Issue 4 22-23

Antisemitism’s sting persists

KAYLIE PASTERNAK & AMANDA FEINBERG

Managing & Copy Editors

As senior Josie Garkisch walked around her neighborhood with her family, she was horrified to see papers with a profuse amount of antisemitic hate speech placed on the surrounding driveways. The papers, with links leading to multiple online pages, were full of false and defamatory information: “Israel did 9/11,” “Antifa is the Jewish militia,” “Every single aspect of the COVID-19 agenda is Jewish” and “The real Holocaust was against the German people.”

“I was just so scared,” Garkisch said. “That moment really [hurt] me because it was right on my front lawn … evil happened in my neighborhood.”

According to the Anti-Defamation League, there was a 61 percent increase in antisemitic tweets referencing “Jews” or “Judaism” in the two weeks after the transfer of leadership to Elon Musk at Twitter on Oct. 27. Although the new increase in antisemitism may be shocking to some users, Garkisch has lived with antisemitism her whole life.

“I don’t even think I can remember a time where I haven’t [known about] antisemitism,” Garkisch said. “I feel like I’ve always been aware of it.”

professions, according to IHMEC.

These restrictions grew more stringent until the Nazis imposed what was known as the “Final Solution:” the extermination of all Jews in Europe. This, being the peak of the Holocaust, required what would be decades to repair the damage left by the Nazis and those who shared similar viewpoints to them.

Leah Rauch, Director of Education at the Illinois Holocaust Museum, believes that although the Holocaust ended in 1945, the hatred that powered the genocide lives on.

“Obviously what we see in the Holocaust was fueled by extreme antisemitism, but it didn’t start there, and it certainly didn’t end there,” Rauch said. “People just assumed that people would learn their lesson and know how evil and horrible antisemitism actually is. And yet it never did go away. It was always present.”

The current antisemitic agenda is pushed through neo-Nazi groups such as the National Socialist Movement (NSM), an organization formerly led for 25 years by Jeff Schoep. The NSM was the largest neo-Nazi organization in America, according to Schoep, who joined the organization at 18 years old after being inspired by his uncle and grandfather, both former Nazi soldiers.

ity in the process.”

Fights between left and right-wing groups often broke out at Schoep’s rallies; Schoep remembers one NSM meeting that took place in New Jersey in 2011 where violent outbursts occurred. The day before the rally, an opposing organization came to the hotel the NSM was staying at, and a bloody fight broke out in broad daylight. To the opposing organization’s surprise, the fight only encouraged more people to join the NSM and come to the rally the next day.

“[The fight] boosted the morale of people that were there and even the people that ended up at the hospital,” Schoep said. “All of the ones that got hurt showed up the next day for the rally.”

Schoep remembers seeing one wounded man unwrap a bandage from around his head. He had been hit in the head with a hammer but still undid his bandages before the rally because he “didn’t want to make it seem as if the other side had hurt him.”

Although antisemitism can be seen in violent rallies across the country, it can also happen on a local level. Around four years ago, Garkisch’s brother had coins thrown at him in the Prospect locker room after a sports practice. His teammates chucked a cup of pennies at him and demanded that he pick them up, playing into the common Jewish stereotype of being cheap and greedy, according to Garkisch.

“[That event] made me feel scared … and really hurt, that this behavior [was] still happening at a school that promised to be accepting,” Garkisch said.

mon and normalized through social media. Working against such polarization in her own classroom is English teacher Lori Amedeo. Embedded into the sophomore curriculum is a genocide unit where students read the novel “Night,” written by Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel, which is one of the few novels that offers a firsthand account of the brutality and inhumane treatment faced by those like Wiesel within the concentration camps employed during the Holocaust.

“It is important to have conversations that can be difficult or uncomfortable in the classroom,” Amedeo said. “[Because] if they’re not going to learn it here, they might not learn about it anywhere.”

“Night” — along with the rest of the unit’s curriculum — serves to teach students about the catastrophic effects of radicalism and genocides. Amedeo, Schoep, Garkisch and Rauch all agree that preventing hate and extremism starts with similar education.

“I think the first step to combating antisemitism is educating yourself,” Rauch said. “And then educating others then as well so you can speak up and speak out.”

Rauch also says that a great place to start to educate oneself about antisemitism is the IHMEC website or museum. Reading books, having hard conversations about hate and doing research online, Rauch says, can all help stop the spread of antisemitism.

- Leah

Prior to the Holocaust, antisemitism was still prevalent in Europe, according to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center (IHMEC). This hatred was often fueled by religious or political motives in order to push an anti-Jewish agenda. Jewish people were often shunned from communities, and even countries; for over 350 years, until 1656, Jewish people were not allowed into England because of their religious beliefs, forcing them into their own secluded community in the western parts of the Russian Empire.

Although there was an immense amount of hate towards Jews, their culture still flourished within Jewish communities, according to IHMEC. Jews had significant impacts in theater, film, literature and science. Einstein, a notable Jew, shaped scientific foundations that are still used today, and Warsaw, Poland became the theater and film capital of Yiddish, the language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews.

Unlike before, the Nazi political party imposed their agenda based on race, not religion, classifying Jewish people ethnically instead of religiously. In Germany, Nazis boycotted Jewish businesses and established the Nuremberg Laws, which stripped Jewish Germans of their citizenship. The laws diminished Jews to subjects, therefore allowing the imposition of stricter laws and regulations on what Jewish citizens were allowed to do. These included the prohibition of marriage between Jewish and German citizens and the exclusion of Jews from certain

WHAT’S INSIDE?

FEATURES (Pages 8-9)

HIghlighting black excellence in community for black history month

“As far as I knew, I hadn’t even met any Jewish people,” Schoep said. “And it wasn’t until I joined the organization itself and read all of the literature from the organization, then [I] started getting indoctrinated with antisemitism and started to hate.”

After 28 years in the organization, Schoep decided to leave after a life-changing conversation. He attributes his departure to Daryl Davis, a Black activist known for getting over 200 Klu Klux Klan (KKK) members out of the KKK through his conversational techniques.

When Davis was younger, he had been the only Black Boy Scout. Parents of other boys berated and assaulted him solely based on the color of his skin. After realizing the amount of hate that he had perpetuated in the past, Schoep’s perspective shifted. He noticed that after leaving his life in the NSM behind, Jewish people were often the kindest to him.

“It’s pretty incredible,” Schoep said. “I am really thankful and appreciative that the people that I met in the Jewish community were so kind, and I’ve learned a lot about the Jewish people, their culture and customs, and I find it fascinating. It’s really interesting actually; these were my enemies. After [befriending Jewish people] I remember waking up one day and then realizing, ‘Oh boy, what did I do with my life?’”

While reflecting on his past, Schoep reconciled with his previous actions; he used his newfound change of mind to start Beyond Barriers, an anti-extremist nonprofit organization. Beyond Barriers was created in order to help create a world devoid of extremism, hate, violence and radicalized organizations, according to Schoep.

“I believe that a lot of extremism is based on fear,” Schoep said. “ … It’s [also] not understanding, not seeing the humanity of the person that’s sitting across from you. When you start dehumanizing somebody, you lose your human-

In-depth (Pages 6-7)

recognizing Disney’s 100th anniversary: celebration, controversy

Garkisch herself says that she has experienced her own share of antisemitism throughout the years at Prospect, even though she is four years younger than her brother. She remembers receiving comments and “jokes” that follow century-old Jewish tropes, such as having abnormal facial features like enlarged noses.

“Judaism is a big part of my identity, but at the same time, it is not my entire identity,” Garkisch said. “Being Jewish is not the thing that solely defines me.”

After hearing about the antisemitism her brother faced and experiencing antisemitism firsthand throughout her life, Garkisch realized that she had the power to help diminish the hate in her community.

“[Those moments] really put a bad taste in my mouth, but it made me realize the impor tance of trying to educate people about the dif ferent sides of Judaism, so [that] kind of behav ior does not occur [again],” Garkisch said.

Although Garkisch has tried hard to educate others in order to combat antisemitism, she has also realized that antisemitism is seen more in the mainstream now than it was a number of years ago.

Kanye West, a well-known rapper with over 30 million followers on Twitter, publicized his ideas about Jewish people on the platform for any user to see. His tweets included “going death con 3 on Jewish people,” “Black musicians signed to Jewish record labels and those Jew ish record labels take ownership is modern day slavery,” and how he “wanted to name his 2018 album after Adolf Hitler,” according to Forbes.

Schoep says that this serves to polarize peo ple more when such hateful ideas become com

Schoep knows first-hand how powerful polarization can be, which is why he thinks education in classrooms from a young age is essential to preventing extremism in the future.

