Issue 6 22-23

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PROSPECTOR

801 WEST KENSINGTON ROAD, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS

THE VOICE OF PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1959

VOLUME 62, ISSUE 6

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2023

VAPING EPIDEMIC

As vape companies continue their reign on high schoolers, students find themselves in a vicious cycle of addiction.

Vape

PJ O’GRADY companies Copy Editor

exploit teens with targeted marketing, results in addiction, health issues

PJ O’GRADY Copy Editor *name changed for confidentiality

A

s he took a breath into his vape, senior James Johnson* came to a startling realization: vaping felt like “nothing.”

After nearly three years of constantly feeding his habit of taking out his vape when bored or stressed, he had lost all pleasure from it.

This shocked Johnson; he has gone through six attempts to quit his vape addiction since then.

Each attempt has proved unsuccessful as the constant withdrawals, combined with his friends’ vape use, pulled him back into the cycle.

Consequently, he understands the addictive allure of his vapes — especially with the various

flavors like Apple, Mint and Menteacher Aaron Marnstein, much thol that cater to teens — no matof vaping’s popularity can be ter how much he wants to quit. accredited to the “stealth” as“[Vaping] was like a pect of e-cigarettes, burst of healing,” Johnson which makes it easier said. “Over time it became for students to vape in a habit. Whenever you’re school undetected. bored, it’s just kind of like, The smoke dissi‘Oh it’s there.’ It’s always in pates faster, and the your hand, and it’s really a smell is much easier to tough habit to break.” cover up as well.

One student Johnson is not alone in shares her family’s The smaller sizes his vaping addiction. In experience with and different shapes of 2022, about 14.1% percent nicotine addiction each product may also of high school students rehelp students hide their ported using electronic cigarettes vapes from school staff. in the last month, according to These factors, combined with the CDC. vape companies’ money-makWith the number of e-cigaing strategies, contribute to the rettes used by teenagers growing chokehold e-cigarettes have on by 1800 percent from 2011-19, it is many high schoolers. clear that vape companies have In fact, Marnstein compares established their throne over the marketing tactics for modern cigarette industry by catering to vapes to a basic imitation of cigteenagers; in fact, the CDC also arette companies back in their found that only 5 percent of high heyday. schoolers in 2020 had smoked a Much like the Joe Camel cigcigarette in the past 30 days. arette advertisements in the ’90s More locally, at Prospect, a — which led to a lawsuit for the bathroom on the first floor had utilization of Joe’s “cool” persoto close down due to large na with sunglasses and a tuxedo groups of students conto exude themes of happiness, gregating in the stalls. friendship and sexiness to lure School Resource Ofin teens. Vape companies employ ficer Lisa Schaps similar tactics, according to the explained that vaThe Addiction Prevention Coaliping is one of the tion. purposes of these Though these ads are “combathroom meetpletely different” from e-cigarette ups. According to businesses’ “intention” of provida Knightmedia ing a safer alternative to smoking survey of 195 stucigarettes, the results are largely dents, 12 percent the same. of students adIn fact, the Addiction Prevenmitted to using a tion Coalition found that 50 pervape in the past. cent of advertisements for vaping “I think it’s a displayed animations, and 32 perproblem at every cent had actors who were under single high school the age of 21. in the country,” Schaps said. “The vapSEE “VAPING” ON ing issue is everywhere.”

PAGE 2 According to health

12% OF PHS STUDENTS have vaped AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE*

*According to a KnightMedia survey of 195 students photo illustration by Bella Brouillette

art/photo by Artist

2 NEWS

APRIL 19, 2023

PROSPECTORNOW.COM

VAPING: Teens get smoked by nicotine industry CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Tobacco companies advertise to kids,” Marnstein said. “They couldn’t publicly say they’re advertising to kids, but in the courts [what] they figured out it was, ‘Hey, you’re drawing cartoons and things that kids like.’ The companies lose money if they don’t replace those [older] customers on the back end, which is kids.”

Johnson has seen this “replacement factor” firsthand: he watches his mother smoke cigarettes on a constant basis. He works tirelessly, through constant reminders of the damage of smoking, to talk his mom out of her tobacco addiction. However, Johnson can’t help but feel like a hypocrite considering that he himself vapes; while the vehicle in which the nicotine transmission occurs is different, the threads of addiction remain the same. Even still, Marnstein says that it’s much easier to get teenagers addicted than adults.

According to an article by surgeongeneral.gov, synapses, which form when memories or skills are learned, develop in kids at a much faster rate than adults. So, since “addiction is a form of learning,” teenagers develop addictions faster than adults do.

Since most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, it means another, stronger, wave of addictions for Gen Z: one JUUL pod (a popular vape brand) has an equivalent of about 20 cigarettes’ worth of nicotine. According to a statistic by MPOWER, an organization committed to reducing the spread of tobacco use, 66 percent of users who vape don’t know that e-cigarettes contain nicotine in their cartridges.

Even for those who do know the risks associated with vaping, like Johnson, the strong cravings of nicotine cause trouble for even the most aware of vape users.

“Yeah, I do know [it’s bad to vape],” Johnson said. “You always know it’s bad for you, but you never think that you would actually become addicted to it.”

The vape addiction became alarmingly clear for sophomore Rachel Gleason*, too. After being peer-pressured by her friends into trying it, she began purchasing

REPLACED: Joe Camel (left), a cool character created by Camel Cigarettes, was illegally advertised to teenagers until the company’s collapse in 1997 after many activists publicly attacked it. Similarly, vape companies like JUUL (right) employ tactics like using younger actors or actresses to lure in high school students. disposable vapes at a shop to fuel her habit. Initially, she was worried about getting caught, but she said the seller gave her the vapes right away without checking her age.

About a month later, Gleason realized the depth of her addiction when she found out how many times she hit her vape in a day. After her friends expressed their concern — it seemed like she was “vaping a little too much” — Gleason did the math and tallied up a whopping 200 hits on her vape on that day.

A huge part of vaping that hooks younger populations to use vape companies’ products is the surplus of flavors that e-cigarette companies provide. Flavors such as bubblegum, citrus, cherry and even creative ones like graham cracker or energy drink, all appeal to a younger demographic.

In fact, a study conducted by Truth Initiative, a nonprofit organization committed to preventing addictions to vape and smoke products, found that 43 percent of middle school and high school students started vaping because of all the attractive flavors.

Other than the good taste of v a -

How do I quit vaping when I’m addicted?

information from smokefree.gov

pes, the buzz associated with their (E-cigarette or Vaping Product-Use chemicals and a relative cure for boreAssociated Lung Injury), has resulted dom, there are no other positives to in 68 confirmed deaths in 29 different vaping according to Gleason. Both states and the District of Columbia.

Gleason and JohnAs a person who suffers from son said they asthma, Gleason says she nowere introticed her own respiratory sysduced to vaping by their friends, and Gleason said she vaped to also fit in since “everybody did it.”

All this va- - Lisa Schaps, School Resource Officer. ping, however, leads to unintended consequences. tem rapidly deteriorating as she start“Nic-sick,” a term used by vapers to ed getting out of breath more quickly describe a short-term illness caused by in her daily routine when she vaped. too much vaping, is one such negative Marnstein is also uneasy about the effect, according to Johnson. It usually unknown health effects that will come lasts from around two to 24 hours and after years of vaping. comes with nausea and an increased “The main negative effect [of vaheart rate. It’s not just a rare condition ping] is [that] they don’t know what either; Johnson says he’s gotten nicthe main negative effect is right sick plenty of times throughout his now,” Marnstein said. “… There’s not years of vaping. enough longitudinal research to deterAnother negative of e-cigarettes mine what the effects are. If you look is how taxing they are on the imat smoking there’s 30, 40, 50, 60 years mune system. Common effects of vaof research to show what the negative ping include headaches, coughing, a effects of smoking are.” dry throat, shortness of breath and With all the repercussions of vamouth or throat irritation. ping, Marnstein suggests that vaping In the long term, Marnis just another substance for students stein says that there to experiment with, especially for stu- have a reason to Quit and commit have been a number dents looking to cope with issues such - have strategies to prepare against of respiratory issues as stress, anxiety or depression. withdrawals linked to vaping, “A lot of times it could be curiosity, some of which a lot of times it could be that students - stay away from areas where others vape have resulted in are social with other students that do - Ask for help! hospitalizations. it, and they just want to know,” Marn- talk to a doctor or join a therapy group According to the stein said. “There will always be curi- Be around supportive people CDC, as of Feb. osity, there will always be experimen18, 2020, there have tation with alcohol and tobacco, drugs been 2,807 hospital and all that stuff. I think the hard part visits for vaping-related is that the real problem doesn’t start lung injuries. This pheuntil the student figures out what it nomenon, known as EVALI can do to them.”

Sophomore takes first in photo contest EMMA LETZIG Online Editor-in-Chief For 46 years, District 214 has showcased the artwork, talent and creativity of students in the District 214 Arts Unlimited Celebration.

A tradition started by Richard Calisch in 1976 has stuck around, proving the impact of the fine arts programs in District 214. The celebration had many categories and showed a variety of arts ranging from paintings, drawings, photos and dance.

Prospect sophomore Kate Kremer was the 2023 Photo Show Champion in the darkroom category. Her black and white photo of her stepsister was submitted, and was named the district’s best (see photo at right).

Unfortunately, due to a broken email at the time, Kremer wasn’t even aware that she had

won the award. When the news finally broke to her unexpectedly in her math class, she was quite excited (and a little embarrassed).

“All of a sudden, my math teacher during class … was like, ‘Hey, Kate. Congratulations!’ and I’m like, ‘CongratKATE KREMER ulations, for what?’” Kremer said. “[She] made everybody clap for me.”

Her teacher then informed her that she had won. Many of her friends and teachers continued to congratulate her in the days following the announcement.

“It was nice because then it made me feel cared about, honestly,” Kremer said. “[It was] heartwarming.”

CAPITALISM AT ITS WORST,”

Though vaping is costly from a health standpoint, it’s also expensive to the pocketbook, especially for teenagers. While it’s not nearly as costly as smoking cigarettes — which the government intentionally implemented a high sales tax on so that it would make them harder to buy for young populations — the average cost of JUUL pods is $20 per week or $1,008 in a year, according to the EX Program, which is a part of Truth Initiative’s organization.

Johnson estimated that he would spend about $20-22 on disposable vapes on a monthly or bi-weekly basis depending on the brand that he’d get.

He explained that he would usually buy Mr. Fog or Breeze depending on his mood.

For vaping to get eliminated in high schools, a flavor ban must happen, according to Schaps. Flavors are a big draw to teenagers, and she thinks a ban would result in much less interest.

In order to eliminate the spread of vaping in high schools and middle schools, Schaps explained that police departments are cracking down on e-cigarette sellers that distribute to younger kids; by issuing multiple citations, the government pushes lengthy fines on businesses, which can eventually lead to the closure of vape companies.

While vapes may seem like they are here to stay in high school, Schaps said if students and staff work together to oppose vaping, then it can decrease in popularity.

“I just think everybody needs to get involved,” Schaps said. “It can’t just be one [part of the system]. The school and athletes and police and teachers and parents, everybody needs to come at this … it can be done, we all just have to start doing the work.”

While it’s been a rocky road for Johnson and Gleason in regards to quitting their addiction, Gleason has been sober from vaping for about two months, while Johnson has been trying to quit for a while now with several unsuccessful efforts.

They both know all too well how addicted they were; Gleason suggests to ease the transition of quitting by switching to nicotine-free vapes in order to eliminate its addictive effects,while still having a less potent vape in case students need to fulfill that urge to breathe into one. Furthermore, Gleason joined an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in a family recovery center to end her substance abuse problem. Meeting twice a week in a therapy group with other recovering vapers, she found strength within their shared joy of being sober.

“Whenever I have the urge [to vape] I just distract myself with other fun things, and I just always remind myself how much better life is sober,” Gleason said.

