reorganized for more intuitive sorting, and class pages now include a built-in calendar and blog system. The search bar, which no longer functions correctly, will be fixed soon.

“It was kind of annoying at first, but I’m getting used to it,” said senior Katie Solberg.

The computers at Maine South have also undergone much change.

The Novell login system that students may recall from past years has been discontinued, and all previously stored student files and documents have been wiped.

Instead, most computers available for student use at Maine South now offer a single, shared account.

Students are encouraged to make use of the redesigned dropbox and shared drive rather than saving their files to the My Documents folder.

The computers also now feature Windows Vista’s distinctive user interface, a handy start menu search feature, and a newly designed Maine South wallpaper.

The extensive changes also affect Student Gmail and Google Accounts. According to the website, online student accounts “now work more like a full Google Account” and are “compatible with nearly all Google products.”

This means that Maine South Google Accounts can now directly access many useful applications, including Easybib and Google Translate. Student accounts can even be linked to Facebook, YouTube, and several other Google-owned web-

sites.

In addition, students can connect their school Gmail to mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPod touch.

“It’s great that I can access everything from my phone now,” senior Cameron Grossart said.

An unintended result of these changes is that students may no longer access their school Google Account while logged into a personal Google Account. Those who have not yet logged into their Maine South Google Account may find that their password has been reset.

All of these changes may seem overwhelming, but the staff in the library and technology department have been working to help acclimate students to the new system. The aim is ultimately to help students stay organized and connected throughout the new school year.

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September 16, 2011

Vol. 48, No. 1

Seeing double...and triple Maine South Cara Laskowski & Hannah Ferstel

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staff writers

Competition by the numbers

aine South’s class of 2014 has set the world record for “The Most Multiples in the Same Academic Year at One School.” With a remarkable 16 sets of twins and 3 sets of triplets, it has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, stealing the record from Indian Springs Middle School in Texas, which held it for a mere three days.

The record for most multiple births had previously been held by JJ Pearce High School in Dallas, with ten sets of twins and one set of triplets. Last year, some of Ms. Koshgarian’s freshman Accelerated World History students noticed the unusual number of multiples in the grade.

“We didn’t realize at first that it would be anything, but we looked in history class on my iPhone and then told Ms. Koshgarian because we thought she’d be interested,” said Lauren Smith, one of the sophomores who first discovered the interesting trend.

She continued, “We counted the twins in the grade and we found out we had more than the record.

We wanted to make it a record, and

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Wait...What’s the difference again?

Identical: Developed from a single fertilized egg, and therefore of the same gender and usually very similar in appearance.

Fraternal: Developed from separate eggs and therefore genetically distinct and not necessarily of the same gender or more similar than other siblings South’s claim was processed.

“The timing worked out that both claims were being reviewed at exactly the same time which is why they were approved so close together,” said Sara Wilcox, public relations assistant for Guinness World Records.

For these Maine South students, being a twin or a triplet is an experience in itself.

“Well, it’s really fun being a twin, but what people don’t know is that

we are really different, in every aspect,” said Fabiola Gonzalez.

WORLD “Having classes with  Two fo RECORD CHE my siblings is kind of C rms of ID, including co KLIST certificates, weird, but you always pies of bir must be su th bmitted fo multiples. have someone to help r each set o f  Proof that you out,” commented multiples w an e re d in e nrolled at sc what ye triplet Hope Allchin, hool of class regi ar must be submitted “And you always , e.g. copies ster, qualifi ca  ti on certifica A letter fr have a friend.” tes, etc. om head representa teacher an Being recognized tive of sch d /or staff o ol dates, and was an honor for details of e must confirm name s, ac th h at all are st set of mult many who helped udents at th iples and  e sc A hool. pproval P s e t t he re cord.  Fast-Tra rocess: 8-10 weeks One multiple, ck Service (speeds ap cess): $500 indentical twin proval pro fee  Adjunction John Palucki said, Service (co e vi m d e p n ile ce to be eva s and send “I was surprised s luated): ab $9,000 out $7,300 because I didn’t realize that we had so many multiples in our grade. I thought the aspect of being internationally class are 5.02% for twins and 1.41% for triplets. recognized was very exciting.”

Ms. Koshgarian said, “I think it is According to CDC statistics about 1995-1997, 2.58% of all births were pretty amazing that we have 19 sets twins and .151% were triplets. The of multiples in one class. But, with same statistics for the sophomore medical technology doing what it does to help with infertility, I wonder how long Maine South will hold the record.”

In the near future, pictures of the multiples, both as a group and as siblings, are planned, but the date is still undecided. They may even be shown on the “U,” a local television station.

PHOTO COURTESY BECCA BLAZEK

News

Multiples Break Guinness World Record

we did.”

With the assistance of the Student Personal Office staff, verification forms, birth certificates, and student identification cards were gathered to prove that all were part of the class of 2014. Mr. Messmer was also required to write a cover letter to verify the information.

Indian Springs Middle School’s seventh-grade class, however, was also submitting a claim. Although Maine South applied first, Indian Springs’ parents split the cost for a fast-track service from Guinness. They won over the title from Pearce with 13 sets of twins, 1 set of triplets, and 1 set of quadruplets—but only until Maine

Twins Tim and Becca Blazek are included in the record-setting count of 19 sets of multiples.

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twins

triplets

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Indian Springs (TX)

twins

triplets

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JJ Pearce (TX)

twins

triplets

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quadruplets 10

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Vol. 48, No. 1

September 16, 2011

Rihanna gets ‘loud’ at the United Center Nicole Shammo

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entertainment editor

by two of her male back-up dancers while a very bawdy pillow fight erupted around the bed. Rihanna’s outfit was no less revealing and she was even, for the first part of “S&M,” chained to the floor. She continued on to sing “Raining Men” and “Breaking Dishes” before reaching the halfway mark of the show.

The second half of the night began with two highly popular songs, “Run This Town” and “Live Your Life.”

Despite the fact that the featured artists in those songs were not present at the show, she incorporated stellar choreography in order to make their lack of presence go unnoticed.

Singing “Unfaithful,” “Hate That I Love You,” and “California King Bed,” Rihanna put heart into every note as she brought out a completely different side. She walked the stage

only accompanied by her strong voice and long yellow dress.

As she began to sing “Rude Boy,” Rihanna’s wild side once again surfaced. The last songs were, very coincidentally, “Don’t Stop the Music” and “Take a Bow”; however, before she could turn around to walk off the stage, the crowd was chanting for an encore. It only took a few seconds for her to grant their wish and give the crowd what they asked for and more. She walked down the aisles of the stage shaking hands with adoring fans, singing two encore songs.

Throughout the six outfit changes, f ast - p a c e d chore o g r aphy and interesting stage pieces, Rihanna’s energy never lessened nor degraded her ability to perform. The Loud Tour proved to be more than just loud and was, surely a show to remember.

Entertainment

uccess in the mainstream music industry is defined by many things: a distinct voice, upbeat songs, a flashy fashion sense and most importantly, the ability to perform.

On June 15, Rihanna proved to thousands of screaming fans at the United Center that she possesses all of those qualities. It was a pop spectacle – extremely well organized in terms of choreography, stage pieces and set list. The choreography gave life to each stage piece and each stage piece furnished the story told by every song.

