WHSSpokesman Wheeling High School
Volume 55 Issue 1
900 S. Elmhurst Road
Wheeling, Ill. 60090
September 14, 2018
Page 3 WHS chooses Chicago as school musical
Page 6-7 Prospect Heights fire and relief
Page 9 Ariana Grande album review
Page 12 After tearing ACL twice, athlete is back in the game
Parking pass prices: students and faculty weigh in The schools itself do not even have a voice when the yearly parking pass prices are set. “The price is set by the district and it has been the same price for six years now. It’s a very consistent price and it’s very reasonable, especially if you’ve checked other school district’s parking pass prices,” Patty Misichko, school attendance A student pass to park in the back WHS lot costs office clerk, said. $190 for year long access, and $4 for the daily All of the schools in District 214 charge an pass. Students raise awareness of the high number, annual fee of $190 to park in their school lots, and but faculty claim it to be a very fair, affordable that price seems to fall somewhere in the middle, price. when compared to other schools of northwest “I think there are about 100 students in America suburban Chicago. right now sitting down with their principal having “Where I came from, it was like $100 to park, this same conversation. This is a universal issue but if you go to New Trier or the Glenbrook in education where kids have these concerns,” schools, it’s like $300 to park,” Cook said. Jerry Cook, school principal, said. Although WHS Although faculty agrees the price is reasonable receives the money paid from the students, the for all students in the district to afford, some WHS school does not profit directly from the student students still have concern over its fairness. payments. “I think that parking prices are way overpriced. “The money received from the passes goes to I understand that we need to pay to park but we’re a District 214 pod of money to maintain all the already paying for school and everything else, schools in the district. It goes to the maintenance so I don’t think parking should be as high as it of the parking lot and other general maintenance is. I think a fair price would be like $100,” Heidi items of the building,” Cook said. Wenson, junior, said.
By Amanda Talalaj Editor-in-Chief
Although the price seems unrealistically high for a student to afford, it can be linked to one of the liabilities there is to driving and owning your own car. “Some people make the argument where if you can afford a car, gas, insurance, then you can afford $190 for a whole year of parking,” Cook said. Though some students express concern over this price, others see the rationale behind it. “I feel like it’s priced kind of high but it’s not outrageous considering I get to park for like 180 days and it costs $190. It’s almost a dollar a day, which isn’t that bad when you think about it,” Rachel Lawson, junior, said. Since the parking pass is a yearlong pass, students may wonder why nobody has ever thought of a payment plan that would allow one to pay off the pass over a longer course of time. This would allow some lower income students more time to pay off the fee, instead of them rushing to pay it all at once. “I don’t know if anybody has raised the issue of a payment plan yet,” Cook said. “But I do think that where we’re at right now is in a very fair and affordable price range for our students.”
A buzz cut for the courtyard, a chance to rebuild
Photos taken by Alexis Knight
Trees and bushes were removed from the school courtyard over the summer due to bee hazards and because the plants themselves were dying. WHS is currently in the process of planting new trees in order to compensate for those torn down. The process will take time.
Increased security measures, old protocol changes locking the front door is a qualified safety measure. “We conducted a security audit, and one of the By Alexis Knight things that security experts advised is that anytime Staff Reporter you have a building, there should be one entrance for all people. After school we have more people parking in the back versus the front for activities and sporting events, so that is why we left the back Regulations were put in place to increase doors opened,” he said. security this school year including morning ID Backpack checks are yet another recent checks, random backpack checks, and locking regulation that has been established. “As I said, of the front doors after school. The importance we had the security audit, and the one thing that of increasing security in light of recent events they were very surprised about and the one thing around the nation is becoming evident to staff and they thought we should stop doing is having an students, however, the security measures that were open campus. If you think about it we are allowing added, stir up mixed opinions. hundreds of kids to leave the building, come back Faculty claim that the implemented security in, and we don’t know what they are bringing measures are a good way of keeping people safe. back in. So that is a very soft spot for us. So we “The ID checks came about from discussions with have a couple of options. We can not have an the superintendent and other principals in the open campus, or we can try to check students as district. So obviously it’s a response to some of the they come back in with bags to see if they have school shootings that have occurred throughout any contraband or weapons. So doing random bag the country. So we are looking at all the different checks allows us to provide some level of security entrances and exits and some of our policies within for the building while not eliminating open campus. the district, so that was a district wide decisions. I I think we are pretty close to a balance. I think think it is a good idea. I came from a school where that is the key word around security and school every student wore an ID, so I think it’s a nice buildings is finding a balance between providing balance between having to have kids wear IDs and safety and security and not prohibiting student nothing at all, where kids just walk in freely. It’s freedoms,” Cook said. a balanced approach I think,” Jerry Cook, school Security guards are the ones who patrol the principal, said. school entrances. “In a lighter sense, we’re kind Along with the IDs, the principal also feels like of taking place of the police because what would
happen in society if you didn’t have police. I’m not saying we’re police, but we are kind of the first line of defense,” Norb Kriss, security guard, said. Security guards are the ones who carry out the safety measures. “Times have changed and you never know what you might find in a backpack,” Kriss said. Some students do not see a major problem with the new regulations. “I feel like they are necessary, but an inconvenience. If you don’t remember to take out your ID, you have to look through your stuff and pull it out. As for backpack checks, they don’t really matter to me because I won’t have anything to hide, but I get the idea, if someone’s backpack were checked they could confiscate something,” Katrina Haas, sophomore, said. However, not all students feel the same way about these security measures being taken. “Locking the front doors makes it so hard for athletes, parents, or anyone to get in,” Lizbeth Gomez, senior, said. “I hate ID checks. It’s honestly not safe at all. You can have a picture of someone else’s ID on your phone and still get in just fine. It’s not effective. Backpack checks are a waste of time, too. It feels like they don’t trust me anymore, and teachers blame you if you are late because of them. If people know about backpack checks they’ll find another way to bring what they want in. I understand the need, but what will this really do?” Dania Vargas, senior, questioned.