“We have to get to a place as a country where we all see one another as equal and humanity as a whole, and it doesn’t matter if someone worships a certain way or their skin color is different; we’re all the same,” Schoep said. “We have more in common than we do different. That’s the way we need to see each other, not villainize each other as human beings, because that’s what leads to hate and people feeling

cartoon by Kaylie Pasternak and Amanda Feinberg

THE HOLOCAUST WAS FUELED BY EXTREME ANTISEMITISM, BUT IT DIDN’T START THERE, AND IT CERTAINLY DIDN’T END THERE,”

Rauch, Director of Education at the Illinois Holocaust Muesum and Education Center

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

62, ISSUE 4 801 WEST KENSINGTON ROAD, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056 THE VOICE OF PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1959

Block or shock?

School remains divided over schedule

JUSTIN PEABODY Features Reporter

Several weeks after releasing surveys to students and parents, administration is still deliberating over a complex and highly controversial decision: whether to keep block schedule or revert back to an 8-period day like the one before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prospect parent Emily Sanchez-Scriven believes an 8-period schedule would be less convenient for the school as a whole since a block schedule has already been in place for two years. After all this time, Scriven believes administration is still acclimating itself to the block, especially with respect to bus schedules.

On a more individual level, the decision will be very involved since the needs and experiences of students, parents and faculty must be considered, as well as the many conveniences and detriments each type of schedule entails.

’21 Prospect alumnus Kevin Cantieri believes block schedule offers students “more bang for their buck” by allowing for more in-depth explorations of topics taught in class than can be done with traditional 48-minute class periods.

Cantieri especially noticed this deeper education in his science classes. During his junior year physics class, he often felt rushed to finish labs and lacked the time to fully interpret the results of his experiments. With more time available for labs provided by the block schedule, he could thoroughly analyze his data.

Math teacher Mike Reidy frequently takes advantage of the extra time by implementing “exploratory” assignments during class instead of solely lecturing.

Exploratory problems challenge students to apply concepts they are currently studying and their previously acquired knowledge to answer questions they have never thought of.

Reidy believes these assignments allow students the opportunity to discover key concepts and draw their own conclusions ex perimentally rather than just passively absorbing a lecture, enabling them to develop their creative problem-solving skills.

Block schedule, Reidy believes, gives teachers the ability to foster their learning environment and ensure students feel comfortable approaching both each other and the teacher.

“It’s allowed me to establish a better culture and get to know

my students better … They’re more likely to ask for help if they need it,” Reidy said.

AP World History and law teacher Jon Kaminsky also values the impact of nurturing a sense of classroom community. As is the case in many classrooms, his tables are arranged in pods, allowing students to become familiar with a small group of other students and contributing to a more “interpersonal” class environment with a more lighthearted atmosphere.

Kaminsky facilitates this environment by walking around and having casual conversations with different groups of students. These discussions range from top Taylor Swift albums to reasons the Bulls are playing poorly. In addition to enhancing his classroom experience, Kaminsky believes that small conversations provide students a much-needed mental break.

Junior Brooke Ipsen, who had Kaminsky last year for AP World History, appreciates this laid-back aspect of his class, which she strongly attributes to longer class periods. With more time during class, Ipsen felt that block schedule gave her more freedom to talk to teachers about non-academic matters while still having enough time to complete some of her homework in class.

In fact, according to a survey conducted at New Trier High School last school year, 68 percent of students and 84 percent of parents said the amount of homework assigned was reasonably manageable under the block schedule.

Ipsen, as well as Cantieri found this to be the

golf practices and Boy Scout meetings. He also had an extra day to prepare for tests and quizzes due to each class meeting every other day on block schedule.

Generally, Cantieri found the block schedule was much more similar to the schedule he currently has at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. Many traditional college schedules consist of two or three longer classes per day, and each class meets two or three times per week. Thus, block schedule effectively prepared Cantieri for this aspect of college life.

Despite this advantage, Kaminsky believes the benefits of block schedule can vary based on the type of student, subjects and class material for the day. For example, in his law class, block schedule works very well on days when his classes do a trial, but not so well on days when he is mostly lecturing since block schedule sometimes requires him to combine two lessons that are not closely related.

Another difficulty block schedule presents is the loss of instructional time. Principal Greg Minter has confirmed that an 80-minute block schedule would result in the equivalent of 30 days of instruction to be lost in comparison to an 8-period day.

Kaminsky says this loss of time impacts his AP classes the most because AP classes’ curricula are much more rigid and more difficult to adapt to time constraints with the fast-approaching AP testing dates in early May.

Kaminsky meets weekly with all the other AP World History teachers to discuss how the curriculum will be covered and what portions can be cut out or abridged while having the least detrimental effect on students’ AP test scores. Kaminsky has not noted any significant changes in AP scores between 8-period day and block.

However, other educational concerns are arising. For instance, the same New Trier survey states that only 34 percent of students said they could maintain focused attention for a full class block.

To aid this problem, Kaminsky has found it important to implement multiple “modes” of instruction each class period to avoid monotony. Instead of having students take notes for an entire period, he includes more group projects and whole-class discussions to complement his lectures and deliver more comprehensive, engaging les“Lecturing for 48 minutes is going to be tough on me; it’s going to be even worse on the kids in the desks … I think block makes that even much more important because you can’t do the same thing for 80 straight minutes,” Kaminsky

WEIGHING OPTIONS: Some students and parents favor block schedule due to increased lab time, classroom collaboration and less homework, while others enjoy the added instructional time that the change to an 8-period day would bring. (photo illustration by Alyssa Degan and Ella Mitchell)

WHat does pHs tHink?

COSMO JANNOTTA, SENIOR Personally, I prefer block schedule, but... it’s funny because it feels like the best part about my B days is that the next day is an A day, and vice versa. Even with that, I still prefer it, because it really helped with the homework load and manageability.”

EMILY ESTACIO, SENIOR “To be honest, I’m not a fan of the block schedule. In freshman year, I wouldn’t get as much homework as I do nowadays.”

“I’m for the eight-period schedule because it means more regularity during the week ... There’s a flow from one day to the next that evens out the workloads.”

Overall, Kaminsky believes that both schedules entail valid benefits and disadvantages, so the decision definitely isn’t clear-cut. Neither schedule will be perfectly desirable for everyone.

“As a teaching community, students, parents, administrators, teachers … we just have to pick one based on what we think is the best and then address the positives and negatives with it,” Kaminsky said.

81.3%

In a survey of 196 PHS students, prefer block schedule over 8-period

MICHAEL ANZALOTTI, SOPHOMORE

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Kevin Lynch, Ella Mitchell

ChatGPT ‘AI’ds education

Sophomore Lucy Brown* recalls her initial experience with ChatGPT, which she tried at the suggestion of her English teacher. Intrigued, she logged onto the ChatGPT website and started posing questions: What is the capital of France? What is blockchain? What is the difference between affect and effect? And, can you suggest a story prompt?

with academic integrity reaches worldwide; in the UK, for example, there was a 26 percent rise in cases of cheating using a smartphone in 2018, according to the Guardian. Furthermore, universities across the United States have probed into online resources and their correla tion with cheating. In 2020, Boston University launched an investiga tion into students’ use of Chegg, which is a California-based compa ny that aims to assist students with homework.

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To her amazement, ChatGPT was able to provide quick and accurate answers that seemed almost human-like. Brown became an instant fan and began utilizing ChatGPT for various purposes, such as improving her writing skills by checking for grammatical errors and getting feedback from it to strengthen her writing style.

“ChatGPT is like having a writing partner who’s always by my side, helping me find inspiration, sharpen my skills and bring my ideas to life,” Brown said.

On Nov. 30, 2022, the beta version of ChatGPT — an Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) system that uses natural language processing to simulate conversations and produce answers — was made accessible to the masses. According to Forbes, this program has already attracted over a million users in mere days of its release and is based on GPPT-3.5, which is a language model trained to produce text. In contrast to a canned Google Search result, this technology is capable of explaining and elaborating on earlier points and telling stories.

Stories, that is, like Brown’s. That’s right, ChatGPT’s text regurgitation is so similar to a real human’s writing that most readers of the first three paragraphs of this editorial probably didn’t realize that this fictitious story — character*, writing, quotes and all — was crafted entirely by ChatGPT.

If you didn’t catch the A.I.-laden text at the beginning of this story, don’t worry: most people don’t. In fact, the impressive skill at replicating human-produced writing ChatGPT possesses is concerning to educational and writing professionals alike.

Cheating, obviously, is a primary concern when it comes to programs like ChatGPT. The issue

“People, stu dents have always cheated; that’s never going to change,” English teacher Elizabeth Joiner said. “It’s human nature to sometimes look for the easy way out, and this ob viously makes it easier … But I feel like if people are going to blatant ly cheat on stuff, they are going to have to be a little more creative.”