Rihanna opened the night with a hit off the album, “Only Girl in the World,” and, with no hestitation, created a thundering echo throughout the United Center. She continued to

rally the crowd with a number of other popular songs, including “Disturbia” and “Shut Up and Drive.” At this point, Rihanna took off the metallic blue jacket that she introduced herself in, revealing a two piece outfit encrusted in beads and shiny crystals. Rihanna’s performance of “Shut Up and Drive” was rather unorthodox as she and her back up dancers vandalized an old, junky car by smashing it repeatedly with baseball bats. After destroying the car, she leaned nonchalantly on the front bumper and sang one of her more controversial songs, “Man Down.”

With the violent part of the performance complete, the raunchier and more sexual part of the show began. The stage was now equipped with two stripper poles and a bed.

The stripper poles were accompanied

Popular indie bands invade Chicago Mady Baer

staff writer

Pitchfork and Wicker Park Fest draw in Indie enthusiasts

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ummer brings a variety of activities: warm weather, seemingly endless vacations and sleepless nights.

For some, concerts were the main attraction. With a rising population of so-called hipsters, Chicago was home to famous indie music festivals.

These weekend getaways were wellfrequented by purveyors of the indie sub-culture and mainstream music lovers alike.

One of these magnetic indie gathering grounds was the Pitchfork Music Festival. Running from July 15 to July 17, the festival was sold out all three days. Held in Union Park, Pitchfork echoed with steady indie-electronica beats, but still featured some major groups; among them Curren$y, Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, and Odd Future Wold Gang Kill Them All. Well-loved indie groups such as Woods, Wild Nothing, Twin Sister, and Deerhunter also drew in the crowds of about 18,000 per day. Similar to complaints at Lollapalooza this year, Pitchfork overlapped popular bands such as Tune Yards and Battles, the two mustsee sets of the first night. Battles, the

New York instrumental trio featuring the smash-tastic drummer John Stanier, was worth seeing just to watch a passionate Stanier play the drums. Their set was truly fantastic, bursting with beats, keyboarding, and looping pre-recorded vocals.

The day's closing group, Animal Collective, was a lively but endless finale to the day. The psychedelic group did a lot of noodling and raving, but surprisingly little performing of their hit songs highlighting their smash album "Merriweather Post Pavillion." By the third day, however, Pitchfork picked up the pace with sunnier sets. Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All supplied the crowd with cupcakes, literature about violence against women and gays, and a group-wide crowd surfing session sparked by Tyler the Creator (who had a cast on his leg). They opened with "One Love" from Bob Marley and "Where is the Love?" from the Black Eyed Peas, as a humorous antithesis for their music's lyrics. Cut Copy also dazzled the crowd with both a blinding lights display and exultant techno/rock jams, ending the weekend on a high note that many other sets missed. Although the Pitchfork lineup featured bands that were anticipated to be rowdy, many of the sets turned out to be dominated by droning synths.

Wicker Part Fest, held on the stretch of Milwaukee Avenue between

Wood and North Avenue, lasted the weekend's vastly popular electronic/ weekend of July 23 and 24. dubstep lure.

For a donation of about During MiMOSA’s slot $5 (or less, or nothing), at the electronic stage, bass fun-seekers had permeated the crowd for access to a top-notch about an hour. A crowd music experience. favorite was Kid Cudi's The Fest offered indie "Pursuit of Happiness" power-name groups remix, where, unlike most such as Wavves and dubstep s ongs, almost Blitzen Trapper, both everyone could sing along. subjects of obsession Another remix powerhouse, for followers of the indie Flosstradamus, pleased the music scene. Wavves crowd with classics like "Act A Fool (Remix)."

The feel of Wicker Park Fest was much more energetic than that of Pitchfork's because of the pulsing crowds crammed into an area smaller than a city block. pumped the packed crowd with his signature, vibrant riffs of Nirvanainspired tunes.

Preceding Wavves was Murder By Death, a well-beloved, dark, GRAPHIC BY ADRIAN ADAMIEC A s southern, folk-rock artist. Murder Lollapalooza and

by Death warmed up the crowd for Northcoast mark the end of Chicago's Wavves by inciting scream-alongs summer festival season, the city's that pumped energy into the jam- indie population take a short break packed spectators. The lineup also from day-long music binges. And included names like Flosstradamus after such thrilling, festivals, they've and MiMOSA, which anchored the earned it.

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September 16, 2011

Vol. 48, No. 1

DMB Caravan brings variety to Chicago staff writer

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night ended with a set by the Dave Matthews Band, highlighting a debut song called “Sweet,” featuring Dave Matthews’ solo on the ukulele, and a surprising cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times.” Kid Cudi, Liz Phair, and Ben Folds carried the good times into Saturday, which also featured an acoustic set by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. The full band returned that evening to play a tour-debut cover of the Talking Heads’ “Burnin’ Down the House,” in addition to fan favorites “#41,” “Lie in Our Graves,” “Grey Street,” and “Two Step.”

The festival’s final day began with The Wailers, David Grey, and Emmylou Harris. The Flaming Lips performed Pink Floyd’s monumental

said. The American Alliance for Theater Education presented the award to Mr. Muszynski this summer in Chicago.

Mr. Muszynski was nominated for this award by Maine South’s Fine Arts Department Chair, Mrs. Keith, but the reason he won is justified through all of his work that he has done at Maine South for countless years.

“I can’t think of any other teacher who puts in so much work with so little thanks received,” senior and thespian vice president Matt Bonadona stated.

Every Maine South show that Mr. Muszynski has directed has receieved substantial approval from viewers and brings success to Maine South and the theatre department.

In addition, Mr. Muszynski also directs Maine South’s Variety Show.

Maine South has been known to have wonderful V-Shows, which are products of his hard work. Along with all of that, he also teaches Oral Communications, Drama 2, Drama 3, and Drama 4 while also being in charge of the Thespian Society at Maine South.

“In everything he does, whether it be directing, teaching, or just talking to you after school, he tries to find ways for you to have great experiences that will help you improve not only in theater, but also in life skills,” junior, Carri Stevens stated.

One would think that all of this responsibililty and work would be far too much for one person to singlehandedly carry out, but Mr. Muszynski does all of this while supporting and taking part in many other aspects of

album The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. During the song “Money,” the Lips threw out $10,000 cash that dropped off by Dave Matthews himself in giant balloons to the ecstatic crowds. When Dave Matthews Band finally hit the stage that night, they started off with some of their top hits. The night escalated with a cover of Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” and closed with their signature song “Ants Marching” into a cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Fallentime Be Mice Elf Again).”

The only distinguishable sound on the walk out of the Caravan gates was the crowd chanting, “Thank You.” It was a memorable ending to a truly legendary weekend concert series that left the audience in awe.

Entertainment

hen the Dave Matthews Band announced last year that they would take a brief hiatus during 2011, for what would be their 20th year of touring as a band, many fans were under the impression that they would lay dormant during the summer and prepare to come back strong in 2012.

However, it was soon discovered that they would be setting up their own three-day festival at four locations across the country during the summer of 2011 and that the second stop of this Dave Matthews Band Caravan would be Lakeside, Il. Lakeside, a new venue sponsored

by JAM Productions, is situated on the south side of Chicago at 87th and the Lake. The site was the location of the old US Steel Chicago plant, and the dust in the air throughout the weekend gave a natural salute to the former industry. Three stages had been spread across the field featuring a wide selection of artists and genres.

While the stages were far enough apart on the 170 acre field to prevent excessive noise bleeding, they were all within appropriate walking distance to make the show enjoyable.

Kid Cudi, OAR, Ray LaMontagne, The Wailers, Gomez, DriveBy Truckers, and the Flaming Lips all played throughout the weekend, with a full set by the Dave Matthews

Band finishing off each night. The lineup featured few overlaps, which nearly eliminated having to choose one band over another.

