Spokesman Wheeling High School
900 S Elmhurst Rd., Wheeling, IL 60090
Page 4 Valentine s Day gifts, ranked
Volume 56
Issue 5
Page 6-7 Insight on 2020 candidates
January 31, 2020
Page 9 62nd Grammys review
whsspokesman.wixsite.com
Page 11
Remembering NBA star Kobe Bryant
Youth Council provides restorative justice
A drawing reenacting the jury asking Preston Robertson, school resource officer, questions under the mediation of judge Louis Wool, law teacher. Graphic drawn by Muskan Naqvi, junior.
Kamila Walus
Associate Editor-In-Chief
Santiago Cuevas
Editor-In-Chief
Coming to WHS this semester is a new addition to the law pathway curriculum, and an extension to the restorative justice model- the new Youth Council program. Created by Jackie Meo, dean, Louis Wool, law teacher, and Officer Preston Robertson, school resource officer, this program is designed to provide an educational and restorative experience for students who have violated school rules. The law classes work closely together with police officers, social workers and deans in a peer jury to help provide an alternative remedy for student offenders, rather than have them take matters outside of school and into the court system. “Prior to the Youth Council, if a student committed an ordinance violation or a misdemeanor, the only options would be to get arrested, go to court or a municipal citation where they would have to pay a fine. Neither one of which does anything to benefit the student, per se, or working the relationship back together with the student and the school community,”
Robertson said. Moving forward, when a student violates behavioral codes and commits a violation of the village, or a misdemeanor law, a dean will refer the case to Wool. After the consequences are given to the student offender by the dean, they can have their punishment reduced if they agree to have their case heard before the Youth Council. The Youth Council consists of 8 or 9 students enrolled in the law curriculum classes that are picked to ask questions of the offender, deans, police officers and social workers. Wool serves as a judge to make sure the boundaries are met. After all the questions are asked, the class meets and discusses a possible remedy for the offender, emulating a peer jury. “We’re really excited as a class to have this opportunity to apply what we’re learning in class to a real-life situation, you just can’t beat that for experience,” Wool said. It is up to the student jurors to decide an alternative remedy for the offender. Some examples that were introduced included writing an apology letter, working with the custodians to complete community service hours within the building, or holding open the door to greet students in the morning. “We’re really just asking the jurors to be
creative,” Meo said. “It’s not just ‘here’s your consequence, here’s your ticket or here’s your suspension, and then come back when you’re done.’ It’s more about how you are going to repair the harm that you caused in a meaningful way that’s really gonna help you understand the impact of your behavior, and why you’re not going to choose to do that again,” Meo continued. Students in the law pathway classes reacted positively to the new Youth Council program. “I think WHS will benefit from this program because there are students who do wrong things, and they can learn from this by being evaluated by their peers. Truly being reflective upon themselves and understanding that this school isn’t for wrongdoings helps understand that there will be consequences for their actions,” Stephanie Diaz, senior, said. Students participating in the Youth Council are required to sign an oath of confidentiality to be trusted with private student information. “We make it very clear that anything that’s discussed or brought up in the investigation during the time that we are talking to these students is confidential, and they are not to talk about it. We’re not really anticipating that we’re going to
have any issues. But if there’s an issue, then yes, there’s going to be consequences for those students,” Meo said. The first youth council session was held on Friday, Jan. 24 in the Center for Law and Equity courtroom accompanied by Robertson, Wool, Meo and Svetlana Fastovskaya, Lauren Manola and Vanessa Fuentes, social workers. Everyone in the courtroom began by standing up, raising their right hand and swearing an oath of confidentiality. Students in Wool’s fourth-period Constitutional Law class were able to ask the offender questions like “Did anyone encourage this behavior?”, “How did you feel when you did it?” and “How did the parents react?”. After interviewing the different parties, the staff stepped out and Wool gathered his class together to discuss a possible remedy. After coming to a decision, the offender was read the remedy and given a timeline to complete it, paired with a return date. “Overall, the first Youth Council session went well. We had a chance to debrief with the student/parent following the session and both parent and student were pleased with the outcome. We’re looking forward to the Youth Council to continue to grow as it becomes more of a central part of our restorative model here at WHS,” Meo said.
2
News
Spokesman Staff 2019-2020
EIU provides guaranteed admissions Jasmine Yusef Focus Editor
Editor-in-Chief Santiago Cuevas* Associate Editor-in-Chief Kamila Walus* News Editor Kamila Walus Arts Editor Ana Cozariuc* Feature Editor Santiago Cuevas Focus Editor Jasmine Yusef* La Voz Editor America Munoz* Entertainment Editor Rachel Lawson* Forum Editor Ana Malagon* Sports Editor Ethan Polak* Assistant Sports Editors Matthew Posner* Mitchell Fister* Copy Editor Ana Cozariuc* Social Media Manager Kaidence Katz Web Manager Ethan Polak Advertising Manager Jasmine Yusef Staff Reporters Chrissy Makris Jessica Bezkhlebetskiy Jasmine Bautista Melanie Aguilar Cecilia Herrera Ben Williams Yesenia Diaz Iran Teran Aria Giacomino Adviser John Uhrik
*Staff members with asterisks are members of the Editorial Board
This is the official student newspaper of Wheeling High School, 900 S. Elmhurst Road, Wheeling, Ill. 60090. Written, edited and distributed 8 times a year by advanced journalism classes, independent studies and other interested and qualified students. Produced by using desktop publishing and is printed by Son’s Enterprises, Inc., Skokie Ill. Mailed subscription $15 per year. Letters- Spokesman is a limited public forum and welcomes a free exchange of ideas from all readers. Readers are encouraged to contribute letters to the staff in room 137 or mail them in care of WHS. All letters must be signed. Letters may be edited for length, style, possible libel, clarity, and adherence to our publication policies. Spokesman’s mission is to report the news objectively and truthfully. We will print any known errors here in the issue following our gaining knowledge of the error. Advertising- For information, call (847) 718-7114 Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:19 p.m.
January 31, 2020
Eastern Illinois University has partnered with D214 to provide guaranteed admission for eligible seniors who intend to enroll in college in the upcoming fall. Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.5, which is a C+ average on a 4.0 scale, and at least four or more hours of EIU college credit to fit the criteria for guaranteed admissions into the four-year public school. College credits with EIU affiliation may be gained through the dual credit courses offered at WHS. College speech, advanced strength and conditioning, legal research and argument and college statistics are a few of the courses that may aid students in reaching the requirement of seven credits for the Eastern Illinois University Promise program. EIU and D214’s collaboration has
helped create a wide range of dual credit options at WHS that make their criteria more attainable. Students interested in enrolling in Eastern Illinois with automatic admissions still need to go through the application process and apply. Dan Weidner, associate principal, highlighted the merits of guaranteed admission to EIU, “Eastern has a lot of support on their campus that we feel promote the success of WHS and D214 students. We truly believe they are a great option for students to transition to.” Eastern Illinois University is piloting a counseling program for their admitted first-generation students. They are looking to grant these students with priority access to course selection before other students to create a more swift passage into college and ensure they feel supported by the college staff. “The EIU promise removes barriers by eliminating fears of uncertainty through the streamlining of the application
and admissions process. It generates confidence in our students to continue their education after high school,” Weidner said.
Global News Iran and United States conflict by Mitchell Fister
The latest flare-up in tensions between the United States and Iran occurred on Jan. 4, when President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered the airstrike that killed General Qasem Soleimani of Iran. Tensions between the two countries date back to at least 1953 when the CIA was able to oust Prime Minister Mohammed Mossaddegh, who was democratically elected and actively trying to shift control of the Iranian oil industry into the hands of the government. The US backed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi stayed as Shah until the Iranian Revolution of 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini became the supreme leader of Iran, installing an Islamic republic. Tensions heated up as a hostage crisis at the US Embassy in Tehran that started because President Jimmy Carter allowed Shah Pahlavi into the US for cancer treatment. The crisis started when supporters of the Ayatollah stormed the US Embassy and took 66 Americans hostage, holding them for 444 days. Eventually, all hostages were released in 1980. From the hostage crisis onwards, tensions continued to flare; an Iranian passenger jet was shot down by
a US navy ship in 1988, creating even more tension for the US in Iran, George Bush called Iran the “axis of evil” in 2002, and Iran started to enrich Uranium to weapons grade quality. Throughout the 2010s, tensions remained high and sparked in 2019 with the killing of General Soleimani, leader of the Quds Force, a unit in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Pentagon released a statement following the airstrike, stating that the strike had been a defensive action, as Soleimani had allegedly been in the process of developing plans to attack various American military and diplomatic personnel in the Middle East. Cited as previous examples of Soleimani’s violent actions were the Dec. 27 rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that killed an American civilian contractor, and wounded four American service members and members of the Iraqi security forces, and the Dec. 31 attack on the US Embassy attack in Baghdad. On the other hand, an Iranian ambassador to the United Nations called the airstrike equivalent to starting a war. In retaliation, the Iranians fired over a dozen rockets at two Iraqi bases housing US troops on Jan. 8. As of
Cannabis Control Illinois first introduced legal marijuana to its’ residents in 2013. The Illinois General Assembly passed the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. The law legalized the use of medical cannabis in controlled situations. In Aug. 2013, Governor Patrick Quinn signed into law the state’s medical marijuana program, making it the 20th state to legalize medical marijuana. Later, in July of 2016, Illinois reduced the punishment for under 10 grams of cannabis from a misdemeanor to a $100-200 fine. Most recently, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill legalizing the recreational use and sale of marijuana into law on Jun. 25, 2019, making Illinois the 11th state to legalize marijuana. Marijuana was officially made legal on Jan. 1, 2020 for adults 21 and over. Illinois residents are able to purchase up to 30 grams of marijuana, edible forms up to 500mg of THC, and five grams of cannabis concentrate products. Non-residents are able to purchase half of those
by Kamila Walus
amounts. The graduated tax set up is based on the different THC amounts and what type of products bought. Marijuana and cannabis-infused products with less than 35% THC are taxed at 10% of the purchase price.Cannabis-infused products with more than 35% THC are taxed at 20% of the purchase price. Marijuana with more than 35% THC is taxed at 25% of the purchase price. Medical marijuana patients are exempt from these taxes and are legally allowed to grow plants at home. Each patient is limited to five plants. As for people in jail for marijuana, people convicted of possession of under 30 grams prior to legalization are able to have their records referred to the Prisoner Review Board and Governor Pritzker for pardon. If a pardon is granted, the Illinois attorney general will move to expunge, or remove, their records. It is estimated that around 740,000 marijuana cases are eligible for automatic expungement, which some argue is a win for those social justice and prison reform.
