The Prospector: Issue 7

THE

Volume 67, Issue 7

Friday, March 7, 2014

The voice of Prospect since 1960

ROSPECTOR

801 West Kensington Road, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 - Follow us:

@ProspectorNow

Prospector NOW

Gay rights have made several headlines in recent weeks. To hear one student’s perspective on LGBTQ rights, check out...

ProspectorNow

5 Opinion

ProspectorNow

ProspectorNow

Intricate ink Interested to see what kinds of tattoos and piercings your classmates and teachers have? To learn more, turn to...

6-7 In-Depth Credit Crisis

Credit cards come with a lot of responsibility. To read about the positive and negatives aspects of using credit cards in high school, flip to...

10 Features

Bookworms

SPEAK NOW: Freshman Jimmy McDermott (left), senior Jennifer Ruda (middle) and senior Hannah Rose (right) practice their performances before competing at state for PHS Speech. Numerous students placed at state (see “State awards,” page 2). (Photo by Rich Futo)

Speech team makes ‘state’ment Students place in state competition

By Nabi Dressler Editor-in-Chief

This year is bringing tons of best-selling books to the big screen. To see which of your favorite novels have upcoming movie adaptations, see...

11 Entertainment

Junior James Farquharson didn’t know what was going on when he first joined the speech team his freshman year, so he relied on his coaches and tried to succeed.

“You trust the coaches so much,” Farquharson said.

“You have to depend on them to know what’s best for you and follow blindly for a while and try your best. [Later on,] you’re pretty confident in what you

can do, and you learn about who you are and how you perform under pressure.”

Since then, Farquharson has had considerable success; he qualified for state last year and this year, where he took fifth place in prose reading at the Illinois High School Association’s (IHSA) annual two-day competition Feb. 21-22 in Peoria.

At the beginning of the season, Farquharson didn’t even think he’d qualify, but this year, the team sent 23 students to state. The team won fifth overall in Individual Events (see “State awards”) and third in Performance in the Round.

Senior Josh Arshonsky performed in his last IHSA competition with sophomore Kit Fitzgerald in Dramatic Duet Acting. Arshonsky has qualified for state all four years he’s been on the team, and this time, his goal was just to qualify, although he felt the strongest with his duet this year.

“The award was to perform in state, and I think that was a helpful mindset because we weren’t worried,” Arshonsky said.

“It was very comfortable...

It was another chance to really impact the audience and see how people react to your piece.”

Coach Jeremy Morton got to watch students compete at state, which was a rewarding experience for him as well.

“At that point, [coaches] can’t do anything,” Morton said.

“It’s all on them. It’s a pretty amazing feeling [to win fifth] because these students — not only the students who qualified but the students that are on our entire team — have committed to the program like I’ve never seen. They really believed that they had stories to tell and a message to share with other people, and that’s really exciting.”

See SPEECH, page 2

Fire damages local businesses, impacts community

By Kelly Schoessling Managing Editor

Chamber of Commerce member Dawn Fletcher Collins sits in Le Peep Cafe with an extension cord connected to her laptop.

While other customers may be simply grabbing a bite to eat, Collins is working in her makeshift office.

The Chamber of Commerce is joined by several other Mount Prospect businesses whose buildings were recently burnt down.

The fire in downtown Mount Prospect was reported at 4 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9.

There were no injuries; however, the contingency for several businesses, including Sakura Japanese Restaurant, Continental Bakery, Picket Fence Reality and the Chamber of Commerce, were temporarily unknown.

RELOCATE: Businesses including Sakura, Central Continental Bakery, Picket Fence Realty and the Chamber of Commerce are displaced by a fire Sunday Feb. 9. “The good Continental Bakery news is that this is another example of how our community is very close-knit, loyal Although Continental Bakery was not and supportive because right away everyone was trying to find out who was disdamaged from the fire itself, it suffered placed and who needed helping finding a [residence],” Chamber of Commerce member severe water damage from efforts to

Dawn Fletcher Collins said. (Photo by Kelly Schoessling)

contain the flames.

According to Collins, structural engineers deemed the store unsafe, and the recovery time to rebuild from the damage is unknown.

However, the bakery’s business will not come to a halt while its building is being evaluated.

In fact, Continental Bakery was granted permission from Village Hall to open up inside Village Hall’s basement before the store recently found a temporary space to occupy.

The bakery can now be found at 17 W. Mt. Prospect Ave. Manager Linda Spinelli chose the location based on its closer proximity to their original bakery.

Spinelli stresses that the move is a challenge for the bakery because of its popular Paczki sales for Fat Tuesday March 4.

“We had to throw stuff together at the last minute here, but we’re making it work,” Spinelli said. “It’s just a difficult situation.”

It is unknown as of when the bakery

See COMMUNITY, page 3

2

News

March 7, 2014

In case you missed it...

Girls’ track and cross country assistant coach Pete Wintermute named head coach for 2015 season

Physics teacher Katie Page to speak at the International Society for Education on iPads

A slideshow of boys’ basketball at Pack the Place Jan. 31

Senior Emma Riordan wins architecture competition

Video coverage of speech team practicing for regionals

Opinion on reporter confusing actor Samuel L. Jackson with actor Laurence Fishburne

Students’ picks for the Best Picture Academy Award

Visit ProspectorNow.com

prospectornow.com

SPEECH: Students’ pieces evoke introspection CONTINUED from front page

Morton believes fifth in state is the best Prospect has ever done, compared to 10th place last year. He was excited that so many students qualified for the final rounds of their events.

“They shared their passions, their stories [and] their talents with the state, which is super rad,” Morton said.

To qualify for state, students had to place at least fourth in regionals, which were hosted

by Prospect Feb. 8, and at least third in sectionals.

According to Arshonsky, in past years, speech team didn’t used to be this prestigious. “[On speech team,] there wasn’t the same level of class, talent and competition,” Arshonsky said. “We didn’t have that mindset.”

However, during Arshonksy’s sophomore and junior year, the team began getting really serious about competing, and Prospect became one of the most reputable schools in the area.

“Even though we were known more [this year], we still kept the same head,” Arshonsky said.

“We weren’t overly confident.

Prospect has a really dignified persona.”

Farquharson attributes speech’s popularity increase to students understanding that speech isn’t just public speaking but competitive acting, for example.

To prepare for competitions, each team member works with a different speech coach: e i t h e r M o r t o n ,

ACTING OUT: The speech team (above), including state qualifiers and those who cheered the team on, poses at the Illinois High School Association’s competition Feb. 21 in Peoria. Senior Jenny Ruda (below) rehearses her Humorous Interpretation piece. Over the past few years, the speech program has evolved into an acclaimed, award-winning activity. (Photos courtesy of @KnightsofPHS on Twitter and Rich Futo) Associate Principal Scott McDermott, English teacher Allyson Kreutzer or social science teacher Jon Kaminsky.

Members indicate which events they’d prefer to compete in, but the coaches ultimately choose the events they think would best fit the students’ talents.

Members schedule times to practice with their designated coach during the week. During practices, students perform their pieces while coaches time and then critique them. If students don’t have practices with coaches, they stay after school anyway to practice alone.

Once students reach the state series, they work with every coach for at least 45 minutes daily, starting in February.

For Performance in the Round (for PIR team members, see “State awards”), students performed a condensed, 15-minute adaptation of the musical “Floyd Collins.”

Despite the team’s many wins, to both Morton and members of the team, speech isn’t about the the awards.

“Speech team is a very special activity, and whether or not we bring home trophies or plaques, I think the students who are participating in this event are the true winners,” Morton said.

Although IHSA speech is over after the state tournament, speech team is also in the National Forensics League (NFL). The NFL has a qualifying tournament March 9 for the national competition, and since the NFL is unrelated to IHSA, students can qualify no matter how they fared earlier in the season. This allows them to practice their skills and prepare for the next season.

“For those who are continuing with [speech] next year, it’s even more exciting that we can keep exploring the talents that we

have, and for those who finished at IHSA and are graduating, it’s also a nice opportunity for them to [compete] one more time, possibly,” Morton said.

As Arshonsky’s speech career draws to a close, he’s thankful for the chance to be a part of such a successful team.

“I think I really went out with a bang, and I’m really excited to hear about the speech team in the future because Prospect’s never seen so much success from the speech team,” Arshonsky said.

Fitzgerald looks forward to continuing with speech and is particularly thankful for the connections she’s made.

Last year, she competed with Farquharson and used to get him and Arshonsky mixed up

State awards Third place Dramatic Duet Acting: senior Josh Arshonsky, sophomore Kit Fitzgerald Fifth place Humorous Interpretation: senior Jenny Ruda Fifth place Informative Speaking: junior Claudia Lowe Seventh place Original Comedy: sophomore Andrew Pittman Third place Performance in the Round: freshmen: Ben Marshall, Brendan McGovern, Grace Gadow, John Zach, Maggie Ward sophomores: Jonah Tomko-Smith, Adrian Politzer, Lillian Hermes, Melissa Spacapan, Natalie Carioti, Ryan Kopp juniors: Pooja Bahl, Elyse Wachsmuth senior Mary Godby Fifth place Poetry Reading: senior Hannah Rose Fifth place Prose Reading: junior James Farquharson

because their first names both start with J. She used to be “the awkward freshman,” but speech team allowed her to bond with people like Farquharson and Arshonsky, with whom she will keep in touch.

For Arshonsky, the life experience speech team has given him is invaluable.

