Issue 4

Volume 54, Issue 4

Friday, November 21, 2014

801 West Kensington Road, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056

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Questions arise regarding help for student addicts “I was just a lost kid who found drugs,” Anderson said. “You either become depressed and start using drugs, or you’re using drugs and become de*Names changed for confidentiality pressed. They go hand in hand. Your Senior Jane Anderson* was under mind becomes your own prison. You the influence of a research chemical live in it day in and day out.”

After spending seven months in a similar to LSD Oct. 30, 2012. While under the effects of the drug, she had a rehabilitation program, Anderson’s revelation: there were no good people return to Prospect was anything but in this world, and there was no point in easy, and she eventually relapsed. Transitioning students back to a school enliving. vironment can be The next one of the biggest morning, she “Sometimes it’s hard challenges of the woke up in the rehabilitation proto realize that there’s a Youth Center cess. rehab facility problem if that’s all you “When I first at Northwest came back to ProsCommunity ever know. My lack of selfpect my sophoHospital after more year after esteem, or knowing who a suicide atgetting out of retempt. hab, I got made fun I am or who I want to be From eighth of and got called grade to her [led me to use drugs]” names for being sophomore sober,” Anderson year, she would Anonymous junior said. “Eventually wake up from people stopped, nightmares because they were so vivid. She later dis- but that was their go-to thing when covered her physical abuse as a child someone had a problem with me. It even got posted on Twitter. Ultimately, I got led to her drug addiction.

“When you hold it in, you shield sick of being alienated for being sober, your mind from remembering it,” An- so I relapsed.”

Assistant Principal for Student Serderson said. “[Then] I found out they were memories and not dreams. That is vices Luke Pavone believes Anderson’s what started the downward spiral that antagonists’ behavior is unacceptable, and he would have put a stop to it if he lasted until my junior year.”

Anderson was in a dark place and had been aware.

“When you put almost 2,300 teenagfelt that drugs were the solution. ers together, unfortunately, you’re go-

By Aungelina Dahm Managing Editor

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has worked is that the policy would be that the student needs go to and get [a mental evaluation]. Based on that assessment, the school would follow through on recommendations.”

School psychologist Dr. Jay KypJohnson explains that Prospect’s policy is similar. When a student is identified as having an addiction problem, student services encourages the student to get an evaluation, though the school cannot force students to do so.

Once the student has an evaluation, the school can provide three recommendations for treatment. Once a student returns to school, the counseling department follows up with the student’s progress.

Anderson thinks understanding the signs of an addiction could help identify drug problems earlier.

“When it’s more than just a few-week thing, that’s when it starts to become habitual drug abuse,” Anderson said.

Junior *Annie Schmidt adds that sometimes it is difficult to recognize an addiction.

“Sometimes it’s hard to realize that there’s a problem if that’s all you ever know,” Schmidt said. “My lack of selfesteem, or knowing who I am or who I want to be, [led me to use drugs].”

Once an addiction is identified and see DRUGS, page 2

Global warming proves more than myth

By Grace Berry

Winter’s here, and exercising outdoors is inconvenient. For

ing to get ones that don’t act appropriately,” Pavone said. “If we got names of the students that were making the other student uncomfortable, we would pull them in immediately to tell them this is not what we expect from our students at Prospect and [that] it needs to stop.”

For many years, Prospect has faced the challenge of re-acclimating students after they return from rehab.

“We’ve had these issues for 15 years.

We’ve had them for 50 years,” Pavone said. “Any high school or middle school that has multiple teenagers in one setting is going to have these issues. There is no school that isn’t touched by drug abuse.”

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 403,756 people aged 18-25 were admitted to substance abuse treatment programs in the U.S. in 2011. As a result, some high schools built systems to help ease the transition back to school.

However, in order to help a student, the school first needs to be aware of the student’s situation, and the student needs to seek help on their own.

“I’ve worked with a lot of schools, and the policies are very different at every school,” said Teresa Cendejas, the Mental Health Network business development consultant at the Youth Center at Northwest Community Hospital.

“The one thing I’ve seen that I think

Nine out the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2000 (see “10 warmest years on record globally,” page 3) and carbon dioxide levels are at their highest in 650,000 years, according to NASA. On the heels of increasingly dramatic statistics, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change came out with its fifth report on global warming Nov. 1. The report concluded that humans are the cause of climate change and that emission of greenhouse gases are a major source of pollution.

Associate Principal Greg Minter oversees the building and explains Prospect has made steps to become more environmentally friendly and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Three years ago, the administration put money towards replacing some of the windows throughout the school to reduce greenhouse gas emission caused by energy use. “[Global warming] is something we need to attend to at our own person level, but then as institutions as large build-

ings like [Prospect], anything we can do to be more both economically and environmentally friendly [is] a part of our responsibility,” Minter said.

Environmental Club organizer Mollie David believes Prospect has done a good job of becoming environmentally friendly by increasing the amount of recycling bins and switching to more energy efficient light bulbs around the school.

These changes are not only good for the environment but are also more cost efficient.

For example, energy efficient light bulbs last longer, and by replacing the windows and parts of the ventilation system, Prospect spends less money on heating and cooling.

David believes there are many ways to be more environmentally friendly. One way is switching to buying more organic and locally grown food.

Food is usually grown with pesticides and transported long distances, which contributes to pollution (see “Sources of greenhouse gas pollutants”).

Sophomore Katie Robinson agrees with David that recysee CLIMATE CHANGE, page 3

Sources of greenhouse gas pollutants Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat inside the atmosphere. Some examples are carbon dioxide and methane. Information courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

10%

28% 10%

20%

32% Cow = agriculture Trash = commercial and residential Building = industry Car = transportation Light bulb = electricity

2

November 21, 2014

prospectornow.com

News

Improv Club, Team commence ership,” Morton said. “All the cards fell into place.”

According to Morton, Khairallah is a talented captain with a team-first Fine Arts department head Jeremy mentality. In addition, his experiences Morton approached then-junior Oliver in classes at Second City Comedy Club Khairallah halfway through last year. have given him the knowledge he needs Morton wanted Khairallah’s help to cre- to support his fellow actors. ate an Improvisational Acting (improv) “[Being a captain] is more about Club and Competitive Improv Team helping [my teammates] than showing that would start the myself off,” Khairalnext year. Khairallah lah said (see “Second welcomed the opporCity success).

Second City success tunity to be captain.

Even with help In September, the from Khairallah, MorSenior Oliver Khairallah Improv Club and ton believes improv is took improv lessons from the Competitive Improv a difficult skill to masSecond City Comedy Club, Team started their ter. inaugural campaigns where famous comedians “It’s hard enough with Khairallah at the Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert for anyone to get up reins. in front of a group to got their start. Use Aurasma Improv is a form of speak,” Morton said. on the pictures to see a peracting where actors “That’s a huge fear, formance from each actor! receive topics from but on top of that, the audience and creyou have to improvise ate stories on the spot. a character [on the Actors add on to the spot].” stories started by preWhile improv is a vious performers. difficult skill, Stewart Morton made his believes it can be a refirst attempt to start warding experience.

Improv Club in 2012, “[Improv is a] fun but meetings were [way] to have a differinconsistent, which, ent experience that according to senior you wouldn’t norQuinn Stewart, led mally have in a high Tina Fey to the club’s demise. school theater [where This year, Khairaleverything else is lah holds meetings scripted],” Stewart every Thursday after said. school.

When Khairallah Despite the chaland Morton held the lenge of avoiding past first Improv Club mistakes, Morton bemeeting in September, lieves he has found about eight students the recipe for success attended. Attendance with Khairallah in has grown to around charge.

12 in successive meet“This would be ings, which Morton Stephen Colbert the year to have the attributes to word of perfect student leadmouth.

By Mike Stanford

Executive News Editor

Use Aurasma on this picture to get a taste of improv!

LAUGH: Freshman Jordan Costabile and junior Ryan Kopp perform at the Improv Competitive Improv Team. “[Improv is a] fun [way] to have a different experience you wouldn’t normally have in high school theater [where everything is scripted],” senior Quinn Stewart said.

About a month after the club started meeting, the Competitive Improv Team held tryouts, and eight were selected.

Unlike the club, the team will compete against other schools.

The team does not have a governing body like the Mid-Suburban League for interscholastic sports, but Morton hopes to organize a few competitions among District 214 schools. The first match will be held Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in John Hersey High School’s Blackbox Theater.

Although a referee will hand out points to the contending teams like in sports, competition is not the purpose

DRUGS: Addiction leads to challenging comeback

except for being sober.”

Cendejas explains that the Youth Center at Northwest Community Hospital is strucreported to the school, counselors and ad- tured to fit the individual needs of patients ministrators can start working with the stu- by providing programs with different intendent and family to get the student’s life back sities.

The most intensive form of rehabilitaon track.

“The minute we know about something, tion, residential treatment, is for patients we’re on top of it,” Pavone said. “Academ- who require hospitalization. “[Residential treatment patients] are adics will truly come second at that point. We want students to be safe. We understand dicted to alcohol or drugs, and they don’t rethey are concerned with their academics, ally have a support system that’s conducive but we [have to take] care of students’ men- for them to work a recovery program or stay abstinent if they’re not in a very structured tal and emotional well-being.”

Following the recognition of a drug prob- setting,” Cendejas said.

An outpatient lem, students can be program is availput into a program able for patients to battle their ad- “The minute we know about who might not have diction. After meetan addiction but ing with the par- [a drug problem], we’re on still need help overents and student, top of it.

Academics truly coming drug abuse. their counselors In this way, patients and some adminis- come second at that point. We can go to the hospitrators can create tal during the day a plan for the most understand they are concerned and return home effective rehabilitawith academics, but [we have in the evenings so tion method. Prosthere is support. pect enlists the help to take] care of students’ Anderson wishof places such as es the school could Alexian Brothers, mental and emotional wellhave provided some Northwest Comof that structure munity and OMNI being.” and support when Youth Services.

Luke Pavone, assistant principal she returned back However, stuto school. dents don’t always “Most teachers fit perfectly with aren’t even properly their programs. “[After going back to meetings,] I real- educated on what it means to be sober or to ized meetings were more of a cult than [they be in AA, [heroin anonymous] or [narcotics were] helpful,” Anderson said. “It just gave anonymous],” Anderson said. “They don’t a lot of lost souls a place to feel like they be- know what a chip is or a medallion or a coin. long without really ever finding yourself. Before there could be anything in place at Being sober was your identity in the pro- this school, teachers and staff, including gram. It was like you really didn’t have one counselors and the school nurse, would all

CONTINUED from front page

photo by Amanda Downar

of the events.

“It’s all playful,” Morton said. “It comes out that we support each other whether we win or lose.”

The Competitive Improv Team will perform with other schools by creating scenes on the spot based on the audience’s suggestions. The team that receives the most applause will be crowned champion. However, the team is not concerned with the outcome of the competitions. “[Competitive Improv Team] is more about the experience of improv and providing [students] an audience than winning,” Morton said.

need to be properly educated about it.”

Pavone recognizes that the faculty is limited to what they can and cannot do to help students with drug problems.

“Because we’re not a clinical setting, we cannot provide [certain rehabilitation] services at school,” Pavone said.

Cendejas recommends that schools provide support while preventing returning students from feeling isolated. “[The school should have] groups for kids who return after treatment,” Cendejas said. “[They should] have a support group for them to check in and see how things are going. It’s going to be hard to go back to school. I think having support from student services is good, [and they need] a social worker [they can work] with.”

Pavone mentions that Prospect has many support groups for students to join, such as the stress and anxiety group created by counselor Dr. Lynn Thornton.

“I think [support groups] give them a safe place because they’re struggling with a lot of the similar struggles and issues,” Pavone said. “It’s a safe place for them to talk and discuss about what they can do to help themselves get through the day.”

When Schmidt returned to school, she explained to her close friends what happened and where she went. She felt that seeking out the people supportive of her made coming back to school easier.

Along with this, she believed the school worked hard with her parents to make sure she had an easy transition.