Jan. 16, there were no deaths due to the attack, but eleven US troops were treated for concussion symptoms. Since the Jan. 8 attack, the tension appears to have deescalated, as there has been no further violence. The Iraqi government claimed that the US attack violated their sovereignty, and their parliament called for all US military personnel to leave the country. However, the US and Iraqi militaries have resumed operations in cooperation with each other as of Jan. 15, pointing to a cooling down of tensions in the region.
General Qasem Soleimani of Iran
2019-nCoV The new 2019-nCoV coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, China after several workers at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market were revealed as infected. Ever since, the virus has spread through coughing, sneezing, and touching infected people, resulting in several thousand confirmed cases. Chinese sources confirmed a total of 106 deaths the virus as of Jan. 28. The number of confirmed cases increased to 4,515 on Jan. 28, from 2,835 the previous day. Of the total cases, 2,714 are in Hubei. Most of the confirmed cases have been in the Chinese province of Hubei. Wuhan, the start of the outbreak, has been placed under effective quarantine as air and rail departures are suspended. Xiantao and Chibi, two more citites in the Hubei province, were put under the same precautions. As of Jan. 28, the virus has spread to 13 different countries from different travelers who recently visited Hubei. Countries include Thailand, France, South Korea,
by Kamila Walus
Malaysia, Canada, United States, Vietnam and Germany. There have been no deaths outside of China. The first US case was reported on Jan. 21 by a man in his 30s in Washington State. Three days later, a woman in her 60s in Chicago became the second case in the US. Two more cases in California and one in Arizona were confirmed on Jan. 26. The CDC began screening travelers from Wuhan at several US airports, including in Los Angeles, San Francisco and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Medical professionals aren’t clear if pregnant women are at greater risk than others, but confirmed that young people, senior citizens and those with immune deficiencies are at most risk for dealing with a worse reaction to the virus. The CDC suggests people maintain proper hygiene by washing hands with soap and water and avoid contact with ill or infected people. A coronavirus vaccine would take at least a year to reach the public.
Arts Speaking of self confidence
3
January 31, 2020
Ana Cozariuc & Kaidence Katz Copy Editor & Social Media Manager
WHS’ speech team is improving all areas of the school. Between improvements in the acting department and even students who need to strengthen their speech skills. Speech team is an opportunity for everyone to practice public speaking, make friends and talk about topics that interest you. While many people join for different reasons, some join for improvement in their acting. Collela has suggested to some of his theatre students that they should join in order to learn how to memorize their lines and speak comfortably in front of crowds. “It also makes our theatre department strong because it’s people from speech, which makes them super good at performing,” Brianna Eloiza, sophomore, said. These advantages can also be brought in academically. Being comfortable memorizing lines and speaking in front of crowds can help with class presentations. “I have learned that every practice and competition, you get
better and better,” Valencia Smith, senior, said. Most people reject the idea of joining speech because of the
“It also makes our theatre department strong because it’s people from speech, which makes them super good at performing,”
Brianna Eloiza sophomore,said.
fact that you would have to speak in front of people but it gives you plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. Another reason people would be hesitant to join is that their competitions are over the weekend and are really long.
“A regular competition would be waking up to get to the school at six, competitions have three rounds usually every hour or two, then if you make it to finals, another round of competing. Then we get to the awards ceremony, then by the time the competition is finished it will be about 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. A good 12 hour day of competing and meeting new people, it’s all worth it at the end of the day,” Smith said. So far, the team has attended four competitions, two of them junior varsity and the other two varsity, and they have been doing great considering that the WHS speech team is small in comparison to other schools. The bigger the number of people on a team, the better chance you have of winning first in group competitions. “Our team has been doing great this year, people know Wheeling speech kids as the kids who are friendly but good competitors. We represent Wheeling by showing good sportsmanship and good competition,” Smith said. The WHS speech team has represented this school greatly with their good sportsmanship and competitive spirits.
Upcoming Art Events • Feb. 8- New Trier Jazz Fest/ New Trier/ all day • Wed. 12- Orchestra/ Northern Illinois University/10:00 a.m. • Feb. 15- Orchestra consortium/ University of Illinois/ all day • Feb. 20- Symphonic Band Festival/ Buffalo Grove High School/ 7:00 p.m. • Feb. 20- Orchesis concert/ WHS Theatre/ 7:00 p.m. • Feb. 21- Orchesis Concert/ WHS Theatre/ 7:00 p.m. • Feb. 21- D214 Creative Writing Day/ FVEC/ 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. • Feb. 22- Orchesis Concert/ WHS Theatre/ 7:00 p.m. • Feb. 29- Jazz in the Meadows/ Rolling Meadows High School/ all day
Variety Show offers creativity and closure Ana Cozariuc Copy Editor
Veronica Camargo, senior, and Joey Constintini, sophomore, singing “Your Song”.
Orchesis posing at the end of their performance.
Miranda Lawson, Jessica Bezkhlebetskiy and Ethan Panganiban emceeing.
Eunice Park, sophomore, and Kazu Quigley performing “Neverland”.
Eunice Park, sophomore, Kenneth Reyes, junior, and Abby Escutia, senior, singing “Wondering”
Joey Constintini, sophomore, and Kenneth Reyes, junior, performing “Gravity”
This years’ variety show was held on both Jan. 16 and Jan. 17. Talents ranging from singing, rapping, beatboxing and dancing were all included. The show started with the emcees coming to welcome the audience and talk to them a little before the show. These emcees were Jessica Bezkhlebetskiy, sophomore, Miranda Lawson, Grade, and Ethan Panganiban, Grade. At the beginning and end of the show, these three came out all together, but in between performances they came out in pairs. Bezkhlebetskiy, Lawson and Panganiban brought in some humor while the next talent were getting ready to perform. Sadly, the seats on Jan. 17 were not as filled as I would think the participants would like them to. The only people in the audience were family members, a couple of friends and future performers. This was, however, understandable since there was a snow storm that
started only a couple hours before the show had started. Many talents were shown by the students of WHS such as “The Jazz Missionaries” playing The Chicken. The people in “The Jazz Missionaries” are Noah Reyna, freshman, Edwin PopocaMartinez, freshman, Angel Lopez, junior, Maria Rodriguez, freshman, Bruno Diaz, freshman, Sean Decoursey, sophomore, and Aleassandro Ramos, freshman. Performances also included the singing of the song “Neverland” sung by Kazu Quigley, junior, with Eunice Park, sophomore, playing the piano, dances by Orchesis, beatboxing the song “I Will Survive” by Shawn Chong, junior, the song “Gravity” sung by Kenneth Reyes, junior, with Joey Constintini, sophomore, on the piano, Franky Alvarez, junior, rapping “Black Friday”, “Your Song” sung by Veronica Camaro, senior, and Constintini who was also playing the piano, Wondering sung by Abby Escutia, senior, and Reyes with Park on the piano, and “8 Letters” sung by Hunter Little, sophomore, Reyes, Constantini, Diaz, and Ramos.
Another song was “Listen Before I Go” sung by Shamira Vega, junior. Before she started the song, Vega made sure to dedicate the song to Thomas Sy. This was very moving as some people were close to him and the song itself was touching. “It was surprising to see how many kids had certain talents I didn’t know they had,” Hannah Rio, sophomore, said. Overall, the Variety Show was worth the watch because I got to see some of the talents my fellow Wildcats have.
Shamira Vega, junior, performing “Listen Before I Go” dedicated to Thomas Sy.