“The pieces [we do in speech team] are usually things we’ve never experienced before in our lives, and so we have to draw all of our emotions from putting ourselves in those situations, relating them to minimalistic situations that are comparative to the ones we’re trying to portray,” Arshonsky said. “The ability for us to tap into those emotions is really unique and... a difficult thing to do.

“The maturity levels of all of us, for the most part, are really above the average high schooler because we talk about these different situations, really serious ones like having cerebral palsy, having your wife die [or] having to get an abortion because your child has down syndrome, just really intense situations that not many high schoolers experience.”

Both Farquharson and Fitzgerald agree that speech makes students explore different perspectives they otherwise wouldn’t think of.

“Speech requires a lot of selfreflection and a lot of figuring out what in your life has made you feel angry or really upset to the point where you don’t know what to do,” Farquharson said. “I don’t think any other activity other than maybe theater [makes] you really have to dig deep and figure out where [a similar event] has come into play in your life to connect it to a piece to perform for people to make them feel those emotions as well. It’s really intimate.”

prospectornow.com

March 7, 2014

COMMUNITY: Businesses begin relocation contingencies CONTINUED from front page will be able to move back to its original location, but Spinelli hopes the business will be able to move back as soon as possible.

“We want to go back home as soon as they’ll let us,” Spinelli said.

Picket Fence Realty Picket Fence Realty was luckily able to relocate its store approximately 36 hours after the fire hit the original location.

The building suffered mostly water damage. Collins states that she is hopeful the business will prosper in their new permanent location located at 400 W. Central Rd. Manager Tom Zander, who owns the business with his wife, Mary, was eager to choose the new location because of its more expansive parking and visibility.

“We had to move in haste and vacate very quickly because the [fire caused] all the utilities to shut off, and they have

yet to be restored,” Zander said.

Zander also states the most damaging effect to their supplies was the smell the smoke created.

Once the business was in its new location, they rented ozone and hydroxyl machines to remove the odor.

Zander explains the office’s biggest adjustment after the fire is the smaller spacing without a basement in its new location.

“We’re having a little bit of a tight squeeze here, but we’re going to work that out, and this is going to be great spot,” Zander said.

The Chamber of Commerce Although Collin’s office at the Chamber of Commerce shared a wall with Sakura, the fire did not account for most of the damage. Rather, it was water damage that caused the office ceiling to cave in and made her office unsafe.

However, Collins states she recieved heavy support from citizens throughout Mount Prospect. She believes it’s

this responsive mentality that has allowed affected businesses to recover so rapidly.

“The good news is that this is another example of how our community is very close-knit, loyal and supportive because right away, everyone was trying to find out who was displaced and who needed helping finding a [residence],” Collins said.

These businesses are all repairing at different rates; however, Collins believes Mount Prospect’s welcoming residents will allow the process of recovery to be a seamless transition.

“I think that’s the main [situation] people are looking for — one, is everybody OK, and secondarily, do [the affected businesses] all have a place to go — and we’re very fortunate, for the most part, that we do.”

News

3

states that most community members are hoping for restoration.

“It’s a historic building. A lot of people have asked that the land owner would try to preserve it in some way,” Collins said.

Collins states she is not in contact with Sakura while they wait for the official results from the investigation.

Sakura Though other offices can be salvaged, the Japanese restaurant Sakura was burnt beyond repair. According to Collins, previous to the accident, the restaurant had recently reopened after remodeling with new wooden floors and a sushi bar.

The investigation into the fire’s origins has not yet concluded, and therefore, the restaurant has yet to determine how its business will proceed. Collins

3 2 1

4 Pictured:

1: Poms team 2: Sophomore Francesca Castro (left), freshman Carley Walker (middle), sophomore Gabby Ives (right)

SPIRIT CIRCLE: Poms is shown engaging in their pre-game tradition: circling up to get pumped for their performance. Junior Mikylah Chidester attributes the team’s bond and traditions to their coach, Courtney Fleaka, and hopes to keep it up despite upcoming changes. (Photos courtesy of Ron Godby)

3: Junior Tina Payne (left), senior Kelly Minuskin (middle), freshman Sarah Greising (right) 4: Junior Mikylah Chidester (left), freshman Bridget Robertson (right)

Poms proposes creation of new dance team

By Shreya Thakkar News Editor

Warm-ups, turns and new routines are what poms practice consisted of Feb. 12.

It was a typical practice, but the girls had no idea what was in store for them.

Around 5:30 p.m., poms coach and Prospect alumna Courtney Fleaka gave the girls news that she may not be coaching the squad next year.

According to junior Mikylah Chidester, a two-year member and choreographer, Fleaka explained that a few Prospect teachers had been interested in the job for a while.

Since her contract ends this year, the administration has to give the opportunity to the teachers first because Fleaka herself does not teach at Prospect; she is a stay-at-home mom.

The news was devastating to the squad.

“To be honest, it felt like a

dream. I was not expecting it whatsoever,” Chidester said.

“All of us were totally caught off guard. We got no warnings, and nothing like [that] ever came up [before]; it was just totally out of the blue.”

Fleaka also said that administration planned on making poms a competition team next year.

When the girls learned of these changes, they decided to try to reverse them.

They created a Google document called “Fight for Fleaka,” brainstorming questions to ask the administration and reasons they wanted Fleaka to stay.

“We all love Fleaka; she’s like a second mom to us,” Chidester said. “She just cares so much about all of us and wants us to improve and make the team better, and she does so many things in order to create such a strong bond [among] all of us. That’s what makes [our team] so close, because of her.”

The squad organized a meeting with Associate Principal Greg Minter the following day, Feb. 13.

According to Minter, the process was tough.

“It’s not a personal thing,” Minter said. “It’s more of a contractual thing.

“I told [Fleaka] that ‘I really respect you; I like you. I don’t want you to be surprised by this all of the sudden in March when you’ll be putting your audition packets together for next year.’”

Ultimately, the coaching of poms will not be decided until after mid-March when the job posting for the positions will be available for teachers.

Although it is very likely that the interested teachers will apply for the position, if nobody ends up applying, Fleaka can be reinstated.

“I hope to be a part of the poms program next year, and a part of the change,” Fleaka said. “I’ve always loved this

school, and I really love the traditions.”

According to Chidester, another goal was to make sure the competition aspect would still allow them to perform at football, basketball and soccer games.

Minter told the girls that poms will compete next year because in December of 2013, the Mid-Suburban League (MSL) announced it will host a competitive dance championship for District 214 and 211 schools.

As an MSL member, Prospect is expected to participate, so the girls pitched the idea of creating a separate team in addition to poms and Orchesis in an attempt to keep changes to a minimum.

That team, which would be referred to as “Competitive Dance Team,” would serve Prospect’s obligation to compete.

The administration had not thought of that idea before, but

after considering the option, they plan to have three teams.

“We’re just trying to make the best out of it,” Chidester said. “With poms, we just want to keep the traditions alive and keep it the same as it usually is and not to ruin anything by what’s happened.”

Fleaka views this new opportunity to compete as a chance to showcase the squad’s talent.

“I do think it’s great that the girls will be competing because they’re really talented,” Fleaka said. “That’s not something I see as a negative.”

Chidester agrees with this sentiment.

“At first I was kind of tentative about the whole competition team but [now] I feel it’s a great way to display Prospect’s dance talent since we’ve had so much success and have many students who enjoy watching both Orchesis and poms perform,” Chidester said.

4

prospectornow.com

Opinion March 7, 2014

Marvel heroes we can all believe in Staff Editorial For a long time, Marvel and I Jemma Simmons are my favorites, didn’t get along. I never finished but they’re not your only options. my first attempt to see “X-Men: If you like characters with hearts First Class,” I like to pretend that of gold, Captain America is your “The Incredible Hulk” never hap- guy, and if you’re more interested pened and the first time I watched in characters who are all action, “Captain America: The First Black Widow (played by Scarlett Avenger,” my friends Johansson, pictured to and I laughed harder the right) has you covthan ever, but it was ered. more at the patriotism Even notoriously bad than the jokes.

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Maybe it was just has potential. I know that every movie found that Clark Gregg, who an excuse to abuse face plays lead character paint — sorry, Marvel Phil Coulson, could be villains, changing color a better actor and that doesn’t make you any the road has been a bit scarier — but I wasn’t bumpy so far (the plot is Caroline Binley able to take Marvel movless focused than a hyOpinion Editor ies seriously for years, peractive puppy and and that didn’t change nowhere near as until I watched “The Avengers” cute), but it’s not all bad. and went on a subsequent Netflix Unlike most comic book binge. adaptations (and most TV in Marvel has made more than 11 general), “S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars films in the last six years, start- as many women as it does ed television show “Agents of men, and almost a third of S.H.I.E.L.D” and is continuing recurring characters aren’t to release movies like “Captain white. Even when the plot falls America: The Winter Soldier,” flat, the show’s diversity is a “Guardians of the Galaxy” and welcome change from “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” whatever incarnation which will hit theaters throughout of “White Dude Verthe year. Though many of the films sus the World” is in seem cheesy at first glance, the theaters this week.

Marvel universe is full of things to Despite its fall in love with. rocky start, “The Avengers” series may be “S.H.I.E.L.D.” is the heart of the Marvel world and piloted by Joss with good reason. It weaves togeth- Whedon, the man er the plots of its five predeces- behind cult hits sors, “Captain America: The First like “Buffy the Avenger,” “Iron Man,” “The In- Vampire Slaycredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2” and er” and “Fire“Thor.” While it’s at it, it manages fly.”

