Vol 32 issue 13

Volume 32, Issue 13 March 8,1996

South wordS

.Maine South H.S. Park Ridge, IL

Paschke places in State meet

by Paul Pawola and Paul Berko An athlete judges success on how much he achieves. When he begins comjjeting, the athlete begins to develop goals, desires, and dreams. Along the road toward accomplishing these goals, every athlete comes across obstacles. A true champion strives to overcome these obstacles and rise out of obscurity to make the world know he has arrived.

At this year's IHSA state swim meet, Tim Paschke arrived. He came from relative obscurity to stun the field and capture two top six finishes.

Many state medalists were earning allstate honors and medals their freshman year.

During his freshman year, Paschke was swimming in his first competitive swim meets.

Astonishingly, Paschke qualified for state in only his sophomore year. He finished well |outside of the top twelve, the minimum finish needed to advance to the finals.

However, even more incredibly, one short year later Paschke returned to the state meet and finished eleventh in both the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events, clinching all-state honors in only his third year of swimming.

Although he was looked at as a factor, Paschke was given little chance of finishing top six his senior year. Judging by his disappointing sectional times, no one expected him to finish higher than eleventh again. How-

ever, obscured by the shadows of defending champion Chad Ganden of Naperville North and favorite challenger Greg Busse of Waubonsie Valley, Paschke proved everyone wrong by beating Busse twice and very nearly knocking off Ganden in perhaps the most exciting race of the meet, the 100 yard free.

In the end, Paschke finished with a time of 21.42 in the 50 yard free, beating his old school record, and a time of 46.57 in the 100 yard free, shattering Jeff Stachelek's 13-yearold school record by nearly a second. By

placing in the top six, Paschke secured himself a spot on the all state first team and put himself in a position to be considered for AUAmerican status.

Paschke's coach, Chris Deger, was thrilled by the results.

"In the 50, he just burst off the block. After his turn I knew he was top 12. In the 100, he kept with Ganden. At the finish I knew he was top six, but I never thought second! I was ecstatic."

Paschke continued on page 6

Hawks to capitalize from Wasliington trip

by Jon Dudlak On Saturday Feb. 24, senior Tim Paschke won second and fourth place in two events at the state swimming finals, the Math Team captured various awards at its regional competition, and the Maine South Jazz Band proved to be the best around at its Rolling Meadows competition.

The good news hardly ends there, however, for the AP Hawks Constitution Team pamed the school's fifdi state championship ^n this year's "We the People" competition that Saturday morning.

Twenty-eight students, the model head of a Zinjanthropus man (the team mascot, and a rather interesting story in itself), and an un-

easy Mr. Feichter and shghtly calmer Mrs. Canova boarded the Bloomington-bound bus at noon on Friday Feb. 23.

With two months of intense research and practice already behind them, members were still preparing well into the night for Saturday's hearings. People could be seen studying in their rooms or the hallway as late as 4:00 a.m.

While last year's team faced no competition at Illinois State University, Hillcrest and University high schools provided a challenging match for the team this year.

Thanks to weeks of work and dedication, the first-place plaque went once again to the hands of the ecstatic Feichter and his AP

Hawks.

The team will depart once again on April 26, this time with Washington D.C. as their destination, to face competition from dozens of state championship teams. The team will spend five days practicing, competing and exploring the streets of the nation's capitol.

"We will make top ten," Feichter threatens confidently. His promise to bodysurf at the post-competition party if (when) the team meets this goal is sure to provide much motivation for the students.

For the rest, though, the possibility of becoming national champions and fulfilling Feichter's ongoing dream is more than sufficient.

1 Commentary [

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kfm^i째n The ultimate penaltyP

Escorting Girls' Choice to the 90s

by Cyrus Wilson While updating and upgrading many parts of the school, such as the language lab, the writing lab, and the new technology lab, Maine South has forgotten to update an out dated tradition, the Girls' Choice Dance. Al though Girls' Choice was a good idea when first created, perhaps the Junior Class should consider changing the dance into a regular winter formal.

Decades ago, when tradition called for the guy always asking the girl to such dances as Homecoming and Prom, Girls' Choicecalled "Turnabout" at some other schoolsprovided a change of positions. This exception to tradition gave the girl a chance to choose a date and ask him to the dance. They did not have to experience the anticipation of waiting to be asked. Guys were relieved of the responsibility of choosing someone to ask and then asking her. Today, however, there is no longer a need for such a dance. It is now perfectly acceptable for a girl to ask a guy to any dance. In fact, some might mistake Girls' Choice's longstanding tradition and wrongly conclude that at Maine South it is not acceptable for a girl to ask a guy to any dance other than Girls' Choice.