The stages were overlooked by a full-sized Ferris Wheel in the middle of the field, which, for a price of $5, could give you a view of the entire festival. Food and drink vendors were lined along the sides of the main stage, offering a wide selection from pizza to Mexican cuisine. Sponsorship booths, run by large companies such as Jeep, offered promotional items and giveaways throughout the weekend.

Despite the economic and environmental benefits, the self-fill water bottle stations scattered across the field were virtually ineffective due to the 45-minute lines preceding the actual water fountains. Other difficulties of the festival included a terrible system of public transportation, which consisted of a two-block walk, three-mile bus ride, and a transfer from two “L” trains, totaling a fourhour trek back to Park Ridge. However, fans were quick to forget the troubling commute upon seeing the performances.

Friday’s show started the weekend off with great bands. Ray LaMontagne, Edward Sharpe, Drive-By Truckers, and Amos Lee welcomed travelers to the Caravan. During a set by O.A.R., fans made the sky rain cards during their staple song “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker.” The

PHOTO CREDIT DMBCARAVAN.COM

Paul Ansani

The Dave Matthews Band performs in front of a huge crowd on Sunday, the final day of the three-day concert festival.

Mr. Muszynski wins national award Danielle Soldat staff writer

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his summer Mr. Muszynski was honored with the Loren Winship Secondary School Theater Award.

This award is presented solely to directors at high schools, who, with their outstanding leadership skills, brought their school many notable achievements through the theater department.

This award is only given out once a year on a national level to one long-term, high school theater director. “Nobody in any of the Maine Townships schools has won this. I mean, hardly anyone in Illinois has won this award which makes it that much more special,” Mr. Muszynski

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the Fine Arts Department.

Thespian president, Emma Frey, said that, “Mr. Muszynski always makes the school day that much better. In drama class he allows and promotes his student’s to express their creativity, and just be kids, laughing right along with us.”

Many people who have heard of Mr. Muszynski simply think of him as the teacher who directs the shows; but, he does much more than just that. Mr. Muszynski has significantly changed theater for Maine South in ways that can only be described as beneficial. As a director, his job is to teach students to learn how to perform naturally and guide them in the right direction to do so to best of their abilities and Mr. Muszynski certainly fulfills those expectations.

Vol. 48, No. 1

September 16, 2011

Internet killed the radio star Individualized Internet leads to closed minds Joshua Timm entertainment editor

ith the inception of touch screens, 3D cell phones, and downloadable music comes the increasing personalization of technology and its ability to adapt to its users. However helpful personalization may be, it has the potential to cause serious culture problems, like the decline of radio.

Rock stations like Q101 and New York based WRXP are no longer on the air. These, among many other smaller radio stations, have recently disappeared. Some say that the death of these stations is a sign of rock becoming less popular. However, according to Arbitron, rock listeners have gone from 11.6% of the adult market in 2006 to 12.3% in late 2010.

This suggests that rock isn’t the problem, because overall, the genre is still healthy. It’s likely that most people would rather listen to their own music than what DJs on the radio select. With widespread use of the iPod, Pandora, Last.fm, Grooveshark, and other personalized music tools, people can choose what they listen to through automated systems that play music based on what they like.

The most notable, and arguably the best, automated music system is Pandora. It’s the most comm on replacement for the radio, making up

to make all searches more relevant to the user so that Google users have a better experience, it stands to have a much larger effect on the world, even if it’s not easily noticeable.

Google remembers what its users search and what they click on, and based upon that, filters out certain search results. Say a Democrat clicks on a lot of pro democrat links, and searches for “health care.” He would get an entirely different result than someone akin to looking up things slightly more conservative. Simply put, a Democrat is more likely to find pro-Democrat links, and a Republican is more likely to find proRepublican links.

Google remembers the search preferences that users unconsciously set for 180 days. If a user never clears his browsing data (browsing history, cookies, saved passwords, plug-in data), he will be much more subject to Google’s profile of him than somebody who frequently clears his browsing data.

Search results aren’t only changed based on browsing data. Results are modified depending on where each user lives. A Democrat living in LA searching for health care will get different results than a Republican in Chicago searching for the same thing. In fact, Google’s cookies consist of 57 signals to tailor each user’s search results to be different than other users.

Simply put, Google changes its results so the user is more likely to find content he “likes.”

While it is possible to obtain relatively objective search results by frequently clearing browsing data, it is impossible to obtain completely un-

biased results. The type of computer, which web browser is being used, and the location of the computer are all taken into account to tailor results.

While the personalization aspect is great for unimportant, non-serious use, it can have a real effect on the world for serious information.

By “shielding” information that opposes our ideals and opinions, the Internet distorts the truth. Google isn’t the only website tailoring search results, but it’s simply the largest and most powerful. Websites like Facebook, Huffingtonpost, Yahoo news, and many others have personalized search results for every single one of their users. The Internet is shifting towards personalization, and this can have a huge effect on the way people see things.

Eric Schmidt, a Google engineer said, “It will be very hard for people to watch or consume something that has not in some sense been tailored for them.”

America’s political system is based on an informed public, where the voters, in theory, make informed, unbiased choices. While it is known that certain news networks and political pundits have biases, the people of America should be able to look to the web for unbiased, raw information.

However, the Internet is desperately trying to classify us, which is often times what we want, but not always what we need. While personalization is useful, without monitoring, it could change the way we think.

Without filters, internet users recieve untouched information. With filters, the internet is only showing us a fraction of the truth.

A democrat in high school searches “health care” in Google (left), while a republican in college searches the same thing (right), yet the results are different. The location of the computer as well as prior searches influence the search results and advertising returned by the search engine.

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approximately 3.6% of all radio listening in America. That’s 1.8 billion hours of listening, and its numbers are only getting bigger. A problem by design, though, is its lack of music expansion. If a user wants a radio station of music similar to Beatles songs, Pandora will never play a salsa or folk song that Beatles fans would like, whereas a talented DJ will.

The Music Genome Project, AKA Pandora, uses 400 markers to describe songs and an incredibly complex algorithm to organize them. A computer program, however complex it may be, will never be able to make recommendations outside of certain parameters, and as the program is limited, so too will be the music taste of the user.

There is a key difference between the experience of listening to the radio and listening to an online music stream (like Pandora), however: Radio is restricted by location, audience expectations, and sheer volume of songs, while internet based services share no such restrictions.

Automated music systems can bring about a golden age of expanded music taste and variety, while the radio eventually falls behind.

However, personalization is not limited to the music industry. More and more websites, companies, services, and tools are trying to fit their product or service to the user. While the personalization effect can mildly change culture via the entertainment industry, some companies stand to have a real effect on the world; namely, Google.

Google implemented personalized search to all users worldwide in 2009. While the force behind this was

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September 16, 2011

Vol. 48, No. 1

Vol. 48, No. 1

September 16, 2011

Maine South students traveling all over the world Maine South senior travels with youth group to attend World Youth Day 2011 held Madrid, Spain Sarah Tarabey This summer, Madrid, Spain, hosted the mother of all pilgrimages: La Jornada Mundial de la Juventud, or World Youth Day. Two million gathered in Spain’s capital from every crevice of the globe for the event, which takes place internationally every two to three years and is presided over by the Pope. While its emphasis is mainly on Catholicism, World Youth Day welcomes “all young people who want to take part in a festive encounter with their contemporaries centered on Jesus Christ,” according to the WYD Madrid 2011 website.