Even to stay fun and funny, with both he- “ B u f f y ” roes and villains rattling off snide took quite remarks to everyone in sight and a while to doesn’t skip out on any action. find its The rest of the Avengers uni- footing. If verse may not be as well-balanced you don’t as the film itself (some plots get b e l i e v e lost in the humor, while others me, see are too action-heavy for a decent how far amount of comedy), but each mov- i n t o ie in the series is filled with char- “I, Roacters who are impossible not to b o t … love.

Yo u , Whether you’re watching Jane” “Iron Man,” “Thor” or “Agents ( s e a of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” you’re going to s o n find characters whom you adore. o n e , Pepper Potts, Loki Laufeyson and e p i -

sode eight) you can make it.

If a show about a teenage girl torn between fighting vampires and making out with them could go from that to one of the most successful shows of all time, complete with seven seasons, a spinoff, comic books and even college courses dedicated to it, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” can pan out, too.

If the Avengers aren’t your thing, it’s fine, since the Marvel universe spreads far beyond the grasp of Loki fangirls. There’s the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the X-Men and more to keep you entertained in both film and comic book form. The Marvel franchise even includes cartoon spinoffs, toy lines and book adaptions to keep you entertained.

Marvel’s had its ups and downs, but at the end of the day, Marvel has a place in my heart.

A brief intoduction to the Marvel universe:

Bitcoin software was first introduced in 2009 as the world’s first online-only, anonymously traded monetary system or “cryptocurrency.” Like any other currency, its comparative worth is variable. The developer included no way to buy or sell Bitcoins, so the only way to exchange Bitcoins for other currencies or vice versa is via third party online currency exchanges like bitquick.co, that connect buyers to sellers worldwide.

For four years, Bitcoins maintained a price of under $20 each. During this time, they were used almost exclusively in transactions on the “deep web,” a collection of websites with the .onion domain. They are only available through the browser Tor with the right URL. Since they couldn’t be accessed through conventional search engines by their very nature, deep websites were a perfect breeding ground for illegal activity, and the Bitcoin’s anonymous nature made it the currency of choice.

In 2013, however, speculators worldwide noticed the Bitcoin craze and its expanding uses for legitimate online exchanges. By purchasing much of the existing stock, the price per coin skyrocketed in a matter of days to hundreds of dollars. Near the end of December they reached their highest price to date, almost $1200 each.

The Bitcoin program was created with a finite number of coins but with a way to introduce new ones into circulation. Through a process called mining, high-powered computers can crunch numbers in complex math problems and produce small amounts of the currency. Before the price explosion, just about any computer could mine Bitcoins. However, the program was designed such that with more people mining, it takes more calculations to produce a Bitcoin, and it’s gotten to the point where only the most top-ofthe-line machines can profitably mine.

We, the Prospector, believe that in addition to the principle that one should stay current on news related to technology, the opportunities presented by doing so are also pertinent to the adolescent community, and teens at Prospect can and should take advantage of them.

The majority of those who made big money speculating on Bitcoins weren’t economists by trade. Instead, they were young adults who saw promise in the world’s first cryptocurrency. By being informed and taking a chance on the new technology, young people worldwide were able to make huge amounts of money without leaving their homes or acquiring any formal training.

However, investments in small tech operations are not without their risks. Recent large-scale hacks of major Bitcoin trading operations have caused prices to crash as low as $550 per coin. Though this is a substantial loss from the recent peaks, it’s still a far cry from the $10-20 per coin of yesteryear, and prices are expected to recover as use of Bitcoins becomes even more widespread.

As the first generation of teenagers who were raised in the information age, we’re in an advantageous position to profit off online opportunities as they arise. The web is our natural habitat, and by using the skills we grew up with, it’s easier than ever for us to stay up to date on recent advancements in technology.

What’s more, these advancements don’t just benefit us by making us smarter. By looking out for the next Bitcoin and taking advantage of opportunities as they arise, it’s easy for teens to not only improve their brains, but also their bottom lines.

The basics: If you’re new to the world of Marvel movies, don’t worry; it’s not as confusing as you think.

Marvel is made of tons of different universes, and though the different worlds don’t interact, films within the same universe often overlap plots and characters, so it’s (kind of) important to watch in order. As long as you can count, the order of the Spider-Man

movies is pretty straightforward, but the X-Men and Avengers universes can be a bit trickier.

How to watch the Avengers: • Captain America: The First Avenger • Iron Man • The Incredible Hulk • Iron Man 2 • Thor • The Avengers • Iron Man 3

The Staff

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Jack McDermott

IN-DEPTH EDITORS Aungelina Dahm Abby Sunu

VISUALS EDITORS Rich Futo Cassidy Selep

NEWS EDITORS Brian Park Eva Schacht Shreya Thakkar

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Grace McKay

ADVISER Jason Block

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

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

• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (up to episode seven) • Thor: The Dark World • Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (episodes eight plus) How to watch the X-Men: • X-Men: First Class • X-Men • X2 • X-Men: The Last Stand • X-Men Origins: Wolverine • The Wolverine

Teens stand to profit off of new tech

BROADCAST EDITOR Lauren Miller

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.

ONLINE EDITOR Spencer Ball

The Prospector is published by students in Journalistic Writing courses

SPORTS EDITORS Molly Mueller Devin Prasad Peter Fusilero

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 the Prospector, 801 West Kensington Rd., Mount Prospect, IL 60056, prospectornow@gmail.com.

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

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

prospectornow.com

March 7, 2014

Opinion

5

LGBTQ youth demand rights, respect

Despite their bravery in coming out to friends, for fear of repercussions, the student who wrote this column has chosen to remain anonymous.

Being able-bodied, upper middle-class and white, the concept of discrimination seemed foreign to me for most of my childhood, but that didn’t stop me from wondering what it’d be like to be a minority.

I wondered how someone could look back on their history and have to remember times when they were slaughtered, shamed or enslaved for things outside of their control. In my 10-year-old mind, it sounded horrific, if not impossible, but as I got older, I realized I hadn’t gotten as close to winning the genetic lottery as I thought.

When middle school started, I dove into the world of feminism and learned the depth of discrimination that women face, but the problems didn’t feel like they affected me yet.

In eighth grade, I found out that I was going to have to face worse discrimination than I’d thought was applicable to me.

Realizing that was in many ways more painful than realizing why I’d face that discrimination: I’m gay.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights have gotten a lot of attention in the past few weeks.

Texas, Virginia and Kentucky have lifted their gay marriage

bans, and even though Kansas and Arizona failed, they came close to legalizing discrimination against LGBTQ individuals under the guise of religious freedom. It’s easy to look at LGBTQ rights as a wide-scale political issue, but it’s important to remember how much your stance on them impacts those around you.

When I realized I was gay, I had two responses: denial and self-loathing. I don’t know if they lasted for three days or three months, but I do remember how miserable it was.

I spent more time forcing myself to try to notice boys than hanging out with my friends, and when that didn’t work, I fell into a pattern of crying myself to sleep. There were even a few nights when I tried to pray the gay away (to be clear, it does not work).

I can’t blame how miserable I was on my parents, my television or my Bible alone, but each one of them played its part. I had to fight through society’s homophobia every day — whether it was in the form of my dad telling me that I wasn’t allowed to watch Glee anymore or my friends telling me that gay people were nice but still shouldn’t get married — and it destroyed me.

I got back on my feet, though, and before eighth grade was over, I’d even come out to my parents.

I gave my mom the news

Positive perspectives: Sick of math quizzes, bad weather and early mornings? Not as sick as Lauren Miller is of your complaining.

To hear her argument on why we should be grateful for all the opportunites we’re given, find her column on prospectornow.com using this QR code.

LGBTQ USA: This map shows where states stand on marriage equality and other LGBTQ related issues. Each state has its own laws relating to LGBTQ rights, and they can range from bans on even discussing homosexuality to full-out marriage equality. These laws affect the LGBTQ communities both within the respective states and around the world. when she was picking me up from a church camp, and she outed me to my dad soon after. Neither of them seemed to believe me, but I thought the same thing of their responses as they did my confession: it’s a phase.

Neither my lesbianism nor their ignorance has turned out to be temporary, and the weight of their words is something I’m still working through (though I’ll take “You’re confused” over “Get out of my house” any day).

That’s not to say that being LGBTQ is a one-way ticket to misery or that everyone will have the same experience as I

have, but it doesn’t make life any easier.

Every bit of homophobia has an impact, even if the particular comment doesn’t mean much to me. Quite frankly, I don’t care if you think your pizza is gay. It’s a pizza. Let it be. But those comments are just the tip of an iceberg, and I have to deal with everything that’s under the surface.

There are 33 states where I’m not allowed to get married.

In countries like Nigeria, I’d be put in jail for trying, and in places like Sudan and Saudi Arabia, I could be sentenced to death for having sex.

There’s no doubt these laws

The importance of hating responsibly Why you should save your rage for deserving causes On Jan. 23, 2014, a nation wept.

American icon and international role model Justin Bieber was arrested for drag racing and driving under the influence with a suspended license, according to reputable news source TMZ. But that’s not all.

In a TMZ exclusive Feb. 22, it was stated that a plea bargain had been offered that would involve, among other things, 40 hours of community service and submission to random drug testing. Fear not, however, because J-Bizzle made it clear he would not accept the deal despite his obvious guilt.

