Online issue 5

THE

Volume 56, Issue 5

Friday, December 13, 2013

The voice of Prospect since 1960

ROSPECTOR

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Knights’ Way tradition ignites school unity

THE PROSPECT KNIGHT RISES: Prospect’s knight looks over the school campus during school hours. The Knights’ Way program has been a source of support for the student body for around 15 years. Although most students are aware of Knights’ Way’s primary mission, few know how the program began. (Graphic by Rich Futo)

By Abby Sunu

In-Depth Editor Six times a year, during second period for a half an hour, Prospect is in complete unity. Although the students and faculty are not physically brought together, everyone in the building participates in the Knights’ Way program.

Even though a lot has changed since the start of Knights’ Way in 1998, the goals and hopes of this program remain the same.

When it began, the purpose of Knights’ Way was to produce a change in Prospect’s behavior by focusing on respecting students, staff and the building along with discussing

important topics the school can learn from.

Although some people think the Knights’ Way program only started because of a hazing incident involving the football team that occurred in October 1996, this is not completely true.

Both Sandy Pifer and English teacher Rebecca Hagberg-Cohen were a part of the original Knights’ Way committee and believe that the hazing situation was not the immediate reason to start the program.

“That brought more attention to the reasons why we needed to have something,” Hagberg-Cohen said. “I don’t think people talked about bullying so much then as they do now.”

“Maybe in the back of our minds, that hazing incident would not have happened if people had more respect, so maybe indirectly [this started Knights’ Way], but certainly not directly,” Pifer said.

This event, along with appropriate school behavior, being polite to other students and teachers as well as respecting the building and others were all factors that led to the start of Knights’ Way. “People were so involved in testing and academics, and they were getting so carried away with the academia of Prospect that people were forgetting about how to be genuine to each other, and Prospect has always been an excellent school academically as well

as athletically,” Pifer said.

“But we just kind of felt like we were losing the human element of it that connected people with people. There wasn’t really any event that triggered it in my mind; I think it was just time to start looking at things a little differently.”

However, this does not mean Prospect students used to threaten each other for lunch money or shove freshmen into lockers.

Despite the hazing incident, Prospect has maintained a positive reputation throughout the years, so there was not an immediate need for an extreme change in the building.

See TRADITION, pages 8-9

Parking privileges revoked due to unserved detentions

By Shreya Thakkar News Editor

Senior Sean O’Carroll received a visit in November 2012 from security guard Barbara Wolf notifying him that his parking pass was going to be taken away because of the one-and-a-half hours of detention he owed at the end of first quarter. In order to get it back, he would have to serve those hours.

However, instead of serving them, O’Carroll decided to work around the system. Before he handed his physical pass in to the dean, he took a picture of it with his iPhone. Then at home, he printed the picture on photo paper, and it looked just like his real pass.

“I was really busy, and I was also really lazy,” O’Carroll said. “So I took the easy way out.”

What seemed like a foolproof plan eventually was caught. In February, after he had been using the pass for around three months, security guards who check parking tags on cars recognized his pass as a fake.

This school year, parking passes

With the scanners and the printers, it’s getting much better about how [fake parking passes] look.

-Dean Mark Taylor

for the full year cost $190. Juniors and seniors who have unserved detention hours at the end of each quarter will have their parking passes taken away until they serve their hours.

Although the system is not new, it has proven to be an effective system to get students to serve their detentions.

The system is based on motivation — students serve their detentions so they can get their parking passes back.

At the end of first quarter, administration withheld 22 students’ parking passes out of about 400 total due to detention hours. Along with that, this year two fake passes have been found.

According to Dean Mark Taylor, the system has been successful. Along with the two students caught with fake passes found this year, other students who got their pass taken away due to deten-

tion hours had detention time ranging anywhere from 30 minutes to 900 minutes at the end of first quarter. With this system, only two students remain from first quarter who have yet to regain their parking privileges.

Last year, security guards realized O’Carroll’s pass was fake because each pass has a unique three-digit code.

During Wolf ’s daily rounds, she crosschecked the code displayed on O’Carroll’s fake pass with her spreadsheet containing all pass codes, and it showed that pass had already been taken away.

After being caught, O’Carroll had to visit the dean and was given two options for his consequence: either four more hours of detention or being prohibited

See PARKING, page 2

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News

December 13, 2013

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PARKING: Unserved detentions cause parking passes to be withheld CONTINUED from front page from parking on campus for the rest of the school year.

O’Carroll chose the four extra hours and served them and now has his parking pass back.

According to Taylor, over the years, many students have tried making fake passes, but they always got caught.

“With the scanners and the printers, it’s just getting much better about how [the fake passes] look,” Taylor said. “But we know. Security is pretty good at knowing who’s who and what’s

what in the parking lot.”

Although O’Carroll’s consequences weren’t too severe, if a student who hasn’t purchased a parking pass parks on campus, it won’t be taken lightly.

“The permits this year were $190, which is really expensive,” Taylor said. “So it would be really unfair to a student who paid for one parking right next to one who hasn’t paid.”

At first, students parking without a permit are given a few warnings. If they continue to violate the rule, then administration will tow their cars.

According to Taylor, the tow is expensive and costs $150.

According to security guard John Meyers, security guards, including Wolf and himself, take different twohour shifts to patrol the parking lot in vans every day until the end of sixth period to make sure each car parked in the parking lot has a parking tag.

Students have mixed feelings about the system.

Senior Alyssa Friend believes that Prospect has a right to withhold parking passes.

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PASS COLLECTION: Senior Alyssa Friend hands over her pass to security guard John Meyers in the parking lot due to unserved detention hours. Students are escorted to their cars with a security guard to turn in their physical pass. (Photo illistration by Shreya Thakkar) At first, she felt that it was unfair because she paid for her pass, but then she realized that when she obtained her pass, she signed a form giving administration the right to revoke parking privileges based on detention hours and behavior issues (see “Parking permit guidelines”).

“I think it works because it got me to serve [my detention hours] now,” Friend said.

On the other hand, O’Carroll does not agree with the system to make sure detention hours are served. He feels that since students are already paying almost $200 for the passes, they should be able to keep them.

Along with O’Carroll and Friend, junior Giana Philippas’s parking pass was also taken away.

She had nine unserved hours of detention at the end of first quarter this year and wasn’t aware that her parking pass

could be taken away because of them. Philippas doesn’t agree with the system.

“I don’t like it because if I paid for it, I should be able to park [in the parking lot] regardless of how many detention hours I have,” Philippas said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with whether or not I should be able to park at school.”

Nevertheless, the system motivated Philippas to serve her detentions. After receiving the notice, she served her nine hours in four days by using her lunch hour and Saturday detention.

According to Philippas, she is going to try to earn less detention hours to prevent her pass from getting taken away in the future.

“I’m definitely not going to cut class as much and ditch because then I know it’ll get taken away again,” Philippas said.

Students carry heavy loads Backpacks used more than lockers

By Garrett Strother Staff Writer

The lockers of high school students can be adorned with a range of decorations, from mirrors out on the doors to post-its with scribbled song lyrics along the back wall.

But more and more, these touches of home seem to be disappearing as students opt to use their backpacks for all of their belongings.

Senior Jacob Williams sees more value in the latter option and “never” uses his locker.

“I think there is an empty white binder in there,” Williams said.

The reason for the drop in locker usage depends on the student. For Williams, the answer is simple.

“I don’t use it because I don’t think I have to,” Williams said.

What to Williams in an easy choice is not so for all students, however. Freshman Jack Jones’s locker visitation has become a casualty of his race to class.

“Five minutes is more time than middle school for a passing period,” Jones said. “But it still isn’t enough.”

Junior Katie Nejdl neglects the locker assigned to her just as much as Williams does, only having been there twice this year.

However, she and Williams have more in common than just

WHOPPING WEIGHT: Williams’ backpack weighs 30.8 lbs, 19 percent of his body weight. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a student’s backpack should not weigh more than 15 to 20 percent of their body weight. (Photo graphic by Rich Futo) a heavy backpack; both are involved in an extra-curricular activity that supplies them with an extra locker at least part of the year. Nejdl is in marching band, giving her one extra convenient pit stop a day.

Williams had an athletic locker until the football season ended. However, he did not use the locker for anything but his football gear, and instead carried all of his belongings in his backpack.

For many, fewer trips to their lockers means less cluttered hallways, as well as more time during passing periods. However, cutting down on locker stops is not always a positive choice.

While Williams and Nejdl

have no problem taking a few extra books, Jones does not feel the more lax passing period is worth the extra weight.

Jones, without the luxury of locker stops, lugs around a monstrous near-twenty pound backpack consisting of the following: an iPad, an assignment notebook, two binders, six folders, a French workbook and textbook, a pencil case and a set of notecards.

In what seems like comparing Jones’ Mary Poppins-esque backpack to a bag of party favors, Williams carries three books, AP Government, math and French, on top of his three binders. Nejdl also has three binders, along with a notebook

and a folder.

In the morning she carries her math book, which she switches out during fifth period band for her French book.

As locker usage goes down, backpack weight goes up. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a student’s backpack should now weigh more than 15 to 20 percent of their body weight.

Fortunately, Nejdl, Williams, nor Jones are breaking this rule, but Williams’ backpack weighs in at a whopping 30.8 pounds, 19 percent of his body weight.

Jones comes in second, whose bag weighs in at 19.8 pounds, at 18 percent of his body weight.

It’s a surprising 11 pound drop, considering the plethora of supplies Jones carried with him compared to William’s bare minimum.

Nejdl, weighing her afternoon stock with her French book instead of her Math book, came in at 16.8 pounds, which is a comfortable 12 percent of her body weight.Williams took the heaviest backpack by the a landslide, a seemingly normal outcome since he is the only one who never stops at his locker, a feat more and more students seem to be taking pride in.

The three definitely have differing opinions on whether or not they need to use their lockers, but Nejdl says that is completely fine.

“It’s just up to the person,” Nejdl said. “If they want to go to their locker, that’s fine, and if they don’t that’s fine too. It’s

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prospectornow.com

December 13, 2013

Juniors advance in ACT prep Multiple courses prepares students for testing

News

3

Winter Week Calendar Monday, December 16

By Eva Schacht News Editor

Three dreadful letters hang over every junior’s head each year: ACT, a test that seems to determine the rest of your life and possible career treks. The anxiety felt by students comes from not only the test itself, but also the preparation leading up to it.

Prospect will administer the practice ACT to all juniors on Saturday, Dec. 14. The ACT will also be administered on Feb. 8, April 12 and June 14. Students are still able to register online for the ACT. Registration began Dec. 2, 2013 and will go until Jan. 10, 2014.

To prepare students for the ACT, Prospect will hold a test prep seminar on Feb. 1 offering help in all subjects: math, English, reading and science.

Prospect has been offering some sort of prep class for over 20 years.

The prep classes are decided based on a student’s math grade. If students are in a higher math class, then they will be placed into a class with other students at their level.

Assessment Center Supervisor Janice Sokolik highly encourages all juniors to take some sort of prep class, preferably at Prospect because it is the largest prep program offered in the district. Taking the prep class at Prospect costs roughly $125, while taking classes privately can cost a person almost double.

According to Prospect’s website, the ACT Test Prep Seminar provides a comprehensive approach to help prepare students for the ACT and enables them to apply and practice strategic methods that improve results.

