Vol 49 issue 9

May 10, 2013

1111 S. Dee Road • Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

Vol. 49, No. 9

Rained OUT

While some students are flooded with excitement when record-setting rain shuts down schools, others deal with the devastation of the deluge

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

See page 6

We the People

Hard work carries C-Team to top ten Page 3

Stressed Out

‘Race to Nowhere’ shows educational faults Page 10

Under Pressure

Big lobbies wield more influence than voter opinion Page 12

Hit it Home

Maine South baseball gears up for playoffs Page 14

| May 10, 2013 PHOTO BY JESSICA GRONKE

NEWS

COLLEGIATE COACHING

Bob Knight talks to college basketball coaches from across the United States about his coaching strategies and techniques. Knight is known for being a very up-front and aggressive coach, yet his teams’ statistics prove that he was an effective one.

Legendary coaches speak at Maine South Bob Knight and Geno Auriemma share their coaching techniques with coaches from around the nation Brendan Ploen Staff Writer

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aine South hosted two of college basketball’s most famous coaches, Bob Knight and Geno Auriemma, in the Spec gym on April 26 and 27. The coaching clinic was organized by the Nike Championship Basketball Clinics, and coaches from all over the country came to observe these two legends drill, teach, and give insight on how they became such successful college basketball coaches.

Maine South was asked last May to host the special event due to its convenient location to O’Hare airport and the city of Chicago.

“We jumped at the chance and it was a great opportunity,” said boys’ basketball coach Mr. Lavorato.

If it were not for the hundreds

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of coaches watching, it would have seemed like a normal practice. Bob Knight is known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, and that was noticeable when he spoke. At both days of the clinic, his passion was evident, often punctuated by colorful language.

Knight provided the coaches in attendance with a lot of insight on the old school fundamentals of basketball. He said that it did not matter how many points they scored, but rather, how many times they got to the free throw line. Knight believes that in order to win, coaches have to coach in a way that enables the players to get better. Another thing coach Knight stressed was to simplify the game as much as possible.

“The most important player on the team is not the best player,” said Knight. “I truly think it is the student manager.”

He thought they were so important because they truly loved basketball, and would do anything to help out.

The thing he stressed the most however, was for coaches to test the

players’ basketball intelligence so that they could determine “who can do what, and who can’t do what.”

Geno Auriemma took a different approach when addressing the coaches.

“If you like what coach Knight just said, that’s fine,” said Auriemma.

“However, I consider all of what he just said to be old school. I am new school—up tempo is what UConn women’s basketball is all about.”

When the coach of the University of Connecticut spoke, the mood of the Spec gym seemed to shift.

While the first half was fundamentals, the second half, when Auriemma grabbed the mic, was all about transition offense. He demonstrated drills that his teams would use in games, demanding communication and constant motion.

“No matter how hard you try these drills, it is not going to work in the way that it works with my players,” said Auriemma. “Why? Because you don’t have five All-Americans on the floor. Scale it down to fit your players and their needs.”

While the coaches offered differ-

ent coaching advice, Coach Lavorato agreed that the clinic was a success.

“Whenever coaches go to these clinics, you have to be a ‘lifelong learner’ because you can always pick up a few things from the clinician, whether they are good or a bad,” he said. “When you are passionate about basketball like Coach Smith and I are, it feels like you are backstage at your favorite rock concert.

That is what it felt like with two legends speaking at our school; it was a very special weekend.”

Knight is one of the winningest coaches in college basketball. During his tenure at Indiana University, the Hoosiers won three NCAA championships, and also were the last team to go undefeated in a season in the 1975-76 season.

Geno Auriemma is the current women’s coach at the University of Connecticut. He has led the Huskies to eight national championships— four of them were undefeated seasons. They also broke the record for most consecutive wins in both men’s and women’s college basketball at 90.

May 10, 2013

| NEWS

C-Team ranks in top ten for nationals PHOTOS COURTESY HANNAH BESWICK-HALE

Out of 56 schools, Maine South places ninth in the We the People competition in Washington D.C. Sarah Hands & Caroline Borowski

Editor-in-Chief & News Editor

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aine South Constitution Team placed ninth in the country at the 2013 We the People National Finals on April 29. The team went up against 56 other schools, successfully regaining their place in the top ten for the third time in Mr. Trenkle’s career.

Teams who place first at their state competitions in December are invited to compete in the National Finals in Washington D.C., which took place this year from April 26 to 29. The trials are conducted like congressional hearings. According to the competition’s website, students will “testify as constitutional experts before panels of judges acting as congressional committees.” The teams demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the Constitution by presenting a four-minute opening statement and the start of the hearing, and answering whatever questions the panel decides to ask them.

After the preliminary trials on April 27-28, the top ten teams were chosen to move on to the final hearings on Capitol Hill to the congressional building where Nixon’s Watergate hearings were held.

“We absolutely rocked our hearings,” said senior Hannah BeswickHale. “It was the best I’ve heard us.

Judging is very subjective but we know we did out very best and are so proud.”

“My unit had to face this judge the team refers to as ‘the Wildebeest,’ an Oregon Supreme Court justice who will tear any opening statement apart,” said senior Claire Dockery.

Despite the challenge, Dockery believed the experience to be extremely rewarding as well.

“To have the opportunity to feel in tune with American history and

5SITTING HERE ON CAPITOL HILL

After the competition concluded, the team had well-deserved time to sight-see. They visited many of the major landmarks in Washington D.C., including the Capitol Building and the Lincoln Memorial.

5SUIT UP The team members dressed up in professional attire for their mockcongressional hearings during the competition. The hearings were held at both George Mason University and on Capitol Hill.

political culture in that regard—to be in the very room in which the checks and balances system prevailed—only reinforces by gratefulness to the We the People program and my teammates,” said Dockery. “To have par-

ticipated was an absolute honor.”

Maine South’s Constitution Team prepares all year for the state and national competitions. The 28 students were placed into six units—historical background and philosophy; found-

ers and government structure; federalism and judiciary; 14th Amendment and voting; Bill of Rights and case law; and current events and modern applications.

Each team works throughout the year to not only become experts on their area of the Constitution, but to prepare for the rigorous, impromptu presentation of their knowledge and understanding that the competition requires.

“Working in a unit with three other people towards a common goal for months on end presented a challenge unlike any I had ever faced…

The workload was more stressful than any I’ve ever dealt with before,” said Dockery.

Despite the extreme effort and hardships, energy, and time commitment that is required of all members of the team, the experience was worth the work.

“I think I speak for the whole team when I say that C-Team, and specifically the nationals trip, was the best experience in high school,” said Beswick-Hale. “We had so much fun together in Washington D.C. in and outside the competition and have built bonds with each other that will last a lifetime.”

Dockery agrees.

“Senior year has been the year during which I’ve most developed as a person and grown more comfortable with myself. I would attribute [Constitution Team] as the main reason for that.”

The C-Team members put in a lot of work over the course of the year in order to make the top ten. However, their success is also due in part to Mr. Trenkle.

“As Mr. Tenkle’s best friend and right hand man, I find it appropriate that I should thank him for all he did this year on behalf of the team,” said senior Tully Devereux. “I am not alone when I say he has been not only an outstanding teacher and coach but a role model as well.”

Reflecting back on their year of practices and struggles, C-Team members could not be more elated to have placed ninth and had their had work allow them to accomplish their goal.

“Our goal all year has been to make the top ten,” said BeswickHale. “We did it. We feel so happy and accomplished.”

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NEWS

| May 10, 2013

BEST IN FILM junior

PHOTO BY YAVOR TODOROV

Gary Serbekian (left) and senior Robert Kalata (right) pose after coming back from CTEC victorious.

Since participants came home emptyhanded last year, the wins were a pleasant surprise.

Maine South broadcasting students win at CTEC pouring rain to a tune by up-and-

Staff Writer & Entertainment Editor everal students from Maine South’s Advanced TV/Radio classes came home victorious after the 2013 Chicagoland Television Educators Council Video Festival on Friday, April 26 at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, IL. Maine South ranked in the top three for documentary, music video, and commercial categories.

Senior Robert Kalata created a documentary entitled, “Tikal,” which exhibited first hand footage, shot by Kalata, of the ruins in Tikal, Guatemala. His work earned him third place in the documentary category.