The controversy surrounding Justin Bieber has taken a nation by storm, and hardly a day goes by that one doesn’t hear someone disparaging him for being “irresponsible” or “a poor role model.” As true as these claims may be, absolutely none of this matters.

Intelligent people don’t care about Justin Bieber. Instead, intelligent people pursue things of consequence or at least hate on the truly popular instead of just rehashing the age-old “Justin Bieber sucks lol” jokes. The global community has better things

on which to spend time than a peti- common ground. We avoid argument, tion begging the U.S. government to conflict and disagreement of any deport Justin Bieber. (Yeah. That’s a kind, instead leaning towards the safe real thing.) and benign. It is only once this desire It has become far more to agree devolves into just fashionable to hate on peospouting out reworded popuple, from Justin to Miley lar opinions we hear around Cyrus to Ron Paul, than us that a danger emerges. it has to defend them, and The safe and benign apit’s a waste of time. Sure, pear time and time again when you’re valiantly ralto masquerade as bravely lying against someone or crusading against things something that everyone we dislike. Certainly, we tell else seems to inexplicably ourselves, showing disdain like (my campaign against for the “wildly popular” isn’t the monstrosity that is In- Chris Kivlahan just rehashing the same constagram comes to mind), Executive Opinion versations we have dozens it makes sense to be vocal Editor of times a day. We’re being about your disapproval.

But when it’s something that literally everyone you talk to dislikes, hating on it turns into nothing more than a circle of agreement. When’s the last time you talked to someone who actually likes Crocs?

The miracle of human speech has allowed for all of mankind’s accomplishments, great and small. It’s moved armies, built empires and created the 1996 opus, “Space Jam.” (In recent “Space Jam” news, the potential sequel has been cancelled due to Lebron James pulling out of the project. The nation mourns.) It’s also led to an incredible redundancy. When you get down into it, humans are kind of terrible at talking to each other.

Most conversations tend towards

edgy and interesting when we hate on Miley Cyrus, the fact that true fans of her are limited to teenage girls who haven’t heard of good music yet, creepy teenage boys (who are just as happy to watch her music videos on mute) and way creepier middle-aged men (who should probably be on watch lists somewhere) be damned!

Take it from someone who’s made disdain for others into a way of life: it’s not easy to be a hater 24/7. That’s why it’s so important to save your precious rage for things that actually deserve it, like Pinterest or the French. Justin Bieber, despite all his misdeeds, does not deserve your hatred. Be frugal and save your disdain for causes where you might be saying something original.

stem from religious beliefs, and while I don’t feel like hashing out any theological debates, it’s important to remember religion is not a valid basis for legal restrictions, even more so when your beliefs can’t be backed up by hard facts.

Ending homophobia isn’t about you maintaining your political views and getting brownie points at church. Even if you can afford to be neutral on the subject, there are people all around you who don’t have that option, and we have to live with the consequences of your actions every second of our lives.

Things you should hate: •Hangnails •Intolerant people •When girls tuck shirts into just the front of their pants • Oversized belt buckles • French people • Everything with a confederate flag on it • The state of Alabama • Fox “News” • Stupid people who act smart • Smart people who act stupid • French culture • People oversensitive about their allergies (no, you don’t need a “peanut free” table.)

• Warning-free online spoilers • The country of France • The kid who asks if you had homework even though your teacher forgot • The musical “Billy Elliot” (Nobody else dances when they’re angry! Also, your dad just lost his job, stop trying to be a ballerina.)

• Jar Jar Binks • The 1997 Batman movie starring George Clooney’s Batnipples • Spiderman (He’s not a superhero. He’s an acrobat with silly string.)

• People who wear basketball shorts between November and April •The kid in your gym class who doesn’t know how bad he/she smells

6

In-Depth

March 7, 2014

Tattoo meanings more than skin deep l cia so

i sc

Senior Hannah Kaiser anxiously waited for her 18th birthday in September to pass so she could finally get her first tattoo. Kaiser always wanted a tattoo of a bird on the back of her neck (see below), so she found an image of a sparrow online and had the tattoo artist sketch up something similar.

“My dream is to travel the world, so [my tattoo] is kind of a tribute to that,” Kaiser said.

In addition to her dream tattoo, she also got a senior Hannah matching tattoo with her Kaiser twin sister, Alisa. They decided to get one of their birthday, Sept. 30, 1995, in Roman numerals on their left rib cage.

English teacher Elizabeth Joiner also has a Roman numeral tattoo similar to Hannah and Alisa’s, except Joiner’s is on her left wrist.

The date refers to her wedding anniversary along with her son’s birthday.

Joiner has four other tattoos and got her first one when she turned 18. Without telling their parents, Joiner and her friends drove to Chicago to the Jade Dragon Tattoo Studio. She got a butterfly on her hip because she thought it was pretty; she doesn’t regret it at all because it’s a reminder of her 18-year-old self.

ira nd ola

In-Depth Editor

“Would I get a butterfly tattoo membrance.

For O’Carroll, his Irish again this year? No, but I love that “To me, none of my heritage played an importI have it because there was a time tattoos are profound, ant role in his second tatI thought I was such a little hippy,” but I do think too.

Joiner said. they become In addition to Joiner got the inspiration for a living hisO’Carroll, social her next tattoo on her way home tory of who science teacher from teaching at Benito Juarez you were at a Frank Mirandola Community Academy, where her time,” Joiner also has a personal en ce students were interested in old said. “It’s like a meaning connected to k n his tattoo. tea English script. She then stopped snapshot into a mocher Fra at the Chicago Tattoo and Pierc- ment in your life.”

In 2007, Mirandola’s son ing Company and got a tattoo of On the other hand, senior died of a heart defect when he a monogram of her initials. Later Sean O’Carroll feels that the de- was born. Later that year, Miranon, her husband, Matt, got a sim- sign needs to be appealing along dola got a tattoo of a ring of fire ilar tattoo on his arm to match with having a significant meaning surrounding the letter “M,” which Joiner’s monogram, but his has behind the tattoo. was is written in flames (see the letter “F” for their son, Finn.

The weekend after O’Carroll’s above).

Joiner’s family has greatly in- 18th birthday, he got a tattoo that “The ring of fire, the ring [that] fluenced her choices for her other he had wanted since his journey never has an end, [is the] nevtattoos, which are in sets of three, to Italy on the exchange program er-ending love for my son, so that’s representing each family member. last spring. The tattoo is a simple a memorial to him,” Mirandola Three years ago, Joiner and Japanese sun on his chest, but said. her husband were watchit holds a much stronger While his wife also contemplating TV on the couch meaning. ed getting a tattoo, she was unsure when he doodled a A personal memory what to get and where to put it. Misilhouette of three from Italy regarding a randola, on the other hand, knew birds on her elbow; conversation between he wanted it on his left shoulder. she decided to turn him and another Italian “The reason I chose my left side that small sketch into student inspired him to is because that’s where you find an actual tattoo. get this tattoo. your heart, and that’s [what] ultiJoiner got Although he mately led him to passing away,” sen l three pairs of glassior Se O’Carrol wants to keep the Mirandola said. an es tattooed on her left meaning of this particular This tattoo reminds Mirandola forearm in August to represent tattoo private, he recently got an- that his son is still a part of his life the glasses she and her husband other tattoo of the Celtic Tree of and symbolizes the importance of wear, along with the ones they ex- Life (see left). family to him. pect their son to wear as well.

This tattoo symbolizes eternal “I think [tattoos] should have Joiner based the design for the life, harmony and balance and meaning; there is something to glasses on some vintage wallpaper demonstrates how the world is be said for appreciating art,” Mishe had and added blue and green connected. randola said. “For me, I always to the frames.

His friend designed the tattoo, thought it would be important to While all of Joiner’s tattoos are and he got it on his chest right have something that was a connot necessarily intricate, she still above his first tattoo on Dec. 13 af- stant reminder of someone or looks at them with a sense of re- ter wanting it for over two years. something special in my life.”

M

By Abby Sunu

(top) English teacher Elizabeth Joiner’s elbow, (middle forearm, (bottom) bac s

Laying down the law

How m do P stude

• Dark-colored states: completely prohibit the tattooing of minors regardless of parental consent • Light-colored states: require the presence and consent of a parent to tattoo a minor information courtesy of the National Conference of State Legislatures

How many piercings do Prospect students have?

March 7, 2014

Piercing pain on ear (listed from most painful to least) 1. Tragus 2. Gauges 3. Middle of ear 4. Cartilage 5. Triples 6. Doubles

7

graphic courtesy of Nicho Walsh

! h c Ou

n ing o d n e p de y’s differ r bod u n o a y c and data *This sticity a l e skin l. your to hea y t i l i ab

In-Depth

Tattoo pain on body • Dark shading: severe pain (head, genitals, feet, ribs, inner thigh and elbows) • Light shading: moderate pain (torso, neck, hands and knees) • No shading: mild pain (chest, arms, thighs and calves)

information courtesy of www.tattoos-hurt.com

Teens faced with decisions in pursuit of tattoos

e) ck

*out of 150 students surveyed

many tattoos Prospect ents have?

By Aungelina Dahm

Executive In-Depth Editor Tattooing has become more and more popular within today’s generation. Even back in 2004, the American Academy of Dermatology reported that by the age of 18, 16 percent of people tattooed already had their first tattoo.

In 2007, the Pew Research Center announced that 36 percent of 18-25-year-olds have at least one tattoo, while in 2010 it noted 38 percent of this generation has a tattoo.

