Board Hears Both Sides at Hearing On Wednesday, January 17, the District 207 School Board and some 200 residents, among them parents, teachers, administrators and students, met at Mai.ie East to discuss the pros and cons of allowing smoking lounges at Maine schools. The first portion of the program was a series of prepared statements by representatives of parent grouis, students a n d teachers from all four Maine schools. Mr. Bidkin, Maine North PTC p-esident, was also spokesman for parent booster groups. Mr. Bidkin presented the board with results of a survey of 201 parents, of which 156 responded. 110 people were against, while 43 were in favor of a smoking area. Of the 110 people opposed, 63 objected on the basis of health reasons and 33 on the possibility of encouragement of more students to start smoking. Of the 43 parents in favor of a smoking area, 29 believed it would clean up the washrooms, while 10 others believed it would reduce student rebellion. Mr. Bidkin drew the conclusion that a smoking lounge should not be allowed, but that present school regulations on smoking be enforced to relieve the existing situation in the washrooms. Maine West Music Booster president, Mr. Donald Burns, voiced the same opinion. Spokesman for the Athletic Boosters and Mothers' Club, Mr. Bums conveyed the unanimous opposition of these groups with these reasons: the district cannot afford additional administrators and supervisory personnel and peer pressure would become too great on non-smokers. Also, Mr. Bums made the observation that the establishment of an outside smoking area did not reduce smoking in washrooms, especiaUy in colder weather. Don Amidei '74, Maine South Junior Class president, spoke for students opjwsed to the smoking lounge, "The authorization of smoking on campus contradicts those principles of clean living, lawfulness and discipline upon which our schools are structured." Rick Tinaglia '73, Maine South Student Council president, spoke in favor of a smoking lounge. His major reason is that the present policy is not effective, therefore, it should be changed. Since the 3- to 5-day suspensions
Rick Tinaglia, SC president, spoke for a smoking lounge at the Maine East hearing.
have not curbed smoking in washrooms, a designated area for smoking is the only way to get smokers out of them. Maine North Senior Class president Paul Mazurk presented the results of an opinion poll circulated among students at Maine North. 36.5 per cent replied that they did smoke, 81.6 Ijer cent wanted smoking legalized in District 207 and 85.2 per cer.t wanted a smoking lounge. His conclusion was to establish a smoking area. Mr. Duane Barnes, MTA president, presented the board with a survey of 450 teachers.
Vol. 9, No. 8
of practicality. "Couple smokÂŤ ing area with a strict punish ment for smokers in the washrooms, and you have a rule that teachers have a better chance of enforcing." The attempted enforcement of an unenforceable rule, according to Ms. Dieter, is a blatant misuse of teachers. Mr. Harris, a Maine West teacher, is also opposed to a smoking lounge. He believes an outside smoking area would "only add one more area to be abused." If anything, the nonsmoking rules should be made more stringent.
Maine Township High School South, Park Ridge, III. 60068
Jan. 26, 1973
North Central Association To Evaluath South February 7 thru 9 Although students do not realize it, accreditation by organizations such as the North Central Association are vital to their future. High schools must maintain high standards in all areas or lose their accreditation. N.C.A. evaluates high schools and colleges all over the Midwest, usually each school once every seven years. This year is Maine South's turn again. "N.C.A. is an organization designed to help with self-evaluation and to issue accreditation of secondary schools," according to Mr. Robert Simonson, assistant principal. Maine South wiU be evaluated by educators from 24 area schools that represent the NCA. These representatives will check if schools are meeting certain criteria such as the number of students in a class, or the numbers of class assignments. Every school is expected to follow guidelines. For example, one school could not teach a course for five minutes and another for an hour. There is a specified minimum and maximum. There is a standard minimum amount of time students are required to meet in order to attain credit for a course. "Classes must meet so many times and for so many hours, to satisfy NCA standards," said Mr. Simonson. TTie base criteria the NCA uses is the self-evaluation Maine South prepares before the NCA team arrives. The self-evaluation is an excruciating examination each department imposes upon itself. The self-evaluation takes a full year to complete. "The selfstudy is a rather broad comprehensive type of evaluation
Students Offer Reactions The January 17 open hearing held at .Maine East dealt with the smoking problems in the Maine schools. It brought many different reactions from the students attending. Marge Penar, a senior at Maine East stated, "I felt the arguments presented from both sides dealt with smoking as a moral issue. I hope the school board is not affected by this emotional appeal." Pete Bondin, a freshman at Maine West stated, "It's the parents' responsibility to correct a smckking problem at home.
