Senior Issue 2012

THE

SENIOR LOGUE William Fremd High School May 25, 2012

1000 S. Quentin Road, Palatine, IL 60067

www.fhs.d211.org/vikinglogue 847.755.2810 Volume 46, Number 9

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PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Ballerina Clara Park’s leap of faith to Korea Pooja Parameshwar Editor-in-Chief

From her posture to her personality, Clara Park exudes a sense of grace in all aspects of her life.

During her three and a half years walking the halls of Fremd, Clara’s charming nature preceded her, as she never let her five-hour after-school ballet practices, frequent recitals and competitions wear her down.

Ballet is known for its beauty, strength and discipline and Clara has mastered these facets of dance with her precision, finesse and dedication to the art.

Clara graduated a semester early to attend the Korea National University of Arts and continue her schooling while pursuing ballet.

“I wanted a college education as well as to continue my dancing, and the Korea National University of Arts is the best university in Korea which helps dancers move forward with their careers,” Clara said.

Not only do Clara’s ballet aspirations influence her educational plans, but so does her cultural background.

“I want to live in different places, try different things and get a better idea of the country I was born in,” Clara said. “I didn’t let this wonderful opportunity to study abroad go to waste.”

Clara’s best friend, senior Jiyoung Seo, knows that the transition from high school to an international university must be difficult, but with everything else in her life, Seo believes that Clara handled it with maturity.

“Any time you move, it can be really scary,” Seo said.

“Clara went to Korea all by herself, and she doesn’t really know anyone there. It can be hard to go to a new country with a different culture, but I know that she will do really well in school, adjust there and make new friends.”

Just like her Korean heritage, ballet was also a big part of Clara’s childhood. Her constant exposure to ballet is what sparked her love for the art.

“My mom is a ballet teacher, so when I was younger,

Photo courtesy of Clara Park

ATTITUDE. Clara strikes an attitude en pointe during a solo performance from “Pharaoh’s Daughter” at the Korea National University of Arts.

she’d take me with her to classes,” Clara said. “That’s where I took interest and started dancing.”

Clara’s ballet career started in Chicago where she danced at the Northwest Ballet Academy and Ruth Page Foundation of Arts until the age of 14, when she decided to do a home-stay program and attend the Russian Ballet Academy of Indiana.

Clara danced there for a year and then came back to

continue training at Salt Creek Ballet Company and studied there until graduation.

Clara explains why she was involved in so many different ballet academies and companies.

“It took me a while to find the right school that taught me the kind of training I needed,” Clara said. “For me, Russian teachers and Vaganova method were what I was looking for.”

The Vaganova method is a technique which emphasizes dancers to use their whole body while dancing.

Clara’s participation with prestigious ballet academies has also led to her numerous awards at competitions. She competed in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in Philadelphia in 2008 and placed in the top 12 in classical and contemporary dance in the junior division.

In 2010, Clara again competed in the YAGP in Chicago and placed in the top 12 in the classical category in the senior division.

Seo explains how one of Clara’s most notable characteristics is her ability to adjust to stressful situations.

“If Clara isn’t doing so well one day or needs to work harder, she knows how to push herself,” Seo said. “She’s not afraid to ask people for help. If she ever needed motivation, she would come to me and ask for it.”

As a passionate and talented dancer, Clara says ballet has made her more disciplined as an individual.

“My favorite part of dancing is how the hard work teaches you so much from both the physical and mental exercises in ballet,” Clara said. “It had the largest impact on how it has shaped me into who I am today.”

Seo shares that it is easy to get lost in the moment watching Clara’s performances.

“When I watch her, it doesn’t feel like you’re watching your friend dance. It feels like you’re watching a professional performance,” Seo said. “I am always stunned at how good she is when she dances.”

Clara hopes to come back to the States after graduation and dance for a ballet company.

Artist extraordinaire Quinn Bley transforms graffiti to fine art Venus Fan Features Editor

Using just 30 sheets of plywood, a jigsaw, a hammer, some screws and his imagination, 13-year-old Quinn Bley built a skateboard bowl in his backyard. Although its original purpose was for skateboarding, over time, it became a large canvas for his artwork.

Quinn’s first experiences with art mostly involved distorting lines and colors.

He worked on graffiti and played around with watercolors and oils. After his bowl was completely built, he began to spray paint it until there wasn’t any empty space left. His interest in skateboarding coincided with these art forms, since both revolve around motion.

“In order to make a big arc [in graffiti], my whole body is moving with the arc, and it’s almost like the fluid movement in skateboarding, so those two kind of became a parallel.” Quinn explained.

When Quinn initially began working on his art, it did not have the same ideological aspects as it does now.

“In my early stages, I would say there weren’t that many ideas behind my artwork,” Quinn said. “It was just aesthetically pleasing. It was mainly typography, using letters and configuring them and distorting them. It was just playing with shapes.

There wasn’t a lot to it.”

His close friend, senior Kelsey Clay, explains how Quinn’s artwork reflects his personal evolution.

“When I met him freshman year, his art was a lot of graffiti,” Clay said. “He was making a lot of ‘spray paint’ shirts, but then his artwork seemed to develop more. As he’s matured, his artwork has matured.”

While his interest in skateboarding faded away, Quinn became more focused on his art. After freshman year, he tore down his skateboard bowl and reused the scraps to build a 12x12 art studio where his bowl used to stand. From there, Quinn’s artwork continued to progress.

In the summer before his junior year, Quinn attended a pre-college program at Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA). There, he was able to dabble in different mediums that he had not previously experimented with, including photography, painting, sculpture installation and video.

“It introduced me to artists that were about my age, and seeing their work, having discussions and talking in class was an eye opener to what other people my age were doing,” Quinn said. “I would say I remove myself a lot more from people around me because coming back here, I was surrounded by people who don’t share the same interests or values.”

His experience at SMFA pushed him toward more abstract ideas. Complemented by the opportunity to talk to peers who had the same interests, he saw the role he wanted art to play in his life.

Logue photo by Justin Lanier

UNMASKED. Quinn spray paints his latest piece of work in his backyard studio.

“I worked harder to build a portfolio,” Quinn said. “It made me realize that I have something specific to work toward.”

Quinn spends three to four hours every day working on his projects, and art teacher Jeremy Malinowski, who taught Quinn in Commercial Design I, II and 2-D Digital Media Studio, says that his drive is what makes him so successful at molding his artwork into his own.

“I am impressed with his strong self-motivation and concern for finalizing each composition,” Malinowski said. “With his maturation process, he has developed a rigorous and formal artistic practice.”

Quinn’s goal is for his art to be more tangible. Although he has worked on fine arts up until this point and enjoys it, he is really interested in making his art more utilitarian. His philosophy on the importance of relationships continues to be the basis of his work.

“My thesis is relationships, like when you have a friendship between two people in order for it to work there has to be some equivalence,” Quinn explains. “For me, it’s about being able to take from your surroundings and giving back, trying to make that equal exchange.”

In the fall, Quinn will be studying furniture design at the Rhode Island School of Design.

PROFILES 3 Searching for a cure: Moez Dawood strives to help HIV, AIDS patients Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Joyce Park

Editor-in-Chief Moez Dawood starts by explaining the basics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but in a matter of minutes, he has managed to summarize the function of Envelope Glycoproteins and the mechanisms of electron microscopy. As he continues in his state of complete absorption, his speech speeds up exponentially, increasing the amount of information being relayed. When he finally reaches what seems to be the end of his infinite train of thought, he realizes how much he has digressed and apologizes.

“I love research. It’s really nerdy,” Moez admits.

This love of research is what led to the publication of his HIV studies in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) on World AIDS Day this past December.

Moez’s initial interest in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and HIV research began during his sophomore year.

“I was in the Critical Thinking program, and during second semester, you’re supposed to do your own independent project,” Moez said. “For my gifted project, I analyzed 196 HIV clinical trials.”

Critical Thinking teacher Paul Radek believes Moez possessed the characteristics necessary for this project.

“He is able to synthesize a lot of information from many different sources and evaluate it to recognize inconsistencies, look at them objectively and come up with his own solution,” Radek said.

Moez recalls an experience in the Critical Thinking program that developed his

Logue photo by Justin Lanier

RANKED RESEARCHER. Moez Dawood displays 3-D diagrams of HIV structures from his research at the National Institutes of Health. altruistic motivation for researching.

“At the gifted expo, there was a girl and she was on the other side of my poster board, crying. She made a compliment about my project and walked away. I don’t know if she was infected with HIV or if it was her friend or her family member,” Moez said. “That incident is one that I still carry with me, and I’ll carry it with me for the rest of my life.”

Ultimately, Moez’s enthusiasm culminated in recognition of his work by a well-known researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“My work got recognized, and I said I wanted to do more HIV research, and get in the lab, and [my current boss at the NIH] picked me up,” Moez said.

Moez was set to work during the summer after his sophomore year at the NIH

in Washington D.C. to examine the structures of Envelope Glycoproteins, the entry points of HIV, through the use of a 3-D imaging technique called Cryo-Electron Tomography and a 2-D imaging technique called Automated Sub-Tomogram Averaging. His main job was to improve the process of the electron microscopy.

Despite the opportunity of a lifetime, Moez says that his young age was an obstacle, especially because he was only the third high school student to ever have participated in the research lab.

“The researchers were mainly graduate students. I was 15 and went into it freshfaced,” Moez said. “One of the things my parents worried about was the fact that I was living independently. This experience went beyond the lab—I gained that maturity to live on my own.”

It is hard to believe that Moez was once as inexperienced as he describes, as he exudes a level of maturity beyond that of his peers.

Most of all, he possesses a driving passion rarely found in students his age.

“You can be smart, and you can have talent, but it’s not going to get you anywhere. You need to love what you do and understand what difference you’re making,” Moez said. “It’s science that discovers hope, and when you discover how that hope transcends, not just to one person or scientist, and you get the big picture of what you’re doing, that’s the big thing.”

Senior Emily Prescott, Moez’s Critical Thinking classmate, is impressed by his devotion to curing the AIDS epidemic.

“I think it’s great that someone that young is taking the reins to solve the problem,” Prescott said.

Despite his accomplishments, Moez’s pursuit of HIV research is not over yet.

He is committed to the eight-year Medical Scholars Program, where he will spend his next four years as an undergraduate student at Rice University and the remaining years at the Baylor College of Medicine, one of the nation’s top-ranked medical schools. He also received the Trustee Distinguished Scholarship and the Century Scholars Program Scholarship at Rice and will be working as a paid researcher on campus.

While Moez has many new opportunities planned for his future, he remains grateful for his experiences thus far.

“Maybe I’m only at the tip of the iceberg, and maybe there’s so much more,” Moez said. “But I’m appreciative of that much.”

ultimate catch: bridget babcock perseveres despite ADversity Carina Luk

Lead A&E Editor All athletes go through the process of figuring out how they fit in a new sport or with a new team, which can create an overwhelming amount of pressure. But upon meeting Bridget Babcock, you see determination barely fazed by obstacles that could easily shake anyone’s conviction, especially for a sport that few come to appreciate.

Bridget got her start in ultimate frisbee during her freshman year when she joined the Ultimate Frisbee Club, sponsored by music teacher Robert Green. Although the club sparked her interest, she almost left the group because of the team’s dynamic.

“After the first three weeks, all the girls started leaving until I was the only girl on the field, but I loved it so much,” Bridget said. “It came to a point where I went up to Mr. Green and said, ‘I don’t feel comfortable here because it’s 45 guys and me.’”

She overcame her hesitance with Green’s encouragement, and to this day, Bridget credits him as the reason she remained committed to the sport.

“He told me how much passion I had. Thank God he told me to stick with it because I would not have experienced all that I have with ultimate,” Bridget said.

Even with efforts to maintain the group following Green’s death in 2009, the team dissolved due to a lack of administrative support, money and participation.

Fatefully, Jacobs High School teacher and ultimate coach Tony Miocic posted on Fremd’s Ultimate Frisbee Club’s Facebook page. He presented the opportunity to try out for Team Illinois, the state’s national team.

Undeterred by the disbanding of the school’s club, Bridget confronted a sea of seasoned 18- and 19-year-old players at tryouts, most of whom were males.

But Bridget was quick to mention that despite the circumstances, she felt an immediate acceptance.

“Because it was such a big community, everyone said, ‘Bridget come and play, and we’ll show you the rules. You’re doing this wrong, but this is how you can

fix it,’” Bridget said.

However, Bridget did not receive the same reception at home, as her parents initially failed to embrace this unconventional activity.

“My parents weren’t keen on the sport because they were upset I quit track, basketball and soccer for a frisbee,” Bridget said. “I paid my way through ultimate by working as a cashier over the summer at Birchwood.”

Bridget’s persistence paid off in her second year with Team Illinois after becoming captain of the mixed division, which requires at least three girls be on the field at all times. That same season, she received her team’s spirit award, distributed annually to an individual who displays leadership, achievement and sportsmanship.

“She’s grown from being someone who needed help to that person who offers the team support,” Miocic said.

“One of the greatest things she did was look at a girl and say, ‘I will throw you a point today. You will score.’

Bridget continued to throw her the disc even when the girl was dropping them.”

Her passion and athleticism were tested again when she was invited to Seattle to try out for Team USA in the rain, snow and rare moments of sunshine.

“It started off with a mile and a half warm-up run in the rain. It was barely 30 degrees,” Bridget said.

Following various drills, Bridget’s endurance was evaluated the rest of the day through 7-on-7 savage games, which have breaks that last only a few seconds, and there are no substitutions. The nine-hour day ended with a timed mile run.

“I think that’s where they got me. I did so well during the savage games, and I scored the majority of the points.

Spiritually, I broke,” Bridget said.

Ultimately, Bridget’s performance over the course of the two-day tryout did not qualify her for the team, but her optimism remained.

“Say you drop a disk. You caught it in the air, you fall and you drop it. It translates to life,” Bridget said. “I did all this training for ultimate, and I got so far. But I didn’t [make the team], and I just have to move on. I have to get

Logue photo by Jon Babcock

ULTIMATE COMPETITOR. Bridget practices as often as she can, whether at a field, at a park or in her backyard. back on defense and play.”

Childhood friend and senior Amy Lewis says that Bridget’s positivity is her most admirable quality.

“If there was a rough practice, it made her stronger,” Lewis said. “If she doesn’t make a team, there will be better opportunities in the future.”

With two years of hard work under her belt, Bridget will head to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign next fall as a member of the women’s ultimate frisbee team. She plans on turning her once spontaneous decision into a lifelong career in ultimate and physical training, while studying Health and enrolling in an ROTC program.

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COLLEGE LIST

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

The rest is still unwritten...

