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Volume 12 Issue 1 April 8, 2011 John Hersey High School 1900 E. Thomas Street Arlington Heights. Illinois 60004
E X T R A
T
Jessica Lynk affirmative action were not immediately avail-
ime to do homework, time to sleep, and time for vacation- time seems to be on students’ minds. Students seem to have trouble accomplishing all of their work. Cramped scheduling may result in falling behind in school or just wasting time. “When I am doing homework, I find stuff to distract me,” freshman Grace Morley said. Distractions such as YouTube and other technology drains students of their motivation to do school work. Fifty-three percent of kids ages 12-17 admitted to doing at least one other activity while studying or doing homework, according to the Los Angeles Times. The computer now has a role in homework, like online textbooks and other research tools, but the computer can also become a vortex of distractions. “ Any on-line activities, like Facebook or video games, can distract students, but it really is student based. The quality of the school work goes down because of lack of concentration [be-c a u s e of distractions],” AP Human Geography teacher Melissa Mabry said. Over the years, technology has developed from sorting through the card catalog in libraries to typing in a problem in Yahoo! Answers. Earlier generations didn’t have the opportunity to distract themselves with internet, texting, and video games. “Our parents generation probably had an easier time doing homework because they had less distractions and not the same technology we have today,” sophomore Julia Thielen said. The Internet was launched to the general public in 1991-only 20 years ago. The resources to look up the definition to gerrymandering or
able. This information would not be found in 2.5 seconds by searching it into Google. Search engines like Google and Yahoo reduces homework time dramatically. The internet can be a great opportunity and tool for school. The internet can be used to look up words, write an essay, or can be a great study tool, but students are normally so addicted to addictinggames.com or You Tube. Students can also
ce a p e h t ing
use it as an excuse to parents on why they are on the computer for hours. “If I am on the computer late at night and my parents want me to get off sometimes I’ll say it’s for homework and they stop bugging me about it,” senior Emily Schneider said. Time management for school, homework, updating statuses, playing sports, and being involved in extra-curricular activities can begin to become a juggling game for students. Homework begins to be put to the back of minds as relaxing and going to practice becomes the first priority. “I think it’s addicting to be on a social networking site. Even if you check it, it snowballs and you seem to spend a lot of time on it,” Mabry said. Putting off homework then affects grades. “Not doing your homework does affect your grade. It may not seem like it at first, but the assignments add up and in the end it really affects your grade,” Thielen said. Struggling to
When would you like school to start?
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do homework seems to be a major problem for most athletes and others that are involved in school activities. The moment spring break ends, students start to count down days left in school. They think about getting out of school as soon as they walk into it. Most students want more breaks, and fewer school days, but the problem arises that the summer then becomes shortened. “We shouldn’t have longer breaks because I feel we should have more summer days [off],” freshman Brin Joseph said.
Aug 2 Aug 23 Sep 6
Ad d i n g days to spring break can mean a longer vacation time, but the effects would then be a shorter summer and more time to forget lectures, math equations, and books. Another concern for students is getting more time to sleep. Extra z’s means more focused minds and more lively students. A study taken by the Journal of Adolescent Health found that as much as two-thirds of high school students get less than seven hours of sleep each night. To fix the problem of less sleep, a solution would be to start school later, but then school would end later and that would leave no time for extra-circular activities. Later start means less time to do homework and more distraction by technology. Students spend more time on leisurely activities than doing school work. Complaints about being in school and talk about break seems to always be the topic of conversation. Students skip homework and play Call of Duty or go on Face-book. Time flies when students decide to waste it on other things.
Start school earlier and get out earlier
41% Start school at the same time
47.5% Start school later and get out later
11.5%
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J2 Extra
News
April, 8 2011
Closer to cure for cancer with every cut Tom Schroeder St. Baldrick’s day came front and center once again to find a cure for childhood cancer. Students were able to get their head shaved for $20 all the proceeds went to children cancer research on March 17. St. Baldrick’s started as a head shaving contest during a St. Patrick’s Day party at an office to help kids with cancer. Those who volunteered raised $104,000, $87,0000 over their goal of $17,000. Now St. Baldrick’s has turned into the largest volunteer fundraiser for children with caner and funds the most grants to childhood cancer, excluding the government. Since the start of the fundraiser, St. Baldrick’s has shaved 147,000 heads and raised over $90 million for childhood cancer research, as stated on stbaldricks.org. This event was held in the Titre room. All of the volunteers had their head shaved by students at Empire Beauty School. “We had fifty students signed up, plus walk in’s,” social science teacher Mark Gunther said, “With the faculty, there will be close to 75 maybe 100 people getting their head shaved.” St. Baldrick’s started here when a student had a family member that was diagnosed with cancer. The student came to the school and asked if there could be a fundraiser to help children with cancer. The student’s family member was not a child, but he still came up with the idea of having St. Baldrick’s come to Hersey. “The social and emotional impact of the students giving up their time and shaving off their hair for children with cancer is amazing,” Gunther said. Science teacher, Mary Kemp, had her head shaved when students raised $6,200, beating goal being of raising $6,000. “We put poster up, sold green hair extensions, asked for donations during lunch, and advertised it on the announcements,” senior Lindsey Peterson said. Students from S.O.S were in charge of St. Baldrick’s Day. The most rewarding part of St. Baldrick’s Day according to Peterson was, “How much we raised and how people would come and throw a dollar in the buckets.”
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Dan Mika
enior Morgan Ferraresi gives junior Patrick Rayner’s a hair cut for St. Baldrick’s Day to help find a cure for childhood cancer. This was the sixth year that Hersey teamed up with St. Baldrick’s to find a cure for cancer. The total money raised was $10,125 and 55 people had their head shaved.
News
April, 8 2011
MS walk sets up for success
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enior Carlos Salgado looks at M.S. walk sign up information. This walk will help raise money to end the devastating effects Multiple Sclerosis. This is the 17th year that Hersey students and staff have participated in the M.S. walk. Even dogs are welcome to join their owners. Maddi Lipowski
Julia Kedzior The Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.) walk has been a tradition for several years, and it’s just around the corner. The three mile walk will take place May 1 at Harper College. “The purpose of the walk is to raise money to end the devastating effects of M.S., which is a chronic disease of the central nervous system,” security personnel Nancy Anderson, who is in charge of the walk, said. The disease can cause anything from numbness in limbs to paralysis or loss of vision. It is the number one disabling disease of young adults. In 1994, a group of eight members raised about $500 for M.S.. Students and staff have been raising money and participating in the walk ever since.
