SOUTH WORDS IsMie 14
Maiiii.- Soiilli Hii;li ScliiH)! • 1111 S. Doc Road • Park Ridsic. IL WKKiS
April 14. 2(KK)
Capitol Forum 2000 NEWS Illinois Capital Forum-p.2 Science olympiad-p.2 Brotherhood's marathon- p.3 Orchestra Boston trip-p.3 — COMMENTARY — Rose deserves spot in Hall- p.4 Senior pranks- p.4 Amnesty Intemational-p.5 Voices in my head-p.6 FEATURES Focus on Faculty: Mrs. Cannon-p. 7 Focus: Kevin Moot-p. 7 German UIC day-p.8 Holocaust Story-p.9 SPORTS Boys track and baseball-p.lO Girls badminton -p. 10 Boys volleyball -p. 11 Girls track-p. 11 Girls Softball and soccer- p. 12
The eight Maine South students and Mrs. Deines enjoying their trip to Springfield. See page 2 for more. photo collage by Ted Kocher
2 Newsi Maine South participates in first Capitol Forum by Lindsey Krukowski On March 16, Mrs. Deines took eight Accelerated Government students on a trip to Springfield, not knowing what to expect. On Friday, they would participate with students from six other Illinois schools in Illinois's first annual Capitol Forum on America's Future, sponsored by Brown University, the Illinois Humanities Council, and the Secretary of State's office. In order to prepare for the trip, the students were each assigned one of four topic areas to research. Also, each school was told to bring a poster expressing the students' concerns about foreign policy. Although they did not go on the trip, Kurt Marquis and Garrett Fechner took the time to write a song entitled "Captain Future" which related to the poster and further explained the students' concerns. Once in Springfield, the students were pleased to find out that they would all be staying at the same hotel. The students spent some time getting to know each other, and then went to bed early to prepare for the busy day on Friday. Friday morning, the buses left the hotel at 7:30 for the Capitol Building. Each group had the opportunity to meet Secretary of State Jesse White and take a group picture with him. The students then enjoyed breakfast provided by the state of Illinois. At 8:30 the students were called into the House Chamber where the Illinois House of Representatives meets. Jesse White and Kristina Valaitis, a representative from the Illinois Humanities Council, provided a brief introduction to the day. At about 9:00, the students presented their posters. Maine South surprised ever>'one and broke the monotony when the presented their poster while playing Kurt and Garrett's song. Ted Kocher wittily concluded the presentation by saying, "We will be selling CDs for $15 after the presentations." At 9:30, the students were assigned to specific rooms inside the Capitol Building for the first "Breakout Session" of the day. Maine South had two representatives for each of the four topics: International Conflict Resolution, Immigration, Global Environmental Problems, and International Trade. The representatives from each school met to discuss the impact of their topic area on the future of the world and how it affects
foreign policy. The group then split up into new groups, based on topics that had been assigned to the students. In these groups, they were each assigned one of the "Four Futures" for the United States and its involvement with other nations. Students had to analyze their "Future" and prepare a brief presentation for the next session when the entire group reconvened. The students did not know which "Future" they would be supporting and were unable to prepare—they had to use their best knowledge and argumentative skills to make even the most questionable future seem like the best one for our nation. The "Four Futures" were: Standing Up for Democracy and Human Rights, Charting a Stable Course, Building a More Cooperative World, and Turning Inward. A fifth group was created based on performance in earlier groups. Four students were selected as senators to question the groups as they presented later in the day. After lunch, the students reconvened in the House Chamber to debate the "Four Futures", led by the four chosen senators. The students were quite pleased to see that a student from Maine South, Melissa Sobota, had been chosen as one of the senators. Maine South made quite an impact in the debate. In addition to the senator chosen from Maine South, there was a strong showing in the number of group representatives from Maine South. Mary DeMarchi, Krystle Johnson, Lindsey Krukowski, and Randy Tosch were all chosen to represent their
groups in the debate. Everyone from Mai South spoke at least once during the debate, which can not be said for any other school. The debate was outstanding—the senators asked thought-provoking questions, but the representatives were always prepared with an answer. An excellent reality check by Krystle Johnson and a few insightful words from Ryan Evans added to the debate. After the debate, students were given time to ask elected officials and policymakers some questions. At around 3:15 that aftemnon, the sponsors wrappedup the day and thanked everyone for their participation. The trip was a great success. Everyone learned a great deal about their subject matter and everyone else's. New friendships were created between classmates that barely knew each other and students that had just met. Maine South students had the pleasure of working with talented students from Gordon Tech, Lexington, Lincoln Park, Normal Community, Streamwood, and Wheeling high schools. The students that participated in the di tol Forum were Mary DeMarchi, Ryl Evans, Krystle Johnson, Ted Kocher, Lindsey Krukowski, Melissa Sobota, Christopher Su, and Randy Tosch. They would all like to thank Mrs. Deines for giving them the opportunity to attend the forum and the Illinois Secretary of State's office, Mr. Jesse White, Brown University, and the Illinois Humanities Council for sponsoring the event.