Strolling through Madrid’s cobblestone streets, the presence of the youth could instantly be felt. Everywhere there waved flags from the 193 attending nations. Groups who hardly knew each other stopped to pose for pictures, exchanged small souvenirs bearing symbols of their nations, and generally embraced the diversity of cultures and expressions of faith. Some sang, others danced or chanted in their native tongues, but the atmosphere was still one of respect and openness.

About a week before the Pope’s arrival,

I met up with a youth group from the Holy Land. About 150 total, we traveled to a quaint coastal town named Xàtiva, which would be our home until the long trek back to Madrid for our celebrations with the Pope.

The coming days were filled to the brim: we toured ancient cathedrals and historic landmarks in both Xàtiva and nearby Valencia; learned the intertwined histories of Spain and Catholicism; and immersed ourselves Spain’s rich culture. At night, we would often gather near Xàtiva’s center: an ornate baroque cathedral with statues of Borgia pope Alexander VI and Pope Calixtus III at its entrance, both of whom were born there. Once, we climbed hundreds of spiraling stairs to the top of its tower, rang the bells, and gazed at the expanse of Spain for hundreds of miles in every direction.

There were some quirks, to be sure. Xàtiva’s streets were narrow, cobbled paths that just barely fit the few who drove (most got just about everywhere on foot). On each corner, a café was a guarantee. Enter early enough

and some locals would be drinking beer for breakfast or dining daintily on some of Spain’s famous meats. Dispersed throughout the town are upside-down pictures of Spain’s King Philip V (r. 1724-1746). Apparently, after winning a battle, he ordered the town burned and its name changed to San Felipe.

Today, many locals proudly display his picture upside down in symbolic retaliation.

The entire city of Madrid, fully transformed with celebratory signs and for coming events, took part in World Youth Day. Our metro passes were unlimited, allowing

and scarves. I also learned how different their schooling is. They operate on a block schedule, so classes are anywhere from one to two hours per subject. By the way, two hours of Physics in a foreign language is a bit of a struggle. German students are always a year ahead of us, since their 12th grade is devoted to reviewing for their “Arbitur,” which is pretty much like a final exam for their entire school career. The Arbitur decides what kind of college the students can go to.

Luckily for most of the Americans, Germans tend to be excellent at English. After two weeks, my German usage was still confined to random words and phrases, mainly to order in restaurants. On the other hand, my entire host family, as well as most of the

other families, were proficient in English.

This is because German school kids start English as early as 2nd or 3rd grade, whereas most Maine students start German freshman year.

Some of the best parts of the trip were on the day trips to cities around Karlruhe.

We went to places like Freiburg, Heidelberg, and the Black Forest. The Black Forest was great, because we got to do this thing called alpine sliding, where you’re basically in control of the car of a roller coaster. It seemed utterly unsafe, and it was so much fun. Since Karlsruhe is right by the French border, we also got to go on a day trip to Strasbourg in Alsace. It was a great city, but as American kids on a German trip that went to France

more like an ornate castle) to observe the Way of the Cross. Basically, the whole area, from Plaza de Colon to Plaza de Cibeles, had been transformed into three-dimensional scenes of the 14 Stations of the Cross. Youth from various nations carried a large cross before the front of each Station; members of my group actually initiated the event. Both before and after the ceremony, the Pope made his way down the street in the Papal motorcade. He kissed a baby right in front of where I stood, and the crowds went wild.

I left before the closing mass on August 21, but from what my group told me afterwards, the Pope’s final message at Cuatro Vientos Air Base stressed the importance of the world’s youth and their potential impact on others’ lives, especially in spreading the faith and holding steadfast to their convictions. The next World Youth Day will take place in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, in 2013.

commentary editor

Over the summer, 38 Maine Township students took part in a German exchange with Markgrafen-Gymnasium in Karlsruhe, Germany. I was one of the students who got to take part, and I can say that it was an amazing learning experience. I learned about the German culture, how Germans view Americans, (they don’t think everyone here is fat), and how different Germans are from Americans.

For one, they all tend to dress better than teenagers here. The idea of wearing gym shorts or pajama pants in Germany is ridiculous. Even in the heat of summer, most of the German kids were wearing jeans

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Jimmy Loomos

editor-in-chief

This summer, the Park Ridge Community Church sent a group of 40 to Costa Rica on a mission trip. The group was paired with about 30 people from a Lutheran Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The entire group was housed on a campsite in the Bribri Indian Reservation located in Talaman-

ca—the poorest region of Costa Rica. There for a week, the groups were divided into three work teams; one group was sent to the local church, another to the school, and a third to the home of a family.

At the church, the group worked on building a brand new facility to house liturgical and other services. The group worked handin-hand wit h

German students visit their former exchange students across the Atlantic Soren Ramsey

Park Ridge church does mission work in Costa Rica over summer break

with no ability to speak the language, some of the locals didn’t seem happy to see us. The word “snooty” came to mind.

Another really cool thing about the trip was that, since the Women’s World Cup was being hosted in Germany, some of the matches were only an hour or two from our city. Three other students and I got to see the US women beat Colombia, winning 3-0.

Seeing a soccer game in the heart of a country in love with the sport was something I had always wanted to do. Though the US Team would go on to suffer a painful loss at the hands of the Japanese, it was still an

amazing experience.

The trip to Germany was everything that I hoped it would be, and we all balked when it came time to leave. As is the case for many travelers abroad, we were all ready to be home after two weeks overseas. We said our good byes, and promised to stay in touch, and prepared for the nine-hour trip back to the States.

the pastor as well as many native men who came to offer assistance. Together, the group was able to work on the foundation of the church and help begin a project that would be continued by various groups throughout the summer.

Those volunteers who were sent to the school began by bringing supplies up the mountain to begin constructing a new classroom. And, by supplies I don’t mean pens and

pencils, but instead, 100-kg bags of cement mix—much easier said than done. The group then began constructing the new classroom, and just weeks after the group’s departure, the classroom was opened to students.

The final group that worked at the house was given the task of creating a new room for a local family who had just given birth to a new child. The group mixed concrete for the floor of the room, and they also cemented the outside walls to strengthen the structure. Here, the mission group worked with the husband of the family, Eric, whom they considered a workhorse. He began his day working on the plantation at four in the morning, and was home by nine to work with the youth workers. He continued working through the lunch break, and he would work even once the group left. By the end of the week, the floor was finished, as was the framing for the new room.

In addition to the work sites, the groups also helped at a local Vacation Bible School where they interacted with the local kids who were eager to form relationships with the Americans.

Together they sang songs and made crafts; however, the highlight for most came on the final night at the Vacation Bible School.

After a long day of raining and hard work, many of the students on the mission trip were disappointed to find out that Vacation Bible School was cancelled. But, they still decided to visit the site, and found many kids playing soccer in the mud left from the storm. Instantly, an international match began. It was the Costa Ricans versus the Americans, or as the kids called them the “Gringos.” Even though the Americans lost to kids half their size in what quickly turned into a blowout, it was a blast, and most would agree a dream come true.

Following a difficult yet rewarding week at the work sites, the group from Park Ridge had a day to experience Costa Rica as tourists. Each individual was given the choice of zip-lining, scuba diving, or lying on the beach—all of which were equally tempting options. Then a small group of the members of the mission trip went to the National Reserve, conveniently located on the beach, to get a glimpse of the mesmerizing Costa Rican wildlife. The group saw a baby yellow viper (cute, but deadly), numerous families of howler monkeys, sloths, newly born baby bats, crabs, and came within an arm’s length of a capuchin monkey.