324 responded that they agreed with current board policy, while 117 disagreed. 131 teachers favored a designated smoking area, while 296 said no. Only 102 teachers felt that a smoking lounge would solve the problem of smoking in washrooms, while 288 felt that it would not. The conclusion drawn was that "more effective and efficient administration of existing board policy would tend to curtail the smoking problem." Ms. Lynn Dieter, a Maine East English teacher, favored the smoking lounge on the basis
it's not the school's job. I think there should be a smoking lounge." Another senior at Maine East, Chris Elliot, stated, "I thought the meeting was very imfair. Most of the speakers were against smoking, making the meeting very one-sided." Amy Griffith, a junior at Maine North stated, "The meeting accurately represented a cross-section of opinions. I think the school board has been made more aware of the smoking problem."
consisting of 24 committee reports," said Mr. Simonson. Committees are formed for each area to be studied. At South there are 24. Each committee conducts a thorough examination of their subject area. Faculty, students and parents have been on Maine South committees. They study their strengths and weaknesses and ways in which improvements can be made. After each evaluation they compile their findings into a final report. The committee reports will be compiled into one report which is sent to the NCA visitation team. The NCA team members also receive information about the committee they will be working w^th. The actual NCA evaluation will begin on Feb. 6, 1973. Each member of the team will evaluate a department. Each team member will assist another team member with another department. While the visiting team members are at Maine South on February 7, 8 and 9, they will examine the physical facilities, visit classes and discuss our school with students and staff members. If members of the visiting team ask you to talk with them for a few minutes, please cooperate by being courteous and honest in your visit with them. The NCA supervising chairman has the task of gathering all information into one final report. It contains all of the praise and criticism each team member wishes to call to the school's attention. Dr. Clyde K. Watson will receive a copy of the final report. Each department is then given a copy of their area's report. Complete copies are also sent to the School Board president and other district officials. Schools are expected to study the recommendations of the
Come Saturday?
NCA and to implement those which are within the budget and scope of the school. "The NCA offers some very constructive ideas," said Mr. Simonson. "The idea may be utilized in the next four or five years. Some of these ideas can be accomplished in a month, some in a year or two." When asked how Maine South stands right now, Mr. Simonson replied, "I can't be second guessing the NCA before they come, but my feelings about the school is we have one of the finest in the country. I don't feel we have to take a back seat to anybody as far as South is concerned."
Mr. Ryder, Maine West principal, believes that a smoking lounge at Maine West would be unwise considering the design and lay-out of the building. Maine South health teacher Mr. Thomas Higgins unlike others, spoke in favor of instituting an exoerimental project — a smoking clinic. He stressed the importance of removing the danger of smoking. Rather than suspending a student out-of-school for a second offense, this student could come to a smoking clinic Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. During the informal presentations that followed, Mr. Edward Merkel, a parent, Mrs. Rowe, of the Maine South Mothers' Club, Mr. Roy Iwata, of the Maine South Music Boosters, and Mr. Morrison, of the Maine South Hawk Boosters, spoke in opposition to a smoking lounge. Scott Williams, a Maine East graduate, Larry Tachna, Jim Scott '73, a Maine South student, Jeff Adler and Dan Grippo, Maine East SC president, aU spoke in favor of a designated smoking area.
Mr. Bidkin represented Maine North as president of PTC at the open hearing.
Debate Team Undefeated The Maine South Debate Team has continued in their unprecedented winning streak, managing to either win or place very high in the past few major tournaments. At the Highland Park tournament, the varsity team of Bill Baumgartner '73 and Jim Scott '73 defeated Niles East in the final round, thus taking first place. At that same tourney, the varsity team of Carol Lischett '74 and Paula Uscian '73 were able to proceed to the octa-final round, where they lost to Lyons. On the following weekend at Glenbrook South, Carol and Paula placed third, while Bill and Jim, debating in the IDU debate league, increased their
league record to 7-1. Next, the team went to the Augustana Debate tournament, where Jim and Bill tied as first place speakers. They also went into the semi-final round, where they lost to New Trier West. Carol and Paula went 6-0 in the preliminary rounds, but were defeated in the quarterfinal round. As a result of the team's performance. Coach David Lavelle was named Debate Coach of the Year by the Augustana debate staff. The novice team of Laura Mangun '75 and Tim Kelly '75 completed Maine South's sweep of the tournament, as they won the final round of the novice division, also on a 5-0 decision.
1938 Theme StUl Holds An honest look at individuality is what the Maine South Senior class play, You Can't Take it with You, has to offer. The production, under the direction of Mr. Donald Martello of the drama department, student director Bob Jares '73, and assistant student director Mari Coles '75, will be presented February 15,16, and 17 at 8 p.m. Set prior to the Second World War, although Mr. Martello adds that the play could be anytime. You Can't Take it with You deals with the rather unique Sycamore famUy and their friends. They maintain their individuality and simultaneously love and respect each other. Mr. Martello describes the characters in the play as "fey characters", or characters who seem rather unworldly. Martin Vanderhoff, played by Rick Tinaglia '73, left his job 35 years
before merely because he had wanted to stay home and enjoy life. His granddaughter Penelope Sycamore, played by Katy Davlin '73, becomes a playwright because a typewriter was delivered by mistake to the Sycamore household eight years before. Her daughter-in-law Essie, played by Marti Glendening '73, flits around the house wishing to become a ballet dancer, even though she is 29 years old. Both Paul Sycamore and Mr. DePinna, played by Chris Omarzu '73 and Tom Vinopal '73, are involved in the business of selling and making fireworks. Although most of the Sycamores, with the exception of Alice Sycamore, played by Dee McNamara '74, may indeed seem crazy, "the family is a nice crazy, not a mean crazy. They did their own thing in 1938," maintains Mr. Martello.