C
The
Vo l u m e 4 5
J o h n
H e r s e y
H i g h
S c h o o l
orrespondent 1900 E. Thomas St.,
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
April 19, 2013
Issue 9 @Hersey_Corre @JHHSCorre
Slowed connection Technology staff responds to student concerns Miranda Fanella Erika Murillo
Slow internet connection, inability to open Word documents, and the “spinning ball of death” are just a few of the problems students are dealing with on school computers, inhibiting students’ abilities to finish schoolwork. Hundreds of students use the computers for educational purposes, but for the past few weeks this simple task has been seemingly impossible with the current technical complications. “Doing my homework took longer than usual. The pages wouldn’t open, so I had to try other computers,” senior Laura Mejia said. The current technology problems are worse than what they have been in years prior. “This is my sixth year as TSS at Hersey, and these latest problems have been the worst I’ve experienced,” technology systems supervisor Kenneth Naumiec said. Superintendent Dr. David Schuler and director of tech systems and support Keith Bockwoldt were not fully aware of the technical situation, and suggested Naumiec would be more aware of the problem and its cause. “All student accounts are stored on five physical servers in the tech area. Those servers were over six years old, a long time for a device that’s on pretty much 24/7, and were intermittently failing,” Naumiec said. “Then we had four servers basically die over a period of two weeks. The newer servers that were put in place exhibited unexpected connection issues with the computers that students use throughout the building.” Students became frustrated with not being able to complete their work during class whether it be in the library or in their own classrooms. “There have been many times where I’ve been in the language lab and have not completed in-class assignments because the servers were so slow,” freshman Maggie Berigan said. The technical services’ mission statement says, “The District 214 Technology Department is committed to delivering exceptional service and support for the acceptable use and accessibility of technology to enhance learning opportunities for students, staff, and the community.” This pledge was not fulfilled in most students’ experiences the past few weeks, but a solution to the technical difficulties was successfully put into action. Despite the recent technological issues, the district was ranked second in the nation in the 2012 Digital School District Surveys, has earned NSBA’s 2010 Salute Trailblazer Award, and was named a 2010 Technology Leadership Network Salute District, according to the D214 website. With such a knowledgeable district in the field of technology, the problems’ causes was
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defined and a solution was found. “Trying to sort out the connection issues and move forward was the desired path. Ultimately it was decided that there were too many variables to try moving forward. We have done the best we can to borrow other older servers from other district locations and put those back online to get speed issues resolved,” Naumiec said. Dr. Schuler and Bockwoldt said they were not aware of serious technical difficulties. Dr. Schuler voiced a concern, saying he would discuss the issue with technology directors. “I can’t do anything if I’m not aware. We don’t have as many •EMILY SWANSON iPads as other schools, so you’d think that low internet connection frustrates students throughout the having less devices day as it prevents them from completing school work. wouldn’t be a problem,” Schuler said. Even though we solved, and the computers are back to their normay not have quite as many devices as other mal speeds and productivity, allowing students schools, a few students questioned if it was only and teachers alike to complete schoolwork on this school having technological issues. time without technical excuses. “We share an internet connection with the “It is my goal as Hersey’s technology superrest of the district, but the slowness issue seemed visor to make these systems work as transparto be related to the poor connection between ently as possible. I am very aware that technolthe student computers and the servers that host ogy needs to function effectively for staff and their accounts,” Naumiec said. students. I will continue to see that the building Still, due to the inability to use the school technology systems meet high levels of expectacomputers because of technological issues, some tion,” Naumiec said. students resorted to using cell phones and other Even with these technological difficulties, devices to access the internet. the technology staff never gave up. They folNot only did students feel frustrated by the lowed the mission statement to the best of their technical difficulties, but teachers also were af- ability and met the expectations of their awards fected. to successfully find a solution. “It increased my workload immensely try“We now have the best technology in the ing to help students,” technology assistant Linda district,” Alexander said. Scheufler said. The staff and students are now better preLab space is precious and valued by teach- pared for these types of situations if they are ers, but lately was often cut short, useless, or ever to occur again and can develop new ways all together skipped due to the inability to get to create an efficient working environment. any work done. “It has been difficult, but this “We strive for staff and students to have a process has enabled students to learn technical good experience with technology, so it does not skills that will last forever,” head librarian Cath- interfere with school work,” Bockwoldt said. erine Alexander said. Fortunately, the poor connection was
Godspell premiers April 25
Girls soccer next game April 24
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Th e C o r r e s p o n d e n t
News You Need To Know Thatcher remembered for strong leadership
Being the leader of one of the world’s most influential nations, Britain, sounds important enough, but add factors like being the first female leader in Britain and leading through the Cold War, and the outcome is Margret Thatcher. Through her accomplishments, Thatcher died April 8 at age 87 from a stroke in a Ritz Hotel, according to the Telegraph. Thatcher led the entire world in the demonstration of female equality and completely transformed Britain’s economy to being the thriving and influential one it is currently. Thatcher governed Britain from 1979 to 1990 and was infamous for her nickname the “Iron Lady” for her opposition to socialism and the Soviet Union. “The Iron Lady will be remembered for her great leadership and incredible political career,” freshman Nina Pascual said. • Isabella murray
Michelle Obama speaks out in Chicago for gun control First Lady Michelle Obama decided to step into the gun control debate on Wednesday by visiting Harper High School, a Chicago school that was struck by gun violence. Obama attended a conference on youth violence alongside Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and a vocal advocate for stronger gun restrictions to meet with the students of Harper. According to the Daily Herald, authorities say 29 current or former students have been shot in the past year, eight of them dead from their wounds. With this visit, the Senate plans to begin debate regarding gun control proposals in response to the shooting in Newtown, CT in December. The Senate wants to keep pushing the public to remain engaged in the issue of gun violence with constant political appearances. “I think it’s great that Michelle is getting involved. It shows how much she cares about this issue,” senior Natalie Karasinska said. •ERIKA MURILLO
News
A p r i l 19, 2 013
Go green and save some green Natalie Czarnota
people die of water-related diseases.” To take action on those startling statistics, Vapour donates a portion of their sales every year to help those people. Along with selling water bottles, Green Team also sold backpack badges that they made themselves. These colorful patches display a design with the word “recycle,” so
The money made from selling the water bottles and backpack badges goes to future projThe cafeteria is crowded every ects Green Team is planning for day with students guzzling from the school, including for another plastic water bottles, pulling their tree to be planted on the school lunches from brown paper bags, grounds. and throwing away plastic bags and Another project that Green soda cans, not recycling them. Team took on to promote recycling Despite the recycling bins is the terracycle contest. found around the school, the enA year long project, Green vironmental club, nicknamed the Team urged both students and facGreen Team, is not satisfied by the ulty to not throw away toothefforts being made to make brushes, toothpaste tubes, the school eco-friendly. floss dispensers, and old cellThey took matters into phones. their own hands by creating Instead, they asked eva variety of ideas to convince eryone to collect them and students to be more sustainput these items into the Terable when it came to the enracycle bin by the main ofvironment. This month, the fice, and Green team will month Earth Day falls on, send the items to be recycled Green Team acted out on by the Terracycle company. these ideas. In addition, the school will One of the problems receive money just for being Green Team sought to fix nice to the environment. was the issue with plastic The winners of the conwater bottles that students test, will receive gift card threw out after one use. prizes in addition to the satThis week on Tuesday isfaction of saving the earth through Thursday, they held and getting money for the a water bottle sale to urge school. students to use reusable wa“Terracycle is a great ter bottles, called Vapour way for Hersey students to water bottles According to Vapour. • Natalie Czarnota get involved in being green. We hope to bring everybody us, “tap water costs 240 to reen Team is taking action this month to celin Hersey into this program,” 10,000 times less than botebrate Earth Day, which is on April 22. Some sophomore Luke Maslanka tled water,” and if students are reluctant to use tap wa- of the things they are doing to promote being green said. The contest ends April ter, “24 percent of bottled are selling water bottles and backpack badges, hold22, which is also Earth Day. water is actually just repack- ing a recycling contest, and rewarding those who are ‘green.’ To reward those who aged tap water.” are being eco-friendly, Green “A lot of plastic water bottles are bought and thrown out they decorate backpacks while re- Team will surprise students with to go to a landfill, but it is just as minding everyone at the school to prizes. During lunch, the Happy easy and even cheaper to carry a think before they throw away their Huskie preschoolers will hand out convenient, collapsible, and reus- garbage. Senior Elizabeth Lynch is the Caught You Being Green coupons able water bottle you can fold up, stick in your backpack, and refill,” one who sew the patches, and she for $2 to the Nanook Pantry. was being sustainable by using Students who will receive these senior Rachel Campbell said. If saving money and the envi- scraps of fabric which would have prizes are those who use reusable lunch containers, silverware, cloth ronment isn’t enough to convince been thrown out anyway. “Ever since I have joined napkins, lunch boxes, and reusable students to buy the water bottles, Vapour.us also states that “over 1.2 Green Team last year, I have been water bottles. “We are trying to bring Hersey billion people around the world more conscious about how I reuse don’t have access to clean water,” my leftover fabric from past fash- to the greener way of life,” Maslanka said. and that “every year, over 5 million ion projects,” Lynch said.