“I was very excited to see my project appear on the screen when they revealed the top three videos for the documentary category,” said Kalata. “My legs were definitely shaking from excitement when I picked up my certificate.”

Other winners from Maine South included “Wings,” created by sophomore Tyler Maher, which finished in second place in the music video category. Also in the commercial category, juniors Gehrig Parker, Gary Serbekian and Domenico Spatola created the first-place project, “Nike –Own The Moment.”

“Own The Moment” marked the 10th time in Maine South history that the Radio and TV classes have won a first place award at CTEC. “Own The Moment” was filmed to look like a promotional video for Nike and proved to be a “challenging yet rewarding experience” for director Gary Serbekien and the rest of his crew. “Own The Moment” featured Gehrig Parker, the main character, refining his basketball skills in the

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Filming in the rain, although very difficult, was crucial to the overall theme of the commercial. “The rain gave the commercial a cold, harsh, gritty feel and expressed the Nike athlete mentality that no matter what the conditions and no matter what the circumstances, you still go out there and do your best and own your moment,” said cameraman, Domenico Spatola.

The Advanced TV/Radio classes at Maine South, taught by Mr. Galligan, produced 12 different videos that were submitted to the festival.

There were 15 possible entry categories for the projects, ranging from an animated stop-motion film to a talk show. However, the most popular type of project submitted by Maine South fell under the music video category.

One music video, “The Plan,” which was created by seniors Billy Ojeda, Pat Placek and Anthony Mitchell, featured an original song made by the trio. Anthony Mitchell handled the instrumental portion of the song, while Pat Placek and Billy Ojeda were responsible for the vocals. The music video also included plenty of impressive special effects throughout.

“We used a green screen for a lot of our special effects,” said Placek.

“But in some of our nicest shots we simply tinkered with the tracking mechanism.”

“The Plan” did not place at the festival, but all of its creators are still grateful for the opportunity.

“This was my second time going to CTEC, and I have definitely learned some new techniques from the other students,” said Ojeda. “It’s

PHOTO BY YAVOR TODOROV

John Novak & Yavor Todorov coming rapper J. Cole.

OWN THE MOMENT

Gehrig Parker, Gary Serbekian, and Domenico Spatola won first place for their Nike commercial. They received a plaque and trophy that will be displayed in the Fine Arts hallway alongside Maine South’s previous CTEC awards.

unfortunate that we didn’t win in the music video category, because we felt our video deserved a finish near the top, but I’m still thankful for the whole experience.”

This is Mr. Galligan’s first year teaching the Advanced TV/Radio classes at Maine South High School, and he was very proud of all the videos submitted to the festival.

“Our students did well,” said Mr. Galligan. “Last year, this program walked away empty handed for the first time since Maine South has been involved, so coming away with three wins this year is a good feeling. The winners did a good job and deserve

the awards.”

Most of the work produced by Maine South students relied on the narratives of their project instead of special effects.

“While I had my students focus on story since that’s easier to control and should be the most important part, those that pursued special effects did it at a sacrifice to the story,” said Mr. Galligan. “This year, story seemed to override effects, but many of the winners did have both. I’d like to see things in this program balance out and for the students to be more well-rounded instead of just focusing on one specific area.”

May 10, 2013

| NEWS

Orchesis to perform at IHS Dance Festival News Editor or the first time since 2005, Maine South’s Orchesis Dance Company earned a spot to perform at the 35th Annual Illinois High School Dance Festival’s student showcase. The dance festival, taking place at Maine West High School on Sat., May 11, offers a student showcase that dance companies from schools all across Illinois are eligible to audition for.

“I am extremely proud of my dancers,” said Orchesis alumna and coach Caitlin Potts. “They have worked very hard this year, and I cannot think of a more deserving group to perform at the IHS Dance Festival.”

The piece that was accepted into the showcase was “Speechless,” a contemporary dance choreographed by the president of Orchesis, senior Maggie Fleita.

“This is a huge honor for me and the rest of the company,” said Fleita.

“You hear about all of these sports going to the state level, and it was kind of nice to get the same kind of recognition for Orchesis. This really gave me a boost of confidence that I am doing something right, especially since my dance career is carrying on into college. The dance talent in the Chicagoland area is unreal, so it was a proud moment to be considered on the same level.”

Dancers in the piece include

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seniors Megan Hinds, Anna Graziano, and Francesca Inendino; juniors Kendra Suba and Marissa Sulek; s o p h o m o re Ha l e y Marcin; and freshman Kara Webster.

“My dancers deser ve such big praise,” said Fleita.

“They were wonderful throughout the process, and I can’t wait to show them off at the IHS Dance Festival.”

The piece was originally choreographed for the Maine South Orchesis show “Under the Big Top” in January.

The auditions for MIME AFTER MIME Maggie Fleita, Megan Hinds, Kendra Suba, and Marissa Sulek rehearse Maggie’s piece “Speechless” for the student showcase. The contemporary dance was inspired the showcase were by mimes, and the theme is reflected throughout the choreography. held on February 23 three judges, especially since Orchesis “The best part of participating at Buffalo Grove High School. Dance groups from all over hasn’t performed at the festival in so in the dance fest is learning new Illinois came to audition their student many years,” said junior Kendra Suba. choreography that is outside our choreographed pieces, and only 9 “There was definitely a lot of pressure comfort zone, like African dance,” to 12 of them were selected for the when it came to making it through the said junior Marissa Sulek. “We get performance. Each group performed audition, but it was a great experience to learn the choreography firsthand their routine in front of a panel of and so rewarding when we found out from the professionals themselves.”

All participants are also invited judges in the auditorium in hopes that we made it.”

The festival itself consists of four to view a performance put on by at least one piece would be selected for different sessions of workshops taught the Giordano Jazz Company, one the showcase. “ It w a s a n e r v e - w r a c k i n g by professional dancers from the of Chicago’s most prestigious dance experience going into the audition Chicagoland area that range from companies. The festival concludes with the student showcase. room and performing in front of the musical theater to tap to hip-hop.

PHOTO COURTESY MAGGIE FLEITA

Dora Bialy

Red Cross fundraiser garners school’s support Sarah Asson Staff Writer

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n an effort to generate money for the Red Cross, Dr. Garlasco and the Presidents’ Club worked together to organize a school-wide fundraiser April 8 through May 3. The different aspects of the fundraiser included Minutes of Hope, the sale of Yogli Mogli on April 11, a rock climbing night on April 12, McTeacher’s Night on April 17, and the sale of Jamba Juice on May 3.

The Minutes of Hope collected spare change from students during class periods in one minute of giving.

There were two separate Minutes of Hope included in this fundraiser.

Yogli Mogli frozen yogurt was sold in the cafeteria during lunch periods on April 11, and $1.00 from

every $3.50 cup was donated to the Red Cross.

Similar to the Yogli Mogli sales, Jamba Juice was sold during lunch periods on May 3, and $1.00 from every $5.00 cup was donated. The Jamba Juice sale was originally scheduled for Friday, April 19 but was canceled due to the rain day. Due to students’ excitement, though, the sale was rescheduled for May 3.

On April 12, Maine South’s Adventure Club organized a rock climbing night open to the whole school.

Half of the $5.00 admission went to support the Red Cross.

Co-President of Adventure Club and organizer of the rock climbing night, senior John Zamaites, said, “We beat our goal of [climbing] 1,000 feet by climbing a total of over 2,000 feet.” They also completed a total of

91 climbs.

All in all, the club raised $180, meaning $90 was contributed to the fundraiser.

On McTeacher’s Night, several Maine South teachers took over serving at the McDonald’s on Northwest Highway. 15% of all profits brought in by Maine South families between 5:00 and 8:00 pm was donated to the American Red Cross.

“It was a blast,” said Spanish teacher Mr. Fallico. “It was so rewarding to see so many students and families come out in the intense rains to support each other in the school community. Some of our students ordered in Spanish when they came to the register, and that was pretty awesome. I really wanted to learn everything. I told the manager that I wanted to start with wrapping,

move up to cooking burgers and finish with fries. But instead they had us working directly with the patrons. It was a fundraiser after all, not a training program.”