There are many benefits of joining this group effort. The participants receive a free picnic lunch, snacks, Brunswick Zone bowling passes, and C.V. credit to any Huskies that raise at least $25. “Since 1994, Hersey has raised over $95,000 and has been recognized by the M.S. Society as the Top Fundraising school in the country,” Anderson said. Students can sign up for the M.S. walk by picking up a registration envelope in the attendance office. Then they can start raising money and turn it in before May 1. Hersey has won the Gold Award three times in the past for raising significantly large amounts of money. Last year, the school raised $5,033...Let’s see if the Huskies can beat that this year.
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J2 Extra
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t the Obama administration described the plan as part of an effective strategy for keeping the invasive fish at bay while long-term biological controls are developed.
Libya conflict continues Inspired by unrest in fellow North African countries, Libyan rebels have begun a campaign to overthrow leader Muammar Gaddafi. The rebels have captured almost every city in the Eastern half of the country and are advancing on the capital, Tripoli. Pro-Gaddafi forces led air strikes on residential zones and rebel strongholds to flush out rebels, but stopped when the UN ordered a no-fly zone over Libyan airspace along with allied missile strikes on Gaddafiloyal strongholds. This has prompted the rebels to take multiple cities in the center of the country, including the major oil towns which have refused to give away power in the past. Gaddafi has ruled Libya autocratically for 42 years, often crushing any political opposition with brutal efficiency. “In the process of protecting his power, he’s slaughtering his own people,” said junior Erik Kowols. Rebels recently told BBC News that they fear “genocide” soon if the UN does not intervene. Other nations have been reluctant to commit to either side because it’s unclear what the rebels will do with the nation’s considerable oil deposits if they seize control of the country. “I heard speculation that oil will be up to $5 a gallon over the summer due to Libya’s crisis,” said junior Peter Saunders. Dan Mika
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Opinions Students hope for less cluttered schedules
April, 8 2011
J2 Extra In
OUR Opinion
ute “skinny” classes. They managed to fit in an extra class that can be used for anything students want or need. Block schedules allow for an extra period each day, which can be used for a required class, an elective or another lunch (music to the ears of incoming seniors.) A block schedule is an alternative to the one used right now. Every day can be something different- dare we say itexciting. The extra period opens up more electives, giving students more chances to find out what they want to do in this world.
Econ?
Every day, students drudge to their classes, the same ones every day for an entire semester. It’s not difficult to fall into monotony after a few weeks. But there is a solution, and it’s been used in this district for years. Both Rolling Meadows and Wheeling use block schedules to change up their schedules. Students right now don’t have enough space for elective classes in this current scheduling system. Students have to take English, math, history and science (unless you’ve been suffering from a terrible case of senioritis) along with a lunch and gym period. It wouldn’t be so bad if there weren’t so many graduation requirements. Students have to take information processing and E-consumerism class, and a fine arts class. Out of the electives students get, they lose some of them to classes they might not want to take. That leaves the students with diverse interests in a bind. If there’s not enough space in the schedule or the class got filled up, a student might have to drop her lunch or, *gasp*, take it in summer school. Rolling Meadows has nine periods a day, made up of four 90-minute “block” classes and five other 45-min-
Boy bands bring back blissful memories
Jesssica Lynk
A few nights ago, I was cleaning out/ throwing out all my CDs because the new age of iTunes. I found no use for them anymore. That was until I found my old N*Sync, Aaron Carter, and Backstreet Boys CDs and I realized how much of my childhood was wrapped around this music. Everyday I would play Barbie dolls while listening to my Aaron Carter CD, hoping I could be that Candy girl he was referring to in “I Want Candy.” I could have bought the songs on iTunes or just burned them to my library, but something about having the actual CD in my hand made me keep it.
As my thoughts began to race, I thought of how music has really changed throughout my life. Going from the Sesame Street theme song, to N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys, to now Bruno Mars and Pitbull. Music changes with age as we acquire new vocabulary and pick up new habits from peers and mentors. Year after year, music changes as the new kids began listening to the new music. New artists begin to preform and chose what they think should be the new “style” of music. Each decade seems to come with influence from the last decade, and it ,without fail, comes with haters (mostly parents who are opposed to the new music). The vulgarity that increases with each new style of music tends to turn elders away. Growing-up comes as fast as a rapid Emeniem rap. Of course music is exactly like growing up, it starts off slow and picks up as it goes. Just like a good song, there are always ups and downs, fast and
Maddi Lipowski
slow points, and of course, good lyrics to carry friends through. Just like the songs that represent life, there is always a song to represent my day. The fast one for the days I got 16 hours of sleep or am just in a really good mood. Then, there is the days where I am surviving off 4 hours of sleep and a cup of coffee. Of course there are those days where everything seems to come crashing down, so you bring out the classics and listen to them to reminisce about the good old days. Remembering the days of boybands and cheesy music videos, I realized how much we change. People come into our life and leave, but it is nice to remember all he good times and return to the classics. It’s great to just reflect on how much life has changed. Carrying through life can be difficult, seeing as age comes with more responsibility, but sometimes returning to the classic Backstreet Boys can be a nice change to the songs about drugs and partying.
J U S T S AY I N ’ Hot ‘n cold: why not warm?
Every girl at this school has had to use the bathroom at some time or another and hopefully washed her hands afterwards. But that necessary act of sanitation is hampered by the extremes of the bathroom faucets- either as hot as Death Valley in August or as freezing as Antarctica in the winter. It’s hard to soap up and scrub when you’re in pain, and while there may be other schoolwide issues, bathroom quality should not be one of them. Issues with extreme water temperatures could easily be fixed by getting faucets where it’s possible to adjust the temperature- and while the occasional non-believer may say to press both the hot and the cold handles at the same time, that doesn’t help. One of the water temperatures will run longer or overpower the other one, and then it’s back to choosing between being frozen or scalded. While ‘would you rather burn to death or freeze to death’ may be an interesting rhetorical question, a girl shouldn’t have to pick her poison when she is just trying to stay clean. Just sayin.’ Melanie Cohodes
Spanish?