Artist of the month Steven Ortega Reyes Chrissy Makris Staff Reporter
This months Artist of the Month goes to Steven Ortega Reyes known best for his creative artwork. Ortega Reyes has been recognized in the WHS arts department for his unique art pieces, and his twist on his work leaves a memorable impact on everyone who views it. “His artwork is layered and not only has a lot of imagery, but also tells an interesting story. He uses great mark making. A lot of his pieces are related to Surrealism. There is often a surprise or something unusual going on in his images like a man’s head
with wings or a human body with a bird head,” Julie Bale, arts teacher, said. One of his most memorable pieces has gotten huge recognition. “He has a portrait that just got chosen to represent Wheeling High School at the Illinois High School Art Exhibition. It is a state competition for visual art. The portrait is bold, the brushstrokes are noticeable and add to the interest of the piece. His color choices are sophisticated, he chose more neutral toned down colors than bright primary colors that many young people are drawn to,” Bale said. It’s no doubt that having a strong work ethic helps when creating incredible art.
“He always has ideas of what to draw. He is always working on a creation of some sort whether it is for AP Studio Art, Advanced Imaging, or for himself. He has deep concentration when working on a piece. Also, he is not afraid to try something new. He is an asset to the department, [and] he is ready and able to help out when we need a demonstrator at an art show, need artwork hung, or even need brushes cleaned,” Bale said. Ortega Reyes gives his take on his love and dedication to art by first saying he finds his inspiration everywhere. He adds that he keeps imagination in mind when putting the pieces together.
“My favorite thing about art is that I can make my ideas come to life, [and] showing everyone what I see through my imagination and proving how powerful your imagination can be,” Reyes said. “My favorite piece I have done is one of my ink and paper drawings. This piece consists of a human skull with other elements blend together. Showing animals, humans and nature have a connection,” Ortega Reyes said. His dedication and creativity serves as an inspiration for so many other artists at WHS. Surely his work will be remembered for years to come. It’s no doubt that with his interesting take on art he is a great choice for Artist Of The Month.
4
Feature
January 31, 2020
Staff shares best/ Mock Trial team teaches worst valentines students about law day experience Cecelia Hererra Staff Reporter
“I told my husband Valentine’s was a silly holiday, but I ended up getting him a gift and he didn’t get me anything but I still was expecting a gift,” Erin Pedersen, Spanish teacher, said.
“When I was dating a girl in college I got her a really nice necklace and she gave me a Snickers bar, it sucked,” John Kritek, bussiness teacher, said.
“When I was a teenager my boyfriend went shopping at his own house and gave me a used perfume bottle and an old teddy bear,”
Have you ever wondered what actually goes down in a courtroom and how law usually runs? Well luckily for students at wheeling, WHS offers a great club called Mock Trial. Mock trial team teaches students how the justice system works and gives students who want to pursue a career in the legal system a step ahead. Bilal Tharwani, senior and Mock Trial team member says “People should join mock trial because it’s a great way to get exposed to the law pathway, and program in general. I also think the group skills that you learn, and working with others in general really makes the team fun, and on top of this the public speaking you gain is what I would say is most beneficial from joining the team.” Mock trial team is sponsored by Alex Disbergen, a social science teacher at WHS and John Hersey High School. Being in this team offers what it’s like to be in an actual law room, not only does it look great on resumes but it gives you that experience to work with an actual professional for years and “ if you start as a freshman that could be 4 years you have of working with professionals, something not a lot of people can say on their resume” Mr. Disenberb said.
Gaming club promotes safe student entertainment
ErinHibner, English teacher, said.
Daniel Aguiniga Staff Reporter
“Last Valentines I got my girlfriend a necklace to make up for one she had but apparently I picked out the most ugliest, biggest chain that I could possibly pick out,” John Tomasseti, special ed teacher, said.
Information collected by Cecilia Hererra
WHS is revisiting the concept of an after school gaming club. Sponsered by Aj Katsinas, data processing operator, the club is intended to keep students entertained after the school day ends. Katsinas stressed that the club can really help out students who are struggling with school work or who are stressed out and need some time away from school. Further, recent research out of the University of Toronto has shown that video games can help youngsters with improving their hand-eye coordination and even help with problem-solving skilss. Other reserach has shown video games to have a positive effect on the mood of kids. Opponents of video gaming argue that video games make kids more dangerous
re
p
no
and violent, but this argument is conditional and often disputed. If students are learning new things and, at the same time, are having fun safely at school, the club could be helpful and positive for its participants. One unnamed student commented in passing that “this gaming club is fun because students really get to enjoy themselves and have fun with their friends as well. You get to meet new people and experience new games.” This notion was accentuated by the club sponosr: “We just want to create an inclusive social space for all kinds of players of all kinds of different skill levels,” Katsinas said. Tina Newman, freshman, said “My favorite part of the club is that all my friends are here; it’s nice even just watching them play.” The gaming club is a place for students to coming together with people.
Eme rs y n S
ell
a
r
is t
Ch a r l ie M
M a dd i e C h
r
e
Spokesman interviews members of the Little Wildcat preschool class
J ame s Ba k
Lit t le Wil d ca ts
The tasks in Mock Trial team varies by day, but the primary reason for the team is to go over real life cases chosen by the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and compete against other schools in the area. Members of the team can either be a witness, plaintiff attorney or a defense attorney. The team then breaks down the case from there. Some may be doing their opening statement or argument while the other teammates are working on questioning the witnesses, otherwise known as direct examination. The students try to make sure their questions and arguments strong and effective as they can to hopefully win the case. Their competitions are sometimes held at places like the Rolling Meadows courthouse or at other high schools.The team meets with the other school and picks whether they want to be on the plaintiff or defense side. They get about an hour to go through the case and compete. If they go against another school it just flips and for example the plaintiffs side can go first and make their mark in the trial. Whoever’s argument is the strongest and has the jury leaning towards their side, wins the trial. “Our season has barely started and I’ve already learned so much about law and the judicial system, but I’ve also learned a lot about how to be a better more confident public speaker. I’d definitely recommend Mock Trial anyone interested! Says Kelly Mcinerney. With that being said, if you are interested in the law pathway or just curious about what goes down in a courtroom, it’s never too late to join the team.
la
nge
r
Q1: What do you want to do this year?
Pumpkin Patches
Learn about teachers
Lawnmower
Q2: What do you like to do during winter?
Shovel with dad
Play in the snow - build a snowman
Snowboarding
Go sledding with my brother
Q3: What’s the silliest thing you eat for breakfast?
Plain Waffles
Pancakes - syrup
Pancakes- Blueberry
Smarties
Flowers
Information collected by Kaidence Katz, Ana Malagon, Ana Cozariuc
January 31, 2020
Feature
5
Splett wins over 6k L e t ’s t a l k a b o u t : p l a y i n g F o r t n i t e New years resolutions Daniel Sandler Staff Reporter
Tyler Feldheim Staff Reporter
From simply having a good wifi connection and fast fingers, Kyle Splett, junior, was able to win a total of 6 thousand dollars from playing video games, more specifically, Fortnite tournaments. In the summer of 2017, the game Fortnite was released to the world and quickly became one of the most popular games. Fortnite is an online game where 100 players compete to achieve victory royale, or in other words, to be the last one standing. In recent years there has been an increase of competitive gaming tournaments for the game where players compete for massive cash prizes. This new trend of people competing in online gaming tournaments is called esports. In 2019, Kyle Jackson, a teenager from Pennsylvania, won 3 million dollars in the biggest Esports tournament, the Fortnite world cup. Today, being skilled at video games can be considered an asset. This is because students can receive scholarships at various colleges for being a good esport player, just like other sports such as football and basketball. As of today, more and more professional teams are starting to appear. The largest and most successful current team, Team Liquid, has earned a total of $24,448,847 in earnings. Their top player, Kuro Takhasomi, has earned over 3 million dollars in the course of his career. With Esports on the rise many people
see Esports as a viable career, Matthew Padron, chemistry teacher, supports the idea, saying that, “it’s a billion dollar industry.” In WHS we have multiple students who are interested in the realm of esports, one of those students being Splett. He won multiple Fortnite tournaments in 2019 that gave him cash prizes and plans to continue competing in the year of 2020. His most recent achievement was in the Winter Royale Duos Tournament where Splett and his brother ended up winning 6 thousand dollars while competing against thousands of other teams. Although playing a lot may seem to be a big turn off when it comes to esports, it management that makes one more successful. “I don’t play everyday, but whenever there is a tournament I make sure to practice,” Splett said. Not everyone, however, believes that Esports should be considered a career. “It is very hard to become successful, and they should not look into it as a career pathway.” Liam Murphy, junior, said. Just like in the NFL, it is very hard to get scouted and selected for one of these elite teams. However, you don’t need to be on a team in order to be successful. After all, Splett is not on a team, and he still manages to make a name for himself with his gaming skills. In the end, whether you view Esports as a career or not, there are currently people that are making a living of these video games. While Splett may not ever reach the top, he is still making money doing something he adores. Video games have always been a passion of his and he will continue to prove his doubters wrong.