Some schools, including New York City public schools, recently blocked ChatGPT access on school computers and networks, according to the New York Times. However, with the wide reach of technology within the school system, it seems impossible to block the use of this technology completely. According to Associate Principal for Instruction Joyce Kim, Prospect’s administration does not currently have any policies regarding A.I. She said, in an email to the Prospector, that there hasn’t been much discussion about it but recognizes it can be a powerful tool if students use it well.

Junior Colin Ryan agrees that A.I. can be an advantageous tool and has found merits when working with it for many subjects, including coding. He doesn’t believe it could ever replace the personified edge of human-produced writing or the value of learning critical thinking; however, he does see value in using ChatGPT as support to broaden student’s ideas.

“Although it can hurt and stunt the process of growing and learning in everyday life, [A.I.] can definitely expand on the things that we didn’t know were possible,” Ryan said.

One such possibility includes combating unethical uses of A.I. in academia with, well, more A.I. In fact, Princeton University senior Edward Tian developed an app, GPTZero, that detects whether a text is generated by ChatGPT. While GPTZero is hardly foolproof, Joiner says it was overwhelmingly accurate in detecting ChatGPT-pro-

ChatGPT

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English courses, maximizing the technology for coding endeavors or enriching foreign language learning through simulated conversations, it is clear that there are a host of possibilities to explore.

As an avid listener of NPR on the way to work, Joiner first heard about ChatGPT when an MIT professor spoke about its advantages and disadvantages, as well as his own utilization of the technology.

As soon as she situated herself at her desk, Joiner began to fiddle with ChatGPT for the first time. She asked it to generate recipes, new lesson plans and even grade an essay. While many of the ideas produced by ChatGPT were a skosh stale, or sometimes outright incorrect, Joiner was impressed by the nature of this new technology. Ironically, she even asked the bot to write an essay about the novel “1984” to test its capabilities.

BOT BUDS: Students, educators and A.I. work in tandem to enrich ideas within a student’s assigned essay.

and expanded upon.

57%

Beyond English courses, ChatGPT can clarify problems that arise when working through a math problem, expedite the preliminary research process in social studies courses or even act as a conversationalist to build interpersonal communication skills within foreign languages.

of students believe that a.i. is a helpful learning tool in the classroom, according to a knightmedia survey of 126 students

20%

of students surveyed HAVE used ChatGpt

“I can see it as, ‘OK, it wrote a basic essay,’” Joiner said. “But if you’re a good student, you know how to dress that baby up and make it better.”

In addition to creating a skeleton rough draft or a helpful sample essay for students to learn structure from, ChatGPT can also be used as a stepping stone in the research process or widen the berth of ideas within an essay once students have a basic framework of their own thoughts.

For example, if a student’s assignment was to craft, say, a persuasive essay about the merits of veganism, they could take their own ideas and engage in typing combat with ChatGPT to think deeper about the topic or produce a counterargument. Simply typing in, “convince me that veganism is better for the environment,” wouldn’t yield the best essay possible, but it can spit out four different reasons that could be researched further

Even small, positive interactions with the technology, through a variety of formats, can shift the villainized narrative of A.I. and its uses.

Alexa, M3gan or ChatGPT are not going to rampage through the well-laid traditions of the educational system and replace its value or importance.

“It depends on how you use it,” Ryan said. “If you are over-reliant on it, if you use it as a crutch, it’s detrimental; you won’t be able to develop the skills.”

test out chatgpt’s capabilities

Still, this technology is part of our current and ever-changing reality and, eventually, the workforce that we, the students, will be entering. The adjustment won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination — it rarely is — but who is better to guide students through these unprecedented technological shifts than their teachers?

“It exists; it’s there,” Joiner said. “We’re sometimes like, ‘Oh we don’t need iPads or cell phones,’ but OK, they are here. You’d be fighting an uphill battle; it’s not going to go away. I just think it’s like leaning into it a little bit, knowing about it and understanding that it could be helpful … [We have to] accept that things change.

MATCHMAKER or HEARTBREAKER?

#ValentinesDay: Whether you are spending Feb. 14 with your dog, your significant other, your mom or your best friend you can find value in this romantic and (commercial) holiday that so many love with all their hearts. (Art and graphics by Abby

Everyone has a different take away for their earliest memory of Valentine’s Day. Mine starts in Westbrook Early Learning School in Mrs. Barkowitz’ kindergarten classroom. As usual, the air smelled of sweet treats and adorable cookies with my favorite sprinkles on top and the room was filled with pretty pink and red decorations. Everyone had a Valentine’s box on their desk, but mine was most certainly the cutest. (It was Barbie themed.) I wrote personalized Barbie theme cards for all my friends and made sure to smuggle a little packet of M&M’s in the middle!

Everything about Valentine’s Day from that moment on has been almost the exact same: sit at my desk while I have groups of people give me cutesie little cards that say, “Happy Valentine’s Day” and confess their secret and undying love for me. Five-year-old me thrived, and my confidence levels on Valentine’s Day soared. #CupidIsMyBoy.

Being single on Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be frowned upon. Over 126.9 million people are single according to the U.S. census, and that’s OK!

Though Mueller has a boyfriend, she still takes time to celebrate and appreciate herself, and has an annual “Galentines Party” which is a popular celebration amongst friends during the loving holiday. A typical Galentine’s Party is simply a Valentine’s Day themed get-together with friends without needing a significant other.

ABBY DAMASKY Social Media Director

For Valentine’s Day being the holiday of love, it sure as hell receives a lot of hate.

The holiday on Feb. 14 is a day that most cannot stand. According to Elite Daily; only 42 perecnt of people actually enjoy the holiday, 58 percent don’t. The stigma for Valentine’s Day being a pointless holiday that gives people a reason to waste money on stuffed animals and heart lollipops is ridiculous.

Senior Lauren Mueller agrees that the stigma is absurd. “I just love the idea of having a day so focused on love, which is something so important to appreciate.”

That’s exactly what the holiday is supposed to be about: appreciating yourself and others around you.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be superficial with buying expensive gifts, despite what people think. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if a gorgeous smoke show of a man showed up to my doorstep with a 16-inch Tiffany heart pendant in a sterling silver necklace, of course, I would accept it. According to Knowhowstudios.com, more than 94 percent of Americans think writing a quick little letter saying how much you love someone satisfies their hearts.

The point of the holiday is to celebrate in a way that makes you feel loved: a self care night, going to dinner with your loved one or just staying in with your pet watching your favorite Disney movie.

Valentine’s Day is perceived to be only a celebration for couples, but that it isn’t.

Damasky and Sienna Demonte)

“It’s a way to show your friendly love and affection to those who are close to you,” Mueller said.

Personally, I love Galentine’s Day parties. I enjoy being with my BFF’s, eating chocolate strawberries, making Valentine’s Day Pillsbury cookies and watching hope-

If that type of celebration isn’t your cup of tea, then there are plenty of other things you can do on the holiday that can be a way to show af fection for others: go get coffee, go to a museum or heck, go invent a fly ing car.

Just as important as showing gratitude for those you love, showing selflove is important too. The ways you can celebrate can be physi cal or mental. This could range from going to the time warp I like to call Target or laying in your bed listening to a podcast.

People lose sight of selflove on a holiday like Valentine’s Day. Everyday should be a day to celebrate yourself and your self worth, of course, but this is one day of the year that you really get an excuse to hype yourself up. On Val entine’s Day I want you to look in the mirror and say, “I am an independent, successful and hot human-being.” You better say it until you believe it, too.

So let’s be realistic, getting shot by a love bow by Mr. Cupid isn’t exactly ideal, (unless you like pain), but what is ideal is going out and having fun for Valentines Day. It doesn’t have to be just about having a significant other to be smoochy poochy on the couch with. You can love your friends and love your family or your cats. Actually, scratch that, cats are gross. So go get ‘em tiger, go enjoy yourself and make this holiday one that fits your standards of how it should be celebrated.

Everyone has a different takeaway for their earliest memory of Valentine’s Day. Mine starts in Westbrook Early Learning School in Mrs. Barkowitz’s kindergarten classroom. As usual, the air smelled of corny heart-shaped, cavity-ridden cookies with little pink sprinkles on top, and the room was scattered with an abundance of red. Every kid’s desk was decorated with those stupid little Valentine’s boxes decorated anywhere from monster truck cars to Barbie. And, of course, my mother forced me to handwrite a card for every single child in my class because it’s “a part of the Valentine’s Day traditions.” I’m pretty sure half my class didn’t even know how to read anyway…But that’s beside the point.

Everything about Valentine’s Day from this moment on has been almost the exact same: sit at my desk while everyone gets cards from their secret admirers and best friends and feel my little heart fill with loneliness. As I’ve grown up and begun to see the real intention of Valentine’s Day, it has become my #VillainOriginStory. I’m pretty sure I can thank Valentine’s Day for my 16-year streak of being

tence. There is nothing more worth spending money on than your own happiness. I’m still saving a hell of a lotta money anyway. The average person in a relationship spends around $175-210 on their partner on Valentine’s Day, according to NBC. In my eyes, that’s a whopping four tanks of gas spent on roses and jewelry. Not to mention, buying a present, writing a card, and picking out the perfect flowers may seem overwhelming for many, when really it should bring joy to do something sweet for your loved one.