With all the difficult information, or lack thereof, to navigate, Johnson and Gleason say that students should simply stay away from vapes.

“Don’t do it,” Johnson said. “It’s going to lead down a bad path. Even if you say you’re not going to become addicted, the first one you buy isn’t going to be your last. That is just simple; you’re going to buy another one and it’s going to be a cycle.”

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staff EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Kevin Lynch, Ella Mitchell MANAGING EDITOR Kaylie Pasternak COPY EDITORS Amanda Feinberg, PJ O’Grady, Zach Moreth ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emma Letzig KNIGHT TV EXEC PRODUCER Juliet Aquino KNIGHT TV ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Katherine Lytle KNIGHT TV LIVE EXEC PRODUCER Luis Hernandez PROSPECTOR EDITORS Sienna DeMonte, Mollie Kearns, Brooke Michalczyk, Claire Wynkoop KNIGHT TV DIRECTORS Tito Gavin, Matthew Niemczyk ONLINE EDITORS Dean Carlson SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Abby Damasky REPORTERS Louie Caldrone, Elijah Clesen, Nick Doherty, Dylan Heber, Henry Kauke, Amelia Maslowski, Peter Nicoll, Justin Peabody VISUAL EDITORS Bella Brouilette, Alyssa Degan ADVISER Jason Block

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The primary purpose of the Prospect High School Prospector is to report news and explain its meaning and significance to our readers and the community. We, The Prospector, hope to inform, entertain and provide an unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions. The Prospector is published by students in Multimedia Communications courses. Some material is courtesy of MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

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OPINION

APRIL 19, 2023

CONDEMNING

3

CENSORSHIP Staff Editorial As sophomore Em Pawlak read more and more stories — often visiting the public or Prospect library on a daily basis — a pattern seemed to emerge: romance, romance, everywhere. Every book they read across all age categories and genres seemed to force its male and female main characters into a romantic relationship, something that Pawlak says does not mirror real life — much less their own.

However, after reading Gabrielle Zevin’s “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow,” Pawlak finally found a book that featured the everlasting strands of platonic friendship. While this often-overlooked form of relationship might be underrepresented, Pawlak says that their ability to access a wide variety of media allowed them to discover these gratifying nuggets of their own life-truths.

“Once I started finding books or characters with struggles I could relate to, who had relationships like I do, … it made me feel a lot more seen in what I’m reading,” Pawlak said. “[That] is something everyone should be afforded to feel.”

Across the United States, young people’s ability to access this affirming feeling of representation is being squashed in largely partisan battles over what books, themes and school curricula are suitable for school-aged kids such as the debate over the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida and the anti-Critical Race Theory House Bill 3979 in Texas.

According to PEN America, in the last school year alone, there has been a 40 percent increase in the banning of books from public schools and libraries, totaling 2,532 different books removed from shelves; the vast majority of these books feature BIPOC and LGBTQ+ characters or discuss topics such as racism in America or sex education. In fact, 41 percent of banned books explicitly address LGBTQ+ themes or contain queer protagonists, and another 40 percent contain protagonists of color.

This censorship of minorities’ voices extends beyond the bookshelf. According to Senior Legal Council for the Student Press Law Center Mike Hiestand, parts of schools’ curriculum — including history lessons about slavery or the civil rights movements — have been tiptoed around, or in some cases, outright removed.

One particularly egregious example can be seen in a newly-censored Studies Weekly textbook; published in Florida, the lesson now refers to activist Rosa Parks as merely “a nice lady” — not an outspoken leader in the battle against segregation and racism in America.

“In the last few years we’ve seen this explosion of book challenges and [various groups] going after curriculum,” Hiestand said. “Can we really not talk about Rosa Parks anymore in this country?”

One main argument made to support such censorship hinges on the standard set by the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, which states that expression can only be limited in schools if it creates a material disruption to the classroom environment.

Examining the themes of the top 10 books banned during the 2021-22 school year high-

lights a pattern of what exactly constitutes a “disempathy in readers. ruption,” according to data compiled by CNN: This was the attitude of AP Language and “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe exComposition teacher Jill Corr, along with fellow plores gender identity and sexuality and was reAP Lang teachers Matt Love and Elizabeth Joinmoved from bookshelves on 41 separate instancer, when they reworked their literature unit last es; “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson school year to include more diverse voices. “Kinis a compilation of essays describing the author’s dred” by Octavia Butler, “Homegoing” by Yaa experiences growing up as a queer, Black kid in Gyasi and “American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins New Jersey and was removed 29 times; and “The extend the classes’ curriculum beyond works Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas follows a young written by “dead white guys,” according to Corr, adult navigating the loss of her friend due to poopening up students to new perspectives. lice brutality and was removed on 17 occasions.

“You might think you know a little someIt is clear that the only “disruption” these thing about a topic, but any good book is going books present to the classroom environment is to make you think a little differently about somethe expression of ideas, identities and perspecthing,” Corr said. “I won’t say it has to challenge tives that concerned parents all of your preconceived noor targeted conservative tions, but … hopefully you groups — like Moms For Licome away from it and be brary and Power2Parent — like, ‘Oh I hadn’t thought disagree with. about that.’”

“There is no First AmendWhether you yourself ment right to not be offendmust confront the realied,” Hiestand said. “ … Rety presented in books like ally, the only type of speech “The Hate U Give,” “Kinthat needs defending in the dred” or “Homegoing” in first place is speech that’s not your day-to-day life or not, particularly popular.” it is an indisputable fact that We, KnightMedia, conmany people in the United Voting results of the demn book banning or readStates face racism. Banning KnightMedia staff in er censorship in any form, books doesn’t erase that reespecially as it occurs across regards to this editorial. ality; instead, it invalidates the country with increasing a very real experience while impunity and a blatant contempt for the basic destroying a crucial learning opportunity. principles of both education and democracy.

There is even legal precedent that protects Whether through the vehicle of local, state the right of schools to possess books that give or national groups, the very concept of banning voice to these “uncomfortable” viewpoints: Hiebooks is inherently unjust as it attempts to restand cites the 1982 Supreme Court case Island strict others based on the preferences of those Trees School District v. Pico, which states that calling for bans. Not only does this restrict access students’ right to read is implied by the First to a diverse range of stories and perspectives, but Amendment and that libraries — even ones in it also transmits messages of discomfort and schools — are places for “voluntary inquiry,” intolerance to students of marginalized backmeaning that school boards do not have the right grounds and ultimately hampers schools’ ability to oversee their contents. to fulfill their primary goal: the pursuit of eduThe promotion of this inquiry into unfamiliar cation. and diverse topics is important, though further It is imperative that students learn to be action is needed to address the censorship cricurious, expose themselves sis currently at hand. Combating book banning to a range of perspectives and starts at a local level, which is why in February maintain the freedom to read of this year, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Gias they climb the educationannoulias proposed House Bill 2789, the Right to al ladder. Reading about hard Read Bill. The bill passed through committee on subjects might not be the most March 8 and will make its way to the full House comfortable of experiences, for consideration. but through this discomfort — If passed, it would go into effect on Jan. 1, paired with classroom conver2024 and tie state funding of public schools and sations and curriculum flexibillibraries to policies that explicitly prevent the ity — students can truly learn banning or restricting of access to books and to empathize and foster diverse other educational materials. connections.

Advocating at a grassroots level, reaching out While Pawlak understands to local representatives in support of legislation the discomfort that concerned parents may feel, like the “Right to Read Act” and engaging in they saw firsthand the educational and moral classroom conversations about diversity, howvalue that reading can have while reading “The ever inconsequential as it may seem, are small, Hate U Give” in middle school. positive strides in the right direction.

As a white kid growing up in the suburbs, “Having young people speak up and say, ‘This Pawlak says they felt an itching sensation of unis not right; this is not something that I’m willeasiness as blatant acts of racism unfolded. After ing to just look the other way on,’ is very, very reading, however, Pawlak expounded on that unimportant,” Hiestand said. “ … I think that they certain feeling by conducting research, reading don’t quite realize sometimes the impact that books with similar themes and confronting their their voices truly can have.” own biases.

With the proper tools, the issue of book ban“I did feel, quite frankly, uncomfortable,” ning can remain where both Hiestand and PawPawlak said. “But from that discomfort, I was lak agree it belongs: the past. like, ‘Why? Why does this make me uncomfort“Looking at those historical examples where able?’” they not only banned books but straight burned This is the key difference in attitude that prothem, it hasn’t ended well for them,” Pawlak ponents of book banning lack. Rather than crysaid. “Censorship doesn’t end well for anyone ing wolf at the very notion of discomfort, Pawlak involved: for those being censored or those doing believes that critically looking at books and the the censoring.” world that surrounds them can build bridges of

0

Against

22

For

2,532

books were banned in the 2021-22 school year, according to pen America

”The Hate U Give”

”Cemetery Boys”

”Becoming”

”Out Of Darkness”

”Homegoing”

This book is regularly banned due to race-based themes, profanity and explicit content.

Though often cited to be banned for alcohol, profanity and Satanism, the most obvious reason for this book’s banning is its inclusion of queer and trans characters.

Texas parents pushed for this biography to be banned because it “unfairly” portrayed former president Trump as a “bully.”

Following the love story of a Mexican-American girl and a Black boy, this novel was at the recieving end of complaints revolving around violence, racism and sexually explicit content.

Said to have too blunt of a description of slavery’s legacy in America, it is banned because of violence and brutality.

”Pet” Challenged and often banned because of LGBTQ+ themes and ideas of sexuality, parents wanted to “protect” children from ideas of abuse.

4 OPINION

APRIL 19, 2023

PROSPECTORNOW.COM

Swearing: $@!% yes #&$;@ no?

Profanity proves beneficial despite situational strife

W

ading through the shallow end of the Pioneer Park pool on a beautiful summer afternoon, I felt content as I soaked in the sunshine and cool breeze while keeping tabs on the handful of elementary schoolers that I was supervising in my job as a park district camp counselor.

With only a few kids left in the pool, I used the break from the typical chaos to take a nice deep breath of fresh air, finally having a moment to myself KEVIN for the first time in hours.

Suddenly, LYNCH without any warning whatsoever, I felt a cold, slimy sensation rub down the middle of my back, rudely disrupting any semblance of inner peace that I had cultivated. I jumped, undergoing a full-body flinch as I whipped around while exclaiming the first — and only — thing that jumped into my mind: “What the ****??”

As it turns out, the six inches of water that I was standing in did not contain a touchy-feely sea beast, nor was I being attacked by any other type of overly moist assailant; when I turned around, all I saw was one solitary camper standing with a hurt expression on his face after having attempted to surprise me with a poorly-timed, wet back rub.

“You swore at me!” was all he said before running off, the betrayal in his voice wounding me more than any tentacled monster ever could.

Afterwards, my supervisor was fortunately understanding of the incident, though no workplace punishment could be worse than the guilt I felt from making a fool of myself at the expense of a young campers’ feelings.

Sure, I may have fallen victim to the lamest sneak attack in history, but the fact of the matter is that everyone knows that you don’t swear around little kids — even little kids themselves.

But then again, why not?

I mean, sure, there are some *cough* sex *cough, cough* topics that most kids shouldn’t be learning about at such a young age, but at the end of the day, what’s really separating one cluster of syllables from another?

In fact, while some of swearing’s current greatest hits might evoke the oft-shunned topics of fornication or human waste products, according to language service Phrasee, back in the Middle Ages, the topics of sex and what-goes-inthe-toilet weren’t nearly as taboo.

Back then, the worst things that you could blurt out after accidentally stubbing your toe in your suit of armor came in the form of religious blasphemy such as “by God’s bones,” and “by Christ’s fingernails,” phrases that, while pretty tame by today’s standards, would surely have you thrown into the nearest dungeon a couple centuries ago.

In contrast, words like “swive” — the medieval equivalent to the f-bomb — were tossed around on a practically casual level.

Around the 18th and 19th centuries, however, these offhand references to deity’s vertebrae became replaced with the more familiar potty language we know and love today.