Jasmine Bautista Staff Reporter
Every year after the celebrations and parties thousands of people create a list of accomplishments they want to achieve for the new year. Either to have a good workout regime, get a new hobby, or to quit a bad habit. I asked around WHS on what their New Year’s Resolutions and a bonus question for what they want to achieve for the new decad. Surprisingly, a large amount of people that I asked didn’t have any resolutions or couldn’t even think of one when I asked. However, some students like Brianna Eloiza, a sophmore, says that she wanted her New Year’s resolutions to stop saying yes just to please the people around her. Which is a very common thing that so many people struggle with too. The wanting of saying yes to people even though you truly don’t want to takes a lot of courage to do so because of the fear of not feeling validated or that you don’t have a right of an excuse to say no. Even though there is this fear there is a great chance that the more you do this your going to gain self confidence and putting your priorities of your own first than second. She also answers that her resolutions for this whole decade would try to save a large amount of money because its a very easy habit to waste money on things you don’t need. This is a very popular resolution that many people try to achieve too. At least almost every person in our society has probably bought something that the
regretted later on. Most people waste their money on fast food, when in reality they didn’t really need that burger at Mcdonalds when there was food at home. I also talked to Raymond Petzold, a junior, who had a resolution for this year to get a scholarship in baseball before the year ends. This was more of a personal resolution that isn’t very common, but still a really important resolution that could be relatable to many students who are very passionate about baseball and want to do it in the future in college or their future job as a professional baseball player. Getting this scholarship would give him less money to pay off in college and could potentially give him his future job. Talking about his future job, Petzold wants to pursue his job as a highschool teacher which he hopes to achieve in this decade when asked how he would want his resolutions for this decade to be. He also hopes to achieve his goal of this decade to graduate college in which he would go into his job as previously stated, a highschool teacher. I also asked Michael Gyst, a wheeling engineering teacher, what would his resolutions for this year would be. He said, “To lose some weight like about thirty pounds-ish before the summer starts,” also jokingly adds to get the beach bod going. This is something that is also very common for people to have on their resolutions for the year that many people also successfully do. Then when asked what he would have for his resolutions for his decade he mentions about going too travel more since his kids are older now. Various places that he would most likely want to travel in this decade would be out of the country like South America and Europe. Which are places that many people dream of going.
6
Focus
F r o n t r u n n e r s Do you think it is important to vote? Why or why not?
Students
January 31, 2020
r a c i n g
f o r
Donald Trump (R)
The current President of the United States, Donald Trump is a 73 year old famous television personality and businessman. Arguably, his most notable legislative accomplishment as president: a sweeping tax cut that primarily benefited corporations and wealthy investors. In his first four years as president, Trump has Withdrawn from the Climate Paris Agreement, declared preceding president Barack Obama’s executive order for undocumented immigrants (DACA) unconstitutional and openly criticized the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). To date, he has been the central figure amidst legal investigations concerning potential coordination with Russian interference in the 2016 election, but the Mueller report found no evidence to support the idea. Dec. 18, 2019 marked the initiation of an impeachment inquiry regarding Trump by the House of Representatives, which has a democratic majority. The senate impeachment trial began with on Jan. 22, 2020 and is likely to last into the 2020 election.
Presidential “I guess it’s important because you can decide what type of government you have and who you get to be controlled by,” Lurdes Calderon, freshman.
“Yeah, because people have different opinions. For example, if someone likes trump they have different opinions and why they do and others why they don’t,” Tony Rico, sophomore.
“Yes, because it’s freedom of speech and it helps us determine who we think is best for our country,” Jackie Medina, junior.
Mexican provide
promise: Implement more extensive immigration policies; build a wall at the border, create more jobs for Americans by incentivising domestic manufacturing, more aid for the military and withdraw American troops from overseas.
Bernie Sanders (D) A self-described as a democratic socialist, Bernie Sanders is the second most well known candidate running for president due to his running in 2016. Sanders has been in politics for some time: former mayor of Burlington, was elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 and then elected to the Senate in 2006. He lost the Democratic nomination to Hilary Clinton in 2016. Recent polling suggests that roughly half of democratic voters would be satisfied with Biden or Sanders as the democratic nominee, which is selected on July 13, 2020. Sanders calls for the removal of tuition for colleges and universities as well as the complete elimination of student debt across the nation.
Presidential promise: “Medicare for in an increase in taxes but would be and billionaires, $15 minimum wage, diminishing the influence the wealthy have
all,” which would result felt most by millionaires free college tuition, and on government and policy.
New York Times: Iowa New Hampshire polls
Pete Buttigieg (D) A former midwestern mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and military war veteran, Pete Buttigeig is labeled a progressive moderate running for office in the 2020 election. At thirty-eight years old, he joins Tulsi Gabbard in being the youngest politicians running for president. Buttigeig has campaigned the notion, “generational change” and strives to pave the way into a “new era of American politics.” The first to advocate for increasing the number of seats on the supreme court, Buttigeig believes court packing is the only way to de-politicise the highest court in the nation. He wants to add an additional 10 permanent justices, with five other justices only admitted by unanimous consent of the initial 10 justices. Although Buttigeig’s upbringing into the political atmosphere has been subtle from his mayoral position in a small Indiana city, he has gained footing in the polls as one of the top five democrats in recent polls. Aside from being the youngest candidate running, he is also the first openly gay candidate to begin a large scale campaign for election. Presidential promise: Lead the way in generationally altering politics and political participation. Buttigieg has focused on issues such as court packing the Supreme Court and limiting appellate judge terms, reentering the Paris climate agreement and backing the Green New Deal, and expand economic opportunity for middle class workers by raising the minimum wage and generating success in rural communities.
Amy Klobuchar (D)
Elected in 2006 as a Minnesota Senator, Amy Klobuchar is a moderate among the democratic candidates running for the 2020 presidency. Her political platform surged in light of her questioning of Brett M. Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings, but has since remained stagnant. She distinguishes herself by rejecting the free college notion, Medicare for all and a large tax on the wealthy. She had strong support from middle class voters, but her lack of media attention is evident through her low polling numbers. Klobuchar is making the argument that the only way to restore our “I think voting is important democracy is to do so with incremental change rather than monumental. She because it’ll set our future has called upon Democrats to place an emphasis on winning swing states by the choices our future and appealing to them because in the 2016 election, they were neglected. president makes,” Jesse Martinez, senior. Presidential promise: Enact legislation to combat the opioid crisis and drug addiction with a $100 billion plan, minimize the Photo opinion collected by cost of necessary prescription drugs and climate change control. Iran Teran
New York Times: Iowa New Hampshire polls
t h
o r
t h e
7
Focus
January 31, 2020
2 0 2 0
p r e s i d e n c y Joe Walsh (R)
One of the two republican politicians challenging Donald Trump, Joe Walsh has been vocal about his personal views of President Trump. Formerly a supporter of the President in 2016 in comparison to Hillary Clinton, he regards Trump as “unfit for office” and believes he can command enough Republican support to defeat Donald Trump. Walsh is a proponent of bringing U.S troops home from Afghanistan. He is an advocate for Israel and disregards the two state solution as a way to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike President Trump, Walsh believes there should be measures taken to combat climate change.
New York Times/ Siena College poll
Do you think it is important to vote? Why or why not?
Staff
Presidential promise: Reduce the national debt, limit executive power and secure the border with immigration reform. Walsh plans to undo the tariffs Trump has imposed overseas.
“Yes, because people are not allowed those Massachusetts senator, Elizabeth Warren, has been congress for seven years. She is opportunities and voice our a progressive democrat that sets herself apart from other democratic candidates by highlighting opinion because every vote the need for “big, structural change,” as well as universal healthcare known as Medicare matters,” Rebecca Canady, For All. Warren is a proponent of free college and wiping $50,000 of student loan debt for special education teacher. 42 million Americans. She plans on executing this and eliminating three quarters of national education debt through her proposed Ultra-Millionaire Tax. The tax on individuals with $50 million or more will generate $2.75 trillion in revenue over ten years which is enough to pay for universal child care, student debt relief, and a down payment on a Green New Deal.
Elizabeth Warren (D)
Presidential promise: Warren plans to tackle income inequality through raising the minimum wage and creating an Ultra Tax on the wealthy. She regards that the middle class under attack from big corporations and political corruption. To reduce this, she plans to break up Google, Amazon, and Facebook and structurally reorganize the power dynamics of lobbying in Washington.
Joe Biden (D)
Joe Biden may be considered the most qualified candidate running, but his credibility is continuously tested as his role in passing policy earlier in his political career that the Democratic Party rejects comes to light. He was Vice President of the United States from 2009-2017 and US senator from Delaware for 36 years. He has run for President twice before this election and has the most recognizable name on the ballot. Although he is a seemingly desirable candidate, democratic voters are uneasy about he’d against appear against Donald Trump because of his performances in the democratic debates. Nonetheless, Biden has been leading the democratic candidates in the polls before the Iowa Caucus polling. Even still, only 15 percent of his supporters stated they were satisfied with him as their choice in the primaries and has been decreasing as time passes, leaving room for the other strongly supported candidates such as Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren to gain footing. A moderate amongst the other democrats, Biden distinguishes himself by opposing Medicare for all and has more aggressive measures regarding foreign policy. With a “down to earth personality” and moderate stances in policy, Biden tends to attract middle working class voters. Presidential promise: Restore America’s standing on the global stage as a legitimate superpower, strengthen economic protections for low-income workers in industries like manufacturing and fast food, place an emphasis on foreign policy with regard to U.S troops and returning to a partisan political atmosphere.