Alabama

University of Alabama Mark Koren Caroline Pasisis

Arizona

University of Arizona Rory O’Neill Caroline Roseri

California

Azusa Pacific University Kira Heggeland Melanie Kent September Vaudrey Biola University Elissa Cray

Columbia College Kirk Larson

DePaul University Jim Burke Niko Douvris Brian Hindle Yvonne Kang Mandy Karczewski Mikolaj Lobrow Jacob McCoy Srikanth Nanduri Casie Perrino Steve Rawls Teagen Reid Christine Veit Ryan Woodman Eastern Illinois University Katy Augustyn Katie Dusek Brianna Martin Taylor Spoonholtz Evan Wurtz

University of California— Santa Barbara Jake Babcock

Elmhurst College Erin Rogers Zachary Brady

University of Southern California Morgan Mamon Jonathan Stoller-Schoff

Empire Beauty School Becca Lazzarotto

Colorado

Colorado Christian University Zach Johanson Colorado State University Britanny Bailey Ryan Jedrzejak University of Colorado— Boulder Mia Cupidro Max Plichta Michael Wallentin

Florida

Jacksonville Community College Piotr Klis University of Florida Garrett Peters University of Miami Ben Luke University of Tampa Christina Greenbaum

Georgia

Emory University Brian Lee

Illinois

American Academy of Art Kimberly Eldredge Aurora University BreAnna Ennis Augustana College Jonathan Bryk Bradley University Deena Bishop Mike Browere Megan Bryk College of Lake County Marissa Escamilla

Harding University Robert Fisk Harper College Stephen Anderson Katie Arndt Mike Artov William Bernacki Amy Bidstrup Kelly Bierer Zanubia Bizri Aubrie Botello Karina Bran Kate Brotz Brian Cardenas Bianca Cerna Lindsay Cesar Amanda Cizek Lauren Cowick Whitney Cummings David Czerkies Marina Daka Nicole Dicanio Robin de Freitas Tim Divizio Steven Dodgen Alisha Elenz Zach Fear Joey Fedjur Meghan Ferst Rebecca Fioretto Briaham Flores Cindy Flores Connor Frankian Kim Funk Sam Garnello Shelby Garrett Jason Gongaware Lauren Haag Melissa Hamby Gigi Hampton Ryan Helsdingen James Hermetet Rachel Hirth Beverly Hope-Rhone Linnea Horcher Chris Huberty Sean Huerta-Ramos Katie Hughes Tommy Ignoffo Emily Jajkowski Adrian Jania Adam Jetel Derek Jewell

Victor Petrov

Heartland Community College Jack Andersen Josh Jyawook

McHenry Community College Kevin Johnson

Illinois State University Kyle Arndt Nick Bednarek Kelsey Beschta Jarrett Betke Anthony Bosco Bekah Bostrom Paul Bozek Kelly Breen Nathan Changelon Ida Crawford Morgan Delapa Scott Detrick Danny Doody Bobby Dowling Kaitlyn Drahos Ben Dworkin Rachel Freund Halle Gitelson Adam Gorecki Danny Haduch Sarah Havansek Jim Horvath Sarah Jacobs Lizzie Kapinos David Kim Andy Klein Jason Kolasinski Kristina Lopez Al Luszczak Michael Lynch Megan Majewski Sam Matuszewski Ali Najmy Meg Otten Cinnamon Porter Grace Stapleton Patricia Urban Kirill Voinorovich

ILLINOIS

University of California—Los Angeles Takuzo Kimura Yungunn Ko Pooja Parameshwar

Ventura College Erin Gallagher

Alex Jordahl Sean Joyce Stephen Kaidantsis Kaitlyn Kalbas Kim Karpiak Mercedes Kemp Allie Koruna Alissa Kotrba Richard Krause Paula Kroll Kun Hei Ku Nick Kurkjian Alex Ladzinski Hannah Lazzarato Tommy Leah Miroslav Letic Corey Ligon Nick Loden Allison Manade Annalie Mariano Jordan Marotta Thomas Martin Daniel Martinez Sarah Masucci Kathleen Mayo Kaitlyn McGuinn Nicole Messner Brianna Mayhew Garrett Mitchell Brett Neitzke Maddie Norris Sarah Obrzut Courtney Olsberg Ryan Olson Vincent Onochie Adrian Orzel Carmen Paredes Robert Parzynski Liam Phee Siobhan Phee Carmen Piersanti Izabela Piluk Karol Piluk Ian Plank Klea Pllumbaj Kyle Prugar E D B Alejandra I R DRamirez S Megan Reidy Audrey Robledo Madeleine Rodriguez Eric Ruehrdanz David Rumps Alexandra Saras Silpsupha Sae-Hoon Kate Schneidwind Megan Schwaller Kathrynn Sharp Tyler Skarstein Benjamin Slotarski Elizabeth Soto Katie Stoner Alejandro Suero David Sullivan Kate Syzdek Jeff Thilmany Aine Tierney Tiffany Tufts Shaurye Vaidya Luke Warner Jillian Wise Jake Wilt Joaquin Zuniga

R

indiana

Illinois Institute of Art—Chicago Carina Luk Illinois Institute of Art—Schaumburg Jaclyn Caras Drew Ludwig

Illinois Wesleyan University Jennifer Altman Sujit Johnston Gina Mayer Samantha Noga Jessica Omark Judson University Davy Mellado Kendall College Joey Bochat Knox College Grace Neubauer Lake Forest College Yuliya Lyashchun Lewis University Paige Smaha Loyola University Sarah Cho Nicholas Fallico Gary Jones Joanna Kim Summer Moghamis Justin Park Cassandra Pavlatos

Millikan University Samantha Jackson Hannah Krull Moody Bible Institute Angeline McCall Northern Illinois University Danny Albers Dominika Daniel

Veronica Finegan Meg Kawa Huma Khan Daniel Knudsen Chris Kukla Alison Peisker Jackie Schmidt Carter Sorrentino Anna Sprinkle Ahnna Yoo

Northwestern University Carlo Diaz Jennifer Fokas Lana Kammerer Parkland Community College Ashlyn Jensen Quincy University Brittany Mata Roosevelt University Jason English

IOW

School of the Art Institute of Chicago Mana Juretic MinJung Kim Sophia Kim Colleen Rochfort

Southern Illinois University— Carbondale Zachary Swint Rodney Tye Southern Illinois University— Edwardsville Brian Byrne University of Chicago Sheena Chu Michael Feldmann Andrew Song Rebecca Wight Universal Technical Institute Andrew Fleming Dre Russell University of Illinois— Chicago Sushank Abbaraju Anna Aiello Haley Bohl Chris Chon Michelle Dalbec Divyasri Karumanchi Christiana Kim Alanna Krivanek Eileen Krumm Saimithra Mannuru Chris Mursuli Caelen Peshek Nick Saloman Bradford Schumann Liz Weis Anthony Zaprzalka University of Illinois— Urbana-Champaign Shawn Ahn Aliya Ahsan Liz Amanieh Priyal Amin Lauren Andersen Paxton Atristain Bridget Babcock Jon Bacos Ryan Barr Noah Begashaw Adam Bielinski Katie Bora Zoë Braun Dan Byrne

Michael Cardona Kevin Cassato Brian Ciardello Rachel Clark Jon Cramer Jack DePaolis Angela DiCosola Mitch Dinterman Kelly Doherty Denis Doci Michelle Erickson Venus Fan Rebecca Freeman Michael Gallo Dan Ghadaksaz Jonathan Glazer Matt Grapsas Jeremy Ha Caitlin Hirota Alif Ismadi Matt Jackson Andrew Jeong Sherwin Kelekar Kathryn Kendzior Joe Kim Scott Kirkwood Zack Kolakowski Jimmy Kowalczyk

Sadhana Krishnamoorthy

WA

Claudia Langowski Haewook Lee Jessica Lee Kelvin Lu Kacper Lastowiecki Kyle Mathes Bobby McDonald Amy McEllen Mike McGinn Dan Mirabelli Hanlin Mok Sean Montgomery John Morrison Ashabari Mukherjee Kenya Nagasaka Katie Nguyen Michael Nguyen Michael Olson Evangelia Pagones Joyce Park Nirali Patel Jamie Perry Suzanne Reidelberger TJ Rowden Kristy Salerno Janet Sanoica Sam Shah Mayu Sugikawa Philip Thomas Michael Van Elias Waddington Kevin Wang Qi Wang Khory Wagner Erika Wickstrom Haley Wickstrom Jake Winter Josh Yi Haena Yun Jamie Zhu

Duncan Brown Randy Comstock Tom Daddono Brad Davis Tom Delany Jack Finis Keith Giagnorio Joey Gill Lexi Glassmann Nicole Janowski Ashley Krippinger Payton McAbee Paul Minoff Jack Montgomery Jack Nelson Aamani Paturi Ben Perkins Kara Priebe Sid Suresh James Tokuda Matt Wisniewski Freddie VanHouten Callie VanDeVelde Patrick Witt Lauren Zambelli Purdue University Shennen Ballo Jackie Bourdon Matt Calvey Mark Hand Megan Hubbard Scott Little Patrick Norman Joshua Ostman Sarah Stark Ashley Worthem Elizabeth Uhrich Diana Zheng Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Dan Gauvreau Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame Sarah Macius Libby Wright University of Notre Dame Katie Ferrara Claire Magnuson Mike O’Connor Valparaiso University Sarah Bogaert Shannon Segin Beth Shumway Jessi Wiedemann

Iowa

Cornell College

Nate Dodson

UE

Drake University Maggie Lundholm

D R PU

Trinity International University Gabe Clayborne

Western Illinois University Ryan Cannon Adam Ketterhagen Wheaton College Kayley Lane

Indiana

Ball State University Meghan Berkowsky Priscilla Grimm DePauw University Nick Makowiecki Indiana University— Bloomington Kellie Boberek

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COLLEGE LIST

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Iowa State University

Kyle Albro Max Angeli Kurt Benjamin Eunice Jun Chris Kopec Andrew McNeil Peter Michalski Emma Nielsen Austin Smock Elaine Stearney Johnny Vandercar

University of Iowa Tony Cassara Alex Costigan Dan Defilippo Steve Gasiorowski Taylor Hamontree Scott James Amy Lewis Michael Naselli Caitlin Patenaude Brittany Smith

Carly Sutherland Megan Teschner Carla Tolomeo Justine Venegoni Ayrn Warren Jenny Winberg Bobby Wongkamalasai

Kansas

Kansas State University Hyun Lee University of Kansas Graham Hathaway

Kentucky

Union College Stephanie Hurwitz University of Kentucky Rachel Izydorek Jack Newsom Western Kentucky University Carolyn Contreras

Louisiana

Tulane University Jake Pozzi

Massachusetts

Boston University Emily Prescott Emmanuel College Keely Ward

Harvard University William Shih

Minnesota

St. Olaf College Wesley Minar

University of Dayton Peter Lannon Kevin Moody

University of Minnesota—Twin Cities Julia Egesdal Dylan Hanson Devin Mahoney Tiffany McKenzie George Michalopoulos Jessie Miller Shannon Norris Jae Kyun Park

Michigan

Alma College Jared Niec Calvin College Matt Buesing Central Michigan University Emily Basten Hope College Isabelle Adams Michigan State University Emily McCarthy David Madden Cole Moody Michael Withey Michigan Technological University James Dunn

Oregon

University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee Nora Geissler Caroline Roberts

Pennsylvania

University of Wisconsin—Parkside Susan Grabowski

Oregon State University Sabrina Nash Drexel University Neha Thomas

St. Louis University Rajat Duggirala Nathan Kistner Priya Mehta Lauren Olson Lauren Sample Stephanie Uhrich

University of Pittsburgh Jackson Mitzner Villanova University Julie Conrath

Rhode Island

Rhode Island School of Design Quinton Bley

Washington University in Saint Louis Connor Pfister

con

Montana State University Devon Crosby

Ian Assmann Steve Gasiorowski

Vanderbilt University Tamar Alexanian Erik Savitt

Texas

New Hampshire

Alvin Community College Connor Bieda

Dartmouth College Amir Djavid Annie Huang

Fidel Cordova Adam Hayes Kyle Sanders Dean Schulz

Tennessee

Lee University Bekah Devine

University of Nebraska—Lincoln Srinath Saxena

Work Force

U.S. Air Force

sin

Nebraska

University of Wisconsin—Whitewater Carly Gessert Ronny Hauser Jack Nebel Jr. Ryan Wilson

University of Rhode Island Kelsey Clay Belmont University Erin Fisher

Montana

Milwaukee School of Engineering Kevin Lee

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Christian University Stacey Booth

Missouri University of Science & Technology Jacob Klein

Katie McGlade Tyler Murphy Laura Plager

University of Wisconsin—Madison Kara Kirchner Eric Lee Taryn Lempa Matthew Scattaglia

Xavier University Michael Weber

Missouri

wis

Salem State University Bernice Heiderman

Colton Cygan

U.S. Army

U.S. Marines Luis Gallegos

U.S. Navy Katie Coy

Canada

McGill University Danny Fattal

Germany

Solene Scholz

Rice University Moez Dawood Paulina Popek

Italy

New York Film Academy

Emily Carroo

University of Texas— Austin Scott Igielski

New York University

Utah

Tetsu Fukui Mao Hayashi Yusuke Kanada Sarah Koike Yurika Shimizu

New York

Adelphi University

Nathan Serviss

Brigham Young University Matt Chappell

Samantha Lifson

North Carolina Duke University Christian Vail

University of Utah Hoyoung Lee

High Point University Ben Haugh

Northern Michigan University Natalie Holbrook Brendan Joyce

University of North Carolina— Wilmington Kyle Powell

University of Michigan —Ann Arbor Kenny Bourgon Brittany Ciura Andre Degla Sally Dillon Hannah Lee Stephanie Mackey

Case Western Reserve University Ilhwan Hwang Jiyoung Seo

Western Michigan University Corey Goetz

Casey Kaldahl Sean Kelly Carly McKay Sam Del Prado Madison Zyer

University of Missouri— Columbia Tyler Otahal Kyle Stevenson Kevin Surmin Sarah Untiedt

Boston College Melissa Poczatek

Gordon College Maggie Swofford

Danny Hazel Jessi Jorgensen Janelle Schneider

Ohio

Wisconsin

Carroll University Matthew Metzen

w

th r o n

Ohio State University Rachel Doering Perianne Johnson Melanie Tomal Miami University Lauren Hurst

n r e t es

Carthage College Jenn Hogan Louie Langas Samantha White Madison Area Technical College Keith Browning Marquette University Kelly Cannon Won Jun Choi Clayton Cox Prathi Jain Veronica Kozaczka Lauren Marek

Sarah Barni

Japan

Korea

Hyesun Clara Park

Undecided

Lee Breitzman Stephanie Kouretas Brenda Santos-Solis

CLASS OF

2012

PROFILES

6

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Through thick and thin Emily Basten keeps kicking Jackson Mitzner Lead Sports Editor

Emily Basten has been a three-year starter on the varsity soccer team, but while most of her teammates have spent their high school athletic careers preoccupied with regional or sectional titles, Emily has competed on a much bigger stage.

Emily was nationally ranked in Tae Kwon Do for sparring up until this year when she dropped the sport for soccer.