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News
September 14, 2018
Despite a silencing staff, students sold on shirt By Giuliana Geati Associate Editor-in-Chief After 3 years of specially designed school spirit T-shirts being handed out to students on the first day of school, this year’s students did not receive a T-shirt at all on the first day. After controversy raised by staff members from the lyrics printed on the shirts, “If you don’t know now you know” from a rap song by Notorious B.I.G, staff decided to not hand out the shirts to the students on the first day because they questioned their appropriateness. “We had a shirt designed. We didn’t anticipate the concerns the staff members would have. So once there was concerns, we had to pause and decide what we should do next. The concern wasn’t necessarily about students having the shirts, it was more about the adults wearing the shirts because they didn’t feel comfortable. This then raised the question, is it appropriate for the students,” Jerry Cook, school principal, said. After discussing the lyrics on the shirt, several staff members were concerned if the shirts portrayed an appropriate message for the students. “Many staff members thought that there are lyrics that are counter to our values, values that are in place to empower all students. I think it’s good that we had a dialogue with the parents. That’s the most important thing to me, and it should guide the decision making, as it did. That, to me, was absolutely the right thing. Dialogue with the community was critical and the voices were heard. The right decision was made. Our school is supposed to explore, care, connect and grow and I think there are lyrics to the song that run counter to that,” Chad Scoggins, English
teacher, said. Some students were upset that the shirts weren’t handed out at the student success summit as they had traditionally been before. “I think that getting T-shirts from the school each year allow students to have school spirit by giving them a new school shirt, but also class spirit for things like pep assemblies and spirit weeks where each grade competes,” Giaden Halfman, senior, said. “The best part [about getting T-shirts] is that the entire grade has one common shirt and we can all wear it,” Shailie Shah, senior, said. After not handing out the shirts at the student success summit, Cook worked to make sure that the shirts were appropriate for students to wear and handed them out the next week after the first home football game. “I talked to some parents and they didn’t see a problem with it. What we did instead was on Friday after the football game, we had T-shirts on tables and started to distribute them that way. So if you come to the home football games and you haven’t already received a shirt, you can receive a shirt there. We did not hand out the shirts on the Friday of the student success summit which we’ve done in the past, but we’re handing the shirts out now at the football games. It took us some time to work through [if the shirts were appropriate], so we didn’t hand them out on Friday but we are distributing the shirts now,” Cook said. The students, however, did not see the shirts as being inappropriate. “I don’t think the shirts were inappropriate. There were no bad words or inappropriate references and it was a nice gesture to hand them out to people who showed up to support the football team,” Halfman said. Photo Taken By Giuliana Geati
Cumulative problems lead to courtyard cuts By Alexis Knight Staff Reporter CONTINUED from front page photo story... Over the summer the trees in the courtyard were removed due to the hazardous problems they could cause. Some students have not taken notice to the absence of trees. “I didn’t know that the trees were gone. I don’t go outside. Since they were dying it was a good idea to remove them, they would have looked bad,” Kimberly Espinoza, junior, said. Other students claim that the courtyard looks bare without trees. “It looks ugly now because
the trees gave the courtyard color, and now it’s dull.” Lizbeth Gomez, senior, said. The reason for the removal of the trees was not to make the courtyard look dull. “So the simple answer is that the trees were dying, and they were falling. Last year we had two trees that fell because of high winds because they were so rotted out. So obviously, it poses a danger if you have kids out in the courtyard and a tree falls,” Jerry Cook, school principal, said. The trees in the courtyard were not the only plants subject to removal by the school board. “So we also had a lot of bushes, but there is kind of like a normal life cycle to shrubbery. They don’t die on their own, they just get to a certain point where they grow to large and you can’t trim them back. So we worked with an arborist who came in and gave us some suggestions, and
ultimately they decided that we should just take it all out and replant,” Cook said. With most of the trees and shrubbery gone, there have been questions whether or not the school will replant. “They will be replanting in phases because it is really expensive. The removal was expensive, and their replacement will be expensive. This year we will start replacing them, but it will be a multi-year process,” Cook said. Some students are indifferent to the fact that the trees have been removed. “I don’t care, I never went out there. I feel like even if they replaced the trees it wouldn’t make a difference because no one goes out there. It won’t make a difference to my senior year, plus we have enough trees for oxygen anyway,” Bria Brooks, senior, said.
Prospect Heights fire ignites relief efforts in WHS By Amanda Talalaj Editor-In-Chief On July 18, an 11-year old child playing with a lighter started a blaze that cost many people their life savings and homes altogether. With an estimated $10 million in damages, $4 million in property damages and $6 million in damages to the contents within people’s homes, some Prospect Heights residents were at a loss of what to do next. Luckily, fundraising efforts were quickly at work to help those affected by the fire. From areas to donate personal belongings and money to volunteer groups that worked all day to help, communities quickly banded together to help those lives who were decimated by this great fire.
The students at WHS were one very helpful community to the cause as well. Izabela Kwietniewski, senior, and Julia Domanska, senior, were two individuals who dedicated their time over the summer to volunteer. “Julia and I went to a building not far from some of the apartments to organize clothes in groups. It was nearby where the fire occurred, so you could see where people’s homes burned down and just how much was destroyed because of this fire. It was so sad,” Kwietniewski said. “Everything was a huge mess. So many of these piles of clothes just towered over one another and you could tell they needed lots of help. We were assigned to organize the clothes in groups based on gender, age, and season. I think it was a very fulfilling experience to take some time off in the summer and use it to help the less fortunate,” Domanska said.
Though volunteering was one option to help those affected by the fire, donations and fundraising were other options as well. Students, such as Christina Pierini, senior, went to the Wheeling Park District Aquatic Center in order to benefit WHS students and families affected by the fire. The fundraiser was held on August 4th, from 7 to 9 p.m. and it acquired a minimum donation of $5 per guest. “I went with a group of my friends and had a lot of fun there, but the most important reason why we were there was to give back. I hope our donations made a difference and helped those affected by the fire because it really was sad and unfair what happened to them,” Pierini said. The actions of these students and many more in the WHS community have helped many of their fellow students and families affected by the fire. For more information, see pages 6 and 7. Photos
Photos From Wikimedia Commons
Condos owned by Prospect Heights residents, including several WHS students and their families, were burned down and left in ruins. Countless, irreplaceable items were destroyed and the pictures above depict the aftermath of the fire.
September 14, 2018
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Arts
WHS presents Chicago By Brianna Eloiza Staff Reporter “Chicago: The Musical” is the newest production from Wheeling High School coming this November. “I’m excited for the show because it’s not the usual show you would see a high school perform,” Lexi Conejo, freshman, said. Conejo continued to speak about her opinions about the original show, “I saw the movie and it’s definitely different than most musicals because it’s a darker storyline. There aren’t really any protagonists because most of them are murderers in the show. It’s just different from what you would think a musical is. When you think of musicals, you think of happiness and singing.” This musical captures a different angle of what musicals should be, and a lot of people are excited for the show. “I have high, high expectations for the show and everyone involved,” Stephen Colella, music instructor, said. Colella has wanted to do this production for quite some time; 9 years to be exact. Becuase Chicago is such a popular show, only a small percentage of schools are allowed to produce it at a time. So, when Colella found out that he could finally work on the show here at WHS, he knew he had to take the offer.
“We also have such a great group of talented students here to do the show, and I have an amazing group of people this year to help me out,” Colella said. One of the most interesting things about this showcase is that the show will not be based in the 1920’s, like the original. Instead, the production will be based in the 90’s, during the rise of hip hop in Chicago. “Everyone does it very traditional, but we are adding some grunge and hip hop to the show,” said Colella, continuing to talk about how the plan is not to change the show, just the style and the time it takes place. “Prospect will be doing the show in the spring, but they will be doing the traditional version.” He continued to speak about how special he believes this show will be. Conejo also had an opinion on the change in the generation of the show. “I think it’s a cool concept because it will be fun to make the show our own. It won’t be like any other production of Chicago that anyone has ever seen,” said Conejo. “The show will run from November 14th throughout the 17th,” Colella said. He expressed that he hopes for a good turnout, and believes that people will be interested in seeing the show since it will resonate well with the students of WHS. “People will either love it or hate it, and either way, it will be good for us because it’ll get people thinking,” Colella said.
Despite coaching change, color guard leadership excels By Katie Meyer Staff Reporter
Mejia, freshman, said. “I think the seniors have stepped up to help the underclassmen as much as Color guard season has just begun, possible, and to help them understand but the team members are more how color guard is done. Just to follow involved this season than they have their lead and take everyone under ever before. Just a few weeks into the their wing and help them through the season, the Color Guard coach left the transition,” Michael Malek, band team. Since then, the team captains instructor, said. have had to work just as hard to keep Even though the season seemed the team in one piece. chaotic at first, it has gotten a lot “Since our coach left the team, better. I really had to take on the role of “With us in charge, the season has making sure that we get everything been going pretty well. We all support done. We have had to make sure that each other and try to make the best of our new coach knows everything there a not so good situation,” Reschke said. is to know about the team and our Overall, the team has been working members,” Robin Reschke, senior, hard on their new halftime routines said. and performing beyond Mr. Malek’s The big change has been very expectations. frustrating, but the seniors have been “I think that our first performance trying very hard to make their program was a good one, but our second just as great as it was before. performance was outstanding and “Color guard has been fun with the now they are starting to get used to leaders taking over, because when our their new uniforms and some of the coach wasn’t there, they [the student new flags. They are actually using new leaders] stepped in and made their equipment too, such as fake violins as own routines so that we weren’t just part of the choreography. So it is pretty marching all the time. I thought that neat, and hopefully the audience has was amazing because it definitely been enjoying the new changes too,” showed a lot of leadership,” Fernanda Malek said.