Seniors Marissa Pacini and Kelly Cunningham both took the prep classes offered by Prospect.

Pacini’s sister took the prep class before her, and so she decided to take it as well. However, Pacini believes that the class was “dumbed down” so that students could understand the materials better. One thing Pacini really got out of the class was how to pace herself because there is limited time allowed for each subject.

Cunningham, who also took the class, did not feel the same way; she felt it was a waste and ended up studying on her own. Extra practice work is offered outside of the class, but the work is optional, which was somewhat pointless to Cunningham because nobody ever did any of the extra work.

However, there is still the chance of taking test prep privately, which is exactly what junior Grant Miller did. The idea to take the prep classes privately was suggested by a friend because of the one-on-one help available.

Miller, a two-sport athlete who plays baseball and basketball, was not able to find time in his schedule to take the prep classes. However, taking it privately, he was able to work his schedule and find times at Huntington Learning Center. Miller recommends taking the prep privately for other athletes unable to take Prospect’s prep courses.

Huntington Learning Center owner Tom Eder has been managing private tutoring for 13 years and believes the individual support separates their program with monumental benefits.

“What we do here is all one-to-one instruction, so it’s customized for what each student needs,” Eder said. “Any time you do a class, you have to kind of teach towards the middle of the class because everybody is going to need different types of [tutoring], so it’s hard to zero in on what you might need versus

SAT:

Take this one if you: -like to read without time pressure -prefer more basic math -like creative writing -dislike taking science as part of standardized test

ACT:

Take this one if you: -prefer more curriculum based math classes -are a fast reader

-Lazy Day Tuesday, December 17

-like more straightforward writing prompts -learned English as your second language

-Twin Day -“Buddy the Elf” eating contest Wednesday, December 18

Juniors George Schober and Stephen Schmit what your friend needs.”

Huntington’s program specifically works by tailoring the learning gaps of individual students and meeting for tutoring sessions for a varying amount of time before the ACT test date.

However, according to Eder students usually have lessons twice a week for every two weeks in order to balance the amount of qualified tutors for students’ benefits.“You’re working with experts in science and experts in English as opposed to [an instructor], who is kind of good at [varying subjects],” Eder said.

However, senior Troy Phillips decided to neither take the prep class offered by Prospect nor any private tutoring session. Rather, he decided to prepare solo.

After taking the PLAN test sophomore year, Phillips had a good feel for what score he was projected to get.

“I knew what I wanted [to get], and I knew where I was naturally,” Phillips said. Phillips didn’t want to spend the time or money preparing for something that he was already comfortable with. Instead, Phillips picked up on the materials that his teachers taught him his junior year. Phillips openly admits he did almost no work before taking the ACT. According to Phillips, the week

before the ACT, teachers gave a comprehensive review of everything that was going to be on it. Even after the extensive review, Phillips still felt ready.

Ultimately, Cunningham believes the ACT prep classes at PHS are only successful if students put the effort forth.

“You have to be driven to take the class,” Cunningham said. “If you’re not driven, then the class doesn’t really help. You have to be willing to put in the effort to get something out of it. You’re not going to learn anything if you don’t do anything.”

-Ugly Sweater Day -Lunch hour Photo Booth Thursday, December 19

-Winter Apparel Day (Hats, Scarves, Gloves) -Hot Chocolate before school Friday, December 20

-Wear White -Raffle basket drawing

4

Opinion

December 13, 201

prospectornow.com

Staff Editorial

Self-determination a necessity Henry David Thoreau once said “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.”

Every day, we see more people living the lives that others want for them.

As high schoolers, we are subject to the whims of our parents and teachers, but we cannot forgotten that we are living our lives, not theirs.

College application season is drawing to a close, and many students, when asked why they chose the future they’re about to pursue, say that they’re doing it because someone else wants them to.

Though not ideal, it’s at least understandable. Ask your parents what the hardest thing is about having a child, and you’ll probably hear something about the uncertainty.

Though an entirely valid and heavy concern, it appears that for many parents the solution is to try and control or influence their child’s life to make sure the risks are few and the uncertainty low.

There is, of course, a difference between guiding a child’s life and controlling it, and while every parent has overstepped that line at

some point, it is imperative that the finally make time to chase their child, not the parent, makes the fi- childhood aspirations. And while nal decision when it comes to his or pursuing those dreams remains a possibility, it becomes less realistic her plans for the future.

We, The Prospector, believe that every time a second is wasted.

Adults justify their “quiet desstudents of all ages owe it to themselves to live their own lives instead peration” in the same way. No office worker thinks of himof being forced by self as just that; rathparents, friends or er, he or she thinks teachers into paths that they are a temthat they do not want porary office worker, to go down. and his or her boring Parents are not Against For work is only a pit stop the only offenders when it comes to Voting results of the Prospector staff in or speed bump on the regards to this editorial. way to greater things. controlling students’ It is easy, in this manlives.

Well-intentioned teachers and counselors also, ner, to put off dreams until it is too whether intentionally or not, pres- late.

Throughout life, it seems that the sure students to pursue careers or colleges that, though they may be best time to start something new well suited for, do not line up with or take a risk is “soon.” As high schoolers, we think that we can go the students’ interests.

It is alarming that many students to a college we don’t like for now, but are already resigning themselves to sometime “soon,” everything will lives that will make their parents or change.

Parents are the most important teachers, not themselves, happy.

Students justify this to them- guides in our lives. But putting our selves by saying that there is still interests on the back burner so we time left to chase their dreams. May- can conform to their expectations be after college, or after a few years resigns us to a life spent waiting for in a field they don’t like, they’ll a “soon” that may never come.

22

Dear high school boyfriends, We hate having to bring we know girls mature faster this up, but it has been called than boys. Sometimes, we feel to our attention that you all like we’re dating children — have a few flaws in common shocking. It happens more that must have been forgot- than you think. However, if ten in the boyfriend you want to not manual. Instead of only impress us addressing each of but also seem like you individually an adult, use propand hurting some er table manners. pretty big egos, this Take that napletter seems to be kin and put it on sufficient since the your lap. Do not majority of you guys grip your fork follow the same patwith a fist and terns. Please don’t stab your food like take offense. This is Kiley Walsh a barbarian. Let a learning process Guest columnist your girlfriend for all of us. order first. SimDon’t think we can’t un- ple table manners aren’t that derstand your desire to grow hard, and it’s embarrassing out the facial hair. When when you don’t use them. many upperclassmen have Wonder if you’re using full beards, it’s no question table manners? If you’re takwhy growing it out is some- ing the time to question it, thing you’d want to do. But probably not. Ask your mom, if we trust you enough to tell Google it or whatever it takes. you that the facial hair is be- Learn to use them. coming too much, it’s time to While we admit the male consider shaving. No Shave aroma gets better between November isn’t an excuse, ei- middle school and high ther. Just remember that your school (applause), we can’t friends with proud, patchy put enough stress on mainbeards still don’t have girl- taining good hygiene. The lonfriends. ger you date a girl, the more Mentally and physically, comfortable you feel, and you

The Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nabi Dressler MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Schoessling COPY EDITOR Ellen Siefke ASSOCIATE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Andi Hayes Erin McGovern

0

might stop putting on cologne or conveniently “forget” to shower when you’re tired. It’s painful for us to even believe that you don’t have the decency to keep good hygiene, since showering and brushing your teeth only takes 10 minutes.

So after you play a two-on-two pick-up game of basketball and before you go out, put on some deodorant. It’s for a good cause.

Because we’re already dating you, we know we can wear lazy clothes to school.

We don’t need to dress up to impress anyone. So when we do find it in our hearts to put on nice jeans or a fancy top, we’re doing it for you! Even if it’s the smallest of compliments, say something. Noticing little details can go a very long way. And my goodness, mention it when we do something with our hair.

Boyfriends, we really do appreciate you. You’re unique, and that’s what we find special. Thanks for everything, and take this letter seriously. Please.

Why I’m not proud to be an American America isn’t all that bad.

Just because we spend more on our military than China, the United Kingdom, Russia and 12 other countries combined, according to armscontrolcenter.org, and are ranked 99th out of 162 countries in peacefulness, according to visionofhumanity.org, doesn’t mean that we should overlook the good in life.

At least we’re number one when it comes to the important stuff. You know, things like wine consumption, jailing people and violent deaths.

The 2014 Winter Olympics, which will take place in Sochi, Russia between Feb. 7 and 23, are right around the corner, and we Americans are doing our best to remind ourselves of the good in this country. At least, until the Games are over and we’re Caroline Binley not expected to be quite as Opinion editor patriotic.

Once the Olympics are done, a good portion of us will go back to wondering why America is so messed up, but, as is the American way, most of us won’t bother to get off of our couches long enough to do anything about it.

On the bright side, we’re not in North Korea or anywhere near that bad. We’re in America, land of the free, and we’re welcome to enjoy all it has to offer, including gems like the Pledge of Allegiance. As long as you hate separation of church and state and adore sounding like a mindless automaton, the pledge is bound to brighten your day.

And if that doesn’t sell you on America’s glory, just think about your love for discrimination.

While even Pakistan has had a female Prime Minister, America’s wage gap is still alive and well — in fact, it’s barely changed in the last decade — and Colorado, the state with the most women in legislature, is still almost 60 percent male, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.

But that means women will have more time to make sandwiches, so it’s all good, right?

Sandwich making and burger flipping might end up being America’s most valuable skills anyway, considering that a 2012 Harvard study showed that students in Latvia, Chile and Brazil are making academic strides three times faster than Americans. Only three percent of our budget goes to education while almost a fourth of the budget goes toward blowing people up, so it shouldn’t be too much of a shock.

As long as you’re happy with the fact that the national debt is increasing by an average of $2.7 billion a day and don’t mind that gay marriage is only legal in 16 states, you can consider this one of America’s finest moments, and we can only get better. If we try our absolute hardest, we can even reclaim the title of most obese country from Mexico.

2012 defense spending by country or region (in billions): United States: Asia: Europe: Middle East/North Africa: Russia/Eurasia: Latin America/The Carribian: Sub-Saharan Africa: Canada: Global Total:

Hugs and kisses,

Girlfriends everywhere

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Jack McDermott

IN-DEPTH EDITORS Aungelina Dahm Abby Sunu

BROADCAST EDITOR Lauren Miller Meghan Doyle

NEWS EDITORS Brian Park Eva Schacht Shreya Thakkar

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Grace McKay

ADVISER Jason Block

OPINION EDITORS Chris Kivlahan Caroline Binley FEATURES EDITORS Khrystyna Halatyma Mary Kate Moloney Shannon Smith

ONLINE EDITOR Spencer Ball

Mission Statement The primary purpose of the Prospect High School Prospector is to report news as well as explain its meaning and significance to our readers and the community. We, the Prospector, hope to inform, entertain and provide a school forum for the unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions.

VISUALS EDITOR Rich Futo

The Prospector is published by students in Journalistic Writing courses.

SPORTS EDITORS Peter Fusilero Molly Mueller Devin Prasad

645.7 314.9 280.1 166.4 69.3 68.8 19.2 18.4 1582.8

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

Advertising For ad rates, call (847) 718-5376 (ask for Kelly Schoessling), fax (847) 718-5306, e-mail or write to the Prospector, 801 W. 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

December 13, 2013

Metalheads merit respect, tolerance for murder and arson of churches.