She took first place in her weight class at both the National and US Open tournaments, as well as finishing in the quarterfinals at the Dutch Open in Amsterdam.

“It was pretty exciting. I mean, all of my year’s work would go into a nine-minute, single-elimination match. It was nervewracking,” Emily said. “But when I won, I felt like I was on top of the world.”

But don’t expect Emily to be bragging about any of her accomplishments. Instead, she has always preferred to let her achievements speak for themselves.

“Emily is unbelievably modest. Trying to talk to her about her ability is quite the ordeal,” friend and teammate senior Rebecca Freeman said. “She’s talented and deserves all of her success, even if she might not always be willing to admit it.”

For Emily, balancing the two sports has always been a difficult endeavor. Like a wrestler, during the summer she would spend her mornings running and dieting in order to cut weight for competitions, and then later go through intense threehour conditioning practices for soccer.

She would then head back to the gym to spar to prepare for her tournaments.

Beyond the mental strain of running between her two commitments, she also had to deal with the physical toll she was putting her body through.

“The workouts for Tae Kwon Do are full contact. Whenever the athletes are sparring, they hit each other full force,” coach Rikki Valle said. “Kids get knocked out and hit in the face, and they’ll clash knees or shins too. The practices are really tough.”

While that amount of activity might sound daunting, Emily is most comfortable when she’s busy. She concedes that when she’s not keeping a full schedule, she freaks out.

“We always joke around about how Emily can never sit still,” friend and teammate senior Shannon Norris said. “On the days when she would come to soccer from Tae Kwon Do and then go back afterward, I thought she was crazy.”

It’s hard to argue with her success, though. In addition to her Tae Kwon Do titles, she’s had a strong soccer career, both at Fremd and with her Hoffman Estates club team.

Soccer head coach Steve Keller believes that Emily does all the little things to put herself in a position to be successful.

“Her competitiveness is second to none.

No matter what she’s doing, whether it’s the smallest drill or a championship game, she’s pushing herself as hard as she possibly can,” Keller said. “She has this desire to be the best.”

Emily will take this drive to Central Michigan University where she has earned a soccer scholarship, but in order to play at the next level, Emily was forced to stop training for Tae Kwon Do. Yet, Emily says getting back into the sport is a possibility after college.

“After I graduate, I could teach, or I could start training again, because I know a lot of people do that after college,” Emily said. “It’s cool because I know that there’s always an opportunity to get involved again.”

Logue photo by Justin Lanier

CALM COORDINATION. Emily Basten juggles her time in order to excel at both Tae Kwon Do and soccer.

Even with all of her accomplishments, it would be a disservice to believe that soccer and Tae Kwon Do are all there is to Emily.

“She’s one of the most caring people I know. She’s a great teammate and wants those around her to do just as well as she

does,” Valle said.

Freeman says that Emily’s personality is what makes her such a strong role model.

“She’s someone to look up to and try to emulate,” Freeman said. “She’s a good person, and she’s going places.”

Mikey Nguyen’s INsight on dance is an inspiration Priyanka Kanal News Editor

When Mikey Nguyen broke out a dance move in response to an interview question, it was clear that his passion could not be expressed in words.

At school, Mikey is notorious for his unique style of hip-hop, a mix of isolation moves and what he deems “down and dirty swag.” Along with his huge personality, ever-present smile and goofy sense of humor, dancing only adds to the many qualities that make him so loved.

Mikey says that many people think he’s been dancing since he was little and are shocked to learn the truth.

“I began dancing at the beginning of freshman year.

My first exposure was at the Vietnamese Association of Illinois where a group of my friends did a hip-hop dance.

I was really amazed by it, and that sparked an interest,” Mikey said. “After watching MTV’s ‘America’s Best Dance Crew,’ my mind was blown.”

Mikey believes his style was not cultivated overnight and is not due to natural talent alone.

“Struggle is what makes you better,” Mikey said.

“When I took my first workshop, I had so much trouble. I was doing all the wrong moves. I was everywhere. I just wasn’t in sync, but I really enjoyed that struggle. After the workshop was over, even months later, I kept doing the same choreography until I got it.”

Along with his cousin Daniel Dinh, a freshman at Loyola University, Mikey established a crew called INsight. Over the years, INsight has grown to 12 members.

Chris Chueng, a senior at Niles North High School and a member of INsight, was invited to the crew in 2009 and is now one of Mikey’s closest friends. Even though they are the same age, he looks to Mikey as a role model.

“Mikey is a really great person to be with because he knows how to have fun,” Chueng said. “It is an honor to dance alongside him, and every time he dances, it inspires me to improve. He’s an inspiration not only in dancing but also in life.”

At first, the crew was just a group of friends doing

Logue photo by Rachna Joshi

BREAK OUT. Dance is not only a way for Mikey Nguyen to express himself. He also uses his talents to help others. what they love, but in 2009, things changed when they received their first offer to dance at a benefit concert.

This fundraiser, “Nothing But Nets,” raised money and awareness for Malaria victims in Africa.

“Performing at charity events started out as a good way for us to get our name known. Plus, it was a great thing for the community,” Mikey said. “It’s just a winwin situation for INsight.”

Over the years, INsight has continued to perform as a non-profit group for different events, including “For the Cause,” which pushed to end modern-day slavery around the world, a Korean-American Resource and Cultural Center fundraiser and a Relay for Life event at Niles West High School.

Since then, INsight has continued to take the stage performing at different competitions around Chicago, one of the biggest, and Mikey’s favorite, being World of Dance in 2011.

“It’s a tour that travels all around the world getting the top crews in the area to compete. It was just an honor to share the stage with my idols like Ian Eastwood, Brian Puspos, Poreotics and SoReal Crew,” Mikey said. “Seeing everyone so talented just gave me even more inspiration to improve and get better.”

With all of his success, Mikey has earned the right to be brazen about the amount of people he has impacted.

However, according to Dinh, he is just the opposite.

“As a person, leader and dancer he is humble, but on stage, he is confident and expressive,” Dinh said. “Dancing especially portrays his humility, because you see it in his dancing, smile, reaction to the crowd and when people come up to him to praise him.”

This summer, Mikey plans to take more workshops in Chicago as well as teach his own locally. He believes that dance will always be a part of his life, even when he heads to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Like many other members of INsight, he plans to continue choreography and dancing.

Mikey admits that dancing is not just a small part of his life, it defines who he is. A word, a song, an idea, anything inspires him, and in turn, he inspires others. Just after watching him dance, no one could disagree with the passion of each movement.

“I take every opportunity I get. After learning a new dance, I practice for months until I get it right,” Mikey said. “Sometimes when I am just doing my homework and I hear that song, I start doing small moves in my chair. I still got it. So just never give up.”

PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

7

no limit for budding hip-hop artist Alex jordahl Will Shih

Managing Editor

As even Alex Jordahl will admit, he did not start off as the most talented rapper. But with drive and persistence, Alex has gone from recording in a friend’s basement to becoming a rising star on the hip-hop scene.

Alex’s recent accomplishments include launching a mixtape, “Wake Up,” on May 4, opening for Washington D.C.-based rapper Mike Stud and signing a record deal with K.O.R. Enterprises.

But if you’re Facebook friends with Alex, you probably already know this. There is no better evidence for his dedication and persistence than his Facebook wall, where he tirelessly promotes his music and seeks feedback.

It’s that constant effort, plus a few lucky breaks, that allowed Alex to get to where he is now.

Alex’s start began in the halls of Fremd, with a music video for his remix of the song “Popular” from the musical “Wicked.”

Alex and senior Tyler Skarstein shot the video at various locations in the school and put it on YouTube. “‘Popular’ was the first song I recorded at a studio, and that was when I first really started getting into it,” Alex said. “That’s when I realized maybe if I kept going, I

could make something happen.”

Even at that point, not many predicted Alex’s success. People wrote negative comments on the wall of the “Popular” video.

Alex could have easily been discouraged, but he is not the type of person to stay down on himself for too long.

“Progression comes with rejection,” Alex said. “If you get a ‘no,’ your job is to go back to the writing table, write out a rawer song, clean it up and send it back.”

Alex got back in the studio, and after a chance meeting with St. Viator junior Mayo Arogundade, things began to accelerate.

“I met him at the studio,” Arogundade said. “We were there at the same time. I hopped on one of his verses, and then after that, it just took off from there.”

Arogundade would be the first member of the new DeadStock Music Group, which has since expanded to include even more local hip-hop artists.

The name DeadStock comes from Alex’s love for sneakers.

In an interview with The Fresh Selection music blog, Alex said, “What DeadStock means is, when you buy a pair of shoes and don’t even wear them, but keep them in the box for two to three years, and you re-open them, they’re still fresh. And that’s really what I want with

our music, for someone to be able to pick up one of our CD’s two to three years later and still dig the music we made a long time ago.”

After DeadStock Music Group was formed, they set their sights on a record deal.

Their goal, however, would not be accomplished overnight.

It would take some four months after initial contact with the company to get signed. But here again, Alex’s dogged perseverance would pay off.

“I sent K.O.R. Enterprises an email in August, and we were going back and forth until December, and when they saw the progress that we had made, they were ready to do it,” Alex said.

From there, Alex kept going.

He set out to gain as much publicity as possible and has since earned recognition from music blogs and sponsorships from clothing companies such as Ripe Clothing, Two in the Shirt and iLL times iLL, which is funding his latest mix tape.

Alex says that one night he and Mayo emailed every music blog they could find.

This devotion has led to praise from blogs like The Fresh Selection, which wrote, “Jordahl improves with every single release, and it’s songs like this that get me pumped for his mixtape ‘Wake Up.’”

Photo courtesy of Alex Jordahl

SOUND MIX. Alex Jordahl hits the recording studio to lay down a track.

Alex’s hard work even led to recognition on a national level.

“I got a text from a friend on spring break that said, ‘I’m at a party in L.A., and they’re playing your stuff. People are loving it,’” Alex said.

In spite of the fact that Alex has achieved a pretty high level of success, it does not appear that he is going to stop working anytime soon.

Alex’s advice to people who want to follow in his footsteps sums up the philosophy with which he’s approaching his own music career.

“Just keep pushing,” Alex said. “Any minute you have, write. Any money you have, put it toward studio time.”

Alex will continue to pursue his music career while he studies at Harper College.

Seeing the world through Melanie Kent’s eyes Liz Amanieh

Lead News Editor

Similar to the lens of a camera, Melanie Kent can capture the details of life often overlooked by the naked eye. Her art brings a unique vitality to an empty frame.

Melanie reflected back on the moments of her early photography.

“I was 14 and had the Nikon Coolpix, the one Ashton Kutcher promoted,” Melanie giggled. “I would just snap pictures.

It started in my backyard, and I’d take pictures whenever I went on a trip.”

What began as a hobby became an immersion in the art of photography.

Art teacher Jerry Cargill noticed Melanie’s talent right away during her first photo class sophomore year.

“She was very good at composition and the arrangement of the visual elements in artwork,” Cargill said. “She had a purposeful arrangement of those elements.”

Contrary to those Ashton Kutcher commercials, you won’t see Melanie around school obnoxiously snapping photos of everything in sight.

Best friend and senior Davy Mellado instead explains Melanie’s eye for the perfect shot.

“She always knows where [the subject of her picture] is,” Mellado said. “If she sees something outside, she’ll instantly go straight to her camera, go outside and take pictures of it.”

Although Melanie usually shoots with a digital camera, she enjoys the limits of a film-only camera.

“I think it takes more talent to shoot in

Logue photo by Gina Hurlburt

OUT OF SIGHT. Melanie Kent focuses on the conceptual elements as well as the images. film because you snap it once and you’re done,” Melanie said. “In film, you don’t get the chance to edit. You have to manually focus, you have to manually change the aperture, the shutter speed and everything, so when the picture turns out great, you feel like you worked for it. In film, you only get that one shot.”

In order to make her art more vibrant, she tries to capture unique moments from normal situations. As a visual artist, Melanie is able to remove herself from the frame and make art out of objects rather than people.

“You see a bunch of sticks, and Melanie will just get her camera and put it on macro and zoom in and get all up in there to take the shot, and you just see this whole other picture inside the twigs,” Mellado said. “She just makes something

ordinary into something you’ve never really thought of in that way before.”

Melanie is constantly looking for a way to find beauty in common objects.

“I like to make ordinary things look out of the ordinary, make ordinary things look extraordinary,” Melanie said. “I think you can make a picture out of anything.”

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Melanie brings diversity to her art when she travels.

“I went to South Africa for a mission trip last spring break. That was my favorite place I’ve ever taken pictures just because of the change in scenery,” Melanie said. “I guess sometimes people don’t find the beauty in everyday things like the poster right or in dirt roads in Africa.”

It’s not just taking the picture, but as

Melanie explains, it’s conceptual artwork.

“Sometimes I will find myself really focused on this drop of water, and then I will look up and see something cooler,” Melanie said. “I think you almost have to have that holistic view.”

Unlike most, Melanie is able to fuse both passion and purpose into her art.

“You will usually see people who are one or the other,” Mellado said. “There’s the people who say they will only take a picture if it will get them money. On the other hand, there’s people who take pictures because they want to know more about photography, more about the individual shapes and more about the details of life. You can be seen as obsessive, but Mel gets in that middle area.”

Close friend senior Jonathan StollerSchoff emphasizes the purpose behind Melanie’s photos.

“She takes pictures that inspire her and make her think about things, and that other people will think about too,” StollerSchoff said. “She uses her camera to give other people a different perspective.”

Although Melanie feels showing people new aspects to photography is interesting, she has found value from the simpler side of art.

“It’s just fun for me to find something out of something normal,” Melanie said.

“I have never thought of anything behind it until now. I just like picking up my camera and taking pictures.”

Melanie will continue to snap pictures as she travels to California to study International Relations at Azusa Pacific University in the fall.

Viking Logue 8 PROFILES

Friday, May 25, 2012

Mitch Dinterman takes music to the courts Karen Li News Editor Making their way out of the gym after a two-hour practice, athletes donning various jerseys and wearing sports bags across their shoulders stride confidently through the hall. Not too far from the gym, in the music hallway, band and orchestra students meet up every morning to chat and catch up on each other’s weekends, occasionally bringing up the subject of upcoming concerts.

As Mitch Dinterman leaves the boys’ locker room after an intense basketball game, he turns into the music hallway with his warm-up jacket still on and basketball shoes in hand. His 6 foot 1 inch tall frame doesn’t quite fit in with the other students around him.

But as soon as he picks up his drum from the band room, it is hard not to see him as one of the many Wind Symphony and marching band members. Throughout his high school career, Mitch combined his skills in sports and music, exemplifying his devotion to both.

“Mitch is a perfect combination of intelligence, effort and coachability. He combines and uses those to the best of his advantage,” head basketball coach Bob Widlowski said. “He does everything at a high level of effort, and educationally, he does very well.”

Mitch’s involvement in both activities dates back to early elementary school, starting basketball in first grade and joining the school band in fifth grade.