Features

Features

news editor

us access to every corner of the city, and we all got food tickets that we could exchange in any participating restaurant (there were many) for a free meal. Interestingly, the restaurants that were most crowded were McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC. And then, there were the relics of World Youth Day itself. Everyone got a red and yellow backpack with “JMJ 2011 Madrid” on the front, so one could instantly spot the youth by those blaring colors.

On August 18, Pope Benedict XVI arrived. That night, a welcoming ceremony was held. The next day, all met around city hall (which l o o k s

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Vol. 48, No. 1

MS introduces a few new changes Hawk Pride transformations made for new school year Kelsey Eichman

Features

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staff writer

his school year, Hawk Pride is ready to make a fresh start. Many changes are being made to make Hawk Pride more serious and more present at Maine South, in hopes of actually changing students’ lives.

The biggest change to Hawk Pride is that lessons will be taught in student advisories rather than in third period classrooms. This is to ensure that lessons are taught by grade level.

Also, seniors (with the exception of senior Hawk Pride leaders) will not participate in the Hawk Pride lessons.

This year, Mr. Deger joins Mr. Scott, taking over for Mrs. Palm.

After three years of Hawk Pride lessons, Mr. Deger and Mr. Scott feel the seniors are the least in need of character education lessons. Instead, their time will be spent speaking with their counselors about college plans.

“We also felt that many Hawk Pride leaders were not truly committed to the program.” Mr. Scott stated.

“We felt we needed to keep closer tabs on our leaders, so we are asking that teachers evaluate their leaders. We are also hoping to use Hawk Pride leaders in other ways such as tutoring, being greeters at events at South, and a few other things.”

This was implemented in part because in past years, the counselors have been looking for time with the seniors to allocate towards college

planning.

Senior Nicole Donnellan thinks this is a good alternative to the old system. She says, “I think it’s a good idea that seniors won’t be lecturing their fellow seniors and I’m interested to see what the counselors have to say to us.”

The Hawk Pride sponsors also have felt that past leaders have not been truly committed to the program. To attempt to keep leaders on their toes, advisory teachers will be evaluating their Hawk Pride leaders.

In turn, leaders with poor evaluations may be switched out for a new leader.

Some students are concerned that this will create an uncomfortable environment and make leaders feel more nervous than friendly, making things “so much more complicated and difficult,” says Senior Hawk Pride leader Mike Klimmeck.

Senior Anna Muiznieks says, “If leaders are constantly being switched out, how will the kids connect with them?” But this change may turn out to have extremely positive effects, as it forces leaders to take a serious role in Hawk Pride.

“My hope over the next few years is to rechannel the efforts of the organization, regroup the talent that we have, reorganize the structure to the school’s needs, and re-energize both the organization and the community that it serves,” said Mr. Scott. Rather than just teaching lessons, Mr. Scott and Mr. Deger hope to use leaders in other ways such as tutoring students and greeting visting sports teams at events. This is all in hopes of making Maine South stand out as a school of friendly, good-hearted individuals.

Advisory, lunch period appear on ID Brianna Cloney

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staff writer

n addition to the other updates at Maine South, students this year have received updated ID’s. This year, students’ lunch period and advisory room number have been added to the identification card.

These updates have been seen as both helpful and as a nuisance by South students. Students seem to be a fan of the advisory room number being printed on the ID’s. Senior Taylor Dornik said, “I like it because I will always remember where it is.”

Another change to the ID’s this year has been the addition of the

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lunch periods.

According to Junior Claudia Aniol, “The lunch period really doesn’t make a difference, but I do like the advisory.” However, not everyone was as indifferent to the addition.

“The lunch period thing is kind of useless, not to mention a hassle,” Junior Guiliana Bartucci, “My ID states that I have lunch 6a, when I actually have lunch 5a. This became a hassle when trying to figure out which period was correct, and it caused unnecessary stress.” Overall, the changes to the ID seem to be going over smoothly with the student body.

The new concession stand is more visually appealing and structurally sound than the building that once stood in its place.

Wilson Field, Spec. gym among PE updates Christina Guimond staff writer

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n order to improve the over all experience of each Maine South sports game, the school and its athletic program have made improvements to Wilson Field and the Spectator Gym. South’s athletic department has been updated with new bleachers in the Spec gym and a new concession stand in Wilson Field.

The construction of the new concession stand began at the end of the 2010-2011 school year and continued throughout the summer. It’s painted with a fresh coat of red paint and is much larger than the previous stand. Money for this came from Maine South Athletic Boosters who donated $75,000 to build it.

The new concession stand has been welcomed by both parents and students who attend the sporting events.

“It’s definitely an improvement from the previous one,” remarked Meghan Farrell. “My parents even used that same concession stand in high school when they went here.

The football team definitely deserves it.”

Not only does the stand look more appealing, but it also makes it easier to buy and sell food and beverages.

“People seem to have been going down there more and it is easy to get what you want and get back to watching the game,” says tenth-grader Jessica Stinnett. “I think overall, people are pleased because it is very useful,” she adds.

Senior Mike Jeske remembers the old stand.

“The new concession stand is much nicer than the old one,” Jeske states. “The service is way faster since they added more lines and it’s nice that you don’t have to wait in line for ten minutes just to get food.”

Several students also believe that the old stand was far too small and ran out of popular items quickly.

“It’s really handy,” says sophomore Abbey Greiber, “it makes getting food after school really easy.”

The new concession stand offers a wide range of beverages and food including pizza and different varieties of candy.



New Collaboration Day Schedule

Cut and tape this into your planner, which doesn’t have a late start schedule.

1 2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a

8:48 – 9:24 9:29 – 9:45 9:50 – 10:06 10:11 – 10:27 10:32 – 10:48 10:53 – 11:11 11:16 – 11:34 11:39 – 11:57

5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9

12:02 – 12:20 12:25 – 12:43 12:48 – 1:06 1:11 – 1:29 1:34 – 1:52 1:57 – 2:13 2:18 – 2:34 2:39 – 3:15

Vol. 48, No. 1

September 16, 2011

Maine South Collaboration Days get a makeover in 2011

Collaboration days every What happened to my week? Sounds good to me. extra two hours of sleep?

Claire Dockery

staff writer

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Jenna Galuska

staff writer

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long with the normal changes that happen with the start of school, Maine South students are dealing with a change in their beloved collaboration day schedule.

Instead of starting school at 9:40 every other Wednesday, school now begins at 8:48 every Wednesday.

Since it’s something everyone has to deal with, everyone has something to say, and many students seem to prefer the old way. “I like the twohour more, because I can go out to breakfast and hang out with my friends,” says sophomore Jenny Calahan.

While students agree that sleeping in every week is nice, it’s just not the same as a two-hour break. Also, the old collab day schedule gave us shorter classes, which was always a source of relief. “It’s okay, but it’s not as special as last year,” says sophomore Bonnie Shultz.

A supposed benefit of the new system is that students don’t have to worry about getting the schedule

wrong. However, there’s still a lot of confusion going on during the day.

Every Wednesday, students can be heard asking what time the period ends, but it seems like no one really knows the answer.

Lessons are sometimes cut short because the bell rings unexpectedly, and class time is wasted when teachers keep having to look up what time class ends.

“It’s screwy—getting out at abnormal times is messing [everybody] up,” says sophomore Kim Kawczinski.

The few students who do like the new schedule admit that this is a problem, too. Junior Nicole Allegretti says, “I like the change, but not getting out at [regular intervals] can get pretty confusing.”

While the changes to the collab day schedule may have some precedent, the benefits are clearly outweighed by the overall confusion and lack of that extra hour of freedom.