At any rate, how many of you have even heard of Varg Vikernes? I chalWhen people learn that I, Ellen lenge you to name a single instance Siefke, am a metalhead, they often react where someone who committed a viowith absolute shock. They also tell me lent crime successfully linked his/her “no” a lot. “No, Ellen, you’re kidding.” actions to metal. Every person is an in“No, that’s impossible; you’re Ellen.” dividual who chooses to commit crime In response, I smile and reassure them out of free will. No music of any kind that yes, it’s true, and no, I’m not joking. can “make” anyone do anything.

Furthermore, metalheads are not saAlthough their reactions are amusing, the question that always runs tanic, even though some songs have anthrough my mind is, “Why CAN’T I be a ti-religion lyrics. Most metal artists are not Satan-worshipmetalhead?” What’s pers; for example, wrong with me lisEducating the masses all the members of tening to bands like A number of colleges have begun to Metallica practice Metallica and Slipinclude classes about metal music in a religion, includknot and jamming their curriculum, an essential step in ing Kirk Hammett, out to Avenged Sevgiving metalheads the respect they a devout Buddhist. enfold? I apparently In addition, Iron deserve. Here are some of the places do not fit the profile Maiden’s drumof a metalhead, offering metal classes or even degrees mer, Nicko Mcwhich is based enin their curriculum.

Brain, is a Christirely on unquali-Berklee College of tian and has stated fied stereotypes.

Music numerous times One of the most that their music -Birckbeck College common stereois not meant to be types is that all -Miami University satanic or promote metalheads are un-New College devil-worshipping educated, a profile Nottingham practices. In fact, into which I do not their songs are acfit. tually rather soulful, especially those Metalheads are not dummies. Of course, some people aren’t smart, but on “Number the Beast,” describing a musical taste has nothing to do with man’s spiritual struggle.

Yes, some fans are crazy and will intelligence. Those who are stupid are so because they choose to not learn or commit gruesome acts, but that’s true just naturally aren’t that bright, not be- of anything. Their stories are comparable to Islamic terrorist attacks; most cause they listen to metal.

Another common stereotype is that people understand not all Muslims are all metalheads are violent and satanic violent, so why don’t they feel the same and listen to songs with barbaric lyr- way about metalheads? It’s heartbreakics. To begin, few people in the metal ing that society chooses to fixate on a community have tied their music to vi- few individuals and bases its view of olent crimes in the first place. The only the entire group on a tiny minority.

Moreover, metal songs are far from relevant case is that of Varg Vikernes, a Swedish black metal artist who was barbaric and simplistic; many have sentenced to 21 years in prison in 1994 complex meanings and discuss prob-

Opinion

5

By Ellen Siefke

Metalhead Copy Editor

All the valuables we could have stolen from lockers Armed with a camera, the photographer and I strolled through the hallways, scoping out the next big steal. By taking a peek into unlocked lockers, we got a good idea of what students are thoughtlessly leaving for theives. *Please note that we did not actually take anything from the lockers; we just took pictures.

Even the best security measures rely on you actually securing your valuables. In the boys’ locker room (above), backpacks are often left outside of lockers, practically inviting bandits. Unlocked hall lockers (below) frequently contain jackets, backpacks and other valuables.

In the rightmost, we even found a set of house keys on a lanyard. (Photos by Rich Futo)

ME VS. ME: This is me on the left, an ordinary teenager who also happens to be a metalhead. On the right, this is what people expect to see when they learn I’m a metalhead; they can’t believe I’m actually a normal person. Their attitudes exhibit the prevalence of stereotypes against metalheads. (Photos by Caroline Binley) lems in society. For example, the song “Ride the Lightning” by Metallica protests the use of the electric chair and capital punishment through lyrics like, “Who made you God to say, ‘I’ll shoot your life from you?’”

Of course, none of these stereotypes would exist if they weren’t true to some extent. Sadly, yes, you will find the stoners, the devil-worshippers, the stupid and whatever else. However, this doesn’t hold true for the universal group. We preach about ignoring stereotypes remain hypocritical, judging metalheads.

The majority of society holds no respect for the metal community. But I’m telling you right now that metalheads are not losers, nor should you deem

them unworthy of respect. Metal music is full of energy and requires a ton of skill to play, speaking as a guitarist myself; metalheads respect this and are full of energy themselves. They enjoy being nonconformists, but enough is enough.

Stop judging metalheads based on the actions of a few. Stop dismissing their music as laughable, satanic or whatever else you can think of. We’re really not that different from everyone else; we are passionate about our music and are tired of hearing people disrespect it. So please, take a moment, and just listen to a metal song. Many of you will be surprised to find that hey, it’s not that bad.

Careless behavior increases theft In fifth grade, I was a lunch pa- to base that figure. Given the ease trol. This meant I got to sell milk with which thieves can blend into cartons at lunch for 50 cents a the crowd and how few security piece. The administration’s first measures are taken or implementfatal error was allowing me to per- ed properly, stealing at Prospect form this illustrious job. has never been easier or safer.

Their second mistake Officer Filipek encourwas not monitoring me. ages students to leave The third and worst was anything they are not a lack of proper recordwilling to lose at home, keeping — it was imposincluding iPods, camsible to determine how eras and expensive cell much milk was sold or phones. However smart how many quarters came a decision this may be, in. These three seemingit’s clearly never going to ly insignificant miscalcuhappen. What’s the point lations allowed me to perin getting the iPhone 5s if petrate the greatest heist Chris Kivlahan you can’t come to school in Dryden Elementary Executive Opinion and make your friends Editor School history. feel worse about their I would steal a quarter lesser phones? whenever I needed to and use it to Students will keep bringing buy a cookie. There, I said it. Con- their valuables to school. Even I, fessed in writing for the first time. after having one cell phone stolen The lack of accounting and super- and another shattered at school, vision meant I was never caught, still bring my new iPhone every and the adrenaline rush from this day. The student body is the same, daring crime made the cookies all making this something of a golden the sweeter. This I freely admit. age for amateur theives.

The stealing perpetrated at Sure, the intelligent student Prospect, however, is far more fre- may have recorded the serial numquent, widespread and consequen- bers of certain devices or installed tial than my great cookie capers. tracking apps, but according to Everyone knows someone who has Filipek, it’s a measure most people fallen victim to theft in school, and don’t take until it’s too late. Even few of their stories end with recov- for those who have recorded their ery of stolen goods. serial numbers, it’s hard to trace Though School Resource Of- stolen goods, given that serial ficer Scott Filipek pegs the odds numbers are only checked against of catching a thief or recovering a database of stolen goods at pawn items stolen at school near 50 per- and other resale shops while many cent, there is not much on which goods stolen at Prospect seem to

be kept by the thieves or sold to friends.

Like those in the locker room, hall lockers also tend to remain open even when valuables are stored inside. Furthermore, students cannot depend on the security cameras to find would-be thieves, as Filipek said that the security footage usually isn’t clear enough to identify criminals.

There are worse odds of finding a cell phone, but if you’re looking to get someone a nice new jacket this holiday season, the Prospect lockers might be the place for you.

There’s a limited selection, sure, but the prices are unbeatable.

The bulk of the blame for stolen goods falls on the students who failed to protect them. Filipek said that in his time working here he has never seen a locker physically broken into — all thefts have been from those left unlocked or those whose combinations fell into the wrong hands.

There are plenty of measures that could and should be taken to secure belongings at school: lock your locker, keep your combo to yourself, leave expensive belongings at home and etc. But this call to action is not nearly as cliché.

No, I urge you to steal from lockers. Rob, burglarize, abscond, even swipe yourself a new thesaurus to find more synonyms. But the message remains the same — students have no desire to protect their valuables, so why not make their nice things your nice things?

6 Features

December 13, 2013

prospectornow.com

Yoga studios in Arlington Heights

Yoga aids athletes, students

NAMASTE: Girls track and field practices yoga to stengthen their cores and stretch their muscles. In the picture: Senior Kadisha Sanchez, Juniors Bridget Finnerty and Morgan Mueller, Sophomores Kelsey Pogatetz, Maya Mason, Carolyn Ryan and Freshman Kaley Griebow. (photo courtesy of Rich Futo)

Core power yoga

Students: $15 per class Location: 19 S. Evergreen Avenue Hours range from 6 A.M. to 10 P.M

Pulsation Yoga

Students: $12 per class Location: 26 S. Evergreen Avenue Hours range from 6 A.M. to 12 A.M.

Willow Yoga

Students: $15 per class Location: 8 E. Northwest Highway Hours range from 8 A.M. to 12 A.M.

Viva-Ki Yoga

Students: $12 per class Location: 403 S. Arlington Hts Rd. Hours range from 8 A.M. to 9 P.M.

By Mary Kate Moloney Features Editor

Looking at a football player, no one would expect senior Griffin Sordo to be a yoga lover; although it wasn’t love at first stretch, once he saw the benefits it had on his body, he enjoyed yoga.

His first experience with yoga was at football practice the summer going into his junior year.

Varsity football incorporates yoga into the team’s summer workout twice a week. During the season, the boys practice yoga on Saturday mornings, which allows players to ease their aches after games.

“It was hard, and no one enjoyed it, but after it felt good and worked soreness out of the body,” Sordo said. “[Yoga] helped with balance, and the instructor would help us with any specific body part that was injured.”

Yoga is a tool used by many at Prospect; sports teams have incorporated it into their workout routine, physical education classes teach it and students practice yoga on their own.

This form of exercise is versatile and can be beneficial to anyone. According to the American Yoga Association, the practice of these aspects results in a clear, bright mind and a strong, capable body. Yoga also strengthens and lengthens muscles throughout the body.

Physical education teacher and track coach Dave Wurster added yoga into the team’s weekly schedule about 10 years ago. He was inspired by an assistant coach who practiced yoga herself. All runners used to do a pool workout as a form of cardio. Wurster then decided it would benefit sprinters more to practice yoga instead, while distance runners would do a combination of both.

Wurster believes that yoga is beneficial for the runners’ flexibility and crucial for holding core positions.

Every week, sprinters practice yoga for 40 minutes, and distance runners alternate between 20 and 40 minutes. Every other week, a yoga instructor comes and leads a class, and the other days the runners use a video to guide them.

Like Wurster, physical education teacher Carrie Black thinks yoga is a good form of exercise.

“It really works on your core a lot because there are a lot of balance movements and poses where you have to hold,” Black said.

“There are a lot of isometric contractions where you stay still and balance, and your muscles are working to keep you still.”

Black teaches Lifestyle Fitness that samples many different types of exercise, including yoga. Every Thursday, Black’s classes practice yoga poses and meditation in the gymnastics room.

“I think that [yoga] is one style [of exercise] a lot of people choose to do; it builds strength and elongates your muscles, and for a lot of people, that’s a positive,” Black said.

Junior Emma Dazzo practices hot yoga three times a week at Pulsation Yoga in Arlington Heights.

Hot yoga is performed in a humid climate where the room is heated to about 105 degrees. She started yoga because she was curious about it and knew junior Izzy Winkler, who already went to Pulsation Yoga. After she and Winkler attended a class together, Dazzo was hooked.

“If I’m really stressed out, it relaxes me, and the next day, I feel really good,” Dazzo said. “You use muscles you don’t usually work.”

