December Issue 2011

FEATURES

The Board of Education eliminates class rank from schools.

Features explores various holiday traditions.

Page 3

NEWS William Fremd High School

Pages 6 & 7

1000 S. Quentin Road, Palatine, IL 60067

SPORTS

Get a glimpse of the Viking Dance Team holiday show.

Girls gymnastics begins a

Page 8

winning season.

A&E

Page 10

www.fhs.d211.org/vikinglogue

847.755.2810

Volume 46, Number 5

esy o Court

Logue photos by Joyce Park

Courtesy of Josh Cattero

f Molly Canac e

BRIAN LARSEN, 1995-2011

Community honors life of beloved son, brother, student and friend

Joyce Park and Pooja Parameshwar

Editors-in-Chief

Students, faculty and the Palatine community mourned the loss of junior Brian Larsen on Nov. 21.

Brian, who battled cystic fibrosis since birth, lost his fight after it began to worsen six weeks ago. This news came four years after the death of his older sister, Kristen, who died from the same disease in 2007.

Brian’s close friends, including junior Oscar Boczarski, were devastated by the loss of such a dear friend.

“We always thought that Brian just had to get a check up and get medicine, and that he’d be fine,” Boczarski said. “We never thought it would come to this. He was a completely normal kid. If you met him, you would never know he had anything wrong with him.”

Junior Kenny Manner, one of Brian’s closest friends, explains the pain he felt from losing his best friend.

“When Brian signed his own waiver the week before that said if he stopped breathing, he didn’t want to be on a respiratory machine like how Kristen was for months, I knew that he would be gone soon,” Manner said. “Sunday night, it really hit me hard, and he died on Monday morning.”

Brian’s neighbor, senior Emily McCarthy, recalls his bright personality that triumphed throughout his struggle with cystic fibrosis.

“He was entertaining, always making jokes, and he was really positive,” McCarthy said. “He never let his disease take advantage of his life. He didn’t want it to define who he was.”

Brian’s mother, Melissa, will always remember her son as a typical teenage boy.

“He was just like every other little boy–picking on

you, bugging you until you cry, eating your candy and scaring the bejesus out of you,” Melissa said. “He did all that with both of his sisters.”

Tony Tosh, Brian’s guidance counselor, believes that although Brian struggled with cystic fibrosis, he never let the disease hinder his interactions with others.

“Brian just wanted to be a normal teenager and do what teenagers do,” Tosh said. “I think that is beyond courageous and is hard for me to fathom.”

Brian was interested in sports and played on several teams.

“He tried pretty much everything–he was in swimming lessons, gymnastics, and then he did football, he played baseball and basketball,” Melissa said. “It was all about the social–being out there and playing with his friends, any sport, really.”

Junior Nick Tambellini thinks that Brian’s sincerity was not only reflected in his own personality but in his attitude toward others.

“Brian was one of the nicest and most down-to-earth kids,” Tambellini said. “Whenever we would be talking about anything, he was the one friend who would never take anything for granted and who understood everything.”

In the midst of their grieving, close friends and community members came together to remember his life at a candlelight vigil that took place at the Larsen house the night of his death.

Manner took the initiative to organize the vigil and other activities for Brian by sending out Facebook invites and talking to Brian’s family. Manner explains what the vigil was like.

“My friends and I wrapped ribbons around all the trees in our neighborhood. Some are for Kristen and some are

for Brian,” Manner said. “At the vigil, there was a fire in the front, and people were able to go in Brian’s room, where we spent a lot of time with him. We sat around, talked and shared more memories. It was an awesome experience.”

Boczarski explains how the amount of people at the vigil made the night meaningful.

“We all talked about good memories with Brian, went to his room, saw all the pictures and laughed a lot,” Boczarski said. “It was hard for me, but it was good to be around friends and everyone who cared. Even the people who did not know him very well came, which shows how much he impacted others. He was such a brave person.”

Brian’s death reverberated not only with his friends but with the junior class as a whole. Boczarski explains the way that it has unified former friends.

“Brian’s death has brought friends together that may have been drifting apart,” Boczarski said. “It has brought a lot of us closer together and helped us communicate more.”

Applied technology teacher Josh Cattero echoes these sentiments when describing his students’ cooperation in building a wooden memorial honoring Brian.

“Three kids ran to the board and started designing,” Cattero said. “I gave them general ideas and they threw it all together. It would take one person three to four weeks, but we got the wooden memorial done in two days. Everybody worked together.”

Tambellini explains that cystic fibrosis never managed to defeat Brian emotionally.

“Brian never wanted people to feel sorry for him or get sympathy,” Tambellini said. “He was the toughest fighter I’ve ever met in my life.”

WHAT WORDS OR MEMORIES COME TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF BRIAN?

Hook ’em.

-Junior Devin Gallagher

Unpredictable.

-Junior Lukas Schulke

Tubing at his lakehouse in Michigan and going to Canada over the summer with our dads.

-Rolling Meadows Junior Zack Schultz

When I would see him closing his eyes, soaking in the moment.

-Junior Duke Dahl

We have been teammates in every sport we have played since we were three.

-Junior Frankie Biaggi

His fLashy shoes and outgoing personality.

-Sophomore Corinna Kopf

Whenever I was sad, Brian would smile and hug me, and I would feel better.

-Sophomore Caroline Reidy

Energetic.

-Junior Zack Schutz

Fun to be around, very good sense of humor.

-Junior Oscar Boczarski

One time, Brian got mad, slammed his door, and got stuck inside . My cousin had to break his door down .

-Senior Emily McCarthy

NEWS

2 EVENT WATCH VIKING DANCE TEAM HOLIDAY SHOW The Viking Dance Team performs in the auditorium during all lunch periods.

Dec. 16

10:15 AM-1:50 PM

WINTER BREAK Dec. 19

SCHOOL RESUMES Jan. 3

7:30 AM

INCOMING FRESHMAN PARENT/ STUDENT NIGHT Jan. 12

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY Jan. 16

FINAL EXAMS

Jan. 18-20 TEACHER INSTITUTE Jan. 23 SECOND SEMESTER BEGINS Jan. 24 COLLEGE PLANNING SEMINAR Parents learn more about college planning for students.

Jan. 26

7 PM

REPORT CARDS MAILED Jan. 27

Compiled by Logue staff

Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

Administration turns to dogs for drug detection Priyanka Kanal and Amulia Nambiar News Editor and Staff Writer

Drug dogs searched the hallways and lockers during a soft lockdown that lasted less than half an hour during second period on Nov. 22.

These searches were conducted in an effort to eradicate drugs from school property.

Fremd was the second school in District 211, after Palatine High School, to experience this new procedure.

Principal Lisa Small says concern about safety is the main reason why District 211 has instated this new procedure.

“The administration is always looking for ways to make our school safer, and obviously bringing the dogs in is another level, in terms of searching lockers, as well as sending a message to students that we are actively looking for drugs.

Don’t bring them here,” Small said.

Like Small, Assistant Principal Kurt Tenopir believes that these searches will help to maintain a safe environment for students. Tenopir, and the rest of the administrative team helped plan and execute the search.

“This is all in the name of safety,” Tenopir said. “We know that, unfortunately, there are drugs in our school. We know that it will be impossible to eradicate drugs completely from the school and the teenage experience, but we want to be able to send the message that this is a safe place for students.”

The Palatine Police Department conducted the search using teams of German Shepherds that have been trained

Photo by Elizabeth Tokarz

LOCKDOWN. Nobody was allowed in the hallway during the soft lockdown that went into effect when the dog were roaming the halls, sniffing for illegal substances.

to sniff out certain drugs, like marijuana and cocaine.

Tenopir says these dogs have been trained in Germany and respond only to the commands taught during the training process.

Teams were made up of dogs from many different police departments as close as Rolling Meadows and as far away as Bolingbrook. The Shepherds were handled by police officers during the entire search.

A main concern for many students is the fact that the dogs have been trained to invade their privacy by searching their personal belongings in lockers and backpacks.

Students should be reminded that lockers are the school’s property. Anything on the school premises is subject to search, including cars in the

parking lot.

Junior Shourik Dutta believes that the administration not only has the right to have these searches, but they would make a positive impact. He believes that students should understand that if they bring drugs to school, they will be caught.

“The administration has the right to search our lockers, the hallways and the parking lots because the school is a public domain,” Dutta said. “The main purpose of a school is to educate people, and if drugs are there distracting people from learning and the education process, then the administration needs to take whatever means necessary.”

However, freshman Marielaure Mbi disagrees with the policy.

“I don’t think they should

do that because it violates everyone’s personal privacy,” Mbi said. “What people have in their lockers are their own belongings, so the administration shouldn’t be able to control what we have by searching our things.”

If a student would like to report any illicit behavior on school property, they should either visit the school’s website to send an email to the anonymous safety tip line located on the upper left side of the webpage or call 847-755-2911.

“Hopefully, this search will let people know we are actively looking. If you have any tips, let us know so we can follow up on them,” Small said.

