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Special Olympics on March 1.
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theCorrespondent
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Volume 47 Issue 7 March 13, 2015•John Hersey High School
Photo wall receives technological makeover Nate Horne
Profanity passes by unobserved Isabella Murray
In the English language, some words can carry meaning across multiple parts of speech. Quite possibly the most versatile word in our vocabulary is also one that is heard frequently throughout the hallways. That term is also one of the most widely offensive words in the dictionary: the F-word. It can be used as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and interjection. According to researchers at the Sociolinguistics Symposium in 2010, children are learning to use profanity at an earlier age. Featured in songs, movies, and spoken between teachers and parents, profanity is more prevalent than ever. Researchers also found children are also swearing more often than children did just a few decades ago. It is a more normal concept as students grow, but in the school setting is when profanity becomes a topic of contradictions. While all students share the school, the maturity levels and interests of those students vary in proportion to age and even lifestyles. “As a freshman, I remember thinking it was crazy hearing a swear in school just because in middle school that was unheard of. But as high school went on, I guess I grew more comfortable hearing people swear,” senior Kayla Knauss said. Students view the use of profane language as a mode of communication, and others see it as rebellion. “I don’t really have much of an opinion on profanity in a school setting, I see the censorship of ‘profane’ words laughable,” senior Jamie Chamberlain said. “We all swear, it’s not a secret, you know?” Some students fall on the other side of the spectrum. “I think as people get older they’re more likely to swear because they get more comfortable and are less afraid of getting in trouble,” freshman Theo Brown said. The use of profanity is not only evident in the hallways and in social settings, but in the classroom on occasion. The student reaction to these words in the classroom is again determined by age and maturity. “When a teacher swears that’s when they’re serious and not messing around. If a teacher swears [students] should just close their mouths and try to not make eye contact with anyone for about like five minutes,” Brown said. “I wouldn’t be too phased by it (teachers swearing) because it
just shows that my teacher respects the class enough and thinks we’re mature enough to be talked to like a peer. And also, teachers are only human. They get upset too,” junior Joey Borelli said, on the contrary. “As for teachers swearing, I think it depends on the teacher. If I were to hear specific teachers swear, I would most likely pass out. But then there’s some teachers where if they swore, I wouldn’t even blink,” Knauss said. Beyond just teachers use of
profanity, curriculum is sometimes affected, especially within the English classes . Over this past decade, 5,099 challenges against books were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. “I don’t think profanity helps or hurts the subject matter,” senior Alec Garza said, about autobiographies he read in his English course. Several of the books read in the curriculum were the top most challenged books for profanity (including racial slurs and hate words), including “The Glass Castle,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Catcher in the Rye,” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “Brave New World,” and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” according to the American Library Association. Historically, racial slurs are what people said “so people nowadays should realize that’s how people talked. I think it is necessary in literature so that people aren’t oblivious to how people were treated,” senior Kirsten Smigel said. “I think all questionable literature should be kept in schools because as a senior, it’s better material for us because we’re going out into the world and we’re going to have to understand more of that mature content.” Profanity occurs in extra-curriculars, and especially strives in the competitive nature of athletics. “I don’t think really much of it (swearing), just a part of how we live nowadays. In a sport setting I think that’s how people let some of their frustration out, so it is more common and people understand,” junior Michael Lelito said.
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As students embark through the halls between periods, it’s hard to miss the pictures that are plastered on the walls. The photos honor students, past and present, that accomplished a worthy achievement, ranging from All-Conference athletes to Academic Medallion recipients. For many, it’s quite normal to observe funny hair styles or find familiar names on the wall, but soon that will all change. A cumulative decision was made among the athletic department, fine arts department, principal Gordan Sisson, assistant principal of student activities John Novak, and associate principal Joseph Krajacic, that the pictures that have been a part of Hersey for many years, are going to be taken down. “After seeing what a lot of other schools have done, we’ve decided to go the same way,” Novak said. “I always look at the pictures on the walls when I walk down the halls, so now I feel like everything will look stripped and naked,” freshman R.J. Quinn said. The only photos that will stay up are the All-State athletic pictures in the main hall. The photos taken down will be given to the person who is pictured, if the person can be contacted. Novak said, “The decision was made to be preemptive that the school is going to run out of space sooner or later.” Hersey is going to pair up with a company called TouchPro that will provide touch screen monitors to be placed in the hallway. All pictures will be scanned into a computer system and will be accessible via the touch screens as well as online through the school website. “It’s sad that the pictured alumni won’t be able find themselves on the wall like before, and I can’t see the touch screens being used much. It’s just not the same,” sophomore Nick Tinaglia said. The current formation was put up when the frames were built about a decade ago, but in an attempt to upgrade and modernize the school, the pictures will be removed. Some students believe the school is losing more than it’s gaining. “The pictures [All-Conference/ All-Area] gave students something to work towards and now the school is taking that away,” senior Danielle Papa said.
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News
The Correspondent
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Chicago mayoral election run-off to take place
After no candidate received an absolute majority in the Feb. 24 election for Chicago mayor, the runoff election is set to take place between the two top candidates on April 7. Incumbent Rahm Emanuel and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia both support the Democratic party and are ‘dead even’ in the polls. A poll conducted by Ogden & Fry for The Illinois Observer, Emanuel had 42.7percent of votes while Garcia had 38.5percent with a margin of error of 3.2 percent. This will be the first runoff since Chicago switched to a non-partisan system of voting in 1999. This election had a record low number of voters with only 32.5 percent of registered voters coming out to the polls, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. “Voting is a right that Americans take for granted and more people should take advantage of voting to express their views and see the change they desire in our government,” junior Sophie Shepley said. •Julia hapanowicz
50th anniversary of Selma march brings about reflection A crowd amassed at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama last Sunday. Marching across the historic bridge, they celebrated the 50 year anniversary of the Martin Luther King, who lead the civil rights protest campaigning for equality for African American rights. Dubbed “Bloody Sunday,” protestors were beaten and jailed by police while marching. “Bloody Sunday” marked a turning point in the civil rights movement as the brutal events were televised for the whole nation to see. Fifty years later, as many as 70,000 met to commemorate the sacrifice of the around 600 participants of the original march. President Obama made a speech for this anniversary in Selma to emphasize this special day in American history. “We should celebrate the Selma march because it was step towards righting a wrong that had been going on in America since our creation as a nation,” senior Erich Ceisel said. “And by celebrating it we not only honor the sacrifice and achievements of the civil rights movement, we remember why it happened, so that we know never to let it happen again.” •drew snelson
March 13, 2015
Successful season for debate team Debater wins all-state award and sets new school record Mili Pandya
After losing six seniors coming into this season, captains Ravi Senior Karthik Ravi and Maurer had conhas topped off his four cerns about the team’s successful years on the abilities this year, espedebate team with the cially with two freshrecent addition of some men competing at this distinguished honors. level. At the Illinois Con“I think Logan and I gressional Debates were both very worried Association (ICDA) about the team’s ability Championships on Feb. • Courtesy of AngeLA Weiner to perform like we had 28, Ravi took home an enior Karthik Ravi stands center among his comAll-State award. Only petitors at the Illinois Congressional Debates Assa- in the past. However, despite these concerns, a few competitors in ociation Championship meet. our incoming freshmen the school’s history and sophomores have have been recognized and to keep winning an award at all been fantastic and with this award, which is presented to debaters based on each tells me that I have reached a have made significant strides,” their skill, fortitude, and consisten- level of success that I can be proud Ravi said. of.” “As the year progressed, I felt cy throughout the season. Despite these accomplishments, like my outlook on the team be“Hersey has always had very good debaters, so when I found out Ravi points to his growth this sea- came more hopeful as I continI was just the fourth person (in the son as what he takes most pride in. ued to see the improvement of our “I think my greatest achievement freshmen and sophomores.” school’s history) to win this award this season really has just been my The team heads to the IHSA I felt really happy because it meant overall improvement. Even though State Finals on Thursday, hoping to that I was one of the best,” Ravi I have been winning, it still is re- defend their clean sweep of the top said. Along with the All-State recog- ally great for me to know that I’m three places from last year while nition, Ravi also set a new school still getting better at my craft,” also using this as a learning experience. record by winning an individual Ravi said. This improvement does not only “As a team our goal is still to award in every ICDA event this pertain to Ravi but is true for the win, but the greater emphasis is to year. “I feel like each award won rep- entirety of the team. Ravi along use this upcoming tournament as a resents the hard work I have put with senior Logan Maurer and stepping stone for development for into this activity over the last four freshmen Mady Cohodes and Kel- our younger debaters,” Ravi said. years,” Ravi said, “We have had ly Miller placed 5 out of 25 teams about six different events this year at the ICDA Championships.