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Bombings rock the nation, Boston left in despair Tim Griffin “Somebody said ‘Are they setting off a cannon?’ Then a few seconds later we just knew what was happening,” social science teacher Jodi Blazek said. At approximately 2:50 p.m. E.T. on April 15, two bombs imploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The bombing killed three people (one was an 8 year old boy) and injured at least 175. The tragic event appeared to be a well-planned attack, but there is no evidential support that any group is to blame. Boston, though 1010 miles away, still has ties to the Huskie family. Blazek was at the marathon supporting her sister, who was running in it. Blazek was there with her mom and two of her friends. When the first bomb exploded, she was meeting her sister in the family meeting area a few blocks down
from the explosion. “Everyone around us, imagine thousands of people, just went silent,” Blazek said. Senior Conner Steines lived in Boston and still has family there that was at the Marathon. His cousin was a few blocks away when the bombs exploded. “It’s very depressing because Boston is such a great city and an attack like this just undermines the precious sense of security for Bostonians and their fellow Americans,” Steines said. This bombing, the horrific Sandy Hook shooting, and the Aurora theater shooting highlight the terrible events that took place in the last few years. This conveys an interesting point: anything can happen anywhere. “These acts are horrific, yet accurate display of what this world has seem to come to in regards to human nature. It honestly just saddens me,” sophomore Grant von der Lippe said.
•Nancy Herald/MCT
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Lane/Boston
arathon runners embrace in a hug after the bombs went off. Marathon runners later ran to Mass General Hospital to donate blood for wounded victims.
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“An opportunity to help students”
Penio replaces Scotese as dean Isabella Murray
•natalie czarnota
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pecial education teacher Justin Penio will replace Tom Scotese as dean next year. tudents are certain that he will be a good fit for his new position.
Threats of being sentenced to the dean’s office make school deans Matt Norris and Tom Scotese two of the most respected and feared figures in school. As Scotese hands his position to special education teacher Justin Penio, the level influence is still large, but just in a new person. Penio applied for the job when Scotese accepted the assistant principal of student services position at Wheeling. Scotese had worked as a social worker and a deaf education teacher at Wheeling for 12 years before he came here. His new position lets him supervise special education, social workers, and deans, really combining all of his prior experience under a single title. When his new position opened, contacts from Wheeling told him about it. “When the door opens like that, going into new challenges is a good thing,” Scotese said. Since Scotese could no longer fill the spot as dean, Penio applied and went through a two round interview for the position. Looking for greater involvement with students, Penio applied because he wanted to interact with half, if not more, of the student body, and not just a few classrooms. “I really like working with stu-
dents and I think that I see things in positive ways, so I thought of this position as an opportunity to help students,” Penio said. Following the news of getting the new jobs, both Penio and Scotese have to adjust to unfamiliar tasks and leave behind habitual ones. One element Scotese is looking foreword to when re-joining Wheeling is speaking Spanish more often, as he is fluent. Ironically, one thing he will miss here will be using sign language, which he is also fluent in. Other elements he will miss are working with the attendance office women and the security staff, but also interacting with students. “I love the staff and students here. The student population is amazing, the Orange Crush, and Heresy traditions; I’ve loved being a part of it all,” Scotese said, “Seeing the growth and maturity of students is really nice.” On the opposite end, Penio will miss the classroom setting, but will also miss coaching. Penio is a basketball and football coach, and even though they’re allowing him to coach one sport, he isn’t coaching at all because he wants to focus on his new position as dean. Penio’s athletes lend support to his position as dean, even if he isn’t coaching. “I think Mr. Penio is pretty
cool, and he’s a great coach, I had him as a coach sophomore year, and he has good skills to fill the position,” junior Dylan Campbell said. “Penio will do the job and get it done right. Since he has been my coach for so long, I’m sure he will still joke around with the players when we see him in the halls,” sophomore Zac Lingen added. Scotese also believes that Penio was the right choice for the position as dean. “I think he’s [Penio] an extremely capable guy and will bring a lot.” Scotese said, “One thing I’ve learned is to be consistent, if you’re consistent with all kids, you will be fair and they’ll know what to expect. Also, build relationships with everyone.” Approaching the start of his new job, Penio is ready begin. “I’m excited, I think it will be a smooth transition, and I think what I do now, coaching and teaching special ed, will help me as dean,” Penio said. Scotese is leaving with good memories and experiences. “I think it’s [Hersey] is a very special place with traditions, there is a feeling of family here, from the CLS to the deaf program. I really appreciate the time I had here,” Scotese said.
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Opinions Staff Be aware, care about this school forever s
Th e C o r r e s p o n d e n t
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“I went to Hersey, but it was still a good school when I went there.”
From this point forward, that saying could be something that comes out of students mouths in just a few years. Recently, talk about increasing activity fees for future students has sparked little backlash. It is possible that within the next five years, the “pay-to-play” cost could rise up to $125. Although no student will still be attending school, it should matter to each student what happens to this school. Schools with no activities do not get the best reputation. This school is the way it is because we have so much opportunity, if that opportunity fades, the reputation could fall apart. If there is no longer a football team because only a few could afford to join, the dynamics of school would change. If half the volleyball team was
not necessarily define her, but is something to be proud of. All the memories from sports and clubs like Orchesis, show choir, cheerleading, and baseball may not be available to prospective students. All the accomplishments of past students will not be possible for new students. If the reason for the •Graphic by: Jessica Lynk increase in fees is to avoid making tax payers pay the missing, the record could get worse. bill, tax payers should be reminded that Programs can be diminished, with little their money would be going to someprotest. thing that keeps their property value If a student is not sure what he likes up. If the school in the area is not high to do, he most likely will not get inquality, neither will be the buyers. volved because he will be wasting monComplaints about school are heard ey to be involved in something that is daily, but when it comes down to walkuncertain. ing across the stage to graduate, stuGraduated students have pride in dents will admit that they enjoyed evtheir school. It is nice to know that their erything that was offered to them and Alma mater is succeeding because that should make sure that gets passed along is where they come from. too. The school a student went to does
Don’t celebrate too soon, cross the finish line first Dino Ljubijankic
On Youtube, there is one video I can’t get enough of: near the end of a semi-professional racing event, the driver in first is several hundred feet away from the drivers in second and third. He’s feeling good, so he pumps his arm out the window of his car and throw the crowd a celebratory, Tiger Woods-esque fist pump. That split second his arm is out, the car goes out of control and jerks to the right. He crashes into a wall and the car gets totalled. I can’t say he was okay: it didn’t look like he was hurt, but he had to watch as the second and third place drivers that were behind himdrive across the finish line. This happens all the time: a driver (student) thinks he has the race in the bag (thinks his grades are great), so, instead of focusing on finishing the race (focusing on grades), he showboats on his victory (stops caring), and totals his car (see a dip in his grades).
Someone with straight A’s sees his grades drop to A-’s, that’s not too worrying. However, someone with A’s and B’s slacks off and his grades lower to B’s and C’s, that’s a bit of a “Houston, we have a problem” scenario. What about the students who have C’s? Their grades drop and “HOUSTON, YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE PROBLEMS WE ARE HAVING RIGHT NOW.” It starts off with forgetting a couple small assignments. The 10-point-worksheet assignments, read-2-chapters-of-this-book assignments. They aren’t huge assignments, but they add up nonetheless. If someone goes on a couple-week or, in rare cases, couple-month stretches not caring about school, that hits his homework grade the hardest. In several of my classes, homework makes up 10 percent of the whole grade. It isn’t hard to imagine a student’s grade slip from 90 percent to 60 percent. At the end of the year, that student could get a 79 percent in the class. If only there were a couple points used to push it into B territory.