“I feel we do a great job of pulling kids in and making them understand that we care about their mental health and well-being,” Pavone said. “If a student isn’t mentally or socially healthy, it will reflect on everything else for them. We ultimately want students to transition successfully.”

Schmidt believes students need to ask for help instead of simply expecting people to reach out because they might not know the situation.

“With the school, [it’s either] that they aren’t doing anything or that you aren’t asking for anything,” Schmidt said. “It’s not just a take thing. It’s a give and take.”

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November 21, 2014

News

3

Young talent enhances debate

By Jack Gabriel News Editor

Prospect’s debate team used to be a powerhouse. It reached its peak in 1998 when Patrick Gray was named to the AllState Congressional Debate team. They succeeded because all of the teams were small, and each one emphasized quality over quantity. However, in the new millennium, other debate teams changed while Prospect’s did not.

According to head debate coach Dave Schnell, debate was made of teams with between 10 and 12 students.

Over the past 10 years, other debate teams have grown to 60 or 70 students, while Prospect’s team has remained the same size.

Schools like Stevenson that have 60 or 70 students also have debate classes, which improve their teams by allowing students to become better speakers.

Prospect, on the other hand, does not have a debate class.

“I never pursued [trying to get a debate class] because there are more electives classes that are taking precedent at this point in time,” English Division Head Adam Levinson said. Levinson hopes that Prospect will get a debate class in the future.

In order to help the team become more competitive, Levinson became a debate coach this year. Levinson was a part of debate for 11 years but left for three years after

he got promoted from English teacher to English Division Head. Levinson has been debating since high school and hopes that his experience will help the team.

Levinson has been helping students get research and making sure students know where to be during their competitions.

According to Levinson, the type of research methods in debate has changed. With easy access to technology, students are able to get all of their research online, but when Levinson used to coach debate, students had to get their research from books, which took a lot more time.

In order to prepare for competitions, each student researches a piece of legislation and then moves on to another after finding one pro and one con. This way, everyone knows about all the different bills that debate team researches, which allows for everyone to know the material when the competition comes around.

Another change the team has encountered is their youth. Freshman Emily Lasky came into Prospect knowing she wanted to get involved.

Lasky’s peers told her that she was good at arguing, so she joined debate team.

According to Schnell, Lasky is one of around 10 underclassmen who will be competing with debate team. The team is led by three seniors: Beth Clifford, Vishwas Hogirala and Mei Poy. Poy’s main goal for this season is not based on how they perform in competitions, but how she wants to prepare the underclassmen to take over the team in the next few years.

In debate competitions, students are all in different chambers where they debate and question what other people say about the topic. Judges score the students on their arguments and speaking skills. Students can choose to argue and score points or choose to stay quiet and do nothing.

Lasky understands that it is hard for students to speak before people “It is scary to get in front of people and give speeches on topics that you do not know a ton about,” Lasky said.

“My main goal for the season is improvement,” Levinson said. “I want to see, from beginning to end, the kids [getting] better skillswise.”

ARGUE: Freshman Emily Lasky (left) and senior Mei Poy (right) practice their debating skills. Lasky is one of debate team’s leading underclassmen.

photo illustrations

by Cassidy Selep

CLIMATE CHANGE: Greenhouse gas grows

CONTINUED from front page

cause they don’t adapt to change as well as humans.

Furthermore, the rising carbon dioxagrees with David that recycling and ide levels increases the pollen and ragthe use of plastic reusable water bottles weed counts, which leads to worsened are very important to reduce waste. allergies and asthma. Chicago has had According to the U.S. Environmen- record levels of pollen and ragweed this tal Protection Agency, recycling can year. help reduce the Junior Veronadmittance of ica Holloway has greenhouse gases asthma, and her afbecause the defliction has gotten composition of worse due to the waste in landfills rising pollen levels. produces meth“[Global warmane, a greenhouse ing] kind of sucks,” gas 21 times more Holloway said. potent than car“There are sports I bon dioxide. would be able to do Meteorologist Chicago saw record low better but not just Tammie Souza temperatures last winter. be able to do better from Fox Chibut to do more comThere is a suspected concago 32 told the fortably [if I didn’t nection between the record Prospector that have asthma].” low temperatures and global climate change Holloway is fruswarming. Environmental club raises concern trated by global organizer Mollie David exabout sustainabilwarming because plained that since the Northity throughout she believes it’s not the globe. It also hard to take action has effect on the it’s pushing the polar vortex to prevent global planting seasons off its spin in the arctic and warming. of crops, which is moving it towards the U.S. Robinson plans already evident in on joining EnvironEurope and parts mental Club once it of Alaska, and starts this year. She believes that more some plants and crops won’t be able to attention needs to be brought to global survive with the warmer climate be- warming.

graphic courtesy of Climate Central

HEAT WAVE: The Earth is currently in a warming phase. The past 15 years have been some of the hottest years ever; 2010 was 1.2 degrees fahrenheit above the average temperature.

“A big misconception [about global warming] is that it’s not that big of a problem and [that] it’s not really going to affect us, but as time goes on, it will affect us a lot,” Robinson said.

Souza believes a fallacy about climate change is even though some parts of the U.S. might get colder, most places around the globe are seeing rising temperatures.

“When you balance it out, as cold as [Chicago] was last year, it’s going down as a pretty warm year,” Souza said.

“People lose sight of the fact that there is an entire planet.”

David believes a major misunder-

standing of global warming is many people believing that weather will always be warmer.

“The globe is warming overall, but it’s affecting climate in different areas in different ways,” David said.

Also, David feels people don’t understand the difference between climate and weather. Weather is an occurrence like a bad snowstorm, but climate is a trend.

“A lot of people know [global warming] is out there,” Souza said. “They know it’s happening, but until it really reaches out and affects them they’re not going to do anything about it.”

4

November 21, 2014

prospectornow.com

News

Robotics seeks advertisement

By Jack Ryan News Editor

Then-sophomore Teddy Reimann walked into a Wisconsin arena for his first robotics competition with sweaty hands. Success hinged on his robot functioning correctly.

“That was the first competition that was really nervous and exciting [for me],” Reiman said. “I was being an important part of the team.”

The team ended up winning.

Reimann’s team, WildStang, is a robotics team shared among Prospect, Wheeling and Rolling Meadows High Schools since 2008. They have won small competitions like the Wisconsin Regional as well as major awards like the 2011 World Championship.

Members like junior Billy Doherty feel like they do not get enough recognition despite their high-level success.

Doherty thinks building a robot for six weeks deserves more recognition. First, WildStang members make a design for the robot. Then students make a prototype to see what methods work best to win competitions.

After that, they get metal parts from outside companies assemble the robot the best way they can to win the competitions.

In addition to building the robot, they devote much of their time to winning big competitions, and according to Doherty, that is what deserves more appreciation from students and faculty.

One way he thinks Prospect could show recognition is by broadcasting them on the morning announcements. Last

WildStang (robotics) vs.

BattleBots

-

-

year, the announcements only mentioned WildStang for three seconds. However, Doherty understands it’s not Prospect’s fault because one of the WildStang mentors should send their achievements to the announcements’ organizer.

“I tell people I’m on Robotics, and their first reaction is, ‘Oh, you’re on BattleBots?’”

Doherty said. “It’s rough trying to explain to people every time the difference between the two programs because they’re really like night and day.”

Reimann agrees WildStang does not receive proper recognition. He believes this is because WildStang is based from Rolling Meadows High School.

Meadows hangs trophies and banners of the competitions WildStang has won. They do demos of the robots they’ve created, and they have some of the robots on display.

In addition to WildStang missing the recognition it deserves, some members of the program had to work harder than others.

Junior Veronica Boratyn is one of 11 girls on WildStang; girls only account for 16 percent of the 69 participants. She believes she had to work harder to gain recognition in the program than her male peers.

“I had to build my credibility and show that I had a really good work ethic and was able to compete and work at the same level or higher than the other guys on the team,” Boratyn said.

Most students and faculty do not know what WildStang is, but the program is still able to keep afloat due to funding from outside companies.

According to Rollling Meadows High School retiree and WildStang leader Mark Koch, funding from companies like

photo courtesy of senior Teddy Reimann

SHIFTING INTO GEAR: Seniors Teddy Reimann (left), Joe Morales (middle) and Joey Bartlett (right) discuss their robot at the world championships in St. Louis last year. Reimann and his teammates placed 13 out of 100 teams, which shows their success in the competition and in the robotics program as a whole.

Motorola, their first sponsor, gives them $30,000 a year in addition to materials for creating their robots. Numerical Precisions, Magnetic Inspection Lab and New Way Industries also supplies the program with materials.

Another reason WildStang can keep afloat is they get recognition on the world level from 3,000 teams. WildStang is in the top 15-20 teams in the world.

Being in the top 20 teams helped WildStang’s enrollment over the past 20 years. Now, students want to join the team since it has accomplished so much.

Having higher enrollment has aided their success. If the program opens further to encompass all schools in the district, they will have even more potential to grow.

Since WildStang gets little recognition, the team advertises the program by going to all District 214 schools and telling students why they should join.

Despite this promotion, members believe their performance fades into the background.

“The average student or faculty [member doesn’t] even know the name of our team, let alone all the accomplishments we’ve accumulated,” Boratyn said.

prospectornow.com

November 21, 2014

Opinion

5

Staff Editorial

Enviornmental awareness vital Residents of Beijing marveled at the sky this past week. Armed with smartphones, they took selfie after selfie and posted picture after picture on social media. What astounded them so was something seemingly ordinary: the sky was blue.

With an Air Quality Index rating of 142, indicating unhealthy levels of toxins, the Beijing sky is normally gray, covered with smog and smoke. Residents frequently wear masks over their mouth and noses to protect themselves.

However, during the recent Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, government officials took drastic measures to dilute the embarrassment of forcing major world leaders to cover up just to step outside. After shutting down factories and blocking major streets, the air indeed become cleaner and the sky bluer.

Unfortunately, after the summit

ended, factories went back to spewing pollutants into the air, citizens went back to their greenhouse gas-emitting ways and the sky turned gray once again.

Back in the United States, Prospect administrators have recognized the need for environmentally friendly policies and have enacted a number of measures in recent years to do their part.

Classrooms no longer contain garbage cans to encourage recycling.

More iPads means less paper. Plans are in the works to replace current light bulbs with more environmentally friendly LED bulbs. Two years ago, the school welcomed new water bottle fillers to encourage the use of reusable bottles. The school even installed new windows in 2012 to use less energy in heating and cooling.

These projects are major steps toward creating an environmentally friendly school and have greatly facilitated the process for students and staff

alike. The school has done its part, and now it’s our turn to reciprocate.

We, the Prospector, believe that students should accept their role in creating an environmentally friendly school and take advantage of the resources offered.

First, students must realize that their actions, big or small, impact the environment and that it is our role to create a better school for future students.

Little habits make the biggest difference. According to greenwaste.com, the average person generates over four pounds of trash every day, which adds up to almost two tons per year. According to epa.gov, almost 75 percent of that waste is recyclable, yet less than 30 percent is actually recycled.

Something small like using a plastic water bottle or throwing away a recyclable pop can add up, especially when you factor in hundreds of teenagers.

According to epa.gov, in the United States alone, 32 million tons of plastic

waste was generated in 2012, yet only nine percent of that waste was recycled. According to greenwaste.com, in 2004, 55 billion aluminum cans were thrown away; those cans could fill the Empire State Building almost 20 times.

The amount of paper thrown away each year is enough to heat 50 million homes for 10 years.

Use a reusable water bottle and fill it up throughout the day instead of buying one from the vending machines or cafeteria every morning. Instead of tossing soda cans into the garbage at lunch, recycle them. Take advantage of apps like Notability for assignments instead of printing paper copies.

These measures are just as wallet-friendly as environmentally friendly. Even using a water bottle instead of buying can save $1 a day, $5 a week, about $20 a month, over $200 a year.