According to Dr. Garlasco, she and President’s Club had hoped this fundraiser would raise at least $8,000.

After the first three weeks of the fundraiser, she said they had raised around $2,000, but that was before all the money had been collected.

That number did not include the money collected during Friday, April 26 Minute of Hope nor the money from the Jamba Juice sales on Friday, May 3.

While it is not expected that the group will reach the $8,000 goal, the club still considered the amount of money they did raise a success.

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FEATURES | May 10, 2013

After the flood PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

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ne of the largest storms in history hit the Chicagoland area on April 18 and 19. The major cause of the flooding was due to the Des Plaines River rising up to 9.98 feet—nearly twice its flood stage.

Due to this deluge, many citizens of Park Ridge lost belongings to the high waters that entered their houses.

These waters damaged basements and other parts of people’s homes.

Maine South students were granted two flood days. While most students were excited for not only one, but two days off from school, some students were unfortunately pumping water out of basements and trying to recover damaged items.

“I had baskets of my summer

clothes in the basement,” said junior Mary Sobieski. “They got really muddy and completely ruined. There was literally a river in my basement.

It was crazy.”

Many went through bags and bags of sand, as they attempted to move things from basements to upper level floors, but it was no challenge for Mother Nature to find its way in through the cracks and crevices in basement walls, windows, and flooring.

“My basement only got about 6 to 8 inches of water, which is not a lot compared to others around the city,” said sophomore Dan Hopkinson. “I saw things like couches and random pieces of furniture floating out into the streets.”

J u n i o r Kate Staunton observed the rise of the flood waters.

“The rain was almost up to the brim of my rain boots,” Staunton said.

Pa r k R i d g e residents tried to assist one another in preparation for the flood, but on ly s o mu ch could be done.

Due to all the false alarms the Weather Channel had bro adcast throughout the year, it was difficult PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON to imagine the severity of what ▲ LOW CLEARANCE The storm caused heavy flooding, especially in the Des Plaines area near the river. Streets was to come. like Campground Road pictured above, were inundated with “My neighbor water and caused many schools in the area to close. got at least four

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Des Mustafa Features Editor

feet of water in his basement,” said senior Brooks McCormick.

“I couldn’t believe it. We did what we could to help, but the water damage was so bad that he needs new flooring and new furniture in his basement.”

The Park Ridge Public Works Department stated that they received about 121 calls from residents about flooded basements. The Park Ridge Fire Department started to receive multiple calls at around 4 a.m. as well.

“I think the city did what it could,” said McCormick.

PHOTO COURTESY ELIZABETH BOBEK “Things like this are natural and ▲ BACK-UP PLAN Sewer systems you can’t always be prepared for were backed up during the storm on April 18 them, it’s unfortunate, but there’s and 19. Roads such as Crescent St. flooded with only so many sandbags.” rain water.

Some students were not and musical dress rehearsals were able to spend their two days off catching up on episodes of “The canceled.

“We made it to state for the FCCLA Walking Dead.” Instead, time was dedicated to assisting relatives who competition,” said Bruno. “It was a had received an enormous amount three-day field trip in Springfield, Illinois and everyone worked so hard of water in their homes.

“My grandmother got about a foot trying to place well, but we were not of water in her basement,” said senior able to attend because of the flood.”

The Accounting I class had a field Matt Williams. “She definitely needs new everything down there. We saved trip scheduled on Friday, April 19 as much as we could, but at the end of to Oakton Community College to the day everything was water-logged. compete in the annual accounting competition. Because of the flood, It was a pretty disastrous moment.”

Despite the fact that most people OCC was closed and the competition were stuck inside their homes due to did not take place.

For junior Maria Beniaris, costume these high waters, some people still made an effort to start the day off crew head of “Legally Blonde,” the rain day came as almost a blessing in normally.

“I woke up before I knew we disguise because it allowed costume had the day off,” said junior Marissa crew more time to work on the Bruno. “I was looking out the window costumes.

“It made everyone a little nervous and saw a woman in her work uniform that we lost two days of rehearsal,” said riding down the street in a kayak.”

Not only were there flooded Beniaris. “But unexpected moments basements to worry about, but like that pull everyone together and many field trips, sports activities, made us work even harder.”

Ellen Longman & Amanda Svachula

Staff Writer & Features Editor

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ILLUSTRATION BY

CECILIA CORTES

irouettes, Arabesques, Piqués, and upbeat melodies fill Maine South senior Kelly McCone’s summer each year. As a dance teacher, she gets a summer job and the opportunity to share the art of dance with others.

“In the summer, it’s all combos and technique and really working to not just have perfect technique, but to also have performance quality and individuality along with it,” said McCone. “Teaching dance is the best job I’ve ever had. It is so much fun and so rewarding.”

McCone is one of many Maine South students who has a summer job.

Each June when students file out of school, many go on to work in a range of positions, from frozen yogurt vendors, to tutors, to umpires. Many students first need help in actually getting a job, though.

The best way to get a summer job is for a student to start applying as soon as possible—whether it’s with an application online or in person.

It is also rewarding to look into jobs within one’s interests, and to take advantage of connections and learning experiences.

For example, junior Ixchel Correa works at Noodles and Company and got her job simply by starting her job search online.

“A week after [applying online], a manager called me back and scheduled an interview with me,” said Correa. “After that interview, I had a second interview, and after that I got hired.”

While it is possible to obtain employment by just applying, many students find that the best way to secure a job is through connections. Whether its an aunt whose best friend is the coordinator of park district camps, or the friend whose family owns a restaurant that needs a hostess, there are many hidden opportunities for networking. Asking around can make a student more aware of the jobs around town. Junior Demetri

Avgerinos knows this from experience.

“I volunteer tutoring at Maine South,” said Avgerinos. “Because the director of the tutoring program knew me, he set me up to tutor someone outside of school as a job.

Now I work with that student once a week.”

Similarly, Colleen Murphy got her job at a pizzeria through a connection.

“My dad worked there when he was a kid and still keeps in touch with them,” said Collen. “So when we were out to eat there one night, they asked if I would be interested in working there. I like the flexible schedule of the job.”

Nell Kristie found her job by coincidence.

“I tutor middle schoolers in math,” said Kristie. “My friend has siblings that needed help and I volunteered to help.”

Another way to find a job is to simply look in an area of interest.

Senior Kayla Lubicz chose to work at the local café and shop Tea Lula, because it was already a place she frequented as a customer. She loved that her job as a barista, someone who makes and serves tea, gave her the opportunity to work with customers and constantly meet new people.

“My favorite thing about the job is interacting with customers,” said Lubicz. “I got to know so many cool people through it.”

Likewise, junior Erin Ploen applied at a specialty running store because she has always had a passion for running.

“I’m an avid runner, so I’ve always thought it would be really cool to work at a specialty running store. When I found out Park Ridge was getting a Dick Pond’s, I applied first thing,” said Ploen, whose job in customer services primarily involves helping customers find the perfect running shoes and answering their questions.

“I had always gone to Dick Pond’s to buy my running shoes in the past, and I loved how personable and helpful the employees were to me.”

Sophomore Alyssa Sinatra has ice skated and played hockey since she was five years old, and wants to incorporate this into a possible summer job.

“I’m interviewing to become a skate patroller at an ice rink,” said Sinatra. “My job would be to keep people, especially the kids, safe during free skate. It’s my dream high school job.”

It is also good for students to not only look in areas of interest, but also for positions that offer learning experiences.

Nicole Hassman, a junior, got teaching experience as a tutor for District 63 in Des Plaines last summer.

“It was great being able to help kids that were really struggling in school, very rewarding,” said Hassman. “I learned how to work better with kids and how teaching has to be very individualized.”

If stuck in a rut when looking for a job, students have resources right at Maine South. A bulletin board outside the Career Resource Center provides a place for local employers to advertise openings, and it is a great place to look for a summer job.

Ploen’s advice for students deciding where to work is based off her own experience at Dick Pond’s.

“I work with great people who love their job, and share the same passion as I do,” she said.

“To anyone applying for a job this summer, try and find something you actually enjoy doing. It helps a lot!”

What is the craziest experience you have had at a summer job?

