Vol 40 issue 10

maine

t o w n s h i p

high

school

i n s . DEE ROAD'PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS 60068

FEBRUARY 13,2003

south VOL. 40, NO. 10

Lights shine on a dark drama

Matt Cusimano, Matt Sergot, Sean Cummings, and Drake Ducham take a break to smile for the camera during their intense play rehearsal for The Rimers of Eldritch.

In This Issue:

NEWS:

Child Executions

COMMENTARY:

Change in Grades

FEATURES:

SPORTS:

Caffeine

Girl's Gymnastics

2

SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 1.3, 2003'VOL. 40. NO. 10

Child executions challenged

by Annie Berndston In 1973, Glen McGinnis was bom to a cocaine-addicted prostitute in Houston. He was beaten and abused with electric cords by his parents and raped by his stepfather repeatedly. McGinnis ran away from home when he was eleven and started living on the streets. Completely destitute and without guidance, support, or love, he turned to shoplifting and stealing cars.

On August 1, 1990, when he was seventeen, McGinnis shot Leta Ann Wilkerson while robbing her store.

McGinnis, who is black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury in Texas. The European Union, Amnesty International, the American Bar Association, and even Pope John Paul II, protested the jury's decision on the grounds that McGinnis was a youth with a troubled background at the time of the killing. He was executed on January 25, 2000.

The Texas government did not reconsider McGinnis' case on the basis of an unjust trial. The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty said, "Texas failed to protect Glen from an extremely abusive home situation. It is failing him again by executing him for a crime he committed as a youth.

Texas Governor George W. Bush could exhibit some 'compassionate conservatism' by granting clemency."

In the past five years, the USA has executed 13 juvenile offenders. Eight of these executions took place in the state of Texas- only 21 U.S. states allow for the execution of people who are 16 or 17 at the time of the crime. The rest of the world combined carried out five such executions.

The U.S. accounts for 4 of the last 5 known juvenile executions in the last two years.

Since 2000, the USA and 4 other countries—China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, and Pakistan—are the only nations who have executed child oft'enders.

In 2003, legislators in 14 states that still allow for the execution of juvenile offenders considered a bill to abolish the practice. Bills that would ban the death penalty for juvenile offenders cleared legislative hurdles in Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, and South Dakota, but ultimately did not pass. A 2002 Gallup survey found that 69 percent of Americans oppose capital punishment for juvenile offenders, while the state governments still reject the bills to abolish juvenile executions.

International legislation does exist to protect child offenders from capital punishment. The following international treaties forbid child executions: The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (to which the U.S. claims to be a party), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the American Convention on Human Rights, and three international humanitarian law treaties. The Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty has been ratified by 192 nation states— not including the USA and Somalia. Both Somalia and the USA have signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child but have yet to act upon it.

Pressure from the Supreme Court may speed ratification of this treaty. Four of the nine Supreme Court Justices opposing juvenile executions recently described them as "relic[s] of the past" and "shameful practice[s]" that they believe should b ^ ended. Maine South's chapter of Amnestl^ International has endorsed the campaign to stop executions of children and hopes to support this international effort to promote human rights through letter writing and petitioning.

r

Jljfiay Jfi Jjictor;^

/

February 13,1633 - Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome for trial for professing the belief that the Earth revolves around the Sun. February 13,1892 - Grant Wood, a U.S. painter known for IHS American Gothic style was bom.

February 13, 1924 - King Tut's tomb was opened.

Febmary 13,1952 - Alfred Einstein, the genius that developed the theory of relativity, dies at 71.

February 13,1961 - T h e Soviet Union fires a rocket from Sputnik V to Venus, which further heightened the Cold War tensions.

February 13,1981 - The longest sentence was pubUshed by NY Times with a length of 1286 words.

SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 13. 2003ÂťVOL. 40, NO. 10

Applied Technology: Derek Walsh. Alec Humphries. Mickey Gersch, Kristin Olsen. Brittney Inman. James Spann, Damian Plewa Art: Kelli Priest. Steve Sharp. Marc Zande. Shannon Theel. Jaimie Burger.

Nikolai Dosev. Lisa Masuoka, Margaret Archer. Chris Tyre. Jaroslaw Wojcik Audio/Visual: Kyle Belts. Kelly Barrett.

Matthew Campbell. Emma Sarran, Katie Lukas. Eric Brooks. Ryan Gurgone. Kiley Borowski, Matt Cusimano. Charles Haracz Business: Robb Davidson. Eric Sehner, Kevin Wsol, Melissa Miller, Margaret Darr. John Pomagier, Alexandra Suriano Driver Education: Katie Kloess, Anne Lardner. Alexander Dunn English: Ryan Antoni, Claire Elderkin, Nadia Elhadary, Marty Heraty, Patricia Katsigiannis, Kelsey Keith, Andrew Krieger, Peter Mallon, Sarah Nicholus, Ashley Nordstrom. Ellie Papadimitriou, Kathleen Pinter, Caitlin Potts, Esmerelda Rodriguez-Diaz, Maura Schelhammer, Katie Shotsberger, Veronica Sosniak, Mike Szaflarski, Laura Volpe, Caitlin Wolfe, Errol Avdyli, Alison Balaskovits, Tara Cahill, John Carroll. Christopher Catino, Keith Contomo, Sabrina Dokas, Zach Kelly, Jessica Kerlz, Jennifer ^ a g a t t u t a , Piotr Matejczyk, Laura

McGinnis, Mike Menacho, Sean O'Malley.

Kevin Schrop. Jackie Spierowski. Ali Timm.