Ultimately, it’s up to students to take advantage of the resources offered to work toward creating a more environmentally friendly school.

Multiple choice convenient but obsolete testing method Here’s a question. If you me a dollar for every time I had to take a test armed only came across a multiple choice with an iPad at 7 percent bat- question that I got right even tery — Geometry Dash was though I had no idea what the undeniably more exciting than question was asking.

Sophomore Joe Doner ada PowerPoint slide on parabolas — and a deep sense of re- mits that he uses the “just guess c” strategy regugret for blowing off larly, and he finds last night’s review multiple choice tests assignment, would easier than short reyou rather take a sponses, essays and test that: oral tests. a) Gives you four However, while possible solutions multiple choice to each question, of tests may make our which two probalives easier and are bly don’t make any a convenient way to sense Elai Kobayashitest for basic underb) Doesn’t require standing, they fail to you to formulate Solomon teach students skills your own thoughts Opinion Editor that are actually or ideas useful and translate c) Lets you bubble in c if you really don’t know to the real world.

When multiple choice tests the answer were first invented by Fredd) All of the above Multiple choice tests have erick J. Kelly in 1914, they been the savior of students’ seemed to be a perfect solution grades for as long as bubbling to the plethora of problems the little circles has been consid- United States education system was facing. In the quickly ered a valid measurement of intelligence. For responsible industrializing age, factories students that study and do were hungry for workers and thousands of their homework, they’re rela- hundreds of tively easy points. And for the immigrants who needed to be remaining 95 percent of us processed and educated were that probably spend more time pouring into the U.S. On top of playing games than listening that, new laws made two years in class and are more worried of high school mandatory.

Something had to done. In about our Facebook statuses than our science homework, his recent manifesto, “Stop multiple choice tests give us Stealing Dreams,” entreprea decent chance to pretend neur and education critic Seth we know what the heck we’re Godin wrote that America needed “a temporary, high-effitalking about.

I, for one, would be able ciency way to sort students and to buy Prospect’s fieldhouse, quickly assign them to approand possibly half of the foot- priate slots.”

Kelly’s multiple choice test ball stadium, if someone gave

The Staff EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Ellen Siefke Kelly Schoessling MANAGING EDITOR Aungelina Dahm COPY EDITORS Caroline Binley Krzys Chwala ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jack McDermott ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Beth Clifford

ONLINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR-INCHIEF Lauren Miller ONLINE EXECUTIVE EDITORS Eva Schacht Mary Kate Moloney Molly Mueller ONLINE EDITOR Spencer Ball BROADCAST EDITOR Alyssa Duetsch NEWS EDITORS Grace Berry Mike Stanford Jack Gabriel Jack Ryan

did just this. The tests were fast, easy to grade and could test massive numbers of students. Not only that, they were incredibly cheap to administer and grade. And although Kelly later disowned his idea, calling it a test of “low order skills for low order [people],” by then it was too little too late. Industrialists and mass-educators had already leapt on the idea, and multiple choice testing had become an integral part of our public education system.

It remains so to this day.

High-stakes tests such as the ACT, SAT and even AP exams continue to rely heavily on multiple choice as a testing method despite its seemingly obvious shortcomings.

This is not to say that multiple choice tests are completely ineffective. No one can deny their efficiency and convenience, and, as Honors World Lit teacher Karen Kruse says, they can test for “surface skills” such as memorization.

However, education is different than a fast food restaurant or a new Apple product.

Simpler does not mean better, and convenience certainly doesn’t translate to deeper understanding. Education has changed since 1914, and it can no longer just be an efficient way to mass-produce and sort students into different professions as if they were Ford Model Ts. Not only that, but the “surface skills” that multiple choice tests assess are becoming increasingly obsolete. As Albert Einstein once said, “never memorize something

that you can look up.” In modern society, we have near infinite resources and information at our fingertips, meaning that spending time and energy memorizing the year Thomas Jefferson became president or surface area of a cylinder is simply a waste of time.

On top of that, for the most part, multiple choice questions require the test taker to simply recall information that they’ve learned in the past. While this is an important skill, it shouldn’t be emphasized as much as it is, and it definitely should not be used to measure true comprehension of a topic.

Whether it be companies such as Apple or Google, a college application or even a Mariano’s job interview, it’s apparent that in current society, you must be able not only to remember

OPINION EDITOR Elai Kobayashi-Solomon

Ryan Molini Peter Fusilero

FEATURES EDITORS Shreya Thakkar Flynn Geraghty Ivanka Northrop Rachel Parks

VISUALS EDITOR Cassidy Selep

IN-DEPTH EDITORS Diana Leane Shannon Smith Katy Ryan ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Abby Sunu Isabelle Rogers Garrett Strother Marci Kiszkiel SPORTS EDITORS Devin Prasad

PHOTOGRAPHERS Amanda Downar Gianna Honcharuk ADVISER Jason Block Mission Statement The primary purpose of the Prospect High School Prospector is to report news as well as explain its meaning the community. We, the Prospector, hope to inform, entertain and provide a school forum for the unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions. The

information, but to process it and create something new out of it, a vital skill that multiple choice tests fail to address.

I’m not saying that we should get rid of multiple choice tests entirely, and I understand the logistical impossibility of implementing a system which specifically caters to the needs of each and every student. However, it’s true that there are many other ways to test for comprehension, such as oral tests, essays and handson labs, which require students to have a deep understanding of the topic and to innovate and create. And while these forms of testing may take a long time to administer and grade, “it’s not as much work” should not be the criteria upon which we structure our education system.

Prospector is published by students in Journalistic Writing courses.

Some material is courtesy of MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

Advertising For ad rates, call (847) 718-5376 (ask for Aungelina Dahm), fax (847) 718-5306 e-mail or write the Prospector, 801 West Kensington Rd., Mount Prospect, IL 60056, prospectornow@gmail.com.

Letters to the Editor Drop off letters to the Prospector in the box in the library, in Rm. 216 or email letters to prospectornow@ gmail.com. All letters must be signed. Limit letters to 400 words.

The Prospector reserves the right to edit letters for style and length.

prospectornow.com

November 21, 2014

Opinion

6

Harassment proves disturbing after the encounter.

Street harassment has become too frequent of a problem to ignore. In an Who doesn’t love being called beau- online survey conducted by Stop Street tiful out of the blue? When a gentle- Harassment in 2008, over 99 percent of man asks you to smile for him because the 811 female participants said they’d he bets you’ve got a lovely one, isn’t it experienced some form of street hajust like a movie scene? Well, somehow, rassment in their lives. Two thirds of it’s a little less magical when you’re 12 women and one fourth of men in the years old and that “gentleman” is in his United States say they’ve experienced street harassment, and most say the late 40s.

It also really kills the scene when harassment was in both physical and that “gentleman” shouts threats and verbal forms.

In a survey of 93,000 lesbian, tries to follow you home because you didn’t acknowledge his existence. gay, transgender, queer and asexual That’s my story, and according to Stop (LGBTQA) individuals, one half avoid Street Harassment, 80 percent of wom- public spaces, two thirds avoid holden and 68 percent of men have similar ing hands in public as a result of street stories, first experiencing street harass- harassment, and four fifths frequently hear jokes being made at the expense of ment between ages 13 and 25.

I’m not sure if I should consider it a LGBTQA individuals.

Street harassment creates a toxic good thing that I can’t contribute to that statistic, considering I first experienced environment in which everyone has to constantly keep their guard up in the street harassment when I was 12. case a stranger actually follows through Stop on their Street Hathreats. rassment, an School organization psycholdedicated ogist Jay to raising Kyp-Johnson 1. Start a “Meet Us On The Street” awareness believes that and ending program in your neighborhood. being a teenstreet ha2. Educate yourself on street harrasager makes rassment, ment and why it shouldn’t be ignored. it even more defines it as 3. Use technology, like iHollaback’s difficult to “any action mobile apps, or Harassmap to docudeal with or comment ment, identify and map harassers. street habetween 4. Talk about street harrasment rassment. strangers in “I think openly with friends and family. public places it’s more 5. Raise awareness through social media. that is disdamaging 6. Generate discussions about street respectful, for teenagunwelcome, harrasment and public safety. ers because threatening 7. Know what is going on in your comthey have and/or hamunity in terms of public safety. less ways of rassing and 8. Educate and engage your comdefending is motivated munity on street harassment. themselves, by gender or 10.

Check out organizations like Men basically,” sexual orienCan Stop Rape to be a male ally and Kyp-Johntation or genson said. know more about harassment. der expres“An adult is sion.” going to feel I’ve had [more] comit all, from crude whistling to dreaded cat calls fortable calling the cops or defending from strangers in the passenger seats themselves in some way.”

Street harassment has caused me of passing cars.

Recently, I made the mistake of wear- to become paranoid and pessimistic whenever I’m out in public, especialing a skirt in the windy city.

The harassment was ruthless. It be- ly when I’m alone. It’s the reason I’ve gan almost the second I stepped off the memorized every shortcut or detour on subway. An older man whistled at my the way to Mariano’s, and it’s why I’ve friend and me while he rode past on experienced panic attacks in public behis bike. That wouldn’t have been the cause I felt like someone was following me. worst harassment I’ve experienced if “It gives people a sense of having to he hadn’t followed us for a few minutes

By Marci Kiszkiel

Entertainment Editor

defend themselves,” Kyp-Johnson said, “and a lot of things follow after that …

When do you know when to take people seriously? Is there somebody stalking me? It just breaks down the feeling of Many basic trust that people need to [be] able wo to exist in society.” experie men first n We cannot keep treating street harassm ce street harassment as a lesser priority; ent at t ages of h when it affects this many people, 12 and e something clearly needs to be 13. done. We need to stop allowing this kind of behavior to pass as acceptable because, despite popular belief, street harassment is the farthest thing from a compliment.

Senior Gabrielle Swanek believes street ey, harassment is surv ndents 7 0 0 it’s own type of t 2 po In a t of res ed stree id bullying. She rec n calls an incident nt sa rien erce 99 p ey expe 5 perce n last month when o th d6 she and her friends said ent an ience it experienced harassr m ss pe s. ment while walking hara they ex ily basi a downtown. d a “All of a sudden, we were just starting getting beeped at all the time, and I was like, ‘What do you want?

I’m fully dressed,’” Swanek said.

We can start by not accepting harassment as a compliment. I can’t tell you how many times people have told me to consider the positives of being harassed.

Forgive me if I can’t seem to find the “bright side” in being hit on by an older In a sur stranger in public.

SMILE, BEAUTIFUL: While walking, I cover my ears to block out street harassment, which I’ve dealt with since age 12.

This problem often coincides with the onset of puberty and can cause discomfort for teenagers who have no form of protection. “It just breaks

down the feeling of basic trust that people need to [be] able to exist in society,” school psychologist Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson said.

an ve pe d bise y of 3 hara rcent s xual m 31 gay a e s com sed or id they n, 90 mad are e in o thei public e to fee ften l un area r sex w s ua l orie becaus ele of ntat ion.

photo by Cassidy Selep Information courtesy of Stop Street Harassment

Thanksgiving’s intent becomes lost in translation Apparently Thanksgiving and specifics of Thanksgiving, but I don’t understand why the isn’t about giving thanks.

When I asked my parents day nevertheless is centered and siblings what the holiday around the dining room tabrought to their minds, the ble. Because the holiday is so first thing they mentioned was widely celebrated, the Polish community celeabout devouring brates it too. We’ve turkey and stuffeven gone as far as ing. When I asked directly translating them if that was the name, “Thanksall, they proceeded giving” to “Dzie to say something like, “Well, I guess Dzi kczynienia.” it’s also about being [jane jee-ewk-chinthankful.” nyeh-nyah] Holidays in genEvery year, I find eral have lost their the day eccentric. true meanings. NowMy brothers come Krzys Chwala adays, Thanksgivover for dinner with Copy Editor ing is about eating. their families, and Christmas is about my mom makes buying gifts. Easter is about as much of a “traditional” egg hunts.