“I’ve basically been playing basketball my whole life,” Mitch said. “I remember playing park district when no one could even score because we were all too short.”

Participating in both activities requires Mitch to dedicate his time to each, which oftentimes takes up his weekends and time after school.

“There was this one Saturday where I basically went back and forth between basketball and band all day,” Mitch said. “I came in for a band festival at eight in the morning, and then at nine I had to go watch film with the basketball team and then travel over to Schaumburg

Logue photo by Gracie Meier

MULTITASKING. Mitch’s commitment to band and basketball takes up the majority of his everyday schedule.

High School for a game. Then, I had to come back for a concert. I went home for two hours, and I think I actually did my math homework, and then I came back for the senior night basketball game.”

While constantly changing from his number ‘24’ basketball jersey into his white marching band uniform, Mitch adjusts from the cheering fans and the pounding

of the basketball on the wooden floor to the quiet, controlled environment of the practice rooms.

Though the workout music played at his basketball practices keeps him motivated and concentrated, Mitch is more drawn to the instrumental focus of band, saying it is unique from the songs most people listen to.

“The music you listen to on the radio every day is just pop and mainstream. It’s so different from the music you encounter in band,” Mitch said. “I think just the musical aspect of the compositions that we’ve played are really intriguing, and that’s what draws me into band.”

In marching band, Mitch leads others with his dependability and organizational skills as the drumline captain.

“He had an outstanding work ethic that rubbed off on his peers in the percussion section,” band director Matthew Moore said. “Mitch improved in all aspects of being a percussionist–concert, marching and keyboard percussion and very dedicated and always on time.”

Though basketball and marching band seem to be on opposite ends of the teenage spectrum, Mitch’s desire to be involved in both built the foundation for his success.

“Both marching band and basketball have such a big team component to each one of them, even though it may not seem like it for band,” Mitch said. “Every player is as valuable as the next whether you think so or not.”

Senior Matt Wisniewski, who has played basketball with Mitch since grade school, describes Mitch as a humble teammate and a positive contributor to any team.

“Mitch is someone you would always want on your team. He puts his team first, teammates second and himself last,” Wisniewski said.

This fall, Mitch will study Actuarial Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has every intention to continue pushing himself.

“In college, I want to strive to be as successful as I was in high school. I think I was able to manage my four years of high school pretty well,” Mitch said. “If I am able to stay committed and dedicated to my work at school, then I think my future will pan out well.”

Sarah Massucci shines as Elite Stars dance coach Rachel Tenuta

Lead Features Editor As her friends looked into majors and life after high school, Sarah Masucci was busy creating and directing the first ever Special Olympics competitive dance team. She put aside other obligations and dedicated her time to strengthening her dance program.

“Sarah’s taken on a job that most adults do full time, yet she’s doing it along with school,” Sarah’s mother, Penny Masucci said. “But she does it because of her love of dancing, and she loves the kids.”

At age 16, Sarah requested to form the Elite Stars Dance Program. The team currently has 26 dancers between the ages of eight and 32.

Sarah’s neighbor and mother of Elite Stars dancer, Pam Jandura, says that Sarah’s long-time dedication has led her to the leadership role she possesses today.

“Peer coaching combined many of her strengths, and she developed a love for working with kids, even when she was just a kid herself,” Jandura said. “She was mentored by the older coaches and soon earned the reputation for being very hard working and committed, and now she mentors other coaches.”

The team did not start up easily, though.

Sarah dealt with many issues and concerns, especially from parents.

“The dance community didn’t react well at first,” Sarah said. “When I started the dance team, parents didn’t see me as the role that I was becoming. It was just hard to prove to them that I could do it.”

Despite the work that went into forming the new team, Sarah was confident

that the dancers would love the program.

“Every year, we have a gymnastics camp over the summer, and there’s a rotation where the kids strictly do dance, and they love it,” Sarah said. “If you think about art, like music and paintings, it’s not really about who the person is but what comes out of it, so dance was the perfect thing for them.”

For Sarah, the applause her dancers receive is the most rewarding part, but there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that Sarah does to get her dancers competition ready.

“I had to mature so much to call all of these companies, competitions, owners of studios just to get it approved and running,” Sarah said.

Sarah’s mom says this commitment has made Sarah a mature, independent person.

“She’s dealing with older dancers and special needs parents, and she stands her ground,” Penny said. “She’s like an adult when she talks to them. You wouldn’t think she’s just 17.”

Sarah says people are surprised upon meeting her, because when she talks to them over the phone, she comes off as far beyond her years.

“Competitions have never seen a team of athletes with special needs, so I have to explain that first, and by the time I’m done explaining, they already think I’m older than I am,” Sarah said. “When they approach me at competitions, they don’t believe I was the person they’ve been talking to.”

Sarah’s grown-up behavior also translated into her coaching style. Since her oldest dancer is 32 years old, she needs to maintain authority.

Logue photo by Justin Lanier

ALL SMILES. Sarah Masucci takes shares a laugh with the Elite Stars dance team.

“It’s all about respect. I show them respect, and they give me the respect that I deserve,” Sarah said. “I set the rules the first day. No matter how old you are, if you disrespect my rules, I will kick you out of my class, and they know that.”

Jandura notices that the respect Sarah has for her dancers motivates them.

“She teaches exactly as she was taught herself and expects the very best from her dancers,” Jandura said. “There is no lowered expectations just because the dancers have special needs. The dancers rise to the occasion time and time again and end up being better dancers and more disciplined because of it.”

Dance team member Lindsey Pazerunas appreciates the tough love that Sarah exhibits on a daily basis.

“Sarah is a great coach. She can be a

little strict in how she wants things to be done, but that’s because she wants us to be great at what we do,” Pazerunas said.

Because the dance team has been such a success for Sarah and her dancers, she is looking to expand and give others with the opportunity to dance competitively.

“I’ve been going to other studios and high schools trying to help them start teams because now we are still the only team, and we want to venture out and open it up to more people,” Sarah said.

Next year, Sarah will attend Harper College and continue to develop her new dance team.

“I feel like because I have this team, I can easily open so many eyes,” Sarah said. “It’s something so many people have never experienced, and it’s different, but it’s amazing.”

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

SENIOR QUOTES

A picture is worth a thousand words The best thing about Fremd is...

“Proudly brandishing that shiny school ID each day.” —Ryan Barr

One FHS teacher who I’ll remember is... because...

“Enk... Because she gives great love advice and gets people dates.”—Laura Plager

“The teachers. No matter what classes you take, you will have a teacher that will change your life, and that’s a rare thing.” —Lana Kammerer “The third floor.”

—Jimmy Kowalczyk

“Malinowski... He was the only teacher who said it was okay to punch him in the face, but of course we never did.”

—Grace Stapleton “Patton... He taught me things that textbooks can’t. Every word that came out of his mouth was full of compassion and wisdom.” —Erin Fisher

“McCusker... He not only taught history, but taught life lessons that I will carry with me forever.”

—Carly Sutherland

The most important thing I learned at Fremd is...

“There are people from all walks of life, and there’s something good about every one of them.” —Erin Gallagher

In 10 years I will be...

“An architect chillin’ like a villain in a house I designed, living to the fullest.” —Tiffany McKenzie

“Dating Justin Bieber.”

—Haena Yun

“Priyal Amin... She started the charity for firefighters and raised a lot of money. She worked almost single-handedly to realize her dream and help the needy.”

—Melanie Tomal

“You make your future in the present.” —Noah Begashaw

“Shining and dusting my Viking Pride award.” —Emily Prescott

“Trying to get out of the parking lot at the end of the day.” —Devin Mahoney

One FHS senior who made a difference is... because...

“Bring your own water because Fremd’s tastes like crap.”

—Shannon Norris

“Meditating in Tibet…or not.

Who knows?”

—Jonathan Glazer

The worst thing about Fremd is...

“I’d flirt with girls more.

Ha, ha, ha.” —Brian Byrne “I’d try out for V Poms. It would be legendary.”

—Jake Babcock

“Work hard, but have fun. High school can either be four years of your life or memories that will last forever. Make it both.” —Brad Davis

“Creepy couples who ma ke out in the hallways.” —Kenny Bourgon

“Jacob Pries t... He showed us so much. ” —Jonathan Stoller-Scho ff “Kelly Doh erty...She overcame a hard mo ment in her life a nd decide d to do someth ing about it by starting a foundation to raise mone y.”

—Michael Wallentin

If I could do high school all over again...

My advice to future Vikings is...

“The cafeteria food. So delicious, but after I stopped eat ing it, I dropped 10 lbs.” —Randy Comstock

“I would fe ed all the poor, hungry child ren who take AP classes instea d of lunch.”

—Rachel Do ering “I would go harder.”

—Moez Daw ood “I would jo in th and UCF.” — e Viking Logue Adam Bieli nski

“If you feel a warm sp ot in the Fremd pool, some thing is wrong. Th e Fremd po ol is never warm .”

—Ryan He lsdingen “Do every thing you can, like going to see a sc h ool play or wa tching a Fr emd hockey ga me, becau se it goes so fast , and you d on’t want to loo k back and have regrets.” — Katie Ferrara

9

SENIOR CLASS

10 Sushank Abbaraju Leena Abdulrazak Isabelle Adams Shawn Ahn Aliya Ahsan Anne Aiello Daniel Albers Kyle Albro Tamar Alexanian Jack Allen Rose Allivato Jennifer Altman Maria Alvarado Herrera Elizabeth Amanieh Priyal Amin Dong Yup An Jack Andersen Lauren Andersen Nicholas Anderson Stephen Anderson Lyudmila Andrianova Maximillian Angeli Keitaro Aoki John Paulus Arcangel Perla Arias Bravo Kathryn Arndt Kyle Arndt Michael Artov Ian Assmann Paxton Atristain Kathryn Augustyn Akarie Austin Alcides Ayala Vanessa Ayala Bridget Babcock Jake Babcock Jonathan Bacos Matthew Edlar Bactat Britanny Bailey William Balek Shennen Ballo Sarah Barni Ryan Barr Michael Barra Ashni Barrios Emily Basten Nicholas Bednarek Noah Begashaw Kurtis Benjamin Meghan Berkowsky William Bernacki Kelsey Beschta Jarrett Betke Amy Bidstrup Connor Bieda Adam Bielinski Kelly Bierer Deena Bishop Zanubia Bizri Quinton Bley Kellie Boberek Joseph Bochat Sarah Bogaert Haley Bohl Stacey Booth Katherine Bora Anthony Bosco Rebekah Bostrom Aubrie Botello Jaclyn Bourdon Kenneth Bourgon Paul Bozek Zachary Brady Karina Bran Sara Braun Kelly Breen Lee Breitzman Joseph Bria Tiffany Brooks Kaitlyn Brotz Michael Browere Duncan Brown Keith Browning Jonathan Bryk Megan Bryk Matthew Buesing Calvin Burke James Burke

Brian Byrne Daniel Byrne Colton Caesius Matthew Calvey Kelly Cannon Ryan Cannon Jaclyn Caras Brian Cardenas Virgilio Cardenas Michael Cardona Emily Carroo Anthony Cassara Kevin Cassato Bianca Cerna Lindsey Cesar Li-Wen Chang Tiffani Chang Nathan Changelon Matthew Chappell Jesus Chavez Nathaniel Cho Sarah Cho Je Kyung Choi Won Jun Choi Christopher Chon Zachary Christensen Min Gu Chu Sheena Chu Brian Ciardiello Brittany Ciura Amanda Cizek Rachel Clark Kelsey Clay Gabriel Clayborne Anthony Comstock Julie Conrath Carolyn Contreras Alanna Conway Fidel Cordova Jr Alexander Costigan Lauren Cowick Clayton Cox Katie Coy Nicholas Cozzi Jonathan Cramer Ida Crawford Elissa Cray Brian Crooks Devon Crosby Whitney Cummings Mia Cupidro Colton Cygan David Czerkies Thomas Daddono Marina Daka Michelle Dalbec Dominika Daniel Bradley Davis Moez Dawood Daniel Defilippo Andre Degla Yasna Dejesus Samantha Del Prado Thomas Delany Morgan Delapa John Depaolis Scott Detrick Rebekah Devine Nicole Di Canio Angela Di Cosola Carlo Diaz Sally Dillon Mitchell Dinterman Maria Dirkes Timothy Divizio Amir Djavid Denis Doci Steven Dodgen Nathaniel Dodson Rachel Doering Kelly Doherty Daniel Doody Darby Marie Douglas Nicholas Douvris Robert Dowling James Scott Downing Kaitlyn Drahos Rajat Duggirala

James Dunn Kathryn Dusek Benjamin Dworkin Julia Egesdal Kimberly Eldredge Alisha Elenz Aubry Ellegood Jason English Breanna Ennis Michelle Erickson Marissa Escamilla Brandon Esquivel Nicholas Fallico Venus Fan Daniel Fattal Zachary Fear Joseph Fedjur Michael Feldmann Kathryn Ferrara Meghan Ferst Patrick Fiedler Veronica Finegan John Finis Rebecca Fioretto Erin Fisher Robert Fisk Andrew Flis Briaham Flores Cindy Flores Fernandez Jennifer Fokas Connor Frankian Rebecca Freeman Rachel Freund Jordan Frey Tetsu Fukui Kimberly Funk Erin Gallagher Luis Gallegos Michael Gallo Samantha Garcia Samuel Garnello Shelby Garrett Steven Gasiorowski Paul Gauvreau Nora Geissler Carly Gessert Daniel Ghadaksaz Keith Giagnorio Joseph Gill Halle Gitelson Alexa Glassmann Jonathan Glazer Alyson Glover Bradley Glow Corey Goetz Jason Gongaware Adam Gorecki Susan Grabowski Matthew Grapsas Christina Greenbaum

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Class o

Priscilla Grimm Lazaro Gutierrez Jeremy Ha Lauren Haag Daniel Haduch Melissa Hamby Taylor Hamontree Toni Hampton Mark Hand Dylan Hanson Dana Hanssler Robert Hathaway III John Haugh Ronald Hauser Jr Sarah Havansek Mao Hayashi Adam Hayes Daniel Hazel Kira Heggeland Bernice Heiderman Ryan Helsdingen James Hermetet Erick Hernandez Torres Jacob Hilderbrand Brian Hindle Caitlin Hirota Rachel Hirth Jennifer Hogan Natalie Holbrook Beverly Hope-Rhone Linnea Horcher James Horvath Annie Huang Megan Hubbard Christopher Huberty Johnathan Hubrich Sean Huerta-Ramos Roger Hugg Katherine Hughes Magaly Huicochea Lauren Hurst Stephanie Hurwitz Il Hwan Hwang Scott Igielski Thomas Ignoffo Vinu Ilangovan Alif Ismadi Rachel Izydorek Matthew Jackson Samantha Jackson Sarah Jacobs Edward Jacobsen Prathi Jain Emily Jajkowski Scott James Adrian Jania Nicole Janowski Ryan Jedrzejak Ashlyn Jensen Andrew Jeong