Those on the tamer end of the spectrum

@* $

42.3% # OF PROSPECT STUDENTS SWEAR 10+ TIMES PER DAY

ing guillotine of Society’s Wrath™ (which would make an excellent hot sauce flavor name, by the way) can be a large determiner of whether your word choice is met with “hell yeah’s” or “to hell with you’s.”

Don’t let the latter option dissuade you, though; in fact, it’s been found that swearing in socially appropriate scenarios can have positive benefits, namely relieving stress and increasing one’s pain tolerance, according to Psychology Today.

Beyond this, it can also help with emotional connection and bonding by allowing you to have the shared experience of saying a no-no word.

I’m not trying to be the fun police and rain on everyone’s profanity parade; if anything, my rain is more directed towards moistening up the dry, crusty vocabulary of people who don’t swear. After all, swearing is practically human nature. Even if you were the most sanctimonious and clean-mouthed individual on the planet and I asked you to swear on your mama’s life that you had never once sworn, then congrats: I just tricked you into doing it anyway.

At the same time, words, as silly as they may often seem, matter a great deal. While you might think your favorite cuss is the f-bomb-dot-com, others might not agree, and it’s never worth tossing away the chance to form a connection just so you can be the resident cool guy for a clause or two.

That kid I accidentally swore at during camp that day thankfully didn’t try to ambush me again, but he sure as *heck* didn’t go out of his way to interact with me again either. Getting your mouth washed out with soap might not be the de facto response for profane language anymore, but I’m hard-pressed to think of something that tasted worse than the feeling in my gut that day.

Swearing can be stress-relieving, cathartic and just plain fun. I’m not advocating for full-on potty-mouth anarchy, especially in specific scenarios, but there’s no harm in living on the wild side of the dictionary, either.

Because god forbid we let the ******* clown-*** ignoramuses of the world go unpunished.

53.3%

!

!

tempt at edginess. These weak excuses for a “disslowly grew (similarly to Christ’s fingernails, apruption” do point towards a larger societal issue, parently) out of style, like the arguably less cenhowever: simply put, kids these days just don’t sorable “bloody” or “doggone it” while the more know when to shut the (insert swear explicitly sexual ones remained. word of choice) up.

Thus, much of the nuance of cussWith the advent of computers, ing comes down to context; resmartphones and, the biggie, social megardless of whether you dia, youngsters nowadays can connect think that uttering with millions of people at once from all a profanity is corners of the globe, allowing them total going to end you anonymity in everything that they say up in h-e-double(cue flashbacks hockey-sticks, it to 10,000 difdoesn’t take a lot ferent middle of street smarts to school anti-cyrealize that a busiberbullying asness interview semblies). probably isn’t I’ve seen the best place myself fall to whip out the into this trap launch codes countless for an f-bomb. times. Sure, I AP Governmay feel the urge to call ment and Politics teacher Tim Beishir agrees someone on Twitter a with this sentiment, and he often holds his own string of obscenities students to a higher standard in the classroom (usually with a “clown” than he might elsewhere when it comes to lanor “ignoramus” or two in guage. there for good measure) He says that a high school’s right to reprifor daring to argue that mand students for swearing stems from the “The Lego Batman Movie” desire to shield students — who are primarily is anything besides a 10/10 minors — from obscene material, as well as to masterpiece, but I would never free classrooms from major disruptions, as essay those things to them in person; tablished by the Supreme Court’s ruling in the I would simply avoid them at all costs. case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent CommuBecause of the unspoken complexity between nity School District. communication on/offline, Beishir believes that “If one of my freshmen said some schools’ and teachers’ efforts to maintain cuss word, some sexually exan environment that encourages proplicit word, some anatomically fessional social interaction are an descriptive word, it’s going to invaluable tool in correcting disrupt the classroom envimisguided behaviors in sturonment; now I have to deal dents, even if for just eight with that,” Beishir said. hours per day.

“So I think you’re going to “Any interpersonal come into that [situation] skills that we can be where your speech helping is positive is going to be cenbecause … there’s sored, almost not actually just more for its content, but to learn now,” mostly because Beishir said. “You of the disruphave this whole tion it’s going to other world cause.” where you have In my exto learn those perience, that rules, [and] I disruption think that’s is typically come at the exa minor one; pense of some worst- case of the direct inscenario, everyone *according to a KnightMedia survey of 199 students terpersonal skills.” misses a few seconds While it might not sound too important to of class time because they’re too busy rolling the everyday flippant f-bomber, the ever-loomtheir eyes at some self-described bad boy’s at-

* & @ $?@

?

#*

FLIP-FLOP: While social stigmas surrounding swearing may be ingrained in society, research shows that the cathartic benefits of swearing can be equally important. Balancing both is key to a healthy lifestyle and can make you happier overall. Much ******* happier. (cartoon by Emily DePaz)

*&

OF PHS STUDENTS* PICKED A FOUR-LETTER WORD FOR FORNICATION AS THEIR FAVORITE SWEAR

25.1%

PICKED A FOURLETTER WORD FOR HUMAN EXCREMENT AS THEIR FAVORITE*

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OPINION

APRIL 19, 2023

What the font?

Font choice furthers story, accessibility

Editor-in-Chief

FONT FIT: Selecting the perfect font is like curating the ideal outfit: based on vibes and, naturally, an ordeal. Each font — no matter the style — conveys a message and has its own personality. (cartoon by Emily DePaz) Style (the font this is written in), you can see the points sticking out of the “I” and “L,” differentiating the two from each other. However, with fonts like Arial (the basic b of fonts) or Calibri (which I always read as Kalahari in my head), no such feet exist. Essentially, they look like flavorless sticks, devoid of a purpose or personality.

While serifs often add clarity and pizazz, they prove to be problematic for those with visual impairments, dyslexia or users of Screen Reader or Optical Character Recognition technology. I’m a Times New Roman gworlie to my core, but I have to tip my hat to the State Department for this thoughtful move.

Believe it or not, thinking (in this case, font-centric thinking) isn’t limited to the government … we can all do it! That’s right, for the low, low price of your brain energy, you too can crack open that cerebral cortex (not literally) and be aware of your font-ish decisions.

Graphic Arts teacher Andre Poisson says that many students inside and out *according to a of his class KnightMedia choose fonts survey of 209 kids on a whim.

In some cases, he says, kids finagle the font of their essay to make its length expand from one and a half pages to a full two.

While this method does follow Poisson’s golden font rule — spacing — the time used perusing the optimal space-wasting font could actually be used to help further the point being made.

While it might not largely apply to essay fonts, Poisson says the most important factors to consider when choosing a font are, “What are you using it for?” and “Does this font work with that message?”

“I think it’s a personal feeling,” Poisson said. “It’s a personal feel of what you want to portray and what you want it to look like.”

Think of choosing a font like scouring your closet for the perfect outfit. In this case, the closet is font site DaFonts.com, and your outfit is the font that will best fit the vibe you’re going for.

Walk to your closet, and open up the door. Springtime. What do you think of? April showers bring May flowers. Maybe some florals or ruffles. Definitely pastels.

Great. Now how does that translate to a font? Many font sites,

What is Prospect’s favorite font?

4% C alibr i

14% A r ial 1 C a 6% mb r ia

Dyslexia shifts learning, life ELLA MITCHELL

T

eeth gritted and nails imprinting mini crescent moons onto my palms, my rage was as swift as a coursing river. I was on the verge of tearing the head off of my weighted cheetah and letting his insides fly out in scattered tufts of beads and stuffing. Picture the red I’m-alwaysangry-RAWR dude from “Inside Out” and his head exploding into smithereens. Now, put that level of anger on cocaine.

I was peeved.

Enraged.

D e e p l y, d e e p l y, aggravated.

Why was my b l o o d ELLA pressure MITCHELL skyrocketing so Editor-in-Chief s i g n i f i c a nt ly, you might ask? No, Mars didn’t redesign the M&M’s again. And no, I did not lose the other mirror to my 2003 Honda Civic. The infraction at hand was somehow worse.

Glowing on the screen in my AP Spanish class was Comic Sans.

Sans. In all of its round, Play-Doh-y nastiness.

I have never wanted a rabid squirrel to gouge my eyeballs out more.

I know, I know: “Relax, it’s only Comic Sans.”

Sans.” But no, it’s not only Comic Sans.

Sans. You’re telling me that when working on their project, some poor pupil opened their Google presentation, wrote out their talking points and then changed the default font from Arial (gag) to Comic Sans (a crime against humanity)? Be so for real.

But really, who the font actually cares a b o u t fonts?

W e l l , Steve Jobs t hought f o n t s were cool, started Co 14 mi % Apple and cs got rich. an After all, s inspiration g lea ne d from a c a l l ig ra phy course is the reason MacBook computers provide users with a wide variety of fonts to choose from. If the multibillion dollar legacy of The Font Man himself isn’t convincing enough, the U.S. government cares, too.

Beginning on Feb. 6, the U.S. State Department shifted their official font from Times New Roman to Calibri, citing accessibility. (SEE “Dyslexia shifts learning, life”).

That’s right, the Times (New Roman) are a-changin’.

At first glance, these two fonts appear to be somewhat similar: they are both body text-esque. Simply put, in the food chain of fonts, larger fonts and headlines (the lions of the font jungle) draw the eye first, and the body text is the farm-fresh fodder that elaborates information-wise. Instead, the key difference between Times New Roman and Calibri fonts is, well, toes.

No, not your fleshy phalanges, serifs: the lil feet situated at the edges of a chosen font. For example, when typing Ill. in Iowan Old

5

36% New es n Tim oma R

16% e ag Aver

including DaFonts.com, allow for can’t unsee it. users to search through various “[Fonts] play [a role] in [our] evcategories that fit with certain eryday lives,” Poisson said. “I don’t themes, like calligraphy or retro. think you realize how much you see Using these headers as a jumpthem until you start to talk about ing-off point, mix and match the them. The more people get exposed different combinations until you and realize they have different opfind one that works. tions, it becomes so much easier.”

S ome Now, I’m not times you’ll saying that the have to try common person on different should be ready fonts for size, to play Name checking That Font! at a them out in moment’s nothe mirror as tice; however, it Bebas neue vs. casual cursive you go. Some doesn’t mean that work, and fonts shouldn’t others end at the very least up on the top cross your mind. of the Mount So, next time Everest-esque heap of clothing in you create another Google Slides the middle of your bedroom floor. presentation — whether it’s for a It’s OK though; it’s all part of the presentation night where you are process. ranking your friends’ chances of Utilizing color theory — like getting killed in the Hunger Games yellow evoking excitement or blue or simply conjugating verbs for a creating calm waves of serenity — Spanish project — take a moment can be the perfect accessory to your and think about the font choice. font fit, too. (SEE “Matching colors Beyond the preset Arial (the font and emotions”) equivalent of eating a wet cracker), Once the whole ensemble is aswhat is your presentation about? sembled — main font, secondary How could the title slides be emfonts, embellishments and all — bellished with a fun font or colors? it’s time to strut your stuff. That’s There’s a font and a vibe for all right, proudly present your font situations; or, in extreme situacreation with the same confidence tions, you can use Adobe Illustraof Gigi Hadid on the New York runtor to create your own font. Each way. advertisement, presentation, hell, While it is very possible to go even essay, has a vibe that it’s gowrong (cough, cough, Comic Sans ing for: let it sparkle with your font and Papyrus Papyrus), ), as long as the fonts choice. aren’t too distracting or atrociously But please, for the love of god, bold and curvy, then the combinadon’t use Comic Sans.

Sans. I have far tions are widely flexible. A blend better places to direct my anger of serif and non-serif and some (looking at you, people who eyeballed nuggets of personal taste rawdawg-chomp on will do the trick; at the end of the KitKats without day, the goal is for the fonts to share breaking your story, and only you know if it’s them). time to say yes to the dress.

Once you put a droplet of thought into the font realm, you can’t help but see them everywhere: grocery stores, the internet or in-poor-taste Spanish presentations.