Goodbye school, hello summer job

May 10, 2013

| FEATURES

“I work at a restaurant and someone asked for greaseless bacon.”

- Jenna Ryerson ‘13

“I worked as a bouncer at a tavern in Boston. Enough said.”

-Mr. Ellefson

“I had to save someone when life guarding.”

- Will Mendez ‘14

“Someone once cut my hair in the bathroom of the restaurant I work at.”

- Gabby Viola ‘13

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FEATURES | May 10, 2013

Teacher’s biking trips ‘restore faith in humanity’ Amanda Svachula Features Editor

AROUND THE WORLD

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5VICIOUS CYCLE Mr. Rosenberg has gained many life experiences

from his trips. He hopes to someday bike the Continental Divide, from Canada to Mexico, and also to introduce his children to the sport of biking. Currently, he rides his bike to school a few days a week.

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Mr. Rosenberg, pictured here in 1990, began going on biking trips when he was an undergraduate in college. Since then he has been on eight long distance trips, in places such as Michigan, Canada, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

On each of his trips he is able to meet people of all different cultures and backgrounds.

PHOTO COURTESY MR. ROSENBERG

materials: a tent, stove, food, rain gear, a sleeping bag, and other things like that.”

Even with poor weather, on a trip he aims to ride 50 to 100 miles a day.

But according to Mr. Rosenberg, these distances are not as hard to achieve as they may seem.

“If you’re going ten miles an hour and you’re biking from morning until 7 o’clock at night, and if you’re just stopping and seeing people and looking around and touring, then you just go,” said Mr. Rosenberg. “You get used to it.”

Although Mr. Rosenberg often bikes alone, he sometimes bikes with

PHOTO BY HANNAH SIMPSON

nnumerable people travel the world each year—but there are few who have traveled the world on a bike. For Mr. Rosenberg, Maine South Sociology and AP United States History teacher, biking has been a beloved hobby for decades.

He has traveled not only around the Chicagoland area on his bike, but as far as Eastern Europe.

“I started biking when I was an undergraduate in college,” said Mr. Rosenberg. “A buddy of mine talked about this trip to Maine he took. I thought, ‘That’s pretty cool,’ so he told me about it and I read about it and I biked from Detroit to Maine in 1985. It just seemed like such a cool adventure.”

After his first trip, Mr. Rosenberg was hooked, and went on to bike from Madison to Vancouver, through other various places in the United States, and then through Europe. With only a bike as his source of transportation, he has traveled through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

He also explored the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland.

“I probably liked the Czech Republic and Slovakia [the best] because the land was varied and the culture was different than what I’m used to,” said Mr. Rosenberg. “[On my trips] I usually just bring camping

a friend, and other times he meets up with people he finds on the road.

He has been able to meet many new people through biking. Each of the countries he has visited has given him insight into human nature. By experiencing the world on a bike, he has made friends in the most unlikely places.

“My experiences always seem to restore my faith in humanity, because people are so kind,” said Mr. Rosenberg. “I was once sick in the Czech Republic in this small hotel and the doctor came and invited me to his house and I met his family. The owners of the hotel put me in their car and drove me to a southern part of the Czech Republic.”

“Even farmers in Minnesota, they’re so kind. One time, I asked to camp out on one family’s property.

They said ‘sure’ and brought me out a hot meal.”

Mr. Rosenberg has even come across somewhat “famous” people on his trips.

“One time I was in Maine and it was just a horrible rainy day and I knocked on a door to see if I could camp in a broken down barn and the guy invited me in. It turned out to be a senator,” he said.

“Another time, when I was in the plains of Washington, I was biking with a friend. We were biking around a small town and we saw this guy and he had this huge wooden cross, and was wearing a cape like Jesus would wear. That fall, I’m looking at my friend’s national geographic and there he is. This guy has taken his cross

through the entire world.”

As biking is an individual sport, it also offers Mr. Rosenberg time to reflect.

“I just love looking around and the solitude,” he said. “You just feel like you’re part of it all, part of the world, part of the earth. You’re at one with it. You know when it’s going to rain, you don’t have to check. That’s what I love about it.”

Though Mr. Rosenberg hasn’t been on a long-distance biking trip in several years, he still bikes to work a few days a week.

“It just feels so good,” he said. “I just put fenders on my bike so that I can bike in winter. I even put gloves on my bike. They go right on your handlebars and you can stick your hands right in them.”

He hopes to go on more trips in the future. When his kids get older he has confidence that they will be able to experience all the sport has to offer together.

“I’d like to bike the Continental divide from Canada to Mexico, through the Rockies someday,” he said.

In the end, Mr. Rosenberg’s love for biking is rooted in the historical, the sociological, and pure, genuine experiences that go along with it.

“I believe there’s a basic goodness that I feel being on a bicycle uncovers.,” said Mr. Rosenberg. “It’s like a key to people’s hearts. You see things you wouldn’t expect to see, like these historic landmarks in the middle of nowhere. I think a lot of times what brings me to [biking] is history.”

Prom?

May 10, 2013

As the senior and junior proms get closer, the dance proposals get grander. Some Hawks flew above and beyond the rest.

| FEATURES

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Say anything

Honey puns

“A while ago, Sarah and I were watching ‘Easy A,’ and the main character said something about how she wished her life was like an ‘80s movie. Sarah really liked that quote, so I thought about doing something with that theme. I did my best to recreate the famous boombox scene from ‘Say Anything.’ I stood outside her window holding speakers, playing her favorite song. When she came out, I was holding flowers and a sign.”

- Griffin Stetson, senior

“I asked my boyfriend to prom in a really corny way. I got a toy dump truck and filled it with Little Debbie honey buns. A sign read, ‘I’d love to haul your buns to prom.’ I thought it was more hilarious than he did, but seriously, who can resist a pun like that?”

- Emma Ropski, senior

Lucky 13 “To be honest, I did it to embarrass her at her game and more or less to make her mad. At her waterpolo game, I held up a big sign that said, ‘#13 will you go to prom with me?’ with waterpolo balls on the corners, adding to the cuteness and awesomeness.”

- Nick Santelli, senior

Adventure time “I asked Lexi to prom in a rather awesome way during her Adventure Ed class. I wrote her a song on my ukelele to the tune of the ‘Adventure Time’ theme, and I created a banner that stretched across the whole climbing wall that said ‘Lexi will you go to prom with me?’ I also baked her a giant cookie cake. The whole class was in on my plan, so while she was on the wall, we climbed up and taped the banner high. With everything set, I stepped right into the open and proceeded to serenade her with my song.

She was utterly speechless.”

- Michael Deverman, junior

Perfect 10 “Mike and I have gone to a total of six dances together. He asked me by having a person in each of my classes give me a picture of us at the dance together with a flower attached to it. Each flower was the color of the dress I had worn to that dance. At the end of the day, he brought me a bouquet of flowers and asked me.

It took a lot of planning on his part, and it was very sweet!”

- Delaney Thomas, senior

SouthwordS 9

ENTERTAINMENT | May 10, 2013

‘Race to Nowhere’ hits close to home Staff Writer auntingly reflective of the daily life most students live, “Race to Nowhere” presents an accurate depiction of America’s education network pushing for performance rather than learning.

This 2010 documentary, directed and produced by Vicki Abeles, presents the lives of highachieving students pushed to their limits.

Many of these young adults spend up to six hours a night on their homework. These students strive not to “find themselves” in high school, but to prepare themselves for their future occupation.

While doing so, the stress gets to be too much, the essays and projects pile up, and the calender gets so full with extracurricular activities that when college is merely mentioned, the pressure that is built up causes students to mentally implode.

This film focuses on the attributes causing the pressure. While government funding and parents may be some causes, the main point of pressure in these students’ lives is all about college acceptance.

The ACT and SAT are the focuses of the students in this film. They not only must get high marks in all of their classes but also score impossibly high on standardized tests in order to get into the university they desire.

One teacher named Jay Chugh knows most kids take his class purely to impress colleges. He says, however, it’s more important to take an AP class that is actually interesting to the student.

Chugh also had an interesting viewpoint on AP homework. When he started teaching AP biology, he cut the homework load in half. When he did that, the AP test scores actually went up.

So, to him, the amount of homework has nothing to do with the amount of knowledge learned or retained.