Adam Jetel Derek Jewell Minseok Ji Zachary Johanson Kevin Johnson Perianne Johnson Sujit Johnston Gary Jones Alex Jordahl Jessica Jorgensen Brendan Joyce Sean Joyce Eunice Jun Mana Juretic Joshua Jyawook Stephen Kaidantsis Andrew Kaiser Kaitlyn Kalbas Casey Kaldahl Lana Kammerer Yusuke Kanada Yvonne Kang Elizabeth Kapinos Amanda Karczewski Johannes Karl Kimberly Karpiak Divyasri Karumanchi Margaret Kawa Sherwin Kelekar Sean Kelly Mercedes Kemp Kathryn Kendzior Melanie Kent Adam Ketterhagen Huma Khan Christiana Kim David Kim Joanna Kim Joseph Kim Min Jung Kim Takuzo Kimura Kara Kirchner Scott Kirkwood Nathan Kistner Andrew Klein Jacob Klein Piotr Klis Daniel Knudsen Yungunn Ko Sarah Koike Zachary Kolakowski Jason Kolasinski Alexander Konrath Christopher Kopec Mark Koren Alexandra Koruna Alissa Kotrba Stephanie Kouretas Nicole Kourtis James Kowalczyk

of 2012 Veronica Kozaczka Lucas Krause Richard Krause Ashley Krippinger Sadhana Krishnamoorthy Alanna Krivanek Paula Kroll Hannah Krull Eileen Krumm Kun Hei Ku Christopher Kukla Aidan Kurkcu Nicholas Kurkjian Yeo Rok Kwon Alex Ladzinski Kayley Lane Louie Langas Claudia Langowski Peter Lannon Kirk Larson Kacper Lastowiecki William Lazzar Hannah Lazzarotto Rebecca Lazzarotto Thomas Leah Brian Lee Hae Wook Lee Hannah Lee Hoyoung Lee Hyun Lee Jeong Lee Jessica Lee Kevin Lee Timothy Lehigh Taryn Lempa Miroslav Letic Amy Lewis Jiayu Liang Samantha Lifson Corey Ligon Scott Little Mikolaj Lobrow II Nicholas Loden Ernesto Lopez Kristina Lopez Kelvin Lu Gabriella Luciani Drew Ludwig Carina Luk Benjamin Luke Margaret Lundholm Alexander Luszczak Yuliya Lyashchun Michael Lynch Sarah Macius Stephanie Mackey David Madden William Magner Claire Magnuson Devin Mahoney

11

SENIOR CLASS

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Megan Majewski Nicholas Makowiecki Morgan Mamon Allison Manade Saimithra Mannuru Christian Marcol Lauren Marek Annalie Marie Mariano Jordan Marotta Brianna Martin Thomas Martin Daniel Martinez Ortiz Sarah Masucci Brittany Mata Kyle Mathes Samantha Matuszewski Gina Mayer Brianna Mayhew Kathleen Mayo Payton McAbee Emily McCarthy Jacob Mccoy Jonathon Mccoy Angeline McCall Shawn McCoppin Robert McDonald Amy McEllen Anthony McGhee Jr Michael McGinn Jr Kaitlin McGlade Kaitlyn McGuinn Carly Mckay Tiffany McKenzie Andrew McNeil Michael McWilliams Priya Mehta David Mellado Nicole Messner Matthew Metzen Annika Meuser George Michalopoulos Peter Michalski Borislav Mihov Jessica Miller Wesley Minar Paul Minoff Daniel Mirabelli Marina Miraka Garrett Mitchell Jackson Mitzner Shun Miyabayashi Summer Moghamis Hanlin Mok John Montgomery Sean Montgomery Cole Moody Kevin Moody John Morrison Melissa Moscinski Ashabari Mukherjee

Sean Mullane Abigail Muller Tyler Murphy Christopher Mursuli Mohab Mustafa Kenya Nagasaka Alison Najmy Srikanth Nanduri Michael Naselli Sabrina Nash Nicholas Naylor Antonio Neal Jack Nebel Jr Brett Neitzke Jonathan Nelson Grace Neubauer Jack Newsom Katherine Nguyen Michael Nguyen Jared Niec Emma Nielsen Samantha Noga Patrick Norman Madelon Norris Shannon Norris Eric Oberfranc Sarah Obrzut Michael O’Connor Courtney Olsberg Lauren Olson Michael Olson Ryan Olson Jessica Omark Rory O’Neill Chucku Emeka Onochie Garrett O’Reilly Adrian Orzel Joshua Ostman Tyler Otahal Megan Otten Evangelia Pagones Pooja Parameshwar Maria Paredes Rosario Hye Sun Clara Park Jae Kyun Park Joyce Park Justin Park Robert Parzynski Anastasia Pasisis Nirali Patel Caitlin Patenaude Aamani Paturi Cassondra Pavlatos Virginia Pedrosa Alison Peisker Kyle Penfold Benjamin Perkins Cassandra Perrino Jamie Perry Caelen Peshek

Garrett Peters Danielle Petkunas Victor Petrov Connor Pfister Liam Phee Siobhan Phee Carmen Piersanti Izabela Piluk Karol Piluk Laura Plager Ian Plank Maxwell Plichta Klea Pllumbaj Melissa Poczatek Paulina Popek Cinnamon Porter Kyle Powell Jacob Pozzi Alexander Pramatarov Emily Prescott Kara Priebe Jacob Priest Kyle Prugar Kenneth Raap Jr Alejandra Ramirez Ryan Ramirez Shazia Rangwala Steven Rawls Teagen Reid Suzanne Reidelberger Megan Reidy Caroline Roberts Audrey Robledo Colleen Rochfort Madeleine Rodriguez-Zuniga Erin Rogers Eric Rohan Luke Rohrbacher Caroline Roseri Samantha Rossdeutscher Todd Rowden Jr Eric Ruehrdanz David Rumps Andre Russell Silpsupha Sae-Hoon Sebastian Salata Yonni Salazar Kristin Salerno Nicholas Saloman Lauren Sample Kyle Sanders Janet Sanoica Brenda Santos-Solis Alexandra Saras Erik Savitt Srinath Saxena Matthew Scattaglia Jacqueline Schmidt Janelle Schneider Kate Schneidwind Solene Scholz Dean Schulz Bradford Schumann Megan Schwaller Nichole Scott Shannon Segin Nathan Seitz Ji Young Seo Nathan Serviss Samantha Shah Kathrynn Sharp William Shih Yurika Shimizu Elizabeth Shumway Tyler Skarstein Paul Sliwa Benjamin Slotarski Paige Smaha Brittany Smith Nicholas Smith Austin Smock Andrew Song Jae Kwan Song Carter Sorrentino Elizabeth Soto Taylor Spoonholtz Anna Sprinkle Brittany St John

Connor Stahnke Grace Stapleton Sarah Stark Elaine Stearney Kyle Stevenson Jonathan Stoller-Schoff Katherine Stoner Alejandro Suero Mayu Sugikawa David Sullivan Sidhanth Suresh Kevin Surmin Carly Sutherland Zachary Swint Margaret Swofford Kathryn Syzdek Megan Teschner Jeffrey Thilmany Neha Thomas Philip Thomas Aine Tierney James Tokuda Carla Tolomeo Melanie Tomal Elizabeth Belle Torres Leonardo Trejo Vazquez Tiffany Tufts Rodney Tye II Elizabeth Uhrich Stephanie Uhrich Sara Untiedt Patricia Urban Shaurya Vaidya Christian Vail Michael Van Frederick Van Houten Johnathan Vandercar Callahan VanDeVelde September Vaudrey Christine Veit Justine Venegoni Robin Vieira De Freitas Kirill Voinorovich Elias Waddington Khory Wagner Scott Wagoner Jr Itaru Wakabayashi Michael Wallentin Kevin Wang Qi Wang Keely Ward Lukas Warner Ayrn Warren Michael Webb Michael Weber Elizabeth Weis Samantha White Erika Wickstrom Haley Wickstrom Ethan Wieczorek Jessi Wiedemann Rebecca Wight Ryan Wilson Jake Wilt Jennifer Winberg Jackson Winter Jillian Wise Matthew Wisniewski Michael Withey Patrick Witt Robert Wongkamalasai Marcus Wood Ryan Woodman Ashley Worthem Elizabeth Wright Evan Wurtz Joshua Yi Ahnna Yoo Haena Yun Lauren Zambelli Anthony Zaprzalka Diana Zheng Jamie Zhu Kevin Zimmer Joaquin Zuniga Cardenas Madison Zyer

12

SPORTS AWARDS

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Male Athlete of the Year

Brian Hindle scores with the Blue Demons Amir Djavid

Lead Sports Editor

Athletic prowess, versatility and leadership are all qualities that coaches look for in potential athletes. While having any of these characteristics is noteworthy in itself, Brian Hindle possesses all three. This unique quality and his stellar performance on the field have earned him the title of Viking Logue’s 2012 Male Athlete of the Year.

While Brian’s abilities have always separated him from his peers, he has remained a vocal team player, an attribute head coach Steve Keller says was instrumental to the team’s state run this season.

“If we were down, he’d be the first one clapping and encouraging others,” Keller said. “I never saw him get upset with someone’s poor touch or something.

It was always, ‘That’s all right, we make mistakes, you’ll get it next time.’ He was just very positive and encouraging to all his teammates.”

Senior Brad Davis agrees with Keller and believes that Brian’s behavior energized his teammates during games.

“He gets everybody motivated, and we can really rally around him,” Davis said.

“He gets everyone psyched up and inspires everyone to want to play better.”

After being selected as team captain, Brian worked to set the tone for his teammates and thrived in the role.

“My biggest improvement in terms of the game has to be my leadership skills,” Brian said. “Talking to the guys after the game, before the game, getting them mentally prepared, and giving them advice when they’re down–the team is the most important part of the game to me.”

After the Vikings lost 11 seniors following the 2010 season, Brian adapted to the new lineup. Although he played a more defensive role on the team his first three years, he emerged as an offensive threat this past season.

Due to his deadly speed and his pinpoint accuracy on set pieces, Brian’s efficient transition to the offensive side of the ball has also helped to free up his teammates on the field. He finished the season with two

Photo courtesy of Brian Hindle

ON TOP OF THE WORLD. Following a remarkable senior season, Brian Hindle is heading to DePaul University where he has committed to play for the Blue Demons. goals, a team-high six assists, and a teamhigh 16 shots on goal, but Brian’s impact went completely beyond the statistics.

“He was pretty skilled when he came in. I viewed him as more of a defender or defensive midfielder-type player,” Keller said. “This past year, his offensive qualities really came out. He was a key aspect of the team’s third-place finish [at the IHSA State competition] because he scored many goals, his free kicks were deadly and he matured into a person who completely took over the team and led it to what it accomplished this past year.”

With all of his success on the pitch, Brian amassed quite a number of accolades this year: an All-Conference award, an All-Area award, an All-Sectional award, the 10th Congressional District Inspirational Athlete of the Year award and a spot on Daily

Herald’s 2011 Cook County Boys Soccer All-Area Team. Keller attributes Brian’s success to his passion for the sport.

“He’s incredibly dedicated, and his work ethic is at a very high level,” Keller said. “He also wants to be the best, and he has a very strong desire to do so. He demonstrates all the characteristics that are necessary for success at a high level.”

Brian attracted attention from Division-I teams his junior year, and after weighing his options, he verbally committed to DePaul University in December.

“I was talking to DePaul my junior year, and in the summer, they came and watched me play at a couple of tournaments,” Brian said. “They liked what they saw. I did their summer camp, went to check out the school, and a few months later, they offered me a scholarship to play.”

As he heads to college, Brian is most excited about the prospect of competing against Division-I talent.

“I’m looking forward to playing in the Big East and seeing where I stand,” Brian said. “I’m going to work hard to make sure that I can help DePaul win.”

In the coming years, Keller believes that Brian will continue to inspire others with his play and with his personality.

“The biggest thing that I’ll remember about Brian was how positive he was with his teammates. He led through encouragement, through example and by pushing others in a positive way as encouragement to get the best out of them,” Keller said.

“His wonderful team mentality combined with his athletic gifts will be strong assets to him in the future, and I expect that he will do great things while at DePaul.”

Future college athletes from the Class of 2012 Baseball: Jack Andersen - Heartland Community College The right hander will be taking his no-hitter stuff to Normal, Ill. next spring.

Connor Bieda - Alvin Community College The polished catcher will be commanding the pitching staff deep in the heart of Texas.

Josh Jyawook - Heartland Community College Fremd’s sweet-swinging lefty will be joining his teammate Andersen and manning the outfield for the Hawks next spring.

Zack Kolakowski - University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign Kolakowski will be joining the Big Ten champions next year as he will be holding down shortstop for the Fighting Illini.

Jason English - Roosevelt University English will be pitching for the Lakers program in the second year of its existence after a 20-year absence from all athletics.

Girls Soccer: Emily Basten - Central Michigan University Basten is bringing her defensive prowess to join the talented lady Chippewas that went 15-3-3 last season.

Boys Tennis: Nick Mackowiecki - DePauw University Mackowiecki will bolster a DePauw lineup that went 17-7 last year.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Basten

TOP PROSPECTS. Left to right: Seniors Davy Mellado, Brian Hindle, Zack Kolakowski, Emily Basten, Jessi Wiedemann and Nate Serviss sign their letters of intent.

Boys Track and Field: Davy Mellado - Judson University The 2011 state track qualifier will continue his career next season close to home in Elgin.

Nick Bednarek - Illinois State University Bednarek has dominated the MSL this year in pole vault, including a first-place finish at the conference meet.

Christian Vail - Duke University Vail will be blazing a trail to Durham to run for the Blue Devils next season.

Girls Track and Field: Stephanie Uhrich - St. Louis University Uhrich had dominated competition as a runner and will be joining the Billikens in the fall.

Boys Lacrosse: Nate Serviss - Adelphi University Serviss takes a Fremd record 103 goals at attack to Long Island.

Jon Bryk - Augustana University Bryk will control the middle for the Vikings next season.

Football: AJ McGhee - College of DuPage After his breakout season as a senior, McGhee will be touting the rock at DuPage.

Connor Pfister - Washington University in St. Louis Pfister will use his speed and athleticism for the Bears next season.

Matt Metzen - Carroll University The sure-handed receiver will be catching touchdowns next season in Wisconsin.

Boys Soccer: Brian Hindle - DePaul University After leading Fremd to the state tournament, Hindle will be manning the pitch this fall for DePaul.

Girls Basketball: Jessi Wiedemann - Valparaiso University Four-year varsity player and two-time all-area selection Wiedemann is taking her perimeter game to Valpo.

SPORTS AWARDS

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

13

Female Athlete of the Year

Three-sport Stephanie Uhrich leads by example Jackson Mitzner Lead Sports Editor

It takes a talented individual to make three consecutive trips to the IHSA state gymnastics meet, and if that was all that Stephanie Uhrich had done at Fremd, she would still be considered one of the best athletes in recent school history.