Mike Bloomberg (D) Millionaire and former New York City mayor, Mike Bloomberg, has recently joined the running for the presidency. With a net worth of more than $50 million, Bloomberg is taking an unconventional approach by not asking for donations from the public, and instead had spent millions of dollars into television and internet ads to make his name more recognizable to the voting public. Bloomberg ran as an independent in the 2016 election, but couldn’t get enough support. In March, he mentioned to the press that he would not run as a democrat, but in light of the primaries, he has changed his mind. He has switched his party affiliation from Democrat, Republican to Independent, but in 2018 reverted back to being a Democratic in 2018.
Presidential Promise: Enact greater gun control policies such as getting rid of the boyfriend loophole which allows domestic abusers to obtain guns if they received charges while the individual they abused was not married to them and taking serious action against climate change. His view on taxes is more conservative than the rest of the Democrats running.
”Yes, we want to make sure that everyone has a say and is involved in the political process which is what many people have tried to protect,“ Alex Diesbergen, Law teacher.
“It is for a lot of reasons, but I think the most important reason is to show that you know what’s going on and the changes you want to see in society,” Adriana Soto, English teacher.
New York Times/ Siena College poll
WHS seniors! Take initiative and register to vote here
ova.elections.il.gov
”Yes, it is an opportunity to get involved in the political process and learn more about the people that are elected and their intentions for the community, state and for the country,” Fernando Perez, special education teacher.
8
La Voz
31 de Enero de 2020
Celebrando en familia el dia de Los Reyes Magos Alicia Ibarra y Yesenia Diaz Staff Reporter
Anualmente en el 6 de enero, el día de los 3 reyes magos, conocido como “epiphany” en inglés, es festejado entre familias Latino Americanas alrededor de todo el mundo. El día de Los Reyes Magos es una festividad Cristiana, en cual se celebra el viaje que los reyes Gaspar, Melchor y Baltazar tomaron para entregar regalos al hijo de Dios. Según la historia bíblica, estos tres Reyes caminaron grandes distancias con una estrella como guía para ver a Jesús. Llegaron 12 días después del nacimiento de Jesus. Sin embargo, aunque la celebración sea basada en la religión Cristiana (tal como la navidad y el día de la virgen) la festividad es raíz de tradiciones que hacen nuestra etnicidad más amplia y viva. Típicamente, el festejo toma lugar en casa, llena de familiares y amigos, y consiste de un rosario completo, seguido por una cena familiar y un intercambio de regalos hacia los niños. Aparte de intercambiar regalos, la parte más importante de esta celebración es partir la rosca. La rosca es un pan hecho específicamente para este día, y está hecho en forma de óvalo, adornado con fruta que divide la rosca en partes que simbolizan algo diferente.
Sin embargo, lo que más distingue a este pan son los muñequitos distribuidos por en medio. Típicamente, cada persona de la familia se toma un turno para partir la rosca, y al que le salga el muñequito le toca hacer los tamales para el día de la candelaria. “Mi parte favorita es la rosca porque es sabrosa y quien tenga al niño tiene que hacer tamales y me gustan los tamales,” dijo estudiante del tercer ano Ashley Benitez. De manera que muchos latinos tienen la misma tradición, cada familia la celebra de una manera diferente y significante para ellos. Jonathan Uriostegui, estudiante de cuarto año, dice “ una vez estábamos cortando la rosca, y el tío de mi ex-novia pensó que no le salió nada en su rebanada, pero cuando le dio una mordida se dio cuenta que ahí estaba el muñequito y casi se lo pasaba.” “Una vez, cuando puse mi zapato en la puerta encontré que mi mamá había puesto una nota con pistas para encontrar cosas pequeñas. Seguí las pistas que había escondido en la búsqueda de tesoros y al final había una canasta con un oso de peluche y más regalos pequeños, fue muy divertido” dijo estudiante de cuarto año, Lisie Pereida. Este dia es muy importante para muchos hispans por todo el mundo. Y aunque no es una tradicion celerbrada por otras religiones, no aye falla celebrando con la familia.
El final de Mariachi Club en Wheeling High School Alicia Ibarra y Yesenia Diaz Staff Reporter
Cuando alguien habla sobre la cultura mexicana, nunca falta el mariachi en la conversación. El guitarrón grande y resonante, el sombrero redondo y decorado, y el bordado preciso y delicado, que más hay para sentir que orgullo por esta hermosa tradición. Esa fue la idea que La Señora Castro y el Señor Gonzalez tenían al iniciar el club de mariachi aquí en nuestra high school. Wheeling High school tiene una de las poblaciones latinas más grandes del distrito, así que al introducir este club, esperábamos que el resultado fuera más grande. Sin embargo, los estudiantes de nuestra escuela aparentan no haber tenido la misma mentalidad. Inicialmente la Señora Castro y el Señor Gonzalez reclutaron a estudiantes potencialmente interesados, y ofrecieron todos los instrumentos y clases para que no hubiera ningún impedimento a participar si
uno quería. “Creo que es un lugar donde puedes mostrar tu talento musical y tu habilidad para cantar también. Es un lugar donde quiero encontrar mi talento musical y expresarlo con mis amigos,” dijo estudiante del tercer año Brian Aguirre. Muchos estudiantes como el, estaban muy interesados a participar en este evento. “Estoy en eso porque muchas personas me ven como una persona tímida, así que realmente quiero ponerme en algo que voy a estar frente a todos y mostrar lo que realmente puedo hacer y también voy a aprender otro tipo de instrumento diferente,” dijo estudiante del tercer año Vivian Muñoz. Aun así, el club no obtuvo suficientes miembros para iniciar el grupo, y a pesar de todos los esfuerzos de estos maestros, el club no fue exitoso. “Mi abuela me crió con el mariachi aunque no soy
mexicano, soy guatemalteco. Siempre me a interesado el mariachi por los trajes, la música, la cultura, todo es muy bello,” dijo guardia de seguridad, Alex Pérez. Aunque este intento fue infructuoso, esperamos que con algunos cambios y un plan más directo podamos regresar esta oportunidad especial para los estudiantes que estén dispuestos a representar su cultura de una manera artística y original. La cultura mexicana a pasado de generación a generación. Muchas muchachas tienen una fiesta cuando celebran su crecimientode nina para mujer. Cuando uno piensa en una quinceañera piensan que tan divertido va ser cuando salgan los mariachis a cantarles las mañanitas. “Yo siento que la música de mariachi une a las familias y les trae mucha felicidad, estoy decepcionada que termine el club de mariachi aquí porque lo vi como un grupo que tenía potencial para crecer aquí en nuestra comunidad,” dijo estudiante de tercer año, Marisol Montoya.
January 31, 2020
Who won what?
Rachel Lawson
Entertainment Editor
The 62nd Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, Jan. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The show saw performances from Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, BTS, Usher and Ariana Grande, among others. Of all the nominees, the youngest ended up receiving the most awards. 18 year old pop singer Billie Eilish swept, taking home five Grammys total. Eilish herself won Best New Artist, her hit song “Bad Guy” earned her Song of the Year and Record of the Year and her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” earned her both Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. As for the other album awards, Tyler, The Creator’s “IGOR” won Best Rap Album, Cage the Elephant’s “Social Cues” won Best Rock Album and Vampire Weekend’s “Father of the Bride” won Best Alternative Album. Other highlights include Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” winning Best Pop Solo Performance, Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Old Town Road” winning Best Pop Duo/ Group Performance and “Homecoming” by Beyonce winning Best Music Film. Keep reading to see what celebrities wore on the 2020 Grammys red carpet.
Entertainment
Entertainment Editor
P h o to v
ia
h Ya
oo
.co
m
Who wore what?
Grammys 2020 in review
Orville Peck in Dior Men
Tyler, The Creator in Golf Le Fleur
Ariana Grande in Giambattista Valli
Bernie Sanders to host two free Iowa concerts Rachel Lawson
9
On Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is hosting a series of free concert events. The Friday and Saturday evening concerts will be performed by indie musician Bon Iver and rock band Vampire Weekend, respectively. The events’ timing coincides with the Iowa Democratic caucuses. For more information on the 2020 presidential race, see this issue’s Focus on pages six and seven. Vampire Weekend played at one of Sanders’ rallies during the 2016 presidential race and have voiced continuous support for Sanders over the years.