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Students surrounded by a surplus of swears • Continued from front page Coaches, not just athletes, use profanity while participating in their sport. “I understand why the coach would swear depending on the situation, especially if he is frustrated. If he isn’t, I still don’t mind that much,” Lelito said. “If a coach were to swear, I would probably stay quiet because they have more authority over me than just a peer,” sophomore Maddie Paz said. Coaches view swearing in a different light, and use it in varying ways. “Every coach is different. Using a swear and swearing at someone are two different things,” basketball coach Chad Freeman said, “If a coach or anyone constantly uses profanity it becomes washed out,
but if it’s rarely used, it has a greater effect.” Freeman is also a gym teacher, and views profanity in the sports setting and the school setting as equally unneeded. “I don’t think it is appropriate anywhere, there is always a better adjective to use,” Freeman said. The current usage of profanity within a transformation process. As more popular culture references it, this school will have to conform to new ways to deal with it, socially, academically, and athletically. This is evident in a poll conducted by The Correspondent, where 26.4 percent of students responded that they were never offended by profanity, out of 223 students polled. Also displayed from The Correspondent poll is student’s respect he annual pancake Tsponsored breakfast (left), by student council and S.O.S. takes place on Sunday. Proceeds go to veterans through Salute Inc.
ext Wednesday N (right), the St. Baldrick’s day assem-
bly will take place. Check out photos on correspondentlive. com.
and willingness to hold back profane language around children. 59 percent of students think that hearing profanity around little kids is most offensive. “When I go out into the hallways I’m astounded at how many students don’t realize what’s coming out of their mouths,” science teacher Kelley Pataky said, “There are preschool kids and teachers out there, students should have better ways to express themselves.” “I believe profanity has a time and place. If you were to use it in the school setting and it makes someone else uncomfortable, then you shouldn’t be using it. I guess it depends when you are going to use it, but it shouldn’t have a negative impact on your peers,” Knauss said.
March 13, 2015
News
New law gives protection to LGBT community Colette Tangney Major changes regarding LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender), with the exception of religious groups, are now set to protect LGBT individuals from oppression in terms of employment, housing ordeals, and most importantly, a specified law that protects against discrimination. Even though this mandate is only currently applicable in Utah, it furthers the ongoing civil rights campaign for these frequently oppressed individuals. “There are various stigmas around LGBT individuals because our society stereotypes them,” freshman Adam Bless said. As the continuous fight for equality amongst this societal minority thickens, several support groups have sparked formations like the American Civil Liberties Union, who advocate for “ a society in which people enjoy the constitutional rights of equality, privacy and personal autonomy, and freedom of expression.” Like these national organizations, this school also has a similar club that fixates on this cause, better known as the “Gay/Straight Alliance Club,” run by physical education teacher Patricia Moore. “[Gay/Straight Alliance Club] gives some students a place to be themselves regardless of their sexuality or gender. It makes them feel like they always have a place to go when they need one,” said senior Michael Ruszkiewicz. Oftentimes LGBT unions are even compared to civil right campaigns of the early to mid 20th century that advocated for the rights of African
Americans, which ultimately tried to promote keeping a cultural equilibrium of the mixing pot of America. “It is important for them to feel safe and comfortable to express their voices and lifestyles. Since they may provoke negative reactions from some, that might even lead to verbal abuse or violence, and it’s the American law’s job to protect their right to be who they are,” senior Katie Janowiak said. Arguably, some question the possible potential success of this new law, “I would not agree [that it’s a major step in social equality for LGBT people], there will still be many people who discriminate against them,” said Bless. While this controversy complicates and becomes more widespread, students also see the light in governmental favoring of LGBT rights. On the contrary, also inscribed in the bill, were exclusions for religious groups, thus meaning they do not have to follow these decrees of undeniable equality because they want to keep religious views/voices protected. Though lawfully accepted by Utah’s senate, this measure is viewed to ‘cancel out’ some of the volume of this LGBT anti-discriminatory act. “If we leave it up to the Mormon church to set the terms, they leave in room only for their own agenda, which counteracts our fundamental rights even though on the surface the bill seems like a step forward,” said Ruszkiewicz.
The Correspondent
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Prairie State Grants give students opportunities in environmental field Noah Karpinski Recently, the school has received $1,800 in grants. The school received the Cook County Farm Bureau grant ($300), the Wild Ones Illinois Prairie Chapter grant ($500), and the Department of Natural Resources grant. The money will be used to plant prairie grass in the basin behind the tennis courts. $1,500 of that is going towards native prairie grass seeds. The other $300 is going towards a bee box in that same area for transient bees. The goal of this project is to have a space where students can have an actual place to work with the environment. The previous “environmental tests” in AP environmental science were less than ideal. “We had to use cars in the parking lot as a way to perform simulations,” AP environmental science teacher David Papez said. The bee box will allow for students to actually see the bees inside. As for the prairie grass, since the water from the football field drains to the basin, the prairie grass will be in the perfect condition to thrive. However, these projects aren’t intended solely for AP environmental science. “My hope is that biology classes will use them too,” Papez said, “The CLS department has already expressed interest in the prairie grass and the bee box.” Now, more and more outside businesses are giving money to schools in order to pollinate students thoughts of going into their fields. All of these initiatives hope to lead to a better future for students.