Rule rates ridiculous and annoying
HTV mouse needs cat to chase it Everyday in second hour we are privileged to watch the fine work the media class on HTV. However, every day we are forced to watch that annoying arrow waiting for it to move. It never does. For the students who work hard to create HTV, seeing an arrow on the middle of the screen must be annoying after all the hard work they put into producing it. It’s usually right in the middle of the screen, making it a distraction when we’re trying to see the people who are on the screen. It shouldn’t be too difficult to move the cursor all the way to the left. Just sayin’. Brian Loomis
In the assignment notebook, there are 44 pages of the code of conducts. One of the most monitored school rules is the cell phone policy. Rule two on page 14 states that the phone “remains in the ‘off ’ position and be stored in a locker, backpack, purse, pocket, or other place where it is not visible during the student’s instructional schedule during a regularly scheduled school day. A ‘regularly scheduled school day’ is defined as the moment a student arrives on school grounds...” But under rule number three it states, that during the lunch hours, students can use cell phones and other electronic devices, other than paging devices and twoway radios in the cafeteria and commons. The privilege to use cell phones at all during the day is greatly appreciated, but why aren’t we allowed to use them before school? If staff is concerned about cheating, it’s more likely to take place during lunch when students are actually in class rather than before school. Mackenzie Francis
Opinions
April, 8 2011
J2 Extra
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Sugar Ray knocks out his legacy Student sass Dan Mika
I was sitting in my living room, working on something on my laptop as my mom watched yet another guy “look” for his “true love” among a group of “respectable women” on “The Bachelor.” I got noise-canceling headphones specifically to tune out the TV. They were doing a pretty good job until they announced the new cast of Dancing With the Stars. I was typing along, listening to something on Youtube and not caring at all when one name pierced the safety of the barriers: “Sugar Ray Leonard.” I stared into space for a second, then looked at the screen. There he was, Sugar Ray Leonard, one of the greatest boxers to ever step in a ring and punch another guy in the face, announcing that he’s competing on a show whose target demographic also enjoys fine programming such as “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant,” “Honey We’re Killing the Kids,” “1719 Kids and Counting,” and “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”. I could only ask one three-letter question: why? What solid reason would there be for
him to go on such a boring show? He was the world champion in the Middleweight division twice and the Welterweight champ three times. He was arguably the greatest fighter to ever step in a ring during the 80’s. Sure, he gets paid $125,000 just to appear on the show, but he doesn’t need the cash. I highly doubt he managed to blow through the $100 million he made fighting in 20 years or so (unless he decided to throw a few parties on a biblical scale.) People might say, “there’s plenty of other athletes that were on that show. Emmitt Smith, Apolo Ohno, Shawn Johnson, Kristi Yamaguchi, Jason Taylor...” I can give a pass to Shawn and Apolo since everyone kind of forgets about them until their respective Olympics roll around. Everyone else danced because they were irrelevant at the time. And that is what it’s all about: these athletes are some of the greatest to ever play their respective sports, but instead of riding into the sunset with their respectability intact, they go on the hunt for another trophy. But what’s a more impressive trophy to have: a belt that conabc.com firms his status as one of the most dangerous people on the face of the planet; (essentially Jules’ wallet in “Pulp Fiction”) made out of the finest leather money can buy and studded with diamonds, or a disco ball attached to a piece of metal that’s been spray-painted silver?
Did your schedule prevent you from taking a class that you wanted to take? Freshman
Emma Mallers
“I wanted to take photography, but I couldn’t because I had to take info. processing.” Sophomore
Annie Cannata
“What’s on your mind?” Susannah Sinard
“OMG that was so funny”, “Haha me and (random friend) had soo much fun at the mall”, and the ever so commom, “I hate homework!” can all be seen on everyone’s shared Facebook walls. But, why do people feel the need to tell the whole world, or let alone their exclusive friend list, about experiences that everyone else deals with as well? I do enjoy reading funny Facebook statuses, but it seems that all the statuses worth reading are typed by non-high school students. Why? Well, it could be that teenagers don’t really understand what the world is and isn’t interested in. But I came up with a conclusion with the statuses. Facebook is an automatic braggingrights arena that feeds on who can type out the
event that just occurred first or tagging people and automatically stating that the friend reading wasn’t invited. According to an article by “Time,” people, especially adults, are considered social hermits when it comes to talking face-to-face. People tend to get all their social news out in updates throughout the day. Instead of meeting an old friend from college at a coffee shop to catch up, people can go on Facebook in the coffee shop and “poke” them. Whenever I have absolutely nothing to do, I admit that I check Facebook. But one thing that I refuse to do is post a status (unless I’m really excited about something), and my wall shows that. I don’t like the fact that the whole world can pinpoint what I’m doing at that second. Sure, if swamped with seven hours of homework, the dog is at the vet, or someone just had surgery, post away. (But one should not expect a lot of comments or likes). The truth is, if anyone has something to brag, complain about, or tell the whole world about., tweet it. Keep the news feeds clean and funny.
J2 Extra Edition
is published once a year by the journalism 2 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. J2 Extra welcomes a free exchange of ideas. Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of J2 Extra 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. J2 Extra 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 J2 Extra staff. Materials in this newspaper are the property of J2 Extra 2010-11. J2 Extra is a member of numerous press associations. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/ KRT Campus High School Newspaper Service.
Editors-in-Chief
Mackenzie Francis Jessica Lynk
Managing Editors Maddi Lipowski Carlos Andina
News Editor Tom Schroeder
In-Depth Editors Jordan Graff Julia Kedzior
Entertainment Editors
Features Editor
Susannah Sinard Melanie Cohodes
Megan Boyle
Graphics Editor
Maddi Lipowski
Carlos Andina
Sports Editors Scott Bakal Brian Loomis
Opinions Editor Dan Mika
“I wanted to take sports/ entertainment marketing, but I had to take info. processing instead.” Junior
Nolan Irelan
“When I was a freshman, I took classes like foods, so now I have to make up all of the required classes.” Senior
Zak Whitehead
Photo Editor
Adviser Janet Levin
“I was going to take more computer classes, but it was only offered second period.”