SIENNA DEMONTE Executive Features Editor

The expectations of Valentine’s Day are set so high that enjoying the company of your significant other has turned into a competition to buy affection. Not to mention, seeing and hearing about others’ perfect dates and plans makes it difficult to avoid comparison, and sadly, comparisons almost always lead to frustration in the end. Believe it or not, Valentines Day has even made it onto the insecurity list for people in relationships as well. Half of women say they have been disappointed by a partner on Valentine’s Day, according to YouGov.

Speaking of self-care, why should I have to be in a relationship to celebrate love?

There has always been pressure to be in a relationship since I could remember: if you were single, you were lame. As I’m getting older, I’ve started to realize that I enjoy being single and spending time for myself.

Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate your love and gratitude for your significant other. But if you ask me, a 16-year-old girl who has never looked forward to Valentine’s Day a single moment in her life, the whole thing is just a marketing scam.

Cheryl Bergquist and her husband believe that Valentine’s Day is an overrated and useless holiday; instead of buying red roses and heart-shaped chocolates one day a year, the couple show their love for each other all the time. According to a YouGov poll, 57 percent of Americans say that Valentine’s Day is celebrated more because of pressure from companies and social media. The consumerist Hallmark holiday is a trap that businesses use to make money. Instead of being sucked into the materialistic Cupid and Reese’s heart nonsense, I will be having a self-care night and snuggling up with a bowl of popcorn and Disney movies. Before you tell me, “Sienna, you’re still spending money on useless self-care!” Rethink that sen-

What stings the most about this honeymoon holiday is the big endless reminder that I don’t have a knight in shining armor to spend it with. In fact, while gluing my eyes shut in the hallways after seeing an overwhelming amount of PDA, I can’t help but feel like Valentine’s Day is a magnet of insecurity for people without a partner.

“It’s so much easier to celebrate Valentine’s Day and to be given gifts and to feel appreciated, when you’re not dating someone you feel like crap because you’re just alone and unappreciated.” Bergquist said. No matter how hard I try, it’s impossible to avoid feeling like I’m being bombarded by images of happy couples, targeted advertisements, and sentimental music playing in every shop or restaurant in sight. As a matter of fact, 43 percent of single people in the U.S. struggle with dating-related social anxiety, according to YouGov. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it’s bad to be in a relationship or that your relationship is actively hurting other singletons, but the adorable couple pics plastered all over the internet on Feb.14 causes insecurity for many.

“I think it’s bad to spread the celebration when it’s in terms of bragging, like ‘look what I got’, ‘look what we did’ and then post it on Instagram, and I think that is wrong because you’re just doing it for status quo.” Bergquist said, “If you wanna celebrate it privately between you and your loved one, that’s perfectly fine.”

Self-reflection, belief, squashed by social pressure

grandma complain about how empty and underfunded her church is one more time, I will be forced to personally speed over there and stuff my entire savings account into the collection basket myself just to hear the end of it.

Hello world, I’m here to deliver a special, one-of-a-kind message, the words that every white, upper-middle-class male dreams of being able to say: I, Kevin Lynch, am a whole-hearted, thoroughbred, bonafide, victimized, victim-y, victim.

Now, before you all collectively start scratching your heads, allow me to spare you a few self-inflicted scalp wounds. “You, Kevin?” I hear you ask (with no hints of malice or annoyance whatsoever, I assume), “How have you ever been victimized?”

Well, have I been treated unfairly? You bet.

Have I been mocked or berated? Yep, on a regular basis.

Have I been judged, stereotyped and persecuted through no fault of my own? Oh, you have no idea.

Why? Simple: my cruel, wicked and thoroughly vindictive parents decided to enroll poor lil me in Catholic school.

In my experience — and, as the aforementioned dwindling numbers suggest, the experience of many others — religion has become increasingly more and more of a “if I get around to it” factor in my life, like that one car part that you keep meaning to get replaced or that one weird rash on your big toe you should probably get checked out but ultimately never will. After all, who’s got the time?

World Religions teacher John Camardella has observed first-hand how important a religion’s place in this sort of daily life can be for its overall popularity.

“As soon as religion stops connecting to people where they’re at, it dies,” Camardella said. “ … We’ve seen that happen in numerous spots ... it has to keep applying to people’s lives to matter.”

With one cursory glance around at the current state of the world, this sentiment certainly feels truer than ever; now that we’re no longer living in ancient times, we have other things to read besides religious texts

that promise us an eternity of divine punishment if we so much as tie our shoelaces the wrong way. We have other things to listen to besides preachers telling us that God will smite us down if we don’t sing choir hymns at just the right pitch. We have other people to look up to besides a bunch of centuries-old Middle Eastern dudes who may or may not have actually existed.

Like it or not, pop culture is slowly but surely helping overtake faith as a pervasive societal force: Jesus made a blind person see?

Well, Mr. Beast just cured 1000 blind people in a YouTube video, so, um, guess we found our new messiah.

Even when we aren’t being bombarded by a seemingly never-ending stream of new ideas, though, each more attention-grabbing and soul-sucking than the last, the fact of the matter is that topics of faith or personal belief just don’t seem to gel with society’s ever-shifting expectations.

With all the stresses of daily life begging for our time, money and attention more than ever before, who’s got time to hear themselves think?

Don’t mistake my societal frustration for some sort of deep, religious yearning though; I’m not advocating or even hoping that we all run back into religion’s arms like every contemporary-Christian-rock song — which, yes, we did occasionally listen to in Catholic school, laugh it up — suggests we should, but I do find it concerning that religion, especially people’s personal beliefs in general, can be swept away so easily

by the shapeless, faceless blob that is our society.

Let’s face it; the world we live in doesn’t exactly encourage us to care about… anything, really.

If our dear old friend capitalism had its way, we would all just be little consumerist bees buzzing to work in meaningless jobs for 10 hours a day, coming home, procreating just enough to offset population decline, and going to bed to prepare for another glorious day of contributing to the bee-conomy.

Our own growing connectedness has pushed religion, ethics, morals and all other forms of personal belief so far onto the cultural back-burner that discussing them is practically a taboo at this point; sure, the classic rule of “no politics or religion at the dinner table” might prevent some uncomfortable squabbling, but in reality, it — alongside countless other deeply-ingrained social norms — is squashing our ability to think about our existence on a broader scale to the point where a person’s moral compass has just about the same level of utility nowadays as a normal compass: none.

It’s almost funny how modern life can suck out from us over the span of our lifetimes — our values, our culture, our identity — and yet, somehow, the slow and painful decline of personal belief still feels like the most egregious crime.

It’s not like there’s some great conspiracy to assimilate us all into one collective hive mind, of course, but I can’t be the only one who finds it depressing how often I struggle on a daily basis to even remember what I’m even doing any of this for.

Trust me, I would love to be able to say that we should all stop believing in everything and

*according to a KnightMedia survey of 194 students

Urge to conform hurts overall ability to find happiness

KEVIN LYNCH Editor-in-Chief

of Prospect students do not believe in/are unsure about the existence of a higher power

50% over

I CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO FINDS IT DEPRESSING HOW OFTEN I STRUGGLE ... TO EVEN REMEMBER WHAT I’M EVEN DOING ANY OF THIS FOR.”

100 years of dreams

One man’s Dream leads to global happily ever after

MOLLIE KEARNS

Exec. News Editor

As guests head under the arches of the Walt Disney World Railroad in Magic Kingdom, the imaginary curtains be gin to lift and unveil the frst glimpses of magic. Following the posters pre viewing freworks shows like “En chantment” and rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, the red pavement leads guests down the metaphorical red car pet towards Main Street, U.S.A.

Heading further down the row of picturesque shops and boutiques, a list of opening credits honoring for mer imagineers like Yale Gracey, who was key in the development of rides like The Haunted Mansion and faux companies like Tomahawk Properties, which Walt used to buy pieces of the Walt Disney World property, rolls for wards towards the main focus of the show: Cinderella’s Castle. Above the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, a quaint win dow looks out towards the breathtak ing castle with gold text that simply reads: “Walter E. Disney,” a tribute to the man behind the magic and direc tor of the Walt Disney Company.

The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923; 2023 marks its 100th anniversary. Founded by Walt Disney and his brother Roy, the com pany has transformed from its hum ble beginnings as they celebrate the century in which they have defned a new meaning to magic and wonder. What started as one man’s dream has molded into a company that has touched every corner of the globe via award-winning movies, six theme parks on three continents and inspir ing characters and leaders, making a mark on people of all generations.