Hot Topics “I once had an essay due, and it was on my drive, but I couldn’t get it to load.” -Sophomore Courtney Stedman
And don’t forget: a homework grade is worth 10 percent of the grade. Unless HomeLogic is lying to me, the homework grade for my world history class consists of 50 percent of the whole class grade. Imagine if I slacked off in that class for a couple weeks. Actually, don’t imagine that. Think about me getting accepted into Harvard. Even if grades aren’t affected in a class like, say, honors chemistry (homework is worth 1 percent of the entire grade), homework is basically practice. A basketball player practices his free throws so he can hit the last pair of free throws in a playoff game. So, a student practices algebra and Spanish, so they can nail those last couple questions on the final exam. It doesn’t matter if it’s for grades or practice, slacking off near the end takes a bigger toll than one would think. It’s an easy choice: be the driver who wins the race by a landslide, or be the driver who totals his car when he was five seconds from winning it all.
How has the slow technology affected you?
“When a lot of people are in the library at the same time, I’ll try to connect to the server and it won’t work.”
“Every time I tried to work, the servers wouldn’t work quick enough, so I had to do it at home.”
“In Spanish class, I couldn’t do any of the work assigned because the computers were too slow.”
“In Spanish, I was trying to work on homework, and it was too slow. I couldn’t get anything done.”
-Senior Sam McKinnon
-Senior Derrick Marsh
-Freshman Abby Loeffler
-Freshman Adam Schill
“In written and oral, I couldn’t write a paper because it was too slow.”
“We were writing a college application essay, and it was so slow I couldn’t even get on the word document.”
-Freshman Mariel Biancas
-Junior Jack Carroll
“I’ve had trouble in my graphic arts class. I’m trying to work on my assignments.”
“In AP photography, my portfolio is due at the end of the month, and I haven’t been able to work on it.”
“I tried using a guest account, but it didn’t work. No matter what I do, the computers are slow.
-Junior Selena Ruiz
-Senior Lucas Kanara
-Sophomore John Peter Douvalakis
Opinions
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Th e C o r r e s p o n d e n t
Masters in disguise
Teachers hold valuable lessons
Nick Diaz lessly flatter all the teachers and hopefully earn
Lately I’ve been thinking about things that I wish I had. Beside obscene amounts of wealth, a pet tiger, and superpowers, the one thing that doesn’t border on the unrealistic is a Mr. Miyagi. That’s right, I wish I had a Mr. Miyagi from the original “The Karate Kid,” no offense to Jackie Chan. I always envied Daniel LaRusso, for meeting and bonding with the infinitely wise and awesomely accented martial arts master. To be able to train and learn from such a person of great virtue and skill in a variety of different subjects seems like one of the best gifts one could hope for. Then I continued thinking, surprisingly, and came to realize that while I may not have any Japanese Karate senseis who teach me how to be a fighting champion and how to talk to girls at the same time, I do have a number of people from whom I can learn a great deal and grow as a person because of their advice and teachings. The truth of the matter is that all students have senseis to learn from, they’re just more commonly referred to as teachers around here. It’s all too common for students to take for granted the amazing honor of having so many brilliant men and women that exist as the staff of the school. So instead of just having one Mr. Miyagi, there are a whole bunch of them! As I said earlier though, it wasn’t just Karate that Miyagi taught LaRusso. The job of a teacher goes beyond just teaching a student a single subject. Teachers are there to guide their students, acting as beacons for the learners to follow, gain strength, and confidence from in addition to knowledge. This is a good thing since the staff members here have so much insight and wisdom to offer. These adults have lived through the turbulent times of youth and adolescence and have struggled and worked hard to achieve successful lives. The content that can be learned from them is beyond measure. Now, my purpose isn’t to end-
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Lunchroom open for all students Nicole Cecala Lunch is a time to unwind, where everyone can spend 50 guaranteed minutes any way they please, within limits. The lunchroom is offered for everyone, let me stress ‘everyone,’ and I emphasize everyone, to get a chance to eat their lunch, sit with friends, and catch up on homework. The room isn’t open for one group to throw food, yell in each others’ faces, and act like they own the place. Remember when we were all really young and learned table etiquette? I’m not asking for elbows to be kept off the table or anything too extreme, but keep in mind that the lunchroom is open for everyone to use. Just Sayin’
about an hour ago • like •
a few A’s on my tests. I can do that without writing an article. What I hope to encourage is for students to see their teachers as more than just a figure that stands in front of a chalkboard and assigns ridiculous amounts of homework while babbling about algorithms or whatnot. The relationship between teacher and student is synonymous with that of master and pupil, or rather, it can be. If students take the time to develop bonds and close ties with their teachers by asking questions, having conversations, or sharing their concerns with, then a truly beautiful and fruitful product is born. The learning material of the class is obviously the central focus of the teacher, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t dispense insight and even comfort on all sorts of other areas. That is what teachers want: for students to grow and learn so that they can lead happy, successful and meaningful lives. Needless to say, it isn’t just teachers with whom these bonds need be formed. Coaches, instructors, or any of the faculty members whose jobs don’t include academic teaching are great sources of wisdom that can be exceptionally beneficial if a bond is formed. This is not a call for all students to go out and pester all their teachers and coaches with unnecessary questions and personal information and problems. I don’t think they would appreciate that. Bonds do take time to form, and they require some degree of effort on both parties, but it is much easier and possible thanks to the staff with whom we are gifted. Even the little things, like staying after class for a quick chat, bringing a present for the holidays, or even just saying hello in the halls and at the start of class go a long way. When it comes down to it, it really is up to the students to decide if they want their teachers to be boring silhouettes that shout nonsense, or if they want an actual beneficial and amazing relationship with their senseis. Personally, I’m still working on getting Mr. Stenzel to teach me muay thai and ask a girl on a date. Wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off...
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Senior Soundoff •A rotating column by class of 2013 •
Senior questions AP courses
As a wide-eyed freshman, I thought I was smart and important for taking one AP class. Taking a college-equivalent level course gave me a large amount of pride and a much needed GPA boost. Despite the grueling workload, I was bitten by the AP bug. I began loading up on as many as I could in subsequent years. Looking back as a senior, the AP “drug” that most kids seem to be taking these days makes me wonder if it’s all really worth the long nights and occasional tears. The school makes a large push for students to enroll in these higher level courses. I don’t doubt that this is a good idea, but some of the pull factors don’t have the same alluring qualities they did as an underclassman. “You’ll be able to get college credit,” and “You can save a lot of money in the long run,” were mantras that were repeatedly drilled through my young head. Without a doubt, I am appreciative of the skills I have gotten out of taking AP courses. However, now that I am a senior, it’s time to put those words that teachers and administrators have been telling me for four years now. Now that I have gotten into college, I’ve realized that a few of the AP classes I’ve taken won’t transfer or count for much. The opportunity cost is something I routinely dwell on, but the monetary cost is also an all-consuming con- especially for my wallet. The school commends me for taking up to five AP classes this year, but I have to wonder whether paying $450 is really worth it. In retrospect, I doubt I would forgo my nine AP classes just for an easy schedule- I actually enjoyed the courses and the skills I got out of them. I think it’s important for students to really evaluate whether or not multiple AP classes are right for them. Notoriety is nice, but as most AP students can attest, sitting in Forest View for excruciating hours on end is a reason to reconsider.