Maturity and individuality are factors that 17-year-old junior Brendan Tranter attributes to his decision on getting his five tattoos under the legal age of 18 in Illinois.

“I felt that I was mature enough when I knew I could get a tattoo that I wouldn’t regret,” Tranter said. “Everyone is the same; stuff like tattoos and piercings kind of set you apart from the norm.”

On the other hand, senior Jack Tuttle believes not everyone who gets a tattoo is on that same level of maturity. He argues some people do not think enough about the long-term effects of a tattoo.

“I think the mature part comes from people seeing [a design] one time and then thinking, ‘Oh my

I think the mature part comes from people seeing [a design] one time and then thinking, ‘Oh my God, that would be so cool.’ But then they don’t really think about if there’s going to be a reason they got [their tattoo] 10 years from now.

-senior Jack Tuttle God, that would be so cool,’” Tuttle said. “But then they don’t really think about if there’s going to be a reason they got [their tattoo] 10 years from now.”

Both Tranter and Tuttle’s tattoos have significant meanings.

Tuttle’s back tattoo is a quote, “God will grant me justice,” while Tranter has the Egyptian eye of Ra on his back for protection. “[That quote] is important to me because it’s my motto in life,” Tuttle said. “It describes me as a person.”

In addition, Tranter also has his zodiac sign, the Sagittarius, on his ankle, a bear claw intertwined with a pink cancer ribbon to represent his grandmother’s battle with breast cancer, a personal quote of Machine Gun Kelly lyrics on his chest, and his

mother’s birth date in Roman numerals along his collarbone.

“My mom’s birthday means a lot,” Tranter said. “It’s not that I’m a ‘momma’s boy’ or whatever people would try to say; she’s just always been there and really just been the best parent I could ask for.”

However, all of Tranter’s tattoos, along with Tuttle’s, can be covered up by a pair of socks or a t-shirt — something that both of them thought about before going to get their tattoo. Tuttle stated he wouldn’t want someone to make assumptions of him based on a tattoo before he even has a chance to talk.

Another thing that Tuttle thought about was going to get the tattoo legally in Indiana with parental consent. He looked online for reputable parlors and

found one in Valparaiso to be sure he would get the results he wanted.

On the other hand, Tranter went the other way to obtain his tattoos from his friend’s girlfriend’s dad, who is a tattoo artist with his own parlor.

The tattoo artist is comfortable with tattooing underage teens only with parental consent.

That way, he feels secure that their parents know, so he won’t get “ratted out” in the future.

Tranter’s parents didn’t originally give him permission to get his first tattoo. They didn’t end up finding out about it until around a year after he got it.

According to Tranter, his parents don’t have any tattoos themselves and don’t really understand why people get them.

“They now let me [get tattoos] because they feel that I’m going to make the right decision about what I get inked onto my body,” Tranter said.

Whether it be legal or not, both of Tranter’s and Tuttle’s tattoos can again be credited to their mentality of responsibility, and that is what they recommend for teens who are thinking of getting a tattoo under 18.

“It’s most important that you have to know what you want and have to realize it’s going to be on your body forever,” Tuttle said.

8

Features

March 7, 2014

prospectornow.com

Adderall arrives on the party scene

By Shannon Smith Features Editor

Those keeping up with “Pretty Little Liars” know that Spencer Hastings has been taking Adderall to stay up and concentrate. At first, taking the drug works in her favor, but soon the signs of abuse appear, and she goes on a downward spiral.

With Adderall making an appearance in pop culture, it’s no secret that it is a growing problem in high schools across the nation, including Prospect.

According to health teacher Aaron Marnstein, more and more people are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which are disorders of the brain where one is overactive and has difficulty focusing.

The Drug Enforcement Agency only allows a certain amount of amphetamine, a class of drugs that includes Adderall, to be manufactured commercially each year, but each year Congress votes to raise that number. In 1990, 417 kilograms was allowed to be manufactured, in 2000, 9,007 kilograms and in 2012, 25,300 kilograms.

Many of these people diagnosed are willing to sell their Adderall because it can result in a huge profit of about $7 a pill or more.

The most common Adderall abuse is for academic reasons, but the drug has leaked into other realms, including the party scene.

At parties, using the drug helps keep one awake and sharpens one’s mind,

which allows for longer partying. It reverses the effects of alcohol, so one is able to drink more while remaining in control.

According to drugabuse.com, this can be dangerous because without the warning signs of excess drinking, it is easy to succumb to alcohol poisoning.

Also, according to Marnstein, alcohol is a depressant, which slows the heart rate, while Adderall is a stimulant, which speeds up the heart rate. These reactions can have a negative effect on one’s body because it is confused on whether it should slow down or speed up.

Senior Abby Owens, who has a prescription for Adderall, doesn’t understand why anyone would use it as such.

“Adderall shouldn’t be a party drug; it doesn’t do anything to make you feel better,” Owens said. “There’s nothing that will benefit a party from the way that you feel with [Adderall].”

Although Adderall may not benefit a party scene, it has many positive effects for those who are prescribed for the classroom.

Owens has been taking Adderall on and off since fourth grade because she would switch to other medications for her ADHD but has found Adderall works best.

She needs the drug to stay focused

Adderall’s impact on the body

during school and to work more efficiently, but she does notice negative effects that come with it, like the difference in her mood, loss of appetite and weight loss.

“Normally I’m a really bubbly, talkative person who likes to interact with everyone,” Owens said. “And then when I’m on my medication, the people that are loud and screaming get on my nerves a little more.”

People prescribed to Adderall see many positive effects, but abusing the drug can have dangerous results (See “Adderall’s impact on the body”).

“People see that stimulant effect, and they like it,” Marnstein said. “They start to depend on that stimulant to continue their workload, but after a while, with too much of that stimulant, the body can’t keep up with it. The body’s going to break down, and the body’s going to shut down.”

Negative side effects of Adderall (both perscribed and not perscribed) -Headaches -Dryness of mouth -Loss of appetite/weight loss -Depression -Hostility -Paranoia -Increased blood pressure -Disrupted heart rhythm Signs of Adderall abuse -Nervousness -Restlessness -Uncontrollable shaking -Difficulty staying asleep -Changes in sex drive -Nausea -Stomach pain -Diarrhea -Constipation Signs of overdose -Feelings of panic -Restlessness -Hallucinations -Quickened breathing -Uncontrollable shakes -Confusion -Coma

10

Features

March 7, 2014

prospectornow.com

Fergus flies to new heights

cago Executive Flight School.

When learning to fly, the first lessons are in a classroom to learn the basics such as how to use the conJunior Brendan Fergus looked over his flying manual in preparation for the day he had been How to become a pilot? trol panel. Students are required to take a written counting down to for months, his first time fly• You must have 40 hours total test before they get to ing an airplane. time of flying. fly. Once they pass He had an excited nervousness running • 20 hours must be with an their test, they get instructor. through his whole body. Fergus had his to fly with an indoubts that the Cessna 150, a small two seater • 10 hours may be solo. structor. aircraft, would leave the ground.

• Have passed a written test.

The first couple Boarding the plane the next morning Fer• Be at least 17 years old. times in the air are gus was overwhelmed while staring at the info courtesy of learning the basic skills panel of instruments in front of him, there www.faaflightschools.com like taking off and landwere so many buttons and levers in such a ing, and getting familiar small cockpit. with the plane. After that As Fergus took off he was just trying to think complished, students learn how to about pushing the throttle and pulling back on the is acmaneuver the plane in the air. airlines, with the perfect amount of speed.

During the most recent lesson Fergus had, he Once in the air, Fergus felt relieved, the cockpit learned how to stall, which occurs when the pilot became relaxed and the skies were open.

When his first lesson was over and cuts the engine midair, causing the plane to fall. “[Flying] is something that not a lot of people do; he and his instructor being able to do it is a lot of fun,” Fergus said. made it back to the Although Fergus’ favorite hobby is flying, he does ground safely, Flight Schools not get to fly often due to the high costs, so he flies Fergus wanted • Boraam Aviation with an instructor about three or four times every to get right • Chicago Executive year. back on the Flight School Fergus has flown over the Chicago skyline and to aircraft and • Fly There Great America with an instructor and has not yet get back in the • Skill Aviation flown alone. air.

• Windy City Flyers Fergus’ most nerve-racking experience is going Fergus developed his interest in flyi n g through clouds and hitting bad turbulence.

Fergus’ mom, Bettina believes that Brendan’s flyfrom his father, who was a mechanic for the U.S. Air Force for 23 ing lessons is a good opportunity for his future.

“It makes me a little bit nervous as a mom, thinkyears. As a child, Fergus saw his dad’s accomplishment and heard the stories of his time in basic train- ing he is taking this airplane up in the sky, but because he loves it and he is a careful kid who knows ing and his experiences working on military planes.

As a freshman, Fergus had learned about the Ju- what he wants, he puts confidence in me,” Bettina nior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NJROTC), said.

The lessons Fergus take now are preparing him which is an elective sponsored by the U.S. Armed Forces. NJROTC in District 214 has meetings every for his future. Fergus hopes to receive a ROTC scholWednesday after school at Wheeling High School arship to the Purdue Aviation Program and then go into the military as a Navy officer. where they meet for two hours.

Fergus’ father passed away when he was in eighth During NJROTC meetings, students learn about grade and never got to see him participate in NJROTC military history and science. Recently, Fergus has enjoyed learning about water displacement and the or taking flying lessons, but Fergus believes that his father would be proud to see him taking these steps design of aircrafts.