Chris Tyre. Dan Wolski Family and Consumer Science: Sabrina Elddine. Taylor Crowley, Nicholas Cosgrove. Mary Patricia Rooney. Jaime Hejza. Kara Clifton. Francesco DeCicco, Michael Schneider Foreign Language: Atra Asdou, Robin Clement, Brittney DePaola, Brittney Hennigan. Thomas Logsdon. Alexis Paez.

Tara Shah. Amanda Theel. Christie Zimmerman. Emily Miller. Christine Oleksiuk, Krista Porierfield, Charlotte Sorensen, Mark Tassani Health: Christina Solari, Caitlin Potts, Joseph Crasser Math: Victoria Amador, Taylor Crowley, Brendan Forrest, Taylor McCleneghan, Michael Mangan, Daniel Mohar. Thomas Muellner, Erica Neff, Maria Ruszel, Thomas Sloan, Courtney Waller. Kelly Warchol, Donnie Bungum. Nicole Calabrese, Arthur Chmiel, Emily Curi, Catherine Del Medico, Max Esparza, Bryan Geras, Laura Hefner. Martin Heraty.

Kelsey Keith, David Rauschenberg.

Veronica Tolan Music: Amy Sara, Ashley Jasinowski, William Liss, Lizzie Upton, Andrew Walter, Michael McCortney, Lauren Sousanis. Liz Bozek

Winter play performance

by Sara Wolski The Rimers of Eldritch, an experimental play by onetime Pulitzer Prize winner Lanford Wilson, will be performed in Maine South's Watson Auditorium on February 19, 20, and 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased on the evening of each performance at the door for S5.00.

The play is a dark, multi-layered piece for mature audiences. It explores false morality in a small, decaying mid-western town that leads to a murder and loss of innocence. Themes incorporated in the story are gossip, misconception, escape, outward hypocrisy, and violence.

The story is relatively simple; it involves an attack on a young girl, a murder, and an ensuing trial. The action of the play is not linear; the scenes travel

back and forth in time, with choreographed movements on a series of platforms.

The 17-member cast remains on stage throughout the performance, frozen in character when not in scene, creating an endurance test for the entire ensemble. The cast, directed by Ms. McCleneghan and Emily Zei, consists of Sean Cummings, Matt Cusimano, Jim DiMatteo, Drake Ducham, Alex Gillett, Rosalie Indendino, Caroline Magnuson, Ellyn Michalak, Emily Mott, Ismene Potakis, Brennan Roach, Amy Sara, Sarah Schlegel, Matt Sergot, Adam Shalzi, Meg Thorsen, and Sara Wolski. The production's stage manager is Jennifer Olson and the set designers are Mr. Sanchez and Kathryn Lieber. Costume design is under the direction of Mrs. Sanchez.

3 Physical Education: Daniel Leung, Mark Parilla. Jason Sagat. Kari Pandrya.

Garry Voskresensky, Dirk Haller. Hilary Antosh, Kalhryn Lieber, Jessica Demarke. Philip Pomagier, Emma Tumminello. Glenn Lorentz. James Skuros, Bettina Chang. Kyle Murphy, Bridget Wolkober, Daryl Andresen Science: Hannah Artwick, Christopher Catino, Robin Clement, Claire Elderkin, Katelyn Daniels, Tamara Frederick, Neil Hclfgot, Erik Johnson, Megan Liggett, Michael Menacho, Courtney Pientka, Jason Sagat, Emily Smith. Patrick Smith, Daniel Altizer, Kelly Barrett, Carly Derec, Jessica Kertz, Kara Klaisle, Theresa Klepitsch, Maggie Kristak, Guillermo Lagunas. Georgia Loomos, Megan Morman, James Pikul, Austin Pruett, Michael Saelim, John Sherlock.

Amanda Tyrrell, Natalia Urbanek Social Science: Anna Bochenek, Nicole Cummings, Claire Elderkin. Kim Fricke, Katherine Gaudyn, Kristen Kardas, Katie katz, Kenneth Kohlndorfer, Erinn Mitchell, Nick Rice, Jason Sagat, Christina Solari, Nick Terleckyj, Dan Baranski, Carly Calkins, Alberto DeCicco, Claire Forde, Matthew Forrest, Erik Johnson. Karen Kaczmarek, Natalie Kociubinski, Glenn Lorentz, Claudia Sulkowski, Chris Tyre j

Juniors, save the date for...

College Planning Night.

Wednesday, February 18, 2004 7 p.m.

Maine South cafeteria

4

Hammered

SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 13, 2004«VOL.40, NO. 10

by

Blockbuster

fee%

by Benidtson h\ Annie Rprndtsim "Ok.. .that'll be S3.69 plus an SI 1.50 late fee," the typical apathetic Blockbuster employee infuriatingly chirped.

"An $11.50 fine? For what?" This staggering sum coated my tongue like a familiar poison. I get charged for late fees all the time—but $11.50. for Pete's sake?

Shouldn't the meter stop at some point? Or can my late fee reach the point where my parents will do jail time unless they mortgage the house, all because we lost episode 12 of 1 Love Lucy'?

Compare Park Ridge Public Library fines to Blockbuster fines. Return a librarybook a week late and the fee won't top thirty cents. A Blockbuster tape, however, and you can flush your lottery winnings down the toilet.

"It was Jerry Maguire, wasn't it?" With my right hand I silenced the neurotic and conspicuous tapping of my left hand, which shot the nervous impulse down to my foot.