Coachella hype: A lineup full of surprises
Before the 62nd Grammy Awards began, audience members’ eyes were trained on the red carpet at the Staples Center, waiting to see their favorite celebrities show up in luxurious designer looks. And the stars didn’t disappoint. Post-red carpet, atop countless “best dressed” lists were Ariana Grande in Giambattista Valli and Lizzo in Versace. Other fan favorites include FKA Twigs in Ed Marler, Lil Nas X in Versace and both producer Diplo and country singer Orville Peck wearing Dior Men. Billie Eilish was decked out in custom black and green Gucci all the way down to her nails. Maggie Rogers wore a vintage black Chanel gown with gold star embroidery and a water bottle purse to match. Billy Porter stole the spotlight with a turquoise crystalencrusted ensemble complete with a widebrim fringe hat that opened and closed over his face. When asked who her silver beaded gown was by, pop singer Lana Del Rey had the most surprising answer of all: the department store Dillard’s. Del Rey said that although she had planned on wearing a designer dress, she was at the mall with her boyfriend when she saw the Dillard’s dress and changed her mind. Tyler, The Creator’s look was a personal favorite. He showed up to the red carpet in a bubblegum pink bellhop outfit and a suitcase which contained his outfit for the rest of the night: a pink and red Golf Le Fleur polo shirt.
“Jojo Rabbit” spreads tolerance in a unique way
Ben Williams Staff Reporter
Indio Valley, California is thousands of miles away, but the Yesenia Diaz hype about Coachella Music and Arts Festival reaches far and wide. Coachella weekend one kicks off on Apr. Staff Reporter 10. and continues through Apr. 12, with weekend two occurring from Apr. 17 to Apr. 19. Headliners include well known rapper Travis Scott and singer Frank Ocean, whose return to the live music scene has been highly anticipated. Coachella aims to please fans of all music genres, including in their lineup rap artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Big Sean, Dababy, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert and BROCKHAMPTON but also appealing to the indie crowd with artists like Rex Orange County, Lana Del Rey, Marina and The Diamonds and local Chicago band Beach Bunny. Check out the official lineup to see if your favorite artist will be gracing one of Coachella’s stages this April.
Rachel Lawson
Entertainment Editor
In late 2017, Taika Watiti established himself as a force to be reckoned with after directing Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok”, revitalizing the “Thor” franchise. Two years later, Watiti has reentered the spotlight with his new movie “Jojo Rabbit.” The movie takes place in Nazi Germany just months before Germany’s surrender in WWII and follows Jojo, a 10-year old boy played by Roman Griffin Davis whose only goal in life is to join Adolf Hitler’s personal guard and become his best friend. The premise is bold, considering how divided the political
sphere is currently, not only in America but around the world. However, with “Jojo Rabbit”, Watiti has successfully delivered an anti-hate work of satire that is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. The first half of the movie is a comedy, plain and simple. This category is carried by Watiti’s portrayal of Jojo’s imaginary friend, Hitler himself. Hitler, of course, is no laughing matter. In the film, however, Hitler isn’t really Hitler; he’s a personification of a 10 year old boy’s thoughts – a 10 year old boy raised on Nazi propaganda. So instead of preaching the scarily familiar reasons for Jewish persecution, imaginary Hitler is there to give Jojo pep talks about the less serious parts of life. The undoing of the indoctrination that imaginary Hitler represents is what sets the more serious part of the plot in motion. Thomasin McKenzie plays Elsa, a Jewish teenage girl who Jojo’s mother, played by
Scarlett Johansson, hides in their house to keep her safe from the Nazis. Elsa is a breath of fresh air. From her first appearance, she makes it clear that she is not a victim, intimidating Jojo and threatening to kill him if he rats her out; however, the two eventually form a close bond as Elsa challenges the ideals Jojo has been taught and he begins to sympathize with the Jews. These efforts are supported by Johansson’s character teaching Jojo that there’s more to life than politics and showing him that art and love are much better things to focus on. This movie was nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture. I believe that what makes this movie Oscar-worthy is its message. It preaches a message of tolerance through and through. Firstly, it challenges the ideas of supremacy through civil discourse. By encouraging this over put-downs or violence, this movie is a step in the right direction in healing our divided country. What
really stuck out to me was how it analyzes what leads people, especially young men, to follow hateful ideas. This is best shown by my personal favorite line in the movie, delivered by Elsa: “You’re not a Nazi, Jojo. You’re a 10-yearold kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club.” It perfectly sums up how Jojo, who identifies as a “Nazi” is really just a boy looking for a sense of belonging and finding it in the wrong place. I really can’t sing this movie’s praises enough, and I would recommend it to everyone. “Jojo Rabbit” is exiting theaters but will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray in early February.
Photo via IMDB
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Review (spoilers!) Jessica Bezkhlebetskiy Staff Reporter
“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is an original Disney+ show that just wrapped up a 10-episode season. The show focuses on students putting on a production of “High School Musical” at East High School, which is where the original movie was filmed. It just got renewed for a second season which the cast will begin filming in Feb. 2020. I started this series without having
watched the original “High School Musical” film, and even though I didn’t understand some references, it was still very enjoyable. This show does many things exceptionally well. The show is hilarious, and the jokes are almost always well-written. The writing of the plot is suspenseful and leads to so many things you would never expect to happen. This pushes the plot so much further than imaginable. The talent of the actors shines through, and the entire cast is skilled in acting, singing, dancing, and songwriting. The cast members are all great friends in real life, which makes their chemistry on the show even better. One plotline that made the show great was the divorce of Ricky’s parents. This sub-plot was written well and dealt with realistic teenage reactions to divorce. The struggle
with parents and family relations is also dealt with by Gina because of her constant moving due to the nature of her parents’ jobs. The relatability is off the charts with this show. Something else that’s unforgettable is the representation within “HSMTMTS.” This show has two gay characters, Carlos Rodriguez, played by Frankie Rodriguez, and Seb Matthew Smith, played by Joe Serafini. Seb plays the role of Sharpay in the musical, a character traditionally played by a female. In episode five, Disney+ made history with their representation with Seb and Carlos going to homecoming and dancing together. The build up to this was with a starting scene when Carlos asked Seb to go to homecoming and Seb says, “You mean
you and I dancing in front of all the nontheater kids?” This line really struck a chord with viewers because they started approaching LGBT representation without taking the classic coming out approach. Instead, “HSMTMTS” has refreshingly started introducing characters as gay rather than placing emphasis on their coming out. They even featured a cheek kiss between Seb and Carlos in the final episode. The leading character, Nini, also has two moms. This was also mentioned very casually, again normalizing samesex relationships. The show has reached milestones for LGBT representation. Overall, the show is impactful, drama filled and suspenseful. I really recommend watching the first season of “HSMTMTS.“ This show appeals to any age group, and I believe everyone would enjoy watching it.
10
Forum
January 31, 2020
Willie the Wildcat no more Andrew Yang for the win
Ethan Polak Sports Editor
With winter athletics beginning to start up again, a new problem has come up regarding what the athletes wear at school. If you walk through the hallways during passing periods, you might notice an inconsistency on what all the athletes wear. Not one sport here at WHS shares the same logo. Basketball has their large blue “W”, cross country has their logo with cross country spikes, and soccer has their logo with the wildcat and soccer ball. We even have the girls
volleyball team who use neon green and pink jerseys for competitions which isn’t really close to our own school colors. Not only are the logos all over the place, but some aren’t even original. The football team use the paw print logo, which is a rip off of the University of Clemson logo. As the baseball team that use the curvy white “W”, which is a rip off of the Washington Nationals logo. As a school, we are supposed to look unified, but it’s hard to do that when we have athletes wearing so many different colors and logos, we begin to lose that sense of unity. While each design is unique in their own way, I believe we should all use and represent the same logo for each and every sport. This would require choosing a logo that everyone supports. While we already have the Willie the Wildcat logo, which is our main logo for athletics, it has been around since the school first opened. A logo helps bring a team together. When
Editorial: With the presidential election only a few months away, WHS students should make more of an effort to become politically aware, especially those who can vote in the upcoming election. Current politics are extremely messy with both the main political parties at each other’s throats, but students should know the basics about what is going with the American government. From Trump’s impeachment and his trial to the crisis with Iran to all the heated situations that
a team is more unified, it strikes fear into the opponents’ minds. Other schools recently had the same problem. In District 214 Rolling Meadows and Hersey have recently updated their logos.They have given their athletics a more modern twist, and as a result has led to the athletes look more unified. The best solution to this would be to have a schoolwide competition to see who can create a newer and more slick version of the wildcat. This would increase school spirit while at the same time help give WHS a whole new look. Not only would this give WHS a more unified look, but also it would be a step forward to improving student involvement. As every other school in the district continues to rebrand themselves, I think we should join them and ditch the Willie the Wildcat logo in order to establish a more modernized, original and unified look to WHS.
have occurred in DC over the past few years. These problems shouldn’t be ignored, rather analyzed and understood. Students should also be aware of current political candidates and the change that they hope to bring to the American society in line with current social issues. Students vote for a candidate based on which one suits their beliefs and will help the US for the better. There is so much going on for students to be informed on and there are many ways of acquiring information. From social media, news articles and videos. The possibilities are endless.