Band room renovations used to students’ advantage By Nikko Sarmenta Staff Reporter After a year, the orchestra wing was going through renovations last school year. For the returning students, you may remember the barriers blocking the orchestra hallway. During this period of last year, Sarah Struebing, the orchestra teacher at WHS for 6 years, had to adjust to teaching in a different environment. “The renovation itself temporarily displaced our classrooms. Last fall, band class was in the theater, choir was in the study hall rooms, and orchestra was in the staff lounge. These spaces were definitely different than what we are used to and we had to make a lot of changes to fit into these smaller spaces,” Struebing said. When summer ended, the renovations were finally completed. The band rooms have gone through acoustical treatments over the summer,
which allows the orchestra hallway to be quieter in comparison to years before. When rumors of acoustical treatment surface, many thought the rooms were being soundproofed. Struebing talked about what this exactly meant for the classes that work in those rooms. “The spaces were not necessarily ‘soundproofed,’ they installed what are known as acoustical treatments,” Struebing said. The acoustical treatment in the orchestra wing will help band and orchestra students by making it easier to hear what they are playing. The acoustic treatment can capture sounds which can bounce around the room and make it harder to hear. Stopping echoes in large rooms, such as the band rooms, can help those who participate in orchestra by lowering the sounds of the instruments to a safer level. “Prior to the treatments,
our room was very live meaning sounds carried quickly, and lacked control. Now we can hear sounds more clearly, and can hear more specific parts of each ensemble,” Struebing said. Now that music classes are finally in session in the newly treated band rooms, Struebing believes that her classes are going to be changing for the better. “We now have enough space for all of the students and our equipment. Also, these rooms were built specifically to be used as music classrooms. Our old rooms were more or less just big rooms. We are so grateful for our new spaces,” Struebing said. While it may not apply to those who aren’t in band directly, students walking the hallways will not be bothered by the band’s loud music. It is still wonderful to hear that students who are involved will have safer areas to practice in.
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Feature
September 14, 2018
Italian exchange students bring new perspectives By Jordyn Rogers Staff Reporter
You may have seen a few new faces in the halls this week, and we know what you’re thinking. Who are these people and why are they shadowing certain students’ schedules? Well Wheeling is hosting our first cultural exchange program thanks to Italian teachers Mariangela Bonasera and Cody Mueller, along with help from Language Division Head, Angela Hawkins. The program has been pushed in the past, but at last, the project is completely in action. Real Italian students have arrived and are staying for ten days. Ms. Bonacera says she received an email from an Italian school, called A. Orieni, located in a city called Ravenna. They wanted to do an exchange with an American school. She had previously expressed interest in a cultural exchange program, so she was extremely excited and decided to get the help of fellow teachers to help bring the project to life. “Mueller really coordinated the fine details, and Hawkins also helped a lot.” Ms. Bonacera said. As soon as the program had been approved in February, heavy planning began, and Ms. Bonacera credits the administration for helping with the program and approving it in the first place. They decided that a group of Wheeling students would go during our spring break to stay with the exchange students who come this month. Mr. Mueller said that he’s hoping that both groups of students, foreign and local, have big takeaways from the experience. “It’s a way for students to meet people from a faraway place. It will really be a mind-opening experience: Help the kids with growing up, traveling overseas for the first time, and overcoming cultural barriers. Kids think that each culture is so different, but really they are so similar in many ways. After, they’ll form a brotherhood-type relationship,” Mueller said. Similarly, Mariangela Bonacera, italian teacher stated, “I think it will inspire. I’m excited for kids to make cultural comparisons and be immersed in each other’s language and culture.” The team said that they have planned tourist attraction trips in Chicago for the Italian students as well as having them attend a few days of school with the Wildcats who will be going to Italy in the spring. Mr. Mueller stated that the goal of this was for the kids to see how Americans live in day to day life both in and out of school. Ti diamo il benvenuto, studenti!
Spokesman interviews members of the Little Wildcat preschool class! Q1: What’s your favorite color? Why? Loralei Padron
Q2: What did you do over the summer?
Q3: What is one thing you’ve learned Jump really really so far? lack widow
Nia Abdullah
Sam Tellez
William Stewart
Q1: Red because I like red.
Q1:Rainbow sparkly because I like rainbow sparkly.
Q1: Dark rainbow because I don’t like shiny.
Q1: Blue because my mom bought me blue.
Q2: We ate gummies.
Q2: Going to a wedding; I was the flower girl.
Q2: I went to Mexico and I saw my family.
Q2: I played outside.
Q3: I learned people.
Q3: To behave.
Q3: I learned about colors.
Q3: To drive far to my school high
Information and photos collected by Jasmine Yusef and Andrea Mendoza
September 14, 2018
Feature
5
WHS welcomes new staff members into Cat Pack
Photo taken by Santiago Cuevas
Ms. Mendoza Gama, spanish teacher, joins WHS after being an allumna a few years back
Photo taken by Santiago Cuevas
Mr.Fuentes, counselor, joins the WHS family after teaching at NorthGrand High school in Chicago.
Photo taken by Santiago Cuevas
Mr. Reinhart, tech teacher, joins WHS’s tech department with an expertise in live stream and a passion to grow.
student involvement in WHS and all the positivity that floats around. “One thing I really like about Wheeling is how involved our students. We have a lot of students involved with a lot of different projects,clubs, and different athletics so it’s nice to see how involved the students are.” Mr.Reinhart said. Positivity at WHS is what unites students and staff to not only work Although a lot of these new staff members are unfamiliar with WHS, together but also prosper in their own desires and goals. Cecilia Gama Mendoza, spanish teacher, does not fall under this category. As the 2018-19 school year starts to unfold, lots of new changes can Ms. Gama Mendoza is a WHS alumni coming back to be seen in WHS’s environment. Most of stemming off the help improve the WHS environment and fulfill her dream of fact that there are twenty new staff members adopted teaching. into WHS’s ever growing family. Of these twenty new “I like teaching “I like teaching students. I like being able to help staff member, about more than half work hands on with them out. I like helping them decide what to do in the future students and the other amount work behind the scenes, students. I like to help them build that career pathway.” said Ms.Gama being the backbone of the school. being able to help Mendoza The staff members joining WHS this year are: them out. I like One of the more noticeable new staff member has to Stephanie Arroyo, Kyle Reinhart, Eric Race, Angie be Arturo counselor. Mr. Fuentes took the role of Briese, Megan Baker, Keith Berger, Jose Ceja, Armando helping them decide retiree Ms.Fuentes, Brewer. Mr. Fuentes is more than ready to take Covarrubias, Arturo Fuentes, Jazmine Garcia, Cecilia what to do in the on the role of being a counselor. Gama Mendoza, Shannon Johnson, AJ Katsinas, “I was a teacher for six years and during that future to help them Mara Leane, Justin Martinez, Edwin Souchet, John time many of students came to me for academic, social Tomasetti, Sherry Vittore, Tyler Van Vleet, and build that career emotional and post-secondary support so this led me to Kimberly Menczywor. pathway.” research options for me to grow professionally in hopes of Many of these new staff members come to WHS to being a better teacher. My intend was not to be a school with positive attitude in order to prosper and achieve their counselor, but to work on my practice as a teacher. But once goals. Cecilia Gama I completed my program, I felt like I needed to give school For Eric Race, technology teacher, getting as many Mendoza, spanish counseling a try. I would say that there are times when I students certified in engineering is one of his main goals missed being in the classroom, but I definitely enjoying being coming into WHS. Although he is new to being a teacher, teacher, said. a school counselor.” said Mr. Fuentes. he’s passionate about what he is doing. As Mr.Fuentes has adapted to the school and the WHS “When I was in high school I took a bunch of enviornment he has learn to admire a few things about the woodshop and manufacturing courses. I fell in love school. One of them being the family like enviornement that both the staff with it and I always thought that I was pretty good at it. I liked helping and students have with one another. my classmates even more than I liked doing my own stuff. I really liked “My favorite thing about Wheeling so far is the family feel that you get teaching them so I thought it would be a pretty great profession for me. when you walk in. Everyone is friendly and there’s this unconditional love Getting to do the stuff I love everyday and teaching as well,” Race said. we have for one another as a community,” said Mr. Fuentes. Another new staff member joining Mr.Race in the technology The new staff members are all here for a reason, whether that be department would be Kyle Reinhart. Mr. Reinhart just like Mr.Race is to help students learn and achieve new things or to simply just help a newly grauated college student. He comes to WHS hoping to better students out everyone once in a while and keep them safe. Though it is the improve himself in his different field and boost up the media tech classes positivity in the WHS enviornment that makes everyone feel at home. alongside livestream software. Over the past few weeks Mr.Reinhart has become a fanatic of the By Santiago Cuevas Asssociate Editor-in-Chief
Photo taken by Santiago Cuevas
Mr. Race, tech teacher, is new to the WHS family and mainly teaches enginering based classes.