My head jerked to the right with splitsecond quickness, my eyes locking into those of the unsuspecting woman next in line. Noticing my psychotic smile, she moved her eyes toward the floor, placed a white-knuckle grip on her wallet, and drew her small child in close. I swooped my head

back around to the checkout bov boy and unleashed on him a gaze so maniacal that he could see his life flashing before his eyes.

"Uh-um, let me see...no...nope...not Jerry Maguire. This fine is for Tony Hawk Underground." Fine beads of sweat formed on his upper lip.

Upon hearing the name "Tony Hawk," 1 instantly knew who would be the victim of my blood-chilling revenge. I emitted several unbecoming grunts that probably suggested I needed medical attention, but actually expressed my visceral satisfaction at imagining the cruel fate of the cursed one responsible for this hideous fine.

I snapped out of my trance and muttered in a sinister voice, "My brother's gonna get it." Perhaps out of fear for my brother's life or perhaps still out of fear for his own, words burst from the man's mouth like a firecracker—uncontrollably: "You don't have to pay the fine today."

That certainly changde things. A wave of cheerful relief washed over me. This generous time extension meant I could go

orotner s piggy ib a n l ^ home, smash open my brother's take enough money to cover the fine and probably go shopping too, and trash his room to teach him a lesson. Actually, it would teach him two lessons: Lesson one: Pay the Blockbuster fees before your sister discovers them.

Lesson two: Don't leave your piggy bank where your sister can find it, destroy it, and empty it.

All of a sudden, I was in a decidedly good mood. 1 batted my eyes, shrugged my shoulders, and smiled as if 1 had just accepted a compliment. I straightened myself up and popped open my wallet.

"So, that'll be S3.69? Very well then." I plopped the money into his hand with a flip of the wrist and glided out the door.

As for the movie I rented that night, several weeks have passed, and its current whereabouts are unknown.

For this , I can't blame my brother. B u ^ ^ one well-placed hammer blow to his n e v ^ H l "Secure-Lock" voice-activated, alarmequipped, personal ATM savings device ($29.95 at Sharper Image) should do the trick.

by Kristi Katz -* Thursday, January 29, 2004: meteorologist Jerry Taft classified it as one of the coldest days in seven years. And on that Thursday, a finend and I were leaving lounge to go to the A-wing during a passing period, taking our normal route, through the pseudo-courtyard between the cafeteria and the C-wing, when we came to "Door 20" to find that it had been locked. We knocked and got the attention of an underclassman. She made her way over to the door when she was stopped in her tracks; we could see that a dialogue between a paraprofessional and the student was ensuing. When all was said and done, the underclassman reluctantly stepped away from the door and ignored our knocking. My friend and I, along with other students, were stunned by what had just happened and were forced to brave the

elements as we made our way to the A-wing in the sub-zero temperatures. On the way to the A-wing, questions arose from the frostbitten group, "Why couldn't she open the door for us?" To my dismay, the same thing happened the next day, during another passing period. This time, I was able to hear the confrontation ensuing. As the student opened the door for others standing out in the cold, he was stopped by the paraprofessional and told that if he let the others in, he would be sent to the Dean's Office. Since when did a locked door mean it could never be opened? When did the rules change?

"Door 20" was locked beginning Thursday, January 29, because of the massive amount of complaints made by the paraprofessionals insisting the hallways were too cold to sit in (never mind they just received heaters fi^om the school to keep underneath their desks). The Dean's Office has said that although "Door 20" was to remain locked, it should have been able to be opened for people standing out in the cold

waiting to get in, and students should have been able to exit from that door during the school day, but this did not happen.

Instead, paraprofessionals sent out threats like, "If you open that door, you'll be sent to the Dean's Office." "This simply shouldn't have happened," explained Mr. Thetard, Dean of Students. "Students should not be punished for using a door."

While the paraprofessionals have a point that the halls are extremely cold, their approach to solve the problem was not effective. Firstly. 1 will say the same thing I am told when complaining about the chilly weather: dress appropriately—wear layers. Secondly, if a change is to be made that will affect the Maine South community, give warning. This way, there is warning and students would not get "left out in the cold." Thirdly, and most importantly, think about the bigger picture.

The door was locked but to deny a child to come in on one of the coldest days in seven years, was this not an abuse of power?

Commentary 5 In need of a fair scale

SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 13, 2004»VOL. 40, NO. 10

Junior Opinion

By Austin Pruett It was the Wednesday of finals, and I had just finished my last final of the day. so I decided to see my semester grade in chemistry. As I walked up to the flimsy piece of paper. I saw a student in my chemistry class check her grade and walk away. I saw my own score, shrugged, and preceded down the hallway. While I was walking away, I said, 'Hello" and "How are finals going?" to my classmate. She replied with a "Hello, fine" hack. I then noticed that my classmate seemed slightly less cheerful than her nomial. ever\day perkiness. So, like the concerned citizen that I am, I asked her what the matter was. She told me that she had gotten an 89.1'/{ in the class, and our teacher didn't see it fit that her grade should be rounded up to an A. After hearing, I couldn't help hiii leel angry. Why couldn't my chemistry teacher. \\ ho I have come to respect so much iluougliout the school year, just give her that A ' Tlicn. I came to realize at this isn't:,aS:iss«eto be taken up with !he teacher, hut an issue to take up with the administration.