Girls' Chioce was originally created to give people freedom, but now it creates limitations on freedom. At dances such as Homecoming and Prom, both guys and girls can ask others to the dance. If one does not want the pressure of asking, he or she can wait to be asked; if he/she does not want the anticipation of waiting, he/she can take initiative and ask someone. However, only girls can do the asking for Girls' Choice, presenting an awkward situation.

Girls' Choice is an awkward tradition, but completely eliminating the dance is not the proper way to update the occasion. The idea of a formal dance in the winter is appealing, and many schools celebrate a winter formal each year. The placement of the dance near Valentine's Day is also very appropriate.

Consequently, I suggest that the dance be preserved but that the theme be changed.

Although it is a long lived tradition, the Girls' Choice dance is out of date and awkward. It is no major problem; but I propose to the junior class that the Girls' Choice dance be replaced with a standard winter formal.

by Christine Battista Many Americans strongly support the idea of executing criminals, but the Supreme Court has struggled for many years over whether the death penalty can be carried out fairly and consistently. In 1976, the Supreme Court, allowed states to resume capital punishment.

This was a big mistake.

When the Miami Herald investigated the subject, it found that the state of Florida spends 3.1 miUion dollars for each person it puts to death.

That's about six times as much as it would cost to keep a person in jail for life. In Texas, the average cost is 2.3 million dollars per execution, compared to about 750,000 dollars to imprison someone for forty years. This may sound cheap to California, which has to spend 15 million dollars to execute someone. It would save 14 million dollars by locking a person up and throwing away the key. Getting rid of the death penalty would savetaxpayers more than 75 million dollars a year. It costs twice as much for a criminal to be tried, convicted, and sentenced to death as it does to secure a first-degree murderer with a sentence of twenty years to life.

The expense doesn't come from the gas or the electricity, it is the expense of the trial.

Every capital case goes through two trials, and every sentence has to be reviewed by the Supreme Court. The process can last forever.

Even if everything goes right for the state.

the death penalty is rarely carried out. In 199 the courts handed out 226 death sentences, but only 14 were executed. By the end of 1991, there were 2,482 people on death row, half had been there for over five years. Of the 37 states that have restored capital punishment since 1976, seven have execcuted one or two people, and 13 have executed none. So, why not completely abolish it?

Many may think that having the presence of capital punishment will deter crime, WRONG! In America, where there are 1,700 homicides for every execution, it's hard to believe the threat of capital punishment fits in the plans of a killer. According to Tufts University professor, Hugo Bedau, there is no evidence that the death penalty is deterring crimes in the states.

Many polititians who support capital punishment use it as their strongest weapon. But a weapon that "drains funds from more urgent law enforcement needs", while posing little threat to the average killer is probably the criminals best friend.

The death penalty is not only a drain of funds and a waste of time, but also filled with "...arbitrations, discrimination, caprice, a| mistake," according to Judge Har: Blackaum. The death penalty will not do anything to bring down the violent crime rate. It is best summed up by Elmer Gertz, "We have a violent society because too many of us think in violent terms, rather than rational ones."

Thou Shalt not steal

by Jamie Foltz Generally, Maine South students can walk down the halls convinced that they are protected. Our school seems to be a safe paradise of security. One can find a hall monitor lurking around any comer. Despite the fact that close to 95% of us do not find them to be particularly friendly, they do serve a purpose, and that purpose is student protection. But are the students' possessions protected? Not lately.

In the past, theft occured in the locker rooms. If students happened to leave things such as their backpacks or purses in the open, or in an unlocked locker, they would likely to be swiped. This year they indroduced stronger more durable locks. Although this helps some, theft still occurs.

Theft isn't isolated to the locker room anymore. Today this problem encompasses the entire school.

Two recent examples are especially disappointing. One happened to a close friend of

mine at the Girls' Choice dance. She checked her purse and coat at the coat check, and when she went to claim them at the end, a large amount of money was stolen from her purse.

I am also the victim of theft. On February 21, I accidentally left a CD carrier filled with CD's in a school bathroom. By the time I realized where I'd left them, they were gone.

As it stated in a recent daily bulletin, I am offering a $30 reward for their return.