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Opinions
The Correspondent march 13, 2015 Easily accessible Writing Well underestimated
Everyday during lunch periods and before/after school students are provided with help on school work from tutors and teachers without any charge or advanced sign up. There’s a small amount of students who actually take advantage of the Writing Well for some odd reason. People find it kind of strange how often I go to the Writing Well during lunch, but what I find strange is people avoiding going to get help or asking a question when it has been made so easy for us. Really, there is not an excuse for an assignment not being completed as a result of not understanding it, considering the sources we are all offered. Don’t hesitate, it’s okay to ask for help and isn’t complicated at all to receive assistance at the Writing Well. Instead of struggling and being unsure on school work, just Our culture is very transitional. The dress walk over to the library, where the Writing Well is located, to meet with an is blue and black! The dress is gold and white! The AP student or teacher. dress is irrelevant! There is no reason something so trivial as the color of a dress, •Danielle eriksson potentially over a thousand miles away from me, should hold any weight on my life. Yet, as a society we latched onto it. The dress is a great example of how American culture has evolved into a visual, fast paced, almost aloof one. Whether it’s a dress, some Trivia Crack, or Kim Kardashian, our society wants, no, needs some flittering distraction. Maybe that’s just how popular culture is, and always has been. We create controversy out of nothing, and, for no apparent reason, only to be correct or to start a fight. Maybe grandpa had some truth when he told us how he had to walk to school five miles, uphill (both ways), and in the snow when he was a kid. I don’t believe that, but it’s possible that we have lost some of the substance in our lives, and are trying to replace that, filling in with whatever is new and flashy. Or maybe we just all have attention deficit dis... what a beautiful butterfly! What was I talking about? •Jackson Hargett
Say no to the dress
Speak
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Voting is overrated. Owls are objectively the best bird. I try to avoid reading at all costs.
Dino Ljubijankic
Using the ‘life is a roller coaster’ analogy is too easy, so I’m just gonna state the obvious fact: life is pretty crazy. There are infinite spans of timelines that all hinge on what happens now. So, yeah. Be ready for that. More importantly, when it comes to being ready, there’s no way to know everything. Which is why schools jam-pack knowledge into our brain until we stress out about or overdose on our own intelligence. But I’m not sure all that effort and worry is worth it. Don’t get me wrong here: school’s the most important experience that adolescents go through. It’s a great kick-start into what life is like. But, to be blunt, what we’re actually taught is overrated. I’m gonna bring back some dormant memories by mentioning the show “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” On the surface, that show was a way to make adults look dumber than they actually are, along with getting Jeff Foxworthy and his mustache on television. But that show could be seen as an exposure of the minimal amount of information we learn in schools that we keep with us through adulthood. Which, at a specific point, makes sense. If someone’s going to become a singer or dancer, their focus is on a lot of things to help them with their career. There is a low chance that they’re thinking about integrating exponential
functions. Like I said, I’m not saying that what we learn is useless. I’m saying that we put too much of an emphasis on a knowledge starterpack, for lack of better words. All this knowledge is great, and it sure will help for the next couple years, but we can all name a number of adults that say “Oh, I didn’t remember that from high school.” I’m also saying that we need to put a little focus on the things we learn outside of school. The art that we see and listen to on a daily basis may help us in a way that schooling is unable to. It could be as simple as an inspirational song that gets us out of a bad mood. It may be as impactful as a heart-stopping documentary on an issue that hits close to home. And, while putting an extra emphasis on the outside knowledge, we sometimes need to take a step back from the things we learn in school. To some students, grades are king, and they can’t really think about abandoning their studies for the slightest bit due to the obsession with high marks. I understand that the phrase “in moderation” is used for anything and everything, but it’s what needs to be said with this topic. Don’t get too focused, don’t get too unfocused. So, allow me to clarify: school is important. We need it. But don’t think what we’re learning is life and death. It’s just the introduction paragraph to the sloppy and usually typo-filled essay that is life.
Learning that Dr. Dre wasn’t and isn’t a real doctor really messed me up for a bit. Sigmund Freud probably wouldn’t be very well known had he not smoked crack. Cats > dogs.
issin’ & ishin’
Focus strays away from useful knowledge
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Required electives consume valuable time Zoe Strozewski
who fulfill all of their requirements early often end up with an excess When stu- of electives their senior year. This dents have to may seem like a positive situation, meet with their but there’s a limit to the amount of counselor every study halls a senior can take and year to choose some find themselves struggling to next year’s classes, one common pick new classes. Summer school allows students decision they have to make is whether to a) choose classes they to complete a course in three weeks actually want to take or b) classes by going to class for five hours a that would meet various course day. Unfortunately, the only rerequirements. Despite the fact that quired electives that are available students may not ever use what as summer school courses are Personal Finance and they learned Art Survey. from these reFor those who quired courses in aren’t able to attheir careers or tend summer daily lives, most school because have to go with of jobs, summer the latter. camps, or vacaAll students tions, various onhave to take ei•Ellen Bakal line courses are ther one year of a oe Strozewski found the enjoyment offered where stuforeign language of an elective through her Journal- dents do indepenor career techdent work to meet nology educa- istic Writing course. deadlines. tion, one fine arts As helpful as these tips can be, class, driver’s ed (either inside or outside of school), and one con- they may not be enough for certain students. sumer ed class. Some believe that adding a ninth The idea behind requiring these courses is admittedly a good one: period to the school day would give students an education that solve this problem. The school includes more than math, his- board is also considering whether tory, English, and science. But this teachers should be allowed to teach negatively affects the students who classes before or after school, so some students can choose to have have a special interest. Having to pick the content of nine periods while other still have a schedule, when these manda- eight. Requiring only two or three tory classes need to be included, years of PE instead of four would can eliminate a student’s chance also be a good solution. Electives are a great way to give to take a course that might be relstudents a voice in the content evant for a future career. The required courses won’t take of their educations, but when reup electives for all four years, but quired courses take up such a big because of them, students might part of our schedules, it doesn’t acnot be able to continue with a class tually seem like we’re picking our they enjoyed for as long as they electives. There’s only so much students would have liked, or when they can do to balance their required would have liked. One thing not all students may courses and preferred electives. know is that they don’t have to take While the course requirements all of their required electives dur- shouldn’t be changed dramatically, ing their first two or three years of the district should discuss how stuhigh school, as some counselors dents can get the most out of their may imply. In fact, many students high school experience.