This girl sees an 89.1% on her grade sheet, but when she looks at her report card, it will say B, UvRRRBme thing it is going to say for mJKvho earned an 83.2% in the same class, ' • l y is it that the school system is completel> avertooking that 5.9% that she deserves more than 1 do? Well, one might argue that the teacher probably put "Close to the next highest grade" in the comments section of the report card. That comment isn't what c T ^ ^ P ( | | p k at, though; they look at the ifede p ^ t average. In this school systerRhe G M scale for students in all regular c l a s s e i ^ as follows: an A is worth 4 points, a B is worth 3 points, a C is worth 2 points, a D is worth 1 point and 0 points are given to a student who fails the class. Basically, a B is a B is a B. and that goes the same for every other letter that our teachers brand us with at the end of five or so months of hard work.

Now, I know that I am not the only student in this vast school who is realizing « ' ow unjust this system is. So, I am purposing my own grade point average scale where all of the points of the GPA correspond to the actual grade that you get in your classes. For example, let's say that

a person gets an 89.0% in every one of her/ his six classes. With my scale, which I will from now on referred to as the Fair Scale, that person would see a 3.9 as their GPA instead of a 3.0. That would also mean that the GPA scale would be out of five points rather than four, which is theoretically correct because the ideal score in a class is 100 percent, not 90 percent. Also, with this scale, it would give students the incentive they need to push them into those higher grades. -»>«.

--.».A perfcet example i^ when finals come around, when students find out their semestei trades, they each do the exact same thing. You reach lor that calculator and see what they need to get on the final to get their grade to that next level or see what is the worst possibly grade you could get on the final U)brinL' your grade down a peg.

Some ma\ tea!i/e tlial tlieirS.'i'^ might just go up a mere ?>^< e\en ii they get 100% on the final, but if we gel a I) on the final, we will still^jySsthe clearfejtaB. In a nutshell, people who have grades like that need to study just enough to pass the test.

If the Fair Scale were to be put into effect, 'twjQuMff'"'' stiuliBts that extra push to try and get then (jRA uj^b'en one-tenth of a point. Any --tuilent-- \\h(Sgree with me should talk to I'lnufpa C laypool, and tell him of h e i ^ a i vou want the Fair Sytem.

Rather than having a five hour conversation with him about it, you should walk in and say, "I like this idea."

That wouj^^ow him that there are more people t^ljP^istf thatwani this to come into effect. You could aNottll ineB^ustin Pruett) that yoi4^ke inw ide«^ 1 wyHje more than happy to plllll^h to ra^gpffi Claypool and tell him that you're on my side.

To the teachers who agree with me, try something a little new when it comes time to put that letter down on a student's report card. If you see that student has done everything in his power to excel in your class and is getting an 88 percent, think twice before giving him that B. Ask yourself, does it serve more justice to offer this student the 2 percent that he may not have deserved and give him an A, or to rob him of the 8 percent that he d/J deserve and give him a B? I think that the answer is crystal clear.

C (U

A percent grade, because I always end up below the borderline.

Rio Smith, '04

u* O

•4—)

A letter grade, because if you get a low grade or O borderline grade, it stinks.

Kelly Schlitter, '05

O O

a.

VH

D O A percent grade, because >> sometimes you're at 89.5

percent and just miss an A. Mike Forde, '06

-a a. o 3 A letter grade, because if

I

you're on the border your parents won't know.

Lauren Pagone, '07

6 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Student Opinion No need for certain governincf SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY LS'VOL. 40. NO. 10

by John Kurtz

The use of almost any substance other than alcohol to put the user in an altered state has been demonized in the U.S. Our sometimes oppressive government has sought to suppress that which they don't understand. All drugs should be legal.

First, the most pressing issue of drugs (which is actually a very crude label) is that of the detrimental effect on the user's body.

The truth is undeniable: no matter what you are using, after prolonged use there will be damage done to the body. This includes all drugs, even ones that hold no potential for altering one's mental state. Sustained doses of Acetaminophen, better known as Tylenol at or above 2000 milligrams a day can put holes in a person's liver just as quickly as alcohol. While it is known that drugs can hurt you, it is every individual's choice to use a known harmful substance, be it Tylenol or marijuana.

Second, illegality of a substance is responsible for its profitability. Marijuana, which is by far the most ubiquitous drug, is often sold simply to pay for a person's habits or supplement one's income. An individual might pay $20 for a gram of marijuana for a night, while the same person may shell out S40 or S50 for a gram of cocaine. Clearly, the potential for earnings is exponential.

Also, a fair amount of the money raised by the sale of drugs that actually stays in this country is used to fund crime. If there was no black market for drugs, which could result in the legalization of currently controlled substances, organized crime and street gangs would no longer be able to finance their activities. Territory necessary to drug sales would become unneeded. Gun battles in the streets over drugs would cease, ending deaths caused by drug trade. Police and funds currently assigned to the "War Against Drugs" could be shifted to other areas, helping prevent rape, arson, grand larceny, and countless other felonies that plague our land.

Broadcast through every aperture of the media, the government has established a

diet of filth for the public to ingest and regurgitate amongst themselves.

This is the breeding ground for rumors and myths, which quickly gain their footing in the belief of the public and spread information unlike anything else. If someone cannot find the truth about any subject, how is he supposed to make an educated decision? Without proper information, people with problematic lives looking for a release often find it in drugs.

These men and women should not be

downplayed. Current U.S. policies have a direct role in this drama by labeling substances as off limits and morally wrong.

The drug culture in its true form is just as human and just as beautiful as any other. Its linguistics, symbols, and unique characteristics are too long and complex to list but should not be mistaken for irrelevant and worthless. Culture shock is inevitable, and without a proper guide, it can lead to injury and certainly death. If drugs were legal, information would flow freely and at least people could understand the truth about drugs before they got into them. This would save countless lives from pain, injury, despair, and even death.