A few weeks ago, for example, while visiting Tapa Tapa in Barcelona to eat, well, tapas, I couldn’t help but take notice of the menu: plates of papas bravas and pan con tomate were scripted in Bebas Neue.

Neue.

That’s the font that Netflix uses (though they finesse and customize it a skosh for their logo), and one of the many fonts that I recognized from our newspaper layouts.

Yes, I received some side eye for knowing that (note to self: recognizing different fonts is not a fun party trick), but it’s like looking at Colonel Sanders and wondering why his bowtie actually looks like a disproportionate stick figure: once you see it, you

Same logo, different font

NETFLIX

Sophomore Lily Cogan was nestled in the living room of her old house in 2012, watching TV when Bella Thorne’s voice rang through the speakers: “My name is Bella Thorne, and this the story of the time that I found out I had dyslexia.”

She wondered about having dyslexia as she listened to the story of the “Shake It Up!” star, but she didn’t think about the commercial much beyond that — that is, until the summer of fifth grade.

Around this time, Cogan began to notice that she was struggling to read at the same level as her peers. Though she didn’t completely understand what was happening at the time, Cogan was tested for dyslexia. In a span of four hours, she was assessed based on ease of sounding out common words and nonsensical phrases.

“I knew something wasn’t right because I was having a hard time,” Cogan said. “I [was] like, ‘I hope we find something so I can be normal; I want to be able to read like everyone else.’”

When she finally received a diagnosis of dyslexia, Cogan thought back to Thorne’s commercial as the pieces fell into place.

“It made me feel better that a celebrity was going through it,” Cogan said. “It’s always nice knowing like, ‘Oh, you’re not the only one going through this.’ I loved [Thorne]. It was nice seeing someone that you adore have something that you have also.”

Cogan believes that representation of dyslexic teenagers — like Thorne in her commercial — is vital to normalizing it. Dyslexia largely impacts a person’s ability to read, write and spell, and about 14 percent of the school-aged population nationwide are diagnosed with the learning disorder, according to the International Dyslexia Association.

In tandem with representation, accessibility for those with visual disabilities is imperative.

This is why, starting on Feb. 6, the U.S. State Department’s domestic offices, bureaus and posts overseas will change their typeface from Times New Roman to Calibri. The size of the font is yet to be determined, but it is likely to be between 14 and 16-point, according to David Berman, who privately advises on accessibility.

The State Department has used Times New Roman since February of 2004; however, the decorative, angular serifs (or the little feet on many of the letters) of the classic font impede accessibility for readers with visual impairments, dyslexia, learning differences or those who use a Screen Reader or Optical Character Recognition technology.

Calibri, on the other hand, is Microsoft’s default font. This modern, sans serif font boasts subtle rounding on stems and corners, and it’s spacing lends itself for a less jumbled read.

Though Cogan doesn’t notice major problems with fonts — with the exception of calligraphy and cursives — she believes that these strides are important to help afford people equal access and opportunity for learning.

Read the full story ON Prospectornow.com

MATCHING COLORS AND EMOTIONS

6 IN-DEPTH

APRIL 19, 2023

PROSPECTORNOW.COM

reducing, reusing,

sustainable choices prove easy, accessible

they can be easily purchased on Amazon or at Target.

“We don’t realize the small things that we can be doing,” Rosin said. “As a society we are so used to the way Copy Editor things are that we don’t make a change, even if it’s a simple one.” n her high school Honors Biology class, Shelby RosPicking up trash in Busse Woods is one such thing that in remembers her teacher showing an image of a junior Freya Sirois often participates in to make a change. bird cut open with various pieces of plastic in its Sirois, who joined Environmental Club her freshman year stomach ranging from bottle caps to miniature toys. Seeand is now one of two leaders alongside senior Maggie ing the photo triggered a sense of responsibility in Rosin, McGarry, works to reduce her impact on the environment and years later, as an honors and regular-level Biology and in her daily life.

Oceanography teacher, she makes it a point to educate Environmental Club works with Forest Preserves of students about the dangers of single-use plastics and the Cook County to coordinate weekend dates in which stuharm that comes from polluting the environment. dents can sign up to clean the Busse Woods’ trails. The “That’s all us … we’re littering, we’re putting things trips are usually two hours long, and Sirois says she often in the ocean,” Rosin said. “I want [to] make a difference goes to these activities along with her friends to make a because there are defenseless animals. They don’t know deeper impact. what they’re eating or what they’re doing.”

“If we can empower other people in the community to About 10 million metric tons of plastic waste enter work towards goals, then [our efforts] will make all the the ocean each year and harm marine life, according to difference,” Sirois said. the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Sirois’ passion for the environment came from those (NIEHS). These plastics break down into microplastics around her, especially her parents. By surrounding herself and toxic metals that are ingested by fish and then passed with people who enjoy spending time outside, Sirois beonto seafood-consuming humans, according to NIEHS. gan developing a greater awareness of environmental isOnce in the body, these chemicals can potentially lead to sues. Her parents’ emphasis on recycling in conjunction cancer, chronic inflammation or other unknown effects, with reading news about the recently approved Willow according to WebMD. Project worked to fuel her growing passion.

Humans’ contributions to climate change, such as the “The more that the public and civilians realize how burning of fossil fuels, accounts for over 75 percent of serious of an issue [climate change] is, the more people global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 percent of are going to start protesting against things like the Willow carbon dioxide emissions. These gasses trap the Earth’s Project,” Sirois said. outgoing energy, which increases the heat in the atmoSteps to aid the climate crisis are being taken every sphere, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection day; however, there are significant setbacks appearing in Agency (EPA). politics: most recently, the Willow Project. The project This process is commonly known as the greenhouse efcontains plans by ConocoPhillips, a petroleum refinery fect, and it is essential for keeping the planet warm enough company, to extract 600 million barrels of oil from Alasfor life to exist; however, when temperatures become too ka’s North Slope and was approved on March 13 by the high, it can lead to intense heat waves. As a result, ice Biden administration after being previously approved by caps melt, which increases ocean acidity and creates a detthe Trump administration in 2020. rimental environment for marine life.

The Biden administration estimates Another underlying cause of these isthat the project will produce enough oil sues is more simple than most people to release 9.2 million metric tons might think: cows. AP Environof carbon pollution into the atmental Science teacher Kurt mosphere, thus enhancing Trenkle began his career as the greenhouse effect and an environmental consulwarming of the planet, actant, often dealing with cording to CNN. soil and groundwater Due to the maspollution, and transisive amounts of oil tioned into teaching AP being extracted, the Environmental Science project will decrease 21 years ago due to his American dependence background and interest on foreign energy supin the topic. plies and deliver $8-17 Through his experibillion in revenue for ences combating polluthe federal government tion, Trenkle believes that while also potentially one of the biggest contribcreating 2,500 construc*according to a Knight Media utors to climate change is tion jobs and around 300 survey of 209 students methane emissions from meat long-term jobs, according to consumption; a single cow proConocoPhillips. duces 154 to 264 pounds of methane While Rosin sees the bene— a greenhouse gas — per year, accordfits of creating jobs, she also expresses ing to the EPA. concern that these issues, such as the WilAlthough becoming vegan or vegetarian would be a low Project, are often so wrapped up into politics to major lifestyle shift for most people, there are multiple the point that society forgets about the environment itself. ways to aid the environment that do not require a signifi“There’s never going to be all positives or all negcant lifestyle change, such as recycling, reducing water use atives,” Rosin said. “I feel like we’re so shortsighted in and educating oneself on environmental issues. terms of what we’re doing to the planet and we’re so foPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, every year in Occused on the here and now and what affects us personally, tober, Trenkle and his AP Environmental Science class … and I think that that’s where our downfall is going to would take a trip to the Stillman Nature Center in South be.”

Barrington. During their visit, he and his students would An important part of making environmentally conwalk through the prairie and collect seeds to study. Trenscious decisions, according to Trenkle, is voting for pokle believes that these interactions — ones between hulitical candidates who have a clear energy policy that the mans and the Earth — are among the biggest catalysts for voter agrees with. Although enacting change on a larger environmental appreciation. scale takes time, Trenkle suggests writing letters and mak“The connection to the land is important,” Trenkle ing phone calls to those in local offices and urging them to said. “That’s the thing we’re missing … you have to find take action on climate issues as another way to implement the connection to the land and … see your place in the change. grand scheme of things.”

“Once you get physically connected to the world … you Trenkle has confidence that the experiences on these hear about what’s changing,” Trenkle said. “That’s how trips will inspire his students to make eco-conscious deciyou get to the big picture from the little picture.” sions, ones that are both attainable and easy.

The little picture, Sirois believes, starts with advocatThe most realistic way students can aid the crisis, acing on social media platforms such as Instagram. Repostcording to both Trenkle and Rosin, is by reducing their use ing factual information on social media accounts about of single-use plastics such as straws or plastic bags. issues pertaining to the environment, such as the Willow Rosin implements these changes in her own life by Project, can help spread awareness. bringing reusable bags to the grocery store instead of opt“It starts with the younger generation … taking a ing for a single-use plastic bag. The average cost of a restand, putting our foot down and saying, ‘No this is not usable bag is $0.99 to $3, according to RediBagUSA, and going to continue,’” Rosin said.

AMANDA FEINBERG

I

% 0 9

of students* believe that environmental issues are important

PROBLEMS: Major environmental issues such as greenhouse gasses in the atmoshpere, plastic pollution and fast fashion are facing the new generation; however, accessible solutions are presenting themselves. “We don’t realize the small things we can be doing,” said biology teacher Shelby Rosin.

Conserving: the good, b JUSTIN PEABODY Features Reporter

ating an avera Dumpsters.com In addition Club, sponsore advocates for c mental issues, Earlier this Busse Woods, c “There’s a l bit into the wo blows in.”

As the club when recyclin years, recyclin forefront of the Sirois says most packing peanuts canno ties and conse contaminating In light of th lection drive la aging material ported to speci of recycling th According success and st sponse. Schoo parents and st azon delivery

Junior Freya Sirois frequently notices large amounts of mixed garbage in the cafeteria, though she acknowledges that during lunch periods, recycling is difficult to manage due to large numbers of students disposing waste in the same bins.

Assistant Principal for Student Activities Frank Mirandola agrees. As a result of students’ penchant for disposing of non-recyclable waste in recycling bins, very few materials from the cafeteria are ever recycled. Custodians make an effort to separate recycling from the garbage, but the presence of too much garbage forces them to discard all the waste as trash.

As a result, the waste generated from the cafeteria due to improper recycling can be a serious detriment to the environment.

According to EarthShare.com, every year, US schools produce about 530,000 tons of food waste alone. “[Recycling] seems like an issue that gets swept under the rug,” Sirois said.

Fortunately, some eco-friendly measures exist within the school. According to Mirandola, each classroom possesses a blue or green recycling bin covered in a clear bag and a yellow garbage bin covered in a black bag. These, as well as the blue bins in the commons, are the only bins from which recycling is actually collected because waste is easier to manage in these less crowded environments.

After school hours, the recyclables that can be salvaged from classrooms are collected by custodial staff and transferred to two dumpsters in the school’s loading dock, separate from a third dumpster that is reserved strictly for garbage.

According to Day Master Custodian Jerry Jorzak, the dumpsters’ contents are then collected by Waste Management Inc, a national recycling and garbage collection company. After that, the waste is transported to one of the company’s sorting facilities, where the recycling is meticulously organized and separated.

While these measures are helpful, Mirandola cautions that they are only impactful if all students and staff make a conscientious effort to properly utilize them.

“Recycling and conservation is a collective responsibility that requires all stakeholders to have the mutual * according to a Knight Media survey of 209 students interest at heart,” Mirandola said.