Personally, I think that the original two-hour schedule was far better.

“It’s okay, but it’s not as special as last year.”

Do you like or dislike the new collaboration schedule?

“I like getting the chance to sleep in every week.”

-Mike White‘12

“It’s just not the same as getting two hours of extra sleep.”

-Summer O’Gradney ‘14

“This is much better than having 30 minute classes.”

“I like not having to remember if it’s a collab day or not.”

-David Holmquist‘12

-Genevieve Lugardo ‘13

Commentary

tudents and teachers alike have expressed ambivalence over this year’s new collaboration day schedule. Traditionally, the instructional days would begin at 9:40 a.m. every other Wednesday. This new school year presents a change that many consider rather radical: the instructional day now begins at 8:48 every Wednesday, an hour earlier than it used to.

Students should stop worrying about losing their extra hour of sleep, and instead think about all of the reasons why the new collaboration system is easily better than the old routine. Students and teachers alike should stop dismissing the new system—it could prove to be beneficial.

According to Principal Shawn Messmer, the new system was implemented so teachers could meet on a more regular basis to discuss their classes’ progress and adjust lesson plans. In addition to that, there are other benefits.

“I think a benefit for students is that the late-start is now very routine. No one has to try and remember if it is a late-start or not —if it's Wednesday, it's a late start.

Also, because the cafeteria and LRC

are open, there is an hour, once a week, that students can come in and get work finished,” he said.

That’s right—the new system provides for significantly less confusion over which Wednesdays have late starts and which don’t, because they all do. Having a more regular collaboration schedule allows students and parents to better understand and utilize the late start schedule.

“I like having an extra hour to sleep [every week], that my classes are shortened a bit, and the different times for the bells because it makes life more interesting,” says senior Melissa Murphy.

While the system may have some disadvantages, it really is the better option. Students still get the chance to hit the snooze button a few extra times, catch up on homework, or indulge in caramel macchiatos—they can do it every week if they want.

Plus, those dreadful, headacheinspiring eighth and ninth period classes that have students longing for the day to end are shortened by a few precious minutes more often.

The pros of weekly collaboration days clearly outweigh the cons.

While some aspects of old collaboration days are lost, it’s a trade-off many are perfectly willing to make.

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September 16, 2011

Vol. 48, No. 1

Editorial board coming to Southwords B

eginning in the next issue of Southwords, an unsigned editorial will appear discussing the editorial board’s opinion on various topics important to the Maine South student body.

As the voice of the students, we will address issues from politics to the best and worst parts of Maine South, and as an editorial staff, form an opinion.

Although decisions may not always be unanimous, it will be the collective view of the members of the editorial board.

The opinions expressed by our Editorial Board will be solely the views of those on the editorial staff.

As a group, we will choose an issue to discuss, and from there we will form a position after we debate the topic.

The editors will then create the article discussing our belief that will serve as the viewpoint of the paper as a whole on the particular issue.

The specific issues we will cover will be based on our own experiences—and those suggested to us by our readers.

The editorial staff will challenge

the reader to think critically about a topic. And, once you’re finished reading, you’ll be able to form your own opinions and agree—or agree to disagree—with us.

Either way, this new addition will give us the opportunity to express our views as journalists and give readers the chance to agree or disagree with what we have to say through letters to the editors which can be delivered to our office in the LRC, given to a member of the editorial staff, or sent to southwords@maine207.org.

Poor in wealth, but rich in life lessons Jimmy Loomos

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editor-in-chief

Commentary

his summer I was given the unique opportunity to tag along with one of my friends and his church on a mission trip to Costa Rica. After my week’s journey, I got home, indulged in some of my favorite American snacks, and proceeded to give my parents an in-depth description of my entire trip.

Once I finished my story, my mom asked me where I thought it was better for a child to grow up, here in America or there in Costa Rica.

Before my trip, my answer would have been the States; I wouldn’t have even thought about it. Why would I want to live somewhere so detached from modern society with no phone, no computer, no air-conditioning and no Shamrock shakes? But after experiencing such an amazing place and observing the lives of many kids who, besides having had drastically different upbringings, were similar to me, I stared blankly at my mom—it was one of the first times in my life I couldn’t think of an answer on the spot.

Once I decided on an answer, I told her both and neither at the same time.

Of course we are lucky in our current life situations. We have a warm home, clean beds, and for the most part are reasonably healthy. In Park Ridge, high schoolers drive where they want, have one of the largest cities in the world at their fingertips, and are often expected to attend college. In Talamanca, the region of Costa Rica I visited, some families don’t even have a car. The

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nearest big city—which pales in comparison to Chicago—is about five hours away, and it is rare for a student to be educated beyond fifth grade.

So you may be thinking, “Who in their right mind would ever want to live there?” Originally, I felt the same way. Without question, I agree that we have a lot more material possessions in the United States than our counterparts in Costa Rica, but what Costa Rica, or at least Talamanca, has on the United States are the intangibles. By this I mean a hardworking spirit, a strong communal vibe, and a happy attitude.

One day on my trip, after carrying one 100-kg bag of cement mix and making concrete for a half an hour, I needed a water break. Honestly, I felt like I needed an ambulance. But these Costa Rican men working next to me were able to work hours with no break.

I would stop to talk with the locals, and they just kept working—non-stop in the sizzling Costa Rican sun. This mentality was just as evident in their children. I was in a hole shoveling dirt with some other American kids, when Marvin, the young boy whose house we were working at, came and began working with us. He was only about nine, but when it came to shoveling, he was a madman. After 10 minutes or so, we Americans would switch out and let someone else work for a little, but Marvin just kept going; his work ethic was astounding and something you don’t often see in an American elementary school student.

I also envied the communal atmosphere and sense of trust one felt in Talamanca. Everyone was so friendly and always willing to talk to me. Even with my occasional blunders while speaking Spanish, they

always tried their best to understand what I had to say. In America, most people don’t go out of their way to talk to strangers, but there, everyone socializes and is always ready to strike up an intriguing conversation. To me, it is a great atmosphere for a child to be raised in.

Finally, all the people I met while on my trip had a positive aura about them—especially the kids. Most of the children came from homes with an average income of $4-6 daily, yet from the looks on the kids’ faces you would think they had the latest toys. I remember one instance in particular when I saw this happiness. It was one of our final days at the work site, and I was at Marvin’s home. I gave him and his siblings a puzzle and a coloring book that my friend had given me before I left. Their faces lit up. I cannot even begin to describe the smiles on them. They all were so thankful. It was one of the most fascinating moments of my life to see how it took next to nothing to make these kids so happy.

The truth is many of the benefits of growing up in America are unrivaled, and I feel blessed to have grown up in such an environment. But, I do feel there is much to be learned from the simple lives of those in Costa Rica and similar nations around the world.

Surely, I would be lying if I said I would prefer to have grown up in Costa Rica, but I’d also be lying if I said the United States is perfect for raising children.

There are things that we need to work on, and I think integrating some of the ideals I observed on my trip to Costa Rica would benefit American society and the lives of our youth in a way that cannot be achieved with our sleek laptops, top-notch smart phones, and superior technology.

Maine South High School 1111 South Dee Road Park Ridge, IL 60068 Signed letters to the editor should be delivered to room LRC 1 or given to a member of the editorial staff or e-mailed to southwords@maine207.org.

SOUTHWORDS reserves the right to edit material for clarity and brevity and to reject obscene/libelous submissions.