Science olympiad advances to state by Nick Disabato On March 18, Maine South's Science Olympiad team attended their annual regional competition. Here, the team competed in events ranging from building a car capable of stopping at a specific distance, to designing and constructing a "Rube Goldberg" device, to studying about any of a wide range of scientific topics, to answering questions and conducting laboratory experiments. This year, the team shocked their coaches and themselves when they medaled in seven events and placed fifth overall.Thus qualifying them for competetion at the statewide level at the University of Illinois at UrbanajChampaign on April 29.
Most noteworthy of the medalists was the duct tape-ensconced Scrambler car - a car that goes as fast as possible until it encounters a wall.. Maine South's car stopped .75 meters from the wall, earning team members Nick Disabato and Scott Tagge fourth place medals. Between now and the end of April, the team will be putting in as much work as they can to ensure victory at state. The competition was held with ten o t h ^ ^ teams at Niles West High School. The t e a l ^ ^ P consisting of fifteen members and two alternates, is coached by Mrs. Sagmeister and Mr. Depies.
News 3
Brotherhood to make a child smile by Jenny Sentowski It's quickly approaching time for Brotherhood's Dance Marathon which helps raise money for a charity organization through three hours of dancing. Brotherhood has once again chosen the Make-A-Wish Foundation which grants wishes to children with life threatening illnesses. Last year, with the help of everyone at the dance. Brotherhood managed to raise S4,000 and sent a little girl with leukemia to Disney World with her family. This year they are hoping to raise even more money, but can only achieve their goal with the support of Maine South. Brotherhood needs the help of everyone they can possibly get. Here's the plan: the students at Maine South get pledge sheets, distributed in homeroom or can be picked up in the English office. From there interested students should try to raise as much money as possible. If one raises at least twenty- five dollars, there is free admission to the marathon, and a free T-shirt. As there is dancing, partying and hanging out with friends, money will be raised in addition to that already made by pledges. Area organizations plan to donate money for each hour danced. At the end of the
various organizations. The important part is that the night is fun, and money is raised. A new aspect of this year's marathon is a "decades" theme, where the encouraged dress is that of any decade. Fun is as always the key, but Brotherhood reminds not to forget the school rules when choosing a costume. Pledges are the core of this occasion, so it is very important that they reach their maximum. There is no need to be a Brotherhood member to attend the dance, and tickets are available in the bookstore for five dollars for those who did not receive any pledges. There is little effort involved in raising pledges, and a mere twenty-five dollars will result in a T-shirt and free admission. Therefore, all are strongly encouraged to work to get pledges and help a sick child. Twenty- five dollars may seem like a lot of money, but in respects to the ill child's wish that stands prospect of being granted, it all seems worth while. With the help of all wishes drawing by Monica Haak will come true. There will be cheers and applause and a Whatever the choice, all are urged to happy departure. invite friends and make Brotherhood's secIn addition, not only will there be danc- ond Dance Marathon, "Wishing Through ing all night, there will also be contests with Time," on Saturday April 15, 2000, from prizes Brotherhood will distribute thanks to 7-10, yet another huge success.
night, when all have partied out. Brotherhood will announce the dollar amount that was raised to make a child's wish come true.
O r c h e s t r a t o u r s historic B o s t o n
by Britt Frederiksen While some vacationed in the Caribbean or Mexico, Maine South Symphony Orchestra was hard at work in Boston, Massachusetts where the weather was far too cold for the beach. The orchestra left South at 5:00PM on March 24,2000 for a 21 hour bus ride to Boston. After three movies and a plethora of rest stops, they arrived in Boston. Despite the town's historical value, it was not, all historical. While in Boston, the orchestra had the opportunity to perform in many different areas and experience different ideas of the definition of sound and of team. Early Sunday morning, the orchestra drove to St. Ann's church in Neponset ready
to face the hardest aspect of an orchestra performance: the sense of joint-action that should accompany every concert. The symphony, much like a game of football, must be perfectly planned and executed with constant communication between the players. They had the opportunity to perform throughout the service for the congregation and to enjoy the amazing acoustics the building had. Monday began with school. They traveled to the New England Conservatory of Music for a chnic with Dr. Richard Hoenrich. He helped prepare them for their afternoon performance, helping to better understand how to be a team. The orchestra also had the chance to sit in on the Conservator)''s violin section rehearsal, seeing how soon-to-be pro-
fessionals work together. That afternoon they set up outside Faneuil Hall in Quincy Market to try our hand at street performing. Other than the wind, the most difficult aspect was working together to produce a good sound. The last day in Boston was Sf)ent touring the John F. Kennedy Library, Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts. They had finished performances for the trip. The orchestra then went to Symphony Hall for a lecture on the music the Boston Symphony Orchestra they were to see perform that evening. After a late night the Maine South symphony applauded and climbed onto the bus for the ride home, refreshed and ready for the fourth quarter challenges.