District 211 plans on having more searches in the future in all high schools as a safety precaution.

Around the world in 80 seconds: Christmas Edition Germany- Parents hide a glass pickle ornament within the traditional Christmas tree. On Christmas morning, children search for the pickle in the tree, and the child to claim it first receives a special present.

Russia- Christmas is celebrated on Jan. 7 due to the Russian Orthodox Church using the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian one. Children sing carols to adults on Christmas day for sweets.

Ghana- Christmas is celebrated in a less commercial way. Palm trees are lit with candles as people focus more on the religious aspects of the season.

Brazil- Many families erect nativity scenes outside their houses. People also attend church at midnight of Christmas day followed by fireworks over large trees constructed out of lights. Papa Noel, who wears silk because of the heat, then travels from Greenland to deliver presents.

Compiled by Will Grubbe Graphics by Tory Boldt and Rachel Tenuta

Australia- Holidays are celebrated with barbeques, pool parties and caroling door to door with family and friends. On Christmas morning, a traditional breakfast of ham and eggs is served.

Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

Obama’s “lazy” comment may be best motivator At first, the w o r d s “ Ye s Priyanka Kanal we can” only reminded me of Bob the Builder. This all changed when Barack Obama used this as his campaign slogan. Soon enough, the simplest of words like “hope” and “change” made an impact on the American psyche.

Obama motivated Americans and brought hope to our country, yet, on Nov. 14, the inspiration faded away. In an interview at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hawaii, Obama said Americans are “lazy.”

Wait. Hold up. Lazy? Simple definition, terrible connotation, yet 100 percent true.

Obama was not attacking specific individuals but rather stating that companies should be more proactive in securing jobs and benefits overseas.

No harm, no foul. So then why are Americans getting so defensive?

Honestly, it’s because the statement hits home. We always expect the best yet are not willing to put in the work. America is a global powerhouse, or so we think. What happens when the underdogs win, and we get undermined? Our jobs are disappearing to manufacturers in China, call centers in India and children in Malaysia.

We aren’t doing anything to stop this. We are not being proactive when it comes to losing our jobs, power, drive and reputation. Obama is right. We should take a hard look at our own lazy selves, stop complaining about everything we lost and look to everything we can earn.

So simple solution, we start taking responsibility for our actions and start to fix what we can.

That begins with hard work and determination.

From a young age, we are rewarded for the most mediocre achievements. A medal for seventh place in a drawing contest. A gold star for putting your stuff away at clean-up time.

A participation ribbon for, well, participating.

Reality check, America: The rest of the world has their students competing for the top spots, from sports to academics, from the time their kids can either walk or speak a coherent sentence.

No wonder the rest of the world thinks we are lazy. It’s time we stop believing everything will come to us. It’s time we go out there and earn it ourselves. In order to be back in the race, we need to bring out our competitive sides and take advantage of opportunities that cross our paths.

Our country was built on the American Dream.

Hard workers are rewarded with a better life.

Students today need to uphold that tradition, taking advantage like a young boy did at Lakeside School in Seattle in 1968. He jumped on the opportunity to program a computer the school had bought, spending hours before and after school. He was unlike other children who dismissed the thought of giving up their precious hours to learn a skill that seemed irrelevant.

Those kids could have grown up to someone great. They could have grown up to be Bill Gates.

It’s time to ask ourselves whether we will be a nation that chooses to be more like those anonymous kids who missed out on a great opportunity or whether we will seize our future, as Bill Gates did four decades ago.

So take advantage of everything. Start a business, read every thing you can get your hands on, make music. You never know. A simple interest coupled with hard work can turn into a lifelong passion that may change the way the world lives.

America could be top dog again.

The perception of America should be altered, and that begins with us, the future of this country. It’s time for a “New Beginning.” It’s time for “Change” not“more of the same.” Bob the Builder says it best. Can we fix this? Yes we can.

3 NEWS District to phase out class rank system Pooja Parameshwar Editor-in-Chief

District 211’s Board of Education finalized the decision to eliminate class rank for students starting next year at its meeting on Dec. 8.

After consulting with colleges and scholarship agencies, the District decided that class rank is not a necessary element to include on report cards and transcripts. Students in the Class of 2013 will have the option to request their class rank and voluntarily report it, but students in the Class of 2014 and younger will not be able to report their class rank.

Board of Education President Robert LeFevre explains why the District will move toward this system next year.

“This year, our statistics and evaluation showed that there is such a low percentage of universities and scholarship agencies using class rank, that maybe we shouldn’t be using this anymore,” LeFevre said.

Samantha Dolen, District 211 assistant superintendent for student services, says that a student’s grade point average (GPA) is more indicative of his or her academic performance rather than a percentile ranking.

“Rank does not a measure a student’s potential. Rather, it measures how they compare to other students in their school,” Dolen said. “Rank is taking the things that a student cannot control, like what their peers are doing. What a student can control are their classes, grades, GPA and activities and clubs they pursue. Without rank, students can present themselves to universities by using the things they do have control over.”

English teacher Gary Anderson also believes that class rank is not an accurate measure of student performance. He believes that the elimination of class rank is long overdue.

“In order to fairly and validly rank people, students need to be doing the same thing,” Anderson said. “There are many different paths to a District 211 diploma. If not everybody is following the same path, then ranking people is not comparing apples to apples.”

Sophomore Nick Macius believes that taking away the class rank system also deprives students of opportunities to better showcase their academic achievements.

“The main problem with eliminating class rank is that it puts students at a disadvantage when applying to selective schools,” Macius said. “For example, if two students have similar statistics, yet one provides a class rank and the other does not, the one without a class rank is at a disadvantage because his or her academic success is not as strongly supported.”

In response to students who feel that not being able to report their class rank will hurt their chances at scholarships and college acceptance, LeFevre says that the class rank system is not an effective indicator of academic ability. LeFevre predicts there will be little to no opposition to the District’s decision.

“How students perform relative to other students they go

Graphic by Elizabeth Tokarz

PULLING RANK. Class rank will be eliminated over time, becoming optional for juniors and erased completely for the Class of 2014.

to school with in accordance with percentile ranking is less beneficial to report than all of the other official information, such as the classes they took and their GPA,” LeFevre said.

District 211 Superintendent Nancy Robb agrees that there are many other facets of a students’ academic ability, apart from class rank, that they can showcase to a university.

“I believe that when you look at a student’s GPA and the rigor of courses taken, I think that is a more accurate depiction of what a student has achieved in high school,” Robb said.

The District also plans to have a standardized, non-weighted and weighted GPA across district schools, with any student meeting or exceeding this GPA level becoming an Academic Scholar. The current system of selecting the top 25 students to be named Academic Scholars will be eliminated.

“Universities look at a student’s GPA earned over the cumulative four or five years,” Dolen said. “We will use a similar method where we will have a threshold GPA. We want to make sure that this is in fact a GPA that represents rigorous coursework and students who have performed very well.”

LeFevre predicts that without class rank, students will feel less pressured to load up on weighted classes all for the sake of maintaining or raising their rank.

“People can be competitive, but not competitive to the point of being better than someone,” LeFevre said. “You should compete to make yourself better, and there are so many ways to do that, like taking non-weighted classes if you want to take them.”

Sophomore Soumya Vhasure understands the advantages of eliminating class rank but advocates for an optional class rank.

“I do understand that class rank can help more people than it hurts, but I still do not see what the problem would be to have class rank optional for everyone [not only the class of 2013],” Vhasure said. “That way, people could request their rank and share it if it they wanted.”

NHS Grant A Wish delivers joy throughout Chicagoland Elizabeth Tokarz News Editor

Holiday wishes were fulfilled thanks to the actions of the National Honor Society (NHS) through Grant A Wish in Chicago and the Angel Tree in Palatine.

Grant A Wish is a program that gives children who might not receive a present a chance to join in the excitement. NHS seniors help out with Grant A Wish while the juniors turn to the Angel Tree. Angel Tree achieves the same goal but on a more local level.

NHS sponsor Jane Richards says there is a three-week turnaround in which everything has to be coordinated.

“It goes, ‘here are the wishes, let’s get our committees together, get the presents and deliver them,’” Richards said. “It’s a very crazy time, a good crazy.”

Grant A Wish culminated last Friday when 40 students delivered presents to the Grant A Wish headquarters. The gifts will provide for children at eight locations across Chicago’s south side.

NHS took a portion of the presents to the students of the K-8 Village Leadership Academy. NHS members read books and offered advice to inquiring students concerning how to succeed in

Logue photo by Justin Lanier

SPECIAL DELIVERY. NHS collected gifts for Angel Tree and Grant A Wish Dec. 7.

high school. In turn, the students sang and performed a step routine for NHS. NHS officer and delivery committee chairman senior Mike McGinn found the trip to be a rewarding experience.

“The kids were really excited to see us,” McGinn said. “Most people see shopping for Grant A Wish as a chore, but you don’t realize how big of an impact you make with these two gifts until you put a face to the wish number.”