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Opinions
march 13, 2015 The Correspondent
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Staff Speaks
Profanity dictated by selective situations
Words define a culture and a generation. What people say and how they say it can offer an interesting perspective into certain groups. The profane and obscene are no exception to this. Swear words and coarse language can be some of the best indicators of current social climate. This, however, doesn’t mean that they should be placed on some pedestal or be celebrated for their frequency of use. There’s a time and a place for p r o f a n e language. People can choose to say what they want, but this will obviously come with consequences when spoken in places not deemed appropriate by others. For example, dropping the F-bomb over missing a question on the math homework or letting go a slew of swears around little kids is a bad call. Sure, students or teenagers may have little to no problem with the language. Some teachers might not even see it as a problem. The location, however, and the expectations of the students and teachers and other people in public should prohibit the use of cuss words. There are uses for these offensive
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words, though. According to a study published in Neuroreport, swearing seems to reduce pain or increase ones tolerance to it. So go ahead and swear like a sailor after stubbing a toe on the coffee table or getting a paper cut, provided it fits the criteria of being away from people who would be offended. Besides this psychological benefit to swearing, there are simply some places where using profane language is acceptable. M a n y would consider sports a sort of safe zone to release frustrations verbally, so long as the coach doesn’t see it •Cartoon by Julia Hapanowicz as a problem. As said before, the decision to cuss is left to each person, and if those people choose to swear in places and around people who don’t take personal offense to the harsh language, then so be it. Being tactful and sensing when certain language is appropriate is completely a student’s decision. Most have the social skills to know when profanity is tolerated and when it simply is not OK. But that’ll only get anyone so far; the other half of it is the student conceding to restrict his language when it dictates.
Don’t let “FOMO” override social abilities Caitlin Strozewski Fear of missing out, or “FOMO”, is one of the great struggles in the life of a high schooler. The increasing importance of social media has made it near impossible to go a day, let alone an hour, without sharing every passing thought, occurrence, or picture with 500 of one’s closest “friends”. However, it’s not the sharing that is the problem; it is the need to view what others share. If I were to count every time I checked my phone on an average school day, I probably would be in double digits by the time lunch rolls around. It’s almost impossible to get through the school hallways because everyone, including myself, can’t look away from their phone long enough to realize their causing a traffic jam. After school, my phone does not leave my side until I go to bed and plug it in, where it sits six inches away from my head all night. Now that I actually think about it, this all seems ridiculous, but I know I’m not the only one. I attribute this to FOMO. Most know the feeling. Every minute away from a phone is potentially the minute where a text invite to hang out is missed or a particularly dramatic Twitter fight is happening. What if so-and-so celebrity couple has their
baby and I don’t immediately find out what fruit or color or cardinal direction it’s named after? Worst of all, being constantly assaulted with detailed updates of every event that one isn’t at. In the past, if one wasn’t invited to someone’s house, they didn’t have to see pictures of in in their Instagram feed all night. Now, however, everyone feels the need to post any semi-interesting moment of their life on social media to show to others how great a time they are having. These constant reminders make it far too easy to begin comparing one’s own life to their peers. However, just because social media makes interaction constant, it doesn’t make it true. Let’s be honest, no one is going to Instagram moments from a wild night of binge-watching Netflix. Students only share the flashiest snap stories, the funniest tweets, and the best looking Instagrams. It’s far to easy to use social media to make one’s life seem more exciting than it actually is. Students shouldn’t let the fear of missing out govern their lives. Instead of spending hours scrolling through social media feeds, go out with a friend for some real face-to-face interaction. Even then, don’t make checking texts and tweets more important than talking to the person sitting there. Most importantly, don’t let what others post on social media be the measurement which you gauge your life off of.
The Correspondent
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Hersey Speaks
When is profanity most offensive?
“When you’re conversing with someone who’s an adult/older, that you should respect” -freshman Rachel Fisher
“When you’re talking to an adult, or someone of authority” -freshman Luke Roos
“Saying it to a teacher or just anyone like that” -sophomore Max Lear
“Always, especially in a sensitive situation.” -sophomore Braden Beaver
“If you’re around a lot of little kids, it’d be very inappropriate” -junior Maggie Berigan
“When it is used purposely to tear down others.” -senior Jessica Harvey
The Correspondent
is published 10 times a year by the journalism students of John Hersey High School, 1900 East Thomas Street, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004. Call for advertising rates. Phone (847) 718-4945. The Correspondent welcomes a free exchange of ideas. Letters to the editor may be sent to correspondent@d214.org. Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of The Correspondent is determined by, and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication. The Correspondent will not publish any material determined by student editors or the student editorial board to be unprotected, that is, material that is libelous, obscene, materially disruptive to the educational process, and unwarranted invasion of privacy, a violation of copyright or a promotion of products or services unlawful (illegal) as to minors as defined by state or federal law. All unsigned editorial area the opinion of The Correspondent staff. Materials in this newspaper are the property of The Correspondent 2014-2015. The Correspondent is a member of numerous press associations. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/KRT Campus High School Newspaper Service. Two thousand copies are made each issue to be distributed to students during their second hour classes.
Editors-in-Chief Brian Boyle Isabella Murray
Managing Editor
Jackson Hargett
Executive Board
Mili Pandya
Editorial Board Ellen Bakal Kelly McCarthy Caity Strozewski
Collete Tangey Zoe Strozewski
News Editors Julia Hapanowicz Drew Snelson
In-Depth Editors
Danielle Eriksson Kenzie Killam
Entertainment Editors Nate Horne
Features Editor Andrea Cannon
Sports Editors Tim Griffin Mark Milligan
Opinion Editors Dino Ljubijankic Collin Mallers
Photographer Eric Czarnota
Adviser
Janet Barker Levin MJE
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The Correspondent
Indepth
March 13, 2015
Once Upon If you dream about... Flying, then... - you feel in control of your life - freedom of expression - a new persepective on a situation or life in general
Falling, then... - you feel insecure about yourself - you feel like you have lost control over something - it may represent your poor decisions or reckless actions
Chasing, then... - you may fear being attacked - you are likely avoiding certain situations in your life
Dying, then... - it may represent a fresh start in life - it shows self- sacrifice - it represents the end of a cetain phase of your life
• SOURCE: dreammood.com
Dream a little dream
From spiders to Kardashian’s, sleeping minds get creative
Kelly McCarthy
Although we are often wished “sweet dreams,” our nocturnal brain activity is often anything but sweet. Dreams can be funny, confusing, frightening, and often times, crazy. According to Psychology Today, dreams are still a major mystery to scientists, but scientists have found that they almost always happen during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycle. Even though it can sometimes seem as though a dream lasts the entire night, the average person only dreams for approximately two hours a night. The things we dream about are often strange and unexplainable. “I had this dream once where the world was under attack by giant spiders, and one of the spiders ate my mom right in front of me,” sophomore Matt Hopkins said. “One time I had a dream where I was an honorary member of the Kardashian family. I was in this contest to spend a day with the Kardashians, and I won. I got flown down to be with them, and I shadowed them for the day, but it was
like I wasn’t even there. They continued on with their everyday livesfor example arguing, texting, and going out to eat,” freshman Claire Rogowski said. Having dreams about celebrities isn’t that unusual. “One time I woke up in the middle of the night and I got in my car. Tupac was sitting shotgun, and we drove to his house. I listened to his new album before he released it and before he announced to the public that he was still alive. After that, Tupac and I were lifelong friends,” junior Justin Lazarski said. Another peculiar thing about dreams is that some people always remember their dreams, while others never remember them. Many people try to remember their dreams by writing them down or even writing it in a text and sending it to a friend. “I have a group chat with my friends and whenever I have a dream I send it to them,” junior Abbey Chester said. “I don’t remember my dreams that often, but I would say I have nightmares maybe four or five times a year. The nightmares don’t
scare me, but when I’m asleep they do seem very real,” junior Katherine Jaffe said. According to Psychology Today, people are more likely to remember nightmares because these frightening dreams usually cause them to wake up either during or immediately after the nightmare. To avoid these nightmares, some people have dreamcatchers. Dreamcatchers are objects that were created by Native American tribes to keep away bad dreams and give the owner only good dreams. Dreamcatchers consist of a small hoop that has some type of string woven around it and feathers and beads hanging down from the string. “I have a dreamcatcher that was given to me when I was ten because I had really bad dreams. I keep it right by my bed. I think the idea that it gives you good dreams is all mental, but the dreamcatcher did help me,” sophomore Angelina Caponigro said. Dreams can be entertaining sometimes, and the fact that they remain such a mystery can make them all the more interesting.