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property ot
The EditorsI Rose deserves place in Hall by Michael DePilla Thirty-seven years ago yesterday a rookie second baseman form Cincinnati stroked his first career single to left field. Twenty-four seasons, five positions, and 4,255 hits later, that enthusiastic player announced his retirement. It doesn't seem to get any better than this, and when you throw in six World Series, this is enough not only to land a place in the Hall-of-Fame, but also to be considered one of the greatest players of all-time. That is why it is a travesty of justice that Pete Rose, owner of eleven Major League records and one of the greatest players of all-time, does not have a spot in Cooperstown. Several former teammates do, however. Joe Morgan, Mike Schmidt, Johnny Bench, and Steve Carlton all had their days in the sun. Even his former manager. Sparky Anderson, was inducted in the Hall-of-Fame this past winter. At each induction, the topic of Rose invariably rasies its head, with coaches, managers, and ex-teammates all trumpeting the need to pay Rose his dues. So then the question is, why isn't Pete Rose, Charlie Hustle as he was known for his intense play, in the Hall? The answer is simple and illogical: speculation that he bet on professional games in which he was involved. In 1989, Commissioner BartlettGiamatti placed Rose on Baseball's ineligible list, therby prohibiting him from being elected to the Hall of Fame, after concluding that he had bet on games of the Cincinnati Reds, his own team. Although Rose has never admitted to any wrong-doing, there is considerable circumstantial evidence pronouncing his guilt. It is also widely believed that a large pwrtion of is guilt has been concealed. Rose, winner of the 1963 Rookie of the Year Award, has been forbidden from even entering a Major League stadium ever since. A baseball icon has been cast a life of gloom and seclusion, one which is neither fair nor in the best interests of the game. That is why Pete Rose must be given his rightful place in history. It can be argued that the character and sportsmanship of a player must furnish a Hall-of-Fame induction as much as playing ability, but this is laughable. If such malcontinued on page 6
Professional prank^
by Ted Kocher Every year the senior class at Maine South has a responsibihty. A responsibility to tradition; a responsibility to the past senior classes and the senior classes-to-be. The responsibilty is that of the senior prank. After interviews with students at several high schools, it came clear to me that every high school senior that has ever lived either participated or was aware of a senior prank. The type of pranks varied from very light and almost "friendly" pranks to serious, unlawful pranks. I have heard many stories over the years from friends and relatives about their senior pranks. These are some of the best stories I heard: My friend's high school had a courtyard in the middle of the building similar to our courtyard at Maine South. Ten or twenty seniors armed with longboards climbed on the roof of the school. The senior class had pitched in to buy a junky VW Bug. Very early one morning, they drove the Bug to school. They tried to ease it down into the courtyard, but instead it dropped. Imagine a VW Bug in the courtyard, with no way to get it out but lift it up.
On a lighter side, one year at Niles West about twenty seniors all asked to go to the bathroom at a pre-set time. The students had obtained a master key, and proceeded to remove the furniture from all of the rooms. Apparently, the hallway was full of furniture and no one could move during the next passing period. Another senior prank involves the school flagpole. At Joliet West High School, the senior class met early one morning and threw tires over the flagpole until it was completely stacked. Not all pranks are as light-hearted. Students at Sterling High School thought it would be funny to empty all of the fire extinguishers in each hallway. Administration had no choice but to cancel school because of the safety hazard. As the year goes on, I wonder about what our prank will be. Last year's senior prank made it hard to park. Two years ago, I'm not really sure what happened but it involva ved a giant balloon and the police. This year, I am asking the seniors to m;a^r our prank memorable. I am not condoning illegal activity, but let's do it right.
To SLoPPy MANA&EMEA/7.
'^Sommentary 5
Caution: Children at war
Amnesty International's stand against child soldie by Britt Frederiksen When I was five, I was at a pre-school called Brickton Montessori stacking pink blocks and playing with My-Little-Ponies. In the ten years since then, I have gone to school, slept in my bed, read books, gone to summer camps and watched TV. This was all very exciting, but there were other, more interesting activities and events across the globe. Bush and Clinton were elected president, the Soviet Union dissolved, Hong Kong was returned to China and 1.5 million children were killed in combat. Children? At war? Yes. Each year children are killed in battle. Three-hundred thousand human beings under the age of eighteen are involved in militaries, abandoning their childhoods. I personally prefer to call myself a young adult instead of a child, but I also imagine I would prefer to live in Park Ridge instead of on a battlefield. The United Nations (UN) declares anyone under the age of eighteen a child and therefore not fit for combat. Last week. Amnesty International (AI) plead for your help to change the statistics from 33% child deaths in war to 0%. The club participated in Student Action week, a week set aside for college and high school students around the world to stand up to speak out against the use of children in military situations and other injustices evident in their resf)ective countries. Children are used in combat because they are "easily manipulated and can be drawn into violence that they are too young to resist or understand because of their emotional and physical immaturity," (AI Children at War Fact Sheet). Children also have no spouse or offspring for whom they must worry about providing. Teenagers have a feeling of immortality and invincibility that can make them act irrationally when their passions are concerned. The reasons for having children m battle do
not, however, out weigh even one of the reasons for keeping them away from war - they are the future. Throughout the year, AI holds meetings to discuss human rights violations in the United States and the world. "Urgent Action Appeals" are sent to Maine South from the AI offices. These explain an infraction of the UN human rights bill in a given country and call for members to write to the heads
of state of that country to express their concern for victims of the violation. Problems can range from the arrest of a civilian involved in a peaceful protest to prison torture and all are worthy of a stamp and envelope. Last week was a chance for the entire school to work as one to change an injustice. There was a chance to sign petitions to be sent to Illinois state senators Peter Fitzgerald and Richard Durban and to our congressional representative Henry Hyde to request their support of the prevention of
child soldiers in the US - and yes, there are child soldiers allowed to enlist in the US army. Seventeen-year-olds have the opportunity to enlist in our armed forces. Seventeen-year-olds may seem to be adults, and most enjoy considering themselves as legal. They criticize their inability to vote and purchase cigarettes. The fact is that most seventeen-year-olds deserve another year of childhood. The United States has considered the age eighteen adulthood for years, however, and the UN has declared it so as well, saying "children under eighteen years of age should not be recruited into armed forces, nor participate in armed conflict. . ." in an October 1998 press release. Yet the United States, a member of the UN Security Council, cannot set an example by enforcing an international human right - the right of children to remain children. The right of the young not to have to hold and shoot a gun or to have the opportunity to encounter the very adult experience of war. America does not only allow their own children to enlist in the army, but also supports other countries' armies that have child soldiers. Weapons and training aid can be sent to armies that have children as young as seven on the front line. For America, a country that helps others on a regular basis, imposes its standards of life internationally and sits on the most respected panel in the UN. to ignore a UN referendum is not a good message to send to the rest of the world. If one year is ignored, two years can be ignored and so on. If you were unable to sign petitions last week and do support this cause, you can write your own letters to Henry Hyde. Peter Fitzgerald, or Richard Durban expressing your concern for the children killed in combat. Children should remain children until their life experience accumulates and they can truly decide where they want their life to head.