Although Dazzo thinks hot yoga is not for everyone, she does believe people should try yoga because it helps your body and has major health benefits. Black agrees.

“It is good for focus and your mind, as well as good for your flexibly, strength, core and balance” Black said.

Pose: Downward Dog Benefits: Calms the brain, helps

relieve stress and energizes the body

Pose: Warrior Benefits: Strengthens and

stretches thighs, calves, ankles, shoulders, arms and back

Pose: Boat Benefits: Srengthens abdomen,

hip flexors and spine, helps relieve stress, improves digestion

Who Knows You Better?

The subjects Junior Caroline Ennes

What is his favorite What is his favorite What is his favorite What is his favorite TV show?

Chicago sports team? color? clothing store?

Tosh.0

The girlfriend

What is his favorite What is his favorite restaurant? movie?

Blackhawks

Blue

PacSun

Chef Ping

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The Hangover

When is his birthday?

The results

April 22

Winner!

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Junior Dominic Taldone

Duck Dynasty

Blackhawks

Blue

PacSun

Chef Ping

Step Brothers

April 22

Junior Alex Whiteman

Storage Wars

Blackhawks

Blue

Nike

Chipotle

Step Brothers

April 22

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The subject

The best friend

X

prospectornow.com

December 13, 2013

Features

Food for thought Staying up late studying for finals might seem like a good idea until the next morning when you miss your alarm and have to skip breakfast. Although it might not seem very important, eating good foods can mean the difference between an A and a B. Food is fuel for the brain, and without the right fuel, your brain won’t be as focused or alert while taking your tests and studying. Eat these

By Shannon Smith six foods to help get succeed during finals week.

Features Editor

Breakfast

Snacks

Breakfast Burrito

Trail Mix Average prep time: 5 minutes or buy at a

Average time: 35 minutes Ingredients: Eggs, cheese, sausage, green chilies, onions A breakfast burrito is a great breakfast to have any day, especially before final exams. According to health teacher Michelle Burnett, it’s very important to eat protein in the morning. The protein in eggs and sausage will help raise the levels of an amino acid called tyrosine, which helps the brain make norepinephrine and dopamine, neurotransmitters that promote alertness and activity in the brain.

Açai Smoothie

Ingredients: Peanuts, almonds, cashews, raisins, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate m&m’s Trail mix is the perfect snack to munch on during late-night studying. All of the protein found in peanuts, almonds and cashews will keep you focused and alert, and the fats and fiber found in seeds will help boost brain power and mood. The chocolate in trail mix can also help because dark chocolate, in moderation, will help improve concentration and make one happier. Additionally, University of California, San Diego researchers and Swiss scientists found that dark chocolate can reduce stress.

Averageprep time: 5 minutes Ingredients: Acai berries, frozen berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry), banana, vanilla yogurt, apple juice

Spinach Salad

An açai smoothie will give you the ultimate kick start of energy because açai berries improve your metabolism rate. Also, the vitamin B found in açai will help improve sleep, which is important before any test. Açai as well as the other berries and apple juice have antioxidants that help cognitive function. Lastly, blueberries are one of the best foods to eat before a test because they strengthen neuron signals, which speed up brain function. In addition, the blueberries can help with memory if being consumed often and for a few weeks before finals exams.

Average prep time: 5 minute Ingredients: Spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, Italian dressing

Waffle with peanut butter, blueberries

Leafy greens are one of the best foods to eat when studying for a test, and what better way to add them into your diet than by eating a salad? The vitamin K in spinach aids with memory and function; spinach also helps change tryptophan, an amino acid, into serotonin, which is a chemical that contributes to happiness. The Italian dressing provides fats that help the body absorb all the vitamins found in spinach, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Average prep time: 10 minutes Ingredients: Waffle, butter, blueberries

peanut

For anyone who is a fan of a waffle drowned in syrup, try a waffle with peanut butter and blueberries as a healthier alternative. According to Burnett, you should stay away from processed sugar like the sugar found in maple syrup because you will have a sugar high. How fast your metabolism works and how much sugar is consumed affects the length of the high, but for most people, it lasts for about an hour and will leave you feeling fatigued later. In comparison, the blueberries have complex sugars that will help fuel the brain instead of making you crash later. With peanut butter (natural is best), the protein will help you stay alert and full throughout the day.

Chips and Guacamole Average prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients: Avocado, salsa, lemon, tortilla chips Chips and guacamole is a perfect snack to eat while studying because of the fats in avocado.

According to Burnett, fats and carbohydrates are the two basic food groups that provide energy for the brain. Avocado will help your brain concentrate on studying while the crunch of the tortilla chips will help keep you awake.

Tips for Finals 4. Study in Chunks

2. Meal Size

1. Exercise

Make time to exercise during finals week. 20 minutes of cardio a day is said to help with memory retention. In addition, exercising helps alleviate stress, especially if you are able to exercise outside.

Don’t eat a huge meal before finals. Your digestive system will need to work harder to digest all the food. In turn, you will feel tired and sluggish while taking your exam.

3. Listen to Mozart

Certain types of music, like Mozart’s compositions, can help you recall information.

His music follows a 60-bpm pattern, which has been shown to activate both the left and right side of the brain. This is linked to increased retention of material.

It may be tempting, but cramming the night before the test isn’t the best way to study and often leads to confusion.

According to Dartmouth Academic Skills Center, the best way to study is in 20-50 minute increments with a 5-10 minute break in between.

5. Form a Study Group

It can be hard to motivate yourself to study, but in a study group, you can motivate each other. It can also be beneficial to talk about different concepts out loud to better understand them, and other people will be there to help with concepts you don’t comprehend.

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In-Depth

December 13, 2013

Hazing, froshing mark movement in mayhem

Freshmen? More like fresh-meat. Whether it’s in college or high school, starting freshma is a brand new experience. This makes the “rookie” or “newbie” freshmen easy targets w comes to hazing and bullying done by upperclassmen. In some cases upperclassmen view ing freshmen to be a tradition, or a way to initiate the underclassmen into a group.

By Abby Sunu

In-Depth Editor

HIGH SCHOOL

There have been many rumors spread about different hazing situations that occur in high school such as upperclassmen throwing pennies at freshmen in the hallways or physical harassment brought upon underclassmen to a sports team.

These rumors were true for two schools.

Four years ago, West Leyden High School used to “penny” the freshmen. Last year the boys’ soccer team at Maine West High School was allegedly involved with sexually assaulting and hazing boys on their team. Whether these situations are severe or seem rather harmless, both are considered hazing and froshing.

School psychologist Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson thinks that a main reason froshing and hazing occur is due to social media and society’s acceptance of humiliation.

“I think part of the reason we have hazing is because it is constantly reasserted in culture,” Kyp-Johnson said. “You can’t watch a TV show without seeing new things that are supposedly funny that are negative, demeaning, belittling or using other people for humor. A lot of our culture is predatory.”

As froshing has grown more serious and dangerous, very few high schools still continue such demeaning traditions. As for Prospect, froshing was never a serious issue.

However, it has been present at the school during homecoming week.

Prospect’s form of froshing usually takes place on “color day” when each grade is dressed in their own corresponding color.

That day, each freshman is decked out in red,

making them a visible and bright target to the upperclassmen. These upperclassmen walk around during passing periods with Sharpies and scribble or drawn on the freshmen.

According to Tedaldi-Monti, froshing at Prospect was more common in the past, but was never an out-of-control issue. Instead of the freshmen taking offense to this issue, they actually enjoyed it.

“What comes to my attention is when kids [frosh] themselves because they want to get drawn on,” Tedaldi-Monti said. “There was that phenomena that ‘I’m cool if somebody draws on me’ so I’m going to draw on myself to be a part of that group, or they do this to themselves so no one else does.”

Although the student body does not enforce or pressure this tradition, there are other traditions at Prospect that have ended because these situations can be misconstrued as a type of hazing.

“I think still in the back of people’s minds there is that whole initiation concept, that concept of tradition and overtime that has become unacceptable,” Tedaldi-Monti said.

For example, each year the seniors on the girls’ swim team welcome the freshmen to the team by surprising each of them at their houses in the middle of the night, dressing them up in old halloween costumes then taking them out to breakfast. They then all go to a senior team member’s house to watch movies and learn the team chants.

Even though no one has ever felt bullied, abused, or embarrassed from this tradition, this year the tradition came to an end because hazing-related rumors are more likely to be started, especially after the Maine West incident that showed how hazing can impact a school’s reputation.

COLLEGE

Some may say joining Greek life freshman year is all part of the “college experience” because it’s a great way to get involved in a group and make new friends. On the other hand, sorority and fraternities can also be known for their parties and hazing pledges.

Those who watch Jimmy Tatro’s comedic YouTube videos about life in a fraternity will see the partying, rush week and hazing that supposedly goes on in the Pi Kappa Phi frat house at University of Arizona. After going viral, these videos became extremely popular online because many found them hilarious.

These videos included stereotypical frat behavior during rush week and tips for college freshman. However, the behavior of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity was found to be notso-funny as the university shut them down last April. This fraternity was also rated the ninth most out-of-control fraternity in America by Rolling Stone.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, “The local chapter of Pi Kappa Phi had been in trouble 14 times since 2010 for incidents including hazing and underage booze bashes that ended with students being hospitalized for excessive alcohol consumption.”

Fraternity hazing can be much more extreme than the typical high school “froshing” where sharpies are used to draw on freshmen. For example, Colleges such as Methodist College in North Carolina involve sharpies with their hazing. However, it is taken to the extreme. In 2002, seven football players were arrested for restraining a freshman and sexually violating him with a Sharpie.

Nov. 1, 2012 was the night of the pledge party thrown by the Pi Kappa Alpha frater-

nity at Northern Illinois U was an initiation party whe allegedly given excessive a hol to consume in a 90-min Little did this fraternity kn old graduate from Palatine H vid Bogenberger, wouldn’t e feel the hangover.

That night Bogenberge pledges took part in this ha ing him with a blood alcoho The next morning, Bogenbe body was found in a bunk be senior fraternity members with felony hazing.

According to counselor D ton, “Fraternities, histori worse at how they treat the sororities.” That being said have their fair share of hazi For example, alcohol-rela only a problem in fraternitie as well. In March 2012, Bos Sigma Delta Tau sorority wa a full year after two underag taken to the hospital due to forced to drink excessive am by other members.

On the other hand, there a ties that do not tolerate hazi ample Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson’ no initiation or hazing at all “To kids who are going nity or a sorority, join one w of honor and integrity,” Ky “It’s just not worth it to joi that’s going to demean and Even if you think it’s for a time, it’s really dangerous a havior.”

Cyberbullying staggers among students According to cyberbullying.org, cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behavior by an individual or group that is intended to harm others.

“If there is a threat of danger to someone harming themselves or harming someone else, then we definitely have to get involved,” Dean of Students Dr. Pat Tedaldi-Monti said.

With the new age of technology, cyberbullying is becoming more and more prominent. According to whatdoyouchoose.org, 85 percent of middle schoolers have been cyberbullied at least once.

Even more astounding is the fact that girls are twice as likely as boys to be involved in cyberbullying, either being the victim or perpetrator. Compared to 26 percent of boys, it is reported that more than 36 percent of girls get bullied online.