Each NHS member was assigned two wishes. Gifts were bought based on the information offered by the tags, which included name, gender, age and gift wish.

Students had the option of either buying a gift themselves or finding someone

else to sponsor their gift recipient.

Richards has found that most of the staff, from the custodial staff to the hall monitors, are willing to help.

The NHS publicity committee also makes an effort to collect funds from local businesses. Jimmy John’s and Dominick’s are among those who sponsor the NHS holiday programs.

All the presents were brought to school Dec. 7 where they filled the dance room.

“Collection date is a really special day because you see such generosity,” Richards said. “There are kids who are excited to help other kids. You also see people who are struggling but still continuing to give. Imagine. We collect all the gifts within a four or five hour period.”

Grant A Wish was formed in 1981 and has been an NHS project since then.

To NHS sponsor Eric Schaefer, the two projects, Angel Tree and Grant A Wish, are a vital part of the holidays.

“For me, it kicks off the Christmas season,” Schaefer said. “This is what the true spirit of Christmas is about.”

Between Palatine and Chicago, over 800 wishes were granted due to the generosity of students, staff and local businesses.

Visit www.fhs.d211.org/vikinglogue for exclusive articles on the largest Mars rover ever, an ArtsFest recap and the tips for avoiding winter health hassles.

NEWS

4 Groupon sales begin to falter

New Egyptian elections spark protests Adam Bieda Staff Writer

Angela Wu Staff Writer

Millions of consumers have flocked to Groupon’s website at the call of their slogan, “50 to 90 percent Off Your City’s Best Stuff” since November 2008.

This young company offers discount vouchers called “groupons” that give large discounts on retailer websites.

Their deals are activated when a minimum number of people agree to buy a product, allowing Groupon to negotiate steep group discounts. Daily emails are sent to members with discounts for a variety of goods and services.

In 2010, Forbes reported that Groupon became the fastest growing company ever.

According to Reuters, Groupon’s IPO, or initial public offering, was valued at $20 billion, the largest IPO of any US web company since Google.

However, on Nov. 22, Groupon Inc. shares fell to their lowest price since going public, losing 15 percent of their IPO, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Math teacher Ken Goettsche says that America’s poor economy affected Groupon’s apprehensive customers.

“Groupon took a hit with the economy, and although the deals can be very effective, it is not necessarily for something you need as opposed to something you want. People are finding it harder to get money to do what they want to do,” Goettsche said. “My prediction is when the economy improves, so will Groupon’s stock ratings.”

Sophomore Larissa Magera believes investors and customers are slowly losing faith in Groupon.

“I think Groupon’s future stocks and sales will lower because of the increased limitations the company will

Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

Logue photo by Karen Li

THE REAL DEALS. Groupon’s recent deals have led to a decline in shares and values falling under their IPO price.

face,” Magera said. “If the deals are putting the manufacturers in danger of making a good profit, then more limitations will be set up. Less people will be getting their ‘group on.’”

Junior Alan Godek believes that Groupon’s recent stock trouble is due to competition in the same market.

“I expect Groupon’s sales will go down in the future because of LivingSocial and their other competitors,” Godek said. “Some deals on Groupon are mediocre.”

At Nasdaq, where Groupon trades, their values have been in danger of falling below their IPO price.

English teacher Marilyn Berdick says that a reason for Groupon’s decline is the loss of the original appeal.

“When something is trendy, people jump on it, but after a while, the shininess wears out, and it’s not the hot, new thing anymore,” Berdick said.

“Groupon will also have to face local companies that copy their idea and offer better deals.”

Since the fall of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarek, who had ruled for the past three decades, Egypt has been awaiting a new government. This government is beginning to take form after an unprecedented election.

From Nov. 28-29, citizens cast their votes for the lower house of parliament. However, some boycotted the elections, believing that it would be unfair due to outside powers influencing citizens and government members.

Despite the desire of the Egyptian people to form a democracy, the military has proven to be a major obstacle for citizens fighting for their rights.

In the two weeks prior to the election, several peaceful protests were used to pressure the military government that held power. Those protests turned violent when military forces retaliated with bombs, tanks and firearms resulting in 42 civilian deaths and 3,250 injuries.

Freshman Sarah Behery thinks these problems come from the government’s neglect of its people.

“In the news, we see constant clashes between the people and the government,” Behery says. “This is because the government doesn’t listen to its people.”

Over the course of Mubarek’s 30-year dictatorship, religious conflict and political instability became two major issues. Those issues have not disappeared even with the removal of Mubarek.

A major party in the election is the Freedom and Justice Party. This is a civil party consisting of Muslim members as well as members of the minority of Coptic Christians. This party seeks a constitution respecting the rights of both religions even though it is a political branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Another party in the running is Al-Noor Salafi, which is strictly Islamic-based. This could stimulate negative reactions by the Coptic Christian minority.

Junior Lizzy Jamnik believes conflict will arise between the two religious sects if Islamist parties come to power.

“Of course, under the Freedom and Justice Party, the government will promote more civil rights and intend to be equal towards all religious sects,” Jamnik says. “But the Al-Noor Salafi will probably limit equality, causing more protests on behalf of the Coptic Christian minority.”

The Freedom and Justice Party and Al-Noor Salafi started taking early leads in the election.

The election will be set off in various stages, according to the CNN Wire Staff. Though the final results won’t be known until January, preliminary results released on Dec. 4 showed Islamist parties in control of over 60 percent of the vote.

The Freedom and Justice Party received 36.6 percent of the vote and Al-Noor Salafi won 24.4 percent.

World History teacher Steve Buenning believes creating a strong democracy, as the Egyptians would prefer, will be difficult due to the armed forces’ control in government and the Egyptian economy.

“The goal is to choose two houses in the Egyptian legislature, the parliament−an upper house and a lower house. The lower house’s job is to write a constitution, which isn’t easy,” Buenning says. “There is one established legal institution with a tremendous amount of power over the military side of things, and even the economic. A lot of the Egyptian people over the course of the past thirty years have suffered greatly at the hands of these forces and the dictatorship.”

Academic teams prepare for top finishes at upcoming competitions Speech Team

Math Team

Speech team placed within the top seven schools at the Naperville Central Tournament of Roses meet on Dec. 10.

Junior Renata Wettermann received second place in Informative Speaking and junior Dana Scholl placed fifth in Special Occasion Speaking.

Wettermann hopes that the team will continue to perform well throughout the season and especially in state.

“I’m personally hoping that that we’ll rock it out in the state series like we did last year,” Wettermann said. “But more importantly, I hope that our team keeps being the really enthusiastic and supportive group that we’re known to be.”

Math team placed first with 232 points at the Mt. Prospect conference meet on Dec. 8. Senior Shun Miyabayashi and freshmen Christopher Umeki, Yuki Koike, Roshan Rajan and Sanjana Shah received perfect scores. Junior Ben Lewis placed second in Oral Presentation.

Math team competes in seven meets each year including regionals and state.

Head coach Jan Boehm looks forward to the possibility of sending the whole team to state this year.

“We are hoping to make it to state as a team this year, meaning all freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors will go,” Boehm said.

Logue photo by Rachna Joshi

SUIT UP. Junior Renata Wettermann took second in Informative Speaking.

Compiled by Karen Li

Photo courtesy of Lauren Romag

TALK OF THE SCHOOL. Freshmen Sai Ravi, Rebecca Beale and Joanne Lee hang out in between rounds.

Debate Team

Debate team participated in the Buffalo Grove Tournament on Dec. 3. In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, sophomore Lauren Romag received second place and first speaker, while sophomores Jake Werling and Scott Theer won first place in JV Public Forum.

Junior Kasia Kaczowka is pleased with how the team performed despite the high level of competition from other schools.

“We did excellent at Buffalo Grove. The odds were against us, and there were competitors from all of the prestigious schools such as Glenbrook South and Barrington,” Kaczowka said. “We persevered to metaphorical ultimate victory.”

Logue photo by Rachna Joshi

MATHLETES. The math team competed at the Mt. Prospect meet on Dec. 8.

Photo courtesy of Chris Grattoni

SCHOLASTIC CHAMPS. The Scholastic Bowl team stands with both the frosh-soph and varsity first-place trophy.

Scholastic Bowl

Scholastic Bowl team members competed at the MSL preseason meet at Buffalo Grove on Dec. 3. Both the varsity and the freshman/sophomore team received first place.

The varsity round was tied at the end of regular play in the championship round and continued through overtime where the team was able to win.

Senior Jason Liang explains how the team prepares for each tournament.

“We prepare by breaking down matches into topics and splitting study assignments based on interests and necessity and holding simulation matches during practice,” Liang said.

5

FORUM

Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

Editorial Cartoon

VIKING VOICE

What is the best holidy present that you have received ?

“

A toy pig that poops candy and oinks ‘Jingle Bells.’

-Kristy Loughin-Vance, English teacher

” “

My grandparents gave me super strong Korean medicine.

-Tiffani Chang, senior

Brian Larsen: a friend that will never be forgotten

EDITORIAL

For most people, seeing Brian Larsen’s smile was enough to get them through a bad day.