Thanksgiving meal as she can Coming from a family of (see “Thanksgiving with the immigrants, I understand why they may not know the history The thing is that none of us

Check out “Thanksgiving with the Chwalas” on ProspectorNow.com for some Thanksgiving recipes from my mom’s collection.

eat the cranberry sauce, the sweet potatoes or any other distinctly Thanksgiving dish.

(OK, my mom is the exception, but I think that’s only because she’s the one who makes the food.)

We celebrate the day solely because that’s what everyone else is doing. Everyone goes out to buy a turkey, so we buy three. Everyone goes out to buy cranberries, and so do we.

In seventh grade, I had an extra credit assignment for my Social Studies class to color in a cornucopia and record what my family members were thankful for.

When I presented the assignment after dinner, I was shot down by my brothers who told me to just write down some generic things that anyone would be thankful for.

This was followed by a moment of contemplation. I thought to myself, “Do I step up to them and have them give me honest answers, or do I back down?” Being the relatively shy kid I was, I chose the latter and hastily scribbled in things like being thankful for food and our home.

Looking back, I realize what

I was getting at. Although the phrases that ended up being scribbled on the cornucopia were acceptable answers that got me the extra credit, we should be thankful for much more than that. That cornucopia should have been overflowing.

Ever since that Thanks-

giving, I spend the day brainstorming all the things I take for granted: things like being able to go to school and for my family, but also the times when a friend helps me with an assignment, when someone listens to my endless rants and when someone laughs at my lame and not-so-funny jokes.

Here are some other examples of my Polish family go1. Halloween - Trick-or-treating has always been foreign to my family, but it’s not like they complained. They just found it weird that there’s a day dedicated to collecting candy in crazy costumes.

2. Super bowl commercials - This was someed without a second thought. It even got to the point that my dad would have my brother make him chili just so he could watch the commercials, and he did not pay attention to the game whatsoever.

3. Dinner - My friends’ families eat dinner at about seven. My family, on the other hand, eats dinner at two, or three at the latest. To compensate, we have a meal the size of a decent breakfast at about eight.

prospectornow.com

November 21, 2014

Features

7

Fit picks for winter workouts During the winter, options for exercise are limited. Many people turn to gyms as a way to stay healthy. The following are most popular among students. v

LA Fitness

Monday - Thursday: 5 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Friday: 5 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday - Sunday: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Planet Fitness

$99 initiation fee, then $29.95/month

751 W. Golf Road Des Plaines, Illinois 60016

Features Editor

LA Fitness membership features free weights, plate loaded equipment, machines courts, basketball courts, pool and hot tub, group fitness classes, a spa, sauna and juice bar.

Senior Theo Nelson likes playing basketball at LA Fitness because a lot of his friends from both Prospect and Hersey are members. The games aren’t scheduled, allowing him to play whenever.

According to Nelson, 15 to mid 20-year-olds most frequently play basketball at the gym.

Nelson thinks LA Fitness is unique because it is a luxury gym with many amenities.

Another benefit is he has the opportunity to meet older and more experienced people through the gym.

“I can get help [and tips] from [older members] who are bigger than me,” Nelson said. “It’s [also] a lot more fun to play basketball with adults than just high school kids.”

1145 Mt. Prospect Plaza Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056

photos by Rachel Parks

By Rachel Parks

Prospect High School Fitness Center

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week $10/month Planet Fitness, home of the “Judgement free zone,” features fitness training and gym equipment.

This entails that no matter what shape someone is in, no one judges each other.

The gym has a “lunk alarm;” if someone is slamming the weights or grunting, they set off the lunk alarm.

According to junior Planet Fitness member Chrissy Savaiano, other Prospect students are also members. The age range, however, is from about 16 to 70 years old.

Savaiano likes Planet Fitness because of the environment.

According to Savaiano, Planet Fitness members are mostly there to lose weight or get in shape, unlike LA Fitness which has more body builders.

Students can work out any time in the fitness center as long as there is a staff member with them.

English teacher Teri Buczinsky usually only sees athletes before school, but after school it gets very crowded with students.

She works out at the fitness center three or four mornings a week during the school year and occasionally on weekends when the weather is cold.

Buczinsky likes that the fitness center is free and believes it is a nice place to work out. The only thing she feels that it cannot offer is group classes that other gyms may have. She also believes that other gyms may be somewhat cleaner.

“I think over the years slowly but surely, more people are using [the fitness center] for their own purposes,” Buczinsky said. “I think [it’s] good because it creates a community feeling that [working out] is just part of our lifestyle. If you want to stay healthy in this world, you need to work out.”

Recplex

Central Community Center (CCC) 1000 W. Central Road Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056

420 W. Dempster St. Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056

Monday - Friday: 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Friday: 5:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Saturday: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sunday: 7a.m. - 5 p.m.

$20/month for gym membership. Members can also use the Recplex facility.

$20/month for gym, basketball, and walking track, but no pool access Recplex features a full gym with equipment, a walking track and a basketball court with recently renovated floors.

Employee senior Mike Charnota works out at both Recplex and the CCC. Charnota has seen other Prospect students there, but the typical age range is 20 to 30 years old.

Charnota likes that Recplex is clean, calm and less crowded. He also believes that the space is utilized well.

“They could add a couple more machines or update some stuff, but other than that, it serves its purpose,” Charnota said.

The CCC’s gym is fully equipped with cardio, weights and basketball and volleyball courts.

Because of the gym’s reasonable hours, it tends to attract middle school and high school students.

Junior employee Katie Doherty says that mostly upperclassmen visit the gym. However, the majority of members tend to be adults in their 40s.

Although it is small, Doherty believes it is nice and has all the necessary equipment to get a good workout.

Who Knows You Better?

The subjects Junior Matt Cozine

What days does she have club volleybal?

Favorite pair of shoes?

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

Birkenstocks

Favorite vacation?

Favorite restaraunt?

What is her house number?

Favorite board game?

Nantucket

Potbelly

215

Life

Nantucket

Red Barn

205

Life

Nantucket

Red Barn

215

Life

The results

The Boyfriend

Junior Michelle Haaning

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

Junior Lilli Fleming

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

The Subject

The Best Friend

Birkenstocks

Birkenstocks

Winner

8

November 21, 2014

prospectornow.com

In-Depth

Motives behind volunteering differs Going to Notre Dame is somewhat of a tradition in my family. I have one grandparent, two uncles, one aunt, four cousins, one parent and Jack McDermott one sister Online Editor-inwho attended.

Chief However, with every year that passes, the admission rates into Notre Dame drop, and that ultimate goal of admittance becomes harder to achieve. Unfortunately, the situation is the same for almost every elite college.

According to the New York Times, admittance rates have dropped 17 percent at Stanford, 19 percent at Brown, 15 percent at Northwestern and 14 percent at Notre Dame since 1944. Because of these statistics, prospective applicants must have as many selling points as possible to appeal to admission officers After freshman year, I was a very involved student, but I still knew that I was nowhere close to where I needed to be in order to be accepted. So, like many students my age, I started signing up for service projects in which I had little investment.

I became a Children’s Liturgy of the Word leader (described the homily and gospel to young children during church), donated blood every eight weeks and created and raised money for a charity that helped homeless people called Packs Against Poverty.

At these events, I met people who described how service helped the volunteer both mentally and physically more than those in need. In a 2004 study by John Hopkins University, volunteers gained an increase in physical, cognitive and social activity after completing volunteer activity. I, on the other hand, did not experience any of these effects and attribute this

to the fact that I was not doing service for others, but for myself.

Volunteering gives a sense of accomplishment worth more than a job, school or club because you acknowledge that many are in a worse situation than you. Furthermore, while working for a food or blood drive you can see your work helping those in need right away from the growing pile of cans to the rocking red bag.

That immediate sense of, “wow, I just helped create a meal that will make someone’s day,” is the reason volunteers gain so much self-worth. A volunteer feels depended upon and vitally important to the people in need.

Meanwhile, doing service to build up a resumé is equivalent to spending money on something you like for a father’s day gift, hoping that in the end it will soon be discarded and become yours. The reason behind the act is selfish, and the gift is not as helpful as one with greater intentions behind it. This is especially true when students spend thousands of dollars on trips abroad to “help people of other nations” (aka sound worldly and generous on applications). Yes, some students truly have a passion for a specific cause that might be overseas, but why would someone spend time and money to travel when, according to Feeding America there is a poverty rate of 45.3 million people (14.5 percent) in America.

I want to feel like I am living a meaningful life by helping others, but by putting volunteer work on my resumé , I am taking the opportunity away from myself. Nevertheless, I continue because for those students vying for a chance to get into selective colleges, it is not a choice. Colleges should want students that are involved in community service, but by showing that desire, prestigious universities have created a reality where selfless service has become a selfish act.

Reasons Prospect Students Volunteer 72 percent of those surveyed said they would partake in service again

*78 out of 2400 Prospect Students surveyed

I spent 25 days of my summer volunteering at a summer camp in British Columbia, and I worked about 13 hours a day.

If I were paid Abby Sunu minimum Executive wage, $8.25 Entertainment edior an hour, I would have earned $2,681.25 for all the work I put in that summer.

Yes, that is a lot of money. Yes, I am a teenager, so anything over $20 sounds rewarding to me.

Yes, I could have used that money to save up for college, take a few shopping sprees, invest in some stocks or, more realistically, spend it on Chipotle.

However, during the long days of volunteering, the money I could have been making never crossed my mind, and the work wasn’t easy either.

My job involved serving meals, bussing and setting tables in a dining hall to feed hundreds of campers daily and delivering supplies from boats to the camp. Every week, we lugged gallons of ice cream, cartons of fresh fruit, cans of coffee grounds, duffel bags belonging to campers and other supplies all around the camp.

On top of all the work, I missed out on Country Thunder, Fourth of July and didn’t have Wi-fi or cellular service for an entire month. This meant no Twitter updates, Instagram news feed or knowing the score of the World Cup. Dripping sweat, building up muscle and doing most of my work behind the scenes may not sound like the best way to spend a month of summer, but as painful as it sounds, it was the best month of my life because I gained much more out of this experience than I expected.

It’s true that volunteering makes you feel better about yourself, projects a better image of yourself to others and looks great on college applications. However, the relationships and skills you take away from service are two of the most beneficial results.

This volunteering introduced me to 44 high schoolers from all over the country. I learned how to work

and live with strangers that eventually became my family. The bonds and teamwork we experienced during that month will help prepare me for future career skills, such as working and communicating with others.

Together, we overcame challenges. When our sleep deprived bodies couldn’t lift another stack of dirty dishes, we still came back by encouraging each other to continue to work hard because we realized the impacts and benefits our service had on others, which was the most rewarding feeling.

In order to make a difference and impact others, many of Prospect’s sports, activities and clubs participate in service projects, one of them being the Alyssa Potratz Weight Lifting Jamboree. 9-year-old Alyssa Potratz passed away in 2008, and since then, the football program has raised money in her name. Team members lift weights in exchange for donations or collect funds, and all the proceeds from this memorial go to Shriner’s Childrens Hospital in Chicago.

Last year was sophomore and Alyssa’s twin brother Jeremy’s first opportunity to take part in the lifting jamboree and see the rewards of volunteering for his sister’s memorial.

“It’s really gratifying because before when I wasn’t apart of it, [I] just stood there and didn’t really understand what was going on.”

Jeremy said. “It definitely feels a lot better just because I’m actually able to raise money because I can actually give to the cause that I believe in.”

Jeremy was the biggest donor and raised $3,420 for his sister’s memorial fund. By lifting through this event, the football program has donated a total of $66,400 in Alyssa’s name. The conditioning and training it takes to bench a 200 pound bar isn’t easy, but by keeping Alyssa in mind, many players accomplished the feat.

Even my job of serving people from all over the world in a beautiful place like British Columbia wasn’t always as glamorous as it sounds. For every ketchup coated plate I cleaned, every cloth napkin I folded and every tray of hot lasagna I burned myself on, I knew every camper got to spend a relaxing, safe and fun week with my help. It was an opportunity many campers would never get to experience, and I got even more out of it, too.