One might think this piece is just another way to peddle the concept of "stealing is bad; don't do it." I leave the reader to decide what and what not to do. I can only offer suggestions. One might also think that people should just keep better track of their things. This is true, but, it does take two to tango.

One person leads by misplacing an ite^ the other follows by finding it and pocketing the item. The latter is worse, because while many people can lose an item, those who are dishonest enough not to return it are only hurting themselves.

Sotithwords-

News

Winter Scholar Athletes

Maine South is happy to announce the following students have met the criteria for being named scholar athletes for the 1995-1996 Winter athletic season. In order to be named a scholar athlete, these outstanding students and athletes had to be seniors maintaining a 3.0 cummulative grade point average and earning a varsity letter in their respective sports. Seniors who have participated for four years as

junior varsity members are also eligible.

Girls' Basketball: Karin Beaumont, Alyssa Kulak, Heather Kura, Lisa La Cerra, Joy Pavichevich, Claire Pawlowski, Colleen Tedor.

Boys' Swimming: Paul Berko, Bryan Dayton, Joseph Kazmierski, Timothy Paschke, Paul Pawola, Dustin Puckett Boys' Diving: Adam Megacz

Princess enchants Maine South

by Alison Milnamow Most people do not realize that The King and / is a true story. It is based on the diary of Anna Leonowne who traveled to Siam in the 1860's to teach the King's wives and children English, as well as singing and dancing. Although some of the musical is invented, some is factual.

When The King and I opens today, March 8, Maine South students will get a taste of the play's verisimilitude. As a special guest. Her Serene Highness, the Princess Rudi Voravan; Princess of Siam, will open the show.

Princess Rudi is the granddaughter of the King that the musical is about. She is one of her father's 32 children.

However, as large as that number is, it does not compare to number that her grandfather had, although the Princess would not disclose the actual number when she visited South on Feb. 27.

Jazz Band victory

by Paul Berko and Paul Pawola In a weekend full of Maine South success in competition, the Fine Arts Department did not wish to be left out.

The Maine South Jazz Band stunned the field at the Rolling Meadows High School "Jazz In the Meadows" Jazz festival by defeating four-time winner Rich East High School in the class AA bracket.

Under the direction of second year director Adam Davis, the band performed three tunes for a panel of judges. The judges evaluated the band with a series of ratings.

The Rolling Meadows festival is considered one of the finest festivals of its kind. It attracts the best high school jazz bands in Illinois and nearby states.

This being Maine South's first ever jazz competition, the band members were thoroughly and pleasantly surprised by the victory, especially against such a tough field.

Although the Princess was too young to have known the King, she has met Yul Brenner, who played him in the movie. The King and I. She has also worked with Oscar Hammerstein, who wrote the musical. She was a consultant to both the movie and the Broadway Production.

Princess Rudi has lived in Illinois since 1969. Her early childhood was spent under the absolute monarchy of Siam.

"I loved it," said Princess Rudi, regarding life in the monarchy. "I was always right.

Even when I was wrong, I was right."

However, in 1932, the people of Siam staged a coup d'etat and the country became a constitutional monarchy.

In 1947, Princess Rudi wrote her autobiography, entitled The Treasured One. "You know what that really means?" she asked secretly, "the spoiled brat."

Girls' Gymnastics: Christina Dorow, Elizabeth Markowski, Laurie Strotman Boys' Basketball: Wesley Crampton, Craig Pierce, Michael Semel Boys' Wrestling: James Frey, Steven Madura, Kenneth Shubert, Alexander Whamond Congratulations to these superior student athletes.

South Stats On to College 1985 1995

72.3% of students 90.4% of students

ACT Scores 1985 1995

average score - 20.8 average score - 23.7

SAT Scores 1985 1995

verbal-469 math - 523 verbal-513 math - 597

AP Results 1985 1995

129 students 195 students

Enrollment 1985 1995

2,084 smdents 1,915 students

Upcoming Events Friday, March 8 Saturday, March 9 Sunday, March 10 Wednesday , March 13 Thursday, March 14 Friday, March 15 Saturday, March 16 Tuesday, March 19 .... National Wednesday, March 20 Thursday, March 21 Friday, March 22 Saturday. March 23

The King and I The King and I The King and I Project Big Half-day no school PM The King and I The King and I Honor Society Induction ... Winter Sports Awards . Hawkette Flower Show .... End of Third Quarter .... Spring Break Begins

J Features

March S, 1 1 ^ :

The answer is blowin' in the wind

by Laura Batt A team of five Maine South students took second place in this year's Chrysler-sponsored "Build Your Dream Vehicle" competition. Winning $2000 for the school as well as caps, plaques and CD players for themselves, the students and their Zephyr CNG beat more than 60 other entries to become finalists.