NJROTC helped Fergus decide to take flying les- in order to accomplish his goal of being in the Navy.

“It’s a feeling you don’t get anywhere else, just sons because flying just made sense to him. Fergus went on to Palwaukee Airport’s website to find a being in the sky and having that control is surreal; flying school in the area. In December of his sopho- there aren’t any words that describe it unless you go more year, Fergus took his first lesson through Chi- flying yourself,” Fergus said.

By Mary Kate Moloney Features Editor

Brendan’s runway to the sky

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON: A 13 year old Brendan poses for a picture while on a boat in Florida with his father, John Fergus. Just a few months later his father passed away.

CERTIFIED TO SOAR: Fergus receives a certificate that allows him to fly with an instructor. In order to receive this, he needed to pass a written test.

VIEW FROM THE TOP: Fergus took a picture of the skyline while he was flying over Chicago during one of his first lessons.

10

Features

March 7, 2014

prospectornow.com

Pre-teaching jobs yield fun stories The path to a career is never an easy one. According to Mindflash.com, the average person

By Ellen Siefke may hold as many as 11 jobs in a lifetime, potentially 10 different positions before settling Copy Editor down. Many teachers at Prospect were no different, working at oddball jobs before they came here. Whether working in stables or sliding down a skyscraper in search of dirty windows, these teachers have a few stories to tell.

M a t h teacher Michael Grasse had two unique jobs in college: washing windows of a 13-story building and waxing floors at two shopping malls. He did these for three years while studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He washed windows at the Alumni Research Building for a company called Madison Building Maintenance, which was not affiliated with the university. Here, he initially was a janitor for two floors of the building until moving up. Then, after working full-time for a summer, he finally became a window washer “It was like you were rewarded by having the more dangerous jobs, which was kind of ironic,” Grasse said.

A typical day consisted of starting at 9 a.m. He and the other washers would ride the elevator to the top floor and then walk to a room with a ladder leading to the roof. After climbing up, they would walk onto a stage, each holding two people, attached to a crane that would pull the stage to the edge of the building.

After securely in place, they would proceed to start washing. They worked a column at a time, washing it and then going back up to start the next one. According to Grasse, two columns usually took the day, and it took around three weeks to finish the entire building. After completing the building, they would start all over.

Sometimes, the

Social science teacher David Schnell’s family owned a horse stable in Door County, Wisc., that ran tourist horseback rides while he was growing up. Starting in second grade, he and his family would spend their summers there, leading him to his first job: shoveling horse droppings.

Leaving for the farm the last day of school, he and his siblings provided the hands for the dirty work throughout the entire summer. Every day, they would work from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., loading horse poop into wheelbarrows and then running them to a dumpster. Since it was so tall, they would use pieces of wood as ramps and then would have to run up them. Sometimes, the wheelbarrows would fall in, and one of them would have to fish it out.

As disgusting as it may seem, Schnell admits he didn’t actually mind it.

“It gave me something to do with my time,” Schnell said. “It could actually be fun sometimes.”

Besides cleaning up the stables, he would also have the occasional opportunity during group horse rides to guide unconfident or nervous riders, sitting on the horse and holding the reins with them, a nice break from his routine.

“It was probably something you couldn’t do insurance-wise today,” Schnell joked. “But that’s what we did.”

The least-liked aspect of this job was the long hours, often in hot weather.

In addition, his work gave him a perpetual fear of getting kicked by the horses; consequently, he made sure to be noisy as he worked and avoided walking near them.

His job lasted until fourth grade; after that year, his family would only visit the farm for one or two weeks.

weather conditions were too dangerous to wash, especially with high winds. On these days, the team would do various jobs inside, mostly waxing the floors but sometimes helping the janitors out.

Grasse, not afraid of heights, never had a problem with the job; however, he watched many people try the job and found themselves unable to overcome their fear. He also never felt superstitious of the 13 stories.

Besides washing windows, he worked for the same company at a night job waxing the floors of two local malls, East Towne Mall and West Towne Mall, with about six other individuals.

A typical day started at 11 p.m. with t arriving and meeting up with a security guard.

Then, all the workers would unload their equipment. Each person was assigned a certain area, and they would go to work, scrubbing the old wax and putting the new wax on.

This would go on until 5 a.m., when they would spend the next few hours cleaning up. By the time they left, it was around 7 a.m.

Grasse then would proceed to attend his classes until around noon, when he would return to his dorm and sleep until around 6 or 7 p.m. After homework, he would prep for another day For him, the schedule wasn’t much different than what a normal person would do; he just switched the hours for sleeping and being awake. For example, he would often eat dinner around 3 a.m. He liked this schedule and his jobs.

“It was a ball,” Grasse said. “It was really fun and interesting.”

Who Knows You Better?

The subjects Senior Ryan Alesse

The boyfriend

Senior Marta Zoltowski

Senior Jessica Haack

The friend

What was her favorite What is her biggest What is her favorite What’s her intended What elementry What is her third What’s her shoe size? vacation? pet peeve? book? college major? school did she go to? period class?

Hawaii

Being licked

4

Nine

Percy Jackson

4

Massage therapy

St. Emily

4

4

Statistics

Hawaii

Hair stuck in mouth

Nine

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Massage therapy

St. Emily

AP Biology

Florida

People poking her

Seven

The Collector

Oceanography

Windsor

Math

The results

Winner

X

prospectornow.com

March 7, 2014

Entertainment

Book adaptations hit big screen While book adaptations have never been shy on the red carpet, this year is filled with literary classics, romance novels and teen favorites all hitting the silver screen, whether it be the closer to “The Hunger Games” trilogy, “Mockingjay: Part 1,” or the highly anticipated John Green hit, “The Fault in Our Stars.”

“I always recommend reading the book first [before the movie comes out],” head librarian Christie Sylvester said. “The hardest thing is many times you have to separate the movie from the book.”

Although many movies do stray a bit from the original book, it’s always a good idea to delve into the story firsthand by doing your research and reading up. Here’s a look at some books to read and movies to keep your eye out for this year.

11

Synopsis- Set in the future where all disease is cured and society is essentially perfect, 12-yearold Jonas pokes his nose into what really goes on behind the sterile nothingness of his world and learns from a wise old man named the Giver what it’s really like to feel pain and pleasure.

Starring- Jeff Bridges, Alexander Skarsgard, Brenton Thwaites, Meryl Streep, Taylor Swift Release date- Aug. 15, 2014 The verdict- Featuring Hollywood vets Jeff Bridges, Alexander Skarsgard and Meryl Streep to play big roles in this film, “The Giver” film only holds promise of this chilling Lois Lowry classic. With director Phillip Noyce’s first big film since “Salt” (2010), this adaptation is sure to have a darker take than the already mysterious children’s book it derives from, as the majority of Noyce’s projects are thrilling, more serious movies such as “Rabbit Fence” and “To Catch a Fire.”

By Andi Hayes

Associate Editor-In-Chief

Synopsis- Hazel Lancaster’s terminal cancer has slowed its course a bit when she meets Augustus Waters at a cancer support group.

Soon the two fall in love as they both share a unique cynical view of the world, with an affinity for witty reparté. This story follows a tale of unconventional love and the boyfriend you wish you had.

Starring- Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort Release date- June 6, 2014 The verdict- If this book has anything to do with a John Green novel, it will be sure to do exceptionally well at the box office, thanks to the devoted teenage audience who has been patiently anticipating this romantic story. With Shailene Woodley as Hazel, a strong, honest performance is definitely expected for this heart-melting story, as she plays alongside Ansel Elgort, who played Woodley’s brother earlier in the year with “Divergent.”

Synopsis- A dystopian future Chicago characterizes citizens based on their personality type, assessed by an aptitude test. These citizens are forced to live in special factions for their type for the rest of their lives. However, when Beatrice “Tris” Prior tests equally for three virtue types, her life is put in danger as she has to hide her identity or become “factionless” forever.

Starring- Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller, Theo James Release date- March 21, 2014 The verdict- With “Limitless” director Neil Burger heading this film, it is expected to be another “Hunger Games”-esque type of action-book-adapted film, with a strong, star-studded cast who have good chemistry together from prior book adaptation films (Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller — “The Spectacular Now”), and don’t forget a strong performance from Kate Winslet is definitely anticipated.

Upcoming Concert Calendar

Miley Cyrus with Icona Pop & Sky Ferreira When? Fri. March 7 Where? AllState Arena How much? $49.50-$89.50

Kings of Leon When? Sat. March 8 Where? United Center How much? $28.50-$64.50 Lorde When? Tues. March 18 Where? Aragon Ballroom How much? SOLD OUT! Tickets on StubHub: $76+

Childish Gambino When? Wed. March 19 Where? Riviera Theatre How much? SOLD OUT! Tickets on StubHub: $98.57+ Bastille When? Mon. March 31 Where? Riviera Theatre How much? SOLD OUT! Tickets on Stubhub: $117+

12

Entertainment

prospectornow.com

March 7, 2014

Jigging into the spirit

By Erin McGovern

Associate Editor-in-Chief

1

2

3

After leaving school early on St. Patrick’s Day two years ago, senior Rachel Scott practiced in the Bulls’ locker room for the biggest performance of her Irish dance career.

The rigorous pregame practice period had come to an end, and Scott and her teammates came together for a pre-performance huddle. With their heads together, the girls said a prayer and moved their feet around the circle before shoving aside the jitters with a break.