Nobody would have ever guessed that something tragic would happen to him during his junior year. In fact, unless you had been very close to him, or someone told you, you probably did not have any idea that he was fighting cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs, resulting in life-threatening infections. Brian was unfortunate enough to have been inflicted with this deadly disease throughout his entire life.

While Brian knew that this disease would handicap him later in life, he lived every day like anyone without cystic fibrosis would.

On the morning of Nov. 21, Brian’s friends and family woke up completely stunned by the news of his passing. We were always aware that it may come but could never imagine the day our friend and classmate would be gone forever. Forever is definitely the hardest part to grasp. We have never experienced “forever” with anything, and now we are forced to.

After school that day, many of Brian’s friends and family gathered at his

Lexi Schnurr

house around a fire pit and a candle-lit driveway. With a “We Will Miss You Brian” sign hung across the garage, visitors were invited to write a message to Brian. The Larsens opened his room to friends, and we were given a chance to read a beautiful letter from his athletic trainer, Kasia.

Kasia finished the Iron Man triathlon and gave Brian her medal because she wanted him to remember that he should always have dreams, too.

Once most of Brian’s visitors had said their prayers and walked through his room, everyone gathered in the Larsens’ front yard in a circle and shared funny stories and memories.

The next day at school, the hallways were just as gloomy. It seemed that part of our livelihood went away with Brian. The whole week seemed to drag on, and many tears continued to fall over the next few days.

Friday, Nov. 25 was the day of his

wake, and his funeral followed the next day. I don’t think I have ever met three stronger people in my life than Brian’s parents and his little sister, Lea. I cannot even begin to imagine the turmoil of the week, but they emerged from it with smiling faces.

During Brian’s funeral, the minister told the crowd of over 100 people that when someone dies so young, he is never forgotten. He told all of us that we will forget the people we attend high school with, but we will never forget Brian. He’s right, and we will remember him not only because his life was cut short but because he was such a genuine person.

Brian was always seen with a smile on his face and was focused on cheering up others around him.

If we can take one life lesson from him, we should all remember to live every day to its fullest because we never know if we will get a tomorrow.

Brian has impacted so many lives, and after seeing the masses of people celebrating his life, it is clear to me that he had a big impact on more than just Fremd students. It never ceases to amaze me the way he was able to bring so many people together from many different places.

Brian will never be forgotten.

“

My brother got me a giant stuffed tiger that’s suprisingly lifelike. It was awesome.

We named it Hobbes.

Then we battled.

Scan this QR code with your smartphone, iPod or iPad to visit the Viking Logue online at www.fhs.d211.org/vikinglogue!

There is a diverse range of opposition to the bill, from current Republican presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul to Democratic senators and representatives and the liberal activist group MoveOn.Org. SOPA would give the government unprecedented ability to shut down websites, potentially the ability to censor free speech and cut down on the our ability to freely surf the Internet. Harvard Business Review blogger James Allworth has even said that SOPA would “give America its very own version of the Great Firewall of China,” forcing upon American Internet users the same experience the Chinese have, running into blocked sites whenever the government deems it proper or necessary.

The government needs to revise its plan, taking a course of action which will safely protect copyrights without infringing on the rights of expression that are central to our national identity.

Follow us on Twitter at @VikingLogue or visit our Facebook page for pictures from school events, live sports updates and other exclusive online content!

I got a box of rice for Christmas last year.

-David Oh, sophomore

I got an XBOX 360 from my parents for Christmas.

-Chris Sheets, freshman

Freedom of expression at risk of being pirated

The United States has long considered itself the foremost world leader when it comes to personal freedoms and political liberties. However, a new law being proposed puts that title at risk. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is a bill that belongs in countries with authoritarian governments like China and Iran. The bill essentially allows media corporations to shut down websites that it feels infringes on its copyrights.

The bill would also go after those who post unauthorized content, including people who upload videos on websites such as YouTube. If the bill passes, offenders could face a maximum of five years in prison for their first offense.

Critics say that the language of the bill is so broad, it could even land singers who cover songs on YouTube in hot water. While the idea of Justin Bieber in jail may be appealing, the pain we save our eardrums is not worth the loss in freedom.

” “

-Izzy Gilles, junior

“

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Editors-in-Chief Pooja Parameshwar* Joyce Park* Managing Editor Will Shih* Lead News Editor Liz Amanieh News Editors Priyanka Kanal Elizabeth Tokarz Karen Li Lead Features Editors Tori Boldt Rachel Tenuta Features Editors Joanna Alden Venus Fan

”

Lead A&E Editor Carina Luk A&E Editors Aliya Ahsan Susan Szuch Lead Sports Editors Amir Djavid Jackson Mitzner Sports Editors Jim Hermetet Claire Mitzner

”

Compiled by Arjun Thakkar

Copy Editors Jacob Rowden Lexi Schnurr Neha Thomas Graphics Editor Nick Palcheck Distribution Editor Danny Wilson Adviser Russell Anderson

Photo Editor Justin Lanier

Assistant Advisers Grant Dawson Andrew Braverman

Viking Voice Editor Arjun Thakkar

*Executive Editorial Staff

Internet Editor Priya Mehta

The Viking Logue is published at William Fremd High School, 1000 S. Quentin Road, Palatine, IL 60067-7099 (847-755-2810). The opinions expressed in the editorials are those of the Logue’s Editorial Board and do not necessarily reflect those of the District 211 administration. The Logue accepts no advertising. However, letters to the editor and other outside contributions are welcome. Letters or contributions will only be considered for publication if they are accompanied by a signature and a phone number. These contributions can be deposited in the Logue office, room 120-S, or e-mailed to VikingLogue@gmail.com. The Viking Logue reserves the right to edit all letters.

FEATURES

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Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

Unique celebrations uncovered

Venus Fan and Andrea Nicholson

Features Editor and Contributing Writer

As the holiday season approaches, we sometimes focus too much on our own traditions and are rarely exposed to those of our peers. Here’s a look at some holidays that we may or may not know about. Features sat down with senior Rachel Clark, senior Mikey Nguyen and sophomore Amelia West to discuss each of their holiday rituals.

What winter holiday does your family celebrate?

Rachel Clark I celebrate Hanukkah.

We light candles in the menorah and recite a blessing in Hebrew, then we exchange gifts.

What kinds of gifts do you exchange?

For the first seven nights, we exchange small presents, and on the eighth night, we exchange a bigger gift.

What’s the most unique characteristic of your holiday?

I’d say the most unique characteristic about Hanukkah is that it’s an eight-day-long celebration whereas most other holiday celebrations are only one day. The longer celebration allows us to remember the miracle of the lamp oil that was only supposed to last for one day but lasted for eight.

How has your role as a part of your celebration changed?

When I was little, I never wanted to recite the blessing because I didn’t know Hebrew, but now that I’m older, I understand it and cherish singing it with my family.

Do you celebrate your holiday the same way every year?

Yes, except sometimes we use different menorahs. I remember in fourth grade my sister convinced me that we should buy a “shoe menorah” for my mom where each candle was held by a miniature high heel.

Is there special food you only have on this holiday?

There’s no special food that my mom cooks solely during Hanukkah. However, she makes more matzo ball soup and latkes, which are potato pancakes.

What’s your favorite memory?

My favorite memory is when I was a lot younger and my cousins and I would play Dreidel, but we didn’t understand the Hebrew word and the Hebrew letters so we just made up our own rules.

What winter holiday does your family celebrate?

Mikey Nguyen It’s called Tet. It is Vietnam’s Lunar New Year.

What is your first memory of that celebration?

When I was little, my mom’s side of the family would all gather at my cousin’s house. Then, I would have to go to each one of my aunts and uncles and wish them good luck for the year and wish them good health, good everything. In return, they would give me these red envelopes and they would have money in them. I was a really greedy kid, so I would cheat and go on a second round to get more money.

How has your role as a part of your celebration changed?

I mean, now that I’m older, I should give money to the younger children. So I should be doing that, but I don’t have a job, I feel really bad.

Is there special food you only have on this holiday?

You can have it not on the holiday but we usually have moon cakes.

What would you change?

I would change it so it’s more of a community. Although it is a community celebration, I wish there was more of it, so it’s not just within my family but the whole Asian community. Just a bigger celebration of it.

Are you going to celebrate this holiday when you’re older?

Yeah, because I want to preserve this tradition of my family and the cultural tradition of Vietnam.

What’s an interesting fact about your holiday?

My mom told me that during the year, there are spirits on your shoulders, similar to the angel and devil, yet different. They record all the good and bad things we do, and on New Years, they tally it all up. If you’ve been bad, you’ll get consequences. The next year, you’ll have to pay for what you did the last year, like karma.

What winter holiday does your family celebrate?

Amelia West We celebrate Boxing Day. On Dec. 26, we go to my aunt’s house and just eat food, and I see my family again. It’s like another Christmas, but it’s more casual.

Why does your family celebrate it?