For Disney travel agent Leslie Reel, her love for Disney and the Disney parks as a child nurtured her future career and the creation of her own Disney-authorized Travel Agency: Moments of Magic Travel. Reel says the thing she remembers most clearly from her childhood spent in the Dis ney parks was traveling through the World Showcase in Epcot with her brother; this nostalgic love for Disney — combined with her growing family — made her decide to switch from her career in pharmaceuticals to one in a company built from scratch.

Mollie Kearns and Claire Wynkoop celebrate the 13th anniversary of their frst Disney World visit (photos courtesy of Kearns and Wynkoop).

dreams and magic

Disney vilains through th years

maleficent (1959) likes: spinning wheels dislikes: not being invited to parties

captain hook (1951)

likes: the jolly roger dislikes: alarm clocks & crocodiles

hans (2013)

ikes: sandwiches dislikes: his 12 older brothers

PRincesses prove problematic

for years to overcome.

“Since most Disney princess movies are reliant on men and ‘damsel[s] in distress,’ it kind of inputs that mindset in girls that they need to fnd guys and can’t be independent and can’t be into things guys are into,” Strimling said. “It just sets them up to have a bad mindset about themselves and what they’re capable of.”

Not to mention that Disney movies further the idea that all men should look for in a woman is beauty.

Look at “The Little Mermaid” to see how women are viewed in the eyes of

Eric is so ready to marry this random chick he found on a beach, not because she’s smart or interesting but because she’s pretty. She doesn’t even speak, for goodness sake!

While there are a litter of issues with older Disney movies, the company has made minor adjustments in movies like “The Princess and the Frog.” The 2008 flm allows Princess Tiana to be far more ambitious than the prince for once. In “Tangled” (2012), Flynn Ryder (AKA Eugene Fitzherbert), becomes emotionally vulnerable with Rapunzel, allowing him to be more than a beauty-ob -

While Disney has yet to release a plus-sized princess, they have ofered more diversity in their heroines that defy the Eurocentric ideal of beauty that the other princesses set.

Disney’s change is slow, but we, the consumers, can make personal change quickly. We have to learn that these movies are simply fairy tales, and we shouldn’t directly translate character perceptions into our own

“I grew up with it, so we can’t change what it did,” Strimling said. “ ... But now it’s important for people to just take it with a grain of salt and to enjoy it for what it is and … not take it to mean … anything more.”

This is easier said than done. I mean, did I think I was meant to be a housewife just like Cinderella growing up? Yes, yes I did. But do I now understand that it is defnitely not a sustainable lifestyle? Fortunately for anyone who has ever seen me try to anything, yes.

Unfortunately for us, the media we consume as kids can subconsciously infuence the way we think and behave: 61 percent of young girls would continue to immerse themselves in and model their looks after Disney characters compared to the only 4% of boys who do the same.

“It’s just interesting how much of an impact [Disney movies] have and how you don’t even realize,” sopho -

clean, sleep and forgive people for trying to kill her.

She is supposed to be portrayed as sweet and innocent, but in reality, she is a pushover with no perception of what danger is. (Seriously, who lets a creepy old woman feed them an apple with a skull face dripping of it?)

Characters like Snow White undermine all of the societal stereotypes that women have been trying

While someday I hope to have my own true love story like a Disney princess, I will remember to avoid mini misogynists, evil family members with diabolical cats and people/ animals that might cause Stockholm Syndrome.

From now on, I will learn to idolize the right kind of princes and princesses, so I can educate my younger cousins and my future kids on why being a princess is more than what’s on the big screen.

Claire Wynkoop Exec. Sports Editor

‘Woke’ M&M’s fall into a slumber

Mars’ marketing makes misstep

Fragility can be defined as: egg shells, the male ego and my grandma’s prized plate collection. And, apparently, Mars’ spine, because a few long-winded tirades from Fox News are seemingly enough for them to call take backsies on their whole “inclusivity” spiel.

It all began on Jan. 20, 2022 when Mars announced changes to their beloved spokescandies in order to further their “global commitment to create a world where everyone feels they belong.”

new feminist packaging that “flips” gender norms in a very literal way. Apparently, Mars thought this gravity-defying situation was one small step for M&M’s (in new shoes, of course) and one giant leap for all of womankind.

Each and every time, the internet collectively lost its mind … over M&M’s. Now, let’s get one thing straight (god forbid these candies be anything but that): the M&M’s aren’t in weighing on, say, the storage of classified documents or gun protection laws. But, of course, the political right critiqued the candy for being “too woke.”

Tucker Carlson has covered M&M’s more times than an average person actually consumes the candy in their lifetime, enraged by the “lesbian” and “obese” M&M’s characters; outrage over feminist packaging was spun into the narrative of Mars working for China; and, of course, there was the slew of tweets and accusations claiming that the M&M’s characters were indoctrinating our children.

women have to fit a certain mold in order to be “modern” or “feminist” enough. But, sure, we can chalk it up to the off-brand low-top Converse. At the end of the day are these transgressions enough to rationalize sending the seven spokescandies into their tower to wonder when their life will begin? Hell no.

I can’t say I believe Rudolph is actually going to be a replacement for the spokescandies. Mars. Let’s be honest. You’re a liar, liar, pants on fire. You mean to tell me that you, a company that exists to sell chocolate and make money, haphazardly threw away an absurd amount of money to not only redesign their character’s shoes, introduce a new character (plus a music video!) and launch a line of feminist-forward packaging for absolutely nothing?

peanuts, who has graced the eyes of sports ball fans everywhere with his presence.

The timing of this announcement is too suspect to ignore. Not to mention the fact that M&M’s has already announced a Super Bowl commercial.

20,000

people signed a petition to “Keep the Green M&M sexy,” according to time magazine

ELLA MITCHELL

Editor-in-Chief

This shoe redesign (yes, shoes) was accompanied by profiles written by an ex-AO3metaverse-fan-fiction writer who went a little crazy with re-personifying the chocolate characters.

The saga continued — yes, this is a multistep series of M&M’s gossip — on Sept. 28, 2022, when Mars introduced a new girl on the block, Purple, who, to the absolute misfortune of modern women everywhere, self-identifies as “quirky.” Purple, along with Green and Brown, popped up again in January of 2023 on M&M’s

Jan. 20, 2022

Mars debuts a spokescandy redesign ... through shoes. Green’s go-go boots are go-go gone and Ms. Brown loses her gendered prefix and an inch of her heels.

If everyone’s least favorite Halloween candy is causing your blood pressure to skyrocket so significantly, you have some serious re-evaluation to do. Seriously, why are we collectively wildin’ over this? Be for real.

However, in a breakup-esque statement starting with, “America, let’s talk,” Mars announced that they are getting rid of the spokescandies altogether because the controversy they created goes against the brand’s intentions. Instead, they are replacing our beloved melt-proof candy with comedy legend Maya Rudolph, because they didn’t realize that “even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing.”

It’s less about whether the shoes are polarizing per se and more about the implication that

Sept. 28, 2022

mPurple, the first new character in more than a decade, joins the M&M’s lineup. Her “quirky nature” and music video called “I’m Just Gonna Be Me” aim to promote inclusion.

No way. Objection. If this is true, then I am six-feet-tall. M&M’s might be a lot of things (bland, misguided, attention-crazy), but they most certainly aren’t stupid. Plus, if the brand truly is touting their inclusivity shtick, would they really bow down to a bunch of right-wing slander? No, no they would not. A world where everyone feels like they belong is not a world where we bow down to the pressure of the outof-pocket ramblings of Tucker Carlson.

Hear me out, but this is a Mr. Peanut scheme: part two. In Super Bowl LIV, Planters unveiled an ad confirming that their spokesperson, Mr. Peanut, had died at age 104 in an “ultimate selfless act” to save his friends. #RIPeanut. But then, lo and behold, who waltzes into the Super Bowl spot? Why, it’s Baby Nut, aka the Baby Yoda of

Jan. 15, 2023

mThe “Flipping the Status Quo” campaign is announced. This limitedtime package featured only the female M&M’s and flips the characters (and gender norms) upside down.

Picture it: Rudolph enters the screens (in a bad M&M’s costume?) of American families munching on nachos and wings everywhere and delivering a semi-sarcastic but quippy line about the culture wars that M&M’s have started. Then, more commercial shenanigans ensue (I don’t write commercials, but I’m sure there will be all sorts of hijinks). This, naturally, is followed by the iconic spokescandies dancing back onto the screen (hopefully with a certain finger-wagging at Fox and other dissenters), singing some sort of song about rainbows and belonging before they come back for good.

Buzz created, money made, ba da bing, ba de boom!

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want the M&M’s characters back. Somehow, inexplicably, I’ve become engrossed in the drama. This is my trashy reality TV-esque fix of pop culture amusement. I miss Green and her go-go boots and attitude. An actress — even one in a circular-shaped costume — is hardly a sufficient replacement for a tried and true Green M&M (I don’t trust you if your favorite is Red), but I suppose we’ll have to make it work … for now.