Then, in her black competition dress and wig, Scott walked onto the court to perform in front of a sea of cheering green for the first time.

“I was really nervous hearing the crowd before the performance,” Scott said of the halftime experience. “I got butterflies just thinking about it, but when they announce you, and you’re actually on the floor, it’s cool because you can look straight into the eyes of the people in the floor seats.”

After living through the experience two years in a row, Scott has come to find performing at the United Center less intimidating and looks forward to it.

For Scott, St. Patrick’s Day means one of the most important performances of her year, and it has become as much of a tradition for her as corned beef and cabbage may be for others.

It has become the busiest part of her year as an Irish dancer for the world-renowned Trinity School of Irish Dance.

The journey to this opportunity started 10 years ago when Scott went to an Irish dance class in one of Trinity’s small studios in downtown Arlington Heights with her friend for bring-a-friend-to-class day.

“Before I went [to that class], I had tried other sports, but nothing was fun for me,” Scott

4

said, “But when I went there, I fell in love with it. I remember going up to my dance teacher and saying, ‘Sign me up right now!’, and the rest was history.”

The passion that captivated Scott when she was 8 years old is still going strong and with good reason — in addition to the Bulls’ game halftime show, Scott has danced in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and traveled to Spain and Canada to perform in the International Folk Music and Dance Festivals.

Abroad, Scott and the Trinity dancers took home the “heart award”, which is given to the country that shows the most heart both on stage and while conversing with the audience.

Much like this and the feeling of entertaining cheering basketball fans, her experience with the CSO has taken the professionalism of her Irish dance career to an entirely new level.

The week before St. Patrick’s Day every year, Scott travels with Trinity to CSO’s annual Siamsa na nGael celebration.

There, the girls warm up in their hard shoes on stage before the performance so that the musicians can hear the tap of the dancers’ feet from a metal piece on the bottom of the shoes and learn to time it with their own notes.

After performances from the orchestra in the first half of the show, Scott and the Trinity dancers are formally announced.

“It’s become something I prepare for almost year-round and look forward to,” Scott said. “For all the different audiences I perform for, everyone just gets into it and has fun, and that’s why I have fun.”

From jig to reel to hornpipe, Scott’s dancing ability and competitive intensity has flourished from the day she first stepped into an Irish dance class. After eight years of hard work and competition seasons, she has gone from learning the basics of holding her hands properly at her sides to the intricate leap-overs and points of the highest class offered by Trinity.

“I can still remember seeing the things older girls in the program were capable of, and it really inspired me,” Scott said, “And knew that would be me someday.”

A REAL IRISH ST. PATRICK’S DAY

For junior Brian Rowan, St. Patrick’s Day is part of his heritage. With Irish immigrants as parents, he has celebrated the holiday in a more culturally traditional way. According to Rowan, the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is much more public and commercialized in the United States than it is in Ireland. Overseas, people typically spend the day going to mass to honor St. Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland and then spend the evening having dinner with family.

Most people think of a customary St. Patrick’s Day dinner as corned beef, cabbage and potatoes, but according to Rowan, these foods are far from an Irish custom.

“It’s not even Irish,” Rowan said of the stereotypical meal. “It’s more of the American idea of what they think Irish food should be.”

While you won’t catch Rowan with corned beef on his plate, he does participate in the holiday fun by either marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade with his soccer club or volunteering at the Irish American Heritage Center during a day of music, food and celebration.

5 s THE JIG IS UP 1. The Trinity Irish Dancers pose with another dancer after a show outside the city of Badajoz, Spain.

2. During the Canada festival, Scott and the other dancers perform Celtic Thunder at the main stage, Mondial Des Cultures.

3. The Trinity Dancers can be seen on the Bulls’ jumbo tron while performing “Celtic Tiger” on St. Patrick’s Day last year.

4. Scott and one of her friends pose with their ID badges in the high school they stayed in during their trip to Canada.

5. The Trinity Dancers stop for a picture behind the main stage in Canada right before they performed a “ fusion” dance with a Serbian leader. The man right in front of Scott is “Dragon”, the leader of the Serbian company. (photos courtesy of Rachel Scott)

What's your favorite part of St. Patrick's Day?

“I like St. Patrick’s Day because I love the color green and it goes with everything.”

-freshman Alexander Hasse

“My favorite part of St. Patrick’s Day is watching my little brother look for a leprechaun he thinks is in the house.”

-freshman Jimmy McDermott

“My favorite part is definitely the Shamrock Shakes because when they come out, my dad takes me to get one.”

-sophomore Clare Schroeder

Want more St. Patrick’s Day? Head to Prospectornow.com to hear about some customary Irish recipes and places

“I really like the St. Patrick’s Day parade because people dress up and I feel like they really get into the spirit of it.”

-junior Mikylah Chidester

“My mom decorates our house with shamrocks and pretends the leprechauns came even though [my brother and I] are older.”

-senior Stephanie Kies

March 7, 2014

prospectornow.com

Sports

13

Alumn returns to tennis to fill head coach position

CHALK TALK: Girls’ water polo coach Natalie Rasor teaches her team new game strategies in practice. Rasor, who played water polo in high school and college, looks to use her past experience to lead the team. (Photo by Molly Mueller)

Past experience proves vital

By Devin Prasad

Executive Sports Editor

The sport of water polo is very new compared to other sports such as basketball and baseball. The sport itself was only added to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in 2001. This season, the girls’ water polo team has the unique privilege of playing under a coach who played water polo herself.

Natalie Rasor played in high school at Palatine and in college at Marquette, which gave her a lot of experience getting to know the game from a player’s standpoint.

According to Rasor, the sport is very complicated, and by playing, she feels she was able to gain an edge on older coaches who have never experienced the game from within the pool.

Senior and co-captain Mary Schiavone also believes that Rasor’s experience playing helps her relate to the players.

“Water polo is one of the sports that if you have never played before, it makes it really hard to make a connection,” Schiavone said.

Making connections is one area that Rasor has especially focused on. She went to watch many of the girls play water polo for their club teams to get to know them better. She also set up meetings with the team captains in order to stay in touch and know them on a more

personal level.

According to Schiavone, having connections with the players allows Rasor to push them harder, knowing that it is going to make them better.

“It helps with the team dynamic,” Schiavone said. “And it just helps us improve as a team.”

Rasor was able to learn a lot about the players’ strengths and weaknesses from being a junior varsity coach last season. She also learned about how the sport works in the MSL East and more about coaching in general from previous head coach Kelli Lussow. Rasor had coached swimming in the past, but never water polo, so having last year to ease her in helped greatly.

“I think working under a head coach and seeing what they needed to do to do their job effectively was important for me to see,” Rasor said.

Rasor is honored that despite her youth, the school chose her to coach the team. According to Rasor, getting the head coaching position means that the school believes in the team as a unit.

This season, Rasor is optimistic about what the team can accomplish.

The Knights have four returning starters and a number of girls moving up to play.

“I’m expecting a very successful season,” Rasor said. “And I’m expecting us to continue to grow, which is great.”

relationship together,” Kujawa said.

“It was an easy connection for us, and

By Devin Prasad that just broadened our relationship.”

Executive Sports Editor When Kujawa graduated in 2008, he When Tom Kujawa was in high knew he wasn’t done with the sport school, he knew tennis was his pas- yet; since he loved and knew the game so much, he felt he could eventually besion.

He loved the uniqueness of the come a coach.

Kujawa played club tennis three out game and the individuality involved.

He played whenever he could and used of the four years he was in college at the game as his outlet from the stresses Arizona State University.

After college in 2012, he got back of everyday life.

For him, not being active was in touch with Huffman and told him about his interest in coaching. “worse than death.”

“I always had a passion for the In 2008, Kujawa and a few of his teammates helped out at Prospect’s game,” Kujawa said. “When I played, tennis summer camp and really got to I thought about becoming a coach one know some of the kids he worked with. day.”

Huffman and Kujawa became close “I just wanted to keep playing back then; I took any opportunity to play,” friends again; Kujawa learned from Kujawa said. “I loved being around Huffman and was able to incorporate kids, and it seemed like the right thing many of his own drills as well.

When Huffman retired last season, to do at the time to continue learning.

Summer camp was just a stepping he left the team in Kujawa’s hands.

According to Tenuta, Kujawa’s stone to further development.”

What Kujawa didn’t know at the coaching style is much different than time was that he would get a chance to Huffman’s.

Kujawa focuses more on affect their lives in the future the strategy of the game and as well. fitness and not just repeated This season, Kujawa is the tasks and drills. head coach of the boys’ tennis His goal is to turn the playteam. ers into all-around competiMany of the athletes he tors rather than to specialize worked with at the same camp in one area. are now on the team, includThis season, Kujawa hopes ing senior Ralph Tenuta. to teach the team not only “It’s comforting having about tennis but also about him as a coach,” Tenuta said.

Tom Kujawa life. His goal is to make them “He’s not just someone brand better people and show them how to renew who we have never met before.”

Knowing some of the players com- spect others.

Looking into the season, the team ing in, through both summer camp and being assistant coach last year, is optimistic, and Tenuta believes that made his transition into head coaching they are prepared.

They are training a lot more than much easier.

What also helped him move into his usual, which they hope will help them new role was his relationship with pre- later in the season. “[Tennis is] all about fitness and vious head coach Rick Huffman.