Bang Bang, It's R e a l by Tom Forde As I sat awaiting the curtain to rise in the auditorium, I kept thinking what it was going to be like. How would seeing some of my closest friends "die" affect me? In the Drama 3 performance of Bang Bang You're Dead, the effect hit me like one of those bullets. I had seen the production once before at a theater festival, after the show was over, I walked out deep in thought. I do not cry very often, but for both productions of this show, tears came to my eyes. There was a distinct difference between seeing strangers being mock killed and my friends. When I saw people I did not know up on stage, it seemed very true and yet somewhere else. I had decieved myself into believing that this could never happen in my hfe. Yet at Maine South, as I leaned back in my auditorium chair, I knew exactly how it would feel. My mind kept wandering back and forth. What would it be like to be dead? What would it be like if I lost my best friend or the girl who sits in firont of me in math class? Who would I be if something like this occured? Before seeing this production performed on the auditorium stage that I have often walked across, acted on, and made profound friendships on, it never really made it all the way to my heart. In January when I first saw it, I put that emotion away. Never. Never. Never. It could not happen here. I could not even think about it. when I gazed upon the close friend who jokes about my driving abilities, or the friend who I love one minute but hate the next, or the friend who sat in a
practice room with me when I neede her support, it hit me. These people consume my life. They are the puzzle pieces which when put together make up the ensemble, supporting leads, and the lead characters in this show called Tom Forde's Life. Without one of them there, the puzzle is missing an important part. Could it happen here? Yup, it sure could. I wish that everyone in Maine South could have sat in that auditorium to feel the emotion throughout the air after the show had ended. I looked around into the eyes of my best friend down the row, my friends on the stage, and some of my friends behind me. I had realized how lucky I am. I also realized how stupid I sometimes am. I dwell on what happens on the weekend or who said what behind my back. It is all so menial when you really think about it. That is why I put up the program from Bang Bang You 're Dead next to the pictures of the people I care about on my walls. I wanted this to fully impact my life. I did not want these images to be washed away in two or three weeks. Every time I have a bad day or even think of saying something that would hurt someone, I want to look at my wall and picture what it would be like not to have a bad day. I want to remember that the things that come out of my mouth affect those around me. I want to remember every little detail in my mind about everything. I want to remember the opportunities of the fiiture and the road before my feet. To the cast, to my friends, to the person I say "hi" to in the hall once in a while, to my teachers, to my parents, to my brother, my
1992 - Oiivehurst, California: 4 dead,11 wounded 1996 - IVioses Lake, Washington 3 dead -^ 1997 - Pearl, Mississippi: 3 dead,7 wounded 1998 - Jonesboro, Arkansas: 5 dead,11 wounded 1998 - Springfield, Oregon: 2 dead, 22 wounded 1999 - Littleton, Colorado: 15 dead
Could it happen here?
relatives, to the world, remeber that life i ^ B present. It is too awful that situations like Columbine or Springfield make us remember this. After seeing this play and the wonderful cast who made it real to me, I want to say thank you. It is not often that a revelation enters someone and changes them. Beyond the cast, thank you to the characters of my life, my puzzle pieces. Realize how important you are to someone.
HEY YOU! Applications for next year's Southwards positions will be in the the next issue!
Property of the Editors continued from page 4 contents as admitted murderer Ty Cobb, extreme racist Cap Anson, and tax-evaders Duke Snyder and Willie McCovey all] ;lv have their place in the Hall, how seriously is character really considered? lai Besides, it is blatantly obvious thai fans want him to take his place in Cooperstown. An Internet survey has shown a remarkable 92% of all voters believe Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Plus, a 1994 Sports Illustrated article revealed a whopping 97% of telephone respondants said the same thing. Even former President Jimmy Carter thinks it is time to forgive Rose. In a USA Today article Carter called Rose "one of the greatest players of all-time," and said he deserves an "opportunity for redemption." What else can the common fan do? There are several petetions as well as Email centers accessible on the Internet. Also, fans can voice their opions on radio talk shows, or write directly to the current Commissioner, Bud Selig, and express the need to give Rose his due. It has now been nine years since professional baseball paned their ways with the all-time hit king. Nine years of painful dignity have taught Charlie Hustle h f l | ^ lesson. Now it is time for baseball to fon I " give, before time forgets one of the alltime best.