There is the idea that drugs can alter a person's basic mental stability and personality. It is also held that drugs can drive someone to kill for no reason or create uncontrollable sexual desires in the users.

Mayor LaGuardia of New York commissioned a study to determine the actual effects of marijuana. Marijuana was not found to have any of these effects. In typical unbelief by our government, all the copies of this report were destroyed and the use of marijuana for scientific experiments was prohibited for years to come. Common opinion about drugs simply isn't true.

Heroin and cocaine do not leave their user physically and psychologically addicted after the first use. Studies showed that LSD could escalate the development of schizophrenia, but only if the individual was already going to contract the mental disorder at some period in his life. This is the same situation for people prone to heart attacks: while stress might speed up the incidence of heart attack, it certainly isn't the cause. Drugs are not responsible for mental problems.

The most terrible injustice of all is that members of the drug community have to hide their habits from the rest of the country even though alcohol, a powerful inebriant, is legal. Drug users are continually persecuted for their actions and are the scapegoat for almost every social wrong in this country.

Liquor holds exactly the same potential for addiction and depraved acts as any other hard drug. In fact, a l c o h o j ^ ^ could easily be considered the hardest d r u g ^ ^ of all. The reasoning for this is simple: other drugs plateau in their intoxifying effects, or have non-linear intoxication in relevance to the amount of drug in the body. Alcohol will continue to inebriate its user until drinking ceases, unconsciousness, or death. In other words, while most drugs require a certain amount to reach an awareness or feeling, and then effects will level out until the next plateau is reached, alcohol is not an example of such a drug.

There is no leveling off; alcohol inebriation is a direct linear function in terms of amount of alcohol in the body. If this one drug can be legally possessed in the U.S. by one of its citizens without a special permit, then there can be no justification of the destruction of the drug culture.

Alcohol is exempt from all other criticism because it is a part of the culture that founded this government and therefore is left alone in all the statutes and laws that made other drugs illegal. ^ ^ There is no definite evidence showing^B the necessity of making drugs illegal. These unnecessary laws are a cancer eating away at our society, which will continue until all drugs are legal. It's that simple.

7

SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 13, 2004ÂŤVOL. 40, NO. 10

Achieving perfection

by Amy Fisher With the perfect hair, perfect body, perfect clothes and perfect boyfriend.

Barbie is indeed the All-American teenager.

Believe it or not. the Barbie doll is based on an actual person. Barbara Handler Today, February 13, 2004, is the 45th anniversary of the release of the first Barbie Doll. It was unleashed at the American Toy Fair in New York City in 1959.

Ruth Handler created the Barbie doll when she first noticed that her daughter enjoyed playing with older, more mature dolls than the usual baby dolls. She pitched the idea to Mattel who originally turned it down because they thought that it would be too expensive to make and the price would be higher than people would want to spend on a toy doll.

After Barbie's Frelease she r e c e i v e d criticism for being too scary, sleazy, and spellbinding in her black and white swimsuit.

T h e makeu p

m"

-Ifcttv

on the earlier dolls was extreme and her facial features were not exactly fitting to the popular baby-faced dolls of the time. Despite the criticism. Barbie set a new Mattel sales record in its first year, selling 351.000 dolls.

Over the year,.

Barbie's fashion has developed to fit with the day's fashions and society. The doll has had famous designers working on her wardrobe for years including Charlotte Johnson and Bob Mackie.

Barbie was originally released as a teenage fashion model, but over the years she has taken on many roles.

Barbie has represented countless professionals, including athletes. She 1 has also "' b e e n joined on toy store shelves by her friends. In 1961, Ken doll was introduced.

Ken is named after Ruth Handler's son. Midge was introduced in 1963 and Skipper in 1965.

Christie, the first of many racially and ethnically diverse dolls, was released in 1968. In 1995, Barbie's baby sister Kelly was introduced. Then Share-A-Smile Becky, Barbie's disabled friend was released along with

a wheelchair in 1997.

The Barbie doll has played a major role in many children's lives and will continue to be popular, because she can .ater to pop culture so easily. She has been the quintessential toy in countless young girls' lives. Even after forty-five years of being on the shelves and over one billion dolls sold, the Barbie Doll's popularity and success has not faded.

Mattel even recently came out with a forty-fifth anniversary edition Barbie.

There is an official Barbie website, w ww.Barbie.com. Even games and accessories have been based off of this ultural icon. Barbie's success has ih stood the test of time and seems to be on pace to continue its tremendous success for another forty ive years.

SOUTH^VORDS A student-produced newspaper of:

Maine South High School t i l l South Dee Road Park Ridge, IL 60068 Signed letters to the editor should be deli\ered to room V-I31 or given to a member of the editorial staff. SOUTHVVORDS reserves the right to edit material for clarity and brevity and to reject obsceneflibelous submissions; Editors-in-Chief

Monika Bysiecki Kristi Katz News Editors Carly Calkins Ashley Rezaeizadeh Commentary Editors Annie Berndtson Kate Funkhouser Features Editors Kara Collins Corinne Ullrich Sports Editors Greg Mitchell Katie Waller Production Editors Bobby Crismyre Kris Johnson Core Photographers fGley Borowski Kathleen Pinter Core Staff Artist Joyce Ann Santos Advisor T.R. Kerth

8 Features

SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 13, 2004*VOL. 40, NO. 10

Trying to stay awake

by Amy Fink and Claudia Sulkowski Every night, each Starbucks in uptown Park Ridge is packed with students with their books strewn across the tables, people seated in the big brown chairs with laptops open, a book club chatting away, and small groups of friends sipping their coffees.