Kujawa and Huffman had a special agility and who’s going to have that bond throughout Kujawa’s high school stamina late in the second and early career; Kujawa played under Huffman in the third set,” Kujawa said. “Sometimes it comes down to fitness, and if all four years.

Tennis helped them to grow closer, we don’t have that as a base, we are but their friendship stretched far be- going to be in a lot of trouble. It’s one yond the tennis court, and the two got element of the game that we all need to improve on.” to know each other very well.

“A passion for the game brought our

Booster club enhances athletics

By Mike Stanford Staff Writer

Prospect wrestlers started the season with a gift they did not have last year.

What they received was vinyl and foam packaged together as a wrestling mat. The mat, valued at $8,000, came from the Athletic Boosters The booster club’s mission is to improve athletes’ experience at Prospect.

The club has been making donations to these sports programs for as long as anyone can remember.

Although it was expensive, the mat hardly made a dent in the booster club budget. The club donated $70,000 to Prospect athletics last year alone.

When coaches need new equipment to improve their program, they contact their team representative, usually the parent of an athlete.

The representative then goes to one of the seven meetings the booster club holds each year.

From there, the team representative presents the request

and why the team requires the item. The club, led by president Jeff Miller, discusses and votes, although the answer is most often a unanimous yes.

All the equipment donated by the booster club is in addition to the athletic budget allotted by the school.

Among the items to enhance athletic programs at Prospect donated by the booster club last year were a new scoreboard in the field house, new wrestling mats and underwater cameras for the swim team.

In addition to small gifts, the club likes to donate larger gifts every four to five years.

Last year, it gave the softball team a new fence and backstop, which included a press box.

Other projects the booster club has tackled within the last 10 years include outdoor scoreboards for $200,000 and a concession stand in the field house for $100,000.

Currently, the club is trying to accumulate enough money for new dugouts in the baseball field.

The current dugouts are unsafe, prone to flooding and

hard to maintain, according to varsity baseball coach Ross Giusti.

“The booster club has done a great job of helping assist teams gather resources to be successful,” Giusti said.

The club plans on raising money through fundraisers such as an annual golf outing at Mount Prospect Public Golf Course and feeder basketball tournaments.

As a way of giving back, teams volunteer at these events.

Athletes greet event-goers and sell snacks for their enjoyment.

Athletes definitely appreciate the booster club, despite how little they know about what it does, according to boys’ athletic director Tom Martindale.

“It’s not like students walk around the school every day and go, ‘I’m really thankful for the booster club,’” Martindale said. “There is a subtle appreciation when you walk around this building of pride in what we have.”

SCORE!: The new scoreboard was donated by Prospect’s booster club. The booster club has helped provide athletes with new equipment such as new mats for the wrestlers, new underwater cameras for the swimmers and new backstops for the softball players. To see exactly how the money was distributed follow the QR code above. (Graphic by Rich Futo)

Friday, March 7, 2014

SPORTS

On ProspectorNow.com...

The boys’ basketball team traveled to Fremd Feb. 26 to compete for the MSL title. Although the Knights lost, they showed resilience by coming back.

Read the story on ProspectorNow.

Winter track helps later in season

By Molly Mueller

Executive Sports Editor Towards the end of January, when the start of many spring sports is still a month away, the track season has already begun.

Girls’ track and field began their season Jan. 27 and will not stop until May 24 with the state meet in Charleston.

The sport lasts so long because it is split up into two different categories: indoor and outdoor track.

Right now, the Knights are in the midst of the indoor season, a time of preparation for the outdoor season. According to head coach Dave Wurster, the indoor season allows the team to gradually warm up and get ready for the next part of the year.

“Everything is very progressive,” Wurster said. “Every practice kind of gets you ready for the next practice, gets you ready for the next one [after that] and so on. It is really like stepping stones... Each thing that we do tries to build upon what we’ve already done, and we just try to keep working that

way.”

Junior Catherine Sherwood, the school record holder in long jump and triple jump, agrees and believes this extension to the spring season also allows the team to learn more about each other before the intense part of the sport kicks in.

“I think the winter season is very important because it introduces us all together as a team,” Sherwood said.

“We get to know each other, and we get to know the beginners.”

The indoor season also allows the team to learn to compete and deal with the pressure that goes along with it.

“You know you need to get used to competing,” Wurster said. “If you are a top-level competitor, you have to get used to competing against top-level athletes, and if you are a scared competitor, you need to overcome it. “[In] some of our early meets, we put less pressure on the kids. As the season progresses, we put more and more pressure on them because the meets become bigger and bigger. So, it is an easier way to learn.”

NEW RECORD: Sophomore Jes Skudlarek goes over the high jump bar during the Prospect Open Saturday, March 1. Skudlarek set the school record for high jump with a 5’6” jump. (Photos by Cassidy Selep)

Unfortunately, because the season starts so early, the team cannot have practices outside on the track. The same restriction also applies to the boys’ track team, and therefore, the two teams have to share the field house for about three months.

“The indoor practices can sometimes become a little more constrictive than the outdoor practices,” Sherwood said. “We have to make do with what we have, and that is kind of tough.”

Wurster tries to work out the issue by giving the boys’ team his schedule at the beginning of the week. This allows them to know where each is going to be and attempt to work around each other. Sometimes this works, but sometimes it doesn’t.

“It is really, really hectic,” Wurster said. “It’s kind of hard, and you just make the best of it. And then when you have that kind of a conflict, it’s like, ‘OK, you get three lanes, and we get three lanes... You do whatever you want in your three lanes, and we’ll do whatever we want in our three lanes.’”

Another negative aspect that comes with having a sport that lasts five months is the injuries. The long season allows for overuse injuries, among others, to form just in time forconference, sectionals and state.

“When you run, you are always running the same,” Wurster said. “When you play basketball, you move in a different direction all the time, so our repetitive nature is a big injury issue.”

Sherwood got shin splints last year right before the state meet and this year plans to start the winter season a little later in order to not have the same experience again.

According to Wurster, if an athlete does pre-season workouts or slowly eases herself back into the routine, the injuries are less likely to happen.

He also hopes that the built-in recovery days will help during the heart of

HURDLE ON: Sophomore Maya Mason jumps over a hurdle while competing Saturday. The team uses the indoor meets as a way to mentally prepare for the big meets during the outdoor season.

the spring season.

In terms of the team’s goals for the spring, the Knights hope to win the MSL conference for the third year in a row, along with possibly placing in the state meet.

The team currently has four athletes that hold six of the school records, so Wurster and others believe success at state is a strong possibility.

“I hope that there is a lot of people that go to state,” said sophomore Jes Skudlarek, who holds the school record in high jump. “I hope that we can get a big group to go down and have fun and hopefully win some medals.”

Use of technology throughout Prospect sports increases

By Ryan Molini Staff Writer

The Portland Trail Blazers started the 2014 NBA season with a record of 18-3. A nearly identical team last year with four of the five same starters began last season 9-12 and finished 11th in the Western Conference.

What most fans didn’t know is that the Trail Blazers added a crucial factor to their team that would never even touch a basketball: technology, specifically iPad use on the sidelines and benches.

Technology is being utilized across the country in other professional sports and is now making an appearance in the high school arena.

The transition into the ‘13-‘14 season for high school basketball was a big one, as multiple rules were changed, including one permitting tablet use on sidelines, according to National Federation of State High School Associations Rule 1-19.

Coaches and players alike believe that the new use of these technologies is beneficial during competition.

“It gives us an immediate look of stats to see where we need to improve,” junior and basketball forward Kyle Formanski said. “We can see where a lot of [the opponent’s] points came from and

iFOCUS: Boys’ basketball assistant coach T.J. Garms utilizes the team’s iPad during the MSL conference championship game Wednesday, Feb. 26. The iPad and other technology has seen a rise in sports at Prospect. (Photo by Rich Futo) why we’re [losing].”

Technology’s efficiency hasn’t always been this advanced, as assistant coach, ‘08 graduate and former Prospect basketball player Jeff Heiden has experienced the entire evolution of technology in basketball, as both a player and a coach.

According to Heiden, head coach John Camardella used to have to burn CDs and DVDs and give them to the players to watch at home; now, it’s all shared online.

Prospect’s advancement in the tech-

nological world expands beyond the basketball court and can be seen on the track and cross country courses, especially in close finishes.

According to senior runner Max Daleiden, officials at a meet will set up a camera at the finish line and can use it to determine the final results if necessary.

Looking into the future, cross country coach and iPad teacher Erik Hodges sees even more opportunities for his team using technology, especially with GPS and live tracking.

“The next thing would be linking [GPS] into our iPhones,” Hodges said.

Many athletes and coaches feel Prospect stands fairly advanced in regards to other high schools using technology.

“Some teams have their last bench players write stats on pieces of paper,” Formanski said. “For us, we just have [sophomore assistant coach T.J. Garms] make a simple touch on the screen.”

The benefits of technology come at a cost, as iPads range from $400-$530, and apps like Hoop Stats cost $4.99 at the App Store. However, Heiden and other coaches think the benefits are worth the cost.

“We use it for everything: summer league, summer games, practice and sometimes games,” Heiden said. “We get our money’s worth.”

The varsity basketball team headed into the regional tournement with a 15-11 record and won the East Divsion.

Although its success cannot be directly contributed to the advancement in technology, the equipment has proven to make the lives of teams easier.

“With technology at younger kids’ fingertips, they’re going to see all these new possibilities with sports,” junior and basketball guard Kyle Beyak said.

“They’re going to want to play and be more active and see how it can change the game.”