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In-Depth iPhone fails frustrate students
April, 8 2011
J2 Extra
LOL my dog is
Jordan Graff one of my friends, because friend.
afraid of baboons!
I would be too... O.O How’d you find this out anyway?
Idk, they’re all over the place :)
... Are you okay?
OH! *Balloons. Dang it, stupid autocorrect!!
People with iPhones can all feel each others pain when it comes to auto correction failing. The one problem that many seem to have is not looking at what they are sending. Examples of these misspellings are vast and sometimes really funny. “One time I was trying to type to my friend, at the end of the conversation I accidentally said that I would ‘pee her later’,” freshman Emma Mallers said. Compared to some other auto corrections, Maller’s wasn’t that bad. Not only are misspellings easy with an iPhone, but sending a message to the wrong person happens frequently with iPhone users. These are sometimes even worse than the spelling malfunctions. “I was talking about
smartphOWNED.com
I was mad at her and I accidently sent (the text) to the friend I was mad at,” said freshman Megan Nocita. Common situations
that can occur, could be a boyfriend texting his best friend about his girlfriend and sending to her rather than him. Or telling a mom about the crazy party attended the night prior instead of sending it to a
Often the people who send these messages get in trouble. Their parents could ground them or their significant other could break up with them. “I was trying to send a text to one of my friends that I had never texted before and it happened to be an eight year-old girl’s cell phone number,” said sophomore Emily Russell. Not all of these missent text messages are bad though, and some even end up with a “happy ending.” For example, a girl sending the guy that she likes a message about him and finding out he feels the exact same way. Most of the time though, these accidents end with a stern punishment. To prevent this, all one has to do is look and make sure he or she is texting the right thing and the right person.
Oops moments give students something to smile about
Maddi Lipowski
Embarrassing moments happen everywhere whether students want others to see them or not. People fall, trip, slip, send embarrassing text messages to wrong people, and embarrass themselves in front of their crushes. In the end, everyone usually ends up with a good laugh. “I threw up in the hallway in front of everyone, and continued into the girls bathroom. I know every-
one’s going to be talking about it the rest of the week,” said an anonymous senior. Embarrassing moments don’t necessarily always have to happen in school though. “I was at the park with a bunch of friends and I fell backwards off the swing, hit my head, and threw up,” freshman Mike Freda said. Sophomore Heidi Lundquist knows how he feels because she has had a similar experience. “I was walking home with my friend
and my other friend ran up and glumped me, I fell and hurt my knee and I was only half way home.” Whether embarrassing moments happen by accident or are intentionally perpetrated by class clowns, they’ll be forgotten eventually. Unless they were really funny, then no one’s forgetting any time soon. “I was going over to my boyfriend’s and slipped on my friend’s coat and fell in front of everyone,” sophomore Abby Johnson said.
Maddi Lipowski
F
reshman Sabrina Barrett laughs at a student’s oops moment during school.
YouTube gives teens good laugh Julia Kedzior
o n my a cu t t o t o g I “ I had e a l i p, s o u p p e r b a n d - a id l i k w e a r a e .” ch ei h mu s t a Da h n w le a d n y T shman F re
n
e re sc a to in t.” i n e ra rok m “I d b im Gr ore an or dy om a M oph S
them,” Toffenetti said. It seems like no matter how many views a video gets, or how many Facebook likes or comments it gets, it will still be as funny as the first time we saw or heard of it. Whether it’s in class, with friends, or surfing the net alone, embarrassing YouTube videos will always be cherished and appreciated by millions of viewers desperate for a goofy distraction.
do
Almost everybody has seen those classic embarrassing YouTube videos like “Charlie Bit My Finger,” “Scarlett Takes a Tumble,” and “Watermelon Launch,” but what makes these videos so entertaining? Is it the moment when someone falls off of a chair or starts screaming uncontrollably that makes us crack up and watch the video over and over again? Or is it the excitement of showing the funny clip to all of
friends and family that makes the video so like-able? “I don’t get why it’s such a big deal,” freshman Lizzy Toffenetti said. “I personally don’t pay attention to them.” Some claim that the videos are merely a hoax, or a plea for attention from the public, but to others, these captured moments are simply a funny detour from a homework assignment, or just a good laugh. “My friends tell me about them, and they have me watch
lea “In an ning thir ba d I w bac d gr c a k an k, I g as a on mde, I d it rab bou y was fe b t ch Pa ll on ed m to air, ula me y d fall Ju es nio Steff .” k r ens en
Features
April, 8 2011
Brites Another idol hopeful bred from Chicago
The suburbs of Chicago are pretty used to the fame of American Idol by now. In 2004, Chicago native Jennifer Hudson made it to the top seven of American Idol before being sent home. And, of course, last year’s winner, Lee DeWyze, was born and raised in Mt. Prospect. Just a year later, another Chicagoland native has made it into the top ten. Haley Reinhart is a twenty year old singer from Wheeling. Reinhart has been characterized by her raspy voice and occasional growl, which makes for very entertaining music. “I think she has great chances because her voice is very clear and she has good harmony,” senior Ryley Spencer said. Although Reinhart has been in the bottom three before, judge Randy Jackson gave her the best compliment of all last week saying she had the best performance of the night. It looks like Chicago has a good chance of bringing home a second straight idol, something never done on the show before. Megan Boyle
J2 Extra
Comfy clothes cover student hallways Megan Boyle It is impossible to pinpoint an exact style of high school students. Walking through the halls, styles ranging from sweatpants and a sweatshirt to skirts and heels can be seen. Most times people with the same interests tend to dress the same. Junior Hannah Morley knows how it feels to try and use clothing to fit in. “At my old school, I used to dress really nice because that’s what my friends did, but here my friends have influenced me to dress more casually,” Morley said. “Now I usually wear jeans or sweats with a sweatshirt everyday to school.” Some students save their nice clothes for the weekends. “I don’t dress up as much for school because I like to look nice when I go out on a Friday or Saturday night,” Morley said. “I basically try to be stylish but still comfy when I go to school.” “I have like two separate closets for school and the weekends,” junior Kyle Paklaian said. Finding the right balance between comfy and style can cause some problems. “I don’t care if people like what I wear, but I don’t want people to think I don’t care how I look either. It’s sometimes hard to find the perfect balance,” Morley said. Some students don’t worry as much about their appearance. “I usually wake up late, so I just throw on whatever I can find,” said freshman Arturo Salgado. No matter how people dress, most agree that uniforms would not be a good idea. “I’ve had to wear a uniform before and they are uncomfortable and everyone looks the same,” Morley said. During middle school, brands like Abercrombie and Hollister were popular wear, but now it is pretty uncommon to see these brands,
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especially with upperclassmen. “I used to wear scarves and layers and wear a lot of Abercrombie shirts, but now I don’t really care about the brand names as much,” Morley said. Not only has Morley ditched her Abercrombie clothes, but she has also realized that many of her classmates have done the same. “I’d say most kids at our school wear sweats and a sweatshirt, which is cool because I know at a lot of the schools in our area girls dress up everyday,” Morley said. Students show their fashion in many different ways, but it doesn’t change someone’s personality. “I think Hersey’s the most accepting and laid back school in our a r e a ,” Morley said.