It actually came from both sides of my family. My parents lived in England, so they started celebrating it too when they moved back to America. They just kept going with it because they liked the tradition.

What’s a unique characteristic of your holiday?

I think it’s just neat because most families don’t celebrate it in America. It’s a British holiday, and it’s a nice way to see my family again without all the hustle and bustle of Christmas. It’s a more relaxed, fun day.

How has your role as a part of your celebration changed?

When I was younger, it didn’t really. It’s just fun to see my cousins and stuff and walk around and eat food.

Now, I actually talk to my family more rather than just running around and playing games. I think I appreciate it more now that I’m older.

What does your holiday mean to you?

Boxing Day is a really nice way to spend time with my family, and I don’t have the distractions of gifts and a huge Christmas dinner. It’s sort of a neighborhood open house, so it’s a nice way to see the neighbors and talk to people who I might not have seen.

What do most people not know about your holiday?

There are a lot of different stories about how it began so really nobody knows how it started, but some people think that it started as a day for your servants to have their Christmas celebration since they would be serving your family on Christmas. Some people think

What’s to come in 2012?

March 23 “The Hunger Games,” starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth is a film based on the best-selling book series by Suzanne Collins. The movie takes place in a corrupt, futuristic society in North America. Every year, the Capitol holds a competition in which participants are forced to kill other in order to survive and win food for their specific “district.” In an act of love, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister’s place in the Games.

Late t

July/August

london

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be held in London from July 27 to Aug. 12. London will be the first city to host the Olympic Games three times, previously hosting in 1908 and 1948. Due to budgetary restrictions, the games will make use of existing stadiums such as Wembley Stadium, Wembley Arena and the Excel Centre.

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FEATURES

Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

“The day before Christmas, my family and I don’t talk to each other until 5 p.m. The first person to say something before then has to clean up the trash after Christmas.”

-Sophomore Phil Smith

Happy “My whole entire family goes to Lazer Quest on Christmas Eve. It gets pretty intense.”

-Sophomore Mia Voehringer

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Phone 5 will have a comdifferent design than f its predecessor, the 4S. The new iPhone is ruto come in two colors, or white, and feature a glass, 4-inch screen. It o have an 8-megapixel a and support 1080p HD. M is expected to double 12MB to 1GB as well as the e, which will change from to 1GB. In addition to all of chnological upgrades, Aporking on creating a digilet feature on the new enabling it to work as a or debit card.

7

“Our family spends one whole day from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. baking cookies.

We make over a thousand and eat at least 50 per person.”

-Senior Katie Bora

Holidays “Every year, my mom’s side of the family sits in a circle with a gift in front of them and reads “The Night Before Christmas.”

Every time the word ‘the’ is read, we pass the presents to the left and every time the word ‘and’ is read, we pass the presents to the right. Whatever gift you have at the end of the book is yours.”

-English teacher Mike Miserendino

ta

Compiled by Maggie Dever and Joanne Lee

December

November In the 2012 election, President Barack Obama will be running for a second term against a to-be-named GOP candidate.

Possible elects include Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum.

The issues likely to dominate the debates include the high unemployment rate, the economy, President Obama’s controversial healthcare plan and the Republicans’ plan to repeal it.

DEC.

21

The abrupt ending of the Mayan calendar leads many to believe the world will end on Dec. 21. However, others say that the world ending is ridiculous, and nothing will happen on the fateful day. Historian and anthropologist Carlos Barrios has a different perspective.

He believes that Dec. 21 does not mark death and destruction but the rebirth of a new era. This belief is said to be true by historians and Mayan elders because that specific date is when the earth will be aligned with the center of the galaxy.

A&E

8

Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

Dance Team kicks off winter break Jenna Chin Staff Writer

Bustling seasonal shoppers, upbeat carols and piping hot chocolate by the fire all describe the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. As the merriment continues, the Viking Dance Team performs its annual holiday show today.

Themed “How the Dance Team Stole the Holiday Show,” this year’s performance will highlight a variety of styles, guaranteeing seasonal entertainment for everyone.

The performance will consist of a mixture of dancing including tap, jazz and hip-hop, as well as an assortment of music ranging from the Christmas classic “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” to artists such as Big Time Rush, a popular boy band.

To maintain a light-hearted feel, the team will focus on pop renditions of holiday classics as well as adding elements of seasonal fun.

“It’s a really energetic show,” junior Emily Bigott said.

“There will be a Santa, elves and even a Grinch.”

Instead of having Santa introduce each individual song like in previous years, the added plot line will have a new twist.

Junior Jenni Jozwiak explains that although the show will have a familiar feel, this year will have a unique addition.

“It is the same premise as before, and I think that’s what people expect and why they like it,” Jozwiak said.

“However, this year we have a skit which is new. It used to be more of an emcee show, where Santa would narrate what comes next, but this actually has a plot where we try to dance away the Grinch, so he doesn’t ruin the holiday season.”

Routines for the show include two ensemble numbers,

Logue photo by Bryanna Barrera

HIP-HOP HOLIDAY. Viking Dance Team members (left to right) sophomores Alexandra Nash, Rachel Lee and Nabiha Ahmed practice for today’s holiday show during the second half of lunch periods and tonight at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. a jazz routine “All I Want For Christmas is You” and a hip-hop closer “Christmas Collaboration,” as well as four smaller group performances, including “Let it Snow” and “Jingle Bells.”

The preparation for the holiday show is a lengthy process, taking up to two months. Dance team coach Dawn Glaser explains the finer details.

“It takes maybe four hours to learn the general feel of the dance moves and to practice it from memory,” Glaser said. “Once it’s learned, we clean up the dance. We find where the timing is off and where we need to work on

facial expressions.”

Although the Dance Team will have another show in February themed “Dancing Through the Decades,” they are encouraging audiences to attend the holiday show to kick start the season.

“There will be an assortment of fun dances,” Bigott said. “It’s a really fun way to end the semester and get into the uplifting holiday spirit.”

The performance will take place in the auditorium during the second half of lunch periods in addition to tonight’s show at 7 p.m.

Technology meets convenience at Threadless kiosk Aliya Ahsan A&E Editor

Shoppers having a hard time finding a creative yet easy gift should visit the new automated kiosk for clothes at Woodfield Mall.

Threadless teamed up with Coinstar, Inc. to pilot a vending machine where customers can buy the merchandise currently available from the Threadless website. The kiosk also offers baby clothes, hoodies, water bottles and tote bags in addition to weekly-updated clothing.

Threadless is an online community where artists submit T-shirt designs which are then put to a public vote. A small portion of these designs are then published for printing and are sold on the website.

Dustin Henderlong, the partnerships manager at Threadless, describes how the kiosk works.

“They work exactly like a Redbox DVD machine but with different sized offerings,” Henderlong said. “A robot inside reads your order and uses suction to pull the appropriate merchandise.”

Threadless managers are incorporating various materials in their designs.

“We are experimenting with different canvases for artists like water bottles, iPhone cases, iPad cases and Dell computer covers,” Henderlong said.

They are also planning to spread internationally.

“With partners like Disney, we’re exploring major characters like the Muppets going into retail, which would be a huge exposure boost,” Henderlong said. “We’re also partnering with other major partners to gain access to new international markets. It’s a fun balance of breaking into new territory while maintaining the core business of threadless.com.”

Threadless customer Jean Jansen is interested in the vending machine for clothes.

“It’s nifty,” Jansen said. “It’s a unique way to get their products out there. I think it’s very unexpected for Threadless to take this action.”

Senior Katie Sharp appreciates the array of T-shirts found on Threadless.

“There’s a lot of variety in the designs,” Sharp said.

“The artists come up with really good ideas with stuff you’d never think of.”

The Threadless kiosk launched Nov. 15, and the test phase will go through February. In addition to the ma-

Logue photo by Carina Luk

AUTOMATED. The Threadless kiosk at Woodfield Mall sells T-shirts, hoodies, water bottles, tote bags and baby clothes. chine in Woodfield, other stands are found in Jewel-Osco in Chicago, Dominick’s in Chicago and Yorktown Mall in Lombard.

Check out threadless.com to learn more.

Classic movies to watch with the family for an enjoyable time

A&E Editors compiled a few of the popular movies during the holiday season. Check these films out for a humorous winter break.

“Elf” After spending his life in Santa’s workshop with elves, a childish adult searches for his father in New York and saves Christmas.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” In a place where it’s Halloween all year long, the king hatches a plot to kidnap Santa and take his place.

“Home Alone” Left behind when his family leaves for vacation, an 8-year-old boy’s antics protect the house from two burglars.

Compiled by A&E Editors Graphic by Nick Palcheck Logue Photos by Susan Szuch

Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

A&E

9

In memoriam: Jobs, Winehouse and other prominent deaths of 2011 Susan Szuch A&E Editor

With the passage of 2011 came the deaths of many in the entertainment industry. As the year draws to a close, we want to recognize that while the following people may be gone, their accomplishments live on.