But Stephanie has also qualified for four other state competitions, two in diving and two in track. One of only a few talented Vikings to ever qualify for seven different state meets, Stephanie has established herself as one of the most versatile competitors to have ever donned a Fremd uniform, well worthy of being named the Viking Logue’s 2012 Female Athlete of the Year.

“I think it’s really unprecedented. During diving, she was always working on gymnastics, and during gymnastics she was preparing for track.

Then you add on top of that how strong of a student she is,” head gymnastics coach Tim Hamman said. “I can’t think of any other athletes in my coaching career who have had that much success in so many different areas.”

Just this year, Stephanie took first place in conference on four different occasions. This winter, she took the MSL all-around title in gymnastics and followed

that up with first place finishes in both pole vault and high jump at the indoor conference track meet.

Most recently, she won high jump at the outdoor conference meet on May 4, and later went on to take sectional titles in high jump and pole vault on May 10. Additionally, she was an IHSA sectional diving champion and took 13th overall at state.

The skills that Stephanie has been perfecting since she took up gymnastics in grade school have translated well into diving and track.

“Gymnastics really led to my success in my other sports.

Diving is a lot of flipping and twisting, and that’s all gymnastics is,” Stephanie said. “And being a gymnast has taught me how to be aware of my body and where I am in the air, which makes pole vault and high jump easier.”

Likewise, just as her ability as a gymnast has improved her high jumping, her training for the track team improved her athleticism for gymnastics.

“It definitely works both ways, because after she began competing in high jump her vertical improved, which helped her technique in gymnastics. Everything really did go hand in hand for her,” track coach Jeremy Herriges said.

Although she has the ability

to be a strong motivator, Stephanie still tries to let her performance speak for itself.

“I encourage people, but I’ll try to do rather than tell,” Stephanie said. “The most important thing is not being hypocritical. You have to set the example and follow it as well if you want to lead.”

But success, both as a captain and as an athlete, doesn’t come without sacrifice, and Stephanie has given up a lot to maintain this high level of achievement.

“It takes time management, and a lot of it. Whatever season I am in gets most of my energy, but I have to donate some time to every sport,” Stephanie said. ”And I’ll stay up really late finishing my school work because academics are a priority. In the end, what really matters is going to college and being successful in that regard.”

Her late nights finishing homework paid off, because Stephanie shines in the classroom as well as in the gym.

She was the only individual in District 211 named to the 20112012 IHSA All-State Academic Team, an honor annually reserved to 26 Illinois athletes who excel in academics as well as athletics.

“I don’t know how she does it. She’s the definition of a student athlete, getting great grades as well as perform-

Logue Photo by Kelly Owens

BALANCING ACT. Stephanie’s focus and determination has helped her find success in gymnastics, diving and track. ing at an extremely high level in competitions,” friend and teammate sophomore Stephanie Gallo said. “It shows how hard she works at everything she does.”

Next year, Stephanie will attend St. Louis University, competing on the track team and

studying to become a physical trainer.

“Stephanie is one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever met,” friend and teammate junior Shannon Lemajeur said. “That’s what makes her so successful, and it will keep her going after high school.”

Coach Of The Year

Hamman’s leadership a “Perfect 10” for gymnastics Jacob Rowden Copy Editor

In the past five years, Tim Hamman has transformed the boys gymnastics program, continually producing winning teams and outstanding individuals. This year, he also took over as the head girls coach and led the Vikings to a fourth-place finish at the IHSA state meet.

By preaching a hard work ethic, he instilled a sense of confidence within the minds of his gymnasts that motivated them to perform at incredibly high levels.

These achievements have earned Hamman the title of Viking Logue’s 2012 Coach of the Year.

Throughout this season, Hamman’s philosophy involved stressing positivity, and junior Stephanie Gallo feels that this outlook kept the gymnasts focused.

“He was always pushing us to work harder while making sure we were self-motivated at the same time,” Gallo said. “He stresses the importance of being internally motivated.”

Athletic Director Augie Fontanetta believes Hamman’s success stems from his investment in his athletes on and off the mats.

“He is a genuinely caring coach,” Fontanetta said.

“He cares about all the kids on his team, every kid, and I also think he possesses a very good perspective on athletics in terms of being able to push kids and balancing academics and athletics at the same time.”

Under Hamman, six female gymnasts qualified for state: senior Stephanie Uhrich, juniors Gallo, Shannon Lemajeur and Emily Pinderski, sophomore Christine Jensen and freshman Sydney Plichta, who also advanced to the state finals. As a team, the Vikings finished fourth, just 1.52 points away from a trophy.

Logue photo by Jim Hermetet

CELEBRATION. Head boys and girls gymnastics coach Tim Hamman’s optimism is the driving force for his teams’ success.

Hamman’s vision from day one was to surround the girls with experienced coaches who would help contribute new perspectives, and that entailed bringing in assistants to his staff. In addition to returning assistant Allison Holysz, Hamman was joined by Elise Ference and volunteer coaches Kevin Jost and Larry Petrillo.

Hamman feels that his colleagues brought different dynamics and strengths to the table without changing the culture of Fremd gymnastics.

“The tradition of the team is something that I tried to preserve,” Hamman said. “But the new coaches

helped to bring in a combination of new energy and experience the gym.”

After improving on the sixth-place finish last season, Hamman reflects on his experience.

“I knew that the girls on the team would have a successful season. I was just surprised by how much fun the season would be,” Hamman said. “The character of our team was second to none, and the camaraderie between the coaches made it a great experience.”

This spring, Hamman led the boys gymnastics team to a second-place finish in conference and advanced three gymnasts to state: junior C.J. Patton and seniors Bobby Wongkamalasai and Quinn Bley.

Wongkamalasai feels that Hamman’s approach in practice led to the team’s success.

“He doesn’t put up with lackluster practices,” Wongkamalasai said. “He understands the struggle and mental toughness it takes to succeed in a sport like gymnastics, so he pushes his gymnasts, but the right amount not to push them over the edge.”

One of the obstacles that Hamman faced was managing the girls using his experience with the boys.

“With the boys, you get some gymnasts that enter with experience, but more often than not, my coaching staff and I have to develop them into varsity athletes,” Hamman said. “It is the same with the girls, but with such strong programs out there, there are more athletes coming in with some experience.”

As Hamman enjoys his success and prepares for another season this summer, he will be constantly focusing on coming back with a stronger and better team.

Fontanetta believes the best is yet to come.

“Every year that he’s been here, he has improved,” Fontanetta said. “I think in the coming years, we are going to see strong teams and strong individuals.”

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

14

Most Changed Since

Least Changed Since

Elementary School

pirit Best School S Girls ra 1. Katie Ferra ht 2. Libby Wrig eo 3. Carla Tolom Boys s 1. Ben Perkin norio 2. Keith Giag da 3. Connor Bie

Girls 1. Liz Weis 2. Aubry Ellegood 3. Pooja Parameshwar Boys 1. Rory O’Neill 2. Jacob Priest 3. Alex Konrath

Most iated Underapprec Girls 1. Jen Fokas rty 2. Kelly Dohe Mackey 3. Stephanie Boys do 1. Davy Mella n 2. Jack Nelso 3. Dan Byrne

Girls 1. Melissa Poczatek 2. Qi Wang 3. Madison Zyer

Girls 1. Melanie Kent 2. Tamar Alexanian 3. Priyal Amin

Boys 1. Amir Djavid 2. Joey Gill 3. Will Magner

Most Secretly Most Openly Admired Admired Girls Girls 1. Casie Perrino 1. Ashley Krippinger 2. Casie Perrino 2. Devin Mahoney 3. Elaine Stearney 3. Lexi Glassmann Boys Boys 1. Jon Glazer 1. Ryan Barr 2. Mitch Dinterman 2. Matt Buesing 3. Adam Gorecki 3. Freddie VanHouten Most

Likely to Return Fremd as Faculty

to

Girls Boys Priebe Kara 1.

1. Randy Comstock 2. Paul Bozek 2. Stephanie Mackey 3. Rob Parzynski 3. Emily Prescott

Most Artistic Girls 1. Mana Juretic 2. Melanie Kent 3. Darby Douglas

Boys 1. Quinn Bley 2. Davy Mellado 3. Johnny Vandercar

Elementary School Girls 1. Megan Hubbard 2. Maggie Swofford 3. Emily Basten Boys 1. Robby Fisk 2. Andy Klein 3. Mitch Dinterman

to kely i L Most Oscar n a n i W Girls t rescot P y l i 1. Em Noga 2. Sam Krull nah 3. Han Boys tollerS n a h at 1. Jon hoff Sc ado y Mell iecki v a D .

2 w r Lasto e p c a 3. K

Most Likely to Change the World

Most Likely to be a Millionaire

Viking Logue Friday, May 25. 2012

Boys 1. Davy Mellado 2. Moez Dawood 3. Amir Djavid

Most L Win a ikely Gram my Girls 1. Eri 2. Jes n Fisher si Jo 3. Sam rgensen Noga Bo 1. Ale ys xJ 2. Pat ordahl rick 3. Jon Witt a Stolle than r-Scho ff

Best Dressed Girls 1. Pooja Parameshwar 2. Melissa Poczatek 3. Kellie Boberek Boys 1. Jimmy Kowalczyk 2. Mitch Dinterman 3. Jake Pozzi

Most Intelligent Boys Girls 1. Amir Djavid 1. Sheena Chu 2. Moez Dawood 2. Rebecca Wight 3. Jackson Mitzner 3. Melissa Poczatek

Best Hair Best Sense of Humor Girls 1. Hannah Lee 2. Aubry Ellegood 3. Carly McKay Boys 1. John Morrison 2. Jake Pozzi 3. Ben Dworkin

Biggest Flirt Girls 1. Katie Ferrara 2. Lexi Glassmann 3. Aamani Paturi Boys 1. Freddie VanHouten 2. Rajat Duggirala 3. Kyle Sanders

Girls 1. Pooja Parameshwar 2. Carly McKay 3. Caroline Pasisis Boys 1. Tyler Skarstein 2. Mitch Dinterman 3. Josh Jyawook

Prett G 1. Devin 2. Casie 3. Megan

Bo 1. Colto 2. Sean M 3. David

Most Likely to be on Reality TV Most

Likely to Shock Everyone at the Ten-year Reunion

Girls 1. Sally Dillon 2. Nikki Messner 3. Kellie Boberek

Best Personality Girls 1. Carly McKay 2. Aubry Ellegood 3. Erika Wickstrom Boys 1. Ben Perkins 2. Mike McGinn 3. Davy Mellado

Boys 1. Brian Byrne 2. Nic Smith 3. Robby Fisk

Girls 1. Taylor Hamontree 2. Stephanie Kouretas 3. Kellie Boberek

Boys 1. Piotr Klis 2. Keith Giagnor 3. Tom Delany

Most Likely to Marry for Money Boys Girls 1. Erik Savitt 1. Stephanie Kouretas 2. Stephen Kaidantsis 2. Lauren Hurst 3. Niko Douvris 3. Madison Zyer

Worst Driver Girls 1. Siobhan Phee 2. Stephanie Kouretas 3. Kelly Doherty Boys 1. Corey Ligon 2. Jackson Mitzner 3. Nic Smith

Best Gossip Girls 1. Liz Amanieh 2. Katie McGlade 3. Sam Shah Boys 1. Tyler Otahal 2. Will Shih 3. Jon Bacos

y

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Bigge st Ca Senio se of ritis G 1. Ally irls M 2. Eun anade 3. Bec ice Jun ky Fio retto Boys 1. Kyl eS 2. Cal anders vi 3. Mik n Balek ey Ba rra

e st Nicknam

Be to

Boys ny 1. Tom Dela “Goose” anson 2. Zach Joh r” e “White Tig owning 3. Keith Br “Snugs”

Girls ie Mackey 1. Stephan Smack “Smackey/ Dawg” llo “Anna 2. Anna Aie Bawlz” Freeman 3. Rebecca “Reebs”

Biggest Class Clown

Girls 1. Anna Aiello 2. Hannah Lee 3. September Vaudrey Boys 1. Nic Smith 2. Danny Albers 3. Corey Ligon

Girls 1. Katie Arndt 2. Sabrina Nash 3. Lauren Haag Boys 1. Freddie VanHouten 2. Ricky Krause 3. Kyle Arndt

Boys 1. Kacper Lastowiecki 2. Jake Pozzi 3. Erik Savitt

Talks the Most, Says the Least

tiest Eyes Girls n Mahoney e Perrino n Majewski

Girls 1. Melissa Poczatek 2. Tamar Alexanian 3. Priyal Amin

oys on Caesius Montgomery d Sullivan

Boys 1. Mike McGinn 2. Will Shih 3. Amir Djavid

rio y

Biggest Party Animal

Most Opinionated Girls 1. Tamar Alexanian 2. Jessie Miller 3. Lana Kammerer

Most Involved

Biggest Ego Girls 1. Kellie Boberek 2. Caroline Roseri 3. Lauren Haag Boys 1. Niko Douvris 2. Jackson Mitzner 3. Freddie VanHouten

Sexiest Legs Girls 1. Jen Fokas 2. Callie Vandevelde 3. Meg Otten Boys 1. Vinu Ilangovan 2. Adam Bielinski 3. Mikey Olson

Most Swag Girls 1. Tiffany McKenzie 2. Katy Augustyn 3. Yasna Dejesus Boys 1. Nick Anderson 2. Mikey Nguyen 3. AJ McGhee

Born in the Wrong Generation Girls 1. Kara Kirchner 2. Mana Juretic 3. Anna Sprinkle Boys 1. Mike Wallentin 2. Robby Fisk 3. John Arcangel

Most Ca

ffeinate

d Girls 1. Tama r Ale 2. Libby xanian Wr 3. Priyal ight Amin Boys 1. Adam Ketterh ag 2. Adam en Ha 3. Nic Sm yes ith

Best Laugh Girls 1. Erin Fisher 2. Pooja Parameshwar 3. Erika Wickstrom

Boys 1. Takuzo Kimura 2. Ben Dworkin 3. Tom Delany

Talks the Least, Says the Most

Girls Girls 1. Kelly Doherty 1. Rebecca Freeman 2. Stephanie Kouretas 2. Jen Fokas 3. Sarah Bogaert 3. Priya Mehta Boys Boys 1. Nic Smith 1. Noah Begashaw 2. Piotr Klis 2. Carter Sorrentino 3. Ryan Barr 3. Jae Kwan Song

Couple Most Likely to Get Married

1. Kristy Salerno & Matt Wisniewski 2. Alanna Krivanek & Max Plichta 3. Kristina Lopez & Chris Kukla

15

Biggest Teach

er’s Pet

Girls 1. Tamar Alex anian 2. Sarah Boga ert 3. Megan Hu bbard Boys 1. Chris Murs uli 2. Ryan Barr 3. Amir Djavid Best Writer

Girls 1. Emily Prescott 2. Christine Veit 3. Sadhana Krishnamoorthy Boys 1. Jon Glazer 2. Mike Wallentin 3. Noah Begashaw

Best Smile Boys Girls 1. Ashley Krippinger 1. Zack Kolakowski 2. Andre Degla 2. Casie Perrino 3. Katie Ferrara 3. Mitch Dinterman

Best Friends Girls 1. Kara Priebe and Brittany Smith 2. Lizzie Kapinos and Erika Wickstrom 3. Saimithra Mannuru and Sadhana Krishnamoorthy Boys 1. Tony Cassara and Steve Gasiorowski 2. Zack Kolakowski and Jack Andersen 3. Freddie VanHouten and Al Luszczak

Couple Most Likely to Get Divorced

1. Janelle Schneider & Ronnie Hauser 2. Ashley Krippinger & Freddie VanHouten 3. Katie Coy & Chris Huberty

Should Have Been a Couple 1. Melissa Poczatek & Amir Djavid 2. Erika Wickstrom & Scott Detrick 3. Stephanie Kouretas & Nic Smith

PROFILES

16

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Ryan Barr gives back in a Special way Tori Boldt

Lead Features Editor

The way Ryan Barr immediately jumps into easy-going conversation the first time I meet him is only a glimpse into his friendly personality. He barely hesitates as he goes into detail about the basketball game he played earlier and then genuinely inquires about my day. Ryan’s openness and willingness to share and connect with others is what makes him such an effective Special Olympics coach.