Kevin Hyde
Earth Day Challenge: reuse reduce recycle Natalie Czarnota
Every time we thoughtlessly cast away our garbage to a landfill or drive that mile to the store in our shiny cars, we are slowly sucking the life out of the only planet we call home. Sure, it might take a few seconds of our precious lives to reach over to the recycling can, and I know it’s difficult to walk all the way across the commons to deposit the tab from a soda can into the collection bucket (try not to pull any muscles). And this might sound completely insane, but maybe once in a while we could skip that extra time getting ready, put aside our car keys and pride, and ride our bikes (that dinosaur form of transportation people used to use) to school. This Monday, Earth Day, I challenge every student and faculty member to do something eco-friendly. Just Sayin’
about an hour ago • like •
Th e C o r r e s p o n d e n t is published 10 times a year by the journalism students of John Hersey High School, 1900 East Thomas Street, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004. Subscription rate is $15 a year. 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 2012-2013. 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. Two hundred are printed and mailed to subscribing parents. Editors-in-Chief Ashley Hawkins Kevin Hyde
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J 2x t r a E 8:30 A.M. April 19, 2013
Phone sizes shrink ownerships multiply
Rose Katz Kenzie Killiam
From rotary dial phones to touch screens, the evolution of phones has come a long way. Most kids now do not even know what a rotary dial phone is, but everyone knows what an iPhone is. Nowadays, kids as young as middle schoolers recieve cell phones as presents. “I got my first phone when I was in seventh grade,” junior Morgan Harris said. Students rarely go through high school without their own phones, unless they break them or get them taken away. In a J2 Extra survey of 150 students, 34 percent of the students interviewed have an iPhone, 26 percent have Androids and only 20 percent have other kinds of phones. Many iPhone users are fond of their cell phones. “I like my iPhone because I always have access to social media and the internet,” junior Brin Joseph said. Many students who don’t have smart phones desperately want one. “I love my Galaxy, but I would rather have an iPhone because it has more apps and a better camera,” freshman Ada Lupa said. Internet access seems to be a huge advantage of the new smart phones. “I don’t like my Samsung phone. I want a smart phone because I need internet access,” freshman Kim Labahn said. Students like to use their
phones for internet access. However, others prefer using computers instead. “I have to use the computer for everything because I don’t have internet on my phone,” Harris said. According to the survey, 9 percent of students interviewed said that they use their phones mostly for things involving the internet. While texting gains popularity, communication is becoming limited. “I like texting because I don’t like actually talking on the phone,” Labahn said. “I definitely text more often because it’s faster and takes less time, especially when the other person responds right away,” junior Patty Charczuk said. On the other hand, some students prefer calling over texting. “I like calling better because if you have to say something you don’t have to wait for a response,” Joseph said. Some students are undecided. “To be honest, there’s really no difference between calling and texting for me,” junior Piotr Janiszewski said. The survey showed that 63 persent of students said that they use their phones for texting, and only 9 percent use it the most for calling. Some people believe that there is quite an advantage to having a smart phone. “It’s an advantage until you get so dependent on it that it becomes a distraction. Sometimes it takes importance over other things that are truly important,” Charczuk said.
Seniors Rachel Campbell and Brian O’Driscoll show off their smartphones.
Flip me
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Opinions
J2 Extra
Sophomore reflects on technology Ariel Ramirez
Over the years, technology and man have always been close to each other, both assisting one another with important needs. From the old creation of the rock knife or spear to the modern day computer, society and technology are bonded together in a way which causes both to slowly evolve and improve each other. But recently, the ascent into a completely electronic based society has been progressing at a much greater pace. Children and young adults now gain new opportunities in owning their individual electronic devices. Now there is modern day computer technology everywhere in the world, getting even the most remote locations on the planet connected with technology. Societies everywhere grow dependent on technology as every aspect of normal human life is made easier. It’s a great thing, with the creation of the washing
machine, oven, microwave, and computer helping to simplify many of the actions of today. Technology has changed more than just actions- it has changed entire cultures. Over the years, technology has taken away old traditions and replaced many of society’s original ways of living. But at what point is being dependent on technology a bad thing? Many people of this generation are more capable of using modern day technology when compared to generations prior, yet at what cost? Dependency on modern day technology seems to have a great effect on the cultural means of learning today, as most children and teens move their attention away from books and towards the web instead. It has changed the way minds think. By creating a shorter attention span, it has made it difficult to truly focus on complicated works of literature. So with everything in life getting so much closer to technology, it might be a good idea to just, for a second, stand back and take a rest from technology, especially for the summer.
Technology leads to Doomsday Ross Campbell
It’s been said that an explosion from the sun will end us or that Jesus will come back to destroy humanity, but one of the key factors in human nature has been impatience. Meaning, we are probably going to erupt from the inside out before that either by advancing too far into the technological world or by destroying everything in a World War 3. It’s inevitable that there are evil people in this world, and evil people with technology is a recipe for the end of the human race. All it takes is one guy with a big red button to set off the world and lead us into extinction. Just look at us right now. According to WagingPeace. com, there are eight confirmed countries with some form of
biology that I left the flash drive with my huge project on it at home, I must get this information before that period. People may say that I could just check my phone between class periods, but teachers will be just as fast to take a phone away then to give an F on a paper. Students need to not misuse phones in class so that other kids can use them in dire need. •Ross Campbell
2013
This special insert is put together by the Journalistic Writing 2 class.
2011
Texting 63%
Calling 9%
Apps/ Games 5%
Social Media 4%
Which social media app do you use most often? Facebook Twitter 17% 43%
Instagram Snapchat
13%
7%
What kind of phone do you have?
J-2 Extra Staff Ross Campbell Rose Katz Kenzie Killiam Ariel Ramirez Colette Tangney ADVISERJanet Barker Levin MJE
nuclear weapon in their arsenal. Over 26,000 nuclear bombs exist, most of which are at least eight times more deadly than the one that killed 90,000 people in Hiroshima. Countless movies have been made portraying the apocalypse or how humans will become extinct and some of them seem pretty spot on. We make too smart of machines, they revolt and we get destroyed. We make too big of bombs, we get destroyed. I doubt a zombie outbreak or an alien invasion will happen anytime soon, (assuming an alien invasion has not already happened). Technology is going to be the end of us unless we just kill off all the smart or all the evil people in the world. There’s nothing we can do except hope that somehow the sun will explode, taking all of the twisted, messed up people with it.
What do you use your phone for the most?
Phone policy limits students
The phone policy at school have gotten more and more strict as more kids have been caught texting each other in class. This unfortunately leaves the kids who use their phones to communicate important information to parents kind of stuck. If I need to know before
April 19, 2013
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iPhone 35%
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NonSmartphone 11%
Android 26%
1996
Other 9%
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Features
April 19, 2013
J2 Extra
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Cracked, Crashed, Crumbled Calls Colette Tangney in their own strange way. “I dropped it
from a tree,” sophomore Tessa Rasmussen said. On the other hand, some phones did not break from the unforgiving ground but rather suffered from water. “I was at a pool party and my friend threw a water balloon at my phone,” freshman Marta Piotrowicz said. Also, adding to the section of water damage, freshman Dana Smosna said, “I flushed the toilet and my phone fell, and the battery and the back flushed down the toilet.” Sometimes breaking a phone is as simple as forgetting that it is in a pocket. “In sixth grade, I was leaving the pool and I thought it would be funny to jump in fully clothed. I forgot my phone was in my back pocket, and it got destroyed,” freshman Katherine Gorey said. Broken phones can bring a wide outcome of emotions; anger, sadness, and even carelessness. “On a scale of one to ten, I was a ten,” Piotrowicz said, describing her anger. Some people had phones with a short lifetime. “I was devastated because I had my iPhone for less than a month,”
That heart-pounding moment looking down to see a phone configured with cracked glass, a bent outline, and the unforgettable glimpse when the phone fails to restart. To anyone who has ever owned a phone in their life, chances are this has probably happened. Whether it’s a dinosaur that finally met its end, or if it’s that beloved phone that’s a child to the owner, broken phones are always an interesting story to share. People break their phones in numerous ways. “My phone was in my back pocket of my jeans while I was at frontier days. I went on one of the rides and it slipped right out and fell on the ground. The screen was cracked and it never turned on again,” sophomore Heather May said. Some phones break from falls. “The one day I didn’t have a case on my phone, I was in a hurry somewhere, and it fell out of my hand and the back shattered. All I did was look at the ground and ran upstairs crying,” sophomore Megan Grawe said. Others’ phones fell to their death but
sophomore JP Douvalakis said. Others didn’t care when their phone suffered, rather their parents were the ones who were upset. “I was not that sad when my phone broke. My parents were more mad than I was,” freshman Zach Cooper said. When the phone’s life ends, usually a new phone is somewhere in the near future which means paying for a whole new phone. Some students have to cover the costs by themselves. “I had to pay for a new phone by myself,” Cooper said. On the other hand, some students were fortunate enough for a free, new phone. “Thankfully my phone contract was ending in a few weeks so I was able to upgrade to the next phone for free,” May said. Whether the phone’s life ended at the bottom of a pool or it ended by flinging out of a carnival ride and crashing to the ground, phones hold a lot of information about the user. Even if someone is happy rather than sad about their phone leaving their life, phones carry memories.
Millions of broken phone stories that can be told, but only a few can make it to print.
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racked screens cause colossal frustrations.