Jan. 23, 2023

mMars’ announces that the M&M’s are being replaced by Maya Rudolph as the brand’s spokesperson because they didn’t think a candy’s shoes could be polarizing.

l a c k H i s t o r y M o n t h

Fostering togetherness

able to see themselves together in a group setting more often as representatives of the Black population at Prospect.

ent meeting days so students can choose to go to a variety of clubs. Ebony Club meets twice a month on Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in room 110.

With a mannequin head in one hand and the intention of teaching students a part of African-American culture in her mind, junior Jayla Flournoy prepared to help students learn how to braid hair at the Multicultural Fair on Jan. 27.

As an elected leader of the Ebony Club, which rotates its roles on a semester basis, Flournoy plays a large role in representing the Black population at Prospect.

“They just kind of facilitate everything that the sponsors want us to know and they are in charge of sending out emails and Schoology updates,” sophomore Pryncess Butler said.

Ebony Club’s main mission is to provide Black students with a sense of belonging and a safe space to talk. Ebony Club sponsor and school counselor Tim Franklin says that he leaves the space open to students to decide what they do, but they discuss topics such as current events, social skills needed for success and college admission information at meetings. Franklin advocates for the idea of Black students being

The club also has gone on two field trips during Butler’s time at the club. They visited the Black Teen Summit last year, toured National Louis University this year and talked about diversity. The idea for forming Ebony Club started around the 2019-20 school year when campus security guard and co-sponsor Edward Cleveland and Franklin began discussing creating a space for Black students at Prospect. Franklin explains that there was a similar club called Black Student Union before that.

According to both Flournoy and Butler, they estimate that the Ebony club has about 10 members of all Black students. Despite that, Franklin says the club is open to all students.

To grow the club’s audience, Franklin says they are teaming up with the Associated Student Body (ASB) for Black History Month and other cultural clubs to do activities together. They plan to reveal historical facts and spread awareness about Black figures in the past.

Adding to that, according to Franklin, there will be food options during a week in February to celebrate ‘Soul Food” in Black culture and Music Fridays which will play music from Black artists during passing periods.

In order for cultural clubs to maximize potential numbers, sponsors coordinate differ-

An impact Franklin has seen in the club is that some students make more friends in the club and ultimately feel safer to have a place to go to.

Butler says it makes her feel good and feel included in something bigger than herself during the meetings.

“We talk a lot about things pertaining to a sense of belonging for Black students,” Franklin said. “Celebrating Black and African-American history and understanding the culture better and what we can do to enhance the experiences for Black students in our school.”

One of the moments where Franklin felt satisfied with his club was when motivation speaker Calvin Terrell came to talk about his experiences and outlooks on racism. He says the presentation contributed largely to a sense of belonging throughout the school.

“I think that when we had the Calvin Terrell experience, there was a Black affinity space for students,” Franklin said. “All the Ebony Club members were there and just to see them in the same type of light showed us that there was hope. They … just felt like this was necessarily important and our whole school community and our administration got to see that as well.”

Ultimately, Franklin wants to see members of his club thrive and flourish within the school. A noteworthy impact Franklin sees in the club is that some students have made more friends in the club and ultimately feel safer to have a place to go to.

“I obviously take pride in being Black and celebrating the culture,” Franklin said. “My goal and Mr. Cleveland’s goal is to ensure that students are able to build their own self confidence and build their own understanding of what it means to be in the Ebony Club … we want them to be able to grow and create their own ideas.”

Historical Black figures to note

PJ O’GRADY Copy Editor

In a less stressful situation, senior Denzel Robinson wouldn’t normally be nervous in front of a large audience — he’s not the type to be shy, after all — but when he was on the stage in front of his friends and family for Prospect’s Got Talent (PGT) on Sept. 7, his nerves kicked in. Robinson knew his original song “Signal Alert” by heart after rehearsing it about 10 times prior. Lucki ly, when Robinson finally walked on stage, he felt he was in the zone. After all, he was D-Verse — a stage name his mom gave him this school year — and he was excited to share his hard work and personal struggles with the audience.

The gratification that Robinson received immediately afterwards let him know that overcoming his hesitancy was well worth it.

“The sky’s the limit, you got to take a risk,” Robinson said. “... I’m not the type to be nervous, but when you’re want ing to perform in front of people, it’s different. You have to make sure everything’s right.”

Though “Signal Alert” publi cally debuted at PGT, its origins exist beyond the show. In his ju nior year in Patrick Weber’s music

workshop class, the final project was to perform a song in front of the class. Robinson presented his song to the class junior year, but when he accidentally changed the beat on the software app, he noticed it sounded better with the unintentional change.

He decided to continue working on the song with the app, and he finally perfected it during his senior year. Robinson launched “Signal Alert” on Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud and Apple Music on Sept. 29.

While Robinson also enjoys other hobbies like playing basketball and lifting weights, music is his true passion.

“... In the morning, I’m waking up listening to rap music,” Robinson said. “When I’m working out? Rap music. It’s just something I need to have every day.”

Robinson engages with rap music beyond the average listener, considering he has actually created music. With over 1,500 plays on his song, Robinson was quite satisfied with the support.

As one of Robinson’s friends and supporters, senior Tory Martinez was also excited to see his song come out.

“I was kind of happy for him, it’s something that I haally seen him more passionate about,” Martinez said.

“... He just kept saying, ‘When I’m done I’m going to post it’ …

So seeing him actually finish the song and then put it out there on all platforms? It was a good moment.”

Another supporter of Robinson is his mother, who helped inspire the name “D-Verse” one day when he was discussing it with his family.

His inspiration for his lyrics in “Signal Alert,” he explained, was based on his personal life and experiences. He rapped about his lack of money when he didn’t have a job, his fake friends he had a while ago and his goal of owning a Mercedes Benz C300. In addition, Robinson plans to release a new song called “Demonic Flow” over the summer.

With all of his songs — “Signal Alert” and “Demonic Flow” alike — Robinson strives to prove people wrong. Robinson felt this specific sentiment when rapping at PGT.

“I was in that moment; nothing else,” Robinson said. “I wanted to prove the haters [wrong] … there was still people talking smack about me about the song … and I was like ‘I got to prove them wrong, I got to do this.’”

Over the course of his years at Prospect, Robinson has felt pressure to represent the Black community in a positive light. Since his freshman year, Robinson has been aware

of the limited number of Black students at Prospect currently only 32, according to the Illinois Report Card and knows that if he makes one mistake that it can change everyone’s viewpoint of him and ruin his reputation.

“It’s a little bit hard, but at the same time I got to make sure I’m representing myself in a real respected way, because it’s literally one time I do the wrong thing and everyone’s looking at me so differently,” Robinson said. “You have all the critics talking about me. I have people talking about me. I just have to make sure that I’m doing the right thing for myself and representing Black people at Prospect the right way.” Robinson’s character shined bright and accomplished just that, according to Martinez, especially when he started getting to know Robinson.

“Denzel’s a pretty cool dude,” Martinez said. “He’s pretty funny, he’s basically the type of person you’d want to meet on your first day of being at school. [He’s] just somebody that’s cool and genuine with how he feels about people.”

After his time at Prospect, Robinson just wants to make sure the generations after him win the mental battles over their mind during their high school years.

“If you want to be anything, do it, take that risk,” Robinson said. “Nothing’s stopping you but yourself.”

In 1986, the United States government passed a law that established February as National Black History Month. The main purpose of Black History Month is to celebrate African-American achievements in the United States and acknowledge their sacrifices. In honor of Black History Month, we would like to share three stories recognizing Black members within the Prospect community: Denzel Robinson strives to defy expectations through music; counselor Tim Franklin supports students in all ways necessary; and, Ebony Club’s goal to provide a space for discussions and celebrations of AfricanAmerican history.

Making a difference Sulaimon shares culture

Franklin aids students

ELLA MITCHELL Editor-in-Chief

Working as a Behavior Technician in the Child Unit at Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare system, Tim Franklin remembers approaching a kid who told him he felt hopeless. Franklin looked at the wall and saw cursive writing that read, “Hope.”

Franklin comforted the kid, reminding him that the current situation wasn’t for forever by comparing his life to a heart monitor: the squiggly line goes up and down, and that signifies life, even when it has peaks and valleys. When one isn’t alive, there’s a flatline; the line moving means hope.

After that conversation, Franklin knew: “Yeah, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

This experience caused Franklin to experience firsthand the gratification that comes with working with

benefit of students as he helps them develop coping skills, make postsecondary goals and deal with social-emotional health concerns.

“As a counselor, I have the opportunity to get to know the student in a different way than any other educator ever would,” Franklin said.