Ifs like this almost every night, making the uptown Starbucks seem like the busiest spot around, and the mornings are even worse Americans need to wake up. They flock to the nearest Starbucks to let a cup of joe do the trick. Whatever the cause of this trend, people are finding that caffeine is an easy way to stay awake and energetic as early as high school.

Caffeine becomes a panacea to America's students, as the U.S. uses more caffeine to stay awake than any other nation. Americans drink more than half a billion cups of coffee daily. Most coffee drinkers have two or more cups a day, totaling out to about ten pounds of coffee per person each year.

Caffeine is a stimulant that increases brain and cardiovascular activity. It also increases our basal metabolic rate, which helps bum calories. However, caffeine initially lowers the blood sugar, which results in hunger. After the adrenal stimulation, blood sugar rises again. It also increases the respiratory rate, opens up breathing passages, and acts as a mild diuretic and a laxative.

Fatigue is caused when caffeine over stimulates the adrenals and then weakens them with constant use. Many respond to this fatigue by consuming more caffeine.

Overuse of caffeine causes difficulty sleeping, and many turn to tranquilizers or sleeping pills to help them relax.

Many students at Maine South do not drink coffee. However, almost all of them have an intake of caffeine, primarily from sodas such as Coke or Mountain Dew. With soda so easy to acquire, including in the school itself, students tend to drink it regularly, and, according to a student survey, they feel that the caffeine does affect them.

Because they are desperate to stay alert, they do not usually stop consuming it. In fact, a

small percentage of the students surveyed take supplements containing caffeine to help them stay awake.

"I am addicted to caffeine.. .1 tried to stop drinking coffee for only three days and 1 experienced horrible withdrawal symptoms," states one student at Maine South.

This student, who admitted that she is addicted to caffeine, also admits that she has been through a drug addiction program for alcohol and marijuana use. She originally thought that caffeine was the least of her problems, but she later discovered it was also dangerous.

"For some reason it was much easier to stop drinking and smoking pot," states the anonymous student, "but it seems like sometimes it is more difficult to resist coffee everyday...I'd say it has been equally difficult for me to try to quit drinking coffee as it has been...to...attempt to quit smoking cigarettes. I don't think I will ever be able to stop."

According to Dr. Elson Haas, 250 mg to about 500 mg of caffeine daily is classified as moderate intake. Dr. Gabe Mirkin explains that taking less than five cups of coffee a day is not harmfial to most unless it raises our blood pressure, causes irregular

heartbeat, makes us shaky, or interferes with sleep.

Over 500 mg of caffeine daily is considered a high intake. This is similar to five cups of coffee a day. Many health problems arise with large amounts of caffeine, and people can become addicted.

A study in the Journal of the AMA shows that when some regular coffee drinkers are deprived of their fix, they suffer headaches, fatigue, depression, and are unable to function normally.

However, a study showed that only 1/3 of habitual coffee drinkers forced to quit reported withdrawal symptoms.

Nevertheless, it is possible to become addicted within a matter of days. The most common side effects include excessive nervousness, irritability insomnia, dizziness, headaches, fatigue^ and heartburn. Although these side' effects usually last only a few days, they are signs of caffeine addiction.

Other than caffeine itself, a major concern is the toxic chemicals used in growing and marketing coffee. The beans contain oil that rots quickly as well as irritating acids. The stomach can be irritated, and ulcers can occur.

Caffeine drinkers need to make sure they receive the proper vitamins and minerals daily. Caffeine causes the loss of potassium, magnesium, zinc and other minerals, vitamin C and B vitamins, especially thiamine B l . To keep these nutrients abundant, eat foods with increased amounts or take supplements. However, always consult with your doctor first.

Pregnant women are also warned to stay away from caffeine. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, recently took a study that showed an excess of caffeine increased the chaances of a miscarriage. Birth defects are seen with high levels of caffeine during pregnancy.

Although more research must be done,| caffeine is a clear health risk for pregnant women.

Increased use can cause problems including diarrhea, (cont 'd on page 9)

SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 13. 2004ÂŤVOL. 40. NO. 10

Va/ent/ne's

hy Andy D 'Aviero Valentine's Day is a day that everyone celebrates to different extents. Some people will go nuts decorating their house with heart shaped objects and flowers. Others send candy to those that they love. A few people just don't do anything out of the ordinary. Valentine's Day is a day associated with expressing love towards someone or something, but when did this holiday start and why are we celebrating it?

February 14th is a day associated with love, kindness, and goodness. However, this day was filled with suffering and pain, which religious leaders experienced long before this modern, commercialized holiday tradition.

In the fifth century Roman Empire.

February 14th was a holiday which honored Juno, the queen of the Roman ^Gods and Goddesses. Little children ^v'ould put their names into jars, separating 'the sexes; each would then pick a mate and hope to fall in love. The two would eventually marry and live their lives together.

Emperor Claudius II ruled Rome at that time and he was unable to get men to fight for him in the military. So he thought the best thing to do would be to cancel all the marriages and engagements in Rome.

Saint Valentine was a priest during Claudius' ruling and served as a Harriet Tubman of the Romans. He conducted secret matrimonies with couples. He was eventually caught and thrown in jail where

9

Day he was beaten every hour of every day while he was in jail.

During St. Valentine's stay in jail, many visitors showed their love by giving flowers and notes as gifts towards the daring priest.

The notes mainly gave Valentine support for disobeying the emperor's unjustice law. Later, St. Valentine was issued a death sentence. He was killed on February 14th in the year 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day people remember him for the love and friendship he had to offer. Many tales have been told about St. Valentine and there are superstitions about him as well.