Andy Rooney Journalist Andy Rooney was best known for the essays about everyday life on the weekly CBS television program “60 Minutes.” From his first “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney” broadcast in July 1978, to his final one in October, his segments highlighted everything from current events to the contents of his desk with his classic satirical tone which made him a unique commentator in the world of news.

However, Rooney’s essays on “60 Minutes” are only a few the many television compositions that he wrote—a genre of reporting he has been credited with developing.

In addition to his success on camera, Rooney worked at CBS as a producer and writer and wrote a nationallysyndicated newspaper column. A month after telling audiences that he was retiring from “60 Minutes,” Rooney died on Nov. 4 at age 92 due to complications from a minor surgery.

As the title of the segment suggests, “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney” may have only lasted for a portion of the program, but his impact on journalism and American life will last much longer.

Amy Winehouse Singer and performer Amy Winehouse mixed jazz, pop, soul and R&B, making her music as recognizable as her signature beehive hairdo.

At 16, Winehouse released her first album, “Frank,” which received an Ivor Novello Award in songwriting as well as nominations for the Mercury Music Prize and

British Record Industry Trust awards. Two years later, she released her second album, “Back to Black,” which went platinum four times. In 2009, she started her own record label, Lioness.

Many of her songs, including Grammy award-winning “Rehab,” gave insight to Winehouse’s battles with substance abuse. Eventually, her problems with drugs and alcohol prevented her multiple times from being able to perform on stage and also from accepting her Grammy awards in 2008.

Winehouse spent several years in and out of treatment centers for her addictions and ultimately died of alcohol poisoning on July 26.

Like musicians Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, Winehouse died at the age of 27. Also like those artists, Winehouse made a distinct mark on the music industry.

Steve Jobs In 1976, entrepreneur Steve Jobs and computer engineer Stephen Wozniak started Apple Computers in Jobs’s garage. What began as a small company quickly grew, making computers more affordable and easier to use.

After disagreements with then president John Sculley, Jobs resigned from his post as CEO in 1985, moving on to start another company, NeXT, Inc. He also purchased the company that would later become Pixar.

Jobs returned to Apple in 1995, bringing success to the company with the iMac in 1998, as well as other innovations in following years.

Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, yet he continued working with the company to release

products such as the iPhone and the Macbook Air. Even in 2010, while his health deteriorated, Jobs continued to be present at press events for Apple’s products.

However, on Oct. 6, he died at age 56.

His ingenuity made products more people-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. His success pushed others to do the same.

Elizabeth Taylor Actress Elizabeth Taylor not only starred in dozens of films and had her own business ventures, but she devoted time and money in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Taylor began acting at the age of nine and continued into her 70s, winning Academy Awards for movies “Butterfield 8” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Even after she retired from acting, she received recognition for her accomplishments in film, such as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 1993.

While she was successful as an actress, she also launched a perfume line and designed jewelry for a collection bearing her name, The Elizabeth Collection.

After the death of actor and friend Rock Hudson in 1985 from AIDS, Taylor worked to raise over $270 million for charities devoted to HIV and AIDS research.

She founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation which provides support to those affected by the disease and funds research for better treatments. For her efforts, she was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1992.

Though Taylor may have begun her career as an actress, her influence expanded far beyond the realm of film, even after her death at 79 on March 23.

Have yourself a fashion-forward holiday A&E’S ONLINE ARTICLES During December, most will begin frequenting family gatherings more often because of the holiday season. These occasions call for a middle ground between formal and informal attire, which can be achieved by pulling pieces from almost any store. Senior Sarah Masucci modeled a look courtesy of Chandelier Boutique, located in downtown Palatine at 17 W. Wilson St.

Braided metal bracelet

To counter the geometric lines from the top’s print, the curved lines provide a better variety of shapes. The silver and the gold from the accessory also draw out their otherwise more subtle tones from the look. $15

Red, tribal-print tunic

This whimsical top is a prime example of the balance between dressy and casual. The soft material and minimal embellishment at the neckline can be dressed up or down depending on the other paired accessories. $45

Cream, bow-flap purse Trimmed with gold zippers, this piece stays consistent with edgier aspects of this outfit. This bag is shown as a wristlet for an easy grab-and-go option but can be transformed into a shoulder purse to free your hands. $30

Leggings

These create a casual vibe while still being presentable. Neutrals such as black and gray are the safest choices. For brighter pops of color, pair the look with a soft turquoise or deep purple instead. $10

Faux leather combat boots These boots have been trendy since fall and help to dress down the look with their military-like style. Similar versions can be found at places like the Bloomingdale’s Outlet Store or Macy’s, both in Schaumburg.

Compiled by Carina Luk Logue photo by Carina Luk

COOKIE BAKING VIDEO TUTORIAL

A step-by-step guide on making kolaches for the holidays.

DO-IT-YOURSELF NAIL VIDEO

Two ways of creating art deco style nails made simple.

“IN TIME” MOVIE REVIEW

Big stars and profound concepts makes for a great movie.

STRANGE HOLIDAYS ROUND-UP Take a break from the holiday rush with these lesser-known celebrations.

www.fhs.d211.org/vikinglogue/A_E.php

SPORTS

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Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

Competitive dance to become IHSA sport Amir Djavid

Lead Sports Editor

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved a recommendation to establish a state series in competitive dance on Oct. 11, with an inaugural season planned for the winter of 2012-2013.

Until now, the Poms team has competed at the Team Dance Illinois (TDI) competitive dance state finals in Peoria, with the most recent season culminating on March 6 with a second-place finish in Kick and third-place finish in Pom. However, the finals were not an official IHSA championship event because at the time, competitive dance was not granted IHSA sport status. Although TDI is recognized by the IHSA, it is not officially given an IHSA competitive season or state series.

IHSA Coordinator of Special Programs Tracie Henry knew the time was right to introduce the state series because of the growing interest exhibited by schools and athletic programs across Illinois.

“Based on the information we have received from our principals and athletic directors, they tell us when schools have interests like that,” Henry said. “We can also keep track of that through our emerging sports.”

However, although the official IHSA dance state series has been approved, the proposal has yet to be finalized.

“The structure has not been completely approved as of this point,” Henry said. “We haven’t approved a rubric, the score sheet or anything like that. There are some recommendations that our advisory committee has made, but we haven’t brought a final recommendation to our board at this point.”

So far, the advisory committee has recommended the categories of Pom/ Dance, Jazz, Kick and Hip Hop as the

Wrestling looks to build off of conference win

Connor Pozzi

Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy of Colleen Gallagher

PERFECT FORM. The Poms team performs during a football game in the fall. Competitive dance will be introduced as a sport by the IHSA for the 2012-2013 season. likely categories of competition. Furthermore, the referendum includes measures that restrict competitive dance teams from participating in more than seven competitions, excluding the state series.

However, although the new proposal may certainly bring about changes for competitive dance teams, junior Maine South Hawkette Jennifer Walsh states that there has been voiced concern about the shift away from TDI. “Some people at TDI are worried about IHSA taking the art out of dance,” Walsh said. “With new judges and less, more technical categories, there are some worries within TDI about the results of the decision.”

Senior Palatine Piradette captain Anna Baran agrees with Walsh after having heard similar concerns.

“Our coach said that as a result of the change, it may be more difficult for us to make state this year,” Baran said. “With

less categories and only one chance to qualify at a sectional competition, the state competition may become much more limited.”

Either way, the Poms team will now be eligible to compete in the IHSA competitive state series, but the same cannot be said for Vikettes because currently there have not been plans to incorporate flags into the competition. Cheer has also not been affected by the new proposal either.

“I don’t think [the state series] necessarily has any impact on them at this time,” Henry said. “Cheer already has one, and flags at this point hasn’t been recommended to include into the state series for dance.”

Poms begins its competitive season tomorrow at Schaumburg High School.

However, come this time next year, the team will be kicking off its inaugural performance in the official IHSA competitive dance season series.

Vikings dive head first into early-season success Jim Hermetet and Anna Quesse Sports Editor and Contributing Writer

Boys swimming and diving traveled to the Barrington Bronco Relay last Saturday, Dec. 10. Despite their close times, the Vikings placed seventh out of eight teams for swimming while diving finished sixth out of 12.

Head coach Kristen Newby was satisfied with the team’s performance considering the stiff competition.

“This is a tough meet for us, and I really liked that they were able to swim relays together,” Newby said. “As individuals, that takes the pressure off the kids. Because of that, as a group, we definitely performed better today.”

Junior Dennis Kostidis can see the team improving as the season progresses.

“We’re still a developing team, so we’re not as strong as we will be at the end of the season, but as a whole, we are doing better than most people would have thought,” Kostidis said.

Last Friday, the boys faced off against the crosstown rival Palatine Pirates. The Viking swimmers were able to place first in 10 out of 12 races, winning 111-75. Senior Aidan Kurkcu placed second in 1-m diving by a final score of 161.8, and junior Matthew Mugnaini finished third in the same event with a score of 148.00.

Diving coach Courtney Wilhelm commented that Kurkcu’s hard work in practice paid off at the meet.