Features 7
Focus on Faculty Mrs. Cannon is a Chicago native, "bom and raised on the South Side of Chicago" as she says. She attended Hirsch High School, and continued her education with a Bachelor's of Art in Enghsh from Northern Illinois University. While attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for a degree in counseling, Mrs. Cannon taught briefly in Urbana. She says, "I am certified to teach English and math, but I wanted to be a counselor" She says, "I'm one of those rare people that decided their career in their senior year of high school and stuck with it. When I was a senior, I thought there should be counselors in school although we did not have them. I was thrilled when I found out that it was becoming a career and that I was able to do it. I knew I wanted to do secondary education because I wanted to work with older students. I was interested in helping develop individual students, so counseling was the perfect career choice for me." In the late 60s, Mrs. Cannon became a counselor. She came to Maine Township as a counselor when Maine North opened, but left to be a stay-at-home mom. She returned to Maine Township as a general counselor at Maine East. She then left Maine East when an opportunity opened for a career counselor here. Mrs. Cannon came to Maine South in the fall of 1994. At the time, her daughter was a senior here and was very supportive of the idea her mother taking a job here. "The idea of change was invigorating, but I still loved counseling. The part that I liked the best was helping students make the best decisions and plans for their futures." Mrs. Cannon truly loves her job here. She says, "I never tire learning about new ca-
reer opportunities and how to prepare for careers. It is a very information-intensive career, with the most information-intensive part being staying up-to-date. This job is a
perfect marriage of what I like best.It would be perfect if every Maine South student could have as interesting, rewarding, and enjoyable a career as I have and I would like to help them get started finding that career. Jobs should be interesting and exciting, and I'm very fortunate that mine is." Mrs. Cannon really enjoys working in the Career Resource Center. Although it is always extremely busy there, that is what she enjoys about it. She says, "There's never a dull moment in the CRC. We always have college visits or new situations to solve. My major frustrauon of the job is that no matter how much I work, there's never enough
Senior Activities: • Constitution Team • Honor Roll • Class Council • Student of the Month • Youth Group • Voter Registrar
Jan Cannon
by Lindsey Krukowski
time to do everything; that's a good thing." Mrs. Cannon also considers herself lucky that she works with such talented people. She says, "I enjoy working with Mrs. Reuhs, the counseling staff here, and the counseling staff at the other Maine Township schools. We're always working on projects. I hope everyone enjoyed Project BIG this year; it will be returning to Maine South in two years for those who could not attend." Although Mrs. Cannon loves her job, she does miss certain things about being a general counselor. She says, "I miss having my own specific set of 320 students. Instead, I have my own 2,300 students here." Mrs. Cannon also says that the biggest challenge of her job is reading her mail. She says, "I get a huge stack of mail everyday, but its only fair since I create a lot of mail and about half of the announcements in the daily bulletin." Another thing that Mrs. Cannon enjoys about herjob is the amount of traveling. She says, "Part of the job includes a lot of travel. I've visited about 125 colleges, and I plan to visit another 25 in the coming months. I also enjoy every opportunity I have to visit businesses to find out what the working world will expect from our students in the coming years." Mrs. Cannon is thrilled that she came to Maine South. In addition to the love she posses for her career here, she also deeply loves Maine South and everyone she works with. Mrs. Cannon says, "Maine South is a terrific community of students, faculty, and families to work with. Many times I see families more than individuals and I enjoy working with them."