Sleep deprivation leaves students drained Colette Tangney
Junior Jennifer Wrzala, slowly rubs her hands across her drained and dozing face, “I feel like I can’t keep my eyes open, and I get headaches throughout the day,” Wrzala said. Like Wrzala, many other students are plagued with the same poor sleeping habits that lead to lower concentration levels, memory impairment, stress, and much more. What some view just as ‘a common teenage thing,’ sleep deprivation has wrapped its malicious arms around not just teens but our whole society. As our culture continues to advance in online communic at ion, stu-
dents are drowned in constant updates from texts and social media alerts. With these new distractors combined with school related activities, little time is left for personal ventures, especially sleep. “It’s harder to wake up early for sports before school and stay fully awake in school,” sophomore Matthew Synder said. This widespread epidemic can have serious effects on the brain and body. Not only can it decrease cognitive abilities in the classroom, but it can deteriorate alertness, which can take a toll on both sports and driving safety. “I’m constantly staying up late after getting home from extracurricular activities to do homework and study. I never have energy and that makes doing them difficult,” said Wrzala. According to the Nationwide Children’s organization, teenagers need about nine hours of sleep per night, yet the average student only gets seven hours. With this ever-growing dilemma, many have developed other methods to better their sleeping circumstances. “I watch Netflix or listen to music,” senior An-
thony Ryan said. Statistically, teens are consuming more highly-caffeinated drinks, which most of the time are sold in excessive amounts that can not only cause sleep problems but daytime drowsiness, according to health. com. Many forget to understand that caffeine is in fact a drug, thus it’s quite common to get addicted and even face overdose effects. “Caffeine is really addictive. If you have too much of it, it turns out being not as helpful as you thought it would be in the beginning,” freshman Justyna Stukin said. Dependency on artificial energy supplements like sugary big-name coffee suppliers and overly-indulgent portioned energy drinks are not just an element of sleep deprivation but factors into other issues like heart disease and obesity. Combined with continuous advertising directed at teens, coffee and energy drinks become not just a popular supplement of daily deceitful vitality but also a current pop cultural trend. The ultimate brew of compact schedules, ongoing phone alerts, and these extremely caffeinated beverages are recipe for long hours with short nights.
Indepth
March 13, 2015
The Correspondent
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a Dream Students struggle to snooze
Distractions keep students from sleep Danielle Eriksson The struggle for students to sleep is common with many factors preventing teenagers from getting a full recommended 10 hours of sleep each night, according to the Better Sleep Council. For teenagers, distractions are everywhere, and they often cause students to procrastinate when going to sleep. Homework, stress, overthinking, and worrying may force some students to be night owls. As typical teenagers, students are entertained by their phones and social media. This turns problematic when night hits and Instagram and Twitter become more interesting than sleep. “I can fall asleep no matter what. It’s not hard for me, but I’ll be up on my phone,” senior Courtney Stedman said. Not only does entertainment on phones and other devices devour time that should be spent sleeping, but it also provides another setback. According to Life Of An Athlete, “Blue light, the light used in vir-
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tually every cell phone, laptop, and TV screen, is detrimental to sleep. Exposure to this light severely decreases the body’s output of melatonin, the hormone that naturally makes people feel drowsy. Exposure to blue light causes a disturbance of the CNS, which will put off melatonin production for 90 minutes and make falling asleep much more difficult.” While phones are just one sleep-killer, responsibilities for school are also known to keep students up late just as often, if not more. “I’m usually up during the night doing my homework. Plus I’m on my phone a little bit, so I’ll be up until 12 or 1 in the morning,” sophomore Logan Boven said.
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Settling down at night, once finally in bed, may prove to be a challenge, even when all distractions are eliminated. Students have trouble relaxing their brains so that they can just rest; the frenzy of a student’s day interferes with falling asleep. “Sometimes I’m sitting in bed just thinking. The worst is when your mind is racing from one place to another. You just can’t seem to settle down and rest,” junior Ashley Hoffman said. Pondering different events of the day can
take precedence over getting a good night’s rest. Students may also find themselves restless because of stress or other mental blocks, keeping them tossing and turning all night. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to fall asleep if I have a big test the next day that I know I won’t do well on,” sophomore Domenica Divietro said. A fortunate few know how to manage their slumber. “When I can’t sleep I just lay flat and start slowing down my breathing to calm down. I can sleep with anything going on around me, but I usually like my phone turned off with my room pitch black and my fan on,” sophomore Ethan Shafernak said. A specific environment or object is needed in order for some students to be comfortable and fall asleep. “I sleep with my dog on the end of my bed because it’s like my protection,” sophomore Erin Smetana said. There are things such as lotions or scents people can wear to help sleep, sleep machines that play a melody or sound to calm someone into sleep, or even a pill called “Melatonin” that is known to make people feel drowsy. Furthermore, there’s a handful of students who’ve gotten their hands on an app called “Sleeptracker.” This app can provide its user with information such as how many hours of sleep they get each night and how many times they wake up during the night. “Something I really like about the app is that it compares your sleep from other nights. It tells you your sleep quality based on other nights previously. It makes me more conscious of my sleeping. It also has an alarm where you can set it to a 30 minute timespan in which you want to be woken up and it wakes you up when your body is in the stage where waking up will be the least disturbing,” junior Julia Niklewicz said. With many factors contributing to sleep deprivation, students must search for their own remedies to catch some Zs.