Post your phone horror stories on CorrespondentLive Find it under Quicklinks on JHHS homepage
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J2 Extra April 19, 2013 -
#instagrammers post photos daily Colette Tangney
Used by over 100 million users and holding over four billion photos and counting, and with users ranging from young children to even the elderly, Instagram is now one of the most used social media sites. A large population of students maintain an Instagram account. “I go on Instagram everyday and post pictures either once a day or everyday,” freshman Kim Labhan said. Many use this trending app daily and post pictures as well, sharing posts of hilarious memes, artsy pics, posed ‘selfies’, and much more. Along with the creation of an Instagram comes the competition of likes, bits of drama, and even the occasional post of illegal activity. “I think illegal posts can come back to you later in life because future bosses check your social media accounts. I definitely think if you post something illegal it’ll come back to you because colleges and companies can see your Instagram, especially since it’s available online. It’s not any more private than Facebook,” junior Emma Mallers said. Even though Instagram is not used as much by families to connect as Facebook, people certainly express their freedom through the pictures of open beers, underage smoking, and marijuana. Some students are not as worried about these posts and believe that this will not affect their future, which could be the case but there have been many cases of deRose Katz nied jobs, mistrust, and codes. “I think it’s stupid because it can jeopardize getAs phone conting a code.” Junior Jannely Sanchez said, nections improved Agreeing with Sanchez, junior Brin Joseph said, from calling to texting, “I think it’s really stupid to put up stuff like that benew phone applications cause it’s public and everyone can see it.” have developed to ease On a positive note, Instagram contains encommunication. joyable pictures and people are on the app all the Created by two Standtime. ford students, Evan Spiegel and “I like Instagram because I like posting Bobby Murphy, Snapchat has funny pictures and watching my friends post witnessed the most rapid growth pictures as well,” freshman Will Nicholson in 2012. said, “I like it because it is fun when Instagram’s easy navigation makes people send each other funny faces,” sharing pictures with followers simple freshman Kim Labahn said. and allows others to know more about “What I like about it is that the picother people. While some people value tures don’t save. You can send a picture, put the number of followers they have, a time for it, and I know exactly if and when others, such as Mallers, do not. the receiver screen-shots me,” junior Ashley “No, I don’t really care how Augustine said. many followers I have because I Although the application has been successjust would rather have my friends ful, many doubt it will last long. Facebook, Twitter, be able to see my posts,” Mallers and Instagram are all social media networks, and said. those usually attract many users. Whether following ceHowever, Snapchat is a way of communicating. lebrities, people across the Students handled communication just fine through texworld, or simply friends, ting and calling. Instagram lets its users Even so, especially with smart phones, people can browse images from all send pictures to one another and not worry about how over the world. much text goes with the message. When it comes to “I think it’s fun, but it’s kind of pointless. There’s really no recommending the purpose to it because you can just call or text or use the camera app, some students do in your phone,” junior Deyci Hernandez said. enjoy it. “I like it be“People usually forget about apps and games, and I think it cause it’s like Facewill be just the same with how students use Snapchat. We like it for book but with only a while, but it will become less popular as time goes on,” Augustine pictures and less said. drama,” Joseph said. Growing In February, Snapchat added a video feature and became available in popularity for Android users. “I use Snapchat, but I don’t really use the video,” Hereveryday, this nandez said. free app is “I actually think it’s more funny to take a video, so I like using it. You can now a staple also say what you have to say through video since we don’t always have enough in many room for the text to fit,” Labahn said. p e o p l e’s The purpose of Snapchat has been debated. Critics said that it makes selfday all exposure not safe for teens to use. However, students don’t see the negative aspect over the of the app. world. “Someone told me to get it, so I did. And no one has to feel self-conscious about themselves. Usually, you snapchat only your friends anyways,” Hernandez said.
SnapChat:
will it last longer than a snap?
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Boyle-ing it D O W with N BRian Boyle
3D remake revitalizes old favorite Like “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Back to the Future” before it, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 special effects showcase “Jurassic Park” will be remembered as one of the most entertaining, boisterous, and downright fun summer blockbuster films for the thrillloving, popcorn-munching movie theater crowds. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the anti-cloning story, (and to probably rack in some easy profits) the original film has been re-released in eyepopping 3D. The story is simple: a billionaire invites a handful of scientists and his grandchildren to an early visit of his new theme park, which happens to feature genetically engineered dinosaurs as the main attraction. After a tropical storm knocks the power out, the guests are left to survive the perils on the island while the dinosaurs roam free. After seeing last year’s 3D post-conversion of “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace,” and having my eyes taken a harsh lashing, I was more than a skeptical going into another 3D re-release. However, the new effect was incredibly immersive instead of annoying or intrusive. The added dimension wouldn’t matter if the movie hadn’t aged as well as it has. “Jurassic Park” was one of the first movies to ever use extensive computer-generated images and it’s amazing how well they fare compared to today’s standards. Even with the new power of computers, Spielberg smartly chose to continue using practical effects, utilizing complex and convincing animatronics. This creates a unique visual blend that really brings the dinosaurs to life. The other most notable improvement of seeing “Jurassic Park” in 3D and on the big screen is the enhanced audio quality. From John Williams’ distinguished score, which easily stands among the famed composers best, to the seemingly natural and unique calls of each dinosaur, hearing this movie for the first time through a theater quality sound system was revelatory. The real star of the film, however, is Spielberg himself, who manages to yet again draw out the goose-bump inducing, child-like sense of wonder and awe that only his films produce.
Reviews
A p r i l 19, 2 013
Take it
D’Elia impresses with witty vines
For all students familiar with the NBC television show “Whitney,” he needs no introduction: Chris D’Elia. One of the funniest men on Twitter, Vine, and in standup comedy, D’Elia has recently become a favorite of mine. His witty, charming, and outlandish humor brings a smile to my face no matter my situation or mood. D’Elia’s Vine videos feature a segment called
“Excuse Me, Sir/Ma’am,” in which he tapes random people on the street and shows them doing incredibly weird things with his own little commentary. At one point, he equated a man’s clothing to that of a little Japanese girl. Following him on these social media sites would be nothing if not entertaining and hilarious for anyone who has a mouth to smile and laugh with. • David Milligan
OR
AMC premium prices upset students Not much money goes in and out of my wallet. I usually have about 7 bucks and a few quarters per every 3 weeks. Yes, I am relatively broke. Occasionally, my caring mother will lend me a dollar or two to go see a movie with some of my friends. With the closing of the memorable Arlington Theaters in DTA, (middle school term for Downtown Arlington) us Arlingtonians have no choice but to lug ourselves over to AMC in Randhurst, where tickets cost $10; a large increase from the $5.25 price at Arlington. I will admit that AMC is a step up from the snowcap covered floors of Arlington The-
ater, but the whole point of going to a movie theater is to just see a movie. I know, shocking. I could care less about recliner chairs or incredible soda machines. I’m leaving it on AMC Theaters in Randhurst, especially those ob• Tim griffin noxiously overpriced tickets.
Leave it
‘Nashville’ drama takes over TV screens Nicole Cecala
acters from week to week, seeing how each issue, drama, and big In ABC‘s show plays out leaves me loving newest series, Wednesday nights at nine. In “Nashville,” everyone knows “Nashville,” the music industry, everybody and is entwined somewith all its ups how. Deacon Claybourne, played and downs, is by Charles Esten, was a huge part showcased through the eyes of two of Rayna’s past. They originally started out country stars. Of course, it would only be appropriate that they lived playing together, singing their own and breathed in the country music love songs to each other before they were recognized by the public’s eye. capital, Nashville. Along with the biggest country This new drama gives viewers an insight into an industry’s life- stars, “Nashville” features the rise of style and what happens in the mu- upcoming artists and groups. Scarlette O’Connor (played by Clare sic world. Bowen) follows R a y n a her boyfriend Jaymes, played Avery Barkley by Connie Brit(played by Jonaton, is the leadthan Jackson) ing woman to Nashville to country singer, make a name a legend that for his alt-counfeels she is starttry band. ing to slip to Out of the new generapure talent and tion of county skill with a pen, listeners. That’s Scarlette’s powhere crossover ems attract the artist Juliette Barns, played • Allen J. Schaben/Los Ange- attention of a label by Hayden Pales Times/MCT record when Gunnar netiere, shines Scott, played by as the freshest onnie Britton plays the role of the Same Palladio, upcoming star legend country star Rayna Jaymes puts her words in the country on Nashville. to guitar and world. the two duet at Her poppy, young taste and growing image an open mic night. The two depict skyrockets her to the level Rayna the soulful, soft love songs once sits, mixed with her constant media sung by the famour Ryana and Deacon. When Scarlette is rightfully inflicted lifestyle. The show deals with the two recognized, though not expecting artists and how their lives con- it, her hard working boyfriend Avstantly cross over through the men ery finds this understanding unfair. Another thing “Nashville” they know, the industry they work in, and the throne on which they displays is two young girls who are given a once in a lifetime chance to fight to sit. Following these distinct char- showcase talent of their own. Len-
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ayden Panetiere casts as the sassy rising country star, Juliette Barns, on Nashville. non and Maisy Stella play the roles of Rayna’s daughters. They started on YouTube, very typical these days, but none the less provide a genuine sister duo talent that captures hearts through the computer screen and now the TV. Many might recognize them from their classic rendition of “Call Your Girlfriend,” where they use cups as instruments. I definitely enjoy getting to see these two perform on the show; their acoustic sets will make anyone at all interested in music take a listen. Every week is packed with something new happening in these famous and upcoming musicians’ lives. “Nashville” has everything: jealousy, addiction, politics, and new songs every week.