Editors-in-Chief Jimmy Loomos Charlie Vinopal News Editors

Dora Bialy Caroline Murphy Sarah Tarabey

Features Editors Des Mustafa Ally Stevens Entertainment Editors Nicole Shammo Josh Timm Commentary Editors Gianna Carrozza Sarah Hands Soren Ramsey Sports Editors Hope Allchin Nicole Johnson Erin Martell Production Head Adrian Adamiec Copy Editor

Adam Smith

Photography Editor Josie Fioretto Adviser

Mr. Stathakis

It’s Windows 7, not the Apocalypse

Sarah Hands

commentary editor

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hile slow computers are nothing new here, it’s pretty obvious that the classroom technology crises we’ve witnessed within the first few weeks of school are significantly more wide spread than they have been in previous years. No, the teachers are not messing with us. We have an upgraded operating system and a new network service.

Up until this year, Maine South computers ran on an earlier version of Windows, and Novell was used as our network service. This year, all school computers have been upgraded to Windows 7, and Novell has been replaced with another service called Active Directory.

If that last paragraph meant nothing to you, don’t worry—you’re not alone.

In simpler terms, our school computer system is newer, shinier, and not as gray as the one we

September 16, 2011

S u p p o s e d l y, u s i n g Ac t i v e Directory will make logging in to the system more secure. Regardless of how much you know or don’t know about technology, the new password requirements will probably make it harder for anybody to hack your account. Granted, nobody really wants to hack your account, but hey—caution can be a good thing, right?

While some students may hold strong opinions for or against the new system, the general opinion does seem to be indifference—at most, slight annoyance.

“I think it was rather silly for them to change the technology after all these years of it actually ‘working,’” says junior Nick Wasik, “but if Maine South wants to cover their computers in glitter and call them new, they can do that.”

“Yeah, I didn’t really care,” says junior Julianna Haak, echoing what seem to be the sentiments of the majority of students at Maine South.

It’s true that there weren’t exactly any problems with the old system. “This is just a planned upgrade,” says principal Shawn Messmer. “Nothing specific led to the need for it.”

The point is this: the changes are nothing to whine about. Every school has technology issues, especially when it switches over to a new system. If you really feel the need to groan about the administration, you should find something worth groaning about.

Commentary

had last year.

Also, the service that connects student accounts to the school has changed.

There are several upsides to these changes. For one, Windows 7 just looks nicer. It’s more colorful than what we had before. To some, this may not matter much—to others, who knows? Maybe the shiny taskbar at the bottom cheers some people up. Also, it runs a lot smoother than previous versions.

Vol. 48, No. 1

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September 16, 2010 Vol. 48, No. 1

Girls’ cross country steals spotlight Mackenzie Dolan

T Many talented Maine South athletes continue playing after high school. Here is a look at a few of them.

staff writer

he girls’ cross country team took first place in their inaugural meet at Maine East on August 31. Facing not only their challengers, Maine West and Maine East, the Hawks battled the unusual heat as well.

When asked how the first meet

went, Coach Downing stated that, “We've got depth and talent but we still have a long way to go. I’m glad we got the first meet out of the way because the first race is usually the worst."

Varsity captains Caroline Unger and Austen Beaugureu also agreed with Coach Downing. "The first race is always the hardest to get through,

but we are looking in good shape to make it to state this season,” said the seniors. “Although we were a little disappointed with the times, the distance was over 3 miles, so overall we were happy with our results. We had 16 out of the top 20 girls."

With their third place finish, the Hawks are looking forward to the upcoming season.

Jimmy Coy, Class of 2007 Saint Xavier University (IL) Position: Quarterback Record: First-year starter as quarterback after transferring to St. Xavier for senior year David Chao, Class of 2008 Columbia University (NY) Major: Econ./political science PHOTO BY JESSICA GRONKE Position: Running back The varsity girls’ cross country team warms-up before taking on Maine West and Maine East at their first meet Record: Played in 25 games to at Maine East High School. They go on to take first place overall. date for the esteemed Ivy League institution, mostly on special teams of more than 160 teams. shows just how much potential we Adam Smith

Hawks’ big summer baseball success copy editor

Joey Orlando, Class of 2009 hough the true varsity season Drake University (IA) doesn’t begin for months, the Major: Business Hawks baseball squad has already Position: Wide receiver experienced the kind of success the Record: Ranked third on team in average team only dreams of. receptions and yardage in 2009 According to senior center fielder

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Matt Perez, Class of 2010 Indiana University (IN) Position: Running back Record: Missed his first season with a torn ACL; named starter for 2011; scored Indiana’s first touchdown of the season Football players to watch for: Frank Colletti, Class of 2011 Ferris State University (MI) Justin Czerwionka, Class of 2011 Harper College (IL) Victor Nelson, Class of 2011 Boston College (MA) Sean Sullivan, Class of 2011 Western Illinois University

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Kyle Richardson, though, this isn’t an average team.

After placing third during the big Illinois High school Baseball Coaches Association’s Phil Lawter Summer Classic State tournament, this year could be particularly special—for both him and his teammates.

“We got a glimpse of what we can accomplish this upcoming season,” he said, “and after having this good of a summer, the thought of being in the running for a state championship is going to drive us.”

“None of us are satisfied yet,” echoed outfielder Lawrence Darlak.

“But [our summer] really was a great accomplishment.”

It was an unprecedented twomonth run of summer league victories for Maine South. No Hawks baseball squad has ever made it to the state semifinals.

The team finished 21-10 on the year, and beat powerhouses Niles West, St. Viator, and Marian Catholic on the way to a third-place finish out

The Hawks rode an impressive winning streak from the spring on into summer play.

In the 2011 regular season campaign, the Hawks relied heavily on the juniors, specifically in the pitching aspect of the game, to propel them to success.

The class of 2012 was instrumental to the team’s inspired playoff run, with such performances as Pat Aloisio’s two-hit gem against Fremd.

“A lot of our kids had some success in the spring; we had a number of [then] juniors that had started for us,” Coach Bill Milano said of the Hawks CSL championship season last year.

“15 of our 21 wins last spring were with junior pitchers, so we knew we had the pitching.”

The boys needed those current seniors to perform over the summer, however hard-throwing southpaw John Forsythe (6-0 in 2011) and equally fiery righty Keenan Kelly (2-1), were missing in action for the state playoffs—though Forsythe threw a 10-strikeout, 1-hit shutout against Niles West to advance the Hawks to state.

The team’s perseverance, despite their absences, impressed senior Brett Slager.

“Even without two starters from last spring, we made it far,” the strongarmed outfielder said. “I think that

really have.”

That potential is best embodied in Jesus Saavedra, an infielder and pitcher known as Chuy; the junior came up in the clutch as a shut-down closer during the state quarterfinals against St. Viator.

As South held a narrow, one-run lead on St. Viator in the seventh inning with the bases loaded, Saavedra craftily struck out the Lions’ three- and four-hitters on high, mid-80s fastballs to escape with the save.

The next day, against Marian Catholic and its Arizona State-bound pitcher/ outfielder Brett Lilek, he once again earned the save—this time, retiring the side in order and in much less dramatic fashion—to seal a 3-1 victory.

Multiple newcomers to the mostlyveteran team, including Jack Touhy, Mike Virgilio, Zack Jones, and Adam Depkon, have also shown a great deal of promise.

The Hawks had quite an eventful summer, and although the regular season is well off in to the future, they are ready to continue to impress.

“We’re always excited for baseball season...we love the game and love to see it played well,” said Coach Milano. “With these guys there’s really two expectations: we need to remain healthy, and we need to keep working hard and not be satisfied. If we do those two things, we should be okay.”