On the whole, the majority’s current recycling behaviors are causing 139.6 million tons of waste to throw some not recyclable? to end up in U.S. landfills every year, with each American gener-

81.3% of students* actively rec

PROSPECTORNOW.COM

APRIL 19, 2023

, recycling

cartoon by Emily DePaz

bad, ugly and foreseeable future

age of 4.9 pounds of garbage per day, according to m. n to custodial efforts, the school’s Environmental ed by physics teacher Michael Higdon, frequently change and works to raise awareness of environsuch as recycling, on a local scale. s year, the club traveled to the forest preserves of clearing the natural areas of litter. lot of trash out there,” Higdon said. “Walk a little oods, and you’d be surprised to find what the wind

b sees it, this sort of litter is exactly what happens ng is neglected. Even in past ng has always been at the e club’s efforts. that despite common beliefs, materials such as packing ot be recycled in local faciliequently end up in landfills, g the rest of the recycling. his, the club organized a colast year in which used packls were gathered and transific facilities that are capable hem. to Higdon, the drive was a tirred a large community reol administration, teachers, tudents donated enough Ambags and boxes, plastic bags and packing peanuts to fill a large refrigerator.

“One of the most important things that can be accomplished is … stressing the importance of little things and each person making small decisions to translate into a broader picture,” Sirois said.

To educate the school about ecological issues, the members of Environmental Club frequently research issues such as recycling and raise awareness about their findings through informational posters to advise students and staff on personal decisions they can make to improve the environment.

Not only does the club work to inspire others to recycle, its members also strive to make eco-friendly choices themselves.

“The idea of recycling is an automats ic thought that happens to us … if we’re about ething away, we think: ‘OK, is it recyclable or is it ?’” Higdon said. “That’s just the kind of people we

cycle

are … we are a small subsection of very strong-biased people.”

Higdon realizes that, despite the various ways the club has promoted recycling, its impact is minuscule on the scale of the entire district’s waste production. However, Sirois says the club’s ultimate goal is not to change the policies of large entities but rather to inspire changes at the grassroots level, starting with the decisions that are within everyday citizens’ control.

A good way that students and staff can help continually improve the school’s recycling, Higdon believes, is by learning which types of materials are truly recyclable and which are not.

Avoiding reliance on false information or common myths is key.

For instance, Sirois says most people assume that any item with a recycling symbol on it is recyclable. In reality, the numbers inside the symbol are what should be considered.

Furthermore, many people instinctively believe that if they are unsure whether an item is recyclable, it should be recycled anyway. Higdon says that not only can recycling garbage contaminate the rest of the recycled material, it also forces workers at recycling plants to meticulously sort the garbage from the recycling, ultimately slowing down the process.

Thus, he strongly recommends discarding items in the trash if people are not entirely sure what is recyclable; if they are certain, they should take advantage of opportunities to recycle.

While Sirois agrees that plastics should be recycled as much as possible, she believes the greater focus should be on reducing plastic consumption to begin with. According to Recycle Track Systems, if current plastic consumption trends continue, the amount of plastic in the ocean will outweigh the biomass of fish by the year 2050.

Fortunately, there are many easy ways to prevent this problem from worsening by replacing plastics with more eco-friendly options. Paper straws, reusable water bottles and reusable grocery bags are all practical alternatives to single-use plastics that would otherwise pollute the oceans, according to Princeton University.

In addition to people’s individual daily actions, Sirois believes Prospect can implement other small measures to increase recycling. She notes that soda bottles are recyclable, but only if they are rinsed out first. She thinks it would be beneficial for the cafeteria to implement a cleaning station or faucet where bottles can be rinsed out to avoid contamination.

Mirandola emphasizes that the cleanliness of our community and planet must be seriously considered by all students, staff and administrators for there to be noticeable effects; a few people’s eco-friendly decisions are not enough to make a dent. While these small actions may not be significant on their own, however, they are still crucial because they add up to larger outcomes.

“Anyone in the building has the power to create change, has the power to be influential,” Mirandola said.

SCAN HERE TO READ ABOUT THE NEW HAND DRYERS

IN-DEPTH

7

Greenwashing away youth consumers

Settling down on my couch after port towards fast fashion companies school, my friend and I were ready and keep more clothes out of the to shop online for spring break and dumpster. According to the National summer clothes. It was March 20 Institute of Standards and Technolo— peak spring break season — and gy, only about 15% of used clothes in we were ready to piece together our the U.S. get reused. I bet that at least wardrobes for the warm weather half of all of the discarded clothes ahead. The two of us always make have potential, and I would love Pinterest boards to save cute, new to go through all those mounds of items for each season, knowing we trashed wardrobes and cut and sew would most likemy heart away. ly not find any It is possible to find the products that are balance between conveboth affordable nience and care towards and of decent our environment, despite quality. #TheSthe technological advances truggleIsReal. that have made it possible Yeah. I kinda to produce large quantities feel irresponof products and distribute sible with my them globally over the past fashion choicfew decades.

BROOKE es. I mean, that These advances have MICHALCZYK afternoon was allowed fashion to become a prime exammore affordable: any item Executive ple. So, I startof clothing you see at main ed doing some brand stores can be found Opinion Editor research on the as a replica on Shein’s brands that I have ordered from in website. All it takes is a couple of the past, including Shein, Zara, Urclicks to participate in the fast fashban Outfitters, Garage and Amazon. ion cycle. So why would a broke It’s disappointing to say, but it turns high school student in search of a out that Shein and Zara are two of trendy wardrobe choose to buy from the biggest contributors to global anywhere else? pollution in the fashion industry.

According to Time Magazine, I’ve watched the clothes I’ve seen Zara — the world’s largest clothing on runways appear almost instantly retailer — produces around 500 new in Zara’s front window, so I guess I designs each week. This means that can’t say I’m shocked by this news. in total, they create 450 million gar“Fast fashion” is a term used to ments a year. This cycle has an undescribe the production of clothing intended consequence: the company and accessories that are designed leaves about 6.3 million tons of carand manufactured quickly and inexbon dioxide in its trail per year. pensively to meet the ever-changing In 2012, Zara promised their demands of consumers. customers that they were going to As most avid online shoppers take action towards creating a more know (myself included), the price sustainable system of production. and quality spectrums for new They pledged not only to remove all clothes is all over the place. A white “hazardous” materials from their tank top from Urban Outfitters can production cycle by 2020 by incorpobe about $40, whereas a similar lookrating eco-friendly collections. ing white tank top from Zara is less Fast forward to present day: it is than $5.

2023 and Zara has not kept its word.

Junior and shopping enthusiast Sadly, this is not an uncommon Hannah Salzmann can attest to the occurrence. Brands all over the difficulty of deciding which clothing world twist the truth behind their companies are worth her money. production, and this deception was Having purchased items from both dubbed greenwashing (or green high-end designers and cheaper, sheen). According to Earth.com, lower-quality websites like Shein, greenwashing occurs when a comshe still struggles to decide which is pany or organization spends more worth the investment. time and money on marketing them“I’ve shopped from brands that selves as being sustainable than on are mindful of the environment, but actually minimizing their environit’s hard to spend so much money mental impact. on something that you know you Volkswagen, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, could be getting for half the price,” Starbucks, IKEA, H&M, Zara and Salzmann said. many major banks are just a few exFabletics and Patagonia are two amples of companies that have pubenvironmentally-conscious brands lically been accused of these actions.

Salzmann mentioned, with PataLooking back to 2018, Starbucks gonia being one of the best you can released a “straw-less lid” with the find. Although they are a great altarget of sustainability. Yet, the ternative to many damaging athletnew lid design required more manic brands, they do not offer a wide ufacturing and plastic than the oldrange of clothing (only fitness based straw-and-lid-combo did. In 2020, products). Additionally, they do not Coca Cola was ranked the world’s offer affordable choices. Browsing number one plastic polluter. This through their website you will find prompted the company to say they that one of their cheapest pieces of would switch many of their bottles clothing they sell is a hat… for $49. to recycled materials by 2030. Soon Physics teacher and environafter, environmental organization mentalist Michelle Tantillo has noEarth Island Institute filed a lawsuit ticed through her years of teaching for falsely advertising that Coca-Cothat many clothing trends come and la is sustainable and eco-friendly. go, with some even reminding her of We must hold the companies the clothes she used to wear in high we know and love accountable. We school. Therefore, Tantillo believes must also stay educated on the prothat upcycling, thrifting and digging cesses and materials used to manuthrough your parents’ attic may be facture the items we buy. There are one of the best alternatives to purso many amazing companies out chasing fast fashion. there working against fast fashion “There’s a lot of pieces of fashion and alternatives to purchasing from that have looped back a few times in untrustworthy brands; that is where my lifetime; right now I see the ‘90s our focus and support should be. inspired look coming back,” TantilThis summer I recommend golo said. “… We don’t have to just go ing through old, worn out items. out and buy things.”

Cutting things up, sewing things Some examples of this include together, getting crafty with your flare-legged jeans, oversized band wardrobe and finding thrift stores tees and flannels. If more people can instead of constantly giving into fast start buying second-hand clothes, fashion. This is just a wake up call: we can decrease the amount of supour habits are destructive.

8 FEATURES

PROSPECTORNOW.COM

APRIL 19, 2023

Stressed about finding ‘the dress’

Quest for perfect prom outfit often misunderstood SIENNA DEMONTE Exec. Features Editor

A

fter an hour of waiting at the popular Gipper Prom store in Crystal Lake, junior Nina McGee was taken into a fitting room by one of the staff members. Once she got into the room, she noticed that the dresses hanging neatly on the black and gold hooks were not the dresses she selected on the floor.

Confused, McGee looked at the staff member and asked “Are you sure this is the right room? I didn’t pick any of these dresses.”

The staff member told McGee that all the dresses she had chosen were already claimed by Prospect students; therefore, they could not sell the same dress to her to insure no repeats on prom night.

Before dress shopping herself, McGee thought that the rule made complete sense; But now, after waiting for an hour and being denied all the dresses she liked, the rule didn’t seem so great anymore.

“I personally won’t be upset if someone else at prom wears the same dress as me as long as I am not taking pictures with them, but I understand that some people may be upset,” McGee said. “It’s not a big deal because everyone deserves to feel pretty in a dress they love, and if someone else has the same love for the dress, then that’s that.”

To McGee, prom is a magical tradition, and with the dance quickly approaching on May 6, McGee and many of her friends are starting the scramble to find the perfect dress. It may seem like a simple task, but when trying to find a flattering style in the perfect color within a set budget, the search for a prom dress can be stressful for some.

A c c o r d i ng to terrycosta. com, most girls take three to

K

LOCAL places to find ‘the dress’:

o Wh ws o n

PRETTY IN PINK: When searching for the perfect prom dress, price, location and availability make the buying process difficult for the average teen girl. “What people don’t see is the unspoken pressure for girls to have a perfect dress for prom night,” junior Nina McGee said. (photo by Alyssa Degan) four months to search for their dress.

McGee and her mom drove about three hours in search of her dress and spent six hours in total looking for dresses in store and online. She finally bought her dress from a shop in Worth called That Girl Boutique.

Although there may be a variety of prom dresses on the market, McGee believes finding a specific style of dress that is currently “in” for prom while also making sure it is in a material, color, length and pattern that is perfect for her was tricky. McGee went to That Girl Boutique hoping to find a unique dress that fit her needs after her Gipper experience. She was determined to “say yes to the dress,” and since she was not finding it in the limited stores nearby, she was willing to drive a bit farther to find it.

“It may not seem like a big deal to a lot of people and I understand that, but what people don’t see is the unspoken pressure for girls to have a perfect dress for prom night,” McGee said.

“I know girls who have been shopping since December to find a dress for prom, and although I didn’t go that full out, I still wanted to do the best I could to find my dress.”