Since freshman year, in his minimal free time, Ryan has devoted himself to coaching soccer, basketball and track and field.

“No matter the situation, Ryan is always one of the coaches who can approach an athlete with kindness and a positive attitude,” fellow Special Olympics coach senior Madison Zyer said. “His friendly personality and the constant smile on his face make him a great coach.”

When I ask what got him into coaching, he pauses for a second. As he begins to confide in me about his younger sister, Ali, he lapses from the easy conversation from before.

With a more serious tone, he struggles to find the right words. There’s no definite answer to this question, and it takes a few moments for Ryan to fully explain.

“It all started with Ali. She’s a freshman at Palatine, and she has Down syndrome,” Ryan said. “At first, volunteering for Special Olympics was about quality time with family, but it’s become way more than that.”

Ali has participated in Special Olympics for eight years. The way Ryan talks about his sister with a constant smile makes his

Photo courtesy of Facebook

BIG BROTHER. Ryan Barr [far right] and fellow senior and Special Olympics coach Dylan Hanson [second from left] pose with their younger siblings at a Special Olympics event in March 2010.

love and admiration for her clear. Ryan is inspired by the way Ali has followed in his footsteps and succeeded in competition.

“This year, Ali has started power lifting. I think she wants to be more like her brothers, so she has adopted a lot of our interests,” Ryan said. “It’s amazing how she can go into the center of the gym and lift as the entire gym watches her compete.”

Ryan’s consistent focus on Ali’s accomplishments only deepens his passion for coaching. He may have initially been inspired by his family, but it’s the athletes

he’s met since that keep him coming back.

Even though Ali moved on to the high school division, Ryan can still be found coaching District 15 athletes. Ali and Ryan are both moving forward yet still share a special connection from all the time spent at practices and competitions.

“I have a lot of fun with Ryan and his friends. He’s a really cool big brother,” Ali said. “I miss having practice with him, but I have great coaches at Palatine High too.”

Ryan’s involvement with the Special Olympics is give-and-take. Even with all the time he puts into coaching, he still

describes it as “rewarding” and “fun.” Instead of being concerned with the hours spent waiting for his athletes to compete, he focuses on the time they get to spend on the podium.

“I love seeing how much fun the athletes have. The best part is when they’re getting their awards and literally dozens of people crowd around the podium applauding them,” Ryan said. “Just seeing the genuine excitement on the athletes’ faces makes it all worthwhile.”

Although Ryan willingly admits that coaching can be difficult and even frustrating at times, he continues to learn and grow from his experiences.

“Sometimes it’s hard because you need to figure out where the athletes are coming from, and you don’t want to yell at them, but you still want to keep things controlled,” Ryan said. “On the other hand, coaching has taught me about compassion, patience and understanding.”

While working with athletes with special needs can be tiresome at times, the main purpose is to keep things organized and fun. Learning this balance is a skill Ryan and other coaches work hard to achieve, but it ultimately allows for practices and competitions to run more smoothly.

Ryan, who will major in civil engineering at the University of Illinois next fall, still plans to be as involved as he can in the Special Olympics.

“It means so much to be a part of something bigger than yourself,” Ryan said.

“At the same time, it shows me that people who have special needs and people who don’t have more in common than we do differences.”

Veronica Finegan conducts her way to first chair Aliya Ahsan A&E Editor

During passing periods, Veronica Finegan hums a couple of notes from her sheet music as if it were second nature. She mentally pictures the notes while either moving her fingers on an imaginary French horn on the walk home or conducting different stanzas whenever her hands are free.

When she arrives at her house, she’s surrounded by five siblings who all play instruments as well.

Veronica picks up her horn and practices with them for the next few hours to hone her skills.

“My brother played trumpet when I was in kindergarten, and I thought he was so cool,” Veronica said. “Because of that, I originally started in fifth grade with the trumpet, and then I switched to the French horn in seventh grade since the tone sounded better.”

Veronica’s family is her musical anchor. They have supported her from the start, helping her pick which instrument to play and watching her perform at various concerts.

“I would be the one left to convince Veronica why she should audition for certain things or why she should have more confidence in herself,” her sister, 2010 graduate Teresa Finegan,

said. “Our family kind of acts like a team. There are seven of us kids, and we all are super close and into music. We all are each other’s biggest fans and cheerleaders.”

Between marching band, Jazz Band, Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra and both District Honors Orchestra and Band, Veronica still manages to find time to practice the French horn privately at home and in separate lessons with her coach.

“She uses her time very wisely and makes the most of every minute she has,” Teresa said.

“When she practices her horn, she doesn’t waste her time just playing through songs for fun.

She gets straight to work immediately. She knows certain passages in pieces that she needs to work on and will sometimes repeat one difficult measure over and over—it seems like a hundred times—until she has it down to perfection.”

Veronica earned first chair for the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) District Orchestra, guaranteeing that she would be selected as an All-State musician. At January’s IMEA All-State Conference, she had to audition again to see if she would place.

All the hard work paid off, as Veronica won first chair.

“This was a huge accomplishment,” band director Matthew

Moore said. “Veronica prepares music exceptionally well, and her rhythmic and sight-reading skills are very advanced.”

Despite her musical abilities, Veronica was hesitant to showcase her talent in front of an audience.

“At first, Veronica didn’t even want to audition for the Concerto Aria competition earlier this year, since she wasn’t into the idea of performing in front of people,” Teresa said. “The only thing that drove her to audition was her love for the piece that she was playing and her desire for other people to hear it. I am so proud of my sister because she is so talented but never brings attention to herself.”

Veronica, proudly wearing her white marching band uniform to every practice and game, mentions the close friends made, the cheering of the crowds and even the ache of her fingers from constantly playing as some of her most cherished memories.

“I’m obsessed with marching band,” Veronica said. “I love marching band and new drills.

I’m section leader, and I’m the only person who plays mellophone, the French horn equivalent.”

Veronica’s close friend, senior Jennifer Altman, admires the way Veronica approaches performing her pieces.

Logue photo by Aliya Ahsan

ALL THINGS BAND. Veronica Finegan, who earned first chair at the IMEA AllState Conference this year, practices her French horn in the music hallway.

“When she plays, she’s very artistic about it,” Altman said.

“She moves with the music, which is unique among high school band students. She plays confidently and strongly. You can tell she loves playing the French horn.”

Moore has seen Veronica progress in overall performance as well as in leadership to help the younger musicians ever since

freshman year.

“Her rhythmic sight-reading skills have improved over the years, as well as her tone and overall range,” Moore said. “It has also been wonderful to see her growth as a student leader and mentor for younger horn players.”

Veronica will be studying Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University next year.

17

PROFILES

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

September Vaudrey graduates with a mission in mind Amir Djavid

Lead Sports Editor

By early February, most seniors are suffering from a full-blown case of the infamous “senioritis.” Clearly, September Vaudrey didn’t catch this illness, because after graduating a semester early, she packed her bags and flew to Honduras to begin a nine-week, faith-based mission trip.

While September has been a Christian her entire life, she feels her connection to her religion strengthened and planted the seeds for her adventure after her sister’s death in 2008.

“My sister was an incredible person and a great example for me,” September said. “She was constantly evangelizing people, with genuine care for all. When she passed away, I was able to make it through that rough time with the help of my family’s support and Christianity, and so that’s when I really started getting deeper into the faith.”

Having already been accepted to Azusa Pacific University, a Christian university in California, September was able to graduate early without adversely affecting her college application.

As a result, she didn’t delay in deciding to devote her spring semester to international service work.

This was not much of a surprise for one of her closest friends, senior Katie McGlade, who explains that September is one of the most sympathetic individuals that she has ever met.

“She’s very caring and always puts others before herself,” McGlade said.

“Her kindness toward others is incredible, and she’s just so warmhearted and giving. She always wants to be helping others.”

During her time in Honduras, September performed a wide number of churchbased service activities, though her main focus was working with pharmaceuticals in the church brigade.

The brigade consisted of a dental unit, an optical unit, a general medicine unit and occasionally a chiropractic unit. September spent most of her time as a member of the medicinal unit.

“We would turn an empty church into a full-on clinic in 20 minutes, letting the Honduran people choose any one of the sections they wanted,” September said. “I would usually fill prescriptions for general medicine.”

Afterward, September helped spread the gospel through preaching and personal witness.

“Evangelism was my favorite part of the brigade experience,” September said.

“Everyone would go through it at the end, and I continued realizing how blessed I am by listening to so many incredible stories from the people, many of whom just needed to talk.”

On some days, September would also help brigade workers create cement floors for poor neighboring families to improve the sanitation problems caused by the dirt floors of the citizens’ huts.

The mission trip was September’s first real exposure to such a high level of service-based work, and she said the experience was helpful because she’s planning on working in a similar field—either human rights or children’s rights activism— in the future.

“The trip was almost like a test run to see if I would be able to do these kinds of things,” September said. “I’m really happy that I went because now I know in my heart that this kind of work was what I was meant to do.”

Photo courtesy of September Vaudrey

ROUTINE DEVOTION. September’s strong Christian faith has influenced her dedication to helping others, demonstrated by her nine-week mission trip to Honduras.

Although September greatly enjoyed her experience in Honduras, there are a few things she’s glad to have left behind.

“I don’t think people realize how lucky they are not to have to go to bed listening to gunshots every night, or taking showers with their mouths shut so they don’t accidentally swallow any water and get sick from the parasites living in it,” September said. “Constantly checking my sheets for scorpions was also a bit

of a hassle, but I’m thankful for all of it. I learned so much.”

Senior Keely Ward believes that the change had a visible and long-lasting impact on September.

“When she came back, you could just see that her life had been changed and that she’ll carry this with her for the rest of her life,” Ward said. “She’s honestly one of the most courageous people that I’ve ever met.”

AJ McGhee matures from backup to starting tailback Susan Szuch A&E Editor

There’s no doubt that over the past two years, people have come to know the name AJ McGhee. That’s part of being the Vikings’ starting varsity running back.

But despite being a college-bound athlete on his way to DuPage this fall, AJ had a far less encouraging start to his high school career—one that causes many to stop playing football altogether. In trying out during freshman year, he was sent to the freshman B team.

“Freshman B team was basically telling you that you could still get up on another level, but you would have to work on it. It’s not given to you,” AJ said. “They encouraged me to still improve without dropping my hopes.”

Even head football coach Mike Donatucci acknowledges that the beginning of AJ’s journey had its difficulties.

“AJ’s growth as an athlete and a person was phenomenal,” Donatucci said. “From freshman to sophomore year, there were so many times that he could have quit, but he just kept at it and ended up being very successful.”

There were times early during AJ’s high-school career where he was on the verge of admitting defeat, but it was the people around him who kept him invested in the sport.

“The first game when I didn’t play, I was back up,” AJ said. “Donatucci and [coach Jason] Adcock talked to me and told me not to give up.”

However, AJ also recognizes the other factors that kept him working toward varsity.

“The communication, getting along with people,” AJ said. “People helping you and people who came up with you from the B team encouraging you to stay with them until your senior year.”

Being overlooked for two years only strengthened AJ’s devotion to the sport. Senior Jack Andersen, who played with AJ all four years, says he separated himself from the pack immediately.

Logue File Photo

COMMITMENT. AJ McGhee hurdled many obstacles on his way to becoming the starting varsity running back.

“Even on freshman B and sophomore team, he was one of the faster kids,” Andersen said. “His work ethic set him apart, and you could definitely tell that he was dedicated to the game.”

What the other players didn’t see was how AJ worked in the offseason.

“I lifted weights more, trained myself and learned more of the plays so I had them memorized for out on the field,” AJ said.

As a backup last year, AJ kept learning from other players while continuing to get a feel for the game.

“My junior year, I was the second-string running back, playing behind [2010 graduate] Justin Wallace, who was a good running back for Fremd,” AJ said. “Learning from him, and being experienced, got me to encourage myself to be better for the next year. That helped me a lot.”

Running backs coach David Hochstetter explains that there was a marked shift in AJ’s role on the team once his senior season began, and he was no longer second-string.

“After AJ’s junior year, he grasped that he needed to be a leader, kind of the motor for our offense,” Hochstetter said. “He went to work and worked really hard in the offseason.”

Hochstetter says that AJ’s dedication paid off in the end, especially during his performance in this year’s game against Conant, where he carried the ball 35 times for a total of 145 yards and a touchdown.

The effort was a testament to AJ’s strength and durability, highlighted by the fact that only three rushes netted 10 or more yards, and that only another three were for negative yardage. It demonstrated how AJ was able to grind the ball all game long.

“He literally just took the team on his back and carried them throughout the whole game,” Hochstetter said. “He became just a powerful runner, and everyone in the program saw the game and were amazed at how far he’s come as a player and how tough he’s become as a runner.”

For AJ, the overlap between school and football doesn’t stop there. It not only impacted how he views and achieves his goals but also helped shape the values that proved to be important in both areas.

“Football is basically getting discipline, helping you getting your character out,” AJ said. “It helps you respect other people and you meet new people instead of socializing with the same group.”

In addition, AJ feels that to persevere, one has to entirely devote themsleves to any and all tasks at hand.

“Some people quit, but others stay dedicated and hope that they’ll grow and that they’ll improve,” AJ said.

“That’s how you become successful in life.”

PROFILES

18

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

Lauren Hurst shows competitive spirit on horseback Joanna Alden Features Editor

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, Lauren Hurst walks into Starbucks with an easy confidence in her step and a broad, white smile. On the outside, she is the stereotypical picture of a competitive horseback rider, wearing oversized, dark sunglasses, a V-neck top, equestrian pants and chic, leather boots.