Maddi Lipowski
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tudents show off their comfy clothes which include jeans, boots, and sweatshirts.
Seniors ready to take on college experience
S
Hemera Clip Art
eniors prepare to take on the full-on university experience. This includes choosing roommates, classes, and scholarships.
Tom Schroeder
The time is here, when seniors start the next step in their lives. The excitement of receiving the acceptance letter from the college of their dreams is a big moment in a senior’s life. However, more work is to be done. A long list of forms await seniors including scholarships, financial aid, housing and dining plans, finding a roommate, and figuring out what classes to take in college. Filling out scholarships is a hard and strenuous process. Seniors are filling out forms and writing essays about why they deserve the scholarship that they are applying for. On top of this, seniors have to find letters of recommendation from teachers or employees. Filling out scholarships is a long process, but all the hard work is worth it in the end when some money comes through. “I have gotten the Depaul Presidential Award and Indiana University Scholars Award. I have also received money from Butler Univer-
sity,” senior Justin Mazzarella, who has applied to multiple universities, said. Many students are able to obtain scholarships for being involved in athletics or writing left handed. “I have applied to the to the Tall Club of Chicago,” Mazzarella included. After the scholarship process, seniors have to figure out where they want to live while they are away at college. For most, this will be the first time that they are going to be living alone, so it is important that they choose the right dorm or apartment. When colleges hand students the form for housing, the college will also give a form to the student to find a roommate. Sometimes roommates are assigned randomly and sometimes there’s a survey that matches one student with another who seems compatible. “I found my roommate on Facebook, through friends,” senior Stefanie Mueller said. Before entering high school, students had to choose the eight classes that they wanted to take. Seniors are going through the same process all over again, except this time there are twice as many classes to choose from. Classes range from rock n roll history to psychology. The hardest part for a senior is to choose a class he will enjoy and classes that apply to his major. Even with all of this stress and the long processes of scholarships and housing forms, seniors are anxious to start the new chapter in their lives. They are excited to meet new people, get involved with activities, and participate in school events, including football games. “I’m looking forward to living on my own and taking classes that I actually like,” Mazzarella said. “But the only thing I have ready for college is a computer.”
Gender-neutral housing an option in near future Colleges around the country are changing to gender neutral housing, which allows students to have the option of having a roommate with the same or different gender. This change has been in the minds of Rutgers University officials due to a recent incident involving Tyler Clementi, an 18 year-old student at the university who committed suicide after a sexual video was posted live on the internet of himself with another male student. The death of Clementi was an eye opener for Rutger University. The reason behind the change to gender neutral housing is because Rutgers University officials want the students to have a more comfortable living situation. “It makes living at college more comfortable for students”, senior Ryan Widdis said. “I don’t think gender neutral housing is a good idea,” senior Juilette Makara said. Even though universities around the country are trying to make the living situation during college more comfortable, some believe that living with the opposite sex makes it more uncomfortable. “ I do not like the idea of being roommates with a guy I’ve never met before.” Makara included. “I would not participate in gender neutral housing.” Tom Schroeder
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A T T
Remember that show?
O G
Susannah Sinard
Don’t limit seeing “Limitless” Jordan Graff Humans only use around 20 percent of their brain. What if someone could unlock the rest of it? In “Limitless,” Eddie Morra is a soon to be author who suffers from major writers block- until a friend introduces him to an unheard of drug called MDT. When Eddie takes this drug, it lets him access the other 80 percent of his brain. Instantly, Eddie’s writer’s block is gone and he begins to realize that as much as he loves to write, he wants to move on to politics and other high status jobs. He becomes a genius and works for some of the biggest companies in the world. But the drug has a dark side and leads to multiple near death experiences and gets Eddie into trouble with other users of the drug. “Limitless” is a clever movie that really makes people think about the limits of the human mind and how we use it. This science fiction movie has a lot of action to it and will make even the most least interested person in science fiction wonder what its like to be a genius.
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Black leaves students in the dark Megan Boyle
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Thanks to the new song “Friday” by Rebecca Black, I now know the days of the week. With over 86 million views on Youtube, it is hard not to be familiar with the internet phenomenon. I first heard the song a couple of weeks ago and thought I was listening to a random teenage girl who made a parody to a different song. Little did I know that it was a legitimate song made by a legitimate record company. The song features a 13 year old girl who is getting ready to party on the weekend. However, I wasn’t aware a 13 year old was allowed to drive a car, like shown in the music video. The lyrics are terrible and Black’s voice is completely auto-tuned. Although it’s hard not to listen to the worst song in the world, I would recommend only listening to it once. Any other amount may keep the horrible song stuck in your head forever.