Many students aspire to go to Ivy League schools such as Harvard, but few actually do.

Colleges themselves are always trying to improve their ratings so they can hopefully attract the best minds. “Race to Nowhere” demonstrates how the media portrays colleges by one factor: their annual rating.

The reality is that college isn’t about a onetiered ranking system. It is about getting the “right fit.” Students shouldn’t be concentrating on going to the most prestigious school they can get into.

Instead, they should focus on the college that provides one with the best environment possible.

All is well and good with wanting to go to a great school, but this film presents the point that perhaps a student’s self worth is now based too heavily upon the school to which they’re accepted. This causes students to focus on the circled red letter on a test and not the knowledge they’ve gained.

This movie reveals the uncertain future of the students who focused on their scores instead of learning the material they were taught in class.

illustration by cecilia cortÈs

Matt Weiss

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Some of these students will eventually have important professions like doctors. What will become of the doctors who passed with flying colors only to realize that they can’t remember what they learned their freshman year of college?

Yet tests and homework are not the only stressors that the students in the film feel they need to conquer; the massive amount of time spent on activities outside of school is also shown to be a catalyst for the breakdown some of the students in the film face.

Frighteningly enough, the film relays tales of suicide, extreme depression, and anxiety stemming from the pressure students feel. However, this film does not ignore the other components that build pressure among students; in fact, it highlights government funding adding pressure, a factor that many students may not know about.

Before 2001, the educational system was almost completely open to the teacher and their tried and true methods. But when President Bush signed the “No Child Left Behind” bill in 2001, things began to change rapidly. Schools now have to achieve certain goals for their region. Schools now test the students at least once a year with a state standardized test to find whether the school has reached the goals provided by the state. The state then uses that information to decide where they will place taxpayer dollars. The higher achieving schools receive more money to fund what they are doing. This creates even more separation be-

tween affluent and inner-city school districts. The schools that had underperforming students and lacked financial support are ignored by the government.

The movie delved deeper into this issue when it presented a teacher who worked at one of these underperforming schools. She said that instead of teaching required standardized test material, she wanted to teach the love of learning. She wanted students to be excited in school, and to learn more about their world. Unfortunately, that is the opposite of what the district wanted her to do. So begrudgingly, she resigned from teaching.

Finally, “Race to Nowhere” recognizes the stress given solely from parents.

The cinematic aspects of the film are great, but for students, the film is a reminder of the harsh reality they have to overcome. The moments of panic and procrastination these students face hits too close to home for many Maine South students.

This film is an eye-opener to parents and administration because they can see how pressures to do well in school affect students around the country. To many high-achieving students and parents, this movie brings anxiety.

Schools can put enormous pressure on a student and can lead to medical conditions like headaches, depression, and even attempted suicides.

This is a nationwide epidemic that will only get worse as time goes on unless people change the way education runs.

May 10, 2013

| COMMENTARY

Chains threaten PR culture

Sarah Householder & Marissa Sclafani

Staff Writers hen Yogli Mogli hit the streets of Park Ridge last summer, it was the talk of the town. All ages embraced this new, healthier alternative to ice cream with excitement. But now, Menchies’ colorful storefront has graced Park Ridge and delivered the same product, taking a space that could be used to diversify our community. And soon, yet another frozen yogurt shop, Yourgurt, is set to open. How many frozen yogurt shops does one town need?

Yet it is not surprising to hear of the abundance of yogurt in a town which boasts three Starbucks.

While trend and chain shops may be profitable in the short term, our town should be careful of buying into too much of the same thing. Sure, most of us enjoy the taste of frozen yogurt, but Park Ridge’s unique culture could be at stake.

Not only do these shops risk being temporary, but they jeopardize themselves with a limited product.

Right down to the chocolate chip toppings and colorful gummy bear

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selection, all three frozen yogurt shops storefronts. serve the same product. So far, none Some stores in Park Ridge still give have brought their own creativity us that local flavor. Stores like Bob’s or flavor to our town. As a result of Bike Shop are still fighting against the these chains and their frozen goodies, tide of corporate America, competing we are experiencing a cultural brain with Sports Authority and Dick’s. Park Ridge Paint Supply and Glass, owned freeze.

Why is it that we crave trendy by the parents of Maine South students and familiar shops such as Chipotle Jenna and Michael Galuska, has been or Noodles & Company, instead of in business for fifty-six years. the mom-and-pop shops that bring “People have been coming into our a homey and comforting feel to our shop for a long time,” says Jenna. “To community? In a sea of chains, customers, we are not just a face behind independent stores offer needed the counter.” It’s comforting to hear of diversity to our multigenerational town. Shops who have As a result of these chains shops like Creme called Park Ridge of the Crepe and their frozen goodies, home for decades. and 2 Sisters Although it may Boutique set we are experiencing a just be a can of our community cultural brain freeze. paint or a rubber apart from bike tire, knowing other suburbs. that you bought H o w e v e r, it from a local ove r t h e p a st fe w ye ars , ou r vendor makes the purchase special community has let go of numerous and personal. independent shops and has welcomed “It’s different than working in a large corporate chains. Shops such chain store because I feel like it is one as Burke’s Books and Hill’s Hobby of a kind,” said junior Caela Ancona, Shop, once highlights of our town, an employee at 2 Sisters Boutique. faded amidst competition with big- “You know that you’re giving the named brands and left behind empty customer something they can’t find

anywhere else. The owners are so sweet and it’s such a great atmosphere working in the middle of Uptown and seeing familiar faces while I am at work.”

If there is retail space available, shops that add a unique and fresh dimension to our community should be supported over repeated trends.

Because, at the end of the day, you can find a chain store just 10 minutes away in the next suburb. The three yogurt shops, all within walking distance of one another, compete with the shops we’ve grown up with.

When we look back on the history of our home town, we’ll want to tell stories of our cultural identity— stories that set us apart from the typical, cookie-cutter suburban town.

Remember that the small businesses that depend on us for their survival are owned by families that have lived in Park Ridge for years. The people we greet in the hallways of Maine South are also the ones fixing our bikes and selling us clothes.

We need to celebrate our tightknit community. These hallmarks of growing up in Park Ridge deserve to be treasured, rather than replaced by identical chain shops.

For example, my newsfeed is generally cluttered with statuses that sound like this: “I have some generic complaint about the state of affairs in America. Obama is an idiot.”

Let’s talk about this for a minute.

We have this guy, Obama. He graduated from both Columbia University and Harvard Law, the latter of which was with a J.D. magna cum laude, and taught at the University of Chicago’s law school for over a decade.

He is thrown into the absolute worst job in America.

Suddenly, the economic situation of one of the world’s most powerful nations is the fault of a single man, and he’s an idiot. His expansionary fiscal policy is something the poster disagrees with, so therefore the president must be stupid. Never mind his academic achievement or articulate eloquence. The decline of a free-market economy is a direct result of the stupidity of a man who has been in a position of very limited executive power for about six years.

The same, by the way, goes for those who call former President

The purpose of the second amendment to our Constitution makes it easy to see why there are people opposed to that. The right of a woman to decide what she can and cannot do with her own body supports the pro-choice movement. The idea of a woman deciding what she can and cannot do with the life of an unborn child supports the pro-life movement.

It’s okay to feel strongly about your opinions. It is not, however, okay to attack others for feeling equally strong about opinions that are not your own. It’s easy to paint the world in black and white, writing someone off as stupid or crazy for expressing an alternate point of view.

In reality, there are shades of gray in nearly every situation and unanticipated exceptions for the rest.

Dissension is the very thing that keeps us from turning into a mindless dystopian society. We need to learn to debate respectfully. We need to appreciate our freedom to openly disagree, because it’s something we too often take for granted.

Political arguments shouldn’t end in personal attacks

Sarah Hands Editor-in-Chief

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espect is not synonymous with agreement. For some reason, this idea is something that a lot of people struggle—or simply don’t try—to understand. A lack of respect for the legitimacy of opposing opinions and the people that hold them is evident throughout not only the Maine South student body, but everywhere.

Prime examples of this can be found sprinkled throughout emotional conversations, flying from the mouths of televised hotheads or in lengthy Facebook statuses condemning the future of humanity.