Vol. 48, No. 1

September 16, 2011

Varsity football continues winning streak S

staff writer

eptember 2—it’s a balmy night in Park Ridge, but Maine South football fans have come out in typically impressive numbers to Wilson Field. Coach David Inserra and the varsity boys’ football team are looking to start off the season with a second straight win. However, this wasn’t just about improving the team’s record; as Coach Inserra put it, this was about “making a statement.”

The previous Friday night, the Hawks began their season with a 40-12 victory over the Blue Devils of Warren Township. But their celebration was short-lived; players soon turned all their focus onto WheatonWarrenville South, a team that last year ended South’s multi-season winning streak in a nationally-televised 44-7 rout.

During the summer preseason football camp, Inserra instilled in his team a desire for payback against the Tigers, and the boys delivered.

The team started off on shaky ground, beginning the game with a 3-and-out with a blocked punt, leading to a subsequent WheatonWarrenville South touchdown. The Hawks responded with a goal-line touchdown run from junior quarterback Matt Alviti. After missing the extra point, the Hawks were down 7-6 heading into the second quarter. On their next possession, Maine South scored once again—this time

on a run from senior tailback Paul Preston—putting the Hawks up 13-7 at halftime.

The second half was, in effect, a total stalemate. Both sides were unable to consistently move up the field, and neither offense scored a point for the remainder of the game. Wheaton-Warrenville’s special teams unit remained impressive, though, as they blocked a second punt, then recovered the ball in the Hawks’ end zone for a safety—cutting the lead to four nearly six minutes into the third quarter.

Tigers sophomore quarterback Ryan Graham, directing an equally youthful and inexperienced Wheaton-Warrenville South offense, led the team into the Hawks’ red zone with less than one minute remaining. But Maine South’s defensive corps, led by all-state senior linebacker Tyler Fahey and the sizable junior two-way lineman Pat Maloney,

PHOTO BY MADDY VOGG

Marc Saladino

Junior quarterback Matt Alviti moves back in the pocket before making pass in the September game versus Wheaton-Warrenville South.

The Hawks went on to win 13-7 making them 2-0 for the season and increasing their chances at defending the State title.

PHOTO BY MADDY VOGG

Maine South fans came out in full force for the big rivalry game against Wheaton-Warrenville South. was up to the challenge, and stifled the from Division I powers Wisconsin, Tigers’ offensive efforts.

Illinois, Indiana, and Notre Dame— Looking forward, the Hawks are in will lead a youth-injected team (note perfect position to repeat as Class 8A that Clay Burdelik, a hard-hitting state champions. Returning all-staters sophomore, is starting at safety) Tyler Fahey and Matt Alviti—who, as determined to capture that elusive a junior, has already garnered offers fourth-straight title.

New identity for Hawks girls’ volleyball

the Hawks, who have players with club experience. Such experience is crucial in beating strong rivals.

“Last year our team consisted of many multi-sport athletes,” says Acevado. “But this year, the majority of our players are coming off a seven -month club season. We are just more focused on the opportunities in front of us than we were last year.”

Indeed, with six returning varsity The varsity girls’ volleyball team poses for a photo before their September seniors—Cassie Nugent, Mady Baer, 7 game against Niles West. The girls won...

April Simpson, Michelle Maher, Erin Martell, and Heidi Gregerson—and seven talented upcoming juniors—Jane Acker, Anna Kinnel, Alana Sremac, Setter Kirsten Lee positions her hitter for a spike against Maine West on Pat Wardynski, Emily Weisheit, September 7. The Hawks went on to win a two-set match.

Sophie Miller, and Kirsten Lee—the of the top three teams in the CSL, “We’re off to a good start, but now it’s Hawks may have the opportunity to not only play, but advance, in the and win our regional and sectional,” all about consistency.” says head coach Sebastian Acevado.

Consistency is a possibility with postseason tournament.

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sports editor

he girls’ volleyball team has high hopes this year after a strong finish last year. The team has evidently improved greatly, starting with a 3-0 winning record against Regina and Maine East.

“It all started with our summer workouts,” says senior middle Hedi Gregerson. “The extra touches had us prepared for our first matches.”

However, extra touches are an understatement. Preseason training involved two weeks of camp and three weeks of two-a-day practices where the girls saw five hours of court time.

But the preseason work is necessary to compete with other varsity programs.

The Hawks have set some high goals for themselves this season.

“Our goal this year is to be one

PHOTO BY JOSIE FIORETTO

Erin Martell

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football

• girls’ volleyball • cross country • girls’ tennis • golf • boys’ soccer • girls’ swimming

caricatures by adrian adamiec

Coaches comment on fall season

Coach Acevedo

Girls’ Volleyball “We have six returning varsity players and seven juniors. We also have a transfer from Maine East who we are very excited to have play for us this season. We hope to double our conference wins, place top three in the CSL and win our regional and sectional matches.”

Coach Inserra

Football “We have the makings of a very good team. The hard work, skill, teamwork and focus are in place and are to be commended. To obtain our highly set goals the leadership and ‘will to win’ will have to improve. Our goal is to fill Wilson Field for every home game and give Maine South and Park Ridge much to cheer about. Go Hawks!”

Coach Bondi

Girls’ Tennis “Our team this year is a young team in many ways; we only have two seniors on varsity and a total of four returning players. However, many of last year’s JV players have worked on their game and have moved up to the varsity level. We are looking forward to a tough but rewarding and successful season.”

Coach Kura

Girls’ Swimming “We are hoping to continue to build on the success of the past couple of seasons. Our team is a little bit older now and is focused on advancing as many swimmers as possible to the state swim meet this season.

I am excited for the girls as they begin the journey to see both their individual and team goals achieved. It’s my hope that their hard work and determination will pay off.”

Coach Downing

Coach Graney

Coach Hamann

Girls’ Cross Country “Our team is a large one, with a roster of over 90 girls. We are very excited about this season considering that we return five of our top eight runners. Our goal is to be competitive at the conference and state level again this season. We host two meets this year (Sept. 13 & 27) and hope to see as many Maine South people cheering us on as possible.”

Hawkettes “After winning the National Championship this past February, we have our work cut for us. We beat the four-time National Champions and I know they are hungry to get it back. The Hawkettes are very talented, driven young ladies who are determined to keep the top spot. We’re looking forward to another fun-filled season.”

Girls’ Golf “This year’s team returns with a lot of experience. We have the potential to be the best in school history. If you ask each girl what the goals of the team are, they all say that they want to break both the 18-hole and 9-hole school records. We have a team that can make a run in the State Tournament by qualifying for Sectionals and possibly beyond.”

Coach Nordahl

Coach Scott

Coach States

Boys’ Cross Country “Summer training has gone very well. Our top seven runners may include Jon Vaccaro, Zach Eckhart, Robbie Taylor, Kevin Dolan, Michal Filipczak, Stephen Lavelle and Sam Steinfels. This season we are deep with no clear outstanding front runner, but we are still very strong with a young and dedicated squad.”

Boys’ Golf “We are off to a great start.

We shot 296 at the Maine / Niles Shootout and came in first place. Mike Nieder was meadilist with a 69 and had a hole-in-one. The team consists of 10 players, 5 seniors and 5 juniors.”

Boys’ Soccers “The team is an inexperienced squad with only three returning players from last year and four seniors. With a talented crop of young players, I am calling on them to begin making their mark this year while being lead by the team captains: Kowalski, Karabatsos, and Kulas. We look to continue to improve as we get ready beginning the CSL conference schedule.”