Technology teacher Mr. Bill Thieme sponsored the team made up of freshman Ben Lai, junior Paul Salamondra, and seniors Laura Batt, Tum Tunthatakas, and Cyrus Wilson.

To enter the first stage of competition, the group produced a nine-page booklet about their vehicle as well as a 3-D clay model of the car. The paper centered around the contest's four required topics: a marketing plan; a financial statement; a summary of environmental, ergonomic, and safety features; and a three-view drawing.

Six teams in the Chicagoland area were named semi-finalists and each gave a 30minute presentation to a panel of judges Feb. 6. Tunthatakas designed an elaborate computer program that coordinated with the team's oral explanation of the Zephyr. Maine South, St. Charles, and Fremd qualified for the finals held at McCormick Place Feb. 9.

One of the reasons that South's car advanced so far is that it boasts many innovative features. The special Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-fueled Dyna-Cam engine makes the Zephyr economical and environmentally

friendly. The amount of CNG containing the same amount of energy as a gallon of gasoline costs only 50 to 80 cents, and its only exhaust products are carbon dioxide and water.

"The Dyna-Cam costs about half as much as a regular engine [if massed produced], so we had some extra money to spend on...safety features," financial head Lai said.

Some of the many standard safety features of the 2^phyr CNG include its catcher's mitt seats, DC outlets, and driver and passenger side airbags. Each passenger also has access to a Multihandle with a headphone jack and intercom capabilites.

In formulating many of the ideas they used

for their vehicle, the team utilized the survey results obtained from about 200 people. For example, these results revealed that 50% of the car buyers surveyed would prefer a sports car; consequently, the Zephyr is a 2+2 coupe.

When presenting their car, team members took turns speaking about the car's design, marketing plan, and special features. South has won second place for the last two years and hopes to maintain or improve on this standing in next year's competition. ^^^ Wilson summed up the experience w h ^ ^ he said, "We learned techniques such as teamwork and presentation skills...that will last us the rest of our lives. We also had a lot of fiin."

Focus on student excellence...

Name: Mike Lupo Grade Level: Sophomore Activities: Varsity Swimming, Baseball, Golf, Smdent-of-the-Month (Biology, Broadcasting, and Spanish), High Honor Roll Teacher's Comment: "Mike demonstrates several qualities that distinguish him as an excellent student.

His meticulous attention to detail, willingness to help others, and mature contributions to classroom discussions are but a few of the traits Mike possesses. He embodies much of what is outstanding about Main South students."

- Dave Claypool

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]Features[

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Polled students elect to vote

by Kate Rowland Once upon a time in American history, only those white males with property and religion were allowed to vote. However, through amendments, laws, bills and acts, this selective electorate has been expanded to include all those citizens over 18. From Jacksonian democracy in the 1820's to the 26th amendment in the 1970's, the number of eligible voters grows each year, but at the same time, fewer and fewer people are voting.

This lack of political participation is seen most greatly in the 18 to 25 year olds of the nation, but schools, politicians, and students are taking measures to amend this.

Different groups of people, ranging from African-Americans to women, struggled for this basic political freedom, so why do the youth of today take so little responsibility in voting? Every registered citizen over the age of 18 is entitled to vote, but, according to Cook County Clerk David Orr, only about 33 percent of eligible Cook County voters in the 1825 year age group are registered. However, Orr further said he expects the number to double by the October deadline for registering for the November federal and Presidential elections, following the precedent set in 1992.

The problem is evident; youths aren't registering to vote. To amend this, the County Clerk's office has instituted a First Voter program in Cook County that facilitates the process.

In the First Voter program, Orr's office trains and swears in high school students as deputy registrars to register their peers.

"It's working with schools and teachers to register kids to vote," Orr said while at Maine South in November. Maine South has seven seniors participating in the program, Matt Braun, Laurie Strotman, Nick Vourvoulias,

Theresa Brown, Paul Bailey, Tracy Stankiewicz, and Ryan Brankin.

"We took a one-hour class that explained the rules and processes and were sworn in. It's a good program窶馬ot a lot [of students] vote," Braun said of his work with First Voter.