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The Correspondent
Entertainment
March 13, 2015
Mixing master maximizes music Student aspires toward career in recording business Drew Snelson When students think of the songs they hear on the radio, many don’t think of the work and time that went into the creation of each chorus, bridge, and verse. Senior Eric Schuh is not one of those students.
• Courtesy of Eric Schuh enior Eric Schuh sits among his music reS cording equipment in his home. Schuh has been producing his own music since he was ten years old.
Deeply interested in the recording and producing process, Schuh knew that it was something special to him at an early age. “I discovered that producing music was something that I enjoy when I was about ten years old. I was always interested in music, and I’ve been playing guitar since I was seven years old. I would always think about how artists captured their sound and how everything fit together to create a great song,” Schuh said. Pairing his musical talents with his desire to capture the work, Schuh would create crude, simple songs. “When I was ten years old, I used to record drum tracks on a little 4-track tape recorder and then dub over that track with a guitar hook. I used to love the way that I could create something that sounded so bad and sloppy, yet it was my own creation,” Schuh said. When Schuh begins work on a new project, he always has a general idea of the sound he wants to create. With this basic foundation, he then begins to change things on the fly, often finding that spontaneous ideas can be just as good as planned ones. After setting up the physical equipment to best record the music, it’s fairly straight forward from there. “I record the music first and then go on to the editing process which includes adding various audio effects to the tracks and then mix-
Teens shop for practicality, enjoyment Ellen Bakal Living in a society where appearance is such a craze, where students buy their clothes and how they style them tends to stir somewhat of a conversation. Whether people make a day out of it or dread the mall walking and stressful try-on’s, most know the shopping feeling. Stores scream advertisements at students and especially at the teenage population, thinking of young students as an easy target. Considering we live within miles of Woodfield Mall, America’s tenth largest mall, the job of shopping can easily be pursued. “Having a mall so close with such a huge variety of options is nice because instead of shopping online, I can just have my clothes that night if I wanted,” senior Amanda Mix said. According to GoWoodfieldMall. com, there are nearly 250 stores and a growing population of over 2 million visits per month, the common idea of a mall day can be a content reality for any seeking shoppers. The real question is who tags along for the ride. As students’ maturity grows, the privilege of driving and shopping alone can be a desire, while others prosper with the help of others. “I go shopping with my mom, alternatively to having her bring things home for me. That way I can show her my style through the shopping,” sophomore Jack Rasmussen said. On the other side of things, some are willing to allow the fate of their fashion completely rely in the hands of their parents. “My mom just shops for me when I need clothes.
She’s really good at finding deals, and she knows the type of clothes I like because of what I tell her, so it’s helpful,” junior Buzz Lindgren said. Though some students love shopping as a hobby, some let their parents do the shopping for them. To make the choosing of clothes just a little bit more effortless, there are lots of online shopping from literally any location. With the social media peak came the discovery of shopping apps, like Wanelo, that allows users to save and share clothing items that are appealing. Also, there are apps created by the store itself to put up merchandise that can be ordered from the app or just a browsing gadget. “When I shop on my phone it’s always to get a better deal or just even avoiding the annoying crowds,” Rasmussen said. The accessibility and comfort of ordering clothes from one’s home explains the extensive growth to nearly 196.9 million online shoppers in 2014, according to statista.com. Shopping for someone else, whether being on or offline, can tend to be a touchy area. But when a parent shops for a child, possibly for a birthday or holiday, the common suggestion within high school ages, is “clothes.” “I just go shopping with my mom and pick out my own gifts around my birthday or a holiday, so she can see what I like,” sophomore Kayla Beckley said. The art of shopping can be executed in many different ways, for basic material necessities or the love of fashion as a whole.
ing and mastering them to capture the perfect sound,” Schuh said. While Schuh has produced his own creations, he’s also worked with other artists, including his friends and even a band from school, Elise and the Police. “I’ve recorded about four full-length EP’s in the past couple of years and I am still working on mixing and mastering the tracks,” Schuh said. This passion is far more than a hobby, though. Schuh looks far into the future, seeing it as a career and pursuing it into his post-secondary education. “I will be attending Columbia College Chicago next year and majoring in audio design and production. I will continue to record myself and others as much as possible,” Schuh said. Schuh even has a plan, or an end-goal: to have his own label. “My ultimate end-goal in this industry and career path is to one day have my own recording studio and record label. If not that, to work full time as a producer or an audio engineer in a recording studio making a good amount of money,” Schuh said. The money and a business are a goal to reach for in the future, but for now nothing beats the rush of making a quality song. “It gives me a euphoric feeling when I can capture the exact sound that I want that meets professional standards.”
Reviews
March 13, 2015
The Correspondent
‘House of Cards’ looks for third ace
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Tim Griffin
plays Frank Underwood’s wife Claire. Spacey’s rage and dark thought process blends terrifically Dark television shows uniquely lend them- with Wright’s cunningness and witch-like charselves to binge-watching episodes in a row and acter. Spacey and Wright have both received always having me thrilled. I did this with HBO’s Golden Globes for their performances. Their relationship at times seems quite pecu“The Sopranos” when I was given the complete series set as a gift. I did this with AMC’s “Break- liar, and in this particular season, creator Beau Willimon focuses on the ing Bad” when I finally disdynamic between those covered Netflix wasn’t only for two. He has not only brilwatching “The Office”, and I’ve liantly highlighted the done it with Netflix’s original twisted minds of Frank “House of Cards”, finishing the and Claire Underwood, brand new season three, filled he has also brought along with 13, one hour long episodes, other characters that in a total of four days. have left viewers on edge Now, my laziness may have throughout the entire sesomething to do with my abilries, proving unpredictity to take in this much TV in so able in every aspect. little time, but I’d like to credit As my fourth day of memy esteemed binge-watching ticulous binge-watching due to how truly brilliant the show “House of Cards” is. •Courtesy of the “house of Cards” facebook came to a close, I was left page feeling torn. The first and Released on Feb. 27, the three second seasons reeled me time Emmy award-winning he third season of the Netflix in, but this third season show debuted its third season, original series “House of Cards” wasn’t as thrilling and as picking up where it left off with edgy as the beginning seaFrank Underwood as the Presi- was released for streaming on Feb. 27. sons. dent of The United States. But nevertheless, it has Underwood’s character is portrayed by Kevin Spacey, in one of the most still given me the incentive to overly anticipate dark, mind-twisting performances I’ve ever wit- this upcoming fourth season, just as I did with nessed. Spacey frequently spooks the audience the third season after the second was finished. as Frank Underwood, breaking the fourth wall And when this fourth season finally comes, I and giving the viewers an insight on the corrupt guarantee it will be near 72 hours before I will be anticipating the fifth season. politician’s thoughts. Spacey is paired alongside Robin Wright, who