Photo taken by Jasmine Yusef
Dr.Baker, english teacher, is not only new to WHS but also is one of the newsest girls swimming and diving coach.
Photo taken by Santiago Cuevas
Mr.Souchet, security, is new to WHS’s full time staff. Prior to being a security guard he worked as a custodian for the school.
6
Focus
September 14, 2018
Prospect Heights fire causes commu Clothes, furniture, money and time donated as reside The community’s response to the damage By Kamila Walus Focus Editor
Many families, including WHS students, were displaced after a young boy allegedly caused the fire by playing with a lighter at the River Trails
Condominium complex in Prospect Heights on July 18th. After the fire caused an estimated $10 million in damage and 96 units were damaged, many families were left with almost nothing. After the fire made the news, the community was very quick to organize many donation spots, including Lakewood Chapel, St. Alphonsus Church and non-profit organization Catholic Charities USA. District 214 raised over $30,000 dollars for the victims of the fire, Hebron Church raised $5,000, and the city of Prospect Heights distributed over $10,000. Svetlana Fastovskaya, Social Worker, said, “All of the community came together like there was no tomorrow. I think the only other time I remember that happening was 9/11.”
19 current students at WHS, and 5 students that had already graduated were involved and affected by the fire. Each student received a $500 to
either their choice of Walmart or Target. The entire families of the student victims got their beds replaced by the school, the fees of past years and for this year were paid off, school iPads were replaced and each student received a new backpack filled with school supplies. Many families received new items through donation spots, including the ones listed above. Thomas Scotese, assistant principal, said, “Everyone came together in such a nice way; It was so heartwarming.”
Although many families’ personal belongings were destroyed, every person in the building safely evacuated, and there were no fatalities.
A look into the students’ experience By Kamila Walus Focus Editor
Due to the privacy and respect of the victims, names of the students have been changed to student A, B and C. The fire that took place at a condominium complex this summer was home to 19 students that currently attend WHS. The event shook many people, as it was never expected to happen. It took many by surprise, such as Student C. Student C said, “I grabbed my cat and left, I didn’t even grab shoes or anything.” Others didn’t have much with them because they weren’t home during the fire. Student A said, “It was just ourselves and our phones for a couple weeks,” after explaining how they came home from eating out for lunch and seeing their part of the building on fire. All the families evacuated the building,
but had to stand outside behind the fire trucks and police cars and watch the event unfold. Student B, said, “After a couple hours [of the fire burning], I was looking at my house and then I saw smoke coming out of my windows. Then, I knew my house was going to be damaged by the fire too. It felt really bad. I started crying, and I started thinking about everything I took for granted all the time, how I didn’t appreciate what I had. It really hit me hard, harder than I ever thought it would hit me.” After the fire, many families didn’t have a place to stay for the night. Student B stated that one of the members of the board of directors of the building let her family stay with her, but currently lives in the manse at
the Village Presbyterian Church in Northbrook. Student C stayed at various hotels, and Student B’s dad was quick to find a new apartment for the family to stay in. The community was very quick to reach out and help the families affected. The school, local churches and park districts helped to raise money. Student C said, “From the school, we got the beds and gift cards. I didn’t even want to accept anything. It felt really weird accepting all these things.” Student A felt very appreciative of everything her family received. After explaining how people responded to her situation, she stated, “I never would’ve thought this would happen to me, so seeing how many people donated made me really happy.”
Have you ever donated or contrib “Yes, we’ve donated to the Salvation Army. People need stuff that we have a lot of,” Allison Wong, freshman, said.
“Yes, it felt good to help out. It feels like you’re making an impact or changing something for the better,”Nicole Koutun, sophomore, said.
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Focus September 14, 2018
unity to concentrate on contributions
ents and volunteers help those affected by the fire
A real estate warehouse opens up new beginnings for families
By Kamila Walus Focus Editor
Recovering after a tragedy is a very difficult thing to do. Seeking and receiving help is the exact thing that many families had to do. Jim
Kelly helped make sure victims recieved a new breakfast table, a new mattress, new chairs, and anything you can think of. A devoted Christian who attends church regularly heard about the fire victims and the clothing and personal items drive that the church did for them. “I could not stop thinking about how these families lost everything and would continue to need support through both financially and physical needs to resettle in new residences,” Kelly said. He reached out to Sue Elleson from Lakewood Chapel, the forefront in providing help for the fire victims, as well as his own parish staff. The idea of collecting donated furniture and providing it to the families himself was soon born. “I came to realize that the journey for the families would be weeks or even a few months before they found resources for all their needs and would be able to re settle in new housing,” Kelly said.
Working for a real estate company, Kelly contacted managing partner Tim Beechick to try and see if he could vacant space to use to col-
lect, store and distribute donated furniture. Space was approved for use, and then he reached out to the owners of Route 12 Rental and they offered him the truck for transportation of the furniture free of charge during the weekdays. Sue gave Kelly three pages of handwritten notes that people had written, offering to donate sets of furniture and home goods. Kelly decided to focus on making sure people receive the basics first, like a bed to sleep on, tables to eat at, and chairs to sit in. The next step was to figure out how to reach out to families in need, and how to manage what families need what and how to distribute the furniture properly. He reached out to high school and grade school districts social specialists and staff because school was going to start soon and students would be in need of supplies. Deliveries have been made to families that have relocated into new apartments, and as more families relocate, more furniture is distributed.
Kelly’s formerly vacant space is now filled with furniture and he manages what comes and goes as the need for new furniture fluctuates.
“Seeing the smiles on the faces of parents and kids as volunteers move good condition furniture into their new apartments has been the most rewarding part of this effort and is what keeps me going,” Kelly stated.
Photos Taken By Kamila Walus Left: Chairs in the warehouse donated by Buffalo Grove High School Middle and Right: Volunteers lifting a donated couch into a rental truck on Friday, September 7th.
buted to a fundraiser or charity? “I donated to a relief organization for starving children in Africa. I believe that the work of charity does more than the foreign aid of the USA, so I felt it was a solid cause,” Gabe Clisham, junior, said.
“Back in Cub Scouts, we made a lot of food for the homeless. We made sandwhiches and stuff,” Fernando Olvera, senior, said.