One factor that leads into the wide umbrella of cyberbullying is sexting, which is extremely common among teens.

Girls make the choice to send sexually explicit pictures or videos over their cellphones or the internet, and it comes back to haunt them in the end. A staggering 44 percent of boys in high school have seen at least one nude image of a classmate.

Many of the pictures that are sent around eventually circle around their school, and result in their reputation being severely tarnished.

However, the administration usually will not get involved until students start talking about violating the law. Talk regarding the violation of school codes and regulations are not necessarily something that the administration is concerned of before anything else.

#SUBTWEET: Prospect girls fight over Twitter. Girls are more than twice as likely to be cyberbullied than boys, and victims of bullying are more than nine times as likely to consider committing suicide.

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December 13, 2013

In-Depth

9

TRADITION: Students lead Knights’ Way to success CONTINUED from front page *Name changed for privacy “I think a major impact was when we got so many quality students to become Knights’ Way leaders and basically explained to us what they wanted to do.” Pifer said. “They were the ones who wrote original curriculum for Knights’ Way program. They are the ones that delivered it to the peers in their classroom, and just because that many students are truly thinking about how to make the environment better made a tremendous impact,” Pifer said.

This program continues this method today as students still plan the curriculum topics, make the videos and present to every classroom. This is important because students are able to voice their opinions on what they think are the biggest issues within Prospect.

The most recent topic, “Words with Weight” was constructed by seniors Sharzad Ayrempour and Callie Leone. Ayrempour believes Prospect currently has a bullying problem. Although it isn’t extreme as physical abuse, current students still deal with more verbal abuse.

“If people learn to think before they speak and be careful of what they are saying to someone, it will definitely solve that problem of miscommunication,” Ayrempour said.

Ayrempour has also experienced this problem and believes part of the reasons students “snap” and say things they don’t necessarily mean is due to lack of sleep or stress due to upcoming finals.

“Personally, I’ve had a lot of problems where people will say something to me and they might not mean to that extent, but they don’t understand what they say can really hurt you,” Ayrempour said.

Ayrempour is not the only student who has dealt with this. Senior Meghan Brent’s* brother Joey* experienced a similar situation that ended up escalating into a much more serious problem.

In the eighth grade, Brent’s brother had ADHD and bad anxiety and would come home crying from school due to bullying. The bullying he experienced was not physical nor direct namecalling, but it was the little things that brought him to tears.

“He would always take a little word that someone would say and almost ostracize and put it upon himself as the bullying aspect of it,” Brent said.

Some examples of these little things included his friends making jokes, ignoring him or not including him in their plans. Even though to

Students take charge in the Knights’ Way program by creating the curriculum topics. In 2002, the “Knights’ Way Rose” was used as part of the curriculum topic, “emotional feedback.”

Leaders would write a personal message on the rose and give one to each student in their class. In 2011 “Boom Broasted” was a curriculum topic where students would “broast” each other by giving out compliments.

Students have also made the Knights’ Way videos that go along with the curriculum topic, as pictured above and below.

some people this wouldn’t seem like a big deal, Joey’s ADHD caused him to be more stressed and emotional.

“He became very depressed all because of these things that just added up over time,” Brent said.

The build-up of harassment ultimately led to Brent’s brother’s outpatient hospitalization at Alexian Brothers’ Behavioral Health Hospital.

Brent’s family knew sending him to the hospital would be hard, but it was the right thing to do in order to help him.

“It was really rough and it was the first time I’ve ever seen my dad cry. My whole family just didn’t know what to do.” Brent said. “It was hard because I was going through some tough times myself and my parents were so focused on my brother, so at times it didn’t seem like they were focused on me.”

Brent believes this type of bullying she saw her brother experience, is present at Prospect.

“I don’t think it’s the stereotypical bullying like pushing kids into lockers, but I definitely think the ‘Words with Weight’ [curriculum] summarizes it well,” Brent said. “I would say there is bullying, but it’s not that dramatic. . . it still hurts people and that’s what matters.”

Brent believes “Word with Weight” is an

important topic to be discussed through Knights’ Way because one word can negatively or positively impact a person’s life.

On Thursday, Knights’ Way spoke with classes to give advice on how to avoid being irritable and if students are getting their feelings hurt, they should approach their leaders and see them as role models. Head of Knights’ Way and school psychologist, Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson believes this program can reach out to all the students to make a change.

“That’s a really huge part of trying to impact bad behavior and even anti-social behavior, because when it occurs we are more likely to hear about it because we have connections with each other from staff to every student in the school.”

Kyp-Johnson said.

As this program has evolved over the years and as leaders come and go, the overall program still serves the same purpose and continues to impact the school.

“I’m just really delighted that they felt the program was worth keeping and worth improving and I hope they still have the great quality of leaders that I felt that we had when I was there, and it makes you feel good,” Pifer said. “My blood still runs blue, I’m still Prospect all the way through.”

Did you know?

According to the 2011 bullying documentary, “Bully,”...

•About 42 percent of kids have been bullied while online with one in four being verbally attacked more than once.

•Other bullying statistics show that about 77 percent of students have admitted to being the victim of one type of bullying or another.

•The American Justice Department bullying statistics show that one out of every four kids will be bullied sometime throughout their adolescence.

• 6 percent of males followed by 26 percent of females have admitted to being victims in physical fights, as reported in one report of bullying statistics by the Bureau of Justice School.

•280,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.

•3 million students are absent each month at school because they feel unsafe at school.

Bullying is the third leading cause of death among young people, according to the Center for Disease Control. Resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, bullying can start as early as third grade and can peak in middle and high school.

A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying, with 10- to 14-year-old girls being at an even higher risk than boys.

Adolescents who bully others are more likely to drop out of school, have criminal convictions and abuse alcohol and

drugs. These characteristics are common among kids who have trouble finding a social balance.

“Human beings are so hierarchical all the time,” psychologist Dr. Jay Kyp-Johnson said.

“There’s not a social structure with you kids here at school, so that social structure tries to find itself by people ‘stomping’ on other people, so to speak.”

In the same manner, victims are more likely to experience physical and mental health issues and might retaliate through extremely violent measures.

A study conducted by the Fusion Center between 2011

and 2013 attributed claims of mental illness to 79 percent of all mass shootings during that time period. Incidents such as Columbine in 1999 and Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 are both examples of this report.

“Some people learn ways to seek their power in socially acceptable ways, and other people learn that it’s OK to harm people,” Kyp-Johnson said.

“Usually there is some precedent in their life that they feel it’s an acceptable social practice to talk down to or intimidate someone, or they learn that they can get away with it.”

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Features

December 13, 2013

prospectornow.com

From surfboards to pom poms In the photos...

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1. “I don’t think I’ve ever done this jump in routine. [It’s a] typical high school muscial jump.”

2. Age 12, with sophomores Hannah Gallo, Jordan Mims.

3. Age 14, Practicing surfing behind the boat at the lake in Whitewater, Wis.

4. Age 13, family vacation, first time back in the ocean surfing, “It’s like riding a bike, you don’t exactly forget.”

5. Age 11, first year on varsity in Mount

Prospect Park District Cheerleading.

Coach’s advice: “The stupider you feel the better you look!”

6. Age 13, one of Kailani’s favorite pictures, 7. Age 4, first time Kailani ever surfed,

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family vacation, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii.

8. Age 14, JV cheering middle of the

season, “I was sweating buckets during that game.”

9. Age 10, with dad. Typical day at the lake surfing behind a boat, Whitewater, WI.

10. Age 14, at the United Center, cheering for PHS, with sophomores Hannah Gallo, Maya Mason and Breana Munoz

Photos courtesy of Kailani Norwell

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By Khrystyna Halatyma

Executive Features Editor According to babycenter.com, babies typically start walking at 1 year old and become comfortable at running by 2, but it doesn’t mention when they’re prepared to surf. Sophomore Kailani Norwell was ready to brave the waves at 3.

Along with being a father, Mark Norwell started to play the role of a coach, drawing on his 20 plus years of surfing experience. Watching her first solo surfs when she was 8, he could tell Kailani was a natural — natural enough to “go pro.”

“Either you live and breathe [surfing], or you don’t do it,” Kailani said.

Even though surfing had become a big part of her life, in sixth grade, Kailani decided she didn’t want it to become her whole life. This decision allowed Kailani to discover her current passion: cheerleading.

This transition from surfing to cheerleading has affected Kailani both in the athletic and personal aspects of her life.

“For cheer, there’s a whole different life; it’s a different world than anything I would’ve ever imagined with surfing,” Kailani said.

Living in the Midwest her whole life, being a surfer came with travelling necessities from Hawaii to California. At

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5

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first, it was part of the thrill, but as Kailani got older, she realized constant movement was going to take a toll on her education.

“I needed to focus on school, and I never thought I’d say that in my life,” Kailani said.

Although honors and AP classes, along with cheerleading practices, are stressful in their own ways, it’s nothing compared to competing in surfing.

Stress aside, both sports are also very dangerous. The first time Kailani got caught in the undertow, an ocean current created by breaking waves, she swore there was no going back in the water.

“I felt myself doing almost backward flips under the water, and it really scared me because you have no idea where you are,” Kailani said.

“You don’t want to open your eyes or scream for help because of the salt water. When you’re basically tumbling through [the water], you have no sense of where you are or what you’re doing.

It’s actually the scariest feeling in the world. Every single time, it’s nothing like you’ve ever experienced, [and] you feel like you’re going to die.”

Although Kailani’s and her mother, Roschelle’s, first reactions were unnerving, both decided it wasn’t something to quit over.

“She has always been a very capable

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girl, physically,” Roschelle said. “She likes to challenge herself constantly.

I’m OK with it [because] every sport has its risk. She knows how to physically prepare herself as best she can.”

Roschelle used to be on poms and is much more comfortable with Kailani on the matts versus the waves. In the ocean, there’s no control over how aggressive a wave can turn out, but with cheerleading, Kailani can change to more comfortable positions. When Kailani fractured her collarbone during a cheerleading practice, she and her mom decided she should switch from a base position to being a flyer.

From surfing, Kailani was able to transfer her skills of balance, focus and persistence to cheerleading. Having her dad as a coach helped Kailani learn to take instructions and trust that her coaches know best.

“She doesn’t get frustrated easily, [and] if she does, she’s quick to get back and focus,” cheerleading coach Rachel Brill said.

The real challenge for Kailani came in the change from an individualized to a team sport. Because of her competitive nature, Kailani never imagined she would be part of a team.

“I was never one of those kids that played soccer [or] softball, so I had no idea [about] that team atmosphere of feeling like a family,” Kailani said.

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“That’s how I feel with cheer.”

When Kailani first started cheerleading with the park district, that team atmosphere was preceded by much frustration.

Not used to depending on others or waiting for everyone to understand the routine, it took a few practices and games for Kailani to adjust.

It was Roschelle who was there by her side and convinced her not to give up.

“I think [cheerleading] is really good for her; [she] gets to be part a team, be challenged physically and to get along with other personalities,” Roschelle said.

During one conversation, Roschelle told Kailani she couldn’t quit cheerleading mid-season. It wasn’t just Kailani’s choice; her teammates would be affected as well.

“With surfing, it’s a one-person deal,” Kailani said. “You’re your own team.

With cheer, you can depend on so many people; you can make so many friends.”