A p r i l 19, 2 013
Entertainment
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God ‘spells’ a promising production
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are on all sides of the stage. “It’s cool because it adds another dimension to the show, and every seat has a completely different view, so every seat will have a unique viewing experience,” senior and lead Mike Perlongo said. The show is based off of the notable Broadway musical, which is basically the gospel according to St. Matthew presented in a series of skits and songs. “‘Godspell’ isn’t really your typical musical. There’s no linear storyline, it’s kind of like a bunch of little stories and skits that tell one big message. Also, the songs are really modern sounding with a lot of acoustic and electric guitar and stuff,” sophomore ensemble member Amanda Moy said. Perlongo holds the lead with the part of Jesus. “The representation of Jesus in this show is much different than most others that we see. He doesn’t place himself above everyone else, but rather joins in their group and participates in everything with them,” Perlongo said. The music in this production is modern and •Francesca Hernandez revived, the songs have a gospel rock feel, and songs like “Bless the Lord,” sung by junior and disciple Maggie Petri really showcase the theme. bove, senior Mike Perlongo plays the part of Jesus in the spring production of “Godspell.” “This “My favorite part of being in the play is beshow is a lot of fun, it’s a lot of just goofing around, and we definitely drag the audience into that,” ing able to perform for people,” Petri said. Perlongo said. Since the production is performed in the Isabella Murray round, it was a challenge for the choreographer to design dances that traveled in a circle. Adjusting to both seasoned and new performers, the production “The crew did an awesome job building a stage. Since it’s in the round, of “Godspell” on April 25, 26, and 27, features interesting elements like all the performers have to be conscious of the audience all around them, modern songs and the production in the round, which means that seats not just in front of them,” Moy said. Although the dances were hard to choreograph, they are interactive and different from the dances of the past. “All the dances are really fun, and there’s a lot of audience interaction where we go out into the aisles and dance. Also, some parts of the show are improved, and we just go along with it, and that’s what makes it feel really fun and more intimate with the audience,” Moy said. Creativity is incorporated heavily in this production. The cast was given a basis for a scene and had to come up with how it would be portrayed and make each one unique. “Essentially, we created a lot of the scenes by imagination,” senior and disciple Anto Sagayaraj said, “We created most of the scenes and every ensemble member has some input in the direction of the musical and how it is performed.” Because each scene is creative, the rehearsals are lighthearted, which then carries into the performances. “The rehearsals for this show are really fun, unlike any other show I’ve ever been in. Most of the rehearsals just consist of us playing around with the lines and finding new and fun ways to do them, so sometimes it just feels like goofing around with my friends,” Perlongo said. The storyline is in a religious context, but there is a more important message about love and humanity. “I would encourage people to come and see the show because it has a really great message,” Perlongo said, “While it is a religious show, it’s not like we’re trying to convert anyone or make anyone change their belief system.”
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Th e C o r r e s p o n d e n t
a p r i l 19, 2 013
Teaching style leaves life-long impact
Miks influences students with distinctive techniques Julia Kedzior
“I want students to develop a complex critical approach to books,” Miks said. “I avoid memorization quizzes. I think about what they’re [the students] going to remember in five years.” Instead of questions about who did what or what happened where, Miks’ assessments deal more with relating the material to social, political, and economic topics. Another way that Miks helps his students indulge in deep thinking is by introducing them
to “Justice.” “Justice,” written by Michael Sandel and published in 2007, discusses contemporary life from a variety of perspectives. ACT passages, SparkNotes, and vocab: “The reasoning is complex,” Miks said. “I all of these come to mind when a student says like that it dignifies different points of view. It “English class.” However, English teacher Jim teaches students that they are thinkers.” Miks completely changes popular concepts of The implications of “Justice” can be easteaching and adapts the curriculum to create ily seen in Miks’ classroom. Aiming to create a refreshingly unique style that’s meant to stay thinkers and encourage opinions, it’s only part with students long after they graduate. of the big picture. Aside from exposing students Miks has been teaching for 19 years, and to different opinions, Miks strives to his classes range from Contemporary teach a few important life lessons. American Texts to World Literature to “There’s this expectation that AP Language and Composition. people will be happy, or that happiness “Hersey has a strong curriculum is easy. Books are like musical notes. that situates in rich context, and you Different parts of the book will emerge can do so much,” Miks said. “I wanted depending on the different personalito make sure to synthesize thinking ties in the class. It’s making the book about books, thinking about life, and come alive that matters,” Miks said. thinking about experiences. I think the By doing this, Miks hopes that students like contemplating. If somehis students will realize some things one walks out of a class mad, that’s not about life and use the material to renecessarily a bad thing.” late to topics that aren’t always covered Ask any of Miks’ students and in school. they will say that Miks encourages disAt the end of the day, Miks transcussions, asks controversial questions, forms common teaching techniques and helps students discover how to and gives every student something to think for themselves and discover their think about. own opinions. “When someone’s standing at “Mr. Miks is a one-of-a-kind their tombstone at the end of their life, teacher,” junior Kaitlyn Ries said. “He what do they value?” Miks asks. “It’s doesn’t assign pointless homework or projects. He actually teaches us things • Julia kedzior not the points or grades. It’s intellect and character.” that will apply to us in the outside nglish techer Jim Miks teaches the curriculum, demonstrating his As for his students, they appreciworld and makes us think of the world unique style and distinctive teaching techniques. ate how Miks takes into account and in a different light.” values their thoughts, opinions, and The purpose behind this method education. “I wouldn’t trade the class is more thought out and in-depth than for the world,” Ries said. most students would think.
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Paper receives awards at conference J
unior Jessica Lynk one of many Correspondent members that received awards on April 12.
photography was won by junior Francesca Hernandez, Lynk and sophomore Isabella Murray earned theirs in news writing, and team indepth won by sophomore Jack Hargett, and sen i o r s • Kevin Hyde H y d e , The Correspondent staff Abby Fesl, trekked to the College of Du- Claudia CaPage last Friday and received plan, and Ashley a variety of honors and Hawkins for this year’s awards at NISPA. The awards in-depth topic on books. As a whole the staff were to recognize excellence won a silver certificate for in design, writing, as well as the overall publication. the overall appearance of the “It was a great way to publication. end my high school journalSenior Kevin Hyde won ism career, and I’m satisfied Blue Ribbons in individual with the results,” Hyde said. in-depth for his story on The Correspondent is election night as well as his still awaiting results from a features story on the student variety of other journalism from Egypt. Sophomore Brian Boyle collected his own competitions for this year’s Blue Ribbon in review writ- staff. ing, and junior Jessica Lynk won two Blue Ribbons in ad vertising and graphics. •BRIAN LOOMIS “I feel as if it reflected all the work I out in this year,” Lynk said. The team also received three honorable mentions. The honorable mention in
Senior girls benefit from self defense class Last week, all senior girls participated in a defense class during their gym period. The class taught how to defend against many different types of attacks including punches, knives, and guns. For three days, techniques for defense were demonstrated and then practiced with a partner until the move was completed correctly. All techniques that were taught originated from “The Brave Way” program. This program “teaches principles and techniques that are easy to learn, and they work.” Each day of class had a different theme. The first day was defense against attacks standing up, the second day was defense against knives and beginning defense on the ground, and the third day was defense on the ground and defense against guns. “[The defense classes were really important] because it taught us how to defend against any situations. Now I feel safer,” senior Nicole Swiderski said. •ABBY FESL
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Features ‘Don’t forget your dancing shoes’ a p r i l 19, 2 013
Student council announces Prom theme Matt Stadnicki
With the end of high school fast approaching for juniors and especially seniors, this can be one of the most memorable times for students. Seniors enjoy many end of the year activities like the senior picnic, the awards ceremony, and especially graduation. However, one of the most memorable and biggest events for many high school students is prom. A lot of work goes into planning for prom. Student council, the organization largely responsible for planning prom and post-prom activities, has to organize and fund raise for prom and post-prom to take place. This year, with post prom being on a cruise boat as opposed to Dave and Buster’s as in previous years, the costs of post prom increased. “Post prom this year [will be] way better because of the different atmosphere,” senior Meredith Ward said. “Having it on a boat attracts more attention,” junior Dirk Vandernoot said. As opposed to previous years, where post prom was included in the cost of a prom ticket,
this year students have to pay for prom and post prom separately to offset the increased cost of upgrading to a boat. Organizing prom can take a lot of time and effort on the part of student council. Many of the details, such as decorations and food have to be designed and tested before, and the right balance has to be found. In addition, posters and notices about prom had to be made. “We’ve been getting decorations and making posters in the display cases,” student council member junior Carly Pisano said. “We had to decide on tickets and decide on the food,” student council member junior Mike Fuerst said. Along with the decorations and publicity, student council had to decide on the theme for the big night. This year’s theme is to be called, “When the clock strikes midnight.” “We bounced around ideas, picked three, and
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•Graphic By Miranda Fanella t h e n voted on it,” Fuerst said. Student council was also in charge of fundraising for the event. Money for prom and for post prom came from a variety of sources. “We get money from the school for prom,” Pisano said. Money that isn’t covered by the school for both prom and post prom, however, must be raised by student council. “We raise money throughout the year, but the ticket sales are high,” Fuerst said. The money for post prom mostly comes from the Datamatch fundraiser that student council runs in early April. Students filled out the Datamatch forms in their second hour class in late March and could purchase Datamatch the week of April 8-12. Datamatch showed who the purchaser was most compatible with based on the response. The responses are meant to gauge a student’s personality so they can be matched with someone of a different personality. Although Datamatch might seem serious, the results are meant to be fun and not taken too seriously. Because of the costs of upgrading post prom this year, and because Datamatch is the main fundraiser for post prom, tickets for post prom this year will be sold separately from prom tickets, and they will cost ten dollars. Organizing and fund raising for prom has taken up much of student council’s focus and time. Many of the fundraisers, like concession sales at football games, are all aimed at making prom the best and most memorable experience for all involved. “This entire school year, it [prom] has been in the works,” Fuerst said.