“Yes, I recently donated to the fundraiser that Wheeling had for the fire to help those who are less fortunate,”Erin Hibner, English teacher, said. Photo Opinion by Ana Cozariuc
La Voz
8
14 de septiembre, 2018
Vamos a Soñar en Grande Infancia) ha sido una fuente bien conocida para dar a nuestros jóvenes inmigrantes una oportunidad de una vida mejor en Estados Unidos con más derechos, pero la posición de DACA es incierta. A partir de 2014, más de 12.1 millones de DACA ya no acepta nuevas aplicaciones, lo que inmigrantes han estado viviendo en los Estados significa que la generación joven que ingresó Unidos ilegal, el cincuenta y cinco por ciento de recientemente al país que vio a DACA como una ellos son mexicanos. En los últimos años, el miedo forma de lograr el sueño americano ya no tendrá a perder a su familia con ICE aumentó más de lo esta oportunidad. que lo ha hecho en mucho tiempo. Para los inmigrantes ilegales ser parte de DACA La controversia de venir aquí ilegal para una es un sueño real: “Si existe la posibilidad de que vida mejor había creado más problemas en nuestra me separe de DACA, será lo mejor que se pueda sociedad porque para aquellos que no tienen imaginar. Podré hacer muchas cosas que antes no familiares que emigraron aquí ilegalmente, nunca podía hacer y podría vivir sin miedo “, nos dice entenderán lo que es escuchar noticias de que ICE otra fuente anónima. llevó a alguien que amas de vuelta al país del que Debido a que DACA ya no acepta solicitudes, la estaban escapando. universidad parece más difícil de imaginar para los Recientemente, ser un inmigrante ilegal ha sido inmigrantes debido a la ayuda financiera y las leyes menospreciado, pero para la generación joven, en constante cambio. nunca fue una elección. Es bien sabido por nuestra Arturo Fuentes, un consejero de la escuela comunidad que la escuela secundaria Wheeling secundaria Wheeling que nació en un país es la escuela más diversa en nuestro distrito, diferente y vivió la mayor parte de su vida como también es bien sabido que la mayoría de nuestros estudiante indocumentado, dice: “Es desafortunado estudiantes son mexicanos. que a partir de hoy, las personas jóvenes y bien Muchos jóvenes inmigrantes en la generación Z merecidas no puedan postularse como primera vez” fueron traídos aquí cuando eran niños, sin poder destinatarios de DACA. decir que vengan aquí. Ahora que ha llegado el DACA ofrece a los estudiantes la oportunidad de momento de que pasen a la universidad, la falta de obtener un permiso de trabajo y, lo más importante, oportunidades está más clara que nunca. protección contra la deportación lo que brinda una “Ser un inmigrante ilegal cierra algunas puertas sensación de seguridad a una de las poblaciones que son un poco difíciles para mí, pero no tanto más vulnerables de nuestra nación. Los desafíos para mis pares. No puedo obtener mi licencia de no son nada nuevo para nuestras comunidades de conducir, conseguir un trabajo o solicitar la FAFSA. inmigrantes que superan obstáculos a diario, por lo Es una lucha porque la gente me ha dicho que tanto, cuando se cierra una puerta se abre otra. obtenga un número de seguridad social falso, pero “Aunque esto parezca muy decepcionante no quiero arriesgarme “, dice una fuente anónima. y como noticias que paran la vida, nuestros DACA (Acción Diferida para Llegadas en la inmigrantes son mucho más fuertes de lo que
Por Andrea Mendoza Web Editor
piensas:” Mucha gente algunos de mis amigos dicen cosas malas sobre inmigrantes ilegales y dicen cosas mezquinas y ofensivas sin saber que soy un inmigrante ilegal y duele. “No dejo que me afecte porque sé quién soy, y todas las cosas que dicen me dan ganas de demostrar que están equivocados, así que trabajo más duro para alcanzar mis objetivos y demostrar que no soy lo que dicen que soy,” dice otra fuente anónima. Los constantes reveses para los inmigrantes no detendrán su éxito, la discriminación, la falta de oportunidades, la falta de fe que nuestro país les brinda, los empujará a hacer más y mejor. Fuentes dice, “Somos una generación de inmigrantes que huyeron de nuestros países en busca de mejores oportunidades. Hemos dejado tanto atrás y hemos sacrificado demasiado para renunciar ahora. Hemos invertido en nuestro viaje hacia la movilidad ascendente y nos esperan las verdaderas batallas. DACA ofrece seguridad y oportunidades que ayudarían con nuestra causa, pero no debería dictar nuestras futuras aspiraciones post-secundarias. Debemos continuar buscando varias oportunidades y estar preparados para capitalizar cuando nos presenten. La lucha puede ser agotadora y eterna, pero las recompensas no tendrán parangón. Continúa con DREAM BIG y asegúrate de que tus acciones coincidan con tus inspiraciones “. Póngase en contacto con sus consejeros escolares y únase a nuestro Grupo DREAMer Schoology a través del Código de acceso: 39PKT-S2CPC.
WHS abre las puertas nuevamente para diferentes países
AMLO gana pero no tiene mi voto Por Leslie Hernandez Entertainment Editor En la elección presidencial de México 2018 ganó Andrés Manuel López Obrador, también conocido como AMLO. Yo no vivo en México pero he escuchado demasiadas cosas de AMLO, cosas malas y buenas. Por empezar el probador más grande de AMLO es un grupo llamado “Encuentro Social,” este grupo es de PAN (Conservative party) y eso no tiene nada de malo, honestamente. Pero “Encuentro Social” ha tenido protestas gigantes contra personas homosexuales donde han comparado actividades homosexuales con drogas y violencia. Cuando AMLO fue preguntado sobre “Encuentro Social,” el respondió que él apoya a todo tipos de personas. Si a él de verdad apoya a todo tipos de personas no dejaría que “Encuentro Social” fuera su probador más grande. Eso a mi para nada se me hace bien, es muy homofóbico. Otra cosa de AMLO es que el es demasiado inmaduro y más para su edad. AMLO a tratado de ser presidente tres veces anteriores pero obviamente falló. Así que el de inmaduro decidió tener un desfile con sus apoyadores donde se declaró presidente oficial de México. En mi opinión, un presidente debe de aceptar su falla y seguir adelante. AMLO se parece a Trump, en un sentido. AMLO acusa a otros políticos con corrupción y ratería si se atreven a juzgarlo. Eso es ser hipócrita porque él también ha sido acusado de corrupción cuando era el secretario de gobernación. Eso para nada se me hace profesional. AMLO también ha dicho que él desea que la economía se cerrara y privada. Creo que eso le daría prioridad al gobierno de controlar la economía y eso está contra las políticas de México porque México es un país neoliberal. Eso no está bien, no nada más puede venir AMLO a hacer lo que quiera cuando México ha sido de una manera por demasiado tiempo y así lo quieran dejar los ciudadanos. Una cosa que no se me hace tan mal de AMLO es que él ha hablado de querer darle poder a los menos afortunados y darle todos los derechos que se merecen. Por fin AMLO dijo algo razonable. De todos modos, AMLO ya es el presidente y por más que me queje no va a cambiar nada, tristemente.
Por Faviola Gutierrez La Voz Editor Creo que nuestra escuela está haciendo muchas cosas buenas este año para ayudar a estudiantes de diferentes paises como Italia, Singapur, y España. El año pasado tuvimos a una estudiante de Singapur y en esta semana, recibiremos estudiantes de Italia. Los estudiantes españoles llegaran a la escuela en la primavera. “Se que estaran con nosotros tal vez un tiempecito antes o después” responde Rebecca Castro, maestra de español. Durarán básicamente un tiempo corto con nosotros ya que tienen que regresar a ir a terminar sus estudios igual a nosotros antes de salir de vacaciones de nuevo. “La razón más grande que yo creo que fue la que nos motivó a hacer el intercambio de estudiantes fue para ampliar la experiencia internacional que ofrecemos en el distrito, y para también abrir un camino para un mayor intercambio”, nos informa la Sra. Castro. El motivo por el intercambio es muy razonable porque nos da mucho reconocimiento a nuestra escuela aquí y en muchos otros lugares del mundo y no solo a los que estamos acostumbrados. Esto es un gran beneficio para nuestra escuela también porque entre más padres de la comunidad escuchen de nuestra escuela, tal vez se interesen en matricular a sus hijos en el distrito 214. De hecho, con esta gran oportunidad no solo se beneficia el distrito y los estudiantes extranjeros, sino también los estudiantes del distrito porque tiene la oportunidad aprender a comunicarse con diferentes personas de diferentes lugares. Se les dio la oportunidad a los alumnos de las clases españoles para poder hospedar a los estudiantes extranjeros que nos acompañarán por un periodo muy corto. Si tienes la oportunidad y quieres voluntariamente hospedar a algún estudiante foráneo, comunicate con una de las maestras de español para que te pueda dar más información.