Some believe that if one were to cut an apple in half and count the seeds, each will represent one of your children.

Others believe that if a boy gives a girl a gift and the girl keeps it, it is a sign that the two will marry.

Valentine's Day is a day to express your love towards someone, whether it be with a gift, flowers, or a kind gesture. We are honoring St. Valentine, Roman history and love every year on this historic day.

Staying awake (Continued from page 8) osteoporosis, anemia, cardiovascular disease, and hypoglycemia. Those who drink close to 10 cups of coffee or caffeine can experience hyperactivity and bedwetting. Evidence also shows that stunted growth in adolescents and children is a side effect.

Many caffeine users are unaware that it is possible to overdose. While caffeine is not as dangerous as most street drugs or alcohol, it is important to know that it is in fact possible to overdose on caffeine, which could potentially lead to death. It's not a common occurrence, but it happens.

The lethal dosage is about 10 grams for oral administration, depending on weight, and 150 mg per kg of weight is e lethal dose for all people. In Mountain Dew, the lethal dose for an adult is about 200 cans. Symptoms of acute caffeine poisoning include tremors, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, and

confusion. Serious intoxication may cause seizures, delirium, hypoglycemia, and many other serious effects.

Although very few people ever reach toxic levels of caffeine, reducing caffeine intake to moderate use is recommended. To

avoid the common effects of withdrawal an alkaline diet is helpful. Fruits, vegetable salads, corn, soups, whole grains, nuts, and soy products are included in this type of diet. Drinking six to eight glasses of water can also help replace a caffeine habit. Different vitamins also help reduce withdrawal symptoms.

According to some scientific sources, however, caffeine is not completely bad. Studies have shown that caffeine users may have a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease and a decreased suicide rate than people who do not consume caffeine.

Whatever the use of caffeine, users should know that it is not as harmless as it may seem. Though it can be beneficial for alertness, many people use caffeine way beyond suggested levels and may not know the risks. Many don't know that there may be a price to pay to stay awake.

lOSports

SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 13, 2004»VOL. 40, NO.IO

Varying degrees ofsucces^

by Jesse Kramer As the swimming season draws to a close, the Maine South boys' swim team has experienced varying degrees of success. Promptly following Christmas break while most of you were still recovering from Christmas dinner, the team crushed a strong St. Viator squad.

However, this spark of success was short lived, as the team faced off against state powerhouse Evanston High School.

Despite many fine swims and many seasonal and personal best times, the Wildkits trounced the Hawks.

The team next tested themselves against five teams in the extremely competitive Glenbrook South Titan Relays. Despite a weak overall performance, several individuals exhibited strong efforts. The 400-yard medley relay team of Rob Riddle, Frank Macino, Jesse Kramer, and Kevin Kane recorded an excellent time.

A week later, the swim team faced off against Niles West in their last home dual meet of the season. The meet was close.

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but the Hawks again ended up on the short side with a score of 101-84. Against Glenbrook South, the Hawks" third conference opponent, the Hawks tasted defeat, losing to the Titans 123-63.

The times of the Hawks, however, were impressive, as many individuals achieved personal records. The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Macino, Kane, Kruk, and Thompson hit a season low of 1:37.71 and a first place finish.

The 400-yard freestyle relay of Thompson, Kramer, Szpak, and Kruk also finished first place with an exemplary season best time of 3:34.65. Other excellent times were achieved by Szpak in the 2(X)yard individual medley (2:16.80), Kruk in the 50-yard freestyle (24.69) and the 100yard butterfly (59.84), and Mark Sarran in the 500-yard freestyle (5:22.85).

Last Saturday at the Conant Cougar Invitational, the Hawks once again had a bittersweet performance. In this unique meet, where every swimmer has the opportunity to contribute even more to the

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team total, the Hawks placed a disappointing third falling to Downers Grove North by three points, and to the champion Conant by thirty-eight.

The Hawks, however, won a moral victory capturing the gold medal in the A level 400-yard freestyle relay (Thompson, Kramer, Szpak. and Kruk). In addition, the Hawks also mustered five other gold, thirteen silver, and eight bronze medals to finish off a tough weekend.

For all you Chris DiFranco fans out there, he improved his season best backstroke time twice over the weekend. At Glenbrook South, Chris bested his 50-backstroke time (29.37) by two tenths of a second. On Saturday, DiFranco swam a first place, personal record-breaking 100-yard backstroke with atime 1:03.10.

Over the course of this season, the Hawks have witnessed a series of both g r e a J ^ ^ successes and disappointments. The Hawk^^F now look to the conference and sectional meets in the next few weeks as a better measure of their season's efforts. \

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SOUTHWORDS'FEBRUARY 13, 2004*VOL. 40, NO. 10

'Beginning ofa new era

by Benz Ng Fresh off a 4x4 state championship, the Maine South boys' track team is starting a new era on a multitude of fields.

The Hawks have graduated many AllConference and All-State athletes, but look to continue their run as one of the top teams in the state. The athletes that graduated include all four members of the state champion 4x4 relay team. They were Tony

Marcinek, Kenny Johnson, Chuck DiPranco, and Neil Sherlock.

There will also be a new, but familiar face on the coaching staff as Greg Nordahl replaces the legendary Bill Drennan as distance coach. It will be hard to replace Bill Drennan after his thirty-three years of coaching excellence, but if there is a man who can do it, Greg Nordah will.

Under the guidance of Head Coach Tumilty, assistants Coach Karlov and Coach Lonergan, the aforementioned Coach Nordahl, the Maine South boys' track team will be working hard to live up to the high standards they have set.