Kevin Moot
Focus on Student Excellence
Teacher's Comments: "Kevin was Student of the Month in Art 1. He is doing outstanding work in class and is also a good role model for students in class as the rest are predominantly freshmen. He is mature and helpM to his classmates. His attitude and work ethic are positive and noteworthy.'' —Sophia Pichinos
8 Features
Say it by Nicole Penn On Tuesday March 21, twelve students and one lucky teacher went down to University of Illinois Chicago to compete in the annual Goethe German Competition. Against twelve other Chicagoland area schools, Maine South was hoping to place in all events. In previous years, Maine South has placed second in the skit competition, third in the poetry, and third in the spelling competition. For all the competitions there are two rounds. In the first round all competitions are assigned to small rooms. The students perform in front of just the other students of the same category. Only three students advance to the next round. In the final round the students perform on stage in front of all the schools and judges from Germany. This year, sophomore Alex Dorrow was able to capture a second place in the spelling competition. He almost lost, but due to a technical error, he was able to argue his way (in German) into the final round. The year before Dorrow had placed third in the poetry competition. Also competiting in the
'AufDeutschf In the interpretation reading were juniors
Lara Zimmerman, Wictoria Bozek and sophomore Abby Policy. Unfortunately, no members from Maine South advanced. After countless years of taking a heart breaking second place, the skit finally came in first. Based on the German movie. Run Lola Run, juniors Chris Rieder, Liz Sutter, Tim Schneider, Sonja Mirski, Jennifer Hunsader, and Katrina Kloess pulled off a great performance. The first time running through the skit there were some technical errors. The car that was suppose to hit Lola (Sutter) accidentally ran offstage, fortunately it was recovered and the skit continued. Due to some stage fright, Sonja Mirski, Katnna Kloess, Liz Sutter, Chris Reider, Manni (Reider) and Jennifer Hunsader. ^f^^^ ^^, ^^^^ Hojanecki forgot most of his opening lines. Luckily, he was able to recover with some impromtu Gerspelling round was junior Liz Simbardis. man. Despite these small errors, the judges In the poetry competition were juniors were in stiches and the group advanced to Jorie Walsh, Nicole Penn and senior Emily the final round. Gallagher. Walsh read a poem she created, while Penn read the traditional poem. The_second performance was almost Gefunden by Goethe. Gallagher read the flawless. The judges enjoyed every moment comical poem of a boy who would not eat of the play and Schneider's falling schaul his soup. Despite their outstanding readings, went unnoticed. no one advanced to the final round. The only disappointment of the day was
the nametag competition. Jon Walton produced beautiful nameiags that portrayed the German flag. Although he did not place, the students still held him in first place in their eyes. Frau Hojanecki was real pleased with her students this year. The cast of the skit worked real hard, and although not many students placed, everyone worked real hard. Maine South plans to return again to UIC to hopefully capture more titles and win first place again in the skit competition.
SouTirwoRr:>S A student-produced newspaper of:
Maine South High School 1111 South Dee Road Park Ridge, IL 60068 Letters to the editorshould be delivered to room V-13Torgiven,to a member of the editorial staff^'SOFTHWORDS reserves the right to edit material for clarity and brevity and to reject obscene or libelous submissions. Editors-in-Chief
Maura Collins Michael DePilla News Editors Megan Gibbons Meghan McCall Commentary Editors Britt Frederiksen Lauren Hurley Lindsey Knikowski Features Editors Nicole Penn Sam Fuller Sports Editors Ellen Gartner Ted Kocher Production Editors Som Dalai Brian Anderson Dan Clyne Core Cartoonist Susan Wilson Eileen ColliM| ^ Core Photographers Megan P r i ^ ^ l Monica Haak Core Staff Artist Nicole Khne Staff Heads T R. Kerth Advisor
Features 9
Looking in the face of death "I could not see my mother facing my death. This kept me going." With these words, Holocaust survivor John Kutyla, 74, explained how he survived 13 months in a Nazi work camp during World War II. Speaking to Ms. Flint's and Mr. Kerth's classes on March 16, he kept students riveted with his account of the horrors he endured. In 1939, when he was 13, his homeland of Poland was invaded by Germany and Russia. The eastern part of Poland, where he lived, was occupied by Russian troops, and his school was taken over by the invaders. His education consisted of being forced to sing Russian songs praising Stalin. Within two years, however, the Germans attacked Russia, and all of Poland fell under the control of the Nazis. Mr. Kutyla's family was driven from their home and they were forced to live in tents in the forest. In 1944, when he was 18, he was captured and sent to a work camp building German airplanes, where he lost 100 pounds in six months. Prisoners were given only two cups of coffee, a thin cup of soup, and a slice of bread per day to live on. In addition, they labored from four AM until nine PM. They were issued one suit of clothes, which they wore day and night, without changing or laundering. In his year in the camps, he had only two baths.
"There are many ways of wiping people out," Mr. Kutyla said. "Labor, cold, starvation." He faced them all. Twenty-one of his family members died in the camps. Seven, including himself, survived. But his survival depended as much upon luck as it did upon stamina. Five times his work camp was bombed by American B52's, and he took refuge in a water-filled ditch. Five times he survived strafing runs
by British fighter planes. In one attack, his best friend was killed right next to him and he had to lie in the ditch next to the body until the attack was over. After each attack, the prisoners were required to work around the clock for three days or more to repair the damage and restore the factory to working condition. During one such work session, his exhaustion led to an accident that destroyed an airplane.
and he was charged with sabotage, a crime punishable by death. But he was saved by a Yugoslavian camp worker who talked with the officer in charge, who had once lived in Yugoslavia. Near the end of the war, the prisoners were marched to a train station where they expected to work, but when they arrived at the station, they were rushed back to the camp because American troops had advanced too close. Later he discovered that they had not been sent to the station to work, but to be deported to a death camp, where they would have been executed. Within weeks the camp was liberated by American and Russian troops, and he followed the American troops to freedom. Surprisingly, there was no sign of hatred or bitterness in Mr. Kutyla's voice as he spoke. Rather, the harrowing experiences filled him with a love of life and an appreciation for every moment. "When you survive all this," he said, "life takes on a perspective really beautiful. Life is worth fighting for. In the United States after the war, people would complain about their jobs. When people complained, I felt like I had wings. I came to heaven. I had wings. "You look at life differently when you're about to lose your life and you survive."
lO
Sports
Badminton takes a swing at the season
South Stats
by Jennifer Hunsader The girls are sure that all of you will be happy to know that the Lady Hawk badminton team has gone undefeated in their first three meets. The girls have smashed past East Leyden, Lake Park, and Glenbrook North. Both the TV and Varsity teams are very strong this year. This year's team is very dedicated
with early morning and after school practices in sharing the gym with the volleyball players. April fifth, the girls will be challenged at the New Trier Featherfest. Be sure to attend our fourth and final home meet of the season on April 18th against Maine West. Come and cheer the girls on!