Posthomous albums
Jasmine Bautista Staff reporter
Many people listen to music for various reasons and many artists write many songs that appeal to a certain group. However, when some artists die some would say that a piece of them also dies with them. This is how strong and powerful music can be. Many passed artists like Avicii, Xxtentacion, and Mac Miller has released music on behalf of their record company after their death. Some were singles or a full album. Although these are very great artists, the question was if it was right for
these record companies to release these songs after their death. Many fans were excited for these songs, but also many fans had speculated that they just wanted to release these songs for profit for their own record company. Talking to a Melanie Kehr, sophomore, she thinks if the family gives the consent of the release of the posthumous album songs than the record companies should be able to release these songs. However, if there was no sort of family consent than it would be wrong to release these songs, as it would disrespectful to the artist. The most recent album that was released from a passed artist that I mentioned before was Mac Miller’s sister album of his previous album, Swimming, had now recently released a new album called,” Circle.” Which includes twelve songs that he had written before his death in Sept. 2018 showing that he was working on this before 2019 even happened with his producer Jon Brion.
Talking to Arturo Valladares, knowing the pass of Mac Miller, he thinks that it was a great album and thought it was a good closure for people who were still mourning over his death. Showing that Miller had a really strong connection with his fans that were there for him. The fans who have enjoyed the album there are some fans who speculate if the artist would’ve wanted them released if they were still alive even if you had the family’s consent. Another artist, Bea Miller, who had recently tweeted that she wouldn’t want her music released if she never finished it herself. Many fans thought she was speculating that it was targeted to Miller’s album, but she later confirmed that it was just based on her own preferences. Then again, some fans agreed on her side saying that some record companies use their passed artist to create profit instead of respecting the other artist’s choice if they wanted to release it or not.
Ben Wlliams Staff Reporter
While the Democratic primaries seem to be focused on Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, you would be making a mistake ignoring 2020’s dark horse candidate: entrepreneur Andrew Yang. Born to Taiwanese immigrants, Yang is one of only two candidates of color still in the running, and he has quickly become a popular choice amongst
Asian voters. In fact, he’s been endorsed by several notable Asians including rapper Rich Brian and YouTuber Ryan Higa (aka nigahiga). The “Yang Gang”, as he calls his supporters, are drawn to his unique policy proposals, most notably his “Freedom Dividend”: a form of universal basic income (UBI) that would give every American adult $1,000/month, no strings attached. Trials of this idea were performed under the Nixon administration in 1969, and they proved that many would utilize the extra money to seek better opportunities. This safety net would also help our country on fronts such as reduction of drug and alcohol addiction, increased birth rates, and a boost in entrepreneurship. And it’s not a partisan solution either. Basic income almost passed under Nixon, a Republican, and has been entertained by notable Democrats of our time like Barack Obama. These innovative solutions
Ignorance is bliss, yes, except when it can greatly change your life for the worse. That is why Spokesman believes that students should stop ignoring or joking about what is going on with the current politics and rather get informed and involved about what they can do to incite hange. Voting is one of the many ways that students can achieve this, especially for those able to vote in the upcoming primary election and,later this year, the presidential election. The world can’t be changed for the better if people don’t participate in helping create that change
have inspired one of his slogans: “Not left, not right, but forward.” Perhaps most important of a 2020 Democrat, Yang has the most effective strategy for beating Trump: fixing the issues that got him elected. Trump won key states in 2016 by promising to bring back jobs he claimed were taken by illegal immigrants. Yang agrees many jobs in those areas were lost, but he points the finger at automation rather than immigrants. Self-checkout is already making grocery store clerks irrelevant. McDonald’s self-service kiosks and, most importantly, self-driving trucks could mean the end of millions of jobs. Despite the impacts of automation already showing up, Yang is the only candidate talking about the issue. I believe it’s time for our country to take a new direction that puts humans above profits, and I believe Yang is the candidate who can get us there.
10 out of 10 editorial members agree
Cable or Streaming Services?
Jessica
Staff Reporter
There’s Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and so many other streaming services for your enjoyment. But how much is too much? I think having all these streaming services is excessive and unnecessary. There’s so many troubles with Netflix having Disney contracts and Disney being owned by Hulu. A better solution would be to instead combine the Disney owned services. This would cost less money for individuals instead of buying all these streaming services for one specific show or movie. Soon there’s going
to be streaming service wars because everyone is trying to make their service seem better than it is. Who would rather have Hulu over Netflix? It’d be so much more simple if these streaming services teamed up and made a super streaming service. This way they could split costs for every movie they own and it would be so much less expensive. My parents canceled our cable and now we only have Disney Plus and Netflix, many people I know have also cut cable. I want to feel like I get what I pay for. Even on Netflix, the deal with Nickelodeon has me feeling empty because I want Icarly on the service and other childhood mementos such as Spongebob. There’s also shows missing on Disney + such as Mighty Med. I just want the shows I pay for. With those changes, streaming services may greatly improve within future years, but having all these streaming services is just a lost cause.
Sports
January 31, 2020 Posner
predicts
Matthew Posner Assistant Sports Editor
From 32 teams to two teams, the NFL’s 100th season has been full of upsets, excitement, surprising teams, and major disappointments. Teams like the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills shocked every NFL fan, whereas teams like the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, and the Indianapolis Colts were very disappointing. With Super Bowl LIV just around the corner, let’s take a look back as to how both the San Francisco 49ers and
Kansas City Chiefs made it here. After an ugly 4-12 season, the 49ers had the second pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and they didn’t hesitate to select Nick Bosa, a highly-touted defensive end out of Ohio State University. His impact was felt immediately, recording 9.0 sacks, 62 tackles, and one interception which he returned for a touchdown in just his first year. Bosa and that elite defensive line, which includes names such as Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, DeForest Buckner, and Solomon Thomas, emerged as the best defensive line in all of the NFL. They dominated offensive lines and running backs all year long. Let’s not forget about the massive improvements made offensively, however. Stellar play by 3rd-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, (Rolling Meadows high school grad) the three-headed monster at running back (Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Matt Breida), and an elite receiving core consisting of players such as Pro Bowlers Emmanuel Sanders and George Kittle, who is widely thought of as the greatest tight end in the NFL.
11
the
Super
The massive improvements on both sides of the ball resulted in a nine-game improvement this season. The Niners finished 13-3 and claimed the top seed in the National Football Conference (NFC). In the playoffs, they cruised to the Super Bowl with dominant victories over the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship. They were led by their running back Mostert, who ran for a whopping 220 yards and four touchdowns in the NFC Championship against the Packers. As for the Kansas City Chiefs, continuous offensive prowess carried them to their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years. Patrick Mahomes, quarterback, Tyreek Hill, wide reciever, and Travis Kelce , tight end, have dominated defenses all season long. Mahomes threw for a league-wide 4,031 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions in 14 games this season. The big weakness this team carries with them to the Super Bowl, however, is poor defensive play. Although their offense is
Bowl
unstoppable at times, their defense (with players such as Chris Jones and Tyrann Mathieu) allowed over 20 points per game for the 13th consecutive year, which is the longest active streak in NFL history. Michael Bosco, Spanish teacher and avid football fan, made his predictions on who he believes will win this year’s Super Bowl. “I think the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl. I think San Francisco gets off to a great start, and Bosa wreaks havoc in the first half. I think San Fran will lead at half, but in the second half, the Niners’ defense won’t be able to contain Patrick Mahomes. Therefore, I have a score prediction of 3128 Chiefs,” Bosco said. Although I think the Chiefs could win, this year is the year for the 49ers to win the Super Bowl 27-24. Their combined attack of both offense and defense is next to unstoppable, especially against that weak Chiefs defense. No matter what people think, there’s one thing we can guarantee about this year’s Super Bowl: it’s going to be a good one.
The Black Mamba; more than basketball Matthew Posner Assistant Sports Editor
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was tragically killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, Jan. 26 at approximately 11:47 AM CST. The helicopter was also carrying his 13-year old daughter Gianna “GiGi” Bryant, who was an avid basketball fan just like her father, 38-year old head coach of GiGi’s basketball team Christina Mauser, 58-year old legendary minor league coach John Altobelli, his 46-year old wife Keri Altobelli, their 13-year old daughter Alyssa Altobelli, and 45-year old mother and 13-year old daughter Sarah Chester and Payton Chester. The pilot of the helicopter was identified as 50-year old Ara Zobayan. The cause of the crash is unknown as of Jan. 28.
Millions of people took to social media to remember the late legend, including former teammate Shaquille O’Neal, 11time NBA Finals MVP Bill Russell, and 6-time NBA Champion Michael Jordan. K o b e had one of the greatest professional careers in NBA history. He spent 20 years in the NBA, all as a member of the Lakers. He was also an 18-time All-Star, 5-time NBA champion, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, NBA MVP in 2007-08, and he scored 81 points, which is 2nd-most for a player in a single game in NBA history, in a
game on Jan. 22, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors. He most famously went out in his final game on April 13, 2016, when he scored 60 points and gave his f a m o u s “Mamba Out” speech immediately following the game. Kobe built his Mamba Sports Academy, an academy dedicated to teaching kids how to play basketball and adapt his “Mamba Mentality” in 2016 just months after retiring. The Mamba Sports Academy was where he was headed in his helicopter on Jan. 26 before it crashed and burst into flames. Kobe’s impact was felt
Athlete of the Month
across the world. He grew up in Italy as a child, and he later burst onto the basketball scene when he moved from Italy to Philadelphia and attended Lower Merion High School. His awesome play in high school got him drafted 13th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats, when he would famously be traded to the Lakers later that night. He left behind his wife Vanessa Bryant and his other three children, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri Braynt. Kobe embodied everything an athlete could and should be. He was a role model on and off the court, he continuously did wonderful things for the community, and his level of greatness was among the best in all of professional sports. Rest in peace, Black Mamba. You will truly be missed.