“Angles” attacks from every corner
Dan Mika something that’s much noisier than
After spending five years away from each other to work on solo projects, the band came back to write their fourth LP, “Angles.” The title, bassist Nikolai Fraiture said, comes from the fact that every member of the quintet contributed to the project instead of frontman Julian Casablancas leading the way. But their method of creating the album was certainly unorthodox. The rest of the band recorded the album’s instrumentals and then sent it to Casablancas, who added in the vocals by himself. Sometimes the best way to do something is to do it outside of the box. “Angles” seems to combine 80’s rock and electronic influences with the Stroke’s uniquely clear and somewhat minimal sound, creating
April, 8 2011
Review
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previous albums. The closest you’ll find to the old Strokes is “Under Cover of Darkness” (fun fact: when the band went on SNL to plug the album, Casablancas dropped an F-bomb at the end of that song.) That’s followed by the guitar-shredding “Two Kinds of Happiness.” “Games” comes out of nowhere sounding like a MGMT track. “Gratisfaction” is another throwback to the old sound, followed by the manic “Metabolism” and ends with a chilled out “Life is Simple in the Moonlight.” I enjoyed the variety that the album brings to the Stroke’s discography, but long-time fans will be disappointed with the way the album progresses.
As teens, we can all remember shows that were around when we were little. Some shows we’re all guilty of watching are “Blues Clues,” “Kipper,” “Little Bear,” “Rollie Pollie Ollie,” and many more. Some shows that are on the air now, like “Fish Hooks,” “Adventure Time,” “Chowder,” and others may seem foreign to us, but our little neighbors and siblings thrive on the animation. When we were little, shows mainly taught us about friendship, how to build things, shapes, colors, problem-solving, and manners, often through song. Kids these days are learning about failing tests, magical powers, and eating in big amounts. The big question is, where are the shows from our past, and where are the important concepts that they taught us? The shows from our time may seem little-kiddish now, but most kids turn to “Cartoon Network” and “Disney Channel” because the shows on “PBS” seem too juvenile. One can gather that kids are growing up too fast in television terms, but why do they feel like all the sudden they have to? I remember when I was little, I used to watch shows that were made for me, but whenever I go to babysit, the kids are watching shows I would watch
now, and that doesn’t seem right to me. There really isn’t any reason why the shows from our past can’t come back and show reruns, but having to surf the channel list just to find a decent- age appropriate show that my little neighbors can watch is a hassle. As stated on kidshealth.org, toddlers and kids under age six spend about two hours a day watching television. The first two years of life are crucial for brain development, and today’s shows seem to be more addicting to kids as well. So, if a kid were to only watch “Chowder” or “Total Drama Island,” the brain development won’t be as worthwhile compared to a kid who watches “Arthur” or “Max and Ruby” on a daily basis. Also, according to TvGuide. com, shows tend to put more episodes in a block of time from after school until the traditional time for dinner, and kids keep watching without doing their homework or spending time outside. When I was little, I probably spent an hour a day watching television; my show, “Arthur,” would only come on once a day, then I would play with my little brother or go out shopping with my Mom. I have to say that I’m worried about the future of television, and at this rate, anything can come up on the screen.
Lavigne’s lullaby worth listening to Melanie Cohodes
of voice, less harsh than “The Best Damn Thing” and softer than some Avril Lavigne has been grac- of her other, ‘emo’ songs. The normal album has 14 ing the music scene ever since this tracks (“What The Hell,” “4 Real,” Ontario-born artist released her “Smile,” “Everybody Hurts,” “Push,” first album, “Let Go”, in 2002. Since “Remember When,” “Wish You then, she came out with two more Were Here,” “Darlin,” “Stop Standalbums, “Under My Skin” and “The ing There,” “Black Star,” “I Love Best Damn Thing” and was nomiYou,” “Not Enough,” “Goodbye,” nated for 8 Grammys (according to and the hidden track “Alice”) but the official Grammy website). the deluxe version comes with 19 L a v i g n e (some of them regained worldwide mixes or acoustic success with her versions of other single “Girlfriend,” tracks on the alwhich, accordbum, but there’s ing to Wired.com, also the new song gathered over 100 “Bad Reputation”). million views by This album August of 2008, reflects the newer, and was the first more mature side YouTube video of Lavigne; she isn’t to ever reach that that teenager singpoint. arvillavigne.com ing about stealing Throughout some other girl’s her time in the inboyfriend anydustry, Lavigne has more. Lavigne has gone through a transitioned from an alternative to marriage and subsequent divorce, more of an alt-pop, and her newest single, “What The Hell” certainly but still remains cordial with her reflects the newer side of this edgy ex-husband, who collaborated on some of the album with her. singer. As an entity, these songs reflect “What The Hell” is one of the what Lavigne has gone through and more boisterous songs on her newhow it’s changed her- although they est album, “Goodbye Lullaby.” As aren’t as immature or dark as past odd as it sounds, “Goodbye Lulwork, they still burst with the spirit laby” is a successful mash up of alof this spunky, unique artist. ternative and pop, with the familiar “Goodbye Lullaby” is a mustguitar and steady drum beats as her have for anyone who loved Laviolder music, but a softer approach gne before or is just getting hooked than before. Lavigne spends most now. of this album in a melancholic tone
April, 8 2011
Entertainment
J2 Extra
Pokémon Black & White released New game catches fans’ attention Melanie Cohodes
Pokémon Black and White is the latest Pokémon game to arrive, and the newest in a long series. According to the official Pokémon website, Pokemon. com, there have been 19 handheld games released, although some are merely remakes of others. Pokémon Black and White is the first original game in a while, and came out on March 6 in North America. Its plot line is like the other games, with a few minor changes. The player selects his or her character, travels across the ‘Unova region,’ (according to the official website, PokemonBlackWhite.com) battling Gym Leaders and the mysterious Team Plasma. Pokémon are captured and trained as the player gets further into the game, and this edition even offers a special chance to catch an
exclusive Pokémon- Victini, a fire and psychic type Pokémon. The arrival has been eagerly anticipated by longtime fans, like freshman Yvonne Wojciechowski. “(I’ve played Pokémon) Since I was, like, four,” Wojciechowski said. “I screamed (when I heard about Black & White),” Wojciechowski said. “I was really excited, I went out and pre-ordered it as soon as possible,” senior Ted Schwaba said. Black and White is meeting with the same attitude as most new games in a series- excitement from some and a bit of disappointment from others. “I’m playing both (Black and White), it’s cool! You can use TM’s as many times as you want, but I don’t like how the old Pokémon never show up, not until you get the National Dex,” Wojciechowski said. A ‘dex’ is slang for a Pokédex, the in game manual that records the information of
each captured Pokémon. “The new additions are a bit extreme, they got more complicated,” junior Ty Nocita said.