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The good Carlile conquers countless genres
An entire album that creates genuine happiness among a listener is a difficult feat for a musician to conquer, but Brandi Carlile effortlessly accomplishes that on her new album “The Firewatcher’s Daughter,” released March 3. Her music is modest and pure, without any necessary computerized effects, creating a gentle and satisfying atmosphere for the listener. With a diverse variety of sounds, ranging from a slow love ballad with hints of country vocal representations to a blues/rock song where Carlile experiments with her more edgy side, the only genre that summarizes the entire album is “singer/songwriter.” Carlile, as well as her band, easily covers a variety of tones and rhythms, involving chilling harmonies and strategically placed textures among a plethora of instruments. The energy expressed in her music is clearly understood and felt among listeners. Carlile’s album is simple, but simplicity can be incredibly powerful. • Nate Horne
& The Ugly “Jupiter Ascending” did not only lack a good plot and script, but it was also so confusing that I felt like the dialogue could’ve been said in another language and I would’ve understood it better. I would have to say this movie is the worst one I have ever seen. As a movie-lover, I always look forward to a good movie where I can’t look away from the screen. After only the first 20 minutes of “Jupiter Ascending,” I was already texting people
The Bad
Mediocrity creates disappointment
There’s nothing worse than being mediocre. If someone is amazingly good or amazingly bad, then they will stick out in one’s memory. If they are neither and just seem to drift without much need for attention, then they become forgettable. With rap artist Big Sean and his new album, “Dark Sky Paradise,” he becomes forgettable. Listening to this album is a story of waiting: waiting for the tracks that Drake and Kanye are featuring, waiting for the few tracks worth a listen, and waiting for the album to finish out. Mediocrity like this can be sustained with sky-high points of artistry, but Big Sean’s better moments aren’t very good. His beats/production have to save him track after track after track, and his lyricism is nothing to rave about. In a genre of music where standouts are adored, Big Sean isn’t able to break out from the crowd. •Dino Ljubijankic
‘Jupiter Ascending’ confuses moviegoers about how bad it was. Someone could have thrown acid in my eyes, and it would have been less painful than watching this movie. The plot was so confusing and made absolutely no sense. New characters were being added every five minutes, and it was hard to keep up with who was who. At the end of the film, I was wondering what I had just seen. I do not recommend seeing this movie. •Ashley Ellenz
Brain’s World with Brian Boyle
‘Breaking Bad’ spin-off surpasses expectations Like most of the civilized, English-speaking, western-world, I adore “Breaking Bad.” It’s the greatest drama in cable TV history. In fact, my infatuation with “Breaking Bad” runs so deep that I once wrote an entire 3,527 word essay heralding it as the great modern tragedy, akin to Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” So naturally, I found myself more than a bit skeptical of the prequel/spin-off series “Better Call Saul.” Though, after watching the first five week’s worth of episodes, my initial intuitions proved completely foolish. The show follows the often ridiculous exploits of hapless attorney Jimmy McGill (veteran comedian Bob Odenkirk reprises the role). McGill is perpetually down-on-his luck (his makeshift office/home is a rented storage closet of a mani/pedi salon) and desperately searching for work. It’s a sharp contrast to the character he will, presumably, evolve into: the slick, conniving, seedy “criminal” criminal lawyer known as Saul Goodman, who we know and love from “Breaking Bad.” It’s difficult not to compare “Better Call Saul” with the series that spawned it. Much of the original crew, including genius show-runner Vince Gilligan, has returned. The two series look nearly identical, but they feel slightly different. While “Breaking Bad” was roughly 70 percent drama, 30 percent black comedy, “Saul” is more of a 50/50 split. Which makes sense, seeing as the character originally served as superb comic relief. “Better Call Saul” deftly tip-toes between stakes both morbidly high and absurdly low. One episode sees McGill defending his clients from a violent two-bit gangster, while another sees him offering legal consultation for his chemically-imbalanced older brother who swipes a neighbor’s newspaper- though also leaves $5 in compensation. The juxtaposition of sitcom-esque story lines with prime-time drama production values has me often in hysterics while simultaneously intrigued. Though much of the show’s success can be attributed to fantastic writing and directing, Odenkirk’s performance shoulders much of the burden. He adds depth and dimension to a character many viewers were already familiar with. On “Breaking Bad,” he was always the man with a plan. Here, McGill is still the fasttalking charmer, but he’s constantly doubletracking and digging himself into deeper and deeper holes. With each remark of over-exuberant cockiness, there’s a barely-visible hint of wishy-washy humility. The result is a protagonist who’s incredibly fun to root for. We want him to succeed in the courtroom, but even more true, we want him to be a hero. Most entertaining, however, is that he keeps failing. While “Breaking Bad’s” maniacal Walter White proved to be so good at being so despicably bad, Jimmy McGill, despite his honest attempts, is simply awful at being good. And it’s oh so fun to watch. Don’t wait until “Better Call Saul” hits Netflix. Watch it now, Monday nights on AMC.
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The Correspondent
We got the sc p Olympigs serves up breakfast and games Kaitlyn Roscoe This Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the SOS program combined with student council will be hosting the first annual Olympigs pancake breakfast for a morning full of fun. The event is to raise money for Solute, a group that works with veterans. “We have identified a great partner in the community [Solute]. And we are introducing a ridiculous set of games called the Olympigs to encourage the students to come out and support a great cause and have a great time,” SOS sponsor Mark Gunther said. Students should sign up during lunch hours for $10, which includes games and breakfast. Students may also purchase tickets for the breakfast for $5 at the door. This is the first year that it will be more that just breakfast. There is going to be a 26.2 meter dash and fun pig related games. Participants will get the full fledge bibs that one would get in a real race.
Library hosts annual ‘Battle of the Bands’ Kayleigh Padar Battle of the Recorded Bands is an event at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library that features student bands and allows them to record music and enter a competition. Any genre is welcome, along with solo acts. Students can record music up until April 15 in the library’s recording studio. Because the library is sponsored by Guitar Center and School of Rock there will be many extra prizes, like TicketMaster giftcards, raffles, and a chance to play a gig at the library. “This program is a really fun way to learn to use really cool technology tools, like our Studio and other production software, but it’s all around the passion and fun of playing music. It’s also a unique opportunity to record music, which is a really different experience, and takes different skills than playing it live,” teen library adviser Evan Mather said. This is the second year the library has held this event. Last year, the official winner was a band called Come February, but bands including Comeback Cavalry and Elise and the Police have performed at the library during other events. “We got to record in their studio which was nice because they have a ton of equipment and it was all free to use. Also, it was nice to learn how to record our music and to enter it in a competition. It was a cool experience,” Elise and the Police drummer senior Spencer Kasper said. Students are encouraged to get involved in this great, free opportunity. Employees at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library would be happy to have more participants.