Everything from the economy to the grade on your math test is apparently the fault of Congress, high taxes, or Obama.

George W. Bush an idiot. He graduated from both Yale and Harvard and, while it’s true he was a C-average student in his undergraduate years, he is still the only president to ever earn an M.B.A. Political alignment is not correlated with intelligence. Not only are ad hominem arguments extremely immature, but they add absolutely nothing to support the real argument at hand.

This doesn’t just apply to political figures or political issues. Politics is just an easy area to point to because none of the current issues—except for one, which I will refrain from talking about—are straightforward to the point where debate is unnecessary.

It’s fine to feel strongly about something, but it’s important to recognize that there are plenty of valid points on the opposing side that can make others feel equally passionate about their opinions.

Recent shootings in our country make it easy to see why there’s such a clamor for greater gun control laws.

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COMMENTARY

| May 10, 2013

STAFF EDITORIAL

Lobbies overwhelm public opinion

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ty. Recently, however, they’ve shifted to a much more political organization, using their extensive resources to shoot down any bills aimed at limiting people’s second amendment rights. They assign letter grades for politicians, in order to encourage their members to easily vote for and against politicians based solely on their gun control stance. They loom over politicians, prepared to deploy smear campaigns against senators and representatives who vote against their beliefs.

Big lobby groups are also responsible for preventing citizens from doing their job, which is voting out people they don’t agree with. In the wake of a big, unpopular vote such as the background check bill, public opinion of a congressman can take a serious hit. After the bill failed in the senate, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. saw her approval rating drop 15 percent. And yet, due to powerful lobbies running ad campaigns in favor of people like her, she’ll most likely be re-elected, with her unpopular decisions getting lost in a sea of advertisement. This means representatives aren’t chosen based on how well they reflect the views of the people, but how much money they can have thrown behind them.

This of course goes against the entire point of the representative branch of our government.

Congressmen are meant to represent the view of the people, not the money of lobbies. Instead of doing what they are meant to do and legislating according to the principles they campaigned upon, congressmen vote in favor of the big lobbies, fearful that failing to do so could ruin their political careers.

A number of senators who voted against the bill did so because they were Democrats approaching reelection in red states. They went against what they and their party supported for the sake of a better chance at furthering their careers. This kind of short-sighted thinking is the reason why the current congressional approval rating, taken by Gallup, is holding steady at a dismal 15 percent. Obviously, there is a disconnect between what people expect of Congress, and what is actually getting done.

The remedy is fairly straightforward. Something as simple as writing to your congressman about a controversial issue may not seem like much, but what if everyone did it? The next step is getting people to be more aware of their congressional candidates, and booting people who don’t vote along with what they say.

Signed letters to the editor should be delivered to LRC1, 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.

Scan this QR code to e-mail Southwords Editors-in-Chief

Sarah Hands Soren Ramsey

Production Editors Matt Anderson Hannah Simpson News Editors

Dora Bialy Caroline Borowski Kristen VanTine

Entertainment Editors Alex Korzynski Anna Laskaris Margaret Lynch Yavor Todorov Features Editors

Katie Krall Des Mustafa Amanda Svachula

graphic by sarah hands

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n recent months, there has been an intense volley between the political left and right regarding how best to prevent gun violence, both gang-related and in instances such as Connecticut and Colorado.

From the left come calls for tighter restrictions and more policing; from the right, calls for looser restrictions so criminals aren’t the only ones with guns. The debate ultimately yielded to a compromise in the form of a bill that would implement more extensive background checks on gun purchasing, making purchases at conventions and on the Internet no longer exempt. It seemed to be a solid compromise, combining the lack of increased restrictions on the vast majority of gun owners with the hope that this sort of bill would cut down on guns falling into the wrong hands.

And yet, it failed to pass the Senate. With a vote of 54-46, the bill fell short of the required 60 votes needed to reach the House. However, in a Gallup poll taken before the vote, 91 percent of Americans said they were in favor of a law requiring criminal background checks. How then, could something so overwhelmingly supported by the American people fail to be approved by our senators?

One possible explanation for the vast gap between public opinion and Senate comes from way back in 1787 with the Great Compromise, which created legislation by population as well as equal representation among states, resulting in the two houses.

This means that larger, more populous states can’t dominate smaller ones. It also means that, technically, the 23 least-populous states could have voted against the bill and successfully defeated it. These 23 states make up only 13% of the population, which means they theoretically have the power to override the power of majority opinion. This could also be feasible in this particular instance since less-populated areas tend to be more conservative and therefore oppose gun control.

An easy target for blame, then, would be special interest groups and lobbies such as the NRA. Until the 1970s, the NRA was a group devoted to sharpshooting, hunting, and safe-

Maine South High School 1111 South Dee Road Park Ridge, IL 60068

Commentary Editors Gianna Carrozza Lauren Smith Sports Editors

Hope Allchin Alex Ellyin Kay Thursby

Photography Editor Jessica Gronke Adviser

Mr. Stathakis

May 10, 2013

| SPORTS

Cattau leads hurdling program to success Hope Allchin

Sports Editor unior Olivia Cattau’s track career began with a suggestion by her eighth grade gym teacher.

“She must have seen something I didn’t because she told me I should do track in high school,” said Cattau.

At the time, Cattau played soccer for a travel team named Grove United.

Her commitment to this team, along with Maine South’s track season happening simultaneously with its soccer season, would make it impossible for her to participate in both sports in high school.

As middle school ended, Cattau’s love for soccer began to fade, and she realized that she wanted to try track before she committed herself to either sport in high school. She signed up for a summer track and field camp at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

During the summer Olympics, she became fascinated with the high jump, watching the entire three-hour final. She thought it could be her track and field event.

“I went to the camp and realized two things: one that I love track and two that I am terrible at high jump, but good at hurdles,” said Cattau.

She walked on the team freshmen year after missing the first two weeks of the season because of basketball and tried a few different events, including hurdles.

“I tried hurdles just by chance, and the coaches realized I could three step,” said Cattau. “They put me on varsity, and that was it.”

C attau’s r unning sty le was

impressive because she only takes three steps between each hurdle compared to the usual five, a technique that allows the runner to significantly reduce her time.

There are six track team members who compete in hurdles, and many of them are making strides towards post -season appearances, including senior Cora McCarron in the 100-meter high hurdles. The team also is excited about the future with younger members like sophomore Cassandra Banes.

For practice, the girls either do hurdle drills with their own coach or practice with the mid-distance runners to work on interval training and speed endurance.

Last year Cattau qualified for state in the 300-meter low hurdles and as a part of the 4x400 relay team, which set a school record of 4:03. She also holds both the 50-meter indoor high and low hurdle records at Maine South.

These successes don’t happen without a few injuries along the way.

Cattau says she has hit a hurdle or fell too many times to count. Her most serious injury came last year at State.

“I hit the second hurdles on the underside, so both my ankles got caught on the hurdle,” said Cattau. “I hit both my elbows, and my shins got scraped up really bad, but I finished.

That is the hurdling mentality—even if you fall down, you better finish the race. I still have that scar.”

For Cattau, these injuries are worth it. Although she loves the sport, her favorite part of track is the team itself.

“Track is more of a team sport than people think,” said Cattau. “If you aren’t there to contribute to the team, you are really wasting your time. It makes doing individual events easier if you know your whole team is behind you. I love cheering people on and sitting at the halfway point during a relay yelling ‘keep it strong.’”

Hurdles and track are definitely in Cattau’s future. She is looking for a college where she can make a significant contribution to the team.

She is also interested in participating in heptathlons, which combine seven track and field events. For right now, she’s just focused on running some great races.

“In hurdles, I love the thrill you get after running a great 100-meter race,” said Cattau. “It’s amazing. The idea that you are sprinting right at an immovable object and successfully clearing it is something that not too many people can do. I love it when people say to me, ‘wow, you do hurdles? I could never do that.’”

just limiting the runs scored against the Hawks. The program also needs to focus on earning runs of its own and creating team chemistry.

“Softball is a team sport, and truly, there cannot be success in this sport without teamwork,” said Coach Pasier.

Regardless of errors made on the field, working hard throughout a game will always bring positive results, even if it turns out to be a loss. Coach Pasier always stresses that every mistake is a learning experience and is an opportunity to improve as a player.