ed in their teenage years. The series aired on ABC but was eventually switched over to WB in 1995. Producers finally stopped the show in 1999, with a total of 120 episodes, as stated on tv.com. The show won one Emmy award, one Young Artist award, three Kids Choice awards, and
four Image awards during its life. In 2005 the Mowry twins came out with their first Disney Channel movie, “Twitches,” and a sequel in 2007. Breaking free from their close bond, Tamera starred in one season of the 2008 sitcom “Roommates,” and Tia has had little guest appearances on TV shows throughout the years. Where the sisters are now, though, is somewhat a mystery. As of 2011, the girls are 33 yearsold and according to vcstar.com, they both graduated from college with psychology degrees and are currently on hold with their acting careers. With “Sister Sister’s” end in 1999, many teenagers were devastated but glad to find out that a new live TV series called “The Amanda Show” started on Nickelodeon. The leading role was none other than at that time 13 year old Amanda Bynes. Besides that, she dressed up and played the role of many other minor characters too. “It was different. It was full of sketches and scenes, that’s why I loved it,” said freshman Amanda Durava. In 2002 the show reached an unexpected end. “I wish the ‘Amanda Show’ was still running,” said Durava. Bynescontinued to star in movies; later that year she starred in “Big Fat Liar,” “What A Girl Wants” in 2003, and “She’s The Man” in 2006. In the summer of 2010, she tweeted on Twitter, “I don’t love acting anymore, so I’ve stopped doing it.” Now 25 years old, Bynes has stuck to her statement and hasn’t had much involvement in front of the video camera. Durava said, “I haven’t seen her in anything recently. She like dropped off the face off the Earth!” In 2001, Hilary Duff became better known as “Lizzie McGuire.” Creator Terri Minsky of the hit TV series made it easy for preteens to relate to, with typical embarrassing parents
Melanie Cohodes reshman Yvonne Wojciechowski playing Pokemon at lunch.
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“I think the Pokémon are horribly drawn and have terrible gibberish names, but they made some cool game play innovations,” Schwaba said. “They’re awesome, really awesome,” freshman Erick Berg said about the two new games. “I like the mechanics, and it’s definitely as good as the rest, if not better,” Berg said. “I still think that the original Gold, Silver and Crystal were the best, but I think it’s fair considering a new (gaming) system hasn’t come out... But the Pokémon are unoriginal, I miss the old ones!” Wojciechowski said. Pokémon has been around for a while, and this is the first completely new game released in a while- who knows, maybe next there will be Pokémon popping out of a 3DS.
Fifteen minutes of fame- fifteen years of mediocrity Mackenzie Francis
The 1995 to 2005 decade was full of classic TV shows and movies for children and teenagers. One of these shows was “Sister Sister,” starring Tia and Tamera Mowry. The identical sisters were separated at birth and were reunit-
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and Miranda and Gordo, her everlasting friends. “I was pretty young, so I didn’t understand the plots, but if I was a teen at the time, I would have been able to relate with the stuff I know now,” freshman Iris Wenceslao said. The show continued on Disney Channel and even produced a movie up until 2004 when it was shut off air. “I miss the show, because it was a good old fashion family comedy, unlike the shows of today,” Wenceslao said. Since the shows end, Duff has scored leading roles on both the “Cheaper By The Dozen” movies and “A Cinderella Story.” In 2011 her fans can expect to see her in “Bloodworth,” “She Wants Me,” and “The Story Of Bonnie And Clyde”. Besides being on the TV screen, she has also become prominently known in the music and fashion industries. She has gone platinum with not one, but two albums and has her own clothing line. “I knew she had her own brand of stuff and that she was a singer,” said Wenceslao. As for 2012, Duff already has big plans to get back to her Lizzie McGuire character and start off with a new series called “Lizzie McGuire: College Life”. Wenceslao said, “I guess it will be a little exciting, but the TV series ended a while ago, so it will be weird having seen her all grown up.” Two of the actors that starred on “The Amanda Show,” Drake Bell and Josh Peck had their own outbreak in January of 2004, with a new show called “Drake and Josh.” The show was about two step brothers that were total opposites. Freshman Alysia Zaucha said, “It was funny, and I think that they should start a new season,” in response to the shows end in September of 2007. As of now, Drake and Josh are 24 years old. Drake is a musician and actor still and Josh has big plans for 2011 and 2012 acting wise. “I think they should have more episodes (of ‘Drake and Josh’). I hate seeing re-runs, I think I’d be cool to have it back on again,” said Zaucha.
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April, 8 2011
Sports
April, 8 2011
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11
P O Girls hit water, battle hard T FIVE
With Brian Loomis and a little bit of Scott Bakal
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. The boys tennis team is on a little bit of a cold streak right now, and I am not just talking about the weather. On March 29 the team traveled to the St. Viator tennis courts to take on the Lions. They battled long and hard against one another with a doubles win by Jake Wendell and Robin Shin as well as one other victory in a singles match. This resulted in a two match win, but a five match loss. said senior Danny Cha “We lost a lot of seniors this year, but we are trying to rebuild.” Apparently the Lions had an easier time adapting to the cold than the Huskies. The Huskies are next in action here on April 9.
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-Jessica Lynk
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he girls water polo team has been out-treading their competition so far this season. They have faced 12 opponents in their season and they have the JHHS Invite this Saturday. They have picked up some young blood in Natalie Curtis, the new freshman on the team. Curtis said, “it is good to be a freshman on a varsity team that has only lost two games.”