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In-Depth
l a v i v r Su of the richest
‘Mo money, mo problems’
Activity fees may deter student participation Caitlin Strozewski
Throughout high school, students are presented with a variety of opportunities to become more involved in school. Activities are available for every interest. Although students are encouraged to try several activities, participation comes with a price. Starting this year, the fees changed from $25 per activity to $50 per student. Those who can’t afford the fees can have them waived. Beginning next year, the fees are increasing to $65 per person. This amount will remain constant throughout a student’s four years, but fees for incoming freshman can go up. This comes as a surprise to some students. “I hadn’t even heard anything about it,” sophomore Antonella Leonardo said. This change is due to complaints by parents that the fees keep changing throughout their high school student’s four years. The new system satisfies families who expect to pay the same amount for all four years. However, keeping the amount constant doesn’t make the fees any less expensive. Students will still be able to have the fees waived. Although this system will keep fees constant through a students four years, it doesn’t prevent them from rising every year for in-
coming classes. Activities are only one of the many things that families are expected to pay for each year. As costs rise, participation in activities gets lower and lower. “Less people will be involved in school activities if they can’t afford it,” sophomore Calvin Tran said. It is already expensive to participate in activities like sports. Students are expected to buy equipment, pay for summer camps, purchase spirit wear, and raise money through various fund raisers. Putting the increase in fees on top of this has students hesitating to try new activities. “Some people may not try out, but a lot of people still will because they already play travel sports so they are used to spending the money on activities,” sophomore Sheila Naughton said. Others feel the changes aren’t a very big deal. “I don’t think it will have much of an effect on me because it isn’t increasing very much,” Leonardo said. No matter what students’ opinions are, schools around the nation continue to raise fees to make up for economic problems. “I feel like it will make it harder on families, but I guess the extra money will help the school in the long run,” sophomore Emma Hopkins said. Activity fees increasing will have an effect on each student, especially incoming classes.
A p r i l 19, 2 013
Memories boost concern for activities’ futures Mili Pandya
from participating in any extracurriculars. “It would be more beneficial Whether it’s a sport, activity, for the school to keep the cost of or club, most students do not conactivity fees down, not only betinue on with these extracurricucause of the money the drama lars after graduation. Although department brings in along with these students may hear some other activities as well, but because news about what they participated being involved in extracurricular in, they may never be as dedicated activities is part of the high school to it as they once were. experience,” Schneider said. Participation, along with dedIf extracurriculars were to ication, to their sports and other stop because of raising activity activities throughout their four fees, most students agree that they years here provides something for would be more than willing to graduates to look back on. help. Even though it could be diffi“When I think of how much cult, they would find a way to raise I miss high school, I realize that I the funds. really just miss my Correspondent “If Orchesis stopped due to family. As an incoming freshman, monetary reasons, I didn’t really have my I don’t think there niche or a set group “If Orchesis stopped would be much I of friends. Journaldue to monetary could do because ism gave me exactly reasons, I don’t think I’ll be a poor colthat when I officially there would be much I lege student next joined staff,” graduate could do because I’ll be year. If anything, Lauren Kelley said. major fund raising But the fact that a poor college student would have to ocone day students may next year. If anything, cur, which I would not be able to take major fund raising support 100 perpart in these same exwould have to occur, cent,” Johnson said. tracurriculars seems which I would support “For someone unfathomable. 100 percent,” not to have that “Acting class•Senior Erin Johnson opportunity just es and plays were because they don’t such an importance have enough money is literally part of my high part of my highs heartbreaking. I not only learned school experience, I made so a lot from being on the paper, but many friends and memories I can’t I met some of the most amazing imagine not having those opporpeople until this day,” Kelley said. tunities anymore,” graduate Emily Without a doubt, current stuSchneider said. dents care enough about their ac“If Orchesis stopped after I tivities that they wish that future graduated I would feel so bad for students have the same opportunithe younger girls that only got ties. to be on it for one or two years. “For me, Orchesis has played They would have never gotten a major part of me breaking out the chance to experience Orcheof my shell and becoming less shy. sis as an older member, which is Not only that, but I wouldn’t trade the most rewarding and fun part the friendships I’ve made, experiabout it,” senior Erin Johnson said. ences I’ve had, or leadership and One reason this could occur dance opportunities I’ve taken part is due to participation fees. As the in for the world,” Johnson said. activity fee gradually rises, current students may be deterred
•Graphic by: Jack Hargett and Jessica Lynk
Sports
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Badminton finds improvement
Tennis’ work gives team hope for state Natalie Czarnota Oblivious to the other games on the courts surrounding her, senior Steffi Antony kept her eyes on the birdie as it sailed towards her. Her teammates shouted on encouragement and advice, reminding her to “shake it off,” and cheering her on. Measuring the moment that it was on top of her, Antony smashed the birdie and won the point against her opponent, junior Noreen Caporusso from Prospect. Varsity badminton team members played five doubles games and 10 singles games. Despite the team’s efforts, they lost a close match by a score of 7-8 against Prospect on Tuesday. The team has been doing well at their invites, however, receiving 2nd and 3rd places. “We’ve been getting higher places at our Saturday tournaments,” Antony said. “We’re doing way better than last year.” After making it to state last year for doubles, Antony hopes to make it again this year. However, she is anticipating to make it for singles this year. Tomorrow, the team will continue to fight their way to state at the Hinsdale South Invitational. “My goal is to qualify for state, but it all comes down to how I do at sectionals,” Antony said. However, Antony said that she would be satisfied if anyone from the team made it to state. “I want to get someone down to state so that we could all go to it. It was so much fun last year. You learn so much because everyone at state is so good, and we bond as a team,” Antony said. One of the players who is trying to qualify is senior Samantha McKinnon. She is preparing by reminding herself to keep her attention on the game. “I need to try to not get angry while playing because then I lose focus of the game,” McKin-
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There’s a lot of pressure here,” coach Megan Brownley said in the first huddle. “Wheeling’s 7-0 and we’re 6-1. If we win today we can win the East.” The girls water polo team defeated the Wheeling Wildcats April 16 6-2. “Katie was on fire tonight,” Brownley said. of junior Katie Lindholm, who forced four turnovers in the first period alone. By 2:51 in the first period, senior Emily Goldsberry passed the ball off to Lindholm, who chucked the ball at the net, and the first goal of the game was scored. “Bob (Wheeling’s waterpolo coach) was screaming,” junior Katelyn Emmerling said. The intensity rose throughout Olympic at once, and the play became vicious. At the start of the second period, the Wildcats won the ball, but quickly lost it when senior Kelly Johnson stole the ball. Johnson passed the ball off to junior Hannah Lippstreuer down the pool length, where Lippstreuer made a raging shot at the net, forcing the Wheeling goalie to dive towards the top corner of the net to block it. “It was a fantastic shot,” Brownley said. “We almost had it.” During the third period, junior Iris Wenceslao forced her first turnover for the game, passed it off to Lindholm, on to Johnson. With a girl on her back, Johnson turned towards the net, fired the ball, and scored at the 6:04 minute mark. After more back and forth action, the ball was passed to Johnson again at the end of the 30 second shot clock, where Johnson fired the ball at the net again, scoring back to back goals for the huskies at the 5:20 minute mark.
