Volume 52, Issue 1
Friday, September 14, 2012
The voice of Prospect since 1960
ROSPECTOR
To find out how Prospect goes green and to read a profile of AP Environmental Science,
see... In-Depth, pages 8-9
801 West Kensington Road, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056
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I PLAY, YOU WORK: Students play softball during gym. Under the new rules, students with high enough fitness scores will choose an activity every day while others can only choose activities twice a week. photo by Ian Magnuson
New P.E. rules run students ragged By Nabi Dressler Executive News Editor Senior and varsity swimmer Taylor Arndt waived out of first semester gym; she swims three miles a day and is one of the top freestyle swimmers on the team. However, second semester, Arndt will have to run twice a week and participate in a cardio workout once a week in a regular gym class because of her low fitness score. Arndt passed all but one part of fitness testing: running. She is knock-kneed and flat-footed, conditions that make running painful. “To say, ‘You’re not physically fit because you can’t
run, [so] let’s make you run [two] days a week,’ that’s extremely counter-productive,” Arndt said. “I swim three miles a day. I’m not going to run because you tell me to.” This year, regular gym students with fitness scores under 70 will run twice a week and participate in another cardio activity once a week, while students with scores over 70 can choose other sports instead; they are not required to run. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, all students get to participate in electives of their choice. According to P.E. teacher Carrie Black, the curriculum of the activities will be similar to what has been done in the past, but P.E. teachers will teach different students every day.
The activities offered each period depend on student choice. “We think that if you are doing stuff that you want to do, then you’re more motivated to participate, so we’re not in the fight of ‘I don’t want to do this, why do we have to do this?’” Black said. While gym classes will incorporate many activities, Arndt does not believe getting rid of specific electives will motivate students. “Kids who wanted to be in those [elective] classes were in those classes because they were going to try,” Arndt said. Senior Olivia Churchill, even though she has a fit-
See GYM CLASSES, page 2
Community affected by closing By Maddy Moloney Associate Editor-in-Chief
sTHANKS
FOR THE MEMORIES: Arlington Theaters’ current bilboard displays nostalgia rather than movie titles. The theater’s closing on July 8 took a toll on other local businesses, too. photo by Ian Magnuson
For the seven months senior Claire Pfohl worked at Arlington Theaters there had never been a mandatory meeting, but a notice read that there would be a meeting the following night and that all crew must attend. At the meeting Pfohl’s worst fear had come true; her manager broke the news that the theater would be closing, leaving 25 workers jobless. Due to a struggle to renegotiate their lease and dwindling funds, Arlington Theaters, located in downtown Arlington Heights closed their door Sunday, July 8, after 12 years of business. The theater’s landlord also wanted to update from traditional film prints to digital technology, but the high costs were too much. The estimated cost per screen was $65 thousand according to
Campaign recap While President Obama prepared to run for his second term, Republicans looked for their nominee. For a timeline and commentary on the Republican campaign, go to... Opinion, page 6
Jem Movies. Pfohl noted plenty of signs foreshadowing the closing: the air conditioning in the lobby broke in June and was never repaired; the theater couldn’t afford to put a float in the Fourth of July parade, a long standing tradition; and the theater often couldn’t afford to replenish stock. “We knew it was coming,” Pfohl said. “We just didn’t want to believe.” Surprisingly, the cause of the close was not a lack of business, but rather the prices were too low to make a profit. “We were giving more than we were receiving,” Pfohl said. Pfohl presumes they did this in order to keep up with monster chain cinemas such as the neighboring AMC. With the fall of the theater, the rest of downtown Arlington Heights is
See THEATER CLOSING, page 2
Movie hits and misses
Do football games lack student spirit? Find out if we match other schools’ enthusiasm on...
During the summer, blockbusters like “The Amazing Spider-Man” produced hype. To find out whether this and other movies delivered, turn to... Entertainment, page 12
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