With only two starting seniors, the young team has a lot of experience to gain on varsity.

“This year the team is made up of bunch of misfits, but together, we are a family,” said junior captain Cara Laskowski. “We learn from every game, and although we started off rough, I have confidence that we will finish strong.”

“This season is going great,” said junior Jenna Christie, the starting pitcher. “The team really knows how to cheer each other on and help out.

We are working hard as a team and we will accomplish goals as a team.”

Christie, in only 11 games and a total of 74 innings, has already recorded 109 strikeouts.

“All those strikeouts don’t mean a whole lot if we don’t score runs and play defense,” said Coach Pasier.

The girls are heading into their second round of conference play and hoping that, with a reduction in errors, they have a chance of beating the teams they lost to earlier in the season.

The girls dropped three games in the first round and need consistent victories in order to win their conference. After conference, going far in post season games, which begin at the end of May, is the team’s next goal.

“We’ve had some tough losses, but we have the ability to come back and rally together,” said senior captain Regan Carmichael. “That’s what makes playing for this team so much fun.”

PHOTO BY JESSICA GRONKE

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LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Olivia Cattau runs the hurdles in the New Trier Relays meet on April 27. She is hoping to qualify for the state meet again this year.

Softball prepares for conference competition Claire Raphael

Staff Writer he girls’ softball team has had a rain-filled season, but that hasn’t stopped them from playing their game. The girls are off to a better start than last year and have a 7-9 record.

According to Ms. Pasier, they have faced some good competition, including teams within their own conference, and have some very difficult games in the near future.

“Every season is so different in softball,” she said. “We are off to a better start than last season and part of that is because of the confidence from our younger players.”

Coach Pasier recognizes that winning games is about more than

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SouthwordS 13

SPORTS

| May 10, 2013

Confidence drives baseball team Brendan Ploen Staff Writer

s most coaches will attest, this spring has been one of the most bizarre springs on record.

Events have been cancelled, practices have been shortened, and athletes have been frustrated. It has been especially difficult for the Maine South baseball team. Out of the 25 practices, 22 were in the field house, 2 were in the parking lot, and only one has been on the baseball diamond.

Although the weather has been dismal, the Hawks have gone into the season with confidence.

They made it to the elite eight in the summer league and have gone 7 and 3 in conference play.

“Even though the weather has been bad, there is still a sense of urgency that we as a team need to go out there and be focused,” said junior captain Gehrig Parker. “We are eager to get a win every single time we take the field.”

Many of the program’s best players graduated after last season. They made it to the sectional championship last year, but fell short to the eventual state champion Oak Park River Forest. The Hawks will look to make a run far into the playoffs again this season.

“Coach Milano and Coach Marsicano think that this year’s team can do just what last year’s team did, and I believe that too,” said Parker. “The seniors know what it is like to be part of a good team and their confidence has rubbed off on the juniors.”

That belief has fueled plenty of close victories for the Hawks as they progress further into the season. The CSL Conference provides the Hawks with challenges from New Trier, Glenbrook South, and Niles West.

“Just believing we can compete with the best teams in the state really helps us and it will continue to help us face challenges as the season goes on,” added Parker.

Photo by Jessica Gronke

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STRIKE ZONE

Senior pitcher Brian Jones started at home against Waukegan on April 26. The team will continue to face conference opponents in critical games on the way to a post-season appearance.

Coach Milano knows the opposition well, and believes that the Hawks can do some damage in the conference race.

“We have great speed when it comes to base running, deep pitching with Mike Virgilio and Jesus Saavedra, a great catcher in Zach Jones, and also good hitting, especially with 2 outs,” said Coach Milano. “The thing that I have noticed with this group is that they are very coachable and work extremely hard.”

Senior pitcher Brian Jones is another important part of the line-up. He has a 2-1 record and one save. In his latest appearance against Evanston on May 1, he pitched for five innings, giving up three

runs but striking out six players.

With the post-season beginning at the end of May, the team is hoping secure its position as a contender in the conference.

“We’re looking forward to tougher competition and building some momentum into the playoffs,” said senior Jack Touhy.

Coach Milano knows his team’s greatest trait is not physical though; it has to do with their confidence.

“They can finish and close out games. When they are down, they can dig themselves out of a hole no problem. Hard work and comebacks are in their blood.”

Boys’ tennis rebounds from slow start Rachel DeMarigny Staff Writer

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and work ethic, but we are continuing deep into the post season as well.

he Maine South Boys’ Tennis team got off to a bit of a slow start this season as players became accustomed to each other.

With the freezing temperatures in the beginning of the season, the team spent most of the time in the fitness center riding bikes or playing basketball in the back gym.

Fortunately for the Hawks, this slow beginning has not significantly impacted their play.

“Despite the adversity we have faced, especially the weather, we have come together as a team really well,” said sophomore Nick Salgia. “Our record may not show our true abilities

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to improve.”

The Hawks are led by Coach Gregory Young and standout seniors Patrick Dalieden and Dragan Trivanovic. Other contributors to the team include: Salgia, junior Peter Bruno, and seniors Mike Solberg, Pawel Pilecki, Mark Abtahi, and the newest addition, senior Tom Placzek.

The team currently stands at 6-10 overall, with a recent victory at the Maine South Invite. Trivanovic took first place in second singles, while the team finished fifth overall.

Heading into playoffs, the team believes that winning shouldn’t stop there. In fact, the Hawks hope to finish well in Conference and to go

Top singles player Daleiden is developing a new backhand form, which he thinks could lead to success in the post season.

“With the new form I should be able to take second in Conference and hopefully compete at State, which hasn’t been done in a while,” said Daleiden.

Coach Young would like to see his team qualify more than just one Hawk for the state tournament and hopes to advance both Daleiden and Trivanovic.

“My outlook is to just play the best I can,” said Trivanovic. “I don’t want any pressure on my shoulders to win, but I do want the pressure to play to the best of my ability.”

Even with the bumpy beginning of the season, the Hawks have persevered and continue to strive towards their goals this season.

“Although our team suffered difficulties like illnesses, field trips, and the Constitution Team competition, we still go out and give it our all on the courts every day, rain or shine,” said Pilecki.

Coach Young believes his team is much more than a group of players.

“As a whole, this team is made up of great guys who practice hard, play tough both physically and mentally, and have great sportsmanship, integrity, and class that I am proud to coach,” said Coach Young. “They are great examples of what the Hawks and this school are all about.”

May 10, 2013 | SPORTS

SET FOR SUCCESS

Junior Tim Mizdrak sets up a block against New Trier on April 25. The team is preparing for the post season, which begins on May 21.

Mrs. Kirshner, English Department

Boys’ volleyball ready for playoffs Nate Wolf Staff Writer

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aine South boys’ volleyball has had a history of dominating hitters. From Dan Fabry to the Butch triplets to Spencer Groessl, Hawk hitters have struck fear in the hearts of opponents for years. This year, the team looks prime to continue this heavyhitting style of play.

In a game against New Trier at the Warren Tournament, senior captain and outside hitter Mike Hopkins delivered a hit to the head of the other team’s setter, ultimately giving the kid a concussion.

This powerful attack is a staple of this year’s team.

Maine South features one of the tallest front lines in the CSL, with five attackers at least 6’4” and one listed at 6’7”. However, while the hitting has been strong and consistent, spotty passing and defense has plagued the Hawks so far.

In order for the Hawks to be successful in the second half of their season, they need to eliminate mistakes on their side of the net like service errors and inconsistent passing. The team’s biggest asset, a strong attack, is often times limited by their passing.

Coming off of two big wins against Evanston and Niles West, the varsity team is now 3-3 in conference and their overall record has improved to 12-7. Two of those losses were tacked on by default when the team was forced to forfeit the first day of their Downers Grove South tournament on Friday, April 19 as a result of the two-day districtwide school closings.

Hopkins is confident in his team’s ability.

“We’re a very talented team, but for us, it’s just about finding consistent play and staying confident through the entire match,” he said. “We are at our best when we thrive off each other’s energy and are

having fun on the court.”

The Hawks are well-rounded with several multifaceted players. Senior defensive specialist Stefan Wine contributes wherever he is needed from passing in the back row to stepping up to set.