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SP R S S R S Rainy days for spring sports
Softball to avoid washout
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•FRANCESCA HERNANDEZ
unior Carly Pisano leaps for the birdie in her victory (21-7, 21-11). The Huskies defeated the Wildcats 15-0 on April 9. non said. Senior Christy Chacko is also hoping to fight her way through sectionals to state. “I lost only 1 double game and 2 single games. I’ve got a pretty good record,” Chacko said. The girls have a strong support system within the team which will help them achieve their goals. “We’re close as a team, and there to support each other,” junior Megan Salt. Unfortunately, a big problem for the team this year were injuries. “We were killed by injuries. It hurt our lineup, but the girls were able to rise up to the occasion,” varsity coach Jeanine Konkolewski said. Despite the injuries, Konkolewski believes that the team is getting better. “The girls are progressing well, working up to the championship season,” Konkolewski said. “It’s fun watching their improvement,” Konkolewski said.
Water Polo overtakes East lead with win Emily Swanson
Th e C o r r e s p o n d e n t
“Kelly had it in her today,” Brownley said. Towards the end of the period, the Huskies heightened their defense again, creating several more turnovers; most were made by junior Jillian Hoffman, Lindholm, and Johnson. “This is the best we’ve ever played,” sophomore Shannon Cunningham said in the middle of the game. With three seconds on the clock, Lindholm passed the ball off to senior Karolina Szymaszek, where Szymaszek fired the ball at the net, scoring point four at the buzzer. Although the Huskies were beating the Wildcats 4-0, they did not plan on backing down. But in the fourth period, the Wildcats scored twice by the 5:52 minute mark, leading Brownley to call the first time out of the game. “After those two goals at the 5:52 I got so nervous,” Johnson said. “I wanted to beat them so badly.” The frustration was high and the girls adrenaline was pumping. The Wildcats started with the ball, but was quickly turned over by the huskies, passed off to Johnson, scoring at the 3:51 minute mark. The Hersey gallery went nuts, leaving the Wheeling team silent at the other end of the pool. The girls wasted no time on offense. At the 2:09 minute mark, Brownley had Curtis pass the ball off to Szymaszek, who passed it off to Hoffman, scoring the Huskies sixth point. “That was the most exciting game,” Szymaszek said. The girls embraced in hugs and cheers when the buzzer at the end of the forth period sounded. “We had to score at least three goals against them this game,” Brownley said. “Now we can win the East title.”
Softball has had its fair share of struggles, yet the team continues to have a positive outlook on the season. “We pride ourselves on our commitment to always improve,” senior Rachel Fang said. Some believe the early season struggles are on account of the horrible weather conditions. The team has been unable to get practices in outside, which effects their preparation for games. “Our games have been going okay, we help pick each other up in touch game situations,” senior Michelle Bolker said. The softball team currently has a 4-6 record, and has their hopes set high on future wins. “Due to unfortunate weather forecast, the season has started off slow, and we haven’t been playing as much as I would hope,” coach Molly Freeman said. The teams’ positive outlook sets the ideal stages for a definite conquer. “My favorite point in a game is when we come back from a short deficit and come out winning,” Fang said. The team hopes that they can do the same with their season. They are next in action this afternoon against Rolling Meadows. •CLAUDIA CAPLAN
Weather haunts tennis
With the start of spring, the tennis season has begun. The tennis team hasn’t been excluded from the spring sports that are struggling to compete. The team was unable to compete against Barrington on Wednesday as thunderstorms moved across the area. The team was able to begin their matches against Conant on April 16, but the thor guard went off before the team was able to finish a complete match. The team has, however, found success in other meets that the weather hasn’t affected. The team started their season off with a win over St. Viator on April 3, with every athlete on the varsity level winning their sets. A week after their win over St. Viator, the team also brought home a win against Hoffman Estates. Except for losing two matches, most of the boys defeated their opponents on the varsity level. The team still has a number of individual goals for the upcoming invitationals. “I’d like to get a ribbon at conference,” junior John Pham said. In addition, the team has goals to compete well and improve. “We’re doing well, but we can do better. We’ll practice more to improve and win,” sophomore Owen Connor said. “[I’d like to] keep most of my shots in and to win a set against heavy hitters like Barrington and Fremd,” Pham said. •MATT STADNICKI
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Th e C o r r e s p o n d e n t
Sports
A p r i l 19, 2 013
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enior Kaitlyn Smetana (left) heads the ball away from a Barrington defender. Senior Amy Kappelman (right) penetrates the Bronco defense with her dribbling.
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he soccer team defeated the Barrington Broncos on April 3 with a 1-0 shutout. The Huskies goal was scored by senior Casey Weyhrich. Junior goalkeeper Morgan Harris had nine saves in the victory.
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he Huskies won against non-conference opponent Sycamore 4-0 Last Saturday. Kappelman scored a hat trick with her three goals as well as Smetana adding the fourth goal. Weyrich added three assists.
•FRANCESCA HERNANDEZ
Girls track pushes past weather adversity Brian Loomis
Fifty-four degrees may not seem like the worst temperature to have a track meet in, but with a biting wind, it was far from ideal when the girls tack and field team competed at Palatine on April 8. The meet basically summed up the weather that the team has been facing since they have been set for outdoor practice and competition. The team has done its best to combat the fluctuating temperatures, especially before competition. “We focus on making sure we’re fully warmed up before our meets, so we don’t cause any injuries,” junior Lenna Fotos said. Competing in this weather does take its toll, and did so in the Palatine meet. “It was extremely cold and windy; some of our girls weren’t able to compete due to the weather cramping up muscles,” Fotos added. The weather has taken its toll on the team outside of competition too. The team has been limited in what they can do in practice as well. “Certain workouts can’t be done in the cold, mainly ones with explosive movement such as hurdles and sprints. With the rain, we
can’t work on pole vault or hurdles as it would be too dangerous,” coach Jim Miks said. The team finished in third of three at Palatine; yet, some competitors weren’t blown away by the winds. The team had two relays that finished first, as well as sophomore Kelly Hill winning pole vault, and Michelle Brown placing first in the hurdles. “I’ve done everything I can so far to prepare myself for the best competition, which has mainly come from Prospect right now,” Brown said. Prospect won the MSL last year, and has maintained their competition level this year. The girls team took first at the Willowbrook Invite, on April 7 and were able to defeat the four other teams. “It was a huge accomplishment for our team,” Fotos added. The team has had major contributions from sprinters Laura Bjankini and Rachel Fredrick and Fotos as well as Brown in Hurdles in the track part of the team. As for the field events, both senior Erica Hill and K. Hill have been defying gravity in the long jump and pole vault respectively, along with further point assistance from senior Meg
TIMEOUT!
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Q:
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What has led to your hitting success so far this season?
Cerniglia. The team completed their indoor season on March 16 at the MSL Indoor meet at North Central College in Naperville. The team finished fourth at the meet with individual first places from both of the Hills. The fourth place finish was a nice improvement from when the team placed seventh at the end of the outdoor season last year, despite the losses of two state qualifiers. This improvement is reflective of the team’s willingness to improve. “We’ve all been working really hard and training since the beginning of the year,” Brown said. The training has also been reflected in the number of personal records that each competitor has set thus far into the season. “With some more hard work, I can’t wait to see where it’ll take me by the end of this season,” Brown added. As for the rest of the season, the team looks as if they are going to have to continue fighting the weather, but Fotos assures that they will continue to be prepared to be in either the weight room or on the track everyday.
Tonight in sports Girls Water Polo at Vernon Hills “It will allow us to improve our double hole set and also get people more playing time,” junior Jillian Hoffman said.
I’ve been seeing the ball well and having more confidence from playing on the varsity stage.
Q:
What do you think the team needs to do to be successful this year?
We need to play good defense and the rest will take care of itself.
Q:
What do you like most about the group of guys this year?
There is a lot of depth on the rosters and that’s led to having a lot contributors.
Boys Baseball vs. Palatine “They always have a solid team, and we can’t take them lightly. This game means a little more to us because we lost to them in the playoffs last year,” senior Brendan Starr said.