September 14, 2018
9
Entertainment
Summer of Asian representation on the big screen
By Faviola Gutierrez La Voz Editor Many people online and offline have totally been obsessing over the movie of the summer, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Most girls are basically in love with it because of the fact that Noah Centineo plays our dear Peter Kavinsky. Let’s face it, Centineo is a total hottie and sweetheart. The movie is about how Lara Jean, the main protagonist, made five letters to five previous crushes she had, one being her sister’s boyfriend. She kept the letters a secret and safe or so she thought. Her younger sister eventually finds the letters and sends them out. Lara Jean talks to each of them trying to convince them she doesn’t like them. But what happens is that when Kavinsky receives the letter he uses this as an opportunity to make his ex
girlfriend jealous by fake dating Lara Jean. I was on vacation in Mexico when the movie came out so I didn’t receive the notification that it had come out until one of my friends gushed to me about it. I watched it as soon as I got the chance. I fell in love with it ten minutes in. It is probably one of the cheesiest movies there is on Netflix next to “The Kissing Booth,” but it is so adorable. It is totally fictional but it makes the watcher want a similar love story. I’m definitely in love with Kavinsky too. He was so romantic to Lara Jean even though their relationship was fake which, by the way, they do later fall in love. I also heavily related to Lara Jean with her quirkiness and trying to protect herself from being hurt. I loved the portrayal of her as a not-so perfect teenage girl who was just having crushes and living her best life. Another thing I adored was that the main character was Asian and not your typical white teenage girl, no offense. This movie certainly brought out the hopeless romantic in me. I was even debating on reading the book it was based on and I’m totally not a reader. I will undoubtedly rewatch this movie sometime in the near future when I’m feeling emo and lonely.
Sivan blooms on new album
By Leslie Hernandez Entertainment Editor “Crazy Rich Asians” is a movie about Rachel Chu, the main character, accompanying Nick, her rich boyfriend, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. But Chu didn’t know Nick was rich until they were ready to go to Singapore. She began to stress out and tried her best to impress the family but it didn’t go as planned because Nick’s mom hated her guts for keeping Nick in NYC instead of him coming home and taking over the family business. I watched the movie and had high expectations after it received a lot of praise online. Sadly, this movie was very disappointing to me. The beginning of the movie was quite boring. It was basically just Chu and Nick leaving for Singapore, getting ready for the wedding, and meeting the family. Nick’s mom didn’t show
“Sweetener” spices up pop music
By Jordyn Rogers Staff Reporter Many people who are still pretending that it’s 2015 know, singer Troye Sivan, Australian appealing to angsty teens, has just released his latest album on August 31. Titled “Bloom”, the album has ten standard tracks and two bonus tracks. It features fellow artists Gordi and Ariana Grande. Sivan released five tracks as singles before the August release, which included my two favorite songs off the album: “Dance To This” with Ariana Grande and “Bloom”, sharing the same title as the album itself, naturally. Both songs take a more soft approach to dance music. “Dance To This” is about a couple who decides to stay home and party. Ariana’s vocals on the track are outstanding as always. While she may be a controversial queen, she undoubtedly has a strong voice. “Bloom” is noted as having a more serious and mature tone than previous Sivan songs, and tells the story of an intimate homosexual relationship. I also highly recommend the music video where Sivan is looking absolutely gorgeous and serving art boy realness. Predictably, as an openly gay young man making good music about his homosexuality and homosexuality in general, many fans
disapproval right away so there was absolutely no drama. One scene in the movie almost redeemed it, I even got chills. That scene was when the bride was walking down the aisle without heels or anything, everything got quiet and the aisle was covered in water. It was so beautiful and nothing like I’ve ever seen before. I definitely do have to give it props, though, because it was an all Asian cast and that was very different and nice to see. There was a lack of Asian representation on the big screen but “Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” pulled through with representation. The cast was talented too so they didn’t just choose at random. They put thought into the casting and I appreciated that. In the ending of the movie, Chu gave up and let Nick stay since his mom would not budge about her disapproval towards her. Chu was ready to leave, she was already boarding the plane but Nick came after her and asked her to marry him. This was predictable, I knew they would end up together so there was nothing special about the ending. Overall, the movie was mediocre and I realized it pays off to work at the movie theater because I didn’t waste my money on this movie.
By Katie Meyer Staff Reporter
have come to relate to his music and deem the album as “Iconically Gay” or a collection of pride anthems. “The Good Side” is a solid song of the album as well. The lyrics are well written and the story Troye tells is cute. The song is more acoustic and simple, but still incorporates electric components throughout, sticking to the theme. Every song fits the aesthetic of the album; they’re all softer dance, more mature, and about aspects of love or lust. My only critique is that many of the non-memorable songs tend to blend together, and for me, it’s these three songs that are the most memorable. Other tracks like “Lucky Strike” and “Seventeen” are middle of the road, and I felt the others were rather forgettable. I could see this changing after a few more listens, but as of right now, I give Troye Sivan’s “Bloom” a total rating of 6.5/10.
On August 17, Ariana Grande released a new album with a new sound and look. In 2017, Ariana Grande’s concert in Manchester was attacked by a suicide bomber. After this tragic event, Grande disappeared from the spotlight and didn’t make a very return to music until now. “Sweetener” is a fearless new album full of empowering lyrics and emotional bops. “Sweetener” is different than most “arianators” are used to. I think that “Sweetener” is very different from her previous work because her voice really shines through in this album. Her voice in “Sweetener” is very clear and we can really hear her soprano voice in most of the songs on the album. I love Grande’s voice, so I am really excited to be able to hear more of it in with more listens. One of my favorite songs from her album is “breathin” because it’s a nice reminder that everyone goes through tough times and all you have to do to get through it is to keep on breathing.
The first song on her new album is one simple phrase repeated in multiple octaves for a total of 37 seconds of just Grande’s voice. I think this is a great way to introduce her new sound to the world because it is very simple and beautiful overall. Grande’s sound is not the only thing that has changed with her new album, she has also grown as a person since then. Grande quoted on her last album “You make me feel like a dangerous woman” compared to one from her present album that declares “You’ll believe god is a woman.” I think this really shows how Grande has grown as a person since her last album. This is definitely a positive turning point in Grande’s career. Her new album shows her new mature viewpoint on the world. Since the album was released, I have listened to each song multiple times. Every time I listen to each song, I find new parts that I didn’t even notice before. I feel like you can not really find your favorite part of the album until you have listened to it multiple times. I have been a fan of Ariana Grande for a few years now and I am very excited to see what she does after “Sweetener.”
10
Forum
September 14, 2018
Contrasting Opinions: Is Twitter Relevant?