You don’t need to go to Africa and save lives, cure Ebola or rescue baby elephants to feel the benefits of service. Whether it’s a soup kitchen, retirement home or a weight room, the lessons and outcomes from service will stick with you and the people receiving it.

Students volunteer close to Noble acts of service in Haiti Sitting in the bed of a “tap-tap” (a type of truck) surrounded by sweaty people, senior Grant Noble awaited their arrival at an orphanage. Noble traveled with his First Presybterian Church youth group from his church to an orphanage in Haiti. About 30 people went on the trip and eight of them were from Prospect.

Throughout their week at the orphanage, the group helped with construction projects while simultaneously growing close to the children. Noble’s favorite part of the trip was spending time with the kids.

“The kids were so sweet and insanely nice,” Noble said.

Noble observed that Haiti’s poverty seemed to be on a much larger scale than in the US. The main lesson he learned from the children was gratitude. “[The kids] barely had electricity and ate the same thing everyday, and seeing how happy they were with how much they had and the faith they had, it made me think how much better I could be as a person,” Noble said.

Visiting another country had its perks and disadvantages. Although there was more poverty in Haiti that needed attending to, Noble didn’t have to worry about language barriers when he went on a trip in the U.S. Noble wanted to volunteer internationally because he wanted to experience another culture.

“I was somewhere that I never thought I’d be able to visit, and the culture of it all was so much different than it [is] in Illinois,” Noble said.

While the expense of an international trip can be overwhelming, Noble’s church fundraised so he paid about $500.

Though he doesn’t believe he’ll be able to go on a trip like this again since he is a senior, Noble strongly recommends international mission trips to others.

“Getting the experience to go to another country and being able to help people you’ve never met before — I felt like I needed to do that,” Noble said. “It [was] a great experience, and I [helped] people that really needed it.”

Grant Noble senior

photo

HELPING AROUND THE Presbyterian Church youth gro with a Haitian child. The grou one week to help build a church

prospectornow.com

In-Depth Editor While many students start looking for a steady job after college, 2010 Prospect graduate Grace Anne Roach plans to join the Peace Corps, something she has dreamed of doing since she was in sixth grade. Roach is one of the few Prospect alumni who have decided to join this organization after college.

The Peace Corps is a prominent service organization in the United States. It was founded in 1961, and it continues to send American volunteers all over the world to help with pressing issues in other countries. It helps provide assistance with programs in agriculture, youth development, health, education, environment and economic development.

According to peacecorps. gov, the main goal of the Peace Corps is to promote peace and friendship by helping people in need in other countries. It sends educated volunteers to third world countries for 27 months at a time in the hope that both the volunteers and citizens learn more about each other’s cultures.

Roach admires how the Peace Corps only goes to countries that ask for volunteers and likes that it promotes a culture exchange. She believes that they’re looking to help in a well rounded way and have put lasting effects on the communities.

She plans on joining the Peace Corps at about this same time next year and is looking to work in an agricultural program in either South America or Africa.

Roach is interested in ag-

Prosp ec

By Katy Ryan

ricultural projects like sustainable farming because she believes that having a healthy diet is a huge part of moving towards a healthy lifestyle and community.

“I think that sustainable farming is really important for our future,” Roach said. “[For] people who don’t have access, especially like in urban areas where people ... often times don’t have access to fresh foods or necessarily healthy foods, it can really change [their lives].”

Roach believes that the Peace Corps not only helps the communities but also the volunteers as they learn to handle many different situations.

“I just really think that it will help to expand my horizons and become a better problem solver,” Roach said.

Along with Roach, another Prospect graduate, Marina Hayes, is scheduled to work in the Peace Corps this January in Morocco.

Like Roach, Hayes likes the Peace Corps’ goal to spread knowledge about different cultures.

“It’s really nice because you learn about the other culture, and you get to teach them what life is like in America while providing them trained people that they need ... to help [make the community better],” Hayes said. “It also helps [the people in other countries] get a better understanding of Americans because we don’t have the best image outside of the U.S.” While working in Morocco, Hayes will be a youth asset

Where Hayes will Work in January

9

a s help d n e l i t

builder. She will help run after-school activities, camps and clubs in either a youth or women’s center. She will also help teach some English since she is a native speaker.

Hayes is very excited to start helping in Morocco with the Peace Corps and believes she will value this experience for the rest of her life.

“It’s an incredible opportunity ... to be completely immersed in another culture and to learn the local language and make local connections,” Hayes said. “I can’t even begin to imagine how it will change my world view, but I’m sure it will.”

According to peacecorps. gov, the average volunteer age is about 28, so most of the volunteers contemplate joining right after college. A few teachers at Prospect have even considered going into the Peace Corps when they were younger.

English teacher Elizabeth Joiner considered going into the Peace Corps right after college but decided against it after getting a teaching job.

She describes herself as a “helper” because she wanted to find a way to give back to the community. Her initial goal was to become a teacher, but she considered joining the

hand ng

Students, teachers contemplate joining Peace Corps

November 21, 2014

In-Depth

Corps as a second option.

Joiner doesn’t regret her decision but realizes that joining the Peace Corps now would be more complicated since she has a family and a job.

“I just think there’s a time in your life [when it’s easier],” Joiner said. “I think that your priorities and responsibilities change so much [as you age].”

Joiner believes that the Peace Corps is a great cause and students considering it should join before they start to settle down.

“That’s one thing I could say I’ll never get back,” Joiner said. “I’ll never be a single, 22-year-old again. I think it’s an awesome decision to do right out of college.”

Student teacher Grace Luk also wanted to join the Peace Corps. Unlike Joiner, she had signed up and was set to volunteer as a secondary education teacher in March until she pulled out her application for personal reasons.

Luk did a lot of volunteering in both high school and college, and this experience in service led her to consider volunteering for the Corps and to continue helping people.

Even though Joiner and Luk haven’t been a part of the Peace Corps, they both appreciate its mission.

“I love the idea that it takes people who might be used to one way of life and a lot of creature comforts and ... teaches [them] to have a strong sense of understanding for other people,” Joiner said.

Luk also thinks that the Peace Corps would teach volunteers humility and valuable life lessons, like how not everything in the world is instantaneous like it is in the United States. In third world countries, people can’t have everything delivered to them quickly, like food or information from high-speed internet.

She believes that in the U.S. we sometimes take these things for granted.

Luk believes that being apart of the Corps is a great opportunity to help others, but that students should not jump to the conclusion that they want to join without careful thought.

“Joining the Peace Corps is not something you decide to do on a whim,” Luk said. “I feel like it’s something that you either want to do or you don’t want to do because the lifestyle is not for everyone. But I think if you want to go out, see the world and be able to help people, then go for it.”

home, out of the country

o courtesy of Grant Noble

WORLD: First oup members play up visited Haiti for h.

By Diana Leane

Executive In-Depth Editor

Abby Grott sophomore

Grott graciously gives back

For one week last July, sophomore Abby Grott ceased to exist — at least in the world of social media. Grott spent that week in Kenosha, Wisconsin, without a phone or any way to connect to the internet. Instead of spending hours scrolling through Instagram and Twitter feeds, she volunteered at a Women’s Resource Center.

Grott went on the mission trip through her church, Saint Raymond. Grott estimated that around 250 people volunteered, many from other parishes. Some drove 20 minutes and others drove an hour and a half to reach the work camp.

At the Women’s Resource Center, Grott worked with four other teenagers who were randomly assigned to the center. They made signs to boost the spirits of the previously abused women that lived in the center. She also worked with her group to build a doghouse since many of the women bring their dogs to the center. “[I was impacted by] the way [the women] were living, and we actually got to hear a woman’s story,” Grott said. “It was just incredible what these women were going through or had gone through already.”

Realizing how she was able to impact people’s lives, Grott fell in love with volunteering. It became her “thing,” and she plans to volunteer for the rest of her life. She hopes to go on another mission trip in the U.S. with her church next year.

Grott also volunteered locally through Timothy’s Ministry. She helped provide food for the poor.

International mission trips tend to cost around $4,000, which would be very costly for her. She also wouldn’t feel as comfortable because of the difference in language and the distance from home.

“I wouldn’t feel like I was helping as much because of language barriers,” Grott said.

Grott went on the trip with her sister, senior Hannah Grott. Because she was with people she knew and was relatively close to home, Grott had the best experience possible.

“It brought me closer to a lot of people in my parish, and it made me realize what I want to do for a large part of my life,” Grott said.

10

November 21, 2014

prospectornow.com

Features

Through an immigrant’s eyes photo by Cassidy Selep

A WHOLE NEW WORLD: Sophomore Dominika Wojtowicz stands wearing Polish clothes to represent how immigrants stand out while trying to immerse themselves in

By Shreya Thakkar

Executive Features Editor

as other students but at a slower pace among similar students who weren’t fluent in English.

According to Patel, he faces many obstacles because of this.

“My parents can’t always help me with things like chemistry or biology, but they always support me financially [and emotionally],” Patel said.

Even though Prospect doesn’t have any students enrolled in an ELL program, it does have students who are immigrants and not native English speakers.

According to Brill, counselors try to stay more involved with kids who are immigrants to make sure they are getting the help they need — help they may not be getting from their parents. Patel is grateful for that help from his teachers.

“I have so many teachers that [I am grateful for],” Patel said. “They were the best and helped me through everything.

They would go beyond their duties to help me succeed. If those teachers weren’t there at that time, I wouldn’t be getting the grades that I’m getting

Top three countries of origin for U.S. immigrants information courtesy of CNN

India

6.9%

7.2% China

14%

information courtesy of C

While all of junior Vraj Patel’s classmates bubbled with excitement on the first day of second grade, he was terrified.

Just the day before, Patel had moved from Ahmedabad, India, to America.

“It was [horrible] walking into a new environment and talking to new people,” Patel said. “It was definitely weird.”

He quickly noticed differences between the two cultures.

“It was surprising because in America, teachers are way nicer and explain topics [more thoroughly],” Patel said. “Back in India, if you don’t do your homework, you get slapped on the hand with a ruler.”

According to CNN, immigrants like Patel make up 3.1 percent of the United States’ total population. Counselor Rachel Brill believes learning a new language and losing an accent becomes harder after surpassing age 8.

Junior Patrycja Lekan, who immigrated from Poland last

year, has received support from her teachers, too, but has had a hard time making friends.

Lekan believes other students misjudge her because of her accent.

“I met a lot of other students here, but I don’t talk much,” Lekan said. “People think that I’m really shy and quiet. They think I don’t want to talk to them. I want to, but it’s just that I’m too shy [about my accent].”

According to Lekan, she constantly feels like she is at a disadvantage because after immigrating to America at age 15, it has been hard for her to grasp the language, especially compared to her 9-year-old sister who is having an easier time.

Students who know little to no English must enroll in an English Language Learner (ELL) program at either Elk Grove or Buffalo Grove High School, as Prospect got rid of its ELL program 10 years ago due to low enrollment.

Patel was in the program from second to seventh grade, and he took the same subjects

India frequentright now.”

Mexico ly because all On the other of his extended hand, even after family is there, taking classes to learn but he feels that English outside of school, the move will be Lekan feels discouraged by her worthwhile in the future. experience thus far.

“It doesn’t feel [worth it] “After coming here, I was crying every day for six months right now, but later in life I’ll because it was so hard to leave have a better future and a betmy friends and family behind,” ter education, which is importLekan said. “I wish I could go ant,” Patel said. “[Ultimately], I’ll have a better life than I back to Poland.”

Patel also admits to missing would have in India.”

Catching up with the Casper Clan

By Ivanka Northrop Features Editor

Ice fishing was a common activity for chemistry teacher Tim Casper and his father, Robert Casper, to do together. Getting up early in the morning or grabbing fishing poles after school was always a part of Tim’s childhood.

Tim recalls one time in particular that he found funny.

He and his father had been ice fishing till dark, and when it was time to leave, they realized they were lost.