features
MARCH 13, 2015
Water polo plunges for charity Ellen Bakal
Not being newcomers to accepting a challnge, the girls water polo team took the challenge out of the pool when they participated in the Polar Plunge at Twin Lakes in Palatine. The Polar Plunge provides a rare chance for people to take a dive into extremely chilly water on a cool March day, with the reward of helping out an amazing cause: Special Olympics. “You are surrounded by loads of people who are supporting a great cause,” sophomore Andie Dougherty said. The plunge attendees had to raise $75 in donations from family, friends, etc. in order to • courtesy of elizabeth niersbach take the leap. This year an incredible $109,613 s a team, 18 water polo players attendwas collected by a total of 328 plungers. ed a charitable event to raise money for With the weather at nearly 20 degrees, the Special Olympics. The Polar Plunge was held water was 85 percent ice at frigid tempera- on March 1 at Twin Lakes in Palatine. tures. “I’m so glad I did the Polar Plunge because even though it was absolutely freezing to help children with disabilities do the same when I was jumping in, it was totally worth it,” thing,” senior Elizabeth Niersbach said. sophomore Emily Van Grinsven said. Their drive to accomplish the plunge will benThe idea was first brought to the team atten- efit many Special Olympic athletes and teams, as tions from their coach and CLS teacher, Megan well as other cities and states taking part in the Brownley. “We realize we’re fortunate to be giv- Polar Plunge. en the oppurtunity to play our sport, and want
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Junior cooks up future career Mili Pandya
Students may use their years in high school to take certain classes in hopes of finding their passion, whatever it may be. But for junior Alex Yager, it hasn’t been a matter of finding his passion, rather pursuing the one he has had since he was young: cooking. Since he was a kid, Yager has spent hours in his kitchen, cooking up meals f o r his family. “It started when I was young- I would always cook with my dad. When I was five, I was already making dinner for my family,” Yager said. He has turned what may have just started as a hobby into something he wishes to turn into a career. After taking Foods 1 and 2, Yager enrolled in the Pro-Start cooking class at Buffalo Grove, which puts the students in a “restaurantstye” setting. Two weeks out of every month, they trade in their pens and pencils for pots and
pans and prepare a variety of meals for teachers at BG to purchase during lunch. “This next week we’re making ‘March Madness’ themed food, so like buffalo chicken wraps, cole slaw, pulled pork sandwiches, vegetarian chili, and sloppy Joes,” Yager said, “Everything’s homemade, even the ranch dressing.” The weeks not spent in the kitchen are spent in the classroom learning about different aspects of cooking in order to improve their techniques. “The other weeks we’re learning about cooking, like different knife cuts or cooking temperatures for different types of meats,” Yager said. All of the hours spent preparing food at home and at school has allowed Yager to develop certain culinary skills that set him apart from other students who may also cook. “Anyone can go online and decide to make cookies, but I can make them without having to look at anything. That’s how I pursue cooking,” Yager said. While he may have cooked just for his family when he was younger, his hope of going to culinary school will allow him to cook for a broader audience. “I like watching people eat my food and making them happy,” Yager said, “This isn’t just for me; it’s for other people.”
Sports
March 13, 2015
The Correspondent
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Senior strives for state one last time Caity Strozewski
season,” Hill said. As a three-time conference winner and state qualifier, Hill has high This spring marks the last girls hopes for this season. “I’m hoping track season for senior state-qual{to} win conference again and win ifier Kelly Hill. Hill is a four year sectionals.” varsity member, pole vaulter, and Improving from last year is anothhigh-jumper. Since this is her last er goal on her mind. “I want to break season competing for Hersey, Hill my current personal record of 11 feet is hoping to continue her success and go 11’6,” Hill said. at both conference and state levHill got off to a good start during els. indoor season, training in both pole Hill began pole vaulting in sevvault and high jump. This past Saturenth grade. “I started pole vaultday, she competed in the Pole Vault ing in middle school. My coach Summit at Rolling Meadows High needed vaulters at sectionals, so I School. volunteered and ended up really The summit is a chance for high liking it,” Hill said. She went on school girl pole vaulters from the to win state in both seventh and different divisions (1A, 2A, 3A) to eight grade. Her successes urged compete against each other. “It was her to continue pole vaulting at a great honor to be selected to comthe high school level. pete in the summit. It gave me a look Hill continued to improve and at my potential competition for state experienced success in her years this year,” Hill said. “I got to compete on the track team. She won conagainst girls who were state champs ference and qualified for state in and national medalists.” pole vaulting as a freshman, sophWhile her focus remains on this omore, and junior. Additionally, •Mili Pandya season, Hill still realizes this will be she qualified in high jump last year. enior Kelly Hill attempts to clear the bar in the pole vault sumher last as a Huskie. “I’ve had a lot of Last year, Hill placed third at secmit at Rolling Meadows High School. Hill is looking to cap off her good memories at Hersey, so it’s gotionals with a height of 10’9, which ing to be sad leaving. But I’m looking is the required height to qualify at senior year with another state qualification. forward to taking the next step and state. At the state meet, Hill did not continuing in college,” Hill said. place in her events. However, she retraining the muscle to be able to pole vault,” Dedicated to continuing to run track after was able to bounce back from this and is con- Hill said. This injury affected her throughout fident about her chances this year. “I didn’t do her junior track season and into this summer, college, Hill began emailing and sending videos that great, but if I qualify again, hopefully I’ll do but she remained dedicated to coming back to to recruiters over the summer. “I plan on continuing to pole vault in college, and I’ve been in better this year.” full strength for this season. However, Hill had another hurdle to overTo prepare for her last season, Hill has been contact with a couple of schools,” Hill said. Currently, Hill is beginning to narrow down come to make the most of her senior season. In training throughout the summer and during the October of her junior year, she suffered an in- school year. “I went to about five camps over the to schools and is meeting with potential coachjury to her labrum while vaulting. “It was a lot summer, including one at North Central Col- es. of months of physical therapy, and it was hard lege, and I train with Prospect during the off
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The Correspondent
SPORTS
March 13, 2015
•Girls Track photos taken by Mili Pandya bove: Sophomore Hailey Bowes leads the pack in A the 3200 meter race at the Fonzino Invitational at York High School on Saturday.
bove: A Senior Kelly Hill lifts herself
above the bar in the pole vaulting event. Hill has qualified for state three times in this event. eft: Junior L Jared Poulfuss accelerates to hand off his baton in the 4 x 200 relay.
ight: Senior R Carolyn Niersbach turns
the corner in the 4 x 200 meter relay.
What’s the game plan? Tennis
Gymnastics
“We have lots of depth and are looking to continue to get better in practice.”
“We are trying to strengthen all of our events and stay really clean on everything.”
-Senior Owen Connor
-Junior Matt Phelps
Soccer
Softball
“We need to continuously have a strong defense and work as a team.”
“We need to play our hardest and practice really hard.”
-Senior Kayla Knauss
-Sophomore Katie Wingerter