First Voter is important due to the small number of young people who vote in America. Why do the youth of today take so little responsibility for voting? From a practical point of view, voting rates are low among youths because many of the college students in this age category do not live in the district in which they are registered to vote, and absentee voting is not always convenient.

More youths return to their home precincts for Presidential elections than local or state ones.

In other words, young people tend to vote when they feel that their vote counts, and most youths feel that the higher the office, the more important the vote.

With the increase in registration expected as the Presidential election draws near, the statistics are more encouraging than they appear. "[There is] an effort to register as many young eligible voters as possible," said Mrs. Sandy Deines, coordinator of the First Voter program at South. "The future looks good."

Deines also pointed out that the 14th State Congressional district, which includes Maine South, frequently holds hotly contested elections such as that between Rosemary Mulligan and Penny Pullen. In this area, therefore, just a few votes can make a lot of difference.

It's too late to register for the Mar. 19 primaries, but those students who are American citizens and who will be 18 by the Nov. 5 elections are encouraged to register to vote.

Questions can be addressed to any of the student deputy registrars.

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Voting survey

by Zhaleh Naghibzadeh Recently, Southwards conducted a survey of 87 randomly selected Maine South students. The purpose of the survey was twofold: to determine what percent^e of students are registered to vote and to determine how much basic knowledge students have about current American politics.

The results of the survey are as follows; About one in nine Maine South students are registered to vote.

Among those who have not registered, the majority are too young to legally do so.

Among those registered, most signed up through school programs, such as First Voter or in government classes. All surveyed students who are 18 years old are registered to vote.

Only 18 percent of the surveyed students knew that the Illinois primary elections would be held on March 19. Forty percent didn't know at all. Of those registered to vote, almost 90 percent knew the date of the primary elections.

Less than 30 percent knew that Pat Quinn is running for the United States Senate.

Eight percent said they thought Quinn is running for the made-up office ofLieutenant General.

Of all those smdents surveyed, 91 percent knew that being 18 is a requirement for being registered to vote in Illinois. Thirtyone percent knew that one must live in Illinois for a certain period of time before becoming eligible. Forty-two percent knew that one must be an American citizen before becoming eligible.

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March 8,195

jNewsi

The King and iopens tonight at South

by Kate Rowland This year's musical. The King and I, opens tonight in the Clyde K. Watson Auditorium.

The King and I, written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, is "an entertaining, moving play that gives audiences a glimpse at a culture rich in history and steeped in tradition," according to director John Muszynski. "It's a real story, which makes it interesting."

To enhance the reality of the play, the cast and crew concentrated their efforts on recreating the King's Palace in 1860 Bangkok, Siam, where the play is set.

The cast worked with a Maine South Thai student to learn the Thai phrases and expressions to perfect the authenticity of their roles.

"We're trying to make it as real as the real story," says student director JR Rose. "[The cast] had to learn the proper way to stand, to enter a room, and to bow. We've tried to accent the story through the set and costumes."

Lisa Lutzer, who plays the role of Anna, agrees. "It's cool to wear hoopskirts, but they're hard to get used to! It's interesting and fun to wear such magnificent clothes that are very authentic for the time period."

From the costumes to the set to the props, the hard-working crew is responsible for con-

P g Q Q h Ice

veying the sights, sounds, and people of Siam.

They faced challenges similar to those of the cast. "[Despite] setbacks, we've managed to build a set representative of the culture and time period of The King and I. It's worth its weight in green Jello," says stage manager Fran Motiwalla.

"We've had to do everything very accurately, very Siamese," says Prop Mistress Chris Nuzzo.

Of the costumes, head Heidi Barton states, "It's been hard because we have to make almost everything from scratch."

Sound head Matt Kurinski agrees that even the music is authentic to the period and place.

The pit orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Michael Pressler, has been practicing for over two months.

"The pit sounds really great. We have authentic Siamese sound effects that really make the show a smash," says vioUnist Zhaleh Naghibzadeh.

"The combination of two months of work by cast, crew, and orchestra should produce a lively show," says Beth McCabe, who plays Lady Tiang, the King's head wife.

Joe Monroe, who plays the King, sums up

continued from page 1

Many of the coaches from the Central Suburban League, Maine South's conference, were very pleased to see a CSL representative do so well. During his races, many of the league coaches bonded together to cheer Paschke on as the first CSL title contender in 12 years.