“Aidan sets a really good example for the rest of the guys,” Wilhelm said. “He’s one of the hardest workers on the team.”

Senior James Tokuda noted the fierce competition during the meet against Palatine.

“It’s definitely more competitive because people are more personal with each other. We know each other, so it gets more competitive in the water,” Tokuda said.

The boys continued their early success during the St. Viator 32nd Annual Invite on Dec. 7.

Photo courtesy of Paul Reefe

JUMP START. Sophomore Nick Pappas dives in to continue a relay at the Barrington Relays on Dec. 10.

Despite placing second in both the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays, the boys finished the day in third place with a total of 176 points.

Senior Takuzo Kimura finished seventh in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:04.74. Newby noted Kimura as the one swimmer who impressed her the most that afternoon.

“Before the meet, we set goals for everybody to hit, and he went faster than we predicted him to go at every single event today, so he definitely came out today as the kid who performed the best,” Newby said.

Kimura was satisfied that he met Newby’s goals.

“It feels pretty good, and I think I could do better, which is a good feeling to have,” Kimura said.

The Vikings hope to continue their winning ways as they travel to division rival Conant today at 4:30 p.m.

Competing against 13 other teams in the Prospect Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 10, the wrestling team finished in seventh place with a number of individuals performing well against the tough competition.

Junior Addison Narter-Slezak placed third in the 182 lbs. weight class and seniors K.C. Raap and Ronnie Hauser placed third and fourth in the 285 lbs. and 132 lbs. classes, respectively.

Assistant coach Craig Stocker was pleased by the effort he saw during the meet.

“That was the best we have wrestled all season. We didn’t bring a full lineup, but we were still able to be competitive at a tough tournament,” Stocker said. “Our guys are starting to wrestle smart matches and put themselves into a good position to come away with a win.”

The tournament came just a day after the wrestlers hosted rival Palatine. The Vikings (3-7) had a 30-28 lead going into the final match when Hauser pinned his opponent in the second round, giving Fremd a 36-28 win and its first conference win of the season.

“I was impressed with the performance from all of our players, especially our underclassmen,” Stocker said. “Our guys went out and put themselves and the team in the best position to win.”

Also contributing to the team’s win were seniors Timmy Divizio, Tommy Ignoffo, Raap and Narter-Slezak. Stocker believes the team had an extra boost in practice last week of the crosstown showdown.

“It was pretty amped-up in practice this week because of the rivalry, and the team knew that they didn’t want to lose to Palatine, and it definitely provided extra motivation for them to succeed,” Stocker said.

Hauser, team captain, expects the team to build off the momentum from the big win.

“If we are going to improve this season, we need to keep practicing really hard and keep doing what we’ve been doing in recent meets. Our goal as a team is for us to get as many guys into state,” Hauser said.

Stocker agrees with Hauser and believes that through practice and training, the team will keep improving.

“I believe that we are really starting to click on all cylinders as a team. Our young wrestlers are starting to step up, and we are aiming to be better and better as the season goes on,” Stocker said.

In addition, Stocker believes that the team will continue to strive toward their goals of bettering their record and sending as many wrestlers as possible to the state meet.

“We must improve after every match.

Wrestlers are going to make bad decisions, but we want to limit those decisions and eventually eliminate them as the season progresses,” Stocker said. “All of our preparation and hard work comes down to the conference, regional and state competitions.”

The wrestlers will compete tonight and tomorrow morning at the Harvard Tournament.

Over winter break, they will host West Chicago on Dec. 27 and participate in a tournament at Wheaton Warrenville South on Dec. 28.

SPORTS

Viking Logue Friday, December 16, 2011

11

Girls basketball rolls to perfect start Amir Djavid and Ali Murauskis

Lead Sports Editor and Contributing Writer

Logue photo by Justin Lanier

GAME FACE. Junior Bernie Williams drives past a Glenbard North defender on Dec. 12.

The girls basketball team traveled to Glenbard North on Monday to take on the Panthers. After a rough start, the Vikes came back to capture a 51-38 victory and improve their record to 9-0.

Head coach David Yates believes that the girls have come up big in clutch situations.

“When we need to play, we play,” Yates said. “When we need to knock down shots and make big stops, so far we’ve been able to pull that out and do that.”

Fremd held the lead for the majority of the game until Glenbard North scored a three-pointer at the end of the third quarter to go up 31-30. Yates feels that the team’s lack of defensive concentration allowed for Glenbard North to stage a comeback.

“We weren’t moving our feet enough,” Yates said.

“We were playing defense with our hands, and that’s not something we teach.”

The game’s pace picked up in the fourth quarter as both of the teams traded buckets throughout, but the Vikings cranked up the intensity on both offense and defense which enabled the team to emerge victorious.

Junior guard Ashley McConnell thinks that the team’s toughness on both ends of the floor is what helped them secure the win.

“We pulled it together,” McConnell said. “We had to get stops on defense, finish our shots and get good shots, which we did.”

The close victory against Glenbard North came just

two days after the team’s 82-35 triumph over Jacobs, where after a somewhat sloppy first quarter, the girls scored 38 points in the second.

The outburst was highlighted by a 27-2 stretch which put the game out of reach.

Yates believes that after the team tightened up the loose ends, they were able to get out on a roll.

“We did two things,” Yates said. “We took care of the ball a little better. I think defensively we picked it up.

We also went to our zone, half-court press trap. They struggled with that, and that has fueled many a rally where we get going off that and get easy scores.”

With the two victories, the Vikings increased their win total to nine in as many games, mirroring their season a year ago where they captured the Mid-Suburban League title.

Freshman guard Haley Gorecki largely attributes the team’s success to working well as a collective group.

“Every game, we all work as a team to win,” Gorecki said. “It’s a big team effort. We all work together to pull it off and get through the game.”

The team looks to continue its success when it hosts Hoffman Estates tonight. They travel to Trinity on Monday. Yates admits the next two games will be a challenge.

“Hoffman has always been a tough team to play, and that’s a conference game, so I think we’ve got some work to do, ” Yates said. “Trinity is 8-0 and is ranked fourth in state. We have to get better quickly because they’re a very good team, and we’re going to have to play much better than we did tonight.”

Gymnastics continues undefeated season with tri-meet victory over Barrington, Hoffman Claire Mitzner Sports Editor

The girls gymnastics team competed in a conference tri-meet at Barrington on Dec. 13, beating out Hoffman Estates and Barrington to bring their season record to 3-0. Fremd’s 143 points topped Barrington’s 134.1 and Hoffman Estates’ 115.2.

Head coach Tim Hamman thinks the team performed well overall but feels they struggled on some events.

“We did well on vault, but had some mishaps on beams and then a couple on bars, so we are still looking to hit everything together,” Hamman said. “We need to stay focused on cleaning up the routines.”

On floor, junior Stephanie Gallo placed first with a score of 9.5, and junior Emily Pinderski placed third with a score 9.25. Gallo was happy with the team’s performance on the event compared to previous meets.

“We improved on floor a lot since the last meet,” Gallo said. “We have a lot of potential, and I expect we

will keep going up from here.”

Gallo also scored 9.35 on vault, contributing to her first place all-around score of 36.25. Gallo was pleased but knows she has a lot to work on.

“I made some improvements on floor tonight,” Gallo said. “But in practice, I need to put some extra focus on beam and bars in order to gain consistency.”

Prior to Tuesday’s meet, the Vikings traveled to Schaumburg on Dec. 7 and defeated the Saxons 143.60135.10.

Despite the win, Hamman feels the team has room for improvement throughout the rest of the season.

“Though we did come away with a victory, there are a lot of things we need to fix,” Hamman said. “Particulary we need to hit our routines because every time you fall, it’s a deduction in points, and our score could have been much higher if we stayed on.”

The team still received high marks in all of their events, with junior Shannon Lemajeur finishing first on vault and floor and freshman Sydney Plichta coming in first on bars.

BCS NC: LSU 17-14 ROSE: OREGON 31-24 ORANGE: CLEMSON 24-17 FIESTA: OKLAHOMA ST. 31-28 SUGAR: MICHIGAN 17-14

Senior Stephanie Uhrich believes the team needs to focus on their beam routines to be successful this season.

“Hitting on beam is something we definitely need to work on,” Uhrich said. “It’s something we’ve always struggled with, and we need a lot of repetition and practice under pressure.”

Lemajeur, who fell during her first event on bars, bounced back to place second in all-around.

“It was the first event, and I can’t let one event ruin my others,” Lemajeur said. “I just had to get it out of my head and focus on the event I’m doing at the moment.”

Gallo feels that despite the difficulties on some events, the team will be able to finish the season on high note.

“We had falls here and there, and we know what we need to work on,” Gallo said. “There’s still time, and it will all come together in the end.”

The girls compete at the New Trier Invite tomorrow at noon.