Another factor used to combat the prom twin “issue” is PHS’ prom Facebook prom page used for girls to share their dresses. By posting their dress to the page for one to see, members ensure that no one has the same dress. This year’s Facebook page creator, senior Catherine Fogarty, started the page in early January with hopes of

That Girl Boutique, Worth

On average, girls spend

$900 - 1000 on prom*

Peaches Boutique, Chicago

Senior Anthony Landsnes The Boyfriend

Senior Kate Riesing The Sub Subject ject

B

Y et to u er?

ensuring unique dresses and bringing exciteblue floor-length sparkly dress at Gipper Prom, ment for the girls attending this year’s prom; she knew she found her perfect match. When this year’s Facebook page has over 220 members. she arrived at Gipper, Lanza put her name, “Prom is a big grade, school and size on event, so it is definitethe sheet of paper secured ly important for some on the clipboard handed people, and you never to her and started to jot know who might really down the numbers of the value having their own dresses hanging on the dress,” said Fogarty. racks surrounding her Fogarty explains that caught her eye. After that only having three about an hour she was takdress shops in the area en into a fitting room with to choose from has the dresses she selected. made it difficult to enAfter Lanza found “the sure the dress is one no one,” she snapped a quick one else has seen. She picture and sent it to the belives that since most Prospect prom Facebook of the dresses are simpage. She proceeded to ilar, people understand purchase the dress and if someone shows up was felt about her unique *According to Amarra.com with the same dress; and beautiful dress. everyone is usually re“We do all these things spectful, even if it may bother them. such as giving the dress store the name of our Fogarty found her royal blue sparkle-adorned school, posting on socials, and sending our dress at Gipper Prom and spent around two dresses to the Facebook page to prevent twinhours in total shopping. The most important ning,” Lanza said. “If it wasn’t important, [then] factor in her search was confidence and comfort. no one would do it but we all do because no one Since there will be hours of dancing and eating, wants to have their perfect dress be someone ensuring her dress is not uncomfortable was imelse’s perfect dress. You only get two proms, so portant for Fogarty. of course you do what you do to make it the best When junior Maggie Lanza stepped into a it can be.”

Senior Maia Johnson The Best Friend

Anthony

Iced vanillia latte

Silver

Netflix

P

P

Starbucks order?

Silver or gold girlie?

Disney+ or Netflix?

Silver

Netflix

Chunky

Mango dragonfruit refresher

Chunky

Iced blonde vanillia latte

Silver

Disney+

Smooth

P Who is better at golf?

Anthony

Kate

Gipper Prom, Crystal lake

David’s bridal, schaumburg

Chunky or smooth peanut butter?

P

P

W I N N E R

X

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ENTERTAINMENT

APRIL 19, 2023

9

cartoon

by Bella Brouilette

Eras Tour achieves ‘Wildest Dreams’ MOLLIE KEARNS

Executive News Editor

C

urrent junior Via Reed can pinpoint the exact moment she became a Taylor Swift fan: she has clear memories of watching the “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story” music videos religiously, which her parents broadcasted on the TV for her and her younger brother in their home.

Even though she enjoys listening to Swift while driving or doing homework, Reed has been counting down the days until she can hear her favorite songs live, especially those from her favorite album “folklore,” namely “August” and “The Last Great American Dynasty.” Reed has purchased tickets to attend Swift’s The Eras Tour, which is coming to Soldier Field on June 2-4.

“I’m known for liking two things: Dr. Pepper and Taylor Swift,” Reed said. “Her music means a lot to me and it’s gotten me through some hard times. You put it on and you have someone you feel like you can relate to, even though you don’t know Taylor Swift.”

The Eras Tour started on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona and will end on Aug. 9 in Los Angeles, spanning 52 days. At each performance, Swift performs a total of 44 songs for more than three hours, highlighting each “era” of her discography.

“Each of the eras are so defined in her growing up — her style, her music choice, her love life, her relationships with other people — it’s all encapsulating,” Reed said. “I think because we grew up with each of her eras … we grew up with her.”

Although the Eras Tour is a celebration for “Swifties,” or her fans of all ages, Swift has a deeper message behind the scenes: she hopes to journey through each of the eras displayed in her 10 albums, as stated on her Instagram.

Swift’s setlist consists of songs from each of her eras, each blocked into sections to spotlight music from her older albums like “Speak Now,” released in 2010, to her pandemic releases like “evermore” and “folklore.” Each section of the show also includes a costume change, featuring small details significant to each era, from her signature “1989” sparkles to the romantic aesthetic of “Lover.”

A Swiftie at heart, Reed is looking forward to experiencing her first concert with her mom, who has learned to love Swift due to Reed’s constant listening to the artist. With her mom’s favorite song being “Willow,” Reed was thrilled to share with her mom that she would be able to hear her favorite song live once she knew that it was a part of the set list.

“I’m really excited to experience this with my mom because she knows how much I love Taylor Swift,” Reed said. “I’ve gotten her into Taylor as well by making her listen to her on car rides.”

While Swift has had the ability to form personal connections, like that between Reed and her mom, she has also proven time and time again that she is one of the most dominant forces in the music industry, often being referred to as “The Music Industry” by her fans. This can be seen following the release of her newest album, “Midnights,” this past October; according to Guinness World Records, “Midnights” was the most streamed album on Spotify within a 24hour span, reaching 184.6 million streams and

breaking two additional records as well.

Despite her success, Swift has faced her fair share of struggles, most notably with rapper Kanye West at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) where he interrupted her acceptance speech for Best Video by a Female Artist. West stormed the stage and infamously said, “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish. But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”

Other artists called out West for his behavior, but Swift also faced a handful of backlash.

Yolanda Sangweni, a writer for Essence, claimed that Swift played the victim in the situation and contributed to racial stereotypes of “the innocent white girl” and contributed to making Kanye look like a “supposedly menacing black man.”

The feud has been ongoing, and resurfaced in 2016 when West released his song Famous, asserting that he made Swift famous because of the VMAs incident, and included suggestive footage of her in the accompanying music video without her consent, according to Vox. In her 2020 documentary “Miss Americana,” Swift further revealed her struggle with the media and how she disappeared from the spotlight in 2016 because of this intense public criticism.

Despite the obstacles she faced, Swift pulled through this dark time and entered her infamous “Reputation” era, which addressed how she had been portrayed by the media.

Music teacher and fan of Swift since the pandemic Jennifer Troiano believes that Swift’s true strength was most evident in times of criticism; Swift had public fallouts with Katy Perry and Nicki Manaj, was involved in a court case against radio DJ David Mueller after he sexually assaulted her and condemned Donald Trump for his leadership while in office, according to The Guardian.

“She’s done a lot of things that people thought would ruin her career, but she [stayed true to herself] anyway, and it didn’t,” Troiano said. “That’s a tribute to the people who follow her.”

Additionally, in her “Miss Americana” documentary, Swift shared stories of times she has been torn down because of her body, like when being told she was not “skinny enough” on red carpets or on stage, forcing herself to not eat because of how she had been picked apart.

“I think [her eating disorder is] something that could be talked about more since so many young people, especially girls, struggle with that,” senior Hannah Lifton said.

More recently, Swift has begun re-recording her original albums, such as “Fearless” and “Red,” after her split from Scooter Braun and Big Machine Records. Swift is taking this spin on her old works so she can own her music, as Braun acquired Big Machine’s assets in 2019. According to Glamour, Big Machine Records sold the master recordings of her first six albums to Braun, who sold them to an investment group after Swift began re-recording her old music. Swift was not made aware of the initial deal until the news broke to the public.

As Swift said in an interview with Jimmy Fallon in 2021, any song with “(Taylor’s Version)” attached to the title means she owns it. This not only gives her rights to each track, but allows her to regain all of the hard work she put into songwriting and performing early in her career.

“People don’t really understand,” Reed said.

“They think it’s some cash crop, but … the whole point of it is getting the rights to her old songs

back because it is her music. I think re-recordin 2018 and $10,000 to a 16-year-old fan battling ing it is such a powermove; her doing it is taking stage four osteosarcoma to help cover hefty medback the power and taking back her own accomical bills in 2019. In 2020, Swift reached out to plishments in her career.” some of her fans via social media who were most Even with negativity that has persisted in her impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. career, Swift has persevered, and the Eras Tour is While Swift is an artist that many look up the culmination of the hardship and success she to, Troiano believes that there is often too much went through. The fans are an integral part pressure on Swift to be a glorified idol. As with of this success and celmany other Hollywood ebration, backing and celebrities, Troiano feels supporting Swift in that Swift is too often put her darkest tribulaunder a microscope for her tions; many fans feel actions and is expected to that Swift has been be perfect, whereas Troiathis person for them no simply enjoys her music in return. in her Jeep.

Lifton, who ini“I don’t think it’s tially began lisalways good to look tening to Swift at people in the because she felt limelight because left out by the they’re not normal; people who they’re not like knew all the us,” Trioano said. lyrics to her “… I don’t think songs, has it’s fair to put that quickly bemuch pressure on come obsessed people; she’s just a with her murecording artist who sic, particularhas a great talent, but ly with albums she should be allowed such as “Lover” and to live her life and make “Reputation.” Lifton mistakes for what they feels that Swift’s music are.” can fit any occasion, and Even with this pressure, her stretch across multiSwift has expanded her platple genres is proof of her *According to a KnightMedia form beyond music to discuss talent. political issues: she endorsed survey of 163 students “I listen to Taylor Swift Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in in the car on the way to [badminton] practice the 2020 presidential election, spoke out and games, and we listen to it at practice to get against Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn energy up since it’s feel-good music,” Lifton said. in the Tennessee midterm elections and has ad“If you’re just having a bad day and you’re not vocated for LGBTQ+ rights. According to NBC in the mood to listen to happy music, she has News, in 2019 she donated $113,000 to the Ten[sadder] songs; there’s always something of hers nessee Equality Project to counter anti-LGBTQ I can listen to for whatever mood I’m in.” bills within the state and to Gay & Lesbian AlliBoth Lifton and Reed appreciate the way Swift ance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an advocacy has interacted with her fanbase over the course group. of her career, showing the extent to which she As she continued to be a strong role model values the Swifties’ support. This can be seen in throughout the course of her career, the Eras her music, where Swift continuously hides clues, Tour is a way for Swift and her fans to dance or Easter eggs, for her fans to uncover. In an inaround stadiums nationwide in outfits nodding terview with Entertainment Weekly, Swift said to points in her career while sharing in the vast that she has “trained” her fans to look for the impact she has had on the music industry. hints she drops in regards to album releases or “She does her own thing; you can tell she’s make theories about how her songs intertwine. bothered by what people think of her, but she Swift has connected with her fans in creative still does what she feels is right,” Troiano said. ways, but on numerous occasions she has also “She’s constantly creating and putting herself helped them out financially. According to Billout there, and that’s a really vulnerable place to board, she donated $10,000 to an eight-year-old be. I think she’s writing the soundtrack for our boy with autism to help pay for his service dog generation, and that’s pretty amazing.”

what is phs’ favorite taylor swift album?*

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ENTERTAINMENT

10

Game over for your wallet Microtransactions convince users to spend needlessly

D

oes anyone remember “Skylanders?”

It was a video game quite popular during the early to mid-2010s; popular enough to spark an entirely new, albeit shortlived, genre of games. The whole appeal of the concept was that each playable character in the game was a physical figurine you had to buy from a store: in my case, the Target five minutes from my house.

It has mostly been forgotten, remembered only as a distant memory of something to play with friends. But to me, it is a constant reminder just how much of a sucker I was as a pre-teen. I was the exact type of person Activision, the company behind “Skylanders,” was trying to reach.

Got my weekly allowance?

“Skylanders.”

Birthday money?

“Skylanders.”

MICROTRANSACTION ACTION: Games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 encourage players to purchase Presents under the Christmas tree?

You will never believe it: different in-game currencies and items, even after their full $60-$100 price tags (photo by Abby Damasky) “Skylanders.”