“We have more of a big-picture lens, which gives us an opportunity to get to know them in different aspects of their lives … We get to know the whole story.”

Seeing these stories — and the victories that come with them — is particularly rewarding for Franklin.

When he sees a student who was previously struggling with a class pass after seeking resources or talking to a teacher, he knows that he was able to make a difference.

“[Students] having an opportunity to entrust with you something they are going through or problem-solving an issue, you know, they feel better after that conversation,”

Franklin said. “It helps reiterate and affirm that the career choice that I made was the [right] one.”

Through the support that Franklin aims to provide, he is also incredibly intentional with how he presents himself as a Black staff member.

Franklin remembers posing the question to students: “Hey, have you ever had a Black educator before?”

After a moment of thought, many answered with a resounding, “No.”

Franklin feels it is important to have conversations, like he does at the beginning of each year with his assigned freshmen, about being an ally to peers rather than a bystander.

“Having that opportunity to just have a different person in front of you that looks differently than you, that causes you to have a different mindset,” Franklin said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, this person is obviously ... passionate about serving students and being there for students’ ... Having that opportunity to be that first experience for a lot of students is something that I’m happy with.”

JUSTIN PEABODY Features Reporter

Robinson pushes limits with rap Black

Eager to help contribute to the Multicultural Fair’s success on Jan. 27, junior Posi Sulaimon prepared to celebrate her Nigerian heritage. With the help of her mother and brother, the family awoke long before the sun rose, preparing and baking fresh snacks for visitors to sample.

Sulaimon was born in Nigeria, where she and her family lived until she was about 10 years old. Her stand allowed students and faculty to try popular Nigerian snacks, learn about the nation’s religious makeup and see traditional Nigerian clothing.

One dish Sulaimon offered was chin-chin, a fried pastry consisting of crunchy pieces of dough sweetened with sugar and lemon zest.

While Sulaimon greatly enjoyed serving food, she was delighted that many of her visitors expressed genuine interest in the other aspects of Nigeria’s ethnic identity.

“It’s good to get to know the kids you go to school with, and I think it’s good that kids are willing to put themselves out there and learn about other cultures because we’re not necessarily the most diverse

school,” Sulaimon said.

Sulaimon was pleasantly surprised to see that a great variety of countries were represented and showcased, giving everyone an opportunity to expand their awareness of the world around them. With many students participating and displaying their cultures in this year’s fair, Sulai mon is confident that the event will gain traction in the future.

Sulaimon did not cre ate an exhibition for the previous fair, but her ex perience this year kindled a deeper sense of self-pride and individuality.

“I didn’t realize how much I love talking about [Nigerian culture] until I started talking about it … [My booth in the fair] has definitely made me more proud to be Nigerian,” Sulaimon said.

THIS YEAR’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME:

illustration by Luca Nicolaie

- Denzel Robinson, senior

“IF YOU WANT TO DO ANYTHING, DO IT, TAKE THAT RISK.

Sophomore skier slides to success

AMELIA MASLOWSKI Features Reporter

As Finn Skobel crossed the finish line at Sundown Mountain in Dubuque County, Iowa, she had never felt more ecstatic. Ella Dodds, a skier from the Chestnut Mountain Racing Team, had been her competition ever since Skobel was twelve.

Prior to that day, Skobel had always placed second or third behind her and fought for the chance to come in first all these years, and, during the second race of the season at Sundown Mountain on Jan. 22, she finally claimed victory.

“It was the best feeling ever to finally get first place,” Skobel said.

Skobel is a sophomore who skis for the Wilmot Ski Team, which she does alongside running cross country for Prospect. Her dad first got her into skiing, but she was also influenced by her older brother.

Skobel’s dad started skiing first in the family after seeing an interesting ad about free ski lessons at Wilmot. He later joined the team and raced for them before putting his kids right into his footsteps. Consequently, Skobel and her brother have been skiing ever since they can remember.

Skobel started racing for the Wilmot team when she was just ten years old. She races in nearby states through the Wisconsin Illinois Iowa Junior Alpine Racing Association (WIJARA). WIJARA skiers compete all around the Midwest and have four races over the course of the season from early December through early March.

Their racing mainly consists of giant slalom and slalom. Slalom is a type of alpine skiing where skiers move in a zig-zag, side-to-side motion through poles. Giant slalom is the same, but with a greater distance between the poles. The team consists of just skiers, but Skobel says encountering the snowboarding team while training can get frustrating.

“There’s no bad blood, but once a snowboarder comes into my taped-off area for practice, it gets really annoying,” Skobel said.

Skobel makes the hour-long drive up to Wilmot every Tuesday, Thursday and weekend to

SLIDE: Sophomore Finn Skobel slides down the slopes for the Wilmot Ski Team on January 22 at Sundown Mountain in Dubuque County, Iowa. Skobel drives an hour four days a week for three-hour practices. In practice, Skobel takes a lot of time to work on her technique. Head coach Steve Schwartz had nothing but nice things to say about Skobel. “Finn has developed into an incredible ski racer and a wonderful human being,” Schwartz said. (photo courtesy of Bob Vasa)

practice for three hours.

Practices can vary, but usually the skiers on the team work on slalom to perfect their technique. The different types of equipment, exhausting practices on school nights and long drives can also be made more manageable by a helpful coaching staff.

Steve Schwartz, the head coach of the Wilmot Ski Team, has been coaching Skobel for four to five years now and has seen her progress over time.

“Finn has developed into an incredible ski racer and a wonderful human being,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz was also a skier himself all throughout his life. After skiing at New England College in Henniker, N.H., he knew he wanted to stay in touch with skiing somehow, so after college he began coaching at Wilmot; his former home course as a child became his workplace and a great way to teach young athletes like Skobel how to race.

Although connecting with athletes can be hard through a helmet, goggles and tons of equipment, Schwartz loves getting to actually know the person underneath the gear, with Skobel being no exception.

Skobel’s skiing really clicked this year, ac-

cording to Schwartz; beating Dodds was a goal she had in mind for a while. Her current goals, however, all started from her dad.

Skobel says he has played a huge role in her life, both through teaching her how to ski and now skiing alongside her on family ski trips. Those family ski trips up to places like Whistler, Canada — or any mountain — are the moments Skobel says that she will cherish in her heart forever. She says that her love for this sport is huge, and she hopes to pass it on someday.

“I would love to continue skiing with my future family and bring my kids into the ski world,” Skobel said.

Hamlin scare spreads new attention, unity

ZACH MORETH Copy Editor

Prospect football coach Dan DeBoeuf was excited for what was supposed to be an absolute thriller of a Monday Night Football game: the Buffalo Bills versus the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the game came to a screeching halt when No. 3 on the Bills, safety Damar Hamlin, collapsed.

“It was pretty scary,” DeBoeuf said. “All of a sudden it happens and you’re like, ‘Holy cow.’ It felt like everyone was at a loss of words.”

Within hours after the incident, it was discovered that Hamlin suffered from sudden cardiac arrest in the middle of the game on Jan. 2. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when a person’s heart completely stops, unlike a heart attack, where the person’s heart never comes to a full stop. According to the CDC, there are about 450,000 more heart attacks than cardiac arrests per year in the United States.

Fortunately for Hamlin, the Bills’ training staff recognized that he had no pulse and started CPR within one minute of his collapse. The training staff continued CPR and defibrillation for nine minutes until Hamlin was rushed to an ambulance and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, according to ESPN.

Athletic training supervisor Shannon Malahy says that every coach and trainer at Prospect is similarly CPR certified. This way, if there was an emergency during a sport, the staff would be “well prepared” to help, according to Malahy.

Malahy is also in charge of writing emergency action plans, which describe what actions are required in the case of a medical emergency and which are located in every classroom at Prospect. During football season, Malahy will contact opposing teams to show them the emergency action plans before games and discuss what

THATS A WRAP: Athletic training supervisor Shannon Malahy assists a football player at Prospect game. Malahy said she was not watching the Bills versus Bengals game live, but when she heard about how quickly the Bills training staff rushed to help Damar Hamlin, she was not surprised. “Those of us in the field know what planning goes on at that level, and I can only assume that it’s even more advanced in the NFL,” Malahy said. (photo courtesy of Jenny Heber)

to do if an emergency occurred. Regarding Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest, Malahy was impressed — but not surprised — with how the situation was handled.

“My first reaction was like, ‘How awful,’” Malahy said. “But as someone who is in the world of athletic training, it’s not surprising how well everything went. Those of us in the field know what planning goes on at that level, and I can only assume that it’s even more advanced in the NFL.”

Throughout her high school training career, Malahy has dealt with every sport and has seen a wide va-

riety of injuries, from muscle pulls to broken bones to concussions. Having experiences with such a wide variety of injuries can make it an extremely hard job, Malahy says, but there is one thing that has helped her the most: “Experience is number one,” Malahy said. “Getting experience in all sports is ideal because most sports translate from one into the other.”