“We were the last ones out there, and we actually misdirected when we were coming off the lake],” Tim said. “It took 45 minutes for us to find a place to get off of the lake, and we had a three and a half [or] four mile walk back to our car.

It was all funny.”

Ice fishing, along with hunting, were two of many activities the two did to spend time with each other.

“The things that we did together like deer hunting and him getting his first buck [made me proud],” Robert said.

“He was always happy to [spend time together], and I’m pleased with him.”

Most of their time spent together involved nature. Robert was a biology teacher, so they would often go out and look at things such as pond water or different plants and animals.

Many of these outdoor activities were available to them since they lived in northern Wisconsin. In addition to looking and learning about animals, Tim grew up on a small farm.

“We raised farm animals [like] chickens, ducks, geese and rabbits — all that kind of stuff,” Tim said. “A lot of that stuff was done together. Thinking back, I’m sure my dad did that purposefully, [like teaching] responsibility [through] feeding animals but also learning how to build pens and take care of things.”

It was not uncommon for Tim to have work to do around the house.

“There was kind of an expectation that I would do quite a bit of work with my father,” Tim said. “Whether it was roofing the shed or painting, there were always some projects going on.”

However, Tim always did these chores and projects with his father.

“There was an expectation of work, but that was all together-time,” Tim

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON: Chemistry teacher Tim Casper stood with his parents Robert and Delores Casper after girls’ golf won state last year. Tim attributes his love of sports to his father because of the time he spent playing sports with his father as a child. said. “I didn’t get projects that were ‘Hey, you go do this.’”

His father not only sparked his interest in hunting and various projects but also in the sports they played together.

When on the road for camping or hunting, the two would play a tennis match or game of golf when possible.

Now, Tim coaches three sports: girls’ golf, girls’ basketball and boys’ tennis.

For Tim, coaching has been rewarding in multiple ways.

Tim enjoys getting to know students and helping them excel in their sports, and he calls it his way of giving back.

“Yes, you do make a little bit of money coaching, but it’s not enough that you’re going to coach because of that,” Tim said. “I try to create great experiences for kids.”

According to Tim, giving back runs in the family as he cannot remember a time when his dad wasn’t giving back to the community. “[Visiting people and working with charities] is just something you do,” Robert said. “[You do it] because you like to do it. It makes people feel good. It makes me feel good.”

Robert has had many accomplishments in his life including serving his country, being a teacher and doing charity work. However, he believes his greatest achievement is his family.

“The best thing that ever happened to me was marrying the woman that I’m with,” Robert said. “I’ve been very blessed with a nice wife and family, and everything has seemed to be good with me.”

prospectornow.com

November 21, 2014

Features

11

NJROTC more than uniforms Students learn from team events, leadership classes

A day in the life of an NJROTC student Senior Alyssa Gnech’s Wednesday schedule:

By Ellen Siefke Editor-in-Chief

Senior Alyssa Gnech was practicing with her National Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) orienteering team for an upcoming competition in the middle of winter during her freshman year. The already-frigid air was compounded by a brisk wind when, suddenly, the snow hit.

Gnech and her teammates found themselves caught in a huge snowstorm in the middle of Busse Woods, barely able to see a foot in front of them. They with each other until the snow cleared.

“It was crazy,” Gnech said. “You could barely trudge through the snow.”

Gnech is one of 127 District 214 students who participate in the NJROTC program. While many may recognize them for their uniforms and morning meetings, these students also participate in evening and weekend activities or competitions.

According to Commander and NJROTC director Jeff Morse, the goal of the program is to help students develop as leaders to succeed in college and beyond.

Participants, or cadets, meet every Wednesday morning for muster (attendance) and then go about their days.

They travel to Wheeling after school and stay there for four hours for their Naval Science class, dinner and various activities, such as physical training (see “A day in the life of an NJROTC student”).

Gnech joined NJROTC because her sister, ‘03 grad Katie, was involved in the program. When she was younger, Alyssa and her family attended Katie’s drill competitions and promotion ceremonies. Katie even won Prospect’s NJROTC award.

“Watching what she did encouraged me to join,” Gnech said. “I really look up to my [sister], and a lot of what I do today is because of [her].”

Gnech now serves as the Public Affairs Officer, NJROTC’s own journalist.

She helps organize outings and community events and takes pictures at each.

She also creates a newsletter.

Unlike Gnech, junior Lauren Monsen had no prior experience with NJROTC; she joined on a whim because she saw a few pictures in the yearbook

photos courtesy of Alyssa Gnech

AIM AND FIRE: Junior Lauren Monsen takes aim during marksmanship practice the captain this year. She is also Prospect’s Cadet Representative and acts as the liasion between leaders at Wheeling and Prospect cadets. and thought it looked cool. Because she was interested in the military, she attended the summer Open House and was hooked.

She is now Prospect’s Cadet Representative and acts as a liaison between the leaders at Wheeling and Prospect students. She keeps track of attendance, explains the day’s plan and organizes any Prospect events.

Both Monsen and Gnech enjoy the competition teams, which include orienteering, marksmanship, physical fitness, academic, drill, cyber security and Sea-Perch (see “NJROTC teams”) Monsen participates in both drill and marksmanship. Her drill team focuses on marching, and competitors are judged based on both uniform inspections and the movement itself. For example, her name tag has to be 6.25 inches from her seam.

As a team commander, she is in charge of giving orders during competitions, which occur three or four times a year. She also commands the color guard.

Monsen enjoys this team because of the precision necessary to succeed.

Now, she says she finds herself paying more attention to detail in her school work and everyday life.

Also commander of the marksmanship team, she organizes practices for the event, in which competitors shoot

at a target while lying on the ground, kneeling and standing, 20 shots in each position. She likes this event because she can incorporate a focused mindset into her academic life.

“While shooting, you have to compartmentalize and focus on each shot,” Monsen said. “It helps me in school to develop focus and stay on task during class.”

Gnech participates in the orienteering event, which involves trekking through the woods with a compass and map to find checkpoints, where times are recorded. The team typically practices at Busse Woods on Sundays for two hours. Gnech has always felt comfortable in a forest setting and thus especially enjoys this competition.

“You see so many interesting things,” Gnech said. “One time, we saw deer in the morning, and we always find hobo huts. Plus, I love nature, so that makes it even better.”

Gnech enjoys participating in NJROTC because of the people she’s met. Many of her good friends are in the program, especially those on the orienteering team.

Monsen likes participating because she can see the program’s rewards, such as enhanced leadership skills.

This is especially present in her role as a commander.

Morse explains that the main bene-

6 a.m.: Wake up and get ready for school — dress in khaki shirt and white undershirt, black pants, black shoes and black socks.

7:10 a.m.: Head to school 7:15 a.m.: Morning muster (attendance) where she checks in with leaders to hear the day’s agenda During the school day: Attend classes like normal After school: Go home and later head to Wheeling High School 4:30 p.m.: Naval Science class begins. Topics include leadership, naval history and American history.

6:30 p.m.: Chow (dinner) 7 p.m.: Head over to the Wheeling activity).

8:30 p.m.: Class ends

fits of NJROTC include developing confidence, organization and leadership skills.

“Some cadets with different learning styles or talents also benefit from finding a home in NJROTC or being able to find a showcase for their talents,” Morse said. “Almost every student develops a better bearing and expresses themselves.”

Gnech says the most important skill she’s learned is how to get along with people, even ones she might not like, as well as how to “suck it up and do it the hard way” in order to succeed.

Monsen believes two important life skills she has learned are communication and organization. As the Cadet Representative, she has to communicate effectively with her superiors and peers. She has also learned to earn respect and work her way up the ranks.

“As a freshman, I was so quiet, and I never talked,” Monsen said. “Even when I did, my voice was really quiet, but you meet so many people that you have no choice but to feel comfortable interacting with them. Now, I’m not afraid to talk to people. Without NJROTC, I wouldn’t have been the person I am today.”

NJROTC teams Drill: Orienteering: Cadets are given two maps and a compass and challenged to navigate through a forest area. They must transcribe one of the maps and pass through checkpoints where a receiver records their times.

Cyber security: Teams are given a set of virtual images that represent within the systems while maintaining critical services in a six-hour period.

Marksmanship: In this competition, cadets take their aim at different targets while standing, kneeling and lying down, 20 shots in each position.

These tests can involve anything from a relay race to a

TREK THIS WAY: Senior Alyssa Gnech (far right) poses with teammates after an orienteering competition. Participants navigate to various checkpoints in a wooded area using two maps and a compass. Gnech has been a member of Naval Junior Reserve this year, which includes writing weekly newsletters and taking pictures during events.

Academic: during Wednesday night meetings or competitions. Those with outstanding scores receive medals and ribbons.

SeaPerch: Students build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle from a kit with a curriculum teaching basic engineering and science concepts.

12

November 21, 2014

prospectornow.com

Entertainment

Students balance music, fashion

By Isabelle Rogers

Entertainment Editor Freshman Mike Gambino takes dressing to fit the music beyond the norm. His love for punk bands like My Chemical Romance and Green Day inspires him to sport painted nails with the bands’ names on them.

Even when people question him about his motives and label him as “goth” and “emo,” Gambino lets his passion for music stand tall.

Every day, music affects what people wear and how they’re perceived by others.

These music stereotypes that exist in high school have been around since the 1600s during the Baroque period.

According to Boundless Art History, the Baroque period was based off of exaggerated details, size, color and drama in all art forms.

Those that listened to the popular Baroque church music wore large clothing over their pale and chubby bodies, thus creating the first known stereotype combining music and fashion.

360 years later, the teenagers of the 70s used flower power, long hair, flowing t-shirts and illegal substances to rebel against disharmony. Bands like the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Grateful Dead and

Mark your calendar To stay up to date with the latest superhero movies and TV shows, make sure to remember the dates below: Nov. 24 New episode of “Gotham” at 7 p.m. A new episode will air at the same time every week.

Nov. 25 New episode of “The Flash” at 7 p.m. and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” at 8:00 p.m. New episodes will air at the same time every week.

Nov. 26 New episode of “Arrow” at 7 p.m. A new episode will air at the same time every week.

May 1, 2015 “Avengers: Age of Ultron” premieres.

July 17, 2015 “Ant-Man” premieres.

Aug. 7, 2015 “The Fantastic Four” premieres.

2016 “Captain America 3,” “Wolverine 3,” “X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Doctor Strange,” “Batman v. Superman,” “Sinister Six” and “Deadpool” premiere.

graphic by Caroline Binley, Isabelle Rogers and Cassidy Selep

CRAZY ‘BOUT A SHARP DRESSED MAN: Freshman Mike Gambino considers himself a Big Brother and the Holding Company became the face of the protests.

Today, students let their fashion choices convey who they are and the music they listen to.

For example, Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines punk as a style or movement character-

ized by unconventional clothing, hairstyles, makeup and the defiance of social norms associated.

Freshman Jenna Hoffman listens to punk rock bands like Black Veil Brides and My Chemical Romance and also tends to dress to fit the musical stereotype.

Both Hoffman’s and Gambino’s usual outfits consist of band t-shirts, black pants, nails painted black with a band’s logo on them, and in Hoffman’s case, heavy eyeliner.

Their fashion taste shows others who they listen to and how much they care about the music.

Though some feel only “real fans” dress to fit the music, junior Natalie Lysik, who listens to alternative, punk and heavy metal bands such as Avenged Sevenfold and Blessthefall, doesn’t feel the need to dress a certain way in order to fit a music scene.

“I just like wearing jeans and a t-shirt,” Lysik said. “I don’t have a specific way I dress, and I just wear whatever I feel like wearing and what I’m comfortable in.”

Although Lysik dresses how she wants, she still feels the pressures of dressing to fit music stereotypes when going to concerts. At concerts, Lysik wears the band’s shirt and a pair of jeans.

“Obviously, I wouldn’t wear something completely unusual [to a concert],” Lysik said. “[But] a concert is a different environment than just going outside, just like you wouldn’t wear flip flops in the winter.”