My feral obsession with these overpriced pull of the game’s shop. To spend just a little bit life, I can’t help but laugh at my past self who so least, try to expand your scope of which games plastic toys reached the point where I had a plasare available to you. on a cosmetic or new weapon, whether that was willingly spent so much money on a free game. tic bin large enough for my sister and I to sit in the desire to get a cooler looking weapon or to And thankfully for my ego, I’m not the only perIndependent game studios have steadily bejust to hold all the characters I collected. And make my character wear more stylish gear. son to have delved into the world of microtranscome a greater presence within the industry. And even then, I barely managed to fit them all. actions. besides the more up-front benefits of a cheaper Granted this was years ago, I’ve felt the same Granted, this was a long time “I spent like $80 in Fortnite,” junior Jimmy price (an average of $15 as opposed to a $60-70 pull from other games I play as well, ago. I no longer spend ludicrous Cammarata said. “It would’ve been better if I price tag), these games allow players to support “Darktide” and “Vermintide 2” being amounts of my money on “Skylanda small development team as well as strengthenthe most recent examples. So I asked just burned the money.” ers.” However, new forms of these Cammarata later admitted that he didn’t even ing those studios’ presence. And because most myself: why did I almost immediatepredatory monetization practices of these studios’ games — referred to as indie ly feel the urge to spend money on play the game that frequently. have arisen since the early 2010s, Another strategy employed is the utilization games — are a risk to make as they have much something that’s free? the time when Skylanders dominatTo break it down into smaller of the fear of missing out (commonly referred to less of an established following than, say, Actived my bank account, that focus on as FOMO). ision or Electronic Arts, implementing a model chunks, I feel it would be best to exthe same goal: to take as much of A popularized method of utilizing FOMO has like microtransactions in their game is usually plain the goal of most video game deyour money as possible. useless or downright velopers. Since this medium is a form most likely manipulated their It’s a name I’m sure most have at harmful because of their of entertainment, video games rely emotions to a degree, a comthe very least heard of: microtransbination of the meticuloussmaller player count. almost solely upon the consumers’ actions. Simply put, microtransacly-crafted trap of FOMO and My goal isn’t to antagemotions to sell their product. How ALEX tions are video game items (such as players’ feeling of inferiority to onize the AAA market of does it make you feel when you play?

BONNETTE How do you like the setting? Do you others. upgrades and decorations) that regames. That would be quire real-life money to obtain. And, And, unfortunately, smallhypocritical, as well as Staff Writer feel connected with other players? given just how opulent the clothing er children are affected the an outright lie.

Are the characters entertaining? And industry is, it’s an easy assumption most by these strategies.

If a game with microso forth. to make that these in-game purchases have the According to the New York transactions is fun, then Because of this, the commercial practice of potential to single-handedly make a game a commore power to you. Enjoy microtransactions also pulls at the emotions of Post, in 2020, a six year old mercial success. And unfortunately, it didn’t take the consumer. What if you played a round and spent over $16,000 on the the game. long for major gaming industries (shortened to saw someone with a really appealing cosmetic? free mobile game “Sonic But if you feel yourAAA) to utilize this trend.

Forces: Speed Battle.” self being pulled towards Or a colorful weapon design? These encounters according to businessofapps.com Take “Call of Duty: Mobile,” a “free” game are a part of the strategy. Consumers tend to feel But that’s not to say spending just a little bit on the Apple Store. It serves as a standalone tiadults aren’t also affected. Acof money, remember that left out, or in a way, inferior to those with nictle to the rest of the extremely successful “Call er-looking items. And surprise, surprise, these cording to the New York Post , in 2022, Youtuber there are other games out there who don’t ask of Duty” (COD) franchise, but it still managed nicer items all cost money. jtisallbusiness spent over $100,000 dollars on that much of you. to earn $1.5 billion despite being free-to-play.

I can’t express how much I wish I knew about I’ve even fallen for this in recent memory. I loot boxes (randomly generated items of varying When I saw it while browsing new apps to play usefulness) in Diablo Immortal, another mobile the treasure trove of cheaper games earlier on in think I’ve spent a little under $100 on new charduring a road trip, I thought, “What’s to lose?” game. life. I especially wish my 10-year-old self knew acters and skins in a game called “Warframe,” and downloaded it, despite never having owned and I haven’t played it in nearly a year at this So what’s the solution? about that as he put his fourth Skylander in the a COD game in my life. But even then, I felt the point. Whenever I think back to that era of my Play less mass-market games. Or, at the very shopping cart.

79%

of gaming apps include in app purchases

Big screen goes black for movie theaters; tradition gets lost During a college visit in Carbondale last summer, my dad and I decided to take a detour to one of the local AMC theaters to watch Jordan Peele’s new movie, “Nope.” As we entered the theater, we were hit with a strong odor of adhesive glue stemming from decayed floors, the scent blown over to us by three whirring industrial fans.

The theater was entirely empty, or so ETHAN we thought.

We took STONE our seats Staff Writer near the front of the theater, and not long after, I heard a scuffle from behind us. I turned my head back to the top row and caught a glimpse of a person, roughly my age of 17, his head peaked above a row of seats.

Frightened, he ducked down and out of sight. Minutes passed without sight of the teen, but as the opening trailers began he shuffled down the stairs towards the exit… along with two girls.

Just like the theater in Carbondale, it’s been no secret that, for many years

AMC-YA LATER: Schaumburg AMC Theater, among others, is facing declining business due to increased popularity of video streaming (photo by Alyssa Degan) now, movie theaters have been struggling with not only a decline in quality and the attention of people, but with a decrease in sales as well.

According to Variety, in 2021, 61 percent of US adults did not visit a movie theater, a historical high, and the North American box office made $4.5 billion, down from the 2019, preCOVID, total of $11.4 billion.

And with competition from large chains as well as streaming services, local theaters have been hit the hardest. As reported by Gallup, over a quarter of local theaters have remained closed since the COVID shutdown of

March 2020.

“When you watch it in a theater, you have more of a social aspect; especially with movies like ‘Avengers: Endgame, everyone’s experiencing it for the first time together,’” filmmaker and movie buff Abby Wilson said. “It was an experience I will never forget.”

Even though theaters create a unique experience for moviegoers, I do not think owners should use COVID-19 as an excuse for poor attendance and continue to invest in theaters.

Even before the pandemic, theaters had been struggling. Surveys

conducted by Gallup showed from the years 2001 to 2007, the average U.S. adult watched 4.8 movies in a theater per year, while in 2021, the average U.S. adult watched 1.4 and a 2022 Forbes survey showed 55 percent of people aren’t interested in going to theaters anymore, even post-COVID. Movie theaters typically only get 40 percent of the domestic box office, with their secondary source of income being concessions; but, if nobody is going to theaters, neither are an effective source of income. Couple this with the cost of running a theater increasing due to inflation and a shortage of wide releases, theaters have been forced to raise the price of tickets, and now movie theaters have become less economically viable for both the workers and the consumers involved, especially when there is a cheaper option.

According to Ad Week, at the end of 2022, Disney’s trifecta of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ reached 235 million subscribers, 61 million more than the previous year’s total, and with other services like HBO Max and Netflix available, there is a catalog of thousands of movies that can be accessed at almost any time.

The prices of these service’s basic plans range from $10.99 (for Disney+) and $15.99 (for HBO Max) per month, while a single ticket to see James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” at the local AMC Randhurst location

costs $16.09, not including concessions, parking and travel costs.

Seeing a movie in theaters has become a luxury that less and less people can afford, but theaters have no choice but to raise the prices because there are so many other factors involved in running a brick and mortar business.

Meanwhile, the extent of a streaming service’s responsibility is to make you sit down on your couch.

I, like many other self-proclaimed moviegoers, are guilty of sacrificing the theater experience for the convenience and cost of streaming services, even when I know a particular movie is a “must see” in theaters like Joseph Kosinki’s most recent blockbuster, “Top Gun: Maverick” I really hope movie theaters exist to some extent throughout the rest of my life.

As a person who wants to be a filmmaker, movies play a huge role in my life, and I will always cherish the memories I have of movie theaters, but nearly 200,000 theater owners and workers risking their livelihood by investing their time and money into a dying business so strangers like me could have their “experience” is not something I would ever want.

On Jan. 12, the Pickwick held a screening of Victor Fleming’s “Gone with the Wind” as a final farewell to the world. The title suggests a grim future for movie theaters, but it may be for the better.

PROSPECTORNOW.COM

SPORTS

APRIL 19, 2023

11

Teenage sports betting ‘hits the fan’

*name changed for confidentiality he Sacramento Kings were at the Utah Jazz on Jan. 3. A teenage sports bettor, senior Jon Jones* watched anxiously for the outcome of his sixth leg of a parlay bet on Kings’ power forward Domantas Sabonis; he needed Sabonis to score over 20.5 points to win the parlay. Sabonise finished the game with 21, winning Jones $545.19.

“My heart was pounding; it was my third sixleg I hit in a day,” Jones said. “I was astounded by the fact that I made over $500 without getting off my couch.”

Sports bettors can place wagers on a number of different sporting events such as football, basketball, horse racing, cricket, tennis and more. The two main kinds of bets placed online are parlays and moneyline, according to Jones.

A parlay is a cumulative series of bets in which winnings accruing from each transaction are used as a stake for a further bet. For example, by doing a three-leg parlay, a bettor gets better odds for winning more money, however, if they only hit two out of three legs, they won’t get any money. A moneyline bet, on the other hand, is a bet placed on the total outcome of a game.

The amount of money won depends on the odds offered by the bookmaker or betting site, as

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OF ADULTS in the u.s. made a sports bet at least once in their life According to PlayToday.co

Information from Pew Research Center

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Sports Reporter

to say ) % 5 1 .

4% vs e past year 2 ( n e om th s han w me form in t y l e ik o ort l s e p n i r o s s ort n re m Men a ve bet on sp y o ths e n a mo 2 mon they h t e e b ast 1 v a y h the l e h t in say mily s a t dul s or f a of iend % 5 1 h fr on NBA wit games, though they say they now watch athletic competition differently after becoming bettors.

“I can’t enjoy sports the same way when I’m betting,” Smith said. “When I used to watch, I was just a fan, but now I kind of feel like an investor.” Jones feels the same, even in spite of his monetary success.

“I started because watching sports was fun, but after getting into the money, I just watch to see if my picks hit,” Jones said. “Sometimes when my picks are too close, I have to turn the TV off.”

Jones dedicates time to his sports betting by staying up through hours of the night looking at the likelihood a pick will hit.

“I kept looking at the likelihood that picks were going to hit and even branched out [from] the NBA,” Jones said. “I started placing bets on foreign leagues. I stayed up till 5 a.m. to watch my Australian basketball picks.”

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ELIJAH CLESEN

well as the size of the wager placed. Sports betting can be done in various forms, including online betting and in-person betting at a sportsbook building.

For teenagers like Jones and senior Ben Smith*, online betting is the easiest way to bet and the method that they use most commonly.

In June of 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 690 into law, legalizing sports betting in the state and allowed for both in-person and online sports betting. Licensed sportsbook buildings have now been operating in the state since 2020.

There are still certain restrictions and regulations that apply; for example, the minimum age for betting is 21, though this number can be lowered to 18 through betting with offshore online sportsbooks. Under Illinois law, offshore online sports betting is illegal.

Jones believes that he has been highly successful, with an over-100 percent increase in earnings from money placed on bets. Smith, on the other hand, “sucks at making picks” and has had losses greater than $200 for one day’s bets spread between many different money lines and parlays.

Jones gained an interest in sports betting w h e n his cousin asked h i m s o m e quest i o n s about w h a t bets he should place. After that, Jones was given access to his cousin’s account and began betting over winter break.

Smith began betting in a similar fashion; he wasn’t going to be able to work over the holidays, so he tried sports betting to see if he could make some extra money. Both mainly bet small parlays

19 mo % of ne U.S yo .a n s du po lts rts sa in y th so ey me h wa ave 56% y in be of ad th t u fact el that lts say th as spor e y hav t ts

Stress, scrutiny follow short term financial success

After winter break, Jones’ luck ran out, as he didn’t have as much free time to analyze his picks. Even when he did, he says he was still unlucky. After all his experience with betting, Jones has learned one main lesson.