“I loved competing for surfing and wakeboarding because it was basically you against everyone else, and no one else could bring your score down except for yourself. At the same time, I love cheerleading. If I kept going with wakeboarding and surfing, I know I wouldn’t have found cheer, and cheer is such a great thing for me.”

prospectornow.com

December 13, 2013 Entertainment

11

Holiday dessert delirium It’s officially the holiday season, which means stealing new recipes to spice up your family dinners, gorging yourself on endless food and sweets and then, inevitably, promising yourself you’re going to lose all that weight as Ryan Seacrest rings in the new year. As much as we like to deny it, the holiday season wouldn’t be right without all the excitement over what to eat, but nothing seems quite as enthralling as the dessert table. According to Funsherpa.com, the average person spends about $100.76 on food during the holiday season. Add up all your family members and do the math: Americans take seasonal eating habits very seriously. Whether you’re the master chef of the family or someone who avoids the kitchen at all costs, the holiday season is the time to satisfy your sweet tooth, and Prospect students are up to the challenge.

By Erin McGovern

Associate Editor-in-Chief

What is your favorite holiday dessert to make?

“I like to make the corn flake wreaths because I think they really symbolize Christmas.”

-freshman Hattie Foster

“I like to bake cookies because they’re fun and easy to make, and they’re easily shared amongst many people.”

-senior Devin Zhu

“I like to bake cookies n’ cream popcorn and candy cane Chex Mix because they’re fun and different.”

-Foods teacher Amy Collins “I’m Italian, and we like to feed people... I like making lemon cookies and chocolate crackles for my family.”

-Spanish teacher Danielle Ossman

Di yo u k d now?

On a verag e, ca n d y can 1.76 billion e s holida are s y se a old d ur so out t n, which ing the o 193.6 be arou comes nd billion calor ies.

Fantasy Fudge

senior Meghan Rose

Di d yo u k now?

Costc o sells clo million se to one p Than ksgivin umpkin pie s total o g, raking in on f $5,9 a 90,0 grand for th 00 a t h oliday alone .

Senior Meghan Rose’s holiday recipe for fudge has made her a hero at her family table. The recipe was created by her great-grandmother and passed down through the years, making an appearance at every Christmas.

Rose now has the responsibility of making the family favorite every year, which means a lot to her now that her grandmother no longer can.

“I typically make a ton of it and give the extras as gifts to my family and friends,” Rose said. “It’s become such a favorite that everyone looks forward to getting their own personal helping.”

Did yo u k now?

A bout 4 0% of all f ood p r odu is thr own o ced in the U u t eve ry yea .S . a bout r, whic 2 9 m edible il waste lion tons o h is f a n d of lan dfill co 17% ntent.

Carrot Cake

sophomore Alyssa Deutsch Sophomore Alyssa Deutsch helps make her family favorite carrot cake every year for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. The recipe has been a tradition in her family since her mother turned 16 and learned it from her aunt.

Deutsch’s mother is the only one in the family who knows how to make it, and so Deutsch helps her with baking it every holiday and hopes to eventually be the next family member to have the responsibility of making the carrot cake on her own.

“Every Thanksgiving after the huge dinner my grandma makes, it doesn’t matter how much I’ve eaten — I just go straight to the carrot cake,” Deutsch said. “It’s become a battle between my family to see who gets the biggest pieces of it.”

Student input empowers original winter production

By Kelly Schoessling Managing Editor

Instructional Assistant John Meyers Jr. was writing his original script for the winter play, “The Really Most Sincerely Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” when he thought of a twist.

Meyers conceived the idea of morphing the role of Dorothy’s dog, Toto, into a comedic speaking role for the production. The comedy doesn’t end there, though.

“The Really Most Sincerely Wonderful Wizard of Oz” premiered Dec. 12 in the school theater as an adapted, light-hearted version of the beloved movie.

Although famous lines from the film remained the same, alternate dialogue was created both by Meyers as well as cast members during rehearsal.

Junior Stefanie Kopp, who plays the role of Dorothy, learned through her previous winter play performances that an interactive environment during rehearsal was expected.

“I’ve gotten a lot more opportunities to be creative with this show than I ever have before,” Kopp said. “[The show] gives me a closer professional experience of actually seeing what it’s like to

be on the other side of a production’s [scriptwriting].”

It’s this open and welcoming environment that Meyers believes created such a comedic script.

“Sometimes the people you’d never expect have the funniest things to say,” Meyers said.

Meyers also believes this production has been the smoothest process of altering the script in his four years of directing.

Altering the role of Toto into a speaking character appeared challenging at first. However, according to Meyers, Toto’s dialogue transitioned smoothly in the script and helped to guide the plotline.

While the cast has enjoyed the process of revising their script because of the open creative environment, they also faced several obstacles performing such an iconic production.

Meyers explains that some of the most memorable moments from “The Wizard of Oz” can be a challenge to recreate on stage because the cast told the story in a performance as opposed to a film.

For example, the cast and crew had to find a solution to portray the significance of the moment without the luxury of zooming in with a film lense.

Photo by Rich Futo FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD: Dorothy (Stefanie Kopp), Scarecrow (Marc Ford), Cowardly Lion (Brendan Chapman), Tin Man (Seamus Mangan) and Toto (Lexi Smith) rehearse for the “The Really Most Sincerely Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Cast members were involved in the script writing process with director John Meyers Jr. Kopp also focused on the challenge of portraying the beloved role of Dorothy.

“The biggest challenge for me [was] finding the right way to play her because she’s such an iconic character, and if I [didn’t] do certain things a certain way, then it [wouldn’t] play right,” Kopp said.

Despite both the acting and production challenges, Meyers says he was most excited for students to attend the production and enjoy the comedic elements.

“I want to have a lot of people out there,” Meyers said. “Comedy is great in a crowd, and crowds laugh better.”

Kopp also looks forward to performing with a large audience.

“I think the winter play is something that may have been written off in past years, but I really hope people will come and see this because it’s such a familiar story,” Kopp said.

It’s the familiarity of the beloved “The Wizard of Oz” film that the cast and crew hope attract attention.

“It’s not like we’re making fun of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ but we like to think we’re telling it with a different twist,” Meyers said.

“If you’ve seen ‘The Wizard of Oz’

12

Entertainment

December 13, 2013

prospectornow.com

Confessions of a Christmas grinch Andi’s Antics

Join me as I try to decipher the craziness of everything entertainment in this regular column; from music to fashion trends, you better believe you’ll hear from me about it...

There are many things that can set you apart from the crowd. Maybe you have a distinct birthmark, or maybe you have a neat hairdo. However, there are few things that can grant me the extreme judgement and criticism I get this time of year. People react by saying things to me like, “you don’t have a soul!” or “you’re not a real person.” No, I am not the Anti-Christ; I just don’t like Christmas music.

Don’t get me wrong; Christmas music can be great. It builds anticipation to the most beloved holiday of the year.

But is it really necessary to start belting these tunes in early November? The fact that people literally work themselves into fits getting excited about Christmas music, forcing everyone around them to get into a frenzy about it, too, makes Christmas music almost completely unenjoyable for me.

I can enjoy Christmas music, but I hate being forced by others to partake in obnoxiously singing along to its songs and then being shunned when I

don’t feel like it.

When I refuse to partake in this, people think I suddenly hate Christmas.

People aren’t accepting of not feeling the need to go crazy about loving Christmas every second of December.

To be frank, I don’t think excessively listening to the same 10 songs over and over is fun. Additionally, being attacked for not wanting to listen to those songs isn’t going to make me want to listen to them with you any more than I do now.

The root of all Christmas music evil can be traced to one place: 93.9 WLIT, a radio station that gives Christmas junkies their fix all the time for approximately two months. Sure, there’s a decent catalog of quality Christmas music to keep you satisfied for two, maybe three hours, but how much Christmas music can you take?

Not only this, but the plethora of bad Christmas music doesn’t help. The biggest atrocity on the naughty list is sad Christmas music, and the extremely overdramatic song “Christmas Shoes” leads the way. For those who have been lucky enough to never hear it, this song is about a young boy who wants to buy shoes for his dying mother in the hospital. I realize how malicious this sounds when I claim that I could hate such a song, but with closer analysis this song is about a boy who manipulates a shoe-seller into reducing the price of a pair of shoes by playing the dying mom card.

Please realize that “Christmas Shoes” is fictional. There was no small, dirty boy who tried to buy his dying mom a pair of shoes with some pennies.

So before you tear up the next time you hear this song, think about how it is playing on your Christmas vulnerability, a condition starting before the holiday season resulting in high anticpation for presents, stress from buying gifts and anxiety over preparing for the holiday.

A procrastinator’s guide to achieving gifting greatness As high schoolers, we become experts at procrastinating.With long lists of people to please for the holiday, time seems like it’s slipping through your fingers looking to find the perfect gift for each person. Have no fear, this simplified gift guide is here!

By Andi Hayes

Associate Editor-In-Chief

The coffee mug: Rise and shine! It’s time to get started on

this inexpensive gift.

For the Mom:

What does your mom love more than waking up every morning with a fresh cup of coffee and being reminded that she gave birth to the best son/daughter ever? With a customized message like “World’s best mom” or “Merry Christmas, Mom!”, you’re sure to get some creative props for putting together a custom mug. Head on over to your local ceramics shop to shape up a coffee

For the Best Friend: You

and your friend have been through a lot together, have made lots of memories together, and of course have lots of embarrassing pictures together. Take some of the nicer photos you have of you and your friend and put them into a blank portable coffee mug. Feel free to add any meaningful quotes or an inside joke to brighten up their black coffee.

For

the Teacher: Let’s face it, what’s worse than having to go to school for seven hours than and having to teach on top of it? As tired as you think you are, your teacher is probably ten times worse. The best cure for student-induced morning grogginess is nothing but good old coffee. Pick up a portable coffee mug for your teachers so they can take their wake-up call on the go with them when they have to teach your sorry face first period.

Add children singing onto a song like “Christmas Shoes,” and this horribleness has increased tenfold. No matter what time of the year it is, adding prepubescent kids to your song will not make it more meaningful or powerful, just more annoying.

However, not all Christmas music is created equal. There are some good tunes I can recognize such as the Mariah Carey classic, “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and an acceptable Christmas cover: “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by the Jackson 5, a time when Michael Jackson meddling with

other children only merited great music and nothing else.

I am not a Christmas grinch 100 percent of the time. I can appreciate the good parts of the holiday season like sleigh rides and Mr. Heat Miser from “A Year Without Santa Claus.” Just like those Christmas cookies you put out for Santa that your parents ate to fool you, Christmas music must be enjoyed in moderation. Otherwise, we become greedy like Tim Allen’s plastic clone enemy in “The Santa Clause 2,” making Christmas just as cheesy and horrible as every Christmas sequel like “The

NO KIDS ON THE BLOCK, PLEASE: Here lies a prime example of why I do not condone Christmas albums. New Kids On The Block is one of many artists who have contributed to my devaluing of Christmas music, butchering it with covers and miserably attempting to create their own classics.

The gift basket: Whoever said you can’t have quantity and quality obviously never got a gift basket.