Coach Kuehn gives her goodbyes Iran Teran Staff Reporter
Gymnastics Santiago Cuevas Editor in Chief
Flying through the air, doing multiple backflips at a time, Jada Stark, sophomore, pushes herself to work hard at becoming better at her sport, gymnastics. Although a sophomore on a varsity team, Stark still exceeds in meeting expectations through self motivation. “Well of course it feels good to win, but there’s also this spark of motivation in the air I feel when I do a flip,” Stark said. Her dedication to the program and her willingness to put in her best effort is what made her athlete of the month for gymnastics chosen by her coach Rachel Wheeler. During this season, Jada was moved up to the varsity level team after impressing her coaches. Her
Jada Stark
willingness to adjust to the new amount of work and her impeccable attendance allowed her to adjust without much struggle. “She’s at every practice, she works through all sicknesses, illnesses, and right now the varsity have almost the whole team out because of sickness, illness, injuries and she’s just plowing through and she just came up from J V t o
varsity, Wheeler said. Stark is also seen as a leader and a role model by her coach despite her age compared to those in varsity. “She’s a very hard worker, she’s very dedicated, she doesn’t leave early so she’s a good role, even though she’s a sophomore, for the freshman to see,” Wheeler said. Although the season is coming close to an end, Stark and her coach still have high expectations for the rest of the season and for the next few years. “I really want to place first in floor this year, but honestly getting first in anything would be cool,” Stark said. “I really want to see her go to conference this year, do a solid performance, train over the summer, and come back strong so she can lead in varsity,” Wheeler said.
As Jennifer Kuehn, English teacher, says goodbye to coaching, she looks back at her best memories. “Four years ago, so the girls that are seniors now, when they tried out we had like 60 something girls trying out for the team, which is when we decided to add a JV team which we don’t have anymore. But it was really exciting because I came from Hersey with the intent of starting the competitive dance team, and that first year we had 23 girls try out, and we took all 23 because we didn’t know what else to do, and it was just really exciting to see two years of really hard work pay off with this awesome group of girls,” Kuehn said. Kuehn has always been involved in dance and has coached for 10 years, coaching four of those years at Hersey and the other six at WHS, which is why it was really hard for her to make the decision to step down from coaching. “I’m staying at school at the same time but staying longer. I’m pregnant with my second child now and even though Poms is a fall and winter sport, it really does go all year round. In the summer we’re getting ready for the fall season and for the competition season, and when we finish in February, I spend all of March getting ready for auditions in April and we do some stuff in May then we get ready for June, so it never really ends,” Kuehn said. Kuehn expresses that she would like to spend more time with her daughter and the new baby that is currently on the way, but it won’t really happen until she retires from coaching. Although Kuehn is going to miss coaching, since it has always been a significant part in her life, she is certain that she is leaving the program in good hands. The new head coach will be her current assistant coach, Mara Leane, social science teacher. “She’s the best. She’s actually the first assistant coach that I’ve had for over a year or two. She has done an awesome job of taking over more and more responsibilities. She is the first person I’ve had who I’ve felt really comfortable leaving the program that I have put so much of my heart into. It’s like my first baby, there was no way I was ever going to leave until I was sure there was someone who could take over for me and I’m sure Ms. Leane is the person to take [poms] to the next level,” Kuehn said.
Sports Follow us on :
@wheelingspokesman January 31, 2020
Wheeling hoops at Hardwood Ethan Polak Sports Editor
Over winter break, the Wheeling boys varsity basketball team held their 42nd annual Hardwood Classic tournament here at WHS. For those who don’t know, the Hardwood Classic is a four day tournament with sixteen teams from around the Chicagoland area. Of these sixteen teams, there were some of the top high basketball players in Illinois. The Wheeling boys started off against St. Viator, who has one of those top players in the tournament, Conner Kochera. Wheeling struggled to stop Kochera the entire game letting up 29 points. They would eventually lose 66-36 with Javen Reid, senior, leading Wheeling in scoring with 12 points and 7 rebounds. This loss was very crucial because it meant they would be stuck in the losing bracket for the rest of the tournament. However, there still was a consolation prize for the winner for the losing bracket, so the Wheeling boys stayed motivated. This mentality was tested after the team would fall behind early in the next game against Ridgewood, but they would make a huge comeback in the second. “We were down fourteen at half against Ridgewood and had a big fourth quarter to beat them by eight. Our kids never gave up and they never quit,” Michael O’Keeffe, head coach, said. Wheeling would ultimately win 72-64 due to outstanding performances from Jaden Terrell, junior, who finished with 12 points and Solomon Hudson, junior, who finished with 17 points. Although, Reid stole the show after he finished with 24 points and 7 rebounds with 12 of his points coming from the free throw line. “We had to turn up the intensity, because we came out flat, we had to pick up the pace pressure the guards and just play
fast and trust our offense,” Reid said when asked about how the team was able to make a comeback. After the big win, Wheeling was met by division rival Buffalo Grove. Wheeling looked to get revenge after losing to them previously this season. The only problem is they had to go through Kam Craft, sophomore, who has been red hot the entire tournament. He dropped 19 points and 10 rebounds while Reid once again led the team in scoring with 17 points. The Wheeling’s final game of the tournament was against Deerfield. Wheeling struggled to stop Deerfield’s 6-foot-11 center Brandon Lieb, senior who dropped 20 points. They would enetually lose 66-50, but not without a tournament high 17 points and 5 steals for Terrell. After a disappointing finish of 1-3 in the Hardwood Classic, O’Keeffe is looking to make some improvements. “Turnovers have really hurt us the entire season,” O’Keeffe said. “Our new game to game goal is to have a one to one assist to turnover ratio.” The turnovers were not the only problem Wheeling had because they were also looking to improve their defense. “At times our half court man to man defense looks really good and other times unfortunately we don’t do a good job of communicating and that often times leads to open shots and easy buckets for the opposing team,” O’Keeffe said. Wheeling hopes to get back on track in their next game against Elk Grove on Feb. 2. Overall, this year’s event went extremely well. “I think it went great. We had the best game as far as the number of people in the past five years,” Donald Rowley, athletic director, said. With all the success that the tournament has been having, new teams like Glenbrook North and Hampshire will be joining the tournament for the 2020 season.
Upcoming: 2/01/20 - Girls Bowling at Arlington Lanes 2/04/20 - Girls Basketball vs Hersey 2/07/20 - Boys Basketball Divisional vs Hersey 2/15/20 - Boys Swimming at Schaumburg 2/19/20 - Boys Track and Field at Maine East
The Cats on the mats
Photo taken by Mitch Fister Aaron Hernandez, freshman, celebrates his last minute win, giving WHS the meet.
Photo taken by Mitch Fister Simon Micula, freshman, gets control of one of his opponent’s legs as he goes for the takedown.
Matthew Posner
Assistant Sports Editor
Photo taken by Ethan Polak Christian McLaughlin, senior, takes a shot over a Rolling Meadows defender from beyond the three point line.
NHS Red Out-2/7/20 @7:30 Come support your Wildcats
Red Out shirts will be on sale for $7 during the bake sale during lunch periods Wednesday -Friday. All proceeds go to the American Heart Association.
This winter, the WHS wrestling program has had a strong year, with excellent performances of strength and technique highlighting yet another strong year for the program. The varsity program is coached by Charles Curran, who has coached the program for four years. “We performed pretty well this year. The kids’ effort has been excellent. We have a great group of participants and they’ve been improving week after week. [I am] happy with the improvement we’ve seen,” Curran said. The wrestling program isn’t new to success. Since the dawn of the century, the team has made two state appearances, most recently in 2017 (both top 8 finishes). “We have got a great wrestling tradition in the community and we’re trying to build on that. We haven’t seen those types of results this year, but we are try-
Photo taken by Mitch Fister Diego Hernandez, senior, attempts to sweep his opponent’s leg out from underneath him.
Photo taken by Mitch Fister John Garcia, senior, goes in for a double leg takedown in
ing to reach for conference, regional, sectional and state titles,” Curran said. One of the big things Curran and the program are trying to teach the young athletes is “Get 1% better every day,” according to Curran. He said it was “more of a life lesson: focus on the improvement instead of the wins and losses you have.” Those words have resonated deeply within the entire team, and the team has really enjoyed this season as a collective unit. The thrill of the sport, the adrenaline rush gained from facing off in the ring, and the confidence gained by defeating your opponent. Even though the team has enjoyed combined success for years, individual performances have also been successful. When asked how many state qualifiers Wheeling has had in recent years, Curran simply said that it was “More than I can count.” All in all, Wheeling’s wrestling program continues to be enjoyable, exciting, and successful. This team will be one to watch for years and years to come.