Water polo freshmen join forces with upperclassmen Melanie Cohodes Boys water polo just started and is sure to get better, and, as with every sport, every year there are ‘newbies.’ “There are a lot of them (new people on the team),” sophomore Jose Carvajal said. “They’re going to be having lots of fun learning how to play.” “I do (like it), very much- it’s one of my favorite sports,” said Carvajal, who has been playing since his freshman year. “Jose made me try out,” freshman J Maxwell said. J enjoys the sport as well, but it’s not just fun in the pool. “It’s very difficult, you have to push people around (who are) twice your size.” “I’m doing pretty good, I still need to improve a lot because I’m new at it,” freshman Bradley Niemczyk said. “We’re (the team) doing pretty good.” So far, the J.V. team, which all of the freshman are on, has been doing well. Although they
lost to St. Viator and Wheeling, they beat Hoffman Estates, Prospect, Maine East and Buffalo Grove. The new players seem to be adjusting well, and loving the sport. “Our team’s solid, we’re going strong,” freshman Nick Haskell said. “It’s a fun sport because you get to wear Speedos,” freshman George Vladimirov said. “But it’s hard because you have to tread water the whole time.” “Yeah, it’s really fun,” freshman Davis Gerew said, “it takes a lot of work to play, more than most people would think.” Since the J.V. team has most of the freshmen, the positions aren’t set yet. Maxwell is the only freshman goalie, and Vladimirov plays either Hole O or Hole D, but many others are shuffled around. “They have us all over the place because we’re freshmen,” Gerew said. Learning to play a new sport well takes effort, and the freshmen on this year’s J.V. team are putting in the time.
Out of season workouts prevent injuries Scott Bakal People argue over whether too much time is being put into high school sports. Students may need more time for schoolwork and sleep instead of spending hours lifting weights and practicing, even if the season is weeks away. “A lot of time is spent on sports, but it’s all worth it because we get better,” said freshman Kyle Polinski. In major league baseball players have a month for transformation from vacationing all winter to working hard all day. The high school athlete has the job of getting done in two hours of time every day, what professionals get done in a month. In practice, players go through a series of stretches called D-ROM (dynamic range of motion). “I feel D-ROM is very good and helps prevent injuries,” said freshman Lorenzo Farino. These stretches are a necessity because they protect players from injury down the road. Then
the players do an arm warm up. The rest is drills and sprints that get the players skills in tune and ready for a long season. Offseason work for any sports is what makes competing later in the season all worth it. Sophomore Brandon Veenendaal said, “Offseason work makes me stronger and better, I love it.” Practice during the year has a similar use. Instead of getting into shape it’s about maintaining it. Junior Lindsey Kordecky said about cheerleading practice,”It gets us ready for competition and helps us the way it would for any sport.” Freshman Joe Silva said about the importance of preseason work, “because of all the competition around, schools keep up to compete by working and practicing before the season starts, and that’s why it’s so important.” The high school athletes day may be a long one with school, homework, and sports but the work is necessary as freshman Will Jacobson said,” it’s necessary, practice makes perfect.”
March Madness is over, but I think that the madness was over when Butler stepped on to the floor in the second half. Butler which was an eight seed had battled its way to the Final Four and beat Virginia Commonwealth University advancing them into the championship. They were even winning at halftime thanks to a good defensive effort. They then let U Conn take the lead and then decided not to score. They finished the game with a field goal percentage 18.8 percent, a low in NCAA history. To be fair, it wasn’t even March when the game was played so people need to calm down about Butler’s performance.
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The girls track team has been going strong lately due to good leadership by seniors as well as quick young talent. “We have a very talented team this year, we won our last meet by more than one-hundred points,” said Coach James Miks. They ran against the Bison of Buffalo Grove and the Grenadiers of Elk Grove. The Grenadiers were trampled by the Bison at the starting line who ended up getting distracted by the grass on the side of the course. This allowed the Huskies to accelerate to an easy win over the Groves.
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. The king has been slayed. After worshipping and obeying the kings orders for six years, the Cavaliers sat back and watched as their hero abandoned them on national television. Tempers flared and the Cavaliers owner even said the Cavaliers would win a championship before the Heat. The Heat rolled into Cleveland comfortably in the three spot for the playoffs. They knew the atmosphere in Cleveland would be intense and the game would be physical. They didn’t know they would be down 11 at half time and that Cleveland’s bench would outscore their bench 32 to 6. The Cavaliers led, but the Heat still fought back tying the game at 83 yet they couldn’t hold on. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh disappeared offensively in the fourth quarter which allowed the Cavaliers to go on a 12-0 run with less than three minutes to go. The Cleveland fans were loving every minute of the teams first double digit win of the year.
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The girls soccer team has kicked off its season strong despite their first home game being a loss. Varsity has a good mix of older, more experienced players along with some players that are new to varsity. Coached by Brad Abel the team has started the season with a 6-1 record. They play in a tough conference and dropped their first match to Conant on Monday in their first home game. So here’s the plan, they play the rest of their games as far away from Roland Goins Stadium as possible to keep the winning going.
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Sports
Brian Loomis
April, 8 2011
Brian Loomis
Maddi Lipowski Maddi Lipowski
Brian Loomis
Brian Loomis
COACHES CORNER Who knows Hersey sports better? Q1: How many state championship teams did Hersey have? A: 8
Q2: What year did Hersey do away with the archery team? A: 1980 Q3: Name two coaches who currently coach the sport they once played at Hersey other than Jodi Blazek? A: Bob Huber, Steve Messer, Brad Robertson, Steve Keuhn
Ken Blazek answers
1: 8 2: 1976 3: Huber, Messer 4: 1978 5: Athletic Director 6: Roland 7: When I was head track coach and Pete St. Augustine won state shotput and when Kevin Havel won the 3200 meter state.
Q4: When did badminton become a sport at Hersey? A: 1977 Q5: Who is Ken Carter, the man they gym is named after? A: The former athletic director Q6: What is Mr. Goins’, the man the football field is named after, first name? A: Roland Q7: In your opinion what is the biggest moment in Hersey sports history?
Jodi Blazek answers
1: 5 2: 1977 3: Robertson, Huber 4: 1985 5: Athletic Director 6: Roland 7: When I coached the boys at state for volleyball