BCS NC: LSU 21-17 ROSE: WISCONSIN 41-31 ORANGE: CLEMSON 28-14 FIESTA: STANFORD 35-31 SUGAR: MICHIGAN 28-24

JACKSON MITZNER

AMIR DJAVID BCS NC: LSU 21-14 ROSE: WISCONSIN 27-24 ORANGE: CLEMSON 21-17 FIESTA: STANFORD 24-21 SUGAR: MICHIGAN 28-24

BCS

BCS NC: ALABAMA 24-17 ROSE: WISCONSIN 21-14 ORANGE: CLEMSON 21-17 FIESTA: STANFORD 17-14 SUGAR: MICHIGAN 24-21

CLAIRE MITZNER

LEXI SCHNURR

BCS NC: LSU 7-6 ROSE: OREGON 31-21 ORANGE: WEST VIRGINIA 14-7 FIESTA: STANFORD 42-38 SUGAR: MICHIGAN 21-6

JIM HERMETET

BCS NC: ALABAMA 24-21 ROSE: WISCONSIN 38-28 ORANGE: WEST VIRGINIA 24-17 FIESTA: STANFORD 31-24 SUGAR: VIRGINIA TECH 14-10

JACOB ROWDEN

IN THIS MONTH’S SPORTS SECTION...

Competitive dance to become an IHSAsanctioned sport.

Girls basketball starts their season off strong.

Page 10

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VIKING LOGUE

12

William Fremd High School Friday, December 16, 2011

Vikes top Huntley on Glassmann buzzer-beater Jackson Mitzner and Amir Djavid Lead Sports Editors

Talk about clutch.

With 8.1 seconds remaining in the game, a foul by senior Nate Serviss in the bonus gave Huntley an opportunity to take the lead in a 38-38 game. Red Raider small forward Amanze Egekeze calmly sunk both free throws to break the deadlock and give Huntley the advantage.

Then, on the game’s final possession, Fremd inbounded the ball to sophomore Riley Glassmann who raced up the court to set up the last play. As time ticked down, Glassmann evaded the defense and, falling back from deep three-point range, pulled up and watched as the ball soared through the basket to net Fremd a 41-40 victory, improving the team’s record to 7-2.

“We drew it up for a double screen and looked to the corners, and then the screeners were under the basket,” Glassmann said. “We didn’t want to go for the win, but there was an open shot.”

Head coach Bob Widlowski admits surprise that Huntley did not foul that late in the game.

“We were anticipating that they would foul in that situation, but I thought Riley took the ball really hard to the basket,” Widlowski said. “He took it so hard that they didn’t really get a chance to catch up to him.”

The Vikings won without senior starter Garrett Peters, who was a late scratch following news of a foot injury.

However, the rest of the team came through, with six different players scoring for the Vikings.

“We really missed Garrett, but it was opportunity for other people to step up,” senior Matt Wisniewski said.

“We took advantage of the opportunity, and we played a strong game all the way through, and that’s how we won.”

The conclusion to the contest was only fitting, a testament to how closely-fought the game had been all night.

The Vikings started off the game slowly, but a late threepointer by Wisniewski helped to turn the tide in favor of the Vikes. Fremd carried the momentum into the second quarter despite being behind 15-10.

I love this game: 149-day lockout comes to a close Moving into the fiJacob nal quarter Rowden of the NBA regular season, two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, face off in a game that will prove to be a deciding factor in the postseason seedings.

The Bulls whittle the Heat’s lead down to two points with 17 seconds remaining, after being down by as many as 11.

With a drive to the hoop, Chicago’s Luol Deng draws a foul and goes to the freethrow line with a chance to tie the game.

Tensions run high as the two teams line up with the game in the balance. Deng makes the first shot, but his second attempt hits the front of the rim, seeming to seal the Bulls’ fate. The crowd is silenced when suddenly, Deng secures the offensive rebound and gets fouled on another shot attempt. This time, he sinks both free throws, putting the Bulls up by one and in position to win the game.

Moments like these make professional

Logue photo by Jackson Mitzner

BREAKIN’ ANKLES. Senior guard Garrett Peters races around a Palatine defender on Dec. 8.

In the second period, the Vikings turned that momentum into a lead with the help of junior Sean Benka and senior Adam Gorecki, each of whom scored four points in the quarter. Fremd maintained their advantage for the duration of the half holding on to a 24-21 lead.

Gorecki came out hot in the third quarter for the Vikes, recording five points in the first two minutes. With yet another basket by Glassmann, the Vikings rushed out to a 31-23 lead before Huntley answered with a run of its own, scoring 13 unanswered points and reclaiming a five-point lead.

The Vikings didn’t score for over eight minutes, but Wisniewski hit a three-pointer with four minutes remaining in the game to finally halt the Red Raiders’ streak.

basketball my favorite sport to watch, which is why I was even more upset when I discovered the players had been locked out.

It’s hard to sympathize with a bunch of multi-millionaires arguing over two percent of basketball-related income. Even more so for me, it was especially difficult because I was forced away from watching the NBA. The owners got more, the players got less and the fans got nothing.

However, after roughly five months of continuous negotiations, NBA Commissioner David Stern and NBA Players Association Executive Director Billy Hunter announced the end to the 149-day lockout on Nov. 26.

The news made my day. I would get to see an NBA season when I thought I would have to go through the winter without one, and the 66-game schedule would start on Christmas Day, no less.

If you are an NBA superfan like me, you felt my happiness as well.

The Christmas schedule is certain to entertain, with some of last season’s top teams in action, including all four teams that competed in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.

The highlight of the day for me will be the Bulls visiting Los Angeles to square off against the 2010 NBA Champion Lakers.

This will inevitably be an exciting beginning to a season that I hope will live up to my high expectations.

Fremd continued to play catch-up for the remainder of the contest, with key shots by Glassmann and Benka down the stretch helping keep the game close. Benka’s layup with 25 seconds left tied it up and set the stage for Glassmann’s late-game heroics.

Three days earlier, on Dec. 10, the Vikings took on the Chargers of Dundee-Crown, winning 48-40 in a game that was a defensive struggle until late in the third quarter.

Although both teams scored early, the first half didn’t see a lot of points. The Vikings played well defensively and didn’t give the Chargers any open looks, but they had trouble converting on offense.

The first quarter ended in a 10-10 tie, but with the help of Peters, the Vikes went on a 9-3 run and ended the half with a 19-15 lead.

“We were taking shots that we should take. We were just missing them,” Peters said.”We get those shots every game. We just need to knock them down.”

The third quarter began in much the same way, with the teams trading shots throughout the period. Led by Glassmann, who scored six of the team’s 12 points, the Vikes were able to maintain the advantage and took a 31-24 lead into the fourth.

The Vikings came out hot in the final quarter, going on an 11-3 run to effectively end the game. Fremd’s lead forced Dundee-Crown to foul, and strong free-throw shooting from senior Mitch Dinterman, senior Matt Wisniewski and Peters helped seal the victory.

“Coach [Widlowski] always preaches that we need to extend on our leads,” senior Adam Gorecki said. “The beginning of the fourth quarter was huge for us because we were able to really put them away at that point.”

Seven different players scored for Fremd, led by Glassmann’s team-high 13.

“I think we played a very balanced game tonight. We had a lot of different guys score, and that’s something we want to do, to force teams to defend everybody,” Widlowski said. “Defensively, we did a good job matching up on them. Their two best players only had three points between them, and those guys can score a lot.”

The world’s best players don’t make the NBA the world’s best league

With the NBA lockout Jackson over, I can reMitzner turn to watching the greatest basketball players in the world play their sport at the highest level. That’s all well and good, but I really don’t care.

I love to watch basketball, but I was never really broken up about the possibility of a year without the NBA. It’s a game of spectacle dominated by money, and that’s just not my style.

The season is stretched out to 82 games, plus up to 28 more in the playoffs.

NBA games don’t have a do-or-die nature about them, because in a league where over half the teams make the postseason, single games don’ t matter.

The NBA has unchecked egos, grossly overpaid athletes, and, worst of all, LeBron James.

How could I be expected to care when college basketball is still there? The passion, the team play, the ability of a home court to seal a victory. It’s all so much more romantic than the moneyed professional league. Where else can you see students storming the court after a huge win?

NCAA basketball is the only place where a team like Virginia Commonwealth University or Butler University can make it to the Final Four. Squads that some analysts didn’t even think belonged in the tournament ended up on the sport’s greatest stage.

In contrast to these Cinderella stories, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have combined for 52 appearances in the NBA Finals, the same as the next nine teams combined.

The NBA is not a league that keeps you guessing.

One of my favorite parts of college basketball is the uncertainty, because any team has a shot, and that’s incredibly exciting, to say the least.

So you can keep the Bulls, Kobe Bryant and those ridiculously oversized personalities, because even with the lockout over, I won’t be tuning in.

Keep the money and the spectacle.

Just give me college basketball, where a team’s student section can help their team win a game. Where fans will rush a court. Where the majority of athletes will never be playing for the big money.

Where every single game matters.

Just give me the mid-majors and the upsets. Forget the NBA because college is where the heart of basketball really lies.