However, Lauren’s exterior hardly captures her true character.

She has just returned from riding one of her three horses at Judgment Farm in Oswego, a two-hour round trip that Lauren has been making six days a week for the past 10 years.

She first discovered her love of horses after visiting her cousin’s barn in Idaho at the age of eight.

“My cousin had her own horse, Mystery, and from the first time I rode him, I just knew I wanted to keep riding. I’ve never wanted to stop since,” Lauren said.

Riding is unique in that the most important relationship is between the individual and the horse, rather than other teammates. This bond is what makes riding so rewarding for Lauren.

“As cliché as it sounds, there’s just sort of an unspoken bond between a rider and their horse. You put in so much time together and work toward a common goal, and over time, your bond strengthens.”

Despite this long-lasting connection, Lauren often suffers from the drawbacks that come from spending so much time away from home.

“I spend most of my summers away at horse shows, which can sometimes take a

Photo courtesy of Lauren Hurst

JUMPING TO SUCCESS. Lauren Hurst competes in a jumping event within the Junior Hunter Division at a horse show in Kentucky last summer.

toll on me,” Lauren said. “It takes a lot out of you, both physically and emotionally, because there is so much pressure to perform perfectly during shows.”

This exhausting routine causes Lauren to have a bit of a chip on her shoulder due to the way people view horseback riding—an indulgent activity for the wealthy to engage in while they flaunt how much money the horse is worth.

Serious riders like Lauren disprove this notion immediately.

“People don’t understand what hard work horseback riding is,” Lauren says.

“Horses are really powerful creatures that can potentially be very dangerous, so it’s really up to the rider to learn how to control them.”

Lauren has suffered from the risky aspects of riding, having been to the emergency room over 20 times for injuries to her back, ribs, legs, shoulders and ligaments.

Despite these injuries, Lauren continues to push herself as an athlete.

“No matter how badly I’m hurt, I can’t stay away from riding,” Lauren said. “It’s just a sacrifice that I make to do what I love.”

Others also feel that Lauren’s devotion has contributed to her growth as a rider.

“Lauren is very dedicated and attentive to her horses,” Tina Judge, Lauren’s riding instructor, said. “She has constantly pushed herself as a rider, making her a valuable asset to our team.”

Lauren’s intense level of commitment this year led to a second-place finish in the most competitive division of juniors in the state of Illinois.

Her success has already secured her a spot on the equestrian team at Miami University in Ohio next year, one of the best in the country.

Looking ahead, Lauren sees herself becoming involved with horse training.

Her family is currently starting a business where they buy inexpensive horses from the racetrack, and then Lauren trains them as show horses to sell.

She is excited about this opportunity to both bond with horses and get a taste of the business world.

Those close to Lauren feel that this perseverance will transfer into the next chapter of her equestrian career.

“Lauren has always had a lot of dedication and passion for horses and will stop at nothing until she succeeds,” Katherine Graul, a fellow rider, said. “I believe that these traits will help her thrive later on.”

Despite the unknowns of the future, Lauren is certain that horses will always remain her passion.

“I’m a little nervous about how my riding will go in the future, but I can’t just ride my entire life and then stop,” Lauren said. “Everyone has their ‘thing’—that one special element that defines you as a person—and horseback riding is mine.”

Luis Gallegos: From the classroom to the battlefield Jim Hermetet Sports Editor

For most of us, when we think about our siblings, all that comes to mind is bickering, noogies and atomic wedgies. Luis Gallegos, however, has developed a tightknit bond with his sister Gizelle Katchka, who inspired him to find his calling in life and enlist in the Marines.

Katchka, a 2005 graduate, has been in the Marines for the past six years and is now a sergeant stationed in Japan. Her graduation from basic training in 2006 was when Luis first considered joining.

“I have always looked up to my sister,” Luis said.

“When I saw my sister graduate from Parris Island and saw how disciplined she was, she looked like a true leader, and it felt like that was meant for me.”

Becoming a Marine is no easy task and takes extreme dedication. For Katchka, seeing her younger brother traveling the same path as her means a lot.

“I am so proud of my little brother for following in my footsteps,” Katchka said. “Even though he’s already my brother, we are going to have a different kind of bond, a different kind of brotherhood than the rest of our siblings. It’s going to bring us closer.”

Marines have a relationship that most people will never have, trusting their lives in the hands of another.

For Luis and his sister, living as Marines is just going to strengthen their connection.

“The fact we are both in the Marine Corps is going to connect us even more,” Luis said. “I am going through the same experiences like boot camp and training, and that will help make our relationship stronger.”

Luis’s mother, Nilda Irizarry, knows the kind of values that the military stresses and believes that her children are better people since they enlisted.

“I believe Luis and Gizelle will bring our family closer by combining our values along with the values installed in them by the Marine Corps,” Irizarry said.

Once Luis graduates from boot camp in late September, he will understand what Katchka has gone through these past six years and what it means to be a Marine.

Logue photo by Justin Lanier

THE FEW, THE PROUD. As Luis Gallegos’s high school career winds down, he is looking forward to enlisting in the Marine Corps.

“He’s going to gain physical and mental discipline from the beginning of the recruitment process,” Katchka said. “Marines are aggressive by nature, so he will learn to use this to tackle each challenge that awaits him.”

Luis has been training and studying in preparation for the Marine life since he enlisted on Sept. 1. His girlfriend, senior Zanubia Bizri, is excited to see Luis work to accomplish one of his life goals.

“I see Luis as a better person. When someone chases their dream, it makes me admire them,” Bizri said.

English teacher Becky Schomer has had Luis in class over the past two years, and she is proud to see one of her students serve in the military.

“I feel like it’s such a noble decision,” Schomer said.

“There is obviously the inherent risk with it, and as a teacher who has gotten to know Luis over the course of

two years, I will be concerned about the risks and danger that he will be in. At the same time, I think it’s such a respectable decision, and that makes me proud.”

Luis is a modest person in life, but he takes honor in serving in the military.

“It’s something to be very proud of because we have a big family, and for us to be the only two to decide to enlist is something for not only us to be proud of, but also for the rest of my family to be proud of,” Luis said.

Luis is planning to join the Marine Aviation after boot camp and hopes that after his four years of service are up, the Marines will make him a better, stronger person.

“I see myself coming out of the Marines more committed and more organized, not only to the Marine Corps, but to anything I need to do, whether that be school, family or anything in life,” Luis said.

MESSAGES FROM LOGUE

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012

19

“Sorry, I can’t... I have Logue.”

IHSA Sectiona

ois University

ls- Roosevelt U

stern Illin IHSA State- Ea

IHSA State

niversity

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Joe Brottman - 1st in Editorial Cartooning Elizabeth Davies - 2nd in Broadcast News Writing Joyce Park - 2nd in Yearbook Copy Writing, 3rd in Advertising Justin Lanier - 3rd in Feature Photography Susan Szuch - 4th in Copy Editing Nick Palcheck - 5th in Info Graphics Fremd Journalism Team - 1st Overall

IHSA Sectionals

Joyce Park - 1st in Advertising, 3rd inYearbook Copy Writing Elizabeth Davies - 1st in Broadcast News Writing Susan Szuch - 1st in Copy Editing Justin Lanier - 1st in Feature Photography Nick Palcheck - 1st in Informational Graphics Will Shih - 2nd in Newspaper Design Joe Brottman - 3rd in Editorial Cartooning Carina Luk - 3rd in Review Writing Liz Amanieh - 4th in News Writing Katie Bora - 5th in Yearbook Layout

IJEA All-State Journalism Team

Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association (NISPA)

Columns Honorable Mention - Arjun Thakkar Editorials Honorable Mention - Will Shih Feature Writing Honorable Mention - Joyce Park and Pooja Parameshwar Graphics Honorable Mention - Joyce Park Photography Honorable Mention - Angela Marozza Sports Writing Honorable Mention - Jackson Mitzner and Amir Djavid Team In-Depth Honorable Mention - Rachel Tenuta, Rachel Simios, Kristen Lobo, Marissa Turner, Will Grubbe, Tatiana Onuskanich, Tori Boldt, Venus Fan Newspaper Gold Certificate - Viking Logue Newspaper Golden Eagle (Highest Honor) - Viking Logue

Quill and Scroll Society

National Winner in the Editorial Cartoon category - Joe Brottman National Winner in the General Columns category - Liz Amanieh National Winner in the General Columns category - Arjun Thakkar National Winner in the General Columns category - Pooja Parameshwar National Winner in the Review category - Amir Djavid

National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Honor Roll - Liz Amanieh

Will Shih

LOGUE SUPERLATIVES Most Likely to Injure Someone Through Hand Gestures Liz Amanieh

Most Likely to Bring Cute Cookies to Logue Susan Szuch

Most Likely to be a Masseuse 1. Amir Djavid 2. Will Shih

Most Likely to Get Deported Venus Fan

Most Careless Whisperer Jacob Rowden Most Adorable Logue Guest Kari Anderson Least Likely to Get in a Car Accident 1a. Pooja Parameshwar 1b. Joyce Park Most Likely to Carry Around her “Bebe” Carina Luk

Most Likely to Open Palatine Ink Joyce Park

A.

B.

Most Likely to Have Their Laugh Mistaken for a Medical Condition 1. Venus Fan 2. Pooja Parameshwar 3. Liz Amanieh Most Likely to Converse in Movie Quotes 1. Mr. Dawson 2. Mr. Anderson 3. Mr. Braverman

C.

D.

A. Venus and Liz are all smiles during layout week.

B. “G-Dawson” drives the D211 van in style.

C. Pooja and Joyce play around with Photobooth on deadline night.

D. Mr. Anderson and Kari spend quality father-daughter bonding time together outside the office.

E. Rachel crawls on all fours as she escapes the fortress that Justin and Nick built around her.

F. Jacob sports a new and improved look.

E.

F.

LOGUE SENIORS

20 Always willing to help with anything she can, Joyce has been an essential part of Logue as A&E Editor, Lead A&E Editor and Editor-in-Chief. Among Joyce’s countless roles on Logue, she has become the designated “Directioner,”“Belieber,” tattoo artist and quintessential optimist. Joyce brightens up the office with her laughter, spunk and photo shoots. The ingenuity and enthusiasm Joyce contributes to Logue is invaluable, truly making it an honor to work with her. The University of Illinois is lucky to have such an incredibly kindhearted, talented individual studying Economics at its school next year. Joyce has got that “One Thing” that makes us not mind staying “Up All Night” with her.

Viking Logue Friday, May 25, 2012 On a sluggish afternoon, Pooja’s infectious laugh—or rather, wheezing—turns everyone’s frowns upside down. Always dressed in a trendy outfit (even on Saturdays), this fashionista can dodge pictures and crank out last-minute articles, while refining her Spanish accent, making Jimmy John’s-Cheetos hors d’oeuvres and squirting editors with hand sanitizer. After a brutal round of edits, the editors know that the three-year Loguer can put them back in good spirits. Without “Chiefy,” Logue would lack the positive energy needed to run a topnotch newspaper. Next year, Pooja will be spreading her cheer on the UCLA campus, where she plans to study Psychology.

Logue Seniors are...

One would be hard-pressed to hear a “no” when asking Will if he’s heard of the latest scandal in pop culture. Will is prone to breaking into song, and it’s never a surprise to hear him belting out boy band tunes in shrill tones. As Logue’s DJ, he constantly keeps fresh beats bumping through the office.

This, combined with his natural charisma, helps to alleviate deadline-night stress. Next year, Will is taking his talents to Cambridge, Mass. as he heads to Harvard University.

Picture Perfect!

We all appreciate Amir for one reason or another, whether for his editing prowess or his quick wit. But when he’s not giving massages or encouraging Jacob’s obsession with “Careless Whisper,” you can find Amir finishing his latest sports article. With musical taste ranging from One Direction to Dance Gavin Dance, the smartest kid in school continues to keep us guessing. Amir’s genuine personality will help him find his place at Dartmouth College as he studies Biomedical Engineering.

Liz is always plugged in to a social network, finding out about the most recent school and celebrity news. Notorious for her “whispering” skills, she keeps everyone updated on the latest gossip. Although she’s usually explaining how Kim K. markets herself, Liz finds time to take charge of News. Her journalistic talent extends outside of Logue as a writer for the Chicago Tribune’s The Mash.

Liz will be studying Broadcast Journalism at the University of Illinois this coming fall.

Before you walk into the office, you better check if your clothes are clashing because resident fashion expert Carina will let you know. Most likely to be in room 120 listening to annoyingly catchy music with Joyce, Carina has stepped up and become Lead A&E in her first year as editor. Generally accepted as the most bro female editor, Carina is one of the guys.

Carina is headed to the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago to study Fashion Design.

“The Leader,” Jackson has been a Loguer throughout his high school career and always brings an edge to the Sports department. He has had a busy four years, juggling football and lacrosse, but “36”-ner always finds time for Logue. Make sure you call dibs on the last Jimmy John’s sandwich when he’s around. His work ethic is one in a million and will be missed in the Logue office.

Next year, Jackson is attending the University of Pittsburgh and majoring in Pre-Med.

If you walk past the office and hear someone suffocating, it’s just Venus laughing. Laughing at anything, she makes every editor feel like a comedian. If she’s not laughing, she’s eating. Her fellow editors are accustomed to her randomly pulling out a Chipotle salad bowl from her backpack. In between meals, she cranks out features articles like nobody’s business. Venus will be taking her fun size to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the fall to study Speech Pathology.

If you can’t find Jim, chances are he’s working on his next article. When he’s not writing, Jim is probably checking on the Hawks or Bulls game. It’s always great to have Jim around because when you ask him to do one assignment, he’ll do two. His subtle sense of humor and strong work ethic have made him an integral part of the Sports department. Next fall, Jim will be attending Harper College where he will begin studying to be a physical education teacher.

With the Logue making its online debut this year, the advisers and editors depend on Priya’s technological knowledge to post the latest articles, upload pictures and maintain the quality of our website. Although not frequently in the office, Priya’s benevolence and warm presence are always happily greeted by fellow editors. Her intelligence and resourcefulness will be missed by everyone next year. This fall, Priya will be majoring in Pre-Med at St. Louis University.

Known for obsessing over her favorite TV series, “White Collar,” or daydreaming about Matt Bomer, Aliya can be found in the office working with writers, laying out pages and editing articles. Although she has been known to sneak out of Logue to get Starbucks, as an A&E editor and three-year Loguer, she has made a positive contribution with her helpful nature. Aliya will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a major in Psychology.

When Neha’s not craving for late start days or Crunch bars, she’s working on layout for the next issue. With her limitless mental thesaurus, she always has the exact word ready.

Any questions about grammar or word replacements from A&E are directed to her. After a long Saturday in the office, Neha could be found rocking out to the Beatles or rapping along with Nicki Minaj in “Super Bass.”

Neha will be attending Drexel University next year to study Biomedical Engineering.