During DeBoeuf’s coaching career, he has seen a wide variety of injuries, but the worst one he says he has ever dealt with happened two years ago when now-senior Jack Berman broke his leg in the middle of a football

game. Malahy, who was also on staff at the time, handled the situation as best she could.

“Shannon was super prepared for that situation,” DeBoeuf said. “She had everything under control and the ambulance was there right away. We were able to get him where he needed to be pretty quickly.”

With the medical attention Berman received from Prospect’s staff, he was able to recover safely in about six months and return to the football field for his junior and senior seasons.

Recovery, for the injured player and their teammates alike, is not al-

ways this swift. In the case of the Bills and Bengals game, officials canceled the remainder of their game; by the time the Bills finally played, Hamlin’s teammates knew he was in stable condition.

For DeBoeuf, however, this was not the case. After Berman suffered a broken leg, the Knights had to try and regain their focus to resume the game after what was a solid 30-minute break from playing.

“It’s hard; it’s definitely hard,” DeBoeuf said. “It’s hard to coach after you see a player that you care a ton about having an injury like that. I think it’s just the uncertainty of if he’s going to come back or if he’s going to play again. Those are the things that cross your mind.”

From a psychological point of view, psychology teacher Jay Heilman described how difficult it can be for players, specifically Hamlin, to go out and play again after a traumatic injury.

“It is going to take time for him to trust his body,” Heilman said. “I don’t know him, but I would think any human who experiences something as terrifying and as close to death as he felt is going to have to overcome a significant hurdle.”

Since the cardiac arrest, Hamlin launched the #3forHeart CPR challenge through the American Heart Association to promote the teaching of CPR techniques to everyone and raise money for the cause.

Hamlin is now in much better condition since the incident, and he created a thank-you video for all of the support he received from around the world.

“With this happening to me, I didn’t feel anything short of the love, and it really helped me stay encouraged to get through the toughest moments and the toughest times,” Hamlin said in the video.” I really can’t thank you enough.”

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FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Pushing past postseason pressure

KEVIN LYNCH Editor-in-Chief

Senior Will Baysingar was one of the many wrestlers filling the bright red mats in the gym of Suplex Wrestling Club in Palatine on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, each training to cater to their own needs and to prepare for the club season. Almost all of the wrestlers in the gym, Baysingar says, were recovering after having just finished their grueling three-month school season. Some were tending to injuries that they had brushed off during the season. Many more were sore and achy. Some, however — including Baysingar and the several other Prospect wrestlers in the gym — had extra reason for both soreness and validation alike; they had just finished fourth at the IHSA Class 3A Team State meet in Bloom ington only two days earlier.

Baysing ar says that the majori ty of the team’s varsity roster practices at private clubs like Suplex immediately after the state meet and all throughout the offseason, exemplifying the “365-day mentality” that he feels sets the team apart.

“You can’t skip a day … when you get back out there, you’ve got to go hard again,” Baysingar said. “ … If I’m willing to go do this workout on the Monday after state and there’s someone else not willing to do it, that means I’m going to get better than them; … you can’t skip time.”

This doesn’t mean that there wasn’t room for celebration, however. Because the state tournament ends late, the team stayed one more night at their hotel, eating desserts, snacks and especially pizza — more than one full pizza per person, according to Baysingar — until well past midnight, not having to worry about maintaining their weight now that their season had ended.

In spite of this less intense atmosphere, Baysingar and many other varsity wrestlers got back to work immediately the next week, eager to improve in the offseason, all for different reasons. For some, it was the desire to find a college to commit to after they graduated. Others were simply there to practice a sport that they love. For Baysingar — who finished second in the 132-lbs. weight class at the IHSA Individual State Final — there was only one goal in mind: next season.

“I just had all that success and that’s wonderful, but I’ve still got more to do,” Baysingar said. “ … You’ve got to think about the feeling you just had winning and turn it into motivation to just get back on the mat right away, because in wrestling, there’s no break time.”

After their fourth place team state finish in 2022 — the first wrestling

state trophy won in school history — the team went 4-1 in their conference this year, with their only disappointments coming at the hands of Hersey, both in a tough dual meet loss on Jan. 11 in addition to a second-place finish to them again at the MSL Conference Championship on Jan. 20-21. On Feb. 4, the team came first at their IHSA Regional meet at Fremd, qualifying all 14 of their wrestlers to sectionals — the first time this has happened in school history.

The team has also had success at other prominent meets this season, such as placing third at the Moore Pettyman Memorial Invite in Barrington on Nov. 25-26, placing ninth at the nationally-recognized Cheesehead Invitational in Kaukauna, Wis. on Jan. 6-7 and coming in second at the Don Flavin Invite in Dekalb on Dec. 29-30, where they competed against three teams ranked among the top 50 in the nation.

Head coach Dan Keller believes that there is more scrutiny on Prospect compared to past years, as their previously unprecedented showing at state last year put them on other teams’ radar as someone to beat. While the increased expectations might be seen as a hindrance to some, Baysingar believes that the more eyes that are on the team, the better.

“I think that the expectation is that we place fourth or better [in state] because we got fourth last year,” Baysingar said. “Does that increase the pressure? Yeah, but I think Prospect likes the pressure. We have the target on our back; all the teams come in like, ‘How are we going to beat Prospect?’ I think a lot of the kids on our team like that pressure.”

Baysingar himself is no stranger to the spotlight; he says that after making several strong showings his freshman year — including a third-place finish at individual state — that more competitors were paying attention to his career. However, he says that learning to push past outside pressures — both on a team and individual level — is an important part of the sport.

“That’s the thing about wrestling, is that you’ve got to be able to enjoy that,” Baysingar said. “Rankings don’t mean anything, really. It comes down to: how are you feeling that one day of competition at state? How are you ready to go? How have you been preparing the whole season? … Then, when it comes down to the line, you’re going to get the win.”

On top of this individual mindset, Keller and Baysingar believe that a supportive team atmosphere can be just as crucial to success; Keller says that having packs of wrestlers travel around during a meet to watch their teammates’ matches is a common occurrence. Keller has even had to caution them to not expend too much energy cheering on teammates when they should be preparing for

their own match. Nonetheless, he believes that the supportive atmosphere that this tradition fosters is important, something that he learned from experience during his own time wrestling at Prospect.

“Even though it’s only you out there as an individual, if you kind of feel like you’re out there wrestling for a bigger purpose than just you, I think it can help pull you through, especially those tight matches where it gets tough,” Keller said. “If you look over at your bench and you see all your buddies that you’ve been training hard with and sacrificing with, [then you’ll] not only want to win for yourself, but win for them.”

Furthermore, if one member of the team has a specific match-up with an opposing wrestler that they have faced in the past, Baysingar says that the athletes will watch that person’s past performances as a team in order to help coach them from the side and better aid them in preparing for their match-up while in a practice setting.

Outside of this, the team regularly spends time together on weekends, often to eat a big meal as a respite from their typically healthy diets on weekdays, though they also try to find other activities to do as a team as well. Baysingar says the team once attempted to convince the coaches to come paint-ball-

ing with them to no avail. No matter the occasion, though, Baysingar and junior Connor Munn both agree that these experiences help bring the team closer together and help take their minds off of the hard training. Keller says that Munn demonstrated this team-first mentality in the dual meet against Hersey; after a recurring injury flared up again after the Cheesehead Invitational, it was uncertain if Munn would be competing against Hersey.

With the team down 0-5 after five of the 14 overall matches, however, Keller says that Munn all but begged him to be allowed to wrestle, eventually being put in and winning his match. While Munn says that he had to sit out the next meet — which was conference — he admits that he was worried about injuring himself further going into the match and still believes that the effort was worth it.

“There were a couple of matches after mine that if we could have won, we would have won the dual,” Munn said. “So just knowing that I put us in that opportunity is what makes it better.”

Keller, Baysingar and

Munn all agree that with over 20 seniors on the roster about to graduate, the team’s talent is high, increasing the pressure to perform in the postseason to ensure that they capitalize off of their current depth. However, Keller says that it will be the team’s determination and work ethic, not their rankings or past successes, that will provide a backbone for the team going into the postseason.

“Once you’ve been down [state] and brought home that trophy … it’s really easy for the guys to want that again, but what we need to keep our minds on is how hard we train and how hard we work to accomplish that,” Keller said. “ … Because we’re not the team that nobody knows about; ... they know how talented we potentially are … It’s going to take a lot of hard work, it’s going to take us to wrestle our best, but that’s this team’s goal right now.”

VICTORIOUS: Senior Conor Mitchell is declared the victor in his match at the Mudge-McMorrow Invite at Prospect on Dec.10. While the team has had many notable victories, their focus is now on the team state meet on Feb. 24. (photos by Bella Brouillette)