The road to greatness for Paschke has not been easy. According to Deger, he has had some great mentors over the years, such as former Maine South swimming great Jamie Mills, who during Paschke's freshman and sophomore years pushed Paschke through the grueling varsity workouts and offered his experience to help guide him through the first two years of his swimming career.

However, Deger feels Paschke's success is mainly due to his "powerful inner drive."

Paschke rarely misses any yards during the intense morning and after school workouts during the season.

During the off-season he can be found

practicing at the Latoff YMCA. In the summer Paschke swims four hours a day; he starts with two hours at Maine South and later moves to an olympic-sized pool for some really intense training with his YMCA club team.

Paschke's dreams came true this season with his amazing and record-breaking day at the state meet.

After finishing his season with the YMCA team, Paschke is anxiously awaiting the start of the NCAA swim season. Unlike most swimmers with only four years of experience, Paschke is considering swimming at the NCAA Division I level. He hopes to be able to crack the Uneup of the Air Force Academy swim team.

This is a tribute to Paschke. His dedication and hard work are enough to inspire anyone. His success shows what setting goals and working toward them can bring. Yes, Tim Paschke has definitely arrived.

the play. "It's been an experience that's really opened my eyes to the whole of Thailand."

The King and I opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. The show will play Mar. 8, 9,15, and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Mar. 10 at 2:30 p.m. Reserved seating tickets are five dollars and are available at the door. ^

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Artwork by Jennifer

Pietrzykowski

South wordS Southwards is the student-produced newspaper of Maine South High School, 1111 S. Dee Rd., Paric Ridge, IL (60068). Letters to the edUor should be delivered to room V-131 or given to a member of the editorial staff. Southwards reserves the right to edit material for clarity and brevity and to reject obscene or libelous submissions.

Editors-in-Chief..

News eilitors— Commentary editors Features editors Sports editors Production editor.^ Photographers Artist„ Adviser„

-.Laura Batt Cyrus Wibon -JSatalie Mazzuca KaraWipf Aliison Milnamow Brian O'NeUI »„..Sean Andrews Kate Rowland ™™.ChrJs Ryan Katie Rybak Jon DudJak J>aul Berko Tobey Schmidt —Maggie Sadowicz ..T. R. Kerth

Track remains unbeaten indoors

by Paul Pawola The varsity boys' track team remains undefeated in the indoor season after crushing its opponents during the last two weeks.

Against Conant, the Hawks won 12 of 15 events and defeated the opposition 80-34.

Event winners included Dave Darling in the shotput, Eric Kuever in both the quarter mile and the long jump, Tim Zei in the half mile.

vidual winners were seniors Paul Berke, who won both the quarter mile and the mile run, Swidnicki, who won the high hurdles, and Brad Mulvihill, who won the low hurdles.

Juniors Ted Gayford (two mile run), J.P. Veron (50 yard dash), Kuever (long jump), and sophomore Zei (half mile run) were also event winners. In addition, the Hawks captured first place in every relay.

Tom Swidnicki in the low hurdles, George Gardiakos in the triple jump, and Pat Maigler in the pole vault. Tlie Hawks dominated the relays, claiming first place in the two mile, 880 yard, mile, and shotput relays.

The previous week, versus St. Patrick and Fenwick, the Hawks won 11 of 15 events to score a whopping 85 points, beating St. Patrick (36 points) and Fenwick (20 points). Indi-

Gymnasts prepare for new season

by Adam Megacz "So, are you doing a spring sport this year?" someone will ask me.

"Yeah-I'm on Gymnastics."

"Gymnastics? I thought they eliminated that sport two years ago." Gymnasts hear this all too often. True, gymnastics has been through tough times, we' ve been through four different head coaches in the last four years, most of last year's team has graduated, and the Executive Council threatened to eliminate I gymnastics back in 1994. But this year the team is on a rebound. Our new head coach, Mr. Hirsch, was an NCAA National Champion in gymnastics while in college, and has shown our team incredible dedication, often

turned to the team this year: Steve Madura, Joe Duca, Brenden Maguire, Pierre Roustan, Adam Megacz, Tom Falk, and Ryan Brankin.

In the words of our coach, "That takes dedication—to see these guys that have stuck with the program for four years." The seniors this year function as a "collective captain," distributing the responsibilities of a leader among themselves.

