Council Plan Asks Voice In Determining Calendar student councils from each of the Maine high schools are working on a proposal which would allow students to help irfan next year's school calendar. When some students, requesting an earlier Christmas vacation, presented a petition to Dr. Richard R. Short, superintendent of schools, and Mr. Ralph J. Frost, assistant superintendent. Dr. Short suggested that the councils draw up the proposal. Ted Berg, Souths SO president, hopes that sophomore and junior class presidents will be included permanently in the planning committee. He added that Student Council should come up with a plan this month. Dr. Clyde Watson, principal, would like to see parents, teachers and administrators as well as students on an advisory committee. The Parent-Teacher ex-
eeutive board would choose the parents and teachers while Student Council would select students. He explained that this committee would be in on the initial planning. Dr. Watson also remarked that this group could set some guide lines which could be used every year in planning the calendar. He outlined the procedure for approval of school calendar. The planning committee plans a tentative calendar to present to the superintendent. Superintendents for out schools meet to dove-tail the vacations. The proposed calendar then goes for approval to the county and state. The planning committee does not take final action; the state board is the only group which can technically pass the calendar.
Calendar
History Club Presents 'Our T o w n / Biology Club Planning Paper Drive Maine Souths Local History Society is planning to show Our Town sometime in midDecember. "Keep your eyes open for posters," said Pam Sakowicz, vice-president. Our Town is a slide presentation of Park Ridge made by Mr. MarIan Davis, English Department chairman. Free Coke wiU be served and memberships can be obtained for 25 cents. Home Ee worked with the Orphans at Angel Gordian Orphanage on Wednesday, December 9. Miss Susan Brinker is the new WMTH sponsor. A Christmas program will be aired live on December 17 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Biology Club is planning a paper drive some time after Christmas vacation. GRA is m the process of planning the Father-Daughter Playnlght scheduled for January. Boys' Club is active these days. They are sponsoring the Christmas Formal on December 19 at 8:30 p.m. for $2.50 a couple. Boys' Club is also organizing the Christmas post office at South. The rate is two cards for five cents, which will be delivered to Maine East, West, South and tentatively North. Cards may be mailed in front of Dean Smith's Office or in the cafeteria. Busy Signals are available in the cafeteria to find complex numbers and homerooms for the cards. Today and tomorrow is AFS Weekend, and AFS students from all over the area are stay-
ing with South students and will attend classes during the day. Debate Club's Junior Varsity Team is planning an overnight debate to Western ICC. Girls' Club is making plans for the Girls' Choice Dance to be held after Christmas Vacation. Expired bus passes will be refunded by United Motor Coach and should be sent to the company with name, address, and old bus pass.
Vol. 7, No. 6
Maine Township High School South, Park Ridge, III. 60068
Dec. 11,1970
South Senior Named as Winner of English Achievement Award The National Council of Teachers of English has awarded its Achivement Award to Nancy Benjamin '71.
Students Paint Winning Morals Mural winners of the Art III and IV classes have been announced by Mr. Joseph Stilp, head of the art department. Cathy Orr won first place in Art IV, Kathy Kukla, second place, and Michelle Graff, third place. Cathy Taylor won first and third place in Art III and Russ Otvos won second place. The winning sketches will be made into 31 by S'/a foot murals. These murals will then be displayed in the library reading rooms. Other murals may be displayed in other sections of the school on the request of other departments. AH the painting will be done by the students in the classes under the supervision of Mr. Stilp, It will be about a two month project.
Nancy is the first finalist ever from Maine South. Last year John Welzenbach was a runnerup. As a winner, Nancy received a certificate from the NCTE. The English department also received certificates. After nomination as a junior, each student was required to submit a sample of his best writing and an autobiographical sketch. Nancy chose a poem she had written as a freshman for the creative writing magazine. Expression '68. Each student completed two standardized exams on general EngUsh skills literary awareness. An impromptu essay on the generation gap was also written. College and high school teachers evaluated and scored the materials. The nation's participating schools nominated almost 8 thousand juniors for the NCTE citation. Of that number, only 872 finalists were chosen. Nancy was surprised on receiving the award. Miss Pauline "^ates, her freshman English teacher, was not surprised. She said, "Nancy won tiiis high
honor because she is unusually proficient in wTiting both poetry and prose. In fact, she is a capable student in all areas of English — grammar, literature and composition."
What Happened To Billy Williams? Where was Billy Williams yesterday morning? That question was on the lips of a great many Maine South students who attended the Winter Sports Assembly. Quite simply, Mr. Williams misunderstood the time he was supposed to be here. According to Mr. Robert V. Simonson, assistant principle, speakers for Maine South are contacted through a Speakers' Bureau. When Mr. Williams did not ar' rive at 8 a.m. yesterday morning, the bureau was called. The bureau's answering service said no one could be contacted until 9 a.m. At that time, it was discovered that Mr. Williams had planned to be at South at 8 p.m. yesterday, rather than 8 a.m.