By Niko Sarmenta Staff Reporter Of all the social media platforms I own, Twitter may be my favorite. I’ve been using Twitter for about three years now. I’ve used other social media websites, but nothing has drawn me in as much as Twitter has. When I first used Twitter, I had fallen in love with the idea of posting whatever is on your mind whenever you want. The simplicity of Twitter allows me to share anything I want in a concise matter. Three years later, the same still applies. I find myself scrolling through my timeline for endless content whether it be news, funny videos or friends chatting. Whatever I want is in the palm of my hand. Twitter still shows to be relevant to this day despite certain people believing it to be a cesspool of fake news. If you’ve been around the block for as long as I have, you are bound to have seen some questionable tweets on your timeline. While Twitter may be a good place to read the news, you always need to remind yourself that Twitter isn’t just a news website. Twitter is where many communities reside. That being said, there are many trolls which like to poke fun at gullible Twitter users. While that may seem like a reason to not use Twitter, you can always block trolls to never see them again. Accounts such as those don’t stop
Editorial Administration and the school board make it so hard for students to drop AP classes or lower their class rigor, even when it threatens a student’s academic life. Some students wish to pursue classes that better suit their career paths or drop an AP class to take the regular course of the same subject
you from seeing actually valuable information on Twitter. Twitter itself also has a news tab, which they call “moments,” that gives Twitter users an easier way to see news and entertainment hand picked by Twitter itself. Most of the news that I see comes straight from that tab. Even before ‘moments’, it was easy to find real news articles on Twitter. Most news sites have their own verified Twitter account where they post newly published articles. Even if you do not care about the news, Twitter is still one of the most relevant social media platforms next to Instagram and Facebook. It’s not just a place for news, but a place for open discussion. Twitter has been used as an open forum for anyone to converse. Like previously stated, many communities have sprung up from Twitter. People with common interests use Twitter as an easy way to communicate with each other. I’ve met many cool people on the internet, and most of them came from Twitter. Using Twitter helps people communicate with others concisely because of the limited character usage. Trying to convey a message in just 280 characters is challenging, but over time, you just get used to it. It’s what makes Twitter unique compared to other social media. When you are limited to what you can say, you tend to think about it more. I use Twitter as a means of communication to the rest of the world. I love scrolling through my timeline to see what the world has to say next. Twitter has been a go-to app for me since I’ve made an account, and I don’t see it changing anytime soon.
because that course will not aid them in college. Students should be able to freely make that decision on their own, for high school is supposedly another step to preparing students for the real world and in the real world, students need to be able to make their own, independent decisions. Through making these decisions, students should also not have to jump through hoops in order to carry out their plans. The school board should encourage
By Jaspreet Kaur Staff Reporter 280 characters can change the world. 500 million tweets daily, bringing insight to the world and expressing a variety of views. But in this ever growing number of tweets, therein lies a common person: one who looks up to the minds behind the tweets, often not knowing who is behind the thread and what their agenda might be. There are people who build and destroy nations. Social media platforms like Twitter shape our opinions, but often in the wrong direction. Existing on Twitter, many terrorist groups have Twitter accounts, and often their posts are centered to people of a certain religion, area and age. The most targeted age group is that of youth; for example, ISI overtime has been tweeting for Muslim youth to join the Fight of Jihad. These institutes have the courage to take responsibility for different attacks on such social media platforms. With advance in technology it is now possible to tweet something anonymously. Today in world of nuclear powers this is an issue of great stress; there have been some stalking instances on Twitter. Even with the new security features developed, many people have created fake accounts. There are several sexual predators who create random accounts, and such accounts can be viewed easily even without a follow request. These contain age restricted material that is not
students and help them in their endeavors, instead of making the process difficult on them. In order to drop an AP class, a lot of work is involved on the student’s part and many students do not just drop their AP classes because they want to have it easy that year. A student could be dropping for a number of valid reasons, such as they are already taking too many academically rigorous classes or they wish to take a different class more suited to what the student plans to study in
suitable for kids, but many kids often create accounts even with strict security. In life there is no limit to words to express oneself, but apparently Twitter has one. With a set word limit to tweets, it is quite difficult to express your thoughts in such a short margin. Thoughts that need an anecdote cannot be properly shared because of this limit. Like many people, I created a Twitter account. Super excited to get a peek into the life of celebrities, it turned out to be a disappointment for me. Many people use it extensively, but it turns out to not be very useful to teens like me. I found myself annoyed at notifications during class telling me random strangers followed my account. In my life Twitter lost its voice in the loud clatter of other social media, but it’s fun sometimes to challenge my inner writer to write my story in just 280 words. Statistics say that the United States has the highest number of Twitter users in the world, 72.3 million. My home country India has the 2nd largest population in the world, yet only 10.1 million people use it. For me it is a platform to help me follow my favorite Kpop group, but there’s a world beyond that. It is a hub of political debates, of scandals. It is a platform to criticize government, to criticize opposition (India being a multi party system). President Modi even addressed some people who reached out to him on Twitter. Still, it rests as a dormant social media platform. Being a Kpop fan I often struggle to translate Korean tweets. The translation offered when converted to English doesn’t always make sense, because it often changes the grammatical sense of the tweet. Moreover, Twitter is a complicated social media not exactly considered appropriate for teens in India.
college. Getting in the way of a student pursuing a specific career path is not beneficial for the student in any way. To increase student success and better prepare students for their futures, the administration board of the school should be more lenient and helpful in letting students drop their AP courses for valid reasons. 12 out of 12 members of the editorial board agree
Spokesman Staff 2018-2019 Editors-in-Chief Amanda Talalaj* News Editor Amanda Talalaj Associate Editors Santiago Cuevas* Giuliana Geati* Feature Editor Santiago Cuevas Focus Editor Kamila Walus* La Voz Editor Faviola Gutierrez* Arts Editor Claudia Chan*
Forum Editor Nicole Massat* Sports Editor Giuliana Geati Assistant Sports Editor Jackson Gross* Web Editor Andrea Mendoza* Copy Editor Ben Karp* Adviser John Uhrik Entertainment Editor Leslie Hernandez*
Advertising Editor Jasmin Yusef* Staff Reporters Alexis Knight Katie Meyer Niko Sarmenta Jordyn Rogers Brianna Eloiza Jaspreet Kaur Ana Cozariuc Jared Moser Claire O’Donnell
*Staff members with asteriks 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 7:25 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
CorrectionsNone
11
Sports September 14, 2018
Is the pressure, expectations too much for athletes? By Jackson Gross Assistant Sports
the endzone to John Quintero, senior. hard,” Pierini said. “Well, we were actually down a touchdown right This kind of pressure is common across all Squatting behind the center, Michael Best, away and I was just thinking we gotta drive, we sports, including boys cross country, like Sebastian senior, looks over the line and checks the defense. gotta put this one in the end zone, we gotta bounce Vences, senior. He hears the crowd, the coaches, the other players right back their previous offensive drive,” Best said. “Three years [on the varsity team]… yea, and thinks of all his expectations, but he focuses in, Throughout all sports at almost any level there definitely, [especially] last year was a lot of pressure hikes the ball and throws into the back corner of are expectations and pressure to deal with. because we were juniors and we were trying to Some of those make our mark,” Vences said. expectations But other athletes feel a “To me, there isn’t very little sense of pressure start earlier than others, and they find a way to a lot of pressure especially deal with it, Adrienne with Christina Rohwedder, senior, has Pierini, senior because I love what pressure from her sister but who started has her own way to deal running varsity I’m doing... I just try with it. “Every single time since her I go out, I don’t go in like, freshman. I’m going to beat her record to go out there and “I actually and just do the best I can have because and if I do my best I can have fun with my especially [last end up breaking a record,” year] as a junior guys.” Rohwedder said. and now being a Best deals with his senior I’ve had pressure in a more relaxed to step up and way with his friends on the really learn from field. “To me, there isn’t a Michael Best the people as I lot of pressure because I was a freshman love what I’m doing and I’m Senior (from) the having fun with it, so i try seniors then so not to {let] the pressure get it’s kind of like to me too much, i just try pressure since i’ve and go out there and have been doing it for four years fun with my guys,” Best said. that I’m expected to know Regardless of how these athletes deal with everything and it’s kind of pressure they get, their main goal is to have fun.