The next test of this leadership and dedication and the skills of the other varsity gymnasts will be tested at our home meet next week on March 19th. We encourage the rest of the school to come to cheer on the Maine South gymnastics team as we take on Niles North.

staying until 6:30 or later to help the team improve. Mrs. Kawalek, our new assistant coach, also helped a great deal by organizing the team singlehandedly during the first week of practice, and has since been an important force in the development of the freshmen and JV teams.

Speaking of freshmen and TV, gymnastics has been fortunate this year to receive a large influx of new members, mostly freshmen and sophomores, who will undoubtedly build a strong varsity team in the coining years.

Even more impressive this year is the showing of senior gymnasts. Despite all the hardships the seniors have endured during the last four years, seven senior gymnasts re-

Swimmers finish in middle of pacl<

by Paul Pawola The boys' varsity swim team ended the season on a good note at the Glenbrook South Sectional, finishing sixth out of 11 teams.

Senior Tim Paschke had an exceptional day, wining the 50 yard freestyle and placing second in the 100 yard fireestyle. He qualified for state in both events. Paschke teamed up with Nat Tone, Bryan Dayton, and Paul Berko for a sixth place finish in the 200 yard medley relay and third in the 200 yard freestyle relay.

Junior Nat Tone also had a good meet, finishing tenth in the 50 yard freestyle and seventh in the 100 yard backstroke. Sophomore Matt Wanat had two personal best times in the 200 yard freestyle and 100 yard backstroke.

Dayton had a career best time in the 1(X) yard breaststroke Saturday.

Overall, every swimmer on the varsity team had time drops between the conference and sectional meets. With the graduation of eight seniors, the team looks to rebuild with

many promising sophomores and freshmen,

many of whom have varsity experience.

Hawk Hwhlwhts *J *^ Fri 3/8 GirW Badminton Boys' BasketIHSA ball Supersectional Boys' Niles West Gymnastics F/JV/V 7:00 Boys's Baseball

Sat 3/9

Boys' Track Girls' Softball

j home contest

Sun 2/10

Mon2/ll

Tues 2/12 Leyden JV/V 4:30 IHSA Supersectional

Season begins 3/21

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Next meet CSL North Div 3/15 Evanston F/S 12:00 Season begins 4/2 •-.. 11—L

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Sports

March X. 1996

Girls' basketball profiles: senior co-captm^^^ Joy Pavichevich Number of years on varsity: Three years Most memorable experience this past year: "beating Maine West at the buzzer."

Most memorable experience while playing at Maine South: "finally winning regionals."

Started playing basketball: 3rd grade What have you gained from being captain this year? "Having a leadership role on such a successful team

was sometimes challenging, but for the most part fun."

What college are you going to and do you plan on playing basketball there? "I haven't selected a college yet, but wherever I go I'd love to play ball."

Coaches Comment: "Joy brought her unique basketball talent to Maine South and through her cool-on-thecourt confidence lifted us to some historic highlights for Hawks girls' basketball m the past three years."

Claire Pawlowski Number of years on varsity: Three years Most memorable experience this past year: "cutting down the nets when we won regionals."

Most memorable experience while playing at Maine South: "beating Maine West at the buzzer this year."

Started playing basketball: 4th grade What have you gained from being captain this year? "I've learned to listen to everyone better and to consider what everyone is thinking. I've

Colleen Tedor Number of years on varsity: Three years Most memorable experience this past year: "Winning the Regional championship against Evanston because I kept remembering how we lost by one point two years ago to them."

Most memorable experience while playing at Maine South: " There were so many, but my most memorable experiences come from my teammates. By spending almost every day with the same people we really become close."

Started playing basketball: "I have been playing with my brothers and dad ever since I can remember, but I started playing YMCA basketball in

3rd grade."

What have you gained from being captain this year? "Definitely the ability to work through problems and positively communicate with my teammates."

What college are you going to and do you plan on playing basketball there? "Marquette or U of I Urbana; I plan to play intramural basketball there."

Coach's comment: "Colleen has played the inside game with heart and fierce determination during three years on the varsity team. Colleen always knows the words to inspire her teammates for the big games.

learned to help motivate my teammates as well.'

What college are you going to and do you plan on playing basketbal^ there? "Purdue University...I plan ^ ^ play intramural basketball." ^^ Coaches Comments: "Over the past three seasons Claire has embodied the concept of team. She has focused her athletic and leadership talents to create unity, determination, and success while giving 100% towards whatever role was needed to achieve our common goals."