“It’s all luck; no matter how much time I spent analyzing and choosing, it was luck,” Jones said. “You can’t predict the future, who is going to have a great game or who is going to have a bad one.”

Building key coach & athlete bonds CLAIRE WYNKOOP Exec. Sports Editor Freshman Sabrina Faraci knew her role on the freshmen girls’ basketball team: point guard. This position is the one who makes play calls, brings the ball up the court and leads the team on and off the court, which Faraci handled with ease on the B team.

However, midway through her season, Faraci was pulled to the side by coach Raymond Collins. He told her, rather unceremoniously, that she was going to be “playing up” on the A team that day.

Faraci excitedly got dressed in anticipation of the game. As she was preparing to step onto the court, freshman girls basketball coach Katherine Miles tapped her on the shoulder, offering reassuring words.“[Coach Miles] was just like, ‘You deserved this,’” Faraci said. “She was very supportive of me and was very proud of me that I was finally able to play on the higher level team … it felt really nice that she showed she cared about me.”

For many athletes, good coaches are the cornerstone of their love for the sport, and the support system that coaches are able to provide can be invaluable for individual success.

Senior offensive lineman Jack Berman, who has been able to create a strong relationship with his football and track and field coach Jeff Collier, has found that a good coach is not only there for athletes on the field, but beyond as well. Faraci and Berman say that their coaches have fulfilled this role — they’ve felt supported in every aspect of their life, not just the game.

While Berman recognizes that the support he’s received comes from his entire coaching staff, he says that Collier was a major reason that he was able to continue working and growing as a player after road bumps, injuries and challenges. Collier’s support has also shown him what a team environment is supposed to look like.

When he met with the football coaches from the U.S. Navy, Berman recalls taking note of the kind and respectful way they spoke to him and the other people around him; he says the way he was coached in high school has helped him recognize not only the traits that make good coaches, but good leaders as well.

“A big reason for moving on to this next step was the coaches and how they reacted towards me,” Berman said.

Faraci also knows that the leadership Miles took with the team from the very beginning was what allowed the pair to get along so well.

“I remember meeting her in summer camp

and thinking like, ‘[I] can click with her,’” Faraci said. “It’s just easier to relate to her.”

As this is only Miles’ first year coaching for Prospect, she was initially worried about having the time to build meaningful relationships with her players; however, she found that by being herself and allowing her athletes to play and have fun created a great environment for team building.

Miles says that her players took it from there.

Faraci found herself loving the team environment and, more importantly, building a relationship with Miles. Faraci feels that she and Miles are similar, both in terms of personality and the way they think about the game, and Miles couldn’t agree more.

“I see a lot of myself in Sabrina,” Miles said.

“Her work ethic, the way she just gets along with everybody, she loves to push herself and her teammates … she made it easy to build a good relationship throughout the season.”

Having good relationships between coaches and athletes ultimately leads to strong team chemistry and future success. While many people believe that it is a coach’s direction or a player’s skill that makes a great team, Berman, Collier and Faraci all believe that a coach’s ability to form and maintain relationships builds the foundation for successful teams.

“When both a coach and athlete all have the same visions and goals, that’s what builds success,” Collier said. “You don’t always have to get along with every single person, but you do have to find a common goal and an effective way to cooperate to be very successful.”

Both Berman and Faraci believe that good coaches push players to be the best they can be and support them throughout the season. If the team can’t trust and understand the coach, there is little room for growth and enjoyment within the season.

“It’s vital to the team’s success and the team chemistry [to have a good relationship],” Berman said. “You have to trust your coaches at all times.

It’s everything in football; it’s everything to the team.”

For Berman, however, the relationship extends beyond the field of football. Berman and Collier have built their relationship since Berman’s older sisters were running track, and he knows that, no matter what the future holds, this relationship will continue to grow.

“It’s definitely a bond that goes way beyond football and beyond this time of my life,” Berman said. “I will keep talking to [my high school coaches] for years to come.”

12

currently on prospectornow.com...

The boys' wrestling season came to a monumental close, where wrestlers in all 14 weight classes qualified to the Sectional meet; the team placed seventh in State.

SPORTS APRIL 19, 2023

Hurdling above leadership loss, injuries ZACH MORETH Copy Editor

A

fter setting Prospect's indoor 400-meter dash record and placing fourth in state in the same event outdoors as a junior, senior Dominik Balenda was tested with a different task during his senior outdoor season: becoming a leader that the entire team can look up to.

Unfortunately, he has been in and out of competition due to a lingering hamstring injury; however, even when injured, Balenda has made sure his presence on the team is known by forming relationships with the underclassmen as often as he can and by sharing the knowledge he has gained through his experiences.

“Before relays, I would go up to [younger teammates], give them a pep talk and tell them to have fun with it,” Balenda said. “That’s the most important part, having fun.”

Heading into the outdoor season alongside Balenda, head coach Jay Renaud is quite optimistic about the team’s performance.

“There’s always something to get excited for,” Renaud said. “I feel like building something new with each team is super exciting. Focusing on our process and seeing it come to fruition is just a lot of fun.”

After losing last year's group of seniors, Renaud has been impressed with the new chemistry that this year's group has brought, which he claims started to form as early as the fall of this year.

“I think they’ve done a really, really good job [becoming a team],” Renaud said. “We had a lot of sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers who did our fall cross country season and that allowed them to take ownership of that. We’ve really seen their leadership and maturity grow a lot over the last year.”

In spite of these strides made, the team has adversity, both in terms of competition and offtrack injuries. When facing these new challenges, Balenda believes it is crucial to have a sharp mentality in order to push oneself towards being the best athlete possible in practice and meets.

“Even I struggle sometimes with a good mentality when it comes to meets and even … workouts,” Balenda said. “I really want to help improve the team's mentality to push through the pain and discomfort to reach the new level.”

SPRINT: Senior Erik Kremer takes off from the starting blocks. Head coach Jay Renaud is impressed by this year's seniors, especially their performance and leadership skills, like Kremer has exhibited. Senior pole vaulter Owen Guagliardo elaborated on the role seniors have taken on this season. "Our team is known for winning, so being able to influence our teammates is special," Guagliardo said. (photo by Kevin Lynch) Regardless of the success Balenda has enjoyed in the past, he continues to focus on bettering the entire team every single day, often referring to a phrase used by Renaud to find motivation.

“I live by [the idea of] team, teammate, self,” Balenda said. “You help the team, which helps your teammates get better, which helps you get better.”

Renaud strives to create the best opportunities he can for kids, and he believes that one of the best ways to do so is by forming the strongest relay teams he can.

Renaud says he prefers to send as many kids to state as possible, which is why he so commonly stacks several of the relay teams unless he has an athlete who is capable of succeeding in their individual event at state. Balenda will most likely be one such individual athlete this year in the 400-meter dash..

“If you have a kid who could win an individual state championship, it’s something you have

to go for,” Renaud said.

The team’s sustained success is built from the athletes, but Renaud gives a lot of credit to the coaches beside him who help operate such a large program.

“The one constant that we’ve had is our assistant coaches who have been around for a while,” Renaud said. “I have excellent assistant coaches who are just really good at what they do."

In total, there are 18 different track and field events, and the Knights are fortunate enough to have six to seven different coaches who each specialize in a specific event.

Not only do they make life easier for Renaud, but Balenda has also learned to trust every move they make because of their proven leadership and accomplishments.

“I follow what my coaches tell me to do," Balenda said. They have been doing this for years, and I trust them every step of the way."

running resume Senior Dominik Balenda has left his mark on the Prospect boys' track program: • Grand Valley State University Commit • Fastest indoor 400-meter dash in Prospect history (2022) • Took fourth in state in the 400-meter dash (2022) • Took 19th in state in the 4x400-meter relay (2022) • Competing in the 200 and 400 meter dashes and the 4x400 relay this season

Boys' and girls' lacrosse coaches create potential amid new sport ZACH MORETH Copy Editor For most of Prospect's history, lacrosse didn't exist as a school sport. The popularity of lacrosse in the Midwest has been hindered for years on end due to the lack of teams and players in the area. In 2021, however, spring sports would forever change when Prospect and District 214 finally adopted a boys’ and girls’ lacrosse program.

Fast forward to 2023, Prospect lacrosse is now approaching its third season of existence; although the boys and girls teams have had their struggles with winning games (with 11-10 and 4-13 records last season, respectively), both teams have progressively gotten better each year and have had several players obtain college commitments because of their performance.

Athletic Director Omar Alebiosu believes lacrosse is an essential spring sport to have available because it offers athletes the ability to build on a wide variety of skills.

“I think … it provides opportunities and exposure to our athletes,” Alebiosu said. “That’s the one thing I really like about lacrosse because for me, I didn’t have the opportunity to play in high school.”

Since lacrosse had come to Prospect, it has presented new opportunities for student athletes looking to join a different spring sport.

Senior Kenichi Nguyen, who was previously a baseball player, decided to join lacrosse his junior year.

Given the large amount of new players, Nguyen fit right in with all of the players who were still taking time to get used to both the sport and each other.

When transitioning from baseball to lacrosse, Nguyen had difficulty in learning a new sport; however, he said it soon became much

HIT THE TURF: Although the teams' first seasons were rough, head-

ing into year three, boys' and girls' lacrosse have gone from learning the ropes to being an experienced group. (photo by Abby Damasky) easier due to the majority of lacrosse skills involving “muscle memory.” One of the most important muscle memory skills, hand-eye coordination, is one that all athletes typically learn very early in their career. According to Nguyen, this makes the sport become much simpler if the athlete practices frequently.

“Lacrosse, in my opinion, gives players the highest potential to be successful, even if you’re new to the sport," Nguyen said. "That’s why a lot of people join."

Although the sport is still fresh to Prospect students, Alebiosu said that the school is providing lacrosse players with all of the necessary tools to not only become a successful team, but a team with “culture.”

“It’s not like this sport where we aren’t taking it seriously, we aren’t training and we’re

doing things we shouldn’t be doing,” Alebiosu said. “I really want the respect of lacrosse to be at a high level and I think with our head coach, we are going to get there.”

Following the departure of former head coach Joe Battaglia, David Wildman, who coaches for the Second City Lacrosse club team, has taken over as the new boys’ head coach.

As a second-year player, Nguyen is looking forward to having a coach as experienced as Wildman.

“Coach Wildman is a chill person that is a full time lacrosse coach, so his mind is fully set on lacrosse, which is helpful for a program with a lot of new players,” Nguyen said.

Throughout the hiring process, Alebiosu says that he talked to several coaching candidates who didn’t quite sell him, but after he fin-

ished the interview process with Wildman, he was set on him being hired.

“When I met Wildman and talked to him, I knew he was a guy who was going to make our program better; he’s also highly knowledgeable on the sport. He’s going to create some sharp, great men with values at the end of the day,” Alebiosu said.

Similar to Wildman, head girls' coach Terra Ringo coaches at her own club program and has played lacrosse since she was in high school.

Ringo played college lacrosse at Robert Morris University, was a three time All-American and also became an NCAA national champion.

Similar to the opportunity lacrosse presented Nguyen, Ringo says that most of her best players hadn’t touched a lacrosse stick until the sport came to Prospect.

“I have a lot of dual athletes, and they’re great at their other sport, but some of them really just found their home in lacrosse,” Ringo said.

Although boys’ and girls’ lacrosse presents an unique chance for student athletes to participate, it can make it more hectic in the springtime for athletics. Ringo says it can be difficult to manage field time and get practice availability with other spring sports also in need of practice time, but she gives credit to Assistant Athletic Director Dan DeBeouf and the rest of the athletic staff for giving every spring sport a fair schedule.

Regardless of how complex it can be to figure out, Ringo takes a lot of pride in how much lacrosse provides for the girls on her team; she wants to continue to make it better as she sustains her coaching career here at Prospect.

“It’s such a surreal thing to know that … they were able to pick up a sport they never have, and now they can see a future in that,” Ringo said.

“It’s something that I’m very proud of. Winning is great, but being able to help these girls shape their future is what it’s all about for me.”