Hoffman does not feel the pressures of fitting stereotypes at concerts, but Gambino feels it is a positive pressure.

“When you go to a concert, you want to dress like [the band’s] biggest fan,” Gambino said. “It’s expressing yourself.

I love My Chemical Romance, and I have to show everyone that I love My Chemical Romance [as much as other fans do].”

Students unite with comic book passion

By Caroline Binley

Copy Editor

Not only was it junior Bridgette Jasinski’s 12th birthday, but she was in New York City for the first time, and she’d just seen “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” on Broadway. To top it off, she got the chance to meet production star Reeve Carney. After he wished a her happy birthday and gave her a hug, Jasinski started walking back to her hotel.

Then, suddenly, a bystander was screaming for her to watch out, and a taxi was barreling towards her. Jasinski froze in the middle of Broadway, unsure which way to run.

Just as suddenly as the cab had appeared, her friendly neighborhood Spider-Man — or, at least, a heroic copy-cat dressed in full costume — swooped in to save her. After pushing her to safety, he reassured her, saying, “It’s OK. I gotcha,” and disappeared into a crowd.

While Jasinski may be the only Prospect student who’s actually been saved by a superhero, she isn’t the only one who treasures them. Marvel and DC Comics have grown, creating both box-office and television empires. Both new and old fans continue their comic enthusiasm and delve into these ever-expanding universes.

Jasinski has been a dedicated fan since she was 4, and Spider-Man has been her favorite for almost the entire time.

Senior Rachel Rozow and junior Patrick Boarini, on the other hand, are relatively new comic fans.

After Rozow watched “The Avengers” her freshman year, she fell in love with the Marvel universe. When she moved to Mount Prospect a year later, she discovered comic book store Comix Revolution and bought entire volumes of “Spider-Man,” though Captain America is her current favorite.

Boarini’s passion also started with “The Avengers” after a friend dragged him to see it in theaters. Now, Boarini loves comic-based films as well as comics themselves; his favorites center around the loud-mouthing, fourth wall-smashing Deadpool.

Rozow, Boarini and Jasinski no longer have much time to read the comics. How-

cartoons by Bridgette Jasinski

MARVELOUS ARTISTS: In addition to reading comics and watching movies,

junior Bridgette Jasinski has also spent time drawing her favorite superhero, Spider-Man. ever, comics have left a lasting impression on all of them.

Jasinski learned her sarcasm from Spider-Man, and both her nerdiness and comfort level with the term are products of her comic book love.

Likewise, Boarini found inspiration in the Batman cartoons he watched when he was 8 or 9 year.

“I kind of took [the fact Batman relies on technology instead of superpowers] like [a message that] you could do something super great without having a power,” Boarini said.

Despite her inability to keep up with the comics, Jasinski remains a fan because she can relate to her favorite web-slinging hero.

“I just feel like if Peter Parker were a real person, he would probably be my best friend,” Jasinski said. “I can really get along with his character.”

Rozow and Boarini don’t relate as wholly to their favorite superheroes as Jasinski does. However, they do see value in fallible heroes and understandable villains, something Rozow says Marvel does infinitely better than DC. “I like the idea of superheroes not being completely invincible,” Rozow said.

“Of course, Superman is cool. He’s got laser eyes, and he can fly, and he’s strong and stuff, but I like the idea of characters being a little more human and a little more beatable because it makes them a little more relatable.”

Despite how much Jasinski, Boarini and Rozow love comics, none of them have watched shows like “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” “Gotham” and “The Flash.”

Jasinski, already juggling school work, Student Council, track, speech, tutoring, Polish school, guitar and babysitting, doesn’t have time.

“It’s like a stab in the heart every time I can’t [watch ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ or ‘Gotham,’]” Jasinski said On the other hand, it’s Rozow’s DVR, not her calendar, that’s full. She already watches six other shows and can’t find room for “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Boarini doesn’t feel any need to catch up, and though Jasinski and Rozow would like to watch the shows, their comic book knowledge keeps the fact they’re not upto-date from interfering with the movies.

Each one of them is looking ahead to the one aspect comics can’t fill in for: upcoming installations of the Marvel cinematic universe. Boarini, Rozow and Jasinski are excited for films related to their individual favorites as well as the much-anticipated “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

Though they have to wait years for some of Marvel’s upcoming projects, they are confident they’ll remain fans.

“I think that there are some franchises that roll off and fade,” Rozow said. “But when you have such a giant fan base and amazing characters like Marvel has produced, I think you can stay a fan for a really long time.”

prospectornow.com

Entertainment

November 21, 2014

13

Films split novels, shame originality

photo illustration by Cassidy Selep and Garrett Strother

The surefire winner of this November’s box office has been years in the making: the much anticipated third installment of the beloved Hunger Games trilogy. However, this Garrett Strother is only the first Entertainment half of the finale.

Editor While “Mockingjay: Part One” arrives in theaters Nov. 21, audiences will have to wait until Nov. 20, 2015, to finish the story.

Splitting movies from books like this is becoming more of a trend, especially in young adult novels. Unfortunately, this fashion is seeping into other genres of movies.

On Oct. 28, comic book and filmmaking giant Marvel released its lineup for the next several years. The centerpiece of this lineup is the third Avengers movie, which will be split into two movies between 2018 and 2019.

Studios can split the last movie of a series into two, assuring an extra few million dollars with little effort. To see exactly how much extra money this can make the studios, take a look back to the series that started the whole trend.

In 2010, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One” made $960 million worldwide. Then in 2011, Part 2 made over $1.3 billion worldwide and went on to become the fourth-highest grossing movie of all time.

Studios usually try to justify this split as actually being better for the fans. Both the Hunger Games and Divergent trilogies split their third book into two movies to avoid a crowded storyline. Both series said there was simply too much going on in the novels to fit into one movie.

While this argument might actually hold a bit of water for these movies in that they have complex third installments and busy storylines, there are other films that are obvious cash grabs that the studios don’t even bother justifying it. The biggest and most brazen offenders of this are the Hobbit movies.

Made presumably because Peter Jackson

needed another turret on his money castle, the approximately 300-page bit of light reading has been turned into an entire trilogy spanning several years. All three of the “Lord of the Rings” books, which the Hobbit is a prequel to, are almost double the length of the one Hobbit novel. Despite this, each of the Lord of the Rings books only got one corresponding movie, and they are widely considered some of the greatest movies of all time.

This tremendous stretching might be warranted if the Hobbit movies were truly good, but the two that have come out so far have 64 and 74 percent ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Keep in mind all three of the Lord of the Rings movies have ratings over 90 percent.

The same issue is present in the eighth Harry Potter movie, where events that only last a moment in the book are elongated into 15-minute , CGI-vomiting fight scenes that actually end up losing many of the messages that were carried in the book. One example is fan favorite Neville Longbottom’s badass, two paragraph assassination of Lord Voldemort’s pet snake turning into a chase scene around the entirety of Hogwarts filled with tension-numbing explosions and barely including Neville.

A continuation of this trend could doom the young adult genre. Books written for teenagers that deal with real teenage issues could come to fade away to cookie-cutter, Michael Bay-esque action “films”. As long as audiences keep eating such movies, the studios will keep shoveling them out steaming, in as many parts as they think you’ll pay to see.

Book-to-films expectations prevent satisfaction Movies have always meant a else. The script means nothing, lot to my family. One of my favor- the music is pointless and the ite memories as child was binge cinematography isn’t worth your time. watching movies with The worst part of my brother during our the checklist effect infamous weekend is that it forms your movie marathons. opinion of the movBut watching my ie long before you favorite books become leave the theater. The movies used to make moment one discrepme livid. ancy leaves a box on The actors never your checklist unplayed the characters checked, you’re inthe right way. The scripts always ruined stantly upset.

Kelly Schoessling famous lines, and the It’s this fact that’s Editor-in-Chief directors never did the led me to the final books justice. conclusion that novIt wasn’t until my els and films are two brother stopped my ranting and different art forms. put book-to-film adaptations into Therefore, there should not be perspective that I started enjoy- an obligation to have every detail ing movies again. of a novel translate directly to I also realized why book-to- the screen. If audiences expect film adaptations are so hard to a movie to live and breathe the enjoy. To explain it, my broth- same as a book, they will never er and I comprised a term we be satisfied. still apply today — we call it the Book-to-film adaptations have checklist effect. also changed drastically over the When you’re a fan of a book, years. you’ve created a preconceived In the past, following a novel’s idea of what should happen, plot did not guarantee its success when it should happen and how or failure. it should look. You spend the enFamous and award winning tirety of the movie waiting in- movies such as “The Shining,” stead of truly watching.

“Jaws,” “Forrest Gump,” “Stand You’re so focused on filling out by Me,” “Shawshank Redempyour mental checklist that you’re tion” and “Fight Club” are all completely blind to everything successful book-to-film adapta-

tions.

These adaptations also contain huge changes between the original novels and final films.

For example, “The Shining” novel abruptly ends with a hotel boiler exploding the resort into pieces while the film infamously ends with an axe-wielding Jack attacking his family.

The 1996 Best Picture winner “Forrest Gump” managed to gain popularity even while omitting an entire section of its novel where Forrest teams with NASA and goes to space.

It was never the expectation for these movies to follow the plots of their books, so what changed?

The “Harry Potter” series is famous for both its novels and movies.

As the films progressed, the fandom for the series only grew stronger with a total of $7.7 billion in revenue gathered by the franchise’s end in 2011.

Despite minor changes, the films closely portrayed the plots of the beloved books.

Audiences began to form their expectations for what a book-tofilm adaptations should entail.

But movies shouldn’t be judged by their origins alone. So abandon your mental checklist and enjoy the story for what it truly is: a movie.

14

November 21, 2014

prospectornow.com

Sports

Balancing back-to-back sports

By Devin Prasad

Executive Sports Editor Junior Brenda Kendziera arrived home from basketball practice last year when she felt a pain in her back. She was soon unable to move and could hardly walk. When she went to the doctor, he said the injury was due to overuse. With little time to rest between seasons and the mentality to give it her all, Kendziera was a target for injury.

Under the stress of playing back-to-back sports, athletes like Kendziera, who plays volleyball, basketball and track, are dealing with stress, fatigue and injury.

According to head athletic trainer Aaron Marnstein, injuries are common for athletes who play sports in backto-back seasons. Injuries such as plantar fasciitis usually occur in feet and ankles.

Plantar fasciitis symptoms usually include pain in the underside and heel of the foot. According to the American Chiropractic Association, two million people nationwide experience

some sort of heel pain linked to plantar fasciitis each year.

These injuries often occur when athletes change the shoes they perform in. For example, a cross country runner who also plays basketball may go from wearing a thin racing spike and running in a straight line to wearing a thicker basketball shoe and jumping, cutting and running in all directions.

According to Marnstein, as athletes compete, their bodies are growing.

Some students have more trouble getting their bodies to adapt to that growth while also competing. “[For] some athletes can go from sport to sport to sport with no problems,” Marnstein said. “Some athletes, it takes their body time to transition between the different activities.”

Like Marnstein, seniors James Ford, who plays football, wrestling and track, and Jake Caviani, who plays soccer, swimming and baseball, believe that a longer break between seasons would be beneficial. With only a few weeks between sports, athletes allow their bodies little time to recover.

According to Marnstein, it is key to address injury before entering a new sport. It is crucial for athletes not to fight

through an injury and continue to play. By doing this, the athlete then puts him or herself at risk to experience long term debilitations.

While injuries are common in athletes that play backto-back sports, they are also common in athletes that only play one. The specialization of one sport causes the athlete to repeat the same motion, which can cause strain on that part of the body.

Multiple sports allow the athlete to experience a full range of motion.

Many athletes find that playing multiple sports allows them to compete year round.

According to wrestling head coach Tom Whalen, the competitiveness is what makes back-to-back athletes a step ahead of the rest.

“It keeps me competing throughout the year ... physically and mentally,” Ford said.

Playing multiple sports also lets athletes stay in shape by working out with each sport.