Student Finds 'Mustered Seed' Better V-Show Mary Beth Krebs This year's V-Show is over and as ever, student and faculty reaction has been both pro and con. Admittedly, this year's show included many of the weaknesses of past y e a r s : supernumerary dance a c t s , some unimaginative blackouts, overworked comedy routines, a trite and unheeded theme. .Nonetheless, in comparison v.ith its five predecessors, significant improvements w e r e made in Spirit of '71. The choreography, tinged with a modern dance influence, was a refreshing break from the s e m i-Oriental woodeness of earlier shows. Somewhat disapixiinting, however, was the degeneration of this year's dance chorus to the inevitable review of popular American dances of the last 50 years toward the end of the show. Although moving stage band up on stage was a successful attempt to make them an integral
part of Mustered Seed, the effect was lost because of the curtain which, in so many acts, hung like a barrier between them and the audience. Various clubs involved in Spirit of '71 deserve credit for fiiUng their appointed times in a slightly more creative manner this year, though the true state of affairs remained apparent: they were in V-Show because of who they were; not because of what they had to offer. The quality of the humor in Mustered Seed remains open to question. Nevertheless, a commendable effort was made to draw not only from South but also from the "outside world" for material. As is always the case with V-Show, the props, costumes and music were tastefully selected and rather original. The painting, too, was well done. The sum of these efforts adequately reflected the high-spirited tempo of the show. This year's most easily recog-
Kyle Contort! and Jean Forrest got lots of laughs when they questioned "What's the matter with kids today?" nized improvement, and also the perfect, and perfection can most important one, was the hardly be expected in any show. fast pace of Mustered Seed- However, perfection can be the Though the list of acts seemed goal of next year's show if the interminable, they fit tightly faculty advisors and student diand the show progressed quick- rectors can successfully resolve the conflict between quantity ly. This year's VShow was not and quality.
Communication Often Snarls Student Council A student committee has been formed to review the Student Council constitution and to propose necessary amendments. The committee would propose amendments that would define the powers of Student ComicU and the administration. The amendments would also clarify what the rights of students really are. There have been problems in the past concerning whether or not a student has the right to defend himself in detention or suspension eases. The suggested amendments would settle the dispute. Bill Dickens '72 is chairman of the committee. The proposal to form the committee was made after Eva Jefferson, student body president of Northwestern University,
was turned down as a speaker at the winter sports assembly. "Most of the kids in Council thought that she was turned down because of her poliical views," said Ted Berg, SC president. A vote was taken in Council to censure the administration and SC sponsors for refusing to let Miss Jefferson speak. The proposal was defeated by a vote of 21 to 18. Miss Jefferson may speak to the student body forum some time in the future. The forum would not be an assembly, however, and would be held after school. "A lot of kids say Student Council isn't doing much," said Berg. "I think that's mostly bad communications and lack of cooperation. It takes time for
us to get proposals cleared with the administration and the students don't always hear what's going on." SC has made two proposals recently that have not been cleared. The resolution to take the three days before Christmas Eve off the school calendar failed to gain the approval of the school district. A second proposal for letting students go outside during lunch and lounge periods was vetoed by the administration. SC is now working on a Student Rights and Responsibilities Board which will serve as an outlet for student complaints about the administration. The board will also review cases in which students think they have been unfairly disciplined. Another committee is being
formed of students, faculty members and administrators to take suggestions from Co-Fac and make proposals with them. The committee would serve mostly as an advisory body. This committee has not yet been approved. It was recently proposed to the faculty, where a referendum will be taken. If they approve it, the committee will go into effect. Pat Bak, SC secretary, said that Dr. Watson "is very receptive to the idea. I don't see any obstacles to having the commitee approved." Coxmcil is also planning tentatively to have a rock group come in for a concert. Mason Profitt is one of the groups under consideration. Council was also responsible for bringing in Random Sample last month.
Berg listed as other accomplishments of Student Council the sponsoring of V-Show and Homecoming. SC also sponsored the Clean-Up Day and financed Busy Signal, the school phonebook. Council also appropriated $200 for the Boys' Club Care Drive, approved playing music in the lounge, and sponsored the clothes drive for Appalachia. SC has sponsored three CoFac's, the next one scheduled for Friday, December 18. Future workings of Council include the newly formed committees on drugs and for revision of the student handbook. Two polls have been taken, one on air-conditioning and the other on rock group concerts that might possibly take place at South.