For the Best Friend: Your best friend might be the hardest to please out of everyone on your gift list, but putting together a gift basket is your best bet on covering all of the bases and making your gift their favorite. Grab them their favorite magazine (and a subscription if you’re feeling generous), their favorite perfume and some fuzzy socks to keep them warm on winter nights. To go the extra mile, add some of you and your friend’s favorite movies (most likely “The Notebook” and “Mean Girls”) and some popcorn for your next movie marathon. Put all of this in a cute tin basket and throw in your favorite picture of you and your best friend in a classy frame.

For the Teacher: So you have a borderline grade and know your teacher is fond of a particular type of candy; what’s the right thing to do here? Bribe them with it, of course! Just kidding, but packing together a gift basket for your teachers is definitely going to help you get into their good graces. Get an office organizer bin from OfficeMax to fill up your teacher gift basket– that way, when they take all of the gifts out of it they can still use the box to organize all of their teaching supplies. Add some flair pens (an array of colors is usually best), some Expo markers, cute office supplies and you are one step closer to getting that A!

For the Mom: Embroidery, soaps and Christian Grey: what do all of these have in common? Your mom loves them.

Head over to Target or Joann’s for a cute wicker basket to fill with your mom’s favorite knick-knacks; grab some books or movies you know she’ll love, her favorite scented candles and a new scarf to replace the one that you’ve hated for the past 15 years. Wrap the basket up with a nice bow and add a handwritten note to make your mom burst into tears at your family’s next Christmas gathering.

prospectornow.com

December 13, 2013 Entertainment

Christmas Day alternatives If you’re like me, your family doesn’t really do holidays yet you still have an appreciation for the sentiment of Christmas in all its commercialized glory. Atheists and agnostics, people of other religious denominations and anyone in between, we don’t need to mope around Dec. 25. Here are some activities you can partake in on Christmas.

By Nabi Dressler

Winter ushers in unique traditions

During the holiday season, students observe different holidays in different ways. Here are two students’ original celebrations.

By Nabi Dressler

Editor-in-Chief

e ines nd h C a 1. out e k a t ovie e m a r mie pre

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Editor-in-Chief

I don’t even care how cliché this is because it is so darn good.

I love a bowl of orange chicken that doesn’t pass as Chinese food anywhere but North America. And movies serve as distractions from the workers who have to spend their holidays toiling away at their minimum-wage jobs while the CEOs of the companies roll around in money or whatever the top one percent do.

“American Hustle” I’m a sucker for all things 20th century pop culture. Starring ‘70s-stylized Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, it’s hard to think this movie will be anything short of awesome, considering how well they connected in “Silver Linings Playbook.”

It gets better; “American Hustle” is somewhat based on the ABSCAM sting by the FBI in the late ‘70s and stretching into the early ‘80s, in which corrupt politicians were exposed. Somewhat-historical movies make me all warm and fuzzy inside; they’re the best kind of gift.

Based on the trailers, this movie, fueled by a regular Joe’s fantasies, seems quite interesting. It also doesn’t hurt that the movie, starring and directed by Ben Stiller, who can do no wrong by me after “Meet the Parents” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” features all your favorite (well, my favorite) people, including Kristen Wiig and Adam Scott.

3. Get caught up

ds I know this soun a als fin th wi t bu awful, k ea br week after winter ’t en ar als ends (why fin ’t dn ul co I k, ea before br tive uc od pr be , u) yo tell cation during your va g the in m am cr to avoid hool sc e for be ay Sund restarts. dy But please, don’t stu e rv se de u yo ; tly an incess at e-e ng some time off bi hang and attempt to . ty ni sa ur onto yo

As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, sophomore Svet Lenyuk celebrates Christmas Jan. 6 and 7 instead, in accordance with the Gregorian Calendar. Jan. 6, or Christmas night, is when Lenyuk and his family observe their traditions.

After sundown Jan. 6, Lenyuk’s family sets the table. Each corner of the table has poppy seeds, garlic or nuts. No meat is allowed on the table because the meal is a fast. One traditional food, kutia, is a mixture of poppy seeds, wheat and honey. The oldest family member eats a spoonful of the kutia, and the rest of the family follows, from oldest to youngest.

Later, the plates are removed, but the food remains at the table for the spirits to come back and eat. After the meal, Lenyuk’s family sings traditional Christmas carols.

On Jan. 6 or 7, some Eastern Orthodox Christians attend the Divine Liturgy, similar to mass, but it isn’t mandatory for Lenyuk because he is from western Ukraine, and attending mass depends on the region of the country and its traditions. s St. Nicholas Although his family doesn’t technically observe Christmas on Dec. 25, they have gone over to their American friends’ homes to partake in some celebrations. The only issue that arises with the later date for Christmas is school is often in session Jan. 7. Lenyuk goes to school and must celebrate in the afternoon.

Lenyuk’s family gives gifts only on Dec. 19, St. Nicholas Day. According to legend, St. Nicholas delivers toys on this day. The American Santa Claus was derived from this legend.

Celebrating Hanukkah: Holiday overlap “The Wolf of Wall Street” It’s a Leonardo DiCaprio directed by Martin Scorsese. Do you need another reason? You don’t.

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”

Celebrating Christmas later: Eastern Orthodox Christianity

2. Spend time downtown

Alas, very little is actually open on Christmas day in Chicago.

However, you can still visit outdoor landmarks, walk along the lake while cussing about Chicago winters while secretly appreciating how pretty the skyline is or find a fun restaurant to eat at if you Google ahead of time. While you’re there, you can stop by Daley Plaza.

Although the quaint Christkindlmarkt closes after Christmas Eve, you’ll still be able to see the huge, red neon A set up between the nativity scene and the menorah, representing atheism, celebrating the winter solstice and paying tribute to the Bill of Rights “which reminds us there can be no freedom of religion without having freedom from religion in government,” Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-President Dan Barker told NBC Chicago.

Senior Becca Habel made a lot of kids cry in elementary school when she broke the news to them that Santa didn’t exist.

“My family was never like, ‘Oh, there’s a Santa Claus,’” Habel said. “It was kind of just like, well, [Christmas] is what your dad does. Here’s a present.”

Habel’s father was raised Lutheran. Although he isn’t an active Christian now, his family celebrates Christmas. Habel’s Jewish mother observes Hanukkah, which is Nov. 27-Dec. 5 this year, conflicting with Thanksgiving.

Since it’s customary in Judaism for children to take on the mother’s religion, Habel is Jewish and observes Hanukkah. Habel used to celebrate Hanukkah with her mother’s family and Christmas with her father’s family, but s Senior Becca Habel’s elecshe now celebrates just Hanukkah with both tric (top) and candlelit (botparents and her mother’s family; her father tom) menorahs, a sampling no longer celebrates Christmas. of her family’s collection.

Habel’s family goes to the synagogue once at the beginning of Hanukkah, depending on when all her family members have the time.

Each day during Hanukkah, Habel’s family lights the menorah while saying prayers. Habel’s family instead does so when everyone is home and available.

Habel has countless menorahs at her house, some of which are even electric.

Once during Hanukkah, Habel’s family gets together for a six-hour dinner.

The prayers are the focus of the night. Each of Habel’s 20 or so relatives in attendance take turns reading paragraphs of Hebrew prayers.

There is one prayer that must be read by the youngest person at the table, a task Habel has been responsible for in the past. Habel didn’t attend Hebrew school, but her mother did, and she taught Habel to read Hebrew to an extent.

“I memorize basically whatever I need to read [in the prayer], and I’m like, OK, [this is] Hebrew.” Habel said.

For the past six years, Habel’s family hosted both Thanksgiving and Hanukkah at their home. However, because the two holidays coincide this year, Habel’s aunt will host the Hanukkah dinner.

While the overlapping of the two holidays only inconveniences Habel’s family, she acknowledges that some people may have an issue with it because Thanksgiving involves overly stuffing oneself, which isn’t customary during Hanukkah.

Habel believes most people know the basis of Hanukkah. People often tell her enviously about how she gets eight days of presents; however, according to Habel, it isn’t always the case and depends on how strict the family is.

When Habel’s family gives bigger, more expensive presents, each present counts for two days. Her cousin’s family is stricter and don’t give the children presents at all during Hanukkah because they don’t want to commercialize it.

14

Sports

December 13, 2013

prospectornow.com

Bowling builds relationships with MSL teams

By Devin Prasad Sports Editor

The sport of girls’ bowling revolves around positivity, according to head coach Greg Troyer. In matches, one team faces another, but every girl that has ever bowled has one common enemy.

“Of course you are competing against [another] team, but both teams are competing against the lanes,” Troyer said.

The common enemy of the lanes helps girls from other teams become closer through playing together the entire season.

“It’s not really like you are against anybody,” said senior Katelynn Bieber, who has averaged 184.50 through six games. “It’s more that you are trying to do the best that you can do, and it’s cool if you beat them, but at the same time, they are your friends.”

Last year, when the team went down to state, they were able to meet up with girls from schools like Conant. The girls had gotten to know each other throughout the season, so when it came to state, the teams were able to become closer.

“Everyone on the team was so nice,” Conant senior Katie Harrold said. “Having that kind of closer, more friendly atmosphere at meets is awesome.”

FOLLOW THROUGH: Senior Meghan Mulcahy (left) and freshman Arieana Upshaw (right) bowl together in practice. The team looks to repeat last year’s state qualification as well as meet girls from other teams. (Photo by Kristina Beihoffer) With a new season starting up this year, the girls will be able to meet new people from other teams as well as reconnect with those they met last year. “[We] get to know a lot of the bowlers in our conference, and that just builds a camaraderie,” Troyer said.

According to Troyer, the camaraderie is what keeps him coaching. This

year will be Troyer’s 20th season as a head coach, and the girls are hoping to make it a special one for him by returning to state again, which would be the 11th time during his head coaching career.

Throughout his years of experience, Troyer has also gotten to know many of the other teams’ coaches very well.

He is the president of the High School Bowling Coaches of Illinois and is one of the “elder coaches.” This means that he has seen many girls come and go throughout his time as a coach. Even Hersey’s coach, Julie Arias, was at one time a bowler at Prospect taught by Troyer himself.

The coaching style in bowling is very distinctive in that each girl receives one-on-one help from the coaches. This allows each girl to focus on improving her own individual score. It can be hard to coach everyone at once because each girl is unique. Different bowlers may have different ball speeds or body types, which is why it is important to treat each girl as an individual as Troyer does.

“We act as a team, but it’s all an individual sport,” Troyer said.

This season, the girls are optimistic.

With three returning varsity bowlers in Bieber, senior Nicole Cusack and senior Meghan Mulcahy and help from strong underclassmen in freshman Arieana Upshaw, the girls see few obstacles in their road back to state. As of Dec. 4, the team is second in the MSL. “We have a really strong team,” said Cusack, who averages 184.80 pins through five games. “We have a lot of potential to make it back to state.”

Greg Troyer’s Coaching Through the Years First year as Prospect head coach

First year to qualify for state

First sectional title: second place state finish

Only undefeated season in Troyer’s career 10-0

Troyer formed the the High School Bowling Coaches of IL.

Most recent time qualifying for state

October 4, 2013

prospectornow.com

Sports

15

Rankings Mean Nothing As Alabama walked into last Saturday’s game against SEC rival Auburn, there were few doubts from the college football experts about who would win.

Going in, The Tide had been ranked No. 1 all season long and, with the win, would be chasing for a third consecutive BCS title.

Unfortunately for them, Auburn had other ideas.