Rather than take a few seasons off before their sport, they

are working to get physically stronger.

Marnstein, Kendziera, Ford and Caviani agree that playing multiple sports is beneficial to the athlete.

Whalen also agrees and believes high school is the time to join new sports and try new things.

By starting school with the mindest that they should specialize in just one sport, athletes cost themselves the opportunity to find sports they love.

“I think multiple-sport athletes at the high school level allow the student-athlete to really find what they are passionate for,” Whalen said. “They might specialize their junior or senior year, but they will never have the opportunity to do those things again.”

SLEEPING BEAUTY: Junior Brenda Kendziera plays three sports. Switching seasons is a tough task for Kendziera and other student athletes who go through this process. As the year progresses, student-athletes can get more and more worn out.

photos illustration by Cassidy Selep

prospectornow.com

November 21, 2014

Sports

Teams train for winter seasons

15

By Molly Mueller, Devin Prasad, Ryan Molini, Peter Fusliero and Bridgette Jasinski

B

oys’ Swimming and Diving

Key returners?

Seniors Michael Morikado and Sam Gabriel

First meet and against whom?

Friday, Dec. 5, at Fremd Biggest meet of the season and against whom?

Against Hersey Friday, Dec. 5 and against Rolling Meadows Friday, Jan. 23 Last year’s record?

7-0 How did the team finish at conference?

Fourth place at conference along with the 200 Medley Relay, made up of Gabriel, Nathanael Ginnodo, Morikado and Carter Mau, breaking the school record

G

irls’ Basketball

B

photos by Cassidy Selep

oys’ Basketball

Key returners?

Seniors Kyle Beyak and Kyle Formanski First game and against whom?

Monday, Nov. 24 against Walther Lutheran Last year’s record?

16-12

B

owling

Key returners?

Senior Kendall Dawson and sophomore Arie Upshaw

Key returners?

Seniors Taylor Will and Catherine Sherwood First game and against whom?

Wednesday, Nov. 19, at York against York as they defend their tournament title

Goals/expectations for the team during the season?

MSL East champions and regional champions Key player losses from last year?

Bobby Frasco and Danny Thomas Biggest win or loss that impacted the team the most?

Win: St. Viator Loss: Fremd for the MSL championship When is the first game and against whom?

Saturday, Nov. 29 at the Rock Island Invite Biggest meet of the season and against whom?

Thursday, Jan. 22 against Hersey Last year’s record?

9-2 How did the team finish at conference?

Third at conference and fifth at sectionals

Last year’s record?

23-6 Team finish at conference?

Second in MSL East

Key player losses from last year?

Marissa Pacini and Mallory Gonzalez

Goals/expectations for the team during the season?

Enjoy the process, and the wins will take care of themselves

Biggest win or loss that impacted the team the most?

The Nequa Valley win gained the team a lot of confidence last year in the York tournament

W

Key player losses from last year?

Jackson Wrede and Sam Lobono

restling

Key player losses from last year?

Meghan Mulcahy

Key returners?

Seniors Adrian Wroblewski and James Ford and sophomore Matt Wroblewski First match and against whom?

Wednesday, November 26 at Barrington against Conant Last year’s record?

22-5 Conference and regional finish?

MSL East champions, third in conference and Regional champion

G

irls’ Gymnastics

Key returners?

Senior Maddie Larock, juniors Olivia Sullo and Megan Donner and sophomore Olivia Gonzalez First game and against whom?

Wednesday, Dec. 3, against Schaumburg Last year’s record?

6-2 Team accomplishments last season?

MSL East champions, regional champions, fourth place in sectionals and eighth at state

Key player losses from last year?

Jackie Difonzo and Gianna Scala Biggest wins and losses from last season?

Regional title and qualifying for state

Inspiration, mentors found in off-court coaching Next time you see the boys’ technique from outside of basbasketball team wearing their ketball onto the court.

Especially in high school, warm-up shirts, take a closer look. Embroidered on the back it’s crucial for coaches to be of the boys’ shirts are Redwood able to bond with athletes and take on the role of trees. mentor. The relaThe trees serve tionship between a as a metaphor for coach and an aththe team to depend lete should translate on one another to to more than just become stronger. instruction on the Redwood trees locatcourt or field. ed on the west coast Having had 13 can span 300 feet different coaches in from their branches high school alone, I down to their deep have experienced a roots, which connect Ryan Molini spectrum of coachthem to other near- Sports Editor ing techniques. With

by Redwoods for supsuch diversity, there port. Head coach John Camardella frequently travels is no single way to coach an out West, and he uses the Red- athlete. Likewise, coachable woods to help the team achieve athletes are every bit importstrength as a unit, showing how ant as the coach themselves.

Different coaching styles Camardella has implemented a

have an enormous impact on the way athletes perform with their peers. Some coaches have found success with a stricter attitude while others have found it with a looser style.

Both these techniques can give players a mental edge to focus during competitions.

Whether it’s how they give their halftime speeches when the team is losing or the offseason workouts they hold at six in the morning to enhance each player’s athletic ability, coaches have a greater impact on athletes all the time.

Assistant coaches are just as vital. They may not make game-time decisions, but they’re every bit as dedicated to the supportive efforts as the rest of the coaching staff.

During this summer, my assistant baseball coach, Bob-

by Reibel, was a major factor in the strength and conditioning of the team early in the mornings. Being there consistently 15 minutes before everyone else, Reibel’s supervision helped our team maintain a weekly schedule that helped improve our team’s fitness.

Assistant coaches sometimes lay the groundwork for building a program up to its potential, including individual instruction and reviewing recent performances. Because a head coach can not help out individual athletes all the time, these assistant coaches take on a roll that enables more specific instruction with athletes.

Camardella knows how instrumental an entire staff of coaches can be to their team.

He has a special history with the coaches he had in both high

school and in college.

Camardella attended Hersey High School where his coaches, John Novak, Don Rowley and Kent Borghoff, were vital to him after tearing his ACL and losing his father.

Camardella believes they are the main reason he coaches the way he does today.

I continued to ask Camardella what made him different than any other coach.

“I really don’t know,” Camardella said. “Give me a night to think about it.”

The question doesn’t need to be answered so long that it makes you speculate. So I ask all athletes out there, what coach has made more of an impact on you than just your performance on the court or field?

SPORTS Friday, November 21, 2014

On ProspectorNow.com...

Several Knights signed their letters of intent to play college athletics. Seniors Dana Liva signed at the University of Wisconsin, Lucas Karz at Presbyterian College, and Isabella Flack at Ferris State University.

Liva leaves legacy

By Peter Fusilero Sports Editor

Head girls’ diving coach Antonio Bondi’s favorite memory of senior Dana Liva isn’t when she broke the MSL Conference 11 dive record, nor was it her fourth place finish at state last year or even the fact that her all-time dual meet record is 31-0.

Bondi’s favorite memory is something Liva sees as a failure. Earlier in the year, she was .5 away from a score of 500. Although 499.5 is her second best score, Bondi could tell she wasn’t satisfied. “That just shows she wants to continue [to improve],� Bondi said. “There’s a hunger deep down inside her to want to get better every single day.�

Liva holds the highest diving records at seven schools in the Chicagoland area. She took first place in sectionals her sophomore and junior year. She has broken the team’s 6 dive record six times and the 11 dive team record five times.

Liva has put her stamp on Prospect diving.

Her success the past three years has attracted more girls to join the program this season. “I actually have a diving team this year,� Liva said. “I get to mentor the other divers, and it’s so much fun. Practices have been a lot more exciting. I just hope more people in the future will come out and try diving.�

Bondi definitely sees the leadership role Liva has taken this year. “We had three other active divers, and she kind of guided them with little tips and tricks,� Bondi said. “Diving is a big mental game, so she was able to coach them through those mental blocks. She was a good role model.�

According to Bondi, Liva had similar mental blocks early on in her diving career, but she was able to quickly overcome them quickly because of her strong work ethic. “Dana is a go-getter,� Bondi said. “She is determined to get what she wants. She is the first one on the board and first one in the pool. She doesn’t like to waste time. She wants to go after what she is working towards.�

Liva credits her parents and coaches for helping develop her hard-working mindset. “Bondi has been amazing, and when I quit gymnastics, my dad told me to really focus on diving,� Liva said. “They helped me learn to be so committed to the point that [diving] literally has become my life.�

Multiple colleges from the Big 10 took notice of Liva’s talent, but in the end, she chose to be a Badger at University of Wisconsin-Madison in fall 2015.

Wisconsin had not known about Liva until seeing her at a club meet this past summer. The coaching staff immediately told her to visit, and within an hour of the meet, the appointment was scheduled. “It was my first recruiting trip, and I immediately fell in love with the campus, [the] coach and everybody on the team,� Liva said. “Wisconsin was definitely it.�

Bondi is supportive of her decision. “I think it’s a good decision because she’s happy,� Bondi said. “My only two cents I threw in was to go to a school you think is a good fit for you. All the schools have good diving programs, but [she needed] to pick a program that [she] felt comfortable with.�

Bondi isn’t completely sure the Olympics are in Liva’s future, but he is optimistic. “She is very talented, and with being coachable and being willing to fix what needs to be fixed, anything is possible,� Bondi said. “Once she’s at Madison, it will be a whole new world. She’ll be outside of her comfort zone and will have to adapt to what the new coaches throw at her.�

No matter how this season ends, Liva has left a legacy. “She’s leaving a reputation for Prospect diving and District 214 diving,� Bondi said. “The records she has set will be at those pools for a long time. Spectators, athletes and future athletes will see those numbers and those scores, and they will be curious. 10 years, 20 years from now, someone will ask, ‘Who is Dana Liva?’ Dana did a great job in doing her part to build the program, but now as a program, we need to continue and do our part to ensure we live up to our reputation.�

Dana Liva’s Records t "MM UJNF EVFM NFFU SFDPSE t 1SPTQFDU 5FBN %JWF t .BJOF 8FTU 1PPM %JWF t 8IFFMJOH 1PPM %JWF t 1SPTQFDU 5FBN %JWF t -JODPMO 8BZ 8FTU 1PPM %JWF t #VČBMP (SPWF 1PPM %JWF t #BSSJOHUPO 1PPM %JWF t 4UFWFOTPO 1PPM %JWF t .4- $POGFSFODF %JWF *To watch Liva dive, scan this box using the Aurasma app!

WATER BREAK WITH BROOKE WILSON

Q. What will you remember about this season?

A. " SFBMMZ HSFBU QBSU PG UIF TFBTPO XBTO U FWFO SVO

ning so well at all the meets but as a team collectively. I think we had such a great bond. There wasn’t any class discrimination ... You know everyone on the team, and you talk to them everyday.

Q. How did being the only cross country runner from

Prospect to go to state feel?

A. It was obviously really disappointing. We had been

hoping that both teams would make it there, and when we didn’t, it was really disappointing for everyone, but Wurster has told us in the past that almost getting something but not getting it just makes you stronger. It makes you want it more and work harder for it, so sometimes that can be more beneficial.

Brooke Wilson

Year Sophomore Sport Cross country State Placing Q. How does it feel to do so well at state?

A. (PJOH JO NZ DPBDIFT UPME NF UIBU * DBO SVO that well, I [could place well] but it was up to me if I <EJE> .PTU PG UIF QFPQMF XIP QMBDFE BU 1SPTQFDU XFOU in knowing that they would, so I was like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;OK, I can EP UIJT "U UIF FOE PG UIF SBDF * LOFX * XBT SJHIU PO the edge. I walked out of the crowd, and Wintermute, Katrell and a bunch of the girls were waiting there for me. They were really supportive and excited for me. It was so nice.

Q. What are your goals looking forward to next season?

A. I really want the team to come together because we are

a young team, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about collectively [making] everyone stronger. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not going to be all about me. It shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be all about me. I want our varsity team to go to state. We have a lot of people that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do track last year that are doing track, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good. Just getting stronger. Having fun. *To watch the interview, scan the bottle with the Aurasma app!