Teams take bonding across the country you are with your team 24/7. On the contrary, high school sports do not have that luxury. Being tied down by school regulations and the school day itself, it makes it difficult to travel with The lukewarm hotel pool had you team. That is why Coach Jason nothing on the hot Arizona night, Wieder, staff, is very fortunate to have and the towering Embassy Suites the opportunity to take his baseball surrounded the pool while trees team to Disney World to compete, and swayed and shuffled in the courtyard. to spend time with each other. A life raft hooked onto a pole and “At Disney, our players get to spend its rope tied to a table leg on the 5 days together at a Disney resort, opposite side of the courtyard make they receive meal cards, a park hopper for a perfect pool volleyball net. The pass that allows our teams to enjoy entire Boys 17’s Adversity Volleyball amusement parks and rides; the team team smacking a beach ball back likes to swim at the hotel pool and and forth and a team from Puerto hang out. We’ve also seen an Atlanta Rico was standing on the side of the Braves game, the Louisville Slugger pool, choosing sides, pretending it’s Museum, toured the University of a real game, cheering, laughing, and Louisville and received a behind the competitiveness fill the air. scenes tour of Louisville’s Baseball Times like these build a team, program”. As much of an unique Coach Jason Wieder, staff, “...traveling opportunity it is, it is also one the together lets you share unique students can remember the rest of experiences with each one another,” their lives, it brings them together on Wieder said. and off the field. “It’s pretty cool to see As an athlete myself I can agree the teams come together after a Spring that traveling changes a team, and the trip, it has definitely enhanced our pros and cons can vary. According to baseball program”, says Wieder. Coach Jason Kopkowski, staff, there Senior Andy Shover, first basemen are more pros than cons. for the varsity baseball team agrees “Over the course of a season, with Coach Wieder, any sport, that season can become “Disney World has given me a lot cumbersome. So any chance a team of memories, and has made me closer gets to be together off the court/field, with my team”, Wieder said. bonds can be formed”. From my club volleyball team in Coach Kopkowski, staff, brings his a pool in Arizona, to Coach Jason girl volleyball team to Warren Dune Kopkowski’s trip to the dunes, teams State Park in Michigan, here they need the factor of travel and time warm up, and scale the sand dunes. spent together. It not only creates “The goal… is all about being there for a break from the playing field, it each other, everyone has got to make forces players to work with each it up the dune, it’s all or none”. other. “When you lean on each other Playing a club/travel sport is one the potential for success is so much of the best team bonding experiences greater than just letting everyone an athlete can ask for. You fly out stand by themselves,” Coach Jason across the country to compete and Kopkowski said.
By Jared Moser Staff Reporter
Photos Courtesy of Jason Wieder
Standing in front of the Disney’s Pop Century Resort, the Rock n Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, the Wheeling Varsity Baseball team relax during their trip to Florida.
One team’s decline is another team’s rise By Claire O’Donnell Staff Reporter
As the years progress, Wheeling High School sees a continuous pattern amongst both the boys cross country and football teams. Less and less players are commiting to the football team while a noticeable increase in cross country runners has been brought to the attention of many players and coaches. Some believe this phenomenon is a coincidental occurrence, while others believe it is due to the ongoing problem of the injuries commonly associated with football. Such injuries might strike a concern to potential football players and/or their
guardians, leaving them a new path to pursue running instead. “I think the decreased numbers have a lot to do with injury,” said Ted Giang, senior, a former football player, “People are afraid that the protection- the helmets, the pads, all of it- are not going to fully protect them.” Giang said. Sprains, strains, and shin splints have become a minor concern in comparison to concussions in how they cause long lasting brain damage. However, not everyone believes the increased amount of runners is in direct proportion to fear of football injury, “I think all sports fluctuate with
participation,”said Matthew Weber, staff, ”Over the course of time, it all levels out. I don’t think it has anything to do with injury, it just happens.” Weber said. Some students and staff even believe the change in player participation is due to team performance, “I think it’s because we are doing better than the football team right now,” said Tyler Polak, a senior cross country runner. ”And because we are on the path to a successful season this year. I don’t really think it has anything to do with injury.” Polak said. The debate of whether or not the fluctuation of team numbers is related to is still in the air.
WHSSports September 14, 2018
Volume 55 Issue 1
Upcoming Events Girls Varsity Tennis: Tuesday, September 18, at 4:45 pm vs Maine East Girls Varsity Volleyball: Wednesday, September 19, at 6:15 pm at St. Viator Boys Varsity Soccer: Thursday, September 20, at 6:30 pm at Palatine Photos Taken By Alexis Knight
2018 Varsity Friday Football Games, Themes 9/14 Vernon Hills @ HOME: USA 9/21 Buffalo Grove @ HOME: Neon 9/28 Elk Grove @ AWAY: Camo 10/5 Rolling Meadows (HOMECOMING) @ HOME: Black Out 10/12 Prospect @ AWAY: Pink Out 10/19 Hersey @ AWAY: Tidal Wave
Road to Recovery: Staniszewski’s return to volleyball after dual ACL tears By Giuliana Geati Associate Editor-in-Chief
Photo Taken By Giuliana Geati
Courtesy of Kamila Staniszewski
Top: Kamila Staniszewski, senior, dives for a ball during her first game back after recovering from two ACL surgeries. Bottom: Staniszewski recooperates after her second knee surgery in two years.
Grit is known to be a determining factor between a champion and a participant. If achieving academic success while holding a top position on a varsity sport isn’t enough to show that grit, coming back from two ACL tears is. Kamila Staniszewski, senior, is top ranked according to her coach after two career ending injuries and bouncing back to the varsity girls volleyball court. After tearing both ACLs in the span of two years, Staniszewski debuts her return to her team for her final season of high school. “It was pretty difficult to stay away from the game after losing muscle in my knees after surgery and six months of rehab. I couldn’t do anything to prevent it because of my loose ligaments so I still would have eventually tore both ACLs. I don’t think I’ll be able to play like I did before, but I want to try my best for my team and senior year,” Staniszewski said. After tearing her right ACL two years ago in January, her junior year season was already halfway over by the time of her return. After
several surgeries and months of physical rehabilitation, Staniszewski’s junior year season ended with her playing on the court, but little did she know that her senior year would not start the same way after tearing her left ACL in February. “I’m excited to play with my team again. It’s really important to everyone (on the team) to get as far as possible in the season and playing as well as we can as a team,” Staniszewski said. Staniszewski isn’t the only one ready for her return to the court. Jason Kopkowski, varsity girls volleyball coach, awaits her leadership to take action. “Since the beginning of the season, she’s been present although not medically cleared to play. Her leadership and phenomenal abilities sets her apart from others. What will make her a good leader is how she plays. She plays with intensity and positivity and plays hard. When one player starts to play hard, it’s really easy for all of her teammates to follow her. Her natural ability and strength is remarkable and her natural skills are better than average,” Kopkowski
said. Although her MCL is still in recovery, Staniszewski was cleared to return on Thursday, September 6th, after missing almost three weeks including eleven games of her final season in high school. “It’s just a matter of time before I’m back to feeling one hundred percent. I will look ridiculous wearing my braces on both of my knees, but I’m just excited to be back,”
Staniszewski said. To her teammates, time has stood still in awaiting Staniszewski’s return to the court in order to contribute more success for the team. “Kam never left. She’s the type of teammate that is always there. Kam has always been there for the team and to have her back is nothing new. She is a part of our team. Honestly, having her back means more dubs,” Ellie Welter, senior, said.
Photo Taken By Giuliana Geati
During a match, Kamila Staniszewski, senior, leaps up in excitement after a successful rally. In her first game back after being cleared for play, the Wildcats came from behind to win their first conference match of the season 25-27, 25-7, 25-13 against the Prospect Knights.