With the final seconds counting down, Auburn’s Chris Davis caught a failed 57-yard field FIGHT!: Sophomore Seva Tikhomirov (left) wrestles against a Hersey opponent during a home meet. The wrestling goal attempt

by Alabama and took it all the way team has been overlooked compared to other popular sports at Prospect. They hope an MSL Conference title and to the house for the touchdown. Final score: 34Regional title will hopefiully give them the attention they deserve. (Photo by Rich Futo) 28. The Tigers not only won the Iron Bowl but ruined Alabama’s chances of heading to the national championship game.

However, before the first down of the 2013 college football season had even been played, Auburn wasn’t even ranked in the top 25, according to bleacherreport.com. Fast forward to today: they will be competing against Florida State for the BCS crown.

This year, the team hopes to

By Molly Mueller I feel like a Auburn’s win, despite the odds, backs up an improve from last year with a reSports Editor lot of people issue I have a big problem with: rankings. gional win in order to make it to What really grinds my gears about rankings Last year, when Prospect boys’ sectionals and state. forget about Every year is a little different, is that they are just numbers that proclaim basketball won the MSL East, wrestling. No what team should be dominant, who should be the whole school celebrated, and and the team is different,” varsity coach Tom Whalen said.

“Obviousspecial t-shirts were made to decent and who should be on the bubble. one really undercommemorate the 20th time the ly, we want to build on the success In reality, no team on a ranked list SHOULD stands how hard program won the division. Boys’ we had last year, but most imporcare.

Getting down to it, rankings should serve wrestling also won the MSL East tantly, what we focus on is improvit actually is and to motivate the lower-seeded teams or teams but did not receive nearly the same ing each week, as individuals and not ranked at all and put pressure on the topas a team, so that at the end of the how competitive acknowledgment. ranked teams. season come regionals, sectionals, With the success of other winit actually is.

Just remember the games back in March ter sports, such as the two basket- state, we are reaching our peak performance.”

Madness; Florida Gulf Coast, a team in its ball programs, wrestling at Pros-Senior In order to qualify for the state first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, went pect tends to get overlooked and Brian meet, the team must overcome obmisses the recognition it deserves. on to defeat top-ranked Georgetown and San DiMost people don’t know that the stacles, some in their control and Maigler ego State. They advanced to the Sweet 16, which team spends about 25 hours a others out of their control. Accordhadn’t been done by any 15th-seeded team. week in practice and other various ing to Whalen, staying healthy, Thursday nights, the team has the Being a part of the Prospect basketball proworkouts or that the athletes have staying focused, having the right option to participate in yoga after gram, we weren’t highly ranked, but it was just athletes at the right weight and to constantly lose or gain weight practice to help them stretch out motivation.

We defeated St. Viator, ranked 10th having a good draw are all factors in order to stay in their desired and become more flexible. that go into making it to state that in the state, which was probably one of the bigweight class for competitions.

Along with all the exercises gest wins in program history.

“I feel like a lot of people for- are out of the team’s control. during the day, the team runs two Instead of concentrating on the We won because we expected it. We won beget about wrestling,” senior Brian or three miles on Tuesday and Maigler said. “No one really under- factors they can’t control, Whalen Thursday mornings before school cause we didn’t care what the media thought of stands how hard it actually is and says the team is focusing on the to keep improving. us. We channeled doubt into a hunger for sucfactors they can control like imhow competitive it actually is.”

Frequently after all of these cess.

According to freshman Matt proving every week and staying workouts, wrestlers will go home It’s the mindset of taking risks when putWroblewski, even though wres- dedicated and committed to being and run and exercise on their own ting in the hard work that leads to triumph. All a good student in order to stay fotling isn’t the main focus of the time to keep their weight down. overlooked teams need to push the limit and set cused in the wrestling room. winter sports, more people have “The conditioning definitely Conditioning is a controllable high expectations.

Don’t let the critics or voters been supporting the team as of helps,” Maigler said. “We can outfactor and is major part of the affect the drive for victory. late. work our opponents. You can see it “We talk about risk-reward all the time,’’ forAnd the spotlight should be team’s plan to make it to the top on the mats when other teams quit, on wrestling. The team had a 19-6 eight in the state tournament. mer FGCU head coach Andy Enfield said. “You and we can still keep going.”

During the day, many of the overall record last year in addition With all of the work the wres- have to be willing to take the risk to get the reto winning the MSL East and tak- wrestlers participate in the ad- tlers put in, Whalen hopes the ward.” vanced strength and conditioning

Boys’ wrestling team worthy of recognition

ing third in the MSL. The Knights also took home a second-place finish at regionals but wasn’t able to qualify for sectionals and therefore state.

gym class in order to lift weights during the day and focus on wrestling during practice every day after school. On Tuesday and

Wrestler’s Weekly

Monday: Strength & Condtioning (1 Hour) Tuesday: 2-3 mile morning run (1 Hour)

Yoga (1 Hour) Wednesday: Strength & Conditioning (1 Hour) Thursday: 2-3 mile morning run (1 Hour)

Yoga (1 Hour) * Wrestling practices Friday: Meet (5 Hours) Monday through Thursday for three hours.

team’s effort will pay off at the end of the season, but he acknowledges anything can happen.

“We can have every plan we want in the world as a coach, but the bottom line is it’s [the wrestlers’] program,” Whalen said. “So is their heart in the right place right now? Definitely. Is their focus in the right place? We’re getting there. We need to come together as a team, and that takes time. Each team’s different, and what they want out of it and what they are willing to put into it is what they will get out of it.”

CHAMPS: The Auburn Tigers win the SEC title game against Missouri. Auburn has proved they can defeat big teams on big stages despite the rankings.

(Photo courtesy of Atlanta Jounral/MCT Direct)

Friday, December 13, 2013

SPORTS

On ProspectorNow.com...

The Underground traveled with the boys’ basketball team to rival Hersey’s court to start off their conference season. The team won and was able to improve their overall record to 4-2.

Knights confident with new lineup New teammates lead to successful 7-0 start of season

MAKING HISTORY: Junior Taylor Will scored 37 points during the Prospect - Wheaton North championship game at the York Invitational Nov. 30. During the game, Will tied the record for most points in a game with Prospect graduate Gabrielle Cottrell, who set the record in 2004.

“When Coach [Ashley] Graham was playing at Buffalo Grove, Gabrielle was here,” Will said. “So she told me stories about it and it was kind of funny.”

Will hopes to break the record before the end of the year.

“It was fun to tie it,” Will said. “It’s still early in the season so hopefully I can get it up.”

By Peter Fusilero

By the numbers

Executive Sports Editor After a 10-0 conference record and a second-place state finish, it seemed as if all the attention was directed to the Rolling Meadows girls’ basketball team.

Now ranked No. 1 in the Chicago Tribune’s preseason top 20, every school has put a huge target on them, especially the team just five miles away: the Prospect Lady Knights.

“Everyone has been so focused on Meadows, and I think we’ve been working really hard,” said junior Taylor Will, w h o has av eraged 2 5 points per game. “We will definitely be giving them a good game [Jan. 11 and Feb. 4].”

After a year of learning each other’s strengths together, Will, head coach Ashley Graham and the entire team are confident they can compete against anybody.

“I think [after] getting the first year under your belt, you’re way more confident,” Graham said. “We feel a lot more comfortable.”

This season, the lady Knights picked up a key senior in Mallory Gonzalez. She is a transfer from Trinity High School and already feels comfortable in Prospect’s program.

“It’s very calm here at

*Through 7 games Scoring Leaders Jr. Taylor Will: 23 PPG Jr. Catherine Sherwood: 12 PPG Rebounding Leaders Jr. Catherine Sherwood: 5 RPG Sr. Marissa Pacini: 4 RPG Assist Leaders Jr. Taylor Will: 4 APG Fr. Haley Will: 3 APG Steal Leaders Jr. Catherine Sherwood: 15 steals Jr. Taylor Will: 14 steals Sr. Mallory Gonzalez: 14 steals Block Leaders Jr. Catherine Sherwood: 8 blocks Jr. Taylor Will: 3 blocks Sr. Mallory Gonzalez: 3 blocks Prospect,” Gonzalez said. “At Trinity, we would have more practices, and we would go over time. It was a lot harder.

Here, it’s a lot more skill-based and running plays.”

Gonzalez spent time at Prospect during her junior year, and despite sitting out a year, she was able to observe and take in what it truly meant to be a Lady Knight.

“I’ve learned a lot from coach Graham over this year,” Gonzalez said.

“Here, I’m more confident, and with all the girls, it’s so much fun.”

Another addition to the team has been freshman Haley Will, who is the starting point guard.

“We’re all in this together,” Haley said. “We compete really hard and push ourselves to get better. Coach Graham is an extremely positive person and always tells to me to forget about the mistakes and just move on. That’s so important.”

Haley getting the opportunity to play alongside her sister is a key factor for the great improvement as a team. “[Taylor] is an incredible role model,” Haley said. “I started playing basketball because she was playing basketball. We’re different players, but she’s made a big impact on me and is my best friend.”

“It’s really nice having her on the team,” Taylor said. “It’s not just me, though; everyone else is there for her, too. Her shot is awesome; we play

GET BUCKETS: Sophomore Niki Matters shoots over a Highland Park defender. The Knights won 48-19 to improve their overall record to 7-0. Matters has been a key contributor for the team this season. (Photos by Rich Futo) differently, but she’s definitely a great player.”

Gonzalez, Haley and Taylor have played together since their early years in AAU, but they have also played with most of the starters on Rolling Meadows, including 2012-2013 Gatorade Player of the Year Jackie Kemph.

“We know them very… very well,” Taylor said.

As of Dec. 9, the Knights are 7-0.

Moving forward, the team is just taking it one step at a time.

“We talk a lot about the process,” Graham said. “We demand excellence out of ourselves, but we take it practice by practice and game by game. We don’t really talk about winning or losing. We feel if we are our best self, everything is going to take care of itself.”

WATER BREAK WITH BOBBY FRASCO Year: Senior Sport: Basketball Position: Shooting Guard 2012-13 Totals: 295 pts. and 42 assists Q. How has the tough conditioning to start off the season

Q. What has recruiting been like this year?

A. It has been [really] good. I’m thinking about Ohio University, Elon University and Boston [University].

helped your team?

Q. How has your team and the coaching staff supported you

boarded us into the beginning of the year, and we were very prepared for our competition. It put us over the edge basically.

A. Cuba has been awesome. He’s constantly telling me who

A. We started off with hard conditioning, and it just spring-

Q. How do you feel about the way the team has started the season?

A. We started awesome. We should have beat Highland Park in

overtime; we lost that game. But that big win over Viator was huge, and we have a couple of big games coming ahead, so we [have] to be optimistic.

Q. What do you attribute the success to thus far?

A. I’m just trying to be the overall leader, you know, directing everyone on the floor. Everyone knows their roles, and that’s why we’re winning right now.

in deciding what school to attend?

calls and what they want. It’s a blessing to have someone like Cuba.

Q. What does the team’s motto mean to you?

A. “Expect to win.” That’s the motto. You have to expect to win.

We really expected to win [at Viator]... and we weren’t supposed to win, but we did.

Q. What will you remember most from playing Prospect basketball?

A. I think I’m going to remember so far the MSL East Championship. It was an experience that I’ll never be able to get back.

It was indescribable.