Junior outside hitter John Palucki can attack from anywhere on the court. Andy Wawrzyniak, a senior middle, is also an asset to the team because of his blocking ability.

Even though the varsity team is dominated by seniors, the Hawks have a relatively inexperienced team with only two returning starters. Chemistry on the court developed for the Hawks during the off-season with nine of the teammates playing for the same club team.

The young members of the team are not having trouble fitting in and keeping up with the returners or upperclassmen. Junior setter Tim Mizdrak continuously mixes up his assists by using all three attackers across the front row. Sophomore middle hitter Evan Walsh has come up big in several matches.

After a close win at Niles West, Coach Gary Granell, who is in the top five for all-time wins among Illinois volleyball coaches, was very impressed with the Walsh’s contribution.

“I was talking to my setter in Games 2 and 3 about running more middle,” said Granell. “We have confidence in them, but sometimes we just forget about them. Evan definitely responded by putting away some big points and helping us regain the momentum.”

The Hawks have a bitter taste in their mouth from last season’s early exit from the playoffs when they dropped an exciting match in three games against Glenbrook South. But, with its power offense and improving defense, this team appears capable of making a run deep into the playoffs.

fter playing soccer throughout her childhood and high school career, Mrs. Kirshner decided to follow her passion and walk on the team at Vanderbilt University.

Mrs. Kirsher not only played soccer at Vanderbilt, but she also played soccer and basketball at Cambridge University in England.

Mrs. Kirshner attended Maine South, where she played on the tennis, basketball, and soccer teams all four years.

“College coaches love multi-sport athletes, so I definitely recommend avoiding ‘specializing’ and staying involved in as many high school sports as possible.”

If students are looking to pursue their athletic career in college, they need to consider at what level they would like to play.

“If it’s Division 1, they probably need to be one of the best on their high school team and utilize the head coach’s help in getting their name, statistics, and videos out to the coaches,” said Mrs. Kirshner.

“It also helps to go to showcase tournaments either on your own or with club teams. For Division 2 and 3, students are able to take the initiative and contact the coaches of colleges he or she is interested in.”

Playing a collegiate sport requires the athlete to dedicate a lot of their time and energy to the sport, making the academics of college even harder.

“It was definitely hard since our team practiced and traveled a lot and I had high expectations for myself academically,” stated Mrs. Kirshner. “My favorite part of the experience was simply being a part of great teams at great universities. It was so rewarding to be able to work harder than I ever had and play with such a talented group of athletes. I also loved getting to travel to so many different universities and see what the campuses and cities were like.”

Mrs. Kirshner coached girls’ basketball and soccer at Maine South for six years before she had kids. She is looking forward to returning to coaching here and one day coaching her kids.

PHOTO COURTESY MRS. KIRSHNER

PHOTO BY JESSICA GRONKE

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Mrs. Kirshner was a threesport athlete at Maine South. She walked on the soccer team at Vanderbilt University, and also played basketball and soccer at Cambridge University, England.

SouthwordS 15

BASEBALL | BADMINTON | LACROSSE | BOYS’GYMNASTICS | GIRLS’SOCCER | TRACK | BOYS’TENNIS | SOFTBALL | WATER POLO | BOYS’VOLLEYBALL

‘Try the Tri’ brings faculty together Alex Ellyin Sports Editor

riathlons are one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish in all of sports. A full triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run. There are also sprint, intermediate, and long course triathlons.

A version of this event that is growing in popularity is the indoor triathlon.

Many fitness centers, one being Lifetime Fitness, holds indoor triathlons throughout the year. Ms. Liakakos, Mr. Walter, and Mr. Fermanich, all science teachers, wanted to bring this event to the Maine South faculty.

With the help of Mr. Adams, the Athletic Director, the Physical Education department, and former principal Mr. Claypool, the event was up and running in 2011.

This year will be the third annual teacher triathlon, known as “Try the Tri.” Indoor triathlons are timed courses, as opposed to a traditional distance course. The event is open to all teachers.

The teachers begin with a ten minute swim, where they are given credit based on the number of half lengths they complete in the pool. After that is a twenty-five minute bike ride, where points are determined upon the distance traveled at a specific gear.

Finally, the teachers head outside to the track and run as many laps as they can in twenty minutes.

This version of a triathlon allows teachers to not stress about finishing where they want to. They try to do their best in the time allotted and move on to the next event. Everyone is given a chance.

“It is no pressure, because it is based on laps,” explained science teacher Mrs. Langdon.

The point system is based on who has the lowest score. The winner of the swim, bike ride, or run receives one point, while the person with the lowest lap total receives the number of points that is equal to the number of participants.

Teachers can either enter as individual participants or compete

Courtesy of Mrs. langdon

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IN THIS FOR EACH OTHER

Nineteen Maine South faculty members ran last year’s triathlon on May 31, 2012. They are currently preparing for this year’s annual competition, which is taking place on May 30.

with a group of teachers as a team.

The team aspect allows for teachers to participate in a section they feel comfortable with.

Once the events have concluded, results are tabulated and the awards ceremony begins.

Categories for participants are men, women, and relay teams. The money paid by teachers to participate in the event also helps to go to the awards given to top placers.

The founders of this event think the competition is a good opportunity to explore fitness without an extreme press on your wallet.

At Lifetime Fitness, an indoor triathlon is $30 for non-members and $25 for members. “Try the Tri” costs just $20 and includes a t-shirt.

The competition day is not the only part of this fitness event. The training prior to the competition is also significant.

“Training up to the race and participation sets the example of keeping your life in balance,” said Mrs. Markworth, a P.E. teacher who competes in Chicago triathlons.

“Training for the triathlon with the support of my peers was a fun and rewarding experience,” said Mr. Guccione, math teacher and head speech team coach. “At first, the training was humbling, and then it became

a goal to be the best I could be both physically and mentally.”

The triathlon is an event that encompasses more than just one activity. This allows for maximum physical fitness and an open mind to all new tasks.

Ms. Liakakos, who competes in Ironman, marathon, and triathlon competitions, knows this event has many benefits.

“I think maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important,” she said.

More than fitness, people are brought together through this contest, with not only teachers participating, but volunteer teachers who run the checkin stations. Mr. Bornoff, the athletic trainer, school nurses, and a student lifeguard also attend.

Spouses sometimes attend the event too, however bringing families has been difficult due to the timing of the event being directly after school.

The timing is advantageous for the teachers because the event takes a specific amount of time. Outdoor triathlons can last for hours and you never know how long it will take to complete.

Everyone needs a boost when competing in any event, and Mrs. Markworth knows all races are significant for motivation.

“People are encouraging other

people to achieve their goals,” she said.

“This event is a strong push to good health. I think it is also nice to be a part of a team effort that benefits lifetime wellness.”

Following the event, many teachers attend dinner with each other. The day after the event is when all the teachers wear their t-shirts, displaying their spirit for the experience.

“Try the Tri” has experienced a few bumps in the road since its beginning.

Space is one conflict, especially in the pool. Only twelve teachers are allowed to compete per heat in the pool. Looking into the future, Ms. Liakakos wants this contest to expand into something even bigger.

“Introducing the students is a task that may get achieved if there is interest from the student body.”

Mr. Disrude, P.E. teacher, informed Ms. Liakakos of a Maine West gym teacher who did an in-class triathlon with her students.

Glenbrook North does an in-school field trip, where the students sign permission slips and participate in an indoor triathlon during the day. The school posts a board of top finishers following each year’s event. This inspires other kids to improve their fitness to make that leaderboard next year.

For now, the event consists solely of teachers. The number of teachers that participated in 2011 was 26 and last year, 19 teachers participated in the event.

This year’s “Try the Tri” will take place on Thursday, May 30.

Many people view triathlons as daunting, however this version allows everyone to feel comfortable and brings the faculty closer.

“The idea of a triathlon seemed impossible to me a few years ago,” stated Mr. Guccione. “Now it is part of my workout routine.”

“This is a purpose-filled event that drives people to their goals,” said Mrs. Markworth.

The event brings only positive spirit to the school and promotes good health.

It relieves stress for the teachers and may soon enough do the same for the students.