Place junior Corey Norman took in the pole vault at the annual Preps Top Times meet in Champaign.
Boys' track switches to outdoor
7
by Tony Skacylo Rounding out the indoor season, your Hawk "men on the track" traveled to Evanston for the CSL South indoor conference meet. Behind powerhouse Evanston's 177 points. South took second with 98 points, defeating New Trier (93), and demolishing the rest of the field of Waukegan (79), Glenbrook South (30), and Niles West (12). Not only did Tim Seiwert win the 3200meter run (9:49.7), but Brad Seberhagen also captured first-place honors in the pole vault (13-6). To go along with the two champions, second-place medals were awarded to Corey Norman in the pole vault (13-6), Brian Fee in the shot put (49-4), Liam Hickey in
the 1600 run (4:36.7), and Seberhegan in the 110 high hurdles (7.8) and the 110 low hurdles (7.4). On a final indoor note, Corey Norman represented Maine South at the annual Indoor Preps Top Times meet in Champaign. Corey finished 7th in pole vault with a vault of 13-6 to match the school's indoor best. Congrats, Corey. Now it's on to the outdoor season, where all the action is just beginning to heat up. Come cheer on your track teams as they look to get ready for outdoor competition, a rematch with Evanston, and the State Meet.
Number of returning players for the Boys' volleyball team this season.
Place Mary Payne finished in the 880 yd run with a time of 2:35.5 at the recent Hawk Invite.
Baseball hopes to rebound from losses by Dan Kamatz Varsity baseball is off to a mediocre start. Ah-eady having played seven games, they are confident as conference approaches in spite of their early season difficulties. The season opened against Schurz high school on their home turf. Slugging the Schurz pitching around the ballpark, they had their fu-st taste of victory. Pitchers Chris Schutt, Josh Gelula, and Craig Murray shut down their opponents and the Hawks went on to a five inning slaughter. The talented Rolling Meadows team was the next challenge for the Hawks. First playing them at their place, the Hawks dropped a tough one despite excellent team pitching. Next on deck for the Hawks was a doubleheader which featured this same Rolling Meadows team and the distant Appleton team from Wisconsin. As the first game flew away from them, the second one, agatinst Appleton,
had a completely different result. The Hawks rallied with late inning heroics from Chris Schutt, who popped his and his teams first home run of the season. Taking it to extra innings, the Hawks put the gamne away in the ninth off a single from Jim Bello, scoring the winning run. After a win against Rolling Meadows and a tough loss against Glenbrook South, these varsity Hawks needed a big win over Schaumburg to start a streak. Knowing this they responded with a 7-1 pounding led by Adam Rosales' opposite field home run and Mark Ori's six strong innings on the mound. The Hawks will strive to play their best as they look ahead toward the most challenging part of their schedule. Guided by experienced coach Jerry Romes, the team hopes to get on track in time for conference. Try to make it out to any home or away game and cheer the varsity baseball towards the conference title.
1997 The last year in which the Girls' varsity soccer team lost a regular season game.
94 Pounds of pop tabs Coach Drennan delivered to the Ronald McDonald house.
1 Place taken by Ken Triptow in a recent junior heavyweight lifting competition.
Sports 11
Girls' indoor tracl< season ends witin great meets
Boys' volleyball begins season by Joe Jarosch and John Vigna
by Eileen Collins The Maine South Girls' track team finished up their indoor season with some great performances. In the Hawk Invite Maine South finished first, followed by Loyola, Maine West, Resurrection, Good Counsel, and Luther North. Lydia Liu came in first place in the triple jump with a jump of 31 feet 2 inches. The Hawks 880yd-relay team of Katrina Kloess, Linda Lazar, Anne Niski, and Susie Logsdon came in first place and set a new record of 1:55.6. The same girls earned a first place in the 4-lap relay with a time of 1:14.5. Ann Keilar had an excellent performance, coming in first in her hurdle race with a time of 8.4 seconds. Lazar earned a first place after her long jump of 15 feet 2 inches. Other great performances included Morgan Sokes in the 440yd run with a time of 1:06.1. Mary Payne finished third in the 880yd run with a time of 2:35.5. Kelly Haas also came in third in the mile run with a time of 5:46.4. The indoor conference was a success for the Maine South girls, finishing third in both varsity and junior varsity. Haas had a first
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Outdoor Track Girls' Softball
place finish in the mile with a time of 5:40.7. In the 300m dash Niski came in second with a time of 45.2, followed closely by Kloess (4th) at 46.3. Logsdon came in second in the triple jump at 33 feet 10 inches. Lina Liu came in 4th in the triple jump, jumping 32 feet. Lydia Liu had a high jump of 4-10.1 earning her a second place. Many other Hawks had exceptional races. Maura Collins ran the 3200m run in a time of 12 minutes 59 seconds. Keilar came in 4th in the 55m high hurdles with a time of 9.8. The Girls' track team is looking forward to a successful outdoor season. Junior Katrina Kloess said, "Even though we have lost a lot of people to spring sports, I think we will do really well. Our team is out there practicing everyday and it has paid off. Hopefully we will have some slate qualifiers." Sophomore Kelly Haas agrees, but she also adds, "One of the reasons we do so well is our team spirit. All the girls cheer for each other, and that really helps." Come out and bring in the outdoor track season with style by showing Hawk support at Wilson Field. »