The Hawks won their first meet on all three levels beating out Niles North, Manley, and Marshall on Febuary 4.

Elite pole vaulters to return to Maine South High School

by Katie Waller Elite pole vaulting is returning to Chicago, and not just Chicago, your very own Maine South High School. This Saturday, February 14, 2004, some of the country's top male and female pole vaulters will be competing here in Park Ridge. The competition is sponsored by Gill Athletics, Dekan Athletics, and the Illinois Pole Vault Coaches Association. The event is a portion of this weekend's National Pole Vault Certification workshop at Maine South High School. Scheduled to compete are Erica Bartalena, former Southwest Conference Champion from College Station, Texas with a personal best of 13"7"; Jill Starkey, 14' 1" vaulter from Atascadero, California who finished fourth in the 1999 U.S. Championships, had a Top Ten U.S. ranking in 2001. and was a 2000 Olympic

Trial Finalist; Monica Pacus of Atascadero, American, and is now training in California who is the top returning female Atascadera, California; Dean Starkey. a high school vaulter in the nation with a best bronze medalist at the 1997 World of 13'; Daniel Lyman who is an 18'2" Championships, graduate of Maine West vaulter from Jonesboro, Arkansas; Bubba High School and the University of Illinois McClane, an 1 8 ' 1 " vaulter also from with a personal best of 19'5"; and Kyle Jonesboro, AR; Justin Wolf, a NCAA Division III Norberg, a former National Champion at University of Illinois "Think there's nothing Wilmington College with a with a personal best to do in Park Ridge? personal best of 17' and who is of 17'4"; Paul now training in Atascadero, Think again!"

Schmitt from San California. This competition Luis Obispo, CA, will begin at 6:30 p.m. with who was the NCAA Division II National warm-ups beginning at 5:30 Champion at Kutztown University, and has p.m. Admission is five dollars at the door. a personal best of 17'3"; Scott Slover from So if you think there's nothing to do here, San Jose, California, with a personal best in Park Ridge, think again, and come out to of 18'9" is the two-time UCLA NCAA- watch top-notch pole vaulters at your very Division 1 Champion, five-time AU- own high school.

South

Stats 10

1:03.1 First place, personal recordbreaking 100 yard backstroke time of Chris DiFranco.

Number of overtimes the girls' basketball team had to play to beat Stevenson.

Number of world class pole vaulters competing at Maine South on February 14.

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Boys' Basketball • Girls' Basketball • Indoor Track • Boys' Swimming • Girls' Gymnastics • Wrestling

by Katie Waller The 2003-2004 Maine South girls' varsity basketball team has recently implemented a new technique to their defensive game. Not only do the girls kick step to cut off an opponent driving to the basket, but now they taunt the player by yelling, "Hit me! Hit me!"

When asked about this addition to their defense, junior post Veronica Allen stated, "By doing this we increase our chances of drawing a foul, and it really makes our opponents think twice about driving into our paint."

These new defensive tactics seem to be have helped the Hawks, who finished with an impressive, best ever record of 4-1 at the Sweet 16 Tournament. The girls closed out the tournament with a double overtime victory against a tough Stevenson team.

Yes,

Overall, the girls enjoyed themselves during the final weekend of the tournament.

Spending almost the whole day together on Saturday, January 31, the Hawks grew quite fond of one another, even refusing to spread out to two tables during their lunch at The Patio.

"This is quality bonding time, so all twelve of us have to sit shoulder to shoulder at lunch; it's the only way," commented sophomore Christina Solari.

The girls not only had lunch together, but also Solari at the line, ventured out to Oak Brook photo by K. Pinter

u|3 mall to get some last minute shopping out of the way. Although the weather was cold, and some ndividuals who shall remain nameless were ambushing others with snowballs, the girls managed to get their shopping done.

Coming off of a great finish at the Sweet 16 Tournament, the Hawks' spirits are running higher than ever, and the girls are looking to excel further as they wind down their season.

Even though the weather outside is ice cold, the Maine South gir| varsity basketball team is heating Their next opponents are the New Trier Trevians tonight at 7:30 p.m. for senior night.

they do exist

by Jessica Bumight & Kira Fedyniak Contrary to popular belief, there is a girls' gymnastics team here at Maine South High School.

Though the Hawks were not mentioned at the assembly and don't get talked about during the Monday morning sports reports, they do in fact exist.

To update those of you who have not been following the lady Hawks, at the conferece meets at Evanston on Friday, January 30 and Saturday.

January 31, varsity and JV put up an outstanding fight. This fight seemed to be the trick, because both levels ended the meet by placing fifth overall.

At the varsity meet against Evanston, some excellent scores were accomplished.

including a 5.95 on beam by Kristyn Anderson, a 8.5 on vault by Carolyn Olson, a 6.9 on floor by Andrea Frankos, a 8.35 on

Conference with a total score of 34.65.

Some of her best score highlights from this meet were 8.8 on floor and 9.2 on vault.

Another fifth place finished was achieved at the JV conference meet by Kym Wisniewski with a fifth place on floor. Kiley Sotiriu also placed seventh all around at the JV conference meet.

The varsity team is working hard and lookin ine forward to their upcom meets. Regionals wee^r held at Prospect High School on February 6, and Sectionals were held at Addison Trail High School on Tuesday, February 10.

"Though the Hawks were not mentioned at the assembly and don't get talked about during the Monday morning sports reports, they do in fact exist/' vault by Danielle Tourtillott, and a 7.75 on vault by Ashley McClelland. Senior star Kira Fedyniak placed a commendable second all around in the CSL South