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4/15
4/17
vs. Fremd 11:00 AM
@GBS 4:30 PM
Boys' Gymnastics
Boys' Baseball
4/18
Boys vs. De La Salle 4:30 PM
vs. Niles West 4:30 PM
@ St. Viator 4:30 PM
@ New Trier 5:00 PM vs. Evanston 4:30 PM @ Niles North 4:30 PM
vs. Deerfield 4:30 PM vs. Schurz 10:30 AM
Girls' Badminton
@ New Trier 8:30 AM
Boys' Tennis
Hawk Invite 9:00.^^1
@GBS 4:30 PM
vs. Waukegan 4:30 PM vs. Maine West 4:30 PM @ Evanston 4:30 PM
4/19
Girls @ GBS Inv. 3:30 PM
@GBS 6:30 PM
Boys' Volleyball Girls' Soccer
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Girls'® Wheaton @ Stevenson 4:30 PM
With a combination of newcomers and returning players, this years Boys' varsity volleyball team has high expectations. The addition of juniors Greg Feiereisel, Paul Popovic, Mike Mazur, Eric Sapp, and Paul Drazba compliment a strong core of returning players: juniors John Vigna, John Jacobsen, and Joe Jarosch, and seniors Alex Policy, Mark Wojteczko, Ryan Bratt, and Garrett Fechner Practice has been highly competitive with fundamental learning and intense scrimmages, often before school. With a tough early schedule including powerhouse Maine West and Stevenson, the second-ranked team in the state, the Hawks are looking to get off on the right foot. Under the command of Coach Granell and "General" Markworth, the Hawks are looking forward to beginning their run for glory. Along with Coaches Granell and Markworth, the team knows it has both the coaching and skills for a championship ballclub. Please come out and watch the Hawks take on the Titans of Glenbrook South at 6:00 at Glenbrook South.
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Girls' Softball by Becky Pietrzak
Kelly Oenning delivers an intimidating pitch against the competition. The Hawks are working hard for the conference championship. photo by Brian Anderson
This year's varsity team is under the direction of veteran Coach Don Kerr, who has a positive outlook on the team. Alongside Mr. Kerr is Mr. Deines to assist on the coaching staff on the varsity team. The strong infield includes Nicole Czech at the comer of third base. Lauren Colletti is taking over the shortstop position. Laurie LaCerra and Anne Forde clean up around second base and Colleen Van Hoesen and Liz Bondi make the put outs at first base. Throwing on the mound is Nicole Cameron, Tina Rivera, and Kelly Oenning. Behind the plate is Becky Pietrzak and Jill Knautz. Roaming the outfield is Marge Niemczyk, Jenny Caccomo and Jamie Saccamono. Filled with leadership, strength, and courage, the varsity team is expecting to do) well \^ in the new conference in the CSL. The team, with the exciting coaching styl ,'le oT Dr. Kyp-Johnson, has a fabulous team that will do awesome in the CSL. The freshman squad is looking up with the leadership of rookie coach Mr. Hamin. Come cheer on the team against Waukegan and in the upcoming conmference schedule.
Soccer striving for perfection by Frances Futris A couple weeks into the spring sports season, the Maine South Girls' soccer teams have played one game so far against Rockford Boylan. The bus ride up to Rockford was long not only because it is so far away, but because the team was ready to play. There were a couple butterflies here and there, but they were those good butterflies that let you know you are ready to play. When the girls arrived at the field, the cold and ugly weather let them know that the Maine South soccer season was truly about to begin. The wind was blowing hard towards one of the goals. The loyal fans were bundled up with layers of blankets. The captains had bad luck in winning the coin toss, and Rockford decided to play with the wind.
Maine South came out a bit timid. In fact the team could not build up much of an offense and were getting bumped off the ball way too much for Coach J.J. Crawford's liking. Maine South gave up a goal and ended the first half down by one. The girls were ready to adjust for the second half. Coach T.R. Kerth put it simply that the girls should work the ball more and not be in such a rush to go to the goal. "Possess the ball. Make about six or seven passes in a row," he said. "We have the wind now so dig deep. We have to learn how to come back when we're down." The girls responded well in the second half. The defense became tougher, and the offense was more fluid. Diana Puckett took
the seven comer kicks the team had, one of which was converted by Heidi Libner. The score was then tied. Maine South does not settle for ties so something else had to be done. After winning the ball at midfield, the ball was passed into Diana's feet. She sent a cross to Krissy Vonesh who finished it off. The score was 2-1 Rockford had a chance to tie late in the game when the ref awarded them a penalty kick, but Sarah Anderson stuffed the shot and play went on. How easy it looked for her. The varsity team came home with a victory. Maine South combats Deerfield at h^ on Monday April 17th at 4:30. It wilP iinir one of the